ASIA is giving fans another taste of their upcoming album, Indigo.
The band, which currently features original member Geoffrey Downes along with musicians Virgil Donati, John Mitchell and Harry Whitley, has released the new single “Echo of You,” along with an accompanying video.
“This song was part of the main writing sessions between Harry and I. It took on a whole different angle in the latter stages of development with more of a focus on electronica and a spacey production,” Downes says. “It’s a happy, uplifting tune, despite the nostalgic overtones of the lyrics, a love song with a twist.”
Indigo is the first new album from ASIA since 2014’s Gravitas, which was the band’s last album to feature vocalist/bassist John Wetton before his 2017 death. It will be released Nov. 6 and is available for preorder now.
Ritchie Blackmore of the British band Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow performs live on stage during a concert at the Velodrom on April 18, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns)
Ritchie Blackmore is set to reunite with Deep Purple for the first time in over 30 years.
The rocker revealed the news in an Instagram Live stream Tuesday, sharing that he plans to come out during the encore of Deep Purple’s concert at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, Wednesday night.
“You know, there is something we wanted to mention about tomorrow night. … Well, it is a secret and I don’t want anybody to know, but I’m probably (going to) get up and do an encore with the band, Deep Purple,” Blackmore said. “But you can’t tell anybody, and I know that this is gonna be kept a secret. And will it? I suppose so.”
Blackmore went on to say that he was the one who reached out to frontman Ian Gillan, asking him how he’d feel if he joined them for an encore for “old times’ sake.”
“He seemed to love the idea,” Blackmore said, noting the rest of the band also gave it a thumbs-up.
“It’ll be good to see the old guys again,” the 81-year-old Blackmore said, before joking, “I think we’ll all be on crutches and wheelchairs and things, although I think the rest of them are OK.”
Blackmore was one of the co-founders of Deep Purple in 1968, then left the group in 1975 to form his band Rainbow. He was part of Deep Purple’s 1984 reunion and last played with them in 1993.
Deep Purple is on a North American tour in support of their latest album, SPLAT! The tour runs through Sept. 12 in Sparks, Nevada. A complete list of dates can be found at DeepPurple.com.
Roger Taylor’s ‘Violence Insane in a Beautiful World’ (Columbia Records)
Queen’s Roger Taylor is offering up another preview of his upcoming solo album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World, which will be released Sept. 18.
The rocker has just released the new single “I See You Now,” accompanied by a black-and-white video — except for Taylor’s red high-tops — created by Taylor’s wife, Sarina Taylor, and his longtime collaborator Simon Lupton.
“It’s a love song, it’s really about my wife,” Taylor says of the tune. “We’ve been together for quite some time, and I think when you really get to know someone, at first you really don’t see everything about them, but when you really get to know someone, it’s ‘oh, I see you now, that’s it.'”
This is the second single Taylor has released from Violence Insane in a Beautiful World, his seventh solo album. He previously released the track “Come on Summer (It’s Party Time),” featuring The Ndlovu Youth Choir.
To celebrate the album’s release, Taylor will head out on a U.K. tour beginning Sept. 21 in Newcastle, with stops in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Swansea and London. A complete list of dates can be found at rogertaylorofficial.com.
What has Janet Jackson done for us lately? Well, she’s just scheduled a special performance that will be filmed and released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her breakthrough album, Control.
Janet Jackson: Control 40 — The Airtab Music Movie will be filmed Dec. 12 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The film will include behind-the-scenes footage, creating what’s described in a press release as “the definitive filmed document of one of music’s most celebrated performers.”
Rather than simply focusing on the Control album, however, the concert will encompass Janet’s entire catalog, from “Nasty” to “All for You” and every smash hit in between. The movie is planned to have a global release, followed by a release on streaming.
Control, released in 1986, was Janet’s third album. It marked the moment when she took the reins of her career artistically, working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to develop a unique sound that blended R&B, rap, funk, disco and electronic elements.
The album was hugely influential and spun off the hits “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You,” “Let’s Wait Awhile” and the title track. All five of those songs peaked in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, making Janet the first female artist score five top-10s from a single album. It’s sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Rod Stewart performs during the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, an annual event honouring military service members, which holds special significance in 2025 as it marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, at the Royal Albert Hall on November 8, 2025 in London, England. (Jack Taylor/Wpa Pool/Getty Images)
Sir Rod Stewart is on the mend after undergoing a routine heart procedure.
A statement shared Tuesday on his official Instagram account said he has “successfully undergone a routine coronary stent procedure,” adding that he’s canceling several dates on his current tour to recuperate.
“Doctors are pleased with his recovery, and Rod is doing very well and has returned to his normal daily activities,” the statement said. “On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage.”
The statement continued, “Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.”
The statement ended by saying that information about the affected performances will be shared by promoters and venues.
Rod later gave fans an update on his health in a message on his Instagram Story.
“I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend,” he wrote. “I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me.”
“I’m deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again,” he added.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a stent is a small mesh tube used to widen and hold open passages in the body. It is most often used to treat narrowing of the coronary arteries, which “provide the heart with oxygen-rich blood.”
The NHLBI adds that the most common type of stents are used in the coronary arteries. Doctors may recommend a stent to support a narrow or weak artery or airway.
Following a stent procedure, patients may resume normal physical activity when doctors give the green light. Doctors will require patients to take medicine.
Stewart was currently on his One Last Time Tour, which was slated to wrap in Kansas City, Missouri, on Aug. 15.
He was also slated to perform several shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, starting on Aug. 18, and had 2026 dates booked through Sept. 13.
Guitarist Brian May of Queen attends the “We Will Rock You” musical premiere at Stage Palladium Theater on October 17, 2025 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
Queen’s Brian May is sharing his thoughts on artificial intelligence, and he isn’t the biggest fan.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer posted a photo on Instagram of what he says is the result of asking Meta AI to show him the cover of the band’s 1980 album The Game. It is clearly not the original album’s cover, or the actual band members in the photo.
“Good job, eh ? So this is the kind of intelligence that will soon be ruling the world ??!” he wrote next to the picture. “Well, great. Maybe this is the time to realise WE ACTUALLY DON’T NEED AI !!!”
“But I’m now very serious. I believe the price we are about to pay for this ‘inevitable’ development is way too high,” he added, before going off on AI data centers.
“We must not allow these hideous Data Centres to be built in the UK,” he wrote. “They will destroy our beautiful country, like they are already destroying beautiful America.”
In other May news … The rocker recently released the new track “The Legend of Eternia,” described as “his own brand new version of themes from the film” Masters of the Universe. The song features The Darkness and British composer Daniel Pemberton. May’s guitar work was previously featured on Pemberton’s Masters of the Universe track “Eternia,” which was released in May.
Dave Stewart’s ‘The Way It Was Back Then’ (Bay Street Records)
Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart is getting ready to release a brand-new solo album.
The Way It Was Back Then, written, performed and produced entirely by Stewart, is set to drop Sept. 18 as a limited, physical-only release on CD and vinyl.
The 10-song album is described in a press release as “an intimate, unfiltered album about memory, survival, love, loss, loyalty, and betrayal.” The album was the result of a one-take performance, with Stewart improvising the lyrics and melodies in real time.
“I wasn’t aware that I was making an album — in-between the various things happening in my life — some I instigated, and some just happenstance, I started to record myself singing songs at the same time as playing guitar,” Stewart says. “In almost every song, I didn’t write down any lyrics — I just sang the words at the same time as singing the melodies and playing the chords, kind of freeform. The whole album is very spontaneous in its lyrics and music.”
“Some of the songs are very personal and rooted in where I came from,” he adds. “For me, the feeling of this album is bittersweet, cinematic, and human. The Way It Was Back Then is not really about trying to go back … it’s about finally facing what was there.”
Here is the album’s track list: “The Way It Was Back Then” “Your Wishes” “Cry If You Want To” “The House Where I Was Born” “Black Cat” “Makes Me Happy (And Sad)” “Oh Jesse” “All Done” “Thin Ice” “What’s A Man Supposed To Do”
Rush drummer Neil Peart performs at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 10, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rock trio are touring in support of the album, “Snakes & Arrows.” (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The upcoming documentary about Rush drummer Neil Peart is set to have its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival.
Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, directed by Scot McFayden and Sam Dunn, will have its world premiere screening on Sept. 16 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, followed by an additional screening on Sept. 17 and Sept. 19.
The Toronto Film Festival screenings are happening just a few days ahead of the documentary’s Sept. 23 premiere on Canada’s CBC.
According to the original press release about the film, it will explore “the artistry and enduring influence of Rush’s enigmatic drummer and lyricist through rare archival footage, intimate reflections and extraordinary live performances.”
It will feature appearances by Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, as well as drummers Stewart Copeland of The Police, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Danny Carey of Tool and others.
The 2026 Toronto Film Festival runs from Sept. 10-20. More info can be found at TIFF.net.
Peart died in 2020 at age 67.
Lee and Lifeson are currently on Rush’s Fifty Something tour, which is their first since Peart’s death. The band plays Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at Rush.com.
Bette Midler has been chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize.
Named after the late folk icon and presented by the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the award recognizes an artist “who best exemplifies Woody Guthrie’s spirit and work by speaking for the less fortunate through music, film, literature, dance or other art forms and serving as a positive force for social change.”
According to a press release, Midler is being honored for her work advocating for environmental conservation, LGBTQ+ rights and other humanitarian causes.
“I am so honored to have been chosen to receive the Woody Guthrie Prize this year. I loved his music, and I loved the way he lived his life, always seeking to spread the word that justice could and should be served and that every American, no matter what their station, deserved a fair shake in life,” Midler says. “To receive an honor bearing the name of a man who fought the giants with nothing but a guitar and a clean conscience is a humbling thing, and it serves as a stark reminder that a writer’s true business is always to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
“We are delighted to recognize Bette Midler with the 2026 Woody Guthrie Prize and celebrate not only her remarkable artistic achievements, but also her enduring commitment to creating a more just, more inclusive and more hopeful world, just like Woody,” says Cady Shaw, senior director of the Woody Guthrie Center.
Midler will receive the Woody Guthrie Prize on Oct. 16 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. The evening, a fundraising event for the center, will include an intimate conversation between Midler and journalist Rona Elliott.
Past Woody Guthrie Prize winners include U2, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp.
Rod Stewart performs onstage during the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at Intuit Dome on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for FIREAID)
Rod Stewart’s tour continues to be affected by an undisclosed health issue.
After postponing his Sunday night show at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati due to a “minor medical procedure that required prompt attention,” Stewart’s now canceled his upcoming concert in Cleveland.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was due to headline Rocket Arena on Tuesday night, but a post on the venue’s website reveals it is no longer happening.
“Following a period of monitoring, doctors have advised Rod Stewart to rest for at least 48 hours. As a result, his performance tomorrow night, Tuesday, August 11 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland has been cancelled,” reads the post. “Rod is disappointed to miss the show and appreciates everyone’s understanding. He looks forward to returning to the stage soon.”
Refunds will be given out to ticket holders.
Stewart is currently on his One Last Time tour, with the next show scheduled for Friday at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. After a show Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri, he returns to Las Vegas for shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace starting Aug. 18.
A complete list of dates can be found at RodStewart.com.
