Gibson has introduced four new acoustic guitars to its Original Collection, each equipped with a new Gibson-exclusive pickup system developed with Baggs. The J-45 Original, J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge, Southern Jumbo 40s Original, and Country Western 60s Original are built at Gibson’s Acoustic Craftory in Bozeman, Montana, and are available now through authorized dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and Gibson.com.

The custom-voiced Baggs HiFi DNA system uses two lightweight sensors mounted to the internal bridge plate, each paired with its own preamp, aiming to deliver a natural amplified tone without altering the guitar’s unplugged sound, according to the announcement. Gibson says the system offers feedback resistance comparable to an under-saddle pickup, with discreet soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls.

Each model draws on established Gibson designs: the J-45 Original revives 30s Jumbo-style appointments on the brand’s round-shoulder dreadnought, the J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge adds a fixed bridge for tuning stability, the Southern Jumbo 40s Original pairs rosewood back and sides with a Sitka spruce top, and the Country Western 60s Original continues the line’s historic styling. All feature solid Sitka spruce tops, dovetail neck joints with hot hide glue, rosewood fretboards, and bone nuts and saddles, and ship with Gibson hardshell cases.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Libby Coffey, primeprgroup.com.

Montreal alt-rock trio A Different Brand of Noise has released its second album, “Far More Than Conversation,” led by the single “Who Dares.” The band is made up of guitarist Robert Ranaldi, bassist Ken Ashdown and drummer Gonzo, who first played together in Montreal in the late 1980s before disbanding after about a year and a half, leaving behind unreleased material.

The group reconvened during the early pandemic, re-recording old songs remotely and teaching themselves production and Logic Pro over roughly three years. That process yielded 19 songs: the first 10, written decades earlier, became the band’s 2025 debut album “Blurry,” while the new nine-song record completes the project. The band describes the album’s themes as touching on sex, drugs and societal collapse, with song notes citing influences including the Velvet Underground, Big Star, R.E.M. and Nick Drake.

Ranaldi and Ashdown had earlier careers in other bands, Secret Act and Man and Things for Ranaldi and This “Blue Piano” and Ulysses Underwood for Ashdown, before reuniting as a trio. Both members currently hold other full-time careers, Ashdown in labor relations and Ranaldi as a behavioral neuroscience professor at Queens College, CUNY, and the band says touring is not currently planned.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.

Shakira has concluded her 13-show European residency in Madrid, drawing more than 700,000 fans in what Live Nation describes as one of the largest live music events staged in Europe. The run, part of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, generated an economic impact exceeding $200 million, according to the announcement.

Shakira debuted at No. 1 on Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart for September, with the first nine Madrid shows selling a combined 452,097 tickets, an average of more than 50,000 per show, according to the promoter. The global tour has now sold more than 4 million tickets and generated $534 million in reported box-office revenue, which Live Nation says makes it the highest-grossing Latin tour of all time.

The Madrid run featured guest appearances from Dua Lipa, Laura Pausini, Alejandro Sanz, Maluma, Beéle, Manuel Turizo, Dani Martín and Bizarrap. The residency also included ES LATINA, a cultural program staged at a purpose-built venue called Macondo Park, designed by architecture firm BIG, and a livestream on Amazon Music that the companies say set a record for the platform’s most-watched performance by a female artist.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Maya Sarin, LiveNation.com.

Godsmack frontman Sully Erna will headline a one-night benefit concert, The Scars Foundation Celebrity Jam, on Dec. 10 at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The show supports mental health awareness, suicide prevention and addiction recovery initiatives tied to Erna’s Scars Foundation.

The lineup includes Godsmack along with guest appearances from David Draiman of Disturbed, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, and members of Staind and Three Days Grace, with additional artists to be announced. Tickets went on sale Oct. 13 through Ticketmaster and Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

Proceeds from the event will benefit The Scars Foundation, which Erna established after losing friends and fellow musicians to suicide and addiction. The foundation says its mission is to reduce stigma around mental health struggles and encourage people to seek help.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Libby Coffey, primeprgroup.com.

Tulane University’s annual benefit concert, The Tipping Point, will celebrate its 10th anniversary Nov. 6 at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. The event, themed “The Decade of Impact,” is part of the university’s WAVE ’26 Homecoming weekend and supports scholarships for Tulane students.

This year’s lineup includes Chris Robinson, Joss Stone, Ben Jaffe, The War and Treaty, Amy Helm, Robert Randolph, River Eckert, George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Raymond Weber and the Dumpstaphunk Horns, with Eric Krasno returning as music director and bandleader. The concert is produced by Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter of RWE Partners and pairs touring artists with New Orleans musicians in one-off collaborative performances rather than individual sets.

According to the announcement, The Tipping Point is the only concert of its kind in the U.S. that directly funds scholarships at a university, with proceeds supporting students regardless of financial background. RWE Partners, which also produces Love Rocks NYC and The Soho Sessions, says it has raised more than $100 million for nonprofits through music over the past decade. Past performers at the concert have included Emmylou Harris, Billy F Gibbons, Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by The Press House.

Edmonton-based children’s musician Beppie has released her eighth studio album, ‘Puzzle Pieces,’ featuring the singles “Nine” and “P-O-T-A-T-O Crew.” The 13-track collection compiles her recent singles output and arrives via Platoon, which distributes her music through Apple Music.

“Nine,” a counting song co-produced with Justin McDonough, grew out of two extra studio days originally booked for vocal and drum tracking, according to the announcement. “P-O-T-A-T-O Crew,” described as a 90s-style hip-hop track, features a cast of voices including Beppie’s children Elliot and Amelia and fellow young performer Aura V, who the announcement notes went on to become the youngest Grammy-winning artist in history the following February.

Born Stephanie Nhan, Beppie has earned two JUNO nominations and four Western Canadian Music Award nods, winning Children’s Artist of the Year in 2023. The label says her catalogue has been streamed more than two million times and that she performs over 70 shows annually. She will mark the album’s release with a concert in Spruce Grove, Alberta on Oct. 24, followed by additional Western Canada tour dates into 2027.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.