Dustin Kensrue of Thrice to drop a holiday album this month

Dustin Kensrue, frontman of longtime OC alt-rock band Thrice, announces his sixth solo record, That Spirit Of Christmas, out on October 23 via BMG. The lead single is “Joy Lives Here.”

“The truly new song on the album, ‘Joy Lives Here,’ began as a bit of spec writing for the Hallmark Channel. The idea was put to me, and I decided to treat it as a writing challenge, even though I originally was not a fan of the specific prompt at all,” explains Dustin. “But it forced me to dig down and try to capture the actual feeling around my house at Christmas (created mostly thanks to my amazing and Christmas-decoration-loving wife). By the time I finished, I'd gone deep enough into the prompt to really love it, and the way I had connected it to home — despite being told it was not really at all what Hallmark was looking for.”

PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE THAT SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS HERE

LISTEN TO “JOY LIVES HERE” HERE

WATCH THE VISUALIZER FOR “JOY LIVES HERE” HERE

That Spirit of Christmas, with covers of holiday classics, reimagined favorites, overlooked gems, and two original songs (including the reworked “This Good Night Is Still Everywhere”), was inspired by mid-century soul music that became a guiding influence throughout the recording process. 

“I'm proud of this album, and I think it's solid top to bottom in a way that, as much as I love Christmas music, generally isn't the case with a lot of full Christmas albums,” he shares. “There’s usually a great song or two, but often the rest feels like padding for the single, and a lot of my favorite recordings were only singles in the first place. In this case I hope you can hear that this record only exists out of a simple love for these songs, the pleasure of crafting a cohesive album, and a joy at getting to participate in this shared rhythm with all of you. Cheers!”

Track Listing:

All Alone On Christmas

White Christmas
Christmas Time Is Here
Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday
Joy Lives Here
I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
All I Want For Christmas Is You
My Favorite Things
That Spirit Of Christmas
This Good Night Is Still Everywhere

Erasure sets March for next studio album, spring world tour

Erasure - Andy Bell & Vince Clarke - preview their 20th album release, Radio!! Radio!! with a new track, ‘Wings Of Love’, alongside details of an arena tour in 2027 across the UK and Europe, with North American dates to be announced.

Listen HERE

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning duo’s debut album and the new one - the first studio album in six years - will be released by Mute on LP, CD and digitally on March 12. Pre-order the album HERE

The lyrics are about love, loss and injustice. 

“Some of the songs are quite reflective of stuff that’s been going on in my life, but not all of them,” says Clarke. “We didn’t have to think about it or talk about it - it just happened that way.”

Radio!! Radio!! is a uniquely personal record for Erasure, a quality that speaks to the devastating period of grief that the band faced in the years prior to its creation and the incredible bond they have created over 40 years of unbroken time working together. 

“When you’re a songwriting partnership for so long, it’s very deep, kind of like a soul connection,” says Bell. “You trust that person with your life, and because of the nature of songwriting, you just lay bare your soul. That becomes a sacred space.”

When Bell and Clarke did come together to write again, it was as much in the spirit of uplifting an old friend as it was work. “When something traumatic happens, there’s a profound shift in the way you relate to each other - the respect you have for each other,” says Bell. Whether consciously or unconsciously, the songs they were writing began to take on the tenor of hope and healing. “Vince has helped me through some terrible times, and so I always wanted to be there for him. I think that’s what this album is about,” says Bell.

When working on the sound of this album, Clarke was unusually drawn to piano, inspired by composers like Erik Satie, as well as acoustic guitar. “I found techniques - ways to use piano that sounded really organic, and same with guitar.”

Erasure will take to the road in 2027 for an arena tour beginning in Cardiff Utilita Arena on April 25th, before travelling throughout the UK, finishing with a date at London’s O2 Arena then heading to Germany, Denmark and Sweden. North American dates are planned for next year - details forthcoming. 

Vince Clarke will be Musical Director for the tour, but will not be appearing onstage alongside Andy Bell. He explains, “I recently moved to California from New York, and I travelled from here to London. The travelling took a toll - it really messed me up. I never seemed to recover from it. I just thought ‘I don’t want to do this anymore’. I told Andy, and he made me musical director, and I thought, ‘how fantastic is that?’ I can do all my work and all my direction from here, but I don’t have to leave sunny San Diego.”

Bell goes on to say, "I'm so pleased that we were able to find a way for the tour to work for Vince. He's always too modest but he's so much more than the Musical Director, Vince is one of the great loves of my life and everything we do as Erasure we decide together.”

You can hear that thread of warmth and mutual care across Radio!! Radio!!, an album that transposes the dazzling hugeness of the duo’s best work onto avowedly more personal, more reflective songwriting material. Bell acknowledges that it would be easier, perhaps, for he and Clarke to go on autopilot, 40 years into their career. But how would that pass as Erasure? “It’s a two-person brain, and everything that we’ve gone through comes into it,” he says. “We have a sense of responsibility. We couldn’t ever do something throwaway.”

Track Listing:

Baby On The Radio Forever
Lucky Boy
Wings Of Love
Listen To The Beauty
Where Our Love Hides
Star Clouds
Where Are All The People?
Holy!
Jealousy
There Ain’t No Place Like Home

Extra tracks added to Paul McCartney's 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane' this month

Paul McCartney’s internationally acclaimed album The Boys of Dungeon Lane will be released as a Special Edition on October 7, featuring four additional recordings including a new version of “Home To Us,” his celebrated duet with Ringo Starr, alongside three brand new songs.

The Special Edition announcement comes at a landmark moment for The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Released in May 2026, Paul’s first new solo album in over five years topped the global charts, with Top 5 debuts in more than a dozen countries - including Paul’s 24th UK #1 album across his career as a solo artist, with Wings and as a member of The Beatles.

The forthcoming Special Edition will have a new version of “Home To Us,” bringing Paul and Ringo Starr together once again. The new “flip mix” sees their original parts in the song swapped with each other.

Alongside the new version of “Home To Us,” the Special Edition will feature three brand new songs, titled “City Fox,” “One Night Stand” and “Chelsea Boots,” offering fans the opportunity to discover more of the music created during the sessions.

The Boys of Dungeon Lane (Special Edition) physical release will feature cover artwork adapted from a silkscreened collage by Kate Gibb, utilizing more than 100 images from Paul’s personal collection. Physical formats including a limited edition 2LP orange & blue marble vinyl featuring a zoetrope etching are available for pre-order HERE.

Speaking about “Days We Left Behind,” Paul said:

“This is very much a memory song for me. The album title, 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane,' comes from a lyric in this track. I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I’m just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else? It’s just a lot of memories of Liverpool. It involves a bit in the middle about John and Forthlin Road which is the street I used to live in. Dungeon Lane is near there. I used to live in a place called Speke which is quite working class. We didn’t have much at all but it didn’t matter because all the people were great and you didn’t notice you didn’t have much.”

The Boys of Dungeon Lane Special Edition will be released on formats including CD, 2LP, and Digitally. Pre-order HERE.

Track Listing:

1. As You Lie There
2. Lost Horizon
3. Days We Left Behind
4. Ripples in a Pond
5. Mountain Top
6. Down South
7. We Two
8. Come Inside
9. Never Know
10. Home to Us
11. Life Can Be Hard
12. First Star of the Night
13. Salesman Saint
14. Momma Gets By
15. City Fox
16. One Night Stand
17. Chelsea Boots
18. Home to Us - Flip Mix

Talking Heads ready expanded 'Fear of Music' for November

Talking Heads’ Fear of Music (1979) will be reissued as an expanded collection on November 13 that features rare and unreleased music, as well as new mixes.

Fear of Music (Super Deluxe Edition) is a 3CD/Blu-ray set that includes a new remaster of the original album, rarities, and two complete concerts from the album’s tour recorded at Boston’s Berklee Performance Center (8/24/79) and the Capitol Theatre in New Jersey (11/17/79). Nearly all the performances are previously unreleased except a few that appeared on 1982’s The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads. Pre-Order Here.

The Blu-ray includes new Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound, and high-resolution stereo mixes of the album, along with rare film footage of the band performing two songs in England for the BBC’s popular music show, Old Grey Whistle Test. The live performance of “Life During Wartime” from that BBC broadcast is officially published to the band’s YouTube channel. The live performance of “Life During Wartime” from that broadcast is available to view. Watch Now.

Vinyl configurations arrive the same day, led by a 6LP Super Deluxe Edition that collects the remastered album, rarities, and concert recordings. A 2LP version features the remastered album and rarities. Both versions feature a custom etching.

The vinyl and CD Super Deluxe Editions come with a 60-page hardcover book featuring rare photos and liner notes by Will Hermes, author of Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever.

FEAR OF MUSIC (SUPER DELUXE EDITION)

3CD/1BR Track Listing

CD One: 2026 Remaster

“I Zimbra”
“Mind”
“Paper”
“Cities”
“Life During Wartime”
“Memories Can’t Wait”
“Air”
“Heaven”
“Animals”
“Electric Guitar”
“Drugs”

Rarities

“Mind” – Alternate Version
“Life During Wartime” – Alternate Version
“Dancing For Money” – Unfinished Outtake
“Cities” – Alternate Version
“Drugs” – Alternate Version
“I Zimbra” – 12” Version

CD Two: Live at the Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA (8/24/79)“Artists Only”*

“Stay Hungry” *

“Cities”
“Paper” *
“Mind”
“Heaven” *
“The Book I Read” *
“Electric Guitar” *
“Air” *
“Warning Sign” *
“Love Goes To A Building On Fire” *
“Memories Can’t Wait” *
“Psycho Killer” *
“Life During Wartime” *
“Take Me To The River” *

CD Three: Live At Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ (11/17/79)

“Artists Only”
“Stay Hungry”

“Cities” *
“Paper” *
“Mind” *
“Heaven”
“Electric Guitar” *
“Air”
“Animals” *
“Love Goes To A Building On Fire”
“Found A Job” *
“Memories Can’t Wait”
“Psycho Killer” *
“Life During Wartime” *

Blu-Ray
Audio: Hi-Res Stereo, 5.1 & Atmos Mix of original album (2026 Remaster)
Video: Live on Old Grey Whistle Test, 1979
“Life During Wartime”

“Air”

* Previously Unreleased

Peter Gabriel sets November for new album

"This record has been more of a marathon than a sprint - it’s the longest album I have ever put out with 13 tracks that complete the i/o / o\i 25 track joint project." – Peter Gabriel

So far this year, Peter Gabriel has released a new song for every full moon. On Nov. 27, his new studio album containing those tracks, o\i, will see the light. 

Gabriel's return with a new collection of songs comes after three years – his shortest gap between studio albums since the early 1980s. o\i is a companion piece to its reflected name-sake i/o expanding on many of the same themes: our relationship with nature, the passing of time, the increasing influence of technology in our lives and our place in the world; “Trying to get a handle on where you fit in life, that's what I write about a lot,” he says.

All the new songs come in two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, and the Dark-Side mix by Tchad Blake in all cases apart from Who Are We Talking To? which has been mixed by Mike Elizondo. 

Both versions are included on the 4CD package and are also available separately as double vinyl albums. The digital only Dolby Atmos In-Side mix is again shaped by Hans-Martin Buff, who won Best Immersive Mix engineer at the Grammy’s for his work i/o.

“The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings,” Gabriel says. “I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are sliding into a period of transition like no other, most likely triggered in three waves; AI, quantum computing and the brain computer interface. Artists have a role to look into the mists and, when they catch sight of something, to hold up a mirror.
We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that we imagine we are. We have had a sense of entitlement that everything exists for our benefit - that we’ve been given the run of the world to exploit as we see fit.

We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and when we feel that connection, shake our booty and give and receive a little love, it can help us find our proper place - and put a big smile on our faces. “This is how I see the lumpy bits – i/o: the inside has a new way out and o\i: the outside has a new way in.”

o\i was written and produced by Peter Gabriel and recorded primarily at Real World Studios and Peter’s home studio. The album, like most Gabriel records, contains both songs that have been written since the last album and some that have taken years, decades, to complete. “Sometimes things take time,” he adds, “most people do stuff a lot faster - but I have no problem with understanding my own process. Some things will mature and evolve spontaneously and some will just stay hidden-away in a box until their moment in the light appears.”

Long standing band members, guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché feature on many of the songs, supplemented by other members of the i/o touring band Richard Evans, Josh Shpak and Don E and Real World staffers Faye Dolle and Katie May. The New Blood Orchestra, led by John Metcalfe are also heard, as are the Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar. 

Other notable contributions come in the shape of Mike Elizondo (who co-produced A Hard Lesson), Brian Eno, guitarists Leo Nocentelli and Tony Berg, drummer and percussionist Abe Rounds, pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeter Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and multi-instrumentalist Evan Smith. Once again Peter’s daughter Melanie provides vocal support.

As will have been seen across the monthly full moon releases, Peter has once again invited a range of visual artists to contribute a piece of art to accompany the music that encompass a full range of artistic approaches, from painting, sculpture, installation, embroidery and weaving to co-authoring with spiders. The wonderful artists included are: Janaina Mello Landini, Tomás Saraceno, Judy Chicago, Tatsuo Miyajima, Shirin Neshat, Juan Genovés, Roelof Louw, David Altmejd, Fracis Alÿs, Tadashi Kawamata, Berndnaut Smilde, Tishan Hsu and Michal Rovner.

The cover shot is by renowned photographer Nadav Kander.

Track Listing:

CD | Digital
1. Been Undone
2. Put the Bucket Down
3. What Lies Ahead
4. Till Your Mind Is Shining
5. Won’t Stand Down
6. Who Are We Talking To?
7. Yes, It Will Go
8. One by One
9. A Hard Lesson
10. Face the Wall
11. I Belong to the Sky
12. Looking for the Happy
13. Sacrament

Formats:
Peter Gabriel – o\i

PGLP24 2LP Bright-Side Mix*
2LP black vinyl, 33rpm. Gatefold jacket, obi-strip, 32page booklet and hi-res download card.
PGLPX24 2LP Dark-Side Mix*
2LP black vinyl, 33rpm. Gatefold jacket, obi-strip, 32page booklet and hi-res download card.
PGCD24 4CD Bright-Side Mix | Dark-Side Mix
4CDs, two Bright-Side Mix, two Dark-Side Mix. CD sized hard cover book with 32page booklet.

*Coloured vinyl retail exclusives also available.

Pre-order:
https://lnk.to/PG24

The lead-up to upcoming Fontaines D.C. album includes latest single 'Tongue'; U.S. tour on sale next week

Ewen Spencer

Fontaines D.C.(Grian Chatten, Carlos O’Connell, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan and Tom Coll) released the latest single “Tongue” - the second song from the band’s forthcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, released October 16 via XL Recordings. The song is accompanied by a John Angus Stewart-directed video, shot in New York City.

“We continued where Romance left off, leaving the live band elements until they were really needed,” says Conor Curley of the song’s recording process. Conor Deegan created the bass sound by manipulating tape speed - a technique often used by Prince. Carlos O’Connell pushed Chatten’s vocal through a sampler, distorting its pitch until it resembles a malicious extraterrestrial voice. 

DOWNLOAD / STREAM “TONGUE” HERE

WATCH THE “TONGUE” VIDEO HERE

This just in: 

Following two sold-out headline shows in New York and Los Angeles last month, Fontaines D.C. have announced a North American tour next year (see below). Fans can sign up for pre-sale tickets here https://www.fontainesdc.com/pages/northamerica2027. Pre-sale sign-up is open until 6:00pm ET on Monday, October 5th, with pre-sale tickets available from 10:00am local time on Tuesday, October 6th. General on-sale starts at 10:00am local time on Friday, October 9th.

Dopamine Chamber is the follow-up to 2024's UK platinum-certified Romance. It is preceded  by the single "Marianne," and features a collaboration with Rosalia on “Where Is Gone?”

“The album itself is a dopamine chamber,” says Chatten. “You step inside and we test these different mind or mood-altering pieces of music on you.”

PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE DOPAMINE CHAMBER HERE

Dopamine Chamber was made between London, the English countryside and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions. “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity,” says Chatten. 

Track Listing:

1. Six Shot Morning
2. Marianne
3. Mimesis
4. Happy For You
5. Demolition
6. Tongue
7. One Man
8. Where Is Gone? (with ROSALÍA)
9. You Miss Me
10. Japan
11. Intimate

North American Tour 2027:

Friday April 23rd - MGM Music Hall at Fenway - Boston, MA*
Saturday April 24th - Skyline Stage at the Mann - Philadelphia, PA*
Tuesday April 27th - Fox Theatre - Detroit, MI*
Wednesday April 28th - The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL*
Friday April 30th - Landmark Credit Union Live - Milwaukee, WI*
Saturday May 1st - The Armory - Minneapolis, MN*
Wednesday May 5th - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre - Vancouver, BC*
Saturday May 8th - WAMU Theater - Seattle, WA*
Tuesday May 11th - Channel 24 - Sacramento, CA*
Wednesday May 12th - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium - San Francisco, CA*
Friday September 24th - KEMBA! Live Outdoor - Columbus, OH^
Sunday September 26th - Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON^
Tuesday September 28th - Forest Hills Stadium - Queens, NY^
Thursday September 30th - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD^
Tuesday October 5th - The Pinnacle - Nashville, TN^
Thursday October 7th - Hellbender - Asheville, NC^
Friday October 8th - Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park - Atlanta, GA^
Wednesday October 13th - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO^
Friday October 15h - Kia Forum - Inglewood, CA^

R.E.M. album reissue news

This year marks the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.’s Reveal, featuring “Imitation of Life,” “All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)” and “I’ll Take the Rain.” Craft Recordings will release Reveal (25th Anniversary Edition) on November 20, expanding the original album with The Black Sessions Revealed, a previously unreleased 17-song performance recorded for Radio France in Paris on May 7, 2001.

Available as a deluxe 2-CD/Blu-ray set and expanded digital edition, Reveal (25th Anniversary Edition) pairs the original 12-track album with the complete Radio France performance. All formats feature reimagined cover art by longtime R.E.M. designer Chris Billheimer. The physical set’s accompanying Blu-ray presents Reveal in high-resolution audio and 5.1 surround sound, alongside the music videos for “Imitation of Life,” “All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star)” and “I’ll Take the Rain,” plus the album’s original EPK. Housed in a 32-page hardcover book featuring archival photographs, the deluxe set also includes new liner notes by journalist Birgit Fuss, with fresh reflections from Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills.

The Black Sessions Revealed will also be available separately as a 2-LP set, bringing the 2001 performance to vinyl for the first time. Additionally, REMHQ.com will offer exclusive Neon Orange vinyl of the original Reveal album and Neon Pink vinyl of The Black Sessions Revealed, alongside new anniversary merchandise. Pre-orders for all formats are available today, while the first single—the live version of “Imitation of Life” from The Black Sessions—is available now to stream/share.

Track Listings:

2CD/BLU-RAY

Disc 1

Reveal

The Lifting
I’ve Been High
All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)
She Just Wants To Be
Disappear
Saturn Return
Beat A Drum
Imitation Of Life
Summer Turns To High
Chorus And The Ring
I’ll Take The Rain
Beachball

Disc 2

The Black Sessions Revealed

Recording made by RADIO FRANCE for The Black Sessions, May 7, 2001

Imitation Of Life
The Great Beyond
What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)
Daysleeper
I’ve Been High
Electrolite
The Lifting
At My Most Beautiful
I’ll Take The Rain
The One I Love
She Just Wants To Be
Walk Unafraid
Losing My Religion
Man On The Moon
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
It's the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

Disc 3 - BluRay

Hi-Resolution Audio

5.1 Surround Sound

Imitation Of Life (music video)
All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star) (music video)
I’ll Take The Rain (music video)
Reveal EPK