Category Archives: Music

Scottish Indie-Pop Trio BIS to Play First U.S. Show in 25 Years at Powerpuff Girls Cast Reunion

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A Glasgow band that soundtracked a generation’s Saturday mornings is coming back to the States for the first time in over two decades.

BIS, the indie-pop trio behind The Powerpuff Girls’ original end theme, will perform at The Heroes of Townsville on November 7 at Glendale’s Alex Theatre. It’s their first U.S. concert in more than 25 years, and it’s happening alongside a full reunion of the show’s original voice cast and creative team.

The event brings together Catherine Cavadini (Blossom), Tara Strong (Bubbles), E.G. Daily (Buttercup), series creator Craig McCracken, and Lauren Faust. Linda Simensky moderates, with Eric Bauza hosting.

BIS made their name in the ’90s with tracks like “Kandy Pop” and “Eurodisco,” mixing pop hooks with punk energy and disco rhythms. But for a whole generation of animation fans, they’re the sound of Cartoon Network childhood. Their music also turned up in the Jet Set Radio games, cementing their cult status.

Saturday Morning Cartoons United is producing the fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting Starlight Children’s Foundation and the nonprofit’s ongoing animation celebration work. The night also features Next Friday: Magical Meow Meow, an indie animated short by Jen Nguyen and Mary Ramos, plus a pop-up marketplace and photo ops.

It’s a rare crossover moment: the voices, the creator, and the music that helped make The Powerpuff Girls a pop-culture fixture, all in one room.

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Stephanie Economou Blends Grunge and Sci-Fi for HBO’s ‘Lanterns’ Soundtrack

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Grammy winner Stephanie Economou just dropped the full soundtrack for HBO Max’s Lanterns, and it’s a wild mix of ’90s rock grit and cosmic sound design.

The composer pulled from Nirvana, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Portishead to build the musical DNA for John Stewart, Hal Jordan, and the town of Rushville. She layered traditional guitars and drum kits with found sounds like glass bottles, scrap metal, and chains, then threw in synths to create what she calls a “tactile, dynamic sonic world.”

For the Green Lantern Corps and alien species, Economou went full experimental. Reversed violas, degraded strings, trombone mouthpiece sounds, and processed upright basses created the unsettling alien motifs. The Lanterns theme itself bends and shifts in ways that hint at something off about the Guardians.

The soundtrack also includes “Away From Home (Rushville’s Lament),” an original song featuring Ari Mason and Wayne Ingram. It’s meant to capture the resilience of the people caught in the cosmic chaos.

Economou made history in 2023 as the first-ever Grammy winner for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games. Now she’s bringing that same boldness to a major superhero series, proving indie-minded composers can reshape blockbuster sound.

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FLO Announces Massive 2027 ‘Therapy at the Club’ Tour, Including Radio City and First Arena Headliner

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British R&B trio FLO just announced their biggest tour yet. The “Therapy at the Club” trek spans 22 dates across North America, the UK, and Europe starting January 2027, marking the largest US headline run by a British girl group in nearly 20 years.

The tour kicks off January 22 in Seattle and hits major venues including New York’s Radio City Music Hall, LA’s YouTube Theater, and DC’s The Anthem across 17 North American stops. After wrapping the US leg in Toronto on February 21, FLO heads to Europe in March for shows in Cologne, Amsterdam, and Paris before their UK finale.

The London show at OVO Arena Wembley on March 12 is a milestone. It’s their first arena headliner ever.

“We’ve been keeping this secret for so long and it’s been killing us,” the group said. “This time we get to enjoy the tour with more of you than ever.”

Presales start October 7, with general tickets dropping October 9.

The tour follows their sophomore album “Therapy at the Club,” which hit the UK Top 5 and made history as the first British R&B girl group to debut in the Top 5 with both their first two albums. They recently dropped a remix project with DJ Honey Dijon and are fresh off their first Asia headline tour.

FLO won a MOBO for Best R&B/Soul Act in 2026 and scored a GRAMMY nomination for their debut. Now they’re bringing the club confessional to stages worldwide.

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Greta Van Fleet Map Out Massive 59-City 2027 World Tour

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Greta Van Fleet are hitting the road hard. The Grammy-winning rock band just announced a 59-date world tour kicking off February 3, 2027 in Savannah, Georgia and wrapping July 31 back home in Michigan.

The Into the Beginning Tour spans North America and Europe, with stops in Chicago, Brooklyn, Detroit, Dallas, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Toronto. Arc De Soleil, The Kooks, and Portugal. The Man join on select North American legs.

In a rare win for fans, every ticket will be sold at face value with no surge pricing or platinum upselling. North American tickets go on sale October 15, European on October 9, with fan presales starting earlier. VIP packages are available for North American shows only.

The tour supports the band’s fourth studio album Palace for the People, dropping October 9 via Republic Records. New single “Tear It Down” just landed, following lead tracks “Play Your Games” and “Saw You Stand.” The Kiszka brothers and drummer Daniel Wagner recorded the album with producer Mike Elizondo in a remote Tennessee cabin, chasing a rawer, more expansive sound.

Before the big tour, Greta Van Fleet will play an intimate three-week Saturday residency at Nashville’s The Basement East throughout October. For a band known for selling out arenas, the small room shows feel like a victory lap before they take over the world again.

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Sara Bareilles Returns With First Album in Seven Years, Fall Tour, and Tribeca Doc Premiere

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By Armando

sara-bareillesSara Bareilles is coming back in a big way. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter just announced Good Grief, her first studio album since 2019’s Amidst the Chaos, dropping August 28 on Epic Records.

The 14-track collection confronts loss head-on while threading hope through its darkest corners. “This whole collection of songs felt like transmissions rather than a deliberate attempt to make sense of the world,” Bareilles says. “My deepest hope is that Good Grief provides some kind of comfort or catharsis.”

First single “Home” arrives today, inspired by a conversation between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about grief. The album features collaborators like Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, and the late poet Andrea Gibson, with production handled by Bareilles alongside Aaron Dessner at Long Pond Studios.

The rollout includes a Good Grief Tour kicking off September 9 in Boston, hitting Radio City Music Hall, Chicago Theatre, and the Dolby Theatre across 18 North American cities. Tickets go on sale June 10, with artist and presales starting June 8.

A documentary capturing the album’s creation premieres at Tribeca Festival on June 4, offering an intimate look at Bareilles returning to the studio after seven years. It’s a creative process laid bare, grief and all.

For an artist who’s conquered Broadway with Waitress and earned Emmy nods for Girls5eva, this marks a deeply personal homecoming to her roots.

SARA BAREILLES LIVE

September 9: Boston, MA, MGM Music Hall at Fenway
September 12: Washington, D.C., The Anthem
September 15: Toronto, ON, Massey Hall
September 18: New York, NY, Radio City Music Hall
September 21: Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark
September 24: Atlanta, GA, Fox Theatre
September 25: Cincinnati, OH, Taft Theatre
September 27: Chicago, IL, Chicago Theatre
September 30: Minneapolis, MN, Orpheum Theatre
October 2: St. Louis, MO, Stifel Theatre
October 4: Denver, CO, Bellco Theatre
October 6: Austin, TX, Bass Concert Hall
October 7: Houston, TX, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
October 12: Los Angeles, CA, Dolby Theatre
October 13: Los Angeles, CA, Dolby Theatre
October 16: San Francisco, CA, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
October 19: Seattle, WA, The Paramount Theatre

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Black-and-White Jazz Musical ‘Airport BLVD’ Heads to Tribeca Competition

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airport-blvdA black-and-white musical about gentrification and belonging in East Austin is heading to the U.S. Narrative Competition at Tribeca 2026.

Airport BLVD follows Xavier as his neighborhood, friendships, and sense of home slowly vanish around him. Writer-director Alejandro Hendricks shot the film in luminous black-and-white with an original jazz score, centering Black creative lives in a city rarely shown from this perspective onscreen.

The film tackles displacement, intimacy, ambition, and what happens when a city transforms faster than the people who made it home. It’s a love letter to East Austin, old and new, caught in that bittersweet space between memory and evolution.

The cast includes Jamal Gamble, Toluwani, Kenny Duet, Mor Cohen, Matthew Graham Wagner, and Azeem Williams. Brannin Webber, Jamal Gamble, and Trai Wade produced.

Airport BLVD world premieres June 5 at 6:15 PM at Village East Theater by Angelika, with additional screenings June 6 and 10.

For indie filmmakers tackling gentrification and cultural erasure, this one hits close to home. Austin’s transformation has pushed out countless artists and communities of color. Hendricks is putting that story, and those faces, front and center.

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Green Day Comedy “Nimrods” Hits Theaters August 14

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NimrodsA Green Day-inspired road trip comedy is coming to theaters this summer, and fans can actually own a piece of it.

“Nimrods” follows three friends who mistakenly think their band is opening for Green Day on New Year’s Eve, so they take off for LA. The cross-country journey is based on Green Day’s own wild years living in a tour van. Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman, and Ryan Foust play the leads, with McKenna Grace, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Fred Armisen, and Bobby Lee rounding out the cast.

Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool are producing alongside Tim Perell. Live Nation Studios and Ryan Kroft executive produce.

The film hits theaters August 14 through Inaugural Entertainment and Legion M, the fan-owned studio that’s letting audiences invest in distribution. Legion M co-founders Jeff Annison and Paul Scanlan saw it at TIFF and jumped. “Green Day wouldn’t exist without the fans,” they said, “and we’re excited to give those fans the opportunity to own a stake in the film.”

This follows Legion M’s recent success with “Fackham Hall” and fits their model of building fan momentum around theatrical releases. For a comedy rooted in punk rock chaos, letting the community rally behind it feels right.

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Grammy Museum’s New Exhibit Celebrates Legendary Songwriters With Kurt Cobain’s Guitar, Prince’s Purple Rain Glasses, and More

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The Grammy Museum is opening a new permanent exhibit that puts the spotlight on the people who actually write the songs.

Tower of Song: Iconic Songwriters & Recordings opens May 28 in Los Angeles, bringing together artifacts from both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It’s a partnership that makes sense, shining a light on the craft behind the hits.

The crown jewels are wild. Kurt Cobain’s Mosrite Gospel guitar that he used to write most of Nevermind. Prince’s gold-rimmed glasses from Purple Rain. Miles Davis’s red lacquer trumpet. Keith Moon’s gold Premier drum kit from Tommy. Jim Morrison’s personal notebook. Frank Sinatra’s microphones from Capitol Records sessions.

On the songwriting side, there’s Neil Diamond’s handwritten lyrics for “Song Sung Blues,” Diane Warren’s Yamaha DX 7 keyboard she used to write countless hits, and the LinnDrum and Ensoniq synthesizer Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis used to create Rhythm Nation 1814.

The exhibit includes an original film featuring Alan Menken, Carole King, Warren, and Jimmy Jam discussing their creative process. There’s also a digital interactive asking visitors to break down what makes these Hall of Fame songs actually work.

The opening night features a public program with Jimmy Jam and Warren breaking down their craft, followed by a reception.

For indie songwriters grinding it out, this is validation that the craft matters.

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Pearl Jam, Alabama Shakes, and Maná Set to Headline Ohana Festival’s 10th Anniversary

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Ohana-Festival-2026Ohana Festival is hitting a milestone, and the lineup reflects it. Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder & Friends, Tyler Childers, and Maná will headline the three-day event at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California, running September 25 through 27.

The 10th anniversary edition also includes Alabama Shakes, Fontaines D.C., Billy Idol, Pixies, Rilo Kiley, Jon Batiste, Men I Trust, and Bad Religion across more than 30 acts and three stages.

Since Eddie Vedder founded the festival in 2016, Ohana has become a standout on the festival circuit, mixing world-class music with environmental activism and surf culture along the Southern California coast. Pollstar named it Music Festival of the Year four times, most recently in 2026.

The Cove, a dedicated area within the festival grounds, focuses on oceans, conservation, Indigenous voices, and community action. The Storytellers Stage hosts panels with environmentalists, activists, and pro surfers, while The Cove Gallery displays hundreds of curated art pieces tied to music and board culture. Proceeds support nonprofit partners through the Vitalogy Foundation.

Ten Club presale starts Tuesday, May 12 at 10 a.m. PT. General presale follows Thursday, May 14 at noon PT. Tickets include GA, VIP, and Ultimate VIP packages. More info at ohanafest.com.

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Austin City Limits Turns 25 With Charli XCX, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Twenty One Pilots

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austin-city-limits-2026Austin City Limits is going big for its 25th anniversary. The festival just dropped its 2026 lineup, and it’s stacked with Charli XCX, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, Skrillex, Kings of Leon, and The xx headlining across two weekends.

The festival runs October 2-4 and October 9-11 at Zilker Park. Three-day tickets go on sale today at noon Central.

Beyond the headliners, the lineup pulls from every corner of the music world. Turnstile, Labrinth, The War On Drugs, and Bleachers anchor the mid-tier. Latin artists including Young Miko, rusowsky, and Rodrigo y Gabriela get real estate too. And ACL is still doing what it does best: giving rising talent a stage. Artists like Paris Paloma, Claire Rosinkranz, and Sienna Spiro are all on the bill.

Texas artists are well represented. Bo Staloch, Calder Allen, World Famous Pets, and the Huston Tillotson University Jazz Collective are among the homegrown acts playing this year.

Since 2006, the festival has funneled over $79 million into Austin’s parks through its partnership with Austin Parks Foundation. Last year alone, ticket sales contributed $8.5 million toward park improvements across the city.

For a festival that started as a PBS taping series, ACL has become one of the most important stages for indie and mainstream artists alike. Twenty-five years in, it’s still the place where careers get made.

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