Boy Scouts, the moniker of singer-songwriter Taylor Vick, has announced a new album. It’s called Wayfinder, and it arrives October 1 via ANTI-. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘That’s Life Honey’, alongside an accompanying video directed by Jake Nokovic. Check it out below and scroll down for the LP’s cover art and tracklist.
“This song is about trying to make light of a shitty situation,” Vick said of ‘That’s Life Honey’ in a press release. “Having a circumstance that sucks, like wanting to go to therapy but you can’t afford it, and fantasizing about a world where you could get a chip implanted or have some surgery that rewires your brain and resolves you from whatever problems you have. This song is mostly my attempt at writing a tragicomedy, combined with true experiences of figuring out how to open up to people.”
Recorded in Anacortes, Washington at The Unknown, Wayfinder sees Vick reuniting with longtime collaborator Stephen Steinbrink. The album, which includes collaborations with Taylor’s brother Travis and Jay Som’s Melina Duterte, takes its name from Sallie Tisdale’s book Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying. “For my whole life, music has been a crucial part of my identity and how I relate to the world,” Vick explained. “The act of making music has been my wayfinder during the past year.”
Ada Lea has announced her next album: the follow-up to 2019’s what we say in private is called one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden, and it’s out September 24 via Saddle Creek. To accompany the announcement, Ada Lea has today shared a new song, ‘damn’, alongside a music video directed by Monse Muro. Check it out and find the album’s cover artwork and tracklist below.
The new album is set in Alexandra Levy’s hometown of Montreal, with each song existing as “a dot on a personal history map of the city where Levy grew up,” according to a press release. It was recorded with producer and Phoebe Bridgers collaborator Marshall Vore, who had previously worked on Lea’s 2020 EP woman, here. “Marshall’s expertise and experience with drumming and songwriting was the perfect blend for what the songs needed,” Levy said in a statement. “He was able to support me in a harmonic, lyrical, and rhythmic sense.”
Last month, Ada Lea released the album single ‘hurt’, which made our Best New Songs list.
one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden Cover Artwork:
one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden Tracklist:
1. damn
2. can’t stop me from dying
3. oranges
4. partner
5. saltspring
6. and my newness spoke to your newness and it was a thing of endless
7. my love 4 u is real
8. backyard
9. writer in ny
10. violence
11. hurt
How has it been over 10 years since Willow Smith’s springy banger ‘Whip My Hair’ came out? The only thing scarier than finding that out is discovering that its creator is still only 20 years old and has just released her fourth studio album. The album in question is called lately I feel EVERYTHING and the purposeful stylistic choice in the title is crucial, for these 11 songs live in ALL CAPS ferocity. After making several albums of thoughtful and exploratory R&B and soul, Willow has pivoted to the extreme, capitalizing on the au courant genre of the mainstream moment, youthful pop-punk.
If being punk demands realness and authenticity, though, Willow seems to have it: her mother Jada Pinkett was famously in a nu-metal band called Wicked Wisdom (who Willow sweetly reunited a couple of months ago) and Willow has spoken confidently of her love for bands such as My Chemical Romance in the past. This turn to pop-punk from R&B feels clever but never contrived. She’s the latest young star to be guided in the genre by the ubiquitous Travis Barker from Blink-182, who appears on several tracks (his incessant drumming only threatens to overwhelm on ‘Gaslight’). Lead single ‘T r a n s p a r e n t s o u l’ runs with the intent and speed of early Paramore, sizzling with attitude from the very beginning.
Despite her famous upbringing, Willow has always possessed a fiercely independent spirit, and it powers everything in the album. ‘F**k You’ is an angsty spoken-word diatribe whose lyrics deal with race and relationships, the bare drums recalling the ersatz spirit of no wave. In many of the songs, Willow contends with remaining true to herself and finding her own path forward: “I blew out the gaslight, now I feel a different way,” she sings in ‘Gaslight’, a song about leaving a controlling lover.
The instrumentation is always forceful and never underdeveloped. Memorable and gritty guitar lines power ‘Don’t SAVE ME’ and ‘XTRA’; there’s a razor-sharp industrial rhythm in ‘Lipstick’ and a fiery rock prowess on show in ‘!Breakout!’ (aided by LA’s excellent rockers Cherry Glazerr). The tempo is slowed on the melancholic ‘naive’ and ‘4ever’, with its ponderous indie guitar sound and solemn and sweet ‘oohs’. It’s then fitting that pop-punk queen Avril Lavigne features on the album, lending her undying angsty spirit in the supremely fun ‘G R O W’, her voice immediately recognizable.
Lately I feel EVERYTHING is spiky and provocative, joyful and passionate. It might not boast a breakout blockbuster track like Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’, but Willow’s whole record more than matches her contemporary pop-punk peer’s exemplary effort. If being punk is to show rage and power, then the raw and liberating outpouring here ensures Willow satisfies the conditions. After a decade of sonic exploration, she might have found her natural home.
Of all the recent all-consuming single chart sensations, none defy belief as much as Tones and I’s ‘Dance Monkey’: a plodding and grating hit that came from Australia seemingly out of nowhere, a track filled with some of the most insufferable vocal tics and inanely catchy production this side of Crazy Frog. After dropping in 2019, it’s now one of the biggest musical commercial successes of all time, including Tones and I – real name Toni Watson – becoming the first female artist to reach over 2 billion streams on Spotify.
A funny thing happens when you top the charts in over 30 countries: you get a large amount of leeway to make whatever you want next. So it is with Welcome to the Madhouse, Tones and I’s much-anticipated, long-delayed debut album, a record that, though it fails in terms of execution, is at least fiercely independent. Most of it was written by Watson and self-produced by her, the artist relenting on hiring a backing squad of production talent when she likely could have secured the services of any of the mainstream’s big hitters. Perhaps she should have: Watson’s production is so crudely awful that there must have been some oversight, most noticeably on the wannabe party track ‘Won’t Sleep’, the ghastly tropical touch of ‘Westside Lobby’, and the gloopy experimental electronica of ‘Child’s Play’.
The title track and album cover go hand-in-hand, hinting at a self-reverential quirkiness. “I’m kooky, I’m different, welcome to my crazy world,” Watson seems to be saying invitingly. The vocals, though. While there is ever reason to be in favour of vocal integrity and innovation in pop music, to save us from the unceasing blandness of crooning and cooing interchangeable dullards, Tones and I presents a problem: it’s so whining that it becomes unlistenable at certain points; she often sounds like a particularly theatrical am-dram member. Her vocal chops are incessant and rarely come off seamlessly. It essentially sounds like Watson is trying too hard to sound distinctive.
The lyrics far outweigh the production in terms of quality, although not by much. ‘Fly Away’ and ‘Cloudy Day’ are predictably radio-friendly, faux-inspirational pieces for mainstream play, the latter featuring a cloyingly sincere chorus (“Look up into the sky/ Find the sun on a cloudy day”). Such a sentiment is too vague, and it’s when Watson is unafraid to be pointedly personal that leads to the album’s best track. “My song went number one in over thirty fucking countries and I’m sorry if that offends you,” she scolds in ‘Westside Lobby’, an ode to her whirlwind career path that has drawn sexist detractors from the gutter; listening to the song, you don’t begrudge her the surprising success (intriguingly, Watson also tones down her idiosyncratic vocal delivery the most on this track, speaking the lyrics as if deadpan to the camera).
Watson is famously private, so much so that her real age isn’t even on Wikipedia. It’s to be admired, certainly, but Welcome to the Madhouse was perhaps the opportunity to let her fans inside her world a little more: instead of bringing them into a haunted house of distorted mirrors, a little more realism might have been worthwhile. Though a meagre piano ballad, ‘Lonely’ offers a meaningful exploration of the mental health struggles Watson has experienced since becoming a star; ‘Fall Apart’ and ‘Just A Mess’ are the only other significant moments where she strips the chaotic funhouse atmosphere back. Not that it matters: the album went to number one in the Australian album charts anyway. There’s no stopping the Tones and I behemoth.
“‘Hide With You’ is about the search for freedom; hoping that one day, in the vastness of space & time, we find it together,” Ring explained in a press release. “This is a song I hold very dear to my heart and has provided great healing for me. I hope that it may do the same for others also.”
Before purchasing any used vehicle, make sure its past does not hold dark secrets. Unfortunately, some sellers are unscrupulous, so they conceal facts that would deter buyers. Luckily, you can check auto background easily — just run a quick check of the identifier.
Every vehicle sold in the United States since 1981 has a unique 17-digit code. Known as VIN, it allows you to obtain full reports about the history and specifications of any car or motorbike. No two numbers are the same, which is why you can check stolen car by VIN easily. Any accidents, repossessions, damage, and other critical events are also highlighted instantly.
Prevent Big Mistakes
Even when the deal seems irresistible, do not pay until you are sure the vehicle is legit. An online check will prevent you from buying illegally traded property. If you see that the title has been hijacked, cancel the deal and contact law enforcement. This check is recommended by state authorities.
How to Find the Code
The sequence is always stamped on non-removable elements. It includes numerals and letters except for those that are easily confused — I, O, and Q. The location varies depending on the manufacturer and model. Some typical locations include:
The windshield on the driver’s side (bottom left);
The front side of the frame near the container holding the washer fluid for the windshield;
The number on the vehicle must match the sequence in any paperwork that comes with it, including the owner’s manual. In case of a mismatch, you have grounds for concern. If there is no number at all, this could mean the vehicle was not produced for sale in the US, so it may not be registered in the country.
Finally, you can see different numbers on the vehicle itself. This often happens when cars are hijacked. Most consumers only pay attention to the number on the windshield, so thieves do not bother changing the other ones.
Additional Benefits
Finding out if the vehicle was stolen is just one of the benefits. The full report will tell you about any suspicious events in history before the car was returned to the owner. For example, it may have been damaged. Generally, buyers should never presume that a car that was hijacked is safe for driving.
You can use the check on your smartphone. During the visual examination of the vehicle, find the number and enter it into the search field. If you see that the car is stolen, inform the police, but do not tell the owner to avoid problems.
Spiritualized have announced a vinyl reissue of their landmark 1997 LP Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space as part of the Spacemen Reissue Program. It’s the third edition of the series following re-releases of 1992’s Lazer Guided Melodies and 1995’s Pure Phase, and it’s due out September 10 via Fat Possum. Check out a newly unveiled uncensored video for ‘Come Together’ below.
Talking about the album, the band’s Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) said in a statement: “We went out to America ahead of recording this record. John [Coxon] had joined on guitar and I’d recorded the title track and a number of other demos that ended up on the finished record. But we got to play Cop Shoot Cop and Electricity live and to work them out before we recorded them for the record and then John became integral to the band. He came from a world of Syl Johnson and Al Green, Teenie Hodges and Reggie Young; a different world within the guitar lines. And then there was Kate [Radley]’s hugely influential keyboard that was relentless and loud.”
Pierce added: “I like Pure Phase the best of these four records, but people still say Ladies and Gentlemen is where everything kind of came together. I’m still astounded by both records, where they don’t let up. There’s no kind of curfew. Or no ‘you can’t stay on that section for that length of time.’ They sit on where they arrive and stay there, and I found that kind of amazing.”
Mindaugas Buivydas, the Lithuanian photographer who explores nature through the eye of emotion, released a splendid series named Why I Didn’t Sleep At All Last Night. The series explores eerie nature absorbed by overwhelming mist, reflecting the broader works of Buivydas, which examines similar stylistic themes.
A certain aura of mystique permeated Darkside’s music even before they decided to take an eight-year hiatus. But when visionary electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington first joined forces, the appeal was as immediate as the music was innovative: their lauded 2013 debut Psychic melded worlds both old and new, allowing various electronic and rock forms to congeal into a single, alluring entity. There was room for both artists to learn from each other as they combined their individual strengths, yet they sounded fully locked into the cavernous, prismatic nature of the project as early as on their 2011 self-titled EP. The Darkside universe was one they could explore in endlessly unpredictable ways for years, but it’s only now, after a series of successful solo ventures, that they decided to reunite for a full-length follow-up.
If there is an air of nostalgia surrounding the new album, Spiral, it’s less to do with their musical approach or shared influences than the general atmosphere that led to its creation. In a recent interview, Jaar spoke about the youthful playfulness that drove much of the process: “With Dave we have a very silly band name and it really brings us back to being 14-year-olds,” he said. In that context, his categorization of Darkside as a jam band makes a bit more sense, hinting at a looseness that doesn’t contradict so much as enhance the group’s meticulous arrangements and striking focus. Spiral’s greatest achievement might be proving that those elements aren’t mutually exclusive, that the two musicians can ease into a familiar groove without losing their grip on what made their union unique in the first place – which is why the album sounds as refreshing and immersive as its predecessor, even if it’s not quite as inventive.
Written during a week-long session in Flemington, New Jersey in 2018, Spiral is a markedly introspective work, drawing attention to the intricate details that are sprinkled throughout instead of some grand vision. If the atmosphere on Psychic seemed alien, here it is grounded in the familiarity of the natural world, seeped in earthy, organic tones that are delectable and dense even if the overall effect lacks some of the fluidity that has often been attributed to Jaar. The album’s 9 tracks unfold with patience and control, crackling with texture that ripples through and sometimes bubbles over the frame – and the moments where it does are its most memorable: the guitar solo at the end of ‘I’m the Echo’, sounding not so much unhinged as disturbed by its own mirrored presence; the chaotic layers of noise that underpin ‘The Limit’. The latter also happens to be the album’s catchiest track, proof that Darkside are at their best when they establish a pulse and subtly suggest the organism could dissolve at any moment; when they simply pare things back, like on the title track or ‘The Question Is to See It All’, the results can feel disappointingly aimless.
Fortunately, Spiral rarely falls into that trap. ‘Liberty Bell’ boasts one of Darkside’s most satisfying grooves, and the acoustic guitar outro is a prime example of the group at its most dynamic and exciting. This has always been a project bolstered by contradictions, but here some of them diminish its impact: when the joyful ease that characterizes the duo’s collaborative approach clashes with the lingering confusion of the songs themselves, the album can feel tonally inconsistent. This might have been less of an issue had not the album’s lyrical concerns or Jaar’s vocals been more prominent, because even as they are pushed into the foreground, their resonance continues to elude the listener. The relationship between sound and concept remains an intriguing one, but the ideas don’t always come through as intended.
A crucial exception is ‘Lawmaker’, the album’s brooding centrepiece, in which Jaar’s vocals assume a more dominant role as he tells the story of a doctor-turned-cult-leader. It’s the sole moment on the album where the underlying tensions reverberate with clarity, like opening a window and actually absorbing the atmosphere of a polluted city. Spiral’s commentary may not run very deep, but the general idea of “being OK with the flux of the spiral” is reflected in the malleability, if not the boldness, of the duo’s improvisations. It’s a fragmented, even comforting journey – but allow yourself to get lost in it, they suggest, and you may be surprised with what you find.
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 segment.
On this week’s list, we have the lead single and opening track from The War on Drugs’ new album, ‘Living Proof’, a plaintive, quietly rewarding reintroduction to the band’s sound; Low’s ‘Disappearing’, another gorgeously warped single off the group’s upcoming album; the beautiful ‘Phoenix’ by Big Red Machine, a collaboration with Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and Anaïs Mitchell; Dave’s James Blake-featuring ‘Both Sides of a Smile’, an outstanding, evocative 8-minute highlight from the London rapper’s new album We’re All In This Together; illuminati hotties’ lovely new song ‘u v v p’, a surf rock- and country-inflected track complete with a spoken word segment from Big Thief’s Buck Meek; Cafuné’s ‘Empty Tricks’, a dynamic and stirring highlight from the duo’s debut full-length Running; and Penelope Isles’ ‘Sailing Still’, a slow-burning indie rock ballad set to appear on the group’s sophomore LP.
