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Seattle Radio Host and Local Music Champion Kevin Diers Dies at 39

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If you ever tuned into the Seattle airwaves and found yourself headbanging at just the right moment—or felt like someone got your love for local bands—there’s a good chance you were listening to Kevin Diers.

Kevin wasn’t just a radio host. He was Seattle’s music scene. For years, he brought metal to the mainstream and gave local bands a platform that felt like a lifeline. Whether it was through Metal Shop or Loud & Local on 99.9 KISW-FM, Kevin didn’t just play records—he raised voices, championed artists, and turned listeners into loyal fans.

He didn’t start out as an insider. Kevin won a contest to co-host Metal Shop. From that chance moment, he built a career not on ego, but on passion—on knowing that the loudest voices can come from the most humble places. And when he wasn’t on commercial radio, he was on public radio, making just as much noise in the most thoughtful, generous ways. At KUOW, his energy and love for the craft were the same. He brought heart to every mic, every shift, every show.

Kevin was everywhere—behind the booth, in the photo pit, on the DEFY Wrestling stage, online, in podcasts, and always right there when someone needed support. He was the kind of person who remembered your band’s EP and shouted it out two years later. He cared. He listened. He made sure others were heard.

The Seattle music scene didn’t just lose a host—it lost a heartbeat. And while tribute episodes of Metal Shop and Loud & Local will air this weekend, the truth is, Kevin Diers will always be on air, in spirit, wherever loud music plays and local voices rise.

He made sure of that.

Loyle Carner Previews Forthcoming Album ‘hopefully !’ With New Double Single “about time / lyin”

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Loyle Carner shares new singles “about time / lyin.” This marks Loyle’s second, surprise two-song drop to preview his hugely-anticipated new album hopefully !, which will be released on June 20th via Island EMI and was introduced recently alongside the beguiling double single “all i need / in my mind.”

Following the album’s release, Loyle Carner will be heading on his hopefully ! world tour featuring an extensive run of global dates – beginning with his Glastonbury headline set this Summer, a string of European dates in October and continuing on to a US run in February 2026 with shows in New York, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles and more.

“about time” has the instant feel of a landmark Loyle Carner record. Contemplative but uplifting, its loose, live-band sound cushions a flow of startling honesty into growing up: what you let go of, and what you carry with you, out of adolescence. Although universal in spirit, “about time” is vividly open in personal detail: the track closes on a conversation about home between father and son, a relationship threaded throughout hopefully ! right down to its suitably-imperfect artwork (coloured in by his kid after Loyle left some photos within arm’s reach).

B-side “lyin,” meanwhile, puts Loyle Carner’s long-hidden singing voice boldly front and centre. Fusing lullaby-esque acoustics with hushed rap, its tangible sense of light contends with the anxieties of love, and the growing responsibilities of adulthood.

hopefully ! is Loyle Carner as you’ve never seen or heard him before. A life-affirming exploration of fatherhood and childhood, the album is buoyed by a positivity and lightness of touch achieved in large part by stepping out of his comfort zone. In a series of firsts – singing, producing, accidentally forming the band of his dreams – Loyle Carner cultivates healthier boundaries while also allowing his audience in. It’s a new era in which Carner continues to push the boundaries of his art, and himself: a passionate advocate around his experiences of dyslexia and ADHD – notably founding the Chilli Con Carner cookery workshops – last year he received an honorary doctorate from UAL in recognition of his powerful rise thus far. He was also recently confirmed to make his acting debut in Mint, a BBC drama from BAFTA-nominated Scrapper director Charlotte Regan, with further exciting visual projects to follow.

Loyle Carner first emerged with 2013’s A Little Late EP, and has since forged a signature blend of unflinching, diaristic lyricism with ambitious, genre-disruptive sounds. His debut album, 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone, untangled personal experiences of grief, and the pressures of coming-of-age; 2019 follow-up, Not Waving, but Drowning, further showcased Loyle’s ability to set hip-hop against old-soul wisdom. A cathartic turning point proved to be 2022’s hugo: a taut, textured exploration of Black identity and anger, which also secured his second Top 3 album. Having been twice shortlisted for the Mercury Prize – and scored further BRIT and NME Award nominations – Carner has earned an impassioned worldwide following, with 1.1B streams, campaigns with global brands (YSL, New Balance, Nike) and sold-out shows including Alexandra Palace, Wembley Arena, Eventim Apollo, O2 Academy Brixton and Royal Albert Hall in his beloved London hometown alone. This journey climaxed in a headline appearance at All Points East’s 35,000 capacity Victoria Park last summer, which hopefully ! emerged in the wake of.

T. Graham Brown Premieres New LIVE WIRE Episode with Travis Tritt on SiriusXM

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GRAMMY-nominated, CMA and EMMY Award-winner, and Grand Ole Opry member T. Graham Brown has premiered a new episodes of LIVE WIRE on SiriusXM’s Prime Country (Channel 58).

The show features an exclusive interview with fellow Grand Ole Opry member Travis Tritt, recorded live at SiriusXM’s Nashville studios inside the AT&T building. Tritt reflects on his journey in country music, offering personal stories and insights from a career that includes 43 singles and 14 studio albums, with hits like “Country Club,” “Help Me Hold On,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Anymore,” “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” and more.

“It’s hard to believe it’s almost summer,” shares Brown. “It’s the perfect time of year to be putting the top down and turning the tunes up loud! Be sure to check out this month’s LIVE WIRE and hope to see you soon.”

With continued airings throughout April, the show will feature live cuts from artists including Gene Watson, Buck Owens, Martina McBride, T. Graham Brown, The Steve Miller Band, and a special interview with Travis Tritt. Listen closely to hear never-before-told stories and rare live performances from your favorite superstars! LIVE WIRE is also available on-demand worldwide with the SiriusXM app and Pandora NOW with a standard SiriusXM subscription.

Brown recently earned an EMMY award for Special Event Coverage at the 39th annual Midsouth EMMY Awards in Nashville for his standout performance in ‘Still Playin’ Possum: Music & Memories of George Jones.” The televised tribute honored the legendary George Jones and featured appearances by Trace Adkins, Lorrie Morgan, Travis Tritt, Tanya Tucker, Jelly Roll, and more. The event was held at the sold-out Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

T. Graham Brown’s latest album, From Memphis to Muscle Shoals debuted at #1 on the iTunes Top Blues Album Chart and the Top 10 on the iTunes Country Top Albums Chart. The album features legendary collaborations with artists such as Bettye LaVette, Sam Moore, Delbert McClinton, Dwight Yoakam, Eddie Floyd, Little Anthony, Randy Houser, Sammy Hagar, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna, and Zach Williams.

Additional airings in May include:
Thursday, May 08 @ 1 am and 3 pm ET
Sunday, May 11 @ 11 am ET
Tuesday, May 13 @ 12 am and 11 pm ET
Thursday, May 15 @ 3 am ET
Saturday, May 24 @ 2 pm ET
Sunday, May 25 @ 6 pm ET
Monday, May 26 @ 12 pm ET

Jesse Daniel Shares Nostalgic New Single “Mountain Home” Ahead of Upcoming Album ‘Son of the San Lorenzo’

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Rising country artist Jesse Daniel releases new single “Mountain Home” from his upcoming LP Son of the San Lorenzo out June 6 via Lightning Rod Records. A dedication to the Northern California mountains and valleys that raised him, the track uses plucky banjo, nostalgic fiddle and down-home harmonica to reminisce on a simple life.

Earlier this week, Daniel announced a run of West Coast tour dates this August, which will precede his official AmericanaFest showcase in Nashville and a number of shows in Australia this fall.

Daniel shares, “This song is a reminiscing, or romanticizing, of the past. How you can go home, but you can never truly go back to recreate the past. All we are left to do is bear the imprint of those times in their reflection on our daily lives. To savor the bittersweet memories and move ahead.”

From the album, Daniel has already shared the reflective collaboration with Charles Wesley Godwin “Time Well Spent For A Man” that earned a rave 9.1 review from Country Central who called it “beautiful,” as well as the hopeful and soulful first single “My Time Is Gonna Come,” which garnered praise from American Songwriter, Whiskey Riff, Holler, All Country News and more. Recorded live to tape at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the 11-song collection offers up a candid accounting of Daniel’s remarkable journey, from his early years hitchhiking in the shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains to his tumultuous adolescence and battles with addiction, to the people, and music, that ultimately saved his life. Taking shape while he was on the road last year, the album expands on his sound in a way that wears its influences on its sleeve, from the California country of the Eagles and the Flying Burrito Brothers to classic rock like Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers. In addition to the Charles Wesley Godwin feature, it includes instrumentation from Charlie McCoy, Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Peter Keys and SteelDrivers banjo player Richard Bailey.

Last year marked a turning point for Daniel’s career, beginning with creating the theme song to comedian Dusty Slay’s Netflix special Workin’ Man that was released in January. He then released his critically-acclaimed album Countin’ The Miles which garnered praise from Billboard, Texas Monthly, Cowboys & Indians, Bandcamp, BrooklynVegan, Whiskey Riff, No Depression, Holler and many more. The album went on to debut in the top 30 on the Americana Radio Chart and led to a tour supporting Godwin. To close out the year, he released a duo of collaborative singles with Benjamin Tod which was followed by a co-headline tour.

He will also perform a hometown album release show on May 31 on his home turf at the Felton Redwood Mountain Faire in Felton, CA.

Tour Dates:
5/31 – Felton, CA @ Redwood Mountain Faire 2025
6/21 – Itajaí, Brazil @ The Ranch Truck
6/26 – Fort Worth, TX @ Billy Bob’s
6/27 – New Braunfels, TX @ Gruene Hall
7/6 – London, UK @ Oslo Hackney
7/8 – Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtspeicher
7/9 – Groningen, Netherlands @ De Oosterpoort
7/10 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg
7/11 – Lille, Belgium @ Sjock Festival 2025
7/12 – Breim, Norway @ Stiftinga Norsk Country Treff
7/14 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Tradgarn
7/16 – Koln, Germany @ Die Kantine
7/17 – Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands @ Zwarte Cross 2025
7/18 – Eging Am See, Germany @ Pullman City Western Town
7/19 – Ruti, Switzerland @ Marty Stables AG
7/20 – Balzers, Liechtenstein @ Burg Gutenberg
8/22 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
8/23 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
8/24 – Bend, OR @ Domino Room
8/27 – Chico, CA @ Sierra Nevada Big Room
8/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
8/29 – Venice, CA @ The Venice West
8/30 – Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
10/10 – Rockhampton, Australia @ Great Western Hotel
10/11 – Mareeba, Australia @ Mareeba Rodeo
10/12 – Mareeba, Australia @ Mareeba Rodeo
10/15 – Petrie Terrace, Australia @ Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall
10/16 – Cronulla, Australia @ Brass Monkey
10/17 – Paddington, Australia @ Paddo RSL
10/18 – Archies Creek, Australia @ The Archies Creek Hotel
10/19 – Brunswick, Australia @ Brunswick Ballroom
10/24 – Fremantle, Australia @ Honky Tonk Blues
10/25 – Boyup Brook, Australia @ Harvey Dickson’s Country Music Centre

The Weeknd Taps Doechii for “Timeless” Remix Featuring Playboi Carti, Ahead of Film Release

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Global superstar The Weeknd has tapped Grammy-award winning Doechii for an additional feature on the official remix of “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti out now via XO / Republic Records. The hit single from The Weeknd’s latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, first debuted in the Top 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 after being teased during his one night only special stadium concert at Estádio Morumbi in São Paulo last year. Listen to it here.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is the #1 biggest album debut of 2025 in the U.S., with over 3 billion global streams to date.

The global Top 10 hit “Timeless” recently became his highest-debuting single ever on the Billboard Hot 100.

Additionally, The Weeknd will be releasing his new film, HURRY UP TOMORROW, on May 16th. The film, released by Lionsgate, is directed by Trey Edward Shultz and stars Abel Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, with original music by The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin.

 

Kali Uchis Releases Intimate Fifth Album ‘Sincerely,’ Featuring “All I Can Say” and “ILYSMIH”

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Today, GRAMMY-winning global recording artist Kali Uchis releases her highly anticipated fifth studio album, Sincerely. Her most intimate and vulnerable body of work to date, the 14-track record is a testament to the curative power of deep love, and a powerful representation of the way Uchis romanticizes life and her inner world.

Written and executive produced by Uchis, Sincerely, finds the genre-traversing star feeling more herself than ever. The Colombian-American singer-songwriter’s signature dreamy vocals float across timeless ballads, breezy soul, and breakbeat-backed grooves — all bound together by a hard-won sense of peace and protection that coincided with Uchis welcoming her first child into the world last year.

In both substance and style, standout track “All I Can Say” distills the album’s mood into three perfect minutes. Over vintage doo-wop that seems to float above life’s daily chaos, Uchis’ voice hits a heavenly register as she sings, “All I can say, is that you belong with me / And a dreamer should dream, how else would dreams turn reality? / And my peace of mind? No, it will not be destroyed / By lost souls on the decline, who only strive to divide.”

Uchis announced her latest era in March with lead Sincerely, single “Sunshine & Rain,” an ethereal song about, in her own words, “embracing a life of enjoyment despite the world or your circumstances.” This was followed up in April with the soothing “ILYSMIH,” which not only brilliantly captures the complex emotions that come with new motherhood, but also includes the sound of her son’s laughter — underscoring just how deeply personal Uchis’ music has become. Sincerely, contains nuance, too, as Uchis revisits pain from the past (“It’s Just Us”), considers her imperfections (“Silk Lingerie”), and issues unsubtle warnings to any who would disrupt the life she’s worked so hard to build (“Territorial”). Find the full Sincerely, track list below.

Sincerely, Kali Uchis Tracklist:
1. “Heaven Is a Home…”
2. “Sugar! Honey! Love!”
3. “Lose My Cool,”
4. “It’s Just Us”
5. “Territorial”
6. “Silk Lingerie,”
7. “Fall Apart,”
8. “All I Can Say”
9. “Daggers!”
10. “For: You”
11. “Angels All Around Me…”
12. “Breeze!”
13. “Sunshine & Rain…”
14. “ILYSMIH”

Adding to her recent highlights, Kali Uchis made a surprise appearance during JENNIE’s set at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1, delighting audiences by joining the singer on stage to perform their recent collaboration “Damn Right.” The unexpected performance further underscored Uchis’ versatility and solidified her position as a dynamic and influential force across all genres of music.

Global superstar, GRAMMY-winning recording artist Kali Uchis has been hailed as a rare talent since she emerged. With artful forays into R&B, alt-pop, reggaeton, and Latin strains, she’s has released several of the most lauded albums of the past decade: from her 2015 mixtape Por Vida, to her 2018 debut LP Isolation, the 2020 Spanish set Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), 2023’s Red Moon in Venus, which features the 2x Platinum-certified “Moonlight,” and was regaled by TIME Magazine as the ‘Best Album of the Year,’ 2024’s ORQUÍDEAS, and now her most personal body of work, her forthcoming fifth studio album Sincerely, (5/9).

In 2024, ORQUÍDEAS launched Uchis’ career to new heights. Her highest charting album to date (debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200), the critically adored record — which was her fourth album overall and second in Spanish — was led by crossover singles like the Platinum-certified “Igual Que un Ángel”with Peso Pluma (#1 on Hot Latin Songs, #23 on the Hot 100) and Gold-certified “Labios Mordidos” with KAROL G (#10 on Hot Latin Songs, #97 on the Hot 100). ORQUÍDEAS was nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, Best Pop Vocal Album at the Latin GRAMMYs, and took home trophies from the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin American Music Awards. The set closed the year on numerous “Best Albums” lists, racking up glowing praise from countless outlets including Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Complex, and The New York Times.

Amid consistent acclaim and honors — including nine GRAMMY-nominations and a 2021 win in the category of Best Dance Song for her appearance on Kaytranada’s “10%”— Uchis’ major breakthrough came with her own 2021 smash hit “telepatía,” which has been streamed more than 2 billion times to date and was the Hot 100’s longest running Spanish-language song by a solo act this decade with a 23-week streak. Uchis is now on the way to reaching the Spotify Billions Club three times over with the smash success of songs “telepatía,” Tyler, The Creator’s “See You Again” (featuring Kali Uchis),” and soon to be “Moonlight.” Raised between Virginia and Colombia, Uchis has gone on to collaborate and share the stage with the likes of SZA, Tyler the Creator, Lana Del Rey, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Rauw Alejandro, and her longtime partner Don Toliver, with whom she welcomed her first child last year. Uchis has toured the world over on multiple sold-out headlining runs, the most recent of which saw her playing arenas, as well as celebrated sets at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Austin City Limits, Tropicalia, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and many more.

PinkPantheress Drops Sophomore Mixtape ‘Fancy That’ Featuring Hypnotic New Single “Illegal”

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British anti-pop star, PinkPantheress releases her highly-anticipated sophomore mixtape Fancy That via Warner Records UK. In celebration, PinkPantheress has dropped a music video for her previously teased single ‘Illegal.’

‘Illegal’ sees PinkPantheress rework Underworld’s ‘Dark and Long (Dark Train)’ into a hypnotic exploration of perceived and forbidden desire. Directed by Ethan & Tom, the music video opens with PinkPantheress and Sekou Diaby (Boarders) on opposite ends of a conversation, before Sekou is launched into her animated tartan trip-like dreamscape where she plays both muse and his only escape.

Speaking on ‘Illegal’ PinkPantheress says: “Illegal feels like coming home, it’s garage, gritty, and takes me right back to where I started with music. I’ve always loved that raw, late-night energy, and sampling Underworld felt like the perfect way to tap into that spirit while making it my own.”

Written and produced by PinkPantheress, Fancy That was created alongside aksel arvid, Count Baldor, phil, Oscar Scheller, The Dare and others, bringing together a collective of creative minds to shape her latest sonic evolution. As she steps into her fun and kitsch-y era, rooted in British culture, the 9-track project showcases her signature vocals and genre-blurring sound. This mixtape marks a new chapter for PinkPantheress as she embraces a new level of intimacy. Fancy That is testament to PinkPantheress’ ear, featuring samples and interpolations from Panic! at the Disco to Jessica Simpson to Basement Jaxx and William Orbit as she seamlessly blends classics and hidden gems with her signature earworm production. The sophomore mixtape features singles ‘Tonight’, ‘Stateside’ and recently released ‘Illegal’.

Speaking on the project PinkPantheress says: this project is all about feeling the music in your body. I wanted to create something where dance is part of the story. i’m excited to have gotten back to my production roots for this project and i consider this to be my fancy era, very kitsch and colourful. It’s raw, fun, and completely movement-driven and i’m so excited to share it”

Next week will see PinkPantheress hit the road for mixtape signings, including an exclusive live preview at Banquet’s Pryzm in June ahead of her debut performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

April saw PinkPantheress announce a residency at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, the producer will perform on 18th and 19th September. Tickets are available via www.pantheress.pink. PinkPantheress’ sold-out show at Alexandra Palace last year earned glowing reviews, with The Guardian and NME awarding it 4*, while The Forty-Five praised, “The expectations for a show this size are bound to be high, but Pantheress goes above and beyond to make it one to remember.” The acclaim continued across the North American leg, where Exclaim! hailed her as a “low-key superstar”, and Rolling Stone declared, “A star is born.”

Fancy That

Illegal

Girl Like Me

Tonight

Stars

Intermission

Noises

Nice to Know You

Stateside

Romeo

London Residency

September 18th – O2 Academy Brixton

September 19th – O2 Academy Brixton

Record Store Signing Tour

May 11th – Resident Brighton

May 12th – Banquet Personally Signed

May 12th – Banquet, Kingston

May 13th – Rough Trade East

May 14th – Rough Trade Bristol

May 15th – HMV Birmingham

10 Artists Who Said Goodbye… and Then Said Hello Again

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Farewell tours are supposed to be the end of the road. The last bow. The final chord. But in music, goodbyes are often just very dramatic see-you-laters.

Many artists struggle to retire because their identity is deeply intertwined with performance and public connection. For musicians, the stage isn’t just a job—it’s a source of validation, purpose, and emotional release. The adrenaline of live performance, the intimacy of audience feedback, and the structured rhythm of touring often provide stability in an otherwise chaotic life. When that’s taken away, artists can experience a sense of loss akin to grief. Some return not for fame or money, but because stepping away feels like erasing a vital part of who they are.

Here are 10 legendary artists and bands who announced farewell tours… and then came back for more, proving you can’t always get what you want—unless what you want is another tour.

1. Ozzy Osbourne
In 1992, the Prince of Darkness told fans No More Tours—literally. That was the name of his farewell tour. But after a brief break and an MS diagnosis years later, Ozzy returned with Ozzfest, solo tours, a No More Tours II, and just kept going. Turns out, you can’t retire when you are the genre.

2. Cher
Cher’s Living Proof: The Farewell Tour started in 2002… and lasted three years. It was supposed to be the last dance, but in true Cher fashion, she came back with multiple tours, a Vegas residency, and the Here We Go Again Tour in 2018. Retirement? She believes in life after tour.

3. Aerosmith
The Aero-Vederci Baby! tour in 2017 sounded pretty final. Steven Tyler and the boys even hinted at going their separate ways. But Aerosmith just kept walking that way—right into Las Vegas with a residency and their 2023 Peace Out farewell tour. The catch? That tour was postponed. Again.

4. Mötley Crüe
In 2014, they signed a “Cessation of Touring Agreement” and held a press conference to promise it was really over. They even framed it like a legal breakup. But by 2019, the contract was literally blown up, and they were back onstage with Def Leppard. Crüe never really says goodbye—they just hit pause.

5. The Who
Their first farewell tour was all the way back in 1982. That’s over 40 years ago. Since then, they’ve reunited for tours, anniversaries, and albums, often saying each might be the last. But The Who keep coming back—because for Pete and Roger, the substitute for touring just doesn’t cut it.

6. KISS
KISS has been on their End of the Road Tour since 2019. It was billed as the final chapter for the face-painted rock legends. But with new legs, extended dates, and cryptic comments, fans are skeptical. After all, they already did a “farewell” tour back in 2000. This road might never end.

7. Elton John
Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began in 2018. It was beautiful, emotional, and stretched across five years. But even after his final show in 2023, he’s hinted that he might still do one-offs and charity gigs. When your piano’s still hot and the glasses still sparkle—who can blame him?

8. Barbra Streisand
Barbra has announced farewell performances multiple times, starting in the 1990s. Yet she’s done tours, residencies, and surprise concerts long after. Every farewell feels like a grand Broadway finale—until the curtain rises again. With Babs, you never know when the encore will end.

9. Tina Turner
Tina’s Twenty Four Seven Tour in 2000 was billed as her last. And it was—until 2008, when she returned for her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour. It became one of the highest-grossing tours of the year. When you’re simply the best, you don’t go quietly.

10. Garth Brooks
Garth retired in 2001 to focus on family, saying he wouldn’t tour again until his youngest turned 18. But by 2009, he was already doing Vegas shows. Then came full-blown arena tours in 2014 and beyond. Now he’s back again with residencies and stadium shows. So much for that cowboy riding away.

Moral of the story? Never throw away your tour t-shirts. Because in music, the end is just another chance to hit the road. Would you really believe a farewell tour from your favourite artist? Or are you already refreshing Ticketmaster just in case?

5 Seconds of Summer’s Calum Hood Unveils New Solo Track “Call Me When You Know Better”

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Calum Hood continues his solo era today, with the release of his new single “Call Me When You Know Better” alongside the official video. The track is featured on Calum’s recently announced debut solo album ORDER chaos ORDER out June 13th via Capitol Records.

For Calum, “Call Me When You Know Better” was a sonic breakthrough when making the album. The track not only welds digital and organic sounds together to create the sonic skeleton of what would become ORDER chaos ORDER, but also became a representation of the erratic noise in Calum’s mind and the chaos of contradicting thoughts, reflections, regrets and beyond.

Calum explains, “‘Call Me When You Know Better’ is a love letter in the form of an apology. For maybe not being the best lover or friend to the people who mean the most to me. Thoughts contradicting one another, talking over each other and stretching reality. It’s a reflection on mistakes made, perpetual regret and self pity.”

The single follows “Don’t Forget You Love Me” – released in March and deemed a “Song You Need To Know” by Rolling Stone – the track serves as the album’s emotional cornerstone and introduced listeners to the raw honesty and sonic depth that defines it.

Having spent the past 14 years touring the world and releasing music as one fourth of global phenomenon 5 Seconds of Summer – which claimed the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 with three consecutive albums and has amassed over 7 billion combined global streams across its songs – Calum strikes out on his own for the first time, and emerges not just as a solo musician, but as an introspective storyteller. The result of a deeply personal creative journey, the album explores the strength it takes to look inward and to move forward through pain.

Crafted primarily alongside Jackson Phillips, aka Day Wave, with key contributions from David Burris (Lauren Spencer Smith, ITZY) and TMS, ORDER chaos ORDER is heady, raw, tender work that is unflinchingly sincere, buoyed by hints of a coiled intensity within – a record that showcases the 29-year-old musician’s mastery of nuance and emotional depth. While ORDER chaos ORDER marks a new beginning, it is also a reckoning with Calum’s past.

“This album was made in a tumble dryer of knowing and not knowing,” said Calum. “I started out with a vision-order-but quickly became overwhelmed by the process-chaos. Eventually, I learned to embrace both, and that balance became the heart of the record. There are things I’ve never been able to sing about in the band-my upbringing, my family, the places life has taken me. This album is about laying those things to rest and allowing listeners to connect in their own way.”

Linn Holmes and Eric Gales Reimagine “Whipping Post” in Blazing Cleopatra Records Debut

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If Janis Joplin had joined Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac…. It might have sounded a lot like this.

Eric Gales needs no introduction.  Guitar World’s Best New Talent for 1991, Billboard blues chart-topper, and a 2022 Grammy nominee, Gales is also a Cleopatra Records regular (most recently his 2023 collaboration with Doug Pinnick, covering Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”), as well as a regular on the official Jimi Hendrix tribute tours.

Mick Jagger is a fan, and so is Joe Bonamassa, who has described him as“one of the best, if not the best, guitar players in the world.” Now he’s playing alongside Swedish born, LA based Linn Holmes, on her Cleopatra Records debut single, spreading molten guitar across an audacious cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.”

“He is such a phenomenal guitar player and musician,” says Linn. “I’ve listened a lot to his previous work. I am beyond honored that he wanted to work with me on this track!

Linn was still a child the first time she heard Gregg Allman’s “Whipping Post” – not on the Allmans’ debut album where it first appeared, but via the southern rockers’ 1971 Fillmore live album, where it consumes one entire side of vinyl.

It remains one of her all-time favorite songs, but taking it into the studio with Gales, plus producers Daniel Jakubovic and Rev. Tom Chandler, she adopted an altogether different approach to the number.

Condensing the Allmans’ 22 minute epic to less than three-and-one-half minutes, without losing an iota of the energy, was a tall order after all.  But drenching the song even deeper in the blues, Linn’s vocal is spellbinding and Gales’ guitar is electrifying. There’s ears out there that have been listening to the Allmans’ version for over half a century.  But with Gales at his most incendiary, Linn makes it her own regardless.

”As a massive Allman Brothers fan, recording ‘Whipping Post’ – I have never had more fun in the studio, getting to pay tribute to one of my favorite bands of all time and to get to create our own take on the song.

“I hope the listeners can feel the pure excitement of working on this track, as we are beyond thrilled to share it with you.”

Of course, none of this should come as a surprise.  A long standing stalwart of the LA session scene, Linn’s magnificent voice is familiar too from her work alongside the 12-piece vintage rock group Harry Katz and the Pistachios, with the duo Asteron, Canadian rockers Elderoth and Quiet Riot bassist Chuck Wright’s Ultimate Jam Night all-stars.

Her own solo career, too, is exploding. Invited to appear on Fernando Perdomo’s 2025 tribute to Hall & Oates’s epochal War Babies album, Linn turned in what has to be one of the vocal performances of the year.

Two 2024 singles, “Cut Me” and the vivacious “Baby Blue,” meanwhile, set the stage for her debut EP Introducing Linn Holmes, described by The Source as “reflect[ing] Holmes’ deep appreciation for the rich musical heritage of the past while infusing it with a contemporary flair.”

Now Linn has joined the Cleopatra family, and her label debut, accompanied by a captivating video, can only embed her even deeper into the vanguard of modern rock’s most dynamic vocalists.

Catch Linn live with an acoustic set at the Foundation Room at the Los Angeles House of Blues, on Saturday May 31.