Source: ABC PR

July 3 sees the release of one of the most anticipated live albums of the metal year, a full all-format release for Live From The Guild Theatre, recorded almost exactly one year earlier at the onstage launch of L.A. Guns’ most acclaimed album in years, the mighty Leopard Skin.

Rockpit.net described Leopard Skin as “a hook-filled, melody-drenched delight—perfectly mixed and balanced from start to finish. If you’re a diehard rocker who still worships the ’80s glory days, this one’s for you. But don’t get it twisted: this isn’t some nostalgic retread. L.A. Guns aren’t stuck in the past—they’ve evolved naturally, delivering a record that feels fresh while staying true to their roots.”

MetalPlanetMusic.com said the Guns are “still churning out bangers,” and Maximumvolumemusic.com applauded them for still having “a way of sounding filthy.”  In fact, that review continued, “The best thing about L.A. Guns is how unapologetic they are, and ‘Hit and Run’ nails it. ‘We’re just having fun,’ sneers [vocalist Phil Lewis], as only he can.”

It nails it here, too, sliding in between “Hellraisers Ball” and “Like A Drug,” but Live From The Guild Theatre is explosive from start to finish, the Gunners firing off killer versions of fan favorites tracing as far back as the band’s debut album – “Sex Action,” for example, probably hasn’t featured in the repertoire since the eighties, but it’s alive and kickin’ here.

Sophomore set Cocked and Loaded, meanwhile, spits out some of the most powerful shotgun blasts in the band’s entire arsenal – “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “The Ballad of Jayne,” “Rip and Tear,” and the set-ender, “Never Enough.”  And Leopard Skin gets both a triumphant airing and a delirious response.

In fact, longtime vocalist Phil Lewis and the man who put the Guns in L.A. Guns, Tracii Guns, have never sounded better – quite an achievement for a band that’s been tearing up the stages of the world since 1983!  Ace Von Johnson (guitar), Johnny Martin (bass) and Shawn Duncan (drums) complete the line-up.

The first single from the album, “Electric Gypsy” which is now available to stream and download HERE, is another from the self-titled debut, and it sounds as fresh now as it did way back then…drop it into your streaming playlist and it won’t simply wake up the neighbors, it’ll have them hammering on your door, demanding to know what you’re listening to.

Watch the video for “Electric Gypsy” HERE

Yes, you’ll tell them it’s L.A. Guns – who else could it be?  But you can also tell them that it’s not only coming out on CD and vinyl, but there’s a DVD and a cassette.

CD/DVD/VINYL/CASSETTE: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=l.a.+guns+live+from+the+guild+theatre

DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/laguns_livefromtheguildtheatre

Here’s the track listing for LIVE FROM THE GUILD THEATRE:

1. Intro – Taste It

2. Cannonball

3. Electric Gypsy

4. Sex Action

5. Hellraisers Ball

6. Hit and Run

7. Like a Drug

8. Speed

9. One More Reason

10. Theremin Jam

11. Over the Edge

12. Guitar Solo

13. I Wanna Be Your Man

14. Lucky Motherfucker

15. Never Enough

16. The Ballad of Jayne

17. Rip and Tear

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Source: ABC PR

Europe release the hook-laden new single, “The Cult of Ignorance,” the second track unveiled from their highly anticipated forthcoming studio album, Come This Madness, set for release on September 25 via Silver Lining Music. Pre-orders are available now.

Driven by an instantly memorable hook and an anthemic chorus, “The Cult of Ignorance” combines undeniable catchiness with a message that resonates in today’s fast-moving world, delivering moments of reflection without losing its positive, feel-good energy.

As well as featuring Europe, the accompanying star-studded video showcases cameos from high-profile friends of the band, including renowned actress Malin Åkerman, former World No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam champion tennis player Stefan Edberg, astronaut Christer Fuglesang,  Howling Pelle (The Hives), Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth) and E-Type, alongside many other notable personalities from the world of music, film, fashion, sports and science.

“I love this track! It’s a straightforward rock anthem with lyrics reflecting the times we live in, written slightly tongue in cheek” says Europe’s founding member and frontman Joey Tempest. “Mic (keyboards) came to me with this song idea while on tour in South America – I thought it was crazy good! We finished it together and it’s become a real banger! The title was inspired by a phrase coined by author and biochemist Isaac Asimov. It reflects some of the negative tendencies emerging in our world today, though it is written in a slightly light-hearted tone.”

Watch/Listen to “The Cult of Ignorance” here – Video by Patric Ullaeus.

Europe’s new studio album, Come This Madness, signals a powerful new chapter for one of rock’s most enduring acts. Across songs like “One on One,” “The Cult of Ignorance,” and the title track “Come This Madness,” the band channel tension, truth, and raw energy into a record that feels both deeply personal and globally resonant.

Watch and listen to Europe’s recently released and celebrated single, “One on One,” here. The song is accompanied by a cinematic video featuring acclaimed actor Peter Stormare (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Minority Report, 8MM, Armageddon) and directed by Patric Ullaeus.

Come This Madness was recorded at RMV Studio, the Stockholm-based recording facility founded by Benny Andersson and Ludvig Andersson. The album features special guests Tobias Forge (Ghost) and Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) on backing vocals and was produced by acclaimed producer Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein, Pixies, The Cult, Opeth), who became a true creative force throughout the process, deeply embedded in the band’s writing and recording, shaping the album’s sound from the ground up. To bring the project to its final stage and complete their vision, the band turned to one of rock’s most respected recording legends Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Van Halen, Metallica, The Cult, Loverboy) to mix the record.

With Come This Madness, Europe deliver a landmark record that finds them fully realized and present, confronting the realities of the modern world with conviction and creativity. Building on the momentum surrounding the album’s release, the band will also embark on an extensive run of live dates, including numerous festival appearances and a major tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Final Countdown. Kicking off in Glasgow on September 30, “The Final Countdown 40th Anniversary Tour” promises to unite the legacy that defined them with the renewed energy, driving them forward today. For a full list of dates and ticket information, please visit: www.europetheband.com

2026 Dates:

6 Jun – North Festival, Maia (PT)

21 Jun – Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel (BE)

25 Jun – Rock Pod Kameňom Festival, Bela Nad Cirochou (SK)

28 Jun – Retro Trop C, Tilloloy (FR)

5 Jul – Summer Festival Piazza Castello, Marostica (IT)

7 Jul – Cavea-Auditorium Parco della Musica, Roma (IT)

8 Jul – Arena Campo Marte, Brescia (IT)

9 Jul – Villa Bertelli, Forte Dei Marmi (IT)

25 Jul – Son Do Mar Festival, Meaño, Pontevedra (ES)

30 Jul – Wacken Open Air, Wacken (DE)

29 Aug – Stonedead Festival, Newark (GB)

30 Sep – SEC Armadillo, Glasgow (GB)*

2 Oct – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton (GB)*

3 Oct – Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London (GB)*

5 Oct – Musis Arnhem, Arnhem (NL)*

6 Oct – Olympia, Paris (FR)*

8 Oct – Poble Espanyol, Barcelona (ES)*

9 Oct – Bilbao Arena Mirabilla, Bilbao (ES)*

10 Oct – La Cubierta, Madrid (ES)*

12 Oct – Salle Métropole, Lausanne (CH)*

13 Oct – Volkshaus, Zürich (CH)*

14 Oct – Alcatraz, Milan (IT)*

16 Oct – Liederhalle, Stuttgart (DE)*

17 Oct – Gasometer, Wien (AT)*

19 Oct – Admiralspalast Theater, Berlin (DE)*

20 Oct – COS Torwar, Warszawa (PL)*

22 Oct – Falkoner, Frederiksberg (DK)*

23 Oct – Film Studios, Gothenburg (SE)*

24 Oct – B-K, Stockholm (SE)*

26 Oct – Sentrum Scene, Oslo (NO)*

15 Nov – Malta Metal Weekend, St. Julians (MT)*

21 Nov – Ostravar Aréna, Ostrava (CZ)*

25 Nov – Aalto Hall @ House of Culture, Helsinki (FI)*

27 Nov – John Smith Rock Frozen Paviljonki, Jyväskylä (FI)*

28 Nov – Unholy Winter Festival Joensuu Areena, Joensuu (FI)*

*The Final Countdown 40th Anniversary Tour

Come This Madness album artwork by Storm Studios (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Muse).

Come This Madness track listing:

1. One on One
2. The Cult of Ignorance
3. Come This Madness
4. This Time of Year
5. In a Different World
6. Scandinavian Eyes
7. Takin’ It Back
8. In the Absence of Grace
9. The Angels Must Have Flown
10. The Devil’s Back
11. Nothing Can Follow This

Come This Madness will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats. Pre-orders can be placed HERE

EUROPE are:

Joey Tempest – Lead Vocals

John Norum – Guitars

John Levén – Bass

Mic Michaeli – Keyboards

Ian Haugland – Drums

www.europetheband.com

www.facebook.com/europetheband

www.instagram.com/officialeuropetheband

www.youtube.com/europethebandtv

www.tiktok.com/@europethebandofficial

The Clear Tune Monitors CTM CE220 is a highly capable, entry-level professional in-ear monitor (IEM) that bridges the gap between everyday consumers and touring musicians.

Engineered with a dual balanced armature driver configuration, these monitors split the workload efficiently: one dedicated low-frequency driver generates a robust, punchy bass response that gives a solid foundation to the sound stage, while the second driver delivers warm, natural midranges alongside sparkling, airy highs. Vocals and strings are reproduced cleanly without harshness or fatiguing sibilance. 

Comfort is a primary design pillar for the CE220. CTM utilized a unique scientific approach to craft a universal fit shell shaped by averaging data from their extensive library of custom-molded customers. The result is a highly ergonomic design that locks securely in the ear canal, ensuring a flawless acoustic seal even during active live performances. This structure achieves a remarkable -26 dB of passive noise isolation, easily blocking stage noise or ambient distractions. 

Built to last, the monitors feature a detachable 4-core braided copper cable using standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors, offering excellent signal conductivity and easy replacement. Technically, they are highly efficient and easy to drive from any portable source, presenting a 20-ohm impedance, 124 dB SPL sensitivity, and a smooth frequency response ranging from 20 Hz up to 16 kHz. Sold with a protective zipper case, various ear tips, and a quarter-inch adapter, the CE220 stands out as an affordable, durable, and acoustically balanced tool for any stage performer or demanding audiophile.

Pros

Outstanding Comfort and Ergonomics: The shell shape—designed by averaging thousands of CTM’s custom ear molds—fits the ear incredibly well. They are extremely stable, don’t fall out during active stage movement, and cause zero fatigue after hours of continuous use.

Excellent Passive Noise Isolation: Offering a -26 dB noise reduction, this feature is highly praised by live musicians and commuters alike, as it efficiently blocks ambient noise without relying on electronic cancellation.

Warm and Musical Sound Profile: The tuning is coherent, leaning towards a smooth, analog signature. The mid-range sounds organic, and the highs are polite and airy, completely avoiding harsh peaks or piercing sibilance.

Punchy Bass for Balanced Armatures (BA): Unlike other BA-only monitors that can sound thin or dry, the dedicated low-frequency driver delivers a bass response with solid body, warmth, and impact.

Easy to Drive: With a 20-ohm impedance and high sensitivity, they perform beautifully straight out of wireless bodypacks, modest audio interfaces, or smartphones.

Complete Accessory Package: Includes a sturdy zipper case, a 1/4-inch adapter, and a generous variety of both silicone and foam ear tips.

Cons

Loss of Micro-details: By prioritizing a smooth, fatigue-free sound, some of the finest, hyper-analytical details in the high frequencies are sacrificed. They are not the most resolving IEMs on the market.

Slight Congestion (Muddiness): In very fast or complex musical tracks, the sound can feel a bit congested or “cloudy” in the transition between the bass and the lower mid-range.

Basic Plastic Build: While the polycarbonate shell (available in clear or smoke finishes) is robust enough for stage abuse, it looks and feels a bit plain or overly “plastic” compared to resin or metal competitors in the same price bracket.

Average Soundstage and Imaging: The 3D space and instrument separation are perfectly adequate for reference monitoring, but they do not particularly stand out when compared to similarly priced hybrid models from Chi-Fi brands.

More info: https://cleartunemonitors.com/products/ctm-ce220-pro-isolating-dual-driver-wired-earphones-by-clear-tune-monitors

Carlos Martin Schwab would like to thank Cesar Milano (Clear Tune Monitors) for his help in writing this article.

If we divide a semitone into 100 cents, the average human ear can hardly perceive variations of less than 5 cents in a musical context. A standard pedal tuner (such as the BOSS TU-3) has an accuracy of ±1 cent. A strobe tuner has an accuracy of 0.1 cents. Let’s take a closer look at this.

The fundamental difference between a strobe tuner and a conventional tuner lies in the nature of their measurements. While a standard tuner (needle or LED) averages the note’s frequency and displays a visual approximation with an accuracy of 1 or 2 cents, the strobe tuner operates in real time without processing latency.

Instead of interpreting the signal, a strobe model allows the input signal to interact directly with a light or wheel pattern, revealing minute harmonic discrepancies with an accuracy of up to 0.1 cents.

For a musician, this means that the conventional tuner is useful for quick adjustments during live performances, but it may overlook slight detunings that affect intonation. In contrast, the strobe tuner is indispensable for octaving instruments and professional recordings, as its display only stops when the frequency is mathematically exact, offering a level of sound fidelity that a standard digital sensor simply cannot achieve.

These tuners are extremely precise—so much so that they are used more for adjusting the technical intonation of the guitar than for a quick tune-up between songs.

Peterson StroboStomp HD

This strobe tuner is widely regarded as the gold standard in the world of tuning, offering unmatched accuracy of 0.1 cents. This pedal is not just an accessory, but a professional-grade tool that ensures every note is mathematically perfect, thanks to its true strobe technology in a compact and extremely durable pedal format.

Key Features

Configurable High-Definition Color LCD Screen: Features a large screen with customizable LED backlighting, making it easy to view in any lighting environment. The user-selectable colors can be used to personalize the tuner or to improve display visibility in varying ambient lighting conditions, depending on the usage environment. The vibrant screen colors can also be assigned to stock or user presets to significantly reduce menu navigation time and increase on-stage tuning confidence during a gig.

“Sweetened” Tunings: Includes 135 exclusive presets that optimize tuning intervals for specific instruments (guitars, basses, banjos, and even wind instruments). Its low-frequency note detection algorithm (such as for 5-string basses) is the most stable in the industry.

Signal Management: The integrity of your signal is vital, especially if you have many pedals. This tuner offers 3 pop-free operating modes: True Bypass, Buffered output (to maintain tone integrity over long cables), and a Monitor mode (tuning always visible) by setting the mode switch located in the battery compartment.

Power: 9V battery or DC jack. It can power other 9V pedals on your board via the power-through jack.

Professional users unanimously praise its ease of use, noting that the stroboscopic wheel is much more intuitive for fine-tuning than traditional needle meters. They also highlight its versatility, as it allows for firmware updates and the loading of sweetened tunings via USB. Although it requires a brief learning curve, it is the ultimate pedal for those seeking maximum harmonic fidelity both in the studio and on international tours.

Fender Strobo Sonic Pro

This is a high-end strobe tuner that redefines precision on stage. Sharing many features with its predecessor, this device stands out for its impressive accuracy of 0.1 cents, positioning itself as one of the most reliable tools on the market for ensuring perfect intonation, even in demanding studio setups.

Key Features

Its rugged aluminum design houses a 2.3-inch LED display with automatic brightness adjustment, ensuring full visibility in both dark stages and broad daylight. It offers two display modes: strobe (for maximum precision) and needle (for quick visual reference). A significant technical advantage is its bypass versatility, allowing you to choose between True Bypass, Buffered Bypass, or an always-on monitoring mode. Additionally, it features space-saving top-mounted connectors and power via 9V or USB-C.

Professional users praise its response speed, which eliminates the annoying lag found in other digital tuners. It does not have sweetened tunings, but it does allow you to calibrate the reference pitch between 430 Hz and 450 Hz. Reviewers agree that it is a direct competitor to the industry standard (Peterson), surpassing it for many in terms of ergonomics and ease of use. Its high-definition color LCD screen, which is its most useful feature, is extremely smooth and offers different display modes (including one that mimics an oscilloscope). It is, arguably, the most beautiful tuner display on the market.

More info: www.petersontuners.com and www.fender.com

Carlos Martin Schwab would like to thank Bob Potsic (Peterson) and Gabriel Madera (Fender) for their help in writing this article.

Source: Deko Entertainment 

This 8-song collection by Linc Bloomfield (also known as Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield Jr.), longtime bass player for Kelakos, showcases his songwriting, singing and overall musicianship, along with his studio engineering skills. After remixing and re-releasing the 1978 Kelakos album in 2015 as Kelakos Uncorked, Linc produced Kelakos’ second album, the 2023 Deko double LP release Hurtling Towards Extinction in which the collection of accompanying videos have racked up over one million views.

Echoes of Dreamwold is a true solo project. With the skillful studio work of two great drummers, Carl Canedy and Andy Hamburger, a sweet country pedal steel track by Billy Cooper on ‘No Second Chances’, and a classic lead guitar track by George Haberstroh on ‘(Got to) Save the World’, Linc sang all the vocals, played all the guitar, bass, keyboard and percussion tracks, and mixed every song, before they were mastered by Blaine Misner.

Listen to Echoes of Dreamwold here: https://push.fm/fl/nhz0a3fg

This album is meant to be played over and over, in the tradition of the sixties’ and seventies’ legends who inspired and influenced LB Junior’s own songwriting. No two songs are in the same genre. As he explains the origins of each of the songs

“Walk Away My Girl” is a soft-rock tale of heartbreak, originally written on his dad’s 1917 Steinway baby grand piano, on which he recorded this smooth, melodic track.

“Alive” explores the insecurity that holds many people back. Against a lively track derived from the reggae sounds heard on local radio on the island of Kauai, the lyrics are about coming to terms with self-doubts.

“Shot Down”, the first song Linc wrote after leaving Kelakos, in 1978, is a lively pop song featuring bright acoustic guitar harmonics and chords, and a story about how not to try and meet women.

“Greedy Child”, also written years ago, captures the sadness as the giants from the golden age of rock and pop music pass from the scene and along with it, a generation for whom their music was the soundtrack of their lives.

“(Got to) Save the World” reflects Linc’s life’s work promoting international security. This fast-paced rocker featuring George Haberstroh’s lead guitar and Andy Hamburger’s relentless backbeat, is a wake-up call to do something about armed conflict, mass shootings, and environmental destruction, and realize what is at stake.

“The (2nd) Fiddler’s Song” is a personal message set to a soft acoustic track, in which LB JUNIOR explains why contributing to something worthy and necessary is more satisfying than chasing personal glory.

“No Second Chances” is a country song, pure and simple, featuring Billy Cooper’s pedal steel licks and the distinctive rich tone of Linc’s 1955 Gretsch Country Club guitar.

Linc Bloomfield

Dreamwold was a grand estate built in 1901–1902 by financier Thomas W. Lawson in Scituate, Massachusetts. By the late 1960s, the ballroom had become a popular venue for live music. One of the regular performers was Emergency Exit, from nearby Cohasset, that included Linc, George Haberstroh, and Mark Sisson, who would later join Carl Canedy to form Kelakos. The band had a homemade light show, black lights, and a vintage Kustom P.A. system wrapped in sparkling Naugahyde. The Dreamwold estate was eventually redeveloped into condominium residences.

Order the vinyl of Echoes of Dreamwold while supplies last:  https://www.dekoentertainment.com/inthesquare/lb-junior

TRACKLIST:

For more information, visit
www.dekoentertainment.com
Deko Entertainment–Art Has Value

Source: Think Press

Judy Collins – Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Legendary singer-songwriter, Judy Collins – who celebrates her 87th birthday today – will embark on her highly anticipated “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” farewell tour beginning July 4, 2026. Spanning iconic venues and cities across North America and beyond through winter 2027, this milestone tour has added dates and special guests.

Additionally, The Americana Music Association announced a special “Judy Collins and Friends” celebration at the 2026 AmericanaFest in Nashville in September. This final farewell tour will be captured on film for a forthcoming documentary on Judy’s life, music and legacy.

The tour kicks-off on July 4, 2026 with Judy headlining the live, star-studded PBS nationally televised Independence Day event “America Made In Virginia: 250 Years Together” celebration hosted by Virginia’s American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250)  in Colonial Williamsburg, the capital city of revolutionary Virginia.

Throughout the tour, select dates will feature special guests including the newly confirmed August 30th performance at Tanglewood, featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash, and Amanda Shires. Other guests confirmed along the tour are Richard Thompson, The High Kings, Bruce Cockburn, Elles Bailey, Livingston Taylor and Norwegian duo Oakland Rain, who are also filming the tour for a forthcoming Judy Collins documentary. Visit https://www.judycollins.com/ for specific guest appearance

Judy Collins – Photo credit: Patrick Donovan

Following the main tour, Judy will present the “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes – Celebration Encore,” a special series of encore performances for devoted fans and new audiences alike – an opportunity to celebrate six decades of musical brilliance with one of folk’s most treasured artists.

A 7-time Grammy nominee, Collins is an award-winning folk singer-songwriter who has released 55 recordings during her prolific career.  She has released six albums since 2015 alone, and her Grammy nominated 2023 album Spellbound is her first of all original, self-penned songs.   Collins is also a published author, filmmaker, keynote speaker for mental health and podcast host. In 2025, Judy Collins released Sometimes It’s Heaven: Poems of Love, Loss and Redemption – personal poems about love, loss and redemption.

2026-27 “SWEET JUDY BLUE EYES” TOUR DATES

JUNE 11 / CONCORD, NH @ Capitol Center for the Arts

JUNE 13 / NEWPORT, RI @ Jane Pickens

JUNE 14 / NEWPORT, RI @ Jane Pickens

JUNE 19 / SIDNEY, BC @ Seaside Music Festival

JUNE 20 / PORT ALBERNI, BC @ Char’s Landing

JUNE 25 / BUFFALO, NY @ Asbury Hall

JULY 4 / WILLIAMSBURG, VA @ U.S. 250th Anniversary Celebration

JULY 5 / WILLIAMSBURG, VA @ Music Arts Center

JULY 12 / CAMPBELLFORD, ON @ Westben Arts Festival Theater

JULY 15 / HYANNIS, MA @ Cape Cod Melody Tent*

JULY 16 / COHASSET, MA @ South Shore Music Circus*

JULY 18 / LANSDOWNE, PA @ Lansdowne Theater*

JULY 20 / OCEAN CITY, NJ @ Ocean City Music Pier^

JULY 22 / DENVER, CO @ Denver Botanical Garden# (SOLD OUT!)

JULY 24 / BAYFIELD, WI @ Big Top Chautauqua%

AUG 6 / SAN DIEGO, CA @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

AUG 15 / BROWNFIELD, ME @ Stone Mountain

AUG 16 / BAR HARBOR, ME @ Criterion Theater

AUG 26 / IOWA CITY, IA @ Englert Theater#

AUG 27 / DES MOINES, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place#

AUG 30 / LENOX, MA @ Tanglewood$

SEPT 8 / OMAHA, NE @ Astro Theater#

SEPT 9 / LAWRENCE, KS @ Liberty Hall#

SEPT 15 / NASHVILLE, TN @ Americana Fest

SEPT 19 / HONOLULU, HI @ Blue Note

SEPT 20 / HONOLULU, HI @ Blue Note

SEPT 24 / TUCSON, AZ @ Fox Theater

SEPT 27 / SANTA BARBARA, CA @ Lobero Theatre

SEPT 29 / PORT ANGELES, WA @ Field Arts & Events Hall

SEPT 30 / KIRKLAND, WA @ Kirkland PAC

OCT 2 / GRANTS PASS, OR @ The Rouge Theatre

OCT 9 / ITHACA, NY @ State Theater

OCT 16 / FALLON, NV @ Barkley Theater

OCT 18 / BERKELEY, CA @ Cal Performance Arts

OCT 21 / CLEVELAND, OH @ Music Box

OCT 23 / CHICAGO, IL @ Old Town School of Folk

OCT 24 / CHICAGO, IL @ Old Town School of Folk

OCT 27 / MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ Dakota

OCT 28 / MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ Dakota

OCT 30 / MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ Dakota

NOV 1 / LAFAYETTE, IN @ Long Center for the Performing Arts

NOV 4 / MUNHALL, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

NOV 17 / ALEXANDRIA, VA @ The Birchmere

NOV 18 / ALEXANDRIA, VA @ The Birchmere

NOV 22 / MORRISTOWN, NJ @ MAYO Center

NOV 29 / RIDGEFIELD, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse

DEC 12 / RIVERHEAD, NY @ Suffolk Theater

DEC 18 / OGUNQUIT, ME @ Jonathan’s

DEC 19 / OGUNQUIT, ME @ Jonathan’s

JAN 9 / FORT LAUDERDALE, FL @ Amaturo Theater

JAN 13 / PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL @ Ponte Vedra Beach Concert Hall!

JAN 14 / ORLANDO, FL @ Plaza Theater!

JAN 16 / CLEARWATER, FL @ Capitol Theater!

MAR 4 / LEXINGTON, KY @ Troubadour Concert Series

MAR 6 / PELHAM, TN @ The Caverns!

APR 10 / PORTLAND, OR @ Aladdin Theater

More dates TBA

*w/ Richard Thompson and Elles Bailey

^w/ Richard Thompson

#w/ Bruce Cockburn

%w/ The High Kings

$ w/ Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanna Cash, Amanda Shires

! w/ Livingston Taylor

OFFICIAL SITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM 

SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE 

Source: Adrenaline PR

The Song of Hiawatha: The Life and High Times Of The First Black Hippie is a feature-length documentary chronicling queer political activist and musician of African-American and Native-American ancestry, Hiawatha Bailey, recognized as the first black hippie.

The film traces Hiawatha’s path as part of the African-American “great migration” from the Deep South to Detroit in the 1950s, “turning on” to LSD and joining a commune in 1965, becoming the only Black member of a revolutionary cadre known as the White Panthers in 1968, serving a four-year prison term, starting a musical outfit in prison, and forming the Cult Heroes, a punk rock band, in 1978.

The cast includes a select array of rockers and activists (two were on the FBI 10 Most Wanted List): Hiawatha Bailey, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Wayne Kramer, John Sinclair, Cheetah Chrome, Niagara Detroit, Ron Ashton, Pun Plamondon, Professor Judson Jeffries, Leni Sinclair, Genie Plamondon, David Fenton, Lawrence Livermore, John Brannon, Maxie Chanel, Jennifer Holiday Chanel, and Deniz Tek. Documents include a letter from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, a landmark Supreme Court decision, a contract signed by John Lennon, and many never-before-seen photos dating back beyond the 1960s. The soundtrack features music by The MC5, The Rationals, Cult Heroes, John Brannon’s pre-Negative Approach band Static, and African-American punk rockers Pure Hell, with additional scoring by Elan Portnoy (Fuzztones).

The Song of Hiawatha floats along in a psychedelic haze as it touches on sensitive issues of race, rock, radicalism, sexual identity, prison life, and antiquated drug laws, so smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. Can you dig it?

“This film has the potential to tell a different story about the American rock counterculture than the one we are used to hearing.” – James Sclavunos, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

“This film will illuminate fundamental questions about past events by offering a particularly fresh look at the New Left and its complex relationships to culture and society. So doing, it will beckon audiences to join in understanding the complex configuration of elements that compose the American experience.” — Professor Ira Katznelson, History and Political Science, Columbia University

“The film chronicles the activities of the Black Panthers, the White Panthers, FBI surveillance, and how it all came together to shape the character of one counterculture punk rocker.” — Ann Arbor Observer

Producer Biography – Steven Blush

STEVEN BLUSH got his start in the 1980s promoting hardcore punk rock shows in Washington, DC. He published the award-winning Seconds Magazine and served as music editor for the late, great PaperMagazine, where he became the first writer to cover both rock and hip-hop.

His journalism has appeared in over 25 publications, including: Spin, Details, Interview, The Village Voice, and The Times of London. Blush has written ten books about rock and pop culture, culture — American Hardcore (2001), American Hair Metal (2005), .45 Dangerous Minds (2006), American Hardcore: Second Edition (2010), Lost Rockers (2016), New York Rock (2017), American Hair Metal: Can’t Get Enough (2023), and the trilogy of When Rock Met Disco (2023), When Rock Met Reggae (2024) and When Rock Met Hip-Hop (2026) — as well as Bustin’ Balls (2010), about Billie Jean King’s rebel tennis league, currently in television development. He wrote and produced the critically acclaimed, theatrically released, Sundance-premiered documentary film American Hardcore  (Sony Pictures Classics, 2006).                

JEFFREY WENGROFSKY has made ten short films about figures in the cultural underground of his native Lower East Side of New York, from the Warhol superstar Taylor Mead and anarcho-theater director Judith Malina, to hippie noise lords The Godz. Wengrofsky is also the author of The Wolfboy of Rego Park (Far West Press). The Song of Hiawatha is his first feature film.

Jeffrey Wengrofsky

]]> https://guitarinternational.com/2026/04/18/prosody-for-guitarists-part-2-phrase-contour-and-emotional-weight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prosody-for-guitarists-part-2-phrase-contour-and-emotional-weight Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:41:52 +0000 https://guitarinternational.com/?p=101568 By: Steve Canfield

Photo credit: Tatyana Makariva

PART 1 covered syllable stress. PART 2 zooms out. The shape of a melodic line does as much emotional work as the words do.

In PART 1 we looked at syllable stress: how individual words carry natural emphasis patterns and how the melody either supports or fights those patterns. PART 2 zooms out one level. Beyond the word there’s the phrase, and beyond the phrase’s stresses there’s its shape.

The three phrase shapes!

Every melodic phrase has a contour. Most phrases fall into three basic shapes.

Rising. The phrase ends higher than it began. “I’ll see you to-MOR-row” on a rising line carries forward motion, a question, hope.

Falling. The phrase ends lower than it began. “We used to dance all NIGHT” on a falling line carries settling, arrival, resignation.

Arched. The phrase rises, peaks in the middle, and falls back home. “So I called her on the phone” with the peak on “called” and a descent through “on the phone.” Most natural speech sits here. The arch is the default shape for a statement of fact.

The interesting work happens when the contour of the line matches, or deliberately fights, the emotional content of the words.

Descending lines sell loss!

This might be the single most useful observation in the whole prosody toolkit. If your lyric is about loss, disappointment, resignation, or quiet grief, a descending melodic line will do half the emotional work for you. The words don’t have to strain. The contour does the selling.

Think of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The word itself is set to a four-note descending line in the chorus. The descent is mournful before the listener has even processed what the word means. Now imagine the same word set to an ascending melody. It becomes celebratory. Same word, opposite effect, entirely because of phrase contour.

When you’re writing a line about loss and it’s not landing, check the contour first. If your melody is arching or rising, the music is fighting the words. Try rewriting the phrase so it ends on the lowest note of the line. You’ll often find the lyric suddenly works without a single word changing.

E minor descending phrase (standard tuning):

e|–7—5—————|
B|———-8—7—5—|
G|———————-|
D|———————-|
A|———————-|
E|———————-|

Lyric:  “She  was  gone   by  dawn”
Notes:   B    A    G     F#   E

The final long vowel (“dawn”) lands on the lowest note. The descent does the emotional work before the listener has processed the line.

Ascending lines sell hope!

The inverse is true. If your lyric is about longing, possibility, pursuit, or unresolved yearning, an ascending line carries that forward motion. Ballads often save the ascent for the chorus payoff. The verses may arch or settle, and then the chorus lifts, suggesting the feeling of the song is still reaching for something.

A lyric that wants to feel aspirational but lives on a descending melody will always feel slightly resigned, no matter what the words say on the page. Flip the contour and the same words start to sell the hope they were trying to describe.

C major ascending phrase (standard tuning):

e|——-0—1—3—|
B|–1–3————-|
G|——————-|
D|——————-|
A|——————-|
E|——————-|

Lyric:  “And  one  day   we’ll  fly”
Notes:   C    D    E     F      G

The final long vowel (“fly”) lands on the highest note. The rise carries the forward motion the lyric is reaching for.

The arched phrase is a workhorse!

Most verse lines are arched, because most natural speech is arched. They rise into a peak and then resolve back home. Use arched phrases as your default. Save the explicit rising and falling contours for moments where the emotion of the lyric justifies the special treatment.

A common amateur mistake is making every phrase the same shape. Verses all arched, or every line rising into the chorus. Vary it. The contrast between a rising line and a falling line is one of the strongest expressive tools you have, and it costs you nothing but attention.

Vowels want length!

Prosody isn’t only about emphasis. It’s also about the vowels themselves. Long vowels (the “I” in “mine,” the “o” in “alone”) want longer notes. Short vowels (the “i” in “sit,” the “u” in “cup”) want shorter notes. Match the duration of the note to the natural duration of the vowel and the line sings smoothly. Pit a long vowel against a sixteenth note and the singer has to rush the syllable to fit, which sounds stilted regardless of the pitch choices.

This is one reason country and folk lyrics often end phrases on words like “moon,” “rain,” “alone,” “gone.” Those are long-vowel words that sustain naturally on whole notes. The instinct of a good lyricist is to pick words whose vowels want to ring out where the melody asks them to ring out.

A ten-minute rewriting exercise!

Pull up any song of yours that isn’t quite landing. For every line, mark the contour: rising, falling, or arched. Now ask yourself a single question: does the contour match the emotional content of the line?

– If the line is about loss and arches upward, you’ve found a rewrite target.
– If the line is about hope and falls downward, you’ve found a rewrite target.
– If every line in the verse has the same shape, the verse will feel monotone and you can break it up by changing the shape of one middle line.

You don’t have to change the words. You often just need to change the shape of the melody.

Putting it together!

Prosody is a discipline of listening. Strong syllables want the strong beats. Long vowels want long notes. The shape of the line wants to match the shape of the feeling. None of this is complicated, but all of it requires slowing down a little on the lyric side and letting the words guide the melody as much as the other way around.

The songwriters whose lyrics feel inevitable are almost always the ones who’ve internalized these habits until they don’t have to think about them. The rest of us can get there the slow way, one line at a time, one rewrite at a time.

Write with your hands on the guitar, by all means. But say the line before you sing it, and check the shape of the phrase against the shape of the feeling. Your songs will thank you for it.

PART 1 

PART I – Prosody For Guitarists

PART 2 

Rick Landers – Photo credit: Steve Pendlebury Media

Every guitarist has written a line that looks great on the page and fights the melody when you try to sing it. Here’s what’s happening, and how to fix it in 30 seconds per line.

Every guitarist has written a line that looks great on paper and then fights the melody when you try to sing it. The words are right. The chord progression is right. But something is still off. In almost every case I’ve seen, the culprit is prosody.

Prosody is the rhythm, stress, and intonation of spoken language. It’s the reason “REC-ord” (the noun) sounds different from “re-CORD” (the verb). It’s the reason a lyric can scan perfectly on the page and still land wrong when you sing it. When a melody fights the natural stress of the words, the listener feels it even if they couldn’t name what’s wrong.

This is a two-part piece. Part 1 covers syllable stress, the first and most underused tool in matching lyrics to melody. PART 2, covers phrase contour and how the shape of a melodic line carries emotional weight.

The Strong Syllable Rule

Every English word of more than one syllable has a pattern of strong and weak syllables. “Guitar” is weak-STRONG. “Music” is STRONG-weak. “Am-BI-gu-ous” is weak-STRONG-weak-weak. Native speakers never have to think about this; we just know it.

When you sing a word, your melody assigns emphasis to syllables through pitch and duration. Higher notes and longer notes feel more accented than lower, shorter ones. If your melody emphasizes the wrong syllable, the line sounds awkward even when the listener can’t articulate why.

A classic example: a songwriter writes the word “forever” onto a melody that lands the high note on “FOR-ev-er.” But “forever” is “for-EV-er.” The melody is fighting the word. The listener’s ear expects the emphasis on “EV,” gets it on “FOR,” and the line feels stilted.

This is a fixable problem, once you know to listen for it!

The “Say it, don’t sing it” Test

Before committing a line, say it out loud in the rhythm of your intended melody. Not sung. Spoken, with the same emphasis pattern your melody is about to use. If the spoken version feels natural, the sung version will too. If the spoken version sounds stilted or robotic, the melody and the words are fighting each other.

This works in reverse too. If a line is bothering you in a song you’ve already written, speak the words in the rhythm of the melody. The awkwardness will either disappear (meaning the problem is elsewhere) or it becomes obvious.

Three Ways To Fix A Line That Fights Itself

In order of how much they cost you as the writer:

1. Change the word. If “forever” is fighting your melody, what about “always”? “AL-ways” starts with the strong syllable. If the emphasis in your melody lands on beat 1, “always” sings naturally where “forever” won’t. This is usually the cheapest fix.

Source: The Green Room PR

Reba McEntire will begin releasing music capsules each month, thematically curated songs from throughout her career paired with brand new recordings that spotlight the road ahead for the iconic entertainer. The first release, ONE NIGHT IN TULSA, centers songs around her home state and will be released this Friday, April 17 via MCA and is available for pre-save HERE.

On April 9, McEntire previewed the project during a special performance at her restaurant Reba’s Place, where she debuted a new song and title track of the first capsule “One Night In Tulsa.” Written by Neal Coty, Kylie Frey and Thom McHugh, the song marks a return to the ’90s country ballads that cemented McEntire’s place as one of the genre’s most definitive voices of heartbreak.

ONE NIGHT IN TULSA

• “One Night In Tulsa”
• “Tulsa Time”
• “Oklahoma Swing”
• “Does The Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma”
• “No U In Oklahoma”

Each digital music capsule pairs a newly recorded song with carefully selected tracks that trace the evolution of one of country music’s most enduring and influential voices. In tandem with each music capsule, tailored playlists will launch to further illuminate the defining eras of McEntire’s career. Beginning May 1 with “The Making of Reba,” the first playlist captures a young McEntire finding her voice through classic country heartbreak, laying the foundation for everything to come. The playlists serve as a companion piece, offering fans a deeper, more expansive look at the moments, milestones, and music that shaped her legacy.

About Reba McEntire: 
Multi-media entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that includes music, television, film, theater, retail and hospitality. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Hollywood Bowl member has more than 50 award wins under her belt, earning honors from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards, CMA Awards, GRAMMY® Awards and GMA Dove Awards. Reba was also a 2018 Kennedy Center Honors recipient, in addition to multiple philanthropic and leadership honors. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success, including 35 career No.1 singles and more than 58 million albums sold worldwide. Reba earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba’s Top 10 success spans five straight decades, landing her in the singular group with only George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton who have the same achievement. Most recently, her latest single, “Trailblazer,” featuring Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert, garnered an impressive 2.6 million on-demand streams in its first week, marking a new personal best for Reba in the streaming era. The Oklahoma native and Golden Globe® nominated actress has multiple movie credits to her name, a critically-acclaimed lead role on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun, and starred in the 6-season television sitcom Reba. Reba has also proven to be a savvy entrepreneur, with longstanding brand partnerships including her Dillard’s clothing line and western footwear collection REBA by Justin. She has even added restaurateur to the list with Reba’s Place, a restaurant, bar, retail and entertainment venue in Atoka, Oklahoma. Her book Not That Fancy landed on the New York Times bestseller list. For more information, visit www.Reba.com.