New music: The Alarm, Old Crow Medicine Show

In this column I review the final album release featuring the late Mike Peters with his groundbreaking band The Alarm, as well as an ambitious new collection from American troupe Old Crow Medicine Show.

Artist: The Alarm

Title: Transformation (Twenty First Century/Virgin Music Group)
You might like if you enjoy: The Alarm, U2, Simple Minds

Tell me more: Although Alarm frontman Mike Peters passed away after a 31-year battle fighting cancer on April 29, 2025, his incredible legacy has continued to grow thanks to the release of Transformation on May 29. The album's 12 songs crackle and soar via Mike Peter's passionate vocals, straightforward lyrics and winning arrangements. One of the most wonderfully surprising truths to be heard across the disc is how powerful and undiminished Peters' signature vocals sound despite the obvious challenges he faced during the recording of the album that spanned from Oct. 7, 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025. The anthemic opener "New Life," U2 flavored "Outlier," defiant "Saviour," "One In A Million" and uplifting "Live Today" (the latter is my favorite track on the album) are at odds with the challenging end-of-life struggles Peters faced during the recording of the album — all those tracks showcase his defiance to overcome seemingly impossible odds with candor and passion. Indeed, the fiery rocker "Chimera" offers a detailed look at some of the advanced medical procedures used by Peters' doctors to fight his disease. Other stellar cuts include the aptly-titled "Soul Town," life-affirming "In Unity" and celebratory "To Be Alive." As Alarm bandmate Jules Peters (she is also the wife of Mike Peters) notes in the album's press notes: "Mike lived a life of beauty and never gave up right to the very end." Make sure to get a listen to this essential album. Information: thealarrm.com.

Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show

Title: Union Made (Hartland Records via Firebird Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Old Crow Medicine Show, Molly Tuttle, Evan Felker, Maggie Rose

Tell me more: Two-time GRAMMY Award winning Americana string band Old Crow Medicine Show returns on June 5 with the highly-anticipated studio album Union Made, an ambitious collection that finds the Nashville-based troupe continuing to deliver infectious material steeped in Americana, country blues, folk and bluegrass that touches on themes ranging from political protest and a love of America to the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) and even Civil War history with a masterful touch as the United States prepares for its 250th birthday. A number of top-tier guests join on the album which features 10 originals and two artful covers; Maggie Rose, Molly Tuttle, Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours, Del & Ronnie McCoury, Lee Oskar and John Carter Cash are among the musical greats who lend their talents to cuts on the album. The wide-ranging setlist includes the old-time styled opener "Howdy Do America," hard charging countrified "Lincoln Highway" featuring guest Ray Benson, politically-charged "Revolution Now" featuring Felker's signature vocals, the lovely "Last American Waltz" showcasing the gifted Molly Tuttle on lead and harmony vocals, a blazing take on Merle Haggard's joyous "Rainbow Stew," beautiful soul sortie "Beautiful Land" featuring singer Maggie Rose and harmonica great Lee Oskar, and the tender "Y'all All Come," the latter a wonderful call for unity. The parade of enticing songs comes to an inspired close with a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." 

OCMS co-founding member Ketch Secor says of the new album: "This is a fascinating time in our short history as a nation. We wanted to meet that moment by collecting a bunch of songs that speak to the joys and potentials, the rights and the wrongs of where we are today, where we're going, and what can embolden us to have a more perfect union in the future. There are wonderful, ghostly American sounds that only bands steeped in folk music traditions know how to conjure, and it seems like an important time for those voices to be heard." Old Crow Medicine Show will perform at the Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on July 23. Information: crowmedicine.com.

Robert Kinsler

Sam Barber wins Breakthrough Country Artist at the 2026 American Music Awards

Congratulations to acclaimed singer-songwriter Sam Barber on this well deserved honor. Make sure to catch the rising artist on tour this year too...Robert Kinsler

Photo credit: AMAs SAM BARBER WINS BREAKTHROUGH COUNTRY ARTIST AT THE 2026 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS

SOPHOMORE ALBUM BROKEN VIEW RELEASED TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM; EXTENSIVE TOUR SET FOR 2026! May 26, 2026—Last night, multi-platinum artist Sam Barber won Breakthrough Country Artist at the 2026 American Music Awards.  The accolade continues a breakout year for Barber, who released his sophomore album, Broken View, earlier this year via Atlantic Outpost (stream/purchase HERE) and performed an “incredibly moving set” (The Desert Sun) at Stagecoach last month.  Co-written and co-produced by Barber and Joe Becker (“Indigo,” “Straight and Narrow”) with additional songs co-produced with Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan) at Long Pond Studio, Broken View serves as a sweeping and introspective reflection on life’s complexities, exploring themes of love, loss and self-discovery. Already receiving critical attention, All Country News praises, “a sophomore record that doesn’t just meet expectations, it stares them down and walks right past them…Fully realized, unmistakable, and impossible to ignore,” while Whiskey Riff calls the new 13-song collection “incredibly impressive.” An acclaimed live performer, Barber is currently on his extensive “The American Route Tour” with confirmed stops at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion (two nights), New York’s The Rooftop at Pier 17 (two nights), and a sold-out show at Morrison’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, among many others. See below for complete tour itinerary. One of the genre’s fastest-rising and “most in-demand artists” (Rolling Stone), Barber has built a devoted global audience through deeply personal songwriting and an unfiltered perspective that resonates across generations. Raised on a farm in southeast Missouri, Barber began playing music as a teenager after picking up his great-grandfather’s Gibson guitar. Guided by his commitment to making music on his own terms, Barber has risen rapidly as a generational voice in country music and now lives in Bozeman, Montana. With more than 3.4 billion Restless Mind, received widespread critical acclaim, with Grammy.com declaring, "The double LP shows the  true breadth of his artistry, which is grounded in raw, narrative songwriting...and gritty, spare production" and Country Central raving, "a voice poised for stardom, there's not a message too powerful to be uttered from his lips." The album earned RIAA Gold certification and features standout singles, including "Straight and Narrow" and Platinum-certified "Indigo (featuring Avery Anna)," the latteer of which has amassed moree than 728 million global streams and earned Barber a top 40 placement on Billboard's Hot 100. To see Barber's upcoming tour dates, visit SamBarberMusic.com.