Dave Hill is a comedian, writer, actor, and musician originally from Cleveland but now living in New York City, which is great. He has appeared on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Girls5eva, Joe Pera Talks with You, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Tick, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and the new U.S. version of Would I Lie to You among other programs. Dave has also starred in his own TV series, The King of Miami, on the MOJO Network, which was cancelled even though Dave really liked it. Dave is a regular contributor to public radio’s This American Life and Live from Here withChris Thile (formerly Prairie Home Companion) and also hosted his own radio show, The Goddamn Dave Hill Show, on WFMU in Jersey City, New Jersey for five years. Dave is also the resident heavy metal expert on Malcolm Gladwell and Rick Rubin’s Broken Record podcast. Dave performs live comedy in theaters, prisons, and basements all over the world. He appears regularly with fellow comedians such as Janeane Garofalo, Tom Papa, and Gary Gulman and has opened for musical acts including Snoop Dogg, Tenacious D, Broken Social Scene, Down, Autopsy, Quicksand, and Rhett Miller. Dave also plays guitar and sings in his own rock band, Valley Lodge, whose song “Go” is the theme song for HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in addition to fronting Painted Doll with death metal legend Chris Reifert (Autopsy, Death). He is also the founding member of Witch Taint, most extremely extreme Norwegian Black Metal band from Gary, Indiana ever probably (go to theblackmetaldialogues.com for more info). He also composes music for TV and film. Dave has written for The New York Times, The Paris Review, Salon, GQ, McSweeney’s, The New York Observer, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Guitar World, among other publications, and is author of three books, Parking the Moose (2019 Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House), Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (2016 Blue Rider Press, and Tasteful Nudes (2012 St. Martin’s Press).

Since her move to the Catskills in 2018, Hannah Cohen hikes with her rescue dog Jan every day. In the woods, they witness the color of change, the verdant resilience of softness and the necessary cycles of demise and vitality. It’s been five years since her last full-length record and in that bubble of time, Cohen has learned the patience of her environment; to stay quiet until the noise starts to make sense. Her new collection of songs, Earthstar Mountain, is a keepsake of Cohen's time in the Catskills, built over the course of 2020-2024, as blurred, shimmering memories come into focus to produce a collage of echoes and sonic souvenirs. It’s a love letter to the Catskills but more so, a love letter to the interconnectedness of all; in her past, present, future and alternative selves, in her friends—here and gone—and in the mountain that peers through her windows. This mountain is nestled in the center of a creative community. On one side is Cohen and her partner and collaborator Sam Owens—performing under the moniker Sam Evian—and on the other is their carousel of collaborators and friends. Cohen’s parents reside just down the street, and she sees them almost every day—“unusual, I know but we’re an unusual family” she says. Fittingly, after releasing her 2019 album Welcome Home, Cohen and Owens converted their mid-70s home and barn into a studio and retreat, Flying Cloud Recordings. Between sessions with artists like Big Thief, Cass McCombs, Blonde Redhead, Palehound and Helena Deland, tours with Owens and renovations in their home, and the nurturing of new friendships, Cohen maintained her ritual; she found quiet moments with her guitar, with the mountain as her witness. Drawing from their shared love of Dusty Springfield, Gal Costa, Minnie Riperton, Ennio Morricone, Neil Young and Sly & The Family Stone, Cohen and Owens began to experiment with arrangements that feel both familiar and entirely new. They welcomed friends to the process—Sufjan Stevens, Sean Mullins, Oliver Hill, Claire Cottrill (Clairo) and more—and it was the encouragement of those who most inspired her, and the quietude of her beautiful life, that the pieces of Earthstar Mountain started to make sense. Earthstar Mountain is an ode to curiosity. It asks what it means to live a life: how do we decide which direction to take? How do we stay there? And what happens when the rug is pulled from under our feet? This indecision is embraced and emphasized, underlined in a wandering doodle. her. Like the 1882 lithograph adorning the cover, there’ll be a beautiful view waiting for you whichever path you choose.

Join Easy Honey on their East coast “Surf Tour,”’ a concept tour integrating surfing and environmental cleanups with their rocking live shows. Known for their catchy tunes and infectious energy, indie surf rock band Easy Honey will support their latest string of singles, including “Copenhagen, Catching Lightning, and Eyes. The band is hot off tours with Ax and the Hatchetmen and Fitz and the Tantrums. Hailing from Charleston, SC, Easy Honey is a dynamic band known for their fusion of surf rock & indie pop. With a show that intertwines heartfelt, folk songwriter sentiment and interwoven improvisational jams. Honing a unique sound that captures both the spirit of coastal living and the reflective nature of mountain life; they have gained a loyal following and are now taking their music to new heights throughout the US.

Dustin was born in Blytheville, Arkansas and raised across the state line in Rives, Missouri. After five years in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and short stints in Athens, Alabama, as well as living in a camping trailer on the Current River in the Missouri Ozarks, he made his home in Nashville, Tennessee in 2014. Steeped in Pre-2K Country, Roots Music and Southern Rock, blended with modern ideas and sounds, Dustin has been taking his acoustic guitar and songs on the road 120+ dates a year, playing every dive bar, pool hall and roadside pub from Denver, Colorado to Manchester, New Hampshire, south to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Gulf Shores, Alabama and the Florida Keys, southwest to Texas, Oklahoma and the Missouri Bootheel to the Carolinas and Georgia, always somehow ending up back in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thor Harris is a Texas-born musician, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and craftsman, renowned for his versatility and distinctive contributions to a wide array of musical projects. Born in 1965 in La Porte, Texas, and relocating to Austin in 1985, Harris has made a significant impact on the music scene, particularly within the experimental, rock, and avant-garde genres. Harris was the percussionist for the influential post-rock band Swans, where his dynamic drumming and eclectic instrumentation played a crucial role in the band’s sound from 2010 to 2017. His contributions helped shape the critically acclaimed albums, "The Seer" (2012), "To Be Kind" (2014), and "The Glowing Man" (2016). In addition to Swans, Harris has been a member of several other notable bands and projects, including Shearwater's lush, atmospheric soundscapes. He's also collaborated and recorded with Bill Callahan, John Congleton, Ben Frost, Amanda Palmer, Adam Torres, Devendra Banhart, and more, showcasing his wide-ranging musical abilities on various instruments including marimba, vibraphone, flute, and clarinet, among others. Beyond his musical pursuits, Harris is a talented visual artist and craftsman, known for his handcrafted marimbas and other percussion instruments. His artistic endeavors often reflect his deep connection to nature and his commitment to sustainability.

Cold Chocolate is a genre-bending Americana band that fuses folk, funk and bluegrass to create a unique sound all their own. Led by Ethan Robbins (vocals/guitar/mandolin) and Ariel Bernstein (vocals/percussion/banjo), the Boston-based duo released their fifth full-length album in the fall of 2023. “We're growing as a band, and I think that shows in our songwriting,” says Robbins. “I see this album as a leaping off point for many more new albums to come, and that's an exciting prospect,” adds Bernstein. Punctuated by tight harmonies and skillful musicianship, Cold Chocolate has quickly gained recognition for their original music and high-energy shows. The band has shared bills with Leftover Salmon, David Grisman, and Angelique Kidjo, and regularly performs at venues and music festivals across the country. Jason Verlinde of The Fretboard Journal who covered the band’s FreshGrass Festival set noted “there were plenty of magical moments…I will never forget [watching] Cold Chocolate perform.” Kathy Sands-Boehmer of No Depression raved, "[Ethan] feels the music in his heart and soul and it shows when he plays. Ethan becomes the music on stage. There’s an almost mystical connection between his guitar and the notes that flow out of it." Simon Waxman of The Boston Review, writes that Cold Chocolate “sounds softer than the dew on the mountainside, harder than a Harley pushing back red dust, sweeter than true love." John Lawless of Bluegrass Today offered that “the band’s approach is decidedly modern, with as much an influence from folk and swing as from hard-driving bluegrass.”

Freedy Johnston is one of those rare singer-songwriters who counts critics among his biggest fans — and whose heroes consider him a peer. Not bad for a self-proclaimed “geek in glasses." In 1994, Rolling Stone named Johnston the ‘Songwriter of the Year’, describing him as “A master storyteller, (who) sketches out full-blown tragedies in a few taut poetic lines.” Adding, “He joins that elite cadre of songwriters—Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Costello—whose brilliant pop compositions turn magical with the addition of a defiantly idiosyncratic singing voice.” Freedy Johnston has taken an unpredictable path throughout his 30-year career. It’s a true underdog story. He has a wicked gift for turning a melodic phrase with equal parts’ heart on his sleeve’ troubadour and weaver of mysteries. The Kansas native released his first two records with the widely respected indie label Bar/None. Can You Fly made many ‘Best of the Year’ lists, including, The New York Times, Billboard, and Spin Magazine, to name a few. Robert Christgau for The Village Voice called it “a perfect album,” and Playboy declared it “the best album by a new male singer-songwriter in at least a decade.” Can You Fly was also cited in music critic Tom Moon’s book, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die. All the critical acclaim helped Johnston land a four-album major-label deal with Elektra Records. Butch Vig was brought onboard to produce 1994’s This Perfect World. The album opened with the hit “Bad Reputation” and included other standouts such as the title track and “Evie’s Tears.” It garnered more critical acclaim for Johnston, who recorded three additional records for Elektra, 1997’s Never Home (produced by Danny Kortchmar), 1999’s Blue Days Black Nights (produced by T Bone Burnett), and 2001’s Right Between the Promises (produced by Cameron Greider). Freedy has contributed music to films such as The Farrelly Brothers cult classic Kingpin as well as Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead, and Kicking and Screaming. A series of albums followed his Elektra output, 2006’s Live at McCabes Guitar Shop, as well as 2010’s Rain on the City. In 2015 the self-funded Neon Repairman was released to critical raves from Stereogum, Paste, The New York Times, and Magnet.

Can't tell you who it is, but trust us, you don't want to miss it.

Western MA indie rock mainstays Lost Film are set to release the new single “Pilot Light” April 2nd via Relief Map Records. The jangly dreampop centered by synthesizers and driving bass chords is the first new music from the guitar pop veterans since 2023’s Keep It Together and mostly picks up from where that collection left off. There is however a notable jump in production from the typically DIY project led by main songwriter Jim Hewitt thanks in part to new collaborations with engineer John Panagotopulos and drummer Jeremy Woods. Using a perfect blend of bedroom and studio recording techniques, the track is lifted up without losing the lo-fi charm Lost Film has become known for. To celebrate the release of “Pilot Light” the band has printed customized matchboxes featuring the single’s cover art. Lyrically Hewitt touches the tendency to lose sight in the dark and the importance of a spark at times. “I’ve been using matches a lot lately” says Hewitt. “I really enjoy the ritual of lighting a candle every night for dinner so when it came time to make some new merch, I figured why not make something useful that also happens to tie into the themes of the song.” In addition to releasing several other singles throughout 2025, Lost Film continues to play across the Northeast- most notably with an appearance at Western Mass’s Green River Fest in June alongside Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, Courtney Barnett and others.

Dinty Child and Mark Erelli’s initial collaborated happened at a songwriting retreat on Lake Winnipesaukee just over a decade ago. “Look Up,” their first co-write, is a magical song that follows a winding narrative through the eyes of the janitor at the Sistine Chapel, the Renaissance painter Michaelangelo, and God. Child and Erelli were so taken with this initial composition that they kept on writing together each year, and now have over a dozen co-writes, released both on each other’s solo albums and as standalone collaborative singles. Dinty Child is a founding member of the beloved regional supergroup Session Americana, and has deep roots in the Boston music scene, playing with everyone from The Chandler Travis Philharmonic to the twenty piece Funky White Honkies. Mark Erelli is as likely to be found fronting a string quintet, a bluegrass band, or a rock n’ roll trio, as he is serving as a sideman for noted artists like Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter. For the first time, multi-instrumentalists Child and Erelli will combine forces for an intimate evening of storytelling and joint renditions of their expanding shared catalog.

Canadian Julie Doiron is back with I Thought Of You, her first solo record since 2012’s So Many Days. Every bit an instant classic as only she can masterfully create, Julie Doiron emanates a radiative force with nothing more than her guitar and her unmistakably indomitable voice. Julie Doiron is a maker of songs and a teller of stories, wielding her instruments like a craftsperson would their tools. In her time away from the solo spotlight she has remained entwined with music, albeit in consortiums with others; releasing a critically acclaimed record with members of Cancer Bats and Eamon McGrath under the name Julie and The Wrong Guys, reworking some of her previous work in Spanish for Spanish label Acuarela and returning to her otherworldly collaboration with Mount Eerie for Lost Wisdom pt 2, to name but a few. These are additions to Julie’s long and storied history of collaboration, working with luminaries like Gord Downie, Herman Dune, a split record with Okkervil River, and the unforgettable and iconic Eric’s Trip, the first Canadian band ever signed to legendary American record label Sub Pop. Ever the bountiful songwriter, Julie had been writing songs in the 9 years since her last solo record, keeping them close and waiting for it to feel right to head back into a studio. When the time came, she enlisted close and trusted friends to collaborate in the process: the uber-prolific and multi-talented Daniel Romano, superstar drummer Ian Romano, and Quebecois songwriter Dany Placard on bass. Together the quartet retreated to a cabin in the woods to record Julie’s first solo offering in 9 years. The resulting album, I Thought Of You, is every bit a return, as Julie Doiron finds her way back with new songs to enthrall our hearts, while simultaneously finding her way back to herself. We live for these moments, when our dearest friends find their way back to the places they love, and we once again hear their voices rise back into our lives. It’s Julie’s voice that rises to meet us from the get-go. Album opener “You Gave Me The Key” welcomes us in, a quintessential Julie Doiron song where she announces with a joyful resignation “here I am, starting over again”. Title track “I Thought Of You” is a rolling twang-tinged Doiron jam, an instant classic. As we move towards the tail end of the record we share in “Darkness To Light” a soulful ballad ruminating on moving our way out of dark days and into lighter shades. On “Back To The Water” Julie sings over gently plucked strings “I’ve been here before” as she has, and so have we, and we are once again here together. I Thought Of You is a return of the breath and fire of Julie Doiron and we are lucky to find ourselves back in the embrace of her tender and powerful forces.

TOURISTS is honored to be hosting electronic music legend DON SLEPIAN as he tours the US celebrating the 45th anniversary of his seminal record Sea of Bliss. A composer, performer, and music technologist, Slepian is revered as a pioneer in the ambient and new age music movement, blending classical influences with cutting-edge electronic techniques. From serving as artist-in-residence at Bell Laboratories and Synthesizer Soloist with the Honolulu Symphony to performing at esteemed venues like Lincoln Center, WNYC’s New Sounds, and the Centre Pompidou, his career spans decades of innovation and acclaim. Recently, he has sold out shows at the Philosophical Research Society, accompanied therapeutic psychedelic ceremonies, lectured at Stanford University, and appeared on Dublab radio. Now based in the Pocono Mountains, Slepian continues to compose, perform, and build innovative instruments, cementing his legacy as a visionary in the field.