Willow Avalon is finally giving fans what they’ve been asking for… new music. And lots of it is coming soon. Willow Avalon was one of those female stars in the making who turned heads last year with the release of her impressive debut record Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell. Sounding somewhere between Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn with a modern edge, Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell received incredibly high praise and was named as one of our top country albums of 2025 here at Whiskey Riff, coming in at #31. Not that this weighs a ton of critical merit, but after one listen through the record, I knew that it would land at the top of my Spotify Wrapped, and sure enough, it did. The title track, “The Actor,” and “Country Never Leaves” were my anthems of 2025. Because of how well-received her debut album was, fans were quickly craving new music from the Georgia native. And while she had not confirmed the timeline of when her next LP would come out, fans were sent into a frenzy when she had teased that two albums were in the works. Last year, Avalon even paused touring to focus on her record, building anticipation even further. After releasing her first single of 2026, a cheeky little number titled “Easy On The Eyes,” she’s now revealed to fans that more than just singles are in the pipeline for them. Today, April 10, Willow Avalon has officially announced her sophomore album, Pink Pocket Pistol, out everywhere June 26. View this post on Instagram According to Avalon, the formation of this project was very organic, as it was cut in just a week. Building off the momentum she laid down with Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell, Avalon reveals to fans that the wit and charm they know and love about her is going nowhere on this LP, but they can also expect an eerie and mysterious vibe at parts. “Pink Pocket Pistol is a mix of the lyricism and sassy storylines I’ve continuously written, with more darkness, mystery and a ‘60s country feel. I went in with an idea in my head, and we walked out a week later with it fully executed. Every single person in the room was on the exact same page. It felt wonderful hearing the record out of speakers—after really, intensive, hard work—exactly what I heard in my head.” Avalon added in the social media caption announcing the record: “This record is the beautiful and sweet fruit of years of heartache, revenge plots and a little pinch of everlasting love. I’ve never been more in love with something I’ve created and this record process was one of the most special and fulfilling experiences ive ever been a part of. Thank you to everyone who played on this record. Thank you to my band, my team and all the people who recorded it. Thank you to RCA for having us. I love this record soo much, I can’t wait for y’all to hear it.” Leaning into the darkness she touched on, Avalon shared a new single coinciding with the album announcement, “Cardinal Sin,” featuring Jason Isbell. Avalon has been teasing the tune on TikTok, building a lot of hype for the song of remorse after being unfaithful to a lover. Fans of “The Actor” singer went wild when she revealed that Jason Isbell would be featured on the track. “It’s one of my favorite songs on the record and it’s one of my favorites that I’ve ever written. Having Jason on it was icing on the cake; I’ve loved him for forever. I have four Jason Isbell CDs in my car, another 400 in my house, and I have driven around for the last five years harmonizing with his voice and thinking how insane it would be to sing with him. I’m still so honored that it happened.” View this post on Instagram Penned alongside Tofer Brown, Avalon hangs her head in shame, admitting that she’s committing the one “Cardinal Sin” in life and broke her wedding vows. Sonically, this song features a very soft composition, letting Avalon and Isbell’s voices shine. With the softness of a violin, the hum of a guitar, and the beat of the drum keeping the tempo moving forward, mimicking a marching beat that, despite wanting to call it quits and break down due to her actions, the narrator must keep moving on. When Isbell joins the tune, he speaks from the partner’s point of view and reveals that he, too, wasn’t faithful to their vows. Both parties mourn what once was, reflecting on how they’ve both burned this chapter of their life to the ground. “I fell in love with another, and I, I’ve hurt your mother And I’m, I’m sure your daddy hates me now Your sister swore I was trouble, now I’m Here drinking doubles ’cause I Set fire to our wedding vows Our wedding vows Our wedding vows.” Avalon’s pure, twangy voice, with its noticeable bleat, continues to captivate fans, and “Cardinal Sin” highlights the depth of her songwriting prowess. “Easy On The Eyes” and “Cardinal Sin” perfectly sum up the sassy storylines, combined with darkness and mystery, that she explored on this record… I can’t wait to hear more. Turn it all the way up: Willow Avalon Confirmed Tour Dates: April 25—Indio, CA—Stagecoach June 7—Lexington, KY—Railbird Festival June 20—Boyne, City, MI—Lavender Hill Farm July 18—Beech Mountain, NC—Party On The Mountain July 23-25—Three Forks, MT—Headwaters Country JamThe post Willow Avalon Announces Sophomore Record, ‘Pink Pocket Pistol,’ Releases “Cardinal Sin” Featuring Jason Isbell first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

An early favorite from Dandelion. Today, Ella Langley released her very highly-anticipated sophomore album Dandelion, which was executive produced by country superstar Miranda Lambert, who also helped write and was a huge part of Ella’s smash crossover hit single “Choosin’ Texas,” which they wrote with Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. That song has allowed Langley to become the seventh woman in history to top the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, in addition to becoming the first woman ever to triple up and top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Hot 100 charts simultaneously. Additionally, she dethrone Taylor Swift and officially become the first female country artist ever to spend 4+ weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, and it recently just passed the five-week mark. All of that to say, Ella has set her up for a massive release with this album, and I was super excited to hear the duet Ella and Miranda teamed up for called “Butterfly Season,” which they wrote together too. It finds Ella stepping into a period of growth and learning to embrace change, saying she feels the beauty of spring and is ready to find her wings. heading for “blue skies and lavender fields”: “I see a different road, I see a different way I think it’s time to grow, I think it’s time to change Time to rearrange Yeah, I’ve been drinking less, and I’ve been thinking more Been wanting different things That’s what spring is for Planting flowers on my porch It’s butterfly season, I’m finding my wings A good time for leaving behind the old me Headed for blue skies and lavender fields Don’t know where I’m landing, just know how it feels When it’s time to fly” Later in the bridge, she seemingly references the tough time she went through last fall when her career completely blew up (and she took home three trophies at the CMA Awards in November as one of the night’s biggest winners), saying she doesn’t “even know that girl from last October,” explaining that she’s turned into something beautiful and she’s onto something new, leaving the past behind for good: “Don’t even know her That girl from last October Right now I’d like to show her Who we’ve turned into How flowers look in June When we’re on to something new” “Butterfly Season” has a beautiful and kind of vibey, breezy production that we’ve heard on a lot of the pre-released songs form Dandelion, and it furthers the idea that Ella is just taking life as it comes and now enjoying the fruits of all of her hard work and many years of chasing this dream. And in terms of the Miranda feature, Ella has spoken extensively about how influential Miranda was to her long before they ever met, and in an interview with Rolling Stone, Miranda explained that she sees a lot of herself in Ella, and she just wanted to honor Ella’s vision and help her stay true to herself with the music: “Ella has a fiery spirit. She lives life in a big way and on her own terms. With this record, I wanted to honor her vision every step of the way.… It felt important to help her make choices that stayed true to who she is as an artist.” They did an incredible job with this record, clearly they make a great team, and I can only imagine this is a dream come true for Ella to not only have Miranda as her EP, but just to get to sing a song with her. This is easily one of my early favorites, it feels so authentic to Ella and her journey thus far, and I think it’s something almost anyone can relate to… of course, the Miranda feature just takes it over the top for me too. Check it out: “Butterfly Season” Dandelion Tracklist Froggy Went A Courtin’ – Intro Dandelion Choosin’ Texas We Know Us Low Lights Be Her You & Me Time Loving Life Again Bottom Of Your Boots Speaking Terms I Gotta Quit It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels Last Call For Us Broken Somethin’ Simple Butterfly Season (feat. Miranda Lambert) Most Good Things Do – Acoustic Froggy Went A Courtin’ – OutroThe post Ella Langley & Miranda Lambert Spread Their Wings & Embrace Change Just In Time For “Butterfly Season” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

A hacker has beaten China at its own game and has stolen a massive amount of sensitive military data, which it is now selling. The hacker was inside a Chinese supercomputer for . . .

Iran is continuing to violate its agreement with the US and reports indicate it is indeed charging ships to go through the Strait of Hormuz. Fox News reporter Trey Yingst has the . . .

The U.S. inflation rate increased sharply in March, according to the latest report by the Bureau for Labor Statistics. The energy shock from the Iran war pushed consumer prices to their highest level in nearly two years, with the Consumer Price Index rising 3.3 percent from a year earlier, up from 2.4 percent in February, in line with economists’ projections.  Energy prices surged 10.9 percent from the previous month, led by a 21.2 percent jump in gasoline, the biggest monthly increase since federal tracking began in 1967. Brent crude climbed from $73 a barrel before the conflict to $95.88 on Friday morning, while average U.S. gas prices hit $4.15 a gallon, according to AAA. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, rose a milder 2.6 percent annually, but still well above the target inflation rate of 2 percent. The post Inflation Surges as Iran War Pushes Prices Up appeared first on The American Conservative.

Here are the best horror movies from every year in the 1990s, from psychological classics to genre-defining hits.