Lana Del Rey has shared a cover of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. Her rendition was produced by frequent collaborator Zach Dawes. Listen to it below.
Earlier this year, Del Rey released her most recent album, Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which referenced Denver in its opening track ‘The Grants’. She recently performed ‘Unchained Melody’ for the NBC TV special Christmas at Graceland.
Beyoncé has released a new song called ‘MY HOUSE. It’s her first new music since last year’s Renaissance and appears in the credits of her new Renaissance movie, which is out in theaters today. The track was written and produced with The-Dream. Listen to it below.
Earlier this year, Beyoncé teamed up with Travis Scott on ‘DELRESTO (ECHOES)’ as well as Kendrick Lamar for a remix of ‘AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM’.
A trailer for Netflix’s upcoming series, The Manny, 10 episode drama, provides a glimpse into Jimena’s chaotic yet heartwarming life. When Jimena crosses paths with Gaby, a charming rancher with an unanticipated skill set – the perfect nanny for her three kids – her life takes an unexpected turn. Her world takes an unexpected turn as she balances parenthood, a career, and a strained marriage.
The Manny promises to deliver a fresh take on conventional gender roles as Gabriel, affectionately known as Gaby, becomes an integral part of Jimena’s life, bringing joy and an unconventional solution to her overwhelming responsibilities. As the two navigate the intricacies of parenting and professional ambition, a surprising love story unfolds, challenging societal norms and celebrating the beauty of unexpected connections.
The cast and crew of the show includes Carolina Rivera (Writer/Showrunner/Executive Producer), Fernando Sariñana (Showrunner/Producer/Executive Producer), Sebastian Sariñana (Director), María Torres (Director), Magaby García (Director), José Ramón Chávez (Director), Carlos Gonzalez Sariñana (Director), and actors such as Sandra Echeverría (Jimena), Iván Amozurrutia (Gabriel), Diana Bovio (Brenda), José María Torre (Joaquín), Anthony Giuletti (Leo), Alexander Tavizon (Santiago), Cassandra Iturralde (Sofía), Moisés Arizmendi (Rogelio), and Eugenio Montessoro (Ernesto).
The Manny will be available on Netflix from the 24th of December, 2023.
Fancy a game of cards? Don’t worry if you don’t have a pack of cards handy. And don’t worry if you have no-one to play with either. There are plenty of card games that you can play online on your computer or phone. And many of them are free! Such games can not only be a great way to occupy yourself, but a way of testing your brain. You can also use these online resources as practice for real life games.
Just which card games can you play online for free? Below are 10 examples of games that can be found online and that don’t cost anything to play.
Spades
In this trick-taking game, players aim to win as many tricks as possible while avoiding specific cards, particularly the Queen of Spades and any hearts. It’s commonly played with four players, forming two partnerships. Spades requires strategic bidding and careful card play to outmaneuver opponents and achieve your bid. Many online platforms offer free Spades games, allowing you to play against computer opponents or with friends, maintaining the competitive spirit of the game.
Hearts
This classic evasion-type card game requires you get the least amount of points by avoiding hearts cards (which are worth 1 point each or 13 points for the Queen). It’s typically played with four players, but there are variants that can allow you to play with more players. Hearts can be played online for free on many websites and via several apps. You can play hearts against a computer or play against real players. ‘Shoot for the moon’ rules still apply in many of these games.
Rummy
Rummy is a game that challenges you to get rid of all the cards in your hand by creating sets (such as A♦, A♥, A♠) and sequences (such as A♦, 2♦, 3♦). You can play Rummy free online against a computer or with friends. If you’re used to the Gin Rummy variant where you can draw from the deck instead of the discard pile, you’ll be happy to know that there are also free versions of this game available.
Solitaire
Solitaire is one of the most well-known solo card games, challenging players to create stacked sequences of cards by rearranging piles. If you’ve ever owned a computer with Microsoft Windows installed on it, you may already be aware that solitaire comes included as a standard featured program. But what if you’re not using a Windows device? Well, there are many sites that allow you to play solitaire online for free – including spider solitaire and klondike. Solitaire is a great patience-building game that can be made harder or easier through various online variants.
Pairs
Pairs is a simple memory-testing game using a deck of cards. All the cards are arranged face down. You must then pick two cards and try to make a pair, remembering each card that you or another player subsequently picks up. There are many free online versions of pairs that you can play, including unconventional versions of pairs using different types of cards to traditional playing cards. This includes picture card versions for kids.
Poker
Poker is the most popular card game that people gamble money on. However, you don’t have to play with money. There are many free versions of online poker – including variants like Texas Hold Em and 7-Card Stud – which allow you to compete against real players while using virtual chips. The aim of poker is to build the best five card hand using the two hole cards that you are dealt and the five community cards on the table which are slowly revealed. Whether you’re learning to play poker for the first time or trying to build your bluffing skills without betting real money, these free online versions can prove valuable.
Blackjack
Blackjack (also known as Twenty-One or Pontoon) is another popular card game often played at casinos with real money. But like poker, you don’t have to play with real money. The aim of blackjack is to try to get the value of your hand as close to 21 as possible without going over (at which point you go ‘bust’). There are free versions of blackjack online that can allow you to compete against real players or a computer.
Bridge
Bridge is considered one of the hardest card games to master. It is a four player game that is played in pairs (called ‘partnerships’) in which you must place bids and win tricks using combinations of cards (there are 13 tricks up for grabs). The best way to get to grips with bridge is to play it – and because you cannot always find people who know how to play it, online bridge games can be a great place to start. Of course, if you know how to play bridge, online bridge sites and apps can also be a fun place to practice. While you can play bridge while betting real money, there are many free versions of this game that you can play.
Uno
Beyond traditional playing cards, there are many other card games that you can play online – including Uno. The objective of Uno is to get rid of all the cards in your hand by playing the same number or color as the previous player. It’s a very simple and fun game that can be played with 2 to 10 players. It’s also a game that you can play online for free by downloading the Uno app or by visiting the Uno Online website.
Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity challenges players to fill in the blank with the funniest (or most outrageous) word or phrase chosen from cards in their hand. It’s ideal for those that want to play a light-hearted card game (just make sure you’re not easily offended). Cards Against Humanity is free to play online. There is even a Cards Against Humanity lab where you can test new cards with random internet strangers.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is one of the few trading card games that is available to play online for free. You won’t be able to access every card – some of these can only be accessed by playing. But you still get access to many of the cards and are able to play games with strangers of all levels. Online Magic: The Gathering is a great tool for practicing and developing your skills. Try playing it today if you’re a fan of the original card game.
The fentanyl crisis is having a huge impact on the USA at present. In fact, as a fourth wave hits the country more people are dying than ever before. In 2021, it took over 100,000 lives, and this year that number could be surpassed.
Naturally, it’s an issue that’s in the news every day, and it’s no real surprise to see that the drug addiction crisis is finding its way onto the silver screen and streaming platforms too.
Dopesick is one of the more notable to do that, a scripted drama that has picked up multiple awards and enjoyed a good reception from the critics in its portrayal of the crisis, how it’s affecting people and the legal complications around the pharmaceutical companies in the middle of various scandals.
However, when Netflix released Pain Hustlers recently, it brought a lot more intrigue. Not because it’s another crime drama, but because it’s almost a comedy crime drama.
Is that ok?
Hundreds of thousands of people are dying. Now.
So I watched on. Watched the entire 123 minutes of the Chris Evans and Emily Blunt picture. And feelings were mixed, much like the reviews.
There is humour within the film. And it works well, in a shock factor kind of way, but then there’s the story itself. Without wanting to give away spoilers, it almost glorifies the characters behind the pharmaceutical company that the movie is based around. Which is perhaps a little tone deaf in today’s society, even when they do get their comeuppance.
We should add that the pharmaceutical company in question is fictionalised. It’s not based upon the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma like Dopesick and Painkiller, but rather a start-up, who introduce the hard sell to get their company off the ground.
Selling to anyone and everyone, it is perhaps a realistic depiction of how the opioid crisis has got so out of hand. However, the movie makes it almost seem fun.
There’s just a real feeling that Pain Hustlers is slightly misjudged. It’s a Hollywood storytelling version of the fentanyl crisis that perhaps should be for a period when the USA, and perhaps even western world has slowed the damage that opioids are causing to so many people.
I get that it’s important to highlight an issue, and film can play a huge part of that. But this film isn’t particularly shocking, it doesn’t tell the stories of real people in a way that would make us sit up and take note. It’s just all a bit meh, during a period where the real story is much more vital to be aware of than the Hollywood version of it.
Shane MacGowan, the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk pioneers the Pogues, has died. His wife, Victoria May Clarke, confirmed the musician’s death in a statement on Instagram. MacGowan was 65.
MacGowan was born on Christmas Day, 1957, in Kent, England, but spent the first six years of his life in Tipperary in Ireland. The family then moved to London, where he won a number of poetry contests before being expelled from school for possessing drugs. After attending concerts by the Sex Pistols and the Clash, MacGowan formed his own band, the Nipple Erectors, later renamed the Nips, whose debut single, ‘King of the Bop’, was released in 1976. The Nips disbanded in 1980.
MacGowan then took a job in a record store and occasionally filled in with his friend Peter ‘Spider’ Stacy’s band the Millwall Chainsaws. After the band split, MacGowan and Stacy formed the Pogues, originally dubbed Pogue Mahone (Gaelic for “kiss my arse”), in 1982. They released their debut album, Red Roses for Me, in 1984, and followed it up with 1985’s Elvis Costello-produced Rum Sodomy & the Lash and 1988’s If I Should Fall from Grace with God, the latter of which featured the classic Christmas single ‘Fairytale of New York’.
The Pogues went on to release four more albums: 1989’s Peace and Love, 1990’s Hell’s Ditch, 1993’s Waiting for Herb, and 1996’s Pogue Mahone. By the end of the ’80s, though, MacGowan’s alcohol consumption caused problems for the band as he missed several live performances, including a series of 1988 dates supporting Bob Dylan. He was asked to leave the group but reunited with them in 2001 before parting ways again around 2015.
In 1992, MacGowan teamed up with Nick Cave for a cover of ‘What a Wonderful World’. Outside of his work with the Pogues, Shane MacGowan and the Popes released two studio albums. In 2020, it was reported that McGowan had returned to the studio to record several new songs with Cronin, the Irish indie band led by brothers Johnny and Mick Cronin.
“I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it,” Victoria May Clarke wrote in her post. “Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love ❤️ of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese. I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love ❤️ and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures. There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music. You will live in my heart forever. Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ You meant the world to me.”
Ducks Ltd. have announced their sophomore LP, Harm’s Way. The follow-up to 2021’s Modern Fiction is set to drop on February 9 via Carpark. Today, the Toronto duo has previewed it with the track ‘Hollowed Out’, which features backing vocals from Ratboys’ Julia Steiner and Marcus Nuccio (who also plays drums on the song), Dehd’s Jason Balla, and Moontype’s Margaret McCarthy, as well as strings arranged and performed by Finom’s Macie Stewart. Check out a video for it below, and scroll down for the album’s cover art and tracklist.
“There was a sinkhole that opened up on Dundas West a little while ago, in an area near to where I live,” singer/lyricist Tom McGreevy said of the new song in a statement. “It shut down the road for a month. It had a strange resonance, partly because a lot of the streets in Toronto used to be rivers and streams running down to the lake that roads were then built over. It felt like an encroachment of nature into an urban environment–the river coming back to collapse a piece of civic infrastructure, and I built the song around the feeling that evoked. It’s about living with decline. About the feeling that the horizon of possibility in the world is forever being drawn in to align with the edges of the imaginations of a small group of careless rich people. And about existing through a state of ongoing catastrophe over which we have no control.”
Harm’s Way was produced by Dave Vettraino and includes the previously released single ‘The Main Thing’. “They’re songs about struggling,” McGreevy added. “About watching people I care for suffer, and trying to figure out how to be there for them. And about the strain of living in the world when it feels like it’s ready to collapse.”
In addition to Stewart, Steiner, Nuccio, Balla, and McCarthy, the record also features contributions from Nathan O’Dell (Dummy), Rui De Magalhaes (Lawn), and Lindsey-Paige McCloy (Patio), as well as the band’s touring drummer, Jonathan Pappo, and bassist Julia Wittman. “Historically our process has been really tightly controlled and insular,” McGreevy explained. “On this record, we worked with people who we trusted with a pretty wide range of musical backgrounds and they had approaches and ideas that helped open up the record’s sonic palette.”
Revisit our Artist Spotlight interview with Duckts Ltd.
Harm’s Way Cover Artwork:
Harm’s Way Tracklist:
1. Hollowed Out
2. Cathedral City
3. The Main Thing
4. Train Full of Gasoline
5. Deleted Scenes
6. On Our Way To The Rave
7. A Girl, Running
8. Harm’s Way
9. Heavy Bag
Yard Act have previewed their sophomore album Where My Utopia? with a new song, ‘Petroleum’. Following lead single ‘Dream Job’, the track comes with an accompanying video starring comedian Rose Matafeo. Watch and listen below.
Speaking about the origins of ‘Petroleum’, the band’s James Smith said in a statement: “I lost it with the crowd in Bognor Regis and told them I was bored and I didn’t want to be there. Me and Ryan had a row after, and Ryan rightly dressed me down for the way I acted. It got me pondering the idea that, now this is a job, what are the requirements of it? People think they want honesty but they don’t, they want me to portray the version of honesty that they’ve paid to see and that’s part of the illusion.”
Of the video, Smith explained: “‘Petroleum’ finds The Visitor as she stumbles into the hideout of a fearsome Biker gang called The Utopians. She’s still on the run from the H.G.E agents. It was a lot of fun shooting this video, and a joy to watch our friend Rose Matafeo bring the leader of The Utopians to life. Though the story isn’t being told in a linear format, I hope that the journey of The Visitor through the last three videos is starting to come together and reveal that we’re working on something bigger here. More to come!”
Matafeo added: “I screen most of my phone calls, but when the phone flashes up ‘JAMES YARD ACT’ you’re gonna pick that up straight away. To feature in a Yard Act video has been on my bucket list ever since I added it to my bucket list after they asked me so I could have the satisfaction of crossing it off my bucket list. The overall vision for this album is so creatively ambitious and fun and cool and I’m so stoked to even be a little part of it. Sorry for my bad accent. Not sorry for the line dancing.”
Declan McKenna has shared ‘Elevator Hum’, the latest track from his upcoming third album, What Happened to the Beach? – out February 9 via Columbia. He’s also revealed the album’s tracklist. Check it out and listen to the new song below.
“’Elevator Hum’ was a tune that came in the latter stages of my first trip to LA working on the album with Luca,” McKenna explained in a statement. “He threw the chords down and the riff fell into my hands. It’s a song that felt like it captured some nostalgic essence of friendship as we built a relationship through creating music together. The freedom and playfulness of the lyrics, and the gentle but fun glide of the track, take me back to being a kid in a way.”
What Happened to the Beach? Tracklist:
1. Wobble
2. Elevator Hum
3. I Write The News
4. Sympathy
5. Mulholland’s Dinner And Wine
6. Breath Of Light
7. Nothing Works
8. The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)
9. Honest Test
10. Mezzanine
11. It’s an Act
12. 4 More Years
Ouri has unveiled two new songs, ‘blueprints of us’ and ‘tame me’. The release follows the musician’s collaborative EP with Antoniya, i had this dream that you were my sister, as well as the standalone single ‘Twin’. Take a listen below.
Speaking about the double single, Ouri said in a statement: “I forget, remember and forget, but ultimately remember that we are all animated by the same indescribable thing called life. When we love each other, and when we ignore each other. That’s the only thought that helps me integrate the discrepancy of human experiences on this planet. Creating a liminal space between the intangible world of music and the actual world we live in. I had the privilege of having Oli XL, Decz, Loukeman and John Debold’s touches support my vision for these two songs, a dream come true.”
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