Progressive heavy metal band Spiral Fracture introduce themselves with the powerful debut single “Soul Allegiance”, out now alongside an official music video. Dense with emotion and driven by crushing riffs, the song dives deep into themes of inner conflict, betrayal, and fractured identity, setting a bold tone for their debut album ‘Grace in Decay’, due January 23, 2026. Blending progressive ambition with extreme metal intensity, Spiral Fracture frame their sound around meaning and momentum, offering a first look at an album shaped by catharsis, reflection, and a clear artistic vision.
Progressive Heavy Metal Newcomers Spiral Fracture Unleash “Soul Allegiance”
Canadian Sleaze Rock Faves Dirtbag Republic Go Analog Again
Canadian sleaze rock outfit Dirtbag Republic turn the volume up and the clock back with vinyl reissues of their cult favourites ‘Dirtbag Republic’ and ‘Downtown Eastside’, both out now via ElasticStage in the UK. Pressed on vinyl for the first time, the records capture the band’s glam punk swagger and streetwise storytelling, with cuts like “Can You Feel It”, “Homeless”, and “Junkie Girl” lighting up their raw Vancouver underground energy. The reissues also fuel what comes next, with proceeds helping fund the mixing of their upcoming fifth studio album, set for release in 2026, as the band close one chapter and confidently build the next.
Rock Icons +LIVE+ Return To Canada With ‘Mental Jewelry’
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of ‘Mental Jewelry’, multi-platinum alternative rock icons LIVE return to Canada for their first coast to coast tour in over two decades. Fronted by Ed Kowalczyk, the band brings Big Wreck along for the ride on the “Like A Rollin’ Thunder Tour 2026”, with Econoline Crush opening the first leg and The Damn Truth joining the final dates. The tour celebrates an album produced by Jerry Harrison that helped define 1990s alternative rock, while LIVE dig deep into a career-spanning set packed with favorites including “Lightning Crashes”, “I Alone”, “All Over You”, “Lakini’s Juice”, “The Dolphin’s Cry”, and “Pain Lies on the Riverside”, reconnecting with Canadian fans city by city.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
FEB 23 – ABBOTSFORD – ABBOTSFORD CENTRE +
FEB 24 – KELOWNA – PROSPERA PLACE +
FEB 26 – CALGARY – GREY EAGLE +
FEB 27 – EDMONTON – ROGERS PLACE +
MAR 1 – SASKATOON – SASKTEL CENTRE +
MAR 2 – WINNIPEG – CANADA LIFE CENTRE +
MAR 5 – HAMILTON – TD COLISEUM +
MAR 6 – OTTAWA – CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE +
MAR 7 – LONDON – CANADA LIFE PLACE +
MAR 9 – OSHAWA – TRIBUTE COMMUNITIES CENTRE +
MAR 10 – LAVAL – PLACE BELL *
MAR 11 – QUEBEC CITY – VIDEOTRON CENTRE *
MAR 13 – MONCTON – AVENIR CENTRE *
MAR 14 – HALIFAX – SCOTIABANK CENTRE *
- – LIVE / BIG WRECK / ECONOLINE CRUSH
- – LIVE / BIG WRECK / THE DAMN TRUTH
Indie Jazz Breakout Mei Semones Shines Live On KEXP
Mei Semones delivers a spellbinding full-band performance live on KEXP, recorded in the station’s Seattle studio and now out now for repeat listens. Moving fluidly between intricate guitar work, elastic rhythms, and luminous melodies, the set flows through “Dumb Feeling”, “I Can Do What I Want”, “Tora Moyo”, and “Kodoku”, with Semones joined by Ransom McCafferty, Noam Tanzer, Claudius Agrippa, and Noah Leong, plus a warm introduction from Cheryl Waters. It is the kind of session that captures an artist in full command of nuance and feel, relaxed, confident, and completely magnetic.
Cinematic Metal Band In Virtue Unveil “Gunslingers Of The New American Desert”
Los Angeles genre-defying metal band In Virtue announce their third studio album ‘Age of Legends’, out now, and introduce the record with the powerful new single “Gunslingers of the New American Desert”. Blending power, progressive, and melodic death metal with cinematic storytelling, the song opens a dark, immersive world led by a flawed antihero inspired by the myth of Sisyphus. Frontman Trey Xavier calls it the heaviest track in the band’s catalogue, setting the emotional and sonic tone for a full-bodied concept album that invites listeners into a sweeping journey of consequence, self-reflection, and hard-earned reckoning.
Bluegrass Stars The Infamous Stringdusters Share “Dead Man Walking”
The Infamous Stringdusters are celebrating two decades of pushing bluegrass forward, and the new single “Dead Man Walking” keeps that momentum flying. Its a country-infused dobro banjo burner with the kind of drive that makes you lean in closer, and it follows the first taste of their upcoming record, “Working Man Blues”. The band is set to release their 20th studio album ’20/20′ in January 2026, and the title says plenty about the milestone energy powering this era.
Fiddle player and songwriter Jeremy Garrett traces “Dead Man Walking” back to a character who needs to zoom out and truly see their life, then make a real shift. With Larry Keels voice in his head, Garrett sent over a verse or two, and Keel fired back with lyrics Garrett describes as awesome and uplifting, landing on a powerful chorus and a cool hook. With Chris Pandolfi, Travis Book, Andy Hall, and Andy Falco alongside Garrett, The Infamous Stringdusters keep blurring the lines between bluegrass, Americana, country, and indie-folk, and ’20/20′ arrives with twenty brand new songs and that same bold curiosity under bright stage lights or deep in the studio.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
1/21 – Patchogue, NY – Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts
1/22 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
1/23 – Beverly, MA – Cabot Theater
1/24 – Stowe, VT – Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center
1/25 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
1/27 – Buffalo, NY – Electric City
1/28 – Cleveland, OH – Globe Iron $$
1/29 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre $$
1/30 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall $$
1/31 – Appleton, WI – Ice Dance Music Festival
2/1 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
2/20-22 – Telluride, CO – Sheridan Opera House
2/24 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
2/25 – Jackson, WY – Jackson Hole Center for the Arts
2/26-27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Commonwealth
3/18 – Rutland, VT – Paramount Theatre
3/28 – EMS Spring Bluegrass Festival
Coleman Jennings Signs And Spins With “Head Spinning”
Coleman Jennings officially joins Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records, and he wastes zero time setting the tone. His label debut single, “Head Spinning,” is out now, riding a rousing blast of prairie rock with an old school commitment to Western twang and a vocal vibrato that feels built to cut right through the day.
Jennings calls the deal a perfect fit, saying the teams made him feel understood and gave him the space to make the record he has always dreamed of with Grammy winning producer Dave Cobb. Written solely by Jennings as the second song he ever wrote, “Head Spinning” captures that overwhelming emotional rush, and it points straight toward more new music on the horizon.
Briston Maroney Shares “Poor Things (Feat. Ben Kweller)” From ‘Jimmy’
Briston Maroney is back with the brand new single, “Poor Things (Feat. Ben Kweller),” available now via Atlantic Records. It brings a fresh collaborative spark to “Poor Things,” a standout from Maroney’s third studio album ‘Jimmy’, which is out now and already landing with listeners who love guitar-forward songs that feel personal without ever losing their bite.
Ben Kweller brings a warm, kindred spirit to the track, describing Maroney as a new gen rock artist with a gift for sincere songs that feel like a real conversation. Co-produced by Maroney and Alex Farrar, ‘Jimmy’ leans into the split-screen reality of growing up between two worlds, and it is already drawing attention from outlets like Consequence of Sound, FLOOD, Melodic Magazine, and Ones To Watch.
Biffy Clyro Returns to Roots with ‘Futique’
Biffy Clyro have been stacking up big moments lately, the kind that feel like a victory lap and a fresh start at the same time. Glastonbury, Radio 1’s Big Weekend, TRNSMT, plus a packed album launch show at HERE at Outernet all point to one thing: the band are charging into their next chapter with real purpose, and it all builds to the release of ‘Futique’.
The title says it all. ‘Futique’ is their word for those beautiful, sad, fleeting flashes that only land with full weight once you look back. That sense of memory catching up with you runs through the record, pairing a clear-eyed look at their roots with a forward push that keeps the trio sounding fearless and fully alive.
Simon Neil describes aiming for songs that scale the peak melodically, with every track reaching for something huge and heartfelt. He also speaks to a kind of personal vow behind the writing, making sure the songs feel honest enough to revisit years down the line and still recognize the person who made them.
Postmodern Jukebox Taps Kyndle Wylde for 007-Style ‘Barracuda’
Imagine if the Wilson sisters had been commissioned to write a theme for a vintage spy thriller. Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox recently pulled off that exact genre-swap by transforming Heart’s 1977 riffer ‘Barracuda’ into a sultry, 1970s James Bond-style noir. Featuring the powerhouse vocals of Kyndle Wylde—decked out in a cinematic trench coat—the track replaces galloping hard rock with a brassy, mid-tempo swagger. It is a masterclass in uncovering the hidden jazz bones beneath a heavy metal heart.