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Cadence Weapon Collaborates With Machinedrum on New Song ‘My Computer’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Cadence Weapon Collaborates With Machinedrum on New Song ‘My Computer’

Cadence Weapon has released a new single, ‘My Computer’, which features production from American electronic producer Machinedrum. It comes paired with a video directed by Colin Medley, Jared Raab, and Jason Harvey. Check it out below.

“I wanted to rap about tech companies and the physical impact they have on cities,” Weapon explained in a statement. “One example is the ill-fated Sidewalk Labs project where Google attempted to build a neighborhood of the future in Toronto where garbage collection was automated and the taxis drove themselves. While that project failed, I find cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and London are basically already there. These tech-utopias have one thing in common: working people are typically made expendable and pushed to the margins.”

‘My Computer’ is the latest cut from Weapon’s forthcoming album, ROLLERCOASTER, following ‘Exceptional’ and ‘Press Eject’. It arrives April 19 via MNRK Music. Jacques Greene, Grandtheft, Bartees Strange, Cecile Believe, Martyn Bootyspoon, Loraine James, and more also contributed to the project.

Mike Lindsay Enlists Anna B Savage on New Song ‘table’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Mike Lindsay Enlists Anna B Savage on New Song ‘table’

Mike Lindsay has released ‘table’, the second collaboration with Anna B Savage that appears on his upcoming album supershapes volume 1. The first, ‘lie down’, accompanied the album’s announcement in February, and Lindsay shared ‘kachumber’ last month. Check out a video for ‘table’, created by Lindsay’s close collaborator Ben Edwards (aka Benge), below.

Discussing the collaboration, Savage said:

I asked Mike to send me a big email with his current preoccupations and niggling thoughts. He sent back a tome, with a section about panpsychism. Panpsychism is (to put it horribly simply, forgive me) the idea that every object in the world has a consciousness of some sort, no matter how ‘unimaginably simple’ that consciousness might be. Mike had been thinking about this phenomenon particularly in relation to a dining table he bought second hand. He said it was one hundred and twenty two years old, “so for 122 years people have sat around… and shared stories, or experiences with each other”. Obviously this is a fantastically evocative thought, so when I came in to record I ran with that, imagining a series of vignettes around the table. Hopefully evoking the real beauty in the mundanity of a life around an object. And then at the end, the table is afforded a more specific consciousness: “what does the table think of you?”

Working with Mike on his supershapes project will forever be one of my favourite endeavours. Any excuse to work with him more was gonna be leapt on by me, and in particular to think he wanted me to work on something is just too much for my little heart to handle. We had (and have) so much fun. What more could you want.

Of the song’s video, Lindsay added: “There’s something brilliantly bizarre about Benge’s video for table. It first captures the nostalgia of all the table scenarios that Anna is singing about with wonderful found footage, but then suddenly, alongside the cacophony of Robert’s sax clusters, we are smashed with the pure joy of VHS digi colour tables flying at us from every angle.. sizzling with potent sorcery !! Totally tabletastic!”

supershapes volume 1 comes out June 14 via Moshi Moshi Records.

Lip Critic Drop New Single ‘In the Wawa (Convinced I Am God)’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Lip Critic Drop New Single ‘In the Wawa (Convinced I Am God)’

Lip Critic have released ‘In the Wawa (Convinced I Am God)’, the latest offering from the NYC band’s debut album Hex Dealer. Following previous cuts ‘It’s the Magic’, ‘The Heart’, and ‘Milky Max’, the track comes with an accompanying video, which you can check out below.

Hex Dealer is set for release on May 17 via Partisan.

La Luz Release New Single ‘Poppies’

Konstantinos Pappis
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La Luz Release New Single ‘Poppies’

La Luz have released a new single, ‘Poppies’. It’s taken from their upcoming LP News of the Universe, which is out May 24 and was led by the track ‘Strange World’. Check it out below.

Speaking about the new song, the band’s Shana Cleveland said: “‘Poppies’ is about the surreal feeling of going through the horror and isolation of a cancer diagnosis and treatment and then suddenly being out in the bright world again, trying to make sense of it all, feeling like I’m walking through a waking dream, seeing the first wildflowers come out and feeling a similar sense of rebirth.”

Album Review: Beyoncé, ‘Cowboy Carter’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Beyoncé, ‘Cowboy Carter’

She had to tell us it’s a Beyoncé album. When the first two singles were released, we didn’t even have the Renaissance sequel’s complete title, yet people were already making a lot of assumptions. Some country music stations refused to play ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’, causing social media outrage; then, despite the controversy underlining her point about Black artists’ place in the genre, Beyoncé declared that Cowboy Carter is not a country album. The implication, of course, is that it’s so much more than that, which is true. If Renaissance was a celebration of house music’s Black queer roots, Cowboy Carter serves as less of an homage than a reclamation of the Black origins of country music, a style whose limitation it seeks to transcend. Beyoncé’s argument was clear enough in the statement she shared about the album, but she had to reiterate it in one of the album’s interludes: “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand… But in practice, well, some may feel confined.”

Like with so much Cowboy Carter, what’s important is less the statement itself than the framing and delivery: in this case, the words come from Linda Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry, who acts as one of the album’s hosts alongside fellow country pioneers Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. Beyoncé has once again gathered an impressive array of guests, from stars like Miley Cyrus and Post Malone to lesser-known artists like Tanner Adell and Shaboozey. But part of what made Renaissance so uniquely refreshing was that it pushed Beyoncé to cede ground to the sounds and voices it featured, which is less practicable in a more song-based format. Of course, her sheer vocal prowess is more than capable of handling that added weight, even when the songs she tackles are hugely popular. But the results don’t always stick the landing. Her performances on ‘Jolene’ and ‘Blackbird’ are unsurprisingly impeccable, but while her take on ‘Blackbird’ – a song Paul MacCartney wrote in part as a response to the Civil Rights movement – feels entirely right if not groundbreaking, the lyrical alterations in ‘Jolene’ erase the desperation in a way that dulls its impact.

With barely any close attention to the music, it’s just as easy to heap praise on Cowboy Carter as it is to criticize it. It’s an audacious, affecting, and meticulously produced album; it’s also bloated, occasionally underwhelming, and despite the AM radio schtick holding it together, nowhere near as seamless as Renassaince. It is expertly curated, but given the scope and sprawl of the project, the just-fine high-profile duets could have made space for more underappreciated talent. At times, it feels more like a survey of rather than an attempt to recontextualize genre, especially when it caters to contemporary trends (‘Levii’s Jeans’). Sprawling and incoherent as it may be, though, listening to Cowboy Carter is never going to be as exhausting as arguing about its ideas, structure, and influence. We can all agree Beyoncé is still very good at using these wisely. What prevents me from experiencing the album as a masterpiece on the same level as Renassaince are the moments when it dulls, which happens early on with the acoustic cuts ‘Protector’ and ‘My Rose’; part of what keeps it engaging is that they don’t last very long.

What Cowboy Carter lacks in momentum and focus, it makes up for in theatricality and ambition. Upon its release, ‘16 Carriages’ struck me as the better of the two singles, not just because of its potent reflection on her days with Destiny’s Child, but because of the emotional dimension it brings to the ballad structure she generally leans into a little too heavily here. ‘Daughter’, which sees her suddenly soaring into a passage from the 18th-century aria ‘Caro Mio Ben’, is even more striking, and though she hangs low on ‘Just for Fun’, her interplay with country singer Willie Jones renders it the most electrifying duet on the album. The less predictable, the stronger it is.

But once Beyoncé illustrates Martell’s point with ‘Ya Ya’, where the intensity of her performance overpowers even the brilliantly integrated interpolations of ‘These Boots Are Made for Walking’ and ‘Good Vibrations’, you can finally see Cowboy Carter’s full potential. The stretch that follows is so obviously inventive, whether careening between genres like ‘Tyrant’, blending them like ‘Riiverdance’, or elevating a single element like the funk bassline on ‘Desert Eagle’. ‘Ya Ya’ isn’t captivating just because it lends credence to the rumours that the next installment in the Renaissance trilogy will be rock ‘n’ roll-inspired. It carries forward the charge and fluidity, more than just the historic and reclamatory value, at the core of its vision, which the rest of the album almost makes you forget. It makes sense for it to arrive as a unique progression of the more classic sounds she explores earlier, but at least the spirit could have been there all the way through. Still, just as you think you know where it’s going, Cowboy Carter not only throws you off, but raises the bar. She didn’t have to do that; at the same, it all feels perfectly planned. It’s a Beyoncé album, after all.

Woods Release Surprise New EP ‘Five More Flowers’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Woods Release Surprise New EP ‘Five More Flowers’

Woods have surprise-released a new EP, Five More Flowers. Arriving ahead of the band’s tour kicking off this week, it features five songs lifted from the sessions behind last year’s Perennial. Listen to it below.

Lala Lala’s Lillie West Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘holyholyholy’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Lala Lala’s Lillie West Announces New Album, Shares New Single ‘holyholyholy’

Lala Lala’s Lillie West has announced her first project under her own name, an instrumental album titled if i were a real man i would be able to break the neck of a suffering bird. It’s out on Friday, April 5 via Hardly Art, and the track ‘holyholyholy’ is out today. Check it out below.

In a statement about the record, West shared:

Most of ‘if I were a real man I could break the neck of a suffering bird’ was written and recorded in January 2022 during my residency at the LungA Land program in Seyðisfjörður Iceland. Seyðisfjörður is a town of approximately 650 people on the east coast of Iceland, and during winter the sun never enters the fjord. Some of the acts the other residents and I took part in throughout the program included; making knives, backpacking in a blizzard, learning about Icelandic herbs, geology, history, having a lymegrass themed dinner party, sleeping outside. I also made field recordings of the environment around the town – ice, grass, water, rocks, snow, animals, people.

I had never considered making an instrumental album, nor was it my intention while taking these field recordings. Thus the process felt very natural, organic, almost private. I hope that the music is able to invoke the rhythm, sway, and connection I felt with the landscape in Seyðisfjörður, as well as my ongoing attempt to communicate with the divine.

Lala Lala’s last album was 2021’s I Want the Door to Open. Revisit our Artist Spotlight interview with Lala Lala.

if i were a real man i would be able to break the neck of a suffering bird Cover Artwork:

if i were a real man i would be able to break the neck of a suffering bird Tracklist:

1. 1
2. holyholyholy
3. weather report [feat. YATTA]
4. lunga [feat. Baths]
5. lymegrass
6. rivur
7. mirror
8. lunga2

This Week’s Best New Songs: Beyoncé, Ekko Astral, Merce Lemon, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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This Week’s Best New Songs: Beyoncé, Ekko Astral, Merce Lemon, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.

This week’s list includes DIIV’s latest single, the softly entrancing ‘Everyone Out’; ‘Mary Boone’, the lush fourth single from Vampire Weekend’s new album; Blondshell and Bully’s grungy, infectious collaboration ‘Docket’; Jessica Pratt’s delicate yet profound ‘World on a String’; Merce Lemon’s ‘Will You Do Me a Kindness’, which is warm and intimate yet explodes with emotion; Crumb’s enchanting new single ‘AMAMA’; Ekko Astral’s unsettling and explosive ‘devorah’, the lead single off their debut LP; ellis’ vulnerable new single ‘it’ll be alright’; Chastity Belt’s nostalgic Laugh’; and ‘YA YA’, an electrifying standout from Cowboy Carter.

Best New Songs: April 1, 2023

DIIV, ‘Everyone Out’

Vampire Weekend, ‘Mary Boone’

Blondshell feat. Bully, ‘Docket’

Jessica Pratt, ‘World on a String’

Song of the Week: Merce Lemon, ‘Will You Do Me a Kindness’

Crumb, ‘AMAMA’

Ekko Astral, ‘devorah’

ellis, ‘it’ll be alright’

Chastity Belt, ‘Laugh’

Beyoncé, ‘YA YA’

8 Books We’re Excited to Read in April 2024

Sam Franzini
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8 Books We’re Excited to Read in April 2024

April showers are notoriously wonderful to read in, so for our fourth book list of the year, we’re including psychological and sociological essay collections, lurid, ruthless novels, and a reboot of an aging star’s glory days.

All Things Are Too Small: Essays in Praise of Excess, Becca Rothfeld (April 2)

In Washington Post book critic Becca Rothfeld’s first full-length collection, the theme of excess is on her mind — how contemporary American culture flattens and nitpicks, leading to an overly streamlined aesthetic. Think of the minimalism craze sweeping TikTok at the moment, or Marie Kondo’s cleaning method in 2019 that had people cleaning out their entire closets. But Rothfeld goes deeper than practical cleaning — she writes about quiet novels, body horror, detective books, sex, and cinema with gripping insight and a sharp eye. (And if you want a sampler, her recent takedown of Lauren Oyler’s essay collection is the kind of popcorn-grabbing essay to devour.)

A Good Happy Girl, Marissa Higgins (April 2)

Marissa Higgins’s fearless and often shockingly intimate debut novel centers the self-destructive Helen, a floundering lawyer wrapped up in an emotionally fervent relationship with Katrina and Catherine, a couple she meets one day on an app and can’t let go of. She’s pained by the presence of her father, who begs her to write a letter of recommendation in order for him to get out of jail, despite his horrifying neglect of Helen’s grandmother. But what if Helen would rather spend her time with the wives, a rambunctious and adventurous couple who make her feel wanted, sexy, but often alienated in her yearning? What if we just all followed our innermost desires? Cutting, dynamic, and boldly self-assured for a debut, A Good Happy Girl enters a reader like ice in the veins.

Dayspring, Anthony Oliveira (April 2)

In a debut that blends memoir, fiction, verse, incorporating biblical tales and coming-of-age stories, Anthony Oliveira’s debut is perfect for fans of Madeline Miller who find beauty in the sacred. Centering a daring idea about how the borders and themes of Christianity can infuse queer love and relationships, Dayspring transcends time and space with historical flavor with its inventive, exciting ways.

The Age of Magical Thinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality, Amanda Montell (April 9)

Cultish author and superstar podcaster Amanda Montell returns with The Age of Magical Thinking, a psychology-based exploration of why, clinically speaking, we feel insane all of the time. Zipping through concepts like the sunk-cost fallacy, the IKEA effect, confirmation bias, and the halo effect, she invokes writers like Adam Grant and David Epstein to provide a humorous, person-first account of the mind where you actually learn the mechanics behind your brain’s incessant fears. Why would we purchase everything Taylor Swift advertises? Why do we feel invincible after we work with our hands? Why does one strategically-placed catastrophe make us spiral for the rest of the day? Montell explains with heart and insight.

Bitter Water Opera, Nicolette Polek (April 16)

The debut novel from the author of the story collection Imaginary Museums, Bitter Water Opera is a slim but impactful book about art, family, and solitude. Socially adrift Gia is sleeping fifteen hours a day after breaking up with her boyfriend, but learning of the dancer Marta Becket, who painted her own audience on the walls of a theater she claimed, invigorates her. She writes to Marta, who enters Gia’s life with astonishing immediacy, and the two embark on a lurid journey through the self to figure out what Gia wants in this taut book. 

Henry Henry, Allen Bratton (April 16)

Written as a queer imagining of Shakespeare’s Henriad, Hal Lancaster is adrift in 2014 London, despite being the heir of Henry, Duke of Lancaster. Followed over a year with “messed-up family. Daddy issues and first dates. Good sex, bad sex, confusing sex. Drugs. Actors. Parties. Booze,” as editor Brandon Taylor writes, Hal’s wit barrels through a novel about young adulthood, family, and being alive today. 

Reboot, Justin Taylor (April 23)

Once a staple of the early aughts hit teen drama Rev Beach, David Crader is now a has-been, recovering from alcoholism, scheduling awkward visits to the zoo with his son, and appearing at conventions for a voice acting job where he’s still recognized. Rev Beach became streamable when the pandemic hit, though, and found a new league of fans — some who demand for a reboot of the series, others who mourn the loss of their fictional endings. Crader flies to LA to film the new series, but soon learns it’s not all fun and games — that the fans truly might govern his career for the future in this smart, timely novel.

Real Americans, Rachel Khong (April 30)

Rachel Khong, author of the beloved Goodbye, Vitamin, returns with Real Americans, a multi-layered family portrait about identity and concealing ourselves. Khong narrates three generations in one family, touching on race, inheritance, and family. Long family sagas with switching POVs might be hard to pull off, but Khong does so with her signature charm and astuteness.

From Palm Readers to Past Lives: The Weirdest Celebrity Psychic Encounters

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From Palm Readers to Past Lives: The Weirdest Celebrity Psychic Encounters

Imagine being a globally known celebrity and receiving a glimpse into your future from a famous psychic. This new path, one you’ve never even contemplated, sends a shockwave through you. George Clooney once sat for a palm reading which foretold his skyrocketing fame, while Lady Gaga explored the narratives of her past lives. 

Such encounters between psychics and celebrities are not just common; they strike a chord between the bizarre and the spellbinding. What draws them to these mystic meetings? Is it a thirst for the unknown, a quest for guidance amid their chaotic lives, or just the enchantment of the supernatural? In today’s digital age, the fascination continues to grow with the accessibility of online psychic readings, offering a convenient way for celebrities and the public alike to seek spiritual advice without the constraints of location or time. 

Come with us as we journey through the bewildering realm of celebrity psychic interactions, including the modern touch of digital consultations.

The Magnetic Pull of the Mystical for A-List Celebrities

In the radiant world of A-list celebrities, the enigmatic allure of psychics captures the imagination. This fascination stems from an eagerness to unravel what’s uncertain and perhaps to smooth the tumultuous waves of fame with foresight. The relentless glare of the public eye sparks deep-seated fears, painting the future as a maze of challenges and unknowns. Here, the insights of psychics shine as a beacon of influence over the days yet to come.

For individuals living in the whirlwind of high-profile existence, the connection to the mystical world holds a unique charm. Picture the excitement of learning secrets about the future that are still hidden. For celebrities, whose lives are an open book scrutinized at every turn, the prospect of glimpsing what’s ahead offers a tantalizing hint of control and reassurance. The convenience and privacy of online psychic readings allow them to explore these mysteries from the comfort of their homes or while on the go, bridging the gap between the celestial and the celebrity.

Yet, the role of psychics reaches beyond peering into the future. They offer wisdom on navigating the present and finding coherence in the chaos. This role is especially relevant in the unpredictable journey of a celebrity, providing a source of guidance and balance. Thus, the allure of psychics among celebrities is understandable. Who wouldn’t be drawn to a chance for foresight or a deeper comprehension of their current situation?

The Role of Psychic Insight in Celebrity Career Moves

At crucial moments, wouldn’t everyone appreciate a preview of what the future might hold to aid their decision-making? Imagine the potential impact of consulting a crystal ball on your professional path. It may come as a surprise, but numerous celebrities regularly seek psychic counsel to help guide their career choices. From tarot card readings and astrological predictions to consultations with mediums and fortune tellers, the mystical realm has significantly influenced their decisions regarding new roles, projects, and creative directions.

Ever wonder which stars have looked beyond the mundane for professional guidance? Many have turned to the esoteric wisdom of psychics to navigate their career options, trusting in the predictions spun from the cosmos to determine their next steps in the competitive entertainment industry. These celebs are not only curious about personal insights or relationship advice but are also keen on understanding their professional futures and mitigating industry uncertainties.

However, the question remains: Are psychic predictions reliable guides for career planning, capable of predicting a star’s next big break or hit album? While skeptics cast doubt on the accuracy of such foresight, the fascination with tapping into the mystical for guidance persists. The appeal, perhaps, lies not in ironclad guarantees but in gaining fresh perspectives and potential glimpses into what lies ahead. Thus, the next time career uncertainties cloud your judgment, would you ponder the wisdom revealed through an online psychic consultation?

Celebrities Seeking Psychic Guidance in Love and Past Lives

It’s fascinating to observe that many celebrities extend their search for wisdom to love and relationships, consulting psychics to make sense of their romantic journeys and explore potential connections from past lives. Our favorite stars, with their lives perpetually under the microscope, display curiosity and vulnerability akin to ours when it comes to finding soulmates and understanding the depths of their emotional entanglements.

Delve into the captivating landscape of psychic interventions that have significantly influenced the love lives of the famous, reinforcing their belief in spiritual bonds and destiny. From identifying karmic relationships to recognizing cosmic soulmate connections, here are the stories that stand testament to the profound impact psychics have had on their journeys toward love:

  1. Soulmate Revelations: An acclaimed actress found herself astounded when a psychic unveiled the existence of a profound soulmate connection lying just within reach. Prompted by this revelation, she veered onto a new path, eventually finding a love that seemed destined.
  2. Karmic Recognition: A beloved singer, on consulting with a psychic, was brought face-to-face with the concept of karmic relationships tethering souls across lifetimes. This guidance helped him identify and connect with a partner he now believes was meant for him, tracing their connection back to a past life.
  3. Cosmic Unions: In the embrace of psychic insight, an iconic movie star discovered the truth of a cosmic union predestined for her. The psychic’s vision led her to a deep, passionate relationship, characterized by an immediate and profound connection, solidifying her belief in divinely arranged partnerships.

These narratives of love, interwoven with mystical insights, highlight an undeniable truth: celebrities, despite their glittering exteriors, embark on quests for love with the same hopes and hesitations as anyone else. The only difference might be their exclusive turn towards psychics, seeking clues to navigate the intricate webs of romance and connection. Through these stories of spiritual discovery and psychic insight, we’re reminded of the universal quest for love, transcending the boundaries between the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Unveiling the Unexplained: Celebrities and the Paranormal

In the dazzling world of celebrities, beyond the tales of love and destiny, lie encounters that transcend the ordinary and venture into the realms of the truly bizarre. Welcome to a side of Hollywood less spoken of, where the mysterious and paranormal occurrences captivate and confound in equal measure. Here, the unexpected becomes reality, with A-listers experiencing moments that defy explanation.

Picture the scene: a renowned actor enjoys a morning coffee alongside their golden retriever when suddenly, a vision strikes, revealing the melody of what will become the next chart-topping hit. Or imagine a leading lady pausing on the red carpet, heart racing as a sudden, uninvited premonition about her personal life envelops her. These are not snippets from a dream; for some celebrities, they are startling realities.

These experiences, part of the fabric of their daily lives, include spine-tingling spectral visits in the still of the night, dreams that foretell the future with unsettling accuracy, and encounters of healing that lack scientific explanation. The intrigue surrounding these paranormal events goes far beyond mere tabloid fodder or reality television plots. They pose questions about the very nature of reality and the unseen forces at play.

Examining these supernatural sideshows offers a glimpse into a world where the line between the explainable and the ethereal blurs. It’s a world where even those whose lives seem scripted by fairytales encounter mysteries that scriptwriters couldn’t imagine. As we explore these extraordinary tales, one can’t help but approach the vast, unexplored expanse of the supernatural with a renewed sense of wonder, contemplating the hidden dimensions that may exist beyond our perception.

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