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Murder By Death Share New Single “Lose You” Ahead of Final Album ‘Egg & Dart’ and Massive Farewell Tour

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Murder By Death are proud to present “Lose You,” the second single from the Friday, June 13 release of Egg & Dart, the celebrated indie-rock band’s 10th and final album. A song that describes a personal loss beyond one’s own control, “Lose You” is lifted from an album composed of goodbye songs that is, arguably, the band’s most sad and beautiful to date.

Presenting generous moments of triumph, desolation, horror and joy, all while exploring the challenges of letting go and moving onto the next phase, Egg & Dart is a reference to an architectural motif popular since Greek and Roman times, often used in columns and still seen today in furniture, trim and molding. The title represents the duality of life (the egg) and death (the arrow). Once you know about it, you see it everywhere. And it seems fitting for an album of songs about turning the page.

Special edition Egg & Dart vinyl, merchandise, live recordings, bonus tracks, test pressings, boxed set bundles and much more can be found via Murder By Death’s online store.

Murder By Death also recently announced its farewell tour that will span June through November across the U.S. and parts of Canada and the UK. The extensive run will honor a rewarding career spent on the road with support from Laura Jane Grace, William Elliott Whitmore, AJJ, Shawn James, BJ Barham and J Roddy Walston in select markets.

“The album is basically an elegy,” frontman Adam Turla says of Murder By Death’s forthcoming, and final, album, Egg & Dart. “The songs are about goodbyes and the different ways we think about that concept.” And while Turla has often spun yarn about fictional sinners and tragic tales in the band’s albums, the themes of Egg & Dart hit a bit closer to home than usual. “It’s certainly our most personal collection of songs. It’s probably our saddest and most beautiful album, but it also has moments of real triumph and joy in the darkness.”

Themes of loss and endings run throughout Egg & Dart, which was recorded in early 2025 by producer Kevin Ratterman. The phrases “goodbye,” “farewell,” and “so long” appear across several tracks. “Lose You” describes a personal loss beyond one’s own control. “It’s about the people in your life that you are very worried about and that you’re not sure if they’re going to make it. It’s about that feeling of anxiety around not having control,” Turla says. On “Letter to the Editor,” he reflects on the idea of letting go of the anger that builds when a trust has been broken. In this case, it’s a break-up song with a newspaper. And on “Sorry,” Turla sings, “It has come our time to part, for I can only give you half my heart / To carry on would be unkind / I love you, I’m sorry, and goodbye.”

Murder by Death has accomplished more than they’d ever dreamed since forming in Bloomington, Indiana, in 2000, when Turla and cellist Sarah Balliet started the project with fellow college dorm-mates under the name Little Joe Gould. They traveled the world several times over, released ten studio albums, built an intensely dedicated following, shared stages with artists from a wide array of genres, brought live music to the famed Stanley Hotel where they established an annual residency, and became accidental Kickstarter pioneers. They’ve undergone one name change, a few member departures, and have navigated a music scene that has drastically transitioned in the two decades of their tenure. But most importantly, they’ve earned it all themselves. In an industry where the words “indie” and “DIY” have been reduced to meaningless buzzwords, the band has always remained true to their roots and run an incredibly hands-on operation built on transparency and loyalty.

Chalk it up to their misleadingly macabre name or their amorphous style of rock that rides along the outskirts of several disparate genres without firmly settling into any of them, but Murder by Death has never fit neatly into any music industry boxes. A radio hit has never flooded them with commercial success, nor have they gotten much love from major music press outlets, who have historically either misunderstood the band or ignored them all together. They’ve avoided trends and dodged fads at every opportunity. But despite years of going against the grain, they’ve managed to find their people. Murder by Death may have avoided aligning with any scene, but they instead built their own community entirely.

And while the band may be shutting down the machine that has powered their operation for so many years, they will not be leaving that community for good. Although Murder by Death won’t be touring, they’re still planning to continue their beloved annual cave shows at the Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, as a yearly opportunity to stay in touch with an audience that has been so supportive. But as far as more new music from Murder by Death goes, the path is less certain. “We have toured relentlessly for 25 years and it’s just time to end that chapter,” Turla says. “I don’t know what the future is for us after this, but we knew that we wanted to make this one last album together and just put everything we had into it.”

Murder By Death will be making the following appearances on its farewell tour in 2025. Dates below.

Jun-07 – Bloomington, IN – Granfalloon Festival
Jun-19 – Newport, KY – Southgate House * (SOLD OUT)
Jun-20 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall *
Jun-21 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall *
Jun-22 – Montreal, QC – Le Studio TD *
Jun-23 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater *
Jun-25 – Norwalk CT – District Music Hall *
Jun-26 – Portland, ME – State Theatre *
Jun-27 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club * (SOLD OUT)
Jun-28 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw *
Jun-29 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes *
Jul-01 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-02 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-04 – Pelham, TN – The Caverns ! (SOLD OUT)
Jul-05 – Pelham, TN – The Caverns * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-09 – Millersville, PA – Phantom Power *
Jul-10 – Baltimore, MD – Union Craft Brewing * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-11 – Washington, DC – Black Cat * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *
Jul-13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-15 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-16 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall *
Jul-17 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-18 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee *
Jul-19 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Jul-20 – Maquoketa, IA – Codfish Hollow Barnstormers * (SOLD OUT)
Jul-26 – Louisville, KY – The Big Stomp (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Aug-21 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre * (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Aug-22 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre * (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Aug-23 – Fr. Collins, CO – Tour de Fat (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Sep-21 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Sep-27 – London, UK – Islington Hall
Oct-15 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall ^ (SOLD OUT)
Oct-16 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall ^
Oct-17 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre ! (SOLD OUT)
Oct-18 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up !
Oct-19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Depot !
Oct-20 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall !
Oct-22 – Bellingham, WA – Mount Baker Theatre ! (NEW SHOW ADDED)
Oct-23 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile $
Oct-24 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ! (SOLD OUT)
Oct-25 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall !
Oct-26 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall $
Oct-28 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theatre !
Oct-29 – Los Angeles, CA – Belasco Theatre !
Oct-30 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up !
Oct-31 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s !
Nov-01 – Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren !
Nov-02 – Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot !
Nov-05 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater !
Nov-06 – Austin, TX – Mohawk !
Nov-07 – Austin, TX – Mohawk !
Nov-08 – Houston, TX – Heights Theater !
Nov-10 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
Nov-11 – Orlando, FL – The Social #
Nov-13 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
Nov-14 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle# (SOLD OUT)
Nov-15 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall #%
* w/ Laura Jane Grace
^ w/ William Elliott Whitmore
! w/ AJJ
$ w/ Shawn James
# w/ BJ Barham
% w/ J Roddy Walston

Taco Bell Launches Feed The Beat Record Club With Vinyl From Anxious, Magdalena Bay, and Frankie and the Witch Fingers

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Following the announcement of the Feed The Beat Class of 2025Taco Bell is kicking off the all-new Feed The Beat Record Club. This initiative launches as a Tuesday Drop in the Taco Bell app, and 300 Taco Bell Rewards members will have the opportunity to claim a Record Club box. Each box includes a vinyl record from one of three Feed The Beat artists, a Feed The Beat vinyl slipmat, a unique insert with artist information, and Feed The Beat stickers. The drop will be first come, first served on Tuesday, May 20th at 2 pm PST.

Featured Feed The Beat artists for this inaugural Record Club drop include the new albums from Anxious and Magdalena Bay, along with the yet-to-be-released album from Frankie and the Witch Fingers.

Connecticut quintet Anxious released their sophomore album, Bambi, in February of this year. The album is one of remarkable growth, depth, ambition, and energy. It takes all the unsolvable and unavoidable problems of exiting adolescence and makes them resonate in urgent and authentic new ways. Bambi has deep roots in the storied lineage of Northeast tri-state hardcore and emo, but it also fully embraces the widescreen alternative rock songwriting at which Anxious have previously only hinted. It’s a statement of purpose, the kind of album that comes from a band reconciling where they’ve been with where they want to go. Bambi is the sound of Anxious putting everything on the line–and coming out on the other side better than ever.

Los Angeles quintet Frankie and the Witch Fingers will release their latest album, Trash Classic, on June 6th. The album marks a feral mutation for the band, a record that snarls with proto-punk venom, angular melodies, and electronic textures that cough and sputter like dying neon lights under a poisoned sky.

Trash Classic pushes the Witch Fingers’ sound to a razor’s edge. Wiry and twitching, it bends into synth-punk and fractured new wave, with fragments of industrial grime caked under its nails. Guitars detonate and slice like cinder blocks through glass, while gnashing basslines slither through the sludge, alive and seething. Buzzy synths take the forefront, driving relentless rhythms that crack and pop, drenched in a chemically saturated sheen – part bug-eyed speed-freak pogo, part dance-floor delirium. The vocals cut through like static-laced transmissions – balancing both smirk and sneer – layering playful unease over themes of escapism, decay, and overindulgence. The result is a raw, twisted monument to rot and excess – toxic glamour and nihilistic salvation.

Somewhere in the ethernet of our collective social cosmos soup floats the magical, masterful pop music of Magdalena Bay, the duo from Los Angeles composed of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin. The duo released their sophomore studio album, Imaginal Disk, late last summer, once again garnering wide acclaim. Mica and Matthew may claim California as its terra firma, its true home is in the clouds, from where the two emit and output the unique yet familiar frequencies of synthesized nostalgia, kitschy catchiness, and bombastically warped neo-hooks for which the group has become celebrated. Transmitting in both the audio and video realms, Magdalena Bay is an entity adroitly suited for these times, caught in a haze of the known and felt while pushing sonic landscapes woven with the now into the next.

Since 2006, Taco Bell and its Feed The Beat program have helped support more than 2,000 artists/bands. Along the way, we have helped fans discover new bands and bands discover new fans. Feed The Beat support starts in the form of feeding touring musicians with 500 dollars in Taco Bell gift cards – no strings attached.

The brand’s passion for supporting artists and artist discovery does not stop with free food. The Feed The Beat program also boosts exposure for various artists by giving them a stage at events around the world, featuring their music in television commercials, and providing amplification through Taco Bell’s social presence.

Yelawolf and J. Michael Phillips Drop Gritty New Single “I Swear” Ahead of Collaborative Album ‘Whiskey & Roses’

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International hip-hop superstar and multi-platinum recording artist Yelawolf and rising urban country artist J. Michael Phillips have released their new single “I Swear.” The new track, produced by Taysty, is the first in a series of music from the two, who will release a full collaborative album, Whiskey & Roses, on July 11th via Yelawolf’s independent record label, Slumerican. “I Swear” is a soulful tale of fighting against a lifestyle of overindulgence and other’s expectations.

“When I wrote ‘I Swear,’ I was thinking about how there are two types of people in this world: those who stand for something and those who fall for anything,” shares Phillips. “I’d rather die as a soldier than live as a coward and that’s the true meaning behind this record, ‘I Swear.'”

“My brother, J. Michael Phillips, came in with a hook and I was really inspired by it,” adds Yelawolf. “I felt like he reached a point in his vocal performance that I haven’t heard before, and I was just really inspired to push it forward. I actually stepped into a vocal space I haven’t been before. So, we’re reaching new territories here.”

“Oh yeah, I felt like I channeled some type of Johnny Cash on this one!” laughs Phillips.

Yelawolf and J. Michael Phillips are currently on the road together on Yelawolf’s headlining 45 Tour, where they will be performing “I Swear” live. The 40+ date outing, which kicked off in April and has sold out nightly, continues tonight (May 9th) in Reno and will make stops in Tempe, Anaheim, Cleveland, New Haven, Albany, Cincinnati, Louisville, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, and Sturgis, among many other cities, before wrapping in Sioux Falls on August 10th.

Larry Fleet Expands ‘Hard Work & Holy Water’ Tour With 25 New U.S. Dates, Plus Europe and U.K. Shows

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Country hitmaker Larry Fleet is expanding his headlining Hard Work & Holy Water Tour through the fall of 2025, adding 25 new U.S. dates to an already revealed international run.

Announced today (5/13), the self-proclaimed rollin’, ramblin’ and gamblin’ man will ramble his way across the pond and far beyond. The follow up to a summer of sold-out shows, Fleet will head to Glasgow, Scotland, for an August 20 headline show, before continuing on through the U.K., Belgium and the Netherlands.

He’ll then return stateside for a September 11 show in Shipshewana, Indiana, which kicks off an extensive trek from Georgia to California, and all points between.

Along with a Fleet’s headline set which highlights his powerhouse vocal and soulful mix of classic country and Southern rock, the tour will also give fans a double dose of the hit maker. Serving as his own opening act for the majority of the run, Fleet will deliver a rare acoustic performance to start the show, before returning for his acclaimed full-band set. Meanwhile, The Kruse Brothers will open select West Coast shows, with the tour wrapping December 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Presale tickets will be available for purchase by Fleet’s fan club members starting tomorrow (5/14), with venue presales beginning Thursday (5/15) and the public sale of any remaining tickets launching Friday (5/16).

The news follows Fleet’s recent release of “A Lotta Women,” which is dedicated to his wife and tributes the unique relationship challenges facing all touring artists. Likewise, the tour’s namesake “Hard Work & Holy Water” reflects Fleet’s background in pouring concrete by day, and playing in local bars by night, encapsulating the work ethic that’s helped the troubadour transition into the independent artist he is today.

See Larry Fleet Live:
Aug. 20, 2025 || Glasgow, UK || SWG3
Aug. 22, 2025 || Camden, UK || Electric Ballroom
Aug. 23, 2025 || Bottesford, UK || The Long Road Festival
Aug. 26, 2025 || Belfast, UK || Limelight 1
Aug. 28, 2025 || Dublin, Ire. || The Academy, Middle Abbey Street
Aug. 30, 2025 || Den Haag, Netherlands || Once In A Blue Moon Festival
Sept. 11, 2025 || Shipshewana, IN, USA || Blue Gate Performing Arts Center
Sept. 12, 2025 || Des Moines, IA, USA || Val Air Ballroom
Sept. 13, 2025 || Burnsville, MN, USA || Buck Hill Ski & Snowboard Area
Sept. 25, 2025 || Bloomington, IL, USA || The Castle Theatre
Sept. 26, 2025 || Wisconsin Dells, WI, USA || Crystal Grand Music Theatre
Sept. 27, 2025 || Louisville, KY, USA || Fourth Street Live!
Oct. 2, 2025 || High Point, NC, USA || Cohab Space
Oct. 3, 2025 || Gainesville, GA, USA || Boot Barn Hall – Gainesville
Oct. 4, 2025 || Douglas, GA, USA || Martin Centre
Oct. 5, 2025 || Winnsboro, SC, USA || Field & Stream Music Fest
Oct. 16, 2025 || Saginaw, MI, USA || Red Room at DOW Event Center
Oct. 17, 2025 || Cleveland, OH, USA || House of Blues
Oct. 18, 2025 || Buffalo, NY, USA || Town Ballroom
Oct. 23, 2025 || Cedar Park, TX, USA || The Haute Spot
Oct. 24, 2025 || Houston, TX, USA || House of Blues
Oct. 25, 2025 || San Antonio, TX, USA || Stable Hall
Nov. 6, 2025 || Sioux City, IA, USA || Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City – Anthem
Nov. 7, 2025 || Sioux Falls, SD, USA || The District
Nov. 8, 2025 || Hays, KS, USA || Fox Theatre
Dec. 4, 2025 || Phoenix, AZ, USA || The Van Buren*
Dec. 5, 2025 || San Diego, CA, USA || House of Blues San Diego*
Dec. 6, 2025 || Sacramento, CA, USA || Ace of Spades*
Dec. 10, 2025 || Anaheim, CA, USA || House of Blue*
Dec. 11, 2025 || Bakersfield, CA, USA || The Historic Bakersfield Fox Theater*
Dec. 12, 2025 || Las Vegas, NV, USA || Golden Nugget
*with special guests The Kruse Brothers

Trey Calloway Releases Memorial Day Tribute “She Misses Being Mrs.” Honoring Fallen Soldiers and Their Families

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Award-winning singer-songwriter Trey Calloway releases his latest single, “She Misses Being Mrs.” today in honor of all fallen soldiers and their families ahead of Memorial Day.

Calloway has honed his craft as a full-fledged singer-songwriter who captures the raw essence of heartbreak through tragedy. With this song, he not only tells the story of loss but also pays tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and the loved ones they left behind. “She Misses Being Mrs.” is a moving reminder of the grief carried by so many, and a heartfelt acknowledgment of their enduring love and strength.

She Misses Being Mrs.” tells the story of a military widow longing for her fallen husband,” shares Calloway. “It’s releasing ahead of Memorial Day as a tribute to military families and their loved ones who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. I hope the song is relatable and helps all listeners who’ve experienced deep loss by acknowledging their pain in simple moments when they feel alone in their grief. We want them to know our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

Calloway’s latest release follows the momentum of his previous single, “The Ballad Of Righteous And Wrong,” which premiered exclusively with Cowboys & Indians. Co-written by Trey Calloway, Greg Wilson, and Hal O’Dell, and produced by Grady Saxman, the track blends modern grit with the timeless storytelling style of classics like “Pancho & Lefty,” “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and “El Paso.” With a cinematic quality fit for a Taylor Sheridan drama, the song dives deep into the tension between justice and morality, pulling listeners into a vivid, morally complex world.

Kesha Talks New Album, Tour, and Releasing Her Mom’s Lost ’80s Record on Drew Barrymore Show

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Kesha appeared as a guest on The Drew Barrymore Show yesterday wearing a top made of engagement rings from “all the men who’ve tried.” The two discussed Kesha’s upcoming album, summer tour, and plans to release her mom’s soon-to-be-announced lost album from the 1980s on her own label, Kesha Records, later this year.

“You’ve been through stuff, you’ve experienced difficult things, and what you decided to do was to take those life experiences and protect other people with it,” Drew tells Kesha.

Kesha’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show follows her recent announcement of a milestone North American headline tour – the biggest live run of her already extraordinary career. Produced by Live Nation and presented by Feeld, The Tits Out Tour kicks off July 1 in West Valley City, UT’s Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre and then hits arenas and amphitheaters across the continent through an August 10 finale at Tampa, FL’s MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre. Highlights include Kesha’s first-ever headline shows at such world-famous venues as Los Angeles, CA’s Kia Forum (July 5) and New York City’s Madison Square Garden (July 23). Support on all dates comes from newly reunited glam-pop legends Scissor Sisters, marking their first North American tour in over a decade. Special guests on select dates also include pop disruptor Slayyyter (July 1-July 18), rising UK artist Rose Gray (July 19-21, July 24-August 10), and newly announced, the iconic Vengaboys (July 23).

Rufus Wainwright Announces Opening Night Cast Album and All-Star NYC Concert Featuring Patti LuPone, Sara Bareilles & More

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3x GRAMMY Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright announces an original West End cast recording of John Cassavetes’ Opening Night and release concert with Broadway stars at Town Hall on September 15th.

Wainwright says, “I could not be happier to bring the music from my first stage musical Opening Night to a New York audience. Town Hall has been a musical home to me and my family in New York for decades and to be on stage with Sara, Patti, Darren, Elizabeth, and Laura is going to be a great thrill. To have all these Broadway legends agree to bring the songs from Opening Night in their original orchestration to life is a great honor and I am thrilled that we are raising money for the ACLU at the same time.”

John Cassavetes’ Opening Night is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright. It premiered in London at the Gielgud Theater in the spring of 2024. The book and direction were by Ivo van Hove and is based on the 1977 movie Opening Night by American avant-garde director John Cassavetes. It tells the story of an actress, Myrtle Gordon, who is premiering a play written for her that is about a woman coming to terms with aging. Myrtle does not come to terms with her own aging and rebels against the play and throws the entire production into jeopardy. A young female fan asking her for an autograph at the stage door gets killed by a car as she runs off onto the street. Myrtle is being haunted by the ghost of the young girl. On opening night, she arrives completely drunk but ultimately does what she does best: act and improvise. Part “All About Eve” Opening Night is the story of an actress who risks madness for her truth.

The live album features Wainwright’s songs written for the original London West End production performed by the cast including Sheridan Smith, Nicola Hughes, and Benjamin Walker recorded over the last 4 performances of the play at London’s Gielgud Theater. Details and a first single will be released soon.

The release of the album is being celebrated by a one-night-only concert at Town Hall, in New York City which will feature performances by a group of friends Wainwright has in the music and stage world including Sara Bareilles, Darren Criss, Patti LuPone, and Elizabeth Teeter. Wainwright will join this cast of talented performers and sing some of the songs himself, and act as the MC, leading through the evening and explaining the story of the musical. Jason Hart, who was in Rufus’ band for many years, is the music director and is leading the 13-piece band that will perform Wainwright’s original West End arrangements.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens Announces Soul-Baring Memoir ‘Cat On The Road To Findout’ Out This Fall

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Yusuf/Cat Stevens has today announced his long-awaited memoir, Cat On The Road To Findout. Launching in the U.K. through Constable on Sept. 18 and in North America on Oct. 7 through Genesis Publications, the new autobiography is an extraordinary soul-baring journey through the triumphs, trials, and transcendental quest of one of music’s most enigmatic figures of our time.

More than a memoir, the Yusuf/Cat Stevens story is a backstage pass to the mind of a man who has lived a thousand lives. From his folk troubadour beginnings, to the glamorous chaos of ’60s pop stardom, to his ’70s reign as a generational voice, his songs formed a musical odyssey that intricately recorded the journey to self-discovery. Then came his unexpected departure from superstardom, embracing Islam and leaving fans heartbroken.

Missing from the public narrative has been the intimate story of his deeply emotive transformation – until now. Cat On The Road To Findout finally reveals the curious complexity and intellectual reasoning behind his navigation through life – a voyage which has now culminated in his return to music and art, to share his lessons of life with those seekers, dreamers, and believers, who still love and admire him. He remains true to the optimistic message of his melodic peace train.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens says: “I’ve been on an amazing journey, which began in the narrow streets of London, and led me through the most iconic cities, to perform upon the great stage of Western culture, ascending the dizzying heights of wealth, recognition and artistic pinnacles; freely exploring vast ranges of religions and philosophies, wandering through churches, temples, all the way to the Holy abode in Jerusalem – ignoring myths and warnings – and crossing the foreboded, desert heartlands, to arrive at the House of One God in Abrahamic Arabia. What finally elevated my perspective was a luminous Book that perfectly alchemized my thoughts, beliefs, with human nature. It taught me Oneness, and my place and purpose within the universe.”

Cat Stevens rose to fame in the swinging ’60s with chart-topping pop hits such as “Matthew and Son” and “The First Cut Is the Deepest.” His early career was interrupted by a near-fatal battle with tuberculosis – a turning point that ignited his quest for peace and understanding. Emerging from this experience, he rapidly rose to become one of the most prolific singer/songwriter icons of the ’70s, captivating the world with soul-stirring anthems such as “Wild World,” “Father and Son,” “Peace Train,” and “Morning Has Broken.” His classic albums Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, and Teaser and the Firecat have earned him a rightful place in both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Following another dangerous encounter with fate and a near-drowning experience in 1975, Cat’s life took a spiritual turn as he converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. Leaving the music industry behind, Yusuf dedicated his life to God, family, and humanitarian work, for which he received numerous prestigious international honors, including the World Award for “humanitarian relief work helping children and victims of war” and the Man of Peace Award, voted for by The Nobel Peace Laureates.

The latest chapter is Yusuf’s return to music, through which he has re-joined his past and present lives. Now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens – a name that represents the synergy between the two key periods of his existence – his inspirational story is one of quest, survival, and redemption. With more than 100 million records sold and billions of streams, his soulful voice and poetic lyrics continue to inspire, now intertwined with a life of activism and altruism. As a campaigner for faith education, ecological consciousness, and humanitarian work, Yusuf has become a global advocate for peace and coexistence.

Cat On The Road To Findout unveils the untold chapters of Yusuf’s remarkable journey, illustrated with dozens of drawings in his own hand and archival imagery, self-penned with raw honesty and poetic insight. The long-awaited memoir invites readers to a rare glimpse into the soul of a man who has lived multiple lives in one.

Cat On The Road To Findout will be published in hardback, ebook, and audiobook format, the latter narrated by the author.

Melissa Manchester Celebrates 50 Years With Musical Memoir ’50 Threads’ at 54 Below

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Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester will celebrate her remarkable 50-year career in show business with a dazzling, all-new show titled “50 Threads: An Artist’s Journey” at 54 Below in New York City. Described as a “musical memoir,” 50 Threads: An Artist’s Journey will run for three nights, beginning Thursday, June 12, and ending Saturday, June 14.

Having recently come off a sensational 17-month, 51-city tour in Funny Girl, Manchester felt the time was right to reflect on her musical journey with a fresh perspective. “I felt like my fans would want to relive my story in a new way,” she says. “I was chasing the difference between a concert and a one-woman show – you know, where it’s ‘And then I wrote this, and then I wrote this…’ I wanted to go deeper. One of my inspirations was Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. She opened with ‘Stormy Weather,’ and by the end of Act Two, when she reprised the song, the context had more gravitas. I wanted to explore what that kind of show could mean for me.”

Manchester’s autobiographical show will unfold in both monologues and songs, beginning with her first musical memories – hearing her father play bassoon, then falling under the spell of Ella Fitzgerald at age five – and covering key aspects of her development. “I studied songwriting with Paul Simon, and of course, Laura Nyro was my muse,” she says. “Soon I met Carole Bayer Sager and Marvin Hamlisch, both of whom I collaborated with. A lot of brilliant talents figure into my story.”

Manchester will accompany herself at times on piano, and she will be joined by keyboardist Tedd Firth and singer-percussionist Susan Holder. Fans can expect to hear a wide range of treasures from Manchester’s glorious catalog. The setlist will include beloved hits like “Midnight Blue,” “Whenever I Call You Friend,” “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “Come In From the Rain,” “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” and more. As she did on her acclaimed recent album RE:VIEW (Green Hill Productions), Manchester will rework and reimagine select classics, particularly on solo songs she turned into duets.

“We’ll have my collaborators from RE:VIEW on video screens for me to sing live with – Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Dave Koz and some others,” Manchester says. “It will be a lot of fun.”

On July 19, fans will hear a different side of Melissa Manchester when her first-ever concerto for piano and orchestra titled “AWAKE!” will have its debut performance at the Corning Museum of Glass Auditorium in Corning, NY. This stunning, hauntingly beautiful and multi-dimensional piece will be performed by renowned pianist and composer Jeffrey Biegel and a 40-piece orchestra.

The ‘Andor’ Cast Takes a Star Wars Quiz… And the Force Is Kinda With Them

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Turns out, being in Star Wars doesn’t mean you know Star Wars. The cast of Andor took a trivia quiz and fumbled through the galaxy far, far away with the charm of a scrappy Rebel crew. The Force may not have been strong with their answers — but the fun absolutely was.