Fatman Scoop has died after collapsing during a concert in Connecticut on Friday night (August 30). The New York rapper, whose real name is Isaac Freeman III, was playing at the Town Center Park in Hamden when he fainted onstage and received CPR before being transported to the hospital where he later died. He was 53.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts I announce the passing of Isaac Freeman III, Known professionally as Fatman Scoop,” Freeman’s tour manager Birch Michael wrote on Facebook. “You taught me how to be the Man I am today. I Love you Scoop, Thank you so much for everything you gave to me. Rest In Peace.”
In a statement on the official Fatman Scoop Instagram, the rapper’s family wrote:
It is with profound sadness and very heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of the legendary and iconic FatMan Scoop.
Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life. FatManScoop was not just a world class performer, he was a father, brother, uncle and a friend.
He was the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength, and courage.
Fatman Scoop was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club. His music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to all will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
As we mourn the loss of FatManScoop, we also celebrate his remarkable life and the countless lives he touched.
Fatman Scoop’s legacy is of love and brightness, it will reside in our hearts and memories forever.
Freeman is best known for his 1999 hit ‘Be Faithful’. He also made guest appearances on Missy Elliott’s ‘Lose Control’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘It’s Like That’. Last month, he was featured on Tech N9ne’s song ‘No Popcorn’. On Friday morning, Freeman and Dyce Paso had just shared the music video for their new single, ‘Let It Go’.
Questlove posted a tribute to the rapper on Instagram, writing, “I want to thank Fatman Scoop for being an embodiment of what hip hop was truly about. To just forget about your troubles and live in the moment and allow joy in.”
Adriana McCassim is a Los Angeles-based, Asheville, NC-born singer-songwriter whose music exists in the realms of alt-country, garage rock, and ’90s indie. Before leaving North Carolina in 2021, she made the four-track EP Quiet Sides with Colin Miller (and featuring Jake Lenderman, aka Wednesday guitarist MJ Lenderman, on drums). Though she enlisted multi-instrumentalist and producer Ryan Pollie to record her debut album, See It Fades, in Los Angeles – where she also opened for Sharon Van Etten at a Troubadour show celebrating the 11th anniversary of Tramp – she went back to her hometown to mix the LP with Alex Farrar (who has worked with Angel Olsen as well as Artist Spotlight alumni including Indigo de Souza, Squirrel Flower, Bnny, Truth Club, Hotline TNT, and Wednesday). Wanting to push her sound in a heavier direction, McCassim has made a record whose emotional frequencies are rowdy, unnerving, and electrifying, while also finding space for restraint and delicate vulnerability. McCassim’s lyricism, like her voice, is sharp, emotive, and prone to change: “I never get lonesome/ But sometimes I change my mind,” she sings at one point, before finally turning around to the listener. “Do you get lonesome too?” The answer, like the lie she suddenly catches herself in simply by asking, is obvious – who doesn’t? But See It Fades is the kind of album that makes loneliness seem, if not exactly an impossibility, then at least more bearable.
We caught up with Adriana McCassim for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about her upbringing, her musical journey, the process behind See It Fades, and more.
What kind of memories come to mind when you think about growing up in Asheville, especially being away from it now?
Growing up in Asheville was so wonderful. We’re in the center of this mountain range, the Appalachian Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s western North Carolina, so it’s just really wooded, and I have so many memories of running through the woods and hiking and, like, playing with salamanders in rivers and streams. That was my whole upbringing. We moved there when I was almost 4, and I largely didn’t leave until college. We moved around a lot – my family flipped houses, so we would move, fix up our house, sell it, and then keep moving.
I grew up with a lot of folk music, bluegrass – my mom worked at this restaurant called Jack of the Wood, which is still around and it’s awesome. After school, I would come and sit while she was finishing her shift sometimes. There was a section of the restaurant where these banjo players would come and sit around one hanging mic and just play all sorts of mountain music. That was very core to me. And it’s funny because, as a teenager and even in my early twenties, I really wanted to move away from that music. I never wanted to make country or folk-leaning things; Asheville was so steeped in that. But now, I’m devouring it. I’m listening to so much of that stuff, and it’s been really fun to reclaim it.
When do you feel like you started developing your own relationship with music that was separate from what you were surrounded by, whether as a kind of rebellion or an extension of it?
My parents brought in two very different scenes of music. My dad was really into heavier rock and metal, like Alice in Chains, Metallica, Chris Cornell, Level 42, and then also everything Motown, like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Commodores, all that. And then my mom was into the Dixie Chicks, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, that kind stuff. So, it was totally all over the map, and I probably didn’t start to claim music for myself until college when I decided to go to school for music. I was definitely hiding for so long behind the idea that I could never pursue music. I didn’t start really exploring and embracing it until I accepted that I wanted to pursue it with my life. I used to say I wanted to be an engineer or a recording engineer or work in live music, doing front of house or something. I was just quietly absorbing for a while; I was kind of an obedient, quiet kid. [laughs] So it was probably in my late teens, early twenties.
And now, since moving to L.A., I have so many friends and bandmates who are steeped in, like, Flying Burrito Brothers, or older California-based music, just things I never was shown. My dad wasn’t a fan of Dylan – I love my dad, but he just didn’t listen to classic rock like that. We didn’t really grow up with the Beatles or anything.
Being into heavy music but not classic rock is one thing, but heavy music and Motown is an interesting combination.
My dad would sit me in the car on the way to school, and we’d be mid-conversation, and he’d be like, “Hold on, you gotta listen to this part,” and he’d turn it up really loud. He’s a bass player and was in a rock band before I was born, so that was his whole world. I just have so many memories of him showing me records in a very granular, focused way. Which now, I can appreciate – at the time, it was so embarrassing, especially around friends. It was very normal growing-up stuff, but now, I’m very grateful for that.
Did you feel like you had to hide your love of music behind technical skill or expertise, to be involved with music in some other way?
Yeah, definitely. I felt like there was no space for winging it financially. Being a performing musician isn’t a lucrative path. [laughs] My parents worked so hard and supported me with whatever I wanted to do, but I think I wanted some approval or security behind the technical side of it, so I decided to pursue that in school. What really flipped things for me was during the last semester of college when I decided to switch what I was studying, and I left for New York. I spent the last year of my schooling in New York City and worked at Mick Management, this independent management company in Brooklyn. That’s where I met Sharon Van Etten and that whole crew of people, and it totally changed my life. I got a very inside look at what that world looks like and also just had conversations about pursuing music as an artist. It felt like a light turned on for me that I couldn’t ignore. No one was telling me to be an engineer or a manager – it was just something I had convinced myself of.
Did your definition of “pursue” change during that time? Did you think a lot about what it even means to pursue music?
Totally. I started writing again when I was living in New York. I was writing in college, but then I stopped playing out and really quieted it. Because I was living in New York by myself, I felt like I could explore writing again. I think the notion of pursuing something is completely out of self-love, and it felt like something that was helping me move through a time in my life. And then I realized it’s kind of always been that way. I started writing songs when I was probably 10 or 11 – they were obviously the kind of songs a 10-year-old would write, butit’s always been there. I started playing open mics when I was little because I just wanted to, so I intuitively knew that that would come back again. But there was something about being in New York, being in a city where so many people are doing that, that it feels like it’s this infectious thing.
When I came back, I made the EP Quiet Sides and fell in with some friends in Asheville, and made this whole little tiny record. It started picking up, and Iwas like, “Okay, I need to keep doing this.” But pursuit takes so many forms. I’m still learning about it. Right now, it’s the balance of working a day job and figuring out how to be a musician.
We talk about DIY communities, but something that comes up less often is mentorship – Sharon Van Etten is someone you’ve brought up in this context. What role have these kinds of one-to-one friendships played for you as someone who has moved around a lot?
I wouldn’t even be here without the couple of mentors that I have or have had. I think there are several different kinds of mentors. There are ones that you have physically in your life and emotionally, and then there are also ones in books, or through meditation or podcasts or whatever. I was assisting a composer for a while, and he was one of those people. That was in Asheville, and from the beginning, he was like, “You need to leave.” My parents were afraid of me leaving, and I wouldn’t have moved without that.
I’m so grateful for Sharon and her family. Candidly, there was this beautiful moment out here where I spent time working with her family. I learned so much from her writing, her character, her disposition in the world, and how she writes songs. It runs so deep, and I got to see that up close. Then, getting to open for her at the Troubadour was this wonderful full-circle moment of affirmation. Music is so all over the place – you can have these big show moments, and then life returns to normal, and you have to go back to, like, waiting tables. There’s no linear path at all. In my experience, having especially women who have helped me believe in myself has gotten me through those longer stretches of navigating what the hell I’m doing. [laughs] Especially when putting out a record and deciding to complete the life cycle of songwriting. It’s the scariest part, just recognizing that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What do you remember about that show? What made it special for you?
Oh, man, so much. The show itself was so fun. My band was so special, and we just had such a blast. The Troubadour is such a historic space. As a kid, I watched so many videos of people playing and performing there. Walking in, there’s totally an energy or spirit that’s very present. But during sound check – I had no idea, but Angel Olsen was a surprise guest that night, so she was just watching. [laughs] I was not ready for that – very, very scary in a good way. But that was really special. They sang ‘Like I Used To’, which was so badass. And then I got to sing ‘We Are Fine’ with Sharon, which is a song from Tramp. It was an anniversary show. I mean, we both cried. That song is all about perseverance and the female experience in a lot of ways, so it was really beautiful. I don’t remember a lot – I think I blacked out a lot of that night, in a good way. It was just a lot of energy.
Going into See It Fades, what kind of goals did you set for yourself, both as a musician and as a songwriter?
I had a few clear pillars about the record once I moved. I knew from the beginning I wanted Alex to mix it. I wanted this big sound that I had never tried before. So many songs that are on the record and that were coming up at the time had this anger that I didn’t know where to place. I’ve never been someone who’s allowed that emotion to come out, so it was coming out in my songwriting. I wanted it to feel like thunder. I wanted it to feel like you would listen to these mixes and there’s elements you don’t know how they were tracked.
When I was looking for people to record with – there’s so many studios in LA, especially on the East side. I was touring some places, and when I met my friend Ryan Pollie, I walked into his house, and it’s like a home studio, it’s all his living room. And I immediately knew, I was like, “This is it.” I wanted analog gear, drums all in a live room, but, like, the kitchen is on the other side. It’s organic, it feels human. I wanted to throw so much paint and just try things – when we were tracking ‘Pretend’, we routed an acoustic guitar through a bunch of pedals, and it made the craziest sound. One of the cables wasn’t working, but it sounded really cool. By the end of the day, we’d layered so much that I was like, “I don’t even know how we made that, but we’re gonna go with it.” That was kind of the ethos for the whole project.
It was cool to have Ryan’s sensibilities, and then Alex just lifted these songs and threw them into the universe. I did get a chance to go to Asheville and mix for a few days, and he’s just a magician. Largely, I wanted to do things that made me uncomfortable, techniques I didn’t know how it was going to sound like – or maybe it was wrong, but it sounded cool and felt good, most importantly. But now, I’m craving to make a more straight-ahead record. I’ve been writing all these country songs.
Throughout the record, you and Ryan have a way of using the guitar in a way that’s very atmospheric, as heavy and thunderous as it can be. What was your approach to layering instrumentation, or balancing that sense of freedom with restraint?
With this record, I wanted some of the songs to have a lot of space. I talked to my friend Jacob Peter, who is a total savant and wrote much of the lead guitar and lap steel parts on the album. He so intuitively was on that same place of understanding. Also, while writing this record, I was still learning so much about guitar. I had written these parts, but I wanted someone to understand my references, where I was pulling from. For example, I was listening to Grace, the Jeff Buckley record, and that record feels so heavy and loud and guttural, and then his voice comes in, and the whole music bed can largely drop out, and it’s still just as devastating. But some songs totally rock and are loud and fun. I wanted it to feel like that, like a thunderstorm, those moments that come in and out. But a lot of it was experimentation. It wasn’t as much part-writing on most of the songs as it was just throwing paint, if that makes sense.
There’s this delicate little dance that happens at the end of ‘Self Control’ between the guitar and piano, which is so beautifully subtle. What do you remember about that moment?
That’s so cool. That was the first song we recorded on the album. It was with my friend Kost [Galanopoulos] and Jacob, and it was so special. I was such a baby, and I brought this very simple song in. They’re both multi-instrumentalists, so we just learned the song and played it through a couple of times. It was me, vocals, guitar, bass, and drums, and it was just the perfect storm. We fell right into it, this simple groove, and I wanted it to feel like a radio, like something you’re hearing through a wall. It’s one of the songs on the record that I tried to make really restrained. And then we added those piano parts that feel ethereal, a little bit sparkly. That song is all about restraint and intuition, but it was fun. It was one of my very first real opportunities to play with a band that’s so good that right when they get there, they know the song. So it’s just like, “Okay, here we go.” But yeah, it was definitely the first song on the record, so it started there, and then it feels like this beast grew. We did ‘Another Round’ pretty much at the end.
I wanted to ask how your relationship with your voice has evolved over time and during the making of this album. How is it different from your relationship with the guitar, for example, as an instrument?
My relationship with my voice has grown so much. I went to school for music, and voice was my instrument. I took classical voice and jazz voice for years, and as much as it was tough, it taught me a lot about how to sing. During this record, I learned more about myself and my voice, how to use power and let takes come through that felt really angry or unsure. It was very unnerving, but there were many times while making the record when I asked everyone to leave the room so I could just try stuff and be alone. That really helped me a lot, especially at the beginning of the record. I was really nervous, and I needed help letting it go. Beyond that, it’s helped me do that in a live setting. I feel like I scratched a lot of the itch of the rowdy, wailing, youthful nature, vocally, of what this record is.
The idea of slow love, as something both grounding and all-consuming, is something that runs through the album, maybe as an antidote to the feeling of anger. To the extent that you’re comfortable sharing, how did you come to the belief you express in ‘Rushin’, that some love lasts because it goes slow?
Halfway through making this record, or maybe three-quarters of the way through, I met someone, and it totally changed my paradigm of belief. When I was writing most of the record and in the very early stages of tracking and finishing writing, I was so – it’s funny, I don’t even recognize that version of myself – I felt so broken. I didn’t know who I was. I was leaving a relationship that I had been in for over five years, and I was so young. I thought I knew what it was, and I thought I could hold on to it and pour myself and enough love into someone else enough to fix it. For the longest time, it was so heavy and somber, and what I deal with, mental health-wise, kind of compounded that.
Then there was just this switch, of feeling angry and allowing myself to explore those emotional explosions. It came up with ‘Touch’ – feeling like the person I was with doesn’t acknowledge me or didn’t want to lift me up anymore. It’s a song about physical intimacy, but it was me finally being fed up with it. Meeting someone and finally moving through a lot of this – exploring and dating and returning to my woman self, knowing her more – I feel like I learned more about love and about self-love, and that slowness is so good. ‘Love Slow’ is the only song on the record that is about this other thing, this little glimmer of what’s next. But man, that took me so long to learn. I think that’s why now, I look back on this record, and it feels so youthful, so different from where I am now. But it is a capsule of where I was. I feel very much on the other side of it now.
How do you feel like that glimmer manifests through the record, or has grown into your life now?
I think it has translated into self-trust. There are so many themes of anxiety throughout the record, and I think there’s also a glimmer of healing from that at the end. All the people who worked on this record helped me process what I was going through – even if we weren’t explicitly talking about it, it translated musically. While I was mixing with Alex, I could tell he intuitively got it. It was confirmation that songs will always be here for me, to help me understand human experience and my life. It’s like that cradle is always there for me, and there’s no shortage of that.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Deciding what your bridesmaids will wear for your wedding is a big task. You would want them to look coordinated and up to the occasion. With their dresses complementing the wedding decor, your gown, and the men’s suits. Especially, when the gentlemen involved are wearing black suits.
For black suits, there are several colors of bridesmaid dresses to pick. You can choose bridesmaid dresses in rose gold or sage and blush pink. We have put together the top 6 colors that match black suits. You want to discover more creative ways to show off your style as a couple. Keep reading as we go into more detail.
6 Colors of Bridesmaid Dresses That Goes With Black Suits
1. Gold bridesmaid dresses
Gold bridesmaid dresses are a perfect blend with black groomsmen suits. Not only does it make your wedding look beautiful and chic. Gold bridesmaid dresses complement your wedding theme. As the bride, gold bridesmaid dresses give your bridal gown a brighter look.
For a formal wedding, don’t stress yourself anymore on bridesmaid dresses. Choose rose gold bridesmaid dresses with different style variations. You can accessorize their look with either black or silver stiletto heels. Check Chicsew for various bridesmaid’s dress style inspiration.
2. Sage bridesmaid dresses
Sage bridesmaid dresses also fit well with black groomsmen suits. This light hue gives a soft feminine appearance to the deep black suits. The combination of sage and black colors adds a traditional look to your wedding. For outdoor weddings like garden or beach weddings. Stunning sage green bridesmaid dresses are the best fit.
Have your bridesmaids wear long dusty sage green bridesmaid dresses. For something more fanciful and creative. Choose a one-shoulder style for your bridesmaid dress. Match the dress with sage green, eucalyptus plant, and peach flower wedding bouquet. Style up the men’s black suits with boutonnieres made from the wedding bouquet.
3. Lilac bridesmaid dresses
You can pair lilac bridesmaid dresses with black suits, especially, for a fall wedding. Lilac is a soft and unique palette and adds a traditional feel to your wedding. Opt for lilac bridesmaid dresses for your bridesmaids. You can be more creative with your lilac bridesmaid dresses. By choosing different fabrics, including silk, satin, and velvet.
For a fall wedding ceremony, long lilac bridesmaid dresses are a good gown choice. You can choose gown styles from sleeveless to off-shoulder. This further makes your bridesmaids look more pretty. Complete their look with a white rose and emerald green wedding bouquet.
4. Blush pink bridesmaid dresses
Another color of bridesmaid dresses that you can wear with black suits is blush pink. Black suits are versatile and don’t contribute much to your wedding theme. So pair them with blush pink bridesmaid dresses to elevate your wedding theme.
Blush pink bridesmaid dresses look vibrant and sophisticated next to black suits. For a summer wedding, have your bridesmaids wear chiffon blush pink bridesmaid dresses. With wedding bouquets made from flowers in neutral colors. Do something creative with the bridesmaid dresses by choosing different gown styles.
5. Latte bridesmaid dresses
Latte bridesmaid dresses make black suits appear more formal and fanciful. Latte is a light palette that looks romantic and relaxed at outdoor weddings. Most especially, for country and rustic weddings. Latte bridesmaid dresses next to black suits are good for summer and autumn weddings.
Have your bridesmaids wear flowing latte bridesmaid dresses for your wedding. For a coordinated bridesmaid look, your bridesmaids can wear similar gown styles. Brighten their style with a wedding bouquet made with sage green and peach flowers. Also, add some boutonnieres made from your wedding bouquet to your men’s suits.
6. Rosewood bridesmaid dresses
Rosewood bridesmaid dresses next to black suits are a classic color combination. This warm hue adds a dynamic and sophisticated look to your wedding theme. Perfect for an indoor summer wedding. You cannot go wrong in rosewood bridesmaid dresses.
For a unique bridesmaid look, consider mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Since you’re going for a particular palette, rosewood. Allow your bridesmaids to choose their dress style. And opt for mismatched bridesmaid dresses, it makes your bridesmaids feel special. Accessorize their look with bouquets made from white rose and emerald green flowers.
Conclusion
Planning your bridesmaid dress is an essential part of your wedding. It plays a role in your wedding aesthetics and sets the tone of your big day. Most especially, if your groomsmen will put on black suits. You need bright colors that will pop next to black suits.
Whether you’re planning for a black-tie or rustic wedding. You can make your girls look gorgeous in any of the bridesmaid dresses listed above. Tell us in the comments down below what color you’re picking for your bridesmaid dresses. Share with us in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Few items in fashion are as iconic and enduring as Chanel handbags. The French luxury brand, founded by Coco Chanel in 1910, has consistently set the standard for elegance and sophistication.
While brand-new Chanel bags are undoubtedly desirable, Pre-owned Chanel Handbags offer a unique allure that makes them the ultimate statement piece. Here’s why investing in a pre-owned Chanel handbag can be one of the most stylish and savvy decisions you can make.
Timeless Elegance
Chanel handbags are renowned for their timeless designs. Each piece, from the classic Flap Bag to the Boy Bag, reflects a blend of elegance and innovation that transcends trends. The timeless nature of these designs ensures that a pre-owned Chanel bag remains fashionable and relevant year after year.
Unlike many contemporary pieces that may fall out of style, Chanel bags possess an ageless quality that allows them to remain a staple in any wardrobe.
Superior Craftsmanship
Chanel handbags have such lasting appeal because of their unparalleled craftsmanship. Each handbag is meticulously crafted from the finest materials, including luxurious leather and high-quality hardware.
Attention to detail is evident in every stitch and finish. When you opt for a pre-owned Chanel handbag, you’re not just buying a piece of fashion history but investing in an item showcasing extraordinary craftsmanship and quality.
Unique and Rare Finds
The allure of pre-owned Chanel handbags also lies in their exclusivity. Many Chanel bags are produced in limited quantities, making them highly sought after by collectors and fashion enthusiasts.
Purchasing a pre-owned Chanel bag can give you access to unique styles and rare models no longer available in stores. Whether it’s a vintage 2.55 Flap Bag or a limited-edition Boy Bag, pre-owned Chanel handbags offer the opportunity to own a piece of fashion history that stands out from the crowd.
Investment Potential
Chanel handbags are not only stylish but also smart investments. The value of Chanel bags has consistently appreciated over time, making them a sound investment choice. Unlike many other luxury items that depreciate, pre-owned Chanel handbags often retain or even increase in value.
This is especially true for rare and limited-edition models. By investing in a pre-owned Chanel bag, you’re not just adding a statement piece to your wardrobe but also making a financial investment that can appreciate in value over time.
Environmental and Ethical Considerations
In today’s world, where sustainability and ethical considerations are increasingly important, buying pre-owned luxury items is a responsible choice. Opting for a pre-owned Chanel handbag helps reduce waste and minimizes the demand for new resources. By choosing a pre-owned bag, you’re contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry and positively impacting the environment.
Personalized Style
A pre-owned Chanel handbag can also offer a sense of personalization that new bags might not provide. Many pre-owned Chanel bags come with unique characteristics, such as slight variations in leather texture or hardware, that add to their charm and individuality. These subtle differences can make your handbag feel truly one-of-a-kind, allowing you to express your style in a way that sets you apart from others.
Provenance and Storytelling
Every pre-owned Chanel handbag carries its own story and provenance. Whether it’s a vintage piece from the 1980s or a classic style lovingly cared for over the years, each bag has a history that adds to its allure.
Owning a pre-owned Chanel bag means becoming part of that story and continuing its legacy. This connection to the past enhances the handbag’s sentimental value and makes it more than just a fashion accessory.
Quality Assurance
When purchasing a pre-owned Chanel handbag, it’s essential to ensure its authenticity and condition. Reputable sellers and consignment shops offer authentication services and detailed information about the condition of each bag. This level of assurance provides peace of mind, knowing that you’re investing in a genuine Chanel piece that meets the brand’s high standards.
Conclusion
Pre-owned Chanel handbags are more than just luxury accessories; they are statement pieces that embody timeless elegance, superior craftsmanship, and unique history. By choosing a pre-owned Chanel bag, you’re adding a stylish and versatile accessory to your wardrobe and making a smart investment in a piece of fashion history. Whether you’re drawn to the exclusivity of rare models or the sustainable appeal of pre-owned items, a Chanel handbag offers a distinctive blend of sophistication and practicality that makes it the ultimate statement piece.
Even amidst the murky chaos and wild-eyed fervor of his earlier work, Nick Cave has often left space for rapture. If it seemed to be lacking, understandably, in the hauntingly atmospheric and grief-stricken trilogy of Bad Seeds albums that began with 2013’s Push the Sky Away, fans who have since gotten to see the band on tour will know that Cave still reserved some ecstasy for the live performance of those newer songs. But it became clear that, by replacing the thunder of their older material with a more fragile and formless sound – withrain, if you want to use Cave’s own imagery – they had to also unlearn what the music reveled in, the feeling that shot through its moments of release. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ eighteenth studio album was originally going to be called Joy, which is the title of the song that now serves as its emotional centerpiece, a bridge between the trilogy and the band’s current era. Joy, in the form of love and connection, has not been absent from Cave’s recent albums, but Wild God feels like the result of relearning and reclaiming its true spirit, its own expression: the marvelous, prayerful, and uplifting start of a new chapter.
Cave’s definition of joy, of course, is as nuanced and slightly twisted as his lyrics tend to be. For Apple Music, he described it, “in a way,” as “a form of suffering, in the sense that it understands the notion of suffering, and it’s these momentary ecstatic leaps we are capable of that helps us rise out of that suffering for a moment of time.” ‘Joy’ is more than an example of one such moment: beatless and improvisational, with shimmering synths and French horn that align it with the past few Bad Seeds albums, it creates a narrative around it. A ghost in the shape of a “flaming boy” visits Cave to relay a simple message: “We’ve all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy.” It calls to mind ‘White Elephant’, a highlight from Cave and Warren Ellis’ lockdown album Carnage, and the gospel singalong from which it seems to proceed: “The time is coming, the time is nigh/ For the kingdom in the sky.” But ‘Joy’ offer no such musical leap, but rather a choral embrace, foregrounding Cave’s voice as he looks to “The stars stand above the Earth, bright triumphant metaphors of love.”
If sorrow is antithetical to joy, suffering is more like a kind of starting point. On the title track, the protagonist addresses the wild gods directly with a desperate plea: “Bring your spirit down!” How this manifests in Wild God is explosive catharsis, not too unlike the one achieved in ‘White Elephant’, although there is a different kind of exuberant physicality in Cave’s delivery, especially as he spits out the words “great, big, beautiful bird.” Because while the album might be more about Cave’s understanding of joy than actual happiness, the latter undoubtedly shines through the record’s performances; the sheer, restless joy of getting the band back together and a new collection of songs off the ground. So the surging climax of a song like ‘Conversation’ speaks to the music’s own transformative potential instead of hinging on that of fictional characters, figurative language, or wild leaps of faith. It’s palpable in the way, just as opener ‘Song of the Lake’ logically nears a point of doom (“For there’s either a remedy or there is none/ If there be none…”), Cave cuts himself short, turning the repetition of “Never mind, never mind” into its own kind of transcendence.
Although much of Wild God, particularly a song like the meditative ‘Cinnamon Horses’, still seems to hover between worlds, producer Dave Fridmann helps temper some of the statelier, ethereal qualities of the band’s music, making it feel immediate. That’s another way of bringing that spirit down on Earth without continually reaching upward. Even while infused with the kind of glowing, resonant synths that have echoed through the band’s recent discography, ‘Frogs’ is more interested in magnifying an everyday moment of pure, giddy reverie. ‘Final Rescue Attempt’ does away with references to gods and dreamlike fields, landing unusually close to home. A sense of warmth and levity even seeps through ‘O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)’, which pays tribute to Cave’s former girlfriend and collaborator Anita Lane, who died in 2021; the vocoder vocals laced around the track might be the album’s most uncharacteristic musical touch, yet as it leads into a phone recording of Lane herself, become enveloping in their tenderness, like softened, fractured memories of youth. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have no reason to keep radically shaking up their sound, but here they steer it toward something earthly, brightly infectious, and powerful enough that it ceases to be just a metaphor.
San Jose slowcore/space-rock outfit Duster have surprise-released a new LP called In Dreams. It marks the band’s fifth album, following 2022’s Together, which was also released with no advance warning. Listen to it below.
In Dreams is out now digitally and will receive a physical release on December 6 via Numero Group. Last year, on September 29, the label sent a copy of the band’s debut album Stratosphere to space to mark its 25th anniversary reissue.
Earlier this month, Duster put out two new songs in collaboration with the Dirty Art Club, with whom they’ll be going on tour next month.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are back with a new album, Wild God. The follow-up to 2019’s Ghosteen was produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, with mixing by David Fridmann. It was preceded by the singles ‘Frogs’, ‘Long Dark Night’, and the title track. “I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me,” Cave said in a statement. “It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it. It’s a complicated record, but it’s also deeply and joyously infectious. There is never a master plan when we make a record. The records rather reflect back the emotional state of the writers and musicians who played them. Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy.” Read our review of Wild God.
Why Bonnie have released their new album, Wish on the Bone, via Fire Talk. The follow-up to the band’s 2022 debut 90 in November features the previously unveiled singles ‘Dotted Line’, ‘Fake Out’, ‘Rhyme or Reason’, and ‘Three Big Moons’. Bandleader Blair Howerton co-produced the LP with Jonathan Schenke. “We were trying on musical hats,” Howerton explained. “There’s still some country on this record, but I wasn’t thinking about sticking to one thing. Personal experience of learning to be bolder and more assertive and trusting myself has carried over into my music.”
Seafeel have returned from a 13-year hiatus with a new album called Everything Squared. Out now via Warp, the 6-track mini-LP was primarily composed by the band’s core duo of Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock, with bassist Shigeru Ishihara – the Japanese producer known as DJ Scotch Egg – playing on two songs. It follows the project’s 2011 self-titled comeback record.
Los Angeles-based, Asheville, NC-raised singer-songwriter Adriana McCassim has unveiled her debut album, See It Fades. Following 2020’s Quiet Sides EP, the album includes the early singles ‘Pretend’ and ‘Tarantula Type’. The record was produced by Ryan Pollie and mixed by Alex Farrar (Snail Mail, Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, Angel Olsen). Sharon Van Etten, for whom McCassim opened at a Troubadour show celebrating the 11th anniversary of Tramp, offered this statement in a press release: “She’s a wonderful songwriter with this really beautiful dark, smoky voice. She writes passionate songs that are about connection and love; they’re very romantic and beautiful.”
Coco & Clair Clair have followed up 2022’s SEXY with a new album, Girl. “In the early stages of our writing process we had a running joke about being pregnant with a new album and how this one felt like a baby girl, whereas our last project, SEXY, felt more like a baby boy,” the duo explained in a statement. “We were writing about our relationships, referencing and incorporating lyrics we had written years ago – lyrics previously put aside for being too vulnerable or confessional. We were experimenting with a style of production that felt more refined, polished, intentional, and intimate. We embraced the tension between that new approach and the characteristic qualities that propelled us early on: our resourcefulness, boastfulness, and flamboyance – all virtues of femininity and girlhood as much as they are tropes of masculinity.”
Enumclaw have put out their second album, Home in AnotherLife, via the band’s new label home, Run for Cover. Ahead of its release, the Tacoma, Washington outfit previewed the follow-up to 2022’s Save the Baby with the tracks ‘Change’ and ‘Not Just Yet’. Enumclaw and Ben Zaid co-produced the 11-song LP, which was recorded in a four-day sprint in Seattle last winter.
I’ll Drown on This Earth is the sophomore full-length by Cold Gawd, a post-hardcore/shoegaze outfit hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Out now on Dais Records, the follow-up to 2022’s God Get Me the Fuck Out of Here was led by the single ‘All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name’. “What I’m trying to say with this song and the whole record,” the band’s Matthew Wainwright said in a statement accompanying the announcement, “was best said by Victoria Legrand when she said to: ‘Trust in yourself and trust in the people that love because those are the people that matter most.’”
Jon Hopkins has released a new album, RITUAL, which follows 2021’s Music for Psychedelic Therapy. Collaborators on the record include ylana, 7RAYS, Ishq, Clark, Emma Smith, Daisy Vatalaro, and Cherif Hashizume. In a statement, Hopkins reflected: “I have no idea what I’m doing when I’m composing. I don’t know where it’s coming from, and I don’t know where it’s going, nor does it seem to matter. I just know when it is finished. So all I can really do is feel my way to the end, then try and retrospectively analyse what might be going on, and try and figure out what its purpose is. What is clear is that this one has the structure of a Ritual. I know what that Ritual is for me, but it will be something different for you. It feels important not to be prescriptive about what this Ritual actually is.”
Jónsi has returned with a new album, First Light. The follow-up to the Sigur Rós frontman’s 2021 surprise record Obsidian was originally conceived as the score for a video game. In a statement, Jónsi said: “Writing this music at a time of manmade global turmoil and unrest for a video game, I imagined First Light as a momentary fantastical, over-the-top, utopian world where everyone and everything lives together in everlasting peace and harmony — choosing beauty over disorder, hope over fear, our universal divine angel guardians watching over us and connecting us all as one through love, melody, and music.”
Oceanator – the project of Brooklyn singer-songwriter Elise Okusami – has a new album out calledEverything Is Love and Death. The follow-up to 2022’s Nothing’s Ever Fine finds Okusami working with Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip. “I feel like these songs are honing in on and parsing the same themes as previous records, more settled and clearer,” Okusami remarked. “I’ve gotten better at listening to the rational part of my brain, the understanding that things aren’t going to work. I know better but I’m gonna do it anyway, because everything is love and death.” The singles ‘Get Out’ and ‘Drift Away’ arrived ahead of the release.
Wunderhorse, the band led by former Dead Pretties member Jacob Slater, have dropped a new album titled Midas. The follow-up to their 2022 debut LP Cub was recorded at Minnesota’s Pachyderm Studio with producer Craig Silvey. “When we first went into the studio to make this record, the only thing we were sure about is how we wanted it to sound; very imperfect, very live, very raw; no frills,” Slater said in press materials. “We wanted it to sound like your face is pressed up against the amplifiers, like you’ve been locked inside the bass drum.”
Chicago-based artist Lia Kohl has unveiled her third full-length, Normal Sounds, via Moon Glyph The follow-up to last year’s The Ceiling Reposes features the previously released tracks ‘Car Alarm, Turn Signal’ and ‘Ignition, Sneakers’. Utilizing field recordings that include grocery checkout beeps, machinery drones, and car noises, the record serves as “a love letter to the mundane sonic world,” according to Kohl, “to the part of my brain that just can’t stop listening to everything, all the time.”
Other albums out today:
Duster, In Dreams; Ty Segall, Love Rudiments; —__–____, Night of Fire; Big Sean, Better Me Than You; Sean Henry, HEAD; Los Bitchos, Talkie Talkie; Laurie Anderson, Amelia; Tycho, INFINITE HEALTH; Nails, Every Bridge Burning; The Bug Club, On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System; John Legend, My Favorite Dream; Destroy Lonely, LOVE LASTS FOREVER; Ohr, Afterglow; Robert Glasper, Code Derivation; RZA, A Ballet Through Mud; Zedd, Telos; Jana Mila, Chameleon; Carlile, Human Human; The Cactus Blossoms, Every Time I Think About You; Ellen Reid, Big Majestic; Yuko Araki, Zenjitsutan 前日譚.
A$AP Rocky has dropped a new song, ‘Tailor Swif’. Previously titled ‘Wetty’, the rapper debuted the track at Rolling Loud Portugal in July 2022 before it leaked a few days later. Check out a video for it below.
‘Tailor Swif’ will not appear on Rocky’s long-awaited album Don’t Be Dumb, which was supposed to arrive today but was pushed back to the fall. Earlier this month, the rapper put out the single ‘Highjack’, a collaboration with Jessica Pratt.
Considering how much technology has evolved and has been integrated into everyday life, it should be no surprise that this type of evolution has also led to significant changes, including how we entertain ourselves. Innovations in mobile technology have made the entertainment industry bigger than ever, mainly thanks to how accessible it is, and these innovations continue to change and improve how we experience it.
Whether it’s about films, social media, music, or online gaming, technology has reshaped how all of these things are being enjoyed today and continues to deliver something new and creative.
Technology Enhancing Social Media
As an aspect of digital culture that was expected to benefit and evolve because of tech and mobile advancements, social media continues to dominate everyday life. It took the world by storm, and now it has become a platform to share moments, communicate, find what you are looking for, and even be a source of information (and misinformation). Naturally, AI is now a big part of social media, especially when it comes to ads, used mainly to tailor them based on your interests and searches.
For example, if you search for travel agencies or tropical destinations, AI can pick up on these cues and tailor the ads you see to show more of the same type. This can be a very useful tool, allowing you to find something you are looking for, especially in today’s day and age, when information online is endless.
Technology and Cinematic Entertainment
Cinema is one of the main aspects of digital culture that has been reshaped and improved by new technological advancements. This mainly includes films and TV series, which used to be enjoyed only in the cinema, on TV channels, or through various pay-per-view services. Now, however, with all the mobile technology and innovations that have basically put our computers in our pockets, things have never been simpler. With streaming services, such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and more, you can enjoy your favourites with just a few taps.
What’s more, these are enhanced with even more innovative tech, such as AI, for example, integrated into the algorithm in order to track your searches and interests to provide you with personalised recommendations. VR experiences are also part of the mix here, allowing you to enjoy these experiences and immersing you like never before. Some streaming services, such as Netflix, has also combined innovative technology to deliver unprecedented experiences, such as the Bandersnatch phenomenon, which allows viewers to choose their own story.
A New Side of Gaming
Innovative technology is also big in the gaming industry, taking the experience to a whole other level. Whether you prefer platform video games, mobile games, or a more social gaming experience, there is something for everyone. Developers use state-of-the-art technology, such as ray tracing and advanced rendering engines (Unreal Engine, Unity), to create hyper-realistic games, coming a long way from the 8-bit games of the past. Some of them even go a step further to combine these with VR and AR technology creating even more immersive and enjoyable games. Integration of AI also leads to “smarter” in-game characters whose behaviour can depend on your choices, etc.
Staying on the gaming train, the iGaming industry is another example of how emerging tech has changed the way we consume entertainment. Some new casino sites are utilising virtual reality and AI to provide a modern twist on many of the online casino games that people have been playing for years. AI continues to reshape the way online casinos operate, frequently used to create personalised bonuses and promotions in order to provide a more personalised experience. What’s more, many new casinos use AI engines as chatbots for their customer support channels, allowing them to swiftly resolve any issues and inquiries. You can even take advantage of VR and AR technology to enjoy your favourite table games with real dealers and other players for a more social experience.
Overall, the latest innovative technology has created a major impact on the entertainment sphere, leading to a shift in how we consume and enjoy it, ultimately blending them together. For example, video games include cinematic graphics and storytelling, concerts can be enjoyed live on social media, and interactive options are available on streaming platforms.
The peer-to-peer nature of betting exchanges is making their popularity soar every year. One betting exchange platform is popular among the majority of applicants, and it is called Betfair Exchange. Betfair Exchange, as a leading sports betting platform, boasts high liquidity and a good number of available markets.
However, Betfair is not available in some countries or jurisdictions due to licensing and other factors. The company also charges a high commission in certain cases, which is not suitable for newbie bettors. Thankfully, there are several betfair exchange alternative sites that you can explore. However, how are you going to find them? We will answer that question in this guide.
Liquidity
Depending on the odds of your bet, a betting exchange’s liquidity dictates whether your bet will find a match. This is calculated as the ratio of total funds that are available for trading in the market.
If an exchange has higher liquidity, it can offer better and more accurate odds. Liquidity is determined by the number of individuals betting on an exchange platform and the amount they wager.
Overall User Experience and Design
In today’s digital world, the importance of a well-defined user interface and user experience cannot be overemphasised in sports trading. It is important to choose an exchange whose website is easily navigable. Every menu, submenu, option, button, and toolbar has to be within reach. The colour scheme and overall layout should also be decent.
It is also crucial for your exchange of choice to have a mobile app. A mobile app allows you to play on the go.
Diversity of the Market
If you are considering any alternative to the betfair trading app, you should also pay attention to the range of markets. A betting exchange with more markets will offer more opportunities to trade and win massively. However, remember not to skip the learning curve. Stick to the sport or game that you are familiar with first.
From that point, build momentum and explore other markets or games. For example, a good exchange will offer you access to big bets in soccer, such as half-time/full-time, match result, correct score, and over 2.5. A good exchange will be helpful in helping you to wager on big events in football, tennis, basketball, and other sports.
Commission
The commission is the percentage of your profit that a betting exchange deducts after you win a bet. It is an exchange’s principal source of revenue. For the best betting exchanges, this commission ranges from 1-5% of your earnings.
It is optimal to select betfair alternative websites with lower commissions. Depending on the amount that you risk, some platforms might offer you a discount on the commission rate. Stay away from exchanges that charge a commission on losing bets.
Reliability
It is vital to explore betting exchange sites with licences from a reputable supervisory organisation. A license shows that the exchange has the legal authority to render its services in certain jurisdictions. If you choose unlicensed alternatives, there is a high chance that you might run into scams or be unable to recover your funds by tendering a dispute case.
Also, read online opinions from more experienced sports bettors and authority third-party review websites. These parties have probably tried out different exchanges and already have a clear image of the quality of the various platforms.
It is also advisable to go for brands that have been in operation for a long time. Such organisations will have a large customer base. Further, they will have less server downtime when the biggest and busiest tournaments overlap. These exchanges will have experienced IT staff capable of managing the traffic associated with big sports betting games.
Check for the Payment Methods
Check if the exchange offers your transaction method of choice. If they don’t have it, making deposits and withdrawals will be difficult. Due to legal or geographical restrictions, some betting exchanges might not offer payment methods available in your country or region.
The most popular and global payment methods are debit/credit cards from MasterCard and VISA. All you have to do is to input your card number and CVV. Then, you are ready for business. International bank transfers are also common.
Another great payment option is an e-wallet. E-wallets are known for their speed, efficiency, and security. Some of the popular options include:
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Skrill
PayPal
Neteller
Boku
Trustly
Final thoughts
Betfair is a great exchange. However, a key to making a profit in sports betting is to take advantage of multiple platforms. Once you use all the betting tips above, you will definitely get an exchange as good as Betfair.
4. Blush pink bridesmaid dresses
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are back with a new album, 
Why Bonnie
Seafeel
Los Angeles-based, Asheville, NC-raised singer-songwriter 
Coco & Clair Clair
Enumclaw
I’ll Drown on This Earth
Jon Hopkins
Jónsi
Oceanator – the project of Brooklyn singer-songwriter Elise Okusami – has a new album out called 
Wunderhorse, the band led by former Dead Pretties member Jacob Slater, have dropped a new album titled 
Chicago-based artist 
