Soul, early blues, and old-school country-influenced musician Quinn DeVeaux recently released the energetic foot-stomping Book of Soul via QDV Records. The Nashville-based artist demonstrates his musical versatility and vitality once again with this new record; an uplifting affair that brings to mind the sound of recordings from Memphis’ famed Sun Studios in another era. Entirely written and produced by Quinn himself, Book of Soul was recorded in Nashville, TN at The Bomb Shelter, projecting a warm aura that is both rapturous and healing with a focus on modern storytelling.

Songs like the resplendent “Been Too Long” and sumptuous “All I Need” fit right alongside contemporaries Nathaniel Rateliff, Anderson Paak and Leon Bridges where the sweetly subdued “Come On Home” and rhythmic “Trouble” are reminiscent of the best Al Green classic Stax soul grooves. In between, other influences pop up like the Bill Withers-flavored “Gimme Your Love” or the early New Orleans R&B feel of “Take Me Home” and “Walk and Talk."  All influences are taken to new heights in Quinn’s hands. “I love this record and feel that I am at the beginning of a new era in my creative life,” says Quinn. “I want as many people to hear this record as possible and looking back I'm not sure I ever felt that way. This record has more of my soul in it than anything I've done.”

Quinn DeVeaux is an old head on young shoulders. His signature “blue beat soul” sound is one-half retro, one-half future, paying homage to blues, R&B, and soul that came before, but looking forward by putting his own modern mark on it with self-penned songs and unique guitar stylings. He spent his early years in Gary, Indiana (birthplace of The Jackson 5) living with his grandmother, a former jazz singer. Though Quinn’s early years were rooted in church choir, blues, old-school country, and soul were in his blood. While still a teenager, Quinn headed west to San Francisco with just a guitar and his golden voice, settling in the Mission District, where he became a founding member of the local group Blue Roots. 

Quinn went on to form Quinn DeVeaux & The Blue Beat Review and released a string of well-regarded albums that garnered accolades from the Bay Area music press. His raucous rollicking live shows packed venues and dance floors with irresistible beats and his smooth soulful voice. Quinn is a commanding frontman whose electrifying live performances give audiences a boisterous good time. SF Weekly raved, “He calls his music ‘blue beat.’ But what comes out when Quinn DeVeaux hits the mic might as well be called pure joy…the warm grit of his guitar work, DeVeaux has a joyous sound all his own.” 
 
Quinn is a veteran of the festival show circuit with performances at Outside Lands (audience of 200,000) Joshua Tree Festival, Master Musicians Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and Stern Grove Festival where he has taken the same stage as Aaron Neville, Taj Mahal, Kool & The Gang, Rebirth Brass Band and more.

Book of Soul is modern in delivery, but the release reminds the listener of a simpler time when soul and R&B ruled the airwaves. As the San Francisco Chronicle noted, “Quinn is one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets (at least for now)”... and Book of Soul is changing that.

To help celebrate their debut album Daydream via Petrol Records/Universal Records/UMe, Australian act The Buckleys announced a special live performance on release date Friday, September 25, 2020. “Daydream with The Buckleys, Live from Byron Bay” is a special event that the band wanted to share with the world around their debut album release. With the world on lockdown, they chose a very intimate location, their local church from their hometown in Byron Bay, Australia.

The Buckleys recent U.S. highlights include a recent performance on The ACM Weekly, Radio Disney Country added their single “I'm Comin' For Ya (Love),” and CMT Music USA added their video “Breathe” to their rotation.   The band created a groundswell in their country with each of their four released singles charting in the Top Five of Australian country radio. Their first single "Daydream,” catapulted the trio into the limelight, scoring a #1 single on Australian country radio, which was followed by the second single, “I’m Comin’ For Ya (Love),” which reached #3. Their worldwide debut single “Money” reached #2 and its follow up “Breathe” at #3.

Globally the band has penetrated each continent with their groundbreaking world virtual tour this summer, achieving a ‘virtual reach’ of more than 4.5 million. Their world virtual tour was developed in conjunction with Live Nation and the band’s record label, Petrol Records and US label, UMe. These shows were streamed globally and each one focused on a specific territory including North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, India, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, on Live Nation’s Live From Home platform, on House of Blues’ socials, as well as on Live Nation’s partners (BookMyShow, Mojo Concerts, Big Concerts) social platforms.

Purveyors of what they call “Hippie Country” - a genre representing the infectious personality and spirited conscience that the band maintains through these tough times, these three young artists – Sarah  20, Lachlan 19 and Molly 17, have received widespread transcontinental praise in the media as well, for their refreshingly exciting brand of rootsy pop. American Songwriter lauded, "Every so often, something special comes along. Something so cool and authentic that the world has no choice but to sit up and take notice. The Buckleys are that special something." Guitar World pointed out their “infectious, feel-good hooks” while The Honey Pop described them as a "blend of Country, Pop, Indie, and Americana with a sprinkle of Fleetwood Mac." SPIN, LA Weekly, Billboard, Parklife DC, Twangville, The Tinnitist, and SiriusXM among others have showered the band with praise as well.

Working with an impressive line-up of established country writers, including Emily Shackelton (Carly Peace), JT Harding (Blake Shelton, Keith Urban), Marty Dodson (Kenny Chesney) and Jennifer Hanson (Billy Currington), and GRAMMY Award-winning engineer and producer Chad Carlson (Trisha Yearwood, Taylor Swift, Lady A) who also produced the album,  Daydream draws on the siblings’ tight family roots and their natural ability to write memorable melodies and hooks.  Songs like the country balladry of ’Til You Can’t Go Back’ and the cool grooves of "Feeling The Love" and the Motown-ish ‘Glad You Did,” show the band's diversity for songwriting.

“When the three of us get together, we love putting smiles on peoples’ faces and seeing them dancing and having a great time,” says Sarah. “Music is so powerful and making people happy and making memories is definitely a place that we want to be.”

“It was right after Mardi Gras and there was still glitter, beads and pieces of costumes in the streets, littering the wet, black pavement,” says frontwoman Lizzie Edwards on the making of Lizzie & The Maker’s new ethereal indie roots track "Mermaid," released today and produced by renowned producers Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, Tin Machine) and Mario J. McNulty (David Bowie, Prince). “I was nursing a broken heart and just started journaling as I was walking around. Pete’s Candy Store is like my home away from home, so I went there for solace, old friendships, and just started writing what I saw around me to try to process why my relationship with this person had suddenly shifted from close to distant.” The accompanying music video (also released today) was mostly filmed at Art Factory Studios in Paterson, NJ and reflects the somber yet powerful sentiments behind the track, “emerging from a dark cave and going toward the light,” Edwards says.
 
After working out some initial instrumentals, Edwards brought the track to guitarist and songwriting partner Greg McMullen who turned the slow blues chord progression into an “amped up Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings vibe.” While sitting at the bar and listening to the track, Edwards drew inspiration for lines like “homemade dynamo” (Fireball Whiskey) “old crow voodoo” (Old Crow Bourbon) “two hearted pale boy” (Bells IPA) that eventually became the opening lyrics. Diving deeper into the lyrics she was suddenly inspired by the Kate Bush song “Running Up That Hill” but instead of making a “deal with God” like Bush’s song suggests, Edwards wondered what it would be like to “switch places with the heartbreaker.”

After Brett Bass (Gregg Allman, Bernie Worrell) and Steve Williams (Sadé, Digable Planets) added in their rhythm section and Rob Clores recorded what Edwards likes to call his “space alien sonic wizardry” with swells and textural effects, they brought the demo to Mario J. McNulty and Reeves Gabrels, who instantly recognized it as the first single off the band's forthcoming album. “Mario and Reeves had me sing the melody differently from how I usually perform it,” Edwards recalls. “It was a soulful, powerhouse vocal, but they wanted me to lay back a little bit on this one and show vulnerability. It was definitely a challenge to not belt it out, but it gave me somewhere to go and the melody a chance to build, which is so important!”
 
With the help of these renowned producers, Lizzie & The Makers is prepping the release of their formidable new sophomore studio album due out later this year with “Mermaid” being the first track to come off the collection. Recorded at Mission Sound Recording in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the new music threads shoegazey, psychedelic layers throughout its core. “I think we’ve been on this kind of ethereal tear,” mulled Edwards. “It’s almost like when we wrote these songs they went through a David Lynch portal, they and came out a little bizarre.” Infusing elements of art-rock, dream-pop, and a celestial atmosphere Lizzie & The Makers has spawned something entirely their own.

Lizzie & The Makers’ debut album, Fire from the Heart of Man was released in 2015, followed by the EP Meanwhile… three years later. A 2017 concert collection Live at Rockwood Music Hall conveyed The Makers’ famously visceral stage show.

Lizzie & The Makers is singer/songwriter Lizzie Edwards, guitarist Greg McMullen, bassist Brett Bass (Gregg Allman, Bernie Worrell); drummer Steve Williams (Sadé, Digable Planets); and keyboard player Rob Clores (Black Crowes, John Popper Band). "Mermaid" is now out on all DSPs.

“It’s almost like when we wrote these songs they went through a David Lynch portal, they came out a little bizarre,” says frontwoman Lizzie Edwards on the creation of Lizzie & The Makers’ sophomore album Dear Onda Wahl announced for release on November 5, 2021 [independently] and produced by acclaimed producers Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, Tin Machine) and Mario J. McNulty (David Bowie, Prince). Infusing elements of art-rock, dream-pop, and a celestial atmosphere, Lizzie & The Makers has spawned something entirely their own. “Though influenced by traditional music genres, we were also heavily influenced by David Lynch and [his acclaimed TV series] Twin Peaks in writing this album. So, there is always a little bit of old and familiar mixed with alien, fantasy and the unexpected in our music.” The band will support the release of the album with a record release show on Wednesday, November 10th at NYC's The Cutting Room.
 
Recorded at Mission Sound Recording in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Dear Onda Wahl threads rootsy, shoegazey, and psychedelic layers throughout its core. Guitarist and Edwards’ songwriting partner Greg McMullen says, “The textures are lusher on Dear Onda Wahl. We were allowed to layer things, and this time in the studio, we actually experimented so much more than we have in the past.” Edwards adds, “There’s a lot of little outer-space, edgy weird sounds incorporated into this record that we didn’t completely embrace on previous records and, in general, we just evolved as songwriters.”
 
Ahead of this sophomore studio album announcement, Lizzie & The Makers had released two singles - the rootsy spellbinding ethereal tune “Mermaid” which American Songwriter called "an enchanting dip into bluesy synth-pop waters" and, more recently, the blues rock stomper "Lover By Proxy" which Glide Magazine highlights the “Led Zeppelin-esque bluesy guitar riff and Edwards’ electrifyingly soulful vocals.”

Elsewhere on the upcoming album, there’s the sultry bluesy reverberation of "Magic River" for which Edwards penned the melody for after a post-Whitesnake listening binge. There’s a grimy, hard hitting rock track ("Bottle"), which Edwards says is about “being a woman in the rock/blues genre and in music and the word in general", a bouncy rock love-hate letter (“Les Idiots”) to certain “characters” posing in her hometown, NYC's East Village, and a  haunting and cathartic groovy, slow rock jam ("Waiting For The Teeth”) about healing. The curiously named title track "Dear Onda Wahl" is a play on words that refers to a metaphorical letter she wrote to a mounted hunting trophy at the bar where she worked, i.e "Deer On The Wall", "Dear Onda Wall." A funky number that was written during a slow workday behind the bar, Edwards gazed at the mounted deer head asking it for love advice: “Deer on the wall, what’s the point of it all?" The forlorn tune "Tell Her” is a contrasting musical companion of sorts to the more playful "Lover By Proxy” that highlights Edwards heartfelt, nuanced vocal tone, influenced by Memphis soul legend Ann Peebles, Heart’s Wilson sisters, Alison Mosshart of The Kills and Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee. The haunting, seven-minute closing track “Mojo Hand” is soaked in McMullen’s borderline sci-fi sonic sorcery and Edwards’ enunciated occultic metaphors; producer Reeves Gabrels also contributed to the track, adding to the otherworldly vibe.
 
“The most exciting thing about working on recording the album was the music and the people themselves," comments Gabrels. "Lizzie is a distinctive singer and she and Gregg McMullen are great songwriters with a sense of rock tradition and a willingness to push the music forward.” McNulty chimes in saying, “I truly hope that listeners can hear the talent in these songs and the performances of the entire ensemble. Lizzie’s voice is rich with so much musical history and subtly nodding in different directions… the band is exceptional.”

LIZZIE & THE MAKERS

Dear Onda Wahl

1. Lover By Proxy
2. Mermaid
3. Magic River
4. Bottle
5. LES Idiots
6. Waiting For The Teeth
7. Dear Onda Wahl
8. Tell Her
9. Mojo Hand

Groove Science Studios, creator of virtual reality music platform Soundscape VR (SVR), today announces a myriad of new artist content deals and best-in-class features to its musical entertainment VR metaverse.
 
Proving that Soundscape VR is the most immersive, innovative, and creative music metaverse, VR concert performances are now available from American indie-groove band, Goose; psychedelic funk band, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong; vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Big Wild; New Zealand’s electronic music star, Opiuo; Australian electronic-hip hop duo Hermitude; Italian multi-instrumentalists Gioli & Assia; and live indie electronica band Husa & Zeyada.
 
“The Metaverse doesn't have to be ugly. Musicians should know that they don’t have to sell out to Zuck’s Meta to elevate their art in the musical metaverse,” Soundscape VR Founder and Creator Eric Alexander explains. “Soundscape VR continues to stay a step ahead of our competitors by offering the purest, deepest, and most expansive musical metaverse experience with ultra-high-quality audio and visual splendor that goes far beyond any Meta Zuckerverse.”

With a full menu of customizable avatars and online VR streaming concerts from a wide selection of artists, and musical experiences, SVR features six massive yet detailed audio-reactive virtual reality worlds and hundreds of beautiful places to discover and enjoy new music and the best VR experience for audiophiles. Soundscape's free locomotion system reveals a truly immersive experience that will power the music world miles into the metaverse like no other platform or technology.
 
Within the past year, Soundscape’s musical metaverse has partnered with Grammy-winning artist SLASH; multi-platinum-selling rock band Evanescence; electronic bass music sensation Griz; American jam bands Umphrey’s McGee and Dopapod; and fresh news faces in electronic music Memo Rex and Crescendoll, to provide a platform for artists to position their music in an immersive shared digital space, combining virtual reality, augmented reality and the internet.
 
Soundscape VR’s musical metaverse in PC Mode is built on top of the legendary VR mode, enabling avatars from both realms to cross-play and attend events together while exploring dazzling worlds of Soundscape from all new perspectives.
 
SVR’s virtual abstract worlds span for miles with futuristic skylines, blending reality with psychedelic visual effects, overflowing with lasers and reactive geometry. Each world -- Crystalline Summit, Seachrome Oasis, Twilight Thicket, Silicia Sol, NeoNexus, and The Black Sun -- provides a dynamic virtual concert experience, giving music fans from around the world an opportunity to participate in a completely new and shared sonic-visual experience that is designed to scale infinitely, with no limit to the number of participants.
 
To further enhance the experience, the platform now offers avatar customizations for users to personalize their own virtual appearance, including hairstyles, outfits, and more. Armed with their new avatars, users can explore immersive, audio-reactive worlds.
 
Soundscape VR can be experienced in six unique ways across a variety of devices in a multiplatform play environment, including a wired or wireless VR headset, desktop PC, laptop, handheld devices, or TV with a gamepad. SVR is available for free on Steam or MetaQuest VR.
 
About Soundscape VR:
Groundbreaking music, arts, and gaming VR platform Soundscape VR (SVR) is enabling a new generation of live concerts, music experiences, and sound visualization, paving the way for the next technological expansion of the music industry. Friends across the globe can listen, fly, paint, explore, watch, dance, compete, and more - with infinite groups of players together in a sonic-visual adventure functioning as a 24/7 music festival. SVR's Sonic AI allows the software to visualize any genre of music, automatically, and deeply integrating the music into the audio-reactive environments provided by SVR. Engineered by an independent collective of artists, musicians, and developers to be the premier destination for musical and artistic virtual reality content, SVR is regarded as one of the most immersive and technically impressive virtual reality apps in the world.
 
Soundscape VR is part of the Soundscape Universe, a collection of virtual, mixed and augmented reality software developed by Groove Science Studios (GSS). 

Blur drummer DAVE ROWNTREE shares another new track from his forthcoming debut album, Radio Songs.
 
"HK" is streaming now and is lifted from the album out January 20, 2023 through Cooking Vinyl.
 
Dave Rowntree on HK:
“HK was written on tour with Blur in Hong Kong. I fell in love with the city before the plane had even landed - a new record for me. The track was inspired by Hong Kong’s beauty, claustrophobia, and sense of dark foreboding, set against the backdrop of a chaotic Chinese radio station.”

Listen to HK/watch the visualizer HERE
 
Radio Songs was produced by Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet).
 
Listen to the previously released singles London Bridge HERE and Devil’s Island HERE
 
Pre-order Radio Songs HERE
 
Rowntree also plays his first solo headline shows in November in the UK, previewing tracks from the album. He headlines London’s Omeara, with Human Interest and Mushy P (Goat Girl) supporting, on the November 2nd. Tickets on sale now HERE.
 
Fans who pre-order the album through Rough Trade will be given access to a special UK release day show at their East London store (first come, first served) and live Q&A. Pre-order the record through Rough Trade HERE to attend the show.

“Are you ready for what’s next,” asks Mike Peters, frontman of THE ALARM, “the second greatest rock and roll band in the world” (Bono, U2) in his brand-new song “Next,” the video for which premieres today via BrooklynVegan. “Words cannot express the joy of leaving the hospital after a long stay on the wards, especially when it means you have regained your health,” he says, referring to the previous year of hospital visits, chemo treatments, and life-threatening pneumonia brought on by the relapse of his leukemia, which was initially diagnosed in 2005.

While the single may signal that he’s newly energized from a healthy prognosis and ready to return to what he loves best – recording and performing – the fact is that Peters never stopped doing either of those things. Writing new music and performing it live to the hospital staff while undergoing medical procedures to keep his cancer in check, Peters wrote “Next” with his trusty acoustic guitar and an IV stuck in his arm.

“The lyrics of the song were conceived while I was being treated for a leukemia relapse and a lung that had filled with blood,” Peter explains. “The outcome was uncertain, but the medical and nursing staff did all they could to keep me going and, in fact, were probably the first people to hear what I was working up musically while they did their life-saving work. It wasn’t planned, but once the realization hit me that I would be in the hospital for a long time, I knew I needed my guitar to break the monotony of the isolation. Being able to play music to myself kept me going, and I’m convinced that it helped me make the transition back to life.”

As a reminder of what he went through and what he leaves behind, Peters filmed the new video in hospital corridors, a familiar sight in the last year especially. “I wanted to film something that captured the elation of knowing you are going home, moving on, going forwards ready for what lies ahead, for what’s next,” he says. “At night and in between IV sessions, I would walk the very same empty hospital corridors of the North Wales Cancer Centre, trying to preserve whatever human strength I could hang on to.”

The first order of business post-hospital was The Alarm’s triumphant return to the stage with the sold-out annual event The Gathering, which had been suspended in recent years due to the pandemic. More than 1,500 fans attended The Gathering. “People traveled from Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, USA, Australia, all over Europe and from various parts of the United Kingdom,” reports The North Wales Pioneer Newspaper. "The weekend has been the ultimate tonic for me. I’m back. The future has opened wide again for me,” Peters told the newspaper.

The Alarm has been steered for over 40 creative years by Mike Peters. With 23 studio albums, over five million albums sold, and 17 Top 50 UK singles, Peters and The Alarm have created quite a sizable and dedicated fanbase that spans decades and continents.

Reflecting on the past year and the promise of new music and live shows (the band plays two shows at New York City’s Gramercy Theater in June 2023), Peters adds, “I literally focused my entire being on being able to walk out of the hospital on my own two feet and not in a wheelchair or with assistance. It’s what kept me positive and determined to regain a complete recovery."

“Next” is now available to stream and for purchase on all DSPs.

“It's your classic ‘guy gets kidnapped while playing a board game and thrown into a cage to see his favorite band’ kind of story,” laughs GLITTER WIZARD bassist KANDI MOON about their new video for “She’s A Star.” Inspired by '70s and '80s grindhouse horror films, comic books, video games and fantasy board games (In this case the classic Dungeon Degenerates), the  video releases today alongside their brand new glam flavored EP Kiss The Boot via Kitten Robot Records. (On DSPs here).

Recalling classic metal videos of yore that feature caged fans, blood rituals and big hair… lots and lots of hair, “She's a Star" looks and feels like a lost Giallo film a la Lamberto Bava/Dario Argento's heavy metal slasher Demons, complete with a haze filled dungeon, high contrast stylized lighting and blood seeping right through the screen. "Filming the video was great, we had an excellent production crew and group of actors who really killed it, literally,” continues Moon. “Because creating art in the Bay Area has become increasingly difficult in the past few years with the escalating cost of living, a lot of creatives have moved away and the ones left are trying to work as much as possible to stay afloat. This project felt like old SF with a bunch of creative people all working toward making something rad and contributing what they could to make it happen. We crammed a lot of shots into two days of filming and then finished it off with a nice bloodbath. You can't really ask for anything more.”

For years, legions of “Glitterati” [a.k.a. Glitter Wizard fans] have begged the hard rock five-piece to inject more '70s junkshop glam into their already stack-heeled, glitter-sparkled splendor, referencing bands that helped define the genre: Slade, Hello, and Angel, with some Sweet thrown in to boot. Always looking to give their fans what they want, Glitter Wizard obliged and  loaded up Kiss the Boot with more sequin-laced riffs, leather-clad hooks, and stardust-laden harmonies.

Kiss The Boot revels in all things glam: From the synth-drenched, high octane ode to their fanbase, “Glitterati,” to the slower paced (yet still in your face) southern rocking “Sequins and Leather.” “Sugar Beat” becomes a hypnotic, boot-stomping mantra, while EP closer “Pogo Tonight” exudes classic rock and roll energy featuring  keys that mimic an alien invasion and soaring vocals on the chorus that drive home the passion of trying to hurry your date up to get ready so you can hang out with the creatures of the night. There’s even a cover of David Bowie’s classic “Suffragette City,” reworked in the style of The Glitter Band with bombastic delayed drums, group vocals and a platform heeled stomp n' boogie.

With its demos self-recorded by the band remotely during COVID lockdowns, later fully recorded and produced at Kitten Robot Studios by Paul Roessler (Nina Hagen, TSOL, Lords of Altamont, Josie Cotton), and later mixed at Toneduff Studios by Screamin' Lord Duff, Moon says they “definitely” used this EP as an experiment in songwriting. “We delved deeply into the sounds and textures of ‘70s glam rock while trying to keep our original sound intact. Hopefully those glam rock influences come through in the tracks but pushed through a Glitter Wizard star filter.”

Playing a unique brand of freaky hard rock that Julian Cope once described as “unashamedly glamorous,” Glitter Wizard were raised on punk and mix screaming riffs with a high-octane stage show full of sequins, headbanging, and a sonic attack that’ll leave you simultaneously dazed and ready for the next hit. The band is constantly working to keep the real spirit of rock n’ roll undead and feasting on the brains of young and old alike.

Kiss The Boot by Glitter Wizard is out today via Kitten Robot Records on all DSPs, alongside their new video for “She’s A Star.”

Tracklisting

    She's A Star
    Glitteratti
    Sequins and Leather
    Suffragette City
    Sugar Beat
    Pogo Tonight

Texas-born troubadour Casper Allen is ushering in a new era of soulful, electrifying Americana with the release of his debut single, “Damned Old Sun,” backed by his powerhouse trio The Naturals: critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Shawn Hess on bass and R. Cooper Long locking down the rhythm. The track—premiering via FLOOD Mag—arrives today alongside a visually stunning music video directed by Greg Lewis, and it serves as the first taste of the band’s upcoming debut EP, The Hard Way, slated for release this May.

“‘Damned Old Sun’ was written as I was becoming conscious of the dissolution of my marriage,” says Allen. “I was thinking back on better times and walking along the beach in the Peconic Bay in New York, and the lyrics just started coming to me. I was listening to Roy Orbison’s Crying album non-stop at the time, so, apologies to Roy if I accidentally swiped any ideas.”

Following a decade-long solo career that drew from the hard-living storytelling tradition of legends like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Allen has assembled a three-piece band that embodies the spirit of Americana in its rawest, most electrifying form. Casper Allen & The Naturals deliver a genre-blurring sound that fuses Texas blues, honky-tonk, R&B, and vintage rock & roll—an organic outgrowth of Allen’s passion for honest, heartfelt songwriting.

The band’s formation was as spontaneous as their sound. Their first recording session was, remarkably, also the first time they all played together.

“Shawn and I had messed around a little, but I’d never played with Cooper before,” Allen shares. “Three of the tracks on the EP are from that very first day. The session went so well, we looked at each other and said: ‘We should take this on the road.’ And here we are, 100 cheeseburgers and a few thousand miles later.”

Laid down in a whirlwind weekend at Shawn Hess’ studio in Laramie, WY, with Ruebin Buchanan at the controls, the EP captures the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of a band in perfect sync.

“We started on Saturday morning, took a break for a gig that night, came back and recorded more, then did a track the next morning before we all had to leave,” Allen recalls. “When Ruebin sent us the files, we were all texting each other like, ‘Holy shit, these rule.’ I just drove around banging that shit for like three hours.”

With “Damned Old Sun” now available and The Hard Way EP on the horizon, Casper Allen & The Naturals are ready to make their mark on the ever-evolving landscape of Americana. Fans can look forward to a year of relentless touring, soul-stirring performances, and stories that come straight from the heart.

“Damned Old Sun” is out now on all major streaming platforms.

The Hard Way EP will be released in May.

KULA SHAKER’s irrepressible return continues apace as the original line-up announce the release of a brand new single "Charge of The Light Brigade" on Strangefolk Records.

Packed with allusions to spiritual vampires and the fairy cavalcade of Celtic folklore, this three-minute musical trip is the first of a number of new tracks the band have recorded for their upcoming eighth studio album (title to be announced) and heralds their March/April shows in the U.K., where they will be riding out with Ocean Colour Scene as very special guests on their 2025 tour.

The tour, with extra dates added due to huge demand, kicked off on March 27th in Leeds, UK and runs until May 4th in Newcastle, will see the bands playing 24 dates across the country including two dates at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on April 4th and May 1st and two dates in Glasgow on the 15th and 16th of April. U.S. dates to be announced shortly!

With their seventh and latest album Natural Magick (2024) released across the world and topping the Independent Album Charts in the UK (“The best album of their career” - Shindig!), and having completed successful tours of North America, Asia, the UK and Europe last year, Kula Shaker are well and truly back in the saddle, galloping at speed, in a startling return to form. 

The band’s sound feels more amplified than ever with the return of Hammond organ wizard Jay Darlington after a decade with Oasis and various Gallaghers, reuniting all four members of the band’s classic line-up (Crispian Mills: guitar/vocals; Jay Darlington: Hammond organ; Alonza Bevan: bass; Paul Winter-Hart: drums) for the first time since 1999’s Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts. 

Delivering that renewed wild energy we know and love, Natural Magick proved to be a mesmeric 13-track incantation incorporating blazing psychedelic sermons, raga rave-ups, stardust-coated pop pearls and mood-enhancing mantras. A technicolor sonic pathway towards a more enlightened state of mind, this was Kula Shaker casting their most powerful spell yet.

Named after a ninth-century mystic, Kula Shaker first carried their freak flag of spiritual sonics to the top during the heady days of Britpop, first with their debut hit "Grateful When You’re Dead" / "Jerry Was There," followed by top five songs like "Hush" and "Tattva" (a pop song written in Sanskrit) before releasing the legendary "Govinda." The band became UK album chart-toppers with 1996’s imperious multi-platinum selling debut album K and the follow-up Peasants Pigs & Astronauts saw them push the creative envelope further, prior to their premature dissolution.  

Having formed their own label Strangefolk in 2007, Kula Shaker have slowly but surely returned to their sonic summit, with a prolific surge of writing, which began in 2023 with 1st Congregational Church Of Eternal Love And Free Hugs, followed by their acclaimed Natural Magick in 2024. 

Sounding the charge for 2025, this new song continues the ever-evolving Kula Shaker legend, which has both entertained and inspired listeners for decades, and 2025, and sees the band advance once again as "Charge of The Light Brigade" trailers the release of a new studio album.

25 years on from the debut album K, Kula Shaker have proved they are still one of the most exciting and ecstatic bands around, an unstoppable tour de force, with kinetic energy cursing through every second of their “electric” live shows.

The band will be releasing new music and embarking on international tours, headlining venues and festivals throughout 2025.

For U.K. dates with Ocean Colour Scene, please go to https://tix.to/OCS25

“Celebrating 30 years of music, madness, and familia? That’s not just a milestone — that’s badass,” says saxophonist/vocalist Ulises Bella of triple GRAMMY® winning multi-genre band OZOMATLI about their landmark anniversary. “Through all the chaos in the world, one thing hasn’t changed: Ozomatli brings the vibes that bring people together.” 

To celebrate the triple decade, the band is announcing the 30 Revolutions Nationwide Tour that kicks off on June 5th in Santa Fe, NM, hitting cities across the country including Los Angeles (June 14 at Grand Performances), Atlanta (Aug. 8 at Center Stage), New York City (Aug. 12 at SONY Hall), Chicago (Aug. 23 at Park West), before concluding at Austin’s Antone’s on Aug. 30. (full dates below).

Committed not only to providing the celebratory atmosphere that their live shows foster, but true to their mission of contributing back to the community, Ozo will be donating $1.00 from every ticket sold to support mental health services for music industry professionals, in partnership with Sweet Relief and Backline. “Ozomatli believes in lifting each other up, so we’ve teamed up with Backline and Sweet Relief to support mental health services for music industry professionals,” explains bassist Wil-Dog Abers.  “You see, the journey means even more now. Ozomatli's got more to say and do! The story's still being written.”

Adds vocalist/percussionist Justin Poree, “This tour is not just a celebration of the past—it’s about reconnecting with communities and cultures that shaped us. The miles we travel remind us of the years we’ve put in, and the fans who still show up remind us why we do it. I’m excited! Every stop on this tour will feel like a reunion—with fans, with each other, and with the road itself.”

“I love playing music,” says vocalist/guitarist Raul Pacheco. “I’ve been able to fulfill that desire for thirty years of my adult life in Ozomatli. I did not know where it would lead, I just kept showing up because each person seemed like they liked playing music just like me. Reflecting now, it’s funny and heartwarming. I grew up and life unfolded with a group of people I knew as musical acquaintances. They became my family. I’m looking forward to the 30th, the gigs and new songs to come!”

Emerging from the politically charged streets of Los Angeles, Ozomatli’s origins are steeped in activism and a desire to unite communities through music. This ethos has carried the band across three decades, earning them a dedicated global following and accolades that include three GRAMMY® Awards, iconic performances at the Hollywood Bowl, a TED Talk, and countless shows worldwide. From high-profile TV appearances on The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Austin City Limits to groundbreaking tours in places like Burma and Mongolia, Ozomatli’s music and message transcend borders, languages, and cultures.

The ensemble’s six founding members—Asdru Sierra (vocals, trumpet), Raul Pacheco (vocals, guitars), Ulises Bella (saxophone, vocals), Wil-Dog Abers (bass), Jiro Yamaguchi (percussion), and Justin Poree (vocals, percussion)—have remained true to their mantra: "We take you around the world through the heartbeat of Los Angeles." Their music is a vibrant collision of styles, drawing from salsa, dancehall, cumbia, samba, funk, merengue, New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga, and Indian raga. This eclecticism is at the heart of their sound, resonating with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Ozomatli’s legacy extends far beyond their music. Known for their focused enthusiastic community involvement, the band has used their platform to amplify causes that matter, from immigrant rights to education and beyond. Their ability to combine socially conscious lyrics with infectious grooves has made them a beacon of unity and resilience, a band that celebrates life while addressing the struggles that connect us all.

Their 30th anniversary is not just a celebration of longevity but also a testament to their enduring relevance and innovation. With a career that began with their groundbreaking 1998 self-titled debut, they continue to evolve and inspire. Whether performing new material or beloved classics, Ozomatli’s live shows remain a jubilant experience, igniting dance floors and uniting communities.

As they embark on their fourth decade, Ozomatli stands as a symbol of Los Angeles’ past, present, and future—a band whose music is as multifaceted and vibrant as the city they call home. Here’s to 30 years of Ozomatli, and the next chapter in their global musical journey.

Concludes Ulises, “So get ready — we’re coming with love, rhythm, and just the right amount of noise. The 30 Revolutions Tour is on… and yes, Ozomatli is still very much in the house!”