Jackie, Alex, Cole, and the rest of the gang are back in the third season of My Life with the Walter Boys. The series has been a strong performer ever since it premiered on Netflix, and the new episodes are no exception.
With 9 million views this week, the drama is currently the #1 show in 30 countries. Does this mean a new installment is definitely on the way? Here’s what we know so far.
My Life with the Walter Boys Season 4 Release Date
Fans of the coming-of-age series have no reason to worry. My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 is definitely happening. Netflix gave the green light a while back.
Not only that, but the show has been in production since May, so you won’t have to endure a long hiatus. Based on the previous release schedule, new episodes could arrive in summer 2027.
My Life with the Walter Boys Cast
Nikki Rodriguez as Jackie Howard
Noah LaLonde as Cole Walter
Ashby Gentry as Alex Walter
Johnny Link as Will Walter
Corey Fogelmanis as Nathan Walter
Connor Stanhope as Danny Walter
Marc Blucas as George Walter
Sarah Rafferty as Katherine Walter
What Could Happen in My Life with the Walter Boys Season 4?
My Life with the Walter Boys follows Jackie, a Manhattan teenager who loses her parents and sister in a tragic accident. She moves to rural Colorado to live with her mother’s best friend, Katherine Walter, her husband George, and their big family.
Jackie suddenly has to adjust to ranch life and a new school. At the same time, she finds herself grappling with complicated feelings for brothers Alex and Cole. The show is inspired by Ali Novak’s novel.
In season 3, George’s medical crisis temporarily puts the love triangle on hold, but the fallout becomes impossible to ignore. Jackie and Cole try to figure out what their relationship actually means, while Alex attempts to move forward and throws himself into rodeo. Meanwhile, Cole discovers a passion for racing.
By the time the final end credits roll, a devastating cliffhanger leaves us eager to find out what happens next. We won’t spoil anything, but My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 can’t come soon enough. Expect the relationships between the teenagers to become even more complicated moving forward.
Are There Other Shows Like My Life with the Walter Boys?
If you make art and you’re tired of holding onto inventory, print-on-demand is probably the best thing that happened to independent creators in the last decade.
You upload your design, someone buys it and the platform prints and ships it. No boxes of unsold shirts sitting in your closet. No upfront cash tied up in stock you’re hoping sells.
For artists who just want to focus on creative work and let someone else handle production, POD removes one of the biggest barriers to actually selling your art.
What Makes a POD Platform Great
Not every platform is built the same way, and picking the wrong one can quietly hurt your business. Slow fulfillment times, hidden fees, print quality that doesn’t match your file, or a payment system that holds your money longer than you’d like can turn what should be passive income into a headache.
The platform you choose affects your margins, your customer’s experience, and your reputation as an artist. So it’s worth taking a few minutes to actually compare your options before you commit.
So, here’s a rundown of five platforms worth considering this year.
Printful
Printful is awesome if you already have an online store or you’re planning to build one. It connects with platforms like Shopify, Etsy and Squarespace, so you can sync your products directly instead of managing sales in two places.
You’re not just stuck with apparel either. Printful lets you put your art on accessories, home goods, art prints and more, and there’s no minimum order requirement, so you can sell one piece or a hundred without any problem.
Printful also offers giclée printing for fine art, which is a nice option if you sell higher-end prints.
Printify
Printify‘s biggest highlight is the sheer size of its catalog. You get access to more than 1,300 products, which gives you a lot of room to experiment with what you sell. It is also free to use and doesn’t ask for a credit card upfront, so there’s basically no risk in trying it out.
Like most POD platforms, nothing gets made until someone orders it, so you’re not sitting on inventory here either.
Printify connects with Etsy and other sales channels, and its mockup tools help you see how your design will actually look on a product before you publish it. It also works with multiple print providers, so you have some flexibility in where your products get made.
Artiststore
Artiststoreis a bit different from the others on this list because it was built specifically with artists in mind, rather than being a general POD service that happens to work for art. It’s run by the same team behind Vograce, so it comes with real production and supply chain experience.
You can set up a store and start producing on demand without paying for inventory upfront, and there are no monthly fees, annual fees, or platform service fees eating into what you make.
The catalog is large too, with more than 10,000 products to choose from. You’re also not limited to one way of selling, since you can open your own branded store, list through the Artiststore marketplace, or connect your products to other sales channels, whichever fits how you already reach your audience.
You can set your own prices and margins, receive payments directly and let Artiststore handle production, fulfillment, shipping, customer service and product mockups.
Gelato
If you’re selling to customers around the world, Gelato‘s local production model is worth a look. Instead of shipping everything from one warehouse, Gelato produces items closer to the customer through a network that spans 32 countries.
Like other POD platforms, you’re not managing inventory yourself, so there’s no upfront risk once again. Gelato also connects with existing online stores, so you can plug it into a setup you already have.
According to its own data, the network includes over 140 production hubs and reaches customers in more than 200 countries, which is a wide range if your audience isn’t limited to one region. Gelato also offers 24/7 customer support if issues come up.
Redbubble
Redbubble takes a different approach entirely. Instead of building your own store, you’re selling through an existing marketplace with its own built-in audience.
You upload your designs to apparel, posters, stickers, home décor, art prints, canvas prints, and gifts, and Redbubble handles the rest since everything is custom-made to order. This is a good option if you want to start selling without building a website first, and the marketplace itself is set up for a global audience with worldwide shipping on most products.
Redbubble also walks you through account and payment setup, so getting started doesn’t take much technical knowledge. Just make sure you read through its User Agreement and content policies before uploading; this stays true for all POD platforms.
Final Thoughts
If you think about it, there’s no single best POD platform here. It really depends on what you need.
Printful makes sense if you want store integrations and fine-art printing. For a big catalog without paying anything upfront, Printify is hard to beat. Artiststore stands out if you want a dedicated platform built around artists, and Gelato’s local production is a real advantage when your customers are spread across the globe. And Redbubble gets you selling fastest if you’d rather use an existing marketplace than build your own store from scratch!
Planning a family holiday takes more thought than booking a couple’s getaway. You are managing different ages, different energy levels, and a much longer list of things that can go wrong.
We asked what separates a chaotic family trip from a genuinely premium one, and pulled together the five tips that came up again and again from experienced family travel writers.
Key Takeaways
The right accommodation removes most of the stress before the trip even starts.
Private villas often beat hotels for larger families on privacy and space.
A simple safety plan with your kids costs nothing and prevents panic.
Research and light packing save entire afternoons once you land.
Slowing the itinerary down is what makes a trip feel luxurious.
1. Choose Accommodation Built Around Family Safety
Where you stay shapes everything else about the trip. A cramped room with no separation between adults and children rarely survives a full week.
Private villas with their own pool, garden, and staff give parents a way to supervise kids without hovering over them. Kid-friendly Paros villas, for example, are built specifically around this kind of independence, with pool fencing, spacious layouts, and dedicated concierge support that a standard hotel room simply cannot offer.
2. Weigh Villas Against Resorts Before You Book
Both formats work, but they solve different problems. Use this as a quick reference before committing to either one.
Factor
Private Villa
Resort Hotel
Privacy
High, own pool and grounds
Shared pools and public areas
Space per person
Multiple bedrooms and living areas
Single hotel room
Flexible meal times
Full kitchen, cook on request
Fixed restaurant hours
Best for
Multigenerational or larger families
Short stays, minimal planning
3. Build a Simple Safety Plan With Your Kids
Most travel emergencies are small ones: a child wandering off in a market, or getting turned around near a pool deck.
Family travel podcaster Paul Kortman advises giving kids a clear rule for what to do if they get separated, so they stay put instead of wandering further.
This kind of preparation pairs well with choosing a base that is easy to navigate in the first place, something covered in more depth in navigating travel with a confined, unfamiliar space, which looks at why comfort and layout affect how safe a trip actually feels.
4. Research and Pack Light Before You Land
Elite travel bloggers consistently point to preparation as the real difference between a smooth trip and a stressful one.
Knowing the layout of your destination, the nearest pharmacy, and the local emergency numbers before you arrive removes a huge amount of first day stress. The same planning mindset applies whether you are preparing for a destination-specific trip or a family beach holiday. A little research upfront consistently pays off once you land.
5. Slow the Itinerary Down
Packing five activities into one day looks impressive on paper and exhausts everyone by lunchtime, especially with young children.
The most premium holidays tend to have the least rushed schedules. Picking one or two destinations and exploring them properly, the same logic behind choosing global vacation destinations worth slowing down for, tends to leave families with better memories than a packed checklist ever does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are private villas actually safer for families than hotels?
Villas offer more control over the environment, including fenced pools and private access, which many parents find easier to manage than a shared hotel setup.
How far in advance should a family holiday be booked?
Popular villa destinations get booked out months ahead for peak summer, so aim for at least four to six months of lead time.
What is the single biggest mistake families make when planning?
Overpacking the itinerary. Bloggers consistently say fewer activities, done properly, beat a rushed checklist every time.
Do family villas usually come with staff?
Many premium villas include a concierge, housekeeping, and sometimes a private chef, which reduces daily logistics significantly.
Final Thoughts
A safe, premium family holiday comes down to a few repeatable choices: accommodation built for families, a simple safety plan, real preparation, and a slower pace.
None of these tips are complicated. They are just easy to skip when you are planning in a hurry, which is exactly why the families who follow them tend to come home more rested than the ones who do not.
References
Kortman, P., cited in Plan A Safe, Healthy Family Vacation With 33 Expert Tips, Families Go, 2025, https://www.familiesgotravel.com/2020/03/tips-safe-healthy-family-travel/
Bright Blue Villas, Family Villas in Paros, 2026, https://www.brightbluevillas.com/collections/luxury-family-villas-in-paros
Fact Check: All claims and attributions in this article were verified against original sources as of July 2026.
Every teacher knows the drill. Sunday, laptop open, and coffee gone cold. It’s almost midnight, but tomorrow’s lesson still needs objectives, activities, materials, differentiation, and an assessment. However, building every piece from scratch eats hours they don’t have. And besides being time-consuming, the weight of an educator’s job can actually take a toll on them. A study found that theteaching profession is associated with excessive workload, which affects overall occupational well-being. The good news is that there are now AI tools for lesson plans that take some of the pressure off their shoulders.
Rather than looking at an empty page, teachers can useAI tools to get a topic, objective, and grade level, and receive a workable starting point. But don’t worry about adding the hassle of finding the right tools to your to-do list. This guide already provides a list of options that solve a specific planning headache.
Top Five Best AI Tools for Lesson Plans
MagicSchool AI
MagicSchool AI is a complete AI operating system for education. It lightens the work of students, and more especially, teachers. It comes with a whopping over 80 tools for educators. One standout offering is the lesson plan generator. Teachers can customize the output to match the curriculum, instructional goals, and subject matter. It returns with objectives, warm-up, direct instruction, guided practice, independent work, and assessment. Lesson plans that are tailored to align with educational standards and students’ needs.
Key Features:
Creating comprehensive lesson plans
Built-in tools for worksheets, quizzes, presentations, and rubrics
Diverse set of AI tools for educators
Pricing:
Free Package
Plus Package – $12.99 per month
Enterprise Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
2nd-grade teachers can use MagicSchool AI to get a structured initial plan. One with objectives, activities, and assessment ideas. This lets them focus on tightening the pacing rather than starting from zero.
Brisk Teaching
Image Credit: Brisk Teaching
Brisk Teaching lives as a Chrome and Edge extension inside Google and Microsoft tools. This all-in-one AI teaching platform equips users with a lesson-plan generator with a powerful chat companion. Teachers can enter prompts describing the grade level, subject, special requirements, and topic. The output is complete with activities, assessments, objectives, and timing. More than that, it has a bucket of tools for giving students feedback, changing reading levels, checking writing, and adapting instruction.
Key Features:
Granular control over language and lesson length
Dedicated features for admin and teaching tasks
Offers more than 30 AI tools
Pricing:
Free Package
Premium Package – Custom Pricing
Intelligence Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Google educators can take advantage of Brisk Teaching’s AI Chrome extension. It makes it easier for them to generate and manage instructional materials without the need to jump between apps.
Eduaide
Eduaide is built specifically for K-12 teachers. The tool’s selling point is that it leans into guided workflows. Not just open prompting. All it needs are a defined curriculum, objectives, sources, and standards. Its embedded AI tools for lesson planning provide users with a first draft. But the process doesn’t end with generation. Teachers gain access to a workspace to refine further the language, pacing, complexity, and visual supports, making the lesson plan more student-ready.
Key Features:
Suite of tools for making supporting materials
Source-faithful planning assistant that helps improve and prepare lesson plans
Differentiation and scaffolding options
Pricing:
Free Package
Pro Package – $5.99 per month
Schools & Districts Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Building materials from disjointed sources and tailoring them to unique student needs is a hassle for middle school teachers. But with Eduaide, they can quickly produce a lesson plan that reflects the teacher’s expertise and the students’ conditions.
Education Copilot
Image Credit: Education Copilot
Education Copilot has AI tools for lesson plans at its core. Its lesson-plan generator can create standards-aligned plans from a short description, subject, grade level, and standard. Since it’s not one of those general-purposechatbots, the outputs are in a consistent format, built to be handed off. Not just used solo. And not only can teachers edit the output, but they can also use the same platform to create quizzes, rubrics, slides, and worksheets.
Key Features:
Lesson plans with clean and predictable formatting
AI-generated templates and resources for different classroom needs
AI IEP & Differentiation Helper and AI Newsletter & Email Writer
Pricing:
Free Package
Pro Package – $12 per month
Real Use Case:
Unexpected absence can cause workloads to pile up. With the help of Education Copilot, educators can generate a full day’s lesson plan. Complete with objectives, activities, materials list, and assessment. It turns a messy subplan into a few minutes of editing.
Khanmigo
Khanmigo approaches lesson planning through the Khan Academy ecosystem. As an AI-powered teaching assistant, it generates standards-aligned plans tied directly to Khan Academy’s content library. Teachers can also leverage several tools to make objectives, activities, and assessment questions in one go. Khanmigo even allows them to review student work. This allows for identifying areas where learners may need additional support.
Key Features:
Generating differentiated lesson planning
Student-work summaries and progress insights
Making learning objectives, rubrics, and exit tickets
Pricing:
Free Package
For You Package – $4 per month
For Families Package – $4 per month
District Tools Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Teachers building a lesson can use Khanmigo to generate a plan that is pre-linked to matching Khan Academy practice sets. This way, the in-class instruction and homework are already aligned without extra searching.
Choosing the Essential AI Tools for Lesson Plans in 2026
Teaching doesn’t just happen. It calls for structured preparation. Like entrepreneurs makingbusiness plans before launchingmarketing strategies. That’s why teachers can turn to AI tools for lesson plans. MagicSchool AI, Brisk Teaching, Eduaide, Education Copilot, and Khanmigo focus on creating a sequence that makes sense for students, the subjects, and the entire classroom.
When picking an AI tool, make sure it produces outputs that align with curriculum standards and the students in front of you. While teachers still decide what goes on in it, these tools take some of the heavy lifting out of lesson planning.
Some classroom practices just don’t hit the mark. Browsing through static slides. Passive listening. Repetitive reading. Traditional teaching methods often lose students to boredom and lack of interest. And online sessions can send that attention drifting even faster. Nowadays,students need a reason to participate. That’s where AI tools for interactive learning can change the dynamic.
In fact, a study found that using multipleinteractive applications boosts student participation. As such, teachers can allow students to answer, compete, create, discuss, and receive feedback with the right choice of tools. All while the lesson unfolds.
Understanding that educators are driving the shift, this guide aims to provide a solid selection ofAI tools that help build those experiences more easily. Options that turn a conventional lesson into one where students actively engage.
Top Five Best AI Tools for Interactive Learning
Curipod
Curipod is designed around interactive lessons. Teachers can use this platform to make presentations more engaging. They can fill it with polls, open-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, word clouds, drawings, and other activities. All it takes is a topic or an existing slide deck. Teachers run the lesson on the screen. Students participate using their own devices. What else? Curipod takes learning further with instant AI feedback. This allows students to get actionable insights in real time.
Key Features:
Anonymity that allows students to participate freely
Creating interactive lessons on any topic at any grade level
Automated interactive touchpoints integration
Pricing:
Free Package
Premium Package – $24 per month
School & District Package – Custom Pricing
ELA Curriculum Alignment Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Middle school science teachers can use Curipod to run a plate tectonics unit. At the same time, they can use it to ask students to sketch what deformation looks like. The AI reads the drawings and gives teachers a fuller picture of who actually understands the concept.
SchoolAI
Image Credit: SchoolAI
Building more transparent connections between teachers and students. That’s what SchoolAI offers. It comes with several AI products that help teachers build AI-powered learning experiences for specific subjects. Spaces lets educators customize lessons, activities, and guided interactions. Mission Control allows them to use AI to support differentiated instruction and monitor student engagement. In other words, students work at their own pace, and teachers see exactly what’s happening and what needs to be done.
Key Features:
Focused AI apps for more engaging learning experiences
Dedicated dashboard to closely monitor students’ strengths and gaps
Learning that adapts to students
Pricing:
Free Trial
Pro Package – Custom Pricing
Scale Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
SchoolAI allows English teachers to customize a Space where students submit essay drafts and get feedback questions. And through Mission Control, they can identify which students are stuck on thesis structure. This helps them decide who needs a targeted mini-lesson as a follow-up.
ClassPoint
ClassPoint lives directly inside PowerPoint. Teachers can use it to create interactive quizzes from slides and run the tests on the same platform. What separates it from the others is the multiple ways students can answer. It can be in the form of an image, video, drawing, audio recording, or text. For a more interactive experience, ClassPoint comes with gamification features. Badge earning. Awarding stars. Leaderboards. On top of that, there are presentation tools like a random name picker, a timer, draggable objects, and more.
Key Features:
Making PowerPoint presentations more interactive
Little to zero learning curve
Support different languages
Pricing:
Free Package
Pro Package – $8 per month (annual billing)
Premium Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Chemistry teachers can build lecture slides in PowerPoint and use ClassPoint to add a fill-in-the-blank question right after introducing a new formula. A word cloud then asks students to describe the reaction in one word. One effective way to check comprehension mid-lecture.
Nearpod
Image Credit: Nearpod
Delivering active learning experiences. That idea sits at the heart of Nearpod. This tool offers a feature called AI Create. In here, teachers will find a suite of tools that help them spend less time planning, turn up student engagement, and adapt to every classroom’s needs. It can automatically build lessons with activities, assessments, and gamified experiences. There’s even a question generator. It allows users to check students’ understanding on the fly.
Key Features:
Outputs based on backward design and UDL Guidelines
Turning ordinary lessons into interactive learning experiences
Live responses and performance information
Pricing:
Free Package
Gold Package – $159 per year
Platinum Package – $397 per year
Schools & Districts Package – Custom Pricing
Real Use Case:
Nearpod can help elementary teachers introduce the water cycle. They can combine a labeling activity, multiple-choice questions, and a collaborative board. So students don’t just watch the lesson. They identify processes, answer questions, and share their thoughts.
Kahoot
Kahoot turns classroom participation into a game. This allows for interactive learning and real-time engagement. Among the many things it offers, teachers can use it to make engaging lessons, reviews, and quizzes from documents, handwritten notes, and websites. After generating course materials, Kahoot lets them run those as live activities. Students race to answer on their own devices while a shared screen keeps score in real time. Analytics are also available to help educators adjust their instruction.
Key Features:
Advanced reports and progress tracking
Turning course materials into engaging lessons and activities
AI-powered flashcards and study sets
Pricing:
Free Package
Plus Bronze Package – $3 per month
Plus Silver Package – $7 per month
Plus Gold Package – $12 per month
One Package – $19 per month
Real Use Case:
Identifying concepts that require further explanation before a big test is possible with Kahoot. Teachers can use it to have students compete in answering lesson-related questions while they watch the results closely.
Choosing the Leading AI Tools for Interactive Learning in 2026
Curipod, SchoolAI, ClassPoint, Nearpod, and Kahoot don’t just make a lesson more entertaining. These AI tools for interactive learning give students a reason to create, discuss, respond, and think. Things that keep them active while the lesson is happening.
But none of these tools takes the place of teachers. Their purpose is to move beyond the passive slide-and-lecture format. A method that makes it harder to sustain student attention and participation. Each option shows that. Curipod is useful for interactive discussions. SchoolAI creates AI-supported learning environments. ClassPoint adds interaction directly to PowerPoint. Nearpod transforms lessons into multimedia activities. Kahoot brings game-based participation into the classroom.
There’s no need to settle on one. You can use different tools for different moments in thelearning process. Because together, they cover the full range of what interactive actually means in a modern classroom.
There’s so much music coming out all the time that it’s hard to keep track. On those days when the influx of new tracks is particularly overwhelming, we sift through the noise to bring you a curated list of the most interesting new releases (the best of which will be added to our Best New Songs playlist). Below, check out our track roundup for Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
L’Rain – ‘elymra’
Ahead of the release of her new album fata morgana this Friday (August 14), L’Rain has unveiled another transfixing single, ‘elmyra’. Cascading around the refrain “All teeth when I see you,” it comes paired with a video choreographed by Elliot Reed and directed by Andy Swartz, starring dancers Coco Villa and Maleek Slade.
The Tallest Man on Earth – ‘Deliver Me From Trying’
The Tallest Man on Earth has announced a new album, Just Beyond Endless Mountain, arriving October 9 via Anti-. Along with the news, he’s shared ‘Deliver Me From Trying’, alongside a video shot in the Swedish countryside. “Somewhere along the way I’d developed this immature aversion to the whole cultural inheritance I grew up with,” Kristian Mattson reflected. “But now I live here again. I’ve read an incredible amount—not just about the music, but about how people actually lived in the old days. I think that’s part of why this record feels more like me than anything I’ve made before. This album really comes from somewhere.”
Caroline Rose – ‘Chow Mein’
Caroline Rose has announced a new album titled Gentling the Horse at the Walt Whitman Mall, which lands on October 23. Produced by John Congleton, it’s led by the wonky, propulsive single ‘Chow Mein’, about which Rose said: “A lot of my songs I think of as scenes in a movie. I relate to characters who are a little strange, who are outsiders, who seem to fuck up a lot or find themselves in awkward situations. Most of these stories are just pulled directly from scenes in my own life, so the character is basically always some version of myself. This is a story about trying too hard to be cool and act normal, but everything is going wrong.”
Shabazz Palaces – ‘Ahh World (I Won the Alpha Bet)’
Ishmael Butler has announced a new Shabazz Palaces album, It’s a Style Sport, which is slated for release on October 23 through Sub Pop. Following the mini-albums Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness, it’s led by the meditative single ‘Ahh World (I Won the Alpha Bet)’.
Slow Pulp – ‘Still’
Slow Pulp have shared ‘Spill’, the final single from their upcoming album, Melodie. Following the piano ballad ‘Not for Nothing’ and the infectious ‘Better Man’, it strikes a kind of middle ground, and was actually the first song written while the Chicago-based band was working on 2023’s Yard. “Once we started working on Melodie it felt like a song that could live within the world we were building, so it made it onto the album,” Emily Massey explained, adding: “The song itself is about feeling stuck in a pattern of casual relationships that felt they had some barrier to expressing real love. It’s that delicate dance where you wait for someone else to take the leap. Too afraid to say it too soon but also too afraid to say it too late, waiting to see how it will all play out.”
Chat Pile – ‘Same Rules’
‘Same Rules’ is a haunting preview of Chat Pile’s forthcoming LP Who Loves the Sun, if not quite as heavy as earlier cuts. Bassist Stin described it as “first real Chat Pile song mostly recorded on 4-track cassette. Ray B. had given us the challenge to write a trip hop song and this is what we came up with. Unfortunately he’s rejected ‘Same Rules’ from the challenge as he claims it’s not trip hop at all and that we have to try again. Perhaps we’ll get it right next time.”
Jess Williamson – ‘Tracking the Tropics’
Jess Williamson has previewed her upcoming album A Mile South of Heaven with a gorgeously poignant track called ‘Tracking the Tropics’. “I was in a situation where my confidence had really taken a hit, and all I wanted to do was get in my car, drive as far away as I could, and be back at this one particular little honky-tonk bar in East Austin where I spent so many weekends with my friends throughout my twenties before I moved away (the bar is still there, shout out to The White Horse),” the singer-songwriter explained. “It’s a song about wanting to escape, and longing for a simpler time and for the people and places that make you feel truly known and accepted.”
Fenne Lily – ‘Sleeping’
“I say what I mean and am a little bit mean in the process; it’s a thoughtful rage,” Fenne Lily said, reflecting on her new single ‘Sleeping’, which wastes no time getting in a contemplative groove. It’s the latest offering from Win Win, which arrives October 23 via Nettwerk Music Group.
Lael Neale – ‘Slip Away’
Lael Neale has released three compelling records for Sub Pop in recent years, but her latest, As Killers Do, will be self-released under her new imprint, Consensual Sound, on November 20. The reliably hypnagogic lead single ‘Slip Away’ is out now, alongside a homemade stop motion video.
Anxious – ‘Don’t Move’
Anxious are back with a new single, ‘Don’t Move’, just in time for their North American tour supporting Citizen. It’s an anthemic tune that could have easily landed on last year’s Bambi. “This song is about a relationship that defined my early twenties falling apart – then trying and failing to rebuild it,” vocalist Grady Allen. “It’s about disengaging with reality in hopes of reclaiming the bond you’ve lost with someone, but never feeling truly close in the process. ‘Don’t Move’ is about knowing that feeling, but trying to ignore it in the hope that things will change.”
“This song was the first song from a group of tracks I started writing at the end of last summer,” he added. “There were no expectations for a record, or for a cohesive idea of what that would mean – it just felt like there was a lot of space for ‘let’s just put together whatever comes naturally and see what happens.’ The bridge for this song came first and I was trying to channel some of the atmospheric building action that happens a lot on the B-side of Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity. I was also super inspired by Armlock, probably my favorite new band of the last several years. Their layered acoustic guitars and vocals was something I was trying to pull off on the bridge.”
Death Valley Girls – ‘Message From the Venus Flower’
Death Valley Girls’s newly announced album, Welcome to Earth, was inspired by the devastating wildfires that destroyed lead singer Bonnie Bloomgarden’s home in Altadena. It’s out October 9 via Suicide Squeeze, and the rambunctious first single, ‘Message From the Venus Flower’, is out now. “After the fire, Tommy, my best friend and dog, was not the same,” Bloomgarden explained. “I didn’t bring her medicine when we evacuated cause I didn’t bring anything, even my phone or car. My landlord, who lived in the house in front, drove us to her friend’s house, and it was weeks before we could go back. And when we could go back, everything was destroyed. I wasn’t sure if she was hurting because she wasn’t on her medicine, or if she was scared, or if she didn’t know why we left our home and was mad at me! Previously, we had done sessions with Animal Communicator Amy Wild, and they really helped. They had a session a month or so after the fire, and Tommy tried to tell me that her body didn’t matter, our connection was eternal, because we were eternal souls that reincarnate and meet up in many lifetimes, and moreover, we are always connected and together.”
“The illusion of separation is a very earthly human concept,” she continued. “I told her I don’t care about our souls, I just wanted to know if her body was ok!! Less than a year later, she left her body. I was broken. I had officially lost everything to 2025. After lying in bed wallowing, I decided I needed to try some life. I went on our normal walk and passed by a flower, a butterfly pea (Venus flower.) As I stood there, the flower sent me a message like a lightning bolt to my brain! In an instant the flower shared with me what Tommy had been trying to explain! The flower explained it: IS Tommy. Everything I love is Tommy, because love isn’t just something you feel, share, or do; love is more like a dimension! anything that gives me the feeling I get when I think of Tommy IS her. Because love isn’t just something you feel, share, or do, love is more like a dimension! And you tap into it, or remember often most easily through a physical manifestation like Tommy!”
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard h- ‘Kill for the Steel’
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have dropped ‘Kill for the Steel’, another taste of their upcoming techno album Alien Metal. It follows ‘Level 5’ and the title track.
Axis: Sova – ‘Blow Up’
Axis: Sova – the trio of Brett Sova, Jeremy Freeze, and Josh Johannpeter – have announced a new LP, Flowerage – out October 23 via Ty Segall’s Drag City imprint GOD? Records – and dropped the driving lead single ‘Blow Up’. It comes paired with a video from director Sean Pierce.
Everything Is Recorded – ‘Cut Off Your Nose’
Everything Is Recorded will release a new EP, Cut Off Your Nose, this Friday via XL Recordings. Peter Gabriel joins producer Richard Russell on the record, which also features appearances from Jah Wobble, Roses Gabor, Samantha Morton, Rian Brazil, and IDK. “Jah Wobble’s bass has been a foundation of so much music I love. he’s an incredible collaborator, a musical hero who’s a joy to work with – so much knowledge and humour,” Russell said, commenting on new single ‘Cuff Off Your Nose’. “For ‘Cut Off Your Nose’ we talked about him being the vocalist as well as the bassist, and he didn’t hesitate. Same conviction, same weight.”
Wobble added: “Working with Richard has been like a breath of fresh air for me. His sessions are always fun, imaginative and idiosyncratic. The way he works is reminiscent of the great Holger Czukay. He understands the importance of ‘the moment’. He’s unpredictable. That’s a pretty rare quality in itself.”
Bay Area artist Telemakus has announced a new album, Eight Ring Revival, which features Flying Lotus, Liv.e, Karriem Riggins (of GENA), Sparklmami, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Nicole McCabe, and more. It’s out October 20, and ‘2054’, and the slinky instrumental ‘2054’, featuring drummer Karriem Riggins and multi-instrumentalist Chino Corvalán, is out now. “Eight silver rings curl around my finger joints. They sleep with me, eat with me, play with me,” Telemakus remarked. “My doctor gave them to me to keep my fingers from hyperextending after I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. After releasing my previous project in 2021, I didn’t realize it would be the last record I made with my hands as I once knew them. One night during a flare, I called a friend in Paraguay and began building a song by asking for single notes, then chords, then structures. From there, a collective process formed: collaborators became extensions of my own expression. I later discovered I could also compose with my feet, developing pieces on a pillow, using toes and ankles to trigger harmony in ways that felt unexpectedly fluid. Recovery came in stages, shaped by clinics, collaborators, and unexpected mentors. What began as limitation turned into method on this album. Songs built across distance, through memory, dreams, and digital space.”
Queen of Jeans – ‘Sweet Devotion’
Queen of Jeans released have announced that their new LP, hard/SWEET, will arrive on October 9. The follow-up to 2024’s All Again was produced and engineered by Justin Bartlett. “We all have the ability to be hard or put up a wall,” the band said. “But we also share the vulnerability of waiting for someone to truly know us and break through.” The heartwarming lead single ‘Sweet Devotion’ is out now.
Grace Cummings – ‘Bloodhorse!’
“‘Bloodhorse’ is an archaic term thoroughbred racehorse that is expected to win,” Grace Cummings explained. “They’re extremely temperamental, full of anxious energy. They are powerful, and sometimes frightening, but they are also extremely vulnerable. When I go to sleep at night, I don’t rest. My eyes are shut but it’s like I’m waiting in the stalls, waiting, waiting. My dreams are full of nightmares. Nothing is calm. And as soon as I open my eyes, I start fucking running.”
‘Bloodhorse!’ is the title track of Cummings’ forthcoming LP, which arrives on Friday. “The lyrics to this song were inspired by a visit to a beauty clinic,” she continued. “I went for a facial, which was a gift to myself for my birthday, but the clinician gave me a mirror and told me to look in it and tell me what I didn’t like about myself. Everything, I thought, I hate everything. But I told him I didn’t like the way my brow was furrowed. He said to me: Grace, nobody needs to frown. He gave me botox, to take the frown away. I hated myself, but at least I’d look happier. I’d be a winner. But the thing is, I couldn’t move my face for the next three months. When I felt something, it couldn’t come out, it felt trapped inside my face like so many other things trapped inside my head. When I cried, I couldn’t feel it come out of my body. And I hated it.”
The Godfather, The Exorcist, Dangerous Liaisons, The Silence of the Lambs, Forrest Gump, The Lord of the Rings, No Country for Old Men, and several more rank among the most legendary of book-to-film adaptations. They adapted the original works faithfully while also creating masterful films that all stand the test of time.
When it comes to adapting a book, mainly, people just expect the key points to be realised honestly, framed in the right way, and put on the big screen for a new experience of the same story. This is not what moviegoers recently got by seeing the all-IMAX film “based” on Homer’s epic, The Odyssey.
As a result, once the hype dies down, it’d be fair to assume that, while a filmmaking achievement to do it all in IMAX, The Odyssey won’t go down as a legendary adaptation. It simply misses too many of the requirements and is actively subversive to one of the best-known stories ever told to reach that level of prestige.
What it Means to Be a Faithful Adaptation
Being faithful to a story isn’t always about following the plot beats and character work to a T. Rather, tone and relaying the underlying themes – which are particularly tricky to nail down and truncate into film – matter much more to the experience.
How you go about this differs greatly depending on the medium. You could look to The Walking Dead for the wiggle room permitted. The comic series was adapted into a very long-running TV show. As it evolved through the early seasons, while it kept to many core beats and, importantly, retained the mood, some aspects changed to enable it to better suit TV storytelling.
The Walking Dead, of course, spans several different mediums of adaptation. Some don’t need to adhere to the story, but rather the mood and aesthetics, such as with the collection of UK casino slots found online. The Walking Dead slots adapt from the show. Each features the core cast, music, walkers, and leverages the setting for its features.
In film, it’s about keeping the heart of the story and bringing through the characters and their motives, flaws, and choices that made them so popular in the source material in a more refined way. Often, a great story needs to be cut down for the big screen, and that’s where the true skill of an adapter comes into play.
Examples of the Great Adaptations
The Odyssey tried to get a huge epic into three hours, which would have been a challenge on its own. Even so, there are plenty of examples of filmmakers achieving this in a way that’s faithful to the source material and gives cinemagoers a grand experience. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the prime example of this being possible – and from over 20 years ago.
Even so, smaller stories that pack a lot in with characters and themes that engrossed millions of readers can just as easily inspire savvy creatives to make great adaptations. The Devil Wears Prada did a grand job of reflecting the plight of Andy at Runway, while Gone Girl made the right steps to subtly frame the story as a real horror. American Fiction, adapted from Erasure, superbly brings Thelonius and his realisation of what the masses want from books.
Often considered to be among the greatest films ever made, it’s perhaps not a surprise that many see The Godfather film, as TG notes, as being superior to the book. Even with this being the case, the books made the story, laid down the foundations, and made it possible for Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo to refine it for the big screen.
It’s difficult to even adapt one of the greatest books of all time, but those that do so faithfully while leveraging some movie magic see their productions become legendary.
Shabazz Palaces have announced a new LP, It’s a Style Sport, which is slated for release on October 23 through Sub Pop. It’s led by the new song ‘Ahh World (I Won the Alpha Bet)’, which you can hear below.
The new record follows the sibling mini-albums Exotic Birds of Prey and Robed in Rareness. Produced by project leader Ishmael Butler and Erik Blood, it features guest contributions from Marquette Miller, Thaddillac, Evan Flory-Barnes, Gerald “Tugboat” Turner, Kassa Overall, and Carlos Overall.
It’s a Style Sport Cover Artwork:
It’s a Style Sport Tracklist:
1. Ahh World (I Won the Alpha Bet)
2. Field Notes
3. Show Me Missouri in Mink
4. Jheri Curl Jump
5. Deadstock Dude
6. Tongue in Chic
7. Heliocentric Immortality Manifesto H.I.M.
8. Olivia According to Touch
9. Money Can’t Save Your Mind
10. From One Future to Another
A workplace injury can turn a stable paycheck into a source of stress almost overnight. In Greenville, South Carolina, the numbers show just how much is at stake. As of January 1, 2025, the state’s maximum weekly workers’ compensation rate climbed to $1,134.43, reflecting rising wages across the region. That increase tracks with local pay trends, too, since workers in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer metro area earned a mean hourly wage of $27.49 in the most recent measured period. For someone recovering from a job-related injury, losing even a portion of that income while medical bills pile up can feel overwhelming.
That’s exactly why understanding how workers’ compensation benefits actually work matters so much. Speaking with an experienced Greenville workers’ compensation attorney can help injured employees make sense of their options before deadlines or paperwork errors put those benefits at risk. From covering emergency treatment to replacing missed wages, these benefits are designed to soften the financial blow of an injury. Let’s take a closer look at how they cover medical bills and lost pay, and what injured workers should expect along the way.
Early Claim Choices
After an on-the-job accident, early records can shape care access, wage checks, and dispute risk. A workers’ compensation attorney can help injured employees review notice duties, doctor limits, claim paperwork, and payment questions as evidence develops. Such guidance matters because missed deadlines or vague forms may delay treatment or reduce income support.
What Medical Benefits Cover
Medical benefits usually pay reasonable care tied to the job injury. Covered treatment may include emergency evaluation, physician visits, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medicine, braces, imaging, and mileage for approved appointments. The claim must connect symptoms to the accident or occupational condition. Insurers may question care that appears unrelated, excessive, or weakly documented. Detailed clinical notes help link pain, function, restrictions, and recovery needs.
Why Approved Doctors Matter
Many benefit systems require treatment from an authorized doctor or clinic. Outside care without permission can create billing issues. An injured employee should confirm who may provide follow-up before scheduling visits. If swelling, numbness, weakness, headaches, or radiating pain appears, the worker should report changes quickly. Written referrals also matter. They explain why a specialist, scan, therapy plan, or procedure became necessary after the incident.
Emergency Care Rules
Emergency care works differently because delay can threaten life or long-term function. A worker should seek immediate help for heavy bleeding, chest pressure, head trauma, breathing trouble, burns, paralysis, or possible spinal injury. After urgent treatment, the employee should notify the employer as soon as possible. Hospital records, discharge instructions, and prescriptions should be saved. These papers can support medical payment and wage benefit decisions.
How Lost Pay Benefits Work
Lost pay benefits replace part of earnings when an injury prevents regular duties. The amount often depends on average wages before the accident. Overtime, second jobs, bonuses, or seasonal hours may affect that calculation if state rules allow them. Payments rarely match full income. They are meant to reduce financial harm while the worker heals, receives treatment, or follows medical restrictions.
Temporary Disability Payments
Temporary disability benefits may apply when a doctor keeps an employee away from work for a limited period. They may also apply when restrictions block normal duties and no suitable light assignment exists. Precise work notes are important in such cases. A vague note can cause confusion about lifting, standing, sitting, bending, driving, or shift length. Clear limits help employers decide whether modified duty is realistic.
Light Duty and Reduced Hours
Some injured employees return with lighter tasks or shorter schedules. If reduced work pays less than pre-injury earnings, partial wage benefits may help cover part of the difference. The employee should keep pay stubs, schedules, and restriction slips. Those records show prior income compared with current earnings. If assigned tasks exceed medical limits, the worker should document the issue and report it promptly.
Permanent Impairment Pay
Some injuries leave lasting limits after treatment ends. A doctor may assign an impairment rating, which can affect permanent benefit value. This rating measures remaining loss of function, not frustration alone. Disputes may arise over the rating, work capacity, or future care. Independent exams, functional testing, and clear medical reports may help when an insurer undervalues a lasting injury.
Common Claim Delays
Claims may slow when reports are late, forms are incomplete, or medical records conflict. Employers or insurers may question whether the injury happened during job duties. They may also raise prior condition arguments. Consistent dates, witness names, photos, incident reports, treatment notes, and wage records can help reduce doubt. A worker should keep copies of each letter, message, bill, prescription, and notice.
Bills During a Dispute
Medical bills can arrive before a claim decision becomes final. An employee should not ignore them. The billing office may need claim numbers, insurer details, or adjuster contact information. If collection notices appear, records should be saved. Disputed charges may later be corrected if treatment is accepted. Careful tracking prevents confusion between health insurance, workers’ benefits, and personal balances.
Taxes and Household Budgeting
Many workers worry about taxes and monthly bills during recovery. Wage benefits may be treated differently from regular pay, depending on benefit type and location. Household budgeting still matters because replacement checks are usually lower than normal earnings. Rent, utilities, food, childcare, medicine, and transportation can become harder to cover. Planning around reduced income helps families avoid late fees and service interruptions.
Protecting the Claim Record
A strong claim record grows from steady habits. The worker should report symptoms honestly, attend appointments, follow restrictions, and avoid guessing on forms. Social posts, missed visits, or inconsistent statements may create problems. Each update should match medical facts and work status. Good records do not guarantee approval, but they make payment decisions clearer and harder to challenge unfairly.
Conclusion
Workplace injury benefits can help pay for medical costs and replace part of lost wages, but details matter throughout the claim. Treatment approval, wage calculations, work restrictions, and recordkeeping all affect the result. Injured employees can reduce delays by reporting promptly, saving documents, and following medical guidance. When disputes arise, legal guidance may help clarify rights, deadlines, and benefit options so recovery does not become a financial crisis.
After three albums on Sub Pop, Lael Neale has announced a new full-length, As Killers Do, that will be self-released under her new imprint, Consensual Sound, on November 20. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the hypnagogic lead single ‘Slip Away’, which is accompanied by a homemade stop motion video. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.
Talking about the new single, Neale said: “We act as little gods. Assuming great import. All that we build, create, collect and become, to be taken away. We are not gods. The only consolation I have in a world of megalomaniac billionaires and sociopathic leaders. They all will die. We all will die. The Earth will go on.”
Despite parting ways with Sub Pop, As Killers Do finds the singer-songwriter continuing her collaboration with Guy Blakeslee. Staying true to their DIY minimalism, the follow-up to last year’s Altogether Stranger was tracked in the kitchen of a bungalow in Echo Park, Los Angeles with a Tascam cassette 8-track machine.
“What’s real is becoming much harder to discern day to day,” Neale reflected. “And for that reason, I hunger for it more strongly. I used to long for more followers, higher streaming numbers, more sales, but in the light of recent revelations concerning falsification of numbers, I am much less interested in it. I make music and paintings because it’s what I do. Because I go crazy inside my own mind when I’m not making things. And it’s peak fulfillment when the things I make to help myself work to help someone else.”
1. I Wanna Be Unwound
2. As Killers Do
3. We Can Go Far Out
4. Down With The Mind
5. If I Was A CLoud
6. Joan Of Arc
7. Picasso’s Wife
8.The Side Effects Are Death
9. Slip Away
10. Only Passing Through