Category Archives: Rockall

From doo-wop to disco and rock to rap, you can learn a great deal about the history of music from the songs of summer from the last 60-plus years. Throughout the decades, pop music has evolved through different genres, stars have risen and fallen, and new technology has led to radically different-sounding hits. Many songs of the summer share similarities, though: bright lyrical content, upbeat tempos, and warm instrumentals.

Of course, theres no national body that crowns the song of the summer. Stacker based this roundup on Billboards analysis of past years charts, dating as far back as 1958, from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Billboard generated the following songs of the summer and their runners-up by awarding 100 points to a song that charted at #1 for a week and one point to a song that charted at #100.

The list begins with one of three non-English entries and the most classical-inspired piece on the list and moves from there to rock n roll, Motown, classic rock, and folk-rock, all before hitting the 80s. As synths began to replace screeching electric guitars, pop stars like Madonna and Mariah Carey rose to prominence. The era of electropop had begun.

Then, in the mid-90s, a shift beganthe effects of which are still manipulating the charts to this day. Hip-hop had arrived in the nationwide consciousness, bringing new techniques like sampling and rapping to pop music. There isnt a more jarring transition on this list than going straight from Bryan Adams to Sir Mix-a-Lot. Though more traditional pop songs have found their way to the summer charts, the hip-hop takeover is still strong with the supremacy of artists like Drake and Lil Nas X, two rappers who continue to dominate summer playlists throughout the 2020s.

Perhaps the next wave to take over the charts will come from another underground movement, and displace hip-hop the same way it displaced traditional pop itself. Maybe the future of music lies not in strict genres but a blend of many elements.Read on to remember which song was blasting out of car windows the year you finished high school, and dont forget to check out our curated playlist of all the winners.

You may also like: Lyrics to 50 famously misunderstood songs, explained

Originally posted here:

Song of the summer the year you graduated from high school - Tyler Morning Telegraph

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 will be the next-generation gaming flagship, offering the latest graphics architecture based on Ada Lovelace GPUs. The graphics card will be replacing the RTX 3080, a very popular gaming graphics card on its own.

While there's no denying the enthusiasm around the higher-end GeForce RTX 4090 series graphics cards that offer the best of the best gaming performance, the RTX 4080 series graphics cards are the tier that most high-end gamers will be getting considering it doesn't break your wallet and still offers a huge amount of gaming performance. It's simple, the RTX 4090 series will be aimed at users who want the best of the best without worrying about the amount of money they are spending while the RTX 4080 series is aimed at users who want the best gaming performance at the best possible price.

The previous GeForce RTX 3080 was touted to offer a huge improvement over the RTX 2080 and while that claim fell a little short, it looks like the RTX 4080 has the potential to exceed far beyond its predecessor due to several reasons which will be apparent in this roundup detailing its specs & performance figures.

We should expect similar things with the next-generation gaming powerhouse too but an important factor to consider is that GPUs are becoming more power-hungry and more pricey. It is a trend that might continue into the future as we get better products but in return, there's always a cost to pay for end consumers. So starting with what we know so far, first we should take a look at the brand new Ada Lovelace or AD10* class GPUs that will be powering the next-gen GeForce RTX 40 series cards.

Starting with the GPU configuration, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 series graphics cards are said to utilize the AD103 GPU core. Think of AD103 as an optimized version of AD102 that sits between the AD102 and AD104 GPUs. The GPU is said to measure around 400mm2-450mm2 and will utilize the TSMC 4N process node which is an optimized version of TSMC's 5nm (N5) node designed for the green team.

The NVIDIA Ada Lovelace AD103 GPU is expected to feature up to 7 GPC (Graphics Processing Clusters). This is the same GPC count as the Ampere GA102 GPU and one additional GPC over the GA103 GPU. Each GPU will consist of 6 TPCs and 2 SMs which is the same configuration as the existing chip. Each SM (Streaming Multiprocessor) will house four sub-cores which is also the same as the GA102 GPU. What's changed is the FP32 & the INT32 core configuration. Each sub-core will include 128 FP32 units but combined FP32+INT32 units will go up to 192. This is because the FP32 units don't share the same sub-core as the IN32 units. The 128 FP32 cores are separate from the 64 INT32 cores.

So in total, each sub-core will consist of 32 FP32 plus 16 INT32 units for a total of 48 units. Each SM will have a total of 128 FP32 units plus 64 INT32 units for a total of 192 units. And since there are a total of 84 SM units (12 per GPC), we are looking at 10,752 FP32 Units and 5,376 INT32 units for a total of 18,432 cores. Each SM will also include two Wrap Schedules (32 thread/CLK) for 64 wraps per SM. This is a 50% increase on the cores (FP32+INT32) and a 33% increase in Wraps/Threads vs the GA102 GPU.

NVIDIA AD103 'Ada Lovelace' Gaming GPU 'SM' Block Diagram (Image Credits: Kopite7kimi):

Moving over to the cache, this is another segment where NVIDIA has given a big boost over the existing Ampere GPUs. The Ada Lovelace GPUs will pack 192 KB of L1 cache per SM, an increase of 50% over Ampere. That's a total of 2.5 MB of L1 cache on the top AD103 GPU. The L2 cache will be increased to 64 MB as mentioned in the leaks. This is a 10.6x increase over the Ampere GA102 GPU that hosts just 6 MB of L2 cache. The cache will be shared across the GPU.

Finally, we have the ROPs which are also increased to 32 per GPC, an increase of 2x over Ampere. You are looking at up to 224 ROPs on the next-gen flagship versus just 112 on the fastest Ampere GPU, the RTX 3090 Ti. There are also going to be the latest 4th Generation Tensor and 3rd Generation RT (Raytracing) cores infused on the Ada Lovelace GPUs which will help boost DLSS & Raytracing performance to the next level. Overall, the Ada Lovelace AD103 GPU will offer:

NVIDIA AD103 'Ada Lovelace' Gaming GPU Block Diagram Mock-Up (Image Credits: SemiAnalysis):

Do note that clock speeds, which are said to be between the 2-3 GHz range, aren't taken into the equation so they will also play a major role in improving the per-core performance versus Ampere.

As we saw with the GA102 GPU, NVIDIA can have various configurations of the AD103 GPU for its GeForce RTX 3080 series lineup. We realistically expect there to be two variants, the RTX 4080 and the RTX 4080 Ti. The former will be part of the initial lineup while the latter would launch as a mid-cycle refresh. The most entry-level GeForce RTX 30 had 23% fewer cores compared to the full chip but this time, the '80-class' graphics cards are going to be powered by their own chip rather than relying on the AD102 GPU that the flagships use. As such, we can expect anywhere from 8704 to 10752 cores.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 'Expected' Specifications

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is going to be a cut-down configuration with either than same cores as the existing GA102 part but tuned with much higher frequency or between 9000-1000 cores that allow some room for a 'Ti' variant in the future with the full-fat configuration. The GPU will come packed with 64 MB of L2 cache and up to 224 ROPs which is simply insane.

The clock speeds are not confirmed yet but considering that the TSMC 4N process is being used, we are expecting clocks between the 2.0-3.0 GHz range. The higher than usual clock speed bump comes from the fact that NVIDIA is making a two-node jump considering the Ampere GPUs with Samsung 8nm node was in reality a 10nm process node with some optimizations. NVIDIA is skipping 7nm and going straight for a 5nm node and not even the vanilla variant but an optimized version of it. With Pascal on the TSMC 16nm node, NVIDIA delivered a huge frequency leap and we can expect a similar jump this time around too.

As for memory specs, the GeForce RTX 4080 is expected to rock 16 GB GDDR6X capacities that might come at faster 21 Gbps speeds across a 256-bit bus interface. This will provide up to 672 GB/s of bandwidth. Now all these boosted specifications will result in higher power draw too and the flagship is expected to operate at a TBP of around 350W. Now for 350W, a single 16-pin Gen 5 connector should be enough for both reference and custom models.

We have also seen an alleged NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Ti heatsink and cooler shroud which hints at the use of a beefier cold plate that provides coverage for both the GPU and memory dies along with an overall larger structure. The leaked cooler is a Founders Edition design and judging by how big it looks, the AIB models will end up being vastly bigger and we may even end up with quad-slot designs from all partners. We can expect the RTX 4080 cooler to be modified with similar changes.

As for its feature set, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards will rock all the modern NV feature sets such as the latest 4th Gen Tensor Cores, 3rd gen RT cores, the latest NVENC Encoder, and NVCDEC Decoder, and support for the latest APIs. They will pack all the modern RTX features such as DLSS, Reflex, Broadcast, Resizable-BAR, Freestyle, Ansel, Highlights, Shadowplay, and G-SYNC support too.

As for the performance of the gaming GPUs, we can only use theoretical numbers here since the launch is a bit far away but based on what we know, the RTX 40 series cards might be the first gaming cards to hit the 100 TFLOPs compute horsepower limit.

Just for comparison's sake:

Based on a theoretical clock speed of 2.5 GHz, you get up to 53 TFLOPs of compute performance and the rumors are suggesting even higher boost clocks. Now, these are definitely sounding like peak clocks, similar to AMD's peak frequencies which are higher than the average 'Game' clock. A 50+ TFLOPs compute performance means more performance on an '80-class' GPU than a '90-class flagship' which will be a good bump. But one should keep in mind that compute performance doesn't necessarily indicate the overall gaming performance but despite that, it will be a huge upgrade for gaming PCs and an 8.5x increase over the current fastest console, the Xbox Series X.

This will be a 70% compute performance uplift for the GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card versus its predecessor and this is without even factoring in the RT and Tensor core performance which are expected to get major lifts too in their respective department. Now FLOPs aren't necessarily reflective of the graphics or gaming performance but they do provide a metric that can be used for comparison. A 2x gain over the RTX 3090 & RTX 3090 Ti would be very disruptive and it makes sense why NVIDIA is going so hard with higher power limits on their cards.

Gamers should expect 4K gaming to be buttery smooth on these graphics cards and with DLSS, we might even see playable 60 FPS at 8K resolution which is something that NVIDIA has been trying to achieve with its RTX 3090 series BFGPUs for a while now.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 was launched at $699 US but its refreshes have really messed up the prices. The RTX 3080 12 GB launched without an MSRP but NVIDIA had internally planned at an $899 US price point for this variant while the RTX 3080 Ti had an MSRP of $1199 US. The pricing is simply all over the place and we would never want to see consumers pay anything about $600 or $700 US for a standard 80-class graphics card. The Ti makes sense but even a $1200 US pricing is absurd but it's what the market has become accustomed to since the RTX 2080 Ti. I wish we can go back to the days of the GTX 1080 Ti at $699 US but I don't see it happening. As such, the RTX 4080 can set us around $650-$700 US while its Ti variant can end up close to the $1000-$1100 US mark.

The difference between the RTX 4080 Ti and RTX 4080 will be way bigger this time around too. It looks like NVIDIA didn't get as much of a positive response from the RTX 3080 Ti as it hoped so and instead of removing the card entirely from its GPU segment, they could have decided to cut down the specs of the non-Ti variant more. Since the spec downgrade will lead to a bigger difference in performance between the RTX 4080 & RTX 4080 Ti than the RTX 3080 & RTX 3080 Ti, it might just be worth getting the higher-end variant for a 15-20% performance gain instead of the single-digit gain you are getting right now.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards are rumored for a mid-July launch and while we have seen cooler shrouds of the RTX 4090 Ti leak out earlier, NVIDIA could still release the non-Ti variant first with the RTX 4090 Ti variant hitting the market much later. But this wouldn't be the first time that NVIDIA releases a high-end SKU during the very start of its next generation. The RTX 2080 Ti flagship was launched with the rest of the lineup even though its predecessor, the GTX 1080 Ti appeared months after the launch of the initial lineup. The RTX 3090 launched with the initial line of RTX 30 series cards but the 3090 Ti came more than a year late. This time, NVIDIA could launch the entire family from the start and go for a mid-cycle refresh later on but that remains to be seen.

As of now, the rumors point out the Mid-July launch so we have to wait two more months to see how well that goes!

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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Graphics Card Specs, Performance, Price & Availability Everything We Know So Far - Wccftech

Besides being former lord mayors of Dublin, what do former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former Green Party leader John Gormley, Sen D Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus, Vincent Ballyfermot Jackson, Carmencita Hederman, Emer Costello, Sen Haughey, Hazel Chu and dozens more have in common?

It was another former lord mayor of Dublin, Fianna Fils Paul McAuliffe, who supplied the answer on Thursday evening as a Dil debate on the proposed new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) was drawing to a close.

The answer is that all of the above have been governors of the Holles Street hospital. And Alison Gilliland, the current Lord Mayor, is now a member of the board.

McAuliffe dropped this mini-bombshell while addressing public concerns over the Government leasing the land on which the new hospital is to be built rather than owning it outright. Having read all the documents, he said, as a layman, he couldnt find any mechanism which would allow the landlord or management of St Vincents Hospital Group (SVHG) to interfere in the running of the clinically independent maternity hospital.

And then, as he was on the subject of ownership and governance, he decided to come clean with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.

Now Minister, in all the times I have talked to you about this, I have never mentioned it, but you might be surprised to hear that I am a former governor of the National Maternity Hospital.

What? Who knew?

When I was elected lord mayor, I was made a governor, Paul revealed, adding that it certainly came as a surprise to him at the time. Not only that, but when the chairman of Holles Street, aka the archbishop of Dublin, couldnt attend, I had the responsibility of chairing the meetings.

While there is a lot of talk about the current hospital building being outdated, McAuliffe used his own experience to point out that the governance model is completely outdated too, but this hasnt prevented all legally permissible services from being carried out in the NMH.

The archbishop of Dublin has never attended the board meetings and when the first notice and meeting pack arrived in the Mansion House for new incumbent Paul McAuliffe, he quickly wrote back and said he would not be attending any of them.

When I was made Lord Mayor I think I was chair of about 20 different companies and I wrote to all of them and said Look, I think its very bad governance nowadays for somebody to be put on your board that you didnt choose and then for them to be replaced every 12 months. McAuliffe thinks the Holles Street appointment dates back to the National Maternity Hospital Act in the 1930s, when Alfie Byrne was lord mayor for all but one year of that decade and was put on all sorts of boards.

My view was that corporate governance is totally different to what it was years ago and I wasnt comfortable being made legally responsible for a company that I really knew nothing about. It used to be an honorary thing, but these days company law is, rightly, very strict so now you have to register board membership and declare to Sipo and all the rest.

William Herberts ears must have been burning this week because everyone was talking about him after Stephen Donnelly casually dropped his name on Wednesday morning in the middle of the health committees meeting on the NMH.

The ownership of the land is not linked to the appointment of directors, the Minister for Health explained to members, giving the example of the current set-up. The owner of the land under Holles Street is the Earl of Pembroke, whoever that is, and he has no influence.

That would be William Alexander Sidney Herbert, the stinking rich 18th Earl of Pembroke, who owns a 14,000-acre estate in Wiltshire and a magnificent stately home (used to film interior scenes in the Netflix hits Bridgerton and The Crown) along with the freehold of the National Maternity Hospital and many other properties around the Merrion Square area.

The rents paid by the State to British aristocratic landlords in this ridiculous throwback to our colonial past isnt exactly onerous. Figures released back in 2011 for our ground rent obligations included 257.76 for Iveagh House, 220 for the Four Courts and 7.33 for Dublin Castle.

But still, every little counts.

The proposed 10-a-year long-lease rental agreement between the State and St Vincents Hospital looks cheap in comparison. However, the Government continues to come under pressure from the Opposition to convince St Vincents to either gift or sell the land to the State instead of the lease option. Sinn Fin is keeping the political drama going by bringing forward a motion next week on securing full public ownership of the site and building.

Acquiring freehold ownership of public buildings has always been complicated. Just over 300 years ago, in 1715, property developer Joshua Dawson sold his Dawson Street residence with freehold to Dublin Corporation for 3,500, in addition to an annual rent of 40 shillings.

In order to secure their Mansion House, the Corpo also agreed to provide a very expensive loaf of double refined sugar weighing six pounds at Christmas along with two fat male hens.

In return, Joshua Dawson agreed to build on an extra room which could be used for civic receptions, and which is still used for this purpose today.

Two fat male hens? Maybe the Government could send a pair over to the SVHG to seal the deal, if its still clinically appropriate.

But who?

Aodhn Rordin and comedian Gary Cookes Football Walking Tours of Dublin started up almost two years ago and ticked along quietly during the pandemic. From the beginning, their unique take on the history of football (not the done thing to say soccer) in the capital picked up great reviews from the thoughtful aficionados who signed up for trips.

Labour TD Rordin may spend his working week talking away in Leinster House and his Saturdays pounding constituency pavements in Dublin Bay North, but on Sunday he likes to relax and unwind by pounding more streets in Dublin while talking for up to two hours at a time to total strangers.

Now that all restrictions have been lifted, the football-loving duo are ramping up their tour schedule and increasing the numbers allowed on each outing (25 max).

Rordin and Cookes original tour meandered around the northside of the city, beginning in the shadow of Croke Park in Ballybough, stopping at locations of note in Irish soccer history and usually ending up at Dalymount Park by way of Tolka Park and Bertie Aherns Drumcondra. They talk history and politics along the way but strictly of the sporting variety. The yarns are great.

Cooke, of Aprs Match fame, is renowned for his impersonations of legends such as Johnny Giles and Liam Brady and some lad called Eamon Dunphy, and he peppers his contributions with bursts of shining insight from the great men.

They muse on the troubled history of the game and its perceived Irishness when viewed against the unsullied GAA. They probe the sometimes difficult relationship with official Ireland. There is a stop outside the Archbishops Palace in Drumcondra to remember the time John Charles McQuaid attempted to have an international match against Yugoslavia banned.

And they wonder if the reason why Ireland played Poland so many times back in the 1970s and 1980s was really because certain high-ranking FAI officials were carrying on romantic liaisons with Polish women.

Now, out from under the shade of Covid, the two tour guides have been signed up internationally. Or at least, they have been lured across to the dark, sorry, south side.

We are setting off next Sunday [May 22nd] from the Little Museum of Dublin on St Stephens Green and exploring the great football connections on the south side of the city. Did you know that 38 senior internationals came from Ringsend? says Aodhn, who is rather nerdy about soccer and collects jerseys and programmes which he likes to produce during tours. We hope to keep going most Sundays for the rest of the summer.

Booking details are on the Little Museum of Dublins website. Meanwhile, the lads havent abandoned their northside gig entirely. Prospective punters can email FootballWalkingTour@gmail.com for information.

Former tnaiste and leader of the Progressive Democrats Mary Harney made a rare visit to Leinster House on Thursday when she appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing into financial governance issues at the University of Limerick in 2020. She was there as chancellor and chair of the college governing board.

In response to questions, she said it is an unpaid role and she does not claim expenses for it.

Sinn Fins Matt Carthy asked the esteemed witness about the number of boards and committees on which she sits.

Mary, who retired from the Dil and national politics in 2011, did a quick tot. Well, Im on the board of four private companies and I do other consulting as well.

The meeting was robust in parts, with Harney and Independent TD Verona Murphy getting involved in a short spat over the chancellors role as a public interest director with KPMG.

Harney held her ground, as she did throughout the session. The politicians were impressed. Labours Sen Sherlock, while not sharing her ideology, praised her for always being honourable, honest and straightforward.

The chairman, Sinn Fins Brian Stanley, noted as he was wrapping up that it was the first time Mary Harney had been before a committee in his time. She earlier told TDs her last visit was for the banking inquiry in 2015.

I noticed as people came in, I would say the majority of them werent here when I was a deputy and Im not gone that long.

I wasnt one, said Stanley.

Im just telling you about the recycling of deputies, just to maybe warn you all, she replied.

His colleague Matt Carthy chimed in gallantly, or maybe not: Maybe well all be as successful afterwards as you were.

I think, deputy Carthy, youre very successful, she told him.

Youve been through all the battles over the nineties and the noughties, cooed Stanley.

I sure have, smiled the witness. I thought I learned how to watch my back, but its a constant . . . I describe myself, chairman, as a recovering politician.

Well settle on that, said Brian.

Afterwards, some long-serving Oireachtas officials discussed Mary Harneys performance. Usually a figurehead-type like a chancellor just reads the opening statement and lets the permanent staff answer the questions. But she controlled it all. It was a masterclass in how to handle a committee meeting. Id forgotten how good she was, said one.

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Miriam Lord: Strange case of the mayor and the maternity hospital - The Irish Times

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Since the competition is so captivating, fans can commonly be heard wishing for daily battles on the gridiron. While its not realistic for players to play every other day as we see in other professional sports competitions, theres always the possibility for another league to pop up, like the XFL.

One alternative method to pull in more of the general football audience is by playing games in the spring and summer during the slow portion of the NFL offseason as it is now. Weve seen this take place with the revival of the USFL as of late.

But the USFL arent the only ones who have tried, and theyre not the only ones who will continue to keep trying to tap into the NFL fanbase around the globe.

Even though the USFL may have beaten the XFL to the punch by resuming play sooner, its not like the latter has lacked any proper planning at any step of the way.

Led by actor, wrestler, and former University of Miami football player Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), the XFL will return in February of 2023. Hes joined by longtime business partner Dany Garcia along with Gerry Cardinales RedBird Capital to provide funding for the new venture.

Weve already gotten a glimpse at team names and head coaches who have signed contracts to lead their respective squads, starting in 2023.

As we get closer to the highly anticipated return of the XFL, more details are beginning to emerge.

While the return of the XFL has been in the works for some time now, we only recently discovered how they plan to put the league in front of a massive audience.

According to The Rock, the XFL will be able to be viewed on ABC, ESPN, Disney+, and FX in 2023.

This is a definitive moment for the XFL and the beginning of an incredible, long-term partnership for the league, building on my longstanding, very successful legacy relationship Ive had with Disney throughout my career. Were excited to be working with global visionaries that are aligned with the XFLs values, are true team players and share our ambitious goals to grow the XFL as a global sports and entertainment business. Through the combined power of Disney and the XFL, together we will create a new powerhouse on the sports calendar and bring a dynamic game of football to fans everywhere. Time to ball out.

This multi-year agreement ensures every XFL regular season and playoff game will be televised once they open up play again on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

As fans continue to seek more ways to soak up as much football content as possible, the XFL provides yet another intriguing avenue, but the only bad part is that we have to wait until the week after Super Bowl 2023 to see what its all about.

Related: XFL reportedly trying to counteract USFLs progress by pitching better pay and schedule to player agents

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The Rock announces all XFL games will broadcast on ABC, ESPN, Disney+, and FX in 2023 - Sportsnaut

We scribe types have a thing we call a non-answer answer that we sometimes get in response to a question. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry gave a doozy of an example late Sunday night.

Jarry was asked about playing on an injured right foot after the Penguins tough, season-ending 4-3 loss in overtime against Rangers in New York in Game 7 of the teams first-round playoff series.

After all, he had been out since April 14 with what is suspected to be a broken bone in that foot.

Heres the telling non-answer answer: After a pause, Jarry said, Uh I was able to play.

Its easy to extrapolate that Jarry was far from 100 percent and would not have been deemed ready to play under many other circumstances.

And that the guy gutted out something most likely painful and difficult to make 26 saves and help give the Penguins a chance to extend their season.

There also was visual evidence to suggest that. On his way to and from the interview table postgame, he had that right foot heavily iced and seemed to walk with some pain.

The injury left Jarry with some unfinished business. He admittedly and if he hadnt admitted it, many others were there to remind him didnt play his best a year ago, and that was a large factor in the Penguins first-round playoff loss against the New York Islanders.

Penguins winger Jake Guentzel nearly got emotional Sunday night when asked about Jarry.

Its just unbelievable, he said. The guys been through a lot. Hes been a rock all year long. Just to see him out there in Game 7 fighting the way he did, I mean, its just unbelievable what that guy does for our team.

Its just tough when you cant get the win for him, just how hard he battled and made a lot of good saves for us.

Penguins backup goaltender Casey DeSmith started the series, and it seemed to be his net. But in the second overtime of Game 1, he pulled himself out of the game with an injury that later required core muscle surgery.

In stepped third-stringer Louis Domingue, cold and with a heavy meal of spicy pork and broccoli in his belly, as the story goes. Domingue is a journeyman NHL goalie for a reason, and he held things down as best he could.

But when the Penguins missed two shots to clinch the series and headed to New York for Game 7, it was a no-brainer to go with Jarry if he could possibly play.

Even given the obvious physical discomfort, Jarry simply wanted to be involved, to be a good teammate.

He said he wanted to stand tall in there. I think thats something that the guys needed, just someone that could backstop them, someone that could make some saves when they needed.

So, after being out so long, rehabbing, watching the final six games of the regular season (a stretch that included his 27th birthday), watching the Penguins go up 3-1 in the series, watching as the Rangers came back with two straight wins, Jarry was put in a pressure-packed and yet coveted position of making his return for Game 7.

I think its just being calm and making sure that youre putting your best foot forward, he said. Just being able to play, I was grateful for that, that they trusted me to put me in for that. I wanted to give it my best shot.

We are fairly confident there was no pun intended, but, man, he said it.

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Jarry Had All the Guts and Almost the Glory in Game 7 - Pittsburgh Hockey Now

Brown also explained the complicated history of Prince Charles when it comes to love. Prince Charles has never really been seen as a tragic romantic figure, but he is because he fell in love with Camilla very early on, she says. He loved her, wanted to marry her, but couldnt even consider that because she was an aristocratic woman, but she wasnt nearly at the sort of level bride that was being considered for him. Plus, she already had sexual experience, unlike what was expected at the timethat Charles should marry a virginwhich is so ridiculously archaic.

As a result, Charles had to look younger and younger to find his bride and, as the story goes, ended up marrying Diana given that none of his contemporaries (he was 32 at the time of his marriage to Diana in 1981) could pass the virgin test. Charles stayed in love with Camilla all that time, she married someone else, but it was a really long time that he stayed emotionally faithful to Camilla. It was complete agony for him to have to marry someone else.

Royal times they are a-changing.

For more about the royals, listen to the Royally Obsessed podcast with co-hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito. Subscribe now or follow us on Instagram @royallyobsessedpodcast.

RELATED: Um, Sarah Ferguson Just Signed a Mega Book DealAs In, *22* New Books

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Are We Right to Embrace the Future Queen Camilla? Princess Diana Expert Tina Brown Sounds Off - PureWow

BUCKS COUNTY, PA With severe thunderstorms and potentially damaging winds looming on Monday, some schools in Bucks County and the nearby area have decided to dismiss students early.

Palisades School District dismissed middle and high schools at 10:50 a.m., while elementary schools in the district were let out at 12:15 p.m.

In Northampton, middle and high schoolers were let out at 12:15 p.m., while elementary students got out at 1:15 p.m.

"We ask for your patience and flexibility during dismissal today," the district said. "Our principals and staff will prioritize keeping kids safe and will pause dismissal if we are experiencing a severe storm or have a warning that a severe storm will begin during dismissal. Therefore, buses may be delayed today and parents picking up students may need to wait a bit longer than usual."

All after school and evening activities have been canceled in other local districts as well, including Bensalem.

All eastern Pennsylvania counties remain under a hazardous weather outlook. Severe weather is expected to strike between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., with less powerful fronts lingering into the evening. Downpouring rain, hail, and isolated tornadoes are also possible.

Authorities are warning residents to prepare for the weather event and to be aware of road closures. "If you have generators, make sure they are fueled and ready to go, for if this weather does hit us, we would expect power outages with downed trees and wires," the Upper Makefield Township Police Department shared.

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Schools Dismiss Early In Bucks County With Severe Storms Looming - Patch

It sure seems like were making up for lost time when it comes to big outdoor summer concerts.

During the worst part of the pandemic in 2020, they were all but non-existent, and last summer, tour schedules were paired down and only a fraction of the usual number of large-scale outdoor shows took place in Maine.

This summer, however, the schedule is stacked.

Darlings Waterfront Pavilion is now the freshly renovated Maine Savings Amphitheater in Bangor and ready for a busy summer. Among the improvements are 214 new bathroom stalls, improvements to elevation and site lines and enhanced/increased food, beverage and merchandise sales points.

Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel is presenting some outdoor shows, as is Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and Maine Craft Distilling in Portland. Theres also a couple of shows that are part of the Whistlestop concert series, presented by Narrow Gauge Cinema in Farmington.

Meanwhile, Thompsons Point in Portland is about to launch into the busiest schedule its ever had with 21 shows booked and counting.

You want to dance? Sylvan Esso has that covered, and so do The Backstreet Boys. You want to rock out? There are plenty of shows for that (were looking at you, Aerosmith). You want to catch an 80s vibe? Hello, REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy! And if you straight up just want to waste away (again) in Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet is here for you.

To get you and your ears ready for a summer to remember, heres a highlight reel, so to speak, of some of whats in store, starting next weekend and heading all the way to September.

Head into Memorial Day weekend with a mega dance party starring Slyvan Esso, the duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn. Theyre three studio and one live album into a wildly successful career that includes a Grammy nomination for best dance/electronic album in 2017 for What Now. The band is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, and itll be a hip-swaying soiree with tunes like Ferris Wheel, Die Young and Dress. The latest album is 2020s mesmerizing Free Love.

Slyvan Esso with Samia7 p.m. May 26. Thompsons Point, Portland, $40 in advance, $45 day of show. statetheatreportland.com

Every little thing is gonna be all right in Arundel with a show from The Wailers. Reggae legend Bob Marley has been gone for more than 40 years, but his spirit lives on in his bands music. Youll happily sway to hits like Three Little Birds, Could You Be Loved, Buffalo Soldier and Jamming. In 2020, The Wailers released One World, its first album in 25 years, which earned them a Grammy nomination for best reggae album. The single One World, One Prayer features Marleys daughter, Cedella Marley, and her son, Skip Marley. Stir it up, little darlin, stir it up!

The Wailers6 p.m. June 3. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, 53 Old Post Road, Arundel, $50. vinhillmusic.com

Indie-folk act The Head And The Heart released its fifth album, Every Shade of Blue, at the end of April and will be at Thompsons Point in early June to play songs from it and the four than came before, dating back to 2011. Most of the Every Shade album was made remotely in the band members individual studios during lockdown, and the end result is 16 tracks. Every Shade of Blue is a collection of songs that celebrates the beautiful mess that we were during this time of transformation, says vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen. British singer-songwriter Jade Bird opens the show.

The Head And The Heart with Jade Bird6:30 p.m. June 4. Thompsons Point, Portland, $45 in advance, $50 day of show. statetheatreportland.com

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow released her platinum-selling debut album Tuesday Night Music Club in 1993, and 10 have followed. Her hits are many and include All I Wanna Do, If It Makes You Happy, Everyday Is A Winding Road, A Change Would Do You Good and My Favorite Mistake. Crow and her band have been dialed in for decades, and their live show is a fierce and fun showcase of their talent. Crow manages to be both commanding and funny on stage, and her high-energy performance will stay with you for days. Whats more, Crow chose one heck of an opening act with Grammy-winning blues legend Keb Mo. Brush up on all things Crow-related by watching the new documentary Sheryl, streaming on Showtime.

Sheryl Crow with Keb Mo6 p.m. July 13. Thompsons Point, Portland, $55 in advance, $60 day of show. statetheatreportland.com

It will be an all-out pilgrimage to Bangor for legions of Phish fans, aka Phishheads, as the band plays at Maine Savings Ampitheater on a midsummers evening. The multi-genre band crosses over into jam and rock and is known for lots of improv during is live shows. Phish formed in 1983 at the University of Vermont. Its debut album was released in 1989, and 15 have followed along with a number of live ones. Fronted by Trey Anastasio, the band also features longtime Mainer Jon Fishman on drums. Fishman moved to Lincolnville from Vermont in 2006.

Phish7 p.m. July 16. Maine Savings Amphitheater, Bangor, $49.50 to $95. waterfrontconcerts.com

Hey Parrotheads, chances are you wont blow out your flip-flop on your way to see Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band in Bangor. But if you own a colorful Hawaiian shirt, nows the time to bust it out, ditto for the hula skirts. Its all about the accessories at Buffet shows, and certainly all about the preshow tailgate parties, which always embrace the fact that its 5 oclock somewhere. Chances are excellent youll find a cheeseburger in Bangor and a margarita or two. Fins up!

Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band7:30 p.m. Aug. 2. Maine Savings Amphitheater, Bangor, $45 to $145. waterfrontconcerts.com

After a two-year hiatus, Guster On The Ocean weekend is back, starting with an Aug. 12 concert at the State Theatre during which the alternative rock band will play an acoustic set and there will also be a performance by singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. On Aug. 13, things move over to Thompsons Point where the gates open at 2 p.m. The jaw-dropping lineup features folk duo Shovels & Rope, indie-folk act Darlingside, singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah (who just opened a show for The Who) and Maine singer-songwriter Pete Kilpatrick. There will also be a B-stage with comedy and improv. The weekend concludes on Sunday with Camp Guster at Camp Winnebago in Fayette.

Guster On The Ocean3 p.m. Aug. 13. Thompsons Point, Portland, $55 in advance, $60 day of show, $100 VIP. statetheatreportland.com

Heads up fans of Portland-based holler-folk act The Ghost of Paul Revere. ICYMI, the news recently broke that the band is disbanding after an 11-year run. This means that their Thompsons Point show is their swan song and will likely be an exuberant, emotional night for band members and fans alike. Theyre the headlining act of their annual Ghostland music festival, and this years lineup also features Hiss Golden Messenger, Marco Benevento and GoldenOak. Dont sleep on tickets, this one will surely sell-out.

Ghostland feat. The Ghost Of Paul Revere4 p.m. Sept. 3. Thompsons Point, Portland, $41 in advance, $46 day of show. statetheatreportland.com

For more than five decades, rock band Aerosmith has been blowing the roof off of venues, and this time around, theyll likely punch a hole right through the Bangor sky. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford are all in their 70s, but dont think for a moment they wont be ready to rock. Theyll be coming into Maine on the heels of an eight-night run in Las Vegas, and a few days after Bangor, theyll head to Fenway Park. A scan of past setlists revealed that Aerosmith has many hits and like to play them live. Be ready to revel in the glory of Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Love in an Elevator, Cryin, Toys in the Attic and Rag Doll, to name just a few. Sing with them, sing for the year, sing for the laughter and sing for the tear but dream on if you think this show isnt going to sell out.

Aerosmith7:30 p.m. Sept. 4. Maine Savings Amphitheater, Bangor, $47.50 to $167.50. waterfrontconcerts.com

Wait. What? REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy all at the same show? Believe in this 80s music miracle because its coming true and will close out the season at Maine Savings Ampitheater in Bangor. Its hard to wrap ones head around all of the jukebox hits youll hear that night, but on the ballad front, keep your ears open for REO Speedwagons Keep on Loving You and Cant Fight This Feeling, Babe from Styx and Heaven In Your Eyes by Loverboy. And when its time to rock, all three bands will be slaying with Take It On The Run, Renegade, Mr. Roboto, Too Much Time On My Hands, Turn Me Loose and Working for the Weekend. Climb aboard this starship and come sail away with this trio of iconic acts who will be slaying you with nostalgic tunes all night long.

REO Speedwagon, Styx and Loverboy6:45 p.m. Sept. 18. Maine Savings Amphitheater, Bangor, $28.50 to $353.50. waterfrontconcerts.com

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Make it a jam-packed summer with these outdoor concerts - Press Herald

With the death of Ronnie James Dio on May 16, 2010, rock music lost an iconic figure. The man whose mighty voice lit up the music of Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven And Hell was truly a unique talent: a vocalist of immense power, expression and innate melodic flair, an elegant lyricist, and a storyteller of rich imagination.

There is magic in the words and voice of Ronnie James Dio.

Music was central to his life from an early age. Although he never received any formal vocal training, as a child he mastered French horn and trumpet, to which he later attributed the breathing control pivotal to his singing power. He played bass guitar in his first professional group, The Vegas Kings, a rockabilly outfit formed in 1957 and based in New York State. But it didnt take him long to answer his true calling.

By the end of 1958, he was lead singer of a new-look band, Ronnie & The Red Caps, later renamed Ronnie Dio & The Prophets after Ronnie had adopted a stage name appropriated from mobster Johnny Dio. Success did not come quickly. As the rock era dawned in the 60s, Dio toiled in obscurity as leader of the Electric Elves, subsequently shortened to Elf. But in the early 70s came the break that he had longed for, when Deep Purples Roger Glover and Ian Paice saw potential in Elf and elected to produce the bands self-titled debut album.

And from there, a strong connection was formed between the two bands a connection that led Dio to the man who would transform his career and change his life. Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purples moody guitar hero, took a shine to Elf and especially their singer when the two bands toured together between 1972 and 1974.

And when Blackmore chose to make a solo record, having openly voiced his displeasure over Purples funk-influenced albums Burn and Stormbringer, he enlisted Dio and the other members of Elf, minus guitarist Steve Edwards. That album, titled Ritchie Blackmores Rainbow, was released in 1975 shortly after the guitarist quit Deep Purple. And it was immediately apparent that Blackmore had found the perfect foil in Dio, a singer whose voice and imagery were ideally suited to Blackmores baroque taste.

Ritchie Blackmores Rainbow was the album on which Ronnie James Dio came of age. After all the lean years before and with Elf, this was Ronnies golden opportunity, and he responded with a performance of complete authority. The albums opening track, Man On The Silver Mountain, set the template for so much to come: an epic, mystical tale rendered in a voice that soared and thundered. And Dio proved equally adept on the albums gentler songs, the poetic Catch The Rainbow, and The Temple Of The King, perhaps the most beautiful and elegiac song he ever recorded.

What followed was one of rocks all-time classic albums, establishing this new band now simply named Rainbow as a major force, and confirming Dio as a singer of unrivalled power. Released in June 1976, Rainbow Rising is the model of what aficionados like to call castle rock: heroic, fantasy-themed, progressive heavy metal built to a monolithic scale, and most potently illustrated by Stargazer, the albums vast quasi-symphonic centrepiece. Classic Rocks Geoff Barton, then writing for Sounds, summed up Rising perfectly, describing it as thermonuclear rocknroll.

How to top that? Ronnie almost did on Rainbows third studio album Long Live RockNRoll with the track Gates Of Babylon, another Stargazer-sized set-piece. But that record, best known for its anthemic title track, was to be Dios swansong for Rainbow, Blackmore replacing him with dapper Englishman Graham Bonnet as he pursued a more radio-friendly direction.

It was hard on Ronnie, being out of a job after just four years with Rainbow. But within a year he would be courted by another world-famous rock band and this would present him with the greatest challenge of his career. When announced as the new singer in Black Sabbath succeeding the much-loved Ozzy Osbourne Dio faced hostility from the media and from hardcore Sabbath fans.

To further complicate the issue, Dio was an American joining a quintessentially British band. But Dios debut with Sabbath, 1980s Heaven And Hell, silenced his critics. In Sounds, Peter Makowski stated: Ronnie James Dio has injected a whole new energy into the group Just sit back, turn it up and feel your brain implode.

Simply put, Dio made Black Sabbath great again. His gift for melody, and his poetic sensibility, brought a lyrical quality to Sabbaths music and inspired Tony Iommi in particular, whose lead guitar work on the albums phenomenal title track is the best he has ever played. And crucially, Dio could also handle the really heavy stuff, as he proved emphatically on Neon Knights, arguably the heaviest of all Sabs songs. Nobody has ever sung a heavy metal song better than Ronnie did with Neon Knights.

He would make another great album with Sabbath, Mob Rules, released in 1981. But as so often happens, a combination of heavy touring and personality clashes led to a split in 1982 amid rumours that the rival parties had been tampering with the mix of the live-in-concert album Live Evil.

Many years later, Ronnie would dismiss these stories as bullshit, but on the cover of Live Evil there was a small detail that spoke volumes of the animosity between Sabbath and Dio: the singer was billed not as Ronnie James Dio but as plain Ronnie Dio. It was a cheap shot to which Ronnie reacted by forming a new band under his own name, a band whose first album would blow Sabbath out of the water.

Holy Diver, released in June 1983, is one of the great heavy metal debuts. The band Ronnie put together featured two familiar faces former Rainbow colleague Jimmy Bain on bass, and fellow Sabbath fugitive Vinny Appice on drums plus a relatively unknown and inexperienced guitarist in 19 year-old Vivian Campbell, previously of Irish band Sweet Savage. But they made a tight unit: Bain and Appice rock solid, Campbell flashy and fiery. And with Ronnie now undisputed group leader for the first time since Elf, Holy Diver was the album on which his singular artistic vision was finally realised.

Its a record packed with classic songs, not just Dio classics but genre-defining heavy metal classics: Stand Up And Shout, Holy Diver, Rainbow In The Dark, Dont Talk To Strangers. By comparison, Sabbaths Born Again, featuring Dios surprise replacement Ian Gillan, was widely regarded as a joke, even before Spinal Tap lampooned the Sabs Stonehenge stage set.

Throughout the 80s, Dio the man and the band maintained a large and loyal following. Band members came and went, beginning with Vivian Campbell, who went on to Whitesnake and then Def Leppard. In 86 Ronnie organised Hear N Aid, heavy metals answer to Band Aid, a charity project for African famine relief that produced a hit single, Stars, written by Ronnie and sung by a hairy ensemble cast featuring members of Mtley Cre, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

And if no subsequent Dio album ever matched Holy Diver, Ronnie continued to deliver great songs (We Rock, The Last In Line, Sacred Heart, RockNRoll Children) and spectacular live shows. (Nobody who saw Ronnie battling Dean The Dragon on stage could ever forget the experience!)

Then, in the early 90s, came an astonishing volte-face. Ronnie rejoined Black Sabbath. It didnt last. They made a half-decent album, Dehumanizer, but when Sabbath were invited to support Ozzy on what was billed as the Double-Os farewell tour, Ronnie pulled out and Rob Halford of Judas Priest acted as stand-in.

Ronnie re-launched Dio in 1994, and in the next 10 years the band recorded five albums with varying line-ups. But for Ronnie, Black Sabbath was unfinished business, and in 2007 he reunited with Iommi, Appice and bassist Geezer Butler as Heaven And Hell. This would prove to be Ronnie James Dios last hurrah.

Initially, Ronnie had intended to reform Dio after Heaven And Hells world tour, but such was the success of that tour, and so strong was the vibe in the band after recording three new tracks for the Black Sabbath compilation The Dio Years, it was decided that Heaven And Hell would record a brand new album. That album, The Devil You Know, was released to widespread acclaim in 2009. It would be the last of Ronnies recordings released in his lifetime.

The death of Ronnie James Dio has had a profound effect both on those who knew him and those who simply loved his music. For this writer, there are many memories to cherish. Ronnie was the first rock star I interviewed as a professional journalist, back in 1985, when he was promoting Dios Sacred Heart album. It was a huge thrill for me to meet him. Since 1980 when I unwrapped a Christmas present from my brother, a cassette of Heaven And Hell I have been a Ronnie James Dio fan. I first saw Ronnie on stage with Dio at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1984, on The Last In Line tour. And across the years Ive seen Ronnie play so many great shows: at Birmingham NEC with that bloody dragon, at Londons Astoria performing the whole of Holy Diver, and the last time, at Brighton Centre with Heaven And Hell.

My last interview with Ronnie was just a couple of years ago, when he was in London with Heaven And Hell. What I remember most of all was the warmth of the rapport between him and Tony, Geezer and Vinny. I asked Ronnie about a phrase he used many times in his lyrics, a phrase that had become akin to a trademark: Look out! Hed used it in Holy Diver, in Rainbow In The Dark, and a record-breaking five times in Sabbaths Children Of The Sea.

He smiled. Its funny. Whenever I play in Phoenix, this one guy is always there, and every time Im going to sing it he holds up sign that says Look Out! I take it as a compliment! He was right: it is a compliment.

When I had a leaving party after 10 years working for Kerrang!, the invitations featured a photo of Ronnie with a stuffed eagle and the headline: Look Out! It was a tribute to the man who, for me, best epitomises the spirit of heavy metal. In a 2009 issue of Classic Rock, I stated: Of all the legendary heavy metal singers, Ronnie James Dio is the greatest.

And there are many, all over the world, who share that opinion. I recall a drunken night with friends in Brighton when the conversation inevitably turned to heavy metal, and, specifically, singers at which point one friend threatened to walk out of the pub unless we all agreed that Ronnie James Dio is the No.1 metal singer of all time. We agreed, the friend stayed. Rob Halford was voted No.2.

Ronnie James Dio sang so many great songs: Man On The Silver Mountain, Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, The Temple Of The King, Stargazer, Tarot Woman, Starstruck, Kill The King, Long Live RockNRoll, Neon Knights, Children Of The Sea, Heaven And Hell, Die Young, Stand Up And Shout, Holy Diver, Rainbow In The Dark, The Last In Line, We Rock. But if there is one song, above all others, with a lyric that best captures the essence of Ronnie James Dio, it is Sacred Heart: Whenever we dream, thats when we fly. He dared to dream, and he flew high.

Rest in peace, Ronnie.

This tribute appeared in Classic Rock 147, in June 2010.

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Ronnie James Dio: the life and the legend - Louder

Its a balmy Wednesday afternoon in April, and Hayden Anhedonia is basking in the sunshine of her Alabama home. Dressed in a white T-shirt advertising her independent label Daughters of Cain, the 24-year-old makes it clear that she is the one speaking Oh, call me Hayden, for sure, she says over a Zoom call, smiling.

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Thats an important distinction for Anhednia to make most people know her as Ethel Cain, the dark, brooding, God-fearing alternative artist taking the industry by storm. Having a stage name isnt uncommon among artists in 2022, but for Anhednia, Ethel Cain is so much more than a nom de plume.

Ethel Cain is kind of my dark, evil twin, Anhednia offers directly, before taking a moment to clarify. Shes not evil, per se, but we have both been through similar situations. If I didnt choose to heal and forgive and forget, I would be ultimately destroyed, which is what happens to her. She is the mirrored version of what my life would be like if I chose not to get better.

The mythos around the character of Ethel Cain is long enough to fill a novel or a film or, in Anhednias case, a concept album. Preachers Daughter, her glorious debut LP (out Thursday, May 12 via Daughters of Cain), tells the story of the titular character coming to terms with an imperfect existence; abuse, ignorance, societal standards, love and hatred all set Cain on a fateful journey as she ventures on a destructive path of self-discovery.

Its a big story, Anhednia admits. Its this all-American girl who crumbles under the weight of God and country. The American Dream is unachievable being a perfect daughter, a perfect Christian, all of these weights that are put onto young American people are impossible. I like to think of this album as a cautionary tale of what would happen if you dont free yourself from these imaginary chains, in terms of religion, family and expectation.

Preachers Daughter is a story that Anhednia has been crafting for the vast majority of her adult life after leaving her close-knit, religious family home in Florida at the age of 18 and beginning her transition process, the singer started writing this album, dedicating her time to making sure the songs reflected the narrative beats she intended to touch on, while also standing on their own.

Even as she begins to talk about its release, Anhednia is still in shock that Preachers Daughteris going to be released. Everything I have done has been working up to this album, she says, as a look of awe comes across her face. Everything in my whole life has been leading up to finishing this record.

Making the album meant much more than simply writing the songs since the start of her career (under her former stage name White Silas), Anhednia has made it a point to perform, write and produce all of her music herself. It started out through necessity having no professional connections to producers, and armed only with a cracked-version of GarageBand on an old school laptop, Anhednia had to teach herself how to produce in order to survive the industry.

Nowadays, those connections have formed Daughters of Cain, the independent label Anhednia created and releases her music through, operates as an imprint of the industry-shaping publishing company Prescription Songs. Yet throughout Preachers Daughter,Ethel Cain is listed as songwriter and producer on all 13 songs, with only the occasional assist.

I guess I dont play well enough with others, Anhednia offers dryly before letting out a laugh. The world that I am building has been built in tandem with my production skills and my production knowledge, and it all influences each other. So bringing in another producer would completely shift the narrative. This story is being told sonically as well; the rise, the fall, the swells, the reverb, every turn of a knob, of a dial, of a slider, it all affects the story!

Of course, that doesnt mean that the singer did everything herself. When faced with a creative need for more instruments throughout her album, paired with a lack of experience playing said instruments, Anhednia turned to a few trusted collaborators, including multi-instrumentalist Matt Tomasi, to contribute to her sound. That was really hard hes very good at what he does, and even still, as good as he was, I was very nervous, because I was so used to having my hands on it up until the day that I submit it, she says.

Anhednia says shes glad that shes in control of her own sound, and is even happier to see more up-and-coming artist taking the reins of production into their own hands. I go on TikTok every now and then and by now and then, I do mean all of the time, I am addicted to the endless media scrolling and see kids on there that are learning how to produce, she says with an excited smile. I swear to God, the industry is going to see a big shift towards the favor of the artist in the near future, when the artist relies less on the industry to make music. Thats what Im excited about.

Throughout the album, those self-produced flourishes remain intact her fusion of alternative, folk, pop and rock all blend together, allowing the listener to find themselves adrift in her blissful sonic universe. And then, they start listening to the words. Ethel Cain has become well known for pairing heavy, foreboding lyrics over ear-pleasing melodies in her past releases, andPreachers Daughter is no exception to that trend. Throughout her album, the story of Cain follows through-lines of suicidal ideation, heartbreak and loss of faith.

But one theme throughout the album is Cains in-depth exploration of abuse, both sexual and otherwise. Framed through the narrative of a daughter running away from a father who doesnt understand that some types of love could be bad as she sings on Hard Times, Anhednia said that the writing process of this album was a way for her to let go of her own trauma regarding abuse.

When I write it into a song and this is one of the reasons that I created this alter ego instead of releasing it as myself is that its like I give it to her, Anhednia says. When its happening to her, its no longer happening to me, its now her problem.

One particular song where Anhednia explores the fallout from abuse is Ptolemaea, a late-album track that sounds like it was lifted off of the soundtrack of a psychological horror film. The songs outro, spoken in a demonic voice and barely audible over explosive guitar feedback, offers a twisted blessing that hammers the point home: Blessed be you, girl, the distorted voice sneers. Promised to me by a man who can only feel hatred and contempt towards you.

The song was named after one of four concentric rings of the Ninth Circle of Hell as depicted in Dantes Inferno, dedicated to those who betrayed their guests, which immediately struck a chord with Anhednia. I was immediately like, Thats how it feels. When someone invites you in, brings you into their life, just to hurt you. I was scared of the demo the next day when I listened to it.

Without going into the specifics of her own experiences, Anhednia makes it clear that she has given herself the time, space and consideration to heal from her own experiences, and shes ready to allow herself to move on. At first, I was very angry, very resentful. Now, Im ready to let go, she says. One of the things I always tell my friends is that somebody can stick a knife in your back one time, but you dont have to keep taking it out and stabbing yourself with it over and over again. Like, I am done, I am tired of this being a recurring theme, Im tired of it affecting my relationships with new people Ive just met, Im tired of it ruling my life! So I really went into forgive and forget mode.

As with many of her past releases,Preachers Daughter also explores her own identity as a transgender woman navigating the world after being raised in a fanatical Southern Baptist community. Bringing in themes of modern womanhood and the fetishization of femininity in religious circles, Anhednia wanted to make it clear on her debut that both she and her alter ego are fully-formed transgender women.

But Preachers Daughternever veers toward stereotypical or glamorized depictions of what it means to be trans in fact, it often goes out of its way to steer into the mundane and temporal aspects of life as a trans woman. According to Anhednia, its her quiet way of bringing attention to the fact that trans people are not a monolith.

I want some variation for the trans experience as depicted in trans art, Anhednia explains. Ethel Cain the character is trans, but I didnt make it a big part of the story because to me, being transgender is kind of boring. Its like, I have brown hair, Im transgender its very whatever, you know? Ultimately, its not about the identity itself, its about the freedom to be whatever you are.

That being said, Anhednia says she does hope other trans people who have felt left out of certain depictions of trans people in media feel seen in her work, especially given the ongoing attacks against trans lives in state legislatures around the U.S. I try not to follow whats happening, and it still winds up on my timeline thats how you know that it is bad, she says with a sigh. We have a humanization problem, where these people [right-wing lawmakers] see you as a stereotype and not as a person. I hope that, in time, we will start to see a softening on their part as we keep becoming visible.

Preachers Daughter contains an ending that feels very final for the character of Ethel Cain after carving her way through the countryside, struggling to understand her own trauma, Cain ends this chapter with Strangers, a song that revels in its own muddled worldview of the myth of a happy ending. Conjuring up images of women in freezers and Cains face on the side of a milk carton, Anhednia leaves the ending grey, but hints at a gruesome fate for Ethel.

Despite this, Anhednia is steadfast in saying that there is much more to come from Ethel Cain. Its a trilogy, she says, matter-of-factly. This story is the end of her story, and then its going backwards up her family tree the first record is about Ethel, the daughter, the next record will be about her mother, and then the third will be about her grandmother.

As for herself, Anhednia is similarly prepared for the future, listing off the myriad goals she intends to tick off her list in the coming years. I really just wanna start beefing up all of my skills, to be honest, she says, listing off writing a book, producing an Ethel-inspired film, releasing experimental music under name and learning to sew again as just a few of her goals. I wouldnt say Im a musician or a filmmaker, Im just a storyteller, and there are a lot of ways that you can tell a story. I want to go find all of them and put them under my belt.

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The Book of Ethel Cain: How the Alternative Phenom Built Up Her Own Reality Only to Tear It Down - Billboard