Category: news

Top new prog you need to hear from Chantelle Smith and Richard Wileman, Revealing Chaos, Seven Eyed Crow and more in all new Tracks Of The Week

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Six-time platinum Finnish rock titans The Rasmus have announced a massive 23-date European and UK England headline tour for early 2027. Following an incredibly busy spell on the global road circuit, the run will see the band delivering their unforgettable stage show to the UK arena and club landscapes throughout February and March, performing classic … Continue reading The Rasmus announce headline dates across England in 2027

The post YOUR SPIRIT DIES Presents “Whispers In Omen” Video; It Is Well… EP From South Carolina Metal/Hardcore Group Out Now On MNRK Heavy! appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.

Danielle Nicole has announced the release of her new album Fireflies, due out August 28 via 40 Below Records. Along with the announcement, Nicole released the new single “Tug Of War.”

“I wrote ‘Tug Of War’ for anyone finding themself no longer willing to accept the terms of a one way relationship,” says Danielle.

The album was produced by Tony Braunagel and recorded in Nicole’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. According to Nicole, the material on Fireflies was shaped during a difficult period following the death of her brother Kris, who was also her longtime bandmate and collaborator.

“Every album is an era of your life, where you write about whatever you’re going through,” Nicole explains. “When my brother passed away, I was still writing a lot, but my grief kept me from completing some of these songs. I had to push hard through the mental blocks.”

Nicole said the album leans heavily into soul and storytelling while continuing to incorporate blues, R&B, and roots influences.

“There’s a lot of soul-driven music here,” she says. “A lot of storytelling. It’s a major step forward in my songwriting.”

The album also features collaborations with guitarist Brandon Miller, keyboardist Jim Pugh, and Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, who appears on the song “Take Me Back.”

Nicole traces the beginning of her musical ambitions to seeing Etta James perform live in Kansas City as a teenager.

“We had a great blues festival in Kansas City,” Nicole recalls, “and I was able to see Etta James perform. She was fearless. My parents were musicians who played in cover bands, so music was always part of my family — but I didn’t realize I wanted to sing and perform, too, until I heard Etta.”

Nicole will support the album with an extensive run of tour dates across the United States and Europe.

Tour Dates

May 22 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
May 23 – Biloxi, MS – Ground Zero Blues Club
May 24 – Montgomery, AL – Capitol Oyster Bar
June 6 – Greeley, CO – Greeley Blues Jam
June 7 – Casper, WY – The Rialto
June 10 – Colorado Springs, CO – Lulu’s Downtown
June 12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah Blues Fest
June 16 – Clarksdale, MS – Pinetop Perkins Workshop
June 20 – Kansas City, MO – Knucklehead’s

July 18 – Cadiz, Spain – XXVII Festival Isla del Blues
July 19 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Villanos
July 21 – Brezoi, Romania – Open Air Blues Festival
July 23 – San Sebastián, Spain – Jazzaldia

August 22 – Sacramento, CA – The Sophia
August 23 – Livermore, CA – Almost Famous
August 25 – San Francisco, CA – Biscuits & Blues
August 26 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley
August 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Peppermint Club
August 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
August 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
August 30 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole

September 2 – The Woodlands, TX – Dosey Doe
September 3 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
September 4 – Austin, TX – O4 Center
September 5 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
September 12 – Escondido, CA – Center for the Arts
September 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 22 – Sellersville, PA – ST94
September 23 – New York, NY – DROM
September 24 – Turners Falls, MA – Shea Theater
September 25 – Thomaston, ME – Watts Hall
September 26 – Old Saybrook, CT – The Kate
September 27 – Boston, MA – City Winery
September 30 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmens Tavern

October 1 – Cleveland, OH – Music Box Concert Hall
October 17 – Fairfield, IA – Fairfield Arts

November 3 – Leiden, Netherlands – Q-bus
November 4 – Verviers, Belgium – Spirit of 66
November 6 – Joldelund, Germany – Gerd’s Juke Joint
November 7 – Rheine, Germany – Stadthalle
November 8 – Weert, Netherlands – De Bosuil
November 9 – Kassel, Germany – Theaterstübchen
November 10 – Hamburg, Germany – Nica Jazz Club
November 12 – Sumperk, Czechia – Blues Alive
November 13 – Vienna, Austria – REIGEN Live
November 14 – Budapest, Hungary – Analog Music Hall
November 16 – Salzburg, Austria – Rockhouse
November 18 – Hembrechts, Germany – Textilmuseum
November 19 – Fulda, Germany – Kreuz
November 20 – Oss, Netherlands – Groene Engel
November 21 – Gaildorf, Germany – Haberlen
November 22 – Aalten, Netherlands – LSAmusic

The post Danielle Nicole announces “Fireflies” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.

Canada has a strong affinity for rock and roll, and there are plenty of big venues in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver that host the modern era of guitar-wielding superstars.

However, the old guard of rock are more frequently found strutting their stuff at the country’s string of land-based casinos, rather than rattling eardrums at urban stadia.

There are a few reasons behind this slow and steady shift, so let’s look into what’s fueling the trend of heritage rockers wowing crowds at gambling venues.

It’s Safe Money

Casinos have traditionally hosted live events to provide customers with something to do when they’ve had their fill of gambling. That means the financial side of the shows is a little different from a typical gig.

Selling every ticket to a heritage rock group’s tour show simply isn’t necessary, because the casino knows it’ll make money from the fans who show up in many more ways. They’ll see the show, splash out on dinner, spend time enjoying the casino’s table games in person, and play online slots like these while chilling in their rooms.

Because of these multiple revenue streams, casino venues can afford to pay bands competitive fees, with little risk attached. The money’s safe for all parties.

Fans are Affluent

Another upside to casinos booking heritage rock tours for their on-site venues is that they tend to attract an older crowd with much more disposable income. And when people visit casinos with spare cash, they’re much more likely to spend some of it on the gaming floor, even if the main reason they’re at the property is for a show.

This is an upside for casino revenues and reflects that the price of food and drink at these venues can be quite a bit higher than at an equivalent location on a standard city street. Affluent fans are less likely to recoil from a $10 beer than a teenager looking to watch the latest pop act.

The Logistics Make Sense

Canada is a big country, to put it mildly, so touring is a struggle on any scale. Casino venues take the sting out of this by creating a logical series of stopping points from west to east, or whichever direction suits the band best.

Moreover, casino venues are generally smaller-scale than stadiums, so they’re not only easier to sell out and create a good atmosphere, but also don’t require the same level of complexity from a production standpoint. Lighting, sets, and effects needn’t be a burden on the budget, while in-house tech teams iron out any other kinks quickly.

Comfort Sells

Last of all, if you’re an aging heritage rock act, you’ll have had quite enough of staying in sleazy motels and cold tour buses. So the prospect of being put up in a five-star suite by a casino, and only having to get the lift down to the venue where you’re playing, will be tantalizing.

So, from the Fallsview Casino in Niagara to the Hard Rock Live in Ottawa, Canada’s casino venues will continue to be a top pick for heritage rock tours.

The post How Canada’s Casino Venues Have Quietly Become A Backbone Of The Heritage Rock Touring Circuit appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Masters Of The Universe, the new motion picture adaptation of the fantastical ’80s cartoon, looks like fucking dogshit, a nightmare collision of psychedelic CGI spooge and self-aware quasi-comedy. Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man. Jared Leto plays Skeletor. The trailer is rough. Nobody needs this shit. Masters Of The Universe was my motherfucking shit when I was…

The post The Darkness Share <em>He-Man</em> Song, Justin Hawkins Responds To Political Deepfakes Of Himself appeared first on Stereogum.

From hyperpop maverick to one of the most in-demand collaborators in metal Poppy’s journey is full of twists and turns

“It was every parent’s nightmare”

Back in what I guess we’ll call the Our Band Could Be Your Life era, J Mascis and Mike Watt were SST Records labelmates. In the time before American underground rock became big business, Watt was one third of San Pedro, California heroes the Minutemen, while Mascis led (and still leads) the blazing power trio…

The post J Mascis & Mike Watt Cover Each Other’s Bands On New Split appeared first on Stereogum.