St. Vincent has shared her cover of the Lipps Inc. hit ‘Funkytown’, which appears on the forthcoming Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtrack. Listen to it below.
The Minions 2 soundtrack was produced by Jack Antonoff and sees artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Caroline Polachek, Thundercat, and Weyes Blood taking on ’60s and ’70s hits. Featuring the previously released Tame Impala and Diana Ross collab ‘Turn Up the Sunshine’, the album comes out July 1 to coincide with the movie’s theatrical release.
The first rock and roll records were made in the early 1950s. These records were a blend of African-American rhythm and blues with white country music. The most famous of these early recordings is “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats. This record was a huge hit and helped to popularize rock and roll music. Other important early recordings include “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets, “Maybellene” by Chuck Berry, and “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley. These songs helped to define the sound of rock and roll and established it as a distinct genre of music.
In the late 1950s, rock and roll began to evolve into different subgenres. One of the most important of these was rockabilly, which combined elements of country music with the fast-paced sound of rock and roll. Artists like Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley were all influential rockabilly performers.
Another important subgenre that emerged in the late 1950s was doo-wop. This style of music was characterized by close harmony singing and simple melodies. Some of the most famous doo-wop songs include “In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins and “The Great Pretender” by The Platters.
As rock and roll continued to evolve in the 1960s, new styles and subgenres began to emerge. One of the most important of these was the British Invasion, which refers to the influx of British rock bands into the United States in the early 1960s. These bands, such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, were hugely popular and helped to popularize rock music around the world.
Another important development in the 1960s was the rise of psychedelic rock. This style of music was characterized by distorted guitars, experimental sounds, and drug-induced lyrics. Psychedelic rock bands like The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd were some of the most influential performers of this era.
In the 1970s, punk rock emerged as a reaction against the perceived excesses of psychedelic and progressive rock. Punk rock was a stripped-down style of music that emphasized simplicity and raw energy. Punk bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash were some of the most influential performers of this era.
In the 1980s, rock music began to splinter into different subgenres. One of the most popular of these was hair metal, which was a highly theatrical style of music that emphasized loud guitars and flashy clothes. Hair metal bands like Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Guns N’ Roses were some of the most successful acts of this era.
Another important development in the 1980s was the rise of alternative rock. This style of music emerged as a reaction against the commercialism of hair metal and other popular genres. Alternative rock bands like R.E.M., Nirvana, and Pearl Jam were some of the most successful acts of this era.
In the 1990s, rock music continued to evolve into different styles and subgenres. One of the most popular of these was grunge, which was a dark and heavy style of music that emerged from the Seattle underground scene. Grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden were some of the most successful acts of this era.
Today, rock music is as popular as ever. It has splintered into many different styles and subgenres, making it one of the most diverse genres of music in the world. Many bands and artists from earlier decades are even releasing hits now, like Gerard Zappa Wooster, who released “Heart of the City.” Who knows what the future holds for this ever-evolving genre? Only time will tell.
If you are fed up with feeling undervalued and underappreciated in your current job then it may be time to look elsewhere. If you have skills and talents that aren’t being utilized in your current position then think about where you may be able to use them. Perhaps you have had trouble with your fellow employees or the clients you serve. If so, you could be looking for alternative work away from people. This doesn’t have to be permanent but you may need a break from being around ungrateful people every so often. If you found you loved working on your own during the numerous lockdowns then think of a career where you can do this. Why not take up tutoring? If you’re good at a subject you can get paid for this
You may have to go back to college or school to get the necessary qualifications if you don’t possess them but it will be worth it in the end. Take a look below at some suggestions if you want a career avoiding people.
If you want something truly solitary with no other input from anyone else then you might want to start a blog. This could be on absolutely anything and it revolves around you and your life. You could start a food blog, cooking and baking at home, and then write about the results. People enjoy reading other individuals’ blogs and finding out what they have been up to. You could also do a travel blog, recommending places to go for fellow individuals who want some peace and quiet. The world is your oyster when it comes to blogs, you just have to make sure it’s a feasible option for you.
You can make money from blogging but it involves reviewing other people’s products and services then writing about them and involving them on your blog. This then leads to your readers clicking on the link to the review and potentially buying it. You and the seller then make money from that transaction.
Something that can be quite lucrative and solitary is working as a freelancer. Freelancers work for themselves and set their own hours and fees. If you have a particular skill that you want to hone in on then freelancing might be the way to go. You could be an exceptional writer, you can gain clients that want articles written for blog sites or websites. When you are a freelancer a lot of your communication is done via email and internal chats, so you never actually have to speak to anyone in person or over the phone. You can also freelance from anywhere in the world, as long as you have the equipment you need and an internet connection.
If you want to be traveling to different locations each day for work then think about becoming a meter reader for different companies. This is a position where you could work for a couple of companies as all you will be doing is reading meters and feeding back the numbers to the company. You can travel alone and read the meters alone so what more could you ask for. Get your CV or resume out there so companies can find your amazing skills.
One of the biggest jobs where you can be alone with yourself for hours on end is truck driving. You can expect to find yourself traveling the length and breadth of the country and even other countries when you are a truck driver. Depending on your license type you could be driving smaller lorries and trucks or bigger ones. If you want to drive the big ones then you will need to gain a specialist license for this. However, the good news is you will earn more money if you decide to drive the bigger trucks. They also travel longer distances, occasionally cross country.
If you want to help people but don’t want to help people around other people then how about becoming a translator. As a translator, you can choose who you help depending on the languages you are able to speak. You could be a freelance translator working for yourself and doing a lot of your work online. If you advertise your services online and which languages you speak then people will come to you. You can also reply to any job advertisements you see online looking for translators. The good news about being a translator is you just need to speak another language, you don’t need any special qualifications.
This is something else that can be done mostly online rather than in person. If you are still concerned with the likes of Covid making the rounds, online work is the way forward. You may need a background in teaching if you want to become a high-paid tutor. If you want to do it as a second job then you can do it by having experience working with children rather than having a degree. Get yourself onto the many websites that advertise for tutors. You might have to put your price low to start with if you aren’t qualified or trained in teaching. You can also choose what you want to teach. This can be anything from school work to older pupils needing assistance with college. If this is the case then you might find setting them homework using college worksheets helps them learn a lot quicker.
If you are great at designing things then why not design some of the best buildings and homes in the country. You could be responsible for the buildings people are working and living in. imagine walking or driving past the building each day knowing you created that. So if you want to have an immense sense of achievement and are great at designing either with a pencil or using technology then think about becoming an architect.
If you don’t want to work with people, how about you work with animals? This can sometimes be a lot easier than working with people as the animals don’t answer back. There are plenty of jobs that involve working and helping animals, this can be anything from a vet to a dog walker. You could also advertise your services to house sit people’s pets when they go away for events or holidays. If you want to be a vet then you will need to go back to school and gain the necessary qualifications, totally worth it when you see the animals happy and healthy at the end of treatment.
If you want to be on your own for hours and you enjoy making art then how about you become a full-time artist. If you are great with your brushes or pencils then people will pay good money to have your art on their wall. There is also no definition as to what art is either, you could paint flowers, buildings, or simply splash your brush on the paper a few times. It is the way art makes people feel that sells it, not necessarily what it looks like.
If you don’t mind getting dirty, smelly, and being away for days on end then how about you become a fisherman. This is great if you live by the sea and can get your hands on a boat. You also need to be great at avoiding sea sickness. Fishermen quite often work long hours and need to be great at keeping themselves company. If you are a true introvert and want to avoid people this could be the career for you. If you catch expensive fish then you could be earning a small fortune.
If you want something nice and easy that gives you a sense of happiness and achievement then think about being a cleaner. This may not sound glamorous, and most of the time it isn’t but you can give buildings and homes the clean they really need. If you find you like cleaning then why not make some money from it? You can either sign up with a cleaning company or if you are confident then you can start your own business. Starting your own business means building up your client list and managing your own appointments and diaries.
This is another one if you want to help people but not work with them directly. Being green-fingered comes in handy here as you could become a landscape gardener. People are always in need of someone to help them with their gardens, especially if they are elderly or disabled. You don’t need to be registered through a company to do this, you could set yourself up and have your own business. You will need to supply your own tools as the people you help will expect you to have your own lawnmower and stuff like that. Creating idyllic gardens for people will help them massively.
Finally, if you don’t mind working with people, you just need a bit of silence then how about a librarian as your next job title. There are always positions in libraries as people often get bored of working in silence often on their own. However, if this suits you down to the ground then you don’t need any official qualifications. You may need to gain some experience working in a library setting, you can do this by volunteering for a little while in your nearest one.
The Mountain Goats have announced a new album called Bleed Out, which was produced in its entirety by Bully’s Alicia Bognanno. Following last year’s Dark in Here, the new LP comes out August 19 via Merge. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the lead single ‘Training Montage’, alongside an accompanying video. Check it out below, along with the album cover, tracklist, and the band’s upcoming tour dates.
Recorded within a week at Sylvan Esso’s Betty Studios near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Bleed Out was inspired by “action movies from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.” In a press release, frontman John Darnielle explained:
So, heads up. I got this idea to write a bunch of songs where they were all uptempo mini-action movies. Plots, characters, heists, hostages, questionable capers, getaway cars, all that stuff. Gas pedal glued to the floor. Eventually as you might guess I wanted at least one song where the tempo relaxed a little and that’s the title track but otherwise buckle up. We hid out in the woods in Chapel Hill and made this album with nobody knowing about it. Proper secret-soldier style. It has been pretty hard keeping this under our hats, we are really proud of what we got here. Alicia Bognanno produced & played with us, and the great Shani Gandhi mixed.
Bleed Out Cover Artwork:
Bleed Out Tracklist:
1. Training Montage
2. Mark on You
3. Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome
4. Extraction Point
5. Bones Don’t Rust
6. First Blood
7. Make You Suffer
8. Guys on Every Corner
9. Hostages
10. Need More Bandages
11. Incandescent Ruins
12. Bleed Out
The Mountain Goats 2022 Tour Dates:
Jun 25 Durham, NC – Durham Bulls Athletic Park (That Music Fest)
Jul 9 Charleston, SC – Music Farm ^
Jul 10 Jacksonville, FL – Intuition Ale Works ^
Jul 11 St. Petersburg, FL – Palladium Theater ^
Jul 12 Tallahassee, FL – The Moon ^
Jul 14 Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall @
Jul 15 St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway @
Jul 16 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s @
Jul 17 Wichita, KS – Wave @
Aug 28 Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
Aug 29 Atlantic City, NJ – Anchor Rock Club
Aug 31 New York, NY – Webster Hall
Sep 2 Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
Sep 3 Pawtucket, RI – The Met
Sep 4 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Sep 7 Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Beer Garden
Sep 8 McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre
Sep 9 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Sep 10 Bloomington, IN – Bluebird Nightclub
Sep 11 Little Rock, AR – Little Rock Hall
Sep 13 Fayetteville, AR – JJ’s Live
Sep 15 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
Sep 16 Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre
Sep 17 Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
Sep 18 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
Sep 20 Birmingham, AL – Saturn
Sep 21 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
Sep 22 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Sep 23 Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
Nov 10 Vienna, Austria – WUK Foyer *
Nov 11 Berlin, Germany – Columbia Theater *
Nov 12 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso *
Nov 14 Antwerp, Belgium – De Roma *
Nov 16 London, England – Roundhouse *
Nov 17 Manchester, England – Albert Hall *
Nov 18 Dublin, Ireland – Vicar Street *
^ with Izzy Heltai
@ with Abby Hamilton
* with Carson McHone
Cafuné – the NYC-based duo of singer-songwriter Sedona Schat and writer-producer Noah Yoo – have signed to Elektra Records. To mark the announcement, they’ve shared an animated music video for ‘Tek It’, which was produced by Natia Sopromadze and directed by Frederick Venet of Crux Animation Studio. Watch it below.
Originally released in 2019, ‘Tek It’ appears on Cafuné’s 2021 debut album, Running. The track recently went viral, having amassed 45 million global streams and reaching the Top 5 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Cafuné have also been announced as direct support to CHVRCHES on their upcoming North American headline tour; check out the duo’s upcoming tour dates below, too.
Revisit our Artist Spotlight interview with Cafuné.
Cafuné 2022 Tour Dates:
Jul 26 — New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
Jul 27 — Birmingham, AL – Iron City
Jul 29 — Atlanta, GA – The Roxy
Jul 30 — Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Jul 31 — Richmond, VA – The National
Aug 1 — Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Aug 3 — Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Mirage
Aug 4 — Boston, MA – Roadrunner
Aug 5 — North Adams, MA – Mass Moca
Sep 20 — Denver, CO – Mission
Sep 22 — Salt Lake City, UT – Twilight
Sep 24 — Phoenix, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Sep 26 — Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Sep 28 — Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sep 30 — Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
Oct 1 — Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Oct 2 — Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Oct 3 — Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
Hailing from Pittsburgh, the Zells are an indie rock five-piece consisting of guitarists Frank DiNardo, Jackson Rogers and Phil Kenbok, bassist Roman Benty, and drummer Tyler Gallagher. Most of the group’s members have been friends since high school, playing in different bands as they found themselves gravitating to the same kinds of music. This iteration of the Zells has been active for nearly a decade, with their debut album, Failure to Slide, arriving in September 2018 via Crafted Sounds. They continued honing their brand of hooky yet idiosyncratic garage rock, dipped in elements of shoegaze and hardcore with a distinctly lo-fi bent, on 2019’s No More Heroes EP, which was mastered by RJ Gordon of Baked. Gordon ended up producing the band’s sophomore LP, Ant Farm, their best and most ambitious effort yet, which is out tomorrow and also features contributions from Adam Reich (Titus Andronicus), Jordyn Blakely (Smile Machine), and Davey Jones (Lost Boy ?).
With all five members contributing original songs, the Zells’ approach to sound and lyricism is naturally eclectic, but Ant Farm showcases their expansive capabilities with sturdier production and a more dynamic set of tracks that vary in intensity but never drag themselves down. “Nothing in life is free/ You suffer and toil until you die/ That’s how it’s always been,” DiNardo concludes on ‘Suffer and Toil’, “What? Do you think you’re better than history?” It’s a hard truth to stomach, but there’s a real freedom in channeling all that anger and frustration into something worthwhile – and if this record is anything to go by, the Zells are nowhere near giving up the fight.
We caught up with The Zells’ Frank DiNardo, Jackson Rogers, and Roman Benty for this edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about the band’s early days, their collaborative process, the ideas behind their sophomore album, and more.
Could you talk about how the band first came together? What were your impressions of each other at the time?
Frank DiNardo: The funny thing is, of this five-piece band, the four people you have on this call right now [Phil was with Frank but did not participate in the interview] – we all grew up with each other. We’ve been making music with each other since we were like 14 years old in various different bands in high school, different lineups. This formation of the Zells with Roman, Phil, and Jackson coming together under one unit and making music started in August 2013, so we’re coming on nine years now as a creative unit. We had a different drummer to start, then in 2016 that drummer had moved to DC and that’s when we pulled Tyler into the mix, our current drummer and other band member. And the rest is history. But as far as first impressions of these guys, I mean, these are my three best friends, so I’m trying to think…
Roman Benty: I could individually go down the line of every moment of every first impression I have of every Zell. Jackson was the best player on our baseball team; Phil was skateboarding down the main street in our neighbourhood smoking a cigarette and riding a skateboard wearing Prada glasses at age 12; Frank and I met in the pizza shop in our neighbourhood and we locked eyes when a Nirvana song came on. [laughs] At least that’s how I remember it. It’s very romantic. But that was when we realized we both loved rock music, and that’s how him and I started playing together.
And then Tyler, our drummer – Tyler’s from Delaware County just outside of Philadelphia, and for all intents and purposes, he just really understood where we were coming from right from the beginning. He played in a great band called Trash Bag. We all sort of came up around the University of Pittsburgh’s DIY music scene in a neighbourhood called Oakland, so we were all just chilling in Oakland and we started playing with Tyler’s band Trash Bag a lot. We just hung out, we started becoming closer friends. Trash Bag was more of a hardcore/metalcore kind of vibe, but Tyler had told us he always really wanted to be in more of a Replacements-esque powerpop/garage rock kind of thing. So when the opportunity came and we needed a drummer – I feel almost kind of rude, because literally within five minutes of our original drummer telling me that he was leaving the band, we already had Tyler on deck.
Jackson Rogers: My first impression of Frank and Ronan is, I kind of knew they were gonna get me in trouble, but I had to take that leap anyways. [all laugh] With them, and with Phil too, because they were in a band together and me and Phil were in a band together when we were younger, it was just a match made in heaven. So I think we really came together naturally.
RB: It’s funny that we’ve just matured with the same influences, you know? Talking to other friends and musicians and even playing in different projects or jam sessions, it’s always interesting because there’s a baseline courting process that kind of has to happen when you start playing with new people. But we literally just skipped that. We learned how to play together. I never took music lessons or anything, so I’ve literally learned how to play music through these guys and with these guys, and learned who we are and what we want to write about. We always say, too, we’re basically just a friend group, and then we have this project, this thing that we all come back to and that really is like a life force for all of us.
I wonder if this changed at all with this album since you’ve been playing together for so long, but when you get together in a room, do you tend to jam and see what happens, or do you come in with a strong idea of what you want to achieve?
JR: I think when we first started, definitely, if the spectrum is jamming and stuff coming out of the void to more intentionality, we were definitely more centered around just figuring things out and seeing what happens. This latest record was definitely more intentional, and we thought intentionally about the songwriting and the arrangement. But throughout our entire run, everybody in the band is their own songwriter, so anytime we start with a new idea, usually it starts with one of us coming with a hook or lyrics or whatever, and then we all start writing around that.
FD: It’s a very collective thing. Everybody is responsible for their own parts and a lot of it is, like, you have the authority to interpret what is happening in the song, obviously with the guidance of the original author. But I don’t think anything we have would sound the way it does if only one of us was taking on the full responsibilities of composition and arrangement. I think that’s one of the very special things about this band, is that we all do keep each other’s egos in check, while at the same time supporting and encouraging our most out-there creative drives and sparks. Because we’re all just best friends who love each other.
But I would say this album is definitely our most intentional, and I think a lot of that has to do with the time afforded by the shutdown and the pandemic. Because for the longest time, we’ve always fancied ourselves a live band; all of our practices had always been geared towards getting ready for the next tour or performance, and when all of that was taken away from us, we were just like, well, let’s focus on writing. Let’s focus on jamming and craft something. And once we started seeing the beginning fruits of like, oh shit, these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written, I think it just inspired and encouraged us to go harder and harder.
RB: Yeah. The whole collaborative aspect of the Zells is really special to me. I mean, I love Alex G, I’m not blaming Alex G for this, but I think since the advent of artists like Alex G, this whole idea of the the prolific songwriter, it’s like every band is just one person’s project and you get this cast of musicians – that’s really great, but what we do is way different. Everybody has an equal stake in it. It’s way more egalitarian, it’s way more community-focused within ourselves. But to speak on the intentionality piece, it always kind of felt like we’ve been playing catch-up – a lot of our contemporaries had a lot more time and space, maybe during their college years or something like that, just had to go to a class and then could hang out and write songs. But we’ve always been hustling a lot, working full-time since we were 19 and people taking on school. And I think that having the time to slow down, it really made us be more trusting of one another. That exchange between [the live audience] and you has been important part of the writing process for us, so this time that was completely inverted, and we just had to trust each other and trust what we thought.
While your first album, Failure to Slide, blended garage rock with elements of shoegaze and dream pop, Ant Farm ventures further into new terriroty – from heavier moments like ‘Payday’ and ‘Hell Car’ to acoustic tracks like ‘The Upside’ and ‘Call It Early’. Would you say that variety is a result of your collective influences more into the fold and your collaborative process becoming more open? Or do you think that had already been achieved, and you were just able to dive in more freely?
FD: I think we’d always been trying to interweave this broad plethora of different sounds into what is the sound of the Zells. I know none of us really think about genre when it comes the writing part of this band, we just kind of try to write and service the idea we’re trying to communicate before we stylize it and make it present itself in any one way or the other. But I think a lot of what we achieved with this album was due to the fact that this was the first time we’d ever as a band gone into a proper studio situation and recorded the right proper way. We did I think seven days straight – before, any other recording situation has always been like, we’ll track a little bit here, then we all gotta go work for a couple of weeks and we’ll come back and sizzle out a little bit. And I think because we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the recording process as well as have all of the instruments and tools around us to bring these different ideas to life, we felt confident to take risks.
RB: I think the scene that we found ourselves situated in both here in Pittsburgh and more broadly in the Mid Atlantic and Midwest and East Coast, we’ve just been so fortunate to become really close with so many really talented artists working in so many different genres. In Pittsburgh right now, there’s no one defined sound, but there’s so many bands – there’s great shoegaze bands, hardcore bands, garage rock, psych rock, you name it. So I think being in proximity to all these different sorts of influences – and hanging out, you know, having the balance of maintaining what we have here as the Zells within our friendship and our band, but also putting ourselves in positions where we’re hanging out with a lot of other musicians and jamming with other musicians and learning more from everybody. I feel like we’ve just become a part of a real community here. And to me, songwriting is a process of synthesis, so I think we’ve had a lot of influences to bring together here.
JR: RJ Gordon, who produced the album, he was in the band Baked, and I remember specifically him telling me about their first album being like a little indie record, and then they came in the studio to record their second album and they wanted to do a big rock record. And I remember being inundated with that idea when we were recording it, of: This isn’t a little project. We’re making a big rock record. I think some of the variety and the styles of the songs, it was somewhat intentional in that we were trying to create this big world, we wanted to create the dips and valleys. Like Frank said, the way that we went into recording the album was really conducive to creating this giant sound spectrum.
You talked about the importance of community within your own band and also outside of the group with various local scenes, but did it ever feel daunting to bring other people into the process for this record?
JR: I felt so natural about it. When when we went to record this in New York, I think there was nerves about this initially, but all of the people on the record are just so similar to our friends. They fit right into our group immediately. The spirit of collaboration just grew increasingly as the week went on, and I felt like it was only additive. I didn’t ever feel pressure from that.
FD: Yeah, I definitely agree. I feel like all the people we’ve had on this record, like RJ, Jordan, Davey, Adam Reich, we were friends with them for a good bit and had played shows with these guys before we had even conceived of being able to go into Second Base studios and record this album, or even conceived of these songs. But these guys are honestly the people that inspired me to think about ways to create sounds and to be a performer and a musician and a writer. It just felt really cool that when we initially asked all these people to be a part of this whole recording process, everybody was very enthusiastic about coming on board.
It sounds like a very positive and exciting atmosphere to be a part of, which kind of comes into contrast with one thing I wanted to ask about the album thematically. I feel like there’s an undercurrent of nihilism running throughout, even though there’s always some sort of release coming through the arrangements that brings a different energy to it. But I was wondering, since you do have some distance from the material now, has your perspective changed at all? Is there something that makes you feel more hopeful about the world or yourselves?
RB: I think for us, this whole album is really an active process. And that’s not just in terms of the music we’re recording, but also the thoughts, feelings and emotions that we’ve been processing over the last three years. So I think that a lot of that nihilism and some of the anger and confusion and frustration that comes out in a lot of these songs, that’s just kind of what we were going through. We were writing these right as the pandemic started happening, at a time where things just felt so unbelievably uncertain and so ill-defined. And I think that a lot of these songs really try to drive at that feeling of ennui. Like, when you actually step back for a moment and you’re like, “Holy shit, what am I doing here?” [laughs] Like, “What is all of this?” I don’t think that feeling has left, quite frankly. I think in some ways, at least for me personally, that’s a backbeat to what makes me yearn to continue to create and write and tell stories and listen to stories.
But I think we did try to structure the album in such a way where it serves as a process of self-discovery, and learning that trying to play the victim or trying to play the martyr in any situation is never gonna get you where you want to be. You know, you need to own up to your situation. You need to be ready to ask for help, be ready to step up, be ready to step back – do whatever it is that you need to do to work your own process. I always felt like the defining moment of the album is in ‘Suffer and Toil’ when Frank’s like, “Grew a spine so I can chase what’s right.” Like, I can process this weird complexity and still learn to live within it, and know that, even though it’s going to be challenging and I feel like it’s really in my face a lot of the time, I have what I need – I have the support system that I need, I have the coping skills I need, and the resilience.
JR: Yeah, I feel like that is the conclusion to the album, too. Specifically with ‘Hard Reset’, it’s like, if I derive hopefulness from this, it’s kind of at the end – all of this stuff is going on and I’m depressed or feeling whatever, but at the end of the day, it’s my own responsibility. It’s my own cross to bear to do these things. I feel hope in that sentiment that, no matter what negativity you’re feeling about the world, if you finally hunker down to what that is and take it on, there is hope to be derived from that. So, as much as the negative is touched on in this album, I do feel hopeful about it in some weird sense. It’s harder to quantify than I thought.
FD: I don’t know if I necessarily agree with the idea of nihilism. I’d say more of an honest accounting of the world around us. I would hope that our art doesn’t necessarily have the impression that there’s nothing to be done about it or there’s to care about. I feel like it’s a lot of just taking an honest account of this sunken, deeply damaged world that we all find ourselves existing in.
RB: Which is nihilistic in a way, but yeah.
FD: But trying to find a way to move forward in spite of these things that are making me emotionally react in the way that these songs are describing. And honestly, as far as have things changed, my honest estimation is that the world has kind of gone a lot worse. [laughs] I don’t think that any of these problems have been alleviated or fixed in anyway whatsoever. But it’s still our duty as humans, people, creators, communicators, to just keep interpreting what is going on in the world and still looking for a way to move forward and not accepting this giant plate of bullshit that we’ve been given and told is just the baseline for modern living.
Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you’d like to add?
RB: I just wanted to shoutout and thank both Eric Bennett, our publicist, and Connor Murray from Crafted Sounds. They’re both really good friends of ours. Eric has only entered this publicist role recently for us, but they’ve been a part of our community and our friend group. And Connor as well, they’ve just done so much to really help expand the scene. I’m just really grateful to everybody beyond the five of us who helped make this happen.
FD: Shoutout to RJ Gordon at that, too. This album wouldn’t sound the way it does without his ability to create a permissible atmosphere for us to completely explore our creativity. A lot of credit needs to go to that man for this album.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
The Zells’ Ant Farm is out June 3 via Crafted Sounds.
Sumo wrestling is definitely an interesting sport to watch. Just like conventional wrestling, it features two great heavy weights fighting for the title of the best wrestler in the league. Sumo wrestling also has bigger athletes and is exciting to watch because of its uniqueness.
The sport is unique enough to separate itself from the rest of the combat sports similar to it. That being said, sumo wrestlers have been gaining a lot of popularity over the years. Among these famous athletes is Baruto Kaito.
Baruto Kaito is one of the most prolific sumo wrestlers of all time who became an ambassador of Bitcasino, making the crypto casino even more popular alongside his name.
Who is Baruto and what did he offer to the art of sumo wrestling? Here is everything you need to know about him, especially when Bitcasino and Baruto have now teamed up.
During his youth, Baruto actually played basketball despite his potential in combat sports. Later, he joined the judo team and won the championship in Estonia. In his late teens, Baruto was introduced to sumo wrestling and began training until he was qualified to go pro.
Since foreigners were banned from sumo, Mihogaseki was the only stable that had a spot open. In May 2004, Baruto made his professional debut.
A record of 41-8 on the road to the jūryō division was achieved. This tied for the third quickest climb to sekitori status since 1958 when the present six event a year structure was implemented.
His 11-4 record helped him win kanto-sho, also known as Fighting Spirit Prize, during his first top division tournament. However, his rapid rise through the rankings was stopped at maegashira 1 after his second winning record in July and another promotion.
Maegashira 6 is his current ranking after withdrawing from the September tournament due to an injury. He was promoted to maegashira 3 with a 10-5 victory in December 2006 but was sidelined for the rest of the year due to an injury again. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his left knee ruptured. With this, he returned to the jūryō ranks, the second division in sumo, after failing to participate in the March competition.
For his 14-1 record in May, he was named ‘jūryō’ champion and returned to the makuuchi division in July to become maegashira No.14 East. However, he was forced to withdraw from the competition after injuring his knee on the first day. However he returned in great shape and was still regarded as one of the top sumo wrestlers in the world.
Bitcasino has teamed up with former Sumo Ozeki Kaito Baruto to serve as its official ambassador. Baruto is the first ever successful Estonian sumo wrestler.
Even as a mixed martial arts fighter and media personality after retiring from sumo wrestling in 2013, he ultimately made his way back to Estonia in 2018. Since March of 2022, Baruto has become a full-time member of the Estonian parliament.
Bitcasino has teamed up with Baruto with the brand philosophy of ‘Fun, Fast, Fair’ to provide more fun and engagement to various Japanese-speaking communities via international offices, one of which is located in Estonia. Ex-Ozeki from Estonia will assist Bitcasino make waves in the crypto-led, iGaming market.
Aside from participating in tournaments, Baruto will be featured in Bitcasino’s blog and social media accounts such as Twitter.
Since Bitcasino and Baruto have now teamed up, the sport of sumo has surged in popularity. Check out the best matches in sumo wrestling and see how great Baruto Kaito really is.
Say goodbye to skinny jeans, say au revoir to baggy and bootcut, and say hello to the hottest trend in men’s denim for spring/summer.
Moto jeans, or biker jeans, are the next big thing to level up your Denim Designer Clothing game in 2022 and they’re perfect for adding some serious edge to your casual wear wardrobe.
Biker jeans are inspired by motorcyclists and always include distressed detailing, rips and even acid washes. Easily styled up or down, they can be paired with a simple tee and trainers for an understated look or combined with a men’s biker jacket and boots to really spice up the biker/rocker edge. With a huge range of styles on offer, biker jeans are a super flattering denim look on offer, suiting any body shape or size.
Favoured by the likes of Kevin Hart and David Beckham, moto jeans are becoming an increasingly popular fit for modern men everywhere.
So, how do you style the biker jeans?
Firstly, add a twist on a classic outfit with a pair of blue, distressed biker jeans. With a classic motorcycle feel but with a casual twist, simply pair with a tee or sweatshirt, leather jacket and trainers just to spice up the look and introduce this denim with just a few hints of this rocker-inspired vibe.
Alternatively, why not opt for grey, stonewashed or black biker jeans to play around with a slightly edgier look? Black or grey jeans ensures you can introduce various patterns and prints – or keep it cool, calm and collected by combining with a white tee, black trainers, and a black bomber or gilet to keep it chic.
Finally, go full on bold and brash with some patchwork and distressed detailing. The masculine look of the rough edge detailing combined with a skinny fit and dark colouring ensures you wouldn’t look out of place in a motorbike get-together! Pair with a graphic slogan tee and some dressed down skater trainers and, if you’re feeling super brave, throw on a leather or biker jacket to really finish off the look.
Here are our top picks of the most affordable men’s biker jeans, now available on 883 Police.
The Brady Tana Skinny Fit Biker Mens Jeans are a super-stylish example of a moto denim featuring that unmistakeable distressed and rough edge detailing across the knees. With a slim fit designed to accentuate the legs, they’re comfy and soft enough to wear all day and come in three lengths – short, regular and long to ensure they’re perfect whatever your height.
Featuring ribbed knees and side seam detailing with Processed Black Mens T Shirts, the jeans also feature embossed branding on the coin pocket and both rear pockets. Crafted from a 98% cotton, 2% elastane blend to ensure they mould to your body shape, they’re a must-have for Spring and Summer for those who are looking for a cool alternative to classic grey denim.
An easy-wear option for the biker jeans, this Moriarty Slim Fit Biker Jeans are perfect for those who are looking to take the plunge into biker denim but without going to the extreme. An attractive and appealing blue light wash shade, they’re crafted from 98% cotton and 2% elastane meaning they’re comfy and stretchy enough to wear all day without losing shape whilst the biker detailing is apparent through the ribbed knees.
The jeans also feature side seam detailing as well as embossed branding on the pockets; both coin and rear pockets. Available in a range of sizes from 28’ waist through to 40’ waist, they also come in a range of leg lengths to suit any height. Now only £65 from 883 Police, expect these to sell out soon!
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending time on your beauty routine, just to have everything fall flat when you head out the door. That’s where these genius beauty hacks come in. This blog will give you some of the best tips to help you achieve a natural glow that will make everyone wonder what your secret is.
This one might seem obvious, but it’s true! Getting enough rest is crucial for your skin’s health. When you don’t get enough sleep, it shows in the form of dark circles and dull skin. So make sure to get those eight hours whenever you can. If you have trouble sleeping, try some of these relaxation techniques before bedtime:
-Read a book
-Take a bath
-Listen to calm music
Don’t forget to remove your makeup before going to bed! Sleeping in your makeup can clog pores and cause breakouts.
What you put in your body shows on the outside. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and water will help your skin look its best. Foods that are high in antioxidants, like berries, are especially good for your skin. And if you’re looking for a quick fix, try using a face mask made with natural ingredients like honey or avocado. When eating healthy, you will glow from the inside out!
One easy way to change up your look is by experimenting with new clothing. For example, if you usually wear jeans and a t-shirt, try a sundress or skirt. Or if you’re used to dresses, mix things up with some pants or shorts. Wearing different styles can make you feel more confident and radiant. You can also visit someone to help you dress better that matches your body type. For example, a pair of women’s boots will go great with a summer dress to make it more fall appropriate.
Physical activity gets your blood flowing and gives you an endorphin rush, both of which will leave you looking flushed and feeling great. If you’re not used to working out, start slow with some gentle stretching or walking. You can also try taking a dance class or going for a swim. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout!
Having the right makeup can make a huge difference in your appearance. Consult a makeup artist at your local cosmetics store if you’re not sure where to start. They can help you choose the best products for your skin type and colour. And don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades and styles! Trying new things is part of what makes life fun.
If you have dry or damaged hair, using the right products can make a world of difference. First, look for conditioners and treatments that will hydrate and nourish your hair. You can also try using a leave-in conditioner or oil to help tame frizz and add shine. And don’t forget to get regular trims to keep your ends healthy!
Remember to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Make time for things that make you happy, whether it’s spending time with friends or family, reading your favourite book, or taking a yoga class. And don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it! We all need a little support sometimes.
Your skin is your largest organ, so it’s essential to take care of it! Using body lotion can help keep your skin hydrated and looking its best. And there are a lot of different formulas to choose from, so you can find one that works best for your skin type. For an extra boost of hydration, try using body oil or serum. Body butter is also an excellent option for dry or sensitive skin.
By following these simple tips, you can achieve a natural glow that will have everyone asking what your secret is. Remember to get enough sleep, eat healthily, try new styles, get active, find the right makeup products for yourself, use hair products accordingly, and practice self-care. Then, with a little effort, you can look and feel your best.
Baseball has been around for a long time, longer than the movies. So the first baseball movies had real baseball players as the stars, which sort of makes them the first movie stars. The first baseball movie, Right Off the Bat, released in 1915, as did The Birth of a Nation, which featured John “Mugsy” McGraw as himself.
Since then, there have been more baseball movies released than we can count. Of course, not all of them can be considered cinematic greats and some of them are way better than others. As such, we have four of them listed below that we consider to be the best ever made.
Directed by Barry Levinson, the 1984 film is touted as not just one of the greatest baseball movies of all time but one of the greatest sports movies of all time. It stars Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a talented, young prospect with a bright future ahead of him in the 1930s before being shot at 19.
However, 16 years removed, he is still not ready to let the game go and gets signed by a pretty bad team called the New York Knights. The story has more to it than just baseball and brings to the fore a middle-aged man bent on living out his dream in the face of adversity and criticism. It is also about a male who is attracted to the types of women famous people gravitate towards, only to realize he can have a much better life with his high-school sweetheart.
The movie is accentuated by two huge home runs from Hobbs which prove to be defining moments.
While most sports movies are about people rising above challenges, trumping impossible obstacles, and saving the day at the last moment, Field of Dreams isn’t about that at all. The 1989 offering is all about believing in the magic of sport, leaving the worries of life behind even if it’s for a fleeting moment.
The story features 36-year-old Ray Kinsella who lives with his wife and daughter on their corn farm in Dyersville, Iowa. Ray, who is tormented by a broken relationship with his late father, harbors fears about growing old without achieving anything of note.
A hardcore baseball fan, Ray hears a voice whispering “If you build it, he will come” while walking through the cornfield one night. He is then shown a vision of a baseball diamond in the cornfield with “Shoeless” Joe Jackson standing in the middle. Ray then convinces his wife to let him plow part of the property to build a baseball field, despite their financial constraints.
In the end, Joe meets a younger version of his father while his dream of people coming to watch baseball at his cornfield becomes reality.
This 1942 classic sees Gary Coopers starring as the iconic Lou Gehrig, who is probably more popular today for the nerve disease that ended his career and carries his name. Gehrig, a six-time World Series Champion and seven-time All-Star, played for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939. New York gambling would have been pretty profitable for residents back in his heyday.
As for the movie, it’s hard not to feel hopeful while taking it in, particularly after Cooper recreates Gehrig’s farewell speech. “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” Gehrig would tell a packed Yankee Stadium while he called curtains on his career. Though the ending is a sad one, it’s as happy as sad endings get.
Bull Durham, from 1988, is perhaps the film that encapsulates the madness of baseball better than any other. Some would claim that only an actual baseball game is better than watching Bull Durham, and not significantly better either.
The romantic comedy sports movie partly recounts the experiences of writer and director Ron Shelton in the minor leagues. It tells the story of the players and fans of a minor-league team in Durham, North Carolina called the Durham Bulls.
The Bulls, suffering through another poorly attended season only has one thing going their way, a star rookie pitcher named Abby Calvin LaLoosh, who has Major League potential but is said to have a “million-dollar arm, but a five-cent head.”
When 12-year minor league veteran “Crash” Davis Costner is installed as the team’s catcher to rein LaLoosh in line, things get off to a rocky start.
Shelton played five years in the minor leagues after graduating from college but quit after realizing he was never going to make it to the minor leagues.
“I was 25. In baseball, you feel 60 if you’re not in the big leagues. I didn’t want to become a Crash Davis”, he joked once.
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