‘Pet Sounds’ turns 60 this month, and the Beach Boys marked the occasion with purpose. The group partnered with the San Diego Zoo for a special video pairing the album’s full track listing with wildlife footage, a direct nod to the Zoo’s connection to the original album imagery. Every dollar raised through the video goes to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, supporting global species conservation and habitat protection.
The video debuted as a live stream on the official Beach Boys YouTube page and remains available to watch now. It’s a genuinely warm pairing of iconic music and stunning animals, and the fundraising angle gives it real staying power beyond the anniversary moment itself.
The archival side of the celebration is just as strong. ‘Pet Sounds Session Highlights’ arrived around the anniversary, drawing from the landmark 1997 4-CD box set ‘The Pet Sounds Sessions’. The new collection brings together alternate takes, a cappella recordings, and tracking sessions, each making their vinyl debut across a 2-LP and 2-CD release.
Together, the wildlife video and the archival collection give one of the most celebrated albums in rock history an anniversary treatment that serves both longtime fans and new listeners finding the record for the first time. ‘Pet Sounds’ has earned every bit of the attention.
Robbie Williams’ 2023 stop at Allianz Stadium in Sydney was a full-scale celebration of 25 years as one of the UK’s most beloved solo artists, and the XXV Tour delivered exactly the kind of spectacle that a career that size demands. Running through “Let Me Entertain You,” “Angels,” “Rock DJ,” and a setlist built across a quarter century of hits, Williams commanded the massive venue with the kind of charisma and wit that makes a stadium feel like a room.
Grassfire Festival returns to Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, Ohio, July 3 through 6, 2026, for its fourth consecutive year, and the lineup brings together some of the most respected names in bluegrass and progressive acoustic music for a long weekend at one of the Midwest’s most beloved outdoor settings.
Greensky Bluegrass and The Infamous Stringdusters lead the bill, joined by Sam Bush, Peter Rowan and the Walls of Time Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Keller and the Keels, Michael Cleveland Flamekeeper, Fireside Collective, and the David Mayfield Parade. The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys also appear, giving the festival a multigenerational bluegrass depth that few regional events can match.
Local and regional acts fill out the supporting lineup with Rumpke Mountain Boys, Hunter Root, The Fretliners, The Whiskey Drinks, Chloe and the Steel Strings, Jenny and the StreetWalkers, Lea Marra and the River Boys, and Hunter Skeens and the Forerunners. Grassfire has always made space for homegrown talent alongside the bigger names, and that balance is part of what keeps it feeling like a community gathering rather than a ticketing exercise.
Nelson Ledges Quarry Park provides the kind of setting that turns a good festival into an unforgettable one. Described as the best beach in Ohio, the quarry park adds a natural backdrop that suits this music perfectly. The July 4 weekend placement makes the massive Phoenix Pyrotechnics fireworks show a natural centerpiece, with skydivers from Cleveland Skydiving Center adding to the spectacle.
Kids 16 and under get in free, family activities are built into the programming, and a food drive with prizes runs throughout the weekend. Tickets and full information are available at nlqp.com.
Ten years. Twenty-five bands. Six independent venues. One surprise headliner. Philly Music Fest returns October 12 through 18 for its 10th annual edition, and the lineup is as genre-diverse and community-rooted as anything the festival has produced in a decade of doing this the right way.
Headliners include The Dillinger Escape Plan, RJD2, Sweet Pill, Marietta, Mo Lowda and The Humble, Immanuel Wilkins, and Owen Stewart, with support from Madi Diaz, Jordan Caiola, Noah Richardson, Remember Sports, Euphoria Again, Bleary Eyed, Wax Jaw, Solar Circuit, Nik Greeley and The Operators, Sug Daniels, Angelo Outlaw, Pyrrhon, and many more. Tickets are on sale now at PhillyMusicFest.com and directly from each venue.
The Dillinger Escape Plan at Underground Arts marks PMF’s most aggressive metal booking yet, following last year’s introduction of Horrendous to the lineup. Sweet Pill returns to the stage after cancelling a string of tour dates following their breakthrough album release, with Marietta headlining the following night. The punk and metal programming at Underground Arts has found a new lane, and the audience has been asking for exactly this.
The festival wraps at Solar Myth for the annual Jazz Night, and founder Greg Seltzer landed on Immanuel Wilkins as the closing statement. At 28 years old and from Upper Darby, Wilkins is widely regarded as one of the most gifted saxophone players working today. Seltzer considered a Philly 250 theme and a Coltrane centennial tribute before concluding that booking Wilkins was the most honest way to honor both.
The surprise headliner tradition continues with 2 nights at Ardmore Music Hall, a slot that has previously gone to Dr. Dog, Mt. Joy, and Waxahatchee. The identity won’t be revealed until later this summer, but Jordan Caiola, who opens the show with his solo project, describes it as “a hero of mine, one of my favorite artists.” That’s a strong signal.
Philly Music Fest is a nonprofit run by husband and wife Greg and Jenn Seltzer, funded entirely by community donors and operating without corporate advertising, government money, or multinational promoters. After paying all artists fairly and covering venue costs, every dollar of profit goes to music education programs for Philadelphia kids. Over 10 years, that total has surpassed $600,000, with an annual donation of $100,000 and an estimated $750,000 annual economic impact on the Philadelphia music economy.
Seltzer’s approach to growth is deliberate and worth noting. PMF has turned down significant expansion opportunities, holding firm at 9 club shows across 7 nights. “We don’t measure success by size, we measure success by impact,” he says. That philosophy, maintained for a decade against considerable pressure to scale up, is what makes this festival worth supporting.
During the final week of The Late Show, David Byrne brought his “Why Is The Sky?” ensemble to the stage for a colorful, high-energy performance of the Talking Heads classic “Burning Down the House,” and by the end of the song, host Stephen Colbert had dressed himself in blue, joined the band, and danced like no one was watching. It’s the kind of late-night television moment that reminds you what the format is capable of when the right artist walks through the door.
Maisie Peters has released her much-anticipated third studio album, Florescence. Co-produced with 2x Grammy Award winner Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves, Beyoncé, Role Model) and featuring duets with Julia Michaels and Marcus Mumford, the album arrives two years after her chart-topping breakthrough The Good Witch. Listen here.
After a whirlwind few years that saw Maisie open for Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Conan Gray, and Noah Kahan, headline her own world tours, and make her Glastonbury debut, she found herself almost constantly on the road. By the end of 2024, the pace had become unsustainable, affecting Maisie physically and mentally, and so she made the decision to step back – pressing pause on the popstar carousel and returning home to reconnect with her life offstage. That quieter chapter gave her space to reset, grounding her not just as a person, but as an artist. It was during this time that the emotional heart of Florescence quietly took shape.
That return to herself was reflected not only in her life, but in the music. Led by her love of storytelling, Maisie headed to Nashville, where she wrote and recorded much of the album. Reuniting with longtime collaborator Ian Fitchuk – whom she first worked with in 2020 – felt like a natural fit. Together, they crafted the album’s warm, textured sound, with Fitchuk supporting Maisie as she stepped into the role of co-producer for the first time.
Drawing from the aftermath of the relationship explored on The Good Witch, as well as the love story she’s now living – having fallen in love with her high school sweetheart – Florescence reflects on how the right love can help heal the wrong ones. It’s an album about perspective, self-realisation, healing, and ultimately, learning how to flourish.
“These 15 tracks depict a blossoming of myself from ages 23 to 25 and a blossoming of a true, real love that anchors both me and this record. It tells the story of the last few long winters, with all of their villains and thorns, heartbreaks and rains, and it leads you, by the end, into a perfect English spring, into the hope and catharsis that comes when the first wildflower blooms,” shares Maisie. “This album feels like a true representation of healing, of finding hope, peace, and strength not just in somebody else, but in yourself. It is knowing that there was a point to all the sadness of before, and the point is the woman you see in this mirror now, and the person you see by her side.”
Fresh from completing her global ‘Before The Bloom’ theatre tour across Australia, East Asia, Europe, the UK, the US, Brazil and Canada, Maisie has been announced as the first artist confirmed for The O2’s 20th birthday celebrations. Set to take to the iconic London stage on Friday 8 May 2027 for her biggest headline show to date, tickets are on sale now*.
Ahead of the landmark show, Maisie will make her debut at Nashville’s legendary Grand Ole Opry on Saturday 13 June – a rare honour for a British artist, following in the footsteps of Elton John, Paul McCartney and Mumford & Sons. She is also set to appear at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Reading & Leeds Festival and Mexico City’s Corona Capital Festival later this year.
*Maisie Peters has partnered with PLUS1 so that £1.20 subject to VAT per ticket goes to supporting organizations working for equity, access, and dignity for all. www.plus1.org
Today, Neil Young returns to his Official Release Series (ORS) with the next installment of four classic titles from the 1990s. Last September we released the CD and vinyl box sets for ORS Vol 6:Discs 26, 27, 28 & 29comprised of HARVEST MOON, UNPLUGGED, SLEEPS WITH ANGELS and MIRROR BALL Today on May 22, each of these titles are available now as individual vinyl and CD editions via Reprise Records.
Each of these seminal 90s-era albums will feature the original, historically accurate artwork and will be reissued on double vinyl LPs, while the CDs will remain as single discs.
As MIRROR BALL is an analog recording, the album has been remastered from the original analog masters by John Hanlon and Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Additionally, four of the tracks have been remixed in analog by John Hanlon, as the originals were from digital mixes (“I’m The Ocean”, “Big Green Country”, “Truth Be Known”, “Throw Your Hatred Down”).
HARVEST MOON (ORS Disc 26), originally released in 1992, helped open a new decade of Young’s music with what would become instant new classics like the title track “Harvest Moon,” “From Hank to Hendrix,” and “One of These Days,” songs which quickly became fan favorites and one of the most beloved albums in his recorded output.
UNPLUGGED (ORS Disc 27), originally released in 1993, was first recorded for an MTV Unplugged concert, along with additional live recordings. Young thoughtfully assembled a group of musicians he had recorded with over the years for this special aggregation that quickly became a collector’s item as tapes were first shared from the show among his fans. The official live album is considered an acoustic one-of-a-kind release from Young’s 90’s canon.
SLEEPS WITH ANGELS (ORS Disc 28), originally released in 1994, is an album that wrote its own legend when released. Including the 14-minute song “Change Your Mind”, it had a distinctiveness with Crazy Horse that Young achieved by keeping the sessions as spontaneous and immediate as possible allowing the tracks to breathe and come to life in real time. This albumwas the last album to be produced by Young’s long-time collaborator David Briggs, who passed away in 1995 at age 51, which also brings a special meaning to these recordings.
Ten years away, and Matt Jones and The Bobs sound like they never left. The Southwest Virginia Americana outfit releases “Weight Of The World” today, a working-class folk rock song about burnout, the trap of chasing wins, and the friends who show up when the hustle stops working. Raw vocals sit above warm, stripped-back production, fingerpicked guitar carries the emotional thread, and a communal sing-along chorus makes the song’s core argument felt rather than just heard.
Jones describes it plainly. “The song looks at struggle not as defeat, but as a universal weight we all carry, and the beauty of having someone there to help lighten the load.” That directness runs through the whole track. There’s no gloss here, just honest songwriting delivered with an intentionally unpolished feel that suits the material completely.
The band formed at Radford University in 2011, released their debut ‘Brother’s Hymn’ in 2014, then stepped away in 2015 as members pursued separate careers and ventures. The reunion arrived in 2024, bringing with it a sound that retains the Prine, Petty, and The Band DNA of their origins while folding in 90s grunge grit and expanded instrumentation. Over a million streams in, the audience has been waiting.
“Weight Of The World” arrives ahead of their forthcoming self-titled debut full-length, due later this summer, and the music video finds the band playing together in a vibrant, lived-in studio, a visual that matches the warmth and communal spirit of the song itself.
Luke Borchelt releases “Stay Warm” today via MDDN Records, and it marks a deliberate shift in texture ahead of his forthcoming album ‘Watertown’. Where his previous singles leaned guttural, this one opens up into something softer and more pop-leaning, capturing that specific Maryland feeling of early spring, the boat back in the water, the season breaking open, and someone missing from the moment. Borchelt is clear about the intention. “It’s a softer, poppier side of LB on ‘Stay Warm,'” he says. “I’m eager to present something else before the album drops.” The release follows an acoustic version of previous single “Red Sky,” built around the old waterman saying “red sky in the morning, sailors take warning,” now available on all platforms. Tonight, Borchelt opens for breakout country artist Sam Barber at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, and both singles are building toward ‘Watertown’, a record that promises to be one of the more interesting country albums to watch for this year.
The Jazz Foundation of America held its annual spring benefit gala, A Great Night in Harlem, Thursday evening at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the room delivered exactly what the occasion called for. Ten-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones received the 2026 Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award, the evening’s central honor, recognizing her contributions to music and community.
Artistic Director Steve Jordan shaped a program that moved across jazz history with real intention. The night included a centennial tribute to Miles Davis featuring Gary Bartz and Patrice Rushen, a set from Buster Williams’ Something More featuring Lenny White, a tribute to Ernest Ranglin spotlighting 17-year-old guitar phenom Marel Hidalgo, and a tribute to Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo featuring Juan Diego Villalobos and Sammy Figueroa. Special guest Ann Curry also appeared during the program.
Gary Bartz and Buster Williams were named 2026 Jazz Legacies Fellowship recipients, both recognized for careers that have shaped the language of jazz across decades. The broader performer list included Mino Cinelu, Clifton Anderson, Stefon Harris, James Genus, Winard Harper, and many more, reflecting the depth of talent the Jazz Foundation continues to support and celebrate.
Now in its 37th year, the Jazz Foundation of America provides housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief, and direct financial support to musicians facing crisis due to age, illness, or unforeseen circumstances. In the past year alone, JFA assisted in more than 7,000 cases. Past gala honorees include Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, and Keith Richards.
