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‘From the Basement’ Launches New Series With IDLES, Caribou, Nilüfer Yanya, and More

Nigel Godrich’s live music show From the Basement has relaunched with a new series featuring exclusive performances from IDLES, Sons of Kemet, Warpaint, Caribou, Squid, and Nilüfer Yanya. The new season, powered by WeTransfer and Sonos Radio, debuts with a performance by IDLES on June 1 and will run until October. Watch a trailer for it below.

“What a pleasure it has been doing this again!” Godrich commented in a statement. “I’m still just a fan, still super excited to have the opportunity to film all these great artists and have loved making these new shows. After being so busy doing other things I felt that the time was right to rekindle this idea.. to somehow bring it into the present, but the same rules apply now as they did then… no audience or presenter.. just a direct connection with the viewer and a chance for us to take some time to do something special in a controlled environment.. The priority being to make it sound and look great…”

IDLES’ Joe Talbot added: “There’s an atmosphere on From The Basement that I haven’t seen equalled – it’s unlike anything else. There’s a sense of mythology behind it and it’s a dream for us to be involved. We’ve wanted to do this for a very long time.”

WeTransfer Premium and Pro subscribers will have access to one additional song per artist in the new season. Audio versions of both new archived From the Basement sessions will be available on Sonos Radio.

Momma Share Video for New Song ‘Lucky’

Momma have shared the new song ‘Lucky’, which will appear on their forthcoming album Household Name. It arrives with an accompanying video directed by Emma Penrose and Zack Shorrosh. Watch and listen below.

“I wrote it after my significant other and I had to spend an unknown amount of time apart from each other on opposite sides of the country,” Etta Friedman, who takes lead vocals on the track, explained in a statement. “I wanted it to feel anthemic, like a sappy and sentimental love song, but I still wanted to speak on how exciting it feels to know you found true treasure with someone you are in love with.”

“We didn’t want to get too cheesy and literal so Etta suggested some ideas from the Green Day ‘Walking Contradiction’ video as well as the fun and etherealness of certain Beabadoobee videos,” Penrose added of the visual. “In the end, we feel like the video displays how much fun it was to film – everyone involved was a friend of either Zack & Emma’s or Etta & Allegra’s, so the project feels very personal and lighthearted.”

Household Name is due for release on July 1 via Lucky Number. Momma previously shared the singles ‘Speeding 72’, ‘Rockstar’, and ‘Medicine’.

Emma-Jean Thackray Enlists Wiki for ‘Golden Green’ Remix

London-based multi-instrumentalist Emma-Jean Thackray has shared a new remix of her Yellow track ‘Golden Green’, featuring New York rapper Wiki. Give it a listen below.

“We made something really special, as Wiki painted such an intimate picture of a moment at home with a lover,” Thackray said of the remix in a statement. “You can smell the cup of hot tea he describes. You can feel the sheets on your skin. I felt the warmth of the sun coming in through a gap in the blinds. The choruses he brought to the song are so perfect, because ‘Golden Green’ is actually about how I met my partner. It’s about those first moments together and the things about them that stick out and become entwined in your memory of them forever.”

Yellow, Thackray’s debut full-length, came out last year.

Courting Announce Debut Album ‘Guitar Music’, Share New Single ‘Loaded’

Liverpool four-piece Courting have announced their debut album, Guitar Music, which arrives on September 23 via Play It Again Sam. Along with the announcement, the band has shared a new single called ‘Loaded’. Check it out below.

“In ‘Loaded’ we tie together a lot of ideas about change, and stagnation,” frontman Sean Murphy-O’Neill explained in a statement. “It is inspired heavily by pop music, specifically artists like SOPHIE. It is us just throwing everything at the wall and trying to create something fun and ridiculous.”

Guitar Music is realising you actually love the music you hated when you were 13,” Murphy-O’Neill said of the album, which was produced by James Dring. He continued:

It is lip fillers and being thousands of pounds in debt. It is missing mundane things about your childhood and mourning celebrities you were only aware of posthumously. It is dancing with your friends. It is falling in love with a drawing and it is always online. It is touching toes in bed, hearts carved into trees. It is swimming outside and listening to pop smoke. It is fireworks over family parks and Guitar Music is the opposite of our early releases in that it is very emotional. The stories told may be from the perspective of other characters at times, but these songs are filled with actual emotion rather than us trying to hide.

We felt that Guitar Music as a phrase was reductive and therefore decided to create a record with the intention of it being a body of work that could redeem being a “guitar band”, by pushing it to different boundaries. To us, this record is a statement piece, it felt very exciting to make, to us, it feels a lot more special than we’d originally expected it would be.”

Guitar Music Cover Artwork:

Guitar Music Tracklist:

1. Cosplay/Twin Cities
2. Tennis
3. Loaded
4. Famous
5. Crass (redux)
6. Jumper
7. Uncanny Valley Forever
8. PDA

Katy J Pearson Releases Video for New Song ‘Alligator’

Katy J Pearson has unveiled a new song, ‘Alligator’, taken from her upcoming album Sound of the Morning. The track follows earlier singles ‘Talk Over Town’ and ‘Game of Cards’. Check out a video for it, directed by Edie Lawrence, below.

Katy J Pearson said in a statement about the song:

I wrote this track with Dan Carey at his Streatham studio. The day we did so I was having the worst morning ever; I was really stressed as I had a £500 electric bill that I had to pay. I burst into tears at the studio and from that feeling, the song just surfaced from all my anxieties. The lyrics are quite literal and were born from the idea of dissociation when experiencing anxiety. The chorus note ‘it felt just like a dream, and it keeps on happening’ refers to when you are really stressed, things just don’t seem real. There is this juxtaposition between the lyrics and the soaring chorus which is quite euphoric – it’s quite tongue in cheek and I like that about it. Dan played the bass on this track and Yuri from the band Honeyglaze played drums which really gives the track some gusto!

Lawrence added:

’Alligator’ came about once we spoke about the track’s theme of paranoia, anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Panic attacks tend to mess with your perspective amongst other things, which is where the idea of placing Katy in a shrinking cafe of hysterical bean shovelling, age switching, glass eating customers came to me. Everything in the cafe was made to look as if Katy was sat in one of my miniature sets- so all food was made from latex, clay and gelatine and the counter, fridge, doors and frames were all made from cardboard. Katy was a dream to work with and completely trusted my vision throughout, I’m really excited about working with her again on future projects.

Sound of the Morning will be released on July 8 via Heavenly Recordings.

Hercules & Love Affair and ANOHNI Share New Single ‘One’

Hercules & Love Affair and ANOHNI have shared ‘One’, the latest collaborative single from the forthcoming album In Amber. It follows previous offerings ‘Poisonous Storytelling’ and ‘Grace’. Listen below.

“The lyrics speak of being othered, cast out, and to the ascent of the child spirit in the face of such adversity,” Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler explained in a press release.

In Amber, Hercules & Love Affair’s first album in five years, arrives on June 17 via Skint/BMG.

Album Review: Harry Styles, ‘Harry’s House’

Harry Styles wants you to think he’s cool. Maybe he’s not addressing the entire world when he poses the question halfway through his third album – “I just think you’re cool,” he admits on ‘Cinema’, before asking, “Do you think I’m cool too?” – but it still comes as something of a surprise. For one thing, it’s an unusually intimate, perhaps even indulgent reference to his dating life from someone who likes to keep his music pretty vague. What’s more, cool doesn’t seem to be at the top of the list of what Harry Styles would like to be perceived as, at least not by the general public. Stylish, sure. Open-minded, certainly. Genre-bending. Most of all: a genuine and good person. You can’t really argue with the universal desirability of these qualities, and Styles has a charismatic way of embodying them. It’s a safe image to maintain. If Styles were a rock star obsessed with validating his own ego, “Do you think I’m cool?” might hit a little too close to home. But he’d much rather stick to his motto of treating people with kindness.

‘Cinema’ might stand out slightly from the rest of Harry’s House, but it doesn’t really deviate from its overriding aesthetic. Styles isn’t trying to be earnestly vulnerable or self-effacing here; you can tell because it’s one of the more funk-leaning songs on the album, with slick production complementing the overtly sensual lyrics. It should be charming in a relatable sort of way, but for some reason, I feel it comes off as frustratingly hollow. Maybe the song would only sound more obnoxious if there was either more of an ironic edge or a greater sentimentality to it, but I kind of wish Styles would push songs like this a bit further in (excuse the pun) one direction or the other. Like almost everything on Harry’s House, it’s satisfying and finely executed but doesn’t show much in the way of personality. Listening to it feels strangely like reading through a magazine profile, with Styles giving you a tour of his home and a list of his favorite things without getting too specific – except maybe an allusion to cocaine use in his kitchen, just to pique your interest – but offering only a hint of his life behind the curtain.

He’s under no obligation to reveal more, of course. For the most part, Harry’s House makes a good case for a looser, generally pleasant iteration of the singer’s style-over-substance approach. Opener ‘Music for a Sushi Restaurant’ is one of the most enjoyable songs in his catalog, with Styles’ vibrant performance and Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson’s plush production overshadowing the clumsiness of lines like “If the stars were edible/ And our hearts were never full/ Could we live with just a taste?” The self-awareness of ‘As It Was’ is probably not what made the song a smash hit – that would be its retro groove and hopeful brand of nostalgia – but it’s what renders it one of the more nuanced and compelling cuts on the album. But the breezier, more groove-oriented side of Harry’s House largely fails to leave a lasting impression, with tracks like ‘Keep Driving’ remaining flavourless despite some mildly distorted guitars adding a bit of bite to the arrangement. Even as Styles takes more risks with his vocals on a song like ‘Daydreaming’, it’s not enough to transcend the one-dimensional songwriting.

When Styles does strip things back to finger-picked guitar and keys, he makes sure that such “emotionally raw” moments are just as palatable as everything else on the album. Unfortunately, the results are also just as mixed. ‘Boyfriends’, co-written with Tobias Jesso Jr., is effective enough as a soothing lullaby that you might not be tempted to question the narrator’s intentions. When he does enter the frame a little more on ‘Little Freak’, it’s to calmly affirm that “I’m not worried about where you are, or who you will go home to, I’m just thinking about you.” (Judging from the song’s production, he also had Bon Iver on his mind.) Of them all, ‘Matilda’ invokes the most empathy for its titular character, keeping the message simple but the feeling strong while calling back to 2017’s ‘Sweet Creature’. When he’s choosing to be either a bit bolder or more subtle than usual, Harry Styles can make impactful music that sounds pretty cool; too often, Harry’s House suffers from slipping into a comfortable but unexciting middle ground. Still, you might wanna have a look inside before he changes up the decor.

Ozwin Casino Review – Bonuses & Promotions

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The Most Popular Games in the UK for 2022

Despite only being two full months in the year, 2022 already looks set to be great for gaming. There are some huge, blockbuster titles already released, and more scheduled throughout the year.

Although, it appears to be more than just a year for new games, and the old ones continue to see extensive playtime. The list of most played games for this year covers almost every genre imaginable, exploring a range of interests.

These include racing games, first person shooters and sandbox games to name a few. Here is a list of some of the most popular games for 2022 to get any avid gamer excited.

Casino Games

Despite the allure of A-list titles and consoles, having fun gaming doesn’t mean spending hundreds. Plenty of fun can be had through apps and online play, especially casino gaming, which is timeless in its popularity.

Online casino favourites such as blackjack, roulette and slots differ from the conventional releases without compromising on fun. Requiring far less than the £50 demanded by blockbuster games, casino gaming also offers players the chance to win big.

The ‘Console War’

A key factor in determining this year’s most played games will inevitably be the winner of the so-called ‘console war’. This term, referring to the battle for consumer sales, was long reserved for the competition between Xbox and PlayStation

Especially after the release of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, these two consoles sold far more than any others. However, Nintendo’s Switch has recently taken the lead and overtook the PS5 late last year to become the UK’s No.1 console.

It’s crucial as console exclusive games are used as a means of drawing customers away from competitors. With consumers opting for the Switch, many of this year’s most popular games will naturally be Nintendo exclusives.

In fact, almost half of the most played games at the turn of the year are exclusive to the Switch.

Many have been critical of what they deem sub-bar yearly releases across both PlayStation and Xbox. Contrarily, Nintendo releases games less frequently and are praised for seemingly choosing quality over quantity.

Call of Duty

The Call of Duty franchise is one of the most well-known globally and will inevitably be played extensively this year. The latest instalment, Vanguard, was the most searched game last year in the UK, indicative of its immense popularity.

The war-based first-person shooter has its genesis as a WW2 game, with its most iconic iterations situated in the era. However, recent releases have seen the franchise dart throughout history, and even far into the future.

As a franchise with annual releases, Call of Duty: Vanguard and its successor will be two of 2022’s most popular.

Mario Kart 8

Despite being over 7 years old, Mario Kart 8’s popularity doesn’t appear to be wavering in the slightest. The game’s predecessors are celebrated as classics with a strong social element, best enjoyed with friends.

This charming racing game sees players compete as some of Nintendo’s most iconic characters, such as Mario and Donkey Kong. Despite its cute, animated style, this game is renowned for being highly competitive and wildly fun.

The franchise has been a firm fan favourite for over a decade and is a key asset exclusive to Nintendo. As a game series adored by multiple generations, its popularity stems from its ability to attract players of all ages.

There are rumours that a new, ninth Mario Kart instalment is in development, which has only added to its popularity. Should it be released this year, it will be one of the most eagerly awaited for years.

FIFA

The latest yearly FIFA instalment is another long-running franchise that persistently sells well. These football video games tap the most viewed sport worldwide to acquire a huge player base.

With multiple different game modes, FIFA is equally enjoyable alone as with friends.

FIFA 22 currently sits second in the list of the UK’s most downloaded games. With the latest instalment scheduled for around Christmas time, there will be countless hours spent on FIFA this year.

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto is another comparatively old game that maintains its popularity over time. The open world, third-person game was one of the most avidly anticipated titles before its release in 2013.

Despite the time since its release, the game still sees frequent updates that add new features and ways of playing. There is a rumoured 6th instalment in the works which will inevitably be as popular as its predecessors.

Its developers, Rockstar, are frequently celebrated for only producing games of the highest quality and not rushing releases. As well as new games on offer, this year has already shown that many of the most enjoyable games are already out.

Conclusion

Keen gamers have plenty to look forward to as 2022 gets up and running. Popular titles, both old and new, are already seeing extensive playtime.

The gaming environment is currently very diverse, in its best state for a while. The last two years have seen a myriad of releases in almost every genre imaginable.

With Nintendo taking an early lead in both console and game sales, there has never been a better time to buy a Switch.

However, don’t get drawn into thinking that fun can only be had by spending significant amounts of cash. There will always be endless apps and online sites available to satiate those gaming needs at a much lower price.

Have podcasts surpassed radio?

Radio has been around for hundreds of years but only began broadcasting to people in the 1920s. It was an incredibly powerful tool that allowed organisations and governments to reach the masses quickly. Radio kept the public up to date with live events happening across the world whilst building up morale and keeping people entertained through tough times.

It’s hard to deny the impact and importance that radio has had throughout history, but the medium has found a new rival with podcasts within the past couple of years. People are now tuning in to listen to podcasts rather than radio raising the question of have podcasts surpassed radio?

As of 2021, there were over 19.1 million podcast listeners in the United Kingdom and this is expected to climb to over 28 million by 2026. Evidently, this number is continuing to grow whilst the percentage of people listening to radio continues to decline each year emphasising that podcasts are a rapidly growing form of entertainment.

Accessible everywhere

With the increase in scope and the improved quality of mobile technology, people literally have the power of the internet at their fingertips. This includes the ability to stream podcasts wherever they are and on any modern device.

Podcasts are available on multiple platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and BuzzSprout to name just a few. Even if someone doesn’t have access to one of these applications, people can stream podcasts through their internet browser on their phones.

The beauty of podcasts is that audiences can pick up and listen to one at any time. They can easily pause or skip certain bits that they are not interested in. As we are living in the ‘Age of Convenience’, people are expecting everything to be instantaneous and not have to wait for radio schedules.

The best thing about it all is that listeners can be updated when there is a new episode so that they can keep up to date. It also helps that podcasts can be downloaded and listened to offline as well. Podcasts are easily more accessible than radio as there are more ways to listen and are even more convenient for listeners. 

More variety in topics

Whilst there are a decent number of radio stations out there, there are still nowhere near as many options as podcasts. It’s estimated that there are literally millions of podcasts out there each with its own sub-section and niches. Radio stations are unfortunate in having to appeal to the masses, whilst podcasts can focus on one specific topic.

There is literally a podcast for every topic with focuses on every aspect of life from true crime podcasts such as My Favourite Murder to gambling podcasts such as Cousin Vito’s Casino. Radios are often forced to pick and discuss topics that are trending or relevant news with no room to debate about anything else.

This means that listeners are limited when listening to the radio and are forced to endure mainstream topics. With podcasts, people can literally listen to whatever weird or niche topic they want and not have to compromise their interests.

No time constraints

As previously mentioned, podcasts are extremely accessible in terms of how to stream them and this is mainly due to the fact that there are no time constraints. There is no strict schedule for podcasts as hosts can literally upload episodes whenever they please.

Radio shows on the other hand have to adhere to strict schedules and must air when they are told to. However, it is worth noting that many radio stations give people the opportunity to catch up on radio shows in case they cannot catch the live show but this is only a select few radio stations that allow this. All podcasts do allow people to replay and listen to episodes at their own leisure.

It’s also worth pointing out that podcasts can be any length depending on what the hosts want. Some podcasts can literally be 10 minutes long, whilst others can be hours, but there is more diversity as radio shows must fit into certain time slots and cannot go over this limit.

Not regulated by the government

Most radio stations are under strict government control and must adhere to certain regulations and codes. They cannot broadcast anything that is not allowed or anything that could be considered offensive to the public. This ultimately means that radio stations do not have the freedom to truly express themselves as they are restricted by laws and guidelines.

Podcasts are free to discuss absolutely anything and do whatever they please as long as their audience enjoys it. Warnings of graphic content such as swearing or triggering topics are often stated before the episode in order to give listeners the chance to skip in case it offends them. Whilst this can be positive or negative, podcasts have the independence to speak about anything with nothing holding it back.

Are podcasts overtaking radio?

There are many similarities between podcasts and radio with each medium having unique advantages and disadvantages. However, it’s fair to say that podcasts could never replace radio as podcasts serve a completely different purpose. Whilst podcasts can be more accessible, there are still many people who actually prefer to listen to the radio as it can be unpredictable whilst also keeping them up to date with current events.

Both radio and podcasts should be able to coexist alongside each other just like films and television shows. Each of the mediums brings something different to listeners and manages to appeal to different audiences. It’s clear that the world would be a duller place without podcasts and radio stations.

Radio does definitely see podcasting as competition and has even utilised the medium to showcase unique shows on the BBC Sounds platform. The future of radio and podcasting could actually be a collaboration between the two. Perhaps the perfect solution to this debate would be to combine radio and podcasts together to create something that benefits everyone.