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Watch Aretha Franklin and Tom Jones Trade Soul and Swagger on This Is Tom Jones

Eric Alper
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Watch Aretha Franklin and Tom Jones Trade Soul and Swagger on This Is Tom Jones

Aretha Franklin joins Tom Jones for a powerhouse duet on This Is Tom Jones — from “See Saw” to “Spirit in the Dark,” it’s pure soul magic.

“This Guitar Has Seconds To Live” Captures The Chaos and Glory of The Who in Stunning Oral History

Eric Alper
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“This Guitar Has Seconds To Live” Captures The Chaos and Glory of The Who in Stunning Oral History

‘This Guitar Has Seconds To Live’ by Richard Houghton is an oral history of The Who.

They smashed Rickenbackers, drum kits, hotel rooms and occasionally each other. Never before had a band created such wanton destruction on stage. Never before had a band smashed their instruments into pieces, or used feedback as a weapon to manipulate their audiences. But there had never been a band like The Who before, and no other band has ever brought the same level of danger, excitement, chaos and sheer volume to live performance.

Singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle started out as The Detours in 1962. Joined in 1964 by Keith Moon, whose explosive drumming style fired the band along until his untimely death in 1978, this is the story of over 380 Who concerts told through almost 700 eyewitness accounts. It charts The Who’s rise from their West London roots to become one of Britain’s top chart acts (with 14 Top Ten hits) and a gig schedule that saw them play virtually everywhere in the UK before conquering North America and the world via mammoth concert tours and attention-grabbing appearances at the Monterey, Woodstock and Isle of Wight festivals.

The Who’s albums Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia all rank in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Who’s legacy is undiminished by time. And the sound of feedback runs through this book as fans and admirers of the band recount seeing them in action through a series of fascinating and heartwarming anecdotes and photographs.

John Robb Chronicles 40 Years of Alt-Rock Evolution in “Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll?”

Eric Alper
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John Robb Chronicles 40 Years of Alt-Rock Evolution in “Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll?”

Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows John’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.

John was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene.

Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.

John Robb is an award-winning journalist, author, TV presenter and boss of the music website Louder Than War. In a forty-year career, John has written for every major music magazine and national newspaper, interviewing thousands of bands from all around the world. He formed the seminal punk/alt-rock band the Membranes in 1977, and still tours with them and as lead singer of his band Goldblade. He has written highly acclaimed biographies of the Stone Roses and the Charlatans, as well the extraordinary Punk Rock: An Oral History.

KISS Turns 50: Martin Popoff Celebrates Rock’s Most Outrageous Band in New Milestone Book

Eric Alper
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KISS Turns 50: Martin Popoff Celebrates Rock’s Most Outrageous Band in New Milestone Book

Fifty years of fire, facepaint, and fist-pumping anthems — KISS were a cultural juggernaut. And now, rock journalist Martin Popoff brings the band’s larger-than-life story to, well, larger-than-life pages with KISS at 50, a beautifully produced hardcover tribute to the most theatrical band in rock and roll.

From their birth in the gritty clubs of 1973 New York to their final flame-blazing farewell tours, Popoff chronicles 50 essential KISS moments. There’s everything from their legendary Casablanca signing to the infamous Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, from the unmasking era of the ’80s to the diehard devotion of the Kiss Army. It’s a deep dive into one of music’s most passionately followed acts — and every fan will find something to scream “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” about.

What makes this book a standout isn’t only the writing — it’s the visuals. Unpublished photos, gig posters, ticket stubs, and a fold-out timeline bring the KISS experience to life. You can practically hear the pyro explode just flipping the pages. Popoff’s writing hits hard, like a Gene Simmons bassline, with detail, love, and insider knowledge only decades of rock journalism can bring.

If you ever air-guitared to “Detroit Rock City” or painted your face like the Starchild, this book was made for you. KISS at 50 is a monument to half a century of rock and roll history, and a reminder that there will never be another band quite like KISS.

Rik Emmett of Triumph Shares Candid, Creative Journey in New Memoir “Lay It On The Line”

Eric Alper
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Rik Emmett of Triumph Shares Candid, Creative Journey in New Memoir “Lay It On The Line”

From Triumph superstar Rik Emmett comes the thrilling, inspiring story of a life of rock and roll

While describing the impulse driving his life and work, Rik Emmett explains, “I was never in it for the sex and drugs — ah, but the rock and roll. Creativity was, and still is, my it — the truth I bet my life on. It was also, always, about play. The play’s the thing …”

Merging memoir, anecdotes, and masterclasses on guitar, songwriting, and the artist’s mindset, Lay It On The Line offers insight and perspective into the many roles Rik Emmett took on. “It” was always a parboiling, psychological gumbo: and this book attempts to finally share the recipe.

It also includes photos from Emmett’s own archives, plus the definitive, detailed reasons behind why he walked from Triumph — and came back two decades later.

Rock star, it seems, was a character for Rik Emmett to inhabit … a great gig, a catalytic door-opener … it was a role that led to other adventures — and these are the stories he’s chosen to tell.

Becky Buller Releases New Single “Ride On By” Ahead of Covers Album Celebrating Bluegrass Roots

Eric Alper
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Becky Buller Releases New Single “Ride On By” Ahead of Covers Album Celebrating Bluegrass Roots

Dark Shadow Recording is proud to announce the release of “Ride On By,” the new single from Becky Buller’s forthcoming album of cover songs that have shaped her celebrated career. This dynamic rendition, penned by songwriter and wildlife biologist Dick Kimmel, is a longtime staple of Buller’s live shows and now makes its official debut on record.

Originally written as a protest song when interstate construction carved through parts of West Virginia, “Ride On By” made its way to Minnesota when Kimmel accepted a job with the Department of Natural Resources in the early 1980s. There, fate intervened.

“His band most likely performed this song at the Butterfield Threshing Bee that fateful day when my folks were in attendance,” shares Buller. “Dad was mesmerized by the mandolin, eventually bartering carpentry work for lessons from Dick. He introduced my folks to Gordy and Roxy Schultz; together they formed Prairie Grass, the group I picked up fiddle to sing with… and bluegrass music has dominated my destiny ever since.”

Tracked by her current road band—guitarist Jacob Groopman, banjoist Ned Luberecki, mandolinist Wes Lee, bassist/harmony vocalist Daniel Hardin, and Buller herself on fiddle and lead vocals—this spirited track was produced, engineered, and mixed by Stephen Mougin. Fans of Buller’s live shows will recognize the epic “not-so-secret space jam,” a segment that has grown over time and is designed to showcase the ensemble’s collective prowess.

“The arrangement has morphed through the years, most recently to include an epic not-so-secret space jam which gives all of us a chance to show out instrumentally as the hippies dance,” Buller adds. “I’m thrilled it’s finally found a home on this upcoming covers album.”

A 10-time IBMA award-winning Bluegrass artist, Becky Buller made history as the first-ever artist to win in both instrumental and vocal categories in the same year at the IBMA Awards, and is also the first female to claim IBMA’s Fiddle Player of the Year. She moonlights as a member of the all-female supergroup The First Ladies of Bluegrass, recently honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame with their own exhibit. Buller fulfilled a dream in 2021 by making her Grand Ole Opry debut. Her songwriting achievements extend to Grammy Award-winning albums by Molly Tuttle (2023), The Infamous Stringdusters (2019), and The Travelin’ McCourys (2018). In 2023, she was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall Of Fame.

The Lil Smokies Release Final Album Break of the Tide and Embark on Farewell Colorado Shows

Eric Alper
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The Lil Smokies Release Final Album Break of the Tide and Embark on Farewell Colorado Shows

The Lil Smokies’ high-energy acoustic music has evolved into its own distinctive sound. Since their last album, Tornillo (2020), the band returns with two new members, bassist Jean Luc Davis and banjo player, Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose, adding to the core trio of dobro player Andy Dunnigan, lead guitarist the Reverend Matthew Rieger, and fiddler Jake Simpson. To showcase the new sound and augmented quintet lineup, the band has released a brand new album Break of the Tide, available now via Americana Vibes.  Break Of The Tide will also mark the final  album release of the band’s career with 11 new songs to close out their cherished discography.

Returning to Texas (where they recorded Tornillo), The Lil Smokies cut Break of the Tide at a Dallas-Fort Worth studio with local producer Robert Ellis, the album title representing, according to Andy, “a turning point, a pivot… the old world vs. the new world. It’s like a bug set in amber, an artifact from that period of time. We didn’t drown under the tide.”

“One of the biggest differences between this album and Tornillo is we hadn’t played these songs live before we recorded them,” added Jake. “These tracks really took shape in the studio. For the most part, we used whole takes, rather than overdubs and edits.  It’s a vibey record.”

The album finds the band expanding beyond the bluegrass genre with a spacious, airy, contemplative set of “more introspective, nuanced” songs which slow down to reflect the wide-open spaces and natural beauty of the state where they first took shape. The first single, “Montana Flower,” according to Simpson, is a love song to a local girl from Whitefish, comparing her beauty to the geographical marvels of the area, including Big Mountain.

“That’s the imagery that was going through my head when I wrote the song,” acknowledged Jake. “There’s a lot of mystery in Whitefish.  It’s an interesting mix of people there from all over the world alongside the locals who have been there forever. Lots of cosmic energy keeping an eye out for my love when I’m not there.”

Another Simpson-penned track, “Keep Me Down” offers the touring musician’s lament of choosing between what you left at home and the call of the road. “It’s a real love-hate relationship,” laughed Jake. “I’ve been doing a lot of therapy on this issue, and I think I’m improving in that area.”

Rev’s “Sycamore Dreams” is “a break-up song about sometimes love alone isn’t enough” to keep a relationship together (“It shines on paper/Torn from the start/Frayed at the seams”). “There are divine forces that are sometimes out of our control,” said Rev. “And sometimes you have to trust and surrender to them.”

“Fire in the Rain” is a Dunnigan-penned folk song that offers a vocal homage to one of his favorite singer/songwriters in James Taylor, evoking his similarly titled “Fire and Rain.”

“My father played his records for me when I was just three years old,” said Andy.

“This is a more pensive, delicate record than we’ve done in the past,” explained Rev. “It’s about being able to turn to art to deal with hardship, the encouragement to know we’re not alone in this. It’s about looking to the future, figuring out a way to move ahead.”

Added Andy, “We’re just more confident in ourselves as songwriters now. We don’t have anything to prove at this point. We’re comfortable where we are as a band.”

“We’re older, but maybe not wiser,” joked Rev. “This is who we are right now.”

Indigo Girls Announce Symphony Debut, Festival Dates, and Co-Headline Tour with Melissa Etheridge

Eric Alper
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Indigo Girls Announce Symphony Debut, Festival Dates, and Co-Headline Tour with Melissa Etheridge

Grammy Award-winning folk-rock duo Indigo Girls are one of the featured acts on the long-running PBS TV series Austin City Limits. The brightest stars in the show’s history return to the ACL stage for a celebration a half-century in the making, including the Indigo Girls, Chris Stapleton, Gary Clark Jr., Lyle Lovett, Billy Strings, Rufus Wainwright, Indigo Girls, Brandy Clark, Cam and The Mavericks. The 2-hour special features backstage artist interviews and rare gems pulled from the ACL archive and premieres Friday, April 4 at 9pm on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App (check local listings).⁠ The link to the full episode will be streaming live at PBS.org that same evening at 9:00 pm ET and will be available to stream by anyone for 90 days.

Indigo Girls will make their first appearances ever with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra this spring with three shows at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Thursday – Saturday, May 29 – 31. The NSO will be conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez. They’ve added select shows in June as a trio with Katie Pruitt supporting. They’ll also headline the River Roads Festival on July 5 in Prussia, PA alongside festival founder Dar Williams, Milk Carton Kids, Sunny War, and more.

The Indigo Girls will be touring as a 7-piece band for their extended fall ‘Yes We Are’ co-headline tour reuniting them with Melissa Etheridge. The two will join forces starting this summer to hit over 30 stops across the North America, kicking off on July 25th at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, down the West Coast and across the Midwest throughout the month of August. September and October will then see the two hit states along the East Coast and South, all before wrapping on October 12th at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ (followed by three Indigo Girls’ dates that needed to be rescheduled). This extensive joint run will add to both Etheridge’s and Indigo Girls’ growing roster of exciting dates for 2024 and 2025, giving fans even more opportunities to catch these legendary artists on the road. The pairing of Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge offers music lovers an exceptional opportunity to spend a night immersed in world-class singing and songwriting.

For tickets and additional information, please visit IndigoGirls.com and MelissaEtheridge.com. Scroll down for all announced dates.

Indigo Girls Tour Dates

# Katie Pruitt opens

Thu, May 29 Nashville, TN – Schermerhorn Symphony Center w/NSO

Fri, May 30 Nashville, TN – Schermerhorn Symphony Center w/NSO

Sat, May 31 Nashville, TN – Schermerhorn Symphony Center w/NSO

Sat, Jun 21 Johnstown, PA – First Summit Arena #

Mon, Jun 23 Cleveland, OH – Temple Live (Cleveland Masonic) #

Tue, Jun 24 Wheeling, WV – The Capitol Theatre #

Wed, June 25 Richmond, VA – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (SOLD OUT) #

Thu & Fri, Jun 27 & 28 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall (TWO NIGHTS) #

Sat, Jul 5 King of Prussia, PA – Heuser Park Indigo Girls headline River Roads Festival alongside festival founder Dar Williams, Milk Carton Kids, Sunny War, and more

Indigo Girls + Melissa Etheridge 2025 Co-billed Tour Dates

Fri, Jul 25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Sat, Jul 26 Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater

Mon, Jul 28 Troutdale, OR – Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn

Tue, Jul 29 Redmond, WA – Marymoor Live Wed, Jul 30 Remond, WAW – Marymoor Live

Fri, Aug 1 Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater

Sat, Aug 2 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley

Sun, Aug 3 Murphys, CA – Ironstone Amphitheatre

Tue, Aug 5 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley Thu, Aug 7 Paso Robles, CA – Viña Robles Amphitheatre

Fri, Aug 8 Lincoln, CA – The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino

Sat, Aug 9 Costa Mesa, CA – OC Fair – Pacific Amphitheatre Concert Series

Sat, Aug 16 Fort Wayne, IN – The Embassy Theatre

Sun, Aug 17 Chicago, IL – Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park

Tue, Aug 19 Milwaukee, WI – BMO Pavilion

Wed, Aug 20 Des Moines, IA – Des Moines Civic Center

Thu, Aug 21 Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre

Sat, Aug 23 Lincoln, NE – Pinewood Bowl Theater

Sun, Aug 24 St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair

Tue, Aug 26 Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

Wed, Aug 27 Canandaigua, NY – Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands PAC: CMAC

Sat, Aug 30 Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater

Sat, Sep 13 Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival

Thu, Sep 18 Buffalo, NY – Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B

Fri, Sep 19 Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion

Sat, Sep 20 Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater

Mon, Sep 22 Columbus, OH – Mershon Auditorium

Tue, Sep 23 Louisville, KY – Iroquois Amphitheater

Thu, Sep 25 Greensboro, NC – White Oak Amphitheatre

Fri, Sep 26 Atlanta, GA – Chastain Park Amphitheatre

Tue, Oct 7 Manhattan, KS – McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University

Wed, Oct 8 Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie

Thu, Oct 9 San Antonio, TX – The Espee

Sat, Oct 11 Albuquerque, NM – Route 66 Casino

Sun, Oct 12 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre

Derek Cooper Introduced the Moog Synthesizer to UK Audiences on BBC’s Tomorrow’s World in 1969

Eric Alper
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Derek Cooper Introduced the Moog Synthesizer to UK Audiences on BBC’s Tomorrow’s World in 1969

Before Daft Punk, before synthpop, before EDM – there was this. In 1969, BBC’s Tomorrow’s World aired Derek Cooper introducing the Moog synthesizer to the UK, with Michael Vickers of Manfred Mann making it sing. The future had arrived, and it was wired for sound.

Goldrainer Finds Purpose—and a New Mission—Through Singing in Nursing Homes

Eric Alper
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Goldrainer Finds Purpose—and a New Mission—Through Singing in Nursing Homes

“I said, ‘I’m gonna go a hundred miles an hour with this. I’m gonna go big.’” Inspired by visits to his mother’s nursing home, Goldrainer found a deeper calling—bringing music, joy, and dignity to those who need it most.

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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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