The age of the Internet has brought multiple activities into the comfort of our homes, one of which is the online game of bingo. While many might initially consider online bingo as a solo pursuit, they couldn’t be further from the truth. The community aspect is one of the most fascinating features of online bingo, creating a perfect blend of socializing and winning in a fun and engaging environment.
Why is Community Important in Online Bingo?
You might ask, why does community matter in a game that seems so solitary? The answer is simple. The community aspect of online bingo adds a layer of excitement, interaction and emotional involvement that a solitary game simply can’t offer. Let’s delve a little deeper into how community plays a vital role in the online bingo experience.
Socializing at its Best
The integral community elements inherent within online bingo helps promote a positive, friendly and engaging atmosphere. While players are attempting to win, they’re simultaneously able to converse, joke, and bond with others via in-game chat rooms, creating meaningful connections and friendships virtually. This interactive, social aspect is a pivotal component of the community experience online bingo presents.
Competitive Spirit and Camaraderie
The community aspect of online bingo simultaneously fosters a sense of competitive spirit and camaraderie. Players compete against each other, encouraging each other to up their game. Victory announcements shared in the chat enhance excitement and foster a sense of community accomplishment, thereby adding a unique dimension to the game.
Learning and Guidance
For beginners, the community can be a great source of help and guidance. More experienced players often share tips, educating newcomers about nuances and strategies, contributing to a supportive and inclusive learning environment. This is an excellent example of the community spirit in online bingo which is beneficial for both novice and seasoned players.
It’s not just about Winning
With online bingo, it’s not just about winning or losing. The community aspect ensures you enjoy the journey, irrespective of the outcome. Socialization, sharing experiences, and forming bonds with fellow players, contribute to an enriching and rewarding game journey that extends beyond the screen.
Conclusion
In conclusion, online bingo offers that perfect amalgamation of fun, excitement, competition and community. Whether you’re an experienced player or a beginner, the community aspect of online bingo offers a unique dimension to the game that extends far beyond numbers and cards. It promotes interaction, camaraderie and a collective spirit of fun, making online bingo far more than a solitary game. So, next time you decide to indulge in a game of online bingo, remember that your opponents are not your adversaries, rather they are an essential part of the collective fun!
In an ever-evolving world where financial stability may seem elusive, financial tools such as payday loans UK can provide an effective solution to unexpected monetary emergencies. However, it is crucial to approach these financial products with eye wide open, understanding their structure, cost, and most importantly, leveraging them responsibly.
The Essence of Payday Loans
Typically, payday loans are short-term borrowing solutions to help individuals bridge the gap between their paychecks. While their interest rates might be higher than traditional loans, their accessibility and speedy processing make them a desirable choice for many, especially those who are facing unexpected financial emergencies.
Understanding Your Need
One of the first steps in leveraging payday loans responsibly is understanding your financial need. This is not a routine borrowing course but an emergency financial aid. Only using it when you have urgent unforeseen expenses and when other cheaper financing options aren’t available will reduce your risk of falling into an inescapable debt cycle.
Planning Repayment
It is crucial to create a realistic repayment plan before you take out a payday loan. Since these loans have a short-term repayment schedule (usually due on your next paycheck), failing to repay them promptly can lead to steep penalties and rapidly accruing interest.
It helps to plan your budget around monthly necessities, such as rent, groceries, utilities and other bills. Evaluating these expenses beforehand will enable you to understand how much you can afford to borrow and ensure timely repayment.
Reading the Fine Print
The terms and conditions of any payday loan agreements are another critical factor to consider. This includes the interest rate, fees, penalties, and repayment terms among others. Always read the fine print to avoid any unseen costs that might snowball into significant financial distress.
Use Payday Loans as a Last Resort
While payday loans can be a lifeline in pressing financial situations, one should remember that they are short-term solutions and not meant for long-term financial issues. They should be considered as a last resort after all other funding sources have been exhausted.
Using payday loans responsibly means recognizing their purpose and benefits, while also acknowledging and respecting their potential risks. Understanding these key points will not only safeguard your financial health but also empower you to take control of unforeseen monetary challenges.
Ultimately, in leveraging payday loans responsibly, we empower financial flexibility during times of uncertainty while protecting our long-term financial health.
Casino games can be an incredibly enjoyable form of entertainment. They can provide excitement, immersion, and unpredictable gameplay experiences that other games can’t always provide.
Of course, while they can also offer players the opportunity to be rewarded financially, their main aim is to provide entertainment that can be enjoyed responsibly.
Slots can often be the go-to game for many, as these games can cater to various needs and preferences. Therefore, it’s no real surprise that many options are available across various genres, helping to fit every single mood that a player may be in.
They can also remain simple to play and enjoy, as they require very little skill or the need to think about strategies or incorporate complex thinking into what they are doing. However, with that said, they are games that require an element of luck.
In 2024, here are just some of the Vegas slots that will suit people with every mood…
Oink Oink Oink
Oink Oink Oink is a new game to the slot market, but it’s one that does promise to be a potential hit with players in 2024 and possibly beyond. Unsurprisingly, the game’s title refers to the three pigs that can be found, although it’s not based on the fairytale that is synonymous around the planet.
Instead, it refers to the pigs that are commonly used as storage pots for money, as the game centers on financial themes. A basic grid of 243 ways to win is initially presented, but players who trigger the free spins game will see this expand to 1,024. A maximum win multiplier of 2,000x can also be obtained!
Gold Hit: Lil Demon
Another new title to have graced an onlinecasino platform in the early stages of 2024 is Gold Hit: Lil Demon by Playtech. It’s a game that goes against the common concept that is well-known around the industry in terms of its gameplay format. It uses a playing grid that consists of a 4-4-6-6-8 layout, thus adding a layer of excitement to it.
In addition to this relatively unique concept, it has a dark and fiery theme due to the demons that have been provided. In truth, it’s a game that makes hell look rewarding and enjoyable rather than wanting to be avoided.
Fire Blaze: Green Wizard
Fire Blaze: Green Wizard is an instalment of the Fire Blaze series from Playtech that can fit several types of gaming preferences players may have. A follow up of the Blue Wizard version that was hugely popular, this game has been able to create a reputation for itself.
A 5×3 playing grid has been used, thus keeping the gameplay familiar and basic. It consists of 243 paylines as players are transported to a magical forest where they will see the wizard’s home. The visuals are of an exceptional design, as it’s clear Playtech continue to strive in bringing the best designs to their players.
Buffalo Blitz II
Buffalo Blitz II is a game that is perfect for players to enjoy in 2024, as it can provide enthusiasts with a gameplay experience that is conducive for enjoyment and entertainment.
Playtech have been able to incorporate an expanding number of paylines within this title, as they have provided gamers with a base of 4,096 but up to 14,400 through the free spins round. This bonus will see the grid go from a 6×4 shape to one that consists of a 4-5-6-6-5-4 layout. In addition, the buffalo will definitely feel as though they are blitzing with a stampede of mammoth proportions with up to 100 free spins on offer!
Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Jackpot
If you’re a sports fan or like the horses, then Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Jackpot might be worth considering in 2024, as this game can provide a slot experience with a twist. The game combines elements of sports betting with traditional slot gameplay.
For the bonus game, you will have to select the horse you feel will be the winner of the race. You receive 35 free spins if you win, with the second and the third also bringing rewards. Aside from this function, a Magic Seven Bonus round is also available and a possibility to win from a progressive jackpot!
As the summer approaches, beach reads are more necessary than ever. We’re recommending haunting short story collections, whipsmart satires, and deeply original ideas as the heat rises along with time for leisure.
26-year-old Dennis Monk has just gotten his life together before moving in with his parents in the middle of a Philadelphia summer. He’s six months sober, but before he can congratulate himself, his family kicks him out of the house, saying he needs to support himself and be on his own. Crashing from sofa to bed, hooking up with new women and those from a decade ago, Monk meets a rambunctious cast of characters in this interlocked story collection that exercises humor and stakes generously. Michael Deagler’s debut is intricate, clever, and real as can be in its portrayal of intense human emotion.
In her spectacular and often haunting collection, ‘Pemi Aguda reimagines Lagos, Nigeria’s everyday rhythms with a supernatural essence, much like Bora Chung or Mariana Enríquez’ uncanny voices. The surreal and bizarre swirl around diseases, mothers and children with melodic prose, uncovering the annals of the human condition in Aguda’s arresting debut.
In other universes, Myriam and Allison, the protagonists of How It Works Out, are CEOs of carbon-producing air vents, famous self-help writers, baby stealers, flesh eaters or mantises. Thankfully, we aren’t limited to just one, as Lacroix’s autofictional-ish debut novel sees the couple in any number of configurations down the line, all deliriously silly and sharply written. A bold debut, hilarious and thoughtful in equal measure, unafraid to make fun of itself while never toppling with its absurdity.
Performance artist Miranda July’s second novel after the gripping The First Bad Man is All Fours, where an artist decides to leave her family and drive from Los Angeles to New York in a bout of creative reinvention. The artist, slyly optimistic and hilarious, charts an absurd and entertaining new course for herself and for fiction.
Juli Min’s ambitious debut novel begins in 2040 and works its way back to 2014, uncovering layers of family secrets and actions throughout. In 2040, businessman Leo Yang drops his daughters Yumi and Yoko off at the airport, thinking nothing is awry, but the past reveals their shared secrets and how a family transforms through time. Speculative and original, Shanghailanders is a portrait of modern dynamics unlike any familial saga before.
Honor Levy’s dizzying, terminally online stories have found homes at Tyrant Books and The New Yorker before her debut collection, My First Book, arrives this May. The zingy stories, filled with poetic lines unafraid to offend or shock, go around corners of the internet and modern life ferociously for a young writer — it’s sure to not leave your head anytime soon.
The writing duo Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman, authors of the absurdly funny corporate satire The Very Nice Box, return with Trust and Safety, where a normal-seeming couple meets their queer analog and falls into their spell. Newlyweds Rosie and Jordan are disenchanted with New York City, and strive to move upstate to a historic and beautiful house, but all falls through and they have to stay in a decidedly less charming apartment a ways away. There, they meet an earthy duo that has everything Rosie wants in life, relationship stability included. Jordan isn’t convinced, but Rosie’s fallen for their ‘gay agenda,’ and it might take some work to pull her back.
I recognize how insane I sound when describing the plot of Mood Swings, Frankie Barnet’s delightful debut novel, to friends. A billionaire, remorseful after killing the world’s animals due to their unruly uprising, invents a time machine to go back and introduce solar panels to the Industrial Revolution, so global warming won’t be exacerbated in the future. But a storyline so wacky still includes deeply human characters like Jenlena and Daphne, two roommates that call to mind Hannah and Marnie from Girls, Jordan, a canceled boyfriend, Moon Cicero, his ex who joined a pretentious cult, and Roderick Maeve, the aforementioned billionaire. Ridiculously funny and as smart as satires come, Mood Swings is a pitch-perfect Instagram novel attuned for the modern age.
Gordon moves from the Midwest to New York City in the early 2000s as a queer pilgrimage, only to make rent walking the affluent dogs of the city. When wandering one day, he stumbles upon Philip and Nicola, gallery owners that he quickly becomes intertwined with as he transforms into employee, lover, muse. Gordon begins to unspin the secrets he’s been kept from, traveling later to Europe and Mexico City in this witty, sharp sophomore novel from Thomas Grattan.
In this swirling, atmospheric debut from Yael Van De Wouden, the Dutch province of Overijssel is reeling from the war. It’s 1961, and Isabel is living a quiet life until her brother introduces his new girlfriend, Eva, to stay for a bit. Newly obsessed, Isabel is attuned to the ways that Eva is different from her — loud and unself-aware. She spins further into infatuation and paranoia until she goes too deep, from a talented and upcoming writer.
Queens of Tears is a Korean drama aired on TVN and Netflix. The drama has gained massive viewership and has become the most popular drama of the time, according to TVN. It has also been a major hit for Netflix. So, people naturally wait for the second season and anxiously wait to watch new episodes of their favorite drama.
Though this massive success assures another season, it is not true for the Queen of Tears. Like many other Korean dramas, this is also billed as a limited series. Therefore, the second season is difficult. But what is the truth? Let’s find it together here!
Will There Be Queen Of Tears Season 2?
Queen of Tears is a South Korean romantic drama series by Park Ji Eun. Jang Young Woo and Kim Hee Won are the directors of this series, and Studio Dragon produced it. It premiered on 8th March 2024 on the South Korean cable network TVN, aTVNits. The last episode aired on 28th April 2024.
The storyline and characters of this drama have clicked with the viewers and have made it a remarkable success. Therefore, fans have been craving another season and waiting for its release date since the first season has ended. Are you one of them?
As it is unlikely, no release date for Queen of Tears season 2 has been announced. Most Korean dramas have only one season, and the audience used to watch the entire story from start to end in a season. Considering that, it can be expected that there will not be another season or Queen of Tears.
Plus, Queen of Tears was not renewed for the second season at the time of writing. Therefore, the chances are high that it might not happen. Also, there is no announcement from the makers. So, it is unlikely that Queen of Tears will return for a follow-up season while the first series has ended on a very conclusive note.
But the show’s creators are rolling out two special episodes of Queen of Tears, which will be released on the 4th and 5th of May, 2024. These two episodes will be the epilogue of Queen of Tears season 1.
These two episodes will feature the return of two main characters who will answer all the fans’ questions. Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Ji Won, Kwak Dong Yeon, Park Sung Hoon, and Lee Joo Bin can be part of these special episodes. They may also share fans’ comments with the audience.
And, if the second season of Queen of Tears ever happens, it will explore some plot points that were not examined during the first season, including the story of Secretary Na, who might get more attention. Also, the audience can watch more about Soo-Cheol and Da-Hye.
As you know, Eun-sung has been pursuing Hae-in since college, and he used to manipulate and help her. The makers may throw more light on their story. And you can only watch this happening if there is another season!
What Was Queen Of Tears All About?
The show follows the story of Baek Hyun-Woo (Kim Soo-Hyun) and Hong Hae-In (Kim Ji-Won). Baek Hyun-Woo used to live in the house of powerful and rich in-laws. His wife (Hong Hae-In) is the CEO of a company (Queens).
After three years of marriage, Hyun-Woo decides to divorce his wife. But, when he is going to inform her, she tells him that she has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has only three months left to live. After this, Hong Hae-In does not tell his wife about his decision. Instead, he starts living with his wife as he will be free soon.
But, within three months, both of them fall in love with each other and piece together their marriage. Meanwhile, many other twists appear in the story because their love begins to bloom. The suspense, whether they will keep their marriage or Hong Hae-In will divorce his wife, keeps the audience engaged and interested until the end.
Ultimately, you can see that they spend their lives together, eventually remarrying and having a daughter. The audience can also see the scenes of Hyun-woo and Hae-in visiting Sanssouci (a place of significance as the couple spent their honeymoon in Germany).
Conclusion
Queen of Tears is a very emotional story of a young couple. Both partners are fixing their marriage and going through several issues throughout the drama. Also, the Hea-in suffer from health issues. But, the ending was happy, where you can see that the couple passed through everything and became a success.
After the remarkable success of season 1, the demand for Queen of Tears season 2 is high. Fans are waiting for the next season as the characters are stuck with everyone. Most Korean dramas have only one season, and there is no announcement from the viewers. Therefore, it is unlikely to have another season of Queen of Tears.
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment is a documentary series premiered on 10th April 2024 on Netflix. This series shows a unique experiment conducted at Pulaski Country Regional Detention Facility in Arkansas. The experiment unlocked all the prisons, and prisoners were set free inside. There were no officers around and no locks in the unit cell.
The prisoners with no locks and officers make this series and experiment interesting and popular. It is why the audience is curious to know if there will be a second season. You landed in the right place if you were searching for the same query. Today, we will provide details of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment season 2, its release date, and the latest news regarding the series!
Will There Be A Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 2?
Unlocked- A Jail Experiment is a reality show based on a social experiment conducted by Sheriff Eric Higgins. It was documented in 46 jailmates freed from their cell without guards. The series was filmed in 2023, premiered in 2024, and quickly sparked interest in the audience. Therefore, after the release and success of season 1, the audience is waiting for the second season.
The docuseries was not renewed for another season at the time of writing. But, regarding the massive success and huge popularity of season 1, it is likely that the next season of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment will be at work soon. The audience can anticipate that the new season will be released at the end of 2024 or the start of 2024.
The second series will feature individuals of different ages and backgrounds. The new twists and turns will spice up this drama and make it more interesting. Though the second season will follow the social experiment like the first season 1, it will also be filled with many mind games, feuds, chaos, and entertainment.
It will be available on Netflix if you want to know where to watch season 2, like season 1. Besides that, the audience can also watch this series on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and Vudu.
What Is Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Season 1 All About?
The inmates who were used to remain in lockdown for 23 hours per day were set free and allowed to roam around freely in the unit without being surrounded by the officers. Sheriff Higgin was expecting that this change in routine would change the prisoners completely.
This series has eight episodes, and the audience has seen the experiment play out throughout the drama. The men fight both verbally and physically and have also participated in various questionable activities.
On the other hand, as a result of this experiment, the prisoners started making stronger bonds and better relationships. On top of that, they found a sense of purpose in their lives, which was impressive.
Facts About Unlocked: A Jail Experiment
Below, you can find some key facts about your favorite series, “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment”:
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was the third most-watched series on Netflix and pulled 63 million plus viewing hours between April 8 and 28.
The inmates you can see in this series were vetted before the experiment. All of them were kept in jail with almost no oversight for about one and a half months (six weeks). The inmates made their own choices as the cell doors were unlocked. They did what they wanted and received free phone calls and money to buy the goods.
In this series, the audience can follow the life of 46 Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility inmates who were held accountable but also empowered simultaneously.
Several problems were faced during this experiment, as one man was caught whittling the shank. Besides that, a group jumped the other prisoner suspected of cheating on the cards.
Also, many people may not believe it, but yes, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was real. It was unscripted, and the hidden cameras were placed inside the jail at different locations for recording.
The experiment was voluntary, and an empty unit was used in the series where the people can easily move in if they want to be a part of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment.
Conclusion
Unlocked: A Jail Experiment was a unique drama-filled social show aired on Netflix with eight episodes. The series takes the audience inside the walls of Pulaski Country Regional Detention Facility, where there are no locks, no officers, and more freedom.
The inmates of Unit H took part in this experiment and made this social experiment and series a huge success. And, considering this massive success, the fans can expect that there will be season 2 of Unlocked: A Jail Experiment, which will keep the audience engaged with new turns and twists. The second season will be aired at the end of 2024 or the start of 2025.
Can’t Buy Me Love is a Philippine TV series aired on Kapamilya Channel and produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment. In this romantic comedy-drama series, you can see a young man who gets caught up in a deadly plot against a rich woman and then pays a devastating cost to get her free. It is what binds them both together.
The drama gained massive popularity and appreciation from the audience in a short while and hit hardly the hearts of fans. Therefore, since the end of the first season, they have been in demand for the second season. The good part is that the makers have announced that there will be another season of this drama. But, to find out when Can’t Buy Me Love will be released, keep reading!
Will There Be Can’t Buy Me Love Season 2?
Can’t Buy Me, Love is a romantic series directed by Mae Cruz-Alviar, Ian D. Loreños, and Cathy Garcia-Sampana and premiered on 16th October 2023. The last episode of this drama will be aired on 10th May 2024, with a total of 148 episodes.
But, before the end of the first season, the fans started waiting for the second season. The good news is that the makers have started working on the second season, and fans will watch a second season of Can’t Buy Me Love on 16th May 2024.
What Is Can’t Buy Me Love Season 1 All About?
Can’t Buy Me Love revolves around Bingo, a young man orphaned and entangled in a conspiracy. Due to this conspiracy, he encountered Caroline (a rich woman). Bingo tries greatly to get Caroline free from the impending danger, and it creates a debt that binds their fates together.
Caroline is a Filipino Chinese heiress rich women. She is the younger but illegitimate daughter of the Tiu family and has a traumatic past (caused by the death of her mother). Bingo is a street-smart boy and a very hardworking person. He becomes Caroline’s savior (as he saves her from kidnappers).
Irene Y. Tiu is another important character in this series who is the evil half-sister of Caroline. Though she is the spoiled daughter of the Tiu family, she has a mix of cruelty, snobbery, hidden vulnerability, and mockery but is soft-hearted. Snoop Manansala is another funny character in the series (played by Anthony Jennings). Manansala is the friend of Bingo and creates an entertaining relationship with Irene.
At its core, the series explores all the themes of the intricate dynamics of sacrifice and love. In Can’t Buy My Love, you can see how love transcends economic and social boundaries. The connection between Bingo and Caroline makes this story more interesting and worth watching.
The series title suggests that true love can’t be purchased. It emphasizes the priceless nature of authentic emotions. The drama beautifully explains the complexities of relationships, challenges faced by individuals (having different backgrounds), and family ties.
Lastly, the series shows how love is built on selflessness and experiences. Due to its compelling storyline and powerful performance of all the characters, Can’t Buy Me Love has gained huge popularity and appreciation from the audience!
Cast and Characters of Can’t Buy Me Love
Main Cast
Donny Pangilinan plays the role of Andrei Bingo, a street boy adopted by a poor but loving family; before saving Caroline, Bingo searches for different jobs. After meeting her, he falls in love with her.
Belle Mariano plays the role of Caroline, the intelligent daughter of the Filipino-Chinese family. She tries to find the answers to many of her questions with the help of Bingo.
Supporting Cast
Rowell Santiago plays the role of Wilson C. Tiu and is the president of GLC (Colden Lotus Corporation). He is Caroline’s father, and he adopted her into the family after her mother’s death.
Nova Villa plays the role of Salvacion, the loving adoptive grandmother of Bingo, who lives in Manila.
Agot Isidro plays the role of Cindy Young-Tiu, the wife of Wilson and mother of Charleston, Irene, and Bettina. She acts as Caroline’s cold-hearted stepmother.
Ina Raymundo plays the role of Annie Pedrosa-Mariano, the mother of Bingo. She abandoned Bingo when he was a kid and is taking revenge against the Tiu family.
Ruffa Gutierrez plays the role of Gina D. Tan, Carlo’s mother and Wilson’s mistress. She is a lawyer by profession and serves the Tiu family.
Maris Racal plays the role of Irene Y. Tiu, Caroline’s spoiled, alcoholic, and sarcastic sister.
Anthony Jennings plays the role of Snoop Manansala, Bingo’s best friend, and later develops a romantic bond with Irene.
Conclusion
Can’t Buy Me Love is a popular Philippine series about Bingo and Caroline. Bingo tries to get Caroline free and pays a heavy amount for that. The romantic series was a massive hit and successfully made a special place in the hearts of its fans. Therefore, they demanded fresh episodes of Can’t Buy Me Love. Consequently, the makers decided to make season 2, which will be aired on 16th May 2024. So, stay excited, as you will soon enjoy new episodes of your favorite show!
Megan Thee Stallion has released a new track, ‘BOA’. Continuing the snake theme of her previous singles ‘Hiss’ and ‘Cobra’, the track comes paired with a music video starring the rapper as the protagonist of a video game called The Curse of Thee Serpent Woman. It was produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat and samples Gwen Stefani’s 2004 song ‘What You Waiting For?’. Check it out below.
There’s so much to digest on Death Jokes, Amen Dunes‘ first album in six years. It’s not an album that gels together on first listen. But the more time you spend with it, the more its complex, unruly nature – scraping together experimental vignettes, epic sound collages, and heady songs with radio-friendly runtimes that’d convince you there’s at least two stations playing at once – rewards attention. Amen Dunes’ transcendent last album, Freedom, was by no means straightforward, but by comparison – especially if you compare your memory of it rather than the actual experience – it sounds easygoing. That record managed to clear through the haze of Damon McMahon’s previous efforts to reveal his affinity for classic songwriting, even as its liberating swagger did little to diminish his music’s pervasive eeriness. Though it would be a reasonable reaction to the visibility its success brought him, McMahon’s intention does not seem to be to once again muddy the waters with Death Jokes. Instead of moving the needle in one direction or another, his fascination with pop and the avant-garde are now squared, even if he’s conscious of their contradictory effects. It’s as transfixing as it is mystifying.
It’s hard to tell how McMahon achieves this: there’s a coldness that permeates much of the music, which is in line with the themes it explores, but it does not feel calculated. We know that to make it, McMahon embraced a beginner’s mindset, learning the fundamentals of piano and electronic music, but his familiarity with them both, as part of his past if not his creative process, ends up complicating it. Soon they become another set of tools for him to mess with, to layer and contort and populate the structures that naturally emerge. His approach to rhythm is especially jarring. Towards the end of ‘What I Want’, he introduces a beat that, in a dance music context, might help tease the song towards a kind of euphoria, but it only wrings more anxiety out of the longing implied in the title. Even when it’s just guitars and percussion on ‘Rugby Child’, those elements seem to branch out independently of each other, and that’s before the song balloons with imposing synths, hi-hats, and a typically ethereal performance from McMahon that struggles to break through the cacophony. Still, it seeks nuance and humanity, not an impenetrable product.
There’s a sense of toil and discontent behind the music, its playfulness burdened the overwhelming possibilities and intellectual weight it can hold. You can almost hear the ideas and collaborations that were scrapped, McMahon’s insistence to start over, but the songs benefit from his loose, untamed approach. The production on ‘Boys’ is so unhinged it seems designed to offset every element that would render it a good promotional single, which it somehow still was. Within the album, this skittishness naturally registers not as another musical tendency, but a quality McMahon weaves into its complex emotional fabric. The disarray going on underneath ‘Ian’, which even includes a sample of what sounds like punk music blazing in the background, only amplifies the steadfast clarity of McMahon’s vocals, their strange intimacy: “When I thought on you/ I could hear the same old tone.”
According to press materials, McMahon’s use of samples and lyrics is a means of “directly critiquing the way American culture exalts violence, coercion, and groupthink as societal inevitabilities.” Even as I try to read that into it upon multiple listens, however, it seems rather indirect, convoluted, and hardly a critique – ‘Rugby Child’, for example, feels much more like an evocation of violent power than pure commentary. Wen he samples the likes of French composer Nadia Boulanger and comedian Lenny Bruce, they’re framed as “thought provocation and irritant” instead of helping to streamline a concrete worldview. It’s all part of the noise, the plethora of characters and perspectives – personal, historical, or merely circumstantial – that McMahon feeds into and is eager to connect through his music, especially on the staggering 9-minute highlight ‘Round the World’. More than an academic treatise, it makes for a visceral, uncompromising, and sobering listen, particularly since McMahon often takes a moment to center himself. “I could give up/ Or I could keep going/ Wonder how long this song’s gone on for,” he sings on ‘Purple Land’. He keeps going and wondering, but knows, better than most, to make it matter.
Amen Dunes has released his first album in six years. The follow-up to Freedom is called Death Jokes, and it was preceded by the singles ‘Purple Land’, ‘Boys’, ‘Round the World’, and ‘Rugby Child’. The 14-track effort features contributions from Sam Wilkes, Christoffer Berg (Fever Ray), and Kwake Bass (Tirzah & Dean Blunt), while its array of samples includes an interview with J Dilla, recordings from Type O Negative and Coil, a lyre performance of the oldest written song in human history, protest chants, a grunting powerlifter, as well as bits of stand-up from Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, and others, used as “thought provocation and irritant.”
A. G. Cook has dropped Britpop, his third proper LP, via his New Alias label. Featuring the Charli XCX-assisted title track and ‘Soulbreaker’, the LP spans 24 songs that are split into three parts: Past, Present, and Future. Past showcases Cook’s hyperreal electronic style, Present channels a more traditional understanding of the Britpop genre, while Future consists of “his own distinctive understanding of what the future of music really means,” according to press materials. Cook made the record while living in Montana during lockdown, working on his two previous albums, Apple and 7G.
Les Savy Fav are back with OUI, LSF, their first album in 14 years. The Root for Ruin follow-up includes the previously released singles ‘Legendary Tippers’, ‘Guzzle Blood’, ‘Limo Scene’, and ‘World Got Great’. “The band was never a job, so we can’t get fired and don’t have to quit,” frontman Tim Harrington said in a statement. “We had the time to figure out how to bring the people we’ve become and the people we are as artists together authentically. There’s a chaotic, untethered ecstasy at the center of the band’s universe. Squaring that with the desire to create stability and the need to endure some grind isn’t easy.”
Los Angeles-based musician Tom Krell has returned with I Am Toward You, his first How to Dress Well album since 2018’s The Anteroom. Out now via Sargent House, the LP was previewed by the singles ‘Crypt Sustain’, ‘nothingprayer’, ‘New Confusion’, and ‘No Light’. Collaborators on the album include Chris Votek, Joel Ford, Josh Clancy, Brian Allen Simon (Anenon), Aaron Charles Read, CFCF, Trayer Tryon, and Anarthia DLT. The title I Am Toward You came from Krell’s wife mishearing a lyric from Miley Cyrus’ ‘I Adore You’. “[She said,] ‘wow, that’s a powerful lyric,’ I asked which lyric, and she responded that she heard the chorus as having said: ‘I Am Toward You,’” he explained. “Because I had expressed to her that I thought the song was powerful, she generously attuned her mind to hear something powerful, something profound.”
Various Artists, I Saw the TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
The star-studded soundtrack for I Saw the TV Glow, the new film from We’re All Going to the World’s Fair director Jane Schoenbrun, has arrived. It features yeule’s previously released cover of Broken Social Scene’s ‘Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl’, Florist’s ‘Riding Around in the Dark’, and Caroline Polachek’s ‘Starburned and Unkissed’, as well as contributions from Sloppy Jane with Phoebe Bridgers, Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan, Bartees Strange, Maria BC, King Woman, Jay Som, L’Rain, the Weather Station, Drab Majesty, Proper, and Sadurn. Alex G’s score for the movie is out next Friday.
youbet has unveiled their sophomore LP, Way to Be, via Hardly Art. Featuring the early singles ‘Seeds of Evil’, ‘Carsick’, ‘Nurture’, and ‘Vacancy’, the record was written and produced by bandleader Nick Llobet, mixed by Adam Brisbin, and mastered by Amar Lal at Macro Sound. “Every song I birth is an opportunity to reinvent myself and gives me a chance to perform through a different spiritual filter,” Llobet shared in a statement. “Each song is like a creature that lives within the depths of my soul, waiting to be written. I have this growing collection of spirit demons that keep me company in my creative life.”
Knocked Loose, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
Louisville quintet Knocked Loose have released their latest LP, You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. The follow-up to 2019’s A Different Shade of Blue and 2021’s A Tear in the Fabric of Life EP was produced by Drew “WZRD BLD” Fulk. It features collaborations with Poppy (who guests on the advance single ‘Suffocate’) and Chris Motionless. “On this album, we go the fastest we’ve ever gone; we go the scariest we’ve ever gone. We also go the catchiest and the most melodic that we’ve ever gone, and that’s the point,” guitarist Isaac Hale said in a press release. “Instead of branching off into a specific direction, we want to encompass ALL directions.”
Dehd have put out their fifth LP, Poetry, following up 2022’s Blue Skies. The Chicago band enlisted Ziyad Asrar of Whitney to co-produce the album alongside the band’s own Jason Balla at Palisade Studio. The majority of the record was written at Taos, New Mexico’s Earthship and in a cabin on Washington’s Puget Sound. “Eating, sleeping, breathing, living—our only purpose was to write,” singer and bassist Emily Kempf reflected of the experience in a statement. The singles ‘Light On’, ‘Mood Ring’, ‘Alien’, and ‘Dog Days’ arrived ahead of the release.
Yaya Bey has followed up 2022’s Remember Your North Star and last year’s Exodus the North Star EP with a new album, Ten Fold, out now via Big Dada. It features the previously released tracks ‘crying through my teeth’, ‘the evidence’, ‘chasing the bus’, and ‘me and all my n****s’, as well as production from Corey Fonville (of Butcher Brown), Karriem Riggins, Jay Daniel, Exactly, and Boston Chery.
Arab Strap, I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍
Arab Strap have released a new LP titled I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍. Taking its name from a text message by the band’s live drummer, the follow-up to 2021’s As Days Get Dark was preceded by the tracks ‘Bliss’, ‘Allatonceness’, and ‘Strawberry Moon’. It was written and performed by Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, with help from longtime collaborator Paul Savage. It’s an album of “a quiet anger,” according to Moffat, channeling both rage and love for “the tangible world and intangible world, and which one you choose to believe and engage with.”
Ottawa-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Myriam Gendron has released her third LP, Mayday. It follows 2021’s Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found and includes the previously unveiled songs ‘Long Way Home’ and ‘Terres brûlées’. Accompanying Gendron on the LP are guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White, with additional appearances from Cédric Dind-Lavoie, Bill Nace, and Zoh Amba.
Keeley Forsyth has unveiled her third album, The Hollow, which is also her debut for FatCat’s 130701 imprint. The follow-up to 2022’s Limbs was produced by Forsyth and Ross Downes and features guest appearances from Colin Stetson and Matthew Bourne. “We wanted to make something slightly more expansive, continuing to reference what we love from various genres without ever belong-ing to one,” Forsyth explained. “It’s with this ethos that we recognise aspects of sacred music, minimalist post-classical, dark ambient, film and theatre soundtracks. Forsyth layered her vocals into chamber choirs, applied pitch shifts and other digital processing, and speaks directly with clear articulate intention one moment to mumbled numb utterances in the next.”
Other albums out today:
Kings Of Leon, Can We Please Have Fun; Orville Peck, Stampede Vol. 1; Shannon & the Clams, The Moon Is in the Wrong Place; Chief Keef, Almighty So 2; Gunna, One of Wun; Jim White & Marisa Anderson, Swallowtail; I. JORDAN, I AM JORDAN; Mary Lattimore & Walt McClements, Rain On The Road; Villagers, That Golden Time; Sofia Bolt, Vendredi Minuit; Clementine Was Right, Tell Yourself You’re Going Home; Amy O, Mirror, Reflect; Angus & Julia Stone, Cape Forestier; Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Love Hate Music Box; Iglooghost, Tidal Memory Exo; Hot Water Music, Vows; Milan Ring, Mangos; Amy O, Mirror, Reflect; No Good With Secrets, Another Side; Mick Harvey, Five Ways to Say Goodbye; Julia Pratt, Family Feud; Take Offense, T.O.tality; Big Special, Postindustrial Hometown Blues; Jordan Rakei, The Loop; Josienne Clarke, Parenthesis, I; Vicky Farewell, Give a Damn; Moonilena, Minnet; Sisso & Maiko, Singeli Ya Maajabu; Group Listening, Walks; Gregor, Satanic Lullabies.
Early Sobrieties
Ghostroots
How It Works Out
All Fours
Shanghailanders
My First Book
Trust and Safety
Mood Swings
In Tongues
The Safekeep
Amen Dunes
A. G. Cook has dropped 
Los Angeles-based musician Tom Krell has returned with 
The star-studded soundtrack for
youbet has unveiled their sophomore LP, 
Louisville quintet Knocked Loose have released their latest LP, 
Dehd have put out their fifth LP, 
Yaya Bey has followed up 2022’s Remember Your North Star and last year’s Exodus the North Star EP with a new album, 
Arab Strap have released a new LP titled 
Ottawa-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter Myriam Gendron has released her third LP, Mayday. It follows 2021’s Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found and includes the previously unveiled songs 
Keeley Forsyth has unveiled her third album, 