Beach Bunny have announced a new album, Tunnel Vision, which comes out April 25 on AWAL. Featuring the previously shared singles ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Clueless’, the record finds the band renting with Sean O’Keefe, the produced behind 2022’s Emotional Creature. Accompanying the announcement is the title track, an exuberant song that Lili Trifilio sings with quivering intensity. Check it out and find the album’s cover artwork and tracklist below.
Tunnel Vision Cover Artwork:
Tunnel Vision Tracklist:
1. Mr. Predictable
2. Big Pink Bubble
3. Chasm
4. Tunnel Vision
5. Clueless
6. Pixie Cut
7. Vertigo
8. Violence
9. Just Around the Corner
10. Cycles
As far as living up to expectations, Hurry Up Tomorrow couldn’t land much closer to what fans had in mind. The final installment of a trilogy that includes After Hours and Dawn FM is predictably opulent, bombastic, and overwrought – the only way the Weeknd would have it. Towering and immersive as it is, with a runtime of 84 minutes, the album also meanders nearly as much as it dazzles, with many of the songs failing to find a point between redemption and repentance. At some points, it finds rapture, then falls back down the rabbit hole. The record’s midsection is tough to endure, but Abel Tesfaye really does save the best for last. Musically, at least – we have to wait and see if the accompanying film, arriving in theaters later this year, will make a difference.
1. Wake Me Up [feat. Justice]
Of course, the Weeknd begins Hurry Up Tomorrow with a vision of the end, and even what comes after it: “No afterlife, no other side.” Synths gleam as his voice broods over a sample of Giorgio Moroder’s Scarface score, until the track snaps back to life with a Justice-assisted beat. The bassline alone is enough to get you excited about the record, even if you’re still daunted by the prospect of listening through it all.
2. Cry for Me
It’s hard to think of a more grating song on the album to pick as a single; if this weren’t a track-by-track review, I doubt I even would have mentioned it. With Metro Boomin and Mike Dean on production, the Weeknd certainly knows how to make an IMAX-sized projection of the most toxic parts of a fraught relationship, but the percussion is so blocky it doesn’t even land on that level. And a few vocal and production tricks do little to make the song’s repeated, self-pitying plea sound any more appealing.
3. I Can’t Fucking Sing
The Weeknd does an admirable job of making his 84-minute epic sound seamless, and ‘I Can’t Fucking Sing’ is part of that effort.
4. São Paolo [feat. Anitta]
It’s not the most innovative take on baile funk, but it is impressive how the Weeknd drags it into his world, shot through with pure lust and unquenchable yearning, exhaustion teetering into chaos. The five-minute runtime may seem overwrought, but it’s justified and actually makes it feel convincing. The better advance single, for sure.
5. Until We’re Skin & Bones
Smart move to put a transitional track after the barrelling noise of ‘São Paolo’, and a sick one at that.
6. Baptized in Fear
“Heartbeat slower,” Weeknd repeats on the track, which is about is about having a near-death experience in the bathtub. It’s a moody and slow-paced Weeknd tune that says moody and slow-paced, if that’s something you’re nostalgic for. It’s a first for this record but most definitely not for the Weeknd, just another paralyzing trip down memory lane.
9. Open Hearts
The Weeknd can wallow in melodramatic balladry all he wants, but teaming with Max Martin injects his shadowy, ominous pop with such an ecstatic rush that it can turn a whole project around. “It’s never easy/ Falling in love again,” Tesfaye sings, no doubt a familiar trope. The song makes it sound possible.
8. Opening Night
This is a longer interlude but no more substantial. Plus, Tesfaye whining about a “chronically online,” overly emotional lover ruining the first of his tour feels unnecessarily specific.
9. ‘Reflections Laughing’ [feat. Travis Scott and Florence + the Machine]
Now this is the way to punch through the mirrored facade of fame, and everyone on the song understands the assignment. The Weeknd is hanging by a thread. Florence Welch, whose powerhouse of a voice is barely audible, supports him through the chorus. Travis Scott, his vocals pitched down, expertly personifies the protagonist’s demons. But it’s the voicemail in the middle of the track – that’s Chxrry22’s voice – that’s the most spine-chilling. A single question is tucked at the end: “What does that shit feel like anyway?” ‘Reflections Laughing’ offers a glimpse.
10. Enjoy the Show [feat. Future]
In other words: Enjoy the Weeknd luxuriating in his own demise over some baffling chipmunk vocals. Future is here to deliver reference to ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ because even Tesfaye can’t withstand this level of self-referentiality. The caustic performance doesn’t gel well with the plush arrangement, even if it’s a deliberate juxtaposition. This one doesn’t need to be five minutes long.
11. Given Up on Me
The beat drop on this one is enticing, though I spent most of the rest of the song contemplating the word “hungriness.” His desperate pleas don’t even have the bite they have on ‘Cry for Me’ – until they disintegrate into the fractured piano jazz of the song’s back end, which is genuinely soul-stirring. Metro Boomin tries and fails to add a real pulse to the song, which subtly drives the point home.
12. I Can’t Wait to Get There
The Weeknd’s metacommentary works better for me when it’s over a cryptically sinister backdrop, less so when it sounds this glossy – let alone self-possessed. Tyler, the Creator did this way better on Chromakopia.
13. Timeless
Again, why was this the big single? Is it just the Playboi Carti feature? Even in the context of the album, there’s barely enough momentum to prop up this kind of soulless flex. Besides, at its best, the Weeknd’s s music sounds compellingly out of time, not timeless. No wonder it wasn’t as big as so many of the Weeknd’s past hits.
14. Niagara Falls
So much of the sample flipping on the album’s R&B ballads is awkward, and this track feels particularly out of place. It ultimately serves its narrative purpose, though, and you gotta hand it to the Weeknd for making immolation sound so opulent.
15. Take Me Back to LA
Calling back to Dawn FM’s ‘Escape From LA’, ‘Take Me Back to LA’ might be one of the most poignant and revealing cuts on the album – and one of the Weeknd’s best ballads. “I put my hand over the fire/ And see if I can still cry/ And that’s when I realize that/ I hate it when I’m by myself,” he signs, unwhiningly. Imagine if he sang this instead at the Grammys.
16. Big Sleep [feat. Giorgo Moroder]
Giorgo Moroder being credited on the song is enough to coax a truly impassioned performance out of Tesfaye, who stands tall against the eerily operatic scale of the song.
17. Give Me Mercy
Max Martin contributes to another one of the album’s brightest moments, though this one’s a little more understated (and better for it). It sounds like something you’d catch playing on 103.5 Dawn FM, and it’d be a hit in a better world.
18. Drive
‘Drive’ continues the record’s strong closing stretch with a sublime melody and the Weeknd regaining hope for freedom. Or… hungriness?
19. The Abyss [feat. Lana Del Rey]
The closer we get to the end of Hurray Up Tomorrow, the more it seems like the Weeknd is willing to give his persona a dignified conclusion – which, of course, makes it all the more likely that he won’t. Lana Del Rey is a familiar voice in the Weeknd’s canon, but hearing a female voice this late into the album is still startling, especially as she repeats, “Is a threat not a promise?” With one of her most dynamic guest performances, she makes it count.
20. Red Terror
The Weeknd lets Oneohtrix Point Never’s Daniel Lopatin weave his magic around ‘Red Terror’, even if Tesfaye has to strain to fit his song into it. It’s intriguing – the intersection of stardom and parenthood is certainly a hot topic – but works mostly as a setup for the last two songs.
21. Without a Warning
The Weeknd’s is constantly self-aware through Hurry Up Tomorrow, but the starkness of ‘Without a Warning’ lends the song a different kind of gravity. I mean: “I should have been sober, but I can’t afford to be boring.” The moment the beat drops is goosebump-inducing, but to have it dissolve so quickly is an even bolder move. The sky looks grim, and just for the drama.
22. Hurry Up Tomorrow
“Done with the lies/ I’m done with the loss,” the Weeknd declares on the final track, singing like he’s already on the other side. Defeat has rarely sounded so honest, painless, so heavenly. The acceptance is only a mirage, if you want to believe it, because the song ties right back into House of Balloons’ ‘High for This’ and the cycle remains unbroken. You can, of course, believe otherwise. We knew the main character dies at the end; what we didn’t expect is that Tesfaye would give us a choice in it.
Sharon Van Etten and her band, The Attachment Theory, recorded their new self-titled LP at The Church, Eurythmics’ former studio in London, with producer Marta Salogni. Against an apocalyptic backdrop, the group’s gothic arrangements and soaring melodies only echo that much louder. “Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes it’s scary, sometimes you feel stuck,” Van Etten said of her creative process in press materials. “It’s like every day feels a little different—just being at peace with whatever you’re feeling and whoever you are and how you relate to people in that moment. If I can just keep a sense of openness while knowing that my feelings change every day, that is all I can do right now. That and try to be the best person I can be while letting other people be who they are and not taking it personally and just being. I’m not there, but I’m trying to be there every day.”
Squid have released their latest album, Cowards, via Warp Records. Another record out today that was produced by Marta Salogni – with help from Grace Banks and Dan Carey, mixing by Tortoise drummer John McEntire, and mastering by Heba Kadry – it follows the Brighton band’s 2023 record O Monolith. Danish experimental songwriter Clarissa Connelly, composer, pianist, and singer Tony Njoku, Rosa Brook of Pozi, percussionist Zands Duggan, and the Ruisi Quarte also contributed to Cowards, which pushes the limits of Squid’s twitchy grooves and literary dystopias. It was preceded by the singles ‘Cro-Magnon Man’, ‘Building 650’, and ‘Crispy Skin’.
Glutton for Punishment is the debut full-length by Heartworms, the project of Jojo Orme. The darkly compelling follow-up to last year’s A Comforting Notion EP was produced by longtime collaborator Dan Carey. “Making this album has left me with more questions than answers,” Orme reflected in a statement. “It’s shown me how much I’ve still got to learn, and how many more stories I want to tell. Life is forever moving; Heartworms is forever evolving; nothing is ever finished. I’m proud to have contributed a verse.”
Oklou, the French vocalist, producer, and composer who has collaborated with A. G. Cook, Flume, Sega Bodega, and more, has come through with her first LP, choke enough. It’s a lush and giddily produced debut, one that remains subdued yet bubbles with fantastical possibilities. “choke enough is a very intense album for me,” she shared in press materials. “It’s filled with directions, tentatives and irregularities, reflecting on my last years on this planet as my heart and conscience has really decentered from myself.”
FACS have released Wish Defense, their sixth proper full-length, via Trouble in Mind. It marks the last album engineered by the late Steve Albini; the Chicago trio tracked it for two days with Albini at Electrical Audio before his death, with Sanford Parker stepping in to finish the LP 24 hours later. Longtime collaborator John Congleton then mixed the record using Albini’s notes about the session. The band’s Brian Case noted that the album’s lyrics revolve around the idea of doppelgängers or “doubles” as a means of observing and confronting your own self. In an interview, he explained: “I read Naomi Klein’s Doppelgänger: A Trip Into The Mirror World and was fascinated by how the slip into the digital world creates just enough space between facts / reality that people stop being critical, despite evidence to the contrary, and just accept what’s on the screen.”
Sam Sodomsky has unveiled a striking new album under his moniker the Bird Calls, marking the singer-songwriter’s fourth release via the indie label Ruination Records. It’s called Melody Trail, and it’s just as warmly inviting but a little more playful and wide-eyed than the previous ones. “I got more than I asked for but the story won’t end there/ Against my better judgment/ Keep the good times coming/ Trudging along.” It’s always time to move on in the world of Melody Trail, and Sodomsky renders the effort alone worth singing about.
Other albums out today:
Larry June, 2 Chainz & the Alchemist, Life Is Beautiful; Nino Paid, Love Me as I Am; Skeleten, Mentalized; Horsebath, Another Farewell; Zelooperz & Real Bad Man, Dear Psilocybin; James Brandon Lewis, Apple Cores; Biig Piig, 11:11; Guided by Voices, Universe Room; Nadia Reid, Enter Now Brightness; $amaad, Archie’s Comic; Helen Ganya, Share Your Care; Ben Seretan, astral projecting into flavortown.
LISA has teamed up with Doja Cat and Raye for a new song, ‘Born Again’. The infectiously funky track is the latest offering from Blackpink member’s debut solo album, Alter Ego. It was also featured in the trailer for the third season of The White Lotus, which stars LISA and premieres February 16. About the accompanying video, LISA wrote ton Instagram: “This video is a tribute to powerful women throughout history and to all of you.” Check it out below.
Alter Ego is set to arrive on February 28. It includes LISA’s previously released singles ‘New Woman’ featuring Rosalía, ‘Moonlit Floor’, and ‘Rockstar’.
On any given day in Los Angeles, you might find Lan Yang fine-tuning a complex lighting setup on a high-tech virtual production set, collaborating with some of the industry’s most forward-thinking brands and innovators. Or, just as likely, he’s at home, discussing cinematography over coffee with his wife—also a filmmaker—while their Yorkshire Terrier, Rolling, keeps a watchful eye on the conversation from his lap.
A graduate of the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts, Yang has spent over a decade behind the lens, shaping the visual identity of global brands like Adidas, Toyota, Avène, Boucheron, and Nike. His ability to fuse cinematic artistry with cutting-edge advancements has made him a sought-after cinematographer in both commercial and narrative filmmaking. But long before he was pioneering virtual production and redefining the future of cinematography, he was just a kid with an old Olympus camera, chasing light through the streets of Toronto and Shanghai—trying to make sense of the world through a viewfinder.
A Cinematic Obsession Born in Childhood
Yang still remembers the weight of his grandfather’s old Olympus film camera in his hands—the first tool that allowed him to capture fleeting moments of light and movement. Growing up between Toronto and Shanghai, he moved frequently with his mother, adapting to new cities, cultures, and languages. In that constant flux, the camera became his anchor. While other kids made friends through playground games, Yang found connection through his viewfinder, framing the world around him.
When he arrived in Greenwood-Coxwell, one of Toronto’s most diverse neighborhoods, Yang found himself immersed in a community of immigrant stories, cultures colliding at every street corner.
“I couldn’t always communicate with words,” he recalls. “But with a camera, I could show what I saw, how I felt. That’s when I realized storytelling wasn’t just about language—it was about perspective.”
From an early age, Yang wasn’t just drawn to photography—he was consumed by it. He would spend hours studying how light fell across buildings at different times of day, how movement could be frozen in a single frame, how an image could tell a story without words. When he wasn’t taking pictures, he was analyzing cinematographers’ work, reverse-engineering their compositions, and imagining how each shot was constructed. Flipping through old family photos today, one thing remains constant: Yang is always holding a camera.
That early obsession turned into an unstoppable drive—one that would take him from the streets of Toronto to the sets of global advertising campaigns and Hollywood productions. His name is now synonymous with innovation in cinematography, trusted by some of the biggest brands and studios to craft their visual narratives.
From Passion to Profession: Mastering the Craft
Unlike many cinematographers who come to their craft through directing, Yang’s journey started with a deep-rooted passion for photography, which naturally evolved into cinematography. While studying at Shanghai Theatre Academy, one of China’s most prestigious film schools, he wasn’t just attending lectures—he was actively building his relationship with the tools of the trade.
During his studies, Yang spent every spare moment at camera rental houses, familiarizing himself with the latest technology long before he had the chance to use it on set. He took on jobs as a camera operator and AC, not just to gain experience but to develop an almost instinctive understanding of how different cameras shaped an image. While many young cinematographers focused purely on aesthetics, Yang was drawn to the technical side—how a lens renders skin tone, how sensor sensitivity interacts with light, and how movement is affected by the mechanics of a dolly.
Even today, that hands-on approach remains his signature. Unlike many established DPs who step back from operating, Yang prefers to stay behind the camera himself.
“Holding the camera isn’t just about control—it’s about connection,” he explains. “You feel the scene in a way that’s impossible from a monitor. You move with the actors, breathe with them. The camera isn’t just a tool; it’s an extension of my instinct.”
A Cinematographer the Industry Trusts
Yang’s deep technical expertise and hands-on philosophy haven’t gone unnoticed. Over the years, some of the most respected names in cinematography have come to trust his eye for detail and his influence on shaping the next generation of filmmaking tools.
When Sony released the FX9 and FE PZ lens, they sought Yang’s input. His experience in both commercial and narrative cinematography made him an ideal collaborator to explore the camera’s dynamic range, color science, and ergonomics in real-world settings. His insights directly influenced later optimizations used by cinematographers worldwide.
At Cooke Optics, one of the most prestigious lens manufacturers in the world, Yang was entrusted with testing their S8/i Full Frame Plus and Varotal/i FF lenses.
（Lan Yang and Chris D’Anna posing in front of the Cooke Optics headquarters.）
“Lan Yang’s passion for cinematography isn’t just evident—it’s contagious,” says Chris D’Anna, General Manager of Cooke Optics Inc., Burbank. “His technical expertise and artistic sensibility make him exactly the kind of cinematographer we trust to collaborate with.”
His relationship with Cartoni, a leading Italian camera support company, follows a similar path. Not only was he given access to their Lambda 25 with Third Axis, but Cartoni’s President & CEO, Elisabetta Cartoni, along with her core leadership team, personally traveled to Los Angeles to meet him.
（Lan Yang with the core leadership team of Cartoni）
“Lan never shies away from a challenge. His precision and deep understanding of cinematography push boundaries, and we’re proud to have Cartoni’s camera support technology be a part of his vision,” says Elisabetta Cartoni, President & CEO of Cartoni.
Even Chapman Leonard, the legendary dolly manufacturer, has acknowledged his influence, inviting him for exclusive factory visits and direct collaboration on movement solutions. It’s a testament to how Yang isn’t just using these tools—he’s helping shape the future of how they’re built.
Pushing the Boundaries of Virtual Production
In a high-profile commercial campaign for a major automotive brand, Yang brought a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired world to life, showcasing AI-driven technology and next-generation transportation. The ad featured flying cars, neon-lit holographic cityscapes, and hyper-realistic environments, requiring an advanced blend of virtual production, Unreal Engine, and precision VFX.
To ensure the world felt both immersive and cinematic, Yang worked closely with VFX and production design teams to build a highly detailed virtual metropolis. By combining real-time rendering, precision lighting, and dynamic reflections, he crafted a seamless fusion of live-action and CGI, achieving a hyper-stylized yet photorealistic aesthetic.
“Technology allows us to create entire worlds without physical constraints,” Yang explains. “But the goal remains the same—to immerse the audience in a compelling visual story. The success of these innovations comes from seamlessly merging cinematography, production design, and visual effects.”
The Future: A Cinematographer Obsessed with Innovation
Even as filmmaking evolves with VR, AI-driven cinematography, and real-time rendering, Yang remains unwavering in his belief that the craft of cinematography is about more than just technology.
“Technology doesn’t replace cinematography; it expands its possibilities,” he reflects. “But no matter how advanced cameras become, the fundamentals remain the same—it’s about light, movement, and emotion.”
At his core, nothing has changed. He is still the boy in those old family photos, camera in hand, always searching for the next perfect frame.
“The world keeps moving, but the camera stays with me,” he says. “It always has.”
To give some context on the growth, in the 2023/24 tax year, remote (online) gambling companies made £6.9 billion after winnings were paid out, with two in every five UK adults admitting to having played some form of gambling, including lotteries.
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Reviews:
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Safer Gambling Options:
Safe gambling is an important part of any online casino, giving players the tools to limit the amounts a player can deposit, exclude themselves by taking a “break or completely remove themselves from having access to the sites.
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Many new players may be put off by the idea of sharing banking details with online casino operators, however, there are plenty of checks in place to protect players, including Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect data and KYC (Know Your Customer), which helps to protect user data and prevent fraudulent actions.
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How does art change once it’s placed on the body? The question as to whether fashion is art or whether there is art in fashion has long been controversial, but Yilun Li’s work seeks to reify the image of wearable art. Li’s Ethereal Convergence series is both tangible and unembodied, consisting of sculptural installations that combine reflective surfaces, translucent materials, and intricate, dynamic structures.
There is a devotional element to Li’s work, especially in the moving elements. In some sculptures, delicate florals reach to the heavens like branches while in others, biomechanical limbs swing pendulously downwards. Directional divides between the holy and perdition place the viewer in a purgation of purgatory: we are suspended, caught between the ephemeral and the eternal. Li’s approach to the question of spirituality in the digital age is semiotically rich and visually concise, sitting somewhere between the historical iconographies of churches and the chromatic icons of the early 2000s internet.
The biomorphic forms of Ethereal Convergence also speak to the tension between human and machine, natural and artificial. Li’s practice is ostensibly concerned with the space between the virtual and the real. The choice of materials — laser stickers, metallic UV gel, and mirrored acrylic — acts as a mediation between the divine and the designed. Light becomes refracted, reflections distorted, and shapes cast from shadows; these visual shifts are tempered by the viewer’s physical perception of the work in relation to their own position in physical space. The audience is asked to interact with these pieces almost ritualistically: the dialogue between physicality and abstraction forces us to confront our own boundaries and the fluid nature of self-perception in an increasingly digital world.
The pieces making up Ethereal Convergence act ultimately as vessels of intersection: materials meet and merge, but they are also sites where metaphysical ideas collide. Transhumanist values and traditional notions of artistic spirituality cut across and through each other, questioning the boundaries between the organic and the artificial, the divine and the synthetic. Li’s work suggests that the body, both as a physical entity and as a vessel for meaning, is a place where these opposing forces can coexist: it becomes both site and medium.
By embedding these materials in wearable forms, Li draws attention to how the body becomes a site of convergence for these dualities — human and machine, sacred and synthetic, natural and virtual. The body here becomes more than just a passive frame; it is a conduit for the tension between the fragmented, hyperreal version of identity of the virtual world and the corporeal, embodied experience of self in the material one.
Ethereal Convergence bridges a gap between the organic and the artificial by pulling one realm into the other: we swim between screens, watch light travel from wall to sculpture and back again, forms that shift between abstraction and representation. As reconciliatory meditation between the tangible and intangible, Li’s work formally fuses the natural world with the digital epoch.
Online car auctions have become a popular trend among buyers and sellers due to their convenience, availability of a great variety of cars, and most often competitive pricing. However, the rapid growth of online transactions increases fraud on the platforms. From fraudulent listings to phishing scams and payment fraud, where there are not stringent security measures, trust is definitely undermined, and users have to suffer huge financial losses. As the automotive industry is increasingly embracing digital, advanced cybersecurity solutions are becoming an integral part of this transformation.
To protect buyers and sellers, reputable platforms like https://sca.auction/ have embraced cutting-edge security technologies, ensuring that users can participate in online car auctions safely. By investing in cybersecurity, these platforms protect sensitive information and create greater transparency and trust in their services, making fraud prevention a core of their service offering.
SCA Auction has developed an unrivaled buying and selling experience of vehicles through online auctions, giving access to a huge inventory of cars, trucks, and specialty vehicles, including both salvage and clean-title options. The tools are friendly, the process is transparent, and the platform makes it quite easy for first-time buyers to huge dealers. With detailed vehicle descriptions, competitive pricing, and real-time bidding, this platform really puts the power of informed decision-making in the hands of its clients. Most importantly, it provides cost-effective vehicle auction opportunities and reliable options to any client seeking to research available services to assist with shipping, documentation, and global accessibility.
Understanding Common Types of Fraud in Online Car Auctions
Car-auction fraud online happens in many different manners, with fraudsters targeting several touchpoints along the transaction. Among the common frauds include scam listings by the posting of non-existing or misrepresented cars. The most common feature is unrealistic pricing to pressure potential buyers into acting impulsively.
Others are facing payment fraud in which fraudsters ask for a direct wire transfer or other kinds of payments, which are irretrievable or hard to track. Sometimes there is chargeback fraud, where buyers dispute a genuine transaction after shipment of the vehicle, and such transactions result in losses for sellers. Most phishing attacks use these to steal credentials or payment information by spoofing a legitimate auction platform.
While it has caused financial damages, it also undermined the faith of the participants in the online car auctioning ecosystem as a whole. Consequently, this has brought to attention an essential requirement of these businesses in developing advanced cybersecurity solutions to keep the cyber world secure for all stakeholders involved.
The Role of Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions
Advanced cybersecurity solutions help to prevent fraud and protect the data of users. Among the major tools used by online car auction platforms is encryption. These platforms encrypt such sensitive data as payment details and personal information so that even when intercepted, the data will not be accessed by unauthorized parties.
Another critical measure is multi-factor authentication. It provides an additional layer of security because it requires users to verify their identity through multiple channels, such as a password and a one-time code sent to their phone. MFA significantly reduces the possibility of unauthorized access, even if login credentials are compromised.
Another development in the fight against fraud is the inclusion of machine learning and AI. It analyzes user behavior for any anomaly that shows fraudulent actions. For instance, if a user’s account, from another location, all of a sudden initiates a number of high-value transactions, it flags off such behavior and keeps the account suspended until checked. This proactive fraud control method reduces the losses and stops fraudsters from committing fraud.
Ensuring Transparency and Building Trust
Transparency is in fact the most salient element in building up trust in online car auctions-and cybersecurity solutions can help ensure just that. In this sense, sites that use digital certificates and secure connections-identified by HTTPS in the browser-offer users added confidence that their interactions are secure and free from illegitimacy. Moreover, it really pays off with detailed vehicle history provided, such as ownership records, accident reports, and title status, which protects buyers from falling into fraudulent listings.
Fraud detection systems add to the transparency by detecting and removing suspicious accounts or listings. Most of the advanced platforms have real-time monitoring for fraud detection that helps block such activities before they escalate. The online car auction platforms maintain clear communication and visible security protocols that keep users informed of their safety. This fosters a sense of safety that encourages more users to confidently engage with online car auction services.
Educating Users on Fraud Prevention
While it is very critical to make the platforms secure, educating users about the potential risks and the right behaviors is critical. Most car auction platforms provide resources that will help a user to know when something suspicious is taking place, like a request to pay off-site or incomplete description of a vehicle.
Moreover, users should be nudged to check listings themselves through services such as VIN lookups to ascertain the legitimacy of the vehicle. The platforms, on the other hand, can give alerts or warnings when a user is likely to engage in a risky transaction, further reiterating safe behavior. This way, the platforms are involving users with knowledge in a collective effort toward minimizing fraud.
Future Trends in Online Auction Security
The landscape of cybersecurity is ever-changing, and online car auction platforms must be ahead of emerging threats. For example, blockchain technology is becoming increasingly popular for securely verifying transactions and maintaining an immutable record of vehicle ownership. This technology could further enhance trust by providing a tamper-proof ledger of all auction activities.
Biometric authentication, including fingerprint and face identification, could be considered a common option in the near future; these methods will represent a highly secure alternative to passwords. The development of sophisticated tactics by fraudsters means the platform needs continuously to change its system to integrate new and advanced cybersecurity methods that are able to provide protection for customers and the reputation of the website itself.
Conclusion
Online car auction fraud prevention is complex and involves multi-level cybersecurity approaches, transparency, and user education. It involves everything from encryption and multi-factor authentication to AI-driven fraud detection, all the way to assure that buyers and sellers can take part in auctions with confidence.
With the online car auction industry continuing to expand, cybersecurity will play an ever-more-important role. Vigilance and proactive action will be necessary to ensure both the platforms and the users contribute toward a secure environment, where one can trust that each transaction will go positively and without incident. Protecting both the first-time buyer and seasoned seller ensures that excitement in the realm of online car auctions remains untouched by fraudulent activity.
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 Thursday, February 6, 2025.
The Ophelias – ‘Cumulonimbus’
The Ophelias have announced a new album produced by Julien Baker, Spring Grove, with the single ‘Cumulonimbus’. “There’s so much more beyond heartbreak to write about,” vocalist Spencer Peppet said in press materials, noting that there are “zero songs about break-ups” on the record. ‘Cumulonimbus’ may not be the exception, but it’s evocative and so full of longing that you might mistake it as one. “I know that you are going to miss me more than you say you/ Will, the things that I didn’t say are always going to,” Peppet sings, “Hang above you like a cumulonimbus/ I am on your heels, I’m running like it’s nothing.”
Panda Bear – ‘Ends Meet’
Panda Bear has shared ‘Ends Meet’, the final single from his forthcoming LP Sinister Grift, and it’s another great preview. This one features his Animal Collective bandmates Avey Tare and Geologist, as well as backing vocals by Maria Reis and Spirit of the Beehive’s Rivka Ravede.
Lucius – ‘Gold Rush’
Lucius’ self-titled album was announced today with the groovy, infectious new single ‘Gold Rush’. The song “is that addictive sweetness to love,” the band explained. “The roller coaster highs and lows. The sugary can’t get enough of you, can’t live with you feeling that keeps you coming back for more. It’s energy and grit: guitars wailing, heavy backbeat, dynamic vocals which flip from verse to chorus – mellow to strong – playing off the band and echoing the sentiment of the lyrics.”
Nell Smith – ‘Anxious’
Bella Union has announced Nell Smith’s posthumous debut solo album, Anxious, arriving on April 11. At the time of her passing in a car accident last October, the 17-year-old artist was preparing to release the record, which she made in Brighton with Jack and Lily Wolter of Penelope Isles. The title track, which is playful yet dark, is out now. “It is still very painful when I realize Nell is gone,” the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne said. “I keep thinking I’ll check my text messages from her. I’m sure she has a new drawing or new piece of a song or a new photo of her cat… and then I remember she is gone. Now when I’m listening to her singing these songs there is a brief fantastical joy. Her voice hits the ear, the ear tells brain this is the sound of love, the brain lets the mind fly through the billions of connections it has with Nell’s life… but as it flies it also flies to her death… there is something holy that happens now.”
Darkside – ‘Are You Tired? (Keep on Singing)’
“I refuse to live on western time/ Its investors need to heal,” Nicolás Jaar sings on Darkside’s latest seven-minute single, and the band’s refuge is simple: “Singing! Just keep on singing!” Their new album, Nothing, comes out at the end of the month.
Ichiko Aoba – ‘SONAR’
Ichiko Aoba has offered another preview of her upcoming album Luminescent Creatures with ‘SONAR’, a delicate piano ballad. Here’s a translation of some of the lyrics: “Beyond the darkness, a glimmer of/ Somebody’s voice/ I am here, although/ I know not where, and yet/ I hear it.”
Jarvis Cocker with Kim Sion – ‘California Dreamin” (The Mamas And The Papas Cover)
Kevin Haskins of Bauhaus and producer Nick Launay have teamed up for a wildfire relief compilation titled Los Angeles Rising, which is out today (get it here) and features Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more. The lead single is Jarvis Cocker’s haunting rendition of ‘California Dreamin”, which features backing vocals from his girlfriend Kim Sion. It’s definitely darker than the version we heard Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sing at last Sunday’s Grammys.
Heaven – ‘The Fire You Know’
NYC-based power-pop band Heaven have shared a new single from their upcoming album, Dream Aloud. ‘The Fire You Know’ is a brooding track that features Megan LaMarca on cello recorded by her husband, Anthony LaMarca of The War on Drugs.
Deb Never – This Alive
Deb Never, whose debut album will be out this year via GIANT, has released a somber yet propulsive track called ‘This Alive’. It coincides with the singer joining Wallows on tour.
serpentwithfeet – ‘Wanderer’
‘Writing in the Wind’, which accompanied the announcement of serpenwithfeet’s Grip Sequel, was a rather brief single. His new single, ‘Wanderer’, though, stretches the dreamy, intimate atmosphere out to four minutes. According to the singer-songwriter, it’s “about a man who lives in isolation and his new passionate paramour.”
Cloakroom – ‘Story of the Egg’
Indiana’s Cloakroom have dropped a new single, ‘Story of the Egg’, which will appear on the band’s upcoming full-length Last Leg of the Human Table. The track injects an unusual amount of nerve into an otherwise ethereal arrangement, which is in line with its subject matter. According to drummer Tim Remis, the track is about “the newfound anxiety and stress from the alertness that comes with finally feeling the otherwise positive effects of a full night’s rest. There was a phenomenon of feeling anxious after working with a sleep doctor, realizing I spent most of my adult life without getting rest, had dulled my human sensations. Upon getting some deep sleep and rest, my new, heightened senses were overwhelming, and I was left with a different feeling of anxiety.”
Dean Wareham – ‘That’s the Price of Loving Me’
Dean Wareham has shared the title track off his forthcoming album, the softly ambling ‘That’s The Price of Loving Me’. “‘That’s the Price of Loving Me’ is about our life on the road but also a dream I had about our tour manager and dear friend Kiko, who passed away a couple years ago; he drove us around Europe in his Mercedes Sprinter with red zebra upholstery,” Wareham explained.
Bambara – ‘Letters From Sing Sing’
There’s an urgent intensity driving ‘Letters From Sing Sing’, the latest single from Bambara’s first album in five years, Birthmarks. “This song is a series of letters from the narrator to another character in the album’s story, Elena, whose boyfriend he murdered,” Reid Bateh explained. “He’s telling her about his attempts to persuade the court to reinstate the practice of execution—specifically for him. He believes that if he can persuade them, he will be able to see her one last time, convinced that her intense anger and thirst for vengeance will drive her to attend his execution. We were lucky to finally collaborate with visionary director and fellow Athens, GA expat, Jason Miller. The central character, Elena, is portrayed by Wife Erath in a captivating performance.”
Lucius have announced their self-titled fourth album, which will land on May 2 via Fantasy Records. It includes the previously unveiled song ‘Old Tape’, as well as the groovy new track ‘Gold Rush’. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.
The band’s Dan Molad produced the new album, which features contributions from The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Madison Cunningham, Luke Temple, Rob Moose, and more. In a statement, Lucius said:
Our fourth studio album is the four of us, just as we first started recording together as a band. It’s raw and honest and feels like coming home; something that resonates deeply in this moment of our lives. We are home in so many senses of the word; in the last couple of years we’ve started setting roots, finding life partners, building families, growing gardens. We got dogs, (you can hear them in the background if you listen close). We wrote songs about life and relationships. We recorded them in our home studios. We saw the beginnings and endings of life cycles while making this record, the beauty and fragility of the human experience. So it’s only fitting that this album is self-titled, it’s our story, who we are now and how we got here. Welcome to our living room.
Commenting on the lead single, the band explained: “‘Gold Rush’ is that addictive sweetness to love. The roller coaster highs and lows. The sugary can’t get enough of you, can’t live with you feeling that keeps you coming back for more. It’s energy and grit: guitars wailing, heavy backbeat, dynamic vocals which flip from verse to chorus – mellow to strong – playing off the band and echoing the sentiment of the lyrics.”
Lucius Cover Artwork:
Lucius Tracklist:
1. Final Days
2. Gold Rush
3. Do It All For You
4. Mad Love
5. Stranger Danger
6. Hallways
7. Old Tape [feat. Adam Granduciel]
8. Impressions [feat. Madison Cunningham]
9. Borderline
10. Orange Blossoms
11. At the End of the Day
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