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A Beginner’s Guide to Identity and Access Management 101

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A Beginner’s Guide to Identity and Access Management 101

Identity and Access Management, or IAM, is a key part of modern security. It helps control who can access what in a company.

Every organization, big or small, needs a way to manage users, passwords, and permissions. Without this, systems become vulnerable.

Hackers often look for weak points, and poor access control is one of them. That is why businesses spend time and money on IAM.

This guide explains what IAM is, why it is important, and how it works. We will also look at its benefits and some common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you will understand why companies rely on IAM and what makes it so useful.

What is Identity and Access Management?

Identity and Access Management is a system that manages user identities. It controls who is allowed to use company resources.

These resources can be files, applications, or entire networks. IAM makes sure the right people have the right access at the right time. It also keeps out those who should not have access.

The goal is simple: protect data and make systems secure. IAM tools do this by using policies, rules, and authentication methods. For example, when an employee logs in, the system checks their identity.

If they are approved, they can continue. If not, access is denied. This process happens thousands of times each day in big companies.

Key Elements of an IAM Framework

An IAM framework is the structure that defines how IAM works. It includes rules, processes, and tools for managing identities.

A good framework answers important questions. Who can access what? How is access granted? How do we remove access when someone leaves?

The framework has several key parts. The first is identification, which means knowing who the user is. The second is authentication, which checks if they are who they claim to be. This is often done with passwords or biometrics. The third is authorization. This step decides what the user can do once they log in. The last part is auditing. This means keeping records of access. If something goes wrong, these logs help find the cause.

Companies design their framework based on their needs. A small business may need a simple setup. A large company may need complex rules with multiple layers of security. No matter the size, a solid framework is critical for safety and compliance.

Why IAM is Important for Businesses

IAM is not just a technical tool. It is a business tool. When done right, it improves security, saves money, and helps meet regulations. Cyberattacks are expensive. A single data breach can cost millions. IAM reduces that risk by limiting access to sensitive data.

It also makes work easier. Employees get the access they need without delays. This improves productivity. IAM also helps with compliance. Many industries have strict rules about data protection. A good IAM system ensures the company follows those rules.

Another benefit is scalability. As companies grow, they add more users and systems. IAM makes it easy to manage this growth. Without IAM, access management becomes a nightmare.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many businesses make mistakes with IAM. One common mistake is giving too much access. Employees often get permissions they do not need. This creates security risks. Another mistake is failing to remove access when someone leaves the company. Former employees should never have access to company data.

Weak passwords are another issue. Even the best IAM system cannot help if users choose simple passwords. Companies should enforce strong password policies. Multi-factor authentication is also important. It adds an extra layer of security.

Finally, some businesses set up IAM but never review it. Policies and access rules need regular checks. If they are outdated, the system will not be effective.

Final Thoughts

IAM is an essential part of modern business security. It protects data, improves efficiency, and supports compliance. The best way to start is with a clear framework and good policies. Regular reviews and updates keep the system strong.

Whether your company is small or large, IAM will help you stay secure. It is an investment that pays off by reducing risks and keeping operations smooth. In a world where threats keep growing, IAM is not optional. It is a must-have for any organization that values its data and reputation.

Avery Tucker Shares Video for New Song ‘Malibu’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Avery Tucker Shares Video for New Song ‘Malibu’

Avery Tucker, formerly of Girlpool, has previewed his debut solo album Paw with a new song, ‘Malibu’. The hazily intimate and driving single follows last month’s ‘Like I’m Young’. Check out its Amalia Irons-directed video below.

“‘Malibu’ is about the journey of being a mirror to someone—how, at first, they love the version of themself that they see reflected in you,” Tucker explained in a statement. “But as that image sharpens, the reflection starts to feel confrontational. It becomes harder for them to look at, and they begin to pull away—resisting the feeling of being truly witnessed.”

Paw is set for release on October 10.

Album Review: Water From Your Eyes, ‘It’s a Beautiful Place’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Water From Your Eyes, ‘It’s a Beautiful Place’

In an interview promoting his new album Guitar, which happens to come out on the same day as Water From Your Eyes’ It’s a Beautiful Place, Mac DeMarco – the archetypal indie rock prankster, a label also applied to the NYC duo of Rachel Brown and Nate Amos – talked about “the Robin Williams effect.” He explained, “Robin Williams is all fun and games, and then you watch Good Will Hunting and you’re like—fuck. It’s good.” Funnily enough, Amos joked that Williams is “a silent member of Water From Your Eyes” in press materials because a poster from the Mork & Mindy era hangs in his bedroom, where he still makes all the music for WFYE, which now sounds bigger than ever. But the Robin Williams effect is also not a bad way of describing It’s a Beautiful Place, which is characteristically silly, freaky, and clunky – because what’s more awkward than making sci-fi indie rock about cosmic existentialism – until its vast emotional range hits you. In the “long hard road from here to the truth,” as Brown puts it on ‘Playing Classics’, the band hardly stays motionless, let alone cynical. Silly, yes, but undeniably soulful and striking.

1. One Small Step

Teasing the record out of formlessness, ‘One Small Step’ is a whirring 30-second soundscape that cuts to the single guitar note that ignites ‘Life Sings’. It positions It’s a Beautiful Place on that cosmic scale where “everything’s just a tiny blip,” but leaves you dizzy with awe at this strange place you’ve found yourself in. You can’t quite call it beautiful yet, but it sparks your curiosity.

2. Life Signs

The nihilism of 2023’s Everyone’s Crushed seems to resurface on lead single ‘Life Signs’, but something else snaps into view. “Tick tick you’re alive,” Rachel Brown mumbles, matching the dense, vivifying riffage that reaffirms the duo’s punk spirit. “Sunlit sick sky scraped by bright eyed short sight online.” With Al Nardo and Bailey Wollowitz of fantasy of a broken heart now part of their live iteration (when I interviewed fantasy for an Artist Spotlight, Amos, twice featured in the series, dropped in to offer fresh cups of coffee), this is WFYE not just testing but fully realizing their full-band potential, beefing up dazed, half-formed meditations on the dichotomy between tradition and progress. If imagination’s the key, they’ve got plenty, yet would much rather bust the door open. 

3. Nights in Armor

‘Nights in Armor’ projects the record’s sci-fi imagery in an interpersonal context, as Brown taunts: “Fight me I burn brighter.” The evidence presents itself in waves of fuzzy guitar, swirling bass, and crashing drums that make for an irresistible groove. Just as it rushes into your bloodstream, the music comes to a halt, and Brown intones, “Gold rush.” Crash. “In a dream.” Bam. “Home.” Then, like ‘Life Signs’, it sucks you back into its orbit, burning the riff – or dream – into your brain.

4. Born 2

The title’s double entendre – as in “born to behave,” “born to believe,” etc., but also the album’s second attempt at really thrusting you into its world  – points to the group’s sense of humour. With unrelenting shoegaze guitars and full-on blastbeats, it is a burst of molten absurdity that buries Brown’s voice and theoretical preoccupations, challenging the innate notion that “the world is so silent.” It is a whirlwind, and paradise does not in fact await you on the other side; you have to grab it while you’re here.

5. You Don’t Believe in God?

Amos and Brown, who were both raised religious, take a moment to consider, if wordlessly, the faith they’ve just crushed into chaos. “I wanted to be a priest when I was little, before I learned that you had to be born into a different kind of body to get to be the one who directly talks to God,” Brown recalled. “It was there that they began to lose me, although I have retained some belief in something like God.” That retention shines through a brief but stunning interlude, which is naturally cut short.

6. Spaceship

Amos’ collagist tendencies, scraping together frantic percussion and textural strings, turn maximal on ‘Spaceship’, which liquifies the band’s barrage of influences into something hypnotizing and strangely digestible. This is what indie rock may sound like to aliens capable of absorbing and spitting out decades of it at once. But they’d be at a loss when faced with the grief abstracted in Brown’s lyrics, which humanize the song into more than a sci-fi experiment. 

7. Playing Classics

Brown was elated when Amos brought a disco song to the table, one that unapologetically nods to Charli XCX’s ‘Club Classics’. More than latching onto Brat Summer, it captures the exhilarating buzz of seeing her live right before it exploded, at Primavera Sound 2024. What’s surprising is that it becomes the album’s undisputed centerpiece: after a series of deconstructed, psychedelic, and downright ambient moments, it’s a delight to hear Brown’s voice loud, clear, and assertive, as Amos’ relatively crystalline production unravels: a thumping beat and euphoric house piano that devolve into a dance-punk riff, reminding us this duo is old enough to have liked other things before Brat. And to utter things like, “We’ve got modern idols for the end of an age.” Idols change, but the end is perpetual – which explains why so many songs on It’s a Beautiful Place respawn before it’s really game over.

8. It’s a Beautiful Place

As if WFYE’s Frusciante worship – a not-so modern idol, if you will – wasn’t evident on practically every track on the album, the band dedicate the title track to it, nearly a full minute of woozy soloing. Even the album cover reminds me of one of the Chilli Peppers guitarist’s solo LPs, Inside of Emptiness. “Even the soft things have a heaviness to them,” Frusciante said of that album, which easily rings true here.

9. Blood on the Door

WFYE going alt-country isn’t so unexpected when you can picture MJ Lenderman, Brown’s boyfriend, joining them onstage for this one. Understated as it is, it’s a gorgeous, gentle song – the only one with lyrics by both Brown and Amos – that carries the whole album’s striving optimism. The narrator puts a lot of stock in the art of an indelible melody that’s capable of transcending space and time: “I don’t want to watch you die,” Brown sings, “Maybe that’s the reason why.” It’s frayed like a song that emerges at the end of a long tour, when exhaustion begets truth, and maybe even their own version of faith. “God, make me that wind,” they plead, a vision of triumph that goes against scripture.

10. For Mankind

Instead here we are, again, as God is called to make his enemies, “like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.” Scattered, small, substanceless even. The end is indistinguishable from the beginning, almost, until you actually try looping it over. Then you’ll want it to end over and over again.

Missing Tooth Replacement: Exploring Modern Solutions

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Missing Tooth Replacement: Exploring Modern Solutions

Modern tooth replacement methods have revolutionized at-home cosmetic dentistry. Snap on veneers provide a practical solution for individuals seeking to address missing teeth without the hassle of multiple dental appointments. These innovations offer convenience and customization, appealing to a wide range of lifestyles.

The landscape of cosmetic dentistry has evolved significantly, bringing forth solutions that align with the needs of those seeking convenience. At-home options, particularly snap on veneers, have gained popularity as they eliminate the necessity for repeated dentist visits. This trend reflects a shift towards self-managed dental aesthetics, catering to those who prioritize ease and efficiency. As people become more invested in their appearance, accessible tooth replacement solutions have become a focal point.

Overview of Modern Tooth Replacement Methods

Tooth replacement has transformed remarkably over the years, evolving from traditional implants and dentures to more innovative approaches like snap on veneers. Historically, dental visits were necessary for obtaining replacements or repairs, often involving time-consuming procedures. However, the demand for user-friendly solutions has led to the development of products that can be managed from home.

Snap on veneers exemplify this evolution by offering an option that combines simplicity with effectiveness. Unlike older methods requiring surgical intervention or extensive fittings, these veneers provide a non-invasive alternative. They are designed for easy application and removal, allowing individuals to enhance their smiles without professional assistance. This shift towards at-home solutions underscores the growing preference for products that integrate seamlessly into daily routines.

The accessibility of modern tooth replacement options is crucial in addressing diverse consumer needs. Snap on veneers, in particular, offer a bridge between traditional methods and futuristic convenience. Their design caters to individuals who value both functionality and aesthetics, making them a preferred choice in today’s market.

Benefits of Snap-On Veneers for Missing Teeth

Snap on veneers present numerous advantages for those looking to perfect their smiles without undergoing elaborate dental procedures. One of the most significant benefits is their ability to cover missing teeth effortlessly, providing an immediate aesthetic improvement. Users can enjoy a complete smile instantly, boosting confidence and enhancing overall appearance.

Another advantage is the ease of use associated with these veneers. Since they do not require permanent attachment or invasive procedures, they can be applied or removed as needed. This flexibility is particularly appealing to individuals who lead dynamic lifestyles and cannot commit to lengthy dental treatments.

Moreover, snap on veneers are customizable to fit various dental structures, ensuring comfort and natural appearance. The process of acquiring these veneers typically involves creating an impression of your teeth, which is used to craft a tailored set. This personalization further enhances their appeal by guaranteeing a perfect fit and seamless integration into one’s smile.

Suitability for Different Lifestyles

The practicality of snap on veneers extends beyond aesthetics; it includes compatibility with diverse lifestyles. For busy professionals or frequent travelers, these veneers offer an efficient solution without compromising dental health or appearance. Their portability means you can maintain your smile wherever you go without additional maintenance efforts.

Additionally, individuals who prefer a discreet approach to enhancing their smiles find snap on veneers ideal due to their natural look and feel. Unlike traditional dentures or implants that might require regular adjustments or upkeep, these veneers provide long-lasting satisfaction without ongoing intervention.

This approach caters well to those who value privacy in their cosmetic routines. By choosing snap on veneers, users gain control over their dental aesthetics in a manner that aligns with personal preferences and lifestyle demands.

Comparison with Traditional Tooth Replacement Methods

The comparison between snap on veneers and traditional tooth replacement methods highlights key differences in convenience and effectiveness. Traditional options like implants often involve surgical procedures and extended recovery periods. Conversely, snap on veneers offer immediate results without such commitments.

While traditional methods may provide permanent solutions for missing teeth, they are not always suitable for everyone due to cost or health considerations. Snap on veneers present an affordable alternative that does not sacrifice quality or aesthetic appeal. By eliminating the need for surgical intervention, these veneers reduce risks associated with more invasive procedures.

This makes them especially attractive to those seeking quick improvements in their dental appearance without long-term commitments or financial strain. Ultimately, the choice between traditional methods and snap on veneers depends on individual priorities regarding time investment, cost, and desired outcome.

A Quiet Intensity: Award-winning cinematographer Yuanhao Zhang Brings Intimacy and Contrast to Across From at LA Shorts International Film Festival

Sebastian Bickley
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A Quiet Intensity: Award-winning cinematographer Yuanhao Zhang Brings Intimacy and Contrast to Across From at LA Shorts International Film Festival

At this year’s LA Shorts International Film Festival, renowned cinematographer Yuanhao Zhang returns for his second official selection, following his work on Desert Inn. This time, he steps behind the lens for Across From, a tense, slow-burning drama about a young Chinese immigrant in Los Angeles whose night spirals from awe to danger inside a wealthy mansion. Directed with a minimalist restraint, the short is a masterclass in how controlled cinematography can heighten psychological unease—an effect Zhang achieves through a meticulous interplay of framing, light, and movement.

Zhang’s cinematographic approach in Across From distinctly separates the two worlds of Mei’s modest apartment and the landlord’s lavish mansion. In Mei’s home, Zhang employs a wealth of foreground elements to frame her within literal and metaphorical “boxes,” visually emphasizing how she is trapped by the harsh realities of tuition fees, rent, and financial strain. Reflecting on his lighting choices, Zhang explains, “We chose a warm-green color palette to evoke the grimy, artificial glow of a 24-hour convenience store or any place that feels worn down and neglected. The high-contrast tungsten lighting suggest a space where cockroaches and rats might scuttle in the shadows, surviving off the crumbs left behind. Visually reinforcing her position at the bottom of the social ladder.” A poignant shot in the film shows the landlord toying with a caged bird that Mei keeps. Zhang says, “That cage is a metaphor for Mei’s situation — financially trapped, powerless, and at the mercy of others.” When the landlord pushes open Mei’s door, the exterior light floods the frame with an overexposed white, “forcing Mei to squint against a harsh sunlight that invades this damp, moldy room — just like her harsh reality.”

In stark contrast, the landlord’s mansion symbolizes upward movement and privilege. Mei ascends a slope and steps up grand stairs to enter the home, visually representing her climb into a different world. At the film’s end, Mei walks down a bridge toward her own home, with the illuminated downtown Los Angeles skyline looming in the distance — a powerful metaphor for the divide between wealth and poverty just “a bridge apart.” Zhang explains, “Inside the mansion, we used a continuous long take at 60fps instead of the usual 24fps, creating a smoother, almost surreal flow. The framing is wider, the lighting soft and natural, mainly mimicking sunlight pouring through large windows. We brought in five high-powered lights to simulate this daylight indoors, so every corner of the space feels bathed in warm sun.” He adds, “This bright openness contrasts with Mei’s discomfort — she’s used to hiding in shadows, so the mansion’s brightness unsettles her.”

(Cinematographer Yuanhao Zhang ）

Zhang’s camera movement is restrained but precise, often allowing the actors to move within a locked frame rather than chasing them. When movement does occur—such as a slow dolly-in toward a character—it is almost imperceptible at first, drawing the audience deeper into the character’s state of mind without breaking the film’s quiet rhythm. “In a story like this, you don’t need the camera to shout,” Zhang explains. “You want it to listen—really listen—to the silence between people.” This philosophy is evident in his shot design, where every frame feels like it has been given time to breathe.

Color grading becomes an invisible but potent storytelling layer. This collaboration is especially noticeable in the mansion scenes. Working closely with the post-production team, Zhang kept the palette muted, with earthy mid-tones and desaturated highlights, punctuated by sudden warm bursts in key emotional beats. “We didn’t want the color to ‘announce’ itself,” Zhang notes. “It should feel like the mood changed before you realized why.” This approach lends Across From a visual consistency that supports its tonal shifts without distracting from the performances.

(From Left to Right: Ryan Simpkins, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Aron Cagan, Louis Schwartz, and Yuanhao Zhang)

With Across From and Desert Inn both making their mark at LA Shorts this year, Zhang cements his reputation as a cinematographer who thrives on atmosphere-driven narratives. His work resists flashy technique in favor of deliberate, emotionally resonant choices—whether it’s letting a shadow swallow half a frame or holding just long enough to catch a character’s unspoken truth. In a festival often dominated by high-concept spectacle, Across From stands out as a reminder that the most gripping tension can live in the smallest of rooms—if the camera knows exactly where, and how long, to look.

Anna von Hausswolff Announces Album, Shares New Songs ‘Stardust’ and ‘The Whole Woman’ With Iggy Pop

Konstantinos Pappis
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Anna von Hausswolff Announces Album, Shares New Songs ‘Stardust’ and ‘The Whole Woman’ With Iggy Pop

Anna von Hausswolff has announced a new album, ICONOCLASTS, which arrives on October 31 via YEAR0001. To mark the announcement, the Swedish musician and composer has unveiled two songs, the woozy, soaring ‘Stardust’ and ‘The Whole Woman’, a stirring duet with Iggy Pop. Take a listen below, and scroll down for the album cover and tracklist.

Commenting on ‘Stardust’, von Hausswolff said: “Let’s break up with basic convenience and established ideas of how to live life. Let’s not roll our thumbs when the world is crumbling.”

About ‘The Other Woman’, she added: “Sometimes we need to throw ourselves into the deepest of waters and hold our breath as long as we can. Once we reach the surface we can see beyond the pettiness of life and speak only the truth. This love song is a tribute to the man who knows how to listen; it is for the woman who is brave enough to dive in.”

Produced by von Hausswolff and longtime collaborator Filip Leyman, ICONOCLASTS also features appearances from Ethel Cain, Abul Mogard, and Maria von Hausswolff. It follows 2020’s All Thoughts Fly.

ICONOCLASTS Cover Artwork:

Iconoclasts

ICONOCLASTS Tracklist:

1. The Beast
2. Facing Atlas
3. The Iconoclast
4. The Whole Woman [feat. Iggy Pop]
5. The Mouth
6. Stardust
7. Aging Young Women [feat. Ethel Cain]
8. Consensual Neglect
9. Struggle With The Beast
10. An Ocean Of Time [feat. Abul Mogard]
11. Unconditional Love [feat. Maria von Hausswolff]
12. Rising Legends

11 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Florence + the Machine, Scarlet Rae, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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11 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Florence + the Machine, Scarlet Rae, and More

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 Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

Florence + the Machine – ‘Everybody Scream’

After announcing their new album Everybody Scream just yesterday, Florence + the Machine have unveiled the epically anthemic title track. We also now know IDLES’ Mark Bowen (who appears in the new video), Aaron Dessner, and Mitski worked with Florence Welch on the record, which is set for release on Halloween.

Scarlet Rae – ‘A World Where She Left Me Out’

Scarlet Rae, the New York-based indie artist recently signed to Bayonet, has shared an ethereal yet very poignant new single called ‘A World Where She Left Me Out’. It’s taken from the upcoming EP No Heavy Goodbyes. “This track opens the EP with a brutally honest dive into early grief,” Rae shared. “I try to capture the strange shift from being someone who craves solitude to fearing it. After a few disturbing experiences, I wrote this song to expose the irony of how people in your life who rush to comfort you may often add a heavier weight on the chaos of pain. This was the first song I wrote after my sister passed, and it ended up becoming a direct, emotionally charged conversation with her. More so, a one sided conversation — full of anger, confusion, and the resentment grief can bring when someone you love leaves you behind in a world so dark and disappointing. Towards the end of the track, as the music strips back, I bluntly speak directly to my sister in the most honest and literal way — ‘I literally don’t know what to do, it’s getting hard to be here without you.’ There is no metaphorical way to put something like that, and I think using the word ‘literally’ in a song is sorta funny and raw. The song is a dark, revealing reality of life, compassion, and betrayal.”

Flock of Dimes – ‘Afraid’

Flock of Dimes has shared ‘Afraid’, a stirring, warmly intimate preview of her forthcoming album The Life You Save. “This song is an intention, an incantation, a prayer. It says: I accept what has happened, but I refuse to let it dictate the outcome of my life. We all enter this world untainted, and our circumstances dictate the weight that we will have to carry throughout the rest of our lives. For some, this weight is far greater than it is for others. This song is a mantra for those who wish to believe that we can transcend the circumstances over which we had no control.”

Beach Bunny – ‘Year of the Optimist’

Beach Bunny have dropped a new single, ‘Year of the Optimist’, which would have fit snugly onto their last album Tunnel Vision. The track may be a refutation of toxic positivity, but the band’s brand of turbulence still has a way of uplifting you.

 

Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘More’

Carly Rae Jepsen has unveiled ‘More’, a previously unreleased, disco-inflected bonus track from the just-announced 10th-anniversary edition of E•mo•tion. There’s three more unreleased tracks on the album, out October 17, plus remixes of ‘Run Away With Me’ by Kyle Shearer and Rostam.

Sigrid – ‘Fort Knox’

Sigrid has announced her third studio album, There’s Always More That I Could Say, out October 24, with the uplifting ‘Fort Knox’. It follows the earlier single ‘Jellyfish’.

Rocket – ‘Act Like Your Title’

Rocket have not missed with any of the singles from their debut album, R Is for Rocket, and today we get another one, ‘Act Like Your Title’, which is anchored by one hell of a riff. According to singer/bassist Alithea Tuttle, the song “delves into familial relationships and generational traumas… It’s wishing someone would live up to the standards that are set for them but knowing that they will never ‘act like their title.’ Holding out hope that someone will change, especially family, is such a difficult concept and can feel so isolating.”

Snooper – ‘Guard Dog’

Snooper have dropped ‘Guard Dog’, another frantic, discomfiting preview of their forthcoming album Worldwide. “‘Guard Dog’ is about growth,” vocalist Blair Tramel explained. “It’s about the discomfort of feeling too comfortable and recognising when to make a change. It’s about second guessing yourself, overthinking, trust and distrust, and keeping it moving. It’s about losing and gaining perspective, having a voice, and learning how to use it. Mostly though, it’s about having fun – which is the most important thing.”

Automatic – ‘Lazy’

Automatic’s new single doesn’t sound quite lazy, but it is pretty languid by the trio’s standards. The track reflects on the early days of a relationship plagued by self-doubt and manipulation:“The thing you thought you wanted/ Was just the image of control.”

Wyldest – ‘After the Ending’

Wyldest has announced a new album, The Universe Is Loading, arriving November 14 via Hand In Hive. It’s led by the driving, blissful new single ‘After The Ending’, which the singer-songwriter described as “a post-apocalyptic pop song, about sustaining love from one existence to the next; ‘The moment, we lost it / so I’ll find you, after the ending’. It was written with space and time in mind – a scenario whereby a relationship can’t exist in the present reality, perhaps due to life circumstances, timing, or something more extreme, like separation by death – and the promise of finding each other in a different existence where they can be there together.”

WILDES – ‘Without a Heart’

WILDES – the project of Ella Walker, who, like Wyldest, is an Artist Spotlight alumnus – has also unveiled a new song from her forthcoming album All We Do Is Feel. “Of all the album tracks, this probably took the longest to reach its final form,” she said of the emotive ‘Without a Heart’. “It wasn’t an easy song to get out. I really struggled to nail the production on it and, in the end, I completely re-produced it, focusing on the intimacy and fragility of the verses and bringing in the vocoder choir to emulate that robotic coldness I was feeling when I originally wrote it. It’s mournful, inevitable, and has a finality to it for me. I knew once I’d written and produced it, a door would be closed on my heartache, and it was such a relief to finally finish it and feel free from that sort of pain. That makes it all worth it”.

Florence + the Machine Share Title Track From Upcoming Album ‘Everybody Scream’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Florence + the Machine Share Title Track From Upcoming Album ‘Everybody Scream’

Florence + the Machine have released ‘Everybody Scream’, the first single and title track from the album they announced just yesterday, which is set to arrive on Halloween. The epically anthemic comes paired with a video directed by Autumn de Wilde. Check it out below.

Appearing in the video for ‘Everybody Scream’ is Mark Bowen of IDLES, who worked on the new album, as did Aaron Dessner and Mitski. The record explores themes of “spiritual mysticism, witchcraft, and folk horror” after Florence Welch underwent lifesaving surgery while touring in support of her last album, Dance Fever. (“Everybody dance!” she urges on the chorus of her new song, staying on brand.)

Album Review: Mac DeMarco, ‘Guitar’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Mac DeMarco, ‘Guitar’

Since 2019’s mildly received (and mildly controversial) Here Comes the Cowboy, Mac DeMarco hasn’t quite shied away from music. He released Five Easy Hot Dogs, an instrumental album inspired by a cross-country road trip, in 2023, the same year he dumped a mind-numbing nine hours’ worth of material onto One Wayne G. He may not have exactly released songs about quitting alcohol and smoking, but it was his way of staying sane while doing, as he puts it on the new song ‘Punishment’, what he’s made to do. But it was about time for DeMarco to release a record like Guitar, an unironically guitar-based and ostensibly straightforward collection of songs that he recorded alone at his home studio in Los Angeles in about two weeks. As breezy and easygoing as it sounds, DeMarco has cultivated his gift for fraying and flexing the edges of his cozily bare-bones sound, both lyrically and vocally. He has a way of coming off both emblematically laidback and somehow unmoored, showing you the way around the wandering heart of his music without ever handing you the key.

1. Shining

Though warmly inviting, DeMarco opens Guitar with an admission of a flawed, wandering heart, not revealing exactly what it’s led him to do. He’s wondering “if the sun’s still shining down on her,” implying his curiosity has left another behind. “All I wanted to be’s gone away now,” he sings, “Gone away now from me.” The smoothness of his falsetto is convincing and humanly imperfect, the tempo naturally languid, drawing out his little escape.

2. Sweeter

The second track is aspirational, with the narrator repeatedly promising it’ll be sweeter this time. Yet DeMarco slyly undercuts the tenderness, switching to a more somber chord as he follows it up with, “Some things never change,” and then, even more unnervingly, “Now, back inside your cage.” He’s addressing himself, of course, with the same line of thinking as the opener, even as DeMarco is quicker to acknowledge it’s “your heart” that’s being broken. Is the pain, on both sides, enough for the singer to change what seems to be innate? His resignation, however obvious, will go away too, though there’s no telling what else he’ll be left with.

3. Phantom

For a song about the lingering echo of a lost love, ‘Phantom’ is cannily the shortest song on the album. “Surely, I was wrong/ Casting spells and singing silly songs,” he sings, as if momentarily underwhelmed by their magic. He’ll get back to it, sure, but in the grip of that feeling, they’re frustratingly weightless. The listener’s left wanting more, too.

4. Nightmare

DeMarco quit smoking about three years ago, and ‘Nightmare’ revisits his old addiction in a cloud of regret. “Had you known that further down that road/ There’d be crying/ Maybe you’d have lessened up your load,” he sings. The chorus is one of the record’s most memorably enchanting.

5. Terror

DeMarco expounds on the nature of his wandering heart, attracted not to some romantic ideal but even the most punishing aspects of the lifestyle he’s chosen, which happens to be the title of the next song: ‘Rock and Roll’. With some noodly guitar chasing the main melody around, he allows himself a bit more vulnerability: what really terrifies him, of course, is death. “All those days of trying to run,” he sings, tying the thread back to the first song, “What a waste of breath.” Guitar often sounds like he’s trying to catch it.

6. Rock and Roll

Stirring echoes of his debut mini-record, Rock and Roll Night Club, the song also captures Guitar‘s strange ambivalence: “Overjoyed/But still can’t help feeling down.” In a similar way, he still pledges his allegiance to the thing he sold his soul for, but it’s got the surreal bent of the past. He languishes in it with a woozy guitar solo, ultimately disassembling it the way a horror score would. The terror and the thrill of it, hand in hand.

7. Home

‘Home’ is less of an interrogation of what the concept means to DeMarco now than what we keep with us once a place ceases feeling like one. In many ways, Guitar is centered around home – that’s where it was recorded, and it sounds homed-in even in its discomforts. Here, though, he is unsettled and alienated by those old streets that have names and faces and memories attached “that I’d sooner let go.” You wonder if the one he’s singing it from will also wear out.

8. Nothing at All

‘Nothing at All’ gets under the skin of pleasant domesticity, exposing how volatile it can be: “It’s always been/ All or nothing at all/ With you baby.” You wish more songs on Guitar dug deeper into these emotional dynamics, which feel like hushed confessions in a thin-walled room. The main riff once again twirls its finger around DeMarco’s voice, unsure whether to agree or protest, and rendering the difference fittingly imperceptible.

9. Punishment

Critics will naturally single out the lines, “I was told that punishment will come to/ Those of us who don’t do what we’re made to,” but it’s worth noting DeMarco sings them in a cadence that suggests he’s not taking himself too seriously. A couple of lyrics later are much more true to his playful spirit: “Take all my blood out and bottle it up/ If you’d like to try a sip, I’ll grab you a cup.” If his music leaves you with as much as a smirk, it suggests, he’ll have followed through. But he still won’t be free from pain, which is why he keeps scratching harder at the wounds.

10. Knockin

The characters on Guitar have their minds and their love all bent, and here the singer regards “freedom that you earned by bending truth.” He wonders what to do with it, but sounds in no rush to answer the door. It’s there, standing by, that old memories, unsent letters, and unanswered questions come rushing in. When you’re feeling low, you don’t know what to do with them, either, but a song can fill the empty space.

11. Holy

With a spring in its step and another languid, mesmerizing lead line, ‘Holy’ makes sense as a single – yet it also stands out, with its odd mysticism and DeMarco swooping low for the titular word. Suddenly freedom feels out of reach, and he’s calling out for a miracle. On the other side of the same coin, he sings of a curse that is eternal and inescapable, and that no amount of going away will cleanse.

12. Rooster

DeMarco has always written autobiographical songs, but he ends Guitar with one that’s most directly reflective of his current day-to-day: “I’ll still rise up with the rooster,” he sings, having recently bought up a farmhouse on an island off the coast of British Columbia. There’s no guarantee he’ll keep living this way for the rest of his days, but he seems to have made peace with the idea of the looming end, so haunting earlier on the album. “Things are looking kinda used up,” he admits, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be sweeter – at least, he assures his darling, he doesn’t bite like he used to. Guitar may sound tame in comparison to some of DeMarco’s earlier, more influential releases, but if you’re a fan, you probably won’t mind. Hopefully you’ve grown up with him.

 

Carly Rae Jepsen Announces ‘E•mo•tion’ Anniversary Edition, Unveils Previously Unreleased Song ‘More’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Carly Rae Jepsen Announces ‘E•mo•tion’ Anniversary Edition, Unveils Previously Unreleased Song ‘More’

Carly Rae Jepsen has announced a 10th-anniversary reissue of E•mo•tion, one of the best pop albums of the 2010s. Out October 17, it features six bonus tracks, including remixes of ‘Run Away With Me’ by  Kyle Shearer and Rostam, and four previously unreleased tracks: ‘More’, ‘Guardian Angel’, ‘Back of My Heart’, and ‘Lost in Devotion’. The disco-leaning ‘More’ is out today, and you can listen to it below.

Last night, Jepsen performed an E•mo•tion anniversary show at West Hollywood’s Troubadour. Her most recent album, The Loveliest Time, arrived in 2023.

E•MO•TION (10Th Anniversary Edition) Tracklist:

1. Run Away With Me
2. Emotion
3. I Really Like You
4. Gimmie Love
5. All That
6. Boy Problems
7. Making The Most Of The Night
8. Your Type
9. Let’s Get Lost
10. LA Hallucinations
11. Warm Blood
12. When I Needed You
13. Black Heart
14. I Didn’t Just Come Here To Dance
15. Favourite Colour
16. Never Get To Hold You
17. Love Again
18. Cut To The Feeling
19. More
20. Guardian Angel
21. Back Of My Heart
22. Lost In Devotion
23. Run Away With Me (Kyle Shearer Remix)
24. Run Away With Me (Rostam Remix)

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