Page 997 – That Eric Alper

RADWIMPS Release Cinematic New Video “Tamamono” for NHK Drama Anpan as Part of 20th Anniversary Celebration

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

RADWIMPS Release Cinematic New Video “Tamamono” for NHK Drama Anpan as Part of 20th Anniversary Celebration

Acclaimed Japanese rock band RADWIMPS, who are celebrating their 20^th anniversary, are excited to release their brand new music video “Tamamono,” the theme song of the new NHK Drama Series “Anpan” available worldwide on NHK World Premium.

The music video, directed by video director/graphic designer MESS, depicts in three parts the human society that is tossed about by unexpected events and the tragedy and joy of life, in which suffering, sadness, and joy are repeated like the cycle of life. Like celebrating the “beauty of our miserable lives,” as the lyrics of the song say, this music video tells the story like watching a full length film.

“Tamamono” was exclusively written for the NHK Drama Serial “Anpan” and is the first new song release by RADWIMPS in a year and 9 months. The song has been in the making since May of last year, and it took the band more than 6 months to complete the production. “My goal was to write a song that is challenging and adventurous.” As Yojiro Noda commented, the music video is a great representation of the song “Tamamono” which shows various expressions within a single track.

“Anpan” is a story based on the lives of Yanase Takashi, the creator of “Anpanman,” a famous Japanese anime character, and his wife Nobu. It depicts how two individuals overcame countless hardships to create “Anpanman,” embodying the idea of ‘justice that never wavers,’ and inspiring love and courage that make the joy of living well up from within.

To commemorate the 20^th anniversary, the band will be releasing their past albums on vinyl starting with “Batsu To Maru To Tsumi To” from 2013 which will drop on May 7, 2025. One title will release every month until September. Preorders for “Batsu To Maru To Tsumi To,” “Zettaizetsumei,” “Arutokoroni No Teiri,” “RADWIMPS 4 -Okazu No Gohan-” and “RADWIMPS 3 -Mujintou ni Motteikiwasureta Ichimai-” LPs are now available for international fans on their Overseas Store. All titles are limited edition so make sure to preorder to secure your copy.

Formed in 2001, RADWIMPS made their major label debut in 2005. Soon after, they garnered a broad fan base, with the younger generation at the core. The band has released nine studio albums thus far. The band’s creation of music for Shinkai’s previous record-breaking animated feature films “Your Name.” and “Weathering with You” led to recognitions at the Japanese Academy Award for Best Original Score. Their musical activities go far beyond Japan, including touring extensively around the world.

In Nov. 2021, the band released their latest studio album “FOREVER DAZE” and went on the road for a nationwide Japanese tour to support the album. “FOREVER DAZE” was written and recorded throughout the pandemic and speaks to the musical challenges the guys faced, their hopes moving forward and features a diverse group of collaborators and experimental elements. In 2022, Radwimps teamed up with highly acclaimed film music composer Kazuma Jinnouchi to create the perfect soundtrack and score for award-winning auteur director Makoto Shinkai’s latest film “Suzume.” To coincide with the movie release around the world, the band went on the road for their 2023 sold out North American, European, Australian and Asian tours with more follow-up dates in Asia and Latin America in 2024.

Lonesome River Band Blends Banjo and Telecaster on New Single “Blues,” a Playful Peek at Upcoming Telegrass Project

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Lonesome River Band Blends Banjo and Telecaster on New Single “Blues,” a Playful Peek at Upcoming Telegrass Project

Since the early 1990s, when Lonesome River Band’s Sammy Shelor began pulling out a red Telecaster electric guitar to jam away on the group’s signature “Hobo Blues,” the snappy sound of “chicken pickin’” has had a place in the legendary group’s approach to bluegrass. Savvy listeners caught its unobtrusive presence in the quintet’s first single of the year, “I’m on to You,” but on “Blues,” their newest Mountain Home Music Company release, it shares the spotlight with the more traditional sounds of fiddle, mandolin and Shelor’s banjo.

“We’ve all had the ‘Blues’ in our lives,” says Shelor, “but this Adam Wright song sees the ‘Blues’ in a whole different light. It’s a light-hearted break from the sad songs — one that we have a ton of fun with. Featuring our good friend Rod Riley on the Telecaster, it comes from our upcoming ‘Telegrass’ project.”

Indeed, the Telecaster makes an early appearance in the track, sliding in between the fiddle kick-off and the opening words of the first verse and lingering underneath. Mandolinist Adam Miller’s laconic lead vocal is a perfect vehicle for the deadpan humor of Wright’s lyric:

Last thing you said when you walked out the door
Was ‘I hope you get blues like never before’
I sold the ring I bought and headed off down the road
I didn’t stop ’til I got to the water, and I just want you to know

I’ve had the blues since you said goodbye
I’ve been watching these big blue waves rollin’ in under a big blue sky
With a girl in a chair with the prettiest pair of baby blue eyes
I’ve had the blues since you said goodbye

With a round robin instrumental “breakdown” section that sets up the defiant bridge, “I’ve never been better, and I kind of hope that I have these blues forever,” and an extended outro that features the Telecaster trading licks with banjo and fiddle, “Blues” is a tantalizing preview of Lonesome River Band’s “Telegrass” that’s sure to perk up listeners’ ears.

“Blues” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.

Ben Harper Honors Late Guitarist Michael Ward with Moving New Single “Before The Rain Dried” and Announces Summer Tour

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Ben Harper Honors Late Guitarist Michael Ward with Moving New Single “Before The Rain Dried” and Announces Summer Tour

Today, Ben Harper released his emotional new single, “Before The Rain Dried.” The track is a hauntingly beautiful reflection on loss dedicated to his longtime guitarist Michael Ward. “Before The Rain Dried” is the first single from Harper’s yet to be announced forthcoming new album. To watch the music video directed by Ben Pier.

“Songs come to me either in fragments or fully formed — this one arrived complete, production and all. The key is having the time to sit down and follow through, which luckily I did,” Harper shared. “Director Ben Pier, a visionary photographer and filmmaker, had a similar experience. I sent him the track, and he called back almost instantly with a clear concept for the video. Playing piano while getting drenched in the rain was tough, but strangely exhilarating.”

Harper most recently shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music and pop culture at People Have The Power: A Celebration Of Patti Smith, the star-studded tribute show at Carnegie Hall. The fundraising event featured Bruce Springsteen, Flea, Maggie Rogers, Scarlett Johansson, Sean Penn, and many more. The evening marked Harper’s fifth performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

This summer, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals will embark on a 15-date summer tour. The tour will kick off on May 30th at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington DC with stops at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, Higher Ground Ballroom in Burlington, VT, Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, WI, and the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA, among other cities. The tour will conclude on August 24th at The Orpheum in Los Angeles.

The tour will see Harper perform fan-favorites from his extensive catalog as well as tracks from his critically acclaimed 2023 album, Wide Open Light (Chrysalis Records), which featured a number of special guests, including Jack Johnson on “Yard Sale,” Shelby Lynne on “8 minutes,” and Piers Faccinion on the title track. For more information and tickets, please visit https://www.benharper.com/tour.

Harper is also continuing to expand his creative pursuits on-screen following his 2023 run in AppleTV+ series “Extrapolations,” with an appearance in the new Jeff Buckley documentary, IT’S NEVER OVER, JEFF BUCKLEY, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Amy Berg, the film is a compassionate portrait of the late Jeff Buckley, whose music continues to inspire artists worldwide. With beautiful scores and rare live performances, it captures the love, loss, and enduring impact that shaped Buckley, and thus the international music culture of the late 20th century.

As a 3x-GRAMMY-winner, Harper has amassed international critical applause and a worldwide fan following for his own genre-traversing body of work while also producing acclaimed albums by Mavis Staples, Rickie Lee Jones, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Natalie Maines, Ziggy Marley, and others. An inveterate collaborator, Harper has also recorded with a diverse span of artists ranging from John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, to Ringo Starr, Keith Richards and, most recently, Harry Styles, to contribute his signature guitar work to the superstar’s chart-topping album, HARRY’S HOUSE. Harper joined Styles for an astounding 12 nights of performances at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles in 2022.

2025 Tour Dates

Tue-Aug-19-25 – Seattle, WA – Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheater

Wed-Aug-20-25 – Portland, OR – Pioneer Courthouse Square

Thu-Aug-21-25 – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion

Sat-Aug-23-25 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

Sun-Aug-24-25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Orpheum

EarthGang’s Olu (Johnny Venus) Shares Stunning “So Beautiful” Video Featuring 6lack, Showcasing Solo Vision and Cultural Impact

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

EarthGang’s Olu (Johnny Venus) Shares Stunning “So Beautiful” Video Featuring 6lack, Showcasing Solo Vision and Cultural Impact

One half of GRAMMY-nominated award-winning eclectic hip-hop duo EarthGang, Olu, aka Johnny Venus, follows up his most recent offering “So Beautiful” (Sincethe80s/EPIC), featuring one of Atlanta’s biggest and most coveted R&B stars, 6lack, with a captivating new music video.

The single showcases an intoxicating soundtrack, layering warm percussive elements and acoustic riffs that provide a gorgeous bed for Olu’s sultry lyricism and 6lack’s pitched up vocals to glide over. The track was notably featured on the coveted Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks and Essence’s Best New Music This Week lists. Now partnering the track is a stunning music video, developed by SATIN HEART with multidisciplinary creative Deon Hinton featuring the artists against textured, atmospheric backdrops that mirror the song’s mood. The video also features a cameo from AI To The World founder Tanyka Renee as Olu’s muse. A truly significant new step for Johnny Venus in terms of showcasing a rich versatility as well as the earned reputation to tap one of the finest and most elusive R&B stars of the current era.

Fresh from his solo performance at Dreamville Festival and with a co-sign from the legendary Prince’s estate performing at the Paisley Park Celebration on in June, Olu is a true renaissance figure, widely recognised for his outspoken dedication to yoga, meditation and mental health in the face of his life as a successful international rap artist. Olu’s COMPXSS wellness brand was formed to boldly flip the stereotypical rap narrative and landscape that often ignores punishing tour schedules and the mental strains that come with being a successful touring artist. Forming an authentic and vital part of his everyday life, his endeavours with COMPXSS have seen him train NBA superstars and run workshops with the likes of Nike to Lululemon to Soho House.

With global recognition and influence set, Olu’s Johnny Venus alias showcases an exhilaratingly free and considered side to the rap superstar. With further releases promised this year, Johnny Venus feels set to carve his own individual presence in the upper echelons of US and global cultural influence.

Foster The People Unveil Surreal Double Video “See You In The Afterlife / Feed Me” Starring Mark Foster & Julia Garner

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 19, 2025

0

Foster The People Unveil Surreal Double Video “See You In The Afterlife / Feed Me” Starring Mark Foster & Julia Garner

Foster The People have announced today’s premiere of the official music video, “See You In The Afterlife / Feed Me.” Directed by Weird Life Films’ Laura Gordon, Jackson James & Ryan Ohm and co-starring Foster The People lead singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Mark Foster alongside his 3x Emmy Award-winning wife, Julia Garner (Ozark, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) as themselves, the hauntingly powerful double-feature visual is streaming now.

“These videos are transmissions from somewhere between a fever dream and a digital afterlife,” says Mark Foster. “If ‘See You In The Afterlife’ is a satirical take on what life feels like now, ‘Feed Me’ is the hell that follows. It was interesting to tie these two songs together in a short to explore the two sides of consumption – the dopamine rush of intake, and the void that follows.

“Filming ‘Feed Me’ with Julia felt like stepping into a lucid hallucination – a secret world stitched together by static and memory. One where fear and desire intersect and the result is something beautiful and deeply unsettling. The line between the digital and the divine is thinner, and stranger, than we think.”

Mike Dawes Reimagines Sleep Token’s “Euclid” with Stunning Fingerstyle Arrangement, Announces Summer Tour

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Mike Dawes Reimagines Sleep Token’s “Euclid” with Stunning Fingerstyle Arrangement, Announces Summer Tour

Renowned fingerstyle guitarist Mike Dawes brings his signature one-man-band approach to Sleep Token’s “Euclid” reimagining the emotional track as a powerful acoustic instrumental.

Known for his virtuoso performances and intricate arrangements, Dawes reshapes “Euclid” with delicate harmonics, layered tapping, and soaring dynamics. The result is both a tribute to Sleep Token’s genre-blending artistry and a wholly original reinterpretation of the song.

“I’ve been a fan of Sleep Token for quite a while since my ex-college housemate produced some of their early work,” Dawes explains. “They have such a unique sound with stunning melodies and arrangements that translate perfectly to acoustic guitar. After I opened for Periphery in the U.S., I had the opportunity to jump up at the U.K.’s RADAR festival last year and wanted to take on ‘Euclid’ just for that show, as a nod to Sleep Token who headlined that same festival the previous year. The live response blew me away. The melodies work so well in this CGDGAD tuning. I’ve absolutely fallen in love with this arrangement and hope it strikes a chord with others as well.”

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most creative acoustic guitarists, Dawes has earned acclaim for covers of songs by Gotye, Metallica, and John Mayer, amassing millions of views and earning praise from both fans and fellow musicians alike. With “Euclid” he continues to bridge progressive rock with modern fingerstyle, proving that great songs transcend instrumentation.

Dawes recently announced a Summer tour, kicking off on July 24 at The Triple Door in Seattle and featuring a stop at John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe on August 7.

Mike Dawes tour dates:
July 24 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
July 25 Portland, OR McMenamins Mission Theater
July 26 Eugene, OR The WOW Hall
July 27 Bend, OR Tower Theatre Bend
July 29 Mill Valley, CA Sweetwater Music Hall
July 30 Venice, CA The Venice West
July 31 Fontana, CA Stage Red Fontana
August 1 Seal Beach, CA The Bay Theatre
August 2 Tucson, AZ 191 Toole
August 3 Phoenix, AZ Musical Instrument Museum
August 7 Las Vegas, NV John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe

Equal Vision Launches 20th Anniversary Vinyl Repress of The Fall of Troy’s ‘Chaotic Classic Doppelganger’

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Equal Vision Launches 20th Anniversary Vinyl Repress of The Fall of Troy’s ‘Chaotic Classic Doppelganger’

New York-based independent rock label Equal Vision Records has launched a new vinyl re-press of Doppelganger, the second studio album from the Seattle progressive post-hardcore band The Fall of Troy.

Serving as the band’s Equal Vision debut and celebrating its 20th anniversary, Doppelganger features melodic, uplifting vocals and harmonies with tortured, assaulting screams adjacent to mathematically precise rhythms and complex fretwork, giving way to loose jam-inspired divergences.

This is the musical crossroads where you’ll find The Fall of Troy, skittering off defiantly in one direction after another, refusing to stick to any one established road. If it sounds like it all adds up to chaos, that’s because it often does, but only in the same beautiful way as our own everyday experience. The brand new Doppelganger press is limited to 1500 units on orange cloud vinyl and is available now in the Equal Vision store here.

The Nixons Unleash Haunting New Lyric Video for “Dreams Of” from Gritty EP ‘Four Zero Five’

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

The Nixons Unleash Haunting New Lyric Video for “Dreams Of” from Gritty EP ‘Four Zero Five’

The Nixons have released a new lyric video for their song “Dreams Of.” The single comes from the band’s latest EP, Four Zero Five, which refers to the area code in Oklahoma where the band formed.

Singer Zac Maloy says, “The song ‘Dreams Of’ tells the story of an infamous murder that happened to a young woman from my small hometown in Ada, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, this dark tragedy ended with corruption in the system and an innocent man taking the fall, destroying lives on both sides.”

The song features a blend of melodic but aggressive vocals. The heavy drums by John Humphrey, who also plays full time with Seether, and Ricky Brooks’ ferocious bass lay down the massively thick foundation. Topping it all off is the whirling dervish of guitars by Jesse Davis, at times a wall of sound, shifting effortlessly into the snakelike lead parts that help tell the twisted story through the music.

The Nixons want to embrace the fact that they are a bona fide, loud ’90s rock band that loves to turn the amps up and truly rock. With frontman Zac Maloy at the helm of the new EP, Four Zero Five features modern production and song writing elements that Maloy has developed over the years writing with bands like Shinedown, Halestorm and more.

Wolfgang Van Halen Unleashes Mammoth Single “The End” with Robert Rodriguez-Directed Horror Video and Tour Announcement

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Wolfgang Van Halen Unleashes Mammoth Single “The End” with Robert Rodriguez-Directed Horror Video and Tour Announcement

GRAMMY Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen is back with the latest single from the band he masterminds, Mammoth. “The End” is an adrenaline-driven rocker that kicks off with a signature lead guitar riff that has become a fan-favorite element in Wolfgang’s music.

The anthemic build of the intro gives way to the driving verse melody with each part carefully created and performed by Van Halen and his returning collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. The chorus is driven by the unforgettable vocal melody as the message of “Take your hand in mine and watch the end with me.”

“I’ve had the tapping idea on the intro for ‘The End’ since before Mammoth. I was able to fit it into this world. It’s still over-the-top and shreddy, but it’s also melodic and controlled. Overall, I was doing some different things on the record, and I knew this was going to be a big step. Once we finished ‘The End,’ it felt really special to me,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen.

To coincide with the single release, Wolfgang and Mammoth have released a music video for “The End” that is one for the history books and something rarely seen in music videos anymore. Wolfgang teamed up with legendary director Robert Rodriguez to do a modern-day interpretation of Rodriguez’s 1996 hit film, From Dusk Till Dawn. The video tells the story of a rock band that is booked to play a show at a dive bar and given an ominous warning from the club owner portrayed by Danny Trejo. Mammoth decides they know better, and things quickly turn dire for the band before a surprising revelation during the final moments tie the complete video lore from the band together. Friends of Mammoth including Slash, Myles Kennedy and Wolfgang’s mother Valerie Bertinelli all show up throughout the short film. Horror effects icon Greg Nicotero offered his talents to the video to create zombies, werewolves and vampires that all bring a deadly end to the attendees of the show.

The End Tour Fall Dates
Oct 31 – Show information to come soon
Nov 1 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues
Nov 4 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Nov 5 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Nov 7 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
Nov 8 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Nov 9 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Nov 11 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring
Nov 12 – Show information to come soon
Nov 14 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
Nov 15 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
Nov 18 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora
Nov 19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Nov 20 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
Nov 22 – Onamia, MN – Grand Casino Mille Lacs Event Center
Nov 23 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
Nov 25 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory at The District
Nov 26 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Nov 28 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Nov 29 – Show information to come soon
Dec 2 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
Dec 3 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
Dec 6 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Dec 7 – Show information to come soon

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Celebrate 20 Years with First-Ever Music Video for “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth”

Music

Eric Alper

-

Jul 19, 2025

0

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Celebrate 20 Years with First-Ever Music Video for “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth”

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are continuing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their landmark self-titled debut with the album’s first-ever official music video, “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth,” co-directed by award winning filmmaker David M. Helman (IDLES, Vince Staples, American Football) and Daniel Henry (Julien Baker, Foster the People, Kurt Vile). Given carte blanche by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah founder and frontman Alec Ounsworth, the clip is a “celebration for the incompatible and the base models of all things, human and machine” says Helman, represented by a local hero who is a strip mall computer repairman (played by Eric Rahill). The protagonist gets glimpses into the customers’ lives while he tries to fill his own life with beautiful moments.

“I feel like there is a duality between the new and the old in the song – New York and West Virginia,” says Helman, who collaborated with Ounsworth on his 2014 album Only Run. He adds, “Electronics felt like real-world portals to jump seamlessly through time, to tap into virtual memories in a narrative way.”

Helman brought on co-director Daniel Henry, a fellow enthusiast for detail. Henry reflects, “Once we knew we were planning on swirling the digital lives of the customers on screen, we both took it as a personal challenge to fill this video to the brim with references from growing up on the internet.”

While most music videos are meant to add imagery to a song, this clip flips the script and has the track act as more of a soundtrack to the visuals. The key to making this concept successful had everything to do with the creative liberty Ounsworth gave to the directors.

“It’s not often an artist or project lets us run wild with the concept and inject it with all our favorite things – Alec rules,” says Helman.

“Twenty years ago, I stubbornly refused many music industry tools, one of which was music videos,” says Ounsworth. “My reasoning was that the listeners should be able to create their own visual accompaniment to the songs rather than have something ostensibly pushed upon them. The result was that no official video was ever made for the first album.

“I have since softened my stance on this after having considered the possibility that a music video might instead be thought of as a collaboration between artists (musician and director) who have mutual respect for one another’s work. In other words, I am happy to now let go and allow David Helman (whose work I sincerely admire) to put his and Daniel’s own interpretive stamp on ‘The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth.'”

That Eric Alper

RADWIMPS Release Cinematic New Video “Tamamono” for NHK Drama Anpan as Part of 20th Anniversary Celebration

Lonesome River Band Blends Banjo and Telecaster on New Single “Blues,” a Playful Peek at Upcoming Telegrass Project

Ben Harper Honors Late Guitarist Michael Ward with Moving New Single “Before The Rain Dried” and Announces Summer Tour

EarthGang’s Olu (Johnny Venus) Shares Stunning “So Beautiful” Video Featuring 6lack, Showcasing Solo Vision and Cultural Impact

Foster The People Unveil Surreal Double Video “See You In The Afterlife / Feed Me” Starring Mark Foster & Julia Garner

Mike Dawes Reimagines Sleep Token’s “Euclid” with Stunning Fingerstyle Arrangement, Announces Summer Tour

Equal Vision Launches 20th Anniversary Vinyl Repress of The Fall of Troy’s ‘Chaotic Classic Doppelganger’

The Nixons Unleash Haunting New Lyric Video for “Dreams Of” from Gritty EP ‘Four Zero Five’

Wolfgang Van Halen Unleashes Mammoth Single “The End” with Robert Rodriguez-Directed Horror Video and Tour Announcement

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Celebrate 20 Years with First-Ever Music Video for “The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth”

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