Around the Tubes: March 21, 2026

 

   

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on The Aces, Neil Diamond, Sean Paul, The Leaving, and Cherry Bomb.

- Like a great night you never want to end, The Aces today release their deluxe album, Gold Star Baby: After Hours, and keep the dance party going. The expanded record includes three new tracks: the previously released diss track “Square One,” joined by the hopeful “Can’t Wait” and a club remix of “The Magic” by the band’s own Katie Henderson. The new set of songs makes an argument against anyone who says nothing good happens after midnight — Stream.   On the deluxe album as a whole, the band shared, “We felt like we wanted to keep the ‘Gold Star Baby’ party going. We had so much fun touring this record and the culture we built with the fans and wanted one last hurrah. So, we decided to share some of our unreleased favs from the era. Little bit of heartbreak, a lot of disco. That’s GSB.”

- On May 8, rock ‘n’ roll icon Neil Diamond unveils Wild At Heart, a testament to his mastery and a remarkable third – and final – entry in his universally praised collaboration with producer Rick Rubin. Recorded initially at sessions for Diamond’s chart-topping Home Before Dark, this collection of ten songs features his signature passionate vocals and powerfully incisive lyrics surrounded by urgent yet stripped-down arrangements.  Diamond initially teamed up with Rubin for 2005’s 12 Songs, hailed as “one of the most entertaining, satisfying albums Diamond has ever released.” The partnership went so well that Diamond was eager to work with Rubin again. 2008’s Home Before Dark was a tremendous popular success (his first-ever Number One album on the Billboard charts) and garnered widespread critical praise. PopMatters’ James Bassett echoed many of his colleagues’ sentiments when he hailed Home Before Dark as “an album of rare beauty, grace, and eloquence that captures Diamond in all his plain-spoken and big-hearted glory. And it is easily the most intensely personal release of his esteemed career.”  WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “WILD AT HEART” HERE.  VIEW THE WILD AT HEART TRAILER HERE.

- Multi-award-winning dancehall icon Sean Paul and Grammy-nominated R&B singer Keyshia Cole are seeing their 2006 collaboration “(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me” reach a new milestone nearly two decades after its original release. This week, the record climbs to No. 30 on the UK Official Singles Chart with 12,578 sales, marking a new all-time chart peak in the territory.  The renewed chart success follows a sustained global resurgence that has accelerated throughout 2026. Since January 1, the track has generated more than 120 million new streams worldwide, reflecting renewed engagement from both longtime fans and younger listeners encountering the record through short-form video platforms.

- The duo The Leaving, comprised of Martin Doherty (CHVRCHES) and Jonny Scott, announce their debut album Ultimate Buzz, set for release on April 24, via Avenue A / Futures ✦ / Virgin Records. Alongside the announcement, they’ve released their single, “Fluoxetine,” written and produced by both members, following earlier tracks “Pray” and “Saved”.  “Fluoxetine” finds The Leaving staring straight into grief and coming back changed. Built from existential doubt, love, and the need to be a source of comfort when you feel utterly unqualified, the song wrestles with belief, loss, and the desperate desire to absorb someone else’s pain. Born from insomnia, hallucination, and fleeting euphoria, “Fluoxetine” captures the moment sorrow transforms into strength.

- Cherry Bomb, the Los Angeles-based solo project of MisterWives' Mandy Lee throws a Y2K party with a confessional, pop-drenched tune "Digital Girl" out today via AWAL. Underneath the pulsing beat and crisp vocals, Lee earnestly chronicles the pains of keeping up with an increasingly automated, algorithmic world as an artist.  LISTEN: "Digital Girl"  With a reference to Madonna's "Material Girl," made for 2026 on the bubbling Y2K earworm, the track details the real struggles of being both a musician and a person today. Speaking on the contrived displays of perfection on social media and pressures of constant self-promotion, Lee explains, "'Digital Girl' asks how far are you willing to go for your dreams and at what cost? In this Information Age where the pressures of perfection and an unsustainable quantity over quality are constantly burning out not just artists but everyone who is plugged in, it’s impossible to not romanticize unplugging entirely."

Around the Tubes: March 14, 2026

   

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Pizza Movie, Jack Johnson, Pretty in Pink, Paris Jackson, Violet Grohl, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and BarkTV.

- “Pizza Movie” premieres April 3, 2026, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US.  A shy college student and his reckless roommate set out on a simple mission to grab pizza, but after a strange dose of a mind-bending experimental drug, they’re thrust into a chaotic night of absurd encounters, wild hallucinations, and unexpected revelations that could change their lives forever.

- Jack Johnson announces SURFILMUSIC, a new documentary chronicling his evolution from surfer to filmmaker to world-renowned musician. The film makes its World Premiere today at SXSW ahead of a special concert tonight at Stubb’s in Austin, Texas, where Johnson and his band will perform with Hermanos Gutiérrez.  SURFILMUSIC traces how Johnson’s early years making surf films with close friends became a foundation for a much broader creative life, capturing moments in and out of the water that later surfaced in his songwriting. Blending rare footage from those formative surf films and Johnson's personal and family archives with present-day reflections, the film weaves together how lived experience, friendship, and exploration shaped the sound and stories behind the music. Directed by Emmett Malloy, featuring Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Gerry Lopez, Chris Malloy, G Love, Ben Harper, John Florence, Emmett Malloy, Kim Johnson, and more, with a beautiful score by Jack Johnson and Hermanos Gutiérrez. In loving memory of Tamayo Perry.

- UMe celebrates the 40th anniversary of the beloved 1986 RomCom Pretty in Pink with a limited-edition reissue of its iconic soundtrack, available now. As essential as the film itself, the music captures the story’s emotional truth—freezing moments in time with the vivid clarity of memories that linger for decades. Film soundtracks hold a rare power to shape identity, influencing who we are, where we belong, and the social experiences that define youth. Few filmmakers understood the coming-of-age experience quite like Writer/Executive Producer John Hughes, and Pretty in Pink stands as one of his most enduring cultural touchstones.  The 40th Anniversary edition will be released as a limited-edition ‘Pretty in Baby Pink’ 1LP, housed in a gatefold sleeve featuring film photography, and will include two bonus tracks previously unavailable on the soundtrack: Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” and Talk Back’s “Rudy.” A standard-weight black 1LP featuring the original tracklist will also be available. Order the 40th Anniversary editions of Pretty in Pink HERE.

- Acclaimed singer-songwriter, actress and cultural icon paris jackson unveils her highly anticipated new single “zombies in love”—the first glimpse into her upcoming musical project coming later this year. Driven by shadowed undertones and slow-burning rock rhythms, the brooding new single was co-written and produced by the legendary Linda Perry. “zombies in love” is intricately layered by restrained intensity and her ethereal vocals, capturing a delicate purity through her vulnerable, haunting poeticism—listen now HERE.  paris first announced the new song on Valentine’s Day with a stunning, stripped-back performance of the track, teasing fans with a taste of what’s to come from this new musical chapter—watch HERE.

- Violet Grohl announces her debut album, Be Sweet To Me, set for global release on May 29th via Auroura Records / Republic Records. Following the 2025 release of “THUM” and “Applefish,” today Violet also unleashes a new album track “595,” accompanied by a Nikki Milan Houston-directed video.  Inspired by a vintage t-shirt advertising a phone sex line, new song “595” is a sly and sexy slasher filled with jolts of noise and a killer chorus: “I'll be your 1-900-G spot, baby / 595 I'm on the line / You won't last.”  WATCH THE “595” VIDEO

- Nick Nanton and Astonish Entertainment in association with Abundance Studios are thrilled to announce principal photography has officially wrapped on The Blind Boys of Alabama, a new documentary chronicling the extraordinary eight-decade journey of one of the most revered and influential groups in American music history.   Directed by 24-time Emmy® Award–winning filmmaker Nick Nanton, the film celebrates the legacy, resilience, and cultural impact of the iconic multi-Grammy winning gospel and Americana ensemble whose music has transcended generations, genres, and social movements.

- Bark TV, the first multiplatform network with 24/7 programming dedicated exclusively to dog lovers, is joining forces with DOGZ to deliver the best canine content to millions of homes throughout the country. Fans of dogs will be able to watch live events, games, contests and programming on dog wellness and thought leadership.  The pairing of Bark TV and DOGZ marks the beginning of a major evolution in how dog-centered stories are created, experienced and shared. Premium content from events run by the Iditarod Trail Committee and other grassroots events across the country will be a major part of the content package now featured on Bark TV.

Around the Tubes: March 7, 2026

  

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on The Testaments, Sting, Kimiko Glenn, and Pizza Movie.

- Check out the all-new trailer for “The Testaments,” a new chapter from the showrunner and executive producers of “The Handmaid's Tale.”  “The Testaments” premieres April 8 with three episodes, then weekly thereafter. The Hulu original series will be available on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally.

- 17-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Inductee Sting, managed by Martin Kierszenbaum/Cherrytree Music Company, celebrates the 30th anniversary of his GRAMMY® Award-nominated and Platinum-Certified fifth full-length solo album, Mercury Falling, with the release of a new Digital-Only special Expanded Edition available on all streaming platforms via UMe.  Listen to Mercury Falling (Expanded Edition) HERE.  Mercury Falling (Expanded Edition) notably features 19 tracks, many of which were previously unavailable digitally until now. Among the treasure trove of extras, fans will find Sting’s recording of “Moonlight,” which famously graced the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the 1995 romantic comedy Sabrina. The music for the song was written by legendary composer John Williams with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and garnered nominations at both the Academy® Awards and the GRAMMY® Awards. Beyond the inclusion of various B-sides and sought-after remixes, this Expanded Edition concludes with three live recordings from TFI Friday of staples “You Still Touch Me,” “Lithium Sunset,” and “Message In A Bottle.”

- Los Angeles-based artist, actress and performer Kimiko Glenn announces her debut EP Modern Dance and shares her latest track and self-directed music video, "Emotional Whiplash" out now under her musical project, KIMIKO. Bracing for impact, the track chronicles the push and pull during the early stages of a relationship that ultimately won't last. The creation of KIMIKO's debut EP was a deeply fun, therapeutic exercise for the multi-hyphenate. Poking fun at her own relationship woes, KIMIKO shares, "Finding the humor while actively sorting out annoying situationship after annoying situationship made the reality of it all feel less big and way more silly."

- Hulu has debuted first look photos from the highly anticipated college-comedy feature “Pizza Movie.” “Pizza Movie” will have its world premiere debut at SXSW on March 13th, 2026.  “Pizza Movie” premieres April 3, 2026, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US, and on Disney+ internationally.

Around the Tubes: February 28, 2026

 

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Time Wasting, Sunny Nights, If It’s Tuesday, It’s Murder, Em Beihold, Sydney Rose, The Hives, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Belles, and Leah Nawy.

- Just Women’s Sports is expanding its original soccer programming with the launch of Time Wasting, a new weekly podcast hosted by 2x World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara and longtime Angel City captain Ali Riley.  Inspired by the cheeky soccer tactic of running down the clock, Time Wasting flips the concept on its head, with O’Hara and Riley packing each episode with sharp tactical insight, behind-the-scenes stories and the kind of perspective only players who lived it can provide.  Premiering March 10th, Time Wasting will feature O’Hara and Riley breaking down the biggest stories in women’s soccer each week. Full episodes will be available on YouTube and audio platforms, with clips and highlights distributed across Just Women’s Sports’ social channels.

- Break out the SPF — “Sunny Nights” are coming to Hulu.  Check out the official trailer below!  After a critical acclaimed Australian debut, the darkly comedic crime drama starring Will Forte and D’Arcy Carden makes its U.S. debut  on March 11 on Hulu.

- Hulu has debuted the official trailer for its latest Spanish Original series “If It’s Tuesday, It’s Murder”.  Check out the official trailer below!  The Hulu Original series starring Álex García, Inma Cuesta, Ana Wagener, Pedro Casablanc and Biel Montoro, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ in the UK and Ireland and Hulu in the US on March 31.

- Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Em Beihold releases her highly anticipated debut album, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter, out today via Republic Records.  A bold and deeply personal body of work, Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter finds Beihold reckoning with identity, expectation, and the pressure to become everything at once. Across the album, she transforms self-doubt into sharp, cathartic pop, balancing vulnerability with wit in the way only she can.  LISTEN HERE

- On April 17, 2026, Beastie Boys’ platinum selling To the 5 Boroughs album will be made available as limited-edition 3LP and 2CD sets featuring 11 bonus tracks, including remixes and B-sides. The 3LP set will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl in a triple gatefold jacket with pop-up elements and a subway map lithograph, all housed in a firm slipcase. The 2CD will be housed in a multi-paneled soft pack. This is the first-time the 2019 digital deluxe edition will be made available physically and can be pre-ordered, HERE.  Beastie Boys’ self-produced dedication to their home city of New York, To the 5 Boroughs was released in 2004 and hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Top Rap Albums, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Current Albums, Rap Album Sales and Top Album Sales charts. The album features a steady mix of deep pop culture references in tracks such as “Shazam!” and “Ch-Check It Out,” as well as more serious social and political issues with “Right Right Now Now,” “It Takes Time To Build” and “An Open Letter To NYC.” Rolling Stone stated, “To The 5 Boroughs is an exciting, astonishing balancing act: fast, funny and sobering,” while Pitchfork proclaimed, “the album's easy air speaks to veteran, nothing-to-lose attitude of both the city and the group.”

- A month after the single’s release, Gold-certified singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Sydney Rose reveals the official music video for her latest vulnerable track, “Over” featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Tom Odell. Watch HERE. Listen HERE.  The song’s video, directed by Gus Black and produced by Emily Lorentz (AGP Films), finds Sydney reflecting with raw emotion while among a group of friends at a house party.

- Fresh from touring with My Chemical Romance across a run of sold-out Latin American stadiums, playing to just shy of half a million fans across Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru, International Rock Sensation The Hives, the best live band on the planet and still your new favorite band, lauded on all continents for their masterful skill and reckless abandon in the rock music field, have today shared a brand new video for their latest anthem, "Roll Out The Red Carpet".  The video is in the stop-motion animation style and directed by the hugely talented artist Cissi Efraimsson. Share Stop-Motion Animation Video for "Roll Out The Red Carpet" 

-  Nick Nanton and Astonish Entertainment in association with Abundance Studios are thrilled to announce principal photography has officially wrapped on The Blind Boys of Alabama, a new documentary chronicling the extraordinary eight-decade journey of one of the most revered and influential groups in American music history.   Directed by 24-time Emmy® Award–winning filmmaker Nick Nanton, the film celebrates the legacy, resilience, and cultural impact of the iconic multi-Grammy winning gospel and Americana ensemble whose music has transcended generations, genres, and social movements.

- Emerging country artist Belles continues the legacy of one of country music’s most iconic songs with the release of “Son of Jolene,” a special collaboration featuring international music legend Dolly Parton, arriving April 17. The track will impact country radio on May 11, marking a pivotal milestone ahead of Belles’ highly anticipated debut album, due in 2026. Pre-save “Son of Jolene” here.  Inspired by the timeless narrative that captivated generations, Belles penned “Son of Jolene” as a clever, character-driven continuation of the classic story, imagining a chance encounter years later with Jolene’s son. Blending vivid storytelling with a modern country edge, the song honors the spirit of the original track while introducing a fresh perspective.

- New York City-based indie pop artist, producer & multi-instrumentalist Leah Nawy reflects on her inner child and who she's becoming on the self-produced, swirling track “Quicksand” out now. Mixing synths with live instrumentation, Nawy's delicate, self-assured vocals find peace in the past and hope in the future.  Entirely written, arranged, and self-produced by Nawy over the course of two years, “Quicksand” marks Nawy's first full exploration of blending electronic production with live instrumentation. The track unfolds in constantly shifting sections, opening with a pulsing electronic bass and restrained verse before building into a dense indie-rock chorus with electric guitars, twinkling pads, and lush, forward vocal production. A rhythmically transformed second verse introduces triplet synth patterns before the song dissolves into a fully atmospheric, layered a cappella outro. The evolving structure mirrors the song’s slow realization and emotional resolve.  LISTEN: "Quicksand"

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 22, 2026

 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:  Oh joy, a penultimate flashback.  There were fewer things I needed less than a Dunk backstory in the middle of an epic fight.  And now The Hand is missing his brains after they fell out.  Somehow less gross than how they opened the first episode.

 

Tell Me Lies:  Wait, has this been a comedy this whole time?  That ending was hilarious.  Stephan is a douche, maybe the evilest person in television history that was not a serial killer, just completely loathsome; and yet, he gave a highly entertaining speech.  I look forward to rewatching this show knowing it was a comedy this whole time.

 

But still, I was a little disappointed we never got the Stephan-Lydia hookup story other than the offhanded comment of only getting together to piss off Lucy.  Or how and why Lucy reconnected with the bartender.  Did she actually go back to the college after being expelled by disgrace?  I was also disappointed they never got to work in a Tell Me Lies by Fleetwood Mac needle drop.

 

Hijack:  So, no one died during the explosion last week?  How many fake out cliffhangers are there going to be this season?  Oh wait, there was probably another one this week.  Despite shots fired, no one is probably going to die.

Around the Tubes: February 21, 2026

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs Trousdale, Johnny Cash, Heart, Beatrix, and Jackie Kashian.

- Trousdale, the LA-based indie folk trio, announce Growing Pains Deluxe will be released on May 15. Arriving a little after the one-year anniversary of their sophomore album, the expanded version will include a mix of new songs and reworked versions of Growing Pains’ standout tracks. The deluxe album  will feature Rachael Price from Lake Street Dive, Tors, Ken Yates and HAFFWAY.  Along with today’s news, Trousdale has released their soaring cover of beloved Neil Young classic “Old Man.” A song the trio has been performing for years, Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene and Lauren Jones use their three-part harmonies to raise the song to towering vocal heights — Stream. 

- Sun Records expand their acclaimed archival collaboration with the digital release of Pure Johnny Cash, available exclusively today via Qobuz, the independently owned high-quality music streaming and download platform known for prioritizing high-quality listening. The album will be available on all major streaming platforms March 6, 2026.  Listen on Qobuz in up to 24-bit Hi-Res: stream HERE and download HERE. 

- Heart’s legendary debut album, Dreamboat Annie, and Jellyfish’s cult classic swan song, Spilt Milk, are the latest records to join UMe’s Vinylphyle audiophile vinyl reissue series. Available to order today exclusively via uDiscover Music, both albums were mastered by Joe Nino-Hernes and pressed at RTI on 180-gram black vinyl, with an initial pressing of 3,000. Similar in presentation and execution to Blue Note’s acclaimed Tone Poet series, the production and packaging seek to honor the stature of these recordings and includes tip-on wrapped gatefold jackets in satin matte finish, printed on clay-coated board, with archival poly sleeves and a four-panel insert featuring new liner notes.  Dreamboat Annie, celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, was mastered from the 1975 Can-Base Studios tapes and features liner notes from veteran music writer Rick Florino, while Spilt Milk was mastered from a new 96kHz, 24bit digital remaster sourced from the 1993 Ocean Way Mixdown tapes and was pressed on 2LP, spreading the 46 minutes of music onto three sides to maximize punch and fidelity, while minimizing the amount of record-flipping interruptions. A handwritten message to fans from Jellyfish co-founder Roger Joseph Manning Jr. is engraved on the fourth side. Manning also provides an illuminating, in-depth interview in the liner notes about the making of the short-lived band's power pop masterpiece.  Order all Vinylphyle titles here: https://UMe.lnk.to/vinylphylePR

- Beatrix announces her sophomore album We Swallowed The Sky will be released on April 24 via Nice Life. The LA-based orchestral indie rock/ folk / chamber-pop project of Arielle Kasnetz sees her accessing the deepest recesses of her memory with her upcoming record. The songs are striking and off-kilter, full of surprising melodic turns or boldly arranged instrumentals, and careening from hushed piano numbers to loud full-band blasts.   We Swallowed The Sky’s connecting lyrical thread is Kasnetz returning to a long-gone relationship, allowing its ghost to haunt her former love. This ghost is embodied by the pedal steel that weaves between the past, present and future across the album. Where Kasnetz often feels misunderstood, this record is the most in her own form she has ever felt — Pre-save.   The's album news arrives with the new single and video “Class Reunion.” Kasnetz flexes her storytelling prowess as she paints a picture of the exes running into each other after ten years, sparing not one detail for the listener — Stream. 

- Jackie Kashian’s upcoming new hour of stand-up, Alter-Kashian is set for a release on YouTube February 25th, with a premiere event at 5pm PT, 7pm ET, with Jackie Kashian watching along in the chat. A comic’s comic, Kashian is a favorite of fans across the globe with peers like Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, and Brian Regan who regularly bring Jackie to open for them when she’s not headlining clubs and theaters herself for 45 weeks of the year. Her newest hour, is chock full of great stories and rapid-fire punchlines, told by a comedy powerhouse who has been honing her skills for decades. Said Kashian, “as an adult, human woman in 2026 it will come as no surprise to anybody that I am entirely made of bees at this point. Anger. Frustration.” All of it has been synthesized into this newest hour of comedy that bars no holds and pulls no punches.”  Jackie Kashian’s albums debut atop Comedy charts regularly and her two podcasts, The Dork Forest and The Jackie and Laurie Show (with co-host Laurie Kilmartin) are widely popular and have enjoyed lifespans of 20 and 10 years each and are showing no signs of slowing down. You can also read her writing in “The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies” and the comic book “Comics Comics Quarterly”. Her stand-up comedian can be seen on After Midnight, Conan, Corden, HBO, Netflix, and Comedy Central. She’s been heard on Bob’s Burgers and Strange Planet; and she’s been featured on NPR and Audible.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: February 15, 2026

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms:  I figured Dunk would fine six others, but I was not expecting the prince to round out the squad. Although, it is pretty obvious who will win.

 

Tell Me Lies:  There is no way Stephen did not make a copy of that tape.  Chekhov’s tape is going to be released in the finale (Lydia’s reaction to Lucy in the future really makes the tape coming out very likely).  But the most interesting part of the episode was Bree talking about harming Stephan.  I have long believed the show has to end with him dead or in prison and now I think it may be likely that someone murders Stephan.  I wonder if we get to see the dead body if the finale setting up a who did it for next season.

 

Hijack:  Oh joy, another dramatic cliffhanger.  I wonder if this one will stick like the time they made it seem like they killed that one guy who ended up dying anyway.