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Vaporwave Producer Macroblank Steps Into Game Scoring With Adaptive Soundtrack for Urban Builder ShantyTown

Eric Alper
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Vaporwave Producer Macroblank Steps Into Game Scoring With Adaptive Soundtrack for Urban Builder ShantyTown

Macroblank has spent his career recontextualizing existing sounds into something atmospheric and hypnotic. ShantyTown, the upcoming urban city builder from solo developer Erik Rempen, demanded something different: original composition built from scratch, designed to move with the player rather than sit beneath them. The result is one of the more genuinely interesting game soundtrack approaches in the cozy game space right now.

The music isn’t a traditional OST. Each track is built from modular loops and layered components that shift and intensify as players progress toward map completion. Every playthrough generates its own version of the soundtrack. “Each playthrough effectively generates its own version of the soundtrack, tailored to the way the game unfolds,” Macroblank explains. It’s adaptive scoring done with real intention, not as a gimmick but as a core part of how the game feels to play.

The sonic direction is an unexpected one for the genre. Cozy games typically lean on ambient, classical, or lofi textures. Macroblank went somewhere else entirely, bringing his downtempo vaporwave sensibility into an upbeat, dynamic, location-specific framework. Each in-game environment carries its own distinct musical identity, built organically from the diversity of its settings. It’s immersive without being intrusive, which is a genuinely difficult balance to strike.

The production philosophy kept things moving fast. Ideas developed as short loops before expanding into full arrangements, with synthesis and sample manipulation at the core. Tools like Xpand!2, Nexus, and Omnisphere kept the workflow fluid. “Friction is the killer of ideas,” Macroblank says. ShantyTown launches April 16 on Steam, with a demo available now.

New York Songwriter Lawrence Kim Delivers Sharp Solo Debut ‘The Hours and the Times’ With New Single “Rodeo”

Eric Alper
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New York Songwriter Lawrence Kim Delivers Sharp Solo Debut ‘The Hours and the Times’ With New Single “Rodeo”

Lawrence Kim has been a fixture in other people’s bands for years, a guitarist for BMX Bandits, Scam Avenue, The Amber Smith, and touring guitarist for Ryn Weaver. ‘The Hours and the Times,’ his debut solo album, arrives May 15, and it sounds like someone who’s been waiting for exactly the right moment to say something on his own terms. New single “Rodeo,” featuring backing vocals from Emma Tricca and Rachel Cox (Oakley Hall), is out now with a video via Scummy Water Tower.

Kim wrote, produced, arranged, played, and sang the bulk of the record himself, which fits the album’s central theme. “It’s an album about being alone, which isn’t necessarily the same thing as being lonely,” he says. But he didn’t do it in isolation. The guest list is stacked: drummer Kid Millions (Oneida, People of the North), pedal steel player Eoin Russell (Songs:Ohia), sax ace Stephen Chen (Ghost Funk Orchestra, San Fermin), multi-instrumentalist Peter Hess (Philip Glass Ensemble), singer-songwriter-filmmaker Alexandra Helgerson, and Vincent D’Onofrio collaborator Dana Lyn all contribute. The result is a solo record with genuine depth and range.

“Rodeo” arrives with a pointed thesis. Kim describes it as a song about someone who believes their own hype, chasing fame and glory while missing the substance underneath. “It’s also about the frustration of the artistic process,” he adds. The track lands with dry wit and melodic confidence, a strong early indicator of what the full album delivers.

Kim celebrates the release with a Brooklyn show at Mama Tried on May 17 at 4pm. ‘The Hours and the Times’ is available for pre-order on Bandcamp now.

‘The Hours and the Times’ Track Listing:

  1. New Jetsetter
  2. Sawyer
  3. Madeleine
  4. Rodeo (ft. Emma Tricca & Rachel Cox)
  5. Best Western
  6. Escape Artist (ft. Rachel Cox)
  7. Line and Key (ft. Kid Millions)
  8. Diver
  9. Go Lay Yourself Down Again

Upcoming Shows:

May 17, Brooklyn, NY @ Mama Tried, 4PM

National Music Centre Secures Gordon Lightfoot Estate Items, Keeping a Canadian Legend’s Legacy at Home

Eric Alper
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National Music Centre Secures Gordon Lightfoot Estate Items, Keeping a Canadian Legend’s Legacy at Home

Canada’s music history has a way of slipping across the border, showing up in international auction houses and disappearing into private collections. The National Music Centre has spent years fighting that trend, and their latest acquisition makes that mission personal. NMC has secured a group of items from the Gordon Lightfoot Estate Collection, now on display at Studio Bell in Calgary, where they belong.

The haul is genuinely significant. Two of Lightfoot’s velvet jackets, a staple of his later live performances, are in the collection alongside his RPM Gold Leaf Award for Male Vocalist of the Year from 1971, signed performance contracts including one for a 1966 run at Toronto’s legendary Riverboat coffeehouse, and an electric guitar that joins NMC’s living collection, available for working artists to play. An anonymous donor made NMC’s participation in the auction possible.

Lightfoot is an inductee of three of NMC’s four national halls of fame, and the pieces are being displayed accordingly across the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame galleries. His 1983 Fender Telecaster will be available for use in NMC’s studios. Jesse Moffatt, NMC’s Senior Director of Collections and Exhibitions, puts it plainly: “By bringing these pieces into NMC’s collection, we’re ensuring that future generations of artists and audiences can engage with and be inspired by one of our country’s most influential songwriters.”

This isn’t NMC’s first repatriation. Randy Bachman’s “American Woman” guitar and several Neil Young items previously auctioned in the U.S. have both made their way back to Canada through NMC’s efforts. The Lightfoot acquisition continues that work, keeping the story of Canadian music rooted in Canada, where it can be seen, touched, and absorbed by the artists and audiences who’ll carry it forward.

The Gordon Lightfoot Estate Collection items are on display now at Studio Bell in Calgary. For more information, visit studiobell.ca.

Liverpool Post-Punk Survivors Cassius Wolf & Das Abs Surface With “The Sound of the Guns” Ahead of Debut Album

Eric Alper
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Liverpool Post-Punk Survivors Cassius Wolf & Das Abs Surface With “The Sound of the Guns” Ahead of Debut Album

Cassius Wolf & Das Abs have been here before, they just never got the chance to be heard properly the first time. Formed in Liverpool in 1978 by Cassius Wolf and Don Watson, two school friends who came up working at the legendary club Eric’s and absorbed the city’s post-punk energy firsthand, the project is finally delivering its debut album ‘An Afternoon in Bedlam’, due May 29, 2026, built from carefully restored cassette recordings reimagined with contemporary tools.

New single “The Sound of the Guns” is the clearest statement yet of what this album is reaching for. Rooted in a punk-reggae rhythm that carries the lineage of The Clash, the track confronts the human cost of conflict with a directness that feels as urgent now as it would have in 1982. Originally written in the early 1980s and co-written with Liverpool musician John McGlone of Western Promise, it’s been reworked from archive recordings without losing the rawness that made it matter in the first place. Cassius puts it plainly: “It’s a powerful anti-war statement that asks you to consider the plight of innocent civilians caught up in conflicts everywhere.”

Alongside earlier single “I Can’t Reply”, the two tracks map out an album that moves between intimate emotional breakdown and wider social reckoning. The band draws from the darker romantic textures of The Cure and Depeche Mode, the experimental mindset of Can and The Velvet Underground, and the punk attitude that shaped everything they heard coming out of Liverpool in their formative years. It’s a sound rooted in a specific time and place that refuses to stay there.

Wolf and Watson retain full creative control across songwriting, production, and visual presentation, recording from a home studio environment and embracing new technology as a preservation tool rather than a shortcut. Their return also carries a wider message, part of what they call “PCore”, a movement celebrating artists who continue pursuing creative ambitions later in life, on their own terms and without apology.

Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Deliver a Stunning “Ffunny Ffrends” on The Late Show

Eric Alper
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Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Deliver a Stunning “Ffunny Ffrends” on The Late Show

Nobody had this on their bingo card, and that’s precisely what makes it so good. Paramore’s Hayley Williams joined Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy on The Late Show for a special collaboration covering Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s “Ffunny Ffrends”, performed in honour of the Late Show staff as the programme enters its final weeks. Williams played theremin alongside Tweedy’s half-moon guitar, and the combination worked with a natural ease that only happens when two genuinely gifted performers find an unexpected common frequency.


Primal Scream Bring ‘XTRMNTR’ Back to Life on Seven-Date UK Anniversary Tour

Eric Alper
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Primal Scream Bring ‘XTRMNTR’ Back to Life on Seven-Date UK Anniversary Tour

Primal Scream are taking ‘XTRMNTR’ back on the road. The Scottish rock legends have announced a seven-date UK tour this September, playing their landmark 2000 album in full at each stop. It’s a proper victory lap for one of the most visceral, uncompromising records of its era, and the routing covers Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol, and London.

‘XTRMNTR’ was a line in the sand when it dropped 25 years ago. The album pulled from industrial, electronic, and noise rock, with production contributions from The Chemical Brothers and My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, and late Stone Roses bassist Mani sharing songwriting credits for the first time. NME gave it 9/10 on release, named it the second-best album of 2000, and handed it Best Album at the 2001 NME Awards. It’s aged into something genuinely essential.

The tour follows a 25th anniversary performance at London’s Roundhouse in December and a world tour behind their 2024 album ‘Come Ahead.’ Primal Scream have also confirmed ‘The Bunker Trilogy,’ a collection of expanded reissues covering ‘Vanishing Point,’ ‘XTRMNTR,’ and ‘Evil Heat,’ with more details coming soon. Bobby Gillespie and company aren’t coasting. They’re digging in.

Tickets go on sale April 17. Seven dates, one album, no filler. This is exactly the kind of tour that sells out before most people realize it’s happening.

Primal Scream ‘XTRMNTR’ UK Tour Dates:

September 3, Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland

September 4, Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland

September 8, Newcastle, England @ NX

September 9, Nottingham, England @ Rock City

September 11, Manchester, England @ New Century Hall

September 13, Bristol, England @ Electric

September 15, London, England @ HERE at Outernet

Nashville Singer-Songwriter Sarah Harralson Pairs New EP ‘Just The Beginning’ With a Companion Short Film

Eric Alper
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Nashville Singer-Songwriter Sarah Harralson Pairs New EP ‘Just The Beginning’ With a Companion Short Film

Twelve years into her Nashville career, Sarah Harralson has made her most personal statement yet. The Knoxville-born singer-songwriter releases ‘Just The Beginning,’ a self-penned five-track EP with a companion short film, on May 15 via Synapse Publishing & Entertainment. It’s autobiographical, unflinching, and unlike anything she’s put out before.

Harralson co-produced the EP with Dale Penner (Nickelback, Loverboy) at The Owl in Nashville, with an all-star cast of session players behind her: Cole Edmonson (Tigirlily Gold) on guitar, David Santos on bass, Bryn Scott-Grimes (Goldpine) on harmonica, Merna Lewis on fiddle, Paul Ray on piano, and her husband Andrew Kugler on drums. Harralson also handled organ, acoustic guitar, and harmonies herself. The result is a fully realized, deeply lived-in record. Lead single “It Can’t Rain All The Time,” inspired by a line from the 1994 film The Crow, is out now with a music video directed by Dante Nazzaro.

The short film takes Harralson back to Birmingham and Knoxville, retracing the childhood and family experiences that anchor these songs. “This is more about childhood and family, as opposed to breakups and love songs,” she says. The EP also quietly carries the weight of losing her mother in 2024, a presence felt throughout. It’s candid storytelling from an artist who’s clearly done holding back.

Harralson’s resume backs up everything she’s attempting here. She’s toured Eastern Europe, performed for over 19,000 hospital patients through Musicians On Call, earned the Michael Solomon Golden Ukelele Award in 2024, and hosts the podcast Takin’ a Walk Nashville, which hit number two on the Apple Music podcast chart. She’s also a member of the Recording Academy and part of the upcoming Women Behind the Lyrics documentary. ‘Just The Beginning’ arrives May 15, with a run of live dates starting the same week.

‘Just The Beginning’ Track Listing:

  1. “Born In Birmingham”
  2. “House Divided”
  3. “One State Away”
  4. “It Can’t Rain All The Time”
  5. “No Hearts Got Harmed”

Upcoming Shows:

May 13, Nashville, TN @ The Bowery Vault

May 16, Sheffield, AL @ Shoals Riversong Music Festival

May 20, Fairfield, CA @ Suisun Valley Filling Station

May 21, Napa, CA @ Quilt & Co.

June 4, Murfreesboro, TN @ Boro Bourbon & Brews

August 4, Franklin, TN @ 19 Miles To Music Row

Country Thunder Florida Makes a Bold Move to Clearwater’s Coachman Park With Kane Brown, Zach Top, and Gavin Adcock

Eric Alper
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0
Country Thunder Florida Makes a Bold Move to Clearwater’s Coachman Park With Kane Brown, Zach Top, and Gavin Adcock

Country Thunder Florida has a new home, and it’s a strong one. The festival, running May 8-10, has moved to Coachman Park in Clearwater, a 19-acre waterfront park built for exactly this kind of event. With all approvals secured and tickets on sale now, the focus shifts to what matters: three days of country music on the water with a lineup that delivers top to bottom.

Zach Top, Gavin Adcock, and Kane Brown headline, with Randy Houser, Max McNown, Shaboozey, and Dasha rounding out a bill that covers the full spectrum of where country music sits right now. Beyond the main stage, a dedicated spotlight stage features rising Florida artists, and a Songwriter Showcase puts the writers behind the biggest hits in front of the crowd. Surprise meet-and-greets, vendor rows, and curated sponsor activations fill out the grounds across all three days.

Country Thunder Executive Director Kim Blevins is direct about the move: “Coachman Park gives us the ability to execute our full vision and create an unforgettable experience for fans.” Clearwater City Manager Jennifer Poirrier matched that energy, citing the strong community partnership that made the quick venue transition possible. The Florida Orchestra even shifted its free Symphony by the Sea concert to June 6 to open the park for the festival weekend.

Tickets are priced to be accessible. Weekend passes average $100 per day at participating Walgreens locations with no service fees, while general admission runs $300 for all three days. A two-day bundle is available for $250. Ticket holders from the original venue who want a refund can do so through their original point of purchase.

Country Thunder has earned “Festival of the Year” at the ACM Awards three times and its Florida edition has previously hosted Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, and Eric Church. Coachman Park is the next chapter. Tickets and full details are at countrythunder.com/fl.

Country Thunder Florida 2026:

May 8, 2026, Clearwater, FL @ Coachman Park

May 9, 2026, Clearwater, FL @ Coachman Park

May 10, 2026, Clearwater, FL @ Coachman Park

SiriusXM Canada Launches Nouvelles Ondes to Find the Next Big Francophone Artist With a $25,000 Grand Prize

Eric Alper
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SiriusXM Canada Launches Nouvelles Ondes to Find the Next Big Francophone Artist With a $25,000 Grand Prize

SiriusXM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company,today announced the launch of Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM, a new national initiative to discover and elevate emerging Francophone artists, with a pathway to Québec’s leading stages and the international scene.

The cross-Canada search will give participating artists the chance to perform at some of Québec’s leading music festivals, benefit from industry mentorship, and compete for a $25,000 grand prize, including a performance opportunity at a major international festival in Paris, France.

“Francophone artists are a vital part of Canada’s cultural identity and creative future,” said Michelle Mearns, SVP of Programming & Operations, SiriusXM Canada. “With Nouvelles Ondes, we are proud to leverage SiriusXM’s national reach and industry relationships to provide emerging talent with meaningful impact, professional development, and opportunities that can help shape the next chapter of their careers.”

Open to Francophone solo artists and groups residing in Canada, applications for Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM open today at 10:00am ET.

Following the registration period, three finalists will be selected by a jury of music industry professionals to advance to the next stage of the program. Each finalist will participate in a professional studio session to record an original song and video, which will be made available on the Nouvelles Ondes website: siriusxm.ca/nouvellesondes.

From July 9 to July 23, the Canadian public will be invited to view the finalists’ recordings and vote daily for their favourite artist, ahead of their performances at one of Québec’s most influential music festivals, the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) in July.

The grand finale will take place in September on stageat the prominent emerging and independent music festival Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME), where the winner of the competition will be crowned. The winning artist will receive a $25,000 bursary, along with the opportunity to represent Canada’s Francophone music scene at MaMA Music & Conventionin Paris. The two runners-up will each receive a $10,000 bursary, as well as mentorship opportunities and significant exposure across SiriusXM platforms.

Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM is part of SiriusXM’s ongoing tradition of supporting and elevating the best emerging Canadian music. SiriusXM continues to offer a leading platform for Canadian artists through its significant financial contributions and North American-wide reach of over 35 million subscribers. Through this program, the company aims to further strengthen its commitment to Francophone creativity and actively support the discovery of new talent. Listeners can enjoy 24/7 Francophone artists on SiriusXM channels: Attitude Franco, Influence Franco, Racines Musicales, Les Tubes 80s-90s and Les Tubes Franco.

Applications are open as of today and will remain open until April 28. Artists interested in participating can review the eligibility requirements and submit their application at: siriusxm.ca/nouvellesondes.

###

SiriusXM Canada lance Nouvelles Ondes, à la recherche de la prochaine révélation de la musique francophone au Canada

Ce programme d’ampleur nationale offre un premier prix de 25 000 dollars, des prestations dans le cadre du Festival d’été de Québec et du FME en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, une performance internationale à la MaMA Music & Convention à Paris, et bien plus encore

Les inscriptions sont ouvertes jusqu’au 28 avril

Montréal, le 14 avril 2026 – SiriusXM Canada, leader du divertissement audio au pays, a annoncé aujourd’hui le lancement de Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM, une initiative nationale visant à découvrir et à mettre en valeur les artistes francophones émergents, en leur ouvrant la voie vers les plus grandes scènes du Québec et la scène internationale.

Ce projet à l’échelle du Canada donnera la chance aux artistes participants de se produire dans certains des plus grands festivals de musique du Québec, de bénéficier d’un mentorat de professionnels du secteur et de concourir pour un grand prix de 25 000 $, comprenant notamment la possibilité de se produire lors d’un festival d’envergure internationale à Paris, en France.

« Les artistes francophones constituent un élément essentiel de l’identité culturelle et de l’avenir créatif du Canada », a déclaré Michelle Mearns, vice-présidente principale de la programmation et des opérations chez SiriusXM Canada. « Avec Nouvelles Ondes, nous sommes fiers de mettre à profit la portée nationale de SiriusXM et ses relations au sein de l’industrie pour offrir aux talents émergents une visibilité significative, un développement professionnel et des opportunités susceptibles de contribuer à façonner la prochaine étape de leur carrière ».

Ouvert aux artistes solos et aux groupes francophones qui résident au Canada, le concours Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM débute sa période d’inscriptions aujourd’hui.

À l’issue de cette période, trois finalistes seront sélectionnés par un jury composé de professionnels de l’industrie musicale pour passer à la prochaine étape du concours. Chaque finaliste participera à une session d’enregistrement en studio dans le but de réaliser une chanson originale et un clip vidéo, qui seront mis en ligne sur le site internet de Nouvelles Ondes : siriusxm.ca/nouvellesondes.

Du 9 au 23 juillet, le public canadien sera invité à visionner les enregistrements des finalistes et à voter chaque jour pour son artiste préféré, avant leurs prestations lors de l’un des festivals de musique les plus influents du Québec, le Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ), en juillet.

La grande finale aura lieu en septembre sur la scène du Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME), un festival de musique émergente et indépendante de premier plan, où l’artiste lauréat du concours sera couronné. Cette personne recevra une bourse de 25 000 $, ainsi que l’opportunité de représenter la scène musicale francophone canadienne à la MaMA Music & Convention à Paris. Les deux autres finalistes recevront chacun une bourse de 10 000 $, ainsi que des opportunités de mentorat et une importante visibilité sur les plateformes de SiriusXM.

Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM s’inscrit dans la tradition de SiriusXM, qui consiste à soutenir et à mettre en valeur le meilleur de la musique canadienne émergente. SiriusXM continue d’offrir une plateforme de premier plan aux artistes canadiens grâce à ses contributions financières importantes et à sa portée nord-américaine, qui compte plus de 35 millions d’abonnés. À travers ce programme, la société vise à renforcer davantage son engagement envers la créativité francophone et à soutenir activement la découverte de nouveaux talents. Les auditeurs peuvent écouter des artistes francophones 24 heures sur 24, 7 jours sur 7, sur les chaînes SiriusXM : Attitude Franco, Influence Franco, Racines Musicales, Les Tubes 80s-90s et Les Tubes Franco.

Les inscriptions sont ouvertes dès aujourd’hui et le resteront jusqu’au 28 avril 2026. Les artistes intéressés peuvent consulter les conditions d’admissibilité et soumettre leur candidature à l’adresse suivante : siriusxm.ca/nouvellesondes.

Columbus Alt-Rock Favorites Snarls Announce EP ‘In Heaven There’s Rainbows’ and Headlining Tour With Future Teens

Eric Alper
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0
Columbus Alt-Rock Favorites Snarls Announce EP ‘In Heaven There’s Rainbows’ and Headlining Tour With Future Teens

Snarls have been putting in the work for years, and ‘In Heaven There’s Rainbows’ feels like the payoff. The Columbus, Ohio alt-rock trio of vocalist Chlo White, bassist Riley Hall, and guitarist Mick Martinez have announced their new five-track EP, due June 26 via Take This To Heart Records. Lead single and music video “No Lock, No Prayer” is out now, and it arrives with the kind of punch that makes clear this band isn’t easing into anything.

The EP came together the way the best ones do: no timelines, no deadlines, just friends writing rock songs in a basement. After touring with Louis Tomlinson, Movements, and Briston Maroney, and recording their 2024 LP ‘With Love’ with producer Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie, Ratboys, Tegan & Sara), Snarls stripped things back and built something rawer. New drummer Mike Taddeo is in the fold, and his presence is felt throughout. The band sounds locked in.

‘In Heaven There’s Rainbows’ goes places their earlier work only hinted at. Doubt, determination, addiction, love, lust, and loss all run through these five songs, wrapped in grungy guitars, booming drums, and Chlo White’s gut-wrenchingly ethereal vocals. Think Wolf Alice’s emotional density, Wet Leg’s sharp instincts, and Snail Mail’s unflinching candor. It’s a focused, fully realized collection from a band who’ve clearly done some growing.

A second single, “One Wish,” arrives May 14. The full EP follows June 26, timed to a headlining run with Future Teens that kicks off in Philadelphia and winds through Brooklyn, Columbus, Nashville, Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, and Boston. Tickets are on sale now.

2026 Tour Dates with Future Teens:

June 20, Philadelphia, PA @ Ukie Club

June 21, Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right

June 23, Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups

June 24, Nashville, TN @ The End

June 25, Indianapolis, IN @ Hoosier Dome

June 26, Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge

June 27, Detroit, MI @ Pike Room

July 8, Boston, MA @ Deep Cuts

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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