alternative rock
Carbonstone Calls For a “Standoff” in New Single
Alt-metal titans Carbonstone are coming out swinging with their latest single and music video, “Standoff,” which releases May 30th. The new track boasts a vocal collaboration with Jonny Santos of Silent Civilian, Spineshank, and The Less Dead. With “Standoff,” Carbonstone has taken their raw emotion and relentless energy to the next level, and it packs the punch of a speeding freight train.
This song is multi-layered, both musically and in its history. Says Carbonstone frontman Corey James, “I actually wrote this way back in 2010. [“Standoff”] was originally released as a demo on an old EP called Strength in Silence. It was completely organic with zero electronic elements.”
But the track stuck with him, as some songs do, and James found himself circling back to it. “I sometimes revisit songs from the past, and this one has always spoken to me. I thought it would be really cool to bring it back and give it a complete makeover.”
Enter Jonny Santos, an influential figure in James’ musical journey. The two artists began talking after James reached out. “I literally saw him make a post and took a shot in the dark.” The conversation turned to the topic of a collaboration and, says James, a reimagining of “Standoff” immediately came to mind. The result is an in-your-face piece with the electronic/industrial/nu metal stylings so true to Carbonstone.
“Standoff” is roughly four minutes of vented fury, unleashed in the form of crunchy guitars, steady percussion, and the vocal interplay between James and Santos. The track calls out those who take advantage of the people around them and gives a hearty middle finger to anyone who believes your only worth is in being used and controlled.
“It’s such a shame you betray everyone with the fucking words you say/You believe I’m so weak/Come and get a motherfucking piece of me!”
The song is another example of a story carefully constructed with music, something at which Carbonstone excels. Using a maelstrom of instrumentation with a dance between a low tortured growl and an outburst of rage-filled screams, it carries the listener through the narrator’s emotional journey of becoming fed up with somebody who is manipulative and breaking the chains that once bound them together.
Catharsis is then reached after the second chorus, when James and Santos declare “I’m letting you go.” Echoing the release of all the anger and the sense of resolve that has been found, there is a brief acoustic interlude, and the track reaches its conclusion with a sprinkle of flamenco style picking.
“Standoff” will be available on May 30th. The music video premieres at 8 p.m. EST, and the song will hit streaming services at midnight!
You can pre-save “Standoff” here, and you can find links to all of Carbonstone’s socials and streaming profiles at carbonstone.net.
The Fray: How to Save a Life 20th Anniversary Tour
Pop/rock band The Fray is touring this year to celebrate 20 years of their debut record, How to Save a Life. With support from The Strike on their North American shows, and Landon Barker on select dates throughout, The Fray will be trekking across the globe from July to December. (There are a few festivals/fairs in September, but they are not included as part of this tour.)
Tickets and VIP are on sale now at thefray.com!
- 7/25 – Dallas, TX – Southside Ballroom*
- 7/26 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater*
- 7/27 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center*
- 7/29 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues*
- 7/30 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle*
- 8/1 – Washington, DC – The Anthem*^
- 8/2 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore*^
- 8/3 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion*
- 8/5 – New York, NY – Pier 17*^
- 8/7 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY*
- 8/8 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore*
- 8/9 – Cleveland, OH – Agora*
- 8/12 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium*
- 8/14 – Indianapolis, IN – Rock the Ruins*
- 8/15 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre*
- 8/16 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore*
- 8/19 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre*
- 8/20 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom*
- 8/22 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater*^
- 8/23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern*^
- 8/24 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern*^
- 8/27 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom*
- 10/4 – Mexico City, CDMX – La Maraka*
- 11/1 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja
- 11/2 – Berlin, DE – Huxley’s Neue Welt
- 11/4 – Stockholm, SE – Annexet
- 11/5 – Oslo, NO – Union Scene
- 11/7 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega
- 11/8 – Hamburg, DE – Docks
- 11/10 – Utrecht, NL – Ronda
- 11/11 – Cologne, DE – E-Werk
- 11/13 – Paris, FR – Salle Pleyel
- 11/15 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 TV Studio
- 11/17 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
- 11/18 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
- 11/19 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
- 11/21 – Belfast, UK – The Telegraph Building
- 11/22 – Dublin, IE – 3Olympia
- 12/3 – Perth, AUS – Metro City
- 12/5 – Brisbane, AUS – Eatons Hill Hotel
- 12/6 – Sydney, AUS – Enmore Theatre
- 12/7 – Melbourne, AUS – Forum Theatre
- 12/9 – Melbourne, AUS – Forum Theatre
- 12/10 – Sydney, AUS – Enmore Theatre
^ w/Landon Barker
* w/The Strike
Song of the Day – Peacebreach: “Burn”
Coheed and Cambria + Taking Back Sunday Share Summer 2025 Co-Headlining Dates
Prog rockers Coheed and Cambria are teaming up with emo/pop-punk band Taking Back Sunday this summer! Featuring special guest Foxing, an indie rock outfit, this 25-date run kicks off August 16th in St. Louis. Grab your tickets at coheedandcambria.com, or you can snag tickets and VIP experiences with Taking Back Sunday at takingbacksunday.com!
- 8/16 – St. Louis, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
- 8/17 – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
- 8/19 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
- 8/20 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory
- 8/22 – Detroit, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
- 8/23 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
- 8/24 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
- 8/26 – Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Pavilion
- 8/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Highmark Skyline Stage at the Mann
- 8/29 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- 8/30 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
- 9/2 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
- 9/3 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
- 9/5 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
- 9/6 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 9/8 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
- 9/9 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
- 9/10 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
- 9/12 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- 9/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
- 9/15 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square
- 9/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
- 9/18 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
- 9/20 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield
- 9/21 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Song of the Day – Altarboy: “Scream Queen”
Pistols at Dawn Announces First Leg of 2025 USA Tour
Hard rockers Pistols at Dawn are going to be busy throughout the summer and early fall! Along with a headlining date in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Georgia-based band will be supporting Buckcherry for most of July and August, and they open for The Struts on September 27th in San Antonio. You can get your tickets at pistolsatdawnband.com!
- 6/21 – Spartanburg, SC – 720 Room+
- 7/14 – Hobart, IN – Hobart Art Theater*
- 7/15 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall*
- 7/17 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak*
- 7/18 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom*
- 7/19 – Huntington, NY – Paramount Theatre*
- 7/21 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues*
- 7/22 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs*
- 7/24 – Wyandotte, MI – District 142*
- 8/6 – Casper, WY – Gaslight Social*
- 8/8 – Greeley, CO – Moxi Theater*
- 8/9 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios*
- 8/10 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater*
- 8/12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Leatherheads*
- 9/27 – San Antonio, TX – Stable Hall#
+ Headlining show
* w/Buckcherry
# w/The Struts
Lydia Can’t Breathe Shares 2025 Tour Dates With Tantric
Florida-based rock/metal band Lydia Can’t Breathe is heading out with Tantric this summer! Interspersed among these dates are a few LCB headlining shows. Tickets are available at lydiacantbreathe.com!
- 6/12 – Portage, WI – Studio 301*
- 6/13 – Unity, WI – Monster Hall Music Fest 2025*
- 6/14 – Rockford, IL – Whiskey’s Roadhouse*
- 7/10 – Covington, KY – Madison Live
- 7/11 – Hobart, IN – Hobart Art Theatre
- 7/12 – Park Hills, MO – Park Hills Underground
- 7/13 – Saint Joseph, MO – Cafe Acoustic Concert Hall
- 7/16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Bigs Bar
- 7/17 – Cadott, WI – Rock Fest 2025*
- 7/18 – Madison, WI – The Annex
- 7/19 – Aurora, IL – The Piazza
- 7/20 – Hodgkins, IL – Salerno’s
- 7/22 – Chesterfield, MI – Diesel Concert Lounge
- 7/23 – Cleveland, OH – The Foundry
- 7/24 – Rochester, NY – Photo City Music Hall
- 7/25 – Bensalem, PA – Broken Goblet Brewing
- 7/26 – Newark, DE – Halftime Sports Bar*
* No Tantric
Sleep Theory: The Afterglow Tour 2025
Tennessee rockers Sleep Theory have announced The Afterglow Tour, featuring special guests Nevertel, Oxymorrons, and Stray View. This late spring/early summer run of shows is in support of the band’s upcoming album, Afterglow, which will be available May 16th. You can stream Sleep Theory’s latest single here and grab your tickets/VIP to The Afterglow Tour at sleeptheoryofficial.com!
- 5/14 – Nashville, TN – Vinyl Tap Acoustic In-Store & Signing (Not an official tour date, but…)
- 5/18 – Daytona Beach, FL – Welcome to Rockville 2025*
- 5/20 – Birmingham, AL – Workplay
- 5/21 – Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen Music Hall
- 5/23 – Corpus Christi, TX – Brewster Street Ice House Southside
- 5/24 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
- 5/25 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
- 5/27 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
- 5/28 – Phoenix, AZ – The Marquee
- 5/29 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
- 5/30 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
- 5/31 – Reno, NV – Virginia Street Brewhouse
- 6/3 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
- 6/4 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory (Spokane)
- 6/6 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
- 6/7 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
- 6/8 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
- 6/10 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
- 6/11 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
- 6/13 – Madison, WI – The Majestic Theatre+
- 6/14 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues+
- 6/15 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
- 6/16 – Grand Rapids, MI – Elevation
- 6/18 – Syracuse, NY – The Wescott
- 6/19 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
- 6/20 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
- 6/21 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
- 6/22 – Portland, ME – State Theater
- 6/24 – Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
- 6/25 – Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
- 6/26 – Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
- 6/28 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
* Festival date
+ No Oxymorrons
Nine Inch Nails: Peel It Back Tour 2025
Industrial metal legends Nine Inch Nails are setting out on the Peel It Back Tour in early June! Featuring support from Berlin-based Boys Noize, this three month run spans Europe and North America, with stops in Dublin, Milan, Paris, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and more! Tickets are on sale at nin.com!
- 6/15 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
- 6/17 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
- 6/18 – London, UK – The O2
- 6/20 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
- 6/21 – Dessel, BE – Graspop Metal Meeting 2025*
- 6/24 – Milan, IT – Parco Della Musica Novegro
- 6/26 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
- 6/27 – Vienna, AT – Wiener Stadthalle
- 6/29 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
- 7/1 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena
- 7/3 – Gdynia, PL – Open’er Festival 2025*
- 7/5 – Roskilde, DK – Roskilde Festival 2025*
- 7/7 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
- 7/8 – Lyon, FR – LDLC Arena
- 7/11 – Madrid, ES – Mad Cool Festival 2025*
- 7/12 – Oeiras, PT – Nos Alive Festival 2025*
- 8/6 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
- 8/8 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
- 8/10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
- 8/12 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
- 8/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
- 8/15 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
- 8/17 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
- 8/19 – Chicago, IL – United Center
- 8/20 – Chicago, IL – United Center (Added date!)
- 8/22 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
- 8/23 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
- 8/26 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
- 8/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
- 8/29 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
- 8/31 – Cleveland, OH – R.M. Fieldhouse
- 9/2 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
- 9/3 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center (Added date!)
- 9/5 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
- 9/6 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
- 9/9 – Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena
- 9/10 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
- 9/12 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
- 9/13 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
- 9/16 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena
- 9/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
- 9/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum (Added date!)
*Festival
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