Melissa Etheridge album, tour set for spring

Rise, the new Melissa Etheridge album will be released on March 27 via Sun Records. It is her first studio album in five years and includes a duet with Chris Stapleton ("The Other Side of Blue”) - written and co-produced by Etheridge, who worked with Grammy winning producer, Shooter Jennings on the album.

Of working with Etheridge, Shooter said "Getting to work with Melissa was one of the greatest times of my life. From the moment she walked into the studio the first time I met her, she exuded such light and wisdom, I was floored. She’s one of the greatest rock and roll artists of our lifetime and an incredible songwriter as well. Watching her work, wearing her songs, basking in her abilities, was a high mark in my career as musician. Nobody plays a 12-string acoustic like Melissa. The only thing I can say is I am lucky to have had the chance to work with Melissa and her incredible band on this album. Being around her is to be second party to the kind of experience, excellence and musicianship that made the rock and roll heroes of our generation. And Melissa Etheridge is certainly one of those. I had a blast making this album and I can’t wait for the world to hear it."

The new single is “Matches” and has an accompanying music video. Available now across all streaming platforms, “Matches” finds Etheridge reflecting on what first sparked her interest in music - Johnny Cash’s performance at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth in 1970. As she puts it, “I was 8, and a huge Johnny Cash fan. His music really lit my fingers and made me so excited. When I say ‘Mama, let me play with the matches’ I really wanted to play that music.”

In addition to “Matches” and “Don’t You Want A Woman,” Rise features “Call You,” a tribute to Melissa’s son, Beckett. Full track listing is below.

Etheridge's THE RISE TOUR kicks off in March 26 in Detroit and will travel across the States through early May. Tickets for all dates are on sale now and all tour dates are listed below. She is also scheduled to appear on Talk Shop Live on March 12 to promote the release of RISE. Fans can pre-order and watch the show HERE.

For additional information, please visit MelissaEtheridge.com.

Track listing:

Bein’ Alive
Matches
Rise
Don’t You Want A Woman
Other Side Of Blue
If You Ever Leave Me
Davina
To Be A Woman
Tomboy
Call You
More Love

Tour Dates 2026:

March 26 - Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts - Detroit, MI
March 27 - Venue TBA - Pickering, ON
March 28 - The Vine at Del Lago Resort & Casino - Waterloo, NY
March 31 - Flynn Center for the Performing Arts - Burlington, VT
April 2 - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH
April 3 - Stadium Theatre for the Performing Arts - Woonsocket, RI
April 4 - Merrill Auditorium - Portland, ME
April 8 - Plymouth Memorial Hall - Plymouth, MA
April 10 - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, NJ
April 11 - Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts - Patchogue, NY
April 12 – Bardavon 1869 Opera House - Poughkeepsie, NY
April 14 - The Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT
April 15 - Chevalier Theatre - Medford, MA
April 17 - Count Basie Center for the Arts - Red Bank, NJ
April 18 - XCite Center at Parx Casino - Bensalem, PA
April 19 - The Ramkat - Winston-Salem, NC
April 21 - Harvester Performance Center - Rocky Mount, VA
April 22 - Norton Center for the Arts - Danville, KY
April 24 – Venue TBA - Tulsa, OK
April 26 - ACL Live at The Moody Theater - Austin, TX
May 1 - The Factory - St. Louis, MO
May 2 - Four Winds Casino Resort - Silver Creek Event Center - New Buffalo, MI
May 3 - Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center - Carmel, IN
May 5 - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead - Munhall, PA
May 6 - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY
May 8 - Hershey Theatre - Hershey, PA
May 9 - Weldon Mills Theatre - Roanoke Rapids, NC

2025: Year in Review - Best Albums

This year saw noteworthy albums from Brits such as The London Suede and The Vapors; Australia’s esteemed elder statesman Paul Kelly and young electropop group Parcels (they also turned in a stellar Coachella Festival set last spring); the consistently dependable My Morning Jacket, New York rock singer/songwriter Brian Dunne, plus long-awaited studio releases that didn’t disappoint from: The Hives, Suzanne Vega, Charlatans U.K., Peter Murphy (enlisting Trent Reznor and Tool musicians with riveting results), and Yellowcard (where Travis Barker produced and played drums).

Meanwhile, often-humorous NYC indie rockers We Are Scientists got more serious and made one of their best efforts in 20 years. The Waterboys revealed an intriguing concept album surrounding actor Dennis Hopper. Then John Oates returned to a soulful groove sound that evoked his 1970s work with Daryl Hall (still crossing fingers for a future physical album release).

Below are my Top 5 albums of 2025:

photo: Sarah L. Bennett

1. Sam Fender, People Watching – Hailing from a small town outside Newcastle, England, Fender writes lyrics with a keen eye for observational detail, much like his hero Bruce Springsteen. Since debuting in 2019, the singer/guitarist’s albums have all reached No. 1, and he has won all the prestigious UK awards (Ivor Novello, Mercury Prize, Brits). Stateside, a duet version of Noah Kahan’s “Homesick” garnered prominent airplay, as did “Seventeen Going Under.”

Fender poignantly delves into the toll of his grandmother’s dementia (a brass band accented “Remember My Name”), pays tribute to a deceased mentor (the euphoric title track), Britain’s railway system (“Crumbling Empire”), and dating awkwardness (“Arm’s Length”). The inspiring songs’ gauzy sound is often textured with glockenspiel, harmonica, saxophone, synths, and sleek early Dire Straits-leaning guitar work. Much credit goes to Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs who plays multiple instruments and co-produced along with Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire), Fender, and his bandmates. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn adds guest vocals too. Note: A deluxe edition was recently released with Elton John and Olivia Dean duets. 

photo: Frank Lebon

2. Lady Gaga, Mayhem – Since the late 2000s, the Lady Gaga has been a musical chameleon, effortlessly shape shifting into various musical styles with panache. Mayhem, her sixth platinum album (excluding soundtracks and Tony Bennett collaborations) is no exception. It debuted at No. 1 and includes “Die with a Smile,” Gaga’s sublime Grammy winning, pop chart-topping, Bruno Mars duet. In many ways, the album is Gaga’s most audacious and hard hitting. A self-described return to the “gothic dreams of the first two albums,” the artist envisioned the lyrical arc as a night out on the town with friends. French DJ/record producer Gesaffelstein, Cirkut and Andrew Watt are the main collaborators; Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith also drums on a tune.

Among the bangers: the disco-fueled “Shadow of a Man”; an EDM-laced “Abracadabra,” where Gaga sings about facing challenges, finding magic and interpolates Siouxsie & The Banshees’ “Spellbound”; the 2000s electronica of “Garden of Eden”; and industrial funk of “Killah” (containing a cool guitar nod to Bowie’s “Fame”). Then there’s the gorgeous ‘80s synth pop (think: Yaz) of “How Bad Do You Want Me?,” and dramatic ballad “Blade of Grass” (inspired by the singer’s engagement). Fascinating at every turn.

photo: Lewis Evans

3. Inhaler, Open Wide – The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Frontman Elijah Hewson possesses a stirring vocal style much like his father Bono. Since debuting in 2021, the Dublin-based alt-rock band has gone from strength to strength, notching five top 20 hits at AAA radio in America, and three top 5 albums in the UK.

The third and latest one was produced by Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles). Inhaler displays more of its pop side and fortifies a few choruses with a 12-piece choir. Hewson said the songs’ lyrics revolved around the feeling you might have right before jumping off a cliff. There’s a distinct elation surrounding several tracks as a result.

Key examples: an ebullient “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah),” driven by a frothy melody a la The 1975; “Your House,” which, despite being about the stalkerish nature of young love, boasts a joyous vibe, Muse-styled guitar effects and finds Hewson singing, “There ain’t a sharp enough knife/To Cut Me Out of Your Life”; a driving, totally infectious “A Question of You” and danceable “All I Got is You,” propelled by a crystalline guitar and emotional vocals.

4. Djo, The Crux – Djo, the stage name of Joe Keery - an actor/musician whose recent prominent TV credits include “Stranger Things” and “Fargo” – watched his dreamy 2022 song “End of the Beginning” go viral on TikTok last year and land in the top 10 most streamed songs on Spotify (currently 1.8 billion).

Djo’s third album is an engaging sonic step forward from the bedroom pop of its predecessor with an increased guitar rock presence. Keery co-produced, co-wrote and played several instruments on the songs. Fellow “Stranger Things” actor Charlie Heaton supplied dialogue and music to the Beatlesque “Charlie’s Garden.” Members of Keery’s family and his former psych rock band Post Animal also contributed.

Highlights include the baroque-sounding “Potion,” 1970s glam rock stylings on “Back to You,” a bouncy synth-laden “Busy Being Basic,” where Djo channels late ‘90s Beck and name checks luggage/handbag company Vera Bradley,” and the giddy power pop of “Link.” Note: a deluxe version is also available. 

5. Lord Huron, Cosmic Selector, Vol. 1 – This LA-based indie folk/rock band is best known for the mid-2010s platinum-certified sleeper hit “The Night We Met,” which went top 5 at rock radio and has more than 3 billion streams on Spotify (a version with Phoebe Bridgers was featured on the soundtrack to Netflix series “13 Reasons Why”).

Listening to the group’s enrapturing fifth album is like inhabiting another world, as if you’d walked into a real life “Twin Peaks,” where nothing is as it seems and the soundscapes are drenched in reverb. Singer/songwriter Ben Schneider writes evocative lyrics which ponder questions of life, mysteries of the universe and the natural world.

The title “cosmic selector” itself refers to the theme of choosing your path and how it’s never quite what you imagined. A haunting “Who Laughs Last” features spoken word by actress Kristen Stewart, while Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino adds guest vocals to “Fire Eternal.” Jay Joyce produced the more Americana-leaning “Nothing I Need” and brought in some well-known Nashville session men for an earthy sound.

A version of my roundup originally appeared in the December digital issue of Rock Cellar Magazine, which can be accessed at www.rockcellarmagazine.com.

Holiday Gift Guide: Alternative Pop, Rock Albums

The Replacements

Let it Be - Deluxe Edition 

(Rhino/Twin Tone)

After The Replacements released their third full-length album (whose title was a private Beatles joke) in 1984, the Minneapolis four-piece became one of the most revered and critically acclaimed indie rock bands around. 

The jaunty single “I Will Dare,” featuring a guest guitar solo Peter Buck of R.E.M., topped playlists at more than 50 college radio stations. 

Other songs showed singer/guitarist Paul Westerberg’s evolution as a songwriter as he adeptly tapped into youth and social issues (“Unsatisfied,” “Androgynous,” “16 Blue”). This exceptional box set – available on 4LP, 3CD or digitally - includes the original album remastered, plus revelatory unreleased studio and live recordings. A complete Chicago 1984 gig, taken from audience tape and cleaned up, finds the ‘Mats in fine, raw form, previewing Let it Be material, an early version of “Can’t Hardly Wait,” and covering KISS, The Beach Boys, Bad Company, T-Rex and more in typical rousing style. There are several rare photos, a 20-page booklet with historical context essay and an interesting back story courtesy of co-producer/manager/label owner Peter Jesperson. 

Info: rhino.com

Thompson Twins

Industry & Seduction: A Collection

(BMG)

Hailing from Sheffield, England, Thompson Twins – best known for major U.S. hit “Hold Me Now” - stood out from the new wave pack due to the classic lineup’s male and female, multi-racial makeup, and a penchant for unique, sometimes Arabian-tinged melodies.

The first compilation overseen by the musicians includes liner notes with single sleeve covers, seldom seen photos, and a new interview with principals Tom Bailey & Alannah Currie. The 2LP (there’s a cool limited edition orange/green variant) and 1CD formats include the major American and British hits, plus select deep cuts from gold/platinum albums Into the Gap and Here’s to Future Days (Chic’s Nile Rodgers co-produced the latter; Steve Stevens of Billy Idol fame added guitar firepower). Serious fans will want the expanded 3CD or digital configurations for a broader career overview and California concert recording. 

Info: amazon.com

Simple Minds

Once Upon a Time – 40^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

(Universal Music Group/Virgin)

The Glasgow group released seven albums before an outlier single - “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from “The Breakfast Club” soundtrack – went to #1 and finally got America to take notice. 1985’s high water mark Once Upon a Time followed and reaped all the benefits. 

This stellar 5CD edition is handsomely packaged in a clamshell box with cardboard gatefold sleeves, fascinating historical liner notes, track by track commentary and ample photos. The main album and legendary Live in the City of Light from Paris ‘86 sound brighter than ever. Diehard fans will revel in the wealth of B-sides, rarities, and extended dance mixes. Standouts include “Alive and Kicking,” “Sanctify Yourself,” “All the Things She Said,” and “Ghostdancing.” Highly recommended.

Info: udiscovermusic.com