Well, it looks like we might just make it through another year. Believe me, I am as surprised as you. Though if I’m honest, my 2025 wasn’t too shabby. I caught The Who’s infamous final gig with Zak Starkey at Royal Albert Hall. I watched Gary Oldman do a one-man Samuel Beckett play in York. I saw Nick Cave on his transcendent Wild God tour. I took in Jason Isbell at Red Rocks. I saw Jack White at the Commodore in Vancouver. I visited Muscle Shoals, toured iconic studios and was treated to performances by Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, Bettye LaVette, Jimmy Hall, John Paul White and more (including Isbell again). And I scored tickets for some great shows in 2026. I hope your 2025 was just as enjoyably eventful. While I put the finishing touches on my massive package of year-end lists, amuse yourself with this trio of upcoming releases:
Devon Allman & Nightvision | Nightvision
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nightvision, a new project from Devon Allman, an ambient art-rock affair designed to create a full sensory experience via mystic rhythms, searing guitars, song titles that nod to ’80s sci-fi cinema and with esoteric Middle Eastern imagery — all blending to create a soundscape that’s both otherworldly and immersive. Recorded at Allman’s home-turned-studio during the pandemic, the album also marks the recording debut of his son Orion Allman on synthesizer. Joining them are drummer John Lum and bassist Justin Corgan, both longtime collaborators in The Allman Betts Band and the Devon Allman Project. Drawing inspiration from vintage ’80s sonics and artists like The Police and The Cure, Nightvision is a lush, cinematic exploration of sound. Equally suited for meditations or herbal vacations, it’s an album that invites listeners to drift, dream, and disappear into its glowing nocturnal world.”
Langhorne Slim
The Dreamin’ Kind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leave it to Langhorne Slim — a pioneer of raw, rule-breaking Americana for more than two decades — to reach far beyond the genre he helped inspire. The Dreamin’ Kind finds the Nashville transplant strapping on an electric guitar and embracing his longtime love of larger-than-life rock ’n’ roll. With its chugging power chords, 1970s-sized riffs, and richly layered arrangements, The Dreamin’ Kind is fueled not only by sheer amplification, but by the soul-baring songwriting that’s become Slim’s calling card, too. Tucked between those anthems are acoustic-driven songs that skirt the outer orbits of folk music. The result is the more explorative and expansive album of Slim’s career: a record made for rock clubs, campfires, and garages alike, produced by Greta Van Fleet’s Sam Kiszka, and anchored by a lifelong desire to break down new walls. “It felt like I was blowing some old shit up so I could plant some new flowers,” Slim says of the creation process. “I love acoustic music. I love folk music. But those aren’t my only loves. Rock ’n’ roll has always tickled the same place in my soul as great singer-songwriter music, and I wanted to explore those influences. Raw songs that make you feel something: that’s the stuff I’m after.”
Richard Sallis
Casino
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Casino is a fully re-recorded project Richard Sallis originally wrote at just 18 years old, during what he describes as the lowest point of his life. It began as a collection of songs written during a period of homelessness, loneliness, and heartbreak. He turned to songwriting “to survive the day”, dreaming that one day his vision might become reality. And now it is. More than a decade later, Sallis has re-recorded the songs from scratch, preserving their raw emotion while expanding them with the help of a new band. Most of the album was recorded inside churches and cathedrals, with the natural reverb and acoustic character of those spaces forming part of the music.”