Slay the Spire 2 has officially moved its early access launch to a later date. Previously, Mega Crit had planned for a Fall 2025 release. However, several factors affected the development of the game.
The Reasons Behind the Delay
According to Mega Crit’s The Neowsletter, the delay comes as the developers work to meet internal standards. In the same way, they need more time to polish the game.
“We know this isn’t the news anyone wanted to hear…we were shooting for late 2025, but turns out we were wrong. We need some more time,” Mega Crit explained.
The Indie studio also listed other factors that led to the delay. Among many things, there were personal life events, expanded content plans, and simple feature overload.
“There’s no single dramatic reason…we kept saying ‘wouldn’t it be cool if…’ one too many times,” the developers added.
The announcement was met with disappointment by fans. However, the studio emphasized that the development of Slay the Spire 2 remains on track. Still, it will need a slightly longer timeline.
Not the Reasons Behind the Delay
On Steam, Mega Crit clarified that the delay was not in any way related to the recent release of Hollow Knight: Silksong. The developers explained that the team had already decided on the new release window even before Silksong’s date was announced. They said it was really just the timing that makes it look like that, implying a coincidence.
At the same time, the studio dismissed other speculations about the delay. It said that community merchandise and events did not affect the game’s schedule. Third parties and the community manager handle tasks like collaborations and plush toys production. In short, the delay was mainly due to the additional time needed for more content.
“We want to make sure we’re upholding the quality bar that both we and the gaming community have come to expect for Early Access titles,”Mega Crit said.
The Compromise: More Than Just a Sequel
While the delay is frustrating, it could be worth it. Slay the Spire 2 is shaping up to be more ambitious than the original. Specifically, players can expect new playable characters, more cards, relics, and potions. Also, the game will feature visual upgrades, quality-of-life improvements, and new mechanics.
Another addition is the alternate act system. In this sequel, players can choose between two possible acts at every stage. Each option has different enemies and environments.
Mega Crit now plans to release the early access to Slay the Spire 2 on a secret Thursday in March 2026.
“I’m so sorry,” Kassie Carlson proclaims on the opening track of Guerilla Toss‘ new album, emphatic enough to instantly register as irony, “I came to party.” She gets lost as her head throbs on the way to another party on ‘Red Flag to Angry Bull’, where her friend is “Telling me he’s gonna eat the sunshine/ Though he isn’t walking in a straight line.” The burst of positivity is hallucinatory, intoxicating, and downright maddening, yet it also makes complete sense considering how and where the experimental rock band made You’re Weird Now, their second album for Sub Pop and fifth overall. With Stephen Malkmus on production, the follow-up to 2022’s Famously Alivewas recorded at the Barn, the recording studio in Vermont owned by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who plays guitar on ‘Red Flag’. Malkmus sang on a few songs, just one of half a dozen voices adding to the frantically layered, unapologetically radiant, and characteristically GT concoction of noise. The album keeps twitching and triumphing in its communal cacophony, precise-engineered to convince you that even if today feels a lot more like a hellhole than a party, you are certainly not alone in it.
We caught up with Guerilla Toss’ Kassie Carlson and Peter Negroponte to talk about Voltaire’s The Optimist, night skiing with Stephen Malkmus, the Contortions, and other inspirations behind their new album You’re Weird Now.
Voltaire’s The Optimist
I feel like Famously Alive sprung from a place of optimism, which the new record strives for as well, while also rejecting this Panglossian mantra of “all is for the best.” I’m guessing that’s how The Optimist feeds into a track like ‘Panglossian Mannequin’. From my understanding, it’s more about this idea of cultivating your own garden.
Kassie Carlson: It’s kind of like how, in the story, he grows up believing everything in life happens for the best, but then he hits the real world, and there’s war, and suffering, and all kinds hardship. His childhood professor, Dr. Pangloss, instills this philosophy that all things that happen are for the best, but once he has these experiences, he’s like, “You know what, fuck that.” The lyrics play off that idea of him growing up, riding the bus from east to west, being forced out of this safe space into this wasteland existence. Panglossian Mannequin is that lifeless doll, frozen in a ray of sun, maintaining optimism but not really feeling it. A toxic positivity kind of thing, which I feel happens a lot. He’s reconciling with this idea of the problem of evil, human suffering, how to process all of that heavy shit, and just be alive somehow without internalizing it. As you were saying, “I cultivate my own garden” – that’s the conclusion the character makes: focusing on improving your own life and immediate surroundings before becoming consumed in this abstract philosophical whatever.
You mentioned sunlight, which comes up on the record a lot as a metaphor for optimism, without that kind of philosophical weight.
KC: Yeah, sometimes it’s really difficult to distill your feelings into a topic. A lot of times if I get in that space, I’m searching – reading, watching a movie – just to find something that distills the idea I’m feeling.
Is distilling an idea something that arises when you’re working in a group context?
KC: I guess the lyrical idea is kind of my thing, but Peter helps me mold it into more of a structure, and helps me sing it in a way that feels natural. That’s something we’ve both been working on a lot lately.
Peter Negroponte: ‘Panglossian Mannequin’ is all you, I didn’t touch that one.
KC: I know, but just having it relate into a song and really work.
PN: Definitely.
Online chess
PN: I think a really important part of the creative process is how you unwind around it, and I really like playing online chess on the chess app against strangers in other countries. It’s really funny to play strangers in a 10-minute game. I’ve gotten pretty good, and my favorite thing that happens sometimes is when people start to talk smack on the chess app. I think that’s the funniest place to talk shit, on the chess app.
KC: I think it’s funny when we’re sitting nearby each other and I just hear him, like, “Fuck that guy! Fucking shit!” [laughs] I’m like, “Are you playing chess right now?”
PN: Yeah, I get all pissed. It’s the one time I get slightly aggro, on the chess app. I’m not trying to really start shit, but I do get there, like, “This motherfucker just got my fucking queen.” I get all funny. But it’s one of my favorite ways to relax.
It’s funny that there’s a chat function at all on the chess app.
KC: Oh yeah. Like, why?
PN: It’s totally bizarre. Maybe you’re supposed to talk about your moves or something, but sometimes you get into a real conversation with someone, which is really funny.
Do you play games as a band?
PN: I think I would kick everyone’s ass in chess hardcore if we played as a band, so I spare them. But we had a touring Scrabble board. But then Jake, the guy who plays synth in the band, he’s one of those assholes who’s really good with words and has a big vocabulary, so he just schools us, and it’s no fun. We play mini golf sometimes on tour – that’s a good one. On our last tour, we were driving through some mountainous area in Idaho, and we were playing Extreme Scrabble – that’s when you play Scrabble in the van. But not much of a game band. I don’t think any of us are very competitive, which is cool. I think there’s maybe zero sports talk in this version of the band.
KC: Oh my god, I know nothing about sports.
PN: I respect elements of it, but I know nothing.
KC: I wish I did. I could talk to more people.
Buy by the Contortions
KC: I was thinking about how in 2012, when I first joined Guerilla Toss to replace a saxophone player, I was living on Cape Cod at the time. Peter and I played a show together, and we started talking about creating a band. I didn’t have a car or a license, but Peter generously let me borrow his car, even though I didn’t have a license. I didn’t have a smartphone because I was very against it at the time, and the only thing that worked was a CD player. There were a bunch of CDs in the car, but the only ones that didn’t skip were Buy by the Contortions and Rather Ripped by Sonic Youth. So all these practices where I was borrowing Peter’s car and driving from Boston to Cape Cod – maybe an hour and a half, longer if there was traffic – I would just be listening to those two CDs over and over. Buy was helpful for me in thinking about the band’s transition from saxophone to voice. Pat plays his slide guitar, using it in these non-traditional ways. A lot of the earlier Guerilla Toss stuff was based on that exciting time in music, like the No New York compilation.
PN: Brian Eno made that comp of No Wave bands from the early ’80s. It was sort of a game-changer for us. There’s very gestural playing of the instruments, and that was a big thing for us in the beginning, and some of that appears on this record, specifically in ‘Psychosis Is Just a Number’, that gestural guitar movement. It was fun to fit that into this new record in a way in context with what we’re doing now.
Night skiing with Stephen Malkmus
NP: When we were recording, we were working with a bunch of great people. Bryce Goggin was one of the engineers, and Ben Colette. Bryce is most known for doing Pavement, and then he went on to work with Phish, which is how we ended up at the Phish studio. He’s done a bunch of stuff. Bryce is great, but he’s working 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — he’s not going all night, not anymore at least. So we were wrapping up these sessions on the early side for rock and roll, which was great. A lot of nights we were done by then, so we were sort of hanging out with Steve Malkmus. He was staying up at this little cabin on the property. One night we went bowling — that was our first big night out. Took Steve bowling, got some Thai food, it was amazing. He’s a great bowler. And then I knew he skis, so we had joked about it in the months leading up, like, “Dude, we gotta take him skiing.” And then we did, and it was the best thing ever.
KC: He’s really good at skiing. It’s funny because he’s super tall and skinny, and he just goes straight down.
PN: I mean, he knows how to brake, but he was going down those black diamonds pretty effortlessly. It was pretty funny to watch.
KC: Yeah, extremely chill. He did look kind of funny in the beginning, but stunningly chill, yeah.
PN: Somehow he applies his slacker thing to skiing in a beautiful way.
KC: He’s got this big beanie that’s too big, and these big mittens.
PN: He was recognized at the ski mountain lodge, and they were playing Pavement in the lodge. It was pretty funny.
KC: I feel like it happened when we went bowling, too. Oh, bowling is a thing that we do as a band. Our bass player, Zach, is also really good at bowling. He pitches the bowling ball. It’s insane, like a softball pitch.
PN: Yeah, that’s another Guerilla Toss tour game. We try to bowl when we can. But night skiing with Steve was an inspiration. It was a good bonding moment – not that that guy is at all hard to bond with. We hit it off pretty quick, and we’d already known him from the Pavement tour a couple years earlier, but we were really vibing that night. If you’ve got some money to play with from your label or whatever, highly recommended you take your producer night skiing if they’re down. Jake, who’s playing synth with us, was kind of new to the band at the time. He hadn’t been in, like, 15–20 years, and he really stepped up that night, got on the skis crushed it.
What about the two of you? Are you experienced skiers?
KC: I maybe went once as a kid, and other than that, I’m pretty self-taught, like, from YouTube. But yeah, I’ve been skiing a few times the past couple seasons. Peter and I have been going. I don’t go down the black diamonds — I’m too anxious for that – I’m kind of an intermediate skier. It’s zen for me. Hearing the ice and the snow crunching, feeling the wind on my face.
PN: I went when I was a kid a handful of times in upstate New York, and I totally sucked. I hated it. And then during the pandemic, Kassie got me a gift card to the local super shitty ski mountain, and I went, and I was like, “This is the best thing ever.” So during pandemic times, when there wasn’t much to do, we got passes, and I was going, like, twice a week. I’ve gotten pretty good. It’s a fun activity.
KC: What about your Greek grandfather, who was an Olympic skier or whatever?
For real?
PN: My great-grandfather was the first Greek Olympic skier. Look it up.
KC: I was like, “Dude, it’s in your blood, you gotta do it.”
PN: I feel like I missed out on those genes, but maybe I got a few of them. He was in the Hitler Olympics. He did not salute him. He knew what was up.
Do you remember what you recorded after going night skiing? Were you feeding off that energy a little bit?
KC: I don’t think so, but I think it just kind of set the tone.
PN: Yeah, it set the vibe. I think it was earlier on in the session. Things were going great, but after that night skiing it was like, “This is the best.” We all knew this was the best week ever.
It’s not mentioned in the bio or anything, so I’d love for you to tell me more about how you linked up with Stephen Malkmus.
PN: Basically, he came and saw us play in Portland in 2019. It was really funny because he sticks out — he’s tall, he’s Steve Malkmus. He was standing in the middle of the room during our set, and people kind of gave him space. So there’s this glowing tall man there, just standing there pretty deadpan watching us play. I looked up at the last song, and he was gone. I was like, I hope he liked it, we didn’t get a chance to talk. A couple weeks later, he tweeted something. He used to be pretty active on Twitter, and he was kind of crushing it. He said something like, “Guerilla Toss, great live band.” We were like, “Fuck yeah, this is awesome.” Then, 2020, pandemic goes down, and maybe in 2022 he slid into our DMs on Twitter. Classic slide. He said something like, “Do you want to open for my old band, Pavement? Big fan of you guys.” We thought it was a scam at first, like, “What the fuck?” But sure enough, we did some shows with them, and we hit it off. A year later, I slid back into his DMs and was like, “Would you produce our record?” And he was like, “Fuck it, let’s go.” The rest is history.
I love the idea of a scammer hacking into Stephen Malkmus’ account to DM you.
KC: [laughs] It’s always a fear. I don’t know about you, but my mom is older, she had me really late in life, and I’m always worried she’s gonna get scammed on Facebook by someone to, like, give them $1,000. Like, “I’ve been talking to Brad Pitt, he’s in rough shape…”
PN: [laughs] Not a scam, though. It was the biggest not-scam in history.
I feel like you’re very intentional on the record about when his voice is actually heard. I don’t know if that was just a decision made naturally in the studio, or if it was baked into any of the songs.
PN: It was totally last-minute. It was the best. We had gotten a lot of the tracking done. We were like, “Steve, would you please sing on a few things?” He was a little apprehensive at first – not in a rude way, just kind of like, “It sounds so great.” And we were like, “We’d love for you to sing something.” And he was like, “Alright, I’ll do it.” We didn’t even really have an idea for what he would sing or which parts, and we were kind of just throwing stuff at him. I think Kassie was like, let’s have you do ‘Red Flag to Angry Bull,’ and it was incredible. Kassie wrote that hook down for him. It’s so funny, because we’re hanging out with this dude for, you know, 10 days, he’s such a humble guy, and you kind of forget that he’s this mega genius. So he gets up to the mic, and he just sang that hook, like, 15 times or whatever. And it was just effortless. We were all just sitting there with our mouths open, reminded of the power of this dude’s artistry. We got it all on tape – we stuck it on our Instagram. And then ‘Life’s a Zoo,’ doing the “You’re so uncool” – I think I’d always thought that would be a cool move for him to do, and he did it.
KC: We did a ton of singing overdubs, specifically with ‘CEO of Personal and Pleasure’ and ‘Red Flag to Angry Bull’. All of our friends were there at the barn. There’s no isolation or anything, so everyone’s just hanging out, and you just gotta get as much as you can while you’re there for those 10 days with all of your friends, and then sort it out afterwards. It was kind of a maximalist approach: get as much recorded as you can, then sort it out later.
PN: A lot of vocals, yeah.
KC: So it’s a lot of hanging out, but it’s also a lot redirecting the energy, right? Because everybody wants to hang out and chat.
PN: Yeah, the recording session was quite the hang. The way the studio is set up, there’s no isolation, even where the board is, so everyone’s just hanging out in this room. It’s a little nerve-racking, because you’re kind of playing for all your buddies. They’re taking pictures, sort of assist-engineering. That was the vibe.
KC: But it was really good vibes, because it was all my chosen family there. Willie, Johnny, Ben, my band, which is also my chosen family.
PN: There were multiple dogs.
KC: Yeah, there were three dogs at one point, so it was dogs coming in, dogs wanting to go out, then barking outside. It was just a big party. It’s a humble barn – you think, Phish, it’s gonna be super fancy, but it’s really not. It’s very down-to-earth and open, with exposed wood. All the coffee cups are totally random because they’re from different people who left them there. Even the barn itself, it’s made with hand-hewn trees, and you can see all the bugs that lived in the tree before it was actually a barn, there’s all these pathways. There’s also a huge porch on the front of it, where you can see all of Vermont. It’s very beautiful, back in the woods, so you’re with all the bears and squirrels and coyotes.
PN: It’s really the best. We’re very grateful to have been able to record there.
The Calvin Johnson compilation We Will Bury You – Female New Wave / Punk 1977-’82
KC: It was part of a series of tapes Calvin Johnson of K Records made, but this particular one I was listening to a lot when we were writing and recording this album. It’s very eclectic. It has some harsher punk stuff, but also some punk stuff that’s more sing-songy.
I saw the Raincoats on there.
KC: The Raincoats, the Bags, Westside Lockers, Honey Bane. Some of those songs, like ‘Yankee Wheels’ by Jane Aire and the Belvederes, have this ’50s girl group vibe, but they’re also kind of punk. That’s what I was thinking about with ‘CEO of Personal and Pleasure.’ In the beginning, I wanted it to have this saloon vibe. We have all these takes, but it didn’t end up sounding like that in the end.
PN: There was a tiny piano on there, right?
KC: Yeah, like campfire, but also saloon, but also punk, but also Guerilla Toss. Using that very eclectic compilation as an influence, because it’s all these different songs coming together onto one compilation. I’m a DJ on public radio, and I’ve taken a lot of songs from it and put them into my playlists.
Mixing with Jorge Elbrecht
PN: I just wanted to shout out Jorge, because it was such a pleasure to work with him. He’s so talented and such a sweet guy. There were a couple different phases of mixing. We outsourced to a few different people, weren’t sure what direction we wanted to take, and Jorge pulled through last minute. He crushed it. He’s a great producer, a hell of a mixer. Toward the end he invited me out to LA; I went to his studio for a couple days and we just messed around and had fun. He’s credited as a co-producer on the record as well. He put so much into that mix. The music is very dense, with lots of layers, and he went all in. I’m a big fan of his work. He’s also a songwriter, he has a lot of writing credits, which is really special to me, to work with someone who as an appreciation for that.
KC: Super easy to work with, too, down-to-earth and chill, for having such an extensive, beautiful resume, working with some pop stars there too.
PN: A lot of it was done remotely, but we were going back and forth constantly, all day every day for weeks. He really went the extra mile.
I don’t know how specific your memories are of that back and forth, but a song where I really hear his influence is ‘Favorite Sun’. Something about the space in the mix.
PN: If I remember correctly, he was most proud of that mix. He was really psyched about where he got it, which was funny.
KC: It’s always helpful to have a guy like that that’s taking things away and creating space. I remember Bryce saying, when we were mixing, “Everything doesn’t need to be a seven-layer cake.” He was joking, but it’s true. It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole and pile everything in. Having another set of ears to look at it and help you discover which overdubs shine or translate better on an album.
PN: It ended up being a hundred-layer cake, but a really tasty one.
This David Lynch clip
He talks about ideas like seeds or fish you catch, which made me think of this line from ‘Crocodile Cloud’:“Magic made you poor but free/ So swim beneath the reeds/ In fishponds of relief.”
PN: David Lynch is just in our DNA at this point. That was the most crushed I’ve ever been by a celebrity death. I love that clip – he has such a beautiful way of speaking. When you catch the idea, you just know. One of my jobs is teaching music to kids – I show them that clip, and they usually get it. I can’t speak for Kassie’s lyrics, but I definitely hear David Lynch’s influence.
KC: Of course. He’s got his tentacles in everything, even after death.
Do you ever feel daunted by the endless possibilities of ideas, or the infinite ways of bringing them to fruition?
PN: That’s the most exciting part.
KC: Totally. Even something like ‘CEO of Personal and Pleasure’ – in some alternate universe that is a saloon song, or just someone playing it on acoustic guitar.
PN: When we work on these songs as a band in the studio, we try many, many different ways. We go down the rabbit hole. But it’s one of my favorite parts of the process. And we usually return to the early ones, but it’s fun to know the other ones wouldn’t work. Maybe it’s a waste of time. But I don’t think any time is wasted when you’re doing creative stuff or “catching ideas.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Gorillaz have announced a new album called The Mountain. The follow-up to 2023’s Cracker Island will be released on March 20 on the band’s own new label, KONG. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘Happy Dictator’, an adventurous, glimmering collaboration with Sparks. Check it out and find the album cover and tracklist below.
The new record’s stacked guest list also includes Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Trueno, and Yasiin Bey. Gorillaz produced it alongside James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, and Remi Kabaka Jr., with additional production from Bizarrap (Orange County).
The Mountain was recorded at Studio 13 in London and Devon, various locations in India (including Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi), as well as Ashgabat, Damascus, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. It features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. According to a press release, “Circumstances now find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, having made their way to Mumbai with the help of four fake passports courtesy of a New York business acquaintance of Murdoc. The band has turned its back on international pop stardom, with our heroes now immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making, as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.”
Gorillaz drummer Russel Hobbs remarked: “As space dust we are here forever and that’s a mighty long time. This is a musical meditation infused with light. A journey of the soul, with beats…”
The Mountain Cover Artwork:
The Mountain Tracklist:
1. The Mountain [feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash]
2. The Moon Cave [feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought]
3. The Happy Dictator [feat. Sparks]
4. The Hardest Thing [feat. Tony Allen]
5. Orange County [feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar]
6. The God of Lying [feat. IDLES]
7. The Empty Dream Machine [feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar]
8. The Manifesto [feat. Trueno and Proof]
9. The Plastic Guru [feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar]
10. Delirium [feat. Mark E. Smith]
11. Damascus [feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey]
12. The Shadowy Light [feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash]
13. Casablanca [feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr]
14. The Sweet Prince [feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar]
15. The Sad God [feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar]
Improving a smile can create lasting confidence and a fresh appearance. Many people want to correct chips, gaps, or discoloration but prefer a treatment that feels natural. Porcelain veneers are designed to provide long lasting improvements while protecting the structure of teeth. These veneers are thin shells that are carefully placed on the front of teeth to achieve a balanced look. The entire process is personalized and handled with care from the first consultation to the final bonding. Dentists create custom-fit tooth shells that match each person’s unique features and give the smile a natural finish. Porcelain veneers are completed in steps that ensure comfort, precision, and durability. Each stage is important for making sure the final results look natural and last for many years.
Initial Consultation
The process begins with a consultation at the dental office. During this first visit the dentist examines the teeth and discusses goals for the patient’s smile. A thorough evaluation helps determine if porcelain veneers are the right choice. The dentist also explains the benefits and limitations of veneers so that the patient has a clear understanding of what to expect. Impressions and images may be taken to assist with planning the treatment. This early step builds a foundation for the rest of the process.
Preparing the Teeth
Once veneers are chosen as the right option the next step is preparing the teeth. A very thin layer of enamel is gently removed to make room for the porcelain shells. This preparation allows the veneers to sit comfortably on the teeth without feeling bulky. The amount of enamel removed is small and carefully measured. After the teeth are prepared impressions are taken and sent to a dental lab. Temporary veneers are usually placed during this time so the patient can continue with daily life while waiting for the final veneers to be created.
Crafting the Veneers
In the dental lab skilled technicians create porcelain veneers that are designed for the individual patient. Each veneer is shaped and shaded to match the surrounding teeth. This customization is what gives porcelain veneers their natural appearance and seamless fit. The process usually takes a couple of weeks and involves careful attention to detail. By the time the veneers are ready they are tailored to blend with the patient’s smile.
Placement and Bonding
When the final veneers are complete the patient returns for placement. The dentist checks the fit and color to make sure the veneers look and feel right. Small adjustments can be made at this stage to refine the result. Once both the dentist and patient are satisfied the veneers are permanently bonded to the teeth. A strong dental adhesive secures them in place and a curing light hardens the bond. This step finalizes the transformation and leaves the patient with a bright natural looking smile.
Aftercare and Longevity
Caring for porcelain veneers is similar to caring for natural teeth. Regular brushing and flossing along with routine dental visits are essential for keeping the veneers in top condition. While porcelain is resistant to stains it is still wise to limit foods and drinks that cause discoloration. With good care veneers can last more than a decade before needing replacement. Patients often find that their new smile not only improves appearance but also encourages better oral care habits.
The journey to porcelain veneers is a structured process that focuses on precision and personal attention. From the first consultation to the final placement every step is handled to ensure comfort and lasting results. Veneers offer a natural solution that enhances appearance while maintaining strength and function. With proper care they can provide many years of confidence and satisfaction. Choosing porcelain veneers is more than a cosmetic decision. It is an investment in a smile that looks beautiful and feels authentic.
In 2025, AI tools are rocking the business market. Thousands of content creation tools are launched each quarter, making it easier for businesses to improve their brand awareness on a global scale. But unfortunately, you’re still stuck on ChatGPT. Although incredible, ChatGPT is not your answer to everything.
Content creation is a key to enhancing your product, services, or brand today, and it is not the same as it was a couple of years back. Now you can leverage AI to come up with unique ideas, streamline workflows, and even generate complete videos without hustling for hours on the video editing tools. This is just the present, and the future will be even more promising.
But with several thousand AI tools, it is easy to get overwhelmed and very hard to figure out which ones are actually worth your time. Let’s cut you some slack by introducing the best AI tools in the market for a complete content creation journey.
Clever AI Humanizer (Best AI to human text converter )
AI writing is fast, but it often lacks the warmth and flow of real human language. Clever AI Humanizer bridges that gap. Clever AI Humanizer rewrites AI-generated text so it sounds as if a real person had written it, usually expressive, natural, and full of life.
The tool runs directly in your browser and works beautifully on any device. There’s no software to install, and no account is required. Just paste your text, click once, and watch it transform into something believable and smooth.
Whether you’re creating blog posts, website copy, emails, or marketing materials, Clever AI Humanizer helps your content sound real and trustworthy. Fast, free, and multilingual, it’s one of the best tools for anyone who wants their AI-generated text to stay natural and undetectable.
Jasper (AI Writing Partner)
Jasper is stealing the spotlight in the writing industry. As one of the most advanced AI writing assistants, it can help you create blog posts, email campaigns, product descriptions, working hooks, video script ideas, and so much more.
What makes it better than most other tools is that it can copy your tone of voice. All you need to do is train this assistant with your unique voice, and it’ll generate all the content accordingly. This is one of the most important features to keep your brand or individual content consistent. Another highlight of this tool is its built-in feature of SEO guidance. Which means your content will be optimized to perform better online.
Neural Frames (Bringing Music and Visuals Together)
Video content performs the best on social media platforms. However, creating a good video can take hours to days or even weeks, and producing them in high quality can be very costly. This is whereAI music video generator tools like Neural Frames play a life-saving role.
You don’t need a full crew, lighting, musical instruments, or weeks of editing to create a well-performing video anymore. Just upload your audio track in neural frames, and it’ll generate a visually stunning music video for you in a couple of minutes.
The best thing about it is the stylistic customization. This feature ensures that no two videos are the same. So, you can easily create more videos on a professional level without needing a professional budget.
Runway (AI Video Editing at Scale)
If you have diverse video editing needs, Runway has been one of the most reliable tools for years. You can use its collection of AI features to handle the tedious editing tasks like enhancing visuals, removing background, or even creating new scenes or extending your video or image from text descriptions.
The real-time collaboration feature further makes it a popular choice for marketing teams and production houses in particular. Also, unlike other video editing methods that require you to spend hours refining a clip frame by frame, Runway allows you to use automation to get the work done in minutes.
Descript (Podcasting and Beyond)
Podcasts are in demand more than ever, which is why Descript has become one of the go-to tools for creators in this space. It makes editing incredibly simple by automatically transcribing the audio and allowing you to remove the filler words, add voiceovers, and generate captions with a few simple clicks.
This year, Descript has expanded its AI features with more advanced voice tools. You can now produce more professional narrations without recording every line yourself. This feature is the gold standard, especially for solo podcasters and video creators who want to scale their production without investing more or losing quality.
Mid Journey (Visual Storytelling)
AI-generated artwork is also gaining high viewer attention in 2025. MidJourney allows you to create custom illustrations, social media backgrounds, and even concept designs. You can generate unique and eye-catching visuals within minutes. In the business industry, marketing teams extensively use this tool to brainstorm campaign concepts or to create supporting graphics for blogs and newsletters. All you need to do is give your prompt regarding the visuals, and MidJourney will create an original idea that is entirely yours.
Lumen5 (Short-form Video Content Expert)
Short form videos perform the best on every social platform, may it be Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or even LinkedIn. Lumen5 helps you keep up with your competitors. This AI tool converts blog posts, articles, or even raw text into short-form videos ready to be shared across your platform. It handles everything from visuals, transitions, and color gradients to background music. You only need to work on the written content, and Lumen5 will turn your idea into a full-fledged video. This tool is especially powerful for repurposing your previous content across multiple formats.
Notion AI (Smart Organization and Content Planning)
Content creation doesn’t end with generating the visual pieces. You need to plan your projects, series, or concepts in such a way that they’ll sell to the audience. Notion AI is particularly famous among creators who need to generate outlines, organize projects, and draft content directly inside their workspace.
Let’s say you’re planning a blog series. Notion AI will suggest topic clusters, draft rough outlines, and keep everything neatly organized in your editorial calendar, so it is easy to take things forward. It acts like your personal assistant who never forgets your deadlines.
Final Thoughts
In 2025, every creative job needs assistance from AI. These tools are not here to replace you, but rather, they empower you to improve your productivity and stay ahead of the competitors. As a solo creator or a part of a larger team, you can integrate the right AI tools that can boost your workflow. Try to experiment with a couple of AI tools and select the one that fits best with your style and ease.
Culture is more than art, music, or tradition—it’s the living fabric of human connection. It shows up in the way people gather, share stories, and create spaces where communities feel a sense of belonging. From ancient marketplaces to modern digital platforms, culture is expressed through shared experiences, rituals, and the ways we come together.
The Cultural Power of Gathering
For centuries, gathering has been at the heart of culture. Festivals, markets, and celebrations have allowed people to exchange ideas, celebrate milestones, and enjoy moments of unity. These gatherings weren’t always about spectacle—they often reflected everyday life, offering people the chance to connect beyond the routines of work and survival.
Today, we see similar dynamics in new forms. Concerts, sporting events, and food festivals continue the tradition of collective celebration, while online platforms now add another layer to how we gather. Whether through digital book clubs, virtual game nights, or discussion groups, culture adapts by finding new ways to keep people connected.
Play and Cultural Expression
Playful activities have always been part of cultural expression. From street games in small villages to global sporting events, play reflects creativity, competition, and joy. It reminds us that culture is not just about serious traditions—it’s also about laughter, relaxation, and shared fun.
Even in the digital age, playful community activities remain strong. Many people join trivia nights, virtual quizzes, or community boards to enjoy lighthearted interaction. In the UK, traditional formats like bingo have also found their way online, creating social spaces where people chat, exchange stories, and share in the fun. References to bingo sites UK often highlight not just the games themselves, but the sense of community they foster—modern cultural hubs where people connect across distances.
The Digital Dimension of Culture
Technology has expanded the boundaries of cultural exchange. What once required physical presence can now happen virtually, bridging distances and broadening access. From live-streamed concerts to online language groups, digital spaces carry forward the cultural role of gathering while adding new layers of inclusivity.
Of course, digital culture is not without challenges. The speed of information and the constant flow of content can feel overwhelming. Yet, when used thoughtfully, these platforms enhance cultural participation rather than replace it. They allow people to maintain traditions while also discovering new ways of engaging with global communities.
Local Roots, Global Reach
One of the most interesting aspects of culture today is how local traditions adapt to global contexts. A regional festival might now be streamed worldwide. A local recipe can inspire online cooking groups across continents. Similarly, community-based activities once confined to a specific town or hall now thrive online, where people from across the UK and beyond can join in.
This blending of local and global shows how culture is never static. It evolves, adapts, and finds relevance in every generation.
Why Culture Matters More Than Ever
In an era of fast-paced living, culture provides grounding. It reminds people of shared values, gives meaning to traditions, and creates opportunities to pause, connect, and celebrate. Whether through art, music, play, or digital interaction, culture is about shaping identity and belonging.
The everyday rituals—sharing a meal, attending a local event, or joining in on community platforms—are what keep culture alive. They’re the threads that tie individuals into something larger than themselves.
Conclusion
Culture thrives in the spaces where people gather, whether in person or online. It adapts to technology, reshapes traditions, and finds new ways to bring people together. From music festivals to digital platforms, from traditional rituals to modern expressions, culture is what makes communities vibrant and connected.
Even in lighthearted formats, such as the community spirit often associated with bingo sites UK, culture shows its resilience and creativity. At its core, culture is about belonging—and in today’s world, those moments of connection are more valuable than ever.
Your music is ready. You’ve poured your heart into every note, lyric, and beat. Now, it’s time to get it in front of the people who can help you turn your passion into a profession. A professional portfolio is your all-access pass to the music industry, and creating one has never been easier. Forget stuffing envelopes with press kits; today, a slick, functional website is what gets you noticed.
A great musician portfolio is more than just a collection of links, it’s your story, your sound, and your brand all in one place. Industry professionals, from label executives and A&R reps to venue bookers and festival organizers, are searching for a polished, complete package. They want to hear your music, see your style, and quickly understand who you are as an artist. If you’re wondering how to start, using a free portfolio website like Wix, is a great first step. It’s an easy way to showcase your music and create an online presence that grabs attention and gives a glimpse at your art. This article will guide you through building a portfolio that makes them stop and listen.
The Essential Elements of a Strong Music Portfolio
Before you pick a platform, let’s cover what needs to go into your portfolio. Think of this as your setlist for success. Each element plays a part in creating a powerful impression.
High-Quality Audio: This is your headline act. Your portfolio must feature your best tracks in high-fidelity audio. Include a mix of studio recordings, demos, and even live tracks to show your range. Make it easy for visitors to press play and get lost in your sound.
Professional Photos & Videos: Music is visual, too. High-resolution photos, from headshots to live performance shots, help define your image. Music videos, live session recordings, or even a short behind-the-scenes clip can bring your artistry to life and connect with viewers on a deeper level.
Artist Biography & Story: Who are you? Where did you come from? Your bio should do more than list facts. It should tell a compelling story that makes people feel connected to you and your music. Keep it authentic and let your personality shine through.
Performance History & Achievements: Show them you’ve got experience. List your past gigs, notable venues you’ve played, and any awards or recognition you’ve received. This builds credibility and proves you’re serious about your craft.
Contact & Booking Info: Make it incredibly simple for people to reach you. Include a dedicated contact form, your email address, and links to your social media profiles. If you have a manager or booking agent, list their information clearly.
Top 6 Portfolio Builders for Musicians
Now that you know what you need, let’s find the right stage for your content. These platforms offer the tools you need to build a professional musician portfolio that commands attention.
1. Wix Music
Wix gives you the creative freedom to build a stunning website that looks and sounds exactly like you. With its intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can design your music art portfolio without needing to write a single line of code. It’s built with artists in mind, so you get everything you need right out of the box.
Wix Music Player: Sell your music commission-free, right from your site. Distribute your tracks to over 150 streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Integrated Booking & Events: The Wix Events tool lets you seamlessly create and manage events. Sell tickets, collect RSVPs, and keep your fans updated on your tour schedule.
Design and features: various ready made templates for musicians and artists.
Social Media Tools: Link all your social accounts and stream your feeds directly on your site to keep your content fresh and engaging.
Image source: https://www.wix.com/music/website
2. Bandzoogle
Bandzoogle is made by musicians, for musicians. This focus means every feature is designed to help you succeed. The platform is known for its straightforward tools that get your site up and running in no time.
Music-Focused Templates: Choose from dozens of professional templates that you can customize to fit your brand.
Built-in Tools: Comes with a music player, an e-commerce store for your merch and music, and fan mailing list features to build your community.
Fan Engagement: Use the integrated blog and tour calendar to keep your audience in the loop and turn casual listeners into dedicated fans.
Image source: https://bandzoogle.com/
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its clean, modern, and visually stunning design templates. If your brand is built on a strong aesthetic, this platform gives you the tools to create a beautiful portfolio.
Professional Designs: The templates are top-notch and look great on any device, ensuring your portfolio impresses on desktop or mobile.
Audio & Video Embedding: Easily embed tracks from SoundCloud or videos from YouTube and Vimeo to create a rich multimedia experience.
Mobile-Responsive Layouts: Every design automatically adjusts to fit different screen sizes, so you can be sure your site looks perfect everywhere.
4. WordPress with Music Themes
For those who want ultimate control, WordPress is a powerful and flexible option. While it has a slightly steeper learning curve, its potential for customization is nearly limitless.
Endless Customization: With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can build a site with any feature you can imagine, from advanced audio players to specialized booking systems.
SEO Optimization: WordPress is great for search engine optimization, helping you get discovered by new fans through Google searches.
Cost-Effective Solution: While you’ll have to pay for hosting and potentially a premium theme, WordPress can be a very affordable long-term choice.
5. ReverbNation
ReverbNation is more than just a portfolio builder; it’s a music industry network. It’s designed to help emerging artists get noticed and find real opportunities.
Industry Networking: The platform connects artists with venues, labels, and festivals that are actively looking for new talent.
Submission Tools: Use the platform to submit your electronic press kit (EPK) directly to gigs and opportunities around the world.
Analytics & Fan Insights: Get valuable data on who is listening to your music and where your fans are located, helping you plan tours and marketing efforts.6. SoundCloud Pro
While many know it as a streaming service, SoundCloud’s Pro plan offers tools that let you turn your profile into a simple but effective portfolio. It’s a great starting point, especially if you already have a following on the platform.
Audio Streaming & Sharing: It’s one of the best platforms for hosting and sharing high-quality audio, which is the most important part of your portfolio.
Built-in Audience: Tap into SoundCloud’s massive community of music lovers and creators to grow your fanbase.
Simple Portfolio Tools: The “Spotlight” feature allows you to pin your best tracks, albums, or playlists to the top of your profile, creating a curated landing page for visitors.
Choosing the Right Platform
How do you pick the one that’s right for you? Consider these factors.
Budget: Some platforms have all-in-one monthly fees, while others require you to pay for hosting, themes, and plugins separately. Figure out what you can comfortably invest.
Your Comfort with Tech: Platforms like Wix and Bandzoogle are very user-friendly. WordPress offers more power but may require more time to learn.
Long-Term Goals: Are you looking to build a massive global brand or connect with a niche audience? Think about which platform’s features will best support your career path down the road.
Portfolio Optimization Tips
Once your portfolio is live, a few tweaks can make a big difference in its impact.
Audio Quality: Always upload your music in the highest quality possible (WAV or FLAC files are best). First impressions are everything.
Compelling Descriptions: Your artist bio is your chance to connect. Tell a story. Be authentic. Give people a reason to care about your music before they even hear it.
Visual Branding: Use consistent colors, fonts, and imagery across your site and social media. A strong visual identity makes you memorable.
SEO for Musicians: Use keywords in your page titles, descriptions, and image alt text that fans might use to find music like yours, you can read more and get ideas for SEO keywords research here.
Beyond the Portfolio
Your website is your home base, but its power multiplies when connected to other channels.
Social Media Integration: Link your portfolio to your social media and vice versa. Use your site to grow your email list and social following.
Networking: Put your website URL in your email signature and social media bios. When you meet industry contacts, direct them to your site, where they can find everything they need.
Leveraging for Opportunities: Your portfolio is your professional resume. Use it when applying for gigs, festivals, grants, or reaching out to blogs and radio stations for features.
Your Career Starts Now
Choosing the right platform is the first step in building a music career that lasts. Whether you need the all-in-one power of Wix Music or the networking features of ReverbNation, there’s a perfect fit for your goals.
Your next step is simple: pick a platform and start building. Gather your best tracks, your favorite photos, and start telling your story. Your future fans and the industry professionals who can open doors for you are waiting to discover you.
Kali Uchis has teamed up with Ravyn Lenae for a new single, ‘Cry About It!’, the first preview of her Sincerely: P.S. deluxe album. Check it out below.
Sincerely: P.S. is set for release on September 26 via Capitol Records. The original album came out back in May.
“I wrote this song on a baritone guitar in the shed of my sharehouse, plugged into all of my housemate’s overdrive pedals,” Donnelly said of ‘Feel It Change’ in a statement. “I think the neighbours started getting shitty after a while because I stewed on the same chords for ages. It’s about the rumination of slowly peeling off the band-aid of a relationship that was doomed to fall apart. Trying to capture that phase of a break up where all you do is bristle and fizz in resentment and finger pointing.”
Donnelly wrote, performed, and produced Love and Fortune, which features additional production by Julia Wallace and Ellie Mason as well as performances by Wallace, Marcel Tussie, Jack Gaby, Sophie Ozard, and Timothy Harvey.
Love and Fortune Cover Artwork:
Love and Fortune Tracklist:
1. Standing Ovation
2. Being Nice
3. Feel It Change
4. Baths
5. Year of Trouble
6. Please Everyone
7. W.A.L.K
8. Friend
9. Ghosts
10. Love and Fortune
11. Laying Low
I was scrolling through a crypto casino last week when something caught my eye — a slot machine with the unmistakable Monopoly board layout. For a second, I thought I’d clicked the wrong tab. But no, there it was: the game that ruined countless family gatherings, reimagined as a digital gambling experience.
Board games have quietly invaded crypto platforms, and they’re doing surprisingly well. Who knew that the same mechanics that made us flip tables in frustration would translate so perfectly to online gambling?
The Unexpected Connection
Board games work well as casino games for surprising reasons. Monopoly already had dice rolling, money management, and property speculation. Risk involved territorial conquest and strategic alliances. Even Scrabble had scoring systems and competitive elements.
These games trained us for gambling mechanics without anyone realizing it. We learned probability assessment through dice combinations, bankroll management through property trading, and risk evaluation through strategic decisions.
The transition to digital gambling platforms makes sense when you strip away the nostalgia and look at pure mechanics. Board games were already teaching us to make calculated decisions under uncertainty.
How Platforms Adapted The Classics
Crypto casinos evolved board games. Many platforms now offerbitcoin casino no deposit bonus promotions that include board game-themed slots among their eligible games. These bonuses give you a small amount of free credits or spins to get started, though they come with wagering requirements and specific terms.
Games likeMonopoly Megaways take the property-buying concept and turn it into something completely different. Instead of waiting for other players to land on your properties, you’re spinning reels that trigger property acquisitions and rent collections. The visual elements stay familiar while the mechanics speed up dramatically.
What’s clever about these adaptations is how they preserve the emotional connection while ditching the frustrating parts. No more waiting twenty minutes for someone to decide whether to buy Baltic Avenue. No more arguments about house rules or who gets to be the car.
The Psychology Behind The Appeal
There’s something comforting about recognizing game elements you grew up with. When you see that little green house or the “Go to Jail” square, your brain immediately understands the context. The learning curve disappears because you already know what everything means.
This familiarity reduces the intimidation factor that keeps people away from traditional casino games. Blackjack and poker require understanding new rules and strategies. Board game adaptations let you jump straight into gameplay using knowledge you’ve had since childhood.
Beyond Simple Conversions
The most interesting developments move beyond straightforward digital copies. Some platforms create entirely new games that borrow board game aesthetics and mechanics without being direct adaptations.
Aviatrix Game represents this evolution perfectly — it’s not based on any specific board game, but it captures that same anticipation and excitement you felt waiting for dice rolls or card draws. The game is pure chance, but it delivers that familiar rush of uncertainty that made board games thrilling.
These hybrid games maintain the psychological comfort of familiar decision-making patterns while offering experiences impossible with physical components.
The Social Element Challenge
Physical board games succeeded because of social interaction — the conversations, alliances, and dramatic moments that made game night memorable. Digital platforms struggle to recreate this dynamic, but they’re getting creative.
Live chat during multiplayer sessions, tournament leaderboards, and community challenges attempt to rebuild that social energy. Some platforms even offer live dealer versions where real people manage physical game boards while players participate through their screens.
It’s different from sitting around a table with friends, but it creates its own form of connection between players who share similar gaming backgrounds.
What This Trend Reveals
The success of board game adaptations on crypto platforms reveals something interesting about gambling preferences. People gravitate toward experiences that feel familiar and approachable rather than completely foreign concepts.
Traditional casino games can feel exclusive or intimidating to newcomers. Board game themes break down those barriers by offering entry points that don’t require learning entirely new systems.
This explains why we’re seeing adaptations of strategy games, party games, and even classic card games as platforms compete for the most engaging nostalgic experiences.
