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Merry-Go-Round Magazine

@mgrmagazine.bsky.social

1.5K followers 12 following 170 posts

Merry-Go-Round Magazine is an independent, online culture magazine based in Los Angeles. Consider supporting us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/mgrm

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · Oct 23

Hello! We're an independent online culture magazine based in Los Angeles, CA! We cover music, movies, TV, podcasts, and more! We've been around for over nine years and are thrilled to still be thriving, so consider becoming a Patron of the magazine today! www.patreon.com/mgrm?fbclid=...

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 15h

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the imaginative and inspired ambience of Kirin McElwain's YOUTH, out now via @akprecordings.bsky.social, and the crushingly soulful lo-fi folk of Emily Hines' THESE DAYS, out now via @keeledscales.bsky.social! Read about both albums today!

Bandcamp Picks: Emily Hines & Kirin McElwain - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the imaginative and inspiring ambience of Kirin McElwain's YOUTH, out now via AKP Recordings, and the crushingly soulful lo-fi folk of Emily Hines' THES...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 1d

On THE COUNT, songs are shaped from fragmentary phrases, glued together by gasps of yearning and bravado. It and Frog's previous '25 release, 1000 VARIATIONS ON THE SAME SONG, establish them as one of the most freewheelin' acts making music today.

With THE COUNT, Frog Cement Themselves As Indie’s Most Freewheelin’ Act - MGRM

On THE COUNT, songs are shaped from fragmentary phrases, glued together by gasps of yearning and bravado; both it and Frog's previous 2025 release, 1000 VARIATIONS ON THE SAME SONG, establish them as ...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 3d

Baltimore’s Micah E. Wood is a true multidisciplinary artist—a photographer, musician, and fabric within the local community. We chatted with him about his new album YOU, ME, THE REIGN, where he deftly jumps between political unrest and a search for love.

Interview: Micah E. Wood Champions Community, Love, and Freedom - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Baltimore’s Micah E. Wood is a true multidisciplinary artist, a photographer, musician, and fabric within the local community. On his new album YOU, ME, THE REIGN, he deftly jumps between political un...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 4d

Working on a variety of humorous levels, from laugh out loud funny to passively amusing to, even in a certain sense, genuinely practical, Fred Armisen's 100 SOUND EFFECTS interestingly captures his charm and personality.

100 SOUND EFFECTS Conveys Fred Armisen's Charm - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Working on a variety of humorous levels, both laugh out loud funny and passively amusing, 100 SOUND EFFECTS always finds a way to capture Fred Armisen's omnipresent silliness and charm.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 7d

Happy Bandcamp Friday! Check out our Picks of the Week, including the timeless technicolored ambiance of Kevin McCormick & David Horridge’s LIGHT PATTERNS and one of the best under the radar shoegaze records of 2025 in Chatham Rise’s TRILLIUM! Read about both and then grab 'em over on @bandcamp.com!

Bandcamp Picks: Chatham Rise & Kevin McCormick and David Horridge - MGRM

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the timeless technicolored ambiance of Kevin McCormick & David Horridge's LIGHT PATTERNS and one of the best under the radar shoegaze releases of 2025 in...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Indieheads Podcast @indieheadspod.bsky.social · 10d

Out now wherever you find podcasts, we’re joined by @mgrmagazine.bsky.social’s @cjsimonson.bsky.social on this season premiere of our new series, The 1950’s Number Ones.

Find your platform of choice here: linktr.ee/indieheadspodcast

SONGS DISCUSSED:
Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Ames Brothers - Rag Mop
Red Foley - Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy
Teresa Brewer - Music! Music! Music!
Eileen Barton - If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked a Cake
Perry Como - Hoop Dee-Doo
Anton Karas - The Harry Lime Theme - From "The Third Man"
Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa
The Weavers - Goodnight Irene
Phil Harris - The Thing

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 10d

Listen to Editor-in-Chief @cjsimonson.bsky.social gab about the music of the early '50s over on the @indieheadspod.bsky.social!

Indieheads Podcast @indieheadspod.bsky.social · 10d

Out now wherever you find podcasts, we’re joined by @mgrmagazine.bsky.social’s @cjsimonson.bsky.social on this season premiere of our new series, The 1950’s Number Ones.

Find your platform of choice here: linktr.ee/indieheadspodcast

SONGS DISCUSSED:
Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The Ames Brothers - Rag Mop
Red Foley - Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy
Teresa Brewer - Music! Music! Music!
Eileen Barton - If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked a Cake
Perry Como - Hoop Dee-Doo
Anton Karas - The Harry Lime Theme - From "The Third Man"
Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa
The Weavers - Goodnight Irene
Phil Harris - The Thing

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 10d

Julian Glander’s BOYS GO TO JUPITER is 2025's best coming-of-age film, a thoughtful and beautifully animated exploration of tech, capitalism, and hustle culture that is as anxious as it is calming. We chatted with him about the cast, honing in the script, the movie's remarkable music, and much more!

BOYS GO TO JUPITER Director Julian Glander Learned All the Rules… And Then Rebelled Against Them - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Julian Glander’s BOYS GO TO JUPITER is 2025's best coming-of-age film, a thoughtful exploration of tech, capitalism, and hustle culture that is anxious and calming in equal measure. We chat with the d...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Indieheads Podcast @indieheadspod.bsky.social · 12d

On the premiere episode of the 1950's Number Ones, we're joined by @mgrmagazine.bsky.social’s @cjsimonson.bsky.social as we relay every #1 hit from Truman’s State of the Union to the End of the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River.

Support us now on Patreon to hear the full episode over 48 hours early!

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 14d

It's our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring @luxterminus.bsky.social’s vintage prog metal exploration CINDER, out now via MetalMedia Group! Read about it and then give it a listen over on @bandcamp.com!

Bandcamp Pick: Lux Terminus - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring Lux Terminus's vintage prog metal exploration CINDER!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 17d

The latest single from Ruby Sparks' debut album IRIS comes in the form of a darting garage rock tune with smoothed out edges and vintage psych pop wonder. Listen to our premiere of "Love's All We Have" today!

Track Premiere: Ruby Sparks' “Love’s All We Have” - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

The latest single from Ruby Sparks' debut album IRIS comes in the form of a darting garage rock tune with smoothed out edges and vintage psych pop wonder. Listen to our premiere of "Love's All We Have...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Lammbi @lammbi.bsky.social · 21d

On this week's Bandcamp Picks of the Week segment, I go for two delightful finds. One blends death metal with chilling post-punk snarl, the other is a reflective plugg folktronica. Both are great and worth listening to.

My write-ups of FLOATING and Zyber's albums are up on MGR Mag!

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 21d

It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring FLOATING’s post-punk infused metal exploration HESITATING LIGHTS, out now via @transcendingobs.bsky.social, and Zyber's experimental hip hop journey SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA, out now via Killstreak Certified! Read about both today!

Bandcamp Picks: Zyber & FLOATING - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring FLOATING's post-punk infused metal exploration HESITATING LIGHTS and Zyber's experimental hip hop journey SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 21d

THE LONG WALK arrives at a moment where the 18-24 male demo is at a scary crossroads, one playing out in the news daily. It's a bleaker, more realistic take on the YA apocalyptic adaptations from a decade ago, asking in a whisper "Which Way, Western Man?"

I Do Not Recognize the Young Men in THE LONG WALK - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

THE LONG WALK arrives at a moment where the 18-24 male demo is at a crossroads. It plays as a bleaker, more realistic take on the YA apocalyptic adaptations from a decade ago, asking in a whisper "Whi...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 21d

It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring FLOATING’s post-punk infused metal exploration HESITATING LIGHTS, out now via @transcendingobs.bsky.social, and Zyber's experimental hip hop journey SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA, out now via Killstreak Certified! Read about both today!

Bandcamp Picks: Zyber & FLOATING - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring FLOATING's post-punk infused metal exploration HESITATING LIGHTS and Zyber's experimental hip hop journey SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Chris Coplan @chriscoplan.bsky.social · 22d

You think I just go on and on and on about comics? No, dude, my blow-hard-ed-ness also applies to music, like that of the awesome BRNDA. My latest for @mgrmagazine.bsky.social:

BRNDA Remain Ravenous for Fresh Ideas and Challenges - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Washington, D.C.’s BRNDA explore a playful collage of human suffering on TOTAL PAIN the same way they always have, by offering brilliantly dry art-rock that eschews boundaries and boxes.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Crafted Sounds @craftedsounds.bsky.social · 23d

BRNDA has spoken! Wisdom on display! Such a great piece here. Thx for chatting with BRNDA, Chris! ❤️

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 23d

BRNDA explore human suffering on TOTAL PAIN the same way they always have, offering brilliantly dry art-rock that eschews boundaries and boxes. We profiled the band, and discussed the truths and perspectives that come from struggle. Check out the new album, out now via @craftedsounds.bsky.social!

BRNDA Remain Ravenous for Fresh Ideas and Challenges - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Washington, D.C.’s BRNDA explore a playful collage of human suffering on TOTAL PAIN the same way they always have, by offering brilliantly dry art-rock that eschews boundaries and boxes.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 23d

BRNDA explore human suffering on TOTAL PAIN the same way they always have, offering brilliantly dry art-rock that eschews boundaries and boxes. We profiled the band, and discussed the truths and perspectives that come from struggle. Check out the new album, out now via @craftedsounds.bsky.social!

BRNDA Remain Ravenous for Fresh Ideas and Challenges - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Washington, D.C.’s BRNDA explore a playful collage of human suffering on TOTAL PAIN the same way they always have, by offering brilliantly dry art-rock that eschews boundaries and boxes.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 25d

The last two gasps for summer box office relevance came and went, with THE ROSES and CAUGHT STEALING falling flat as fine films ideal for cable commercial interruption. TNT? USA? TBS? This kind of amicable, average, agreeable filmmaking is for you!

So-So Summer Concludes with Middling Cable Classics In THE ROSES and CAUGHT STEALING - MGRM

The last two major gasps for summer box office relevance came and went, with both THE ROSES and CAUGHT STEALING landing as average films ideal for cable commercial interruption.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Reposted by Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Lammbi @lammbi.bsky.social · 28d

In the recent Bandcamp Picks of the Week, I speak about @celestaphone.com & Dealers of God's brand of psychedelic, heady hip-hop that goes on layers of zany bars that strangles conspiracy theory bullshit at bay. You wouldn't hear anything like this one this year, check it out!

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 28d

It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the conspiratorial psychy hip hop of @celestaphone.com & Dealers of God's CULT SUBTERRANEA, out now via Dismiss Yourself, and an explosive hardcore split from Statement of Pride, Destiny, and Envision, IT COMES FROM WITHIN...! Check out both today!

Bandcamp Picks: Celestaphone, Dealers of God, Statement of Pride, Destiny and Envision - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the conspiratorial psychedelic hip hop of Celestaphone & Dealers of God's CULT SUBTERRANEA, and the new hardcore split from Statement of Pride, Destiny, ...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 28d

It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the conspiratorial psychy hip hop of @celestaphone.com & Dealers of God's CULT SUBTERRANEA, out now via Dismiss Yourself, and an explosive hardcore split from Statement of Pride, Destiny, and Envision, IT COMES FROM WITHIN...! Check out both today!

Bandcamp Picks: Celestaphone, Dealers of God, Statement of Pride, Destiny and Envision - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring the conspiratorial psychedelic hip hop of Celestaphone & Dealers of God's CULT SUBTERRANEA, and the new hardcore split from Statement of Pride, Destiny, ...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 29d

Tomorrow, saturdays at your place will release THESE THINGS HAPPEN. At war with time, distance, and adulthood, we hear them falling in love, recovering from broken hearts, and trying to grow. They come out the other side with one of the years most exciting emo albums.

With THESE THINGS HAPPEN, saturdays at your place Focus On Personal Momentum - MGRM

On their sophomore album THESE THINGS HAPPEN, saturdays at your place grapple with distance, miscommunication, love, heartbreak, and the highs and lows of adulthood.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · Sep 5

Happy Bandcamp Friday! Here are our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, including the thorny emo pop of The April Situation's self-titled EP and the blitzing hardcore of Scarab's BURN AFTER LISTENING! Read about both and then grab yourself a copy of both over on @bandcamp.com!

Bandcamp Picks: The April Situation & Scarab - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, including the thorny emo pop of The April Situation's self-titled EP and the blitzing hardcore of Scarab's BURN AFTER LISTENING!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · Sep 5

Natasha Newling, who makes music under the name RAYHAB, walks us through her new EP RESIDUE, how she took to separating production from songwriting, reconciling with the past, and more! Give the record a listen today!

Interview: RAYHAB Is Driven by Her Life Experience - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Greek-Australian artist Natasha Newling, who makes music under the name RAYHAB, walks us through her new EP RESIDUE, separating production from songwriting, and more!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · Sep 4

"I was there when AHA SHAKE HEARTBREAK automatically downloaded spyware when you ripped it to iTunes.

I was there in 2014, handing in my resignation at the record store to take a job that would have me sitting in a cubicle paying me enough to survive.

That’s when I started losing my edge."

I Was There: SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS Is A Necessary Indie Rock Compendium - MGRM

Chris DeVille's new book, SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS, is thorough exploration of blog era indie rock. For those who lived it, it's a refreshing read if not a devastating reminder of the passage of time.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · Sep 4

So-bad-it's-good film lovers have long since turned over every rock in movie history, but if we turn to the present what has 2025 offered into the canon, and what does it say about our current moment? An exploration of THE TOXIC AVENGER, M3GAN 2.0, and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.

The Official 2025 “Bad Movie” Autopsy - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

The so-bad-it's-good crowd have long turned over every rock in movie history, so what has 2025 dished up in the canon? A brief exploration of THE TOXIC AVENGER, M3GAN 2.0, and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS.

merrygoroundmagazine.com