The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid in honor of Cocteau Twins lead singer Elizabeth Fraser. The band’s label, 4AD, shared the news on social media that, “after 10 years of research, the International Astronomical Union have named the asteroid 2013 TF19, ‘Fraser,’ after Elizabeth Fraser.”
The “Fraser” asteroid was first discovered on August 31, 2013 by M. Kusiak and M. Żołnowski at Tincana. It does not pose a threat to humanity and will not collide with Earth for millions of years. It can only be viewed using an advance telescope, imaging from which is available via NASA’s website.
Last year, Elizabeth Fraser’s project with her partner Damon Reece, Sun’s Signature, released its self-titled debut EP.
Yesterday, after 10 years of research, the International Astronomical Union have named the asteroid 2013 TF19, "Fraser", after Elizabeth Fraser.
Animal Collective are back with a new album, Isn’t It Now?, out now on Domino. The follow-up to 2022’s Time Skiffs includes the previously released tracks ‘Defeat’, ‘Soul Capturer’, and ‘Gem & I’. It finds the group teaming up with Grammy-winning producer Russell Elevado, who is known for his work on records by D’Angelo, the Roots, and Kamasi Washington. Recorded during two weeks at New York’s The Bunker in late 2021, the collection clocks in at 64 minutes, making it the longest record they’ve ever made.
Daniel Lopatin has returned with a new Oneohtrix Point Never album: Again is out now via Warp. Following 2020’s Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, the new album is described by press materials as “speculative autobiography” and “‘an illogical period piece’ where memory and fantasy converge to form something entirely new.” Its cover artwork is a sculpture created by Matias Faldbakken, conceptualized with Lopatin, and photographed by Vegard Kleven.
Wilco have released their 13th studio album, Cousin. The follow-up to last year’s Cruel Country was produced by Cate Le Bon. “I’m cousin to the world,” frontman Jeff Tweedy remarked in a press release. “I don’t feel like I’m a blood relation, but maybe I’m a cousin by marriage.” Le Bon said of the collaboration: “The amazing thing about Wilco is they can be anything. They’re so mercurial, and there’s this thread of authenticity that flows through everything they do, whatever the genre, whatever the feel of the record. There aren’t many bands who are able to, this deep into a successful career, successfully change things up.”
Slow Pulp have dropped their second LP and ANTI- debut, Yard. The follow-up to 2020’s Moveys was previewed by the singles ‘Slugs’, ‘Cramps’, ‘Doubt’, and ‘Broadview’. Like its predecessor, the album’s vocals were in bandleader Emily Massey’s dad’s home studio. “Working together, we can be very honest with each other in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do with a stranger or a producer that’s not my family,” Massey explained. “He already has so much context for what the songs are about, knowing my life so intimately. He is able to be very direct, saying things I often don’t want to hear but need to hear. I think it often leads to getting the best takes out of me.”
Armand Hammer – the duo of NYC rappers billy woods and Elucid – have put out a new album titled We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. Out now via Fat Possum, the follow-up to 2021’s the Alchemist-produced Haram features production from JPEGMAFIA, EL-P, Kenny Segal, DJ Haram, Black Noi$e, Preservation, August Fanon, Steel Tipped Dove, Child Actor, and Sebb Bash, as well as guest appearances from Pink Siifu, Moor Mother, Curly Castro, Junglepussy, Soul Glo’s Moneynicca, and Cavalier. “This sort of reverse engineering of talented players who met for the first time in the studio jamming to pre-recorded beats before splintering off into new directions,” Eludic said of the experience of working on the album. “Being in the room quietly watching 4 people fumble around each other’s sonic worlds before finally locking into a solid groove was a clear and obvious magical moment for me.”
Jorja Smith is back with her second studio album, falling or flying. Featuring guest appearances from J Hus and Lila Iké, it marks the singer’s first album since her 2018 debut Lost & Found, though in 2021 she shared the Be Right Back EP. “I don’t slow down enough,” Smith said in a statement. “This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.” The singles ‘Little Things’ and ‘Try Me’ arrived ahead of the album’s release.
Ariel Engle has unveiled her sophomore LP as La Force. XO SKELETON, which follows her 2018 self-titled debut, was co-produced with Warren Spice and features the early tracks ‘condition of us’, ‘october’, ‘how do you love a man’, and the title track. “The theme of the album revealed itself in the making,” Engle explained in a press release, describing how the title track was inspired by a telephone call with her life insurance broker. “At one point she said, ‘God forbid you should die.’ I was gobsmacked. And a bit hot-tempered. And I said those lines: ‘Well, there’s one thing guaranteed: no god or goddess is going to keep me alive.’”
Molly Burch has followed up 2021’s Romantic Images with a new album, Daydreamer, via Captured Tracks. The LP started coming together after Burch, having recently relocated to her hometown of Los Angeles, found her old diaries from age 13 and younger. “During the pandemic, I started to lose sight of what aspects of my life brought me joy and what felt like going through the motions,” the singer-songwriter reflected. “I felt I was at the peak of letting external opinions fully dictate my self worth. So I examined my insecurities, the mean stories I would create about myself, and the body issues that had plagued me for too long. I decided, through songwriting, to look back at formative life moments, to connect with the reasons why I’ve dedicated my life to music and also try to heal old and still open wounds. This album is dedicated not only to my thirteen year-old self, but the thirteen year-old selves that still linger within all of us. It’s filled with bops and ballads & I’m so excited to share it with you.”
Blonde Redhead’s first album nine years, Sit Down for Dinner, is out today via section1. The songs were partially inspired by Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, with the title referencing one particular line: “Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” In a statement, the band’s Kazu Makino explained: “Sit Down for Dinner is written like a journal and I suppose it’s confessional. ‘Part 1’ starts with me living on a remote island and contemplating what to do. ‘Part 2’ is me writing to my mother and father alongside inspiration from Ms. Didion’s writing. It touches on death and destiny and how we move through our lives without knowing how and when the end will come (with no pity). I’m excited by the way I was able to put down my rather terrifying thoughts on top of ‘uplifting’ music. You would never guess what I’m singing about.”
Released via Secretly Canadian, I Don’t Want You Anymoreis the latest album by Cherry Glazerr, following up 2019’s Stuffed and Ready. “The songs on this one are songs I’ve dreamed of making,” frontwoman Clementine Creevy said in a statement about the LP, which was co-produced with Yves Rothman. Ahead of its release, Cherry Glazerr previewed it with the singles ‘Ready for You’, ‘Soft Like A Flower’, and ‘Sugar’.
Other albums out today:
Modern Nature, No Fixed Point in Space; Code Orange, The Above; Jlin, Perspective; Koyo, Would You Miss It?; alexalone, ALEXALONE TECHNICAL RESEARCH; Equipment, Alt Account; Harm’s Way, Common Suffering; Say She She, Silver; LP, Love Lines; Thank You, I’m Sorry, Growing in Strange Places; JOBS, Soft Sounds; Ann Wilson, Another Door; Del Water Gap, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet; LANY, a beautiful blur; able machines, Digital Precision; Martina Berther / Philipp Schlotter, Matt.
Legendary photographer Anne Geddes has had a lasting effect on the photographic industry when it comes to capturing the innocence and splendor of babies. Geddes, an innovator in her field, has reinvented what it means to take beautiful pictures of newborns with her distinctive and cutting-edge approach.
Anne Geddes, an Australian entrepreneur, fashion designer, and photographer, was born in 1956; she currently works and resides in New Zealand. She is highly renowned for her pictures of newborns and new moms. She is a professional photographer one of the world’s most skilled and well-known photographers.
Geddes’ award-winning photographs of newborns illustrate her belief that children require love, care, and protection. These lasting pictures have been used on greeting cards, magazines, albums, calendars, and stationery.
Factors That Impacted Anne Geddes’s Early Life And Creative Development
Several influences throughout Anne Geddes’ formative years impacted her intriguing creative path. Many significant inspirations contributed to her artistic style.
Geddes grew up in Queensland, Australia, and it’s safe to say that her early experiences significantly influenced the growth of her passion for photography. She was raised in an environment rich with natural beauty, which influenced how she developed an early love of the wonders of the natural world. Later, she repeatedly referred to this feeling of being a part of nature in her poetry.
Anne stopped school and moved away from home in her teens. At 25, she used her spouse’s camera to begin to pursue her photographic education there. Anne had a tiny collection when the pair returned to Sydney two years later. She started concentrating on baby photography after using photos of her two kids for a famous family Christmas card.
Career in Photography: The Beginning
After the couple had left for Australia, Anne started making holiday cards with photos of her loved ones. She thus started a company making personalized greeting card sets. Geddes opened a studio in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1988 after settling there.
Her tutu-wearing girl photograph from 1988 attracted much attention after printing it in a local paper. She subsequently decided to pursue a profession as a kid portrait artist.
Anne bases her photographic technique on capturing children’s personalities and characters in a more unforced manner. She previously said that she didn’t believe it made sense to dress kids up for church and put them in awkward settings.
Career in Photography: The Expansion
When Anne’s children’s photography company began to take off, she went to look into various inspirations. She produced her “cabbage kids” images, which rose to international fame. She decided to grow her company by creating calendars. However, Anne needed help locating a suitable publisher to sell her calendars through doors.
Anne also donated significantly to charity by selling a few calendars at nearby camera shops. She donated the money to the Geddes Philanthropic Trust, a private non-profit organization she founded to fight child abuse.
Following this achievement, Anne and her spouse sold their home and spent their financial resources printing several calendar editions for sale in Oz. The calendars were a huge hit and were all gone in weeks. Then Anne published more, which were also rapidly purchased.
Geddes’ impact has been welcomed by modern photographers, who have incorporated parts of her aesthetic into their works. Her distinctive style of capturing the spirit of children via the use of bright colors, natural light, and amusing objects has become well-known. Photographers may produce photographs that elicit a comparable reaction in spectators by studying Geddes’ approach and tips for child photography and adopting her aesthetic philosophy.
Books and Publications by Anne Geddes
The cornerstone of Anne’s success and prominence in the 1990s was her line of books, greeting cards, and calendars. She wrote 20 novels between 1996 and 2014. Calendars and greeting cards were created using pictures from the books. Additionally, Anne would take unique photos for her publications.
Anne Geddes’ photography has been featured in various publications, including “Down in the Garden,” “Pure,” and “My First Five Years.” These volumes have proven to be popular presents for new and pregnant parents, further solidifying her position as a pioneer in infant photography.
Fifteen million copies of Anne’s novels have been sold worldwide, making her a two-time New York Times bestselling author. Additionally, her book was translated into 20 languages.
Anne Geddes: The Philanthropist
In addition to her influence on photography, Geddes’ work has significantly impacted humanity. Individuals from many areas of society have been moved by her photos, which cut across barriers to culture. Geddes serves as a reminder of the value and vulnerability of life by praising newborns’ purity and frailty.
Anne is a generous person and a part of the Geddes Philanthropic Trust, through which she and her husband, Kel, conduct excellent charitable work. Anne has worked with groups and campaigns supporting people who have experienced domestic violence, children with tumors, and survivors of pneumococcal illness.
She also spoke at the inauguration of the Shot@Life campaign, which aims to give children in underdeveloped countries access to fundamental immunizations that can save their lives.
In several of her pieces, Geddes advocates for children and stresses the importance of protecting and nurturing them. She has donated to several humanitarian projects connected to children’s welfare and utilized her photos to spread awareness about child abuse and neglect.
The Internet Boom
Beginning in 2016, Anne decided to avoid the recording studio due to the Internet. Her fortune was built on the publishing industry, paper goods, books, calendars, and greeting cards, which have since collapsed, leaving her without a steady job. Her business strategy utilized royalties from earlier works to pay for her upcoming products.
There just needed to be more money to support new initiatives when this source of income declined. Anne has learned to be cautious while advertising herself online since she knows how easily another artist can appropriate an image and how easily it can become viral.
A Lasting Legacy: The Enduring Influence of Anne Geddes’ Artistic Vision
Anne Geddes’ aesthetic vision has forever changed the photographic industry, leaving a lasting legacy that still impacts photographers today. Her distinct style of portraying the purity and beauty of infants and young children has become renowned, influencing numerous artists to push the boundaries of their creative expression.
It is impossible to overestimate Geddes’ contributions to the art world. Her creative compositions and meticulous attention to detail transformed how we view and value newborn photography. Her talent for composing enthralling sequences that inspire awe and delight has struck a chord with viewers worldwide.
U2 have returned with ‘Atomic City’, their first original new song in two years. Produced by Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite, the single was recorded at Sound City in Los Angeles. Check it out below.
‘Atomic City’ arrives ahead of the band’s first U2:UV Achtung Baby Live show as part of their residency at the new MSG Sphere in Las Vegas. A few weeks ago, U2 took to the streets of Las Vegas to perform the song as part of a music video shoot directed by Ben Kutchins, filming in the same Fremont Street location where they shot their video for ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Bono said of the new song:
It’s just an invitation to our audience. It’s like a come-all-ye. You know what come-all-ye is? It’s an Irish word for… A come-all-ye is like a song that invites everybody in. Las Vegas was known as Atomic City because they had atomic bomb tourism here in the fifties. “Come and watch the mushroom cloud.” But now all the fear and dread of splitting the atom and using it as a weapon of mass destruction, there may be clues for how we get out of the climate crisis through fusion rather than fission. Though even fission, which is regular nuclear energy, is getting safer and smarter. And we’ve campaigned against nuclear energy and we’ve kind of turned around a little bit on that one. And so the lyric, “atomic sun for everyone,” that’s that reference. So we’re using it as in a comic sense, Atomic City, but actually the idea that by not splitting the atom, by fusing the atom, you have unlimited energy, it’s just a beautiful idea to plop in the middle of a seventies swing stomp…
Drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who features on the song and video, won’t be joining the band for its upcoming run of shows as he takes time to undergo and recuperate from surgery. “I’s really tricky for him,” Bono said. “And he came in the night before we recorded it in Sound City. So many stories in that studio. And Edge wanted us to go there. And Larry went the night before to just make sure. He didn’t know if he could play for an hour or… he didn’t know if he could play for 15 minutes. And he just played up the storm.”
Recent reports on travel trends indicate that one type of tourism is experiencing significant growth compared to others.
While various segments within the travel industry are seeing positive developments, such as the rise in solo female travel and the increasing popularity of responsible travel, there is one particular form of tourism that every country is eager to capitalise on casino tourism.
Humanity’s fascination with gambling can be traced back centuries, with the invention of the earliest six-sided dice in 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, a region located in Western Asia.
Throughout history, the popularity of gambling has fluctuated in different countries. Still, it has firmly established itself as one of the largest industries worldwide, with legality prevailing in most parts of the globe. Consequently, casino tourism has emerged as the most sought-after sector within the tourism industry.
The concentration of Casinos are Tourist Attractions.
In locations where multiple casinos and related facilities are concentrated, they have become major tourist attractions alone. Examples of this can be seen in Nevada and Macau. However, the UK’s 2005 Gambling Act prohibits such concentration of casinos. Nonetheless, valuable lessons can still be learned from these destinations.
Las Vegas initially started as a resort focused solely on casino gaming. However, with increased competition due to relaxed legislation in surrounding areas, it has transformed into a diverse entertainment and convention venue, with gambling remaining its main theme. The destination offers a wide range of Disney-style architecture, entertainment, attractions, retail, convention facilities, and recreational opportunities to cater to various markets.
In summary, a single casino alone does not significantly impact tourism. To create a successful “casino destination,” a critical mass of attractions and activities must be offered. Similarly, when a casino is introduced into an existing tourism development or destination, it can serve as an additional driver of tourism.
Economic Impact and Job Creation
Casinos and tourism present a significant opportunity to attract a large influx of tourists and generate substantial revenue for local businesses. Casinos offer various amenities, including hotels, restaurants, and entertainment, which can create additional job opportunities for local residents. Additionally, casinos contribute tax revenue to local governments, which can be utilised for funding public services and infrastructure.
Furthermore, a more diverse population in areas with casinos often increases the number of foreign workers. For instance, Australian casinos have experienced a rise in demand for Mandarin-speaking dealers to accommodate the influx of Chinese high-rollers visiting the country’s gambling establishments. To cater to the needs of these Chinese high-rollers, some casinos employ staff who are fluent in Mandarin or are from Mandarin-speaking countries like Taiwan. This linguistic availability helps Chinese gamblers feel more comfortable in the casino environment and encourages them to bring more Chinese players into the game.
Across Border Markets & Online Casinos
Many countries have laws against gambling, but this doesn’t stop citizens from wanting to gamble. Instead, they often travel to nearby countries where gambling is legal. You can tap into new market opportunities by offering what locals desire, but their own country cannot provide.
Of course, attending a costly physical casino may not be affordable for everyone, but touring several casinos isn’t restricted to the brick-and-mortar establishments in modern-day gaming. Online casinos provide a convenient alternative for those who enjoy playing at a blackjack casino UK, which is highly popular. Anyone with an internet connection can search for online casinos and start playing card games, slots, roulette, or poker instantly, all from the comfort of their own home.
Casino Tourism Impacting Other Industries
The casino’s impact on tourism has proven to be a valuable partner to the hospitality sector. With the rise of casino tourism, hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions have thrived. This has also positively impacted the real estate and construction industries, as visitors seek out more high-end and luxurious accommodations. As hotels and restaurants strive to cater to their customers, job opportunities arise, benefiting local residents and individuals worldwide.
Technology and Trends in Casino Tourism
Technology is crucial in shaping the current casino tourism scene, and the United Kingdom is leading the way in these advancements. Thanks to the internet and mobile technology, well-known online casinos can now efficiently reach and engage a larger audience. Gamblers no longer have to travel to physical locations in order to enjoy their favourite casino games. Instead, they can experience gambling excitement from the comfort of their homes or while on the move. The UK’s advanced technological infrastructure guarantees casino tourists access to state-of-the-art gaming experiences featuring innovative games, secure transactions, and smooth gameplay.
Conclusion
This article explains the concept of casino tourism and provides information about its growing popularity. This type of tourism is expected to continue expanding in the coming years as the gambling industry taps into new markets and attracts more players.
Casino tourism offers diverse experiences, making it an exciting and distinctive form of vacation. Whether you’re seeking the glitz and glamour, hoping to unleash your inner gambler, or simply looking for an alternative to the typical sightseeing options, casino tourism might be the perfect choice.
With its potential for financial rewards, vibrant atmosphere, and access to top-notch entertainment venues, it’s no wonder many affluent travellers favour casino tourism as their preferred holiday destination.
Sports betting and other forms of gambling have long been intertwined with our popular culture. Even the tuxedo, for our example, was firmly engraved onto our collective consciousness by gambling culture.
Cinema is obviously one of the most popular expressions of pop culture, and this is another area closely connected with sports betting. The effect has worked both ways – sports betting has significantly impacted the stories of plenty of films, and films have also impacted how we see betting, and use online bookmakers, today.
There are tons of popular movies and TV shows related to sports betting. We believe these, however, to be some of the most famous of all.
Uncut Gems
This is comfortably the most impactful such movie of recent times. Released in 2019, Uncut Gems received rave reviews not only for Adam Sandler’s uncharacteristic performance, but also for its gripping plot.
That plot, of course, revolved largely around sports betting. The gems in question get inextricably linked with Sandler’s character’s gambling habit, which grows to such high stakes that it even draws in real-life NBA star Kevin Garnett. While an extremely fun and enjoyable movie, this is certainly a cautionary tale on taking betting too far.
The Gambler
Released in 2014, this compelling Mark Wahlberg movie – as the name suggests – is all about gambling. As with Uncut Gems, our main character here has a gambling habit which he takes too far. His debts with illegal bookies become so great, in fact, that he’s given only seven days to pay them off before he’s killed. Talk about high stakes…
The Gambler admittedly didn’t exactly receive critical acclaim. It’s still a fun and fairly tense movie, however, which Wahlberg’s name alone drew plenty of people to see.
Silver Linings Playbook
Speaking of critical acclaim, this was easily one of the best-received movies of its time. Silver Linings Playbook was nominated for 12 Oscars in 2012, with Jennifer Lawrence taking home the Best Actress award.
The plot doesn’t ‘revolve’ around sports betting here. It’s a more realistic portrayal because of that, however, since – instead – betting is shown as a popular pastime that draws together an ageing father (Robert De Niro) with his son and friends. Questions are certainly raised, however, as to whether that father takes his amateur bookmaking a little too seriously.
The Sting
We’re going back a way here, all the way to 1973 in fact, but it’s absolutely worth it. The Sting will always be an iconic movie, since it reunited Paul Newman and Robert Redford after their brilliant turns in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. While not quite as famous as that movie, this is still not only a classic, but one of the most popular sports betting movies ever.
In short, Paul Newman plays a hustler looking for revenge after his friend gets murdered. He decides to set up a fake horse racing bookie to trick his enemy into betting – and losing – everything he’s got. Watching the betting scenes nowadays gives a fascinating insight into how gambling used to be conducted (secretly, and relying on the use of tickers, phones, and so on), and how much it’s changed in the intervening decades.
The Hustler
This is another classic, once again featuring Paul Newman, who seems to have had a penchant for gambling-related roles. It differs somewhat from the other movies on this list, since it involves betting on the character’s own sporting performance, rather than that of others.
Regardless, it carries plenty of tension, and the plot holds our attention nicely as it evolves. That plot would be continued over two decades later, of course, in the semi-sequel The Colour of Money, with Tom Cruise starring alongside Newman.
Diving into the world of fragrance for the first time is an adventure, but some avoid it due to cost. Fortunately, affordable brands, such as Carolina Herrera perfume, allow newcomers to try the latest trends without breaking the bank.
With hundreds of scents at your fingertips, where should you start? The first step is learning fragrance basics.
What Are the Different Fragrance Types?
As you look through cologne selections, you may notice abbreviations following perfume names, such as Hamptons EDP from Bond No 9. What does EDP stand for?
EDP is short for eau de parfum. You may also see EDT, which stands for eau de toilette. These are two of the most common fragrance types, but there are several others on the market:
Perfume
Perfume oil
Eau de cologne
Eau fraiche
Perfume oil is a recent addition to the list and does not contain alcohol, which can dry the skin. The other options utilize alcohol to disperse fragrance oils in traditional sprays.
The biggest difference between fragrance types is the percentage of oil they contain. The higher the oil concentration, the longer the scent lasts. While external factors can impact individual longevity, you can usually guess how long a cologne will last by looking at the label. For instance, an eau de parfum like Good Girl from Carolina Herrera lasts longer than an eau de toilette like Invictus from Paco Rabanne.
What Are Scent Notes?
Scent notes are the individual oils that make up cologne formulas. Some are chemically created in labs, but most are distilled from natural sources, primarily flowers. Scent notes fall into one of four categories:
Floral: These scents are powdery, flowery and fruity.
Fresh: This family is incredibly diverse and includes citrus, oceanic, green, clean and bright notes.
Amber: Notes in this family are spicy, herbal and rich.
Woody: Woody notes smell powdery, dry, woody and mossy.
Most fragrances use a combination of these families to create a complex profile that evolves as you wear it. Of course, some notes are more common than others; about 80% of women’s perfumes include powdery scents.
What Is the Best Way to Apply Fragrance?
How you apply fragrance has a significant impact on how long it lasts. If you want to get the most out of your Carolina Herrera perfume, here are a few tips.
First, moisturize. Colognes stick best to oily skin, so apply lotion liberally to pulse points, such as your neck and inner wrists. For best results, stick to unscented moisturizers to avoid mixing fragrances.
Second, it’s best to apply directly to your skin. While some people like the even distribution of the “mist” method, this gets perfume on your clothes and hair. Potent colognes can stain clothes, and the alcohol in sprays can dry out your hair, making this method more trouble than it’s worth. Additionally, colognes are designed to activate with body heat, so you’ll end up using more spray for a diminished effect.
Where Can You Find Affordable Fragrances?
From Carolina Herrera perfume to Gucci cologne, LaBelle Perfumes has the most popular fragrance brands at reasonable prices. To shop daily deals, visit their website today.
‘NSYNC are back with their first new single in 22 years. Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, and J.C. Chasez made the song for the upcoming movie Trolls Band Together. Listen to it below.
Timberlake returns to the character of Branch in Trolls Band Together, which arrives in theaters on November 17. The movie follows Branch as he reunites with his brothers, voiced by Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, and Kid Cudi.
Earlier this month, ‘NSYNC reunited at the 2023 MTV VMAs, where they presented an award to Taylor Swift. It marked the first time they appeared together since earning their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018 and coming together for Timberlake’s VMAs Video Vanguard Award performance in 2013. In 2002, they released ‘Girlfriend’, off their 2001 album Celebrity, as a single featuring Nelly.
Another Michael started out as the solo project of singer-songwriter Michael Doherty, who recorded 2016’s Sans EP on his own before bringing in multi-instrumentalists Nick Sebastiano and Alenni Davis. Rounded out by drummer Noah Dardaris and longtime engineer Scoops Dardaris, the band released its warm, enchanting debut LP, New Music and Big Pop, in early 2021. As soon as they finished that album, they began working on a new batch of songs, which took shape over the course of three years at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia and the Ferndale, NY house where they tracked their debut. With over 20 songs to play with, Another Michael decided to split them into two sibling records, each with a distinct sonic identity. The first, a 29-minute collection called Wishes to Fulfill that showcases the band’s knack for hooky, playful songwriting, was released last week, while the more experimental Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down is set to arrive early next year. Whether leaning into familiar indie folk tropes or expanding into new territory, Another Michael’s music remains big-hearted, funny, and full of subtle left turns because it’s rooted in the same musical and collaborative instincts. It’s just a pleasure to hear them continue stretching them out.
We caught up with Another Michael’s Michael Doherty and Nick Sebastiano for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about their relationship with New Music and Big Pop, what makes a good song, the making of their two new albums, and more.
How has your relationship to the songs on New Music and Big Pop changed since its release?
Michael Doherty: Something I really love about touring is getting to watch the music essentially live in all these different spaces as we go along. That really helps grow my relationship with the music, alongside seeing how they sit with the newer songs we write and how they communicate with each other. And a lot of the songs really just feel better to me as time goes on, which is a really good feeling.
Nick Sebastiano: Putting out more music does definitely shed a different light on the previous work that we’ve done, like New Music and Big Pop. A lot of times, when you finish making something, you have a wide range of emotions about it; some of them good, some of them frustrated – it depends how much of a perfectionist you are. As a producer, I do some mixing as well for our stuff, and from a technical standpoint, it’s easy to be finished with something and be like, “It’s good, I wish this could have been a little different.” And I do think that that is, in this case, a wound that time does heal when you come back to an old record. I haven’t listened to New Music and Big Pop in a minute, but last time I did listen to parts of it, I just found myself letting go of those sorts of things and appreciating that little time capsule that was us. I think definitely we’re more forgiving in hindsight on stuff that we’ve done than maybe we would be immediately after making it.
I assume that making this pair of records, Wishes to Fulfill and Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down, forced you to think about how they relate to and are different from each other. Did you also think about how they tie into your debut album and the identity of Another Michael as a band?
MD: If we wanted to make a pop song, we made a pop song; if we wanted to make a folky country song, we made a folky country song. We tried not to worry about how it would all fit too much. We just really focused on how, well, if it’s us doing it in our voice, then I think it should technically be able to sit well with the debut.
NS: I don’t think that New Music and Big Pop was something that was presently on our minds when working on the new music, and I don’t think measuring up to it was something that we ever really thought about. I think that maybe shows in the departure from it in some areas in sound, but there also are naturally elements on Wishes to Fulfill and beyond that are just going to sound like Another Michael. There are some songs that sound more like New Music and Big Pop than others, and it’s not necessarily by design that it happened that way. I do think that when working on the new music, our gaze was pretty much completely just forward and not really looking back at our last thing. But in hindsight, it is cool to compare and contrast and see what happened in that gap of time between making both. You read between the lines and fill in the gaps, and that part of it is cool.
MD: We’re also lucky, some of the songs we recorded and wrote even before New Music and Big Pop came out. Like ‘Candle’, I look at it as the first song we recorded, and that was very much soon after we truly finished everything with New Music and Big Pop. Making ‘Candle’ kind of felt like a celebration of the new music that we can make. It was our first time working on a full song in a studio setting and really tried to broaden the scope of what kind of music we could make and how we could use a studio.
NS: That’s actually a really good point. ‘Candle’ is the first thing that we recorded post-New Music and Big Pop, and it sounds nothing like New Music and Big Pop stylistically. I think we finished New Music, we knew what that was supposed to be, and then we’re like, now we are free to do whatever we feel like doing next. I don’t think we ever really felt attached to following up New Music and Big Pop in a linear way.
Michael, you’ve said that the idea of a good song is always changing for you. What I like about the way Wishes to Fulfill opens with ‘Guitars’, though, is that what that means sometimes is that the idea of a good song individually, or the evolution of a band more broadly, can seem a bit funny and absurd to think about. Is it something that often gets to you when you’re writing?
MD: Yeah. I think you’re pretty spot on with ‘Guitars’ there – the lyric that I have, “It’s gonna make my voice sound different,” that’s kind of me nodding at the idea that every time I make music, I’m technically getting older.It’s cool you picked up on that kind of thing. Especially in the present, when you’re making a record or a song, where it’s very trapped inside you, it’s hard not to have like thoughts of, Oh man, is what I’m making good right now? Especially in the process of working on one song and then working on another song like a year later, and then trying to relate those two together.
Is there something you look for in your own songs that helps you determine whether they’re worth keeping or revisiting after a long period of time?
MD: I guess I’m always looking for there to be some small imprint of surprise. I do see songwriting as a very meditative kind of thing; sometimes I’ll be doing it and it’s very much a Zen moment with myself, so I really look to be able to see that after working on something, I’ll listen to it and be like, Wow, I can’t believe that’s something I did. I can’t even really remember the space around me when I was happening. I guess I try to look for moments like that in the songs that, and even the recordings themselves. When we were recording ‘Guitars’, that’s a whole day that we spent just back and forth layering the song, and I remember listening to it so much more when it was getting close to being completed than the moments of actually recording it. So I’m looking for any kind of sign that there was that sort of thing happening during the process.
NS: I think I understand what you were saying when you’re asking about the song ‘Guitars’ and the lyrics being like, “Guitars get acoustic sometimes, guitars go electric sometimes.” It’s just kind of a vibe. There’s such a fine line between what makes a song good and maybe a song we’re not as interested in or I don’t resonate with as much. It’s hard to pinpoint and create a rubric in your mind about what makes it good or what is making it speak to me the most. There’s all these different forks on the road when you’re making a record; you can have acoustic guitar, you could have electric guitar, but ultimately is that going to make or break the whole thing? I guess you don’t actually know until it’s all put together and it all makes you feel something. But it’s definitely a funny concept that music can be good and bad, and it’s definitely funny that we have no idea really why that is [laughs]. At least I don’t.
MD: I feel like a finished song or finished record, it’s really just the set combination of everything that we ended on. It’s like, we could have worked on this forever if we really wanted to, or we could make so many different versions of this if we really wanted to. But you always gotta be honest with it and move on to the next thing.
How did you decide to separate these two albums?
MD: The big thing was we knew we wanted to finish at least 20 songs before we decided what we wanted to do with them, whether we pair it down or make it a whole big record or make it two records. What we decided on with making two records kind of came out of trying to sequence things.
NS: It’s true, we just started making songs – sometimes we would go into the studio to make a song, sometimes we’d have a block where we’d try to record three tracks. We didn’t have all of these songs written in advance, we were demoing and recording as we went along. I think the reason we didn’t want to just make one album is because when we finished a new song or two, there was always another one coming up and we didn’t want to leave any behind. At a certain point, we had to be like, “Alright, we need to cap this somewhere.”
And then sequencing into two albums – hilarious. Behind me right now is a whiteboard in my room, and we had all of the people involved in making the record – myself, Michael, Scoops, Alenni, Noah – rank songs from our favorite song out of the 21 that we ended up with to our least favorite. We literally tried all sorts of things, we collected data, and we were really trying to figure out what to do with this music. Ultimately, in conversation with people we trust – ourselves, our label, management – we came to the conclusion of a format: We’ll make two albums, but we don’t want to make the same album twice. We don’t want to make two albums that feel the same. We want to make a relatively shorter album, one that’s longer. We want their energies to be different, even though we made all the music over the same sort of period of time. It took a second –we swapped in stuff, and there could easily have been changes. But this is what we ultimately felt good about.
MD: It really mirrors the process of the song-making itself – it really is seeing what’s going to come out next through the demoing process, and then coming together in the recording process, it all could have been so many things. And with that being said, the sequencing and the types of records they could have been individually could have been so many different things.
The rollout has also been interesting. You announced them together, but you didn’t reveal the tracklist for the second album or the exact release date, though you released singles for both. It definitely frames the two albums as being connected in some ways, as opposed to announcing Wishes to Fulfill and then surprise-releasing Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down.
MD: It feels nice to not have it feel like a complete surprise that we made two albums. It was Run for Cover’s idea to release a different single from each one, and it feels good to know there’s more music coming that is related to this music.
NS: I feel like it’s an honest way to do it. When you put out two records and there’s time between both of them, people assume that there’s time and space and growth and progression between each one, and we did make these at the same time.We did curate, I think, two very different records, but it felt like an honest way to be upfront about what you’re going to get from us over the next year or so.
You’ve said that Pick Me Up is the more experimental record, but there’s definitely hints of experimentation on Wishes to Fulfill songs like ‘Research’ and ‘Piano Lessons’, which feels particularly significant as the closer. Were you intentional about their inclusion and placement on this album?
MD: I guess I see ‘Research’ as an intermission track in a way, and ‘Piano Lessons’ at the end feels like a finale/wink sort of thing.
NS: Including songs like ‘Research’ and ‘Piano Lessons’ on Wishes to Fulfill was definitely intentional. It could serve as a taste of a different sound, but it’s kind of like, if you have Wishes to Fulfill and Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down, I feel like ‘Research’ and ‘Piano Lessons’ are like the yin within the yang.I think when you get to Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down, not to spoil too much, the inverse will be true, too, where there will be songs that sound like Another Michael traditionally.
How did the “memes” part in ‘Piano Lessons’ materialize?
MD: ‘Piano Lessons’ came out of two different demos that got spliced together to be one new song that we would record in the studio. The “memes” part – I mean, really boring answer, kind of, but that’s something that I wanted to just really jump out at the listener. Like I say, I like when songs have little surprises in them, especially to kind of just be like, “Are you still listening?” [Nick laughs] I don’t know really where that came from aside from just being in that meditative state of songwriting and feeling like that was the thing that needed to be what jumps out in the song.
NS: The next logical step in the road of the song. Yeah, Mike had made two GarageBand demos, I liked both them, they were both kind of incomplete on their own. I was bugging Mike constantly to send me the stems from GarageBand so that I could put them together and make it into one thing. I’m like, “I want this to be one song.” I immediately loved the “memes” part. I love the lines, “You’ve gotta have a sense of humor/ I’m not talking about Know Your Memes,” and then it keeps repeating – repeated for emphasis is the way that I think about it. I think at some point there was maybe question as to whether or not we should do that. Maybe it subconsciously for Mike speaks to – you can scroll “memes, memes” non-stop, you know.
There’s a lot of humour on this album, but on the song ‘Angel’, it almost sounds like you literally can’t force it. It’s grounded and there’s a lightness to it, but it also feels personal and moving. Do you remember what it felt like as it came out?
MD: That’s the only song I can think of from this whole batch that dates back to the New Music and Big Pop writing. When I hear it now, I definitely think of a certain time of my life that I connect a lot to when we moved to Philadelphia and transitional phases of my life and always asking myself if I’m on the right trajectory. Do I know what makes me happy? That song came out of a lot of that kind of questioning.
Can you share one thing that inspires you about each other?
NS: Michael and Michael’s relationship with music is unlike anybody that I’ve ever met, and I think that’s really inspiring. Michael listens to more music than anybody I’ve ever met in my life and appreciates not necessarily in a way that manifests in tangible reasons. Like, something that Mike will resonate with in a song that he’s listening to or working on will be something that maybe doesn’t even make any sense to me, but it works for him, and he really enjoys it. A funny way where this manifests is, Mike will play something and be like, “I’m about to show you a new song, but I think it sounds too much like this.” And then he’ll play, and I’m like, “Dude, I don’t even hear at all what you’re talking about with what it sounds like. It just sounds like Another Michael music to me.” Or he’ll be like, “This sounds so much like my other song,” and then I’ll be like, “There’s nothing about this that’s the same, actually.” But through his lens, it means a similar thing to him, and that’s all that matters. I definitely think the way Mike experiences and understands a song is very unique and inspiring.
MD: That’s really sweet. I think the biggest thing that inspires me working with Nick is, I see so much calmness and relaxed feeling in you and the way you work on things. That definitely just helps calm me down when I feel like I’m getting really crazy about a certain process of the work, and obviously traveling together, and moments on stage. I mean, who doesn’t need that in their life?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
The Rolling Stones have released their new song ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, which features Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder. Gaga sings and Wonder plays keys and piano on the track, which will appear on their upcoming album Hackney Diamonds alongside the previously released ‘Angry’. Check it out below.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Mick Jagger said of working with Gaga: “She’s a really great singer and I’d never heard her sing quite that style before. Not exactly. We did it live in the room and that was a great experience, her just coming in the room and her just opening up and seeing her bits and feeling her way and then getting more confident. And then we came back and then did some extra parts that we hadn’t done on the day and then we did some tidying up and we were just in the overdub room, really face-to-face, getting them really tight, the parts really tight, and then being slightly competitive and screaming.”
Of ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, he elaborated:
It’s all played live. And of course we did overdubs, but it’s all played in the room. Yeah, there’s that moment, especially in that session where we had Stevie, and you’re feeling your way out a little bit and then you do that soul ending, which is you do sometimes on stage where you stop and you start. It’s very kind of tried and tested redoubling thing. But, yeah, I mean, it really feels like, yeah, it is played live… it was a good moment… we played it with Keith and Ronnie when we were in The Bahamas when we more or less finished everything. But we hadn’t mixed it then, so then we mixed it, I mixed it with the mixer and Andy [Andrew Watt] and we were in three places. And then when we finished mixing it, we had a sort of three-way playback. And, yeah, it’s a really good moment when you play something. And it’s always a great moment when you play it back like that. And, “Wow, we finished it and it sounds really good, and we’re pleased with it.” Because if we hadn’t been pleased with it, we’ve had to have change it. You’ve got to choose the right songs because we recorded a lot more songs than this. And then to choose a set of songs, these aren’t necessarily even, you might prefer one than the other, but they will come out. The other ones will come out. But choose a good balance of the songs you’ve recorded.
Hackney Diamonds, the band’s first full album of original material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, comes out on October 20.
Animal Collective are back with a new album, 
Daniel Lopatin has returned with a new Oneohtrix Point Never album: 
Wilco have released their 13th studio album, 
Slow Pulp have dropped their second LP and 
Armand Hammer – the duo of NYC rappers billy woods and Elucid – have put out a new album titled 
Jorja Smith is back with her second studio album, 
Ariel Engle has unveiled her sophomore LP as La Force. 
Molly Burch has followed up 2021’s Romantic Images with a new album, 
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