Man Buying Records at Target Also Buys Condoms to Make It Less Weird at Checkout

SAYVILLE, N.Y. — Local man Dave Greggory added a pack of condoms to his handbasket to distract from the fact that he was about to purchase records at Target, sources confirmed.

“I went with the XXL magnum ones to make it less awkward,” said Greggory while standing in line to check out. “I’m not sure if I’m getting side-eyed looks because I’m buying vinyl at a corporate retail chain or that I’m purchasing a record from Imagine Dragons. Regardless, my strategy is to put the condoms on the conveyor belt first to offset the remaining transactions. Sure, I could just go to the self-checkout, but the last time I did that, the machine malfunctioned and no less than a dozen Target employees came to help only to stare directly at my Twenty One Pilots record I was about to buy for several seconds. Believe me, this plan is what’s best for all parties involved.”

Target cashier Barry Nepil wasn’t fooled in the slightest by the purchase.

“At one point, the guy acted like someone else put the record in his basket like he wasn’t actively choosing to buy it. But then he went ahead and bought it anyway,” said Nepil. “Immediately after, I noticed him returning the condoms at customer service he had also purchased. It’s a sad state of affairs for people like this. That’s why I buy all my records at Barnes and Noble where I can also buy a book or two that I end up just throwing in the garbage outside the store. Books are a much more convincing distraction for the cashier.”

Experts have been seeing odd consumer patterns like this emerge recently.

“We’re seeing more and more people buy vinyl from unorthodox retail locations as opposed to local establishments,” said consumer behavior specialist Barry Wisenberg. “But we’re also seeing a rise in shame from the same folks who buy music from places where you can also purchase toilet paper, apparel, and televisions. For instance, studies have shown that even if someone orders a record from Amazon, chances are they’re also buying condoms or something to distract from the main purchase. Let’s be honest, no one who buys a Radiohead album off Amazon is having sex. But they still attempt to distract Amazon anyway.”

At press time, Greggory was seen buying tampons to distract from the fact he was about to purchase a record player from Target despite him not knowing any women.

Fictional Cops Ranked By How Likely They Are To Violate Your Civil Rights

As a child, you see so many depictions of police officers on television. Some of them show cops as the heroes fighting crime and saving the day, and some of them show cops as bumbling morons, but rarely will you see the darker side of law enforcement where the police deliberately operate outside of the law and violate a person’s civil rights. Today we look at some of your favorite fictional cops by how likely they are to be complete pieces of crap.

15. Scooby Doo

Scooby is in the “private sector” probably because he failed a drug test as a police dog. But with that past, he’s pretty chill and just trying to catch the big fish and smoke a doob afterward. Great Danes just aren’t the aggressive type. Plus, he’s got a partner who totally just wants to log the hours and clock out.

14. Victor Willis from Village People

The only crime with Willis is not movin’ and groovin’. The only cop who might detain you for not holding and packing. You might get cuffed, but only if you ask, baby. The only crime against the Village People is using their songs without permission at your rally. That will result in litigation.

13. Chief Wiggum

Wiggum’s biggest fault is he’s just lazy which is about as innocuous as a cop can get. He’s probably not going to pull you over, or inconvenience you in an any way, because an inconvenience to you is an inconvenience to him. He’s like Chris Christie if his dad wasn’t on Wall Street.

12. McGruff the Crime Dog

Community policing, cares about the neighborhood, grew up here and never left other than his backing of Regan’s second term and the things he said about [Regan’s] Policy this crime dog’s got a pretty decent track record as far as cops go. Other than time in 1991 he got confused (in dog years he was 87) and took a bite out of a perceived crime, that was not in fact a crime but a small child, and was subsequently sued, thereby ending his career in the public eye

11. Abby Sciuto from “NCIS”

ACAB does not include the NAVY or goth scientists that either defined your style or your sexuality, or both. It’s agreed upon. Although she’s one of the good guys, as a known caffeine addict, Abby may get too jazzed up and muddle some forensics to secure a successful prosecution, but only when she really needs to.

10. Rick Deckard

Rick is the cop of the future. It’s 2019 in “Blade Runner,” so surely we’ve advanced to the point of police officers fully upholding the Constitution right? Right? Your rights are probably safe with Rick Deckard, unless of course, you are a humanoid slave, then, do you really have rights? Just hope you don’t look like an android. Maybe slouch more? Try to look normal, but not too normal

9. Paw Patrol

Definitely a theme of dog cops being on the chiller side. These guys are led by children but are mostly just there to save lives. There’s no political undertone involved when you’re saving other non-sentient animals from trees. But watch out, catch these boys after a bath and they’ll get the zoomies all over your ass and they ain’t stopping till someone puts a finger in their ass (that’s how you stop dogs from fighting. Did you know that? Look it up).

8. Detective James Carter from “Rush Hour”

Although his methods are uncouth and some of his jokes are culturally insensitive, Detective James Carter always tries to solve the mystery. But he was on the Epstein Plane, like a lot. No one’s talking about this. Why was Carter on the plane so much? Was he undercover? Was Jackie there? Is this “Rush Hour 4”? I don’t know about you, but it seems like a hard sell.

7. James Bond

His whole thing operating untethered by law, and he’s got the gadgets to bug your whole house. And depending on the era, he’s gonna violate a lot more than your civil rights. A cop with a serious drinking problem and a license to murder with total immunity makes you really wonder how this story takes place in England and not Florida. But hey, you get Phoebe Waller-Bridge to smooth him out and he’s pretty fun to watch.

6. Kevin From “7th Heaven”

This guy has resting stop resisting face. Kevin would pull a gun on you for not waving back at him. This jumpy coward would pull a gun on you for you taking literally anything out of your pocket. If you’re wearing a hoodie after 5 p.m. you’re getting a gun pulled on you. If this guy can’t see your hands at all times, gun.

5. Grown Up Harry Potter

You may not remember this but Harry Potter ends up becoming an auror, a wizard cop. Typical high school hero shit. He’s proven himself to be aggressively stupid and have a temper, which fits the bill. So watch out if you get the blue lights on this broomstick. He’s basically Tim McGraw from the movie version of “Friday Night Lights” to his kid he gave 7 dumbass names to, riding his broomstick around drunk, pulling people over in mid-air telling them about the time he survived the Unforgivable Curse, daring people to do the curse on him, then arresting them when they won’t do it.

4. Sheriff Andy Taylor from ‘The Andy Griffin Show”

The show is in black and white, so that’s all you really need to know. But more than that 1930s-era cop in rural North Carolina, he’s not even going to know what a civil right is. “Miranda Rights? Miranda? Never heard of the broad, but if she knows what’s what she’ll shake a leg back to her boondoggle” is something he’d probably say as he shoved you into a squad car for chewing bubble gum too loudly.

3. D.W. from “Arthur”

D.W. from the beloved ’90s kid show Arthur, eventually grew up to become a cop. D.W.’s got a little sibling complex and a very active imagination. Alarmingly, her imaginary friend never went away. She’s still imagining her. She’s also imagining you ran that stop sign, and she’s imagining you consented to a search, and she’s imagining you reached for a gun. Let’s just say anyone who isn’t an aardvark should steer clear. She’s taking out some sort of aardvark guilt on the community

2. Batman & Commissioner James Gordon 

Jim sicks his special ops buddy to beat the shit out of you without a trial, collect clues, and secure a conviction. You think he’s gonna give you his badge number? That guy will listen to an entire town’s phone calls, he’s like if the patriot act were privatized and could beat the shit out of you afterward (wait). Jim Gordon is Dick Cheney?

1. D.A.R.E. Lion

Plants coke for the greater good, this guy’s stock to a turn for the worst in the 2010s and public opinion really soured on him once people realized one “marijuana cigarette” doesn’t contain “as much tar as 100 packs of cigarettes” and that most drugs are fun, and not freely offered like a Altoids. D.A.R.E. Lion is highly likely to “find” drugs in your pocket during a “routine” stop and frisk. D.A.R.E. Lion should’ve been kicked off that cliff in Africa and trampled by wildebeests. RIP Mufasa.

Child of Divorced Stoners Not Excited to Celebrate Two 311 Days

CORAM, N.Y. — Local eight-year-old Evie Doyleson was completely turned off by the idea of having to celebrate 311 Day twice due to her recently divorced pot-loving parents having joint custody of her, sources confirmed.

“I’m still getting the hang of all of these weird holidays, like Arbor Day and 9/11, but I just don’t get what’s so special about this one,” said Doyleson. “The only real tradition for this holiday seems to be laying motionless on the couch for hours at a time, listening to one band all day, smoking something out of a glass vase that smells like a skunk, browsing hemp necklaces and sandals on Amazon, eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch straight from the box, passing out by 4:30 p.m., and forgetting to make me dinner again. Can’t believe I have to do this twice a year for the rest of my life.”

Doyleson’s parents didn’t see what the big deal was with having to celebrate the day twice.

“She needs to grow up and show some respect by listening to ‘All Mixed Up’ every hour on the hour this afternoon and later today when she’s with her mother,” said Mark Doyleson, father of one, hopefully. “She also throws a huge fit for having to celebrate a handful of 420s a year. You see, her mom and I each throw separate 420 Day parties and also celebrate the Monday after the holiday and then the entire month thereafter, which can sometimes last the rest of the year and then some. Participating in 311 Day is the least she can do to make up for the fact that we have to buy her Christmas presents every year until further notice.”

Experts had some ideas about getting children more interested in the unconventional day.

“It’s tough to get your young ones excited for holidays that don’t involve them specifically,” said psychologist Brenda Hummingsworth. “Don’t get me wrong. You can still make that happen. Just look at Easter. This day is about Jesus or something like that, but we got children involved by making up a six-foot-tall bunny that brings them pre-packaged chocolate and marshmallow Peeps the day after we stain eggs with them. 311 Day just needs a catchy mascot and tradition like that. Like Hexum the Panda that delivers amber-colored Reese’s Pieces that morning after they paint glass bongs. That’s how to get your kids excited for this day. Not with 311 music.”

At press time, Doyleson was also not excited for the following week as she had to spend the St. Patrick’s Day holiday with her alcoholic uncle.

Man Nostalgic for Video Store Experience Builds Little Curtain Around Computer for Peeking at Porn

ALLENTOWN, Penn. — Local millennial and general fiend for nostalgia Andy Bellener recently rigged up a tiny curtain that goes around his personal computer to simulate the device used to hide the pornography section seen at many independent video stores growing up, several perverts report.

“I’ll always remember being a little kid at Sunshine Video and sneaking a peek into the ‘forbidden room’ filled with stuff my brothers and I definitely shouldn’t have been seeing while my parents fought over which Ben Stiller movie they were going to rent,” Bellener explained. “I want to recreate that feeling of excitement. I’ve been so damaged by my access to porn that I’m afraid I don’t feel much of anything anymore. But peeking at it on my laptop through a little crack in the curtain takes me back to a simpler time!”

Andy’s wife Sara Bellener isn’t quite as enthusiastic about the idea of the sleazy curtain and is concerned about how it’s affecting their marriage.

“At first, I thought it was pretty funny and a little bit charming, really. But now it’s hindering our marriage in more ways than one,” Sara Bellener said, adding she believes the curtain has turned her husband into a video store fetishist. “Andy says outright that he can’t perform unless I pop popcorn in the microwave and let it sit there for 6 hours, or unless I rub myself down with old VHS in order to take on their ‘sexy musty odor.’ I just want that idiotic curtain out of my house and my husband back.”

VHS collector Daniel Linholm talks about the wave of video store nostalgia affecting the lives of millennials every day.

“The longing for the days of the mom-and-pop video shop is higher than ever, and that means more and more couples are dealing with the affliction,” Linholm said. “Returning food to grocery stores to avoid late fees, remembering to rewind after unwinding after a long day, and even just renting cars randomly just for that nostalgic feeling of trust you’d get from video store owner to customer. And it’s all tearing young couples apart at an alarming rate.”

At press time, Mr. Bellener was seen cleaning out the disgusting contents some neighborhood kids left in the “dropbox” he had built for his front yard.

Not Just Anyone Can Call Themselves A Gatekeeper

Call me old-fashioned, but I remember a time when being a gatekeeper meant something. Back in my day gatekeepers were the guards, the bouncers. As someone who was doing this waaayyy before it was cool, I’m among a small handful who can appreciate just how much this treasured tradition has declined.

Modern keepers are cowards; they hide in their little online forums bitching about the latest influx of newbies and what they’re doing to the community. But guess what? There wouldn’t be an influx if they were doing their jobs! Get off your ass and start making people feel bad. Go to the grocery store, if you see someone wearing your favorite band’s shirt then ask them to name every one of their songs in the order they were released, if they can’t then you need to call 911 and have them arrested.

Shift the goalposts! Raise the bar!

But whatever you do, don’t just let people enjoy things. At this rate, pretty soon every fandom will be saturated with well-adjusted adults instead of true fans who base their entire personality on niche interests.

Just the other day I heard someone claim to be “a prog rock fan,” so naturally I asked them: Peter Hammill or John Wetton? For true fans, you know the only correct answer is Thom Yorke. Mind you, I was expecting him to get it wrong, it was a bit of a trick question after all… for casuals. But despite my already low expectations, he managed to shock and disappoint me nonetheless. He answered, “Sorry, who?” My jaw dropped. When I asked how long he’s called himself a fan, he told me “about five or so years.” I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry, so I simply shook my head and walked away.

Five. Years. Five years of ignorant posing and no one called his bluff? Clearly the bar is in Hell! That’s what happens when all you have is a bunch of pseudo-keepers running around playing softball with these guys.

So here’s the bottom line: Stop calling yourself a gatekeeper unless you’re committed to harassing normies on at least a daily basis. That’s a small ask, since the O.G.s (original gatekeepers) make it their lifestyle.

But honestly, if you were that guy you wouldn’t need me to tell you what it takes.

Drummer Feels Left Out After Synchronized Jump

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Local drummer Austin Block admitted to feeling intense jealousy, abandonment, and heartbreak when his bandmates in Genghis Pawn executed multiple jumps in unison during a recent performance, sources confirmed.

“It seems kind of unfair, everyone else is having the time of their life smiling and jumping around and I’m sitting all the way back here in the pitch black like a gremlin just pounding away. When we started Genghis Pawn we agreed that we were going to have an equal say in everything,” said Block. “Not only are they jumping in unison without me, but they are leaning their backs against each other and sharing microphones! What’s next? Am I going find out that they are tuning their guitars to the same key and playing the same chord progression?”

Genghis Pawn guitarist Dana Cooper had an entirely different take on the events.

“Austin doesn’t realize how good he has it. As the guitarist, I’m easily the second most important member of the band and I’m required to look good and stand up for the entire duration of our set,” said Cooper. “I don’t have the luxury of taking a load off and sitting on something literally called a throne. Your majesty back there gets to wear sweatpants and look like shit and nobody notices. The rest of us have to jump up and down to prevent our legs from going numb. I’m sorry he feels left out, but this is the same guy that gets mad when our singer hits one of his precious cymbals with the microphone.”

Local shit starter Kevin Greene says the issues between Block and his band members go even deeper.

“Listen, I don’t want to cause any waves, but all those dudes have been jumping in unison in other places besides the stage. I saw them both in line for the bathroom grabbing their crotches and jumping. I saw them at a kid’s birthday party together in one of those bounce houses, and worst of all, they were spotted doing synchronized cannonballs into a public pool last summer,” said Greene. “It’s sad really. Drummers never get to be a part of the fun, they are just told to keep time and stay seated. Things need to change.”

At press time, Block walked off the stage abruptly after his frontman failed to introduce him with the rest of the band during an extended interlude.

Photo courtesy of Van Corona.

The Top 30 Best Picture Winners Ranked by Their Deadpool Cameos

Ever since Marvel’s story-writing algorithm figured out there’s nothing a movie-going audience finds funnier than someone looking at them and saying “Hey, this is all a movie and it’s fake!” Deadpool has enjoyed a career as a leading man. As any true cinephile can tell you, this is well overdue.

Long before Mister Pool was busy saving the MCU, he was saving some of the most storied and celebrated films in cinema history. With both the Oscars and “Deadpool 3” around the corner, we thought now would be a great time to revisit some of Mr. Pool’s pre-mega star work.

Here are the top 30 best picture winners ranked by the strength of their respective cameos from Holywood’s favorite fourth wall-breaking bad boy.

30. The Apartment (1960)

This was one of Deadpool’s first cameos and frankly, he didn’t quite have the formula down. He just randomly bursts into the room and says “I got an apartment for you, it’s called my penis!” and does a little “Hey, look at me, I’m a cool guy” dance.

29. Forrest Gump (1994)

In a way, the character Forrest Gump is sort of the Deadpool of American history the way he just seems to pop up everywhere! That of course doesn’t stop Mister Pool from popping in and doing his thing. Eagle eyes viewers can spot cinema’s favorite 4th wall-breaking mercenary at the Black Panthers meeting, having been hired to assassinate Gump after he inadvertently exposed the Watergate scandal. Deadpool has Gump in his sights, then lowers his gun and says to camera “I can’t kill a mentally challenged guy, what am I, Texas?”

28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

During one of the more dramatic group therapy scenes towards the end of the film, as McMurphy and Nurse Ratched argue, essentially battling for the souls of the men in the psychiatric ward, the tension is momentarily dissolved when the camera pans over to Deadpool having sex with a chicken and he says “Boy, you guys are seriously nuts!” It’s the only part of the movie Ken Kesey approved of.

27. The Departed (2006)

Colin’s meeting with Costello at his porno theater is interrupted by an irritated patron who tells the two criminals to shut up because he’s trying to watch the movie. They turn toward him, and the camera pans to reveal none other than Deadpool, his feat up on the seats joyfully tossing popcorn into the air and trying to catch it even though he’s wearing a mask. Classic Deadpool move.

26. The Sting (1973)

When Deadpoole pops up to address the audience and confess he would totally go gay for Newman and Redford it kind of takes the sting out of an otherwise iconic high-stakes poker scene.

25. Amadeus (1984)

When Antonio Salieri’s jealousy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart reaches a fever pitch he becomes obsessed with destroying him. Still, before he secretly commissions the talented composer to write the requiem that would be his undoing, Deadpool makes his own suggestion. “Just play him this shit!” says Deadpool producing a boom box out of thin air and playing a few seconds of Who Let The Dogs Out.

24. Gladiator (2000)

When you think of this movie, the first scene that likely comes to mind is Russell Crow shouting to the Colosseum crowd “Are you not entertained?!” and then, in a meta twist, having the camera pull out, revealing that the scene is a television set being watched by Deadpool who replies “Meh.” Deadpool proceeds to change the channel to the leg-crossing scene from “Basic Instinct” and says “Here we go!” excitedly retrieving a box of tissues and some hand lotion from beneath his coffee table.

23. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

As in the first two Lord of the Rings movies, Deadpool frequently pops up begging Frodo for the ring, claiming it’s the only ring that can fit around his hobbit finger-sized cock, which is very funny.

22. American Beauty (1999)

In one of the roles that cemented his career, Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a sad middle-aged man who becomes infatuated with a high school student. During the iconic rose dream sequence, we hear an off-camera voice shout “Hey, K-Pax!” The camera quickly pans over to Deadpool writhing around in flowers saying “Isn’t she a little old for you buddy?”

21. Rain Man (1988)

When Raymond Babbit accurately counts the number of toothpicks he spills with a single glance, Deadpool jumps into the scene and exclaims “Holy shit, what are you, Rain Man?” This confuses everyone in the scene, and the viewer, because this is the movie Rain Man, and therefore Rain Man is not yet a widely recognized cultural reference. This prompts Deadpool to turn to camera and say “Check please.”

20. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

The merc with the mouth has an abrasive reputation, but he is not completely devoid of tact. He does pop up in “12 Years a Slave” during a brutal whipping scene, but stops himself mid-quip and says “You know what, this is in bad taste, I’m just gonna go, good luck at the Oscars!” He makes a bit of business out of slowly tiptoeing backward out of frame, and for a few beats, we’re distracted by the sounds of glass breaking and cats yelling, each followed by an apology from Mr. Pool, but all in all it’s proof positive that he knows when enough is enough.

19. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Deadpool shows up several times during the 3-hour and 38-minute classic film saying things like “Is this shit over yet?!” and “It’s still going? Ugh!”

18. Gone with the Wind (1939)

So many farts.

17. The Godfather Part II (1974)

Michael Corleone’s Senate hearing is an extremely high-stakes scene, but Michael keeps his composure the entire time, dismissing the accusations against him has hearsay and media sensationalism so cooly you the viewer almost believe him. Even when Senator Deadpool presents a teddy bear and insists Corleone point out where on the doll he was touched, Corleone is the epitome of calm.

16. Braveheart (1995)

Few cinematic battlefield speeches are as quotable as William Wallace telling his men “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” It’s an effective rally cry, and the men cheer triumphantly ready for battle, except of course for Deadpool who says “Uhm, what was that first part again?”

How I Quit the Apps and Started Meeting Men the Old-Fashioned Way by Playing the “Sweet Child O’ Mine” Riff Incorrectly at Guitar Center

Are you struggling to connect with modern dating? It’s been said that many people feel frustrated with the apps, and are looking for ways to meet a potential partner in person.

According to experts, the issue with dating apps is that they force you to paint yourself in a positive, competent light. And as much as that can make you attractive to potential matches at first, it’s not necessarily conducive to a long-term partnership. Sometimes, people can feel catfished when a dating profile advertises someone falsely.

So I brainstormed this brilliant icebreaker. Because if someone is going to date me, they need to know all of the things that truly make up who I am, including my lack of musical ability and attention-seeking tendencies.

I decided to start playing the “Sweet Child O’ Mine” riff incorrectly at Guitar Center for several hours at a time. I challenged myself to do it for five days in a row, and here’s how it went:

Day 1: Within seconds, a man approached me. He pointed out that I was playing the riff incorrectly, and gallantly offered to teach me. But as we were having our meet cute, another man approached us. He shoved the first guy out of the way, and then things escalated into a fistfight. Unfortunately, it reached the point where the employees were forced to call the police.

Day 2: Just like yesterday, a potential suitor came up to me almost immediately. He went to demonstrate how to play the riff, but struggled. He insisted that he hadn’t played it in a long while, and he was just rusty. As he fumbled around, another man approached him and offered a suggestion. They hit it off and began flirting, and eventually exchanged numbers.

Day 3: At first, I wondered if the employees were getting sick of hearing me play the same riff over and over. But now I’m fairly positive that they enjoy hearing it. In fact, one of them started crying what I can only assume were tears of joy. She even offered to pay one of the customers to come over and help me learn to play it correctly. What a great wingwoman!

Day 4: At this point, things were starting to feel a bit stale. So I decided to shake things up by playing some other songs incorrectly. Almost immediately, the manager came and kicked me out. When I asked why, they said something about how “this is a place of business” and I “can’t keep having rehearsals for my math rock band” there.

Day 5: Unfortunately, I was informed that I have been banned from several Guitar Center locations within North America. There are signs with a picture of me posted outside saying to not let me in. I’m disappointed but not heartbroken because it’s a pretty decent photo of me.

So there you have it! Although I didn’t find lasting love during this experiment, there were some undeniable successes here.

Sure, I still don’t know how to play the riff correctly. And I was banned from a major chain of businesses. But putting yourself out there is never really without risk.

A little rejection isn’t going to stop me, and I’m not giving up just yet! Because there are still plenty of fish in the sea, as well as other music stores. As they say: When God closes a door, he opens up a window. When you get banned from Guitar Center, a Sam Ash opens up down the street.

Six Songs We’re Listening To This Week That Apparently Weren’t Important Enough To Be Mentioned In The State Of The Union Address

Another terrible week has passed you by, and you’ve understandably been looking for a pick me up. You’ve been digging through your record collection, but all you have is the entire Bright Eyes discography and a couple 7 inches from touring bands you barely remember seeing or hearing in your youth.

With spring, the season of reinvention, just around the corner, it’s high time to give your musical taste a much-needed overhaul. We can already hear you panicking about this, but don’t worry. Here are six brand new and staff-approved tracks to get you on the right track.

SUM 41 “Waiting On A Twist Of Fate”

Soon SUM 41 will release their final album and embark on a sprawling farewell tour. We’re not sure what we’ll do without them, but if the world somehow continues to spin when it’s all over, we’ll at least have their swan songs to listen to as we sift through the rubble. Their latest single, ‘Waiting On A Twist Of Fate,’ suggests that maybe the band’s goodbye isn’t the civilization-ending catastrophe we’ve been fearing. In fact, it might even be a hopeful event. We’ve been burned before, though, so we’re still prepping our bunkers and go bags just in case.

A Deer A Horse “Committed”

It’s been two long and arduous years since staff favorites A Deer A Horse released their excellent album ‘Grind.’ It would be an understatement to say we’ve been jonesing for more from the Brooklyn outfit. We’ve been mailing the band one cryptic letter a day demanding a new drop, and it’s finally paid off. Their latest single ‘Committed’ is a certified ripper, and it’s hooky-as-fuck chorus line is quickly becoming our Managing Editor’s favorite thing to sing at fledgling writers when rejecting their articles.

Jumprope “Ten Years In Houston”

Power trio Jumprope from, you guessed it, Houston, have been churning out some of the most satisfying garage-pop you’ve never heard since their debut EP dropped early last year. Their latest single ‘Ten Years In Houston’ may as well be a Master Class in hook writing. If you aren’t already mesmerized by the deliciously fuzzed out intro riff, the falsetto beat drop into the first break will drag you in by the throat. Prepare yourself, is what we’re saying here.

Another Michael “Is There A World?”

What do you get when you take a little bit of psych, indie, prog, pop, and blend it until it turns into the cinematic score of a movie you’ve never seen but probably won a fuckton of awards? You get Philadelphia’s indie rock outfit Another Michael. The trio’s latest single ‘Is There A World?’ answers its titular question by building an entire sonic universe in the space between your ears. The lush production demands multiple listens to catch everything, so clear your already barren schedule for this one.

Possible Oceans “Disintegrate”

LA-based multi-genre explorer extraordinaire Trevor O’Neill is heading into 2024 with a promised ‘barrage’ of new singles under his solo moniker Possible Oceans. The latest in this series, ‘Disintegrate,’ manages to pack nearly an album’s worth of decadent synth and guitar work into a compact runtime of just over four minutes; all while having the gall to drape a flawless vocal melody over the lush soundscape. Before you feel attacked by the lyrics’ suggestion that you’ll never ‘finish what you started,’ we recommend opening that folder on your desktop entitled ‘EP Final.1.2.3.4.5’ for a reality check.

Mdou Moctar “Funeral For Justice”

The guitar antics of Mdou Moctar have been on a steady incline since solidifying his full band in 2019. With ‘Funeral For Justice,’ he has upped the ante in a big way. Frenetic distorted lines dance in a flurry over some of Moctar’s most politically charged lyrics in years. You might want to sit down for your first few listens as you get your bearings within the dizzying landscape of the fretwork here. We all remember what happened the last time you ventured into more complex music.

What? Six songs aren’t enough? Of course not, you greedy bastard. We figured you might be the ungrateful type, so we’ve put these and a whole bunch of other songs in a convenient and constantly updated playlist for you. Click here to listen and dazzle your friends with your newfound relevancy.

 

Professional Piercer Lives in Shadow of Tattoo Artist Older Sibling

PORTLAND, Ore. — Local piercer Archer Steele is reportedly accepting total inferiority compared to his tattoo artist older sibling after being spit on by a customer, disheartened employees confirmed.

“I was just trying to ask a client if their appointment was for a piercing or a tattoo. They laughed in my face and said ‘Do I look like I’m 12? It’s for a tattoo. Don’t talk to me again you fucking peasant.’ It turns out they had been waiting two years to see our best tattoo artist, who happens to be my perfect older brother Jasper,” said Steele, piercer at Fearless Tattoo. “When I first started my piercing journey, I would get so excited when a potential client would come in, thinking that me being needed would heal my deeply rooted attachment wounds. Now I know better than to think I’ll ever measure up.”

Archer and Jasper’s parents revealed they were not surprised to hear about the incident.

“I don’t really blame anyone for spitting in Archer’s face. He’s always been a really pathetic kid, meak, sickly looking, roundly offputting. We knew something was off when his first word was ‘hiya’ instead of ‘hi,’” said father Jett Steele. “Fortunately, his older brother Jasper is our pride and joy. He’s a creative genius and a prodigy who started tattooing the Cool S on his classmates when he was only in kindergarten. It’s pretty obvious Archer wanted to copy his brother, but went with piercing because he wasn’t talented enough to tattoo. It would be better for everyone if Archer pursued bigger things, like a mall security guard stationed by a Spencer’s or a medical guinea pig.”

Owner of Fearless Tattoo Gunner West reported that piercings and jewelry sales only made up 4% of the shop’s revenue last year.

“We offer piercing as a nonessential bonus that makes a little money, kind of like a candy machine at the front of a grocery store. It’s also a nice option when our regular tattoo customers bring their basic friends along–that’s when we do most of our earlobe and belly button piercings,” explained West. “But for the most part, people either go to Claire’s or follow the tried and true apple slice and sewing needle method from ‘The Parent Trap.’ There’s just not much artistry or skill involved in poking a hole.”

At press time, Jasper was embracing his new role as godparent to the firstborn child of the same customer who spit on Archer.