The Name Droppers

The Name Droppers are dropping more than names this summer with the release of their new album, “Let’s Live Together,” on HMG Recordings, available now. The band’s last three albums have seen consistent radio play and chart action on blues shows and blues radio across the country and in Europe.

The Name Droppers have a storied history. The Name Droppers were the backing band for legendary Guitarist Charlie Karp who played with Buddy Miles. The band will be performing at the Park City Music Hall in Bridgeport CT July 30th along with another Buddy Miles alumni – Bassist David Hull – who along with Charlie, dropped out of High School to play with Buddy. His career went on to perform with many major artists and his band The Dirty Angels will also be on the bill – giving the audience a night of nostalgic Connecticut Rock and Blues history.

The Name Droppers are guitarist Rafe Klein, who played alongside Charlie Karp for years and co-wrote with him. Drummer Bobby ‘T’ Torello has an extensive career most notably as the drummer for the Johnny Winter band along with Scott Spray who was the bassist for Johnny Winter. On keyboards is Ron Rifkin whose unique style of playing puts him high on demand as a session player.

Their new album “Let’s Live Together,” also features the vocals of Simone Brown who has sung background on the band’s two previous releases ‘Cool Blue Shoes,’ and ‘Starshine.’ Guest performer is the world -renowned musician Crispin Cioe on saxophone - a member of the Uptown Horns, Crispin has toured and recorded with many artists - the Rolling Stones, Peter Wolf, Joe Cocker, James Brown and the list goes on. The album was produced by Vic Steffens, who is a two-time New England Music Awards winner for ‘Producer of the Year’.

The Name Droppers upcoming gigs in Connecticut :

July 23rd Madison Beach Hotel, https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mpecuqq-madison-beach-hotel/
Park City Music Hall on July 30th https://www.parkcitymusichall.com/#/events
July 31st The Rocking Horse, Vernon https://rockinghorsebarandgrill.com/
August 1st , The Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun https://mohegansun.com/
August 15th, The Old Well Tavern, Simsbury https://oldwelltavern.com/
For more info on the album, tour dates and tickets www.thenamedroppers.net
Video for the single, ‘Let’s Live Together’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9HFv4IX5U&t=1s

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Crystal Shawanda Honours Raul Malo With Soulful Cover of "Come Unto Me," First Single From Upcoming Album 'Homesick Indian Blues' + Announces Canadian Tour

 

JUNO Award-winning powerhouse Crystal Shawanda releases "Come Unto Me" today on all streaming platforms, a heartfelt cover of The Mavericks classic and the first single from her forthcoming album 'Homesick Indian Blues'. The recording carries deep personal meaning for Shawanda, serving as a tribute to Raul Malo, the Mavericks' famed frontman, whose early support helped launch her career.

The story reaches back to Shawanda's earliest days in Nashville, when she and her band played for tips in the back room upstairs at Tootsies on Broadway, a room reserved at the time for acts the industry had given up on. Performing a mix of pre 1975 country, blues and rock and roll, Shawanda’s group built a devoted following among the songwriters, artists and producers who came to watch, Malo among them. "We never bothered Raul when he came in," Shawanda recalls. "We could see he was trying to lay low."

That changed the night of her RCA Records showcase, when Shawanda looked up and saw Malo in the crowd. His presence meant everything to a young artist who admired him precisely because he never fit the country music mould. "That support, that interest, it inspired me and encouraged me," she says, calling it one of the breadcrumbs that told her to keep going. When The Mavericks reunited years later with Eddie Perez joining the lineup, Shawanda and her husband, producer and guitarist Dewayne Strobel, began dreaming of one day collaborating with the band whose records had shaped them both.

That dream took on new urgency when the couple began working up "Come Unto Me" just before Malo's passing in December 2025. Strobel encouraged Shawanda to carry the song forward as a tribute rather than set it aside, and invited Perez to be part of the recording. Perez accepted, contributing electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals, and personally walked Shawanda through his parts on the track. "I was like a little kid, so nervous and excited," she says of the session, describing Perez sharing stories of his years alongside Malo.

Malo himself once explained that the song drew inspiration from the film King Kong, the idea that even a giant can be rendered vulnerable by love. Shawanda has embraced that same spirit in her version, delivering the material with the commanding, full throated vocal power that has defined her blues catalogue for over a decade, set against the Tex Mex textures of a Flamingo Pink Stratocaster that Strobel acquired directly from Perez. "My husband and I have lived these words," Shawanda says, "and I think that really shines through in this track."

Born and raised in Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Shawanda signed with RCA Nashville in her early twenties and released 'Dawn of a New Day' in 2008, the highest charting album by a full blooded Canadian Indigenous country artist in the SoundScan era. She became the first Indigenous woman to win the Canadian Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year in 2009, before shifting fully into the blues, a run that has produced JUNO wins for 'Church House Blues' and a Billboard Blues Chart Top 10 debut with 'Midnight Blues.' Her most recent album, 'Sing Pretty Blues,' topped the Indigenous Music Countdown in 2025 and earned JUNO and Canadian Blues Music Award nominations. In 2012, she founded New Sun Records, the first female and Indigenous owned record label in Canada, which she continues to run while mentoring emerging Indigenous artists.

Crystal Shawanda Tour Dates:

July 31 @ 10:00 AM, Wikwemikong Park Centre, Wikwemikong, ON

August 6 @ 7:00 PM, Red Arrow Brewing Company, Duncan, BC

August 8 @ 6:30 PM, Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, BC

August 15 @ 6:00 PM, Berczy Park, Toronto, ON

August 29 @ 8:00 PM, Massey Fair, Massey, ON

September 5 @ 8:00 PM, Playland Amusement Park, Vancouver, BC

September 11 @ 6:00 PM, Port Credit Memorial Park, Mississauga, ON

September 12 @ 5:30 PM, Badlands Amphitheatre, Drumheller, AB

September 26 @ 7:30 PM, Palais Montcalm, Québec, QC

September 27 @ 3:00 PM, Lakefield United Church, Lakefield, ON

January 16, 2027 @ 8:00 PM, Italian Cultural Centre, Thunder Bay, ON

January 18, 2027 @ 7:30 PM, Dryden Regional Training and Cultural Centre, Dryden, ON

January 21, 2027 @ 7:30 PM, Townshend Theatre, Fort Frances, ON

Heezer

 

Heezer was formed in South Karelia, Finland late 2020 when the global situation at the time left four rockers hanging loosely from the neck. Something had to be done. The musicians got together one cold winter evening to jam and see what comes out of it. Basic idea that followed was: STONER ROCK. It took only a couple of jam sessions when members of the band found out that playing together was effortless and the basic sound of Heezer was born almost by itself.

In summer 2021, recordings of the 4-song debut EP started. Raw sound and powerful riffs combined with memorable melodies and groovy rhythm section immediately attracted attention and got some great reviews. In 2022 Heezer already had songs ready for the debut album. “Sungrinder” came out via Argonauta Records in March 2023, taking songwriting even further as the band’s synergy grew more. All releases so far have been highly praised by multiple reviews and more music will follow as the band’s journey has only begun. And in the present day when live music is flowing, Heezer is ready to say what they have to say.

 https://heezerband.com/

Kitsa

 

Kitsa is a heavy rock band from Port Orchard, Washington, blending crushing riffs, groove-driven sludge, stoner rock, and the grit of ’90s heavy metal and grunge. Kitsa delivers a sound built on massive guitars, hard-earned melody, and unapologetic heaviness.

Following the release of their debut album, Dead by Dawn, Kitsa returns with their second full-length album, II, set for release on September 18, 2026. The new record pushes the band’s sound further into heavier, darker territory while sharpening the hooks, grooves, and dynamics that define Kitsa.

II features Tony Reed on bass, who also produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered the album. The record was captured at APL and Heavy Head Recording Co., bringing Reed’s unmistakable ear for heavy, organic rock into the heart of Kitsa’s evolving sound.

Leading into the album, Kitsa will release the upcoming single “Avaleigh” on July 7, 2026. Inspired by a real person the band met while playing shows in Oregon, “Avaleigh” carries a deeply human story beneath its weight and atmosphere, capturing the connection that can come from a brief encounter and the lasting impact of someone willing to share their life with strangers.

With II, Kitsa enters its next chapter louder, heavier, and more focused, carving out a sound where Pacific Northwest grit meets Southern sludge, stoner rock haze, and ’90s metal muscle.

Kitsa is Skot Davis on vocals, Chris Pound on guitar and vocals, and Randy Fort on drums, with Tony Reed featured on bass for II.

https://www.facebook.com/kitsaband

 

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Saturna-Self Told Lies

 

We are heading back to Spain for the latest release from Stoner/Rock band Saturna, the band lead by the very talent James Vieco on guitar and vocals. This the first new music from the band since 2023`s album "The Reset" and the first taste from their new album "Light And Shadow" which is released on th 17<sup>th</sup> September 2026. "Self Told Lies" has James`s trademark vocals, very similar to Chris Cornell and has of course has a Sabbath/Soundgarden feel about it.

Saturna was formed in November 2010 in Spain (Barcelona), ​​as a project to develop some ideas of Rod (bass player). Experience and musicianship of the current formation has been demonstrated in different bands for the last 10 years during many concerts and recording sessions. The debut album "The Kingdom of Spirit" (2012) is a compilation of songs of the early years and has been enriched by the many influences of the band members, which is the strong point of Saturna's classic rock with psychedelic stoner influences.