“Caught In The Echo,” the third song to be released in advance of Foo Fighters’ forthcoming 12th full-length studio album, Your Favorite Toy, is now available across digital platforms.
Following in the turbulent wake of the album’s postpone-tinged banger of a title track — described by THE NEW YORK TIMES as "back-to-basics garage-rock delivered in a welter of noisy guitars” and moving VICE to rave "Unhinged Dave Grohl is my favorite version of Dave Grohl” — “Caught In The Echo” is the instantly combustible opener that sets the tone for the harnessing of the FF live fury that pervades the album. From its opening exhortation of “Do I? Do I? Do I? Do I?” to its closing plea of “Who can save us now?”, “Caught In The Echo” foreshadows the new album’s rough hewn energy with arguably the band’s most explosive opener since Wasting Light’s “Bridge Burning."
Your Favorite Toy will be released April 24th via Roswell Records/RCA Records. Recorded at home, the album was co-produced by Foo Fighters and Oliver Roman, engineered by Oliver Roman and mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent, and consists of the following songs:
Caught In The Echo
Of All People
Window
Your Favorite Toy
If You Only Knew
Spit Shine
Unconditional
Child Actor
Amen, Caveman
Asking For A Friend
Your Favorite Toy’s release heralds Foo Fighters' massive Take Cover world tour, which just added an already SOLD OUT April 28 show at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, CT. For more information on the rock ’n’ roll stadium tour of the summer, go to https://foofighters.lnk.to/ShowsPR
Last but not least, running errands in the San Fernando Valley became a lot more interesting yesterday, as 20 personally burned CDs of “Caught in the Echo,” each featuring individually hand-drawn artwork by Dave and Harper Grohl, were hidden in various locations in the area, ranging from local indie record stores to national grocery, book and pharmacy chains and more. For updates and further information on the “Caught in the Echo” scavenger hunt, check https://www.instagram.com/foofighters/
Foo Fighters are Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, Rami Jaffee and Ilan Rubin.
Rio Grande Pickups has introduced its first artist signature series product, the Mat Mitchell El Coyote Pickup Set.
Developed in collaboration with Puscifer guitarist and producer Mat Mitchell, the new El Coyote set balances powerful growl with clear articulation.
The pickups feature AlNiCo 5 magnets, 'Zebra' creme and black color scheme, and are vacuum wax potted to resist microphonic squeal. They’re available individually as bridge and neck pickups, or as a two-pickup set, accompanied by an exclusive patch by artist Daniel Martin Diaz.
The bridge position pickup features a hybrid coil design with one Rio Grande Muy Grande coil with 1/4" pole pieces and one Dirty Harry P90 coil, with 42 AWG copper wire on the Muy Grande coil and 43 AWG copper wire on the Dirty Harry coil. It’s wound to 17.5k resistance, available in 52mm spacing with AlNiCo 5 magnets.
The neck position pickup features a series pair of classic S style coils with 42 AWG copper wire wound to 14k resistance, available in 50mm spacing with AlNiCo 5 magnets.
“The El Coyote Pickup Set combines high output with high‑end clarity from our classic True Splitting humbucker designs, with a versatile twist. The hybrid bridge pickup features a magnet‑slug coil and an indirectly magnetized P90‑style coil with both AlNiCo 5 and ceramic magnets,” said Jake Rynearson, Head of Manufacturing at The Electric Music Company, parent company of Rio Grande Pickups.
“The no‑compromise approach to the El Coyote set delivers an extremely powerful and versatile voice,” added Mat Mitchell.
To get the El Coyote bridge pickup’s full potential, the company recommends that you pair it with the Rio Grande Pickups Tone Twister™, a four-way switching system to unlock four unique tones from just one humbucker.
Handcrafted exclusively in Texas, the Mat Mitchell El Coyote Pickup Set can be heard in action on Puscifer’s upcoming tour supporting their latest album, Normal Isn’t.
The pickups carry a $199 street price each, and the two-pickup set carries a street price of $398. For more information visit riograndepickups.com.
Today, GRAMMY® Award-winning English rock titans MUSE announce their forthcoming tenth studio album, The WOW! Signal, out June 26 via Warner Records — find the track list below, and pre-order and pre-save HERE. The announcement was truly out of this world, with MUSE launching the news from space! In partnership with Sent Into Space, the band sent a specially-designed tablet 33km up into the atmosphere to premiere the “Be With You” video, while a second package carried stickers for a limited-edition vinyl release to be claimed by fans.
The WOW! Signal marks MUSE’s first album since 2022’s acclaimed Will Of The People– which premiered at #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums. Inviting us to dive headlong into the new album’s world, MUSE are sharing the massive opening salvo of a lead single, “Be With You,” alongside a scene-setting official music video starring Ella Balinska (Resident Evil, The Occupant). Listen HERE and watch HERE.
Muse - Be With You (Official Music Video)
“Be With You” opens on a huge, humming church organ and Matt Bellamy’s equally epic vocal as he zooms in on a heavy moment: “It seems my light’s been swallowed up, I’ve used up every ounce of luck / I need to leap into the fire, find a higher power, and reach for something new.” But soon enough, the track ignites into driving electronica and, eventually, searing rock as the narrator’s perspective shifts from dejection to resolve: “I feel my life has just begun, it can’t just be with anyone / It’s got to be with you.”
Directed by Nico Paolillo (Deafheaven, BAD OMENS), the “Be With You” video brings this galvanizing moment to life in stunning cinematic detail. As a red halo clings to the moon, Balinska begins to notice odd phenomena and seems pulled out into the night by some greater force. She eventually meets a man moved by the same strange energy, and together they witness a beautiful and terrifying phenomenon.
The WOW! Signal takes its name from one of the most compelling interstellar mysteries of the last century: a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source. The astronomer who discovered the anomaly famously circled the now-iconic sequence “6EQUJ5” and wrote “WOW!” on the printout beside it — giving the signal its name and cementing its place in scientific and pop-culture lore.
While “Be With You” is only our first glimpse into The WOW! Signal, the common themes between the song and this phenomenon speak to the forces powering MUSE’s new album: a mix of cosmic mystery, existential hope, and the exhilarating possibility of contact with something far greater than ourselves.
Today, internationally acclaimed guitarist / composer, and Firewind mastermind, GUS G. is proud to release his new single "Nothing Can Break Me," taken from the upcoming new studio album 'Steel Burner,' set for release on April 24th via Metal Department.
"Nothing Can Break Me" features the metal queen herself, Doro Pesch, and arrives alongside an official lyric video, available below.
GUS G. comments:
“Doro is an icon, the Metal Queen. Everybody knows that. Having the opportunity to collaborate with her on a track is something I have wished would happen for a long time. 'Nothing Can Break Me' is a powerful Metal anthem about perseverance. I'm really proud of this one.”
Doro Pesch adds:
"It was awesome to work with GUS. We've been friends for a long time. He's such an amazing guitar player. We always planned to do something together, and now it finally happened. I'm totally excited about the song."
- YouTube
Following an extended period of post-pandemic touring, 'Steel Burner' represents a renewed creative focus on GUS G.’s solo vision. The album showcases his signature guitar style - combining technical precision, melody, and intensity - while expanding its emotional and thematic range through collaborations with some of the Metal scene's most legendary and respected voices.
The album’s title track, “Steel Burner,” was the catalyst for the entire project. Originally commissioned for a company that manufactures industrial machines used to shape metal, GUS G. drew inspiration from a machine fittingly named Steel Burner. The track’s energy became the foundation for the album’s concept and ultimately its title.
While instrumental tracks highlight GUS G.’s evolution as a composer and guitarist, 'Steel Burner' also features several standout vocal songs. Doro Pesch appears on new single “Nothing Can Break Me,” a powerful metal anthem focused on inner strength, perseverance, and resilience.
“No One Has to Know,” featuring Dino Jelusick, delivers a modern hard rock approach while addressing the artificial lives and personas often portrayed through social media.
Matt Barlow (Iced Earth, Ashes of Ares) brings his unmistakable intensity to “Dancing With Death,” an epic metal track with a contemporary twist that explores the darker theme of addiction.
Additional collaborations include Ronnie Romero (Rainbow), whose work with GUS G. originated from their recent joint world tour and resulted in two tracks on the album, further shaping its collaborative direction.
Reflecting on the upcoming release, GUS G. comments:
“This is my first solo album release in 5 years. As I’ve been pretty busy in the post-pandemic world with heavy touring, I always had the idea to put out another solo album at some point. This time around, I felt I wanted the best of both worlds - being able to explore guitar instrumental music, but also collaborate with singers I love and am a fan of.”
'Steel Burner' was mixed and mastered by acclaimed producer Dennis Ward (Helloween, Pink Cream 69), delivering a clear, powerful, and contemporary sound that complements both the album’s instrumental complexity and vocal performances.
With his 5th solo album, GUS G. delivers a confident and forward-looking statement - an album that honors Metal’s roots while embracing modern themes, production, and collaboration.
Back in 2007, Vermont’s Kyle Thomas recorded an album under his new moniker, King Tuff. It was called Was Dead—as in, King Tuff Was Dead—and Thomas cut it on a Tascam 388, an 8-track reel-to-reel recording and mixing machine. He’d traded in an Ibanez electric to buy the Tascam at a music store in Keene, New Hampshire, in 2003. (Thomas didn’t know it then, but at the same time, his garage-rock contemporaries Ty Segall and the Osees’ John Dwyer were experimenting with the same machines out on the west coast.) He stuck an SM57 on his amp, and hit record. No outboard gear, no processing. It was the heart of the lo-fi revival’s heyday.
Thomas moved to Los Angeles, the heart of the genre’s new American boom, signed to Sub Pop, and released 2012’s King Tuff and 2014’s BlackMoon Spell, both collections of unrepentant, gnarly garage-rock music. Then came 2018’s The Other and, in 2023, Smalltown Stardust. These were more manicured, high-fidelity endeavors. The arrangements were softer and slower. Production was clearer and more considered. When it came time to take the albums on tour, Thomas faltered. “When I would play the older songs that were more straightforward rock, it was just so much more fun,” he says. “I wanted to make a record with that in mind: What’s going to be fun to play live?”
Moo, King Tuff’s seventh record, is what he came up with. Recorded before departing Los Angeles for good, Moo is Thomas’ return to the Tascam 388, and to the earworm musical dirt-baggery he first traded in. Opener “Twisted on a Train” announces this proudly. Its an A-major foot stomper, led by the perfectly muffled snap of Thomas’ guitar, that recounts a disturbed, weed-gummy-fueled train ride from Tucson to Los Angeles. The cheap-beers-on-the-beach groove of “Stairway to Nowhere” keeps the ball rolling while Thomas looks back on his years in L.A.: “I’m so tired of spinnin’ my wheels / Negative numbers, dead-end deals / Wined and dined in paradise.”
“I really just wanted to get back to how I used to do things, more DIY,” Thomas says of the recording and release plan (Moo is coming out on his own record label). “I just feel more connected to the work that way, and I feel more connected to the fans if I’m actually giving them something that I made personally.” Vermont is a good place to do things yourself, surrounded by weavers and woodworkers instead of influencers and industry dependents: “It’s nice to be somewhere where not everyone’s trying to make it. I think cities trick people into thinking that you have to be there for shit to happen in your life, and I don’t think it’s true.”
Thomas with his Rickenbacker 660-12TP. Behind him on the desk, the secret weapon of King Tuff’s recordings: his treasured Tascam 388.
Wyndham Garnett
Kyle Thomas’ Gear
Guitars & Bass
1995 Gibson SG Standard (with bolt headstock repair by Reuben Cox)
Reconnecting with the Tascam made Thomas realize how important the machine is to his work. Maybe it’s the tone the Tascam imparts that endears him to it, or maybe it’s the particular workflow it demands. Regardless, working with the 8-track device, Thomas felt like himself again. He didn’t sing his vocals a hundred times and comp the best bits together, or overwork his guitar performances until they were flawless. There’s noises—hissing and buzzing and popping—plus other peculiarities and variances from one riff to the next. “It’s all about the performance and just capturing something, and not doing it to death. You can get good results doing things the new-school way,” he admits. “But you might feel sadder at the end.”
So why did it take so long for Thomas to return to his beloved Tascam? “I finally got it fixed,” he shrugs. “That’s really all it was. It was broken.”
The self-proclaimed “freak from the woods,” Kyle Thomas a.k.a. King Tuff.
Wyndham Garnett
Given his recording philosophies, it probably isn’t a surprise to hear that Thomas doesn’t like players who are “too good”: “It’s boring. I don’t think rock music should be perfect. I think rock music suffers when people make it on the computer and fix everything.” Wipers’ Greg Sage and Dead Moon’s Fred Cole are key inspirations for Thomas, alongside imperfect shredders like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. “I like shittier guitar players better than really good ones, usually, or guitar players that are rough around the edges,” he says. “They can be good, but they fuck up a lot.” The continued pull toward imperfection is, of course, colored by Thomas’ estimation of his own playing. “I’m not a slick guitar player, I’m not smooth,” he explains, then grins. “My hands are shaky. They’re like bald eagle talons.” The influence of more polished players like Tom Petty and Mike Campbell are in frame on Moo, too, especially courtesy of a Rickenbacker 660-12TP—Petty’s signature model—that Thomas acquired just before making the record.
“I think rock music suffers when people make it on the computer and fix everything.”
Thomas is an SG player first and foremost, and he’s played his beloved late-’90s Gibson SG Standard, named Jazijoo, for more than two decades. It’s been thrashed and colorfully decorated over the years, and its cracked headstock kept breaking until Reuben Cox, of L.A.’s Old Style Guitar Shop, put the problem to rest—by driving a bolt through the headstock, Frankenstein’s-monster style, to secure it. Because of its fragility, Jazijoo doesn’t come out on the road these days, but teamed up with a Mu-Tron Phaser that Thomas scored in a thrift store for five bucks in the early ’90s, it’s created the King Tuff sound. To round out that pairing on Moo, Thomas borrowed a brown-panel Fender Deluxe 6G3, which handled most of the guitar tones on the record, along with a small Supro combo and an early-’80s Fender Super Champ.
Almost 20 years after Was Dead, Thomas is back living in the forests of Vermont. His neighbors don’t know or really give a shit about his music, and that’s a good thing. “It’s fucking paradise,” Thomas says, straight-faced, on a video call from a room in his home crammed with music gear. “Obviously L.A. is supposed to be paradise, and it is in some ways, but I don’t know. I really missed the seasons. I get ideas and feelings here that I just didn’t have out there. I do love L.A., but I’m a freak from the woods.”
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