DIIV are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2012 debut Oshin with an expanded reissue, which is out August 19 via Captured Tracks. The 2xLP set features demos, two live versions (including the previously unreleased track ‘Yuk’), a 24-page retrospective booklet with photos, reflections from the band, and liner notes written by Shaad D’Souza.
“Oshin is our first album. It came out ten years ago and because of that we have decided to put together a very nice and very intricate and thoughtful 10th anniversary edition of the album for you,” frontman Zachary Cole Smith said in a statement. “We are packaging it alongside my homemade demo recordings and a few unreleased live recordings from one of our first shows. It has new art by our friend Parker Sprout and it has some writing from the members of the band, the writer of the original Oshin poem, and an expansive meditation on the history of the album from Shaad D’souza. We hope you enjoy it.”
In addition to the Oshin reissue, DIIV are releasing a limited edition box set featuring their first three singles: ‘Sometime’, ‘Human’, and ‘Geist’.
After announcing some UK shows back in March, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have signed to Secretly Canadian and added a string of tour dates in North America. They’ve also promised there will be new music coming out this fall. Check out an announcement video along with the list of dates below.
“It’s with true life affirming pleasure to announce our two headline shows in our two hometowns NYC AND LA supported by two wildly gifted bands Japanese Breakfast and The Linda Lindas at the Hollywood Bowl, with The Linda Lindas supporting in Forest Hills and our other support TBA soon!” Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O said in a statement. “Representin’ a few generations yo! Cannot wait to see you there! New music! New Era! And New Home with Secretly Canadian ! Much to celebrate!”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ last album was 2013’s Mosquito.
Yeah Yeah Yeah Tour Dates:
Jun 5 – Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo (with English Teacher)
Jun 7 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton (with Dry Cleaning, Anika)
Jun 8 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton (with Porridge Radio, Anika)
Jun 11 – Barcelona, ES – Primavera Sound 2022
Jul 20 – Melbourne, Australia – Margaret Court Arena (with Wet Leg)
Jul 24 – Sydney, Australia – Hordern Pavilion (with Wet Leg)
Jul 29 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Music And Arts Festival
Oct 1 – New York, NY – Forest Hills Stadium (with Special Guest TBA, The Linda Lindas)
Oct 6 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl (with Japanese Breakfast, The Linda Lindas)
For years, Girlpool have been morphing their sound beyond its humble beginnings. The playfulness and romanticism of the LA duo’s 2015 debut Before the World Was Big belied the messy and terrifying realities of growing up; with each subsequent release, Avery Tucker and Harmony Tividad have found new and intriguing ways to bring that chaos to the surface. 2017’s Powerplant saw them incorporating percussion as well as plenty of feedback and distortion without shaking the group’s core foundations, while 2019’s What Chaos Is Imaginary experimented with more synths and layered production to document the changes in the group’s personal lives. They quickly proved that the push-and-pull dynamic of their music wasn’t limited to indie rock’s loud-quiet-loud formula and that their writing could slip into the abstract as much as it relied on heartfelt honesty. If What Chaos Is Imaginary drifted between straightforward indie rock and hypnotic dream pop, Girlpool’s latest twists both ends of the spectrum, straddling the line between delicate alt-folk and industrial pop with help from producer Yves Rothman.
Forgiveness introduces us to this fluid world by offering a jarring yet effective synthesis of its ideas. While most of the record weaves in and out of each mode, ‘Nothing Gives Me Pleasure’ takes a different, more volatile approach: it opens with thumping beats that are immediately smoothed over by a softer synth and Tividad’s sweet vocals, which in turn come into contrast with raw, lacerating lyrics about a hopeless relationship: “You’re so hot/ But still so cold,” she summarizes. But as she repeats the chorus about deriving pleasure from “the things I know you won’t say,” those industrial blips give way to a cinematic pop outro that’s less laden with friction and recalls Lorde’s ‘Hard Feelings/Loveless’, like fading the you out of the song’s hedonism. Its dynamism is later matched by Tucker’s ‘Violet’, a tender, Elliott Smith-esque ballad that expands unlike any other on the album, as if to affirm the quiet power of its biggest emotional revelation: “When you held me like a doll/ That’s when I felt so fucking strong.”
For the most part, the album transitions from one experiment to the next without much of a unifying thread tying it together. Some smart sequencing choices mostly make up for this, but it’s less a lack of cohesion that becomes a problem than a couple of missteps here and there: ‘Lie Love Lullaby’ follows seamlessly from ‘Nothing Gives Me Pleasure (both are co-produced by Ben Zelico), but remains too static by comparison, failing to fully convey the romantic frustration that Tucker sings about. ‘Junkie’, meanwhile, hinges on an awkward metaphor that doesn’t develop in the compelling and poetic ways that Tividad’s songs generally do, and the subtle instrumentation doesn’t do the song any favours. But sticking to a single style also leads to some of the album’s most affecting and memorable moments, like ‘Dragging My Life in a Dream’, a catchy and nostalgic cut that best evokes the group’s early days, or the magnificent ‘Faultline’, where lush melodies meet some of Tividad’s most potent lyrics to date.
When the members of a duo like Girlpool start to grow and write separately, this change can result in a few uneven records. The way Tucker and Tividad’s songwriting is framed on Forgiveness highlights their distinct personalities as well as individual concerns, but their songs also have a strange way of calling back and relating to each other. Over and over, they’re bound by dreams, trying to bury or fall into them, make them real. On ‘Dragging My Life’, Tucker holds his breath hoping to run into someone; ‘Faultine’ then has Tividad “sinking further in” and wishing “you could reimburse my oxygen.” Like Girlpool’s music, she’s in a state of oscillation, “Between the edge of solitude and hope/ I’m shaking in a sentimental trope.” Then, she admits: “I wanted everything so much it grows.” Girlpool create a space where that kind of intense desire is permitted, and it doesn’t have to grow in one direction. But on the other side, beyond the constant haze, Forgiveness suggests, lies a life free from danger and delusion. Whether or not that’s where we find Girlpool next, what’s certain is that they won’t be the same.
Philadelphia-based sextet Blood have shared a new single called ‘Luck’. It’s lifted from their upcoming Bye Bye EP, which is out on July 8 (via Permanent Creeps) and includes lead offering ‘Money Worries’. Listen to it below.
Blood began in 2017 as the solo project of lead singer Tim O’Brien, expanding into a six-piece with the release of their debut EP, Why Wait Til’ 55, We Might Not Even Be Alive, in 2020.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.
On this week’s list, we have the gorgeously elegant, slow-burning title track to Angel Olsen’s forthcoming album Big Time; Arcade Fire’s uplifting, acoustic-led ’Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)’, the latest single from their upcoming album WE; ’Mirrors’, the title track to Francis of Delirium’s new EP, which matches anxiety-ridden lyrics with dynamic instrumentation; Kelly Lee Owens’ lush yet foreboding ‘One’, taken from her new album LP.8; and ‘easy’, the striking, synth-infused opener from Tomberlin’s new full-length.
Deerhoof, Empath, Water From Your Eyes, Dan Deacon, Palberta, Molly Drag, and more have contributed to May Day Music: A Benefit Compilation For Strike Funds & Artists, a new compilation benefitting strike funds and artists. The 47-track collection arrives on International Worker’s Day via Gardenhead Records, with proceeds going towards ongoing strikes and unionization efforts as well as the contributing musicians. Check it out below.
Fontaines D.C. appeared on CBS Saturday Morning yesterday to perform three tracks, one from each of their three albums. Watch them play Dogrel’s ‘Liberty Belle’, A Hero’s Death’s ‘Oh Such A Spring’, and ‘Jackie Down The Line’ off their latest LP Skinty Fia below.
Fontaines D.C.’s third album was released in April via Partisan. The band recently performed the track ‘Nabokov’ on Seth Meyers.
Sometimes, you just have to take a leap for something you believe in. For some people, this might mean starting a new YouTube channel. For others, it might be opening a boutique or writing a book.
If you love fashion or style, a great option is to start a fashion or style channel of your own on YT. The top style channels out there made it happen through hard work and consistency. Check out these tips to help yourself find success.
Invest in Yourself
Everyone has to start somewhere, right? That’s why there are tons of tools out there to help you out. One tool that so many people just shrug off is the ability to purchase YT hits and other similar packages. Companies like videosgrow.com will give you an opportunity to buy 500 YouTube views for cheap, and they do it well.
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to find ways to succeed. A little bit of investment will go a long way. You can also invest in yourself in other ways. Time is a major investment. You need to take the time to create quality content and not just publish any random thing.
You can invest in yourself by having great equipment, boosting your social media postings, and implementing new ideas into your work as these bloggers.
Top Fashion Bloggers on YouTube
Let’s start with the bloggers that you might be able to take inspiration from. There are a lot of them out there. Take a look at these names to help you on the way.
Tess Christine: just wanted to share some ideas she had and now has more than 200 million views and 2 million followers. She only makes 2-3 videos per month.
Zoella: is probably one of the most successful. She was even recognized in Forbes for her success. She has had more than 1 billion total views since 2009.
Samantha Maria: sets herself apart by being a travel enthusiast. She has a versatile and unique style and always adapts to trends wherever she may be.
Vanessa Zilleti: she actually shares a journey. It’s almost as if she has a reality show with a series of episodes. She shares shopping tips as well as various guides and tutorials.
Jenn Im: focuses on lifestyle as a whole with a ton of style advice in the mix. It’s very personable and sharing but also creative and inspiring.
These are just a few of the most popular examples. You will find there are a ton more successful people out there.
Now, check out other tips to create your own success.
Turn Viewing into Following
You want to get plenty of views on your channel. It’s the views that get you success in the end. But it’s about more than just views too. Your views will add up, and you will see people like the names we shared above that get more than 1 billion total views.
That’s pretty amazing!
It’s also amazing to build a following. In fact, having a consistent following will likely go a long way to help you be more successful. One way to do this is to create video content where you implore those watching to then subscribe.
Some of them will, and some of them won’t. However, you should still keep asking. The more that you can turn into subscribers, the better off you will be in the long run. It’s a simple concept. The subscribers are the ones who will keep coming back.
They are your returners and your repeaters. They also are likely to share you at some point with others they know.
Create Something Uniquely You
It’s totally acceptable to use other people for inspiration. But if you read through that quick list of popular names above, you will see they all do something unique. Some of them heavily focus on style. Others also include makeup, travel, or just tips for shopping.
As you determine what type of style channel you want to have, think about making it unique. And don’t just make it something different from every other channel. Make it something insanely different but totally YOU.
The key point here is you don’t want to just copy what everyone else is doing. You also don’t want to come up with some unique concept that really doesn’t fit you. You want to make something of your own. It needs to really reflect you and reflect the style you’re trying to create.
When you can bring both of those concepts together, people notice. They don’t want you to pretend to be something you’re not. They can tell when it’s fake. They want the real you, and they want it to be useful and interesting while they watch.
Faking it rarely helps you make it in this scenario.
Use Great Equipment
Have you seen those pictures of shoes or dresses floating around? They look like a different color to certain people. That change in color is sometimes related to the person, but it could also be their lighting or equipment.
While you can’t do anything about their visual equipment, you can do something about yours.
As you’re creating stuff for others to see, use high-quality goods. Use technology that will make a stunning creation. Use really great lighting. You also should master a skilled technique. You want those who watch to truly be able to SEE what you’re sharing.
If you’re showing different styles or fashion wear, make sure it’s visible. This comes from learning how to use the camera angles as well as phenomenal lighting choices.
If you don’t have a ton of money to spend on nice equipment, just buy things here and there. Maybe one month, you purchase studio lighting. The next month, a great camera. The cycle can continue like this until you have great equipment to make stunning content.
Interaction
One great way to connect with people is to interact. This will be an important concept when you get started. It’s also important as you become successful.
The people who choose to watch your stuff are taking valuable time to do so. Let them know they are valued. When they comment or interact with you, return the favor. More interaction will usually give you more visibility.
Commenting and responding is great. Asking questions in your video and telling people to post the answers is great. You can even host giveaways for comments, likes, or subscribers if you want to.
It’s all about engaging. You make those people feel seen, even if it is through a computer screen.
Use Analysis to Improve
Finally, take the time to analyze. YouTube provides several different reports and tools that you can use. Study them and see what is working. You can also see maybe what isn’t working for you.
These tools let you know who is watching and when they are watching. What kind of demographic are you appealing to? What video went over amazingly while another one totally bombed?
You can then use this data to help you improve going forward. Your improvements might be changing up your style or sticking to a different approach. You might even decide to post only on certain days based on your audience.
Conclusion
How to start your own channel is simple. You need to create it. But then you need to work on it and build it. There are a myriad of valuable tools and solutions. You need to take the time to get to know what’s there. Also, take the time to get to know yourself and how you can be unique and different from every other fashion vlogger out there.
There are plenty of ideas. You simply need to learn what works for you. Don’t forget to take advantage of the tools and learn to invest in yourself.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tribute to the late musical composer Jonathan Larson premiered on Netflix in late 2021. The film, starring Andrew Garfield, received positive reviews from critics and fans alike, rounding out what has become known as the Andrew Garfield renaissance of 2021. After appearing in The Eyes of Tammy Faye and (spoiler alert) Spider-Man: No Way Home, tick, tick…BOOM! finally allowed the actor to take center stage in his role as Larson, a struggling artist. At this time in his life, Larson is finding it difficult to write material, an experience he isn’t used to. Simultaneously, he’s losing friends to the AIDS epidemic, and his girlfriend (Alexandra Shipp) both admires and is frustrated by his overwhelming commitment to his craft.
Just like Larson’s constantly ticking creative mind, the film is always dynamic, thanks partially to its Oscar-nominated editing. Cinematographer Alice Brooks captures Larson’s heart with warmth and compassion, and also makes musical moments exciting and memorable. Here are some of the best stills from tick, tick…BOOM!
Avril Lavigne joined Olivia Rodrigo onstage during the Toronto leg of her SOUR tour last night (April 29) of Lavigne’s 2002 hit ‘Complicated’. Check out footage from the performance below.
“Jumped up to sing ‘Complicated’ on stage with @oliviarodrigo in Toronto tonight,” Lavigne wrote on Instagram after the performance. “It was very sweet to perform with you tonight on your SOUR tour!! Have an incredible tour gurl. Keep killing it. Sending you so much love.”
olivia rodrigo and avril lavinge performing ‘complicated’ together for the FIRST time EVER 🖤 pic.twitter.com/jytPieYTr6
