The 47th Kennedy Center Honors shone a spotlight on the best of American performing arts, celebrating the achievements of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, iconic American rock band the Grateful Dead, blues-rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval, and the Apollo Theater — the first venue ever to receive the prestigious honor. The star-studded event, hosted by Queen Latifah, was taped on December 8 and will air on CBS on Sunday, December 22, at 8:30 p.m.

Today, legendary roots star Taj Mahal was announced to be honored at the Recording Academy®’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony, receiving a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside fellow honorees Frankie Beverly, The Clash, Dr. Bobby Jones, Prince, Roxanne Shante, and Frankie Valli. The ceremony celebrating the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustees Award, and Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients will return during GRAMMY® Week on Feb. 1, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Cool Cool Cool, the seven-piece powerhouse known for their electrifying fusion of funk, house, and R&B, is starting 2025 with a bang. Following the release of their fiery single "Made Ya Look" on November 8, 2024, the band unveils "Dynamite" on January 3, 2025. Both tracks showcase the group's dynamic energy, female-led vocals, and groove-laden sound, delivering messages of empowerment, self-discovery, and confidence.

The Singles

The Ain’t Sisters have released their newest single, "Heart Attack," from their much-anticipated new album, Atomic. The album is set to drop on March 29th, accompanied by a huge album release show in their hometown of Atlanta at Terminal West.

East Bay funk, soul, and R&B legends Tower of Power are hot on the heels of the release of their first full-length holiday album It's Christmas. The group is currently embarking on their 'Holidays and Hits Tour' which has seen packed out houses across the country and will conclude this weekend with two California dates in La Mirada on Friday and the group's hometown of Oakland on Saturday, and makes its final stop in Tulalip Bay, Washington on Sunday.

Wreckless Strangers will kick off the new year with a high-energy dinner show at Rancho Nicasio—the legendary West Marin venue—on Saturday, January 11. The band’s 2024 highlights include the release of their celebrated EP, Blue Sky Fantasy, being named to Music Connection Magazine’s Hot 100 for 2024, and performances at Sweetwater Music Hall, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and more.

Longstanding international funk titans The New Mastersounds have announced a brand new live album, ‘Live at Cervantes Volume 1,’ available exclusively via the Color Red Vinyl Club. To celebrate the announcement, the UK-formed quartet has shared a digital single “Gonna Get in My Way,” featuring vocalist Shelby Kemp (The Lucky Strokes, Royal Horses) and Chris Spies on keyboards (The Lucky Strokes, Honey Island Swamp Band).

The legendary Bill Murray is teaming up with Gulf Coast Records artists Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia (aka “Blood Brothers”) to perform a series of shows in the first few months of 2025. Special Guest on the dates is newly-signed Gulf Coast artist guitarist Jimmy Vivino, whose label debut, Gonna Be 2 of Those Days, is set for release on February 14th.

Heading into the New Year with a bang, Jesse Dayton has announced a highly anticipated spring tour while reviving the untamed spirit of the legendary Road Kings with a pair of special reunion shows. Fans can get a taste of the Road Kings' razor-sharp blend of punk energy and rockabilly swagger with “Never Be Untrue”, a recently released live single now streaming on all platforms.

In the twenty-three years since Bluegrass and Americana titan John Hartford’s passing, the witty, vibrant tunes of the Grammy-winning, river and steamboat-obsessed, flatfoot dancing legend have taken on a life of their own, creating an entire sub-genre of the American music canon. That’s thanks to not only Hartford’s pure, funny, and virtuosic catalog, but also to the family and friends attending to the late banjo and fiddle player’s legacy.