Blog

The post DIMINISHING: New York/Texas-Based Duo To Release Conceptual EP, The Outcome, May 29th Through Anti-Corp Music; “Part II” Single/Visualizer, Preorders, And Bandcamp Listening Party Posted appeared first on INFRARED MAGAZINE.

The New York Rats are pulling no punches with the release of their latest track, “Dark Age of

[Cover artwork by Luca “Zeero” Zironi]

There was always something uniquely charming about Konquest’s brand of traditional heavy metal—an almost whimsical breeziness that still felt like a near perfect balance of playful and substantive. A long-lost Italian cousin to Sweden’s Heavy Load, perhaps. Just as easily played in the car as dissected at home. That all-purposeness has served Konquest well. And with Dark Waters, the band’s third full-length, I was hoping for much of the same.

Not that the band had ever given cause for concern, but Dark Waters certainly delivers on the promise of Konquest’s two prior records. Same whimsical breeziness. Same near perfect balance of those disparate elements that make Konquest’s take on traditionalism compelling. Deceptively simple—the kind of “simple” borne from either a whole lot of thought and preplanning about feel, impression, and songcraft, or just the natural collision of ideas that, as fate would have it, sticks the landing. I suspect a combination of the two.

As tradition would demand, Dark Waters continues Konquest’s history of eight-song albums. Here, as with Time and Tyranny, and The Night Goes On before it, you’re treated to seven relatively shorter tracks and an epic closer (“Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream)”). Opener “Turn the Lights Off” is a vibe setter if there ever was one, establishing the aforementioned breezy tone early. Of the other six shorter tracks, it delivers the most immediate punch, which is why it’s as effective as it is as an opener—I don’t know that it would have made as much sense elsewhere on the album. Consistent with a few other songs here, the rhythm or pace isn’t too far removed from punk, toying with early NWOBHM aesthetics.

The second track, “Mindwanderer,” is as emblematic of the general impression Dark Waters leaves as any song on the album. Mostly midpaced with a sing-a-long chorus and a killer riff in the driver’s seat. “Mindwanderer” is in keeping with Konquest’s breezy ethos and keeps the listener’s interest with a particularly strong lead toward its end.

Of the remaining four shorter tracks, the title track and “Man with a Stone” resonate strongest. The anthemic feel of the former is appropriately distinctive and the latter is the riffiest song on an album rooted in the riff—easily one of my favorite Konquest tunes.

The epic “Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream)” is Konquest’s crowning achievement. Though it changes pace about two minutes in, its longer, more atmospheric introduction would sound more at home on Iron Maiden’s Brave New World or The Final Frontier. And there are enough similarly progressive touches throughout that the song itself feels notably different from the other seven shorter tracks. The sheer scale of a tune like “Kubla Khan” towers above the rest of Dark Waters; you can’t but want more songs in this vein.

Summarily, Dark Waters is another clear winner for Konquest. In times of uncertainty, there’s something to be said for a world which appreciates both consistency in quality and welcoming familiarity. With their third full length, Konquest may not have created that world, but they have certainly expanded on it.

The post Konquest – Dark Waters Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Words by: Belinda Quick Photos by: Missy Smiley Special thank you to The Phoenix AU “His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought” – John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men When considering the most enduring, resonant and methodical voices of […]

She wrote it with Burt Bacharach back in the '90s. Continue reading…

Koyo have released their sophomore album, Barely Here, out now via Pure Noise Records. Clocking in at ten songs in just 28 minutes, the album is a lean blast of incredibly anthemic punk that packs the firecracker guts of The Movielife, the widescreen hooks of Taking Back Sunday, and the tuneful grit of Silent Majority, […]

The name is D, y’all! And he don’t play! And he can rock a block party till your hair turns grey! Or until his hair turns grey! Until everybody’s hair turns grey and we’re all just collectively staring down old-age-oblivion! He explodes on site, he’s like Jimmie Walker, he’s dy-no-mite, etc. A few weeks ago,…

The post Mike D Shares Solo Debut “Switch Up,” First New Music From Any Beastie Boy In 15 Years appeared first on Stereogum.

Redondo Beach rock and Americana artist Hunter Benson continues to captivate listeners with his deeply personal songwriting, recently

This complete Maren Morris song list brings together every officially released track from her catalog, covering albums, singles, and key collaborations in one place. She began releasing independent material early, including the album Walk On in 2005, followed by All That It Takes in 2007 and Live Wire in 2011. Those early projects established her as a developing artist with a strong writing voice and set the stage for the breakthrough that would come a few years later, when she moved more firmly into the Nashville scene. That breakthrough arrived with the release of her self-titled EP Maren Morris in

The post Complete List Of Maren Morris Songs From A to Z appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Winners have been revealed at the 2026 Blues Music Awards held on Thursday, May 7, in Memphis, Tennessee. The awards were voted on by the members of the Blues Foundation.

View the full list of winners below, which are bolded.

Acoustic Blues Album

Catfish Keith, “Sugar for Sugar – Vol. 1 2025 Summer Sessions”
Doug MacLeod, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye”
Erin Harpe, “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”
Hudspeth & Taylor, “Kimuziki Live in Des Moines”
Johnny Iguana, “At Delmark”

Acoustic Blues Artist

Catfish Keith
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Kevin Burt
Rhiannon Giddens

Album of the Year

Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, “Closer To The Bone”

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Rick Estrin
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ruthie Foster
Vanessa Collier

Band of the Year

Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
Southern Avenue
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Vanessa Collier Band

Best Emerging Artist Album

Brody Buster, “Redemption”
Allison August, “August Moon”
Sean McDonald, “Have Mercy!”
Robbin Kapsalis, “THE BLUES IS IN THE HOUSE”
Kyle Rowland, “NOT HOLDING BACK!”

Blues Rock Album

Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
Devon Allman, “BLUES SUMMIT”
Kent Burnside, “Hill Country Blood”
Tom Hambridge, “Down The Hatch”
Walter Trout, “Sign Of The Times”

Blues Rock Artist

Ana Popovic
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kirk Fletcher
Tommy Castro
Walter Trout

Contemporary Blues Album

Brandon Santini, “Which Way Do We Go?”
Carolyn Wonderland, “Truth Is”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Monster Mike Welch, “Keep Living Til I Die”
Southern Avenue, “Family”

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

Carolyn Wonderland
Danielle Nicole
Ruthie Foster
Samantha Fish
Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

Brandon Santini
Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Chris Cain
Christone ”Kingfish” Ingram
D.K. Harrell

Instrumentalist – Bass

Benny Turner
Larry Fulcher
Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
Rodrigo Mantovani
Scot Sutherland

Instrumentalist – Drums

Chris Layton
Chris Peet
Derrick D’Mar Martin
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist – Guitar

Chris Cain
Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
Derek Trucks
Joanna Connor
Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist – Harmonica

Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Brandon Santini
John Nemeth
Kim Wilson

Instrumentalist – Horn

Greg Piccolo
Jimmy Carpenter
Mark Kaz Kazanoff
Regi Oliver
Trombone Shorty

Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)

Anthony Geraci
Bruce Katz
Dave Keyes
Jon Cleary
Marcia Ball

Instrumentalist – Vocals

Candice Ivory
Danielle Nicole
John Nemeth
Shemekia Copeland
Susan Tedeschi

Song of the Year

“Mile After Mile”
written by Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen

“Bye Bye Blues”
written by Larry McCray & Charlie Walmsley

“Can’t Catch a Break”
written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer Andersen

“Upside”
written by Tierinii Jackson, Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Dylan Altman & Marshall Altman

“Who Was That?”
written by Emmett Ellis Jr. & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Soul Blues Album

Dave Keller, “La Brea”
Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, “Full Circle”
Johnny Rawls, “Make Them Dance”
Tad Robinson Band, “Soul In Blue”
The Soul of John Black, “Soul Salvation”

Soul Blues Female Artist

Annika Chambers
Candice Ivory
Kat Riggins
Thornetta Davis
Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist

Alabama Mike
Curtis Salgado
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Tad Robinson

Traditional Blues Album

Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
Buddy Guy, “Ain’t Done With The Blues”
Charlie Musselwhite, “Look Out Highway”
Maria Muldaur, “One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey”
Roomful Of Blues, “Steppin’ Out”

Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award)

Diunna Greenleaf
Eden Brent
Maria Muldaur
Rhiannon Giddens
Teeny Tucker

Traditional Blues Male Artist

Billy Branch
Jimmie Vaughan
John Primer
Jontavious Willis
Rick Estrin

International Blues Album

Brandon Isaak, “Walkin With The Blues”
Honeybear, the Band, “I Was Wrong”
Hubert Dorigatti & Blues harp masters, “Poor Boy”
J.T.Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, “Still be friends”
The Angelique Francis Band, “Not Defeated”

The post 2026 Blues Music Awards Winners announced appeared first on Blues Rock Review.