Pop Culture

In the early months of 2020, I stumbled upon a YouTube channel called Modern Chinese Cultural Studies, run by literary and cultural historian Christopher Rea. I had developed a recent interest in Chinese silent movies and was delighted to find this YouTube channel chock full of such movies. Some I’d seen, others I’d only read

Chloe Foy’s debut album, Where Shall We Begin, has been ten years in the making. The Gloucestershire-via-Manchester songwriter released her debut single, ‘In The Middle of the Night’, all the way back in 2013, followed by a series of tracks that found success on Spotify, including ‘Flaws’ and ‘Asylum’, several EPs, a tour with Jesca Hoop,

The oft-hated sequel is not only better than the first film, it set the template for the franchise as we now know and love it. By Katie Walsh June 11, 2021 Tyrese Gibson, John Singleton, Eva Mendes, and Paul Walker on set during the filming of 2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003.Everett Collection / Courtesy of

The Joy Formidable have shared their new song ‘Chimes’, the latest single from their upcoming fifth album Into the Blue. Check it out below. “I was at a low point just prior to writing this record, I was going through a difficult breakup that left me feeling quite lost and questioning myself,” lead singer and

Australia is often perceived as a sleepy country where not much happens. However, the ugly history of how (so-called) Australia became Australia is enough to feed generations of crime writers. From the Stolen Generation to mysterious disappearances in the infamous bushland or desert plains, dark material isn’t in short supply. The island’s harsh climate and

Are you thinking of starting a blog on your website? If so, it’s worth checking what the project will involve before wading in. If you’ve already started one, you’ll know it’s quite a commitment to keep up and requires a fair amount of time, effort, and skill to attract a following. A quality blog can

The Loki showrunner is writing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness next, then Kevin Feige’s Star Wars project. By William Goodman June 11, 2021 Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Marvel Studios’ LOKI.Courtesy of Marvel Studios Michael Waldron is about to have one hell of a year. The Atlanta writer got his start on Rick and Morty

H.E.R. has announced that her much-anticipated new album, Back of My Mind, will arrive on June 18 via MBK Entertainment/RCA Records. Ahead of its release next week, the Grammy– and Oscar-winning singer has also dropped a new single called ‘We Made It’. Check it out below. “People always ask me, ‘What’s the message? Where does this

Earlier this week, Japanese Breakfast‘s Michelle Zauner performed ‘Glider’, her song for the Sable soundtrack, at the Summer Game Fest livestream. A new trailer for the upcoming game has now been released, which features a portion of a new song Zauner called “the best song I’ve ever written.” Check it out below. Sable is set

Last year, Bandcamp pledged to donate 100% of its share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in honour of Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. The music platform has now announced its second annual Juneteenth fundraiser, which will coincide with the site’s Bandcamp Fridays program on June 18 (from

Meg is back on her Tina Snow wave with “Thot Sh*t.” By Frazier Tharpe June 11, 2021  Megan Thee Stallion performs onstage during Day 2 of “Red Rocks Unpaused” 3-Day Music FestivalRich Fury/Getty Images It’s barely been six months since Megan Thee Stallion dropped her (very solid) debut album Good News, but she’s already locked

Dear Sara, a rising artist out of Karesuando, Sweden, has released a new piece named ‘Stupid Things’ as part of her debut EP, I’m Not That Sad: ). The song is an expressive piece in which Sara reveals her deepest thoughts, dreams, and desires about love. Sound-wise, the piece does a brilliant job of highlighting Sara’s

Bookings in holiday parks in Suffolk have increased considerably following the success of the Netflix film The Dig. The film by director Simon Stone was released in May this year and has already received a score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes as well as 73% on Metacritic. The plot is largely based on the real-life

The answer to a burning existential query. By Danielle Cohen June 10, 2021 Anastasia Karanikolaou, a.k.a. Stassie Baby, on March 12, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.OGUT/Star Max/GC Images Last night, a 24th birthday party in Hollywood so saturated with celebrities and influencers it practically birthed a third Knives Out movie left people wondering who exactly

Lorde is back. The New Zealand pop star’s new song, ‘Solar Power’, was co-produced by Jack Antonoff and features backup vocals from Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo. Drummer Matt Chamberlain, who has recently performed on Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways, also contributes to the new single. Watch the song’s music video, directed by Joel Kefali

It’s been a strange a year in music so far. This feels especially good to say, because using the word “strange” to refer to anything that happened in the first half of 2020 felt like a gross understatement. With many artists either laying dormant or using the past year to write and refine new material,

Matthew Dear has shared a new track from his lost 2008 album Preacher’s Sigh & Potion: Lost Album, which arrives June 25 via Ghostly. Following previous singles ‘Muscle Beach’, ‘Supper Times’, and ‘Hikers Y’, today’s offering is called ‘Gutters and Beyond’ and you can listen to it below. Dear explained in a statement about the new

Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper admits to stealing over $835k from a Catholic School. By Colin Groundwater June 9, 2021 Illustrated by Kelsey Niziolek Two summers ago, Sean Flynn reported a wild story for GQ about two very badly behaved nuns: Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper, and Sister Lana Chang, a principal and a teacher at St.

There is a sense of motion bound up in the unique indie-rock-jazz blend of Rostam’s sophomore album, Changephobia – and yet there is also a curious placidity. Frenetic drums and rousing guitar melodies provide a near-constant stream of energy, but any sharp edges are softened by silky saxophone arrangements and honeyed vocals. The project unravels

Wolf Alice’s new album sounds more or less exactly what you would expect the follow-up to 2017’s Mercury Prize-winning Visions of a Life to sound like. Intent on reconnecting with their roots while reinvigorating their already expansive sound, the north London group recruited producer Markus Dravs, whose work with the likes of Coldplay and Arcade

The songwriter, super-producer, and Vampire Weekend alumnus talks about the music behind his new album Changephobia and shares a playlist. By Colin Groundwater June 8, 2021 Illustration by Simon Abranowicz Look back at the best music of the last decade, and you’ll see Rostam Batmanglij’s fingerprints everywhere as a member of Vampire Weekend and a

Despite the recent cancellation of Jupiter’s Legacy, add to that the numerous questionable cancellations, Netflix has managed to maintain a large share of its subscriber base. Luckily for TV and film fanatics, Netflix is bringing out many new shows, including Sex/Life, a series created by Stacy Rukeyser. A provocative new look at female identity and

Madeline Link had already been uploading tracks on Bandcamp for years before playing her first solo show in 2018. Raised in a musical household – her dad fronted the power pop trio The Shinolas, while she and her sister Eva formed a group of their own called Triples – the 24-year-old from Ottawa pursued PACKS

There are so many fascinating planets in the Star Wars universe and many that will remain in the great imagination of the creator George Lucas. However, some of them are more crucial than others when it comes to the saga of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and all the rest of the gang. So,

Crying in H Mart, the debut memoir from Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner, is going to be adapted into a film. The rights were acquired by MGM’s Orion Pictures, and the film will be produced by Stacey Sher and Jason Kim. Zauner will compose the soundtrack. “It is a surreal thrill to have the opportunity to