Nell Smith, the Canadian teenage music prodigy who collaborated with the Flaming Lips when she was just 14, has died. Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, whose label Bella Union had signed Smith and was preparing to release her debut solo album next year, confirmed the musician’s death in an Instagram post. No cause of death has been announced, although, paying tribute to Smith during the Flaming Lips’ concert in Portland on Sunday night, frontman Wayne Coyne said that she “was killed in a car accident.” Smith was 17.
Smith was born in the UK but moved to Canada during her childhood. She met Coyne after her parents took her to the band’s 2018 headlining show in Calgary, and the band kept noticing the then-12-year-old dressed as a parrot in the front row. They stayed in touch as Smith learned guitar and began writing her own songs, and, during the pandemic, collaborated remotely to record an album of Nick Cave covers. Where the Viaduct Loomscame out in November 2021.
Following the collaboration, Smith launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund her debut album of original material and eventually reached her campaign goal. “I have always loved music and started writing some of the songs that will be on this album when I was 12, seeing them come to life is really exciting,” Smith said at the time.
“We are all shocked and devastated to hear of the sudden and tragic passing of our artist and dear friend Nell Smith, over the weekend in British Columbia,” Raymonde wrote in a statement. “Nell was just 17 and was preparing for the release of her first solo record in early 2025 on Bella Union, made in Brighton with Penelope Isles’ Jack and Lily Wolter. Her first release was an album of covers of Nick Cave songs recorded with fellow Bella Union artistes The Flaming Lips back in 2021 entitled, Where The Viaduct Looms.”
Raymonde added: “While we all try and come to terms with the awful news, and out of respect to Nell’s grieving family, we are unable to make any further comments at this time. The Bella Union Family.”
Chronic skin disorders affect millions of individuals globally, lowering their quality of life. These conditions often cause pain, emotional suffering, and long-term symptoms that traditional treatments may not fully resolve. However, dermatological advances have made newer medicines more accessible and boosted long-term care hopes. Medical technology is improving treatments for these diseases, from light-based therapy to regenerative medicine.
New topical therapy developments
Topical drug development is skincare’s brightest future. Improved medicine delivery systems allow active compounds to reach deeper skin layers and provide stronger comfort. Doctors use conventional and innovative corticosteroids to treat psoriasis, eczema, and rare diseases like lichen sclerosus. Modern lichen sclerosis treatments often involve immunomodulators and regenerative medications to reduce inflammation and improve healing. This combination reduces flare-ups and progressively restores skin integrity.
Phototherapy and laser technology
Light-based phototherapy is another treatment advancement. Technology has made UV light therapies for vitiligo and psoriasis more advanced. Excimer lasers and narrowband UVB therapy protect healthy skin with targeted action. These advances allow patients to receive more targeted treatment. Lasers can also eradicate blemishes and even skin tone for chronic pigmentation disorders. Laser technology may help treat severe, unresponsive ailments.
Regenerative medicine and biotherapeutics
Biologic medications have revolutionised regenerative medicine. Life-based biologics target immune system components that induce inflammation. By modulating immune responses, biologics can cure long-term conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and lupus. These precise treatments have fewer side effects than typical systemic drugs, making them a good long-term choice. Stem cell therapies are also being studied to help patients with chronic skin problems regenerate and heal their skin.
The role of personalised medicine
Chronic skin problems increasingly require customisation. As molecular biology and genetic research advance, dermatologists abandon a one-size-fits-all approach. Genetics, lifestyle, and triggers are considered in personalised medicine to create a more targeted and effective treatment approach. Patients with chronic skin problems may have complicated symptoms; therefore, personalised therapy addresses them. Genetic testing can discover immunological or inflammatory pathways that can be treated with specific medications or lifestyle adjustments. This individualised treatment approach is especially important for disorders like atopic dermatitis, where flare-ups might have many causes. Integrating holistic approaches to skin care
Many chronic skin sufferers find relief with holistic therapy and medical treatments. These methods target skin and body health, including symptoms and underlying reasons like stress, food, and the environment—mindfulness, yoga, and acupuncture lower stress, which can cause eczema and psoriasis flare-ups. Anti-inflammatory diets rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics have also been added to treatment plans to support skin health from the inside out. These holistic therapies and medical treatments offer a more comprehensive and long-term solution for chronic skin diseases.
Conclusion
Dermatological discoveries offer hope for long-term skin problems, which can affect a person’s life. Advanced biologics, personalised medicine, topical therapies, and laser technology are growing. Medical advances give patients additional alternatives, comfort, and skin condition management, but no single treatment works for everyone. This is a key step towards long-term relief for chronic skin condition sufferers.
Gambling, defined as the practice of risking something of value on the outcome of an uncertain event, has been a part of human culture for millennia. From its origins in ancient Egypt to its contemporary manifestation in casinos, gambling has undergone significant evolution, reflecting shifts in societal norms, technological developments, and cultural influences. For those seeking a reliable and reputable online casino for their preferred games, 7bit casino login is an excellent option to explore this gambling option.
Ancient Origins
The earliest evidence of gambling can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where the discovery of dice-like objects in tombs provides a compelling indication of the practice’s antiquity. It is thought that gambling was a common pastime among the pharaohs and their court. Similarly, gambling was also prevalent in ancient Rome, with games such as dice, cards, and chariot races being particularly popular.
The Middle Ages and Renaissance
In the Middle Ages, gambling was frequently linked to religious festivals and fairs. Games such as dice, cards, and cockfighting were prevalent. Nevertheless, the Church frequently denounced gambling as a sinful practice.
The Renaissance marked a resurgence of gambling, with the advent of new games such as poker and blackjack. Gambling houses became a common feature of urban life, and the practice of gambling spread rapidly across Europe.
The Industrial Revolution and the Modern Era
The Industrial Revolution constituted a significant turning point in social history, giving rise to the emergence of the middle class and the expansion of urban areas. Gambling became more accessible and popular among the working class. The advent of the slot machine in the late nineteenth century served to accelerate the expansion of the gambling industry. In the 20th century, the legalisation of gambling in numerous jurisdictions worldwide resulted in the establishment of casinos and racetracks. The advent of online gambling in the late 20th and early 21st centuries marked a pivotal turning point in the industry, significantly enhancing accessibility and convenience for players. In the modern era, https://7-bit-casino.com/ allows users to enjoy slots and other gambling entertainment from the comfort of their homes, reflecting the continued evolution of the industry in the digital age.
The Impact of Gambling on Society
The influence of gambling on society has been significant throughout history. It has served as a source of entertainment, social interaction, and economic activity. Nevertheless, gambling has also been linked to a number of problematic outcomes, including addiction, criminal activity and financial devastation.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the potential harms associated with gambling. In response to these concerns, governments and organisations have implemented measures designed to protect vulnerable individuals and promote responsible gambling practices.
To this day, gambling continues to be a prevalent pastime for a considerable number of individuals across the globe. Regardless of whether one is engaged in poker at a casino or attempting to win at an online slot machine, it is of the utmost importance to gamble responsibly and to derive enjoyment from the experience.
One of the most surprising moments on Wild Pink‘s 2022 effort ILYSM was ‘Sucking on the Birdshot’, its avalanche of sludgy, distorted guitars sounding all the more dissonant on a record of profound tenderness and intimacy. Frontman John Ross finished writing the album after being diagnosed with cancer, and having since recovered, the focus of his songs seems to be on “moving on,” as he sings on the title track of its follow-up, “like the cold wind blows/ Like a train in the snow.” It should come as no surprise, then, that an experimental outlier on ILYSM ends up informing the primary mode of Dulling the Horns, at least when it comes to the guitars, which sound remarkably blown-out, massive, and crunchy. (Ross cites Weezer’s The Green Album as a reference point for him and Justin Pizzoferrato, who engineered the LP. Wednesday/Indigo De Souza/Hotline TNT collaborator Alex Farrar, who mixed it, certainly knows how to make fuzz sound good, too.) There’s an element of strain, of towering through bad weather, in the way a baritone guitar drudges the songs forward; Ross makes them sparkle regardless.
It’s this struggle to move along, to capture light, that marks Dulling the Horns rather than being resolutely “on the other side of it all,” as a press bio puts it. “I’m always searching,” Ross declares on the opener, ‘The Fences of Stonehenge’, grasping onto a sense of hope while sounding worn-out by rock platitudes: “The light comes from a million miles away/ And we get a little every day.” Ross’ lyrical lens on the title track begins romantically, with him observing the slow spread of the moon down the horizon, before finally and comically despairing, “How can there be/ Really nothing in between/ That big ass moon and me?” For all the crispness of the production, he’s in a perpetual state of confusion and exhaustion, cycling through foggy mornings and bottomless nights “because,” he figures on the visceral ‘Cloud or Mountain’, “waking up is how the trouble gets in.” He lays out the pattern again on the title track: “You put yourself to sleep when you weren’t even tired/ Slept too much now you’re wired/ You had too much when just enough/ Is an act of defiance.”
Ross is perfectly aware of how this weariness can seep into the music, recognizing that it’s now coming from a different place than when “a song came free with each new instrument.” Sonically, even beyond the guitars, he hardly pulls back, continuing his streak of albums that sound immense and luscious, with gorgeously dreamy contributions from Adam Schatz on saxophone, Mike ‘slo mo’ Brenner on pedal steel, and David Moore on piano. But the additional instrumentation is not just about adding beauty, whether it’s mirroring the blurry chaos at the end of ‘Disintegrate’ or the knotty truths of ‘Sprinter Brain’. When Ross does seem to get tired of a particular song idea, he doesn’t have the impulse to water it down or build it up, but rather stitches another one in: when he runs out of words on ‘The Fences of Stonehenge’, he opens the song up with a riff that barely lasts a few seconds yet remains one of the most memorable on the record. The final track, ‘Rung Cold’, spins through several ideas before landing on the one that leaves the strongest impact.
It’s evocative of the line that closes the opening track: “Made a life out of a detour.” In similar but more ironic fashion, the penultimate ‘Bonnie One’, which literally describes a dream Ross had about his friend Ryley (presumably Walker, who contributed to ILYSM), calls back to a lyric from ‘Eating the Egg Whole’: “Sometimes a dream ain’t meant to be lived in, it’s meant to be forgotten.” (‘Bonnie One’, which is under two minutes, could easily be forgotten were it not for Libby Weitnauer’s sprightly fiddle.) Dulling the Horns isn’t Ross emerging from hardship with a sense of clarity, but it’s in this frayed, listless, uneasy space that he manages to be both gritty and playful, letting in a whole song about the history of Dracula (and one of the funniest you’ll hear on the subject). And the relative aimlessness of the album doesn’t prevent him from homing in something poignant, like when he guesses, “There must be a long ass German word/ For when you’ve destroyed something good/ Something you used to love/ But had to let go of.” Dulling the Horns bears the weight of the destruction, but it’s also the sound of letting go.
Ahead of the release of her debut LP, When You Wake Up, this Friday (October 11), Danish-Chilean artist Molina has offered one more preview, ‘I Am Your House’. It follows the previously unveiled tracks ‘Neverland’, ‘Scorpio’, and the ML Buch collaboration ‘Organs’. Check it out below.
“This track comes from a time when I was pregnant, writing and recording from my sofa,” Molina explained in a statement. “It’s like the composition is gradually falling over itself, wavering, almost in a state of daydreaming.”
Kim Deal has shared ‘A Good Time Pushed’, a new single from her debut solo album, Nobody Loves You More. The song, which serves as the record’s closer, was engineered by the late Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. It features Breeders members Jim Macpherson and Kelley Deal, and you can check it out below.
Ahead of the release of her new album The Lucky One on Friday (October 11), Caroline Says has shared one more single, ‘Dust’. It follows previous offerings ‘Faded and Golden’ and ‘Roses’. “I drove to West Texas to see the Davis Mountains,” Caroline Sallee said of the inspiration behind the new song. “I wanted to see the future and I wanted to see the past, but a dust storm prevented me from seeing anything at all.” Check out a visual for it below.
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 Weather Station’s ‘Neon Signs’, the conflicted yet beautifully mesmerizing first single off her upcoming LP Humanhood; Mount Eerie’s chugging and almost lighthearted new single, ‘I Saw Another Bird’; Florist’s lovely, gently unfurling new song ‘This Was a Gift’; Maria Somerville’s entrancing dream-pop track ‘Projections’, her first release on 4AD; Waxahatchee’s gorgeous and emotional ‘Much Ado About Nothing’; Bartees Strange’s slick and cathartic ‘Sober’, which leads his upcoming Jack Antonoff-assisted LP Horror; Grumpy’s charmingly gentle ‘Flower’; and Ela Minus’ ‘BROKEN’, the self-reflective, totally uplifting new single from her upcoming album DIA.
Best New Songs: October 7, 2024
Song of the Week: The Weather Station, ‘Neon Signs’
Yilin Xu is an illustrator and full-time interior designer whose work seamlessly bridges artistic expression and spatial awareness. With a background in interior design and architecture, her illustrations are deeply informed by an understanding of how spaces shape human emotions. Her work isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about storytelling, cultural memory, and the unseen narratives woven into our surroundings.
Growing up in Guilin, a city rich in history and minority cultures, Yilin developed a deep appreciation for heritage and identity. This upbringing cultivated a sensitivity to spatial nuances and a curiosity about how culture and space intertwine. Her artistic journey began during her studies in interior design, where she discovered her ability to translate complex concepts into vivid, visually compelling narratives. Today, her illustrations reflect architectural influences while exploring themes of belonging, memory, and human interaction with space.
Yilin’s latest series turns a critical eye toward the lives of garment workers, particularly Asian immigrant women. The series consists of three intricate pieces, each centered around the sewing machine—a powerful symbol of both labor and struggle. She reflects that many garment workers likely spent more time with their sewing machines than with their families, as it became an inseparable part of their daily lives.
Her research into the subject led her to historical photographs and documentaries, where sewing machines consistently appeared alongside the women who operated them. Fascinated by their intricate mechanics, Yilin used these details as a metaphor for the complex and often overlooked hardships faced by garment workers—low wages, excessive overtime, and the challenges of working mothers forced to bring their children into factory spaces.
In her pieces, she deliberately exposes the internal mechanical structures of the sewing machine, bringing hidden struggles to the forefront. The precise details serve as a visual parallel to the harsh conditions these women endured—stories of resilience, sacrifice, and systemic inequities that continue to persist in labor and immigrant communities.
As an Asian woman, Yilin is deeply connected to historical narratives that reflect her sense of ethical belonging and cultural identity. Her work is more than illustration—it is an act of remembrance and advocacy. Through visual storytelling, she hopes to honor their stories and amplify their voices. She wants the viewers to not only recognize their struggles but also reflect on the broader issues of labor rights and social justice. With this series, Yilin stitches together history, emotion, and activism, ensuring that the stories of these women are neither forgotten nor ignored.
Coldplay were the musical guests on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, marking their eighth appearance on the show. They performed ‘All My Love’ and ‘We Pray’ from their new album Moon Music, which came out on Friday. Elyanna and Tini joined the band on the latter song. Watch it happen below.
