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Wings of Desire Announce New EP, Share New Song ‘OUTTAMYMIND’

Wings of Desire have announced a new benefit EP, Shut Up & Listen. Following last year’s Life Is Infinite, the collection will arrive on August 30. All proceeds will go to the Long Table, a community project in their native Stroud that offers pay-what-you-can meals to its customers and is under threat of eviction. Listen to the new single ‘OUTTAMYMIND’ below.

In a statement, James Taylor and Chloe Little shared:

Grassroots organisations that serve the community are more important than ever, and new models of social enterprise that nurture the health, community and spiritual wellbeing of the most marginalised must be preserved at all costs.

The Long Table is the beating heart of our local community in Stroud, they run a radical social project with a pay what you can system that serves around 40,000 hot meals a year. It’s about dignity, equality, and everyone helping their neighbours in need. Earlier this year their home Brimscombe Mill was sold from beneath them and it is now at risk of being turned into warehouse space for the new owner.

The Shut Up & Listen EP grew out of our need to preserve this sacred space and support our unique local community, which is the closest thing we have to a new earth. We have put together a limited edition cassette tape and all proceeds will go to The Long Table in helping them fight their impending eviction.

We will follow their lead and offer a pay what you can system to ensure that just like basic human necessities are not gate kept, that creativity should be accessible to all.

Discussing the new single, they added: “‘OUTTAMYMIND’ is inspired by the concept of reincarnation, parallel lives and the Mandela effect. If these concepts are true then I wonder how many lives we have lived and who we have been. What have we experienced before? Or are we just repeating the same life over and over again until we’ve pulled off the ‘perfect life’. A life where we have annihilated all unhealthy and foolish desires, a life where we have inflicted as little pain on ourselves, others, and the planet. Or maybe reincarnation allows us to experience the full spectrum of life through many guises. If that is the case then perhaps we should live fearlessly and in a constant state of wonder.”

Shut Up & Listen Cover Artwork:

Shut Up & Listen Tracklist:

1. Shut Up And Listen!
2. Forgive & Forget
3. Some Old Place I Used To Know
4. OUTTAMYMIND

FIDLAR Announce New Album ‘Surviving the Dream’, Release New Songs

FIDLAR have announced a new LP, Surviving the Dream, which will be out on September 20. The 13-song, self-produced album, which follows 2019’s Almost Free, is preceded today by two songs, ‘GET OFF MY WAVE’ and ‘FIX ME’; the latter also comes with a video featuring Sosie Bacon. Check it out below.

“This record is about doubling down on what you love,” frontman Zac Carper said in a statment. “For us, its about playing shows and making music. Coming back after a few years away, our intention was to self-make an album that the 3 of us are stoked on. We’re very very very pumped on it and what’s to come. These songs are meant to be heard live with the fellow FIDIOTS going off.”

“We picked these two songs to lead off the record because it represents the energy we pull off live,” he added. “It’s all about the sad moshpit. And having Sosie agree to be part of the video was just awesome. We did karaoke with her on her birthday and she killed it. When we came up with the idea, she was the only choice. She’s perfect.”

Surviving the Dream Cover Artwork:

Surviving the Dream Tracklist:

1. FIX ME
2. LOW
3. SAD KID
4. DOWN N OUT
5. ORANGE COUNTY
6. BREAK YOUR HEART
7. GET OFF MY WAVE
8. CHANGE
9. MAKING SHIT UP
10. DOG HOUSE
11. I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS
12. NUDGE
13. HURT

This Is Lorelei Unveils New Song ‘Perfect Hand’

Ahead of the release of his new album Box For Buddy, Box for Star, This Is Lorelei – the solo project of Water From Your Eyes’ Nate Amos – has shared one more single, ‘Perfect Hand’. It follows previous cuts ‘Dancing in the Club’, ‘I’m All Fucked Up’, and ‘Where’s Your Love Now’. Check it out below.

Speaking about the track, Amos said in a statement: “‘Perfect Hand’ is about clarity in the muck – you’ve been headed in a direction so long you don’t know why anymore, and suddenly there’s a moment when you remember and it brings you peace of some kind, like waking up in a good way.”

Fucked Up Announce New Album ‘Another Day’, Drop New Song

Fucked Up have announced Another Day, the follow-up to last year’s One Day. The LP, their shortest to date, is set for release on August 9. The lead single ‘Stimming’ comes with a video directed by and starring drummer Jonah Falco. Check it out below.

“In making the video for ‘Stimming’, we tried to depict the transcendence of music from within our bodies outward to physical action,” the band explained in a statement. “Stimming is self-soothing behaviour through repetition, and in the context of music and our band, we overcome, calm, and manifest the best of ourselves through these specific, finely tuned physical movements which create a freeing joyous place from which to bring new ideas into the world.

Another Day was recorded between Toronto and London, with guitarist Mike Haliechuk producing and Alex Gamble engineering and mixing. Guest vocalists include PONY’s Sam Bielanski, Pretty Matty, Charlie Manning Walker, Holden Abraham, D. Franklan, and Danko Jones.

Another Day Cover Artwork:

Another Day Tracklist:

1. Face
2. Stimming
3. Tell Yourself You Will
4. Another Day
5. Paternal Instinct
6. Divining Gods
7. The One to Break It
8. More
9. Follow Fine Feeling
10. House Lights

Nilüfer Yanya Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘Method Actor’

Nilüfer Yanya has announced her third album, My Method Actor. The follow-up to 2022’s PAINLESS lands on September 13 via Ninja Tune. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘Method Actor’, which follows ‘Like I Say (I runaway)’. Check it out below, along with the album cover, tracklist, and Yanya’s upcoming tour dates:

Yanya worked on the album in London, Wales, and Eastbourne with her creative partner Wilma Archer. “This is the most intense album, in that respect,” she said in a statement. “Because it’s only been us two. We didn’t let anyone else into the bubble.”

Of the new single, she added: “I was researching method acting – and from what I read, it’s based on finding this one memory in your life, a life-altering, life-changing memory. The reason why some people find method acting traumatic and maybe not safe mentally, is because you’re always going back to that moment.… It’s a bit like being a musician. When you’re performing, you’re still trying to invoke the energy and emotion of when you first wrote it, in that moment.”

My Method Actor Cover Artwork:

My Method Actor Tracklist:

1. Keep On Dancing
2. Like I Say (I runaway)
3. Method Actor
4. Binding
5. Mutations
6. Ready for Sun (touch)
7. Call It Love
8. Faith’s Late
9. Made Out Of Memory
10. Just A Western
11. Wingspan

 

Nilüfer Yanya 2024 Tour Dates:

Sep 28 — Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Sep 30 — Washington, DC – Black Cat
Oct 1 — New York, NY – Brooklyn Steel
Oct 2 — Boston, MA – Royale
Oct 4 — Montreal, QC – La Tulipe
Oct 5 — Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
Oct 6 — Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
Oct 7 — Chicago, IL – Metro
Oct 9 — Nashville, TN – Basement East
Oct 10 — Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
Oct 11 — Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
Oct 13 — Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
Oct 15 — Denver, CO – Meow Wolf
Oct 18 — Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theatre
Oct 19 — Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
Oct 20 — Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Oct 22 — San Francisco, CA – August Hall
Oct 24 — Los Angeles, CA – Fonda Theatre
Nov 24 — Brussels, BE – Botanique Orangerie
Nov 25 — Amsterdam, NE – Melkweg Old Hall
Nov 26 — Berlin, GE – Kesselhaus
Nov 28 — Paris, FR – La Bellevilloise
Nov 30 — Brighton, UK – Concorde 2
Dec 2 — Bristol, UK – Fleece
Dec 3 — London, UK – HERE at Outernet
Dec 4 — Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
Dec 5 — Manchester, UK – Academy 2

Album Review: Charli XCX, ‘BRAT’

In an era of perfectly manicured and evolving pop stars, Charli XCX is honest, reactive, and conflicted. Her musical identity is seen as continuously ping-ponging between extremes: a pop nostalgist and the face of the genre’s avant-garde, perenially on the cusp of or redefining stardom yet clearly more comfortable with just being an It Girl, the kind she assembled for her ‘360’ music video, which featured Rachel Sennott, Julia Fox, Chloë Sevigny, and Alex Consani, among others. She’s looking back but tapped into the future. Critical acclaim and commercial success is a scale she toys with on each release, which always seems to jar in response to the previous one. Her 2022 album CRASH was her first to reach the Billboard top 10 and top the UK Albums Chart; if the pattern is correct, BRAT should find her catering to her niche, and in some ways, it fits the bill. If mainstream sensibilities have to immediately be balanced out by chaotic ones, it’s her turn to “be a mess and play the role,” as she puts it on ‘I might say something stupid’.

Yet Charli’s pop vision is never as straightforward as it seems. This is someone who recently said, in a tone the interviewer identified as an “irony-rich drawl,” that she’s “into this idea of lying all the time. Being really truthful, but also lying.” Initially, the rollout for BRAT did hint at a rather single-minded focus: returning to the singer’s club roots with help from close collaborators well-versed in its language, namely A.G. Cook and EasyFun. In a live setting, CRASH’s mainstream flirtations also meant embracing her previous eras, whereas BRAT zeroes in on the present and is only interested in recontextualizing old hits that can slot into her set, the word “PARTY” looming behind her. But while it may be a party record, a club record even, Charli treats these spaces with the same nuance afforded by the singer that’s said to be the subject of ‘Girl, so confusing’. The dark corners of the club are also of the mind, she realizes, and what often springs up, more overtly and bluntly recorded than ever before, is her relationship to fame: “I used to never think about Billboard/ But now I’ve started thinking again/ Wondering about whether I deserve commercial success,” she sings on ‘Rewind’.

It’s perhaps too easy for an artist with Charli’s self-awareness to wink at her place in the pop landscape, gamified as it is. But none of the references on BRAT totally scan as such; even if they become cause for speculation, Charli focuses on the emotion, not the person or the world they belong in. At times, that emotion is one of ambivalence, like in ‘Girl, so confusing’, which her dry monotone doesn’t obscure so much as amplify. When she pays tribute to her late mentor SOPHIE on ‘So I’, it’s in part to humanize her and explore feelings of grief, of being intimated by someone’s talent and regretfully holding them at a distance. As in the past, bravado and nervousness go hand in hand. “Why I can’t even grit my teeth and lie?/ I feel all these feelings I can’t control,” she sings, somewhat ironically, over stabbing and gleaming synths on ‘Sympathy is a knife’. Yet she’s cannier than ever when it comes to twisting and playing with them, especially in the sequencing. Just notice how the weight of the first person shifts in an incredible run of songs: so uncertain in ‘I might say something stupid’, where I is the first word of a sentence that’s never completed before cutting to the euphoric anticipation of ‘Talk Talk’, and then the self-possessed declarations of ‘Von dutch’: “It’s so obvious I’m your number one.”

It’s this kind of controlled volatility that BRAT excels at better than anything Charli XCX has released in the past. Like the singles suggested, it’s full of delirious fun and ego, but it’s also already secured a spot, in many fans’ hearts, as her best record thanks to its vulnerability – a quality she leans on, unlike even some of her collaborators, without veering into the trap of “confessional pop.” This was true of how i’m feeling now, of course, but another thing that separates these two records – apart from the insecurities being not so tied to (but rather in tandem with) a romantic relationship, plus the whole lockdown thing – is how it drags us slightly out of the present, out the club, and into the present participle (how i’ve been feeling) and future conditionals: What might happen if I choose a different path? This is the question she poses on the intimate ‘I think about it all the time’, where a visit to a friend leaves her pondering about motherhood. The identity of the friend is the last thing anyone could possibly care about; what matters is how the thoughts could transform her world, musically and otherwise. “My career feels so small in the existential scheme of it all,” she confesses, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it way. It’s not just the world of pop stars that can feel small and alienating, of course. We’re just lucky to catch a glimpse of it all.

Desk or Wall? Choosing the Right Type of Calendar for Your Audience

Selecting the appropriate type of calendar, whether for office use or as a promotional gift, can significantly impact its effectiveness and utility. With the growing popularity of personalized business merchandise, understanding the nuances of calendar types is crucial. This article will delve into various factors to consider when choosing between desk and wall calendars, aiming to help you make an informed decision. If you’re also interested in promotional tools, check out this custom bar mats guide.

Visibility: Ensuring Maximum Exposure

When considering a calendar’s visibility, it’s essential to consider how often it will be seen and used. Wall calendars typically offer more prominent displays, making them ideal for public areas like kitchens, offices, or reception areas. Their size allows for more detailed images and larger date boxes, including important dates and notes.

Desk calendars, on the other hand, provide more personal, immediate visibility. Placed on a desk, these calendars are within arm’s reach and can serve as daily reminders for the user. They are perfect for individual workspaces where quick access to a calendar is necessary.

Space: Making the Most of Available Area

Space considerations play a significant role in choosing the right type of calendar. Wall calendars require sufficient vertical space and are best suited for environments with plentiful wall space. They can serve as decorative elements while providing functional use.

Desk calendars, however, are more compact and require minimal space on a desk or countertop. They are ideal for areas with limited wall space or where the user prefers to have their calendar close by without cluttering their workspace.

Design: Reflecting Your Brand and Style

The design possibilities for calendars are vast, and choosing the right one can help reinforce your brand’s identity. Wall calendars offer ample space for creative designs, large images, and detailed monthly layouts. They can effectively showcase your brand’s aesthetic and message.

Desk calendars, while smaller, can be designed to be equally impactful. Their compact size demands a more thoughtful approach to design, focusing on maximizing the limited space. Personalized desk calendars can include unique features like built-in notepads or integrated photo frames, adding functionality and a personal touch.

Functionality: Meeting the User’s Needs

Functionality is another critical factor in choosing between a desk and a wall calendar. Wall calendars are great for tracking long-term events and planning months ahead. Their larger size allows for more information to be displayed, making them useful for group planning and family scheduling.

Desk calendars excel at providing day-to-day functionality. They often include additional features like to-do lists, weekly planners, and space for notes, making them ideal for individuals who need to manage their daily tasks efficiently.

Target Audience: Understanding Preferences and Habits

Understanding your target audience’s preferences and habits is crucial in selecting the right calendar type. Wall calendars may appeal more to families, teams, or individuals who prefer a visual and decorative planning tool that can be shared.

Desk calendars are often favored by professionals, students, and anyone who requires constant, easy access to a planning tool. They are practical, portable, and cater to personal, and organizational needs.

Environmental Impact: Choosing Sustainable Options

When selecting between desk and wall calendars, it’s also important to consider their environmental impact. Opting for calendars made from recycled materials or those printed with eco-friendly inks can make a significant difference. Wall calendars often use more materials due to their larger size, but choosing ones produced by environmentally conscious companies can mitigate this effect. Desk calendars, with their smaller footprint, may seem more eco-friendly, but the materials used and the production process are equally important. By prioritizing sustainable options, you not only contribute to environmental conservation but also enhance your brand’s reputation as a responsible and eco-friendly entity.

Conclusion

Choosing between a desk or wall calendar ultimately depends on your audience’s needs and preferences. Wall calendars offer high visibility and are excellent for long-term planning and communal spaces. With their compact size and daily functionality, desk calendars are perfect for personal workspaces and individuals who need constant access to their schedules. By considering factors such as visibility, space, design, functionality, and audience preferences, you can make an informed decision to ensure your calendar is practical and impactful. Remember, whether you opt for a desk or wall calendar, the goal is to provide a tool that enhances organization and effectively reflects your brand.

This Week’s Best New Songs: Soccer Mommy, IAN SWEET & Porridge Radio, Charli XCX, and More

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 Jamie xx’s feverishly engaging new single ‘Treat Each Other Right’; Soccer Mommy’s intimate, affecting new song ‘Lost’; ‘Sympathy is a knife’, an anxious, abrasive highlight off Charli XCX’s BRAT; ‘Colodaro’, the gentle, gorgeous new single from New York-based trio Sister.; Cassandra Jenkins’ visceral new track, ‘Petco’; ‘Everyone’s a Superstar’, the incredibly infectious and soaring collaboration between IAN SWEET and Porridge Radio; illuminati hotties’ catchy, Cavetown-featuring ‘Didn’t’, which leads her upcoming album Power; ‘Lullaby for a Memory’, Parannoul’s glitchy, explosive collaboration with cloud rap collective Fax Gang; Clothing’s hypnotically layered ‘Still Point’, which features L’Rain; and Maxim Ludwig’s electrifying collaboration with Angel Olsen, ‘Mercury Avenue’.

Best New Songs: June 10, 2024

Jamie xx, ‘Treat Each Other Right’

Soccer Mommy, ‘Lost’

Charli XCX, ‘Sympathy is a knife’

Sister., ‘Colorado’

Cassandra Jenkins, ‘Petco’

Song of the Week: IAN SWEET and Porridge Radio, ‘Everyone’s a Superstar’

illuminati hotties feat. Cavetown, ‘Didn’t’

Parannoul and Fax Gang, ‘Lullaby for a Memory’

Clothing feat. L’Rain, ‘Still Point’

Maxim Ludwig feat. Angel Olsen, ‘Mercury Avenue’

Charli XCX Releases Deluxe Version of ‘BRAT’

Charli XCX has released a deluxe version of her new album BRAT, which came out on Friday. Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not includes the new songs ‘HellogGoodbye (produced by A. G. Cook) ‘Guess’ (produced by the Dare and co-written with 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady), and ‘Spring breakers’ (which samples Britney Spears’ 2003 song ‘Everytime’ and was produced by A. G. Cook, Easyfun, and Jon Shave.) Check it out below.

Harnessing Modern Tools: Transforming Creative Transactions with Digital Payments and Invoicing

Keeping up with technological advancements like metered billing software is not only advantageous but essential. As an artist, designer, writer, or musician, you’ve likely noticed the shift in how transactions are handled in your field. The days of cumbersome paper invoices and lost checks are gone. 

Today, digital payments and invoicing systems have transformed business interactions, offering freedom, flexibility, and secure ways to manage your financial transactions.

Let’s explore how these innovative systems improve operations and reshape tcreative sectors. As you delve into these changes, remember that tools like metered billing software and A/B testing tools are leading the way, ensuring that your creative output aligns with equally innovative business practices.

The need for transaction speed and simplicity has catalyzed the transition to digital payments. As a creative professional, you’ve experienced the frustration of delayed payments that can stifle your workflow and financial planning. 

Digital payment systems address these challenges head-on by facilitating instant transfers of money. Whether selling your artwork online or billing for a freelance coding project, digital platforms offer a straightforward, user-friendly solution that ensures you get paid quickly and reliably.

Moreover, digital invoicing complements these payment systems by streamlining the billing process. You can generate detailed invoices and send them directly to your clients’ email inboxes with a few clicks. 

These digital documents reduce the risk of lost or overlooked invoices and enable better tracking of your earnings and expenditures. Tools embedded within these systems can automatically update your financial records, offering real-time insights into your business’s fiscal health, which all businesses need.

The Power of Metered Billing

The role of metered billing software in this digital transformation cannot be overstated. This software automates the billing process based on actual usage or predefined metrics, particularly for creatives offering subscription-based services or charging by project milestones. 

For instance, imagine you are a graphic designer who charges by the hour or a software developer who offers tiered subscription services. Metered billing software can accurately track the time spent or the services utilized, ensuring that your invoices reflect the precise amount owed. This enhances transparency and builds trust with your clients, as they pay only for what they consume.

In parallel, the best A/B testing tools have become powerful for creatives who manage their marketing and sales platforms. If you’re using a website to showcase your portfolio or sell products, A/B testing allows you to experiment with different layouts, content, and features to see what resonates best with your audience. 

This is critical because your online presence is often the first point of interaction with potential clients. By optimizing your website or sales platform using A/B testing, you can significantly increase user engagement and, consequently, sales conversions.

These digital tools collectively foster a more dynamic and responsive business environment. They allow you to focus more on your creative work rather than get bogged down by administrative tasks, opening up new opportunities and allowing for expansion. 

Digital platform avenues are integrated networks that can connect other creatives and clients from around the world. Freelancers and small studios seeking to expand their reach beyond local markets will find this a major boon.

The Future of Digital Transactions

Yet, as with any technological adoption, the shift to digital payments and invoicing comes with challenges. Concerns about digital security, the learning curve associated with new software, and the need for consistent internet access are valid considerations. 

However, creative industries are uniquely positioned to adapt and innovate in the face of these challenges, instilling a sense of confidence and security. After all, creativity is about embracing change and reimagining possibilities, and creative industries are leading the way in this.

The rise of digital payments and invoicing in the creative industries is more than just a trend. It’s a significant shift towards more efficient, transparent, and global business practices. As you continue to navigate your creative endeavors, embracing these tools can streamline your business operations and enhance your capacity to connect with clients and audiences worldwide.