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Ranked: The 3 Best Insurance Comparison Sites for Auto, Home, and Bundles

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Ranked: The 3 Best Insurance Comparison Sites for Auto, Home, and Bundles

Prices for car and home cover have jumped again, and if you are juggling rent, festival tickets, and a decent laptop, every dollar counts. Bundling can cut costs, but only if you compare like-for-like quotes from a wide range of insurers – and avoid sites that sell your info instead of showing real numbers. We put three big comparison platforms to the test with a creator’s reality in mind: city driving, renters or first homes, and gear you actually care about.

The 3-minute speed run

TL;DR quick verdicts

  • Insurify – Deepest carrier mix and cleanest no spam stance. Best starting point for serious bundle hunting.
  • Compare.com – Highly accurate, bindable rates. Great if you want precision and minimal hassle.
  • Policygenius – Strong human help and education. Fewer carriers, but excellent for first timers.

Who should use what

  • City drivers and EV owners: Insurify or Compare.com for low-mileage and pay-per-mile options.
  • Renters pairing auto + renters: Insurify or Compare.com first, then Policygenius if you want advice.
  • First-time homebuyers: Policygenius for hand-holding, verify prices on Insurify or Compare.com.

Deep dive: how each platform handles auto, home, and bundling

Insurify – The all-terrain workhorse

Auto depth: Broadest panel across national and regional carriers (500+) with real-time rates. Good at surfacing low-mileage, usage-based, and EV-friendly options.

Home depth: Strong homeowners and renters coverage options, with editable property details so you can tweak roof age, construction type, or security features without restarting the quote.

Bundling: Transparent bundle math lets you compare stand-alone vs. package pricing side by side. This is solid for renters and auto bundles if you are not ready to buy a home yet.

Trust signals: Consistently strong consumer reviews and a clear privacy policy with a no spam posture.

Who it’s for: Low-mileage city drivers, EV owners, renters who may bundle later, privacy privacy-conscious shoppers.

Watch outs: The widest net means more options to parse. Take two minutes to match deductibles and limits before comparing numbers.

Compare.com – The accuracy hawk

Auto depth: This is a large panel (120+) with bindable rates that tend to match checkout closely. It stands out for side-by-side clarity and fewer surprises when you click through to buy.

Home depth: Competitive for homeowners and renters, with smooth pathways to bundle quotes.

Bundling: Clear indicators of carriers offering meaningful multi-policy discounts and occasional single deductible claims handling.

Trust signals: Positive consumer sentiment, long-standing BBB record, and a straightforward data policy.

Who it’s for: Busy readers who want prices they can actually bind without agent games.

Watch outs: The panel is slightly smaller than Insurify, so cross-check if you live in a niche market or have a complex history.

Policygenius – The advisor in your browser

Auto depth: Leaner list of carriers than Compare.com and definitely smaller than Insurify. Car insurance is not the platform’s primary focus, but it’s backed by licensed brokers who can sanity check coverage.

Home depth: Stronger on homeowners and renters, but still not as robust as Insurify and Compare.com. with good explanations of coverage parts like extended replacement, scheduled property, and water backup.

Bundling: Helpful guidance on whether to bundle or keep lines separate based on carrier and discount math. Great for first timers who want a person to explain tradeoffs.

Trust signals: Generally strong reviews and transparent process, with clear expectations about advisor outreach.

Who it’s for: First-time homebuyers and shoppers adding scheduled coverage for cameras or instruments.

Watch outs: Fewer carriers mean fewer price points. Treat it as your advice layer and confirm prices with one of the depth leaders above.

Renters + auto vs home + auto: which bundle wins when

  • Renters + auto can be a strong interim play if you are city-based or still saving for a down payment. Savings are smaller than home + auto, but still meaningful if your auto rate just spiked.
  • Home + auto usually unlocks the biggest discounts when a carrier really wants your whole account. You will often see the best total price when both lines are with the same insurer and deductibles are aligned.
  • When to keep lines separate: If one carrier dominates on auto but is uncompetitive on home due to roof age, location risk, or past claims, you may pay less by splitting. Use two sites to test both scenarios.

Privacy and spam: a two-minute safety check

  • Look for a no spam promise and a visible carrier list. If the site only collects your info and never shows prices, it is likely lead generation.
  • Use a dedicated email alias and consider declining phone contact unless required to bind.
  • If agent calls start, say do not call and register your number on the national Do Not Call list. Reputable firms will comply.

How we ranked them for Our Culture readers

We weighted three things: 1) auto and home comparison depth across real carriers, 2) number of insurers available in the quote flow, and 3) recent consumer sentiment on independent sites like Trustpilot and Reddit. We also favored platforms with clear privacy commitments and minimal unwanted outreach. Exact scores shift over time, but the relative strengths below have been consistent across many user reports.

The ranking

  1. Insurify – Best overall for combined auto and home shopping thanks to the broadest carrier depth, strong renters support, and consistently positive reviews. Privacy stance is a plus for inbox sanity.
  2. Compare.com – A close second with highly accurate, bindable rates and a deep network. If you value precision and a clean checkout, start here or use it to validate Insurify results.
  3. Policygenius – Excellent education and human guidance, stronger on home than auto. Use it to understand coverage decisions, then confirm pricing on a depth leader.

FAQ

Is bundling auto and home always cheaper?
Usually, but not always. In high-risk home markets or with recent claims, splitting lines can win. Always run it both ways. Either way, make sure you’re comparing quotes on Insurify, Compare.com, or Policygenius to cross-check how you can save more.

How many quotes do I need?
Get quotes from at least two comparison platforms with three to five carrier results per line as a good baseline. More is better as long as you compare the same limits and deductibles.

Why did my final price change at checkout?
Small shifts happen when carriers verify data like mileage, violations, or roof age. Using platforms with bindable rates reduces surprises.

Can I add coverage for cameras, laptops, or bikes?
Yes. Ask about scheduled property on home or renters. Some sites make it easy to add during the quote; others require an agent follow up.

Key Takeaway

Start with Insurify for breadth, then cross-check with Compare.com for bindable accuracy. If you want advice, loop in Policygenius. Triangulating two of these tools usually nets the best price – without surrendering your inbox.

Between Possession and Absence: Minyu Zhu’s Interweave Series and the Evocation of Visual Discontinuity and Affective Tension

Abbie Wilson
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Between Possession and Absence: Minyu Zhu’s Interweave Series and the Evocation of Visual Discontinuity and Affective Tension

In the contemporary art context, the meaning of an artwork is no longer confined to the moment of its completion by the artist. It is instead a perceptual mechanism that is activated, circulated, and continuously generated through the act of being seen. As Rosalind Krauss has pointed out, the cultural dimension of art is expanded through circulation, display, and re-coding (The Originality of the Avant-Garde, 1985). Minyu Zhu’s Interweave series embodies precisely this generative logic of viewing: her installations do not provide a fixed vantage point, but rather, through fissures of form and tensions of space, produce an experience of rupture. The viewer, confronted with structures that appear figurative yet resist functionality, enters into a cyclical state—seeing, losing, and attempting once more to possess—yet this process can never reach completion. It is within this endless act of unfinished viewing that Zhu constructs her distinctive field of visual tension.

Cartilage vase 
mixed media,7×22cm

Through embroidery, stitching, dislocated installation, and the juxtaposition of fibers, metals, and furniture-like forms, she reorganizes the rhythm of perception within space. This spatial strategy not only interrupts visual continuity but also challenges the passivity of the spectator in the realm of visual culture. Her works compel viewers to oscillate between “image–object–structure,” undermining the modernist presumption of self-evidence in the artwork. As John Berger argued in Ways of Seeing, the act of looking is never neutral but always shaped by culture, gender, and social structures. Zhu’s works exploit non-functional structures to disrupt utilitarian modes of vision, pulling viewers into unstable, indeterminate perceptual states. In line with Laura Mulvey’s notion of the politics of the gaze, where looking is itself an enactment of structural power, Zhu effectively inverts the mechanism: her works are no longer passive objects of vision but active “agents” that set the conditions of perception, leaving viewers as involuntary participants in spaces of rupture and affective disturbance. 

Yet Zhu’s installations are not merely spatial theaters but also performative languages of materiality. From tactility and craftsmanship to spatial configuration, each visual element resists simplified seeing and creates multi-layered sensory channels. In her textile-based works, touch is no longer supplemental but becomes a core dimension of cognition. Coarse and fine interwoven threads, exposed seams, and the antagonistic pairing of fabric and metal evoke what might be called a phantom tactile experience—where the body feels “touched” despite the absence of physical contact. This summons of tactility extends beyond the physical, entering into the domain of embodied perception, transforming vision into a tactile extension. The mechanism of translation between vision and touch ensnares viewers cognitively within the work.

This practice resonates with her understanding of “the labor of the hand.” She emphasizes that “the hand is an extension of language… handcraft is not nostalgia, but a political invocation of perceptual relations.” With meticulous manual techniques, Zhu responds to the mechanical information overload of the digital era. In Interweave, she does not attempt to restore clarity of communication; instead, she excavates the failures, delays, and noise of informational processes. The ruptured embroidery, irregular seams, and tensions between fiber and metal reveal how bodily memory intervenes in technological orders. These gestures are not mere homages to traditional craft but aesthetic strategies that resist the semantics of industrial uniformity—acts of bodily intervention inscribed within material. Her stitches and assemblages are not decorative gestures but material responses to the fractures of contemporary communication: thread becomes fragments of language, fibers bear misreadings, and matter itself produces interference. Material is both signal and noise; both revelation and concealment. This “disfluent visual language” becomes a deliberate resistance to the transparency of images.

Her deployment of materials also establishes a logic of form at its threshold state: metal as skeletal framework, fabric and fiber as muscular tissue, entangled in tension, torsion, and suspension. These structures are performative not in the sense of representation, but as ongoing enactments of morphological failure. Space is no longer a neutral backdrop but an active participant, where the weight of fiber and metal induces collapse, fracture, and instability. As one enters, one steps into a sensory crisis. Through what may be called a “corporealized material language,” Zhu transforms her works into agents that interact with the viewer’s body—not static objects to be gazed upon, but responsive fields that shape the act of seeing itself.

Interweave-01 
mixed media,30x130cm

Her works resist any possibility of being “seen once and for all.” They are traps that demand repeated re-engagement through cycles of failure. In this process, viewing itself becomes a practice of “visual collecting”—not of objects, but of fragmented perceptual experiences. Each spectator loses some recognizable element within the work but gains an elusive resonance of sensation. For Zhu, “collecting” is a psychological rather than material act. Her installations resemble incomplete maps, where each encounter only traces a temporary path, never revealing the whole. The works perpetually evade classification, compelling viewers to gather fragments of perception within uncertainty and illusion. Such collecting is not about possession, but about an ethics of seeing grounded in loss. Drawing on Jacques Rancière’s notion of the “emancipated spectator,” Zhu detaches viewers from passive reception, reconfiguring them as collaborators in the production of meaning. In her nonlinear system of viewing, spectators must navigate on their own, and each disorientation becomes a site where vision regenerates itself.

In her aesthetic framework, time is not a neutral background of linear flow but is strategically embedded as a rhythm of perception. Through material indeterminacy, she produces ruptures of temporality, delaying the spectator’s ability to complete the act of seeing. One cannot instantly arrive at comprehension, but must linger precariously at the cliff edge of judgment. Her strategy of de-functionalization extends beyond the physical to the perceptual: chairs cannot be sat upon, frames cannot support, structures appear usable but remain inoperative. This persistent failure of “potential function” provokes reflections on use, order, and logic, and these reflections themselves become part of the act of seeing. Zhu’s installations are not made to be “understood” but to be “endlessly failed at in viewing.” Such aestheticized failure is both strategy and critique—an ironic counter to consumption, efficiency, and mastery. She engineers delay through material, suspension through structure, forcing the spectator into states of pause, oscillation, and unresolved tension between the familiar and the strange.

The Grid 
mixed media , 30x65cm + 30x65cm
Interweave series 
mixed media,multiple sizes

Her work is not about the display of objects but about the sustained interrogation of seeing. What she creates are visual events that cannot be completed in a single encounter nor easily categorized, becoming fissures and reverberations within the perceptual system of the viewer. Here, viewing is not an act of completion but an unfinished and recursive process. She reveals how seeing becomes a form of psychic weaving—not about possessing the artwork, but about undergoing it; not about reading the work, but about being read within it. By constructing logics of perpetual incompletion, Zhu transforms art into an apparatus of continual perceptual generation. In this sense, the spectator is no longer a detached observer but an indispensable co-conspirator within the structure of the work. They cannot withdraw, nor can they possess; they can only, through recurring loss, become weavers of perceptual resonance and memory. And thus, art itself eludes the closure of objecthood, remaining instead as an unfinished, ongoing labor of seeing.

False Sexual Empowerment: Calayah’s Critique of the Construction of Female-Dominant (giver) Identities

Abbie Wilson
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False Sexual Empowerment: Calayah’s Critique of the Construction of Female-Dominant (giver) Identities

Inside the Futanari Clinic, a surgical operation unfolds in which the female sexual organ is reassembled: accompanied by the tearing of flesh, this near-death experience rearranges the female body into something uncanny. Through this corporeal mutation, she is reborn within another body—one marked by a newly constructed identity: that of the dominator. (Futanari: Anime characters with both male and female genitalia, usually female-presenting.)

Queer artist Calayah, through the act of pegging, invites us to reconsider how femininity, sexuality, and identity are translated, imitated, and technologically produced and reproduced. Through this performance that converts females into intersex subjects with dildos via an operation at once excruciatingly painful and strangely sweet, she explores the false sexual empowerment granted to women within the phallocentric script of pegging. Her work exposes the gendered masquerade and performativity of sexuality, interrogating the disciplinary power of patriarchal sexual scripts over women’s embodied subjectivity.

Calayah’s artistic practice generates a profound sense of tension, juxtaposing qualities that appear contradictory—sweetness and violence, bliss and horror. Influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s seventeenth-century sculpture The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, she captures the paradoxical affect of pain fused with joy, even ecstasy with surrender.

Upon closer scrutiny, viewers encounter the concealed horror underlying this sweetness, subtly embedded within the visual composition. The immaculate white birthday cake, for example, symbolizes the female body prior to social inscription. Yet once penetrated by the surrogate phallus, the cake is violently transformed—mirroring the enforced reconstruction of the body. The operating table offers a deceptive serenity, a brief anesthetized sweetness that accompanies corporeal laceration and the experience of nearly crossing into death. In this process, both psyche and soma are radically altered.

Following Michel Foucault, sexuality could be understood as socially and historically constructed, often serving political or ideological functions. Gender oppression, in particular, is rendered insidiously invisible because of its de-politicization: instead of being framed as a field of power, it is naturalized and stripped of its political dimensions.

The politics of gender thus interrogates unequal relations of domination and subordination. For contemporary women, the articulation of desire is mediated by structural power relations, out of which the practice of pegging emerges. Pegging is characterized by three salient features: gender reversal, phallic centrality, and the assertion of both active female desire and male anal pleasure. At its core, however, pegging is a replication of masculinity: once women don the prosthetic phallus, they enact traits long attributed to hegemonic male dominance. They stand taller, their voices deepen, their authority is amplified.

John Gagnon and William Simon’s Sexual Conduct (1973) introduced their sexual scripts theory, which posits that all social behavior—including sexual conduct—follows culturally constituted scripts. As Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Sexual scripts theory rejects the notion of sexuality as a raw impulse, conceiving it instead as scripted performance within social conventions.

In phallocentric discourse, penetrative intercourse is positioned as the climactic centerpiece of sexual activity—equated with sex itself. Correspondingly, the erasure of the clitoris in social discourse mirrors its marginalization within heterosexual sexual scripts. In pegging, although women derive psychological pleasure from disrupting conventional gendered positions, physical pleasure remains comparatively minor. The emphasis continues to fall on reproductive utility, while female pleasure itself is conceptually absent. Desire and corporeality become entirely disembodied.

Precisely because gender oppression is structurally concealed, women engaging in pegging often do not perceive their disciplining within a patriarchal frame. As Calayah asserts: “Empowered women do not need to look for another symbol to replace the penis.” While pegging undoubtedly offers women access to a dominator’s identity, such empowerment remains tethered to the replication of masculine forms of dominance and therefore circulates within patriarchal discourse. In a culture where women’s opportunities remain constrained, envy is directed not toward male anatomy but toward male power and privilege. The phallus becomes a convenient synecdoche of structural inequality. Otherwise, why is there so little talk of “womb envy,” despite the uterus’ reproductive primacy?

Within the Futanari Clinic, Calayah dramatizes the psychic intensification of phallic envy. The surgical environment materializes a cult of the phallus, visually staging how pegging produces a “new male.” Ritualistic tropes abound: candles kindle the sacred, white surgical caps suggest sublimated libido. The use of water-filled condoms invokes a metaphor for phallic envy—women’s symbolic longing for power mapped onto prosthetic substitution. Their limp, suggestively absent-yet-present forms function as metaphors for the omnipresence of phallocentrism in patriarchal culture.

Significantly, even as Calayah identifies pegging as a trap of false empowerment, she posits a cautious optimism: “Admittedly, pegging destabilizes heterosexual structures to a certain extent. Women become subjects of desire—a phenomenon emerging from women’s rising consciousness. Yet I consider such awareness of feminine sexual subjectivity still in its developmental stage. In the future, women need more freedom, inclusivity, and love in the external environment, so as to cultivate diverse, intersubjective sexual scripts.”

How Hawaiian Postcards Preserve Cultural Heritage

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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How Hawaiian Postcards Preserve Cultural Heritage

Postcards serve as powerful cultural artifacts, preserving the essence of diverse traditions and landscapes. Their evolution from simple communication tools to vibrant cultural touchstones is remarkable. Hawaiian postcards stand out, offering a vivid glimpse into the region’s rich heritage and artistic legacy.

Throughout history, postcards have captured the imagination of people worldwide, serving as tangible expressions of culture and art. Hawaii paintings postcards play a unique role in this narrative, encapsulating the beauty and spirit of Hawaiian heritage for a global audience. These postcards not only preserve cultural imagery but also provide a bridge between tradition and modern artistic practices. As you explore their significance, you’ll discover how these small yet powerful pieces of art continue to make an impact on both local communities and international admirers.

The historical evolution of postcards in art

The transformation of postcards from mere utilitarian objects into meaningful cultural artifacts reflects a broader shift in how art is perceived and shared. Originally designed for brief communications, postcards began to incorporate vibrant imagery and artistic designs over time. This evolution coincided with advancements in printing technology, allowing artists to reproduce their works affordably and widely.

By the early 20th century, postcards had become a popular medium for artists to showcase their creativity while reaching diverse audiences. The ability to convey complex themes through a compact format made them attractive to collectors and enthusiasts alike. As this trend grew, postcards were increasingly recognized not just as souvenirs but as valuable pieces of art that told stories about the places they depicted.

In this context, Hawaii emerged as a particularly rich subject for postcard artistry. The islands’ natural beauty and unique culture offered artists endless inspiration. Consequently, Hawaiian-themed postcards became cherished keepsakes for travelers and collectors worldwide, further cementing their place in the history of art.

Hawaiian postcards as a window to tradition

Hawaiian postcards serve as visual storytellers, capturing the essence of the islands’ vibrant culture and traditions. These small pieces of art often depict iconic landscapes such as lush rainforests, pristine beaches, and volcanic mountains. Beyond landscapes, they highlight significant cultural motifs like hula dancers, traditional festivals, and native wildlife.

For many artists, creating these postcards involves drawing from deeply rooted cultural symbols that resonate with both locals and visitors. The intricate designs reflect a respect for heritage while embracing contemporary artistic techniques. As a result, Hawaiian postcards are not only visually striking but also culturally significant.

These artworks offer a glimpse into Hawaii’s past while celebrating its present. They bridge generations by preserving stories that might otherwise fade away. By capturing moments in time through artistic expression, Hawaiian postcards continue to be cherished by those who appreciate the beauty of tradition intertwined with modernity.

Global impact and reach of Hawaii postcards

The global appeal of Hawaiian postcards lies in their ability to convey universal themes through localized imagery. These postcards have traveled far beyond the islands’ shores, reaching audiences worldwide who seek an authentic connection with Hawaiian culture.

Their widespread distribution has been facilitated by tourism and collector networks that value both aesthetic quality and cultural authenticity. As travelers take these mementos home or share them with friends abroad, they spread awareness about Hawaii’s unique heritage while fostering cross-cultural appreciation.

Artists contribute significantly to this global dialogue by infusing their work with personal interpretations of Hawaiian themes. By doing so, they ensure that each postcard is not only a snapshot of paradise but also an invitation to explore deeper cultural narratives. For those interested in contemporary interpretations, Nataliia Rasina offers a unique perspective that enriches the ongoing conversation about Hawaiian art.

6 Albums Out Today to Listen To: Sabrina Carpenter, Blood Orange, The Beths, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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6 Albums Out Today to Listen To: Sabrina Carpenter, Blood Orange, The Beths, and More

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on August 29, 2025:

Sabrina Carpenter, Man’s Best Friend

Man's Best FriendOne year after the breakthrough success of Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter has returned with Man’s Best Friend. Produced by Jack Antonoff’, the record was led by the single ‘Manchild’, an early contender for Song of the Summer. “The album is not for any pearl clutchers,” Carpenter told CBS Mornings of the project. “But I also think that even pearl clutchers can listen to an album like that in their own solitude and find something that makes them smirk and chuckle to themselves.” It’s not so much the lyrics themselves that might cause such a reaction, but the elegant ballads they’re often packaged in; on the swooning ‘We Almost Broke Up Again’, for example, she sings, “Gave him his whole heart, and I gave him head.” She’s never sounded more relaxed in her comedic chops.

Listen on
Apple IconApple
Spotify IconSpotify
Physical IconPhysical

Blood Orange, Essex Honey

Essex HoneyDev Hynes has released Essex Honey, the first Blood Orange album in seven years. Revolving around his childhood growing up outside of the Essex region in England, it’s billed as a “soundtrack created from a dreamscape of his journey working through grief.” It’s also a perfectly hazy, gorgeous, and evocative album to get lost in, especially at the end of summer. Previewed by the singles ‘Mind Loaded’, ‘Somewhere In Between’, ‘The Field’, and ‘Countryside’, the record features contributions from Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, Liam Benzvi, Turnstile’s Brendan Yates, Wet’s Kelly Zutrau, Tariq Al-Sabir, author Zadie Smith, actors Naomi Scott and Amandala Stenberg, and more.

Listen on
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Spotify IconSpotify
Physical IconPhysical

The Beths, Straight Line Was a Lie

The Beths album coverLinear progression is generally a myth, yet one often projected onto artists, who must continually level up their sound without straying from their original vision. The Beths have indeed tightened, coloured, and expanded their approach since their 2018 breakout Future Me Hates Me, and while they’re not quite making a statement about their own trajectory with Straight Line Was a Lie, their fourth album, the titular realization extends to the way they handle both lyrics and instrumentation: careening between the immediacy, anxiety, and tenderness of their previous albums, but leaving space for different shades of weariness and anhedonia, a void that doesn’t dull so much as activate a new side of New Zealand quartet’s sound. Read the full review.

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Spotify IconSpotify
Bandcamp IconBandcamp
Physical IconPhysical

Hayley Williams, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party

Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party coverEarlier this summer, Hayley Williams of Paramore put out an album’s worth of songs on a password-protected website, then officially released them as 17 separate singles. Now, these songs have been packaged into an album called Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, with a bonus track, ‘Parachute’, tucked at the end of the tracklist. Williams and Daniel James wrote, played, and recorded most instruments on the record, with assistance from longtime collaborators Brian Robert Jones and Joey Howard. Physical releases will follow on November.

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Spotify IconSpotify
Physical IconPhysical

CMAT, EURO-COUNTRY

EURO-Country album coverIrish songwriter Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson has released her latest album as CMAT, the audacious, witty, and soulful EURO-COUNTRY. In press materials, she described the follow-up to Crazymad, For Me as, “I think, the best thing I have ever made. I felt halfway through recording it was the most important record I’ve made for myself… mainly because it was making me go crazy.” Thompson added: “I’m always going to make the work I want to make, because there is a little gremlin in my head that tells me if it’s shit. More than success, there’s a bigger gremlin that wants me to make music that’s really good. She’s brutal and has ruined my life at times, but she is the keeper of my life and she’s always right.”

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Spotify IconSpotify
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The Berries, The Berries

The BerriesMatthew Berry, who has been a member of Happy Diving and Big Bite as well as Hotline TNT’s live band, has released his self-titled album as The Berries. Co-produced by Jimmy Dixon, The Berries features contributions from Narrow Head’s Kora Puckett, studio drummer Bryan De Leon (The Drums, Ethel Cain), Color Green’s Corey Madden, and poet/musician Julia Lans Nowak. “This record came out of a need to break from my old self, to break from a lifestyle that I could no longer bear waking up to everyday,” Berry explained. “It’s equally fueled by remorse and relief — I can rejoice a bit in having found a renewed purpose, but I had to finally stare down everything that was standing in the way of that sense of dignity first.”

Listen on
Apple IconApple
Spotify IconSpotify
Bandcamp IconBandcamp

Other albums out today:

Margo Price, Hard Headed Woman; Ganser, Animal Hospital; Runnner, A Welcome Kind of Weakness; The Beaches, No Hard Feelings; The Hives, The Hives Forever Forever the Hives; Lathe of Heaven, Aurora; Erykah Badu & The Alchemist, Abi & Alan; Google Earth, Mac OS X 10.11; Nova Twins, Parasites & Butterflies; End It, Wrong Side of Heaven; Jehnny Beth, You Heartbreaker You; Zach Top, Ain’t in It for My Health; Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin, Ghosted III; Belinda Carlisle, Once Upon A Time in California; Pinkshift, Earthkeeper; Pearly Drops, The Voices Are Coming Back; Slow Crush, Thirst; Shannon, Krgovich, Tenniscoats, Wao; Eiko Ishibashi & Jim O’Rourke, Pareidolia; Tim Carr, Pleasure Drives; quinnie, paper doll; The Technicolors, Heavy Pulp; Modern Nature, The Heat Warps; myah, i don’t know what i’m feeling; Christian Wallumrod, Percolation.

Alabama Shakes Share First New Song in a Decade

Konstantinos Pappis
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Alabama Shakes Share First New Song in a Decade

Alabama Shakes have returned with their first new song in a decade. ‘Another Life’, which marks the rock band’s first original track since 2015’s Sound & Color – as well as their debut for new label home Island – is moving and gracefully arranged. Check it out below.

“When I wrote ‘Another Life,’ I was thinking about all the lives we carry,” vocalist and guitarist Brittany Howard said in a statement. “The ones we’re living right now, the ones that slipped away because of different choices, the what ifs, the what wasn’t meant to be, the goodbyes, and the chance encounters that feel divine. This song is about those threads and how they stretch across time and space, connecting every version of who we are. It’s about letting them come together, letting them harmonize, and realizing that goodbye isn’t really goodbye. It’s more like I’ll see you later. A collective story that never stops unfolding. I’m glad we opened this door into this reality of us making music together again.”

Bon Jovi Collaborate With Bruce Springsteen on ‘Hollow Man’, Share New Song

Konstantinos Pappis
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Bon Jovi Collaborate With Bruce Springsteen on ‘Hollow Man’, Share New Song

Bon Jovi have announced Forever (Legendary Edition), a collaborative edition of last year’s Forever. Set for release on October 24, it features Jelly Roll, Avril Lavigne, Robbie Williams, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Tedder, the War & Treaty, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, and more. Today, they’ve released the Bruce Springsteen collab ‘Hollow Man’, as well as a new Bon Jovi track with no guest feature called ‘Red, White and Jersey’. Take a listen below.

“This album is more than just a collection of collaborations, it is an album borne out of necessity,” Bon Jovi said in a ;press release. “My vocal cord surgery and subsequent rehab was a well-documented journey that played out while releasing Forever in June 2024. I was singing well enough in the studio for the recording, but the vocal demands and rigors of touring were still out of reach for me. Without the ability to tour or promote an album we were all very proud of, I decided to call on some friends to help me in my time of need. All are great singers, artists, and also just great people. The result is an album with a new viewpoint and new spirit — a collaboration album that proves we all get by in this world with a little help from our friends. I feel tremendous joy and gratitude releasing this album and I think it shows in the music. I can say with certainty that there is always something bigger than ME, and that’s WE.”

The Betting Calculator Toolkit: Tools That Keep Your Wager Smart and Simple

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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The Betting Calculator Toolkit: Tools That Keep Your Wager Smart and Simple

Betting calculators have become indispensable companions for punters who want to enjoy their wagers while keeping the numbers clear and manageable. They remove the guesswork, provide clarity on potential returns, and help players stay disciplined with their stakes. Whether you are having a flutter on the weekend football, the horses, or something more niche, understanding how to use the right calculator can turn betting from a stressful puzzle into an organised, enjoyable experience.

Dedicated portals review gambling sites and their online casino bonuses in detail. Players benefit from these websites, as unbiased guides provide clarity on how promotions work and how to make smarter choices when browsing the crowded market. That same principle of simplifying complex offers is what betting calculators deliver to sports fans, particularly on a big matchday where decisions need to be quick, fair, and fun.

The Accumulator Calculator

The accumulator or acca is a favourite among football fans because it offers the promise of a huge payout from a small stake. An acca combines multiple selections into a single bet, and each selection must win for the bet to be successful. Even if you’ve got Manchester United to win a hard-fought match against their rivals and all your other selections come through, one wrong result will sink the entire bet. The high risk comes with high reward.

An acca calculator simplifies this process by automatically working out your potential returns. You simply input the odds for each of your selections and the amount you want to stake. The calculator then does the rest instantly, showing you what you stand to win. This is particularly useful on a busy Saturday afternoon when you’ve got selections from multiple leagues and need to quickly see the potential profit before kick-off. It’s a fast, efficient way to check if your combination is worth the risk.

The Each-Way Calculator

An each-way bet is popular in horse racing, but it’s also a great option in football, especially for markets like first goalscorer. A win bet and a place bet are basically two sides of the same coin in an each-way bet. In a win-place bet, you’re betting on your choice to come in first, whereas in a place-and-finish bet, you’re betting on your choice to finish within a certain range, such as the top three.

Your possible returns in various scenarios can be better understood with the help of an each-way calculator. The odds, amount, and place terms will be supplied by the bookmaker. You will need to provide these details. The calculator will then show you what you’ll win if your selection finishes first and what you’ll get back if it only places. This tool is essential for managing your expectations and understanding your potential profit and loss on a more nuanced level.

Scenario Win Bet Return Place Bet Return Total Return
Your player scores first Full win return Full place return Win + Place
Your player scores second or third £0 Full place return Place only
Your player doesn’t score £0 £0 £0

Understanding the Vig

The commission that bookmakers take on bets is called vig or vigorish. Regardless of the game’s result, it’s how they earn a living. A vig calculator helps you see the margin the bookmaker is taking and whether the odds are fair. A low vig means better value for you.

Here’s how to calculate it yourself.

  1. Convert the odds into their implied probability
  2. Sum the implied probabilities for all possible outcomes
  3. The amount that the sum exceeds 100% is the vig.

For example, if Arsenal are playing Liverpool and the odds are 2.0 for Arsenal to win and 4.0 for Liverpool to win with a 3.5 draw, you can see how much the bookie is charging you. The vig calculator makes this simple and helps you to find the most favourable odds across different bookmakers.

Team/Outcome Odds Implied Probability
Arsenal Win 2.0 50.0%
Draw 3.5 28.6%
Liverpool Win 4.0 25.0%

The total implied probability is 50% + 28.6% + 25% = 103.6%. The vig is 3.6%.

The Cash-Out Calculator

Cash out is a feature offered by many bookmakers that allows you to settle your bet before the event has finished. A cash-out calculator helps you decide whether to take the offer or let the bet ride. You enter your original stake, the current odds and the original odds. The calculator will then show you the true value of the bookmaker’s offer.

This tool is invaluable for high-stakes bets or when a match isn’t going as planned. You might see your team leading, but a last-minute injury or a red card makes you nervous. A cash-out calculator lets you see if the offer is a good deal, allowing you to lock in a profit or cut your losses without any emotional impulse. It gives you a clear, objective view of the situation and helps you make a strategic decision when emotions are running high. Together, these tools are the key to a smarter approach to betting.

The enduring legacy of 80s game show aesthetics

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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The enduring legacy of 80s game show aesthetics

There is a specific, electric feeling that radiates from 1980s game shows. It’s a potent cocktail of optimistic synth music, buzzing neon lights, and the raw, unscripted excitement of contestants winning big. For a generation, this wasn’t just television; it was a cultural event. But beyond simple nostalgia, the design language of this era—bold, geometric, and unapologetically vibrant—has proven to be remarkably resilient. It has seeped into modern fashion, music, and digital design, proving that the appeal of its high-energy futurism was never just a fleeting trend.

A symphony of neon, chrome, and geometry

The visual identity of the 80s game show was a masterclass in maximalism. It rejected subtlety in favor of a sensory spectacle designed to feel like the future. Stage designs were built from a distinct palette of materials and shapes: gleaming chrome railings, glossy floors reflecting a rainbow of lights, and giant, sculptural set pieces. Everything was framed in glowing neon tubes, outlining logos, contestant pods, and prize displays in electric pinks, blues, and yellows. This visual energy was matched by the games themselves, which were often large, physical contraptions. The tactile appeal of these experiences was undeniable; the flashing lights and satisfying sounds of a physical Plinko game board, for example, created a multisensory thrill that modern digital design still strives to replicate. This wasn’t just a background for the action; the set itself was a character, buzzing with possibility and the promise of fortune.

The key visual components included:

  • Bold Geometric Shapes: Triangles, grids, and concentric circles were everywhere, from the patterns on the walls to the shapes of the games themselves.
  • Chunky, Stylized Typography: Fonts were often thick, sometimes with a metallic sheen or a drop shadow, designed to pop off the screen with confidence.
  • High-Contrast Color Palettes: Deep blacks and blues were used as a canvas for explosions of vibrant, saturated color, creating a dramatic and futuristic look.

The sound of winning: Synth fanfares and digital dreams

Just as crucial as the visuals was the sound design. The 80s game show soundtrack was a digital symphony, composed almost entirely on synthesizers. The theme songs were upbeat, catchy anthems full of driving basslines and sparkling synth melodies that instantly set a tone of excitement. But the soundscape went deeper than just the music.

Every action had a corresponding digital sound effect, creating an immersive and responsive environment. The lonely whir of a spinning wheel, the harsh buzz of a wrong answer, the triumphant, cascading fanfare of a jackpot—these sounds are etched into our collective memory. This sonic palette laid the groundwork for what we now see in video games and user interface design, where auditory feedback is crucial to the user experience. It’s also the direct ancestor of music genres like Synthwave and Vaporwave, which don’t just borrow from these sounds but revere them, building entire emotional landscapes from the electronic optimism of the era.

From kitsch to cultural touchstone: the lasting influence

What was once dismissed as kitsch is now a celebrated aesthetic, a wellspring of inspiration for contemporary creators across various fields. The 80s game show aesthetic managed to perfectly capture a moment of technological optimism and uninhibited fun, and its influence is more pervasive than ever.

80s game show element Modern cultural manifestation
Neon Grids & Laser Effects Music videos by artists like The Weeknd and Dua Lipa; the visual language of the Synthwave genre.
Geometric Patterns & Color Blocking High-fashion collections and modern streetwear, which often feature bold, graphic designs and vibrant color combinations.
Synth Music & Digital Sound FX The soundtracks of shows like Stranger Things and the rise of retro-inspired indie video games.
Bold, Confident Typography Graphic design and branding that aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia, fun, and accessibility.

Ultimately, the enduring legacy of the 80s game show aesthetic lies in its pure, unadulterated celebration of entertainment. It reminds us that design can be joyful, loud, and delightfully excessive. It represents a time when the future felt bright and full of possibility, a feeling that still resonates today. In a world of minimalist design and muted color palettes, the bold, electric dream of the 80s game show offers a welcome explosion of color and sound, proving that good fun never truly goes out of style.

Our Culture’s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2025 (Part 1)

Sam Franzini
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Our Culture’s Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2025 (Part 1)

This year, summer took a while to let go of. After a long winter, I yearned for hot, sweaty days, walking around with sunglasses on and stopping by the public pool. But the other day in DC, a cloudy day signaled what was to come — crisp breezes, falling leaves. Winter’s a long way away; for now, it’s time to open the windows and enjoy the cool down. Here’s 30 books to enjoy along with it!

Happiness and Love, Zoe Dubno (Sept 2)

An artsy novel that takes place during one insufferable dinner party, Happiness and Love examines the materialism, identity, and self-importance that emerge from New York City creative life.

Christina the Astonishing, Marianne Leone (Sept 2)

Like a Bostonian My Beautiful Friend, the 1960s coming-of-age debut novel from The Sopranos star Marianne Leone follows a poor daughter of Italian immigrants whose Catholic school education is more restrictive than she’d prefer.

Muscle Man, Jordan Castro (September 9)

Jordan Castro’s new novel centers Howard, an adjunct professor at an irritating college, sacked with a day of meetings where he’d rather be in the gym. With fluctuating apathy and deep caring about his colleagues, philosophy, and exercise, Harold survives the tedium of academia, only to realize his jitters don’t stop once he finally starts to move his body. 

Swallows, Natsuo Kirino (Sept 9)

Riki is a twenty-nine-year old temp worker whose hospital job isn’t satisfying. Motoi and Yuko are a power couple who are desperate for a child to complete their perfect life, but are unable to get pregnant. With Riki’s idea to undergo surrogacy, Natsuo Kirino explores the potency and morality of carrying a life that might not be yours in the end. 

Breaking Awake: A Reporter’s Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs, P.E. Moskowitz (Sept 9)

From the author of two previous books and the Mental Hellth newsletter, P.E. Moskowitz’ new book starts from a near-death experience where they recuperated with the help of drugs. In the vein of Emily Witt’s Health and Safety, Breaking Awake is a tour through drug-addled Americana, both trendy and illicit, condemned and glamorized.

All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now, Ruby Tandoh (Sept 9)

For anyone who’s noticed the hyperfixation our culture has recently had around the eating, presentation, and commodification of food, culinary writer Ruby Tandoh’s All Consuming goes from TikTok chefs to Great British Bake Offs to find out why our fuel has such a hold over our entertainment.

The New Age of Sexism: How AI and Emerging Technologies Are Reinventing Misogyny, Laura Bates (Sept 16)

Anyone who has spent time on the internet knows that misogyny is baked into the platform. In her newest book, Laura Bates explores how emerging technologies are deepening sexism, made worse by artificial intelligence, sex robots, and increasing polarization. 

Good and Evil and Other Stories, Samanta Schweblin (Sept 16)

The Argentinian author’s new collection has six stories on the edge of the diabolical. An old lady is granted a place to stay, only to be followed by her gun-wielding son; a boy’s speech impediment leads to a father’s feeling of inadequacy; a sea-drenched woman shows up at a salon for her biweekly pampering years after she haunted a young girl’s summer vacation where her sister mysteriously drowned. Spooky and propulsive and perfect for readers of Bora Chung or Mariana Enríquez.

Calls May Be Recorded, Katharina Volckmer (Sept 16)

For fans of Lexi Freiman and Tova Reich, Katharina Volkmer’s quippy and brash new novel centers Jimmie, a call center employee whose prowess at his job is underscored by the lipstick he wears everyday, stolen from his mother. Deeply funny, brazen, and then shockingly tender.

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All, Eliezer Yudkowsky & Nate Soares (Sept 16)

For fans of Max Tegmark, Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares go deep on artificial intelligence in this treatise on the defining threat of our time. Both a warning and a manual, they detail how AI has the ability to surpass its human inventors — if it’s not already too late. 

The Devil’s Castle: Nazi Eugenics, Euthanasia, and How Psychiatry’s Troubled History Reverberates Today, Susanne Paola Antonetta (Sept 23)

Susanne Paola Antonetta’s radically personal exploration of Nazi eugenics infuses the author’s own experience in psychiatric wards into a thorough journey of how best to care for the mentally ill. Using writers and mental patients Dorothea Buck and Paul Schreber as guiding stars, Antonetta searches for answers during a dark and still unfurling time.

Best Woman, Rose Dommu (Sept 23)

Twitter icon (and my favorite …And Just Like That live tweeter) Rose Dommu’s debut novel follows Julia Rosenberg, a trans woman accepted by her family enough to become the ‘best woman’ at her brother’s Floridian wedding. But when her adolescent crush is revealed to be the maid of honor, soon to walk down the aisle with Julia, she might need to tell some white lies to make her seem a little more alluring.  

Amateurs!: How We Built Internet Culture and Why it Matters, Joanna Walsh (Sept 23)

From the author of Girl Online, a new manifesto building on the hyperdeveloped internet society of the twenty-first century. Amateurs builds on Time magazine’s 2006 assertion that ‘you’ are the person of the year — the stragglers and marginalized communities that ultimately build the internet’s biggest trends and rhythms. 

Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse, Luke Kemp (Sept 23)

The Cambridge scholar’s far-reaching first book incorporates 440 societal lifespans to understand why, how, and where societies fail. With nuclear warfare on the brink and a climate catastrophe not far behind, there’s much to learn from the world’s past failures.

Underspin, E.Y. Zhao (Sept 23)

Andre Agassi’s Open meets Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad in this wildly exciting, whipsmart and beautiful novel of a tragic table tennis star, told by those who were closest to him. Mobile, adventurous, and deeply imaginative, it’s a stunner of a debut. 

Herculine, Grace Byron (Oct 7)

The debut novel from critic and writer Grace Byron, Herculine imagines an all-trans utopian commune whose good fortune may or may not come from selling their souls to demons. Funny, brash, and unafraid to wade deep into trans politics, this debut is entertainingly chaotic. 

Mothers, Brenda Lozano (Oct 7)

Another international motherhood plot! The essayist and novelist Brenda Lozano returns with Mothers, a dueling tale of a comfortably wealthy woman blessed with a large family and the working-class woman who is presented with an adoption opportunity that’s too good to pass up.

The High Heaven, Joshua Wheeler (Oct 7)

Inspired by the true story of a UFO cult based near White Sands, New Mexico, Joshua Wheeler’s debut novel follows Izzy through her whole life, starting from when she was orphaned as a child on the night of the 1967 Apollo mission. Paying homage to Southern gothics and Westerns, The High Heaven explores the Space Age in a wickedly stunning narrative. 

DILF: Did I Leave Feminism?, Jude Ellison S. Doyle (Oct 14)

Before the summer of 2020, Jude Doyle had a prolific career writing for women’s magazines, winning awards, vocally on the side of a burgeoning and much-needed moment. Then he came out as trans, saying, in fact, he had never been a woman at all. Did I Leave Feminism? is Doyle’s insightful and entertaining manifesto reckoning with this period of his life — and how the fight for feminism isn’t a one-size-fits all issue.

Sea Now, Eva Meijer (Oct 14)

It happened — the world flooded. In this new novel by Eva Meijer, the residents of the Netherlands find shelter internationally, and The Hague dips underneath the water. With the apocalypse upon them, three women refuse to submit and venture to look for remnants of a society that may be lost.

Happy Bad, Delaney Nolan (Oct 14)

Billed as Hernan Diaz meets Ottessa Moshfegh, Delaney Nolan’s debut roadtrip/catastrophe novel centers medicated patients at Twin Bridge, placated by a dose of BeZen, a calming drug that works on just about everybody. But when a heat wave triggers a blackout, the patients and staff must travel to a new facility, the road to which is dotted with police brutality, climate refugees, and the consequences of the staff’s own lives.

Bog Queen, Anna North (Oct 14)

From the author of Outlawed and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark comes an imaginative new novel about an anthropologist whose discovery of a completely preserved body dated to the Iron Age calls into question her memory, past, and expertise.

Joyride, Susan Orlean (Oct 14)

From the prolific New Yorker writer comes a memoir about the golden age of magazine journalism, packed with her previous features (like a Sunday spent climbing Mount Fuji), but also golden writing and career advice from someone who rose to the top. 

Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, Claire-Louise Bennett (Oct 21)

Claire-Louise Bennett’s Checkout-19 was one of the most stunning and hypnotic books I’ve ever read, so the novelist’s return is high on my reading list. Her trademark elliptical and mesmerizing prose describes a woman trapped by her memories, asking herself what it means to truly connect to another person.

Crawl, Max Delsohn (Oct 21)

Praised by George Saunders, this debut collection of stories sounds niche — 2010s transmasculine life in Seattle — but reaches farther into themes of sex, romance, gender expression and identity. 

Look Out: The Delight and Danger of Taking the Long Way, Edward McPherson (Oct 21)

From a writer whose previous books featured Buster Keaton, the future, and the atomic bomb, Edward McPherson turns his attention to a top-down view. Despite its privileged position, the bird’s eye view has been present throughout history, from Civil War times to our now ubiquitous drone warfare tactics. 

Self Care, Russell Smith (Oct 21)

The Canadian writer returns with a familiar tale of Millennial ennui — Gloria is a writer for The Hype Report, where her column “Self Care” makes her a Carrie Bradshaw hopeful. When she meets Daryn coming back from an anti-immigration rally, she offers to interview him under the guise of an article, but their newfound sexual relationship starts to reveal more about herself than her column ever could.

The Ten Year Affair, Erin Sommers (Oct 21)

From the author of Stay Up with Hugo Best, the Publisher’s Marketplace reporter returns with “the best book about adultery since Madame Bovary” (Tony Tulathimutte). For fans of Seduction Theory or Big Swiss, two married couples meet and then split into parallel realities to test the depths of their desire. 

I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, Hu Anyan (Oct 28)

Already a hit in China, Hu Anyan’s I Deliver Parcels in Beijing was born out of online essays the night shift worker posted during the COVID pandemic. Quippy and delivering some much needed humanity to the specter of delivery work, Anyan reinvents the narrative of the marketplace. 

Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, Jonathan Karl (Oct 28)

Jonathan Karl, one of my favorite political writers, returns with Retribution, tracking the journey of the formerly down-and-out President Trump to the unthinkable position of the highest power in office. Journalistically solid and meticulous, Karl’s reporting always provides a much-needed explanation to the chaos of 21st century politics.

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