Breakout indie pop artist Kevian Kraemer has announced the long awaited arrival of his new EP, Jersey or Mars, arriving everywhere via Atlantic Records on Friday, May 16.
Kraemer will commemorate the highly anticipated EP with his first ever headline tour – The Jersey or Mars Tour. The tour kicks off on July 8 at Boston, MA’s historic Middle East Upstairs and then travels the country to a very special home state finale set for Asbury Park, NJ’s House of Independents on August 1.
Highlights include shows at such famed venues as New York City’s Mercury Lounge (July 9), Philadelphia, PA’s The Lounge at World Cafe Live (July 10), Salt Lake City, UT’s Kilby Court (July 18), Los Angeles, CA’s The Moroccan Lounge (July 21), and Dallas, TX’s Club Dada (July 24). Artist presales for members of Kraemer’s Community platform begin Tuesday, April 8 at 10am (local). General on-sales get underway Thursday, April 10 at 10am (local).
JULY
8 – Boston, MA – Middle East Upstairs
9 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Lounge at World Cafe Live
11 – Washington, DC – Songbyrd
15 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
17 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
20 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall
21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Moroccan Lounge
24 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
AUGUST
1 – Asbury Park, NJ – House of Independents
The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame (WVMHoF) has announced acclaimed singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, award-winning Nashville arranger Cam Mullins, chart-topping songwriter Jeff Stevens and West Virginia’s own legendary musical family The Valentinos (a.k.a. The Womack Brothers) as 2025 inductees at its sold-out 10th annual ceremony. Taking place on April 12 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV, the event will also feature special guests and performances including Stevens, Luke Bryan, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, Kathy Mattea and more.
This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony will include filmed congratulations from Dolly Parton, Patti Smith, Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Connie Smith, Peter Wold (J. Geils), Matt Groening, Brenda Lee, Charlie McCoy and more. Additional special guests and performers for the evening include Friendly Womack Jr. with The Womack Sisters, Tim O’Brien, Ann Magnuson, Larry Groce, John Ellison, Lionel Carwright, Bob Thompson, Barbara Nissman, Michael Cerveris and Greg Blake.
The event will be hosted by Ray Benson, who founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, WV in 1970, and Charleston, WV native Juliana Soltis, a nationally touring and recording classical cellist. Benson will also receive the WVMHoF’s Spirit Award.
Wilco co-founder Jeff Tweedy will present Daniel Johnston’s posthumous award to the honoree’s brother and sister, Margie and Dick Johnston. Johnston’s deceptively simple songs are, by turns, sweet and innocent yet emotionally deep and have found a dedicated fanbase all over the world. Tweedy – who performed and recorded with Daniel – and his band will perform three of his favorite Johnston songs.
Cam Mullins’ posthumous award will be presented via video by Charlie McCoy, a 2008 WVMHoF inductee and musical virtuoso who has played on more than 15,000 records by a slew of country and rock artists. Cam’s daughter Karen will accept. Lionel Cartwright will sing a pair of songs that Mullins famously orchestrated, with Juliana Soltis on cello and string players from The West Virginia Youth Symphony.
Alum Creek, WV native Jeff Stevens has penned No. 1 hits for artists including George Strait, Tracy Byrd, Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan. Stevens’ award will be presented by Dale Bobo. Since 2020, Bobo has served as catalog strategist for the Nashville office of Sony Music Publishing.
With deep roots in southern West Virginia, the five Womack Brothers, later known as The Valentinos, have influenced and informed the evolution of Black music in America. Collectively and individually, the five brothers have influenced generations of music on both sides of the Atlantic – from gospel, soul, R&B and funk to the highest echelons of rock ‘n’ roll. West Virginia native John Ellison, a 2015 WVMHoF inductee known for his song “Some Kind of Wonderful,” will present The Valentinos’ award to Friendly Womack Jr., the last surviving brother. Friendly, John and The Womack Sisters will perform three Valentinos songs.
Randall Reid-Smith, recently retired Cabinet Secretary for The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, will receive the first WVMHoF’s Crescendo Award for Lifetime Achievement. 2023 WVMHoF inductee, renowned classical pianist Barbara Nissman, will present the award and perform.
An edited version of this year’s ceremony will air on West Virginia Public Broadcasting on May 3 at 7 p.m. ET and will be made available to stream on YouTube and PBS Passport the same day.
Multi-Platinum entertainer and “born showman” (Music Row) Russell Dickerson knocks out Round 1 of his RUSSELLMANIA TOUR, delivering high-energy, dance-filled, sing-along performances that have fans on their feet and roaring for more.
With almost a dozen shows from Nashville, TN (3/14) to Garden City, ID (4/5), Russell’s sold-out crowds and confetti-filled concerts are the ultimate party.
Don’t miss the electrifying action extending into amphitheaters this summer, with direct support from Jake Scott and Niko Moon joining the lineup.
RUSSELLMANIA TOUR 2025 – Round 2:
6/5 New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17
6/6 Asbury, NJ – Stone Pony Summerstage
6/7 Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
6/13 Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater
6/14 Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amp
Southern alt rocker Willy Cobb serves up his latest single entitled “New Chapters.” On the new track, Willy delivers his own grunge ballad spiked with country grit. A sparse beat sets the tempo for the track as airy guitar transmissions blink through hazy strumming.
The momentum steadily builds towards an emotional chorus as he wonders, “Oh what am I to do when I get lost in you?” He goes on to confess, “I don’t know what to do, is it me or you?” The tune reaches its climax with an evocative guitar solo, wailing over a hum of feedback.
“New Chapters” follows “Parking Lot Thoughts.” Previously, Willy notably capped off 2024 with “Boy Toy” and his Unplugged EP. Earning critical acclaim, House of Solo attested, “Cobb is fast becoming a force in the Nashville scene, proving that boundaries-whether in genre or attitude-are meant to be pushed.” Jace Media Music urged “Keep an eye on Willy Cobb-he’s just getting started.” Not to mention, he opened up for everyone from Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters to The Cadillac Three, shining on stage.
In 2024, his Country Punkin’ EP landed looks from Dig! and more. In an “On The Rise” interview about the project, The Line of Best Fit christened him “one of Nashville’s newest boundary-pushing talents,” going on to rave, “the EP’s five tracks offer up servings of ragged punk energy, fuzzed-out guitars, country grit and a touch of southern swamp.”
Meanwhile, his single “Cigarette Smell” has also garnered widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone touted it among “All the Songs You Need to Know This Week.” Plus, NOTION sat down with him for an in-depth interview and professed, “the single sees Willy Cobb at his best.”
Rising country artist, Cole Phillips, releases his latest EP, Steel Toes and Texacos. To accompany today’s release, the official video for “Magnolias in May” is also now live, bringing the song’s heartfelt storytelling to life through a cinematic visual.
The five-track project finds the 20-year-old Oklahoma native continuing to hone his voice as one of country music’s most promising young storytellers. With his signature blend of gritty authenticity, red dirt edge, and emotional depth, Cole leans further into the sound that’s earned him millions of streams and a rapidly growing fanbase.
Each track was co-written by Cole and produced by Trevor Thornton, offering a raw and vivid snapshot of life, heartbreak, and resilience in small-town America.
“This EP has a little bit of everything for everyone, including an old timey train beat in “West Tx.” and a more commercial feel in “Junk Drawer”. I’m excited for folks to hear Steel Toes and Texacos because I think all the different styles of music sum me up as a person. I honestly named the EP Steel Toes and Texacos because I absolutely loved the opening line of the song “Magnolias in May” and it just felt right.”
The EP includes fan-favorite “West Tx”, released last month with an official video that quickly gained traction, as well as standout tracks like the introspective “Junk Drawer” and rowdy, defiant “Back Full of Feathers.”
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Abbey Cone releases her debut album Greener, a chronological retelling of a breakup that begins with the unmatched highs of all-out infatuation, then quickly pivots to the anxiety, melancholy and grief of loss before finally settling into the quiet clarity of closure.
Earlier this week, Holler praised the title track for “channeling the classic country stoics of yesteryear and the cathartic, heart-on-your-sleeve country tinged pop of artists like Morgan Wade and Kelsea Ballerini set against a sonic backdrop that blends the moony, soul soothing folktronica of cottage-core era Taylor Swift with the simple straight-from-the-heart storytelling of Music City’s finest songwriters.”
“This album runs the full spectrum of human emotion,” Abbey says. “It’s about grieving someone and falling in love with someone else at the same time. It’s about discovering that the grass really is greener on the other side.”
Her first full-length project since 2022’s EP Hate Me and her debut LP as an independent artist, Greener opens with the anthemic “If You Were A Song,” which currently sits at over 17 million streams on Spotify, before moving into the post-breakup spiral of “video games,” which Wide Open Country praised as “short, bittersweet, and simply good.” The album also includes the celestial ode to lighting up when you’re feeling down “this little lighter of mine (joy version)” featuring Joy Oladokun, the deceptively titled delusional girl summer anthem “I Hate Springsteen”, which features guitar from John Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, and the ethereal “I Kissed My Friend Last Night,” which All Country News called “a raw, emotional exploration of the messiness that follows the end of a relationship.”
Since moving to Nashville at age 16, Abbey has played the Grand Ole Opry (after being invited by 22-time GRAMMY winner Vince Gill himself), Stagecoach, CMA Fest and C2C Festival, toured with Kimberly Perry, Mickey Guyton and Morgan Wade, started her own writers round series called The Pony Show and joined Brittney Spencer at her Tiny Desk performance. And earlier this year, she collaborated with Mat Kearney for a duet version of “Good Thing Going On.”
Tonight, she will return to the Opry to celebrate the release of her album, and later this month, she will hit the road with Fancy Hagood for his spring tour, which includes stops in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta and more.
Greener Tracklist:
1. If You Were A Song (Abbey Cone, Nate Cyphert, Nathan Spicer)
2. video games (Abbey Cone, Cece Coakley, Matt Martin)
3. Worst Case Scenario (Worktape) (Claire Douglas, Madison Kozak, Abbey Cone)
4. I Hate Springsteen (Abbey Cone, Madison Kozak, Joe Ginsburg)
5. Little Bit of You (Abbey Cone, Tom Jordan, Andrew Stoelzing)
6. this little lighter of mine (joy version) (Abbey Cone, Hank Compton, Josh Lovell)
7. Cry That It Happened (Abbey Cone, Ava Suppelsa, Madison Kozak)
8. I Kissed My Friend Last Night (Abbey Cone, Cece Coakley, Matt Martin)
9. Greener (Abbey Cone, Andy Seltzer, Charli Adams, Carys Selvey)
Tour Dates (Supporting Fancy Hagood):
April 17 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
April 18 – Dallas, TX – Cambridge Room
April 23 – Nashville, TN – EXIT/IN
April 27 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse
April 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
April 29 – Philadelphia, PA – The Lounge at World Cafe Live
April 30 – Boston, MA – Middle East Cafe
May 2 – Chicago, IL – Carol’s Pub
May 3 – St. Louis, MO – Duck Room
May 4 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
May 7 – Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic
Cowgirl and songstress Jenna Paulette releases “How To Make A Cowboy Cry,” her first offering since the September 6, 2024 release of her sophomore album, Horseback.
Written by Paulette, Parker Welling and Casey Brown, and produced by Will Bundy, “How To Make A Cowboy Cry” is reflective of Paulette’s current chapter of life after becoming a wife and mother, and underscores that despite their physical toughness, the quickest way to make cowboys cry lies within life’s most meaningful moments.
“I wrote ‘How To Make A Cowboy Cry’ right after Ross and I eloped,” explains Paulette. “Truthfully, it was before we thought about having kids, and in a conversation where we were dreaming about it, he named our little girl with two family names-and from that moment on I prayed for one. We have lived these moments in this song…from our wedding day, to two pink lines, to a moment in the truck headed in Colorado to work calves listening to Chris Ledoux.”
Traversing her home region of Texas and Oklahoma, Paulette’s Horseback Acoustic Tour kicked off with a sold out show last night in Castroville, Texas. As her April 17 show in Bluff Dale, Texas sold out a week early, Paulette adds three new dates in Clinton, Wisconsin on June 18; Chicago, Illinois on June 19; and Jacksonville, IL on June 20.
At each Horseback Acoustic Tour stop, fans will have a chance to sign up and win a gift card valid for the purchase of one CowboyGirl shirt, courtesy of Ely Cattleman. Fans will sign up at the merch table and must be present to win.
Horseback Acoustic Tour Dates:
Apr 11 // Belton, TX // Schoepf’s BBQ
Apr 12 // Edmond, OK // The Old Icehouse
Apr 16 // Conroe, TX // Table At Madeley
Apr 17 // Bluff Dale, TX // Double D BBQ *SOLD OUT
Apr 18 // Paris, TX // The Rail Yard
June 18 // Clinton, WI // Boxcar’s
June 19 // Chicago, IL // Carol’s
June 20 // Jacksonville, IL // Twisted Tree Music Hall
Ryan Charles (a.k.a. Jiggy Buckaroo) shares his new single “Duffy’s Bluff” via River House Artists. Masterfully fusing hip-hop with his signature Western flair, the hard-hitting song arrives with a feel-good music video featuring Charles on a joyride.
“Duffy’s Bluff” follows the 2000s rap-inspired “Ten Sleep” which was released in February. Over the last few years, the rising rap sensation has been steadily releasing new music, including the breakup bop “Heartbreak Rodeo,” the twanging “What In Tarnation” and the Kase Closed-featuring “Cold Beer Diet,” which garnered praise from Lyrical Lemonade, The Source and more.
With 64+ million global career streams to date, Charles is quickly building a name for himself by meshing the cowboy lifestyle with his razor-sharp rap flow. Hailing from Buffalo, WY, he has been on tour opening for country acts like fellow Wyoming artist Ian Munsick, Breland, and hip-hop sensation Atlus. He got his start on the inaugural season of American Song Contest, becoming a fan favorite with his original country-rap viral song “New Boot Goofin’.” The song, paired with his charismatic style, caught the attention of rap legend and show host Snoop Dogg.
A natural-born entertainer who’s known for his signature fashion sense, light-hearted twang, and high-energy live shows, Charles continues to work on new music in Nashville, TN. Now, he is positioning himself as one to watch as he leads the charge for Western rap and hip-hop without adhering to genre lines.
Next week, Charles will hit the road for a string of West Coast shows including stops in Seattle and San Diego – see below for a full list of dates.
Ryan Charles Tour Dates:
April 19 – Bend, OR – The Cross-Eyed Cricket Watering Hole
April 20 – Seattle, WA – Nectar Lounge
May 8 – San Diego, CA – Moonshine Beach
June 27 – Lakehead-Lakeshore, CA – Lakeshore Inn & RV
Cypress Hill has unveiled “I Ain’t Goin Out Like That (Live at the Royal Albert Hall),” the second track to be released in advance of the eagerly anticipated Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall, a full length live album and concert video immortalizing the hip hop icons’ now legendary collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra-to be released June 6 via Mercury Studios.
Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall will be released on multiple physical and digital formats, with physical formats including DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, limited edition 2CD, 180g Half-Speed Mastered black vinyl, 180g Half-Speed Mastered Gold colored vinyl (limited edition D2C exclusive available for all territories), and limited edition cassette. Fans watching the film on Blu-ray can experience the concert in Dolby Atmos audio, offering a sonic experience that puts the viewer right in the Royal Albert Hall.
Fans will have the opportunity to get a sneak peek at Black Sunday At The Royal Albert Hall on May 3 at Veeps through a ticketed stream. Fans can preorder tickets at https://veeps.events/cypress-hill-announce and will be able to bundle their ticket purchase with the various physical releases.
Having just completed an exclusive theatrical run via Mercury Studios in partnership with Iconic Events Releasing, Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall brings the unprecedented collision of the trio’s 1993 masterpiece with one of the world’s most renowned orchestral ensembles to the eyes and ears of music lovers everywhere. A historic spectacle previously witnessed only by the thousands of Cypress devotees who packed Royal Albert Hall on July 10, 2024, the live album and feature-length video release of Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall will allow the world at large to witness the intoxicating dark magic conjured when Cypress Hill and the 70-strong LSO bring this multi-platinum opus to life together-an unforgettable audiovisual experience.
The tracklist for Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall is as follows (all formats):
I Wanna Get High
I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That
Insane in the Brain
When the Sh*t Goes Down
Lick a Shot
Cock the Hammer
Interlude
3 Lil’ Putos
Legalize It
Hits From the Bong
What Go Around Come Around, Kid
A to the K
Hand on the Glock
Break ’em off Some
Dr. Greenthumb
Illusions
Money
Cuban Necktie
How I Could Just Kill a Man
(Rock) Superstar
Band Introductions
Finn Wolfhard shares a new track and accompanying music video for the latest offering in his solo music endeavor, “Trailers after dark.” The single is another captivating taste from his debut solo record Happy Birthday, out June 6th via AWAL.
“Trailers after dark” leads with melancholy acoustic guitar strumming before Wolfhard’s textured vocals kick in as he pleads, “Oh my darling, don’t stop loving me.” The single’s sonic landscape is reminiscent of that of the early indie hits of the aughts, while incorporating clean, modern production to create the perfect nostalgia-tinged ballad for a rainy day. The music video, directed by Marcus Mazzulla, is an enthralling, cool-toned and darkly comforting visual accompaniment to the track.
Happy Birthday marks Wolfhard’s first solo release after several releases with his bands Calpurnia and The Aubreys. A dizzying rush of nine songs, the album grew out of Wolfhard’s personal challenge to pen 50 songs by the end of 2022. He admits, “I ended up writing a lot of terrible stuff, but a few of those songs I was really proud of went to the Aubreys. I started realizing a general theme in a lot of the other songs involving my identity, anxieties, nostalgia, childhood and loneliness. All of that was a part of a bigger puzzle. I knew I wanted to make a record, but I didn’t know with which songs.”
For Wolfhard, the album is another accomplished step forward in his evolution as a musician and songwriter. “If I were to walk away and listen to it in 10 years, I think it would feel like the beginning of a specific style and voice,” he says. “It can be interesting being a younger person in any kind of industry, because even though I’ve been acting for a long time, I’m still only 22, and things start to take shape at different times in your life. I hope that when I look back on this record, I’ll be proud of the melodies and the songwriting. I want to be accepting of myself at that time. It was okay that I felt like that and made a record about it and then moved on to new experiences.”
Across the album’s nine tracks, Wolfhard tackles themes of anxiety, losing yourself in a relationship and subsequently finding yourself again, the carefreeness of childhood, and more, through a maturing, refined-yet-growing worldview. The album is a whirling, relatable journey of emerging from adolescence and another striking project from Wolfhard’s creative prowess.
