Manchester art-rock outfit Mewn have announced the Such As This EP, which is due out September 23 via Simonie Records. They’ve also shared a new single called ‘There Is No Substitute’. Check it out below.
“The first part of the song is a meditation on how our worlds and lives are shaped and influenced by others, the costs and benefits of that,” frontman Daniel Bluer explained in a statement. “The emotional intensity and urgency ramps up a lot in the second part. It has a feeling I relate to a lot, building up of heightened emotions and tension and racing towards this catharsis or release through whatever means possible. I hope the end of the song achieves this.”
Such As This will follow Mewn’s debut EP, 2021’s Landscapes Unchanged.
As far as modern post-punk bands treading the line between biting satire and drug-induced debauchery go, few have been as successful as Viagra Boys. 2018’s Street Worms saw the Swedish six-piece skewering toxic masculinity and classism without taking themselves too seriously or coming off as insincere, while the early 2021 release Welfare Jazz mined deeper territory as frontman Sebastian Murphy embodied a lot of the same qualities he appeared to be mocking. Their music’s ambivalence has never made it less engaging, but Welfare Jazz’s self-reflective tendencies hinted at a promising new direction for a band that could have safely kept growing by locking its gaze outwards. On their latest full-length, Viagra Boys attempt to once again nail that delicate balance, but the results are slightly off; it’s not quite a misstep, but despite being their most conceptually and structurally cohesive effort to date – one that was mostly written pre-COVID but took shape during lockdown – it sometimes ends up feeling undercooked and surprisingly unfocused.
With references to vaccines and misinformation, one might easily log Cave World as a pandemic-era album. Yet the album presents this variant of conspiracy theories as merely a symptom of a larger descent into collective insanity – Murphy has cited the de-evolution of man as a major theme, treating it as an inevitability and perhaps not even such an unfortunate one. The way it’s injected into the record is often clunky and absurd, but that messiness is part of what makes it convincing. ‘Troglodyte’ begins as a character study of a prospective mass shooter but turns into an argument about the moral advantages of a precivilized society, which would have brutally deterred him from committing such a heinous act – let alone allow him the privilege of ranting on the internet. “If it was a million years ago/ And we were still living in caves,” Murphy sings, “You would not be welcomed by the other apes/ ‘Cause you evolved a bit too late.”
The joke lands, but when he returns to this idea on ‘The Cognitive Trade-Off Hypothesis’, there’s hardly any playfulness to it. It’s a pretty straightforward exploration of the titular concept, which posits that at some point in the evolution of humans, we traded our advanced short-term memories to develop better language skills and improve our long-term memories –a trade-off that, Murphy suggests, enabled a lot of the shitty behaviour he lampoons. “But what’s all of this got to do with me?/ Is there some sort of connection to my ADD?” he wonders off-handedly, an intriguing thought he later picks up on ‘ADD’. Cave World is most compelling when it scrutinizes destructive patterns in fictional characters before it’s revealed the narrator has been staring at a mirror all along, latching onto traits he can’t help but relate to, like on the frantically unsettling opener ‘Baby Criminal’. As eerily committed as Murphy is to reproducing bizarre conspiracy theories on ‘Creepy Crawlers’, however, delivering an unhinged performance that’s matched by the band’s feverish accompaniment, the parody is so true to life that it fails to dig much deeper beyond the surface.
Songs like ‘Punk Rock Loser’ and ‘Big Boy’ find Viagra Boys returning to the self-lacerating mode that made Welfare Jazz stand apart from their earlier material. They’re among the album’s silliest cuts, and even if you wish there was a stronger connection to a larger thematic thread, that makes them as refreshingly entertaining as they are inessential. More effective is ‘Ain’t No Thief’, a ridiculously unambiguous song about trying to make up excuses for stealing a jacket; part of the excitement comes in the way its disco-inflected rhythm clashes with the band’s ferocious, scruffy post-punk. The group sticks to a more dynamic, electronic-leaning sound palette on the second half of the album, which compensates for some of the hit-or-miss songwriting.
By the end of the LP, you’ve probably stopped thinking about the benefits of reversing human evolution for a select population, but ‘Return to Monke’ is such a thrillingly over-the-top conclusion to the album – a cruel, ludicrous takedown of those who’d be better off living outside the bounds of society, yet primal enough to challenge and entice anyone too comfortable in their place within it, not just those spending their time spouting nonsense or microwaving batteries. Cave World is neither a nuanced commentary nor a celebration, but more like a jaded, habitual reaction – the equivalent of pointing and laughing at a random scumbag ranting on live television, then flipping the channel and twisting a science documentary for answers. But when you switch off the screen, all you’re left with is your own reflection, undistorted and scarily familiar. Viagra Boys are clearly capable of staring into that void, but there’s only glimpses of it here.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.
On this week’s list, we have the first single and opening track from Alvvays’ new LP, the invigorating, gentle, and impeccably layered ‘Pharmacist’; Crack Cloud’s ‘tough baby’, the entrancing title track from the Vancouver collective’s upcoming album; Julien Baker’s new single ‘Guthrie’, which is intimate and hushed yet piercingly raw; Hot Chip’s ’Eleanor’, an infectious banger that will appear on their new album Freakout/Release; Lande Hekt’s heartfelt, yearning ‘Gay Space Cadets’, the lead single off the Muncie Girls frontperson’s sophomore album; and ‘Feathers’, another delicate single from the new Florist album that serves as an invitation to zoom out beyond the daily minutiae of our lives.
Frank Ocean has shared two new episodes of his blonded RADIO Apple Music 1 show. The episodes arrived on Sunday (July 10) in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his album Channel Orange. The artist has also dropped a new Channel Orange-themed double-sided poster and four new black and white T-shirts. You can listen to Episode 012 and Episode 013 here.
The first episode, called ‘blonded LSD’, hears Ocean interviewing Dr. James Fadiman about microdosing psychedelics, and it features what a press release describes as “a thirty-five minute original score produced by Frank Ocean.” The second episode is titled ‘blonded ENERGY!’, and it’s a discussion with Master Mingtong Gu about “self-realisation and the ancient practice of Qi Gong.”
The previous episode of blonded RADIO aired in Christmas of last year and included a conversation with Dutch motivational speaker Wim “Iceman” Hof.
Bingo is a hugely popular game, enjoyed by people of all ages around the world. It’s a simple game to understand and play, which is part of its appeal. It is also a game of chance, meaning that anyone can win at any time. And while the odds of winning bingo might seem small, what many people don’t realize is that there are a few Bingo tricks that you can use to improve your odds of winning this game.
So if you want to give yourself a better chance of taking home the prize, read on for some hidden bingo tips and tricks that will greatly improve your odds of winning.
Play Multiple Cards
The more cards you play, the better your chances of winning. Of course, this also means that you’ll have to spend more money on cards, so only do this if you can afford it. If you’re on a budget, simply playing one or two extra cards can still make a big difference in your odds of winning. If you play online bingo games like Blackout bingo, you can often get discounts for buying multiple cards at once. And since getting started with Blackout Bingo is quite easy and free, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. All you have to do is create an account, pick the game you want to play, and then buy as many cards as you want. And who knows, you might just hit the jackpot without even leaving your house!
Know When to Play
The time of day that you play bingo can have an impact on your chances of winning. Bingo halls tend to be busiest during the evening and on weekends, so there will be more people playing and, thus, more competition. If you want to give yourself a better chance of winning, try playing during off-peak hours like mid-week mornings or afternoons. There will be fewer people playing at these times, which means you’ll have a better chance of being the only one with the winning card. Playing online bingo can also give you an advantage here, as there are often more games available during off-peak hours, so if you can’t make it to a bingo hall during these times, playing online is the next best thing.
Avoid Popular Numbers
This tip is a bit of a gamble, but it can pay off if you’re feeling lucky. When picking numbers for your bingo card, avoid picking popular numbers like 7, 28, or 42. These numbers tend to be picked more often than others, so you’ll be more likely to have competition if you choose them. Instead, try picking less popular numbers that aren’t chosen as often. You should also avoid picking the numbers that have already been called out, as these are also more likely to be chosen by other players. The best strategy is to stick to numbers that are in the middle of the bingo card, as these are less likely to be chosen by other players.
Join a Syndicate
If you’re serious about winning at bingo, one of the best things you can do is join a syndicate. A syndicate is a group of people who pool their money together to buy multiple bingo cards. This gives them a much better chance of winning, as they essentially have multiple chances to win with each game. And since there will be more people in the syndicate, if anyone does win, the prize money will be split among all the members, so you’ll still walk away with some money even if you don’t win outright. Joining a syndicate is one of the smartest things you can do if you want to improve your chances of winning at bingo.
Use Bingo Calculator
This is a strategy that more experienced bingo players use to give themselves an edge. A bingo calculator is a tool that helps you calculate the odds of winning based on the number of cards in play and the number of people playing. This information can be very useful, as it can help you determine how many cards you need to buy to improve your chances of winning. It can also help you decide when to quit playing if the odds are not in your favor. There are a few different bingo calculators available online, so do some research and find one that you’re comfortable using. Just remember, the odds are never 100%, so don’t get too discouraged if you don’t win every game.
Stay Focused
This may seem like an obvious tip, but it’s important to stay focused when you’re playing bingo. The games can go by quickly, and it’s easy to get distracted and miss a number that’s called out. If you want to improve your chances of winning, it’s important to pay attention and mark off the numbers as they’re called out. You should also avoid talking to other people while the game is going on, as this can also take away from your focus. If you can’t stay focused, it might be best to sit out a few rounds until you’re able to pay attention again. Go for a walk, get something to eat, or just take some time to yourself to relax. Getting too wrapped up in the game can lead to problems, so it’s best to take a step back and relax every once in a while.
Don’t Get Too Greedy
This is another tip that may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember. Bingo is a game of chance, and no matter how good you are at it, there’s always going to be an element of luck involved. That means that you shouldn’t get too greedy and try to win every game. Instead, focus on having fun and playing the best you can. If you walk away from every game a winner, then you’re doing something right. But if you find yourself losing more often than not, it might be time to take a break and reevaluate your strategy. Getting too caught up in winning can lead to disappointment, so it’s important to keep things in perspective.
There you have it! These are just a few of the hidden tricks that you can use to improve your chances of winning at bingo. Remember, bingo is a game of chance, so there’s no guarantee that you’ll win every time you play. But if you use these tips, you should be able to increase your chances of coming out ahead. So what are you waiting for? Grab some friends, buy some cards, and get ready to have some fun!
In the modern world, cultures are spread through fashion, religious beliefs, foods, movies, and more. When there is contact between cultures, ideas are transferred easily. With globalization, the transfer of ideas and cultures is easier than ever.
Disney and Disney characters, especially, have had a major impact on the spread of cultures all around the world. From Chin’s Mulan to Saudi Arabia’s Aladdin, here are a few ways that Disney has influenced society today.
The Rise of Animations
Disney has contributed to the increased popularity of animations. Over the years, Walt Disney Animation Studios has used motion-picture films to create a new version of family entertainment.
Disney animated films are big on storytelling, revolutionary technology, and artistry. They have influenced the trajectory of other animated animations. Disney is no longer just making cartoons. It stands out as a leader in the production of live-action TV shows and movies. The quality of its animations is excellent as well.
Supporting Local Economies
Disney has promoted the growth of many local economies. It has created job opportunities and improved the utilization of local goods and services. It has a significant contribution to tax revenue as well.
The parks and resorts are luxurious, offering an unparalleled experience that attracts millions of visitors each year. They also have a substantial economic impact on the local economy, with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts currently accounting for 2.5 percent of the total domestic revenue, standing at more than $18 billion. For those looking to bring a piece of the magic home, an excellent option is to buy Boardwalk Villas DVC resales, which provide a luxurious and cost-effective way to enjoy the magic year after year.
Charitable Giving
Disney has influenced society with its charitable works. It collaborates with national, local, and international NGOs to support various courses.
They support programs that promote creativity, tolerance, and healthy living. In addition, Disney gives in-kind gifts. Character visits are not all about Disney characters meet-and-greets.
Disney world characters take part in charity events as well. Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, and other characters play a major role in attracting money for donations.
Cast members sit on the boards of various NGOs. They offer insight, helping the company donate to the best charities. For example, Walt Disney Imagineers helped with the lobby design at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando, CA, and FL.
They both integrate Disney characters like Daisy Duck and Donald Duck to create a restful environment for young patients.
Encouraging Creativity and Imagination
Disney doesn’t just create movies. It shapes entire worlds. It promotes creativity and tells stories with an impact. The scenarios, characters, soundtracks, and outfits are incredible.
Many parents and teachers have used Disney shows and films to make their children more creative. The sense of imagination could translate to other disciplines.
Reinforcing Positive Morals
Disney movies are great for reinforcing positive morals, especially for kids. The movies encourage positive attributes, and kids are encouraged to root for characters with positive qualities. Children who watch characters with lots of positive attributes feel motivated to act like them.
In addition, Disney movies can improve children’s ability to socialize with others. Being prosocial attracts lifelong benefits. It encourages kids to grow into adults that enjoy helping others.
In conclusion, the influence of Disney on modern society is undeniable. It has helped promote creativity, reinforce positive morals, and support local economies. Disney animations have shaped the trajectory for others in the industry. In addition, Disney has helped grow local economies.
The company has been thriving because of its ability to cross various media types for success. From kids’ to adult shows, Disney dedicates its brand to characters that stand out.
It turns shows into movies and movies into shows. The most popular ones include High School Musical, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and Hannah Montana. They have all attained international success.
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 kicks off on 14 July 2022. Our Culture will be there as the Quebec-based festival returns for its 26th edition live and in-person at a range of venues across the city. As ever, it will feature an array of sensational new genre titles, reparatory screenings and special events.
Last year, Our Culture covered a number of films from Fantasia 2021, from Phil Tippett’s deranged masterworkMad Godto Perry Blackshear’s grimly relevantWhen I Consume You, via the madcap Japanese time travel adventureBeyond the Infinite Two Minutes.
Ahead of the festival’s opening gala in the coming days, let us whet your appetite by highlighting some of the films we’re looking forward to – from blockbuster hits to obscure indie horror via new restorations of beloved genre classics.
Employee of the Month (Belgium, dir. Véronique Jadin)
One of no less than four Belgian genre films showing at this year’s Fantasia festival, Véronique Jadin’s Employee of the Month fits into a larger international cycle of ‘corporate horror’ films. Along with the likes of Stalled (2013), Bloodsucking Bastards (2015), The Belko Experiment (2016), Mayhem (2017), Office Uprising (2018), Corporate Animals (2019) and Keeping Company (2021), it finds its horrors squarely in the ruthless world of capitalist enterprise.
But what’s interesting about Employee of the Month –and the reason why we’re so looking forward to it – is that it is a woman-led take on ‘corporate horror’ that not only takes satirical aim at the exploitation endemic to the modern workplace but does so through a (thus far) uniquely feminist perspective. This is a film that promises to combine a critique of contemporary work culture with scathing indictments of gender inequality, everyday sexism and the persistence of the ‘glass ceiling.’
Employee of the Month screens on Sunday 17 July and Tuesday 19 July.
The Harbinger (USA, dir. Andy Mitton)
Andy Mitton’s lo-fi genre films have been going down a storm on the genre festival circuit since 2016. His oddly life-affirming debut We Go On (2016) plays like a mumblecore take on The Sixth Sense (1999), in which the film’s despondent protagonist offers $30,000 to anyone who can prove the existence of the afterlife and thus alleviate his unshakable fear of death. We Go On was followed by The Witch in the Window (2018), a terrifying twist on the haunted house narrative that ripped through international festivals before finding a wider audience on Shudder.
Mitton returns to this year’s Fantasia with his pandemic horror The Harbinger. The film takes place during lockdown, and explores the existential horrors that have defined humanity since 2020; its title monster is an entity that uses ‘viral nightmares’ to ensnare its victims, feeding on the negative psychological energies created by the pandemic. Given its grim real-world relevance, The Harbinger is likely to be one of the more abjectly terrifying horror films at this year’s Fantasia – a distillation of our collective trauma.
The Harbinger screens on Wednesday 20 July and Friday 22 July.
Shin Ultraman(Japan, dir. Shinji Higuchi)
Undoubtedly one of the most high-profile films in this year’s selection, Shin Ultraman is the spiritual successor to 2016’s marvellous Shin Godzilla. Comparisons between the two are inevitable – and the film itself actively invites them – but Our Culture looks forward to what Shin Ultraman will achieve in its own right.
The Ultraman franchise is long and expansive, featuring dozens of sequels, spin-offs, reboots, and more since 1966. But stretching through almost every series, film, and appearance is one theme: hope. The Ultra series is unabashedly positive, asserting easy messages of kindness and strength enjoyed by children and adults alike for generations. While Shin Ultraman takes many of its cues from Shin Godzilla, we’re hopeful it’ll still belong to that heritage of hope. With the myriad nods to the original 1966 series in just the trailer (not least the extra-textual knowledge that director Shinji Higuchi and writer Hideaki Anno are lifelong fans of the series), we have a good feeling about this one.
Shin Ultraman screens on Thursday 21 July.
Space Monster Wangmagwi (South Korea, dir. Kwon Hyeok-jin)
Seldom seen outside of South Korea, SRS Cinema brings this 1967 monster movie to Fantasia ahead of its eventual blu-ray release – slated for autumn this year. The film sees a giant monster unleashed by alien invaders to destroy Seoul. However, the monster (nicknamed “Wangmagwi”, or “big devil”) sets its sight on a young bride-to-be instead.
South Korea’s other 1967 monster movie, Yongary, Monster from the Deep,was released to American television by American International Pictures in 1969 and has enjoyed a handful of home video releases since. Space Monster Wangmagwi, however, has not had quite the same history. SRS Cinema’s upcoming blu-ray of Space Monster Wangmagwi marks the first time the film has been made widely available outside its home country. With fans glimpsing only bits and pieces online over the years, this presentation of the full film will be a real treat.
Space Monster Wangmagwi screens on Saturday 23 July.
The Breach (Canada, dir. Rodrigo Gudiño)
It has now been a full decade since Rodrigo Gudiño, Rue Morgue magazine’s founder and president, released his excellent (and skin-crawlingly creepy) directorial debut: The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh (2012). A meditation on family ties and Catholic guilt, Rosalind Leigh is a quietly chilling tale focused on a traumatised son tasked with clearing out the sprawling home belonging to his recently deceased (and deeply religious) mother.
After ten years, Gudiño’s sophomore feature plays at this year’s Fantasia. The plot of The Breach is somewhat shrouded in mystery; a blend of horror, thriller and science fiction tropes, it follows a small-town cop tasked with solving a bizarre murder. His investigation leads him to a dilapidated house, where he finds a strange contraption that might hold the key to solving the case. Given that The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh was one of our favourite genre films of 2012, we’re keen to see Gudiño’s follow-up – especially after such a long wait.
The Breach screens on Monday 25 July.
The Deadly Spawn(USA, dir. Douglas McKeown)
In 2021, boutique distributor Synapse Films presented their restoration ofTombs of the Blind Dead(1972)at Fantasia. It was fantastic (and this particular writer is very happy to have just picked up the subsequent Blu-ray), which is why we’re excited to see their new 4K restoration of 1983’s The Deadly Spawn – making its world premiere in Quebec.
Alien creatures with more teeth than a dentist’s coat pocket invade a young boy’s home, growing in his basement to titanic proportions. If Joe Dante’s films are the polished results of a ’50s monster kid growing up to make movies, The Deadly Spawn is their independent, far-less-polished but deliciously grimy cousin. This is by no means a bad thing, for The Deadly Spawn delights in its bloody mayhem, beautiful practical effects, and overt love for monster movie history. We can’t wait to see it again thanks to Synapse.
King Princess has shared a new single from her upcoming album Hold on Baby. It’s called ‘Change the Locks’, and it was co-produced alongside the National’s Aaron Dessner at his home studio in Stuyvesant, New York. Check it out below.
As Stereogum points out, Mikaela Straus posted a video on Instagram earlier this week, explaining that she met Dessner at his home studio the day after her grandfather’s funeral. ‘Change the Locks’ was the first track they wrote together, and it “became this song that — it just helped me heal so much.”
Hold on Baby is set for release on July 29 via Zelig Records/Columbia Records. So far, King Princess has shared the advance singles ‘Too Bad’, ‘Cursed’, ‘For My Friends’, and ‘Little Bother’ with Fousheé.
Belle and Sebastian are the latest band to perform a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR. They played three tracks from their last album, A Bit of Previous – ‘Unnecessary Drama’, ‘Working Boy in New York City’, and ‘Reclaim the Night’ – plus the classic ‘Judy and the Dream of Horses’, off their 1997 record If You’re Feeling Sinister. Watch it below.
Belle and Sebastian released A Bit of Previous, their ninth studio LP, back in May. Last month, they put out a video for the title track, which isn’t featured on the album.
The Mars Volta have released a new single, ‘Graveyard Love’, which is accompanied by a short film directed by the band’s own Omar Rodríguez-López. Elaborating on the lyrics of the song, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala said in a statement: “They will seek your ruin, and burn your lands, because if they can’t have you, no one can.” Watch and listen below.
Last month, The Mars Volta returned after a decade-long hiatus with ‘Blacklight Shine’. The single was teased via an audiovisual cube installation that appeared in Grand Park in Los Angeles, which can now be experienced online here.
