Peter Stampfel, the Grammy-winning psych-folk pioneer and longtime champion of freak-folk and anti-folk, will release his eighteenth solo album, Song Shards: Soul Jingles, Stoic Jingles, Vintage Jingles, Prayers and Rounds, on September 19 via Jalopy Records. The project finds Stampfel reemerging in vibrant form, both creatively and vocally, following a long battle with dysphonia that once left him unable to sing.

San Francisco’s beloved Crucial Reggae Sundays continues to bring free, family-friendly reggae music to Golden Gate Park every Sunday from 4:20 pm to 7:30 pm at the historic Bandshell in the Music Concourse (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive). Hosted by Irie Dole (Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi), Guidance (Infinite Guidance Sound/Nice Up Radio), and DJ Sep (Dub Mission), the series features guest performers and DJs from across the reggae spectrum.

September 2025 Schedule

Asheville's psychedelic pioneers The Snozzberries return with the much anticipated 5th Annual Psychedelic Circus on Friday Oct 17th at Asheville Music Hall.  This year's show is bigger and better than ever, with an expanded lineup, live painters and dancers, a trippy costume contest, and the most immersive, phantasmagorical imagery yet!  

VoodooV is back with The Good Leader, the latest single from their highly anticipated sophomore album — a biting, groove-heavy indie funk track that skewers society’s strange admiration for narcissists in power.

Groovy yet razor-edged, The Good Leader peels back the glossy veneer of arrogance, exposing how culture often mistakes it for confidence. From Patrick Bateman memes to internet “sigma” gurus, the song shines a sarcastic spotlight on the way dominant personalities are celebrated as so-called “strong leaders” both online and off.

Colorado's progressive rock band Squeaky Feet is back with their electrifying new single, “Brainrot,” the second release from their highly anticipated album, 'Overview Effect', set to drop on October 10, 2025.

Ryan Lee Crosby’s new album At The Blue Front is out this week on Crossnote Records. Recorded over two days at Jimmy “Duck” Holmes’ historic Blue Front Café in Bentonia, Mississippi, the eight-track collection channels the hypnotic pulse of Bentonia and Hill Country blues through Crosby’s distinctive 12-string electric guitar.

Dark Star Orchestra is thrilled to announce Fall Tour 2025—a 13-date run across the Northeast this November. The tour features two-night stands at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, and at the Paramount in Huntington, NY. DSO is forever grateful to their faithful fans and will give thanks in Jim Thorpe, PA, with their traditional Thanksgiving Eve show at Penn’s Peak.

Folk Alliance International (FAI) has unveiled the Official Showcase lineup for its 38th annual conference, January 21–25, 2026, in New Orleans, LA. More than 150 artists representing 34 countries will perform. The 2026 theme is Rise Up.

Highlights

Two-time GRAMMY winners Lost Bayou Ramblers (progressive Louisiana French/Cajun).

Bruce Sudano, songwriter for Donna Summer, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and Michael Jackson.

When JIMMIE VAUGHAN and KIM WILSON teamed up to form THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS in 1974, they created a band that helped shape the soul of modern Texas blues. Vaughan’s history with that storied band has finally been chronicled in The Jimmie Vaughan Years: Complete Studio Recordings 1978–1989, a comprehensive four-CD box set available Nov. 7, 2025, via The Last Music Co.

Improvisational rock band Spafford will close out the year with a three-night New Year’s Eve run at Vivarium in Milwaukee from December 29–31. The year-end run promises to deliver three unforgettable nights of music leading into 2026. As always, Spafford will feature deep song selections, fan favorites, and unexpected detours as the band builds toward the midnight countdown on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday night.