If you love first-person shooter games, there’s no way you don’t love Call of Duty. Since its release in 2003, it has been one of the most sought-after shooting games in the world of gaming. Every Windows user probably has the game installed on their PCs. On the other hand, some don’t have it easy — Mac owners. Until this day, they ask if they can play Call of Duty on Mac.
Stay until the end of the article and find the answer to the ultimate question.
Is It Possible to Play Call of Duty on Mac?
Mac users might want to grab a pail to catch their tears. Because EaseUs says that Call of Duty is still not available natively on Mac. According to the article, the developers of the games still haven’t designed an environment where the game will be compatible with a Mac. More than 20 years later, and still nothing.
Similarly, CloudDeck explains that Call of Duty games like Black Ops are not available on the Apple device because of two factors. First, the market size is way smaller compared to Windows. That means it’s less profitable. Second, the technical considerations are complex. That means more work for developers.
Even so, there are still ways for users to play Call of Duty on Mac. But be prepared to exert extra effort.
Workarounds to Play Call of Duty on Mac
Yes, some Call of Duty titles once ran on earlier versions of Mac. But newer models are not compatible with the game. To play, here are a few options to consider:
Cloud Gaming Services
Cloud gaming services do not require installing Windows on a Mac. With only a stable internet, players can stream Call of Duty games. Some choices are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or CloudDeck.
Parallels Desktop
Parallels allows gamers to run Windows OS on a Mac. It works like a launcher to operate a virtual environment.
Boot Camp
Boot Camp lets Mac users boot Windows OS natively.
Ideal System Requirements
Based on Steam, the minimum system specs to play Call of Duty are:
OS: Windows 10 – 64 Bit (latest update)
RAM: 8 GB
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 or Intel Core i5-6600 or Intel Arc A580
Also, SetApp says that the MacBook Pro 14 (M3 Pro) is ideal for mid-range gaming. For your reference, here are the basic specs of the device:
GPU: Apple M3 Pro (14-core GPU)
CPU: Apple M3 Pro (11-core CPU)
Storage: 512GB SSD
RAM: 18GB
Mac Alternatives for Call of Duty
Nova Drift
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Sniper Elite 4
Operation Wrap-Up
With several alternatives to consider, users would never feel like Mac does not directly support the game. A perfect setup will allow gamers to play Call of Duty on Mac. Now go out there, soldier!
Life simulation games don’t get more iconic than The Sims 4. It’s an alternate world for those who want to escape reality through gaming. With Sims, players will have the freedom to create stories, build houses, and live the Sims’ lives. In other words, it’s an outlet for many people. While it’s known that the game works on Windows, others are asking if they can play Sims 4 on Mac.
Well, read the article and find out!
Is It Possible to Play The Sims 4 on Mac?
According to MacKeeper, users can definitely play The Sims 4 on Mac devices. However, they have to ensure that they meet the required Mac system requirements. Otherwise, players will struggle to download the game or encounter poor performance when playing.
Based on the guide from EA Help, the Mac system requirements to run the game are categorized as follows:
Minimum Mac System Requirements
macOS X 10.15 (Catalina) or later
CPU – Intel Core i3-3225 3.53 GHz or better
Graphics Card – Support for Metal. Intel HD 4000 (Integrated graphics) or better
Hard Drive – 26GB of free space
RAM – 4GB
Recommended Mac System Requirements
macOS X 10.15 (Catalina) or later
CPU – Intel Core i5 better
Graphics Card – Intel HD and Iris Graphics from the HD 4000 series or newer.
Hard Drive – 51GB of free space
RAM – 8GB
Similarly, users won’t need to install Boot Camp or Parallels since Sims 4 can run natively on Mac. At the same time, the Mac version essentially provides the same experience as on Windows. But, of course, it’s nice to manage expectations depending on the device’s specs.
Where to Download The Sims 4 on Mac
The safest and most direct download options include:
Origin – Go to the Origin Website of the game and hit download.
EA App – Create an EA account and download the game.
Steam – It’s Mac-compatible and often on sale.
As of writing, the base game of The Sims 4 is free. However, players can also purchase expansions and games to unlock additional features.
Mac Alternatives for The Sims 4
If Sims 4 isn’t living up to the dream, then these similar games might do the magic:
Paralives (Soon to launch)
House Flipper
RimWorld
Cities: Skylines
Simmer’s Wrap-Up
The Sims 4 on Mac is a perfect combination. A match made in heaven. The game runs smoothly on the Apple device. Just make sure that the system requirements are met. With a Mac, the only Windows that matter are the ones needed for a house — pun intended.
Jens Lekman has announced his first solo album in eight years. Songs for Other People’s Weddings, a companion record to a book of the same name by Lekman and bestselling author David Levithan, is out September 12 via Secretly Canadian; the novel will be published August 5 via Abrams Books. The delightful lead single ‘Candy From a Stranger’ arrives today alongside a Rena Johnson-directed video. Check it out below and scroll down for the album cover, tracklist, and Lekman’s upcoming tour dates.
Songs for Other People’s Weddings draws inspiration from Lekman’s own experience as a wedding singer, following the release of ‘If You Ever Need A Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding)’ in 2004. “It was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but people took it very seriously and started asking me to actually play at their weddings,” Lekman explained. “Which I did happily; it was an honor. In the 2010s, when streaming made it harder to make a living from music, the wedding gigs became a way to get by financially, and also gave new meaning to music itself.”
The Swedish singer-songwriter approached Levithan (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) about working on a project together before the pandemic. “I’m a novelist with an interest in love songs, and Jens and I have corresponded ever since I got in touch with him in 2005, after listening to his album on repeat while writing a book,” Levithan recalled. “I wanted to thank him for the soundtrack. We kept in touch over the years, and shortly before the pandemic, he approached me with the idea for a novel about an indie musician who plays weddings. I was intrigued. To make it a true collaboration, I suggested we add a twist: that the wedding singer writes an original song for each couple, based on a conversation with them about their love (which Jens had done before, but not for every wedding.) Half the chapters of the book would be written with me telling the story of the wedding first and Jens having to supply the couple’s song after. The other half would start with Jens giving me a song, and then me having to come up with the story that led to the song.”
The new song, according to Lekman, “is the point in the story where the lovers meet for the first time, or do they?” He went on:
The idea to make a narrative concept album (a rock opera?) felt forbidden. Which, for me, is usually a sign that I’m on the right path. While investigating the genre of narrative concept albums, I realized that one of my all-time favorite albums, Frank Sinatra’s Watertown, was in fact just that– a record that told a chronological story over the length of an LP. Having never been a fan of musicals or rock operas, this album served as inspiration.
I wrote the album while the book was still being written and, at some points, I started imagining what happened between the book’s chapters. The book and the album eventually became intertwined but also found their own paths. The book provided the structure of the story, but the album sometimes snuck behind the scenes. Stories from the songs made their way into the book and vice versa.
Lekman concluded: “While this story is very much about a relationship and how it’s reflected through the relationships and weddings of others, most of all I think it’s a love story about music and its value in a time when it’s been devalued and turned into content by tech companies. Its ability to soothe and connect and its role in the transitional moments of our lives such as weddings. It’s a love song to love songs.”
Songs for Other People’s Weddings Cover Artwork:
Songs for Other People’s Weddings Tracklist:
1. The First Lovesong
2. A Tuxedo Sewn for Two
3. Candy from a Stranger
4. Two Little Pigs
5. Speak to Me in Music
6. With You I Can Hear My Own Voice
7. I Want to Want You Again
8. GOT-JFK
9. Wedding in Brooklyn
10. For Skye
11. Increasingly Obsolete
12. On a Pier, On the Hudson
13. Wedding in Leipzig
14. LEJ-GOT
15. You Have One New Message
16. Just for One Moment
17. The Last Lovesong
Jens Lekman 2025 Tour Dates:
Nov 8 – Minneapolis, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall
9 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Nov 10 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall
Nov 12 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair
Nov 13 – Northampton, MA – Iron Horse
Nov 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Nov 16 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Nov 17 – Washington, D.C. – Union Stage
Nov 19 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Nov 21 – Atlanta, GA – The EARL
Nov 22 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In
Nov 24 – Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum
Nov 25 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
Nov 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
Nov 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
Nov 30 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Dec 2 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
Dec 3 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
Grumpy – the NYC based-project of Heaven Schmitt – has announced a new EP, Piebald. The follow-up to last year’s Wolfed EP lands on September 26 via Bayonet. Check out the infatuated lead single ‘Crush’ below.
In a statement about the track, Schmitt explained:
Crush was written years ago, during a time when I kept finding myself at the edge of saying “I love you,” but not quite. It was about all the crushes I’d ever had, but more specifically, it was about one person. They had actually written me a song called “Crush” first, and this was my response.
At the time, I was engaged and in an open relationship. That familiar rush of a new crush was there, but something about this one felt different, like it could turn my whole life upside down. And, in some ways, it did. Though we eventually settled into friendship, I look back on this as the beginning of the end, the realization that– shit, I’m gayer than I thought, and ultimately it led to the end of my marriage to our drummer (and beloved friend) Austin Arnold.
Crush was the first song I wrote about them. It’s about the thrill of obsession, of possibility. Flower, which came out last year on our EP Wolfed, was about the other side of that story: the peace that comes with letting go, and allowing something once-romantic to transform into deep friendship.
Run for Cover Records has announced a tribute album dedicated to the late Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. singer-songwriter Jason Molina. It features MJ Lenderman, Sun June, Hand Habits, Advance Base, Friendship, Horse Jumper of Love, Runnner, Another Michael, Teen Suicide, and more. Lenderman’s plaintive rendition of ‘Just Be Simple’ and Sun June’s gorgeous version of ‘Leave the City’ are out now. Take a listen below.
Run For Cover founder Jeff Casazza put the project together with brothers Chris and Ben Swanson, co-founders of Molina’s longtime label, Secretly Canadian. “We had the blessing of people who were very close to Jason,” Casazza said in a press release, “and I knew we could do something really cool with an important body of work.”
I Will Swim to You: A Tribute to Jason Molina arrives on September 5, with a portion of the benefiting the nonprofit MusiCares. The compilation takes its title from a line on Molina’s song ‘Lioness’. Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy, who covered the track, said: “Many try to walk the line between melancholic honesty and poetic affluence and fall short, but Jason Molina’s raw articulate devastation goes unparalleled.”
I Will Swim to You: A Tribute to Jason Molina Cover Artwork:
I Will Swim to You: A Tribute to Jason Molina Tracklist:
1. Just Be Simple (MJ Lenderman)
2. Blue Factory Flame (Horse Jumper of Love)
3. The Dark Don’t Hide It (Trace Mountains)
4. Leave The City (Sun June)
5. When Your Love Has Gone (Runnner)
6. The Old Black Hen (Sadurn)
7. Everything Should Try Again (Advance Base)
8. Lioness (Hand Habits)
9. Whip Poor Will (Teen Suicide)
10. Hard To Love A Man (Friendship)
11. Shadow Answers The Wall (Lutalo)
12. Farewell Transmission (Another Michael)
Rich in mythology, The Sandman is the kind of high-concept TV show you can tell was made with care for the source material. Based on Neil Gaiman’s popular comics, it slowly but surely draws viewers in. Before you know it, you’re invested in the story and mesmerised by the surreal imagery unfolding on screen.
Back with season 2, the show quickly climbed the streaming service’s global Top 10, making it to the number 2 spot with 5.3 million views in only a few days. The fact that it’s been almost three years since The Sandman debuted only makes its return more savory. Are there additional episodes on the way?
The Sandman Season 3 Release Date
We’re sorry to break it to you, but the second season will also be the show’s last. The announcement was made a while ago, giving devoted fans a little time to digest the blow.
While The Sandman season 3 isn’t happening, there is still something to look forward to. Season 2 was split into two volumes, with the final batch of episodes scheduled to drop on Netflix on July 24.
In other words, if you’ve already binged the six episodes currently available, five more are on the way.
The Sandman Cast
Tom Sturridge as Lord Morpheus / Dream
Kirby as Death
Alexander Park as Desire
Donna Preston as Despair
Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar
Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne
Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven
What Could Happen in the The Sandman Season 3?
The show follows Dream, also known as Morpheus, the powerful and immortal ruler of a realm that shapes all dreams and nightmares.
When The Sandman kicks off, Dream escapes after being held prisoner for over a century. He sets out to restore his shattered kingdom and reclaim his stolen tools of power. This means journeying through mystical lands and dealing with gods, demons, and mortals.
Season 2 deepens the show’s themes of destiny, regret, and transformation. Dream and Delirium search for their missing brother, Destruction, which leads to an emotionally fraught trip across realms.
Without giving away spoilers, Dream makes a haunting choice at the end of Volume 1. His devastating move is sure to have dire consequences when the next episodes arrive on July 24.
All in all, The Sandman season 3 may not happen, but there is still the last stretch to get hyped about. The stakes are high, and Volume 2 will likely play with viewers’ feelings. Even if you’ve read the comics, you might not be ready for what the series has in store.
“As in Season 1, our adaptation aims to be faithful to the movements of Dream’s story, but in a way that I hope will surprise the book’s loyal fans,” showrunner Allan Heinberg told Tudum.
Better gear up for an exciting final ride.
Are There Other Shows Like The Sandman?
Is dark fantasy what you’re after? You might also enjoy Good Omens, American Gods, Solo Leveling, His Dark Materials, The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, or Shadow and Bone.
Long-running series Supernatural might be up your alley as well.
A recounting of one of the most devastating terror attacks on British soil was always going to draw in viewers.
Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers debuted on Netflix on July 1 and is currently the streamer’s third most-watched series globally. It also made the Top 10 in 61 countries.
Across four episodes, the series offers a compelling account of the July 7, 2005, London bombings. It also covers the chaos of the manhunt that followed. But is a sequel on the horizon?
Attack on London Season 2 Release Date
If you were hoping for more insight into the events surrounding the tragedy, Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers season 2 is unlikely. This is a limited series, so the four episodes currently streaming are probably all there is.
That said, the series does an excellent job of offering a multi-perspective account of the bombings. By the time you’re done, you’ll probably have a deep understanding of how the attack shaped Britain moving forward.
Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers Cast
Doug McKenna
Tony Blair
Eliza Manningham-Buller
Bask Victory
Peter Clarke
Dan Biddle
Peter Merritt
What Is Attack on London About?
Using never-before-seen archive footage, the series opens with details of the attacks.
Three coordinated suicide bombings took place on London Underground trains. They exploded around 8:49 AM at Aldgate, Edgware Road, and Russell Square. About an hour later, a fourth bomb detonated on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square.
The attacks killed 52 people and injured over 700. London’s emergency systems struggled in the aftermath, fueling the panic and confusion.
The series also covers a related set of bombings that failed two weeks later and the police shooting of an innocent man. It features interviews with family members of the victims and survivors, as well as former MI5 Director General Eliza Manningham-Buller and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
All throughout, the docuseries unfolds like a thriller. It doesn’t limit its perspective to the investigation, but touches on the media and political context, making it more comprehensive. It’s also occasionally horrifying and emotionally heavy, which makes it an engrossing watch.
Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers season 2 might not be a thing, but the four episodes currently available are more than enough to provide an in-depth analysis of the tragedy.
K-drama Our Unwritten Seoul wrapped up its first season on Netflix, and the viewership numbers look good.
The series has already spent six weeks in the global Top 10 and is currently ranking in 26 countries. This proves there’s still demand for compelling slice-of-life stories that revolve around interesting characters.
While the premise is kind of kooky, the show delivers a beautifully crafted story about two sisters embarking on a healing journey. Should we expect more?
Our Unwritten Seoul Season 2 Release Date
At the time of writing, there’s sadly no news about a potential Our Unwritten Seoul Season 2. Not only that, but Netflix has it listed as a limited series, so there’s a good chance season 1 is all we get.
The show aired on South Korean TV channel tvN, and it’s fairly rare to see a Korean drama renewed for additional episodes. Even so, never say never. While the story wrapped up in a satisfying fashion, it could easily find a way to bring the characters back for more.
Our Unwritten Seoul Cast
Park Bo-young as Yoo Mi-ji / Yoo Mi-rae
Park Jin-young as Lee Ho-soo
Ryu Kyung-soo as Han Se-jin
Jang Young-nam as Kim Ok-hee
Cha Mi-kyung as Kang Wol-soon
What Could Happen in Our Unwritten Seoul Season 2?
The series revolves around twin sisters Mi‑ji and Mi‑rae. They may look identical, but live entirely different lives. Mi‑ji works contract jobs while caring for her family, and Mi‑rae is a high-achieving finance professional in Seoul.
However, while Mi‑rae may be successful, she’s also emotionally exhausted. When she faces a personal crisis, Mi‑ji steps in and the two sisters secretly swap lives. Stepping into each other’s shoes leads them to learn new things about themselves and each other.
Our Unwritten Seoul explores themes related to identity, burnout, and family, with a healthy dose of romance sprinkled in for good measure. Additionally, Park Bo-young delivers a wonderful dual performance, embodying both sisters with so much grace you’ll forget that the actor is pulling double duty.
By the end of the available episodes, both sisters embark on new, exciting chapters. It’s a hopeful ending, but it leaves plenty of future stories for exploration. If Our Unwritten Seoul season 2 happens, it could follow Mi‑ji and Mi‑rae on new adventures, maybe following a time jump.
Are There Other Shows Like Our Unwritten Seoul?
If you enjoyed Our Unwritten Seoul, you might be looking for a fresh infusion of K-dramas. We recommend checking out Alchemy of Souls, Tastefully Yours, and When Life Gives You Tangerines.
WOOM, who were featured in our Artist Spotlight series back in 2021, have announced a new EP called To Slow You. It arrives August 28 via House Anxiety. The disquieting lead single ‘Slow You’, which highlights the group’s hauntingly arranged harmonies, comes paired with a video from director Billy Howard Price. Check it out below.
“It’s a song about confronting the shadow parts of ourselves—the fears and anxieties that follow us around like ghosts,” WOOM explained in a press release. “It’s about acknowledging them in order to let go, to ‘give up the ghost,’ and find a way to slow down in this fast-moving world. The track was born out of hours of looping and experimentation, we played with the voice and production intuitively and ended up echoing the songs themes; vocal effects that feel almost possessed, wordless breaths and hums building rhythm communicating something internal, and a lamenting saxophone that weaves through it all, all building toward a final moment of release.”
To Slow You Cover Artwork:
To Slow You Tracklist:
1. Be Brave
2. Circe
3. Welts
4. Slow You
5. The Dance
There’s so much music coming out all the time that it’s hard to keep track. On those days when the influx of new tracks is particularly overwhelming, we sift through the noise to bring you a curated list of the most interesting new releases (the best of which will be added to our Best New Songs playlist). Below, check out our track roundup for Wednedsay, July 9, 2025.
Jay Som – ‘Float’ [feat. Jim Adkins] and ‘A Million Reasons Why’
Jay Som has announced her first new album in over six years, Belong, which features Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Jim Adkins (of Jimmy Eat World), and more. Along with the announcement, she’s shared two singles, the chugging alt-rock tune ‘Float’ (featuring Adkins) and the more psychedelic and contemplative ‘A Million Reasons Why’. “This song is about desperately trying to hold on to past versions of yourself for self-preservation,” Melina Duterte said of ‘Float’. “The fear of the unknown is so overwhelming that sometimes the best solution is to sit with it instead of fighting or running from it.” Adkins added, “Melina is an absolute professional in all aspects of music creation. I am honoured she had space in her vision for me to contribute. And it was a lot of fun to work on. Great song!”
Soulwax – ‘All Systems Are Living’ and ‘Run Free’
Soulwax – the Belgian electronic music duo of brothers David and Stephen Dewaele – have announced their first LP in seven years. All Systems Are Lying is out October 17, and today’s announcement comes with the release of two new songs: the title track and ‘Run Free’. The first is eerily captivating, while the latter is more straightforwardly infectious. The pair describes the record as “a rock album made without any electric guitars,” adding, “We wanted to capture the feeling of a band playing electronic instruments—live, loud and loose. This record is the result of that experiment.”
Rocket – ‘Wide Awake’
Rocket have already shared an impressive couple of singles this year, including ‘One Million’ and ‘Crossing Fingers’, and now they’re back with ‘Wide Awake’, a vivacious track that leads their debut album R is for Rocket. The record “is about relationships, the most important part of life; relationships with your friends, your parents, your girlfriend or boyfriend, and most importantly your relationship with yourself,” according to the band. “‘Wide Awake’ is the perfect balance of all the elements of this record, after years in the making and countless versions, we’re excited to finally share it.”
Agriculture – ‘Bodhidharma’
Agriculture have announced a new album, The Spiritual Sound, arriving October 3 via The Flenser. To accompany the news, they’ve shared ‘Bodhidharma’, which is brutally dynamic. “Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, was an Indian monk who famously stared at the wall of a cave for nine years,” the band’s Dan Meyer explained. “He even cut off his eyelids in order to prevent himself from falling asleep. At one time, another monk approached him in his cave and pleaded ‘master, my head is on fire with anxiety, can you pacify my mind?’ Bodhidharma just kept staring at the wall and Huike waited outside of the cave all night until he was buried in snow up to his waist. Finally, as a gesture of desperation he cut off his arm and offered it to the great master. Huike later became Bodhidharma’s successor.”
Lip Critic – ‘Mirror Match’ and ‘Second Life’
Lip Critic have served up two warped, frenetic tracks: ‘Mirror Match’ and ‘Second Life’. The band’s Bret Kaser explained:
We were on tour near the end of 2024 and had just played our LA show. We had a two day gap before our next show in Santa Ana so we got a room at the hotel Casa Grande. That night after the drive I fell asleep watching Randy Johnson highlight reels. All the great moments from his time as a Diamondback, as well as his years on the Yankees and the Giants.
That night I had a dream I met a tall man with a body made entirely of radiant light wearing a baseball cap. He opened his arms and from them came two perpendicular rays that shot around me to form the shape of a diamond. When the tips of the rays connected I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. It shook me so much that I woke up in a jolt. I woke to see that I had been writhing in my sleep and had completely displaced the other 3 members I had been sharing this queen bed with.
I apologized and brushed it off as another bad dream brought on by a late night binging baseball history videos on YouTube. Upon checking my phone, I saw I had received a text in the night from a number I didn’t recognize, offering us two days of unexpected studio time.
When we arrived at the studio that day, he opened the door wearing a fitted baseball cap, towering over our band with an average height of 5’8”. I instantly felt a familiarity. As he showed us around I felt a sense of having returned, like visiting your old elementary school once again for a younger siblings’ graduation. He led us to the control room which was equipped with a speaker system large enough for a room quadruple the size. He stood at one corner and I sat in a chair directly opposite. The square room shifted to a diamond by our perspectives.
He turned the speakers up and without hesitation played us through a whirlwind of different music at an unbelievable volume, and I was engulfed in a thunderous sound, like that of a waterfall. “Mirror Match” and “Second Life” were two tracks made and completed in the two days at his studio.
Softcult – ‘Naive’
Softcult are back with an ethereal, sparkling tune called ‘Naive’, which is about “the moment the scales fall from our eyes after we realize we’ve been romanticizing someone or the idea of someone,” according to the duo.
Total Wife – ‘second spring’
Total Wife, the Nashville experimental duo of Luna Kupper and Ash Richter, have announced a new record on They Are Gutting a Body of Water leader Douglas Dulgarian’s label Julia’s War. Come Back Down is set to arrive September 19, and it’s led by ‘second spring’, a song that starts out understated before fuzzing itself out in enchanting ways. “Ash started the lyrics for this song in early spring of 2020, and worked them out over the next few years before Luna wrote this song, which helped her finish them,” the band explained. “’Hard to remember, but flowers will bloom with or without you,’ is from the same poem that ‘Reveal Sky’, was written from (total wife Self-Titled LP, ‘It’s easy to forget that it’s spring, staring through grey-blue drywall’).”
Debby Friday – ‘Bet on Me’
Debby Friday’s dance-leaning sophomore album The Starrr of the Queen Of Life is imminent, and today we get to hear the hazy yet kinetic ‘Bet on Me’; the chanted vocals are a particularly delightful touch. Debby Friday co-directed the song’s accompanying video with frequent collaborator Kevan Funk.
Anand Wilder – ‘Bog People’
Former Yeasayer member Anand Wilder has announced a new album, Psychic Lessons, out August 22, with a peppy psych-pop jam called ‘Bog People’. Wilder, who worked on the new record with co-producer Jachary (L’Rain, Tasha) and Yeasayer collaborator Walter Fancourt, commented: “Walter Fancourt and I had made this sort of ’90s sounding boy band inspired beat with screechy synth bends, so I just laid three chords over it and really went for it in a ’90s alt-rock vein. And I hope the video captures some of that fisheye lens, VHS-style, ’90s fun. Directed by Patrick Drummond (Starcleaner Reunion), with some extra footage shot by my seven-year-old daughter Zazie and childhood friend Bernard Feinsod, I wanted it to look like a ’90s Beastie Boys video or something. We shot the nightclub dream sequence at the Rodeo Bar, where I DJ vinyl Third Tuesdays of every month.”
“So it’s kind of like a conversation between a know-it-all museum tour guide and a horrified museumgoer with scraps of anthropological history describing all these little details from what we think we know about this ritual sacrifice, combined with my poetic conjecture trying to get inside the minds of the people. Was it a punishment or a reward? Were the onlookers jealous or hysterical? And who is being offered up for sacrifice today.”
Ivy – ‘Fragile People’
Ivy have hared a new single from Traces of You, a new album built from demos and song fragments dating from between 1995 to 2012. Blurring the line between vulnerability and resilience, ‘Fragile People’ is as dreamy as it is affecting. The track “resonated with Dominique and I deeply in the aftermath of losing Adam,” the band’s Andy Chase explained. “This is one of the few songs that would constantly bring us to tears even as Bruce, Dominique and I were writing it.”
Modern Nature – ‘Source’
Modern Nature have released a meditative, politically-charged track called ‘Source’, lifted off their forthcoming album The Heat Warps. Frontman Jack Cooper explained that the song “was written in the aftermath of the 2024 UK riots, which were sparked by a campaign of misinformation aimed at asylum seekers. I found myself watching live streams of them unfolding on YouTube, despairing at what I was seeing but oddly gripped. These communities are like the one I grew up in. It’s easy to condemn them and of course their actions were appalling, yet amongst all that hate, you could see people desperate for community and collectivism. I wanted to write something about how I saw it and it turned into this strangely uplifting song in the vein of ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ or the Beta Band’s ‘Dry The Rain’. I was going to send it to Liam Gallagher but then Oasis reformed…”
Fletcher Tucker – ‘To Light a Fire’ [feat. Phil Elverum]
Fletcher Tucker has enlisted Phil Elverum for ‘To Light a Fire’, a meditative track that taps into an elemental power. “The first half of this song depicts a moment of real life high drama, where my wife and I were caught in a white-out blizzard in the Northern Sierra,” the artist explained. “We survived the night beside a giant bonfire—we did not know my wife was only a few weeks pregnant at the time. Several months later on the summer solstice our daughter was born, the second part of this song describes her birth from a mythic, ceremonial vantage”
Gwenno – ‘Utopia’
Ahead of the release of her new album Utopia this Friday, Gwenno has offered the lovely title track. According to press materials, the track “paints a picture of someone living their life against the rapidly fading colors of Las Vegas.”
Low Girl – ‘Handbrake’
Low Girl – which started as the solo project of frontwoman Sarah Cosgrove but has expanded to include her sibling Tom Cosgrove (drums), bassist/guitarist Bradley Taylor, and keyboardist Toby Morgan – have announced their debut album. Due October 22, Is It Too Late To Freak Out? is led by the gauzy single ‘Handbrake’, which features a neat flute section. “This track came about on a gloomy November evening through Bradley, myself, and a Mac,” Cosgrove recalled. “We had just finished touring with October Drift, and I had a case of the post-tour blues. Some of that angst evidently bled into the track, but lyrically ‘Handbrake’ deals with themes of guilt and desperation. I think, like many of the album tracks, I’m expressing things I was too passive to articulate in the moment.”
Fraternal Twin – ‘Evil Eye’
Fraternal Twin have returned with a languidly ominous track called ‘Evil’. It’s the New York indie band’s first new offering since 2016’s Homeworlding.
End It – ‘Life Sublime’
End It have dropped a mean-sounding, anthemic new single from their upcoming Wrong Side of Heaven called ‘Life Sublime’. It arrives with a music video directed by Noah Haycock, Aaron Patrick, and Alex Futtersak.
Restraining Order – ‘Know Not’
If you’re up for another dose of riveting hardcore punk with ‘Know Not’, the latest from Massachusetts-based band Restraining Order. It’s taken from their new album Future Fortune, which arrives September 12.
Joviale – ‘Let Me Down’
Joviale, who’s set to go on tour with Nourished By Time in November, has dropped ‘Let Me Down’, the catchy third single from their debut full-length, Mount Crystal (out September 12 via Ghostly International). “Desire can turn when pride becomes involved,” Joviale said of the song.
