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Oceanator Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Get Out’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Oceanator Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Get Out’

Oceanator – the project of Brooklyn singer-songwriter Elise Okusami – has announced a new album called Everything Is Love and Death. The follow-up to 2022’s Nothing’s Ever Fine is set for release on August 30 via Polyvinyl. It’s led by the single ‘Get Out’, which is accompanied by a Paul DeSilva-directed video. Watch and listen below.

“‘Get Out’ is about fighting your brain and depression when it’s trying to immobilize you,” Okusami explained in a statement. “I wanted to do a video on film, and the inspirations were Buffy and The Outsiders. So we figured if we were going Buffy anyway, might as well make it about literally fighting your demons and the idea for the video was born. Paul and Liz and I had a bunch of talks putting the idea together, and I’m very pleased with how it came out.”

DeSilva added: “The concept for ‘Get Out’ came largely from Elise (of Oceanator) who wanted to create a fight scene homage to some favorites like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Outsiders. With the lyrics being a sort of rallying call to fight back against depression, we settled on a demon character who would steal a symbol of her tranquility and she would chase him down, stopping at nothing until she had regained that peace. Shooting on film was the obvious choice to get the gritty, textural quality we were looking for and Cinematographer Martin Parsekian did a great job capturing the mood, especially during the chaotic fight scene. We hope you enjoy our video for Oceanator’s ‘Get Out!'”

Everything Is Love and Death finds Okusami working with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip. “I feel like these songs are honing in on and parsing the same themes as previous records, more settled and clearer,” Okusami said. “I’ve gotten better at listening to the rational part of my brain, the understanding that things aren’t going to work. I know better but I’m gonna do it anyway, because everything is love and death.”

Check out our Artist Spotlight interview with Oceanator.

Everything Is Love and Death Cover Artwork:

Album Review: Billie Eilish, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Billie Eilish, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’

In the era of self-aware pop stars, Billie Eilish knows how to play the game. Despite claiming, in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, that she and her brother Finneas made Hit Me Hard and Soft “without any or much thought of other people,” they immediately seem all too conscious of the ubiquity of ‘What Was I Made For?’, especially since its release arrives just a few months after yearning Barbie ballad made Eilish the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history. Album opener ‘Skinny’ broaches the theme of growing up under public scrutiny through a similarly existential, if less overtly metaphorical, lens: “People say I look happy/ Just because I got skinny/ But the old me is still me and maybe the real me/ And I think she’s pretty,” she sings, before wondering, “Am I acting my age now? Am I already on the way out?” This delicate vulnerability has always marked Eilish’s ballads, but the song is also a reminder of how self-awareness serves not as a tool to handle her image but really the only means of wrestling with it, a trait she still can’t shake off.

Though it revisits the subject of fame that was at the core of 2021’s Happier Than Ever, ‘Skinny’ effectively introduces Eilish’s new album by meeting us on a human-to-human level. Then, like lovers in a messy relationship, it’s eager to move on – not because it’s dissatisfied with what came before, but because it follows impulse rather than logic. As a whole, Hit Me Hard and Soft is prone to unpredictable shifts, beat switches, and elegant flourishes that are as much a sign of Eilish and Finneas’ musical ambition as they are of an underlying anxiety – it’s cohesive without ever landing on a note of stability, reaches climactic heights without really aiming for catharsis, and cuts songs in multiple parts without always letting each of them breathe. Not only is the siblings’ growth obvious – Finneas is bolder in his production choices as Eilish opens up her songwriting and stretches her vocal abilities – but they communicate it in ways that reflect the uncertain, shapeshifting nature of the love in Eilish’s songs better than her lyrics are able to convey. It’s a loose and ambivalent album that sometimes gets lost in trying to bring disparate elements together; one that, for all its grand gestures, leaves something to be desired.

In the space of a single song, Eilish and Finneas usually express the paradoxical simultaneity of the album title in quite a linear (if reversed) fashion: tender, then ominous, ecstatic, or downright aggressive. The album generally toes the line between the moody aesthetic of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and the jazzy introspection of Happier Than Ever, and you can tell pretty quickly which direction a song is going to lean in, but its playfulness comes through in the outros. More often than not, they’re as effective as they are unexpected: the one in ‘L’Amour de Ma Vie’, which careens from a groovy R&B ballad to a euphoric club banger, is the most jarring, a “kill-the-main-character-type beat” if there ever was one (though Finneas has used that phrase to describe another highlight, ‘Lunch’). It doesn’t change the tone of the song so much as it sucks the dreariness and subtlety out of its menacing, jagged edges. ‘Bittersuite’, on the other hand, works as little more than an awkward translation of a music pun, slinky and vaporous yet unsure how to drive its point home; it doesn’t help that the lyrics don’t hold much weight, either.

The songs here also find more dramatic ways to luxuriate in the darkness and inertia that pervaded Eilish’s previous albums. In a Rolling Stone profile, Eilish framed the making of Happier Than Ever as “difficult and confusing” and suggests (like that ‘Skinny’ lyric) that Hit Me Hard and Soft is partly an effort to chase back her When We All Fall Asleep-era self. But though she offers glimpses of it, the new album sounds just as, if not more, difficult and frustrated as its predecessor, especially when she indulges fans in the sinister sounds of her debut, like on ‘The Diner’, where she assumes the perspective of a stalker. At the same time, the arrangements expand on the tasteful sophistication of Happier Than Ever, even incorporating strings by the Attacca Quartet on a few songs. This approach accentuates intimate moments like ‘Skinny’, while the swirling synths that pulse through ‘Chihiro’ offer an entrancing conclusion, if not solution, to Eilish’s muted desperation. But it sometimes ends up drowning, instead of evoking the immensity of, the claustrophobic thoughts that run through her mind: when they can’t find a way out, the instinct seems to be to go big, delivering back-to-back crescendos on ‘Wildflower’ and ‘The Greatest’ to the rather obvious point of fatigue.

But Eilish and her team are canny – and, naturally, self-aware – about every other sequencing decision. She only jumps into her trademark whisper on ‘The Diner’ after proving her vocal chops, in the form of some impressive belting, on ‘The Greatest’. The upbeat ‘Birds of a Feather’ injects some much-needed colour and sincerity before a run of songs brimming with irony and conflict. And then there is, of course, the transition from ‘Skinny’ to ‘Lunch’, which is scintillating not only for how confident and lustful the latter song is, but the sheer giddiness with which Eilish delivers lines like “I bought you something rare/ And I left it under… Claire” and the instantly quotable “It’s a craving, not a crush.” At just three minutes, ‘Lunch’ wastes no time, but Eilish revels in an altogether different kind of delight on the final track, ‘Blue’, the longest on the album and the closest thing to ‘A&W’ to actually (probably) win a Grammy. With all its musical and lyrical pieces spliced together, ‘Blue’ is where you can finally hear the and in the album title. “Too afraid to step outside/ Paranoid and petrified of what you’ve heard,” Eilish sings, probably to another celebrity. The haunting twist is that, once she and Finneas flip the switch, you’ll probably recognize the feeling, too.

Amyl & the Sniffers Release New Songs ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and ‘Facts’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Amyl & the Sniffers Release New Songs ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and ‘Facts’

Amyl & the Sniffers are back with their first new music in over three years. The Australian quartet recorded ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ with Nick Launay, and it arrives alongside the B-side ‘Facts’ – out on limited edition 7″ on May 24 via Rough Trade. Check out a video for ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and listen to ‘Facts’ below.

“Lyrically they’re both self-explanatory,” the band’s Amy Taylor shared in a statement. “U should not be doing that makes me laugh, but it’s also in a way poking fun at the shock that people still feel at a little bit of skimpy clothing, and the bitchy high school way that the music community still is (yes I’m talking to you random 40 year old metalheads sitting around a table doing lines and bitching about a 28 year old chick in a band for wearing shorts and “selling out”) but it mainly makes me laugh. It’s unconscious and meant nothing at the time of writing it but now I think it’s a comedic way of rubbing the dog’s nose in its own dog piss after it wee’d on your favourite rug or something.”

Amyl & the Sniffers released their sophomore album, Comfort to Me, in 2021.

DIIV Release New Single ‘Raining on Your Pillow’

Konstantinos Pappis
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DIIV Release New Single ‘Raining on Your Pillow’

DIIV have shared one more single ahead of the release of their new album, Frog in Boiling Water, this Friday via Fantasy Records. ‘Raining on Your Pillow’ follows earlier cuts ‘Brown Paper Bag’, ‘Soul-Net’, ‘Everyone Out’, and ‘Frog in Boiling Water’. Check out a video for it below.

“‘Raining on your Pillow’ is a song which brings to mind the shameful past (and present) of American imperialism,” the band explained in a statement. “Lost in a terrifying landscape, a lone soldier ruminates on the existence of a landscape of his own far removed from conflict. Does it matter if this place is real or not? Is a false sense of hope enough to give our lives meaning in the midst of despair? A looping guitar figure plays underneath a driving rhythm in a cloud of murky atmosphere of analog synths and tape loops. Menacing, doomed, and strangely hopeful.”

Horse Jumper of Love Announce New Album, Enlist Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman for New Song

Konstantinos Pappis
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Horse Jumper of Love Announce New Album, Enlist Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman for New Song

Horse Jumper of Love have announced their next album: Disaster Trick will be released on August 16 on Run for Cover. Following the band’s 2023 mini-album Heartbreak Rules, the 11-track LP includes the previously shared song ‘Gates of Heaven’, as well as a new single, ‘Wink’, featuring guest vocals from Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman. Check it out below and scroll down for the album cover and tracklist.

Disaster Trick was tracked at Asheville, North Carolina’s Drop of Sun Studios with producer Alex Farrar. In addition to Hartzman, it features contributions from Wednesday’s MJ Lenderman and Squirrel Flower’s Ella Williams. “This was the first album I’ve ever done where I went into it with a very clear mind,” frontman Dimitri Giannopoulos said in a statement. “In the past, we would just show up at a studio, drink, and record. Here, everything felt purposeful.”

Speaking about ‘Wink’, Giannopoulos commented: “I was inspired by a Russian short story called ‘Leaves’ by Dimitry Bakin. The story is partly about people leaving their home for something better but when they return they are back to the same place they started. The story shed some perspective on my own life and the ebb and flow of pushing forward for something better and going back to your old ways.”

Disaster Trick Cover Artwork:

Disaster Trick Tracklist:

1. Snow Angel
2. Wink
3. Today’s Iconoclast
4. Word
5. Lip Reader
6. Wait By The Stairs
7. Heavy Metal
8. Curtain
9. Death Spiral
10. Gates Of Heaven
11. Nude Descending

Desire Release New Single ‘Vampire’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Desire Release New Single ‘Vampire’

Desire have dropped a new single called ‘Vampire’, following up March’s ‘Darkside’. It’s set to appear on the duo’s upcoming album Games People Play, which is due later this year via Italians Do It Better. Listen to it below.

Marina Allen Shares Video for New Song ‘Deep Fake’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Marina Allen Shares Video for New Song ‘Deep Fake’

Marina Allen has released a new single, ‘Deep Fake’. It’s the latest single off her third album Eight Pointed Star, following ‘Red Cloud’ and ‘Swinging Doors’. The track features Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy on guitar and synthesizer and arrives with a video directed by Callie Hernandez. Check it out below.

“‘Deep Fake’ felt like a little revelation,” Allen explained in a statement. “It spun from this writing workshop I took, led by Chris Weisman. I took guitar lessons from him when I was 20. He has all these tools for songwriting, and ‘Deep Fake’ came out of a prompt. I can’t even remember what the prompt was. It’s sort of two different songs that I just put together. I wanted the first part to feel really personal, like talking to someone you love. It’s also about naming all of these very complicated things that make up our culture. Recognizing them as a reality. But to confront them and see it as sacred.”

Hernandez added: “The video superimposes Marina’s face onto the faces of myriad women via sourced archival footage- AKA ‘Deep Fake.’ The latter half of the video was shot on a glitchy DV camera, which was intentionally used to further blur the line between reality and fiction; real and unreal.”

Eight Pointed Star comes out June 7 via Fire.

Youth Lagoon Returns With New Song ‘Lucy Takes a Picture’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Youth Lagoon Returns With New Song ‘Lucy Takes a Picture’

Youth Lagoon – the project of Idaho-based singer-songwriter Trevor Powers – is back with a new single, ‘Lucy Takes a Picture’. The track arrives with a music video directed by Tyler T. Williams. Check it out below.

“Once in a while there’s a song that feels like I’ve been trying to write it my whole life,” said in a press release. “Lucy is one of those.”

“In February, I walked past a bus stop and noticed a small piece of paper tucked into the bars of a metal bench,” he added. “In shaky handwriting that looked both deranged and Biblical, the note said, ‘This is the tale of my resurrection. I died so I could live again.’ l found the nearest patch of grass and lay down like a dummy. This note was either a message from an angel or the ravings of a pharmaceutical junkie — maybe both. Either way it was just for me. I don’t think it’s possible to have true character without first catching a glimpse of hell. Maybe that’s what it meant? In the words of W.H. Auden, ‘Don’t get rid of my devils, because my angels will go too.’ Whatever this poetic rascal, angel or imp was getting at, these words rang the bell of my soul. I went home and wrote ‘Lucy Takes a Picture.’”

Youth Lagoon’s latest album, Heaven Is a Junkyard, came out last year. Read our inspirations interview with Powers about the album.

Red Flags & Warning Signs of Substance Abuse That Everyone Should Be Aware Of?

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Red Flags & Warning Signs of Substance Abuse That Everyone Should Be Aware Of?

Substance misuse poses a challenge that impacts individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Detecting signs of substance misuse can prove difficult since individuals often hide their drug or alcohol usage. Nonetheless, being mindful of warning signals and red flags can assist in identifying someone who may require help. 

Changes in Behavior

Among the red flags & warning signs of substance abuse, a key indicator is alterations in behavior. Individuals grappling with addiction may display patterns like frequent mood swings or sudden emotional outbursts. They may also distance themselves from engagements they previously enjoyed or isolate themselves from loved ones.

Moreover, significant shifts in sleeping and eating habits frequently point to substance misuse. Insomnia, sleeping, reduced appetite, or increased food consumption without weight gain could all serve as signs.

Physical Indications

Various physical symptoms can suggest substance misuse or dependency. Bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils might signal drug use. Furthermore, weight loss or gain, without an obvious cause, warrants attention.

Slurred speech, tremors, lack of coordination, and unsteady movements are indicators associated with alcohol intoxication but could also pertain to other substances.

Neglecting Responsibilities

When a person is dealing with substance abuse issues, they often start neglecting their responsibilities. This can mean not meeting their obligations at work or school regularly and experiencing a decline in performance overall.

Financial instability is another flag that can indicate a problem. Constantly needing money to support a habit can lead to increased debt, frequent borrowing from loved ones, or even resorting to theft to fuel the behavior.

Sudden Changes in Mood

Sudden mood swings that seem out of the blue could be a sign of substance misuse problems. Individuals struggling with addiction might cycle between highs of euphoria and sudden lows of anger or sadness.

Additionally, persistent feelings of irritability and restlessness without any cause could point toward an underlying substance abuse issue. It’s important not to brush off or disregard this warning sign.

Alterations in Appearance

Drastic and unexplained changes in appearance should raise concerns about substance abuse. A decline in grooming habits, lack of attention to hygiene, and general disinterest in appearance could all be signs of struggles with addiction.

Other noticeable changes may include using breath mints or gum excessively to mask the smell of alcohol or drugs, avoiding eye contact suddenly, or neglecting style and clothing choices.

Social Isolation

The use of substances can often lead to a withdrawal from interactions. People struggling with addiction may start avoiding gatherings, isolating themselves from friends and family, or suddenly cutting ties with their support system. The need to keep their substance use hidden becomes a priority, causing them to become more isolated and distant from loved ones.

It’s important to take notice of any changes in how sociable someone is and observe if they consistently steer clear of social situations where substances might not be allowed or accepted. Feelings of loneliness and isolation can worsen issues related to addiction, strengthening the cycle of substance abuse.

Neglecting Personal Connections

Substance abuse can strain relationships as attention shifts towards obtaining and using drugs or alcohol. Those grappling with addiction may neglect their responsibilities within relationships, such as being a partner, parent, or friend.

An individual battling addiction might show unreliability by breaking commitments or missing occasions due to conflicts related to substance use. They could also become more secretive or defensive about their actions when confronted about their substance abuse problems.

Mutual trust and communication often suffer when addictive behaviors take over relationships. Addressing these signs early on could potentially mend the relationship by seeking help together.

Conclusion

It’s crucial for both individuals and their loved ones to be able to spot the warning signs of substance abuse. By staying attentive and informed, we can step in sooner, possibly lessening the harm it causes in someone’s life.

Always remember to approach these conversations with empathy and compassion. Share your worries, provide assistance, and don’t hesitate to seek help when necessary. Together, we can work towards tackling substance abuse and fostering better well-being for all parties involved.

9 Reasons Why Healthcare Needs Its Own Learning Management System!

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9 Reasons Why Healthcare Needs Its Own Learning Management System!

In today’s changing healthcare landscape, it is essential for healthcare providers to stay abreast of the knowledge and skills to deliver top-notch care. Conventional educational approaches like textbooks and lectures often fall short in preparing healthcare professionals. This is where a Learning Management System (LMS) steps in to revolutionize the field. 

In this blog, we will delve into seven reasons why the healthcare sector can benefit from its LMS.

1. Adaptable Learning Opportunities

Through a healthcare learning management system, healthcare practitioners have the flexibility to access training resources at any time and from any location. Whether it’s a nurse on the go or a physician working hours, the convenience offered by an LMS enables learning that fits their schedules. Training programs are easily accessible on devices like smartphones or tablets, making learning convenient and feasible for all.

2. Tailored Learning Paths

Each individual has learning preferences and requirements. An LMS empowers healthcare professionals to create learning paths that cater to their needs. They can select from an array of courses and modules choosing topics that directly relate to their interests or areas where they need improvement. Personalized learning paths can boost engagement and motivation levels by empowering learners to take charge of their journey.

3. Content Accessibility & Updates

The field of healthcare is dynamic, with knowledge evolving on a daily basis. Traditional resources can quickly become outdated due to advancements in treatments, guidelines, or new research discoveries. An LMS ensures that healthcare professionals have access to the information as updates can be instantly integrated into the system.

4. Interactive Learning Experiences

One significant benefit of utilizing an LMS in healthcare education is the ability to offer learning experiences using multimedia elements such as videos, quizzes, simulations, and case studies. These interactive activities not only encourage participation but also enhance knowledge retention compared to passive reading or listening methods.

5. Compliance Certification

Adhering to requirements, certifications, and professional development credits is crucial in the healthcare sector. An LMS automates the monitoring of employee compliance with training programs, ensuring completion of all required certifications. This functionality streamlines processes for healthcare organizations while upholding adherence to industry standards.

6. Knowledge Sharing

In healthcare settings, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration play a role in delivering patient care. An LMS encourages collaboration by establishing online learning communities where professionals from different fields can interact, exchange ideas, share practices, and work together on research projects or evidence-based initiatives. These platforms foster communication and collective learning across a range of healthcare disciplines.

7. Cost Scalability

By introducing a Learning Management System, healthcare providers can reduce costs associated with training methods like printed materials and physical classrooms, leading to significant savings. Moreover, an LMS enables organizations to expand their training programs by accommodating participants without the need for additional infrastructure or manpower.

8. Easy Analytics and Progress Tracking

Monitoring the progress of healthcare professionals is crucial for achieving objectives and maintaining competency levels. An LMS offers analytics and reporting tools to track learners’ progress performance and engagement levels. Administrators can generate reports on completion rates, assessment scores, and areas needing improvement, allowing for interventions or corrective measures when necessary. These data-driven insights support decision-making in addressing knowledge deficiencies 

9. Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

Adopting a Learning Management System does not entail starting or replacing educational resources. Many learning platforms in healthcare seamlessly connect with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) systems. 

This integration creates an experience for professionals by consolidating all necessary tools in one convenient place. By utilizing existing infrastructure investments, a learning platform improves workflows without causing disruptions or extra administrative tasks.

Conclusion

In today’s changing healthcare landscape, continuous learning plays a role in staying competitive. A Learning Management System offers opportunities to address the educational needs of healthcare professionals effectively. From learning paths to engaging experiences and knowledge-sharing chances, an LMS serves as a key tool in revolutionizing healthcare education to be more captivating, efficient, and adaptable. Embracing this technology not only benefits professionals but also enhances the overall quality of patient care within the industry.

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