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Lollapalooza: The Untamed Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival Now Unleashed in New Book

LOLLAPALOOZA: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock’s Wildest Festival (St. Martin’s Press) is out today. The new book sees New York Times bestselling authors Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour (Nothin’ But A Good Time) telling the no-holds-barred history of the iconic music festival. Through hundreds of new interviews with artists, tour founders, festival organizers, promoters, publicists, sideshow freaks, stage crews, record label execs, reporters, roadies and more, LOLLAPALOOZA chronicles the tour’s pioneering 1991-1997 run, and, in the process, alternative rock’s rise – as well as the reverberations that led to a massive shift in the music industry and the culture at large.

LOLLAPALOOZA features a foreword by Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil along with original interviews with some of the biggest names in music, including Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins, Ice-T, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, Patti Smith, Alice in Chains, Metallica, and many more.

Conceived by Farrell as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza’s inaugural outing across the U.S. in the summer of 1991 helped to coalesce an ideology and aesthetic that not only washed over popular music but seeped into fashion, film, television, literature, food, politics and more. Throughout the decade, Lollapalooza offered a vast and diverse ensemble of bands, breaking barriers of genre and uniting alternative rock, heavy metal, punk, hip-hop, industrial, goth, avant-garde, spoken word, electronic dance music and other styles under one big tent, and setting the template for the modern American music festival and the scores of other contemporary destination fests that are now an integral part of how audiences experience live music.

Unorthodox not just in music, Lollapalooza also spotlighted visual arts, nonprofit organizations, political outfits, and even the occasional freak show, offering a tantalizing cocktail of culture, art, and activism that, taken together, defined the alternative mindset that dominated the 1990s. Echoes of its impact reverberate strongly today – cemented by annual sell-outs at destination events all over the world, an estimation of 400,000 attendees at the flagship Chicago fest each summer, and a spot among the world’s largest and longest-running music festivals.

A nostalgic look back at 1990s music and culture, LOLLAPALOOZA traces the festival’s groundbreaking origins, following the tour as it progresses through the decade, and documenting the action onstage, backstage, and behind-the-scenes in detailed and uncensored and sometimes shocking first-person accounts. This is the story of Lollapalooza and the 1990s alternative rock revolution.

RICHARD BIENSTOCK is a journalist whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Billboard, SPIN, and other publications. He is a former senior editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored and co-authored several books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. He is also the New York Times bestselling co-author of Nothin’ But a Good Time.

TOM BEAUJOUR is a journalist as well as a co-founder and former editor-in-chief of Revolver, America’s premier hard rock and heavy metal monthly. Beaujour has produced and mixed albums by Nada Surf, Guided by Voices, the Juliana Hatfield Three, and many others. He is also the New York Times bestselling co-author of Nothin’ But a Good Time.

Linkin Park Unleash Anthemic New Single “Up from the Bottom”

Photo Credit Jimmy Fontaine

With the excitement of their triumphant return still palpable, LINKIN PARK unleash a ferocious new single entitled “Up From The Bottom” out now via Warner Records. Listen HERE. It sets the stage for the Deluxe Edition of their acclaimed album FROM ZERO, arriving on May 16. Pre-order/Pre-save HERE. Notably, it includes three brand new songs, and an expanded physical edition containing five live tracks captured during their inimitable live show.

While the From Zero World Tour gallops through the U.S. this month, the band has added new South America show details, including venues and ticketing details (full routing below). LP Underground fan club exclusive presales start March 31. Get all details and ticketing info HERE. General onsale begins Thursday April 3rd.

LINKIN PARK wrote and recorded “Up From The Bottom” in between segments of their massive From Zero World Tour. Harnessing the energy of their 2024 live re-emergence, the track’s decisive piano refrain, distorted riffs, and propulsive drums lay the foundation for the singular vocal duo of Emily Armstrong and Mike Shinoda, singing “You keep me waiting down here so far below, staring up from the bottom, up from the bottom.The song climaxes with a surprising bridge of turntable scratches, 808s, and one of Shinoda’s most memorable rap verses–evoking their signature genre alchemy spiked with a rush of fresh inspiration.

This bevy of excitement paves the way for the FROM ZERO (DELUXE EDITION). About the new collection, Shinoda said, “We are so grateful for the incredible reception to From Zero. This new chapter, our continuing journey, and the connection between the band and fans has been more than we could’ve hoped for. Thank you for listening.” 

Among the Deluxe Edition’s brand new material, “Let You Fade” is sure to be a fan favorite, with its crushing guitars, brutal drums, and full-hearted lyrics. The third track, “Unshatter,” came to life early in the FROM ZERO recording process, with Armstrong’s vocal fireworks mid-song hinting at “what was possible together,” as the band says.

This winter, LINKIN PARK ignited their massive From Zero World Tour with epic and unforgettable shows everywhere from Mexico to Tokyo, Jakarta, and beyond. Throughout 2025, the From Zero World Tour—produced by Live Nation—will see the band touch down on four continents. Anticipation has already reached fever pitch, resulting in 15 sellouts across the tour at legendary venues such as Wembley Stadium in London, Stade de France in Paris, and Boston’s TD Garden where a second date has been added for July 31 due to overwhelming demand. This massive global jaunt carries them through to the end of the year, concluding on November 11 in Brasilia, Brazil. Special guests Spiritbox, AFI, Architects, grandson, Jean Dawson, JPEGMAFIA, and PVRIS will join on select dates. Check out the full confirmed itinerary and get tickets at https://linkinpark.com/tour.

FROM ZERO, winner of this year’s “Rock Album of the Year” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, has churned out successive hits since its 2024 debut. “The Emptiness Machine” surged as “the biggest rock song of 2024,spending 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart. Their next anthem Heavy Is The Crownfollowed in its footsteps at #1 on the respective chart. FROM ZERO impressively bowed at #1 on charts in 14 countries. Stateside, it opened at #2 on the Billboard 200 and at #1 across six Billboard charts: Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums, Vinyl Albums, and Indie Store Album Sales. Not to mention, it has incited widespread acclaim from the likes of VULTURE, The Guardian, KERRANG!, NME, Associated Press, USA Today, and more. As reported by Billboard, LINKIN PARK was the one-and-only rock band to cross over 2 Billion yearly streams in 2024.

The band—Mike ShinodaBrad DelsonDave “Phoenix” FarrellJoe HahnEmily Armstrong and Colin Brittain—have returned as strong as ever with FROM ZERO, their first full-length offering since 2017. Listen HERE via Warner Records. Be on the lookout for more from LINKIN PARK soon and don’t miss the From Zero World Tour – list of tour dates HERE.

LINKIN PARK emerged as an innovative musical force and are one of the best-selling artists of the last twenty years. Their RIAA Diamond-certified full-length debut, Hybrid Theory, stands out as the “best selling debut of the 21st century,” while landmark sophomore album Meteora bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 before going 8X-Platinum in the U.S. The band’s worldwide sales across the entire catalog eclipses 100 million, and among numerous accolades and honors, they have garnered 2 GRAMMY Awards, 5 American Music Awards, 4 MTV VMA Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards and 3 World Music Awards. Selling out stadiums worldwide, they’ve headlined the largest festivals globally and also remain the first and only Western rock band to play a five-stadium tour in China. 2017’s One More Light marked their fifth #1 debut on the Billboard 200. In 2020, the band celebrated their groundbreaking debut album, Hybrid Theory, by releasing a comprehensive 20th anniversary edition super deluxe box set which features their RIAA Diamond-certified single “In The End.” In 2023, the band released Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition, which topped the charts and featured the newly-uncovered song “Lost.” The emotionally charged single was originally recorded during sessions for their second studio album Meteora (2003), and soon after its 2023 release, “Lost” hit #1 at both Alternative and Rock radio. 2024 marked the release of their first greatest hits package Papercuts, featuring vault track “Friendly Fire” that similarly topped both the Alternative and Rock charts. On September 5, the band made a triumphant return to the top of the charts with “The Emptiness Machine,” which exploded as the #1 rock song in the country and the biggest rock song of 2024. It made a rapid climb to #1 on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart and Alternative Airplay Chart. In total, the band have scored a staggering 13 #1 entries on the latter chart (the second-most in history) with three in the last eighteen months. LINKIN PARK released their 8th studio album From Zero on November 15 on Warner Records, once again topping charts around the world and eclipsing a billion streams. The band have always prioritized charity and goodwill in an effort to make the world a better place, helping to raise millions over the years for victims of natural disasters. Today, LINKIN PARK’s imprint on music and culture continues to expand and magnify.

FROM ZERO WORLD TOUR 2025
*Festival Performance 
= General onsale begins Thursday, April 3rd 
$ With support from Spiritbox
~ With support from Architects
^ With support from grandson
# With support from Jean Dawson
& With support from JPEGMAFIA
+ With support from PVRIS
April 26, 2025 | Moody Center – Austin, TX ^
April 28, 2025 | BOK Center – Tulsa, OK ^
May 1, 2025 |  Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI ^
May 3, 2025 | CFG Bank Arena – Baltimore, MD ^
May 6, 2025 | Lenovo Center – Raleigh, NC ^
May 8, 2025 | Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC ^
May 10, 2025 | Sonic Temple – Columbus, OH *
May 17, 2025 |  Welcome to Rockville – Daytona, FL *
June 12, 2025 | Novarock Festival -Nickelsdorf, AT *
June 14, 2025 | Rock for People Festival – Hradec Kralove, CZ *
June 16, 2025 | Heinz-Von-Heiden Arena – Hannover, DE ~
June 18, 2025 | Olympiastadion – Berlin, DE ~
June 20, 2025 | Bernexpo – Bern, CH
June 24, 2025 | I-DAYS Festival – Milan, IT *
June 26, 2025 | Gelredome – Arnhem, NL $
June 28, 2025 | Wembley Stadium – London, UK $&
July 1, 2025 | Merkur Spiel Arena – Dusseldorf, DE ~&
July 3, 2025 | Rock Werchter Festival – Werchter, BE *
July 5, 2025 | Open’er Festival – Gdynia, PL *
July 8, 2025 | Deutsche Bank Park – Frankfurt, DE ~&
July 11, 2025 | Stade de France – Paris, FR
July 29, 2025 | Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY+
August 1, 2025 | TD Garden – Boston, MA +
August 3, 2025 | Prudential Center – Newark, NJ +
August 6, 2025 | Bell Centre – Montreal, QC +
August 8, 2025 | Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON +
August 11, 2025 | United Center – Chicago, IL +
August 14, 2025 | Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI +
August 16, 2025 | Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA #
August 19, 2025 | PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA #
August 21, 2025 | Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN #
August 23, 2025 | Enterprise Center – St. Louis, MO #
August 25, 2025 | Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI #
August 27, 2025 | Target Center – Minneapolis, MN #
August 29, 2025 | CHI Health Center – Omaha, NE #
August 31, 2025 | T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO #
September 3, 2025 | Ball Arena – Denver, CO #
September 6, 2025 | Footprint Center – Phoenix, AZ #
September 13, 2025 | Intuit Dome – Los Angeles, CA &=
September 15, 2025 | SAP Center – San Jose, CA &
September 17, 2025  | Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA &
September 19, 2025 | Moda Center – Portland, OR &
September 21, 2025 | Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC &
September 24, 2025 | Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA &
October 25, 2025 | Distrito Verde – Bogota, CO =
October 28, 2025 | Estadio San Marcos – Lima, PE =
October 31, 2025 |Parque de la Ciudad – Buenos Aires, AR =
November 2, 2025 | Estadio Nacional – Santiago, CL =
November 5, 2025 | Estadio Couto Pereira – Curitiba, BR =
November 8, 2025 | Estadio MorumBIS – São Paulo, BR =
November 11, 2025 | Estadio Mane Garrincha – Brasilia, BR =

TRACKLISTING

  1. From Zero (Intro)
  2. The Emptiness Machine
  3. Cut the Bridge
  4. Heavy Is the Crown
  5. Over Each Other
  6. Casualty
  7. Overflow
  8. Two Faced
  9. Stained
  10. IGYEIH
  11. Good Things Go
  12. Up From The Bottom*
  13. Unshatter*
  14. Let You Fade*

*Previously Unreleased

20 of the Best Songs With Cowbell (Because You Can Never Have Too Much Cowbell)

There are few instruments that can turn a groove into a moment like the cowbell. Clanky, clunky, unmistakable—it’s the funky exclamation mark we never knew we needed. From rock anthems to disco bangers, here are 20 songs that let the cowbell shine.

1. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – Blue Öyster Cult
The cowbell that launched a thousand SNL skits. Played by producer David Lucas, it adds tension and swagger to the haunting track. More cowbell? This is where that plea was born.

2. “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
The opening cowbell hits like a starter pistol. Drummer Corky Laing laid it down to help guitarist Leslie West stay on beat—and it stuck. Raw, loud, and heavy as a Southern rock steamroller.

3. “Honky Tonk Women” – The Rolling Stones
Charlie Watts kicks things off with an iconic cowbell intro. It’s slinky, it’s swampy, and it leads into one of the Stones’ most bluesy jams. This cowbell swings like a bar door on Bourbon Street.

4. “Good Times Bad Times” – Led Zeppelin
John Bonham doesn’t just play cowbell—he attacks it. It punctuates the track’s off-kilter groove and Bonham’s jaw-dropping kick-drum work. Subtle? Never. Effective? Always.

5. “Low Rider” – War
The cowbell on this one is smooth as a chrome rim. A laid-back, hypnotic rhythm that oozes cool from the first beat. It’s basically a musical hydraulic system.

6. “We’re an American Band” – Grand Funk Railroad
This song opens with cowbell and never lets up. It’s fast, relentless, and proud—kind of like the band itself. Rock radio wouldn’t be the same without it.

7. “Hair of the Dog” – Nazareth
You’re messin’ with a son of a cowbell. Those pounding hits give the riff an extra bite. It’s macho, it’s metal, it’s gloriously over the top.

8. “Rock Lobster” – The B-52’s
The cowbell here is part of the band’s deliciously weird surf-punk stew. It’s there to keep you dancing… and laughing… and wondering what planet this band came from. (It’s a fun one.)

9. “You Can’t Do That” – The Beatles
Ringo gives us some early cowbell action on this 1964 B-side. Tucked under jangly guitars and Lennon’s sneer, it still manages to stand out. A sign of cowbell greatness to come.

10. “Funky Cold Medina” – Tone Lōc
Built on a Van Halen sample that includes cowbell, this track is pure party fuel. It’s hip-hop, but the percussion owes a lot to hard rock swagger. Proof the cowbell knows no genre.

11. “Drive My Car” – The Beatles
Yes, more Beatles. Because when they let the cowbell in, they did it right. It adds drive (pun intended) to this groovy tale of ambition and innuendo.

12. “Jungle Boogie” – Kool & the Gang
This whole song is a masterclass in rhythm—and the cowbell holds it all down. A funky strut with attitude and brass to spare. That metallic ding is a dancefloor secret weapon.

13. “Time Has Come Today” – The Chambers Brothers
This psychedelic soul epic features cowbell like echoes in time. Wild, unpredictable, and totally hypnotic. It’s less of a song and more of a sonic trip.

14. “Alright Now” – Free
Before Paul Rodgers joined Bad Company, he gave us this swaggering classic. The cowbell here works like punctuation for every riff. Minimalist cowbell done maximally well.

15. “La Grange” – ZZ Top
Billy Gibbons’s guitar growls. Frank Beard’s cowbell barks. It cuts through like a signal that something funky and greasy is about to happen. And it always does.

16. “Fell in Love with a Girl” – The White Stripes
Jack White keeps it raw and fast. The cowbell isn’t flashy, but it’s vital. Just a quick hit here and there—but without it, the whole song loses that garage-punk punch.

17. “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” – T. Rex
Glam rock gets cowbell glitter. The groove struts with the help of a steady metallic tick. It’s sexy, stylish, and just a little bit sleazy—just how Marc Bolan wanted it.

18. “Born on the Bayou” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Fogerty’s swamp-rock simmer builds on a rhythmic foundation of, yep, cowbell. Subtle, but it makes the whole thing feel like a backwoods incantation.

19. “Cuban Pete” – Desi Arnaz
Old-school cowbell brilliance. Arnaz introduced Latin rhythms—and their essential percussion toys—to American audiences. Call it vintage cowbell supremacy.

20. “Gimme Some Lovin’” – The Spencer Davis Group
A pounding, organ-fueled anthem. But it’s the cowbell that keeps the engine running. A total mod-rock banger with just enough cowbell to make you feel alive.

Cowbell isn’t just a percussion instrument—it’s a statement. It says: “Pay attention. This moment matters.” And from classic rock to funk to Latin jazz, it’s been clanking its way into our hearts for decades.

More cowbell? Always.

Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Brooks and Dunn to Headline Country Calling Festival 2025

Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Brooks & Dunn are slated to headline the star-studded lineup for Country Calling Festival 2025, headed back to the Ocean City Boardwalk October 3-5.

Showcasing more than 35 artists across three stages over three days at Ocean City Inlet Beach, the weekend includes performances from Zach Top, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Koe Wetzel, Ryan Bingham & The Texas Gentlemen, Treaty Oak Revival, Flatland Cavalry, Gary Allan, Gavin Adcock, Tyler Hubbard, Tucker Wetmore, Wynonna Judd, Chase Rice, LeAnn Rimes, and many others.

Festival goers will have access to the Ocean City Boardwalk and its businesses in residence including restaurants, bars, variety shops and more, as well as the beloved Jolly Roger at the Pier Amusement Park. Both are located inside the festival grounds and included with the purchase of a Country Calling Festival ticket.

Access to the lowest price 3-Day and 1-Day General Admission, GA+, VIP and Platinum Tickets will be available Friday, March 28, at 10am ET, and a general on-sale will follow at 11am ET if tickets remain. To sign up for the presale code and shop Country Calling’s limited festival merch, visit www.countrycallingfestival.com. Hotel + Festival Experience packages are also available for 3-Day Tickets.

Yaya Bey Shares New Single “Merlot and Grigio” Featuring Father Philis

Yaya Bey shares “merlot and grigio” featuring Bajan dancehall artist Father Philis, her new single and first offering following her signing to art-forward NYC-based label drink sum wtr (aja monet, Annahstasia, THEY.). The single, which Yaya wrote and self-produced, is inspired by her own family’s Bajan heritage and the injection of Caribbean sounds she’s incorporated into her own music, like the Remember Your North Star standout “meet me in Brooklyn”. The single is accompanied by a jubilant new video featuring footage from Yaya’s travels to Barbados.

“I’ve been doing a lot of international touring and constantly in places where I’m the only Black person,” Yaya explains. “When I was in France most recently I asked myself what it would look like to play to Black international audiences and that sort of got my wheels turning. My dad would always have at least one Reggae song on his albums. Our family is from Barbados and I continued that tradition with songs like ‘meet me in brooklyn.’ I decided I would dive even deeper with Soca and reached out to Father Philis whose music I’ve been really digging. This song feels like a dream come true. To dig deeper into my own roots and prioritize Black communities especially in the Caribbean.”

“Merlot and grigio” opens Yaya’s next musical chapter, with more new music coming this year via drink sum wtr, along with a hometown set in Queens at Governor’s Ball festival this Summer. In 2024, Yaya released Ten Fold, her widely lauded second studio album which was awarded Pitchfork’s Best New Album in a glowing review, and was praised by the likes of Elle, ESSENCE, and Paste Magazine, who described the album as “Bey’s most liberating music to date.” Yaya also performed a stunning Tiny Desk concert last Spring, which NPR described as “truly healing to experience” and noting “Not a dry eye was left in the building.”

Jesse Daniel Announces New Album Son of the San Lorenzo Featuring Charles Wesley Godwin and Members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The SteelDrivers

Less than a year after the release of his critically-acclaimed breakthrough album Countin’ The Miles, Jesse Daniel is back as Son of the San Lorenzo. Today, the rising singer/songwriter announced that his fifth studio album will be released on June 6 via Lightning Rod Records, featuring a collaboration with Charles Wesley Godwin and instrumentation from Charlie McCoy, Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Peter Keys and SteelDrivers banjo player Richard Bailey.

Daniel also released the album’s first single “My Time Is Gonna Come,” a hopeful and soulful California-inspired track. It finds Daniel recounting the brightest and darkest chapters of his life – imbuing his version of the Bakersfield sound with the cosmic country and Southern rock he grew up on.

About the new single, Jesse Daniel explains: “When I was writing this song, I thought a lot about my life. It has been a pretty incredible journey and as I sat there, I thought back on all the work it’s taken to get to the point I’m at. All the road behind me and the road ahead. In the past, I’d anguish over the outcome or success of what I was doing, and it often took the love out of it for me. This song is essentially a realization that music, art and life are more about the journey than they are the destination. It is a confident letter to myself that with this newfound mindset, the best of life has just begun.”

Recorded live to tape at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the 11-song collection offers up a candid accounting of Daniel’s remarkable journey, from his early years hitchhiking in the shadow of the Santa Cruz Mountains to his tumultuous adolescence and battles with addiction, to the people, and music, that ultimately saved his life. Taking shape while he was on the road last year, the album expands on his sound in a way that wears its influences on its sleeve, embracing the past and keeping its gaze fixed firmly on the future both sonically and thematically. It’s only fitting for an album about his life to incorporate his own personal soundtrack from the California country of the Eagles and the Flying Burrito Brothers to classic rock like Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers.

“I wrote, arranged and produced this record myself. I also took on much of the sonic direction, including percussion, rhythm and lead guitar, harmonies and more, which I think is a really important piece of the puzzle given how personal these songs are. I felt like I was finally ready to stop running and face things head on with this record,” Daniel says. “I felt like I’d matured enough to go deeper than I ever had before, to try and understand how I get here and where I’m headed.”

Last year marked a turning point for Daniel’s career, beginning with creating the theme song to comedian Dusty Slay’s Netflix special Workin’ Man that was released in January. He then released his critically-acclaimed album Countin’ The Miles which garnered praise from Billboard, Texas Monthly, Cowboys & Indians, Bandcamp, BrooklynVegan, Whiskey Riff, No Depression, Holler and many more. The album went on to debut in the top 30 on the Americana Radio Chart and led to a tour supporting Godwin. To close out the year, he released a duo of collaborative singles with Benjamin Tod which was followed by a co-headline tour.

This Friday, March 28, Daniel and his band will perform at the newly opened Skinny Dennis in Nashville. He will also perform a hometown album release show on May 31 on his home turf at the Felton Redwood Mountain Faire in Felton, CA.

“I’m the Son of the San Lorenzo, and that story needed to be told,” he reflects, “but once it’s been told, it’s time to move on and tell the next story. Then, do it again. Repeat. Until the end.”

Son of the San Lorenzo tracklist:
1) Child Is Born
2) Son of the San Lorenzo
3) He
4) The Ballad of Love Creek
5) One’s Too Many (And A Thousand Ain’t Enough)
6) Jodi
7) Mountain Home
8) Time Well Spent For A Man (feat. Charles Wesley Godwin)
9) Crankster
10) My Time Is Gonna Come
11) The End

Tour Dates:
3/28 – Nashville, TN @ Skinny Dennis
5/31 – Felton, CA @ Redwood Mountain Faire 2025
6/21 – Itajai, Brazil @ The Ranch Truck
7/8 – Hamburg, Germany @ Nochtspeicher
7/9 – Groningen, Netherlands @ De Oosterpoort
7/10 – Utrecht, Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg
7/11 – Lille, Belgium @ Sjock Festival 2025
7/12 – Breim, Norway @ Stiftinga Norsk Country Treff
7/16 – Köln, Germany @ Die Kantine
7/17 – Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands @ Zwarte Cross 2025
7/18 – Eging Am See, Germany @ Pullman City Western Town
7/20 – Balzers, Liechtenstein @ Burg Gutenberg
10/10 – Rockhampton, Australia @ Great Western Hotel
10/11 – Mareeba, Australia @ Mareeba Rodeo
10/12 – Mareeba, Australia @ Mareeba Rodeo
10/15 – Petrie Terrace, Australia @ Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall
10/16 – Cronulla, Australia @ Brass Monkey
10/17 – Paddington, Australia @ Paddo RSL
10/18 – Archies Creek, Australia @ The Archies Creek Hotel
10/19 – Brunswick, Australia @ Brunswick Ballroom
10/24 – Fremantle, Australia @ Honky Tonk Blues
10/25 – Harvey, Australia @ Harvey Dickson’s Country Music Centre

Photo Gallery: Jelly Roll with Josh Ross and Savannah Dexter and Brabo Gator at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena

Jelly Roll

All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.

Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll
Josh Ross
Josh Ross
Josh Ross
Josh Ross
Josh Ross
Josh Ross
Savannah Dexter and Brabo Gator
Savannah Dexter and Brabo Gator
Savannah Dexter and Brabo Gator
Savannah Dexter and Brabo Gator

The Swell Season Return with New Single “People We Used To Be” and Stirring Video Shot in Prague

The Swell Season, the acclaimed duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, today shared their lush, sweeping new single ‘People We Used To Be – and begin a new chapter for the band. Augmented by strings and anchored by their poignantly intertwining and soaring vocals, the song was produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Iceland’s Masterkey Studios and is The Swell Season’s first since 2023’s ‘The Answer Is Yes.’

“It’s a song about trying to reconcile with what feels like an end of an era and allowing one’s self to mourn the People We Used To Be while choosing to fight for the person we love and the life we built with them,” explains Irglová. “It is a song of defiance and determination as much as heart aching nostalgia.” ‘People We Used To Be’ arrives alongside a video directed by Radim Vanous and produced by Little Greta in collaboration with The Swell Season. Shot in Prague, the clip nods to Hansard and Irglová’s performances in the beloved 2007 film Once, which first catapulted the duo into the spotlight.

After the success of Once – which won them the “Best Original Song” Academy Award for ‘Falling Slowly’ – The Swell Season released their sophomore album Strict Joy in 2009, which drew critical praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, SPIN, American Songwriter, and NPR Music, among others. In the years since, both artists have continued to have highly successful individual careers: Irglova has released three solo albums, most recently 2022’s LILA; Hansard has released five solo albums, including 2023’s All That Was East Is West of Me Now.

Art d’Ecco Announces “Serene Demon” Spring North American Tour

Art d’Ecco has announced select North American spring tour dates in support of his acclaimed fourth full-length album, Serene Demon, out now via Paper Bag Records. The tour kicks off May 27 in Seattle, running through June 13 back home in Victoria, BC. Tickets on-sale Friday, March 28 at 10am local times.

Serene Demon is Art d’Ecco’s most ambitious album to date, but fans won’t struggle to recognize his handiwork. Like the many groundbreaking artists who have inspired Art d’Ecco over the years, he intends to keep nudging his listeners forward, prompting them to explore – and accept – unfamiliar ideas. “Once you’ve trained the ear of the audience, it establishes a new precedent,” he concludes. Tastes change and evolve, and outliers mature into icons. “That moves pop music forward in the most beautiful, organic way, and I’m constantly trying to exist within that paradigm. How do I challenge myself and throw the rule book out, but still make this the catchiest, quirkiest piece of music possible? I like existing between those two worlds.”

Art rented an apartment in New York for two months, walking the streets listening to Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone, John Barry and François de Roubaix, as he dreamed up cinematic visions of the people passing by. Pushing his limits and taking risks during the writing process for Serene Demon, some more successful than others, but always leading him to a place he had not yet traveled before.

Ecstatic when Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, The Strokes, Beck, U2) expressed interest in working on his new material, Art soon came to realize that their methods and concepts didn’t align as closely as hoped; after two weeks of production in Vancouver (including some “great ideas” that made it to the final record), they parted ways, after which Art took over complete creative control in the studio. Yet despite his “ferocious, introverted independence,” Art recognized that he couldn’t realize his ambitious vision single-handedly. Nearly 30 musicians contributed to making Serene Demon, and three of the new songs blossomed from collaborative exercises with his rhythm section, drummer Malcolm Holt and bassist Pascal Le Vasseur.

Great pop music accommodates big ideas and simple truths with equal finesse, but don’t expect a record – even one as ambitious as Serene Demon – to solve all life’s mysteries. “If you’re constantly searching for answers or hope to bestow any relevance to the existence that you’re living, then take a pause and realize that life is happening right now,” concludes Art. “You don’t need to constantly defer happiness. Just exist in the moment.”

Tour Dates:
05/27 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
05/28 – Portland, OR @ Lollipop Shoppe
05/29 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown
06/04 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room
06/06 – Toronto, ON @ Do West Fest
06/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
06/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
06/13 – Victoria, BC @ Upstairs