Automatic have spent the last few years building one of the tightest, most confident live shows in the current wave of post-punk-adjacent rock, and their Saturday afternoon set on the Panhandle stage at Outside Lands was proof the trio's new record only sharpens that reputation further. Touring behind Is It Now?, Izzy Glaudini and Halle Saxon brought a set that balanced synth-driven cool with real physical urgency, and Golden Gate Park was fully locked in from the first note.

Fresh off the release of their newest record, Joy Next Door, one of our absolute favorite bands of all time The Maine is back and better than ever. With a tour planned and on the way (tickets here!), we got the unique opportunity for a lengthy Q&A with the band’s own Garrett Nickelsen. Make sure to check out the record and head to a date, but also to learn a little more about the album and the band’s storied history below.

After nearly two decades away from the album format that first defined them, The Format have reemerged not as a nostalgia act, but as a fully revitalized creative force. With the release of Boycott Heaven on January 23, 2026 via The Vanity Label, the duo of Nate Ruess and Sam Means have delivered a record that feels both rooted in their past and sharply attuned to the present. We can sincerely say it’s our album of the year and nothing else that gets shared this year will even come close.

Whitney have always had a gift for turning the everyday into something luminous, but Small Talk feels like the album where they’ve distilled everything they’ve been chasing since their debut into one cohesive statement. Set for release November 7th on AWAL, the Chicago band’s fourth record is not just their most affecting to date, it’s arguably their best, full stop. If their past albums flirted with brilliance, this one weds it, an effortless blend of their signature soft-focus soul, shimmering folk-rock warmth, and tenderly crafted pop that glows from the first note to the last.

Portola Music Festival is back on San Francisco's waterfront for its fifth edition, and this year's lineup might be its most ambitious yet. Set for Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th at Pier 80, the 2026 edition pairs generational pop icons with electronic music's most respected architects, all across one of the more distinctive festival grounds in the country.

Ultra Music Festival is looking back before it looks ahead! The world's premier electronic music festival has released SYNCHRONICITY, the official aftermovie capturing its sold-out 26th edition, and simultaneously opened the waitlist for its 27th installment, set to return to Downtown Miami's Bayfront Park from Friday, March 26 through Sunday, March 28, 2027.

Goldenvoice has just given fans their first real glimpse of what's coming to the desert this October, unveiling High Scream's stage concept for Head Trip, the one-time-only event taking over the Empire Polo Club in Indio on October 10-11. Built for two nights, one stage, and a lineup assembled just this once, the production was designed from the ground up to create something that could only exist here, right now.

Some festivals feel like a grind to get through. Just Like Heaven feels like a party you never want to leave. Goldenvoice's one-day indie showcase returned to Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for its 2026 edition, and from the moment the gates opened at noon until the final notes rang out well after dark, it reaffirmed exactly why this has become one of the most beloved single-day festivals anywhere in the country.