Kevin Morby has announced a new album titled Sundowner, out October 16 via Dead Oceans. He also previewed the album with the first single, ‘Campfire’, featuring his partner Katie Crutchfield, aka Waxahatchee. It comes with a video directed by Johnny Eastlund and Dylan Isbell and featuring Crutchfield. Check it out below, and scroll down for the album’s cover artwork and tracklist.
Morby started working on Sundowner all the way back in 2017, when he moved back to his hometown of Kansas City, KS, and still finishing up his last album, 2019’s Oh My God. Using mostly a four-track Tascam 424 recorder, he recorded the album at Texas’ Sonic Ranch with producer Brad Cook. “I wrote the entire album wearing headphones, hunched over the 424, letting my voice and guitar pass through the machine, getting lost in the warmth of the tape as if another version of myself was living on the inside, singing back at me,” Morby said in a press release. “I was mesmerized by the magic of the four track not only as a recording device, but also an instrument, and considered it my songwriting partner throughout the whole process.”
Speaking of the album’s title, he explained: “It is a depiction of isolation. Of the past. Of an uncertain future. Of provisions. Of an omen. Of a dead deer. Of an icon. Of a Los Angeles themed hotel in rural Kansas. Of billowing campfires, a mermaid and a highway lined in rabbit fur. It is a depiction of the nervous feeling that comes with the sky’s proud announcement that another day will be soon coming to a close as the pink light recedes and the street lamps and house lights suddenly click on.”
Along with the album announcement, Morby has also announced a “virtual tour” on the Noon Chorus platform, where he’ll perform each of his albums the whole way through via livestream. The performances will run every Thursday from September 10 to October 15, where he’ll play Sundowner.
Sundowner Cover Artwork:
Sundowner Tracklist:
1. Valley
2. Brother, Sister
3. Sundowner
4. Campfire
5. Wander
6. Don’t Underestimate Midwest American Sun
7. A Night at the Little Los Angeles
8. Jamie
9. Velvet Highway
10. Provisions
Matveï, a Montreal-based DJ and music producer, has presented us with an ear-pleasing track Rio. The single comes from his forthcoming EP Summer Collection, which is due to be released this September.
Talking about the track, Matveï said: “Rio is a hot summer day feel good house tune, something bouncy to play by the pool with a fresh Caipirinha.”
Matveï’s journey began with his 2016 single Don’t Look Back, a synth-filled dance track that thrives on a shifting melody and chopped vocals. Stylistically, Matvei’s taste has matured, and we can hear this in a far more chill, Rio, a track that leads with its relaxed mood, silky lead, and punchy drums that keep the dance rhythm pumping.
Something of a “reverse-exorcism” movie directly descended from the likes of Rosemary’s Baby (1968)and The Devil Rides Out(1968),Anything for Jackson – a Canadian production from director Justin Dyck and writer Keith Cooper – is a contemporary satanic shocker to stand with Ti West’s The House of the Devil (2009). Our Culture reviews the film here as part of its selection for the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival.
Somewhere in the snowbound United States, the wealthy Dr Henry Walsh (Julian Richings) and his prudish wife Audrey (Sheila McCarthy) are grieving the loss of their grandson, Jackson. But they don’t intend on mourning him for long. After months of planning, they kidnap Henry’s pregnant patient, Becker (Konstantina Mantelos), and lock her in a sound-proofed room on the top floor of their expansive family home. Using black magic learned from an ancient codex, their intention is to summon a demon who they hope will conjure Jackson’s spirit into their prisoner’s unborn child. But Henry and Audrey are messing with forces they don’t fully understand, and soon their house becomes the site of terrifying paranormal activity.
Like so many great horror films before it, Anything for Jacksonis concerned with the ultimate evil: rich white people. Back in the late 1980s, following a decade defined by social and fiscal conservatism under Ronald Reagan in the United States and the beginning of Canada’s neoliberal transformation under Brian Mulroney, North American horror cinema was awash with narratives about wealthy, white Americans hiding monsters just beneath their civilised veneers, including The Stepfather (1987), Flesh Eating Mothers (1988), Parents (1989) and Meet the Applegates (1990). Brian Yuzna’s Society (1989), which casts the rich as shapeshifting creatures who feed on the poor, is perhaps the most obvious example.
Entirely unsurprisingly given that an unscrupulous billionaire is currently the President of the United States, these themes have recurred in horror cinema of recent years, particularly in movies that have suggested the wealthy elite might be quite literally in league with the devil. In fact, Anything for Jackson has a great deal in common with two of the very best horror movies of 2019: Ready or Not and Satanic Panic. All three films use the tropes established by decades of satanic horror to indict the selfishness and greed endemic to the Western world.
Of course, both Ready or Not and Satanic Panic are horror comedies, and derive a great deal of their humour from depicting their devil-worshippers as bratty caricatures. Although it is darkly humorous in places, Anything for Jackson is a far more straight-faced picture, and Henry and Audrey are altogether more insidious villains. They are obscenely rich, but – as expertly brought to life by genre stalwarts Julian Richings and Sheila McCarthy – they are also somewhat sympathetic characters, ostensibly driven to do awful things by overwhelming grief. But there is a sense that their actions are motivated not just by their emotional turmoil but also by a realisation that they have finally found something they can’t buy; no amount of money can bring Jackson back, but perhaps the devil can.
Julian Richings and Sheila McCarthy as Henry and Audrey
Anything for Jackson is, then, an important and exceptionally intelligent film about privilege; even if they are driven by their pain, it is apparent that Henry and Audrey are convinced that their wants and needs are simply more important than Becker’s, a struggling single-mother-to-be, or those of her unborn child. Their high status leads them to believe that they can do whatever they please with her body if it means they get what they want – and, furthermore, they care very little about the many innocent people who come to harm because they have chosen to let the devil in. Even when a secondary villain is introduced later in the film, they are entirely motivated by a desire for wealth and power – or, in other words, a desperate yearning to have what Henry and Audrey already possess.
So when the Walsh household becomes overrun with things from beyond the pale, it is difficult to feel that Henry and Audrey have anyone to blame but themselves. And those things are terrifying, too – this is not only a scathingly sharp commentary on social power structures, but also an extremely effective horror movie. Ranging from a simple ghostly sheet to truly horrific creations realised with impressive practical effects, the apparitions that appear in Henry and Audrey’s home are deeply unsettling, making Anything for Jackson a film that gets under the skin in the same way as, for example, The Innkeepers (2011) or The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2018) – two of the best supernatural horror films of the last decade.
In many ways, Anything for Jackson recalls Ti West’s breakout film The House of the Devil: a cunningly clever, genuinely unnerving satanic shocker with something important to say about the unfortunate tendency of society’s most privileged to use and abuse its most vulnerable. Henry and Audrey ooze selfishness and entitlement, and give not a second thought to how their actions might affect the world around them. After all, as the film’s title suggests, they will do anything to get their grandson back – the consequences be damned.
The industry of fashion is an ever-changing scene, where clothing, style, and design changes along with every season. Dedicated to keeping their looks fresh, wearable, and memorable, here are the names of this weeks’ incredibly unique and eco-conscious fashion designers you should know about.
Catching the eyes of editors at big-name fashion platforms such as Teen Vogue, Brides, and Women’s Wear Daily, the “chic yet effortless” eco-friendly brand, Agaati, is a fashion that line that pushes to support not only environmentally friendly design practices but also artisans all over the world and empowerment through clothing. With a passion for creating a positive impact for nature, artists, and women, designer Saloni Shrestha has taken her seven years of design experience to create a brand that stands for positivity in culture and creation. From masks to ready-to-wear dresses, the fashion at Agaati is distinct and special.
A post shared by PHIPPS (@phipps.international) on
In his final year of studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City, Spencer Phipps was nominated as “designer of the year” for his senior year collection. After some experience as part of the menswear design team at Marc Jacob, Phipps dedicated his ideas to founding his own brand, Phipps International, where his designs for comfortable menswear not only make mobility and styling easy but also reject old and harmful habits of fashion production that negatively affect the environment. Embracing his love for nature and Northern California roots, Phipps International takes everything from denim to outerwear as a profound reflection of Phipps’ mission to change the world fashion for the better.
Expression, art, and culture were the main ideas behind fashion designer Korina Emmerich’s vision for her New York-based clothing and accessory brand, EMME. Known for their colorful and bold designs, EMME carries everything from handbags to dresses that embraces art and culture in a truthful and engaging way. Taking her passion for fashion and design to a deeper level of impact, Emmerich serves on the Board of Directors for The Slow Factory Foundation where she speaks on and works towards her beliefs in slow fashion, sustainable action, fair wages, and human rights.
A few seconds into Katy Perry’s new album, and you might be tricked into thinking she’s about to deliver the kind of pure pop escapism that so many have found refuge in during the past few months. Carly Rae Jepsen did it by serving up another enjoyable slice of perfectionist disco-pop with Dedicated Side B; Lady Gaga built a whole universe for her Little Monsters to dance in during a pandemic with Chromatica. Opener ‘Never Really Over’ gravitates more towards Jepsen’s approach: bubbly keys, tight finger snaps, and a slick bass line escalate into an infectious, propulsive hook that’s anchored by 80s-inspired electro synths and effective vocal layering. Perry’s voice might lack conviction, but all the other elements are there – it’s a shame the rest of the album never really comes to close to replicating that high.
Instead, Smile seeks to do little more than evoke the reaction that’s so unambiguously stated in its title. But in its careless embrace of the power of positivity, it ends up feeling less like an empowering triumph than a disquietingly tepid collection of self-help clichés. The album was marketed as “a journey towards the light, with stories of resilience, hope, and love”; instead what we’re served is a series of mostly empty, disconnected platitudes like “I’m thankful/ Scratch that, baby, I’m grateful” and “You can take a frown, turn it all the way around”. ‘Never Really Over’ might not exactly be rich in detail, either, but at least there’s a story there, and Perry sells it: “Two years, and just like that/ My head still takes me back/ Thought it was done, but I/ Guess it’s never really over,” she sings, and every single element in the mix sounds precision-engineered to mirror that feeling.
There are moments where Perry hints at the emotional pain that she’s had to endure during dark times, but the writing lacks the necessary nuance to make them resonate. “I am resilient/ Born to be brilliant,” she belts out on ‘Resilient’, undercutting a powerful proclamation with a vapid attempt at sticking to a rhyme scheme. ‘Champagne Problems’ boasts the kind of funky, upbeat instrumental that could have landed on Dua Lipa’s latest album, but the lyrics once again fall flat, painting a picture of a troubled relationship while glossing over any real problems in service of the album’s dogmatic message. At least the following track, ‘Tucked’, which is nearly identical in its glitzy presentation, is more up-front about the nature of it: “Tucked deep, deep in my fantasy/ ‘Cause, in reality, we’re a mistake/ Don’t need permission to do what I do to you/ When all you are to me’s a sweet escape.”
Had Smile taken that route and went all in on this brand of escapist fantasy, it could have worked. ‘Harleys in Hawaii’ is another shining example of that, a straightforward, sultry tropical cut that cruises through its runtime with effortless ease. But the album is instead framed as a story of overcoming real hardships, when really, it’s a story about having overcome them. The glossy ‘Cry About it Later’ is a vocoder-enhanced song about having fun and leaving all the worrying for later, while the next track is literary about crying while having fun. There’s no emotional release, no moment of earnest vulnerability to make any of these moments feel earned: it doesn’t do much to proclaim that “it’s not the end of the world” when it never felt like it was. Except, of course, in the real world.
‘Daisies’ is one possible exception here, a track that tiptoes the line between being generic and specific enough to truly land – it helps that there’s some actual punch and dramatic weight to the production, too. But on the whole, Smile is befitting of its title: in itself, it could represent anything and everything depending on the context, and Perry never really attempts to sketch out what’s behind it. Like the conventional pop formulas she has often excelled at – and even successfully broken away from with her last album, 2016’s Witness – its power is universally undisputed. But if you want it to keep having the same impact without wearing thin, you have to do more than stretch it out for a prolonged period of time.
Miley Cyrus appeared on a remote edition of BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Tuning in from Los Angeles, she performed a cover of Billie Eilish’s latest single, ‘my future’, as as well as her newest song, ‘Midnight Sky’, and 2019’s ‘Slide Away’. Check out all three performances below.
This past weekend, Miley Cyrus also performed ‘Midnight Sky’ atop a giant disco ball at the MTV Video Music Awards 2020, where she also won two awards: Best Art Direction and Best Editing, both for ‘Mother’s Daughter’. Her latest single is taken from her upcoming album, She is Miley Cyrus. In May of last year, she released an EP titled She is Coming.
IDLES performed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios this past weekend for a three-part set that included originals songs from their upcoming album, Ultra Mono, as well as a series of covers. The British punk outfit offered their own take on The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’, The Ramones’ ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’, as well as The Strokes’ ‘Reptilia’. Check out each of their covers below. You can also watch the entire livestream here.
JPEGMAFIA has been quietly dropping one new single after another for the past few months, and now he’s shared what he says is the “final one”. Fittingly titled ‘LAST DANCE!’, it arrives with an accompanying music video directed by Peggy himself and shot by carlo. Check it out below.
Girlpool have released a new EP via Anti- featuring three remixes of ‘Like I’m Winning It’, a one-off single they put out earlier this year. Dev Hynes, Porches, and Lydia Ainsworth all provided their own versions of the track. Listen to all three remixes below.
“It’s really cool to hear our song realized differently by artists we admire,” the band wrote in a statement. “Each remix is so unique and unexpected.”
“‘Like I’m Winning it’ is about power and lust: how can the weight of someone’s attention feel so heavy just because of its scarcity?” Girlpool’s Avery Tucker explained upon the single’s release. “This is a song about playing with that line- the line between the electricity in receiving attention and what’s unattainable.”
Girlpool’s last full-length album, What Chaos Is Imaginary, was released in 2019.
BTS have officially become the first all–South Korean group to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Billboard reports. ‘Dynamite’, the K-pop superstars’ first English language single, debuted at the top of the chart with 33.9 million U.S. streams and 300,000 sales in its first week, according to data from Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It’s also the biggest digital sales week since Taylor Swift sold 353,000 units for ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ in September of 2017.
‘Dynamite’ is far from the group’s first top-10 hit, however. BTS also scored hits with 2018’s ‘Fake Love’ (#10), 2019’s ‘Boy With Luv’ feat. Halsey (#8), and this year’s ‘On’ (#4). It marks the 43rd song to debut at #1 in the history of the Hot 100, replacing of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’, which also debuted at No. 1 two weeks ago. The video for ‘Dynamite’ also broke YouTube’s 24-hour streaming record with 101.1 million views during the first day.
