Seattle based artist AudioGust releases “Easier,” the second single from his third album ‘Falling From Down’, out now. Following the post grunge punch of “Isotope,” the new track digs into the mental weight of constant bad news, opening with introspective verses before erupting into a high energy pop punk bridge that surges with urgency and release. The refrain circles like a late night thought you cannot shake, grounding the song in a feeling that feels immediate and lived in.
Written and recorded by Chris Evans, “Easier” stands at the emotional center of ‘Falling From Down’, capturing frustration, resilience, and hard won clarity. The song hits with bright distortion, driving rhythms, and a melodic pull that sticks long after the final chord. It sounds alive, wired, and direct, a track that leans into tension and comes back stronger, pointing toward an album shaped by raw rock intensity and sharply focused storytelling.
Joyce Manor returns to the forefront of the rock landscape with the announcement of their upcoming album ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ on Epitaph Records. This new collection features production from SoCal punk royalty Brett Gurewitz and showcases the band operating at the absolute peak of their creative powers. The lead single “Well, Whatever It Was” arrives with a high energy music video directed by Lance Bangs that parodies iconic British television. This track captures a quintessential Southern California sound through soaring choruses and a massive rhythmic foundation. Every instrument on the recording hits with a precise and punchy delivery that demands a loud volume.
The collaboration with Gurewitz brings a legitimizing force to the short and sweet songcraft that defines the Joyce Manor legacy. Legendary contributors like Joey Waronker and Lenny Castro add sophisticated layers of percussion to these fast-moving compositions. The engineering work from Tom Lord-Alge ensures that every hook lands with maximum impact across the entire tracklist. These songs bridge the gap between power-pop acumen and the raw intensity of the punk scene. The record vibrates with a sense of renewed vitality and confidence from the Torrance trio.
The songwriting on this album is a masterclass in efficiency and melodic brilliance. Listeners encounter a relentless barrage of infectious riffs and emotionally resonant lyrics that stay in the head for days. The band successfully incorporates a massive wall of sound while keeping the arrangements lean and urgent. Each transition feels like a rush of adrenaline as the group explores new sonic territory without losing their signature bite. This music is a triumphant celebration of California pop-punk heritage that moves the genre forward into 2026.
The track listing for ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ consists of:
I Know Where Mark Chen Lives
Falling Into It
All My Friends Are So Depressed
Well, Whatever It Was
I Used To Go To This Bar
After All You Put Me Through
The Opossum
Well, Don’t It Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before?
Grey Guitar
The band is currently preparing for their “2026 Headline Tour” in support of the release following a run of dates in Europe and the UK. Fans can catch the live show at these upcoming locations:
Hannah Frances creates a massive sonic world with her latest album ‘Nested in Tangles’ on Fire Talk Records. This collection blends progressive rock and avant-folk into a tapestry of complex polyrhythmic guitar work and soaring vocal leaps. The arrival of “The Space Between” marks a significant peak for the record as it features multi-instrumental contributions from Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear. Rossen adds layers of cello, piano, and percussion that swell alongside the poetic lyrics of Frances. The compositions feel like a grand physical release where every note serves the pursuit of personal truth.
The music video for “The Space Between” brings a surrealist vision to life through a collaboration with Vanessa Castro and choreographer Emma Engel. This visual piece utilizes animal masks and modern ballet to mirror the internal dialogue found within the songwriting. The dancers move through dreamlike sequences that bridge the gap between childhood play and the discipline of adulthood. These images perfectly complement the sprawling orchestral arrangements that define the track. Watching the movement unfold provides a visceral connection to the themes of the song.
The technical proficiency on display throughout ‘Nested in Tangles’ reaches a breathtaking level of mastery. Frances uses open guitar tunings to craft intricate patterns that shimmer with a restless and bright energy. Her voice cuts through the thick arrangements of strings with a sharpness that feels both brave and refreshing. The transition from the delicate fingerpicking to the maximalist climaxes is absolutely thrilling to witness. Each song functions as a building block for an expansive and triumphant musical statement.
Hamilton punk rock lifers The Penske File are back with ‘Reprieve,’ a sharp and emotionally charged full-length that captures the band’s chemistry, shared history, and renewed creative drive. Built around themes of aging, transition, and endurance, the record channels the urgency of their live shows while leaning into melody, space, and reflection. Lead single “Almost Young” anchors the album as a defining moment, pairing personal lyricism with the kind of melodic punch that has long powered the trio’s sound.
Recorded live off the floor at Halo Studios before finishing touches at Shrimp Studios with longtime collaborator Adam Michael, ‘Reprieve’ moves fluidly between fast, cathartic punk bursts and more expansive rock passages. The album documents a band deeply locked in, shaping songs through collaboration and restraint, with “Almost Young” standing out for its layered harmonies, ringing guitar lines, and emotional clarity. There is genuine lift in how these songs carry weight without heaviness, translating lived experience into momentum, motion, and release.
MCA Records and Vince Gill extend one of country music’s most enduring creative partnerships with a lifetime recording agreement that reflects decades of shared history. The announcement arrives as a statement of trust, longevity, and artistic momentum, rooted in a relationship that continues to move forward with purpose and care.
As part of the agreement, Gill is rolling out a yearlong EP series titled ‘50 Years From Home,’ delivering new music every month. Each release blends fresh material with carefully chosen catalog recordings that deepen the emotional throughline of the project. The approach mirrors the way fans have experienced his work for years, personal, thoughtful, and shaped by the songs themselves.
The first installment, ‘50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had,’ is out now and includes the 2x Platinum classic “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” Placed within this new context, the song carries its familiar weight while opening space around it, letting longtime listeners hear it alongside new reflections and melodies.
Leadership at MCA Records points to creative freedom as the heart of the deal. President and CEO Mike Harris describes the agreement as a continuation of a bond built on mutual respect and belief in Gill’s vision. The numbers underscore that legacy, with billions of streams, tens of millions in certified units, and a catalog that continues to circulate through homes, cars, and concert halls.
There is an unmistakable lift in hearing this body of work unfold piece by piece, songs arriving like handwritten letters rather than bulk mail. It is the sound of a songwriter still reaching for honesty, guided by instinct, experience, and joy.
Electronic metalcore pioneers I See Stars have announced their US headlining Spin The Wheel Tour, supporting their new album ‘The Wheel’. The run marks the band’s return to the road with a full-scale headline production, alongside multiple VIP options at each date, including early entry, exclusive merchandise, signed laminates, photos with the band, and limited side-stage viewing opportunities.
Tour Dates: Feb 26 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave Feb 27 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge Feb 28 – Columbus, OH – The KING of CLUBS Mar 1 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron Mar 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Mar 4 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre Mar 5 – Hartford, CT – The Webster Mar 6 – Worcester, MA – Palladium (Upstairs) Mar 7 – Baltimore, MD – The Recher Mar 8 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground Mar 10 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage (The Loft) Mar 12 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room Mar 13 – Orlando, FL – The Beacham Mar 14 – Destin, FL – Club LA Mar 16 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar Mar 17 – Austin, TX – Come and Take It Live Mar 18 – Dallas, TX – Trees Mar 20 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater Mar 21 – Las Vegas, NV – 24 Oxford Mar 22 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre Mar 23 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post Mar 25 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre Mar 26 – Seattle, WA – El Corazón Mar 28 – Billings, MT – The Pub Station Mar 29 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater Mar 30 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep Apr 1 – Kansas City, MO – Warehouse on Broadway Apr 2 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall Apr 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe At Old National Centre Apr 4 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
Over the past few years, a charity campaign featuring six prominent musicians for the benefit of artists affected by the coronavirus lockdown has developed into a spectacular project that will undoubtedly cause a sensation. We are talking about Dirkschneider And The Old Gang, DATOG for short, with a line-up whose majority has had a decisive influence on the history of heavy metal over the past four decades.
Udo Dirkschneider was the founder and long-time singer of Accept and, after leaving the band, also led his follow-up bands, U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER, to international fame. In DATOG he is joined by Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; ACCEPT, DIRKSCHNEIDER), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; ACCEPT, U.D.O.) and Mathias Dieth (guitar; SiINNER, U.D.O.) as well as Udo’s son Sven Dirkschneider (drums; U.D.O., DIRKSCHNEIDER), who has played for his dad for the last ten years. The sixth member of the gang is singer Manuela Bibert, who has not been let off the hook since her great performance on the recording of the U.D.O. orchestra album We Are One in the spring of 2019.
In this constellation, three DATOG singles, (‘Where The Angels Fly’, ‘Face Of A Stranger’ and ‘Every Heart Is Burning’), were created between summer 2020 and fall 2021. This got the train rolling: “The whole thing developed a momentum of its own, that we hadn’t expected in this form,” Kaufmann looks back somewhat surprised. “After the singles went incredibly viral, fans, record companies, and concert agencies immediately got in touch and wanted to know whether there was more to come… what the prospects were for a full album?”
With a three-singer concept — Dirkschneider, Bibert, Baltes — DATOG delivers a unique mix of vocal profiles that proves to be the band’s unmistakable trademark. “Of course, we didn’t even try to split the vocals equally, but carefully analyzed whose voice would fit best for each part,” explains Udo Dirkschneider. The same applies to songwriting, which followed the motto exclusively: The best songs win!
A wise decision, as the twelve songs on Babylon show! Within a clearly defined stylistic direction and alongside magnificent solo performances, especially from exceptional guitarist Mathias “Don” Dieth, the album impresses with great complexity and an enormous wealth of facets.
With Babylon, the German all-star band presents twelve brilliant metal songs which, despite their unusual vocal concept, never degenerate into a Babylonian confusion of voices. Quite the opposite: the album inspires both compositionally and vocally and convinces every sound fetishist with its transparent yet powerful production.
And this is not the end of the journey: the video story of the songs will unfold for all of the album tracks, keeping fans engaged visually and musically until the very last note, not least reminding everyone to give the record one more spin. Though the album leans into a hard rock side, the band members’ heavy metal foundation shines through, best showcased on the focus track and new video,”Metal Sons”.
“Metal Sons” is a tribute to true, original heavy metal: a powerful guitar riff that seems to have been born out of another time period, Udo’s usual uncompromising vocals, plus screaming guitar solos and a chorus that will have every heavy metal fan automatically headbanging and shouting along. Thanks to its modern arrangement, the song is nevertheless (or precisely because of this) a musical treat of a very special kind.
Southern rock outfit Jet Black Roses put their own stamp on Seal’s iconic “Kiss From A Rose,” unveiling a cinematic new music video that amplifies the song’s emotional weight with rich harmonies and striking visuals ahead of their debut album, out now.
Drenched in deep purple and blue hues, the video curates an atmospheric world where intimacy and artistry collide. Behind the scenes glimpses further blur the line between performance and reality, giving fans a candid look at Jet Black Roses while heightening the dreamlike atmosphere.
The band shares, “Kiss From a Rose’ is a song that is written in our collective DNA. From the very first time we heard it on the Batman Forever soundtrack as kids we’ve dreamed of one day bringing our own voice to it, and now that dream has become reality. To finally release our version of such an iconic song feels like coming full circle—it’s both surreal and deeply personal for us.”
“Kiss From A Rose” demonstrates Jet Black Roses’ ability to merge visual art with music, creating an immersive experience that resonates as much with the heart as with the ear. With its lush color palette, evocative storytelling, and intimate focus, the video solidifies the band’s place as one of the most compelling emerging acts in today’s music scene.
Waxahatchee perform a full live session in the KEXP studio, recorded August 11, 2025, delivering a focused set that highlights both restraint and range. Fronted by Katie Crutchfield, the band move through “Much Ado About Nothing,” a cover of This Is Lorelei’s “Where’s Your Love Now,” “Crowbar,” and “Evil Spawn,” with expanded arrangements shaped by pedal steel, banjo, keys, and layered vocals. Hosted by Cheryl Waters, the performance captures Waxahatchee in a stripped yet confident live setting, supported by a lineup featuring Eliana Athayde, Liam Kazar, Colin Croom, Spencer Tweedy, and Cole Berggren.
Thames & Hudson are delighted to release the publication of Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History, published globally in hardback. A magnificent visual celebration of the first 50 years of Iron Maiden, this new book chronicles the evolution of heavy metal’s most prestigious band, with unparalleled input from band members and management.
A truly spectacular and beautiful book, featuring never-before-seen items and photographs, which have been curated with enormous attention to detail over a number of years, it celebrates one of Britain’s most influential and biggest-selling bands, who have become arguably the biggest metal band in the world.
Organized chronologically, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams tells the story of the band from their first pub gigs in 1975 and their first record deal in 1979, through the recording and reception of groundbreaking albums, including their self-titled debut, 1982’s global breakthrough The Number of the Beast and the stadium-conquering Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, to 2021’s hugely acclaimed double-album Senjutsu and the forthcoming Run For Your Lives World Tour.
The book traces the evolution of their iconic Eddie mascot, alongside exclusive comments from his creator Derek Riggs, and documents the band’s spectacular and complex stage productions and extensive live tours, including the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour of 2008, which made international headlines as Bruce Dickinson piloted the band’s very own Ed Force One 757.
Presenting iconic album and single artworks, photographs of the band’s instruments past and present, stage props, hand-written lyrics and artefacts from the archive and the band’s personal collections, as well as landmark photographs by Ross Halfin, John McMurtrie and more, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams is rife with revelatory stories and intriguing insights from pivotal band members and management. It is bookended by a foreword from band founder Steve Harris and an afterword by vocalist Bruce Dickinson.
Steve Harris says, “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff that I’ve managed to unearth for this book. I knew I had kept a lot of things from the early days but they have lasted really well and the photography has brought them back to life. I hope the fans are going to love looking at all the stuff presented like this! It’s the right time to bring it all together for part of our 50th celebrations.”
Tristan de Lancey, Creative Director at Thames & Hudson, commented: “Iron Maiden is an institution. Hailed as pioneers of British heavy metal in the 1980s, the band has come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence and ferocious dedication to their fans that has won them a huge following around the world and across generations. With astonishing archival access and more meticulous, hands-on participation from the band than I ever thought possible, we have been gifted the tools to create something beautiful, comprehensive and unique which, I have no doubt, raises the bar for illustrated books in this music genre. Every page will surprise and delight its audience – just don’t expect metal fans to be the only ones who buy it…!”
