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15 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Helado Negro, Peel Dream Magazine, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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15 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Helado Negro, Peel Dream Magazine, and More

There’s so much music coming out all the time that it’s hard to keep track. On those days when the influx of new tracks is particularly overwhelming, we sift through the noise to bring you a curated list of the most interesting new releases (the best of which will be added to our Best New Songs playlist). Below, check out our track roundup for Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

Helado Negro – ‘More’

Helado Negro has announced a new EP called The Last Sound On Earth, which was inspired by the question, “What will the last sound I hear before I die will be?” Releasing Novemver 7 on Big Dada, the album is led by the bleary new single ‘More’. “When I wake up in the morning, I can listen to my ears tuning-in to the world around me,” Roberto Carlos Lange said in a statement. “It feels like a blanket being pulled off my eardrums. I was watching Michael Snow’s Wavelength (in increments 😅) while working on these songs and the room for interpretation of what I saw and heard felt large. Every time I watched it carved a new emotion out of me. Despair, hope and inspiration. I wanted to ask more of listeners, to want to take time — not just pause, but ask yourself can you untangle all of the mess and try again.”

Peel Dream Magazine – ‘Venus in Nadir’

Peel Dream Magazine has announced a new mini album, Taurus, comprising songs initially recorded for last year’s Rose Main Reading Room. The first preview of the record, arriving October 1, is ‘Venus in Nadir’, which is reserved and hummable in an autumn sort of way. “This is a song that I started during the Rose Main Reading Room sessions but kind of gave up on,” songwriter Joseph Stevens explained. “I revisited it after the album came out, reworked the lyrics and some of the overdubs, and ended up with this really simple twee song about a forlorn recluse who is withering away from an requited love. I imagined him confined to a log cabin, withdrawing from the civilized world, maybe because the guitar voicings felt very Nick Drake-y. ‘Venus In Nadir’ is what came out and it seemed right. I was already kicking around this astrology motif, which is mysterious to me because I’m highly skeptical of it. But that’s what’s cool about writing songs – you can take these mental images off the shelf, make a mess of them, and you don’t have to worry about putting them back when you’re done.”

Keaton Henson – ‘Insomnia’

Keaton Henson has announced a new album, Parader, sharing the quietly explosive new single ‘Insomnia’. It’s accompanied by an animated stop motion video made by Henson himself. “It’s not me pretending to be anything I’m not,” the singer-songwriter said of the record. “It’s maybe just me accepting that part of me is this. It’s louder and it has those bigger, louder, rasher sounds, but not from a performative point of view. Maybe I’m accepting that that is a part of me as well.”

The Avvett Brothers – ‘Eternal Love’

Faith No More/Mr. Bungle frontman Mike Patton is an interesting and prolific collaborator, but his latest team-up is still a surprising one. He worked with the Avett Brothers for a new album called AVTT/PTTN, out November 14, which you couldn’t necessarily tell by listening to the shimmery new song ‘Eternal Love’. “Mike’s part of our DNA, like the fabric of our youth,” Scott Avett commented, “Literally, we studied him. He’s a dear friend now, but when we were younger, I was imitating him… This is what art is. This is what making is supposed to be: in secret and with no ambition.” Patton added: “My peculiar challenge in this was to become a long distant cousin. A brother that was orphaned. Maybe they kept him in the chicken coop or some shit. They brought him out years and years later.”

Flock of Dimes – ‘Defeat’

Flock of Dimes has released ‘Defeat’, a mesmerizing new single from her forthcoming album The Life You Save. “This song represents a moment of total surrender,” Jenn Wasner shared in a statement. “It’s about the moment I finally allowed myself to accept my own powerlessness, and started the process of learning how to step back and allow others to face the consequences of their actions. It features a moment of melodic counterpoint that became a sort of mantra for myself as I attempted to make my way through this process—I’m inside it, after all. This realization—kindly first introduced to me by someone I love who sees me clearly—was something of a breakthrough for me. Learning to see myself as a part of a dynamic (rather than separate, having escaped) was an important step in changing my own behavior—which is, ultimately, the only real agent of change over which I have any sort of control. Three years after I wrote it, the work continues—I am still working on trying to see myself not as some kind of savior figure, but just another flawed human being, doing her best.”

Courtney Marie Andrews – ‘Cons and Clowns’

Courtney Marie Andrews is back after three years with a new song called ‘Cons and Clowns’, which instantly feels like a warm embrace. “‘Cons & Clowns’ is an ode to all the artists, outsiders, and shy loved ones you want to see shine!” she remarked. “In this world of growing sameness I wanted to write a love letter of encouragement to anyone who was afraid to be their wildest and weirdest self, especially amid the dark landscape of now. With a desire to embody the unencumbered playfulness of youth, I played the flute on this track, an instrument I haven’t played since my childhood.”

Rocket – ‘Another Second Chance’

Rocket have already released plenty of singles from their upcoming debut album R is for Rocket, but the latest, ‘Another Second Chance’ is as strong and hooky as the previous ones. “What if you open me up/ And decide it’s never enough for you?” Alithea Tuttle sings on the chorus. It’s “an ode to never feeling good enough,” she explained, adding that the dreamy outro is “one of my favorite moments in writing this record.”

bar italia – ‘rooster’

bar italia have a new album on the way called Some Like It Hot, and today they’ve shared another unnerving yet impassioned single, ‘rooster’. Following ‘Cowbella’ and ‘Fundraiser’, it comes paired with a video by Simon Mercer.

Hannah Frances – ‘Life’s Work’

Hannah Frances has unveiled ‘Life’s Work’, a spidery, theatrical track from her forthcoming album, Nested in Tangles. It’s enriched by production and arrangement contributions from Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear), with whom Frances connected after offering to sell merch for him through Instagram DM. “‘Life’s Work’ is a haywire and whimsical exploration of familial rupture and the impacts of growing up in a dysfunctional home,” Frances said. “Featuring arrangements by Daniel Rossen and trombone by Andy Clausen, there’s a touch of theatrical gallows humor to this song as a musical juxtaposition to the interiority of pain that I am narrating. Learning to trust in spite of everything is our life’s work.”

Agriculture – ‘Dan’s Love Song’

Agriculture have previewed their forthcoming LP The Spiritual Sound with ‘Dan’s Love Song’, a foggy yet affecting wall of distortion. “This is a love song to a future child,” Dan Meyer revealed. “It is so moving to me that even though this child does not exist in the form of a child yet, all of the matter that will one day make up their being is already in the world. And of course this is true of all things that have ever existed. So even though I’m talking about a kid that I want to have one day, I’m really talking about the principle that everything is totally connected.”

bloodsports – ‘Rot’

bloodsports have released ‘Rot’, a corrosive, cathartic taste of their upcoming debut album Anything Can Be a Hammer. “‘Rot’ is about someone who has ended a relationship, and trying to justify their behavior that led to the split, blaming the other for mistakes they’ve made,” Sam Murphy explained. “Eventually it deteriorates into a self-obsessed, egotistical delusion resulting in the screamed line of ‘how can you smile, when god is my audience’. This song has existed in various forms for years, and is definitely the oldest song on the album but it’s still one of my favorites and one of the most cathartic to play live.

PVA – ‘Boyface’

PVA have announced their sophomore album, No More Like This, which arrives on January 23. It’s led by the slinky, off-kilter new song ‘Boyface, which comes paired with a music video directed by Ella Harris and Sal Redpath.

Drain – ‘Scared of Everything and Nothing’

Drain have dropped ‘Scared of Everything and Nothing’, another anthemic single off their forthcoming LP …Is Your Friend. It’s accompanied by an Eric Richter-directed video.

 

White Lies – ‘Keep Up’

White Lies have shared a propulsive new single, ‘Keep Up’, from their forthcoming album Night Light. “There’s a pace to this song which feels both controlled and hypnotic but also directional,” the band commented. “There is a focus on streamlining of energy and removing anything negative or distraction.”

Weirs – ‘Everlasting’

North Carolina experimental folk collective Weirs’ enveloping new single, ‘Everlasting’, is taken from their forthcoming record Diamond Grove. It was shaped out of field recordings around North Carolina and sessions at Diamond Grove Farm, where the band tracked in September 2023. Band organizer Oliver Child-Lanning explained: “The melody that we are improvising on here comes from the hymn ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’ which dates back to the 1880s. It’s a favorite of my grandmother’s, who I used to sing it with as a child. Singing this and ‘Balm in Gilead’ were some of the earliest experiences I had with the idea of being held or supported by a sublime power – ‘held in the light’ as Quakers would say. This version is an excerpt of a late-night improv recorded in the living room at Diamond Grove, direct to a Zoom recorder. It later was fleshed out into a longer live version which has us sing the words of the hymn after a period of instrumental free improvisation.”

Album Review: Wednesday, ‘Bleeds’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Wednesday, ‘Bleeds’

If it sounds like the road is its own fateful character on Wednesday’s new album Bleeds, it might have something to do with when and where it took shape. Entering the studio just a month after vocalist Karly Hartzman and guitarist MJ Lenderman broke up, the North Carolina band were recording off the back of an exhaustive touring schedule in support of 2023’s masterful Rat Saw God. In Hartzman’s songs, the road is as slowly pervasive as God’s plan; an escape; a death site; or just what takes you to the bar. On ‘Elderberry Wine’, a deceptively gentle song in which Hartzman drives someone to the airport, her first thought is, “Sweet song is a long con.” You wonder what song’s playing through the car speakers, but the rest of Bleeds makes the point clear. With a couple of stylistic diversions, it no doubt feeds off the gnarly, blazing energy of its predecessor, collaging another tangle of funny, tragic, beautiful stories. But reaching what sounds like a breaking point on the ferocious highlight ‘Wasp’ leads Hartzman to be just as unsparing on the album’s more intimate moments. The band is about to embark on another tour, but Bleeds sounds like the equivalent of pulling over to let out a good scream.

1. Reality TV Argument Bleeds

If you played Rat Saw God to death, the closing image of ‘TV in the Gas Pump’ blaring into the dark is etched into your brain. As soon as the new album’s title and tracklisting was revealed, there was no doubt they’d make it bleed into this opening track, though the way they seep into each other is both thrilling and downright sickening. If ‘TV in the Gas Pump’ was the first song Hartzman has written about being on the road, on ‘Reality TV Argument Bleeds’ it is the ultimate site of destruction, as the song ends with the engine blowing up in the freezing dark. The narrator is lured out of her bed and into the night, bidding for solitude, when the echoes of that reality TV snowball into a stark, punishing realization: “Melting outward like a movie burning from the screen/ You and your broke dick sincerity.” Power chords chug along to the hummable melody, but it’s the distorted notes that bend and pierce outward that bring the song to its boiling point. Then you can barely hear them, overwhelmed by the fuzz and Hartzman’s dizzying conviction.

2. Townies

With Hartzman back in town, ‘Townies’ breezes through in what might be considered Wednesday’s most familiar mode, fun yet devastatingly cathartic – the kind of song every fan can get on board with. But Hartzman deploys what’s also a narratively common premise – the strangeness of coming back home after a long time away – in eerily misshapen ways. The town was ugly to this girl, of course – “You sent my nudes around/ I never yelled at you about it” – but if her howl is anything to go by, what messes with her still is the reason: “Cause you died.” She offers no ounce of sympathy, but finds a kind of solace in her lack of uniqueness – beyond, perhaps, the fact that she left. In lieu of a chorus, she roams along with the main riff, stretching a single word as if gulping down the past.

3. Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)

When ‘Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)’ was released as a single, we learned it was inspired by the story of a friend who had to pull a body out of a creek in West Virginia. But in the context of the album, you start to wonder how the stories might be connected – maybe the guy from ‘Townies’ was also aiming for a sports scholarship. Bleeds continues to lean heavy as the bodies pile up, but more than that, the noise coils around Hartzman – survivor, the one holding on – like a knot in the throat, something like shame.

4. Elderberry Wine

If Bleeds is the perfect driving album, ‘Elderberry Wine’ is like merging into the highway and letting your muscles relax. You’re still at the mercy of an imperfect machine, far from impervious to intrusive thoughts that could end it all right there. But everybody gets along just fine, and music’s rarely sounded so gorgeous. Switching her gaze between those bodies and the endless horizon, it’s not hard for Hartzman’s poetic mind to equate: “Your eyes are the green of tornado sky.” She begins the song by asserting, “Sweet song is a long con,” and before the final chorus, MJ Lenderman and Xandy Chelmis trade sugary licks like the greatest partners in crime.

5. Phish Pepsi

The country twang ‘Elderberry Wine’ turns groovier and more psychedelic on ‘Phish Pepsi’, a drugged-out account of old friends reuniting over a Phish concert and Human Centipede (“Two things I now wish I had never seen”). Dating back to the Guttering EP, here it acts like a zoomed-in version of ‘Townies’, wincing at the absurdity of catching up through a funeral livestream but betraying no particularly strong emotions. “Looks like you’re holding up alright/ But I know it’s sometimes hard to tell,”  she sings, muffled and accompanied by a male voice that’s similarly difficult to discern. The trip, though, is easily enjoyable.

6. Candy Breath

Distortion leaks back out as Hartzman spins another deathly scene, juxtaposing the inevitable violence with the brief portrait of a man sweetening his nights with to-go containers. A welcome return to form in the middle of the album, with some ferocious wah-wah soloing to boot.

7. The Way Love Goes

Listeners and critics alike will be quick to single out ‘The Way Love Goes’ as the most strikingly  emotional and beautiful song on Bleeds, maybe even the entire Wednesday catalogue. Many will relate it to the dissolution of Hartzman and Lenderman’s romantic relationship, as they did with ‘Elderberry Wine’. But it’s worth stressing just how much personal devastation Hartzman pours out by way of interpolation: though not a cover, it rightly credits Lefty Frizzell and Sanger D. Shafer, co-writers of the Johnny Rodriguez song ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ that became the title track for records by both Connie Smith and Merle Haggard. Hartzman homes in on the duality of goes: love endures, but leaves you hanging. It is relentless but transient. “Oversold myself/ On the night we met,” she admits, bittering the line from ‘Chosen to Deserve’ about telling your best stories first. Though mostly voice and guitar, it’s Chelmis’ pedal steel that makes her hurt that much louder.

8. Pick Up That Knife

I can’t imagine bearing to write another ‘Bull Believer’ – not quite so soon, anyway – but ‘Pick Up That Knife’ comes closest to emulating its formula, jumping from gritty verse to grungy instrumental swirl, with metaphorical ellipses cutting the song in half. The individual scenes are enervating, blurring the line between comfort and collapse, but following on from the starkness of ‘The Way Love Goes’, the collagist approach puts the listener at a distance. Still, it’s taunting and thrashy, and you just hope no one ends up throwing up at the Wednesday show.

9. Wasp

Now that should get the pit going. Not that it sounds like they care, but if ‘Elderberry Wine’ gave some the impression that Wednesday are watering down their hardcore edges with sweet country worship, ‘Wasp’ is a stylistic diversion in the opposite direction. It quickly exorcises the demons that have been surrounding the singer – the “faceless fear gather[ing] like a mob,” the “sh-sh-sh-sh-shame” – no longer just bracing for battle. On Rat Saw God‘s ‘What’s So Funny’, Chelmis being swarmed hive of yellowjackets was inspiration for absurd humour; here, getting stung by a wasp is a violent awakening, the beginning of a psychological spiral: “I’m stuck down here inside the lift/ I’m sick, can’t fuck, push the paint around/ Castrated in my mental death.” There’s nothing funny about it, but you can mosh to it, sure.

10. Bitter Everyday

‘Bitter Everyday’ not only sounds anthemic, but its story amounts to a kind of thesis for Hartzman’s entire brand of songwriting: “The sweetest parts of life keep getting bitter everyday.” Though she sings different variations of that line through the song’s fuzzed-up storms, she reserves this most pointed one for its acoustic outro, determined to let it ring out. You learn what the con is, but want to listen to the song again regardless.

11. Caroline Murder Suicide

“God’s plan unfolds so slow,” Hartzman screams on ‘Wasp’, but it’s not until ‘Caroline Murder Suicide’ that the whole band really surrenders to the slowness. Before the familiar elements creep in, it’s Ethan Baechtold’s enveloping bass and twinkly piano setting the mood. Hartzman is as sharp of a writer as an observer of tragedy as she is in embodying it, delivering some of her best lines with an intimacy that could wrench your heart. I’ll spare you the details, but when she sings, “I wondered if grief could break you in half,” it sounds more like a feeling than a thought – one that, unlike the bodies rotting away, could seemingly linger in the air forever.

12. Gary’s II

‘Gary’s’, the song from Wednesday’s 2021 album Twin Plagues, wasn’t really about Gary, Hartzman’s late landlord, a kind man with a lot of crazy stories to tell. Wednesday collaborator Colin Miller writes affectingly about him in his latest album Losin’, but ‘Gary’s II’, despite starting pretty wistfully, isn’t quite mired in grief. It just captures his undyingly youthful spirit through the story of how he ended up getting dentures at 33 after getting hit in the face by a baseball bat. The last word on the album, dryly yet fittingly, is Pepsi, the only drink mentioned in more than one song on the album. One that definitely does not age like any kind of wine; doesn’t rot like most things once living. Not-so-arguably better than “piss-colored Fanta.” No matter how long it stays in the fridge, it always burns down your throat. And it’s always sweet. What a con.

Film Therapy for Relationship Anxiety: When You Feel ‘My Boyfriend Hates Me’

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Film Therapy for Relationship Anxiety: When You Feel ‘My Boyfriend Hates Me’

“I Feel Like My Boyfriend Hates Me.” How to Reframe Love Through Movies

It’s a tough thought: “I feel like my boyfriend hates me.” Maybe it shows up after an argument, or when he’s quiet and seems far away. A small moment suddenly feels huge, and your mind turns it into a bigger story than it really is.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. Lots of people have moments of doubt, even in good relationships. It doesn’t always mean something is wrong between you two. Often, it just means you’re carrying some worry inside yourself.

Here’s something surprising — movies can actually help with these feelings. Watching love stories on screen lets you step back and see your own emotions from the outside. In this article, we’ll look at why these thoughts appear, how they can spiral, and how films can help you see things in a new light.

Why You Might Think “My Boyfriend Hates Me”

Such thought may grow from insecurity and the quiet belief you’re not lovable enough. Quite often, the question, “Why does my boyfriend hate me?” doesn’t reflect reality at all. Other times, it’s past hurts creeping into the present, making you quick to assume rejection. Even simple differences in communication styles can feed the thought: one partner talks less, and the silence feels like coldness.

These moments still matter because the feelings are real, even if the thought isn’t true. Noticing what’s really behind it (like insecurity, past hurt, or a mix-up) can make it easier to let go.

I Feel Like My Boyfriend Hates Me — The Cycle of Relationship Anxiety

This is how it usually goes. One small fear shows up, and it doesn’t go away; instead, it gets worse. You notice that he didn’t text as warmly, you play back his earlier tone, and you look for signs that he’s moving away. 

A mind that is afraid is like a detective looking for clues, but all it sees are things that back the fear. The lack of sound becomes proof. A look that isn’t biased becomes proof. A busy day at work is proof enough. The loop wears you out. But it often has nothing to do with how your partner really feels. That’s why it’s so important to take a step back and rethink the story.

How Movies Can Help Reframe Relationship Doubts

There’s something strangely powerful about movies. As you watch two characters fight, get along, or make up, your own feelings quickly become less strong. We can see love from a different point of view when we read stories.

Seeing a couple fight and still get through it is a good reminder that tension doesn’t mean hate. Being far away doesn’t mean you don’t care. Movies show us a mirror, but this one is kinder and less scary. [1] They show that all relationships have weird moments, messed up parts, and awkward silences.

You can rethink your fear more easily when you are farther away from the person you fear. Maybe “he hates me” is just one story and not the truth.

Films That Reflect Relationship Challenges (and What They Teach Us)

A few films worth revisiting when doubt takes over:

  • 500 Days of Summer. A reminder of how easy it is to project our own hopes and fears onto someone else.
  • Marriage Story. Painful, but honest about how love and conflict can exist side by side.
  • Her. A story about loneliness and the deep desire to be seen. Perfect for reflecting on insecurities.
  • Pride & Prejudice. A classic lesson in misreading signals and the power of communication.

These movies don’t hand you answers, but they do remind you that confusion and doubt are part of the human experience.

Film Therapy Exercises for When You Feel Insecure

If you want to turn movie time into something more reflective, try this:

Pick a film that resonates with where you are emotionally.

  1. While watching, pay attention to scenes that hit close to home.
  2. Jot down what you felt during those scenes.
  3. Afterward, ask yourself: if I were watching a friend in this situation, how would I interpret it? What advice would I give?
  4. Rewrite your thought in kinder words. Instead of “my boyfriend hates me,” try “I feel scared he’s pulling away, but maybe I’m reading it too harshly.”

It’s a gentle practice, but one that shifts you from being swallowed by the thought to being curious about it.

When Negative Thoughts Repeat Like a Movie Scene

Thoughts that are making you anxious tend to loop. Over and over, you think about the text he didn’t send and the look you thought meant something.

It’s like having to watch the same scene over and over again. You need to know that you can change the channel to get the trick. What if you saw it as a play that was still going on or even as a comedy about little misunderstandings? It can make a big difference to change the type.

Signs It’s More Than Just Anxiety

Of course, not all worries are unfounded. As scary as it is, fear can point to real problems. If your partner ignores you, puts you down, or makes you feel unsafe all the time, that’s not just worry; it means something more is wrong. Neglect or mental abuse that happens over and over again can’t be changed, so the best thing to do is to speak up, set limits, or get help.

Perspective, not denial, is what film therapy is all about. It’s part of the job to learn how to tell the difference between worrying opinions and real warning signs.

Building Healthier Relationship Scripts

So this is how to handle the fear when it comes back. 

  • Start with honest, gentle communication. Instead of accusing — “You hate me” — try: “I’ve been feeling insecure lately and need some reassurance.” Vulnerability opens doors, while blame shuts them.
  • Work on noticing when old hurts are shaping how you see the present. And practice treating yourself with kindness — anxiety is tough enough without adding self-criticism on top.
  • Think of your relationship as a story. No story is perfect; every one has ups and downs, pauses, and misunderstandings. The important part is how the characters move forward together.

Conclusion

The thought “I feel like my boyfriend hates me” can feel overwhelming, but it’s not the whole truth. Most of the time, it’s fear speaking louder than reality.

Movies offer a gentle way to look at love from the outside, to see your feelings echoed in characters, and to remind yourself that relationships can be messy but not hopeless. Watching a story unfold on screen helps you remember your own story isn’t finished either. This moment of doubt is just one scene. The rest of the film is still ahead, and you get to help write it.

New Pompeii Series in the Works on Amazon

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New Pompeii Series in the Works on Amazon

Even though it occurred almost 2000 years ago, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 is still one of the most famous disasters in history. The incredible thing about the event was that the Roman city of Pompeii was completely buried, with many aspects of it preserved in time.

There have been countless adaptations about Pompeii over the years, and audiences are endlessly fascinated by it. That’s why Amazon has now decided to release a new limited series based on the book, A Day of Fire.

Series Will Be Based on A Day of Fire

There’s a lot to get excited about regarding Amazon’s plans for its new Pompeii series. For a start, Sir Ridley Scott is already attached as director. The legendary filmmaker has a lot of experience with the Roman era, and is the ideal person to bring the city to life. In addition to that, Michael Hirst is serving as showrunner. The 72-year-old has a rich history of creating successful historical content, with Vikings his best-known work to date.

The Amazon series also has some excellent source material to work from, as it will be a direct adaptation of A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii. This was a co-authored historical fiction book, following a range of characters in the lead-up to the tragic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. With this to go on, the series is expected to involve compelling drama, along with large-scale spectacle. With Amazon’s budget, it’s likely to look incredible.

Pompeii Among the Most Famous Disasters Ever

The Amazon series is likely to attract a lot of interest, as the Pompeii disaster is incredibly well-documented. Along with countless documentaries about the event, it has also been represented in various ways in the entertainment industry. Thanks to this, it has enabled a vast number of people to learn about what happened on that fateful day.

One of the best-known pieces of content in recent years was the 2014 movie, Pompeii from Paul W. S. Anderson. It featured Kit Harington and Carrie-Anne Moss in leading roles, and grossed $117.8 million. The event has also been represented in games, such as the Pompeii Megareels Megaways slot. It’s one of many games that players can use a deposit match casino bonus on, and appeals to people who enjoy historical themes.

When Will The New Series Be Released?

The Pompeii series on Amazon has been officially confirmed, but there hasn’t been an announcement about the release date yet. The streaming service has generally been secretive about its releases, and has failed to give updates on various other major projects such as James Bond as well.

Given the high-budget nature of a series like Pompeii and the fact that Amazon will need to find a time when Scott is free, it could be another few years of waiting before this one drops.

With such widespread interest in Pompeii, it’s great that there will soon be a brand-new offering based on the disaster. Amazon is known for its high quality series, so it has the potential to be excellent.

Telegram Casino Integration: Turning Conversations Into Conversions

Sebastian Bickley
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Telegram Casino Integration: Turning Conversations Into Conversions

For operators eyeing learner acquisition, Telegram Casino Integration is a timely move. The messaging app hosts engaged communities, and frictionless play keeps them close. With the NuxGame telegram casino integration, brands embed games and payments inside familiar chats. That means lighter funnels, shorter hops, and a user journey that marketing can finally measure end-to-end.

Why Telegram Casino Integration Belongs On Your 2025 Roadmap

Across regulated markets, chat has become the interface customers actually open daily. When gaming meets messaging, you remove app downloads, odd redirects, and unnecessary churn. Innovative teams pair Telegram casino software with CRM triggers to personalize offers. The result is faster time to first bet, higher retention, and better unit economics for acquisition.

How To Choose A Sportsbook Software Provider For Telegram

Your core platform ultimately makes or breaks the experience for players. Look for latency under heavy loads, flexible limits, and polished settlement. Strong bonus engines matter, but clean APIs and webhook support matter more. As a sportsbook software provider, NuxGame emphasizes reliability, deep feeds, and roadmaps operators can plan around.

Integration Paths That Actually Ship

Teams often ask how to integrate a casino into Telegram via API without replatforming. A modular approach usually wins, especially for complex estates today. Run the bot layer as an orchestration shell, delegate wallets to your core, and route games through a gateway. When you need variety fast, a game aggregator for Telegram expands catalogs in days, not quarters.

Before sprinting, sanity-check the blueprint with engineering, compliance, and product. A few concrete checks prevent rewrites, improve audit trails, and keep player protections front and center in the messaging flow. Use this list as a shared kickoff artifact across teams, and update it as markets, partners, and internal policies evolve.

  • Confirm KYC flows support chat context, selfie capture, and document verification without dead ends. 
  • Map geofencing and jurisdiction logic to messaging IDs as well as device signals. 
  • Tie AML monitoring to wallet movements triggered by bot commands and inline actions. 
  • Define outage playbooks for feeds, payments, and content providers inside the bot shell. 
  • Pressure-test rate limits, retries, and idempotency across payments, bonuses, and bet slips. 

Localization, Compliance, And Culture

Success in the US and EU depends on tone as much as tech. Adopt a multilingual sportsbook solution for prompts, cashier flows, and support scripts that read truly naturally. Build age gates and self-exclusion controls natively in chat to reduce friction. Schedule content around local sports calendars, and keep your voice conversational, concise, and respectful by design.

From Chat To Bet: UX, Data, And Retention

The conversation is your funnel now, so keep actions scannable and fast. Inline bet builders create momentum, then sports betting software pricing does the heavy lifting. Lean on event-level telemetry, not only sessions, to forecast churn. Automate win-back prompts after abandoned slips, and use streak badges that celebrate responsible play.

Content, Community, And Editorial Fit For Our Culture Readers

Telegram sits at the crossroads of media and interaction, which suits culture-minded audiences. Quick drops, live odds, and micro-stories around big matches keep fans engaged. Editorially, treat the bot like a channel, not a billboard. Short, human messages outperform banners, and context-aware recommendations feel helpful rather than pushy.

Build Versus Buy: A Practical Lens

You could build every connector yourself, but there’s a serious opportunity cost to consider. Vendors ship repeatable integrations, independent security reviews, and ongoing maintenance that absorbs change. That frees teams to pursue creative market entries and partnerships. When a roadmap includes Telegram, proven Telegram casino software shortens risk cycles and protects engineering velocity overall.

Measuring What Matters

Skip vanity metrics and focus the scorecard on business signals—track time to first deposit, betslip completion, and verified user rate from chat invites. Monitor average handle per session and shareable moments captured by the bot. Then tie ROAS to conversation cohorts and adjust prompts, exposure, and bonus ladders accordingly.

Payments, Security, And Player Trust

Payments inside chat demand extra care, yet they can feel remarkably seamless. Use tokenized methods, robust 3-D Secure flows, and clear receipts within the thread—map risk rules to conversational patterns, not only devices and locations. Align AML checks with wallet events, and keep support one tap away when anything looks unusual.

Operational Readiness And Team Enablement

Great tech underperforms without confident, onboarded teams behind it daily. Create playbooks for marketing, support, and risk that reference bot commands directly—pair training with lightweight A/B tests and weekly retros. Publish a living glossary so everyone describes features consistently, from traders to designers, across shifts and time zones.

Roadmap And Timeline You Can Defend

Expect a staged rollout rather than a single big bang—pilot with a compact market, a limited game set, and a contained wallet. Prove deposits, support responsiveness, and compliance outcomes before scaling responsibly. Then extend content, add payment methods, and widen jurisdictions in measured steps, protecting stability while you grow reliably.

Conclusion: Messaging-First Gaming Without The Guesswork

Telegram Casino Integration isn’t a gimmick; it’s a distribution edge you can quantify. When the experience feels native, regulation-ready, and respectfully localized, conversions follow. Pair a capable bot layer with an interoperable core, and keep content human. Do that, and your brand meets players where they already are—chatting, sharing, and ready to play.

Yves Jarvis Wins 2025 Polaris Music Prize

Konstantinos Pappis
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0
Yves Jarvis Wins 2025 Polaris Music Prize

Yves Jarvis is the winner of the 2025 Polaris Music Prize. The singer-songwriter took home the award for his album All Cylinders, while Mustafa won the inaugural Polaris Song Prize for his Dunya track ‘Gaza Is Calling’. (The awards come with $30k and $10k, respectively, courtesy of Slaight Family Foundation and SOCAN.) All Cylinders beat out records by  Marie Davidson, Saya Gray, The OBGMs, Population II, Ribbon Skirt, and more. The prizes were handed out last night at Toronto’s Massey Hall.

Last year, Jeremy Dutcher became the Polaris Music Prize’s first two-time winner, taking home the award for Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa.

Keaton Henson Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Insomnia’

Konstantinos Pappis
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0
Keaton Henson Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Insomnia’

Keaton Henson has announced a new album called Parader, which will be released November 21 via Play It Again Sam. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the quietly explosive new single ‘Insomnia’, alongside an animated stop motion video made by Henson himself. Check it out below, and scroll down for the album cover and tracklist.

Marking Henson’s ninth studio album, Parader follows 2024’s Somnambulant Cycles. “I was nervous about being too loud, but then it sort of just came out,” Henson said of the new LP. “It’s not me pretending to be anything I’m not. It’s maybe just me accepting that part of me is this. It’s louder and it has those bigger, louder, rasher sounds, but not from a performative point of view. Maybe I’m accepting that that is a part of me as well.”

He added: “There are these disjointed snapshots, memories across time popping up amongst this collection of thoughts about what it feels like to be this age and a musician.” Ratboys’ Julia Steiner features on the earlier single ‘Lazy Magician’.

Parader Cover Artwork:

Parader artwork

Parader Tracklist:

1. Don’t I Just
2. Insomnia
3. Lazy Magician [feat. Julia Steiner]
4. Past It
5. Conversation Coach
6. Furl [feat. Danielle Fricke]
7. Loose Ends
8. Operator
9. Tell Me So
10. Tourniquet
11. Day In New York
12. Performer

Yuqi Sun Finds Comedy in Awkward Truths

Abbie Wilson
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Yuqi Sun Finds Comedy in Awkward Truths

At the Toronto International Film Festival, a small sex comedy slipped into the lineup and caught people off guard. It was called Should We Do It?, and in it, a college student named Lily tries to lose her virginity with the help of internet tips, a practiced persona, and a lot of forced confidence. The seduction falls apart somewhat immediately. What’s left is two young people, fumbling, laughing, and sharing their truth.

Yuqi Sun, director of the movie is a comedy filmmaker and editor whose work is less about delivering punchlines than about exposing the awkward pauses before them. Her films turn the mere humiliations of intimacy into moments of humour, and they carry the kind of slick honesty that makes audiences laugh first and recognize themselves second.

It should be noted that Sun didn’t start with sex comedies. She first explored family dramas and comedies rooted in Asian family life–films like Renew, I Gaslight My Mom, and Marry. Those shorts established her tone: humor grounded in emotional depth, with an eye on the tension between tradition and individuality. 

With Should We Do It?, she moved into new territory. Lily, the film’s protagonist, sets the mood with candles and fabricated stories, pretending to be a version of herself she thinks Andy–the cute guy she met at a party–will like. Andy, patient but amused, plays along. When the truth finally spills out–she’s never done this before–he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he admits his own story of fumbling through a first time. The pressure breaks. The comedy takes over. They laugh.

Still from Should We Do It?

The setup could have gone broad, but Sun doesn’t deal in cheap gags. She’s interested in the way people try, fail, and then accidentally succeed once they stop performing. Timing matters–every pause, every glance–and her background as an editor shows. The rhythm of the film lands somewhere between cringe and release, an awkwardness that feels like real life.

In her director’s statement, Sun admits she overthinks love and relationships. She describes nights spent scrolling through internet advice, drowning in contradictions about how to text, how to act, how to present yourself. Comedy becomes her way of cutting through the messy noise we all know about. She points out the absurdity of posing as another just to win approval, while also admitting she’s done the same.

The film also digs into bigger cultural pressures. Casual sex, Sun says, is complicated–hailed as a symbol of freedom but treated almost like some sort of a criteria for modern adulthood. Virginity, meanwhile, becomes a stigma, something to hide. She’s quite clear about her experiences with that pressure: the feeling that being an “old virgin” meant she had something to prove, or that admitting to inexperience would make her less desirable. What she insists on, through comedy, is that the truth should never be shameful. First times are what they are–messy, awkward, sometimes funny. Hiding that fact only adds to the weight.

That philosophy makes its way into the film’s ending. The seduction act collapses, but the moment becomes real. The two characters, stripped of performance, connect honestly. Sun doesn’t romanticize it. She makes it funny, and in the humor, something warmer appears.

Her influences are easy to spot. She talks about early 2000s rom-coms and K-dramas shaping her sensibility–the heightened romance, the sense of fun. But where those films smoothed over awkwardness with glossy cuts, Sun leans into it. She allows the important silence sit, lets characters stumble, and truly trusts the audience to laugh with recognition.

What’s impressive is how consistent Sun’s voice has been so far, even as her core subject matter has moved and shifted. Whether she’s examining familial themes and dynamics or the culture around hookup sex, she returns to the same question: how do people perform for each other, and what happens when that performance breaks down? In her world, the breaking point is always the funny part, because that’s when people stop faking and start being human.

Should We Do It? shows that comedy doesn’t have to flatten intimacy into nothing–it can open it up. It also shows Sun as part of a new wave of filmmakers who see humor not as a distraction, but as a tool. For Sun, comedy isn’t about being clever. It’s about being human–and that’s what makes it work.

Eton Student Turns Concussion Setback Into Concussion Awareness Card Game

Abbie Wilson
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Eton Student Turns Concussion Setback Into Concussion Awareness Card Game

LONDON — After missing a year of school with a concussion from a rugby accident at his school, 17-year-old Eton College student Harry Liuhan has designed a card game to help others better understand and recognize the condition.

Cagoga: A Card Game That Makes the Invisible Visible

The unseeable nature of internal head injury becomes starkly visualized by each aspect of the card game Cagoga. Far more challenging to identify than a bruise or a cut, a concussion does not manifest as something obvious to the eye. Instead, it looks like the symptoms a patient feels—headaches, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue. Designed by Harry Liuhan, a 17-year-old concussion survivor, Cagoga makes the world of a concussion patient interactive, even playful, so that those on the outside can access the ineffable experience of living with concussion.

The brilliance of Cagoga lies in its transformation of something invisible into something tangible. Where most educational materials on concussion remain confined to medical pamphlets or clinical lectures, this game reframes the narrative entirely. It uses art, color, and strategy to transform abstract medical reality into lived game experience. As Harry has explained in interviews, his goal was to create something that teenagers would not just tolerate but actively want to play. “My classmates don’t really respond to pamphlets or speeches,” he noted. “I needed to reach them with something they would actually enjoy learning from.” Cagoga is the fruit of that mission.

Headache Band, Cognitive Dissonance, and Imbalance, Symptom Cards

The violence and disruption of severe head injuries come through the cards of Cagoga in piercing yellows and pulsing reds. To play Cagoga is, in many ways, to battle concussion. The game is designed so that the act of playing mirrors the challenges of navigating recovery: sudden setbacks, recurring symptoms, and the fragile hope of healing.

But more than a visually striking deck of playing cards, Cagoga covertly teaches its players how to look out for themselves in real life. Inside the calm blue box of every Cagoga card game set is a carefully balanced deck of attacks, symptoms, and life-saving resources.

Among the most powerful cards in the deck are the Symptom Cards, which capture the agony and frustration of concussion with clarity and artistic depth. Cards such as Headache Band, Cognitive Dissonance, and Imbalance depict the lived realities of brain injury. A player struck with these cards in gameplay is forced to pause, slow down, or redirect strategy—just as real patients must reorganize their daily lives around recurring symptoms.

Hoot, Mask, and Harry, Character Cards

To begin a match, players must first draw a Character Card. These cards are linked to one of ten elemental “Types” in the game: Fire, Water, Light, Space, Electric, Creation, Radiation, Chemical, Metal, and Normal. Each type brings unique strengths and weaknesses, marked by a small symbol in the lefthand corner.

The Types create a dynamic ecosystem of vulnerability and resilience, echoing the unpredictable nature of real-world health. For instance, a character aligned with Water might resist Fire attacks but prove vulnerable to Electric ones. This interplay ensures that no player begins invincible, just as no real patient can fully control the trajectory of an injury.

Notably, Harry himself is immortalized as one of the characters, alongside whimsical and symbolic figures such as Hoot and Mask. The inclusion of personal identity in the deck underscores how lived experience is at the heart of the game.

(left) Rugby Tackle, Attack Card from Cagoga
(right) Healing Retreat, Healing Card

Set against a red backdrop, the Attack Cards cause damage to opponents’ physical or mental health. They embody external blows, collisions, and moments of violence that so often trigger concussions—rugby tackles, falls, impacts. The Symptom Cards, in contrast, evoke the inner aftermath: headaches, blurred vision, dizziness. They are colored in deep blue, highlighting the silent calm that belies the turmoil within. Finally, the Healing Cards, shaded in earthy greens, offer recovery and hope. Together, these card categories replicate the cycle of injury, symptom, and recovery in a structured but unpredictable rhythm.

Cagoga doesn’t shy away from world-building. While it is indeed a creation designed to motivate concussion awareness, it is also a full game in its own right with creative mechanics and gameplay. For beginners, play can begin with a shared deck, offering a simple introduction. More advanced players, however, can dive into the strategic depth of deck-building. Here lies the heart of Cagoga’s challenge: players must carefully balance Attack, Symptom, Healing, and Utility cards to maximize their ability to knock out opponents while still protecting themselves. In doing so, players enact the central tension of concussion itself—balancing risk and recovery, advancing carefully while protecting against setbacks.

One of the most remarkable features of Cagoga is its willingness to balance the heavy with the light. While Symptom Cards are grounded in real medical reality, other cards, such as Cyber Monster, Brain Smoothie, or the outrageous Ultra Falling Bird Poop, introduce humor and absurdity. These playful moments keep the game lively and accessible, ensuring that players can absorb the message without being weighed down by solemnity.

By blending reality and imagination, Cagoga creates a space where learning, empathy, and play can coexist.

The reception from the medical community has been striking. “It’s truly inspiring to see the intersection of medicine and creativity used in such a meaningful way to support healing and foster connection,” commented Teena Shetty, MD, Director of the Concussion Program in Neurology at HSS. Cagoga represents a model for how patient experience, artistic design, and educational purpose can combine to create something more effective than any single element could achieve alone.

Importantly, Cagoga does not attempt to offer cure or closure. Instead, it offers recognition. It makes space for empathy and shared experience. It reminds players that healing is nonlinear, unpredictable, and often frustrating—but also that recovery can be approached with community, creativity, and even fun.

Deck of Cagoga Cards

Since its creation, Cagoga has been shared widely with children’s hospitals, libraries, and schools, ensuring that the lessons of concussion awareness reach those who most need them. The game is particularly effective in environments where young athletes face frequent risks of head injury but may lack the vocabulary to describe their experiences.

At its core, Cagoga is an invitation. It asks anyone with a curious mind and a penchant for gameplay to step into the shoes of a concussion patient, to feel what cannot be seen, and to emerge with greater understanding. It teaches that concussion is not just about injury but about identity, resilience, and community.

The game proves that awareness does not have to be dry or clinical—it can be creative, interactive, and joyful. And in transforming education into play, it creates a space where players, patients, and caregivers alike can share in the messy, unpredictable, but ultimately hopeful journey of recovery.

Cagoga began as the vision of one teenager determined to make his peers understand what he had endured. It has since grown into a unique blend of art, education, and entertainment. Through piercing colors, inventive mechanics, and heartfelt storytelling, it turns the invisible world of concussion into something that can be held, played, and understood.

Harry (left) and Catherine (right) play-testing Cagoga at home

It is both lighthearted and deeply serious, playful yet purposeful. And in that delicate balance lies its power. Cagoga reminds us that healing is not only a medical process but a human one—shared, communal, and, like a card game, best experienced together.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Confirms Zombies Mode, Beta Periods

Prince Addams
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0
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Confirms Zombies Mode, Beta Periods

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 has officially revealed that Zombies mode is returning with its upcoming launch in November. The announcement came along with a cinematic trailer. In particular, the video showcased the expanded character roster, new story elements, and a scary villain. At the same time, Activision and Treyarch showed the Beta schedule for Black Ops 7.

Zombies Mode: Expanded Story and Cast

Fan-favorite Zombies mode first appeared in World at War back in 2008. It has since become a key part of the franchise. Even many years later, this survival mode remains one of the most anticipated features of every franchise entry.

The new Ashes of the Damned trailer shows that Black Ops 7 picks up directly after the events of Black Ops 6.

According to Treyarch, the Black Ops 6 crew will find themselves transported into the Dark Aether after the Janus Towers battle. Also, the dimension introduces a new scary villain with a southern accent. This enemy carries caged zombie skulls that can take life force from the crew.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 also features additional members and new incarnations of the original Zombies legends:

  • Edward Richtofen
  • Elizabeth Grey
  • Grigori Weaver
  • Mac Carver
  • Maya Aguinaldo
  • Nikolai Belinksi
  • Takeo Masaki
  • Tank Dempsey

Likewise, Treyarch has revealed that these are unique interpretations of the original crew. So, players can expect new dynamics to the storyline.

Largest Round-Based Map Yet

GameSpot reported that Black Ops 7 will feature the biggest round-based map in the mode. Specifically, the map takes inspiration from the Tranzit map of Black Ops 2. It spans across the Dark Aether dimension with connected areas. At the same time, the developers are adding a new Wonder Vehicle for exploring the map.

Open Beta Schedule

Aside from the exciting Zombies mode, Treyarch has also confirmed the Black Ops 7 Beta. Divided into two phases, the game will have an Early Access Beta before the main Open Beta. The former runs from October 2 to 5. However, it is for players who pre-ordered the game. In contrast, the latter starts on October 5 and ends on October 8. This one is free for all players. The Beta periods begin at 10 AM PT and both require an internet connection. Also, access to the Beta period varies depending on the pre-ordered game version. Still, players can access the Open Beta without pre-ordering. 

What’s Next?

With so many details yet to be revealed, the studio has promised an intel blast next week. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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