Since 2024, Kou Records, a label co-run by experimental vocalist Charmaine Lee and sought-after producer and composer Randall Dunn, has been “dedicated to artists who have built their own musical language”. A listen to their small but potent roster bears this out. From Lee’s processed, often violent vocal contortions to Aliya Ultan‘s foreboding song cycle
Folktronica musician Beth Orton’s latest record, The Ground Above, is made up of two halves, musically and thematically. The first part is dark and downbeat, full of sad lyrics and strange and somewhat scattered accompaniment. The second is more hopeful and sonically melodic. As the album’s title suggests, if we look up, all we see
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head isn’t really one of Universal’s 1930s horror films, although that hasn’t prevented its inclusion in such film packages for lack of a better idea.That’s how I first saw it one Saturday afternoon. It’s certainly adjacent to horror, and for good measure, counts as a proto-noir while packing a punch
What an absolutely bizarre summer. While most of the United States has been suffering from record-breaking heatwaves, other parts have been cool and overcast. The news headlines have been the usual nonstop litany of cynical apocalypticism, yet much of the world is just vibeing out to the World Cup and Taylor Swift‘s wedding. Suffice it
Evil Dead Burn Movie Review by Brian Cochran For those who have done the whole online dating thing, you will know exactly what I’m speaking of. You match with someone you’re genuinely interested in. Their profile and pictures excite you. You message them, and the initial conversation is intoxicating. Then you finally meet up in
Live percussion in electronic music so often feels decorative; in the hands of Ravish Momin, however, the percussion is the whole point, the axis on which everything else turns. As a drummer and producer, Momin—the main brain behind Sunken Cages—has spent the past 20 years building a uniquely idiosyncratic soundworld that fuses traditional Indian percussion
Bydee has built a devoted global following, but does the brand actually live up to the buzz? We break down what makes it stand out. Every few years, a brand emerges that captures the collective imagination of the swimwear world and refuses to let go. Right now, that brand is Bydee. The Sydney-based label has
American Football – American Football (LP4) (Polyvinyl) American Football (LP4) by American Football Mike Kinsella still knows how to twist the knife, and that knife is most often lodged in his gut. It can be a lot if you are a lyrics person, but there is so much pretty melancholy in each of the four
Something Worth Waiting For Friko ATO 24 April 2026 Friko’s debut, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go from Here(2024), was the type of record that made many of us sit up and take notice. Their mix of shaggy, noisy guitars and melodies is an irresistible mix for my demographic, and I, too, fell under their
The hit Tubi horror film DARK PLACES has swept the Obscure Obsidian Film Awards, securing five major wins including Best Feature, Best Horror Feature, Best Director for Geno McGahee, Best Actor for Jake Tyler, and Best Actress for Lindsey DeLand. This major sweep follows the indie film’s recent success at the Ideal International Film Festival,
I get the cosiest feeling when I watch the old 1980s sitcom, Cheers (streaming on Hulu at this writing). There are several reasons for this. First, of course, is that it reminds me of being young: its run ended when I was 14. Second, it was part of the glorious 1990s Friday nights on British
I am a frenetic guy. I don’t nap much, and I prefer my days to be packed with projects, friends, and work. That’s why I was in the Knoxville Airport at 5:00 am on the Monday after the Big Ears Festival had ended. I wanted to get home to start my day after hearing so
Nu Metal Anomaly 1: Slipknot Slipknot’s rise wasn’t supposed to make sense, but it was undeniable. I’d seen them open for Coal Chamber on the Livin’ La Vida Loco tour, where they made quite an impression on my 13-year-old impressionable mind. Their feral energy was contagious, and they were contaminating Ozzfest-minded fans by the minute.
Beyoncé made a surprise appearance during opening night of “JAY-Z 30” at Yankee Stadium, joining her husband on stage for a career-spanning moment that also doubled as a fashion statement. JAY-Z’s three-night residency celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt” and the 25th anniversary of “The Blueprint.” He opened the night with “Can’t Knock the
Roadside Attractions and Saban Films have announced that the psychological thriller BUDDY will hit theaters on August 28, 2026. Directed by Casper Kelly and co-written with Jamie King, the 95-minute film subverts childhood nostalgia by turning a beloved, bright orange television unicorn into the centerpiece of a cinematic nightmare. In the movie, the vibrant world
The newly released Obsession Unleashed Bonus Featurette uncovers the raw, unsettling magic behind the performances of Michael Johnston (Bear) and Inde Navarrette (Nikki). Dropping alongside the digital release of director Curry Barker’s smash-hit indie psychological horror, the exclusive footage captures how the lead duo built the film’s terrifyingly toxic emotional core through their original, unedited
Christian-Jacque’sThe Second Twin(1966) is a very 1960s slice of French sleekness packaged like a murder thriller. Well, it kind of is a murder thriller, although it’s mainly a character-driven drama of an adulterous affair between glamorous people. It works either way, as revealed in Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray. There are reasons to be confused. The
The five songs on Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko’s latest EP,Forgotten World,were recorded and mixed at the same time as her highly celebrated seventh album,I Just Need to Conquer This Mountain,from 2024. Critics praised that album for its exploration of dark personal themes (e.g., divorce, religious doubt, death) that serve as a vehicle for looking toward


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Leading horror public relations firm Marketing Macabre and Joyhorror Entertainment today announced the debut of their official new mascot, YOJ. YOJ is a mischievous, green-skinned gremlin with a passion for indie genre cinema. He will serve as the digital face of both brands, actively helping creators promote independent horror movies, books, and art to major
This summer, things are going to get pretty weird. At least if Alex Grass has anything to do with it. His upcoming short story collection, Infernal Tramps: Tales of Weird Terror, is slated for release on July 15th. “I’d like to think that if David Cronenberg and Clive Barker got together and smoked bath salts,
On the opening night of their three-date, sold-out residency at Wembley Stadium, Gerard Way and his merry band of ghouls delivered a theatrical rock spectacle, smudging the lines between musical performance, political satire, and a full-scale stage production. With help from opera singers and lashings of pyro, the band had the crowd bending to their
Bonnie Tyler, the powerhouse Welsh vocalist behind indelible Eighties hits like “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died at age 75. A statement posted on her website confirmed the singer’s death. “Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in
Mike Joy 07/10/2026 Film Reviews Touch Me Movie Review by Matt Boiselle Touch Me – written and directed by Addison Heimann, and starring Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lou Taylor Pucci & Jordan Gavaris Synopsis: Two codependent best friends become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien-narcissist who may or may not be trying to take
Funny Taste Book Review by Matt Boiselle Some horror novels hook you with a creepy old house. Others rely on haunted woods or abandoned hospitals. Funny Tastetakes a different approach by asking a simple question:What if your summer job at a rundown burger joint turned into your worst nightmare?Needless to say, I was all in.
The Oakland-based band Mildred will fool you into thinking you’ve heard them before with their shaggy dog tales mumbled over slacker rock. A part of you will die inside, as you heard this 35 years ago—even though you weren’t alive. Today, you’re seemingly listening to another indie wannabe Pavement with a megalomaniac as President, and
Today is sadly my last day in Paris. For now. Annie Schröter, Célébrités au défilé de mode “Celia Kritharioti” , collection Haute Couture Automne/ Hiver 2026-2027. Paris le 9 Juillet 2026. Jeremy MELLOUL/Bestimage In just a few hours I’ll be headed back on a long flight back to the States, my oversized luggage in tow.
Having written this column since mid-2021, I sometimes forget what I’ve covered. In some ways, I haven’t written anythingnewin the world of book censorship because the tactics, goals, and outcomes have not changed much at all over the course of this significant era of censorship, even if the trends in how those means are achieved
At the midpoint of the year, we here at Book Riot like to review the many (many, many) great new titles we’ve read so far and determine which ones are the absolute best. It’s not easy narrowing that list down to a few choice representatives, but as you’ll see below, we’ve managed to select five


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