Category: news
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Victory – Touring Europe Next Year
German heavy metal veterans Victory have confirmed a string of European headline shows where they will perform the 1989’s album Culture Killed The Native and its 1990 successor Temples Of Gold in its entirety. All booked shows will be executed in spring, 2027.
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Listening Now : Night Talks â People Pleaser


Night Talksâ People Pleaser is a vibrant and empowering alternative rock anthem that turns self-discovery into something irresistibly catchy. Built around infectious grooves, sharp songwriting, and a lean, purposeful arrangement, the track channels the liberation that comes from breaking free of unhealthy expectations and reclaiming personal boundaries. The bandâs decision to embrace a more spacious and rhythm-driven sound pays off, allowing every element to contribute to the songâs infectious momentum. Balancing introspective themes with an uplifting energy, People Pleaser feels both relatable and celebratory. Itâs a confident, well-crafted release that showcases Night Talksâ knack for pairing thoughtful lyricism with memorable hooks and undeniable charm.
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Former Jethro Tull arranger and keyboardist Dee Palmer has died, aged 88
Dee Palmer worked on Tull’s classic early 70s albums and was the band’s keyboardist from 1976 to 1980 -
Now & Then: The Red Clay Straysâ Grateful and the reach of The Del Fuegosâ Boston, Mass.
The Red Clay Straysâ Grateful and The Del Fuegosâ Boston, Mass. are both band records in the practical sense. The appeal starts with a singer, but it depends on the group around him: guitars that answer instead of crowd, rhythm sections that keep the songs moving, and arrangements that sound built from stage time. Grateful was released in 2026 and produced by Dave Cobb, while Boston, Mass. was The Del Fuegosâ second album, released in 1985 on Slash Records. -
Listening Now : Atta Boy â Full Cloud


Atta Boyâs Full Cloud is a beautifully crafted indie rock track that balances nostalgia, warmth, and emotional sophistication with remarkable ease. Built around the bandâs signature melodic sensibility, the song unfolds through lush arrangements, memorable hooks, and an understated sense of longing. There is a timeless quality to the songwriting, blending dreamy textures and heartfelt performances into a sound that feels both intimate and expansive. The trackâs reflective atmosphere is enhanced by its effortless flow, drawing listeners into a world where memory and emotion intertwine. Full Cloud is another strong addition to Atta Boyâs catalog, showcasing a band that continues to refine its sound while preserving the charm and authenticity that first won them a devoted audience.
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Listening Now : REZarin â Monumental


REZarinâs Monumental lives up to its title, delivering a powerful electronic experience built on cinematic scale, emotional depth, and polished production. Drawing from both his classical piano background and modern dance music sensibilities, REZarin crafts a track that balances melodic sophistication with driving energy. Expansive synth textures, uplifting progressions, and dynamic rhythms combine to create a sense of momentum that feels both inspiring and immersive. The production is sleek and confident, allowing the trackâs emotional core to resonate without sacrificing its dancefloor appeal. Monumental is a compelling showcase of REZarinâs artistic vision, blending technical precision and genuine feeling into a memorable listening experience.
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Multi Award Winning, Chart-Leading, ELLES BAILEY Releases Standalone Single âBack To Youâ

Photo: Rob Blackham Originally featured exclusively on the deluxe CD zine edition of her acclaimed album Canât Take My Story Away, Back To You is now available on all digital platforms. A song that stands on its own âBack To Youâ was written alongside Danny Addison, Amy Yon, and Luke Potashnick, who also produced the track. Known for her powerful storytelling and soulful delivery, Bailey explains the decision to release the song as a single.
âI always end up recording more songs than can fit on a LP, and choosing which ones donât make the final cut is honestly heartbreaking. Every track feels like it deserves a place on the record just as much as the others. âBack To Youâ and âBest Believeâ found their home on the deluxe zine of Canât Take My Story Away, and Iâm delighted that both songs are now out digitally on all the usual platforms.â
The new single follows recent release âBest Believe,â a track centred on self-acceptance and inner confidence. The song continues Baileyâs message of empowerment, âWe live in a world where itâs so easy to compare ourselves to others, but this is your reminder that you are beautiful exactly as you are⊠and YOU best believe it.â Says Elles.
Elles recent album Canât Take My Story Away delivered significant success across both independent and national charts – A rare achievement for an independent release driven strongly by vinyl and physical sales.

The album received widespread critical praise, including 4 star reviews from MOJO and The Sun, with MOJO describing Bailey as: âBlessed with a voice thatâs equal parts Etta Jamesâs emotional gravity and Janis Joplinâs gritty power, Elles Bailey is a musical marvel.â
Recent radio support of her single  âCanât Take My Story Awayâ has been added to the playlist on BBC Radio 2, marking her third consecutive Radio 2 playlist inclusion, further strengthening her growing mainstream presence.
âBack To Youâ continues Elles signature blend of soulful vocals and heartfelt songwriting.
Fresh from a run of headline dates and festival appearances, Elles Bailey continues her  in-demand live performances. Recent appearances have included major events. The summer festival season has seen Elles perform to thousands of music fans across the UK, Europe and the United States, bringing songs from her chart-topping album Can’t Take My Story Away to ever-growing audiences.
The momentum shows no signs of slowing, with a packed schedule of high-profile festival appearances still to come. Alongside these major events, Elles continues her extensive headline tour, playing theatres, arts centres and music venues across the UK. With sold-out shows, low-ticket warnings and festival crowds stretching into the thousands, 2026 is proving to be another landmark year for one of Britain’s most successful independent artists.

âBack To Youâ is out now on all digital platforms https://ellesb.lnk.to/BackToYou
Best Believe https://EllesB.lnk.to/BestBelieveThe post Multi Award Winning, Chart-Leading, ELLES BAILEY Releases Standalone Single âBack To Youâ appeared first on The Rockpit.
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Listening Now : Nu Jazz â 369


Nu Jazzâs 369 is a fearless collision of jazz, experimental electronics, noise, and avant-garde rock that refuses to recognize conventional boundaries. Chaotic yet remarkably controlled, the track thrives on tension, unpredictability, and a relentless creative energy that keeps listeners constantly engaged. Layers of electronic manipulation, dynamic instrumentation, and confrontational rhythms combine into a sound that feels both futuristic and deeply physical. Rather than fitting within a specific genre, 369 challenges the very idea of genre itself, embracing disruption as an artistic principle. Ambitious, provocative, and unapologetically original, the track stands as a powerful statement from a collective determined to push contemporary music into uncharted territory.
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DS Book Club â âElvis Is Dead, Iâm Still Alive: The Story of Asian Man Recordsâ by Mike Huguenor
For 30 years Asian Man Records has launched the music careers of many artists spanning across multiple genres. As a DIY label, Asian Man has been the fulcrum of a musical community that calls for nonviolent action (Plea for Peace) as well as introducing a wider audience to nascent groups such as The Lawrence Arms, Less Than Jake, and Alkaline Trio. Writer and former Asian Man artist Mike Huguenor started working on âElvis Is Dead, Iâm Still Alive: The Story of Asian Man Records (EIDISA)â 4 years ago, and ultimately offers 30 years of stories and lore as told directly by Mike Park, the man behind Asian Man Records, and other noticeable figures from across the globe. What started as a response to passion that was lost through constant touring from his prior band, Skankinâ Pickle, has turned into something much bigger that has directly influenced the lives of many, as would be revealed in this book.
âEIDISAâ starts with Mike Parkâs early life, from childhood to high school, progressing to his first high school band Yellow Jam. It becomes apparent pretty early on, most noticeably with the actual name of the record label, that this narrative addresses racial issues that effected Parkâs early life as a Korean American, which would influence a ton of his own writing and projects. Itâs important to include a lot of Mike Parkâs personal narratives when discussing the Asian Man Records and I think Huguenor does very well in dedicating the first quarter of this book to Park, Skankin Pickle and Dill Records, and to the start of Asian Man before getting into many of the bands that signed with the label.
The biggest staples of Asian Man have an entire chapter dedicated to themselves, from The Plea for Peace Tour, Misfits of Ska, even Asian Man Japan. Slow Gherkin, Bomb the Music Industry!, and Parkâs other projects The Chinkees and The Bruce Lee Band are just a few of the other Asian Man collectives that have a few incredible stories packed into their own chapters.
While Asian Man Records was first linked closely with ska bands in the midst of the third wave era, its transition to indie rock and emo talent also sheds a light on the tediousness of it in terms of sales, however gaining a cult following years later with bands like Korea Girl and AJJ.
âEIDISAâ Â also looks upon the controversial era of The Queersâ time at Asian Man. While the incident around a certain tweet didnât exactly tarnish the label, but forcibly dragged into unnecessary drama, this chapter was meant to make the reader consider the amount of power social media now has over the music industry, more specifically how much power a person can have whilst hiding behind their screen.
On top of being a touring guitarist, Mike Huguenor shows he is also an incredible raconteur, that sets up stories well enough to make you keep reading. While I found information to be sometimes repetitive, it doesnât distract from the witty and sometimes emotional passages sprinkled throughout âEIDISAâ. Is this the greatest book ever about Asian Man? Seeing as itâs the only, I would say yes.
I was lucky to meet with both author Mike Huguenor and Jeff Rosenstock upon the bookâs release, and itâs apparent on the amount of research and interviews that Mike had gone through for this book. I found the advice he gave me as a writer is quite the same as how he describes bands from Asian Man getting their start into popularity. Overall, this is a super entertaining read packed with information that will hopefully inspire its readers to get out and do something for their community.