Heavenly: tour dates; new album in February 2026

Cult band Heavenly is back for real. After the announcement of the reissue of their four studio albums in September 2022 fans of the jangly indie pop band got their hopes up that the story which ended in 1996 could get a new chapter.

Patience was in order, but lo and behold, in June this year the band released a brand new single Portland Town, shortly after the reformed band had played a bunch of shows in US. It does not end there. In February 2026 a new album will see the light of day, followed by a lengthy tour.

McStine & Minnemann: III

In 2020 multi-instrumentalists Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree) and Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats) released two albums in quick succession. The first one showed a lot of promise and the follow-up pushed all the right prog buttons and then some. Since they both have a full agenda, finding some shared down time to go at it again was a challenge, but lo and behold, the rather unimaginatively titled III is here.

They came up with a balancing act of hard-hitting prog metal and pastoral pop, both of them with a busload of rhythmic shifts that demand (and deserve) and undivided attention. McStine has found his voice, a late 80s version of heavy rock phrasing that finds its way to late night classic rock radio, where DJs are allowed a bit of leeway to try something new. Minnemann's octopus-alike handling of his drum kit allows to channel Keith Moon and Neil Peart simultaneously. The uninitiated are lured in with accessible intros and easy-on-the-ears melodies, only to find themselves lost in a maze of dazzling musicianship.

Jackie Rae Daniels: Stay A While

Saint Paul based singer, guitarist and violin player Jackie Rae Daniels is on the fence between Americana and strings driven orchestral pop on her Stay A While album. Her voice can be soothing, but make no mistake: there is a toughness in there as well. Also: she does not shun from throwing in a few harsh dissonants in Like You Say to yank listeners out of their comfortable slumber. As a whole this is record about tension and release, with the latter sometimes taking its sweet time to make an appearance.

Daniels' music is a much needed shot in the arm into genres that are not exactly known for taking chances. With songs like the defiant upbeat Mind Slips and the multi-layered, melancholic vocals clashing with strings in the country-esque title track Stay A While she shows that an out-of-the-box approach can pay off in spades.

The Chewers: Twenny Twenny

Nashville's finest underground garage noise rock duo The Chewers have been awfully quiet for quite some time, but Travis Caffrey and Michael Sadler decided to come out of hiding. The new single Twenny Twenny has all their signature unrelenting grit and anger in place as they look back on last year's shehanigans, fake news, and the pandemic. Johnny Dowd and Izzy & Laura Solomon helped them out with the vocals.

McStine & Minnemann: II

Randy McStine (Lo-Fi Resistance) and Marco Minnemann (The Aristocrats) are quick to release another McStine & Minnemann album. They named it II and it is a big step up from their rather uneven self-titled debut record that came out earlier this year. They went for the darker side of electric (and sometimes hectic) prog this time. Sex is a big thing in the lyrics and some song titles - Girls At The Gig, Quarantine Sex Slave - guarantee that they will be labeled as explicit before even hearing a note.

The debut lacked focus - which could be blamed in on the haphaxard, prolonged recording process - but now they have nailed it. II is a raw album, its dirty sound has "come hither" written all over it, plus great hooks, solos and quite a bit of smokes and mirrors trickery with chord changes and challenging rhythms. The breakneck speed of Old Sparkey will frustate drum students in their futile attempts to replicate it. A must for prog fans of all ages.