Kacey Musgraves is exploring the musical ties between Texas and Mexico on Middle of Nowhere Vol. 2: Tex Mex Tapes, arriving January 15, 2027, via Lost Highway Records.

The 16-track collection includes 11 originals and five covers, with four songs sung entirely in Spanish. Musgraves has shared two tracks from the album: “Weekend in Texas” and her rendition of the Norteño classic “Mi Tesoro.”

Building on the themes of solitude, contentment and finding beauty in everyday life that shaped May’s Middle of Nowhere, the new collection draws on the generations of music, culture and tradition shared across the Texas-Mexico border.

Among its highlights is a newly recorded Spanish version of “Uncertain, TX,” featuring Texas-born Norteño group Intocable. The collaboration revisits a song Musgraves previously recorded with Willie Nelson, whose version reached No. 1 at Texas radio.

The track listing also includes “(Hey Baby) Qué Pasó?,” “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and a live recording of “Tú Solo Tú,” featuring Mariachi Oro de América, captured in Mexico City.

The project extends the musical territory of Middle of Nowhere, which mixed Texas dance-hall rhythms and classic country with elements of Norteño, bluegrass and pop.

Musgraves is currently wrapping up her 34-date Middle of Nowhere Tour, with a show at Oakland Arena tonight, October 23, followed by two sold-out nights at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on October 26 and 27.

She also heads into the November 18 CMA Awards with five nominations, including Album of the Year for Middle of Nowhere and Female Vocalist of the Year. “Dry Spell” is nominated for Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year, while her Miranda Lambert collaboration “Horses and Divorces” is up for Musical Event of the Year.

Middle of Nowhere Vol. 2: Tex Mex Tapes is available to preorder now.

Track listing:

1. Pretty Horses
2. Weekend In Texas
3. Hard Conversations
4. Denim On Denim
5. Figure Out My Life
6. Caballero
7. The Vacation Song
8. (Hey Baby) Qué Pasó?
9. Uncertain, TX feat. Intocable (Spanish version)
10. Mi Tesoro
11. Rodeo
12. Tú Solo Tú (feat. Mariachi Oro De América) [Live in Mexico City]
13. All My Exes (Kacey’s Version)
14. Desert Eyes
15. Pity Party
16. Before The Next Teardrop Falls

Carrie Underwood paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a performance of “I Will Always Love You” during CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton on Wednesday, October 21. Underwood’s rendition served as the evening’s finale, with fellow performers joining her onstage for the closing tribute.

Parton first recorded “I Will Always Love You” in 1973 and released it on her 1974 album Jolene. Written as a farewell to her longtime musical partner Porter Wagoner, the song became a No. 1 country hit that year. A new recording took it back to the top of the country chart in 1982.

The song reached an even bigger audience when Whitney Houston recorded it for the soundtrack to her 1992 film The Bodyguard. Houston’s soaring rendition became a worldwide smash, spending 14 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and introducing Parton’s ballad to a new generation of listeners.

The two-hour special aired live on ABC and Disney+ from Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville. The lineup brought together artists from across country, bluegrass and beyond, including Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBryde, Béla Fleck, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Vince Gill, to celebrate Parton’s music and influence.

See more of those performances below:

GOLDMINE: Welcome back to Goldmine. Congratulations on your new album, Dear Billionaires, something we have been talking about for quite some time. Before we discuss that, let’s go back one more time to the 2024 double live CD you did with Al Stewart. When I saw you in Orlando that March and my daughter Brianna saw you in Richmond that May, among the songs you performed was “Broadway Hotel,” the flip side of Al’s “Year of the Cat” single from his album of the same name, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On the live recording, you were joined by saxophonist and flautist Elliot Scozzaro. Along with your guitar solo and Erika’s piano, Elliot’s flute playing is so nice on “Broadway Hotel.”

JOSH SOLOMON: We have played with a lot of flautists and have become more discerning. Elliot always stays in tune and is so wonderful.

ERIKA BRETT: Elliot was named Jazz Artist of the Year in the JazzBuffalo Poll.

JS: As a composition, what I love a lot about “Broadway Hotel” is that it has an extra measure to it and the band is always up for a challenge.

Al Stewart

Fabulous Flip Side: Broadway Hotel

A side: Year of the Cat

Billboard Top 100 debut: December 11, 1976

Peak position: No. 8

Janus J-266

L to R: Adam Balasco, Josh Solomon, Brianna Kurtz, Al Stewart, Erika Brett, and Nate Bellon, Richmond, Virginia, May 1, 2024, photo by Yhanni Guadalupe-Butcher

GM: When Brianna was backstage with you in 2024, Al told her, “I have two rules of songwriting. One is to write about things that no one else knows about; two is to use words that no one else uses. If you do those two things, that is how you really tell a story. Also, there is nothing that happens to you, good or bad, that can’t be used as an anecdote in a song. Finally, I don’t believe in shouting at an audience, but tell a story to draw them in.”

“I have two rules of songwriting. One is to write about things that no one else knows about; two is to use words that no one else uses. If you do those two things, that is how you really tell a story.” – Al Stewart

The Empty Pockets’ Dear Billionaires is available on CD and digital formats

GM: The new album begins with my favorite song, “Serrated,” with a sound that took me back to the late ‘60s, Donovan and The Jeff Beck Group’s “Goo Goo Barabajagal,” and the early ‘70s, “Just Let it Come” by Alive ‘n’ Kickin’, their follow up to “Tighter, Tighter.” Tell me about the song’s title.

JS: “Serrated” is like one of those sharp bread knives. The song has an attitude that the world is burning anyway, who cares, let’s just cut it up. I like how “Serrated” sounds as a song title.

EB: Your late ‘60s and early ‘70s reference makes sense because we recorded the vocal live at Abbey Road Studio 2, the home of that era’s sound. It is energetic and I find it sexy too. It was nice to be able to record it live with Josh and I staring into each other’s eyes.

GM: The recording has a funky sound to it as well.

NATE BELLON: I think that funk is one of the things we do really well together as a band. These cats are funky.

JS: Nate’s bass line approach is like Free’s “All Right Now.”

GM: That song is from 1970 as well, adding another element to capture that era.

“I think that funk is one of the things we do really well together as a band. These cats are funky.” – Nate Bellon

GM: I am reminded of Bruno Mars’ ballads on “I Never Get Sick of You.” The guitar solo is very nice, and the background vocals capture the essence of Abbey Road.

JS: The Bruno Mars comparison makes sense, especially the way that the song grows. What I like about Bruno as a pop star is that he has a Broadway-like voice, and Erika and I really open up vocally, similar to Bruno’s approach. Erika had the Abbey Road staff get out the Challen upright piano which was used on many songs by The Beatles.

EB: The feel of the Challen keyboard blew my mind, and it inspired me.

“Erika had the Abbey Road staff get out the Challen upright piano which was used on many songs by The Beatles.” – Josh Solomon

“The feel of the Challen keyboard blew my mind, and it inspired me.” – Erika Brett

GM: In “Dearest Billionaires,” there is the rhyme of “solution” with “revolution,” making me think about The Beatles again. There is a nice microphone reverb.

EB: I sat when I sang this song and I had never done that before. Someone called “Dearest Billionaires” the smoothest protest song they ever heard.

GM: My dad used to listen to comedy albums in the ‘60s and this song would almost fit in that genre.

ADAM BALASCO: It has a kind of a Tom Lehrer style to it, a contemporaneous commentary.

JS: We are The Empty Pockets, a name based on income inequality, and we have owned it more as time has gone on. When we wrote “Dearest Billionaires,” and it became clear that we wanted to name the album Dear Billionaires, we wondered if, by the time we release the album, this would no longer be a key issue, but that certainly isn’t the case.

GM: I worked in Washington, DC in 2001, pre and post September 11, and it was interesting to witness the contrast in access to government facilities, a locale you address in “Hill Autonomous Zone.” I think it is very fitting having this song and “Dearest Billionaires” on the same album.

AB: The music fits the tune which fits the theme you are referring to, a doomsday fear. This song references protests happening in our nation. We are not shy about where we stand on those issues. The overall tone of the album reflects how people are fed up.

“The overall tone of the album reflects how people are fed up.” – Adam Balasco

GM: “Broken Down in Bozeman” is a relaxing traveling finale with a touch of Grateful Dead.

JS: We wrote it in Bozeman while we were broken down. We shredded a belt on the van and the vehicle wouldn’t move. We were right out of SOS service on our cell phones along the Gallatin River on a beautiful day in Montana. It was my only hitchhiking experience ever. Nate and I hitchhiked to the airport and rented one vehicle to drive and another one to tow the van. Like Groundhog Day, we woke up every morning in the Airbnb for five mornings in a row and called the repair place with promises of the van being ready that afternoon. Thank you so much again for putting a spotlight on our music. We all appreciate you.

L to R: Adam Balasco, Erika Brett, Josh Solomon, and Nate Bellon in Abbey Road Studio 2, photo by Olivia Ridge, courtesy of The Empty Pockets

Related links:

theemptypockets.com

alstewart.com

Goldmine 2024: Al Stewart and The Empty Pockets live interview

Get T-shirts, vinyl albums, and more in our Goldmine store (see below):

Click here to get the above items (and more!) in the Goldmine store

Goldmine Contributing Editor Warren Kurtz, a long-time music journalist and author, can be contacted at fabulousflipsides.com

For fans of veteran rock and metal acts, the lineup includes Faith No More, Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle, The Offspring, Primus, Mastodon, Testament and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. Turnstile, Knocked Loose, Poppy, The Warning and DRAIN are among the newer generations of artists joining them.

Several appearances come with added significance. Organizers are billing Faith No More’s set as a rare U.S. reunion show, while Iron Maiden will bring their Run For Your Lives 50th anniversary tour to the festival. Ministry’s appearance is billed as part of the band’s farewell tour and its final Columbus show. Meshuggah and Skid Row will each mark their 40th anniversaries.

Circa Survive will play an exclusive Ohio reunion show, and the festival will also feature reunions from Forever the Sickest Kids, Palisades, Cute Is What We Aim For and The Color Morale. Columbus’ own Beartooth will play a hometown set.

The daily lineup leaders are:

Thursday, May 13: Blink-182, The Offspring and Turnstile
Friday, May 14: Iron Maiden, A Perfect Circle and Alice in Chains
Saturday, May 15: Falling in Reverse, A Day To Remember and Beartooth
Sunday, May 16: Korn, $UICIDEBOY$ and Faith No More

Elsewhere on the bill are The Prodigy, Jimmy Eat World, The All-American Rejects, Clutch, The Pretty Reckless, Ministry, Helmet, Soulfly, Fear Factory, Lacuna Coil, Living composer Bear McCreary and many more.

The announcement follows what producer Danny Wimmer Presents says was a record attendance of 184,000 across the festival’s four days in 2026.

Beyond the stages, Sonic Temple will again feature visual art installations, live mural painting and an Art Mart marketplace. Details of the 2027 art programming will be announced later.

Single-day and four-day passes are on sale now, with GA, GA Plus, VIP and premium options available. Layaway plans start at $1 down, with more than six months to pay in full. Hotel and admission packages, camping and parking options are also available.

Visit SonicTempleFestival.com for the complete lineup, passes and additional information.

^.

^.

By TONE Scott

Welcome to September’s 2026’s early-fall edition of Eclectic Discoveries (No. 37) here at Goldmine, where we invite you into a deep dive of musical Show & Tell. The albums reviewed in this edition of Eclectic Discoveries are a selectively chosen musical gems and some of the most impressive albums that have recently been put on our radar; selections sure to invoke sonic bliss. We revel in sharing great musical finds that we’ve recently become aware of over the previous weeks, months, throughout the course of a year, and beyond. If you enjoy a plethora of musical genres and styles (just as we do), or even if you are a bit choosier with regard to your preferences and tastes in music, you will for sure enjoy this month’s features. Goldmine‘s goal is to shine a bright light on exceptional musical finds that are “new to us” (sometimes more current releases, sometimes older), in hopes there is something that will conjure up a deeper interest in at least one of these tasty musical morsels, and assist in feeding your endlessly hungry music addiction.

^.

Inside this edition of Eclectic Discoveries:

Mungo Jerry — Undefinable

Niko Moon  — Roots

Orquesta Akokán — América!

Professor And The Madman — Dreamworld

Sun Ra — Do the Impossible (original documentary soundtrack)

^.

^.

MUNGO JERRY | Undefinable

^{2026, Raw Sound / 7a Records}

^{Genre: Rock / Blues   Style:  Blues Rock, Rock & Roll, Soul Blues, Roots music}

Obviously this classic rock band is known through and through for their most iconic early 1970’s jug-style blues piece, “In the Summertime.” And while stateside that would become the band’s soul defining opus — though other follow-up single’s were North America-released such as “Baby Jump”) — in the band’s native U.K. and Europe, they would continue on with with many more successful album and single releases throughout that decade. Mungo Jerry founding member and leader, Ray Dorset would become the band’s strongest advocate and as original members eventually fell out of the band, he would continue to be the driving force that kept them afloat, so much so that he would adopt being referred to himself as ‘Mungo Jerry,’ as a personal alias. Dorset’s highly recognized talents never stayed solely with Mungo Jerry, having contributed his skillsets to many outside music projects including as a band member in of the mid- ’80s psychedelic blues rock outfit, Katmandu, alongside Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) and Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster). Nonetheless he would continue to carry on the Mungo Jerry legacy over the decades to now having released many Mungo Jerry studio and live album efforts since, and still today.

In recent years, the U.K.-based independent record label 7a Records (who is renowned for their Monkees-affiliated reissues, archival and new album releases) has focused a good part of its energy on the Mungo Jerry legacy as well. In 2024, the label remastered and released a deluxe edition of the the band’s famous 1971 U.K. sophomore album, Electronically Tested, which contained their breakout single “In the Summertime” (different in the U.S. where the song was featured on the band’s self-titled debut) receiving critical acclaim with Goldmine‘s review of the release. The label followed that up in 2025 with a premium remastering treatment for the later ’90s-era Mungo Jerry studio album Snakebite, with another deluxe release affectionately retitled Snakebite Revisited, again receiving high praise within the Goldmine article that was complete with an extensive interview with Ray Dorset himself. 7a Records and Mungo Jerry are back at it in 2026, this time not for another reissue venture, but with the latest and newest Mungo Jerry studio album, Undefinable. Goldmine was fortunate enough to get our hand’s on a copy of this fantastic brand new Mungo Jerry effort, and after diving in, we have much to say about it.

In Goldmine fashion, we would love to shine the spotlight on every song that is offered up on Undefinable, as the total collective of tracks offer a very well-balanced spectrum of Dorset’s musical ideologies. However, to make it more discernible and graspable, we have chosen a handful of songs out of the 10-song track listing which, when put together, give a pretty accurate overall description of the album’s musical character and sonic signature. The album, though most easily described as a blues rock / rock & roll record, incorporates additional elements from roots music and Americana, to soul blues most recognizable in the heavy saxophone call & response accompaniment throughout the album. The track-list opens with more than likely the album’s strongest selection if we are referring to single-worthy songs. “Five Hundred Miles” is simply an extremely well-written mid-tempo blues rocker complete with a perfectly balanced amount of lyrical content (not over inundating), great melodic arrangements, and true-to-genre orchestration including really impressive Hammond organ accompaniment. Another great blues rock / rock & roller yet with a modern flare is the slightly higher tempo “I Walk Alone” which we feel exemplifies some of Dorset’s best vocals that are used to color a fantastic message to boot. Again, he utilizes the saxophone accompaniment to help bring a punch to the song over a fantastically hooky chord progression making the song one of the most memorable over the album’s song sequence. And, you can’t move on into the last half of the record without acknowledging the somewhat novelty-like, skiffle-like “Always Time For Coffee.” In a great and grandiose way, it actually shoots the listener back to the earliest reaches of Mungo Jerry’s foundational sound. It adds a fantastic and nostalgic element to the record, and for those Mungo Jerry die-hards it will spark an even deeper appreciation for this latest album.

“Born To Sing the Blues” comes along slightly after the record’s midway, giving the track-list the album’s heaviest blues-laden offering out of all. This is another area of musical styling where Dorset’s vocals really shine well above and beyond the music, and that says a lot because the backing track is gratifying all by itself. Venturing toward the end of the album comes “That Is Why (I’m So In Love With You),” an extremely 70’s-centric production that aside from helping you reminisce on past Mungo Jerry, may as well give you hints of both Lennon and McCartney solo efforts from that era. It stands out as Dorset’s ability to adhere to the era of his roots while he mixes that in with more contemporary sounding compositions in order to bring diversity and total balance to the album. In other words, there is something for the legacy listeners as well as later generation listeners who are discovering the artist and being introduced to one of the most important musical legacies of the classic rock era. For collectors; Undefinable come available on a brilliant sounding and beautifully packaged compact disc album (sorry, no vinyl this time). The CD comes housed in a tri-fold Digi-sleeve cover that includes an 8-page booklet with lyrics and notes from the artist. For those who still love invisible music, the album can also be downloaded or streamed. Undefinable is a perfect testament to how our most memorable and favorite classic rock era recording artists are still knocking new albums with all new material out of the ball park.

^{Sample a selection from Undefinable in the Sound Samples section below.}

^.

NIKO MOON | Roots

^{2026, Happy Cowboy Records / Empire}

^{Genre: Country / Hip Hop   Style: Country Rap, Hick-Hop, Pop Country}

There are few who manage this artist’s chosen genre like the artist himself. Niko Moon (Nicholas Cowan) has been on a rampage ever since the release of his first major label EP album debut effortlessly defining the blend of pop country music with the essence of modern urban (hip hop) rhythmic ideology since before the inception of his actual professional debut. The artist, even before this, had contributed to composing song material for many notables including new millennium country star Dierks Bentley, as well as the Zac Brown Band, to the legendary Rascal Flats. Ironically but not surprisingly, Moon was a bona fide member of the country music-tinged dance music group Sir Rosavelt, which he partook in alongside musical confidant, Zac Brown.

Right around 2020 or slightly before, Moon signed a solo recording deal with RCA Records who would release the artist’s debut EP album, Good Time, that included a five song track-list which would eventually be morphed into Moon’s debut full-length studio album of the same name the following year. A three year hiatus would commence before the sophomore Niko Moon release, Better Days, would surface, but this time on the artist’s own production company / record label, Happy Cowboy Records. More of the artist’s same greatness continued to shine forward on this album, further establishing him within a mixed genre that was growing in popularity with Moon heavily credited as one of its progenitors. A third album, American Palm, this time under the independent powerhouse Empire Records, came to fruition in 2025 consisting of much of the same musical approach yet exemplifying impressively noticeable growth across the spectrum of songwriting, arrangements and production, ending up, at the time, as Goldmine‘s go-to Niko Moon effort. We were blown back this year when the magazine received our own copy of Moon’s latest studio effort, Roots, which has in almost every way, shape and form ‘taken the cake’ as far as the level of creativity, musical prowess and ingenuity that the artist has exemplified thus far.

Roots consists of 15 full-length tracks (a length of available selections rare for these days), encompassing a plethora of varied yet cohesive styles, all based within the Country and Americana genres married with urban music ideology. As much as we would love to take you on a deep dive into every track, how selfish would we be if we didn’t leave some for you to discover on your own? We have meticulously chosen about a third of the song sequence for an expository run-down of songs that will give the reader an overall feel of the encompassing sonic signature of this absolutely fantastic album.  What we loved about the album’s intro was the artist’s confession of being consumed with the reminiscence of his childhood upbringing in Douglasville, Georgia and his desire to return to his foundational years experiences in the song, “Georgia (Roots).” While lyrically you can expect to hear a rendition of his memories, it is the way he words them combined with the creative arrangements he uses to convey them that impresses most. Performed in a ‘rap-singing’ style, still Moon’s vocal abilities are well represented here and are impressive to say the least. Later, while there still remains an urban application to his style, “Rich Man” is the album’s most notable approach to a genuine mid-tempo country ballad, showing his ability to truly ‘sing’ that the artist slightly hides in his traditional syncopated rap vocal delivery over many of the selections on the album. On top of everything, the lyrical content is on a songwriting level that many could only hope to achieve; it’s that good of a song. Describing how the the unadulterated love of a real woman can make a man feel more rich than money, it might be said that this is Goldmine‘s pick for best song on the album so far, but there is much more that lies ahead, so, who knows? We’ll see.

“Get Country” will find its way into you auditory system slightly halfway through the album, and resonates as a perfect midline between country and hip hop, both by its vocal delivery and its musical backing track. This is ‘that song’ on the album that inspires you to play it as you’re riding through southern states in your classic big wheel El Camino or lifted Ford F-150 with windows down and not a care in the world. It inspires both head bobbing and shit kicking. However, don’t think this is some mindless approach to songwriting, because the artist delivers some of his best metaphorically descriptive content here. This is a damn good track. In a very similar way that we’ve described and boasted about “Rich Man,” we similarly feel about “Somewhere, Somehow, Someway;” where the artist, for a lack of better terms, actually croons, with purity, to the listener. While his ability as a ‘country rapper’ is accoladed far and wide, his ability to sing his ass off, should be equally as acknowledged, and it presents itself here, heavily, over this gorgeous 100-percent acoustic track. Lastly, “Without Your Love” hit us hard for one specific reason…. syncopation. Rewind back to the early 2000s when Destiny’s Child’s music and their plethora of hit singles were inundated with syncopated instrumentation and vocal arrangements, and the energy that was manifested through that style of production and songwriting. This is what is being repeated here, and it is a testimony to the fact that syncopated production is making a major comeback, and Moon does it, and does it right. This is nothing less than a badass track, hands down. Being as objective and integral as we can possibly be, it is not hard for us to make the statement that Roots is Niko Moon’s most dynamic and prolific recording to date… no dispute. We’ve fallen in love with the artist all over again. Roots is available to those who truly know music on vinyl LP and compact disc album. But for those who still adhere to invisible music, you can purchase a download or stream the album at will. Nevertheless, however you get it, just get it.

^{Sample one of the best selections from the Roots album in the Sound Samples section below.}

^.

ORQUESTA AKOKÁN | América!

^{2026, Daptone Recording Co.}

^{Genre: Jazz / Latin   Style:  Mambo, Salsa, Bolero, Son Cubano, Afro-Cuban}

For almost a decade, this now well-established name in the jazz world has been one of the poster children for modern Latin jazz ensembles who have a knack for getting everything right. While the band is primarily based in New York City, its true roots stem from Havana (Cuba) and were planted when founding members Michael Eckroth, Jose Gomez and producer Jacob Plasse sojourned from the U.S. to explore recording within the same applications and dynamics as mid-20th century big band Latin jazz ensembles where they officially formed Orquesta Akokán with assistance from iconic Afro-Cuban jazzist, César López, from the legendary Irakere band. After forming and with at least an album’s worth of material, the ensemble would some time soon after sign with the Daptone independent record label powerhouse who’s most regarded as a hub for modern retrospective soul artists but who represents ensemble-sized jazz and afrobeat lineups just as well.

Akokán and Daptone would release the band’s self-titled debut in 2018, and the release immediately became well received, not only by those deep aficionados of the Afro-Cuban jazz style, but as well by those who simply followed any and everything that would come off of the Daptone Recording’s roster. Two subsequent 3-year gaps in releasing music would produce the band’s sophomore and then third full-length album releases; 2021’s 16 Rayos, and 2024’s Caracoles, respectively. Both of those album’s would continue with the band’s classic era Afro-Cubano jazz sound that incorporates many and various true-to-form factions and styles within the genre, reverberating with every arrangement, every chord progression and every recording, the reasons why they started doing this in the first place. Orquesta Akokán is now entertaining their fourth studio album with the release of 2026’s América!, resounding as a band that is more dialed-in, more in-tune with themselves, and more vibrant than before.

América! consists of 8 full-length tracks, encompassing a plethora of varied yet cohesive approaches to the band’s sound. And, as much as we would love to take you on a deep dive into every single selection, how selfish would we be if we didn’t leave some for you to discover on your own? Therefore, we have carefully and meticulously chosen half of the track listing for an expository run-down of individual tracks that will collectively give potential listeners an overall feel of the encompassing sonic signature of this fantastic album. For those who are acquainted with Latin jazz and it’s various subsets, the authentic retrospective sound of Orquesta Akokán is nostalgically intoxicating. In the most attainable way possible, they mirror as well as pay homage to the legendary sounds of genre icons and progenitors such as Perez Prado and Mario Bauzá, to even Mongo Santamaría, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Poncho Sanchez (to name a few). The album opens with a the slow-tempo “No Me Voy,” an original composition that is lead by the powerful and convincing vocals of Carolina Oliveros. It is a sexy and sultry performance that eases the listener into the album before experiencing more fiery selections. Not too much further into the song sequence, vocalist Miriam Elhajli leads an incendiary mambo piece that, in our opinion, defines the core sonic ideology of Orquesta Akokán. “Hace Tiempo” (Eng. ‘Long Ago’) hosts an insane percussion performance by Keisel Jimenez Marcos Torres and Yuya Rodriguez accompanied by an explosive brass and woodwinds section laden with a multitude of trumpets, trombones and various saxophone registers. This is an atomic bomb of a song.

Another impressive piece, once again elegantly delivered by Miriam Elhajli on voice, is “Aprendizaje” (or ‘Learning’); a Son Cubano-styled composition which slinks along exuding a sense of passion, yearning and longing. The arrangement is wonderfully accompanied by an ethereal string section, syncopated percussive horns and airy inflections of flute. It provides a welcomed break in the track-listing from the more up-tempo and energetic pieces around it. The album comes to a close with a bang. “Cha Cha Cha Ooh La La” is, in our opinion, a fusion of Afro-Brazilian samba and Cuban mambo. It is an uplifting large ensemble piece which inspires joviality, merriment and the uncontrollable urge to get up and dance. The song is laced throughout with a male and female duet vocal performance executed with perfection between Papote Jiménez and Miyera Ramos with the horn section bringing a spritely extra burst of energy to the album’s final selection. América! comes available from Daptone first and foremost on a warm and inviting sounding vinyl LP, meticulously pressed and packaged with several different colored vinyl variants aside from the standard default black vinyl. For those who prefer digital media and a slightly more detailed and precision sound, it also comes by way of compact disc album (download and streaming also available). This album sits solid as one of the stars, if not thee star coming out from Daptone’s impressive catalog this year.

^{Experience a piece of América! in the Sound Samples section below.}

^.

PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN | Dreamworld

^{2026, Fullertone Recordings}

^{Genre: Rock / Pop   Style:  Art Rock, Pop Psych, Psychedelic Rock, Power Pop, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock}

For a decade this supergroup has produced some of the most impactful and critically conconceived yet underacknowledged music in the musical histories of each of its individual members. As we mentioned, and if you’re not already aware, Professor and the Madman is a bona fide supergroup compiled of punk and hard rock icons Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.); Sean Elliot (D.I.); Rat Scabies (The Damned); and Paul Gray (The Damned, UFO). The band’s debut album Good Evening, Sir!, was released in 2016 on the Fullertone record label — the Fullertone name, we assume being a play on ‘Fullerton, California’ just south of Los Angeles in Orange County where both bands Adolescents and D.I. where formed — with all subsequent P.A.T.M. album releases hosted on the label including four further full-length studio albums and one live recording to date.

Regardless of each member’s long history in punk rock, the Professor and the Madman project is an expansive journey for these musicians outside of that norm and into a spectrum of musical sounds that loosely include pop psych, art rock, psychedelic rock and power pop. The band’s material is a cornucopia of intricately woven musical ideologies which venture deeper into showcasing the band’s more critical songwriting, arranging and production skillsets. Just a few short weeks ago Professor and the Madman released their fifth studio album, Dreamworld — an album that quickly became a 2026 Goldmine favorite, and quite possibly the band’s most expansive and diverse album yet.

Out of the 11 song track-listing strewn across Dreamworld, we made a precise decision to shine a light on four selections that we feel fully encompass the album’s overall sonic character.  This should provide the reader with more than enough information to ‘pull the trigger,’ yet leave enough left for you to discover the rest of the record on your own when you do, and believe us when we say, a mind expanding discovery it will be. “Dreamworld,” the record’s title track introduces the album and immediately you might to begin making assimilations to things that have been retrospectively burned into your musical-mental. The Cowsills “The Rain, the Park and Other Things,” Three Dog Night’s “One” and even The Beatles’ “For the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” may very well ring a bell with regard to this absolutely fantastic modern day pop psych track, nevertheless, this was not our first point of focus (FYI, there is an extremely interesting reprise of the song which closes out the album). We were focused even more on its follow-up track; “Tolerant World.” This is without a doubt one of the greatest power pop tracks that we’ve been privy to since the turn of the millennium. It is an incendiary throwback piece to the golden era of power pop (late ’70s / early ’80s); it is fiery; it is exuberant; it is full of hooky melodic energy, well written and brilliantly arranged; it is simply and unadulteratedly badass.

In an absolute change of musical styling, “The Light” resounds with a nod and an homage to ’70s AM radio Top 40 greatness, with heavy pop rock connotations and like-styled songwriting and production. As fans of the punk rock sounds The Damned and Adolescents, we were blown back by Professor and the Madman’s courage to venture into this type of soundscape. Impressive to say the least. “Nuclear Boy” exudes with the spirit of retrospective power pop equally combined with new millennium pop punk, and gives us one of the album’s most single-worthy selections. This is one of those songs that should be ripping the soundtrack of a modern motion picture and at the same time be in constant rotation on Los Angeles’ world famous KROQ FM alternative radio power station. Eat your heart out Blink 182. On the flipside, “Songs in My Head” centers itself on a Pink Floyd-ish / Beatles-esque psychedelic canvass, exemplifying insanely in-depth songwriting, brilliant arrangements and orchestration, and, quite frankly, a level of musicianship that many narrow-visioned punk rock fans may not expect from a group of legendary punk rock artists. The album comes with many availabilities. Firstly, the album can be had on a killer sounding vinyl LP record — warmer, richer and in our opinion, the way the album should be heard over anything. Nevertheless, for those who want a sharper and more detailed sounding application, Dreamworld comes to digital physical media aficionados as a compact disc album. In a shock to the senses, serious retrospective music collectors can also obtain a super limited edition copy of the Dreamworld on 8-track cassette… and we all said, “hell yes!” And, of course, for those who don’t revere the brilliance of physical media, you can also experience a copy of the album via digital download or streaming. Dreamworld should be on everyone’s list as one of the best productions of 2026 … this album is off the charts!

^{Experience one of the top tracks from Dreamworld in the Sound Samples section below.}

^.

SUN RA | Do the Impossible (original documentary soundtrack and film)

^{2026, Modern Harmonic / Sundazed Music}

^{Genre: Jazz   Style:  Avant-Garde, Experimental, Spiritual Jazz, Free Jazz, Space Jazz, Jazz Orchestra, Spoken Word}

It would be safe to make the assertion that there is more than likely no other musician, in any genre, in the history of music that has pushed the limits of exploration and supernatural ideologies (as it applies to music) more than the legendary Sun Ra. More specifically, speaking with regard to the jazz realm, it is widely regarded that Ra pushed the boundaries of early era jazz more than Miles, more than Coltrane, more than Ornette, and Hancock combined. And while that might be a bold or even outlandish statement to some, true Sun Ra historians would challenge even the most die-hard jazz aficionado to find anything untrue about that declaration. Ra (who in persona claimed to be an alien from Saturn sent to invoke peace) along with his ever evolving Arkestra, is historically notorious for early on, pushing the ultra experimental free jazz narrative yet incorporating external elements outside of common music theory which he is almost all alone credited with, as well as being a progenitor of what would later become coined as ‘Afrofuturism.’

While frequently ignoring traditional song structure and the employment of traditional music theory such as chord progression and modal applications, etc., he embraced doctrines such as large ensemble improvisations and ‘harmolodics’ (the basis for free jazz) while simultaneously marrying the music with spiritual philosophies, space concepts, mysticism, mythology and theatrics, all woven into his compositional ideologies. Moreover, he is well regarded as one of the first, if not the first to begin experimenting with electronic instruments in jazz such as the electric piano and synthesizers. Ultimately before his passing in 1993, Ra’s discography would be credited with over 200 albums, all self-produced and self-conceived. His music theories and philosophies were well followed and documented during his lifetime and have continued to be since his death, with younger generations becoming increasingly interested in knowing his music and the man.

In February of 2026, PBS debuted its broadcast of Sun Ra: Do The Impossible; a biographical documentary non-fiction motion picture by filmmaker Christine Turner, which presents an expository deep dive into the entire spectrum Sun Ra; life, music and mystique. Four months subsequent to this, in June of 2026 (earlier via digital platforms) Modern Harmonic Records (a division of Sundazed) would release the motion picture soundtrack which is a total reflection of the entirety of source music, scoring and excerpts that supported the film. There is an insane amount of Sun Ra to experience over the album’s massive track-list (37 individual tracks to be precise); many selections throughout the song sequence that may very well be familiar, and possibly just as many that you may have never been privy to before this. What impressed Goldmine most, aside from the music itself, was the attention to detail that the producers of the soundtrack gave to almost each individual piece. As you travel though the track-list, the album producers have included where virtually each track first originated; whether from a previous studio album and which one, or with regard to the live recordings, when and where it was captured, as well as many of the selections being previously never-before-released. All of that information found attached to the title of each track in the sequence.

Another important factor to mention is the quality of the release, speaking of its physical media. Firstly, Modern Harmonic provides Sun Ra: Do The Impossible via a beautifully and perfectly pressed double LP pressed on purple colored vinyl to match the aesthetics of the album’s artwork. Second, the mastering for vinyl was meticulously accomplished by Jay Millar, one of the album’s producers. The playback is organic and natural sounding yet dynamic and far from a monotonous listen. The album is housed in a sturdy and well manufactured gatefold cover which included beautifully crafted and extensive liner notes penned by album producer and executive producer Bradford Smith, along with doodle images (in the gatefold and the vinyl side labels) from Sun Ra’s own personal notebook. For those digital media aficionados, the soundtrack is equally well represented via a double compact disc album with all the extras to match the LP. Moreover, if you haven’t yet seen the film, no need to stream it, because a purchase of either the vinyl LP or compact disc also includes a physical Blu-ray copy if the full-length documentary. Our recommendation is to watch the film, immerse yourself in all aspects of the documentary, and then isolate yourself to the soundtrack album without any visuals to distract you while you further enhance your sonic experience. Without any doubts, this is an unadulterated must-have album for any and every collector within the Sun Ra fandom… absolutely highly recommended. —GM

^{Experience a selection from the Sun Ra: Do The Impossible soundtrack in the Sound Samples section below.}

^.

^.

SOUND SAMPLES

MUNGO JERRY

^.

NIKO MOON

^.

ORQUESTA AKÓKAN

^.

PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN

^.

SUN RA

^.

^.

Contact TONE Scott at GoldmineMagazine@GoldmineMag.com. Please put Eclectic Discoveries (September 2026) in the subject line.

^.

Get a copy of our FALL 2026 print issue with either WAVVES or KEO on the cover in the official Goldmine store: (Click below)

^.

^.

TONE Scott is a career-long American music industry professional.  As a Grammy Award nominated, platinum selling songwriter/ composer/ producer/ vocal arranger, he has worked with some of the world’s most renowned recording artists.  As a published music journalist, he has been a feature writer for many internationally accredited music publications.  Currently on staff at Goldmine magazine, he is Senior Contributing Editor with four reoccurring online columns — The TONE of Soul, Adventures of a Music Collector, Eclectic Discoveries and Jazzology — as well as a prominent feature-article writer for the magazine’s print edition, including the reoccurring article series — Modern Music Must-Haves.  He is an acknowledged multi-genre music historian, having contributed liner notes for many album releases, as well as an expert record collector with over three decades of dedicated music collecting experience.  As a content creator he hosts his own YouTube channel – TONE Scott – were he produces vlogs revolving around his music industry career and his life as a music collector.  He is also the host of Record Store Spotlight; an online show that highlights independent record stores everywhere. Follow TONE Scott on all social media, including his YouTube channel by visiting his Linktree page, HERE.

The Beatles Story is getting a new home and a major expansion. Apple Corps has announced plans to move the Liverpool attraction into a 100,000-square-foot space in 2028, with immersive exhibits tracing the band’s journey from their hometown childhoods to international fame.

The new location, formerly St Johns Market in St Johns Shopping Centre, sits opposite Liverpool Lime Street station and will more than quadruple the attraction’s current footprint at Albert Dock. Apple Corps, the company the Beatles founded in 1968, will take over operations at the existing site in 2027 before the move the following year.

The expanded Beatles Story will combine original artifacts, reconstructed sets and immersive technology in a multi-hour experience. Visitors will travel through postwar Liverpool, the band’s formative Hamburg years and the explosion of Beatlemania, with settings depicting the Cavern, Abbey Road, Shea Stadium and Savile Row.

Some locations will incorporate sets and props from director Sam Mendes’ upcoming The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event, scheduled to reach theaters in April 2028. The new Beatles Story is expected to open shortly afterward.

“The extraordinary plans the Apple Corps team have shown me for The Beatles Story take me right back to that journey, from Liverpool to the world and back home again,” Paul McCartney said in the announcement. “It couldn’t have happened without Liverpool and I can’t wait for people to be able to step into our story and share the experience.”

Apple Corps also plans a Yellow Submarine-themed viewing experience at the 400-foot St Johns Beacon, offering panoramic views of Liverpool. It will operate as a separate attraction, with bundled admission available for visitors who want to experience both.

A portion of proceeds from every Beatles Story ticket will support the Apple Corps Liverpool Trust, a new charitable initiative providing financial support and opportunities for emerging Liverpool artists and local cultural projects. Further details will be announced.

“I also love that proceeds from every ticket will go back to support new Liverpool artists,” Ringo Starr said. “It is great to be part of this – deep down I am still a scouser.”

Register for updates at thebeatles.com/liverpool.

Shop for Eternity of Anything on vinyl at Goldmine’s Store.

Jonah Kagen, five years into his mainstream musical career, is already a journeyman, mission-focused singer-songwriter par excellence. Next, he’s growing into an emotional method actor, willing to drag his fans into his personal hell so everyone can learn from his experiences.

Three EPs, a full album, 5 million monthly Spotify listeners, and a Billboard Alternative Airplay chart No.1 hit later, live at Fayetteville, Arkansas’ 99-year-old, 500-person-capacity George’s Majestic Lounge, he still looks as adamantly focused on the crowd as he did five years prior, when he was not onstage, but instead an All-Ivy League defender and Engineering major at Cornell University, scoping the pitch for oncoming midfielders.

He’s also more self-aware and wiser than back then. Time spent in and out of love, alongside writing records while traveling alone in an Airstream trailer (as he did while writing his 2025 debut album “Sunflowers and Leather”), or oftentimes spending time awake overnight in the discomfort of his own home working on his forthcoming album, Eternity of Anything, out on Oct. 30, 2026, has seasoned him, his perspective, and his work.

His latest album arrives, potentially, in the manner he finds his work arrives best: stress mined into emotion, production and songwriting in spiritual alignment with the reflection of his essence he sees in the mirror.

“Alone, I find that I’m able to, with confidence, musically go places that overwhelmingly feel like myself and a reflection of my soul,” says Kagen.

Over the past three years, his songs, “The Roads,” “God Needs the Devil,” and “You Again” have made him something of a rising Americana and rock staple artist of the future.

“Creating songs that are [intimately] mine until they are not that age, differently, for my fans [but not for myself] is interesting. I make songs because people need to receive my work more than I do,” he adds.

The average singer-songwriter rather quickly becomes something of a miner doing day-laborer’s work. Kagen’s still a day-laborer, but also in humble awe of his work, feeling like he’s miraculously discovering the diamonds and gold in the rough, instead of the coal.

Mining Heartbreak: The Making of ‘Eternity of Anything’

“It’s more therapeutic to serve people as a songwriter than to serve them with a live show,” says Kagen. Intentionally, fans know his sophomore album is coming, but they know very little about the project.

Diving into writing from a space that he describes as being defined by “dirtier” and “melodramatic” emotions, it’s clearly an album describing a romantic breakup of the “likely to never be entirely well-resolved” variety.

The album’s lead single, “Don’t Feel Right,” is the one that most fans know best about what’s next. It’s a hard-punching ballad, more deeply allusive and literate than most of his prior work.

“You stole the light from my eyes / I swore I’d be better this time,” he sings.

In love, it’s almost as if he’s accepting a role like Tiresias, the blind prophet from Homer’s “Odyssey. Sure, Hera, in anger during an argument, blinded him, but Zeus, Hera’s husband, unable to reverse the curse, compensated him with the gift of prophecy and an unusually long life.

For Kagen, life continues after love, but there’s no guarantee that there’s compensation for his loss of joy and perception.

Aware that diving deep enough to yield that sort of emotion, then ridding himself of it, sounds somewhat supernatural, he continues his allegory by noting that he often can “see his fans [assuming] the personality of the song in the real world that surrounds it.”

The relationship of an artist to his art takes on a unique shape when it’s, as Kagen’s art is and feels, drawn from seemingly the deepest well and therapeutically removed from his existence moving forward.

“‘Eternity of Anything’ is about being intimidated by the size of love, the beginning of it, the ending of it, the absence of it, and all the ways it can make you spiral. It is dramatic on purpose, but it is also me making fun of my own drama,” he says.

The Creative Struggle Behind the Songs

Sardonically witty, yet still powerfully expressive, he recalls the early moments of crafting his latest album as starting from a place of wanting to finally achieve an “eloquently brilliant” form of expression that, given his chart-topping success, could easily have jet-streamed him to pop superstardom.

However, think of Kagen making that type of album, and it feels, perhaps, too mindless and detached from where he’s arrived as a fastidious singer-songwriter and producer.

“I cut my grass, washed my car, did everything but write the album. Then I found myself one bottle of wine deep, at 4 AM, sitting in my home studio, the weight of thinking about my feelings for this album as I wrote the songs frustrated and overwhelmed, weighing on me. I got angry at myself for thinking that the process behind recording this album would be easier than anything I’d ever done.”

The song that arrived after he beat himself up, “Settle Down,” explores the depths of one’s soul in search of calm, wondering what happens to trust when love is suddenly out of the picture.

The rest of the album, like what ironically immediately followed “Settle Down,” feels like a rainstorm of thoughts processed, jotted down, and then taken into a lab for an almost method-acting-style reframing by someone on the other side of heartbreak, for refinement.

Ultimately, Kagen’s creative struggle results in songs that don’t just recount heartbreak—they transform it. Each track is a testament to the hard-won clarity that comes from wrestling with emotion until it reveals something honest, lasting, and true to his ever-evolving artistry.

Leadership, Live Performance, and the Greater Purpose

Watch Kagen onstage, and you learn, almost immediately, that the live show element of his career is the place where he’s best channeled the once extroverted athlete that now exists in the background of his musical aspirations.

“Being the captain of a team or leading a band are two of the most difficult things I’ve ever done,” he says. “Keeping things in line to serve a greater purpose,” he says, boiling down the great unifier of almost a decade of his life in leadership.

The performer also cites the importance of his touring drummer, Dalton Thomas, as his musical director. Imagine that, on a field, translating into him being something of a patient playmaker with a scorer’s touch — his position is different than Kagen’s but equally important.

Onstage, they frequently interact, as if calling metaphorical plays to execute: “just like me, he lives for making everyone in the room, fans too, feel like they’re fully invested and involved in creating [a live show] that’s a cool, awesome experience.”

Kagen plays the songs that built his success as curious afterthoughts. It’s very clear that he, in this chapter of what could be a decades-long run, is fascinated by almost playing his catalog like a psychological study and observing faces in the crowd as they respond, in real time, to how he has re-imagined the traumas and triumphs of his very recent existence.

Thus, the “greater purpose” of his music is multifaceted now. It’s as much a cathartic release for Kagen as it is a tool for processing emotions his audience carries in their lives outside the concert.

“People build a world around music that helps them feel good by allowing them to bring their best selves to the table,” he continues.

Kagen relates a story about being the captain of his team at Cornell and the “high stakes of people’s lives” at play on and off the field. Sure, he still occasionally plays a game here and there in pickup soccer leagues, but leading what is essentially a team of millions of listeners worldwide feels like his work that started holding down his team’s last line of defense has now entered a more heightened importance.

“I’m glad that I’ve succeeded at creating a great culture in which my career [is allowed to grow],” adds the singer-songwriter.

Artistry Beyond the Numbers

“This is beyond virality and numbers,” says Kagen when asked about what, when not producing, singing, or songwriting, motivates his artistry. “I’m showing up for people who want to invest their energy, love, money, passion, and time into how they experience my music.”

It’s only because he was achieving virality and numbers. At the same time, he was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s tale of experiencing youthful restlessness on a cross-country trip in his 1957 novel “On the Road,” as well as Matthew McConaughey’s 2020 release, “Greenlights,” a hitchhiking, soul-searching memoir of the actor’s life before the fame that has changed his perspective towards success.

“Connecting with both of them as authors and characters offered me the philosophy of living more for the sake of the moment than anything else,” says Kagen. “The experience of [intentionally] being uncomfortable while seeing the world and letting things happen offered me powerful lessons about the value of simplicity. “So many things happened where I was like, discovering the poetry in understanding why something is happening, or how I’m going to write about it, but then I just did it.”

For Eternity of Anything, that process evolved into a type of raw, confessional expressionism.

“It’s a devastating delivery of nonchalant emotions that arrived in very human, palatable songs,” Kagen continues, regarding his latest album. He cites everyone from Sylvia Plath to Jason Isbell as having profoundly influenced how his latest album came to mind and onto paper, while adding that, production-wise, he’s embracing risk-taking as a way to grow from nervousness in his sonic choices to confidence in how the record turned out, in full.

He’s worried about people who have grown comfortable with his work to a consistently hit-making degree feeling uncomfortable about what he calls a “roller coaster” of a creative process that was involved in crafting this album.

“I don’t know if people are ready to ‘go there’ with me, emotionally, to then having to be a regular person, afterward,” he offers with a sort of devil-may-care fearlessness.

Arrival and Artistic Reckoning

For Kagen, this chapter of his career will feel like he’s heading straight from purgatory to the stage.

Thus, watch him live in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and his steel-eyed focus on the room becomes more than what’s seen.

It’s more him, as an artist-as-man, being resolute about working through live performance as a way to create his own bridge from purgatory to the freedom that likely exists for him, at some point in 2027, off tour and relaxing.

Maybe he’s in an Airstream with his dog, maybe he’s lying down on his back in his living room, knee-deep in yet another bottle of wine. However, gone will be the method acting to discover what exists on the other side of heartbreak, because he’ll confidently have arrived there — somewhat unscathed.

Jonah Kagen stands poised at a pivotal moment, his new album a testament to artistic vulnerability and growth. As he continues to invite fans into the rawest corners of his experience, he refines both his craft and his connection to those listening.

With Eternity of Anything, Kagen proves that true artistry lies in honesty, evolution, and the courage to share even the messiest chapters. Wherever the next journey takes him, he’s shown he’s unafraid to walk through the fire and return, soul in hand, ready to sing.

“I have weirdly cried my eyes out putting myself through so many things that, before they happened, I knew nothing about. The payoff, though? I feel like I finished painfully crapping out an album that, like, as if the album was a piece of my soul, I’m anxious about giving it to people who I know might not receive it softly.”

Get your copy of Eternity of Everything at Goldmine’s Store.

Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and violinist Toby Lightman began her career over twenty years ago with a pair Lava Records albums. Since then, she has released a half dozen independent albums including her new record Stars, a collection of a dozen songs, mostly written by Lightman with the exception of a cover of a lesser known Dolly Parton song.

Goldmine spoke with Lightman about her Parton cover, five more songs from her new album, and a song of hers that is growing to be a holiday classic.

GOLDMINE: Welcome to Goldmine. Congratulations on your new album, including the Dolly Parton flip side “Here I Am.” When Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, there was immediate coverage of her best-known songs including “Coat of Many Colors,” but I am not aware of anyone playing its flip side that day. Where did you learn this wonderful song with an “I’ll stand by you” theme.

TOBY LIGHTMAN: I’ve always admired Dolly Parton, her talent, her ambition, her smarts, her beauty, but most of all, her authenticity. She never wavered from who she was, and Dolly was a queen. I’m sure, like most of us, she had her human moments, of doubt or uncertainty, but if she did, we never knew. Dolly wrote some of the most prolific songs. A friend sent “Here I Am” a while ago. I think it was one to consider recording for a project and I fell in love with it. I tried to create a song that gave me a similar feeling, and ultimately, I decided that I would just have to record Dolly’s song, which is so perfect. I am grateful to my friend for sharing it. This Dolly Parton composition is a great proclamation of someone being ready to support someone else and to also receive support. Thank you, Dolly, for giving me your words and music.

Dolly Parton

Fabulous Flip Side: Here I Am

A side: Coat of Many Colors

Top Country Singles debut: October 30, 1971

Peak position: No. 4

RCA Victor 74-0538

“This Dolly Parton composition is a great proclamation of someone being ready to support someone else and to also receive support. Thank you, Dolly, for giving me your words and music.” – Toby Lightman

GM: Of your compositions, the title tune “Stars” is my favorite with its optimistic empowerment, strong chorus, background vocals, and you emotionally delivering, “I wanna sleep with the stars in my eyes and light up the rest of my days.”

TL: Thank you. I was very captivated by the Year of the Fire Horse, which is this year, a sixty-year rarity in the Chinese zodiac, a time to start running and take advantage of things you have been working so hard on and live your best life.

GM: “Somebody’s Someone” has a motivational catchy bounce, reminding me of Santana featuring Will.I.Am’s “I Am Somebody,” Brandy Clark’s songwriting, and Irene Cara’s vocal essence.

TL: I had the chorus for the song for a long time, “I’m gonna be somebody. I’m gonna be someone,” but I hadn’t yet put it together as “I’m gonna be somebody’s someone.” I wanted to speak to myself first that I am worthy, valued, and that I am going to be appreciated by somebody else in the way that I should be. The band helped to make this song pure joy.

GM: Speaking about the band, let’s go there with Matt Beck on pedal steel guitar and a Wurlitzer electric piano.

TL: Matt is so talented. “Go Easy” happened when I was trying to write more on keyboards, so I came up with that keyboard part even though I am not a proficient piano player. That part led me into the writing of the song. Lyrically I wanted to convey that when we are down and having a rough time, the person who we give the hardest time to is ourselves. Society wants us to snap out of it quickly. The song gives you permission to take the amount of time that you need. Matt played the piano part I created and added the atmospheric pedal steel sound that I wanted, too. I met Matt when I was with Lava Records, the home of Matchbox Twenty. Matt was their music director, and he also plays with Rob Thomas on all of his shows. I toured with Rob twenty years ago, and that is how I met Matt. I felt that I caught the record industry on the tail end of that being the quintessential experience for a recording artist. I am grateful that I was on the radio, did radio tours, played festivals, and had a big budget to be able to do all of that.

GM: Talking about instruments, you play both acoustic guitar and violin on “The Best of Me,” as you sing, “this is me,” and you are joined by Claire Wellins.

TL: Claire is my son Leo’s violin teacher. He is eight years old and started learning violin this year. She comes to our house every week. I wanted to play violin on this song. I have been playing since I was younger than Leo. In writing a song about the best of me, violin is a very important part of that. I asked her to stick around after Leo’s lesson one day so that she would play violin with me.

GM: “Turn it Up” is a powerful song with encouraging lyrics: “You try to be brave while you’re riding the wave” and “We’re all waiting for you to turn the volume up all the way.”

TL: Motivation can be hard. It can be difficult for people to know what to do next, by taking chances and pursuing goals and dreams. This song is my way of saying what are you waiting for? Just go and do it! It doesn’t have to be your livelihood. It doesn’t have to be your whole existence. Go after it in some capacity so at least you know you did. I wrote the songs on the album during unrest in the world and while my husband was battling cancer, who is now doing well now. I wanted to deliver positive and hopeful messages.

Toby Lightman’s Stars is available on vinyl and digital formats from T Killa Music

GM: As we head to the holiday season, I wonder where we will hear your song “Snow Day” this year.

TL: “Snow Day” has been used in Hallmark holiday movies, a Verizon commercial, a Kmart commercial, a Turner Classic Movies promo, and ABC’s Great Christmas Light Fight. I feel so lucky that every year somebody finds it. Thank you so much.

For another celebration of Parton’s music and legacy, tune in to CMA Presents: I Will Always Love You – A Celebration of Dolly Parton. The two-hour tribute airs live from Belmont University’s Fisher Center in Nashville on Wednesday, October 21, on ABC and Disney+, with streaming available on Hulu the following day.

Related links:

tobylightman.com

dollyparton.com

Get vinyl albums and more in our Goldmine store (see below):

Click here to get the above items (and more!) in the Goldmine store

Goldmine Contributing Editor Warren Kurtz, a long-time music journalist and author, can be contacted at fabulousflipsides.com

Iron Maiden are putting their planned touring break on hold. The British metal legends have announced 16 North American shows for spring 2027, extending their 50th anniversary Run for Your Lives Tour for one final leg.

The run opens April 14 in Tacoma, Washington, and includes stops across the Pacific Northwest, California, the Southwest and the East Coast before concluding with festival headline appearances at Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio, and Boardwalk Rock in Ocean City, Maryland.

The shows will feature the tour’s full production and a set list drawn from Maiden’s career-defining early decades. Eddie’s Dive Bars, the fan gathering spots accompanying the tour, will also return.

“As many of our fans know, Maiden were planning on taking a break from live performances in 2027, but we’ve been enjoying this last leg in the USA and Canada so much that we all had a chat and decided we should take the show to parts we missed, particularly the North West and South East,” bassist Steve Harris said in a statement. “It just seems fair to our many fans there who have given us tremendous support for so many years. We can’t get everywhere but we can try!”

Harris also welcomed the chance to add more American festivals to the itinerary.

“At festivals you are not just playing to your own fans so it’s always a challenge and we all love a challenge!” he said.

Bullet for My Valentine and The Raven Age will support the non-festival dates. Bullet for My Valentine’s new album, Social Apocalypse, is due March 19, 2027.

Manager Rod Smallwood credited Maiden’s fans with inspiring the return, pointing to the multigenerational crowds on the recent North American leg.

“The first leg was terrific, huge sell-out crowds of all ages spanning multi-generations, some of the biggest shows we have ever played in North America with rave fan and media reactions, and just a great all round vibe and camaraderie from our fans, including in our Eddie’s Dive Bars everywhere,” Smallwood said.

According to the announcement, these will be the final shows of the Run for Your Lives Tour. By its conclusion, the anniversary trek will have played 107 shows across 36 countries to more than 3 million fans.

Artist presales begin Monday, October 19, at 10 a.m. local time, with additional presales throughout the week. General ticket sales begin Friday, October 23, at 10 a.m. local time. Festival ticket information is available through the respective event websites. Visit ironmaiden.com for details.

Iron Maiden’s 2027 North American tour dates

April 14 — Tacoma, WA — Tacoma Dome
April 16 — Vancouver, BC — Rogers Arena
April 18 — Portland, OR — Moda Center
April 20 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre
April 22 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
April 24 — San Bernardino, CA — Glen Helen Amphitheater
April 26 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
April 28 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion
May 1 — Tampa, FL — Benchmark International Arena
May 2 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
May 5 — Atlanta, GA — Lakewood Amphitheatre
May 7 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
May 9 — Hartford, CT — The Meadows Music Theatre
May 11 — Belmont Park, NY — UBS Arena
May 14 — Columbus, OH — Sonic Temple*
May 16 — Ocean City, MD — Boardwalk Rock*

*Festival appearance.