Hex Girlfriend have released a new single, ‘Drugs, Oil & Guns’. It’s set to appear on the band’s upcoming EP No Golf Cart Parking – out November 22 – along with the recent offering ‘Graveyard on a Beach’. Check it out below.
“‘Drugs, Oil and Guns’ is very directly about the military industrial complex, and the hypocrisy of the US and the UK in supporting, funding, and permitting atrocities while at the same time ‘condemning’ them,” the duo said of the track. “It’s about those who get rich from wars and human suffering, and how it is thus blatantly in their interest to cause human suffering – such as US members of Congress currently being allowed to own stock in weapons manufacturers whilst authorising weapons sales and provisions to tyrannical regimes.”
Tunng have shared a new single, ‘Deep Underneath’, the second preview of their forthcoming album Love You All Over Again. It follows lead single ‘Didn’t Know Why’. Check it out below.
Love You All Over Again is set to arrive on January 24 via Full Time Hobby. “I went back to the first two albums to listen to how we fused genres – things like Davy Graham, Pentangle, the Expanding Records catalogue and the Wicker Man soundtrack,” the band’s Mike Lindsay said of the writing process. “Over the years, Tunng’s sound has varied and twisted, but at the root there is always a flavour of what Sam and I made on that first album. Rather than searching for a new avenue we went back to what we used to do, which, after all this time, felt like it was a new avenue.”
“For Tunng to work, it has to feel surprising, odd and unpredictable, and the new album has all that,” Lindsay added. “It’s all about Tunng being back, as a family, within our original boundaries, bringing the love to all who have been a part of our journey over 20 years.”
Dutch post-punk band Rats on Rafts have announced a new LP called Deep Below. It’s out February 7 via Fire Records, and the first single, ‘Japanese Medicine’, is out today. Check it out below.
“‘Japanese Medicine’ is aimed at a former version of myself,” lead singer David Fagan said in a statement. “That person’s gone, but occasionally I miss him because life seemed very promising and unpredictable.”
“When I first listened to the vocal demo I recorded, I was amazed but really saddened,” Fagan continued. “I had no idea it would come out that way and affect me like that. When I sent it to the others, they all had the exact same feeling. The song touched us all and at the end of the day songs are about carrying emotions. It will always be a special one to us.”
The track comes with an accompanying video from Dutch filmmaker David Kleijwegt and cinematographer Reiner van Brummelen. “Working with David Kleijwegt and Reinier van Brummelen on the video was an experience we never had before,” Fagan added. “The day of shooting was set up so incredibly well with the team they assembled. It felt really great to be part of that focused team. Seeing Reinier and David at work and being part of that was very inspiring.”
With modern technology, creating unique and customized hats has never been easier or more exciting. Whether it’s through intricate patterns, custom fits, or sustainable production methods, digital tools are revolutionizing the way we approach hat design and manufacturing.
Plus, interactive shopping experiences mean you can explore endless styles at home. Dive into these innovations and discover how technology is transforming hats into pieces of wearable art.
5 Ways Digital Designs Are Revamping Hats
1. Personalization at Scale
Digital technology lets you design a hat that’s completely your own. Imagine picking the perfect color, creating a unique pattern, and even adding your initials – right from your computer screen. This level of personalization was unimaginable before digital tools came into play.
Not only can you choose from an array of styles, but you can also make adjustments to fit your personality and taste. The best part? You don’t need to be a designer to make something truly special. Just a few clicks, and your custom hat will be ready for production!
2. Intricate Patterns and Textures
With digital designs, hats now feature patterns and textures that were once impossible to create by hand. Advanced software allows you to craft detailed, intricate designs with high precision.
CNC machines can stitch these complex patterns flawlessly, giving your hat a sophisticated and unique look. This technology has opened up endless possibilities for creative expression. From delicate floral motifs to geometric shapes, the level of detail is astounding. Digital tools have truly revolutionized how designers approach creating visually stunning hats.
3. Enhanced Custom Fit
Finding a hat that fits just right can be challenging, but digital design is changing that. With 3D scanning technology, manufacturers can capture your exact head measurements for a perfect custom fit. This ensures the hat not only looks stylish but is comfortable to wear, too.
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all; now you can have a hat tailored precisely to your dimensions. This innovation in fit makes wearing hats more enjoyable and personal, elevating both style and comfort to new levels.
4. Sustainable Production Techniques
Digital designs are playing a crucial role in promoting sustainable production techniques for hats. By using precise measurements, manufacturers can significantly reduce material waste.
Digital prototyping allows designers to perfect their creations virtually before moving to physical production, saving both time and resources. This approach minimizes the environmental impact and promotes efficient use of materials.
Additionally, the ability to prototype digitally reduces the need for multiple physical samples, further contributing to sustainability efforts. These innovative methods make hat production more eco-friendly without compromising on quality or design creativity.
5. Interactive Shopping Experience
The way you shop for hats is being revolutionized by digital technology. Augmented Reality (AR) now allows you to virtually “try on” different styles from the comfort of your home.
This interactive experience makes it easier to visualize how a hat will look and fit, boosting confidence in your choices. Online platforms and mobile apps feature this cutting-edge tech, making shopping both fun and convenient.
It bridges the gap between online browsing and in-store fitting rooms, offering a seamless, modern shopping experience that feels incredibly personalized.
Digital Designs are Changing the Look of Hats
Excited to explore how digital designs are transforming hats? Embrace the innovation and discover your perfect fit. Dive deeper into this blend of fashion and technology, whether you’re looking for a personalized style, intricate patterns, or a more sustainable choice.
Consider the limitless possibilities right at your fingertips. Don’t just settle for ordinary; make a statement with a hat that truly reflects who you are. Head over to your favorite online hat retailer or design platform and start experimenting today. Your next favorite hat is just a few clicks away!
By the time Haley Heynderickx concludes that “there’s an artistry to going away” on her mesmerizing sophomore LP, she’s already provided ample evidence. As she did on her 2018 debut I Need to Start a Garden, the Portland-based singer-songwriter recognizes the stress and monotony of day-to-day life, but strives to find beauty within it: mirroring natural cycles rather than the frantic rhythms of city life, observing and communing with their most minute details, allowing her songs to get carried away in thought and whimsy. That’s where Haley Heynderickx’s music takes us; that’s the escape, and she’s a playful and compelling enough artist to make us feel like it’s a journey worth pursuing. “Oh, how sweet is the daylight/ When no one is around/ You take the soft road/ And you face the world like/ Someone is asking you to grow,” she sings on ‘Ayan’s Song’, and Seed of a Seed seeks to conjure the same warmth. It’s a gentle invitation as much as a challenge to the self.
Per the album’s sequencing, Heynderickx heads into the difficult part, the self-confrontation, first. She does so in quite a literal and instantly captivating way: ‘Gemini’ places her in a room with a former version of herself, and so the past, not some idealized vision of the future, becomes the driving force for growth – even if it just means pulling over to take a look at a purple clover. Instead of reintroducing us to Heynderickx’s delicate folk with some nimble fingerpicking, the strumming evokes a bubbling sense of anxiety, which softens – like her attitude towards that woman in the corner – as her band joins in. This woman, too, is tasked with awakening emotion and therefore artistry: “All the haggard things I didn’t want to feel/ She peels me back like I’m her cabbage.” It’s the reason why, on the mid-album highlight ‘Redwood (Anxious God)’, the singer is able to align herself with the water, the walnut tree, the pebble in the little stream, relaying their wisdom: no longer a person out of context, but deeply connected.
Songs like ‘Gemini’ and ‘Redwood (Anxious God)’ take intricate paths, but elsewhere the album eases us into what the former calls “a process” – of slowing down, letting the light seep in, believing in things you couldn’t. Over the uneasy stomp of ‘Foxglove’, it comes in the form of a plea: “Oh daydream, die slow.” As the song gets bigger, the cello (played by Caleigh Drane), so often an instrument of mourning, helps amplify the urgency. But the title track is quiet and unfussy in its longing, imagining a fortune no more complicated than “a glass of wine” and “a hand next to mine.” ‘Sorry Fahey’ frames the aging body as a vessel of gratitude for the small things, from “your old black cat” to the “kettle making you tea” (even when the cat’s asshole and the tea, well, ginger). Even ‘Mouth of a Flower’, which reminds us of humanity’s tendency to recklessly extract from nature, takes more delight in jaunting through its beautiful imagery, realizing that it, too – the hummingbird, the tide – “take, take, take.” There’s a deliberate rhythm to it; it seems to exist in that distant world where “man and bird had used to sing.” Now, “not even little bugs want to talk with us, us, us” – except perhaps through our own projected fears.
Seed of a Seed makes several references to ghosts – not as spirits of the dead, though they may still haunt old, empty spaces. The first one appears in ‘Gemini’; maybe it’s also that something “telling me you can’t be alone” on ‘Spit in the Sink’ or that someone on ‘Ayan’s Song’. Maybe it’s the thing sapping our creative energy: the reason “everyone around me is getting tired/ And everyone around me is trying to write.” On ‘Swoop’, Heynderickx’s affirmation turns to existential questioning: “Is there an artistry to feeling this way?/ Is there an artistry in the day to day to day to day?” And when she repeats that line one last time, you’d be mistaken for not hearing the preposition, a twist that would end the album on a startlingly grim note: There’s an artistry going away. With such a gap between albums, and so many things in our daily lives dissuading from the actual present, you can assume that sentiment at one point rang true. The artistry, however – the word Heynderickx ultimately stresses – is all but dwindling, not for her anyway. And if, more broadly, it seems like it is, she’ll use her gift to alter our perception.
“Looking at everyone’s lives over recent years, and considering the news at the moment, ‘Renegade’ feels a lot more loaded in retrospect,” Andy Williams, the band’s drummer, vocalist, and co-songwriter, said in a press release. “We wanted to go for a dystopian feel, thinking about Manchester itself over the next century or so. A totally imaginary thing… Blade Runner set in our home city.”
Constellations for the Lonely Cover Artwork:
Constellations for the Lonely Tracklist:
1. Renegade
2. Cold Dreaming
3. In The Butterfly House
4. Strange Weather
5. A Drop In The Ocean
6. Last Year’s Man
7. Stupid Schemes
8. Saint Teresa
9. Orlando
10. Southern Bell
Cincinnati band Wussy have shared a new single called ‘Inhaler’. It’s the latest offering from their upcoming LP Cincinnati Ohio, which marks their first album in six years as well as their first since the 2020 passing of guitarist and co-founder John Erhardt. Check it out below.
‘Inhaler’ follows the previously released tracks ‘The Great Divide’ and ‘Cellar Door’. Cincinnati Ohio, along with the limited edition EPs The Great Divide and Cellar Door, is due November 15 through Shake It.
FACS have announced a new album, Wish Defense, which is set for release on February 7 via Trouble in Mind. It marks the last album engineered by the late Steve Albini; the Chicago trio tracked it for two days with Albini at Electrical Audio before his death, with Sanford Parker stepping in to finish the record 24 hours later. Longtime collaborator John Congleton then mixed the LP using Albini’s notes about the session. Check out its title track, along with a video directed by Joshua Ford, below.
Wish Defense, FACS’ sixth proper full-length, also marks the return of original member Jonathan Van Herik on bass, replacing Alianna Kalaba. In a recent interview with Inc, the band’s Brian Case said: “It sounds like Steve recorded it. That’s exactly what it sounds like.”
Wish Defense Cover Artwork:
Wish Defense Tracklist:
1. Talking Haunted
2. Ordinary Voices
3. Wish Defense
4. A Room
5. Desire Path
6. Sometimes Only
7. You Future
Fontaines D.C. have shared a music video for ‘Bug’, a track from their new album Romance. The clip was directed by English filmmaker Andrea Arnold (American Honey, Fish Tank), whose new movie Bird comes out this Friday, November 8. The film stars Barry Keoghan as well as Fontaines D.C.’s own Carlos O’Connell; the music video is billed as “a shortform reimagination” of the film and features unseen footage exclusive to it. Watch it below.
“I’ve loved the Fontaine’s since I first heard them,” Arnold said in a statement. “Some music just sits in your bones like it always belonged, like you know it already, like it’s part of you. It’s why I asked to use ‘Too Real’ and ‘A Hero’s Death’ for my Bird film. Their music felt like it belonged there. In my world. They were immediately generous in letting me use those tracks which was just fucking brilliant. That generosity brought energy which gets poured into the life of the film. I am grateful for all the positive energy that comes when you make a film. Extending the images and my Bird world for the Bug track felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like part of the same thing. I wouldn’t have done it had I not felt that. And I would hardly do it for anyone.”
Carlos O’Connell added:
Andrea Arnold was kind enough to cut up a sequence to our tune Bug featuring Barry Keoghan playing the character Bug in her new movie Bird.
Bug’s a song that happened quickly and convinced everyone quicker.
In my eyes, the character Bug, the tattoo “Bug’s Life”, Andrea’s essential & romantic worlds, and the line ‘Changed my name to “Promise you, Yea”’; when put all together make convincing needless & conviction undeniable.
Big thanks to Andrea Arnold for letting us in so close to her visionary universe. She’ll be remembered how we remember Bacon or Goya.
Quincy Jones, the legendary musician, composer, producer, and entertainment powerhouse, has died aged 91. His publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he passed away at his home in Bel Air last night (November 3) surrounded by his family.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” the family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
In a career spanning over seven decades, Jones became known as one of the most accomplished and versatile figures in modern music. Moving between big-band jazz, bebop, gospel, blues, soul, funk, R&B, disco, rock, and rap, he produced music for icons such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Lesley Gore, and Donna Summer. He became one of the most decorated musicians in Grammy Awards history, earning 28 Grammy awards and 80 nominations.
Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones picked up the trumpet at age 10 and started singing with a local gospel group. At 14, he began playing in a band with 16-year-old Ray Charles, who became an early inspiration for his own music career. After a semester at Seattle University, he attended the Boston-based music school Schillinger House (which later became known as the Berklee School of Music) and went on to tour as a trumpeter, arranger, and pianist with bandleader Lionel Hampton alongside jazz legends Art Farmer and Clifford Brown. He also played second trumpet in the studio band that supported Elvis Presley in his first six television appearances and served as trumpeter and musical director for Dizzy Gillespie.
After moving to Paris in 1957 to work for Barclays Records, the licensee for Mercury in France, Jones studied composition and theory under Nadia Boulanger. In 1961, he became the vice president of Mercury and focused on music for the small and big screen. In 1963, he was invited to score Sidney Lumet’s The Pawnbroker, the first of his nearly 40 major motion picture scores, which include The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, The Getaway, and The Color Purple. Before producing three of Michael Jackson’s best-known albums – Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad – Jones produced the soundtrack for The Wiz, the musical adaptation of The Wizard of Oz that starred Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
Jones also helmed the USA for Africa session that produced the 1985 benefit single ‘We Are the World’, written by Jackson and Lionel Richie, to raise money for the victims of famine in Ethiopia. Following the success of The Color Purple (which he also produced) that year, he formed the film and TV production company Quincy Jones Entertainment in 1990. Its biggest success was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. In 1991, Jones recorded a live album with Miles Davis, Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux, which was Jones’ last album before his death several months afterward.
Jones founded a record label, Qwest, and the music magazine Vibe, later launching Qwest TV, a streaming service focused on archival concert footage and music documentaries. In 2001, he published his autobiography, Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones, and his life and career were also chronicled in the 2018 documentary Quincy, directed by his daughter Rashida Jones and Al Hicks. Beyond his Grammy Awards, Jones’ numerous awards and accolades include a Kennedy Center Honor in 2001, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2021, he joined James Brown and Otis Redding as part of the inaugural class of artists inducted to the Black Music Walk of Fame in Atlanta.
“He is truly one of a kind and we will miss him dearly; we take comfort and immense pride in knowing that the love and joy, that were the essence of his being, was shared with the world through all that he created,” the Jones family added. “Through his music and his boundless love, Quincy Jones’ heart will beat for eternity.”
