After 15 years, The Head and the Heart have released their sixth album, Aperture, and are returning to the road.
“I believe we’ve made a very great record together and obviously the title is an important aspect of the final product,” says group member Matty Gervais. “For me, Aperture represents the choice we all must make between resigning ourselves to darkness, or letting the light in and recognizing our own agency to do so. It feels relevant to the times, in that we’re literally choosing between authoritarianism vs. democracy. Ignorance vs. enlightenment on a macro scale, and complacency / cynicism vs. hope, empathy and perseverance on the micro scale. To me, it sums up a lot of what each of these songs is grappling with in some form and what we’ve collectively gone through as a band. It’s about choosing hope again and again, no matter how many times it may feel that you have lost it.”
Live at Coca-Cola Roxy, June 9th
Golden Wolf, the band’s latest, blends reflective introspection with wild sonic landscapes. If Kimosabè felt like a classic road anthem album for a cosmic journey, Golden Wolf opens the door to a wilder, more uncertain frontier. The songs here are still anchored by Stone’s trademark grooves, but they feel looser, more windswept, capturing the heat of endless desert days and the cool mystery of moonlit nights.
This new chapter reveals Stone at his most open yet—peeling back layers of silky sheened memories, imagination and thought-provoking insights. It unveils what he’s built over the many years of the Dope Lemon Temple, where so many listeners go to dip their minds in the music, only to find themselves in another land.
Live at Center Stage, June 13th
Peach Pit just released the ‘expansion pack’ of their 2024 record Magpie, which dives deeper into their highly praised album released this past October. With 8 alternative versions, a cover and a brand new song, it’s an incredible listening treat. Magpie was a
in expansive arrangement and classic sounds while touching on themes of confronting divergent paths and making hard choices in life, the album features their strongest music to date.
Live at Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park, June 20th
Wolf just announced her highly anticipated new album Pressure will come out May 23 on AWAL. Hot off the heels of her viral hit “In My Room” hitting #1 on US Spot of the Viral US Charts and amassing over 21M streams on Spotify alone, the Long Island-born, LA-based Wolf is getting rawer, heavier and grittier with her new album. She shared a new single “Jennifer’s Body” which Alt Press praised for its “soulful vulnerability” and shared the most recent track “Loser“.
Written as a response to the pressure of the music industry, Pressure was born out of necessity. Wolf tackles the complexities of being an artist, a woman, an entrepreneur and more. She’s a force to be reckoned with – and she’ll be taking it all on the road this year as part of a world tour!
Live at The Loft, June 25th
Shaky Knees returns for its 12th Atlanta run and moves from Central Park to the more spacious Piedmont Park. Growth will do that. And it moves from a rite of Spring to the fall, enjoying some elbow room with other area festivals. Aside from the headliners, performers of note include Sublime, Pixies, Idles, Spoon Inhaler, Cage the Elephant, The Black Keys, Public Enemy, Johnny Marr, Alabama Shakes, Devo and Wet Leg.
Checkout the official Shaky Knees Spotify Playlist.
Big Night Out is back as a two-part story featuring Lake Street Dive and Marvelous 3, October 03 and 04 at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark. Presented by Atlanta festival producer Rival Entertainment, Big Night Out is a series of concerts under the stars in public places, which has included last year’s An Evening with CAKE, Big Boi, Futurebirds, Marcus King Trio, Moon Taxi, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and others.
Lake Street Dive, the genre-blending band with a sound described as “if the Beatles and Motown had a party,” will get the party started headlining night one.
Hometown heroes Marvelous 3, who have recently enjoyed a resurgence and have recently played three sold-out nights at The Tabernacle to celebrate their 25th anniversary, will close out the festivities on night two. Additional details, including special guests, will be released soon.
Located at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark on the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail, which hosted last year’s near-capacity crowd, organizers are encouraging fans to take advantage of the proximity of the venue to several landmarks such as Inman Park (.3 miles), Ponce City Market (.5 miles), Krog Market (.6 miles), and Piedmont Park (1.2 miles). While the event will be walkable for many, there will also be a complimentary bicycle valet, ride-share drop-off locations, and nearby parking.
General Admission and VIP ticket options for Big Night Out will go on sale Friday, May 16, through Rival Entertainment at Big Night Out. Lake Street Dive has partnered with PLUS1, donating $1 per ticket to First Peoples Fund and their work supporting artists and culture bearers helping Native communities heal and thrive, and the PLUS1 LA Fires Fund, providing critical relief and long-term recovery support for individuals, families, and communities impacted by the devastating LA wildfires.
Big Night Out is an all-ages event. Free admission for children under seven with a ticketed adult.
Cullman – Rock the South is holding serve in Alabama with Gulf Shore’s Hangout Fest hung out to dry.
Asheville – Cancelled this year to focus on flood recovery, but this promising new festival will hopefully return in 2026.
Nashville – Roots and Americana music. If you’ve got vacation days to burn, don’t waste them and spend them here. As only Nashville can, AmericanaFest features artists established or new.
Birmingham – For those who want to rock hard, Furnace Fest returns with a three-day fest headlining Jimmy Eats World, Dropkick Murphys and Knocked Loose. Details for ticket options and hotel packages can be found at their site.
