Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 76
June 9, 2025
V13 premieres Jesika von Rabbit’s single, “Pretty Dum” today
NEW JESIKA VON RABBIT SINGLE
THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM
BUNNYWOOD BABYLON (DIONYSUS RECORDS)
DROPS FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
RECORD RELEASE PARTIES CONFIRMED
Jesika von Rabbit photo credit Aydra Swan
June 9, 2025 (Joshua Tree, California) – V13 premieres Jesika von Rabbit’s newest single, “Pretty Dum” today. “You take one look at Jesika von Rabbit, you hear one snippet of a song, and you immediately know that she was born to do what she is doing,” writes Aaron Willschick at V13. “That impression is only accentuated even more as you make your way through her new album, Bunnywood Babylon,” The record drops this Friday, June 13th, 2025 at Dionysus Records.
CHECK OUT THE V13 PREMIERE OF NEW SONG “PRETTY DUM” HERE
“’Pretty Dum’ is one of my favorite tracks off the new album,” says Jesika von Rabbit. “It was the last song added to the collection and came to me suddenly one afternoon, almost subconsciously urging me to get it out. It's vulnerable, it's self-deprecating, it's honest but it's also fun and lighthearted. I think it makes a great opening track and sets the tone for the rest of the album; it's rustic meets groovy swirl."
“Our new album Bunnywood Babylon is like an ornate two-story house. Each room has a different theme all decorated by the same person, Jesika von Rabbit,” explains bassist Lee Joseph. “The opening track, ‘Pretty Dum,’ is the entryway of the house where you walk in and see a portrait of Jesika von Rabbit contemplating. What is she contemplating? The world around her, and her past, present, and future! It's also a very catchy tune, with lyrics that many of us can relate to!”
To celebrate the album, the band will headline three record release parties:
Friday, June 13th at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA
Saturday, June 14th at Casbah in San Diego, CA
Friday, June 20th at The Redwood Bar in Los Angeles, CA
Known as the co-founder, front-woman and chief songwriter of the now defunct trailblazing and iconic Joshua Tree act Gram Rabbit, multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer Jesika von Rabbit has released two critically lauded solo albums, Journey Mitchell and Dessert Rock. The upcoming record Bunnywood Babylon is a “blend of synth-pop, Americana and art-rock [which] leans into the avant-garde while never sacrificing melody,” writes Brett Callwood of Music Connection (LINK). The band currently graces the cover of Coachella Valley Weekly, see story in LINK. Punk Globe Magazine: “ This Is Punk Rock” video interview with Ani Kyd Wolf and Jesika von Rabbit has posted HERE.
Written by Jesika von Rabbit, Bunnywood Babylon was produced by Jesika von Rabbit and Ethan Allen at The Rabbit Ranch (Joshua Tree, CA), and Royal Triton Studios (Silver Lake, CA). Preorder the digital on Apple Music in LINK or Amazon in LINK. Preorder the vinyl from Amazon in LINK. Vinyl available from Dionysus Records Mail Order starting June 13 HERE.
abum artwork @petermikulak
TRACK LISTING, Bunnywood Babylon:
1. Pretty Dum
2. Hooray for Hollywood
3. Gotta Keep My Buzz Going
4. Go Back to L.A.
5. What is Your Ism
6. Surf Music
7. Wacko
8. Aberdeen Martin
9. I Can't Find Me
10. Year of the Tiger
11. Desert Rain
LIVE BAND LINEUP:
Jesika von Rabbit: vocals, keyboards, sampler, occasional guitar
Lee Joseph: bass, background vocals
Lani Johnson, Erin Gurule, Beautox Rocks: stage performers
Visit Jesika von Rabbit online:
Website: https://www.jesikavonrabbit.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesikavonrabbitmusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesikavonrabbit/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jesikavonrabbit
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9poN3qsqCJThTxWdEyio_A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/228m37gn65MbaI86rMIEfM
José González' Shares Bibio Rework Of "Crosses" || Touring Europe In June & North America In November
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
SHARES BIBIO REWORK OF “CROSSES”
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS IN NOVEMBER
photo credit: Kalle Gustafsson
Today José González has shared a hypnotic new rework of his classic track “Crosses” by English musician and producer Bibio, a fresh take on one of his most iconic songs and the opening installment in a series of new reworks celebrating the final chapter of the 20th anniversary of González’s acclaimed debut album, Veneer.
The series features contributions from a small group of carefully-selected artists reimagining tracks from his debut album.Speaking on the Bibio rework, José says: “Love what Bibio did with Crosses! Casting the vocals into a different set of chords and adding his dreamy soundscapes makes it sound like a different song - while maintaining the vocals intact. Great work!“
José will soon embark on a European tour (starting in June 18th in Oslo) that will carry throughout the summer and into early Fall.
Additionally, José’s October 2024 US tour, which he was unfortunately forced to cancel due to illness in the family, has been rescheduled and will start in November 2025. If you had tickets for the October 2024 tour, they will be valid for the rescheduled 2025 show in your city. The tour will see González visit many cities that he has not performed in for over a decade and will span his entire career and catalog. Full dates are listed below.
The anniversary celebrations began in 2023 with the deluxe reissue of Veneer and a string of intimate solo shows, in which José performed the album in full to sold-out crowds across Europe and North America - including special performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Now, the story comes full circle with a new series of remixes, each one offering a fresh perspective on the songs that helped define José’s singular sound.
Veneer had a lasting impact on a generation of artists by channeling the emotional authenticity of folk music through a more modern, rhythmic, and less purist lens. Everything about it felt quietly radical, from its stark, minimalist artwork, to the reverse-engineered brilliance of José’s cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats.” It was fresh and forward-thinking, despite being built almost entirely around a single classical guitar and one voice.
In a 2024 interview for the Life of the Record podcast, which explored the making of Veneer, José spoke about wanting “to do something more repetitive and linear, inspired from, sort of dance music.” He was consciously drawing from electronic and minimal influences, inspired to write songs that could be “really easy for someone to do a remix [of] by just adding a house beat underneath.” The crossover potential was further highlighted in 2006, when Ministry of Sound included “Heartbeats” on Volume 9 of their acclaimed Chillout Sessions compilation series. This move - along with endorsements and collaborations with the likes of DJ Tiësto, Zero 7, and British tastemaker Giles Peterson - helped place José in the unlikely position of being both a revered figure in the folk/alternative world and a genre-crossing outlier, soundtracking both late-night DJ sets and the post-club drift of the early hours. His music anticipated the genre-fluid listening habits that platforms like Pitchfork began to champion in the early 2010s, as the boundaries between indie, electronic, and R&B worlds began to dissolve.
Listening to Bibio’s reimagining of “Crosses” in 2025, one is struck by how organically their musical identities weave together - two distinct voices in quiet conversation. Rather than overburdening the track with unnecessary ornamentation, Bibio subtly draws out and highlights the melodic depth of the original, without losing any of its intimacy or restraint. It’s a masterclass in dynamics and texture, and a fitting tribute to a track that redefined what folk music could be in a post-digital era.
José is currently in the studio working on new material for what will become his fifth studio album, his first full-length collection of original songs since Local Valley in 2021.
2025 TOUR DATES:
EUROPEAN TOUR DATES:6/18/2025 - Oslo, NO - OverOslo
6/26/2025 - Lund, SE - Park Live
6/27/2025 - Lausanne, CH - Les Docks
6/28/2025 - Boyle, IE - Lough Key Forest Park
6/29/2025 - Wiltz, LU - Festival de Wiltz
6/30/2025 - Oeiras, PT - Festival Jardins do Marquês
7/11/2025 - Barcelona, ES - Poble Espanyol
7/12/2025 - Fiesole, IT - Estate Fiesolana
7/13/2025 - Cologne, DE - Even Flow Festival
8/2/2025 - Helsinki, FI - À la Park
8/15/2025 - Bodø, NO - Parkenfestivalen
9/25/2025 - Istanbul, TR - Zorlu PSM
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
11/10/2025 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
11/11/2025 - Little Rock, AR - Robinson Performance Hall
11/13/2025 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/14/2025 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
11/15/2025 - Durham, NC - The Carolina Theatre
11/16/2025 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/18/2025 - St. Louis, MO - The Hawthorn
11/19/2025 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre and Ballroom
11/20/2025 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Tickets can be found HERE.
“Crosses (Bibio Rework)” art
Purchase or stream HERE.
Watch the Mikel Cee Karlson-directed creative documentary about José, A Tiger In Paradise, HERE.Purchase Veneer 20th Anniversary Deluxe edition HERE.
CONNECT WITH JOSE GONZALEZ:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLUESKY | INSTAGRAM | WEB
Tracey Ullman Stars in Frankie Cosmos’s New Video for “Pressed Flower”
Today, June 4th, Frankie Cosmos has shared an official video for the album opener, “Pressed Flower,” off the group’s forthcoming long-player, Different Talking, available worldwide on June 27th. Directed by Adam Kolodny, the video stars comedy icon Tracey Ullman alongside the band and others.
Frankie Cosmos’s frontperson, Greta Kline, shares, “It’s a dream come true to have Tracey Ullman star in this video. She’s the funniest person I know, and brings love, depth, and care to every character she plays. Getting to play dress-up with her and find this Manhattanite havoc-wreaker character was a blast. The Director, Adam Kolodny, brought the perfect framework to our crazy concept. This song, for me, is about figuring out who you are, moving on while looking back, and feeling the effects of memories on locations. The video is about someone running around NYC in a disguise, causing a chaotic chain of events for the locals (played by my band).”
Watch this zany and amazing video here.
Different Talking is the band’s sixth and, so far, best album. It’s a collection of fragments and memories, remembered places, and reinterpreted feelings that adds up to a lucent, humming whole: a sturdy, worldly indie-rock record about aging and the passage of time that nonetheless manages to feel sharply current.
The current configuration of Frankie Cosmos features Greta Kline, Alex Bailey, Katie Von Schleicher, and Hugo Stanley. Kline is the only constant, but Stanley, Bailey, and Von Schleicher are crucial collaborators, and to use the names “Greta Kline” and “Frankie Cosmos” interchangeably would be incorrect. Kline remains the primary songwriter, and the band arranges the music on Different Talking as a whole; however, this is the first album to be self-tracked by the unit, with no external studio producers.
“Pressed Flower” follows the previously released singles “Bitch Heart” and “Vanity” which Stereogum described as “…bigger and more complex than most of what we’ve heard from Frankie Cosmos in the past, without sacrificing the innate warm, DIY quality of Kline’s songwriting.”
The band has announced a World Tour, with the North American dates beginning on September 3 and running through October 25. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart and Moontype will support the first leg, from September 3 to September 20, and Chris Cohen & Emily Yacina will support the second leg, from October 9 to October 25. The band will then return to the UK and EU for 7 shows with Babehoven on main support. See below for a complete list of shows.
North America:
Sat. Jul. 26 - Teulon, MB - Real Love Summer Fest
Wed. Sep. 3 - Kingston, NY - Tubby’s #
Thu. Sep. 4 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts #
Fri. Sep. 5 - Washington, DC - Black Cat #
Sat. Sep. 6 - Asheville, NC - Eulogy #
Mon. Sep. 8 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl #
Tue. Sep. 9 - Nashville, TN - Blue Room #
Thu. Sep. 11 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon #
Fri. Sep. 12 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity #
Sat. Sep. 13 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall #
Sun. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI - El Club #
Mon. Sep. 15 - Toronto, Canada - Great Hall #
Tue. Sep. 16 - Montreal, Canada - Bar le Ritz #
Thu. Sep. 18 - Portland, ME - Space Gallery #
Fri. Sep. 19 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall #
Sat. Sep. 20 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Thu. Oct. 9 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room @
Fri. Oct. 10 - San Diego, CA - Quartyard @
Sat. Oct. 11 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets Pioneertown @
Mon. Oct. 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell @
Tue. Oct 14 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club @
Fri. Oct. 17 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile @
Sat. Oct. 18 - Tacoma, WA - The Spanish Ballroom @
Sun. Oct. 19 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom @
Tue. Oct. 21 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s @
Wed. Oct. 22 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall @
Thu. Oct. 23 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Club Atrium @
Fri. Oct. 24 - Ojai, CA - Deer Lodge @
Sat. Oct. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom @
UK/EU
Sat. Nov. 15 - Dublin, IE - Button Factory $
Mon. Nov. 17 - Manchester, UK - YES (Pink Room) $
Tue. Nov. 18 - London, UK - Electric Brixton $
Fri. Nov. 21 - Paris, FR - Maroquinerie $
Sat. Nov. 22 - Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet
Sun. Nov. 23 - Brussels, BE - Botanique $
Tue. Nov. 25 - Berlin, DE - Lido $
# Fantasy Of A Broken Heart & Moontype
@ w/ Chris Cohen & Emily Yacina
$ w/ Babehoven
Different Talking is now available to pre-order on vinyl/CD/digital formats from Sub Pop. A Loser Edition LP on Opaque Red is available through the Sub Pop Mega Mart (North America) and White Vinyl via the Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and your local record store
Different Talking
Album Cover
Tracklisting:
1. Pressed Flower
2. One of Each
3. Against the Grain
4. Bitch Heart
5. Porcelain
6. One! Grey! Hair!
7. Vanity
8. Not Long
9. Margareta
10. Your Take On
11. High Five Handshake
12. You Become
13. Joyride
14. Tomorrow
15. Wonderland
16. Life Back
17. Pothole
LEISURE Announce New Album 'Welcome To The Mood' + Share New Single "Missing You" + North American Tour
NEW ZEALAND COLLECTIVE
LEISURE
ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
WELCOME TO THE MOOD
TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 12TH
THE RECORD HIGHLIGHTS THE CREATIVE FREEDOM AND THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF A BAND
EVOLVING WITH AUTHENTIC PURPOSE
SHARE LIVE VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE
ANNOUNCE GLOBAL FALL TOUR
ON-SALE JUNE 13TH
PHOTO CREDIT: SHEVA KAFAI
“A striking sense of cohesion and style.” - The Line of Best Fit
“blissed-out, height-of-summer melancholia groove” – Vanyaland
“Genre-hopping supergroup” – Rolling Stone
June 9, 2025 - Auckland’s soul-electronic collective LEISURE announces their new studio album, Welcome To The Mood, will be released on September 12, 2025. For their fifth studio album, the genre-defying sextet refines their soulful, slow-burning ethos into a radiant new chapter — one rooted in togetherness, creative freedom, and the lived experience of a band evolving with authentic purpose. They also embraced a more organic, live-recording approach on Welcome To The Mood. The group explains, “Off the back of touring the last album, we had played more shows than ever and wanted to bring more of the live element into the process, so we didn’t use drum breaks and loops as much as previous records and tracked live.” They continued expanding their sound by bringing in specialist musicians — string sections, brass, pianos, and backing vocalists — pushing the sonic possibilities beyond their individual skill sets. Yet at its core, the album remains deeply personal. Written in remote hideaways, the songs carry the tranquility of escape while capturing a newfound confidence in emotional vulnerability.
Thematically, Welcome To The Mood is a rich sonic auditory tapestry woven with threads of authenticity, humanity, and creative celebration. Lyrically, the album explores universal experiences — love, loss, connection, hope, and purpose — drawn from the everyday yet rendered in LEISURE’s distinct palette of lush tones and laid-back groove. Tracks are anchored in realness but elevated by a sonic landscape that feels simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic, mirroring the ethos of Frank Lloyd Wright, whose Taliesin West provided literal and symbolic inspiration during the album’s visual journey.
On Sunday, they shared a live video for the new single, “Missing You,” which was filmed at the architectural landmark. By choosing Taliesin West as a backdrop, LEISURE pays homage to Wright’s architectural genius and further establishes their vision that art, whether through architecture or sound, plays a vital role in enriching everyday life. The band adds, “It’s incredible how even in 2025 the spaces Frank Lloyd Wright built in 1937 still feel futuristic and nostalgic at the same time, this is a goal for our music as well. His inspiration to build spaces for creativity and connection is also something we share.”
WATCH + SHARE “MISSING YOU” LIVE AT TALIESIN WEST
https://youtu.be/I0Rhmur2hDw
On Friday, tickets will go on-sale for their European and North American fall tour in support of the record. The tour launches in October with a performance at Austin City Limits Festival and includes stops in New York (Terminal 5), Toronto (The Concert Hall), Chicago (Vic Theater), Los Angeles (The Novo), Vancouver (Commodore), London (Roadhouse), Paris (Bataclan), Berlin (Huxley’s), and more. A full list of dates can be found below.
In a world preoccupied with instant gratification and overnight success, LEISURE have been taking the scenic route. The six members - and mates - came together in 2015 on a spontaneous trip up New Zealand’s rugged west coast. At that stage, they’d independently spent years churning through the music machine’s tight jaws. Individually, the five are award-winning songwriters, producers, and creatives. Together, they resolved to carve out a new musical paradigm: cut the crap, enjoy the ride, and above all, keep it LEISURE. Welcome To The Mood follows the acclaimed 2023 album Leisurevision, which received praise from BBC, Rolling Stone, KCRW, and more. 530+ million streams later, festivals like Lollapalooza, M3F, and the upcoming ACL date, and sold-out headline dates throughout NZ, Australia, the UK, Europe, and the US, they’re doing something right.
WELCOME TO THE MOOD TRACKLISTING:
Diamonds
The Colour of the Sound
Dominoes
Beach House
Tenderness
Desert Moon Sky
One in a Million
LEISURE FALL TOUR DATES:
General on-sale June 13th
10/10 - 12 Austin, TX Austin City Limits
10/13 Nashville, TN Basement East
10/14 Atlanta, GA Variety
10/16 New York, NY Terminal 5
10/17 Washington, DC 930 Club (late)
10/20 Boston, MA Royale
10/22 Montreal, QC Beanfield Theatre
10/23 Toronto, ON The Concert Hall
10/24 Cleveland, OH Globe Iron
10/25 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
10/27 Denver, CO Ogden
10/29 Boise, ID Treefort Music Hall
10/30 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
10/31 Seattle, WA Showbox Sodo
11/01 Vancouver, BC Commodore
11/05 San Francisco, CA Fox Theater
11/07 Los Angeles, CA The Novo
11/08 San Diego, CA The Sound
11/09 Tucson, AZ La Rosa
11/27 London, UK Roundhouse
11/28 Bristol, UK Thekla
11/29 Manchester, UK Academy 2
12/01 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique Box
12/02 Paris, France Bataclan
12/03 Utrecht, Netherlands TivoliVredenburg
12/04 Berlin, Germany Astra
12/06 Prague, CR Meet Factory
12/07 Warsaw, Poland Proxima
12/09 Vienna, Austria SimmCity
12/10 Zurich, Switzerland Dynamo
12/11 Cologne, Germany Stollwerck
12/13 Barcelona, Spain Sala Apolo 2
12/14 Madrid, Spain Sala Mon
FOLLOW LEISURE :
Charli Blossom Girl - Charli xcx joins Air to perform "Cherry Blossom Girl"
CHARLI BLOSSOM GIRL
CHARLI XCX JOINS AIR TO PERFORM
“CHERRY BLOSSOM GIRL” LIVE AT WE LOVE GREEN FESTIVAL IN PARIS, FRANCE
AIR CONTINUE MOON SAFARI TOUR WITH NEW NORTH AMERICAN DATES THIS FALL
Photo Credit - @cee.capture
(June 9, 2025) - Charli xcx made a surprise appearance over the weekend, joining Air during their set at We Love Green Festival in Paris, France on Saturday, June 7. A noted Air fan, the band appeared as Charli’s #2 most listened to artist on her 2024 Spotify Wrapped that she shared across social media. She joined the French duo to perform their iconic “Cherry Blossom Girl” from their Talkie Walkie album. Watch the performance here.
Air recently announced the North American leg of their acclaimed 2025 Moon Safari Tour. Following a 30-date EU/UK tour run starting late May, the legendary French band will kick off the 12-date North American tour with a show in Mexico city followed by a night to remember at the Hollywood Bowl alongside the Bowl’s Orchestra on Sept 21. They will then take their lauded show across the US and Canada with dates in San Diego, San Francisco, and Chicago, among others, before concluding with a multi-night residency at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York. Tickets are available for purchase HERE. Produced by Live Nation in association with CAA – Corida – NCLS – Prototyp, the tour will also offer a VIP package and experience for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. The package includes reserved tickets, official tour poster, first drink on us, exclusive merchandise & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
What The Press Are Saying:
“Moon Safari proves that the French really do it better”
Rolling Stone, 100 Best Albums of The 1990’s
“a wild, jaw dropping widescreen extravaganza”
The Guardian, 5 stars
“a joy from start to finish. See this show at all costs”
NME, 5 stars
“beautiful….otherworldly and transporting”
The Sunday Times, 5 stars
.
Upcoming Live Dates
6/17 - Dublin, IR @ Fairview Park
6/21 - Lido De Camaiore, ITA @ La Primera Estate
6/23 - Zagreb, CRO @ InMusic Festival
6/24 - Sofia, BUL @ Arena Sofia Kolodruma
6/26 - Madrid, SPA @ Noches Del Botanico
6/28 - Istanbul, TUR @ Gezgin Salon Festival
6/29 - Athens, GRE @ Herodes Atticus Theater
7/3 - Herouville, FRA @ Beauregard Festival
7/5 - Eindhoven, NL @ Klokgebouw
7/6 - Luxembourg, LUX @ Rockhal
7/9 - Aix Les Bains, FRA @ Musilac
7/10 - Juan Les Pins, FRA @ Jazz A Juan
7/11 - La Rochelle, FRA @ Francos
7/16 - Munich, GER @ Tollwood Tent Festival
7/18 - Hamburg, GER @ Stadtpark Open Air Festival
7/24 - Arles, FRA @ Les Escales @ Theatre Antique
7/25 - Toulouse, FRA @ Poney Club
7/26 - St Nazaire, FRA @ Escales De St Nazaire
7/27 - Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
8/1 - Oxfordshire, UK @ Wilderness Festival
8/2 - North Berwick, Scotland (UK) @ The Lighthouse Festival
8/6 - Bonn, GER @ Kunstrasen Open Air Festival
8/7 - Lokeren, BEL @ Lokerse Feesten
8/8 - Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival
8/16 - Paredes De Coura, POR @ Paredes De Coura Festival
9/16 - Mexico City, MX - Auditorio Nacional
9/21 - Los Angeles, CA, USA @ Hollywood Bowl w/ The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
[with support from Bonobo (DJ set)]
9/24 - San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater
9/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theater
9/28 - San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
9/30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Sandy Amphitheatre
10/2 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10/5 - Chicago, IL @ The Auditorium
10/6 - Cleveland, OH @ MGM Northfield Park
10/7 - Washington, D.C. @ The Theater at MGM National Harbor
10/9 - Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
10/10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
10/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
10/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
Air by Mathieu Rainaud
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Zach Top’s highly anticipated new album "Ain’t In It For My Health" out August 29, first single “Good Times and Tan Lines” out today
album cover artJune 9, 2025—Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Zach Top is back with his highly anticipated new album Ain’t In It For My Health —out August 29 on Leo33. Ahead of the release, the first single, “Good Times & Tan Lines,” is out today (listen/share HERE). The new album follows last year’s breakthrough debut album Cold Beer & Country Music and comes on the heels of recently achieving his first #1 song at country radio with “I Never Lie.”Top debuted “Good Times & Tan Lines” live last night at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during CMA Fest and will continue to perform throughout the summer as part of Dierks Bentley’s Broken Branches Tour. Upcoming stops include Toronto’s Budweiser Stage, Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome and New York’s Madison Square Garden as well as festival performances at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Watershed Festival, Country Calling and more. See below for complete tour itinerary, full details can be found at www.zachtop.com/tour.
single cover art and press photo, credit: Citizen Kane WayneThe new music adds to a landmark year for Top, who was recently named 2025 ACM New Male Artist of the Year and performed “a moving acoustic rendition” (American Songwriter) of his song, “Use Me,” during the live ACM Awards ceremony. Additionally, Top recently performed “I Never Lie” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” was named “the future of country music” by Billboard, was nominated for New Artist of the Year at the 58th Annual CMA Awards, received Discovery Artist of the Year at the 2024 MusicRow Awards and released Me & Billy—a three-song EP featuring 2x Grammy Award-winning artist Billy Strings (listen here). Upon its release last year, Cold Beer & Country Music garnered over 3.5 million streams in just its first week and went on to be nominated for ACM Album of the Year. Produced by Carson Chamberlain (Billy Currington, Easton Corbin), the record received widespread acclaim with The Tennessean saying it’s full of “star-making tunes,” while Country Centralpraised, “Cold Beer & Country Music is a masterclass in traditional country music…With a record this strong, Zach Top has proven himself as a standout rising star in this format and a premier vocalist in country music.” Raised in Sunnyside, WA, Top grew up on classic country music around the family farm. At the age of seven, he formed a band with his siblings which set the stage for his musical ambitions. Throughout his teenage years and early twenties, Top honed his craft by playing in various bluegrass bands before moving to Nashville in 2021, where he has been steadily making his mark as an artist to watch. ZACH TOP CONFIRMED TOUR DATESJune 12—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage*June 13—North Lawrence, OH—The Country Fest 2025June 14—Tinley Park, IL—Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre*June 19—Chula Vista, CA—North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre*June 20—Phoenix, AZ—Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre*June 21—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater*June 22—Telluride, CO—Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2025June 26—Los Angeles, CA—Intuit Dome*June 27—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre*June 28—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre*July 3—Calgary, AB—Cowboys Music FestivalJuly 10—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater*July 11—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live*July 12—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center*July 13—Clearfield, PA—Clearfield County FairgroundsJuly 17—Twin Lakes, WI—Country Thunder WisconsinJuly 18—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center*July 19—Noblesville, IN—Ruoff Music Center*July 21—Valparaiso, IN—Porter County Expo CenterJuly 31—Salt Lake City, UT—Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre*August 1—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater*August 2—Quincy, WA—Watershed FestivalAugust 7—Camden, NJ—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion*August 8—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek*August 9—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion*August 10—Lewisburg, WV—The State Fair of West VirginiaAugust 14—Darrien Center, NY—Darrien Lake Amphitheater*August 15—Holmdel, NJ—PNC Bank Arts Center*August 16—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*August 21—Savannah, GA—Enmarket Arena*August 22—Birmingham, AL—Coca-Cola Amphitheater*August 23—Biloxi, MS—Mississippi Coast Coliseum*August 28—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden Arena*August 29—Burgettstown, PA—The Pavilion at Star Lake*August 30—Clarkston, MI—Pine Knob Music Theatre*October 4—Ocean City, MD—Country Calling 2025*as part of Dierks Bentley’s Broken Branches Tour www.zachtop.com
DRAIN Announce New Album & Share Video For Lead Single "Nights Like These"
DRAIN Announce New Album ‘…IS YOUR FRIEND’
Out November 7th Via Epitaph Records
WATCH Music Video For “Nights Like These”
On Tour This Summer + Fall
Festival Sets at Warped Tour, Furnace Fest, Louder Than Life & More
Hardcore Santa Cruz, CA trio DRAIN are back and announcing their new album ‘...IS YOUR FRIEND’ today, due for release on November 7th via Epitaph Records. After crushing all expectations with 2023’s ‘LIVING PROOF’ and spending the subsequent year on the road, the new record finds these best friends playing at the top of their game and flexing their instinctive chemistry.
Leading with bouncy hardcore banger “Nights Like These,” vocalist Sammy Ciaramitaro pauses to discuss the lifelong goals that have now become Drain’s average Tuesday: “Over the last decade of doing DRAIN, I've been able to see the world, meet incredible people, experience all sorts of incredible highs and even a couple of lows - but most importantly, I got to do all of those things with my best friends. No matter how much we accomplish and how big we grow - we are still just a couple of friends who get to play music together, make memories all over the world, and we are SO aware of how lucky we are to do it. THAT is what "Nights Like These" is about.”
“Nights Like These”
WATCH | LISTEN
The Derek Rathbun-directed music video splits between footage of the band’s rowdy live show in 2025 and fast-forwards to them displaying the same onstage energy thirty years later but utilizing the members’ dads and uncle as stunt doubles. “When we were coming up with ideas for this video, I thought it would be so cool to try and make us look old and play a show as seniors,” Ciaramitaro explained. “We could have gone the route of using make-up and practical effects, but then it clicked in my brain...I am going to look just like my dad when I get old - I should just use him.”
Enthused about witnessing his 61-year-old father stage dive for the first time, he adds, “The fact that we got to share this special night with the people who shaped us to be the men we are today - means SO much to all of us. I hope that everyone enjoys watching it as much as we all enjoyed getting to make it happen. Shout out to Stu, Frankie, and Donny!”
There’s no other hardcore band like DRAIN. The Santa Cruz band is an institution in their genre and an affable neighbor to their adjacent ones. Punks love Drain. Metalheads love DRAIN. Haters can’t help but love DRAIN. DRAIN is for everyone. Well, venue security guards might not love DRAIN. But to everyone else: DRAIN …Is Your Friend.
DRAIN (Ciaramitaro, guitarist Cody Chavez, and drummer Tim Flegal) formed back in 2014 and cut their teeth in Santa Cruz’s fertile DIY hardcore scene. COVID lockdown couldn’t stop their 2020 debut, California Cursed, from making waves, and their 2023 follow-up, LIVING PROOF, hit the hardcore scene like a Cali beach during hurricane season -- a torrential classic. Since then, DRAIN have blazed through hundreds of shows worldwide: headlining festivals, taking their friends and heroes on tour, and even playing arenas with Blink-182. Regardless of whether they're opening for pop-punk jukeboxes like Neck Deep or grabbing the stage-dive torch from Terror, DRAIN’s only goal is to make the crowd go buck wild.
With their third full-length album and second for Epitaph Records, …IS YOUR FRIEND, DRAIN had two primary goals in mind: to capture their quintessential live essence on recording, and to write new songs that’ll make their next shows even crazier. Their previous albums were written before DRAIN were on the road all year, and they spent the last few hundred nights onstage making note of which songs their fans respond best to. …IS YOUR FRIEND is designed to maximize their audience’s shit-losing abilities. Its ten songs include the heaviest mosh parts, the catchiest choruses, the tastiest thrash riffs, and the most scream-able lyrics DRAIN have ever written. Producer Jon Markson (The Story So Far, Drug Church, One Step Closer) tracked the whole album live -- 100% real-time drums, no metronome, no programmed bullshit. It sounds the way DRAIN was always meant to: crisp, serrated, animated. Over the years, they have gotten bigger, their crowds have gotten more diverse, and their music has become more eclectic. But Ciaramitaro underscores what this album makes abundantly clear: their founding ethos remains unchanged. “DRAIN is your friend, DRAIN was your friend, DRAIN will forever be your friend.”
...IS YOUR FRIEND Tracklisting
1. Stealing Happiness From Tomorrow
2. Living In A Memory
3. Scared Of Everything And Nothing
4. Nothing But Love
5. Can’t Be Bothered
6. Loudest In The Room
7. Nights Like These
8. Who’s Having Fun?
9. Darkest Days
10. Until Next Time
Catch DRAIN On Tour
June 10 – Amityville, NY – Amityville Music Hall
June 11 – Syracuse, NY – The Song & Dance
June 13 – Reading, PA – Reverb
June 14-15 – Washington, DC – Warped Tour *
June 16 – Richmond, VA – The Warehouse
June 17 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy
June 19 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
July 18 – Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration Fest *
July 26-27 – Long Beach, CA – Warped Tour *
Sept. 18 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life *
Sept. 20 – Worcester, MA – New England Metal & Hardcore Festival
Sept. 23 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo RiverWorks
Oct. 3-5 – Princeton, AL – Furnace Fest *
Oct. 12 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
Oct. 14 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
Oct. 15 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 17 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Oct. 21 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Oct. 23 – Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades
Oct. 24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
Oct. 25 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Nov. 15-16 – Orlando, FL – Warped Tour *
*Festival Play
June 8, 2025
SHWAYZE @ Cali Vibes SATURDAY June 7th 2025 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos taken by Martin Worster
June 7, 2025
STICK FIGURE @ Cali Vibes SATURDAY June 7th 2025 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos by Alexander Laurence
DIRTY HEADS @ Cali Vibes SATURDAY June 7th 2025 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE
All photos by Alexander Laurence
