I wasn’t a huge fan of ‘Flowers’ when it first came out. Musically, it seemed to signal a shift from the broad new wave/classic rock revivalism of 2020’s Plastic Hearts to something more distinctly disco-indebted, a stylistic pivot that would make sense but wasn’t particularly exciting. Emotionally, the song cycles through heartbreak with such familiar ease that it seems disinterested in selling its own message of self-care. On repeated listens, and as the single became an inescapable hit, this unmarred composure felt like part of the point: if there’s any kind of acceptance here, it’s growingly wearied and distant, a tentative step in the journey of self-discovery rather than a point of arrival. On streaming services, Endless Summer Vacation is bookended by a demo (or rather “demoified”) version of the track, which does a much better job of evoking the very real and lonely sense of regret that simmers at the heart of the song. It’s a fitting conclusion that also sounds just like the start.
All this to say that, refreshingly, you can talk about Endless Summer Vacation as more than a disco-inspired or breakup album. It’s about more than which persona Cyrus has decided to embrace at this particular stage in her career. That doesn’t mean it’s not overall messy or underwhelming in execution, but its conflicted yet generally relaxed mood makes for an intriguing listen, showing a willingness to mess with the nuances of big emotions rather than merely their presentation. Cyrus has said that Endless Summer Vacation is vaguely divided into two parts, ‘AM’ and ‘PM’, but they don’t form a neat or cohesive narrative. Across both sides, there’s more of a split between songs that lean toward the bruised, breezy melancholy of ‘Flowers’ and those more closely aligned with its quiet rendition, earnest and direct in their yearning. There are hits and misses on both ends of the spectrum, though the album’s shakiness has less to do with Cyrus’ presence than whether the music is able to match it.
For the most part, the endless part of Endless Summer Vacation feels ironic, or at least a false promise. But for a brief moment on ‘Rose Colored Lenses’, Cyrus relishes the possibilities: “Let’s stay like this forever,” she offers, caught under the daze of production (courtesy of Harry Styles collaborators Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson) that’s inviting if not entirely convincing, before it naturally dissipates. ‘You’, a more straightforward R&B ballad, puts the singer’s personality front and center as she craves “That late-night sweet magic, that forever-lasting love” – perhaps a different kind of forever. By the time we reach ‘Violet Chemistry’, a synth-infused track with an assist from James Blake, Cyrus brings togeher those different shades of desire, admitting that this connection “may not be eternal but nocturnal, nothin’ more” while colourfully stretching out the song. There’s a rather rich interplay between feeling and sound, but elsewhere, the meeting of ideas feels incongruous. Songs like ‘Thousand Miles’ or ‘Handstand’ come across as lackluster and directionless, either sticking too closely to the script, or, in the case of ‘Handstand’ (a Harmony Korine co-write), veering so far out of bounds that it becomes a bewildering centerpiece.
The second side offers more stylistic variation, but the results are once again mixed. There’s something funny about the fact that a song called ‘Wildcard’ is followed by one of the tamest and most laidback songs on the album, ‘Island’, in which Cyrus asks, “Am I stranded on an island/ Or have I landed in paradise?” Like ‘Flowers’, both of these songs have a weird way of undercutting their own weight, but they at least feel like they belong on the same album. Second single ‘River’ should have been the first: a fierce, sultry banger that actually delivers the sort of maximalism much of Endless Summer Vacation has been hinting at, while the closing piano ballad ‘Wonder Woman’ benefits from its universal simplicity and a striking vocal performance (“She makes sure that no one’s ’round to see her fall apart/ She wants to be the one that never does,” she sings, her delivery subtly landing closer to the existential dies). Cyrus proves these different sides can peacefully co-exist; it’s just a shame she rarely commits to any particular direction, coasting on a strange middle ground that sounds like fun until you’re desperate to move on and get back to work.
Sofia Kourtesis has released a new single, ‘Madres’. It marks the Berlin-based artist’s first new music since last year’s Manu Chao-featuring track ‘Estación Esperanza’. Check it out below.
Speaking about ‘Madres’, Kourtesis said in a statement:
This song is about my mother, her mother, my sisters who are mothers, my brothers who are mothers, and all the LGBTQIA+ members who are mothers to their communities. Madres has no gender. Madres loves to protect the ones you love. If you get lost, follow your mother’s voice, they will always bring you back. I also want to dedicate this song to Peter Vajkoczy, a brain surgeon who has become the hope of my own mother! He gives people hope by daring the most complicated surgeries in the world; he believes in miracles, love, and the strength to protect loved ones. Life goes by quickly. Life is fragile.
Kourtesis shared her latest EP, Fresia Magdalena, in 2021.
Midwife (aka Madeline Johnston) and Angel Diaz (Vyva Melinkolya) have announced a new collaborative album. The 5-song project is titled Orbweaving, and it arrives May 12 via the Flenser. Its first single, ‘NMP’, is out today, and you can check it out below.
Orbweaving was recorded in the Chihuahuan Desert during the summer of 2021. According to a press release, “the record explores themes hopelessness, calling on a higher power, being alone, and the sublime horror of the natural world” and “seeks to thematically and sonically create a web like structure – a gauze of sorrow and visceral connective thread.”
Esther Rose has released the title track from her forthcoming album, Safe to Run, which is out April 21 on New West Records. A duet with Alynda Segarra of Hurray for the Riff Raff, the track follows the record’s lead single ‘Chet Baker’. Check it out via the Rett Rogers-directed video below.
Safe to Run, the follow-up to 2021’s How Many Times, was produced by Ross Farbe. “Sonically, Ross and I threw every idea we had on this song and it absorbed everything as if it were just this mega-powerful container,” Rose said of ‘Safe to Run’ in a statement. “We built so many layers into the outro. I love Ross’s counter-melody on the Mellotron and the high-pitched 1-note synth drone which he refers to as ‘the angels.’ Nick Cohon, of Bay Area death metal band Cormorant, brought the doom by arranging the ascending guitar outro. It was so meaningful to collaborate with Alynda Segarra and to hear the song start to fly. Alynda’s voice is this expertly tuned muscle; when they sing, you feel everything.”
Have you ever thought, what’s the difference between live and online casino? Well, this article will hopefully answer all of your questions. It can be confusing to differentiate between the two, but luckily, we are here to help.
Whichever you decide to enjoy, you can play Griffon casino live games anytime, anywhere – as long as you have a stable internet connection.
Keep reading to find out more…
Authentic or electronic?
A live casino game offers the chance to play with a live dealer, who will deal the cards in front of you, so you can see the action taking place in real-time, from the comfort of your own home. Or, if you are playing Roulette, you can see the wheel spinning on screen. Whereas online casino games, which aren’t live, use a Random Number Generator (RNG) to deal the cards, or to select a number/colour the wheel will land on.
Communication
In a live casino game, you will be playing against other players from across the world, where you can message them in the live chat box. Online casino games typically don’t allow you to communicate with other players, but in the live casino environment, you’re able to interact with the rest of your table.
Game selection
Both variations of game play offer a range of games, however online casinos do usually offer more than live casino games. This is because they can have a large amount of versions of one particular game; for example Blackjack could have up to ten different variations. Live casinos tend to have less games, this is mainly due to the fact that they require a live dealer who has had professional training to host the game.
Game experience
Both variations of casinos have a lot of games for you to consider, but they offer a different kind of gaming experience. So typically, online casinos have games that offer a solitary experience. This means the games will focus on a singular player. On the other hand, you have live casino games which offer a multiplayer experience, this is because a single game can cater to multiple players all at once. Plus, you don’t have to wait for a space at the table like you would in a land-based venue!
Relaxed gaming style
Despite the differences, both of these game types do offer one similarity –they both offer a more relaxed approach to gaming. If you attend a land-based casino you would most likely dress to impress, whereas when you play online you don’t have to worry about a dress code!
Do remember, whichever way you prefer to play, you should always set budget limits and make sure you are betting with money that you can afford to lose.
So, which type of gaming style do you prefer?
Do you like to play online casino games, with a RNG, or are you someone who likes to virtually sit at the casino table? Or, if you are new to both gaming types, is there one you prefer the sound of and will likely try first?
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Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly.
Whether you have recently started a business or you are looking for ways to make an existing one more efficient, you could benefit from outsourcing services. Choosing to outsource aspects of your business you don’t have expertise in is an efficient way to grow a business successfully. Read on to find out more about the most common services you can outsource in your business.
Customer Services
When it comes to building a successful brand, nothing could be more important than customer service. The point of contact between customers and the company is a chance to develop a relationship and build brand loyalty, but only if you resolve queries efficiently and successfully.
Some companies use in-house customer service solutions, which is fine if you operate a smaller business and have the right staff available, but as the business grows, you will find that outsourcing customer services is a good way to manage large volumes and maintain standards.
Marketing Services
Every business needs a marketing solution to get its products in front of the right customers, but not every business has the best personnel in place. Outsourcing your marketing department is an excellent way to develop marketing practices that work for your business and your industry.
Digital marketing is an excellent example. Digital marketing includes digital advertising, content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing. Of course, anyone can learn these technologies and strategies, but it is sometimes better to partner with a professional for faster overall results.
HR Services
Human resources are necessary for hiring and firing employees, managing timekeeping, and ensuring that business regulations are updated. Traditionally, HR services were kept in-house; businesses hired HR employees with degrees and relevant industry experience for their staff.
Nowadays, hr support can be outsourced, allowing you to save on staff costs such as training. Outsourced HR support is an excellent way for SML businesses to save money and build more efficiency into their business model. Outsourced HR services are comprehensive and reliable.
IT Services
In the past, businesses needed an in-house IT team to service the network and reduce downtime associated with technical issues. IT teams were an essential element of any office. Without an effective IT team, a business could lose significant sums of money and its reputation.
The world has moved on from the days of IT teams in the direction of managed service providers. MSPs are cloud-based services with several advantages. An MSP gives business access to a larger pool of IT professionals, available 24/7 to keep your system operational.
Admin Services
A business requires a wide range of skills and attributes to be successful, but while some of your employees are bound to have administration skills, it can be beneficial to outsource and automate some of the more mundane tasks and utilize the full skillset of your paid employees.
Admin services you might consider outsourcing include financing, contractor management, recruitment, regulations, and marketing operations. Don’t be afraid to partner with an admin support service to make your business resilient and successful until you find an admin team.
MSPAINT is the Hattiesburg, Mississippi quartet composed of vocalist Deedee, bassist Randy Riley, synth player Nick Panella, and drummer Quinn Mackey. Having met each other through the local punk and hardcore scenes, they decided to form a band based on a simple premise: making music with no guitars. The irony was that most of them had previously occupied the role of the guitar player; the challenge was not having it sound like any rock band ditching guitars on their post-apocalyptic eighth album. After making waves with their self-titled EP in March 2020, they’ve now come through with their remarkable debut full-length, Post-American, co-produced by Militarie Gun‘s Ian Shelton, which does away with preconceptions around hardcore by blending elements of synth-punk, hip-hop, metal, and straight-up pop. Though brimming with grim, dystopian imagery that’s meant to hold a mirror up to society, it’s an infectious, invigorating album that maintains hope for a future that feels just as possible – not looming on the horizon so much as hovering at the edges of the reality we live in. MSPAINT don’t shy away from critiquing the power structures that bind us, but when they look ahead at what’s next, the question is met with way more than anger.
We caught up with MSPAINT’s Deedee and Quinn Mackey for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about being from Hattiesburg, the band’s collaborative process, working with Ian Shelton, and more.
How important do you think being from Mississippi and Hattiesburg specifically is to understanding your identity as a band, both from a musical and a political standpoint? How would you begin to talk about that background with someone who’s not ingrained in it?
Deedee: I don’t think we surround ourselves with politics in general. It’s definitely a part of our lives, because it’s impossible for it not to be. But I think that living in Mississippi is something that you’re always just aware of, in the sense of, all the history books point back to Mississippi as the genesis of slavery and the most heinous form of it. Αnd I think that perspective is important – what’s important about it is, when you can conceptualize America being just the emulation of the other cultures that have been either brought here by immigrants or people that came here all against their will, music is the same way. You drive into Mississippi and on the sign, it says, “Birthplace of America’s music.” And there’s a lot that comes with that. It’s not quite as simple as, we just have some good musicians here and everybody copied us. Most people escaped slavery and went on to perpetuate music in other places. The education system in Mississippi is very bad, it’s one of the worst in the country, but the education behind the music is pretty available. I was always interested in the history of it more than the music early on, and it always points you back to people that were slaves that played music that either people thought were good enough to where they didn’t have to work and performed or people that escaped and then perpetuated that Mississippi style of blues in other places. That was always integrated into it, and it’s something that, as white musicians that are in a space to be subversive or in a space that pays homage to progress as a genre in whatever way, I think is important to recognize.
It’s cool living in Hattiesburg, because it is seemingly a blue dot in the middle of a red state, looking at it politically. We’re fortunate to be in a city that validates the arts and has always had a DIY scene. There’s potential for other shit to happen here, you just have to manifest it yourself. As far as it relating to the band, I don’t think it was until people started comparing it to elements of hip-pop that it was something that people around us were like, “What do you all think about that?” I feel like I’ve incorporated that into every band I’ve been in, maybe in different ways. People’s perceptions of it is important and valid, but it’s also like, there was no intent behind MSPAINT, and that is just a fact. We did all of this just for fun on a whim, and people supported it and backed it. We took those opportunities and took those people into account, and we just moved how we move. The bottom line is to try to be the best person you can be, because then you’re gonna be the best band you can be. You can’t be a good artist and not work on yourself, that’s not how that works. And maybe that’s a quality of Mississippi, and maybe that’s just the quality of our environment in general.
But being from Mississippi, the reality of it is that we get to see a lot of really good musicians play all the time. I love every band in Hattiesburg because people take the music part of it seriously. And that’s a quality that exists in other places and communities, but it’s built into the culture here. If you’re gonna do art, if you’re gonna do music, try to be the best person doing it.
Quinn Mackey: For me, there’s a church on like every corner in Mississippi, so that’s always really forced on you. I actually learned to play music in church, and as I grew older I was finding more flaws in theologies and moving away from the church, and then music became a way for me to get perspectives on other cultures and interact with different subcultures. I was really into hardcore and metal when I was young, and then I kind of moved away from it and got into blues and jazz and even jam bands. Those are really popular down here, and electronic music. I’ve always really liked the music more than the culture, but it’s cool to see how everybody interacts with it very culturally.
You said there was no intent behind MSPAINT – apart from that shared background, what was it that drew you together as a group, as collaborators or just friends?
QM: I feel like we were really just all friends, like you said. Playing music in Hattiesburg is very close-knit, so we just all knew each other’s bands and played with each other at shows. I was in a band with Nick, I filled in on drums with Deedee’s band sometimes and played with Randy in that band. We just all like knew each other and were like, “Let’s start a band without guitar.”
Take me back to the moment where you made that decision.
D: I just came up to Nick and Quinn and was like, “We should start a band.” And in my mind I’m thinking, no guitars. And then Quinn’s like, “Yeah, but we should do it with no guitars.” It was one of those moments where it’s like, we should have had this conversation years ago. It was that the kind of interaction where it’s just so simple and pure. None of that was real thought, it was like: maybe this is what we’ll do, we’ll go on tour, it’ll be fun for everybody. It wasn’t: drop our demo, quarantine hit, and this band be the most popular band that any of us have been in. Going back to the moment when we actually formed and when we realized that this was going to be something that we had to effectively shape our lives around, those were two separate occurrences.
During the time it took to hone in the songs, did it become clearer to you when something feels finished or you shouldn’t mess with it any longer?
D: My perspective of when a song is done and everyone else’s perspective of the song was done is pretty different. It’s a constant balance of being uncompromising and collaborative – you want to get all the ideas in there, but you also got to know when to be like, “The emotional pull from this part for me is really doing something.”
QM: We’ll edit a song into the ground, and Ian [Shelton] actually kind of made fun of us for that. We just like so many different things that we were like, “I just want to keep changing the song and see if I can get it exactly how I want.” And you gotta have a moment where you’re like, “This is how it’s gonna be.” That’s always been really hard for me and Nick especially – every band we’ve been in has been like that, so it’s nice to have be working with Ian and Deedee being like, “This is really good, let’s move on to the next thing.”
D: It’s such a cool interaction, especially with Nick because he studied jazz and he went to school for music. He sees these limitless possibilities, but he also knows what works. It’s like, we know the rules so we know how to break them, but we also have to know when to adhere to them. I feel like a lot of things that we talk about musically, and just as people, is knowing when to use your ego, knowing when to feel invincible about a decision and feel like you’re really doing something with the right intent, and then having moments to sit back and trust everybody else. That’s hard – navigating that will be hard forever.
Can you talk more about how Ian came in and shaped that dynamic?
Deedee: I introduced myself to him at the Convulse Fest and we stayed in touch. I just loved Militarie Gun – I was like, “This is like hardcore Modest Mouse to me.” He was gonna do a song with us, and I sent him the album. He sort of kind of saw that we could do better if we had maybe some other tools and somebody to help us do it. Because we were totally ready and satisfied with what we had done on our own. It was a definite guerrilla warfare-type recording where we’ve been tracking shit kind of not in order, just kind of editing on the fly. But Ian just came to me and was straight-up, and I really appreciated that. From that point on, it was like, “We’re down to do this, but you gotta come to Hattiesburg.” Complicate it just a little bit, do a little bit extra. And he was willing to do that. He came down, and he really met us where we needed him to meet us. Flying out to Los Angeles to record just sounds fake for people here. That’s not an opportunity that seems real. Weneeded a sense of camaraderie there, of like, “You’re someone who just really wants to help us out.” And that’s what it was.
Like Quinn was saying, me and him think similarly about trimming the fat, it doesn’t have to be all the way pretty. It’s just got to get the ideas across. So that element helped establish maybe some more confidence in the parts we already had. Like, “You can change it if you want, but that is good. That is a good song.” Ian captured that moment, and the songs that we wrote with him were him and Nick kind of getting into the meat of some ideas. ‘Delete It’ and another song called ‘Free from the Sun’ were the two that are on the album that we did with him, and those just came straight out. He challenged the band in a way where he got the best out of us for that moment.
We talk about bands wearing their influences on their sleeves, but what’s more interesting is how you wear your hearts on your sleeves – and you sing about it, too. Are you intentional about vulnerability being at the forefront of your music?
For me, everything surrounding the band was very emotionally charged. Everybody had individual life things going on, but in combination with lockdown – some people have been on lockdown their entire lives, they don’t leave the house already. I was not one of those people though. I had to realign myself with my surroundings and shit, and that came with starting this band, because the love we were being shown on the internet and people calling me and being stoked for us throughout the entire pandemic – I’m so grateful to have been present for that and been in a place where I’m really digesting this, in a place that I can fully feel it.
In this band, we’ve never shied away from – if somebody’s like, “Hey, man, you’ve been kind of quiet, you alright?” and they’re like “Nothing,” you’re like, “Oh, buddy…” That feeling of, we’re about to talk about everything. It’s something that we get up for, in a sense of, it’s not fun to do all the time, but we always step up as a band. The music element of it is something that’s fun and easy – it’s everything else that we got to get better at. It’s, like, all the intangibles that come with traveling. I’m just very realistic – you know, people have needs, and you’re in a relationship with them in a band. You gotta really tap into what people need. That is an element that is seemingly just lost, in some ways. One of my favorite things about this band is that we started it with the intent of being like, “Let’s tap in as people. If we got something we want to talk about, let’s talk about it.” Whether it’s something that’s bothering you or you’re really proud of everybody about – we try to do it both ways, where we try to gas each other up as much as we critique and try to have a dialogue about shit.
For me, lyrically, most of my inspiration came from, like, motivational speeches. When an athlete is accepting an award, I always thought it was interesting how they’re so emotional, and they’re maybe not used to being vulnerable in those moments. But they always are talking about everybody else – in that moment, it’s like they can perceive how grateful they are for all these people when this whole moment has kind of been about them and their accomplishments. As a kid, I grew up playing sports, but that was something I always kept with me: the knowledge that as much work and as much talent a single person has, it takes a whole community of people to really impact some shit. To me, Hattiesburg bands have always had an emotional component to them, but I feel like we just brought it into our band inner band lives as well. Around the pandemic, having the band carried us through it, in a sense of giving us some hope. I was feeling so charged and so much positive energy during such a gloomy time. Maybe it’s the Catholic guilt ingrained in me, but I just want to pay it back.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released ‘Meshuggah’, the final preview of their forthcoming album V. It follows the previously shared offerings ‘Layla’ and ‘Nadja’, which were both accompanied by Vira Lata-directed videos. Take a listen below.
V is slated for release on March 17 via Jagjaguwar.
JPEFGAMIA and Danny Brown have announced their long-teased collaborative LP, Scaring the Hoes. Though the album does net yet have a release date, the rapper have previewed it with the lead single ‘Lean Beef Patty’, which JPEGMAFIA produced. Check it out below.
Jpegmafia released his most recent solo effort, LP!, in 2021. Danny Brown’s latest album, uknowhatimsayin¿, dropped in 2019.
Animal Collective have announced a reissue of their debut album, Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished. Out May 12 via Domino, the new edition features remastered audio, new artwork by Abby and Dave Portner, and the A Night at Mr. Raindrop’s Holistic Supermarket EP, which contains five previously unreleased tracks, including a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ recorded during the same era and mixed by Animal Collective’s Deakin. Today, they band has shared two songs, ‘Chocolate Girl (Remastered 2023)’ and the previously unheard ‘Untitled 1’. Take a listen below.
