Podcasts about Divine Comedy

Dante Aligheri was a copywriter kind of guy. Rather than write in the stuffy, formal Latin which is what everyone else was writing in the 14th century, he wrote in the home boy people's language of Tuscan. Dante's masterwork was The Divine Comedy, and his last line was “L'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle” Translated into English, he's talking about Love–the kind of love that moves the sun and the other stars. Thus proving that even in medieval Italy, LOVE was recognized as the most powerful motivating force in the Universe. Yet, how do we tap into that in our copy and take advantage of this irresistible force. Today's extremely special guest, Nathan, is here to tell you. Of course you already know Nathan extremely well as the co-host and producer of Copywriters Podcast. But today he's going to step out of the virtual control room to tell you how to make your prospects fall in love and obsess over your offer, which is something you really need to know, once you think about it. Nathan's website https://cultishcontent.com/Download.

A mix series that explores the dramatic and emotional depths of techno music. Inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, the series navigates the darker, more aggressive aspects of techno while highlighting its capacity for emotional and mood-driven expression. Each installment focuses on a specific mood or theme, drawing parallels with Dante's epic poem. From the depths of Inferno to the heights of Paradiso, this series showcases techno's versatility and emotional range. ---------- Follow Gustav WAV. ◊ https://soundcloud.com/user-939650642 ◊ https://www.instagram.com/gustav_wav ◊ https://www.instagram.com/modernartappreciationclub ---------- Follow MSYH.FM » http://MSYH.FM » http://x.com/MSYHFM » http://instagram.com/MSYH.FM » http://facebook.com/MSYH.FM » http://patreon.com/MSYHFM ---------- Follow Make Sure You Have Fun™ ∞ http://MakeSureYouHaveFun.com ∞ http://x.com/MakeSureYouHave ∞ http://instagram.com/MakeSureYouHaveFun ∞ http://facebook.com/MakeSureYouHaveFun ∞ http://youtube.com/@MakeSureYouHaveFun ∞ http://twitch.tv/@MakeSureYouHaveFun

Memoir writing blurs the line between truth and imagination in this revealing conversation with Lily MacKenzie. We explore how creative writing techniques shape both fiction narrative and personal stories, as Lily explains her unique approach: "you lie in the service of the truth." The prolific author, with works published in over 170 venues, teaches writing dialogue, narrative structure, and storytelling techniques at the University of San Francisco's Fromm Institute for older adults. Discover why age matters, and doesn't matter, in the writing community, and what connects memoir to traditional storytelling. Hear an excerpt from Freefall: A Divine Comedy where Tilly, an installation artist approaching 60, confronts her anxieties about aging and finances in San Francisco.What You'll Learn in This Episode: How memoir writing employs storytelling techniques identical to fiction, including writing dialogue that reconstructs past conversations through imagination in writing and memory recreation.Why traditional narrative structure rules can be broken in favor of fragmented, non-chronological approaches that create compelling conversations between different life stages.The distinction, or lack thereof, between memoir writing and historical fiction, and how both genres recreate time periods through similar creative writing processes.How the writing community serves older adults by providing audience, connection, and purpose while preserving family legacies through literary arts.Subscribe to Reenita's Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymalCheck out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/TIMESTAMPS:  00:00 Memoir writing and the concept of lying in the service of truth with creative writing techniques03:30 Does age affect readership and character development in novels featuring women over 6005:51 Why writing community and memoir writing appeal to older demographics seeking legacy preservation07:07 Exploring narrative structure and making a comparison to historical fiction10:58 Inspiration behind the Freefall: A Divine Comedy novel about four women writers reuniting in Whistler and Venice15:09 Reading excerpt from Freefall: A Divine Comedy featuring installation artist Tilly confronting aging and financial anxietyKEY TAKEAWAYS: Memoir writing succeeds by "lying in the service of truth," using creative writing techniques like scene construction, imagery, and writing dialogue to recreate authentic experiences from imperfect memory recreation.Narrative structure doesn't require chronological order or traditional story arcs; fragmented approaches can create powerful juxtapositions between life stages, allowing pieces to "talk to each other or clash."Writing community for older adults serves multiple purposes beyond skill development, creating audiences for each other's stories and fostering connections through shared memoir writing experiences.ABOUT THE GUEST: Lily Iona MacKenzie has published poetry, essays, and short stories in over 170 venues. She's also published four novels: Fling!, Curva Peligrosa, Free Fall: A Divine Comedy, and The Ripening: A Canadian Girl Grows Up, a sequel to Free Fall and two poetry collections: All This and California Dreaming. Shanti Arts Publishing released her hybrid memoir Dreaming Myself into Old Age: One Woman's Search for Meaning on 9/19/23. She blogs at http://lilyionamackenzie.com and teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco's Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning.RESOURCES MENTIONED: Lily MacKenzie - WebsiteLily MacKenzie - LinkedInLily MacKenzie - FacebookLily MacKenzie - Business FacebookLily MacKenzie - TwitterLily MacKenzie - InstagramFree Fall - A Divine Comedy - Website Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Dave Pen of Archive to talk about Glass Minds — the band's 13th studio album and a bold new chapter in a 30-year journey defined by reinvention, collaboration and creative risk. Formed in Croydon, South London in 1994, Archive have evolved from trip-hop pioneers into one of Europe's most respected alternative collectives. Glass Minds, released Friday 27th February 2026 via Dangervisit through [PIAS], follows the ambitious 2022 triple-album Call to Arms & Angels, which charted Top 10 across Europe and culminated in their biggest headline show to date at Paris' Accor Arena. Produced by Archive alongside long-time collaborator Jerome Devoise, and recorded in Brighton, London and Paris, Glass Minds marks a shift toward a more minimal, down-tempo sound — built on space and emotional weight. New textures emerge through Essex rapper Jimmy Collins on "Heads Are Gonna Roll," while Lisa Mottram shines on the title track and "The Love The Light." At its core is the eight-minute "So Far From Losing You," one of the band's most personal and expansive pieces to date. In this conversation, Dave Pen reflects on joining Archive and becoming part of a true creative collective. He discusses the trust and experimentation that shape the band's process, the evolution of their sound over three decades, embracing AI in the album's visual identity, and why live performance remains the ultimate space where Archive's songs continue to grow and transform. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Paul Draper, Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's third album Howl was a risk — one that nearly broke the band. In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Robert Levon Been to revisit the record that stripped away the noise and reshaped their identity. Originally released in 2005, Howl arrived as an unexpected curveball. The reverb-drenched guitars and white noise that defined the band's early records were stripped back, replaced with folk, blues and gospel-inspired arrangements built around space, restraint and raw emotion. It was a risk — one that confused some at the time, but has since come to feel essential within the band's catalogue. In this conversation, Robert Levon Been reflects on the creative decisions that shaped the album, the deliberate use of silence and atmosphere, and how stepping away from distortion opened up a deeper emotional register in the songwriting. He discusses the impact of critical reception, the perspective that comes with revisiting the record years later, and what it feels like to bring that material back to life on tour. Robert also shares insights into the band's current creative landscape, highlights key entry points for new listeners, and speaks about protecting the spirit of music in an era driven by speed and algorithms. A thoughtful and reflective conversation about evolution, instinct, and trusting your creative compass — even when it takes you somewhere unexpected. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Paul Draper, Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

Matthew Shindell contrasts Islamic scientific advancements with European views, highlighting how Dante Alighierireinterpreted Mars in the Divine Comedy as a symbol of fortitude and martyrdom.

Christianity doesn't do well with erotic love. The unease stems, in part, from the fact that the word “eros” doesn't appear in the New Testament. The lacuna means that points of reference for discussions about sex are typically inadequate and thin. Command stands in for clear thinking.Then, there is Saint Paul's remark: “marry if you must” (1 Cor 7:8-9). His ambivalence has resulted in sexual relationships being hidden in marriage, hoping that there, they do less harm than good. Lady Hillingdon's remark comes to mind, to lie back and think of England - the wit glossing oceans of suffering.That said, there are remarkable exceptions to the handwashing, of which, in the Christian West, the shining example is The Divine Comedy. Dante's understanding of the way romantic love can initiate a path to God is fearless, instructive and, because intrepid, transformative. We need it now for, as William Blake observed, “Our wars are wars of life & wounds of love.”For more on Mark and his book about Dante's Divine Comedy - www.markvernon.com

Co-hosts:Bo BonnerDr. Bud Marr Iowa Catholic Radio Network Shows:Be Not Afraid with Fr. PJ McManusBe Not Afraid in Spanish with Fr. Fabian MoncadaCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonMaking It Personal with Bishop William JoensenMan Up! with Joe StopulusSunday Dive with Katie PatrizioThe Catholic Morning Show with Dr. Bo BonnerThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Reason For Hope with Pastor Scott Richards! Sharing the Word one question of the heart at a time. Tags: Joy, Heaven, and The Divine Comedy

Dante's Inferno - 9 Circles of Mental Hell (And How to Climb Out). In this podcast we will descend into the 9 Circles of "Mental Hell" that you might be creating for yourself, and how to climb your way back to the stars from the philosophy of Dante Alighieri's Inferno. Dante Alighieri was a 14th century, exiled Italian politician who wrote a poem that terrifies us to this day. It is called The Divine Comedy, but we know its first section best: Inferno. On the surface, it is a tour of the Christian afterlife—a journey down through the nine circles of Hell to see how sinners are punished. But if you strip away the medieval theology, you realize that Dante wasn't just mapping the afterlife; he was mapping the geography of human suffering. Dante begins his story not in Hell, but in a "Dark Wood." He writes: "Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost." This is the psychological state we have all felt. The anxiety. The depression. The moment you wake up and realize you don't know who you are or where you are going. To get out of this dark wood, Dante cannot climb up the mountain of happiness directly. He has to go down. He has to face the darkest parts of himself first. Hell isn't a place you go when you die. It's a headspace. Right now, many of us are walking through Dante's circles without even knowing it. We build these infernos within our own minds—brick by brick, habit by habit—eventually mistaking our cage for normal life. So, let's descend. Here are the 9 Circles of "Mental Hell" that you might be creating for yourself, and how to climb your way back to the stars.Introduction - 00:00 – 01:51Circle 1: Limbo - 01:51 – 03:50Circle 2: Lust - 03:50 – 06:03Circle 3: Gluttony - 06:03 – 08:30Circle 4: Greed - 08:30 – 10:45Circle 5: Anger - 10:45 – 12:37Circle 6: Heresy - 12:37 – 14:12Circle 7: Violence - 14:12 – 17:13 Circle 8: Fraud - 17:13 – 21:26 Circle 9: Treachery - 21:26 – 24:24The Conclusion: The Way Out - 24:24 – 26:12I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast and hope these 9 Circles Of "Mental Hell" You Create for Yourself from the philosophy of Dante Alighieri's Inferno will add value to your life. Narration/Audio Editing: Dan Mellins-Cohen https://www.dmcvoiceovers.comSubscribe To Philosophies for Life https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1mRTkVlqDnxz_9S0YD9YQ

This bonus episode of The Classical Mind serves as “front matter” to prepare listeners for a three-month reading marathon of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Join Wesley and Junius as they explain that the work is a “comedy” not because of humor, but because of its trajectory: it begins in the darkness of Inferno and ends with the “blessed life” and vision of God in Paradiso. The discussion explores the poem's intricate architecture, consisting of 100 cantos and an interlocking three-line rhyme scheme called terza rima. The hosts emphasize that Dante intentionally wrote the poem to be read using the medieval fourfold method—literal, allegorical, moral (tropological), and eschatological—allowing it to function as both a narrative journey and a transformative spiritual school for the reader.The episode also provides the vital historical and cosmological context required to navigate Dante's world, from the “funnel” of Hell beneath Jerusalem to the mountain of Purgatory on the opposite side of the globe. The hosts explain how the Earth was viewed as the “cosmic dump” at the absolute bottom of a sphere-shaped universe, putting Satan as far from God as possible. Additionally, they break down the 13th-century political strife between the Ghibellines and Guelphs, noting that Dante's own exile as a White Guelph deeply colors the text. By synthesizing the theology of Aquinas and Bonaventure with the classical poetry of Virgil, Dante created an “encyclopedia of medieval thought” that remains a high point of the Western canon. Get full access to The Classical Mind at www.theclassicalmind.com/subscribe

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Mark Shaw of Then Jerico to talk about The Return — a moment that reconnects legacy, live energy, and purpose as the band bring their full show to Ireland for the first time. Watch the full XS Noize Podcast conversation below. Then Jerico are currently touring the UK and Europe, with debut full-band Irish headline shows at Belfast's Limelight 2 on Thursday 19 February and Dublin's Whelan's Main Room on Friday 20 February 2026. The tour features a 90-minute set spanning the band's classic first two albums — First (The Sound of Music) and The Big Area (Outside) — alongside material from Mark Shaw's 1990s solo releases. In this conversation, Mark Shaw reflects on a four-decade journey through success, setbacks, and survival. He talks about the importance of audience connection, shaping setlists that balance momentum with meaning, and the breakthrough impact of Big Area. Shaw also opens up about carrying the legacy of Then Jerico as the sole founder, revisiting early recordings and B-sides with fresh perspective, and why he's still driven to write songs that speak directly to the present moment. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Paul Draper, Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Kula Shaker frontman Crispian Mills to talk about Wormslayer — a record that captures the band feeling revitalised, confident, and creatively fearless. Watch the full video conversation. Released on 30 January 2026, Wormslayer is Kula Shaker's eighth studio album and sees the original line-up distil their explosive live energy into something cinematic, playful, and expansive. Often described as a natural companion to Natural Magic, the album allows songs to stretch and evolve, blending tight pop instincts with longer, more exploratory moments. In this conversation, Crispian Mills reflects on trust, chemistry, and why the band feels more alive now than at any point in their history. He talks about symbolism and synchronicity, the meaning behind key tracks including Lucky Number, Charge of the Light Brigade, and Broke as Folk, and the idea of creativity as an ongoing quest rather than a destination. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Paul Draper, Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Dani Larkin to talk about Next Of Kin — a deeply emotive record shaped by time, patience, and a renewed sense of creative clarity.  Released on 23 January 2026, Next Of Kin marks a bold progression in Larkin's sound and vision. Co-produced with Ruth O'Mahony Brady, the album expands her acclaimed storytelling into a cinematic, emotionally rich landscape that explores life's most universal milestones — from birth and coming of age to love, loss, and acceptance. Structured as a trilogy, the record moves through distinct phases. Part I traces a journey from darkness toward revelation and youth. Part II sits in the complexity of adulthood, weaving love, fear, doubt, courage, and hope through expansive orchestral arrangements and intimate songwriting. Part III closes with a sense of resolution and homecoming, culminating in the poignant farewell Danny Boy. In this conversation, Larkin reflects on how releasing her debut Notes For A Maiden Warrior during the COVID era shaped her outlook, and why Next Of Kin feels like a true arrival moment. She talks about patience, self-acceptance, and the importance of creating space — both personally and creatively — between records. She also discusses the album's lead single End Of It All, a striking and urgent track that blends industrial drum beats, raw guitar, and a haunting reimagining of Row, Row, Row Your Boat — capturing the contradictions, anxiety, and fragile hope of modern life. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here.  

Prendendo spunto dalla stima provata come grande autore di cinema, vi parlo del cinema “minimalista e ai margini” del regista finlandese Aki Kaurismäki. Nella prima parte, quella delle news, vi parlo della difficile condizione esistenziale del regista Ali Asgari, del ritorno al cinema di un grande film dell'animazione giapponese e dei premiati della 37a edizione del Trieste Film Festival. Qui l'indice della puntata.01:04 News. Ali Asgari non ha potuto partecipare alla promozione in Italia del suo nuovo film Divine Comedy a causa delle rivolte in Iran di gennaio 2026. Cerco di spiegarvi la situazione. 02:28 News. Dal 12 al 14 gennaio è tornato al cinema Memories, un grande classico dell'animazione giapponese. Che storia ha questo film?03:54 News. Quali film hanno vinto l'edizione del Trieste Film Festival 2026?06:23 La Luce del Cinema di Aki Kaurismäki. Film analizzati: Calamari Union; Amleto si mette in affari; L'uomo senza passato; Ombre nel paradiso; Ariel; La fiammiferaia; Miracolo a Le Havre; L'altro volto della speranza; Foglie al vento. 

In 1302 a devout lay Catholic was sentenced to death by a papal legate for refusing to surrender his city's freedom to foreign control. He spent his life in exile, wrote the Divine Comedy, placed popes in Hell for political corruption — and died in full communion, now praised by recent popes as a gift to the Church. Part 2 shows how Dante distinguished the divine office of Peter from fallible political decisions, defended patriotism as a Christian virtue, and gives today's Catholics clear permission — straight from Aquinas, Bellarmine, and the Catechism — to love the Church deeply while protecting their homeland when the two loyalties seem to collide. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who's curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Paul Draper to talk about Mansun Retold — a project shaped by distance, perspective, and the strange experience of meeting your younger self through song. Watch the full video conversation. Releasing on 20 February, Mansun Retold sees Draper revisit and reimagine key songs from the Mansun catalogue, rebuilding them from the ground up as full-band, acoustic unplugged recordings. Rather than revisiting the past for nostalgia's sake, the album is about clarity — hearing familiar songs anew, stripped of urgency, ego, and expectation. Recorded at The Loft Studios in Surrey, the album was co-produced by Paul Draper alongside Paul "PDub" Walton (The Cure, U2, Björk, Massive Attack, Oasis). The sessions feature a string quartet arranged and led by Audrey Riley (Muse, Coldplay, Nick Cave), with drums performed by Julian Fenton — Mansun's original early-era drummer. Draper performs acoustic bass, acoustic lead and rhythm guitar, and piano throughout the record. In this conversation, Draper reflects on the emotional weight of returning to songs so closely tied to his own life, how he decided which tracks felt ready to be retold, and the responsibility he feels toward fans who have lived with this music for decades. He also talks about life beyond music, creative fulfilment, and how Mansun Retold is intended to be experienced — not as a retrospective, but as a living record, rooted firmly in the present. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

Segundo repaso de algunos de los mejores discos de 2006, obras de arte como "Everything All The Time" de Band Of Horses, "Show Your Bones" de Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Batiskafo Katiuskas" de Antonia Font, "Subtitulo" de Josh Rouse, "Pieces Of The People We Love" de The Rapture o "Victory For The Comic Muse", de The Divine Comedy".BAND OF HORSES - The FuneralRAY LAMONTAGNE - Three More DaysYEAH YEAH YEAHS - Gold LionKASABIAN - Shoot The RunnerANTONIA FONT - Wa Yeah!BECK - Think I'm In LoveSCISSORS SISTERS - I Don't Feel Like DancingJOSH ROUSE - Quite TownPETER, BJÖRN & JOHN - Young FolksCSS - Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From AboveTHE RAPTURE - Pieces Of The People We LoveDIRTY PRETTY THINGS - Bang Bang You're DeadJARVIS COCKER - Black MagicTHE DIVINE COMEDY - A Lady Of a Certain AgeEscuchar audio

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar sits down with Alexander Wolfe to talk about his deeply personal new album Everythinglessness. Watch the full video conversation. Written after a period of intense personal reckoning — including time spent in a mental health rehabilitation facility in 2023 — Everythinglessness explores masculinity, mental health, and emotional survival. Drawing on experiences of depression, anxiety, and ADHD, Wolfe turns vulnerability into something raw, intimate, and quietly powerful. Raised in 1990s Woolwich, Wolfe blends observational grit with cinematic songwriting, using analogue textures, layered harmonies, and stark piano lines to create a record that unfolds like a coming-of-age story — moving through grief, identity, and acceptance. In this conversation, Wolfe reflects on the mindset behind the album, the challenge of expressing softness in a culture shaped by silence and stoicism, and how music became a form of recovery rather than escape. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including Sleaford Mods, The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

We begin with a few recommendations on books and resources to use in understanding Dante's "Divine Comedy." Then we switch gears, and get into the meat of the podcast. It seems we become substantially different people every seven to ten years, more or less. We may feel self-conscious or uncomfortable about the things we said, wrote, or believed when we were younger. Is it normal to feel this way? And is it better to preserve a record of one's thought, or to renounce beliefs one no longer holds? We discuss.

What if the sound of heaven is laughter?Drawing on The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, biblical wisdom, and surprising research, this episode explores joy not as a personality trait, but as a spiritual strength. Humor. Playfulness. Delight. These are not distractions from spiritual growth. They are often the pathway into it.From babies laughing at peekaboo to the story of Isaac, whose very name means laughter, we discover that joy is woven into the heart of God. Even more, joy is compatible with pain. Real joy does not deny suffering. It survives it.So today, laugh. Do something fun for no reason at all. You might just discover that God is closer than you thought.

“Praise to the holiest”From The Dream of Gerontius by St. John Henry NewmanPraise to the Holiest in the heightAnd in the depth be praise:In all His words most wonderful;Most sure in all His ways!O loving wisdom of our God!When all was sin and shame,A second Adam to the fightAnd to the rescue came.O wisest love! that flesh and bloodWhich did in Adam fail,Should strive afresh against the foe,Should strive and should prevail;And that a higher gift than graceShould flesh and blood refine,God's Presence and His very Self,And Essence all-divine.O generous love! that He who smoteIn man for man the foe,The double agony in manFor man should undergo;And in the garden secretly,And on the cross on high,Should teach His brethren and inspireTo suffer and to die.On November 1 of last year, All Saints Day, Pope Leo XIV declared Saint John Henry Newman – Cardinal Newman – as a Doctor of the Church. There are thousands of saints—but there are only 38 Doctors: saints who not only inspire us by their example and aid us by their intercession, but whose writing and teaching have had a profound impact on the Church. Cardinal Newman's writings have shaped the Church's understanding in many ways—especially his teaching on the development of doctrine and on Catholic education. Newman was more than a theologian: he was a preacher, a poet, even a novelist. The poem Scott read is taken from his long poem The Dream of Gerontius, which was published in 1865, when Newman was 64 years old. This poem is written in parts like a verse drama or an oratorio (it was later magnificently set to music by Elgar).Gerontius means “old man.” In the poem, Gerontius is an “everyman,” a “soul” who experiences death and what comes after death.The poem begins with Gerontius, the old man, on his deathbed, friends and priest gathered around, praying for him. But his death is only the beginning. Most of the poem takes the form of a dialogue with his guardian angel, who introduces him to the mysterious world of heaven and helps him prepare to meet God face to face.  At the end, he comes before God's throne, and then is led –joyfully - to Purgatory to be made ready for heaven.The poem Scott read is one of several choruses of angelical beings which the soul hears along the way. It's a song of praise, which marvels at the “loving wisdom” and “wisest love” of God in the redeeming work of Christ. The poem uses the Scriptural image of Christ as the “new Adam.” In Adam, our “flesh and blood” was vanquished; in Christ, that same flesh and blood prevails against the enemy. But there is more than a victory won here: there is “a higher gift than grace,” for in Christ our “flesh and blood” are “refined,” with God's Presence, Self, and Essence. Christ is truly human—and truly God.The last two stanzas speak of the suffering Christ underwent, for us, and as one of us. The “double agony” is interior and exterior: anguish of soul in Gethsemane, and physical torment on the cross. God's wise love is also “generous love”: for when Christ dies on the cross, he is still teaching, showing us how to suffer, and how to die.This song comes close to the end of The Dream of Gerontius. This great mystery of our redemption is what prepares the soul to enter the presence of God. And judgment is no longer terrifying. In life, says Gerontius, “the thought of death / And judgment was to me most terrible. / I had it aye before me, and I saw / The Judge severe e'en in the crucifix. / Now that the hour is come, my fear is fled.” In the face of Christ's generous, self-emptying love, fear is no longer possible.Newman's poem about the life that awaits us after death has the feeling of an adventure, a great journey, as the soul discovers that life is not over—it has only just begun. As with poems like The Divine Comedy of Dante and Paradise Lost of Milton, we come away from The Dream of Gerontius feeling that heaven and the afterlife are more real, more vivid, than this life and this world.Newman describes eternal life with urgency and eagerness, without ever dismissing this life as unimportant. Instead, the poem invites us to live life differently, and to look to death—and even judgment—with joy and hope. As Pope Leo XIV said of Cardinal Newman, “The lives of the saints teach us that it is possible to live passionately amidst the complexity of the present, without neglecting the apostolic mandate to shine like stars in the world” ( Pope Leo XIV).

In this episode, John welcomes Mark Vernon to discuss his two books, 'Dante's Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey' and 'Awake: William Blake and the Imagination'. They explore the profound psychological, philosophical, and spiritual insights offered by Dante and Blake, touching upon topics like pilgrimage, the imaginal, and the role of the imagination in renewing perception. Mark shares his experiences and how these works resonate with contemporary cognitive science and spirituality. The conversation delves deep into understanding the connections between ancient wisdom and modern thought. Mark Vernon is a writer, psychotherapist, and philosopher whose work explores the meeting point of spirituality, psychology, and philosophy. Based in London, his background in physics, theology, and psychotherapy shapes a multidisciplinary approach that bridges ancient wisdom traditions with contemporary understandings of the mind and meaning.  

The Daily Quiz - Art and Literature Today's Questions: Question 1: In which book series does the character 'Edmund Pevensie' appear? Question 2: In which book series does 'Albus Dumbledore' appear? Question 3: Which decade is known for literary works such as "The Crucible" and "On the Road"? Question 4: What was the title of the most famous broadcast of "The Mercury Theater on the Air," which aired on October 30, 1938 and caused panic across the United States? Question 5: Which author wrote 'Nicholas Nickleby'? Question 6: Which novel by Jane Austen ends with sisters Marianne and Elinor Dashwood getting married? Question 7: Which piece of written work starts with the line 'Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance, that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.'? Question 8: What comes after 'Inferno' in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy trilogy? Question 9: Which author wrote 'Metro 2033'? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Granger Attempts to Convince Nick (and You!) That The Hallmarked Man will be Considered the Best of the Series.We review our take-away impressions from our initial reading of The Hallmarked Man. Although we enjoyed it, especially John's incredible prediction of Robin's ectopic pregnancy, neither of us came away thinking this was the finest book in the series. For Nick, this was a surprise, as enthusiastic J. K. Rowling fan that he is other than Career of Evil every book he has read has been his favourite. Using an innovative analysis of the character pairs surrounding both Cormoran and Robin, John argues that we can't really appreciate the artistry of book number eight until we consider its place in the series. Join John and Nick as they review the mysteries that remain to be resolved and how The Hallmarked Man sets readers up for shocking reveals in Strike 9 and 10!Why Troubled Blood is the Best Strike Novel:* The Pillar Post Collection of Troubled Blood Posts at HogwartsProfessor by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird-Hardy, Louise Freeman, Beatrice Groves, and Nick JefferyTroubled Blood and Faerie Queene: The Kanreki ConversationBut What If We Judge Strike Novels by a Different Standard than Shed Artifice? What About Setting Up the ‘Biggest Twist' in Detective Fiction History?* If Rowling is to be judged by the ‘shock' of the reveals in Strike 10, then The Hallmarked Man, the most disappointing book in the series even to many Serious Strikers, will almost certainly be remembered as the book that set up the finale with the greatest technical misdirection while playing fair.* The ending must be a shock, one that readers do not see coming, BUT* The author must provide the necessary clues and pointers repeatedly and emphatically lest the reader feel cheated at the point of revelation.* If the Big Mysteries of the series are to be solved with the necessary shock per both Russian Formalist and Perennialist understanding, then the answers to be revealed in the final two Strike novels, Books Two and Three of the finale trilogy, should be embedded in The Hallmarked Man.* Rowling on Playing Fair with Readers:The writer says that she wanted to extend the shelf of detective fiction without breaking it. “Part of the appeal and fascination of the genre is that it has clear rules. I'm intrigued by those rules and I like playing with them. Your detective should always lay out the information fairly for the reader, but he will always be ahead of the game. In terms of creating a character, I think Cormoran Strike conforms to certain universal rules but he is very much of this time.* On the Virtue of ‘Penetration' in Austen, Dickens, and Rowling* Rowling on the Big Twist' in Austen's Emma:“I have never set up a surprise ending in a Harry Potter book without knowing I can never, and will never, do it anywhere near as well as Austen did in Emma.”What are the Key Mysteries of the Strike series?Nancarrow FamilyWhy did Leda and Ted leave home in Cornwall as they did?Why did Ted and Joan not “save” Strike and Lucy?Was Leda murdered or did she commit suicide?If she was murdered, who dunit?If she commited suicide, why did she do it?What happened to Switch Whittaker?Cormoran StrikeIs Jonny Rokeby his biological father?What SIB case was he investigating when he was blown up?Was he the father of Charlotte's lost baby? If not, then who was?Why has he been so unstable in his relations with women post Charlotte Campbell?Charlotte CampbellWhy did her mother hate her so much?What was her relationship with her three step-fathers? Especially Dino LongcasterWho was the father of her lost child?Was the child intentionally aborted or was it a miscarriage?What was written in her “suicide note”?Was Charlotte murdered or did she commit suicide?If she was murdered, who done it?If she committed suicide, why did she do it?What happened to the billionaire lover?What clues do we get in Hallmarked Man that would answer these questions?- Strike 8 - Greatest Hits of Strikes 1-7: compilation, concentration of perumbration in series as whole* Decima/Lion - incest* Rupert's biological father not his father of record (Dino)* Sacha Legard a liar with secrets* Ryan Murphy working a plan off-stage - Charlotte's long gameStrike about ‘Pairings' in Lethal WhiteStrike continued to pore over the list of names as though he might suddenly see something emerging out of his dense, spiky handwriting, the way unfocused eyes may spot the 3D image hidden in a series of brightly colored dots. All that occurred to him, however, was the fact that there was an unusual number of pairs connected to Chiswell's death: couples—Geraint and Della, Jimmy and Flick; pairs of full siblings—Izzy and Fizzy, Jimmy and Billy; the duo of blackmailing collaborators—Jimmy and Geraint; and the subsets of each blackmailer and his deputy—Flick and Aamir. There was even the quasi-parental pairing of Della and Aamir. This left two people who formed a pair in being isolated within the otherwise close-knit family: the widowed Kinvara and Raphael, the unsatisfactory, outsider son.Strike tapped his pen unconsciously against the notebook, thinking. Pairs. The whole business had begun with a pair of crimes: Chiswell's blackmail and Billy's allegation of infanticide. He had been trying to find the connection between them from the start, unable to believe that they could be entirely separate cases, even if on the face of it their only link was in the blood tie between the Knight brothers.Part Two, Chapter 52Key Relationship Pairings in Cormoran Strike:Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-RossScripted Ten Questions:1. So, Nick, back when we first read Hallmarked Man we said that there were four things we knew for sure would be said about Strike 8 in the future. Do you remember what they were?2. And, John, you've been thinking about the ‘Set-Up' idea and how future Rowling Readers will think of Hallmarked Man, even that they will think of it as the best Strike novel. I thought that was Troubled Blood by consensus. What's made you change your mind?3. So, Nick, yes, Troubled Blood I suspect will be ranked as the best of series, even best book written by Rowling ever, but, if looked at as the book that served the most critical place in setting up the finale, I think Hallmarked Man has to be considered better in that crucial way than Strike 5, better than any Strike novel. Can you think of another Strike mystery that reviews specific plot points and raises new aspects of characters and relationships the way Strike 8 does?4. Are you giving Hallmarked Man a specific function with respect to the last three books than any of the others? If so, John, what is that exactly and what evidence do we have that in Rowling's comments about reader-writer obligations and writer ambitions?5. Nick, I think Hallmarked Man sets us up to answer the Key mysteries that remain, that the first seven books left for the final three to answer. I'm going to organize those unresolved questions into three groups and challenge you to think of the ones I'm missing, especially if I'm missing a category.6. If I understand the intention of your listing these remaining questions, John, your saying that the restatement of specific plot points and characters from the first seven Strike novels in Hallmarked Man points to the possible, even probable answers to those questions. What specifically are the hallmarks in this respect of Hallmarked Man?7. If you take those four points, Nick, and revisit the mysteries lists in three categories, do you see how Rowling hits a fairness point with respect to clueing readers into what will no doubt be shocking answers to them if they're not looking for the set-ups?8. That's fun, Nick, but there's another way at reaching the same conclusions, namely, charting the key relationships of Strike and Ellacott to the key family, friends, and foes in their lives and how they run in pairs or parallel couplets (cue PPoint slides).9. Can we review incest and violence against or trafficking of young women in the Strike series? Are those the underpinning of the majority of the mysteries that remain in the books?10. Many Serious Strikers and Gonzo Galbraithians hated Striuke 8 because Hallmarked Man failed to meet expectations. In conclusion, do you think, Nick, that this argument that the most recent Strike-Ellacott adventure is the best because of how it sets us up for the wild finish to come will be persuasive -- or just annoying?On Imagination as Transpersonal Faculty and Non-Liturgical Sacred ArtThe Neo-Iconoclasm of Film (and Other Screened Adaptations): Justin requested within his question for an expansion of my allusion to story adaptations into screened media as a “neo-iconoclasm.” I can do that here briefly in two parts. First, by urging you to read my review of the first Hunger Games movie adaptation, ‘Gamesmakers Hijack Story: Capitol Wins Again,' in which I discussed at post's end how ‘Watching Movies is a a Near Sure Means to Being Hijacked by Movie Makers.' In that, I explain via an excerpt from Jerry Mander's Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, the soul corrosive effects of screened images.Second, here is a brief introduction to the substance of the book I am working on.Rowling is a woman of profound contradictions. On the one hand, like all of us she is the walking incarnation of her Freudian family romance per Paglia, the ideas and blindspots of the age in which we live, with the peculiar individual prejudices and preferences and politics of her upbringing, education, and life experiences, especially the experiences we can call crises and consequent core beliefs, aversions, and desires. Rowling acknowledges all this, and, due to her CBT exercises and one assumes further talking therapy, she is more conscious of the elephant she is riding and pretending to steer than most of her readers.She points to this both in asides she make in her tweets and public comments but also in her descriptive metaphor of how she writes. The ‘Lake' of that metaphor, the alocal place within her from her story ideas and inspiration spring, is her “muse,” the word for superconscious rather than subconscious ideas that she used in her 2007 de la Cruz interview. She consciously recognizes that, despite her deliberate reflection on her PTSD, daddy drama, and idiosyncratic likes and dislikes, she still has unresolved issues that her non-conscious mind presents to her as story conflict for imaginative resolution.Her Lake is her persona well, the depths of her individual identity and a mask she wears.The Shed, in contrast, is the metaphorical place where Rowling takes the “stuff” given her by the creature in her Lake, the blobs of molten glass inspiration, to work it into proper story. The tools in this Shed are unusual, to say the least, and are the great markers of what makes Rowling unique among contemporary writers and a departure from, close to a contradiction of the artist you would expect to be born of her life experiences, formative crises, and education.Out of a cauldron potion made from listening to the Smiths, Siouxie and the Banshees, and The Clash, reading and loving Val McDermid, Roddy Doyle, and Jessica Mitford, and surviving a lower middle class upbringing with an emotionally barren homelife and Comprehensive education on the England-Wales border, you'd expect a Voldemort figure at Goblet of Fire's climax to rise rather than a writer who weaves archetypally rich myths of the soul's journey to perfection in the spirit with alchemical coloring and sequences, ornate chiastic structures, and a bevy of symbols visible only to the eye of the Heart.To understand Rowling, as she all but says in her Lake and Shed metaphor, one has to know her life story and experiences to “get” from where her inspiration bubbles up and, as important, you need a strong grasp of the traditionalist worldview and place of literature in it to appreciate the power of the tools she uses, especially how she uses them in combination.The biggest part of that is understanding the Perennialist definition of “Sacred Art.” I touched on this in a post about Rowling's beloved Christmas story, ‘Dante, Sacred Art, and The Christmas Pig.'Rowling has been publicly modest about the aims of her work, allowing that it would be nice to think that readers will be more empathetic after reading her imaginative fiction. Dante was anything but modest or secretive in sharing his self-understanding in the letter he wrote to Cangrande about The Divine Comedy: “The purpose of the whole work is to remove those living in this life from the state of wretchedness and to lead them to the state of blessedness.” His aim, point blank, was to create a work of sacred art, a category of writing and experience that largely exists outside our understanding as profane postmoderns, but, given Rowling's esoteric artistry and clear debts to Dante, deserves serious consideration as what she is writing as well.Sacred art, in brief, is representational work — painting, statuary, liturgical vessels and instruments, and the folk art of theocentric cultures in which even cutlery and furniture are means to reflection and transcendence of the world — that employ revealed forms and symbols to bring the noetic faculty or heart into contact with the supra-sensible realities each depicts. It is not synonymous with religious art; most of the art today that has a religious subject is naturalist and sentimental rather than noetic and iconographic, which is to say, contemporary artists imitate the creation of God as perceived by human senses rather than the operation of God in creation or, worse, create abstractions of their own internally or infernally generated ideas.Story as sacred art, in black to white contrast, is edifying literature and drama in which the soul's journey to spiritual perfection is portrayed for the reader or the audience's participation within for transformation from wretchedness to blessedness, as Dante said. As with the plastic arts, these stories employ traditional symbols of the revealed traditions in conformity with their understanding of cosmology, soteriology, and spiritual anthropology. The myths and folklore of the world's various traditions, ancient Greek drama, the epic poetry of Greece, Rome, and Medieval Europe, the parables of Christ, the plays of Shakespeare's later period, and the English high fantasy tradition from Coleridge to the Inklings speak this same symbolic language and relay the psychomachia experience of the human victory over death.Dante is a sacred artist of this type. As difficult as it may be to understand Rowling as a writer akin to Dante, Shakespeare, Homer, Virgil, Aeschylus, Spenser, Lewis, and Tolkien, her deployment of traditional symbolism and the success she enjoys almost uniquely in engaging and edifying readers of all ages, beliefs, and circumstances suggests this is the best way of understanding her work. Christmas Pig is the most obviously sacred art piece that Rowling has created to date. It is the marriage of Dantean depths and the Estecean lightness of Lewis Carroll's Alice books, about which more later.[For an introduction to reading poems, plays, and stories as sacred art, that is, allegorical depictions of the soul's journey to spiritual perfection that are rich in traditional symbolism, Ray Livingston's The Traditional Theory of Literature is the only book length text in print. Kenneth Oldmeadow's ‘Symbolism and Sacred Art' in his Traditionalism: Religion in the light of the Perennial Philosophy(102-113), ‘Traditional Art' in The Essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr(203-214), and ‘The Christian and Oriental, or True Philosophy of Art' in The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy(123-152) explain in depth the distinctions between sacred and religious, natural, and humanist art. Martin Lings' The Sacred Art of Shakespeare: To Take Upon Us the Mystery of Things and Jennifer Doane Upton's two books on The Divine Comedy, Dark Way to Paradise and The Ordeal of Mercy are the best examples I know of reading specific works of literature as sacred art rather than as ‘stories with symbolic meaning' read through a profane and analytic lens.]‘Profane Art' from this view is “art for art's sake,” an expression of individual genius and subjective meaning that is more or less powerful. The Perennialist concern with art is less about gauging an artist's success in expressing his or her perception or its audience's response than with its conformity to traditional rules and its utility, both in the sense of practical everyday use and in being a means by which to be more human. Insofar as a work of art is good with respect to this conformity and edifying utility, it is “sacred art;” so much as it fails, it is “profane.” The best of modern art, even that with religious subject matter or superficially beautiful and in that respect edifying, is from this view necessarily profane.Sacred art differs from modern and postmodern conceptions of art most specifically, though, in what it is representing. Sacred art is not representing the natural world as the senses perceive it or abstractions of what the individual and subjective mind “sees,” but is an imitation of the Divine art of creation. The artist “therefore imitates nature not in its external forms but in its manner of operation as asserted so categorically by St. Thomas Aquinas [who] insists that the artist must not imitate nature but must be accomplished in ‘imitating nature in her manner of operation'” (Nasr 2007, 206, cf. “Art is the imitation of Nature in her manner of operation: Art is the principle of manufacture” (Summa Theologia Q. 117, a. I). Schuon described naturalist art which imitates God's creation in nature by faithful depiction of it, consequently, as “clearly luciferian.” “Man must imitate the creative act, not the thing created,” Aquinas' “manner of operation” rather than God's operation manifested in created things in order to produce ‘creations'which are not would-be duplications of those of God, but rather a reflection of them according to a real analogy, revealing the transcendental aspect of things; and this revelation is the only sufficient reason of art, apart from any practical uses such and such objects may serve. There is here a metaphysical inversion of relation [the inverse analogy connecting the principial and manifested orders in consequence of which the highest realities are manifested in their remotest reflections[1]]: for God, His creature is a reflection or an ‘exteriorized' aspect of Himself; for the artist, on the contrary, the work is a reflection of an inner reality of which he himself is only an outward aspect; God creates His own image, while man, so to speak, fashions his own essence, at least symbolically. On the principial plane, the inner manifests the outer, but on the manifested plane, the outer fashions the inner (Schuon 1953, 81, 96).The traditional artist, then, in imitation of God's “exteriorizing” His interior Logos in the manifested space-time plane, that is, nature, instead of depicting imitations of nature in his craft, submits to creating within the revealed forms of his craft, which forms qua intellections correspond to his inner essence or logos.[2] The work produced in imitation of God's “manner of operation” then resembles the symbolic or iconographic quality of everything existent in being a transparency whose allegorical and anagogical content within its traditional forms is relatively easy to access and a consequent support and edifying shock-reminder to man on his spiritual journey. The spiritual function of art is that “it exteriorizes truths and beauties in view of our interiorization… or simply, so that the human soul might, through given phenomena, make contact with the heavenly archetypes, and thereby with its own archetype” (Schuon 1995a, 45-46).Rowling in her novels, crafted with tools all taken from the chest of a traditional Sacred Artist, is writing non-liturgical Sacred Art. Films and all the story experiences derived of adaptations of imaginative literature to screened images, are by necessity Profane Art, which is to say per the meaning of “profane,” outside the temple or not edifying spiritually. Film making is the depiction of how human beings encounter the time-space world through the senses, not an imitation of how God creates and a depiction of the spiritual aspect of the world, a liminal point of entry to its spiritual dimension. Whence my describing it as a “neo-iconoclasm.”The original iconoclasts or “icon bashers” were believers who treasured sacred art but did not believe it could use images of what is divine without necessarily being blasphemous; after the incarnation of God as Man, this was no longer true, but traditional Christian iconography is anything but naturalistic. It could not be without becoming subjective and profane rather than being a means to spiritual growth and encounters. Western religious art from the Renaissance and Reformation forward, however, embraces profane imitation of the sense perceived world, which is to say naturalistic and as such the antithesis of sacred art. Film making, on religious and non-religious subjects, is the apogee of this profane art which is a denial of any and all of the parameters of Sacred art per Aquinas, traditional civilizations, and the Perennialists.It is a neo-iconoclasm and a much more pervasive and successful destruction of the traditional world-view, so much so that to even point out the profanity inherent to film making is to insure dismissal as some kind of “fundamentalist,” “Puritan,” or “religious fanatic.”Screened images, then, are a type of iconoclasm, albeit the inverse and much more subtle kind than the relatively traditional and theocentric denial of sacred images (the iconoclasm still prevalent in certain Reform Church cults, Judaism, and Islam). This neo-iconoclasm of moving pictures depicts everything in realistic, life-like images, everything, that is, except the sacred which cannot be depicted as we see and experience things. This exclusion of the sacred turns upside down the anti-naturalistic depictions of sacred persons and events in iconography and sacred art. The effect of this flood of natural pictures akin to what we see with our eyes is to compel the flooded mind to accept time and space created nature as the ‘most real,' even ‘the only real.' The sacred, by never being depicted in conformity with accepted supernatural forms, is effectively denied.Few of us spend much time in live drama theaters today. Everyone watches screened images on cineplex screens, home computers, and smart phones. And we are all, consequently, iconoclasts and de facto agnostics, I'm afraid, to greater and lesser degrees because of this immersion and repetitive learning from the predominant art of our secular culture and its implicit atheism.Contrast that with the imaginative experience of a novel that is not pornographic or primarily a vehicle of perversion and violence. We are obliged to generate images of the story in the transpersonal faculty within each of us called the imagination, one I think that is very much akin to conscience or the biblical ‘heart.' This is in essence an edifying exercise, unlike viewing photographic images on screens. That the novel appears at the dawn of the Modern Age and the beginning of the end of Western corporate spirituality, I think is no accident but a providential advent. Moving pictures, the de facto regime artistry of the materialist civilization in which we live, are the counter-blow to the novel's spiritual oxygen.That's the best I can manage tonight to offer something to Justin in response to more about the “neo-iconoclasm” of film This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

Brian From sits down with Wheaton College professor Richard Hughes Gibson to discuss his new book The Way of Dante, which explores Dante’s Divine Comedy through the eyes of C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and Charles Williams. Together they unpack why themes of hell, purgatory, and heaven still matter, and how these writers used Dante to reflect on evil, repentance, and eternal hope. The conversation offers a thoughtful and accessible look at how imagination, theology, and spiritual formation come together in the Christian life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ce jeudi 18 décembre, Marjorie Hache propose la dernière émission avant la pause de Noël, avec une programmation entièrement dédiée aux fêtes avec des classiques revisités par Cocteau Twins, Neil Young, Les Ronettes ou encore The Pogues, sans oublier les versions alternatives et décalées comme "All I Want For Christmas" repris par My Chemical Romance ou le reggae festif de Johnny Clarke. L'émission fait aussi la part belle aux sorties récentes de Noël, notamment The Divine Comedy avec "All The Pretty Lights", ainsi que Sleaford Mods et leur "Bad Santa", annonçant un album à venir. La playlist traverse les styles et les époques, de Phoenix à Julian Casablancas, en passant par St. Vincent, The Pretty Reckless, Corey Taylor ou encore Motörhead avec Lemmy en solo sur "Run Rudolph Run". My Chemical Romance - All I Want For Christmas Is You The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York Johnny Clarke - Mommy Kissing Santa Claus The Futureheads - Christmas Was Better In The 80S Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman Phoenix - Alone On Christmas Day (Feat. Bill Murray) Lemmy Kilmister - Run Rudolph Run The Yobs - Rub-A-Dum Dum The Divine Comedy - All The Pretty Lights Darlene Love & Ronnie Spector - Rockin Around The Christmas Tree Julian Casablancas - Christmas Treat St. Vincent - ...At The Holiday Party AC/DC - Mistress For Christmas The Pretty Reckless - Where Are You Christmas ? Billy Idol - Jingle Bell Rock Corey Taylor - X - M@$ Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride Gaspard Royant - (C'mon Baby) It's Christmas Time The Coral - She Died On Christmas Day Neil Young - Star Of Bethlehem Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Comin To Town Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody Gwen Stefani - Last Christmas Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs Korn - Jingle Balls Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis Sleaford Mods - Bad Santa Stiff Little Fingers - White Christmas (Live) Kurt Vile - Must Be Santa LCD Soundsystem - Christmas Will Break Your Heart Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

This week's show, after a 1948 Leon Rene recall: brand new Neko Case, Black Watch, Buzzcocks, The Saints (modern), Corin Ashley, Ratboys, Divine Comedy, and Colin Blunstone, plus Huey “Piano” Smith & His Clowns, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, Carla Thomas,...

Send us a textWe trace Saint Lucy's journey from Syracuse to martyrdom, exploring the miracles, symbols, and traditions that shape her patronage of sight and her enduring witness to Christ. We also share prayers, novenas, and practical ways to deepen devotion through Advent.• origins in Syracuse and early vow• courage under Diocletian's persecution• dowry given to the poor• miracles of immovability and restored sight• symbolism of eyes, light, and the Eucharist• feast day customs across Italy and Scandinavia• connection with Saint Agatha and Sicilian sanctity• Saint Lucy in Dante's Divine Comedy• prayers and novenas for healing of sight• resources, pilgrimages, and devotional toolsBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemAnd since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offerVisit JourneysofFaith.com website todaySaint Lucy CollectionOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site! Lowest Prices and Higher discounts up to 50% Free Shipping starts at $18 - Express Safe Checkout Click Here Cannot find it let us find or create it - - Click Here Rewards Program is active - ...

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Murray — the British writer–director redefining modern music documentary through his bold, cinematic approach. Following his 2023 short film Now and Then, The Last Beatles Song — made in collaboration with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon and the Harrison Estate to celebrate the release of the Beatles' final single — Oliver continues his creative relationship with the band by directing the brand-new, final chapter of the legendary Anthology series. First released three decades ago, The Beatles Anthology reinvented the music documentary format. Instead of outside narration and talking heads, it featured John, Paul, George, and Ringo telling their story in their own words — a groundbreaking approach that shaped the way music history is now documented. Under Murray's direction, the series now receives its long-awaited conclusion: Episode Nine, a completely new instalment filled with unseen footage, including intimate behind-the-scenes moments of Paul, George and Ringo reuniting between 1994 and 1995 at Abbey Road. Oliver discusses how he approached taking on one of the most important music stories ever told, the responsibility of handling unreleased Beatles material, and the emotional legacy carried by Episode Nine — both for the surviving members and for generations of fans discovering the band anew. "Watching Paul, Ringo and George together in the '90s, the chemistry is exactly the same as when they were young — it's hard-wired. It feels almost scripted, but it isn't. That bond is still alive." — Oliver Murray A rising force in film and music storytelling, Murray has previously collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including The Rolling Stones (My Life As a Rolling Stone), The Beatles (Now & Then), and Quincy Jones (They All Came Out to Montreux). His work spans genres — from jazz in Ronnie's: The Story of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club to classical music with Lang Lang — and has been featured on Disney, Netflix, and the BBC. Listen as Oliver Murray takes us inside the making of Episode Nine — revealing unseen moments of Beatles history and the evolution of his craft — exclusively on the XS Noize Podcast. This is the definitive deep dive into the Beatles' final chapter. "Episode nine concludes the anthology, but it's not an end. The Beatles' legacy isn't a full stop — it's something that's in the groundwater now, something we all inherit." — Oliver Murray About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends, innovators, and trailblazers — a place where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.  

818 The Divine Comedy - Casanova

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by legendary producer Steve Lillywhite — the Grammy-winning studio mastermind behind iconic records by U2, The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, The Smiths, The Killers, Peter Gabriel, and many more. Steve talks about the release of a brand-new 4-track EP featuring a completely unreleased live version of "Fairytale of New York" — recorded at Glasgow Barrowlands in December 1987. This historic performance captures the first time The Pogues ever played the song live, and the first time Kirsty MacColl performed it onstage with the band. The EP is released on 12 December. Recorded by Steve himself — producer of the original version and then-husband of Kirsty MacColl — the Barrowlands tape offers a rare window into the early live life of what has become the UK's favourite Christmas song for over a decade. Originally charting at No. 2 in 1987, "Fairytale of New York" has returned to the UK Top 20 every year since 2005. Steve reflects on the making of the classic track, the energy of that unforgettable night in Glasgow, and key moments from across his remarkable career. Listen to Steve Lillywhite discuss the new EP, the legacy of Fairytale of New York, and the stories behind his legendary productions — exclusively on the XS Noize Podcast. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends and trailblazers — a space where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has welcomed an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by guitarist and songwriter Cathal Mac Gabhann from Cork alt-rock and shoegaze outfit The Altered Hours — one of Ireland's most vital underground bands. The Altered Hours released their self-titled third album on November 7th via Pizza Pizza Records. Recorded to tape by analogue producer Julie McLarnon (New Order, Lankum, Happy Mondays), the album captures the band at their most raw, warm, and emotionally direct. Formed in 2010, the band have carved out a unique place in the European alternative scene through two albums, a run of EPs, and a reputation for immersive, fuzz-drenched live shows. Their independent spirit has earned them admiration from peers and fans alike. Cathal discusses the band's evolution, the creative shift behind the new record, and how recording to tape has brought out their most dynamic sound yet. He also reflects on touring with Fontaines D.C., playing venues like The Bataclan and Alexandra Palace, and stepping in as their live guitarist across Japan and Australia. Now signed to Pizza Pizza Records, The Altered Hours step confidently into a new phase — honouring their psych-rock roots while pushing into bolder, more atmospheric territory. Listen to Cathal Mac Gabhann discuss the making of the new album, the journey behind it, and where The Altered Hours go next — exclusively on the XS Noize Podcast. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends and trailblazers — a space where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has welcomed an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.    

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Pearce Macca — frontman of Birmingham indie-rockers The Clause, a band whose rise has become one of the most inspiring new stories in modern British guitar music. The Clause have just unveiled their long-awaited debut album Victim of a Casual Thing — a record built on pure graft, unshakable friendship, and more than a decade of refusing to give in. What started in a cramped school practice room in 2011 — with Pearce Macca, Jonny Fyffe and Niall Fennell learning their favourite songs before Liam Deakin completed the line-up — has grown into a band with a fiercely loyal fanbase and a reputation for electrifying live shows. Pearce looks back on the full journey: the teenage beginnings, the countless setbacks, the near-misses, the belief that kept them going, and the breakthrough moments that finally pushed the band to album one. He reflects on the stories they've lived together — the wins, the losses, the friendships, the heartbreaks — and how those experiences became the emotional engine of Victim of a Casual Thing. We also dive into The Clause's rise on the live circuit, from sweatbox early gigs to lighting up festival crowds at Radio 1's Big Weekend, Isle of Wight, Truck, Tramlines, and Rock 'n' Roll Circus. And Pierce takes us inside the making of the album itself — the sound that defines The Clause, the writing and recording process, and why this record feels less like a finish line and more like the start of the real story. "We've done this the long way — but it's the right way. It's made us the band we are." – Pearce Macca Listen to Pearce Macca talk about the decade-long journey behind The Clause, the heart and honesty driving Victim of a Casual Thing, and the breakthrough moment they've been chasing — exclusively on the XS Noize Podcast. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends and trailblazers — a space where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has welcomed an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

If you've lived your whole life before the First Light, you'd better check out Hozier's latest LP, Unreal Unearth! James & Connor are reviewing the "Unaired" edition of the album, with seven bonus tracks including Too Sweet, his biggest hit since Take Me To Church! This concept album inspired by Dante's Inferno takes us down circle by circle, vice by vice, so seamlessly that you'll forget you're in the middle of the descent. Through moving songs like Francesca, All Things End, Butchered Tongue, and Eat Your Young, Hozier explores our relationship to darkness, power, and human connection through his well-sifted lyrics and unique creative lens.We'll dig into Hozier's Irish roots, from a small hometown to the country's national choir, and discover his rise from starving artist to folk pop sensation. We refamiliarize ourselves with the mythology behind the Divine Comedy, reminisce on the popularity of Take Me To Church, and gear up for Thanksgiving before The Mixtaper brings us his Hoziest facts to date! Twitter stalkers, lead pants, and a well full of digestive biscuits (for the land) await us in Fact Or Spin! Then we'll discuss the whopping 16-track record and its accompanying EPs in their entirety! Will this hellish descent be able to rise above the competition?Let us know which EP songs you think should have made the album! Did we get close on pronouncing "uiscefhuaraithe?" If this podcast felt like Hozier's yell, let us know in the comments and on social media.. and be sure to follow along through the holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving!Keep Spinning at www.SpinItPod.com!Thanks for listening!0:00 Intro4:30 About Hozier13:04 About Unreal Unearth18:13 Podcast Segment That Feels Like Hozier's Yell19:10 Awards & Accolades21:22 Fact Or Spin22:50 His Fans Track Him27:22 He Nearly Drowned31:22 He's Immortal34:43 He Offered Biscuits To Faeries43:04 Album Art44:30 Nobody's Soldier46:22 July48:53 That You Are51:18 Too Sweet55:44 Wildflower And Barley (feat. Allison Russell)59:09 Empire Now1:01:00 Fare Well1:02:34 De Selby (Part 1)1:04:55 De Selby (Part 2)1:08:09 First Time1:10:49 Francesca1:13:43 I, Carrion (Icarian)1:16:59 Eat Your Young1:20:19 Damage Gets Done (feat. Brandi Carlile)1:22:56 Who We Are1:26:34 Son Of Nyx1:28:26 All Things End1:30:22 To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe)1:33:44 Butchered Tongue1:36:05 Anything But1:38:41 Abstract (Psychopomp)1:40:50 Unknown / Nth1:42:52 First Light1:45:05 Final Spin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saint Stories for the Soul: Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc & Companions, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Catherine Labouré (Ep. 489)Journey beyond comfort into the heartbeat of holiness. Each week, Saint Stories for the Soul brings you the gripping, true stories of men and women who faced fear, loss, and temptation—and chose God anyway. Through vivid storytelling and timeless wisdom, discover what the saints would say to our restless age and how their courage, mercy, and faith can shape your own.This week: Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc & Companions | Faith That Would Not Bow | Feast Day: November 24Saint Catherine of Alexandria | Wisdom That Would Not Break | Feast Day: November 25Saint Catherine Labouré | The Visit That Changed the World | Feast Day: November 28 [⁠⁠Manuscript⁠⁠]Ordinary people. Extraordinary grace.Because sanctity isn't someday—it's now.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Roland Gift — the iconic voice of Fine Young Cannibals and one of the most instantly recognisable singers in British music. With era-defining hits like "She Drives Me Crazy," "Good Thing," "Johnny Come Home," and their electrifying version of "Ever Fallen In Love," Fine Young Cannibals became global chart-toppers — selling over five million records and earning two BRIT Awards, an Ivor Novello, and three Grammy nominations. Their sharp, soulful sound continues to influence generations. Roland returns with two major releases — FYC40, a definitive 40-year anthology, and his brand-new festive single "Everybody Knows It's Christmas", showcasing that unmistakable voice in glorious form. Roland looks back on the band's beginnings, the explosive success of The Raw & The Cooked, and how his Otis Redding-inspired delivery fused with David Steele and Andy Cox's songwriting to create something completely unique. He also reflects on Fine Young Cannibals' continued cultural impact — including "She Drives Me Crazy" becoming the musical centrepiece of the 2025 Chanel campaign starring Dua Lipa and Jennie from BLACKPINK. We also talk about Roland's return to performing — touring with Jools Holland, shining at the 2022 Hootenanny, and his triumphant 40 Years of Songs tour, which launched with a sold-out London Palladium show. And we dive into "Everybody Knows It's Christmas" — a glam-rock, wall-of-sound celebration co-written with Ben Barson, full of warmth, nostalgia, and classic Roland soul. "Wherever you are I hope this song brings a bit of warmth, a smile, and maybe a bit of that Christmas magic your way." – Roland Gift Listen to Roland Gift discuss 40 years of Fine Young Cannibals, the making of FYC40, and the joy behind his new Christmas single — exclusively on the XS Noize Podcast. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends and trailblazers — a space where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has welcomed an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.

In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by ALKY — the Dublin-born indie-rock artist and former Emmy-nominated audio engineer whose raw, heartfelt songwriting is making serious waves across Ireland's indie scene. From his breakout singles "Dirty Tricks," "All Because of Love," "Perfect," and "How Do You?" to sold-out shows at Whelan's and The Workman's Club, ALKY has built a growing reputation for pairing widescreen anthems with brutally honest storytelling. Now, he's stepping into a defining new chapter with the release of his debut album Rinse & Repeat, a powerful exploration of addiction, love, and the endless cycles we fight to escape. In our conversation, ALKY talks about the messy truth behind his lyrics, his transition from studio engineer to full-time artist, and how facing his own patterns of self-destruction became the creative spark for the record. He opens up about sobriety, resilience, and why imperfection — both in music and in life — can be the most honest sound of all. We also dive into the making of standout tracks "All Because of Love," "How Do You?," "Perfect," and "Dirty Tricks," his experience coming up through Dublin's live circuit, and how Rinse & Repeat became a cathartic statement on falling, getting back up, and finding meaning in repetition. "I noticed I kept falling into the same destructive behaviours — the same chaos regarding alcohol and my relationship choices. Rinse & Repeat is a reflection of that cycle and putting it into songs." – ALKY Listen to ALKY discuss the making of his debut album Rinse & Repeat, addiction, love, and finding strength in repetition on the XS Noize Podcast. About The XS Noize Podcast With over 250 episodes to its name, the XS Noize Podcast has become a trusted home for music's legends and trailblazers — a space where real conversations meet real stories. Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has welcomed an extraordinary lineup including The Charlatans, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, Glen Matlock, Miles Kane, Matt Berninger, Saint Etienne, D:Ream, Gavin Rossdale, The Farm, Snow Patrol, John Lydon, Will Sergeant, Ocean Colour Scene, Gary Kemp, Doves, Gavin Friday, David Gray, Anton Newcombe, Peter Hook, Razorlight, Sananda Maitreya, James, Crowded House, Elbow, Cast, Kula Shaker, Shed Seven, Future Islands, Peter Frampton, Bernard Butler, Steven Wilson, Travis, New Order, The Killers, Tito Jackson, Simple Minds, The Divine Comedy, Shaun Ryder, Gary Numan, Sleaford Mods, and Michael Head — among many more. Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive here New episodes of the XS Noize Podcast drop weekly — subscribe for more in-depth conversations with the artists who shape our lives.  

The following is a summary of the podcast excerpts, incorporating the requested format and terminology changes:The speaker, currently looking for an ideal location to paint landscapes on horizontal canvases, reflects on connections between personal experience and media narratives.The speaker recounts a "weird coincidence" involving finding the perfect painting location after thinking about the name Virgil:While driving and listening to a podcast through a single earbud, the speaker was focused on Jungian psychology—specifically, descriptions of life events as an "alchemical process to trigger psychic integration".The calm voice in the ear felt like a guide, perfectly describing the processes the speaker was concurrently experiencing, similar to how Virgil guides Dante through Hell in the Divine Comedy.The speaker realized this connection after having recently thought about the Divine Comedy cycle (Hell, Purgatory, Paradise).As soon as the speaker thought the name "Virgil," they saw a cross on the side of the road with the name Virgil on it, marking the location that turned out to be the "ideal spot for this painting".The speaker plans to return later, closer to sunset, when the mountains "turn red" for optimal lighting.The speaker provided updates on the 24-hour live stream initiative, noting that the focus is currently the "recruitment phase":The speaker has replayed 11 hours and 9 minutes, and is currently uploading a 4-hour live stream, bringing the total content to 15 hours, with the goal of reaching a full 24 hours by the end of the week.The live stream is intended to work out bugs before heavy promotion.It will always be live on X (pinned on the IPS thinktank account) and comments will be relayed into a separate Discord live chat thread.New content, including archived group chats and "10-minute videos where I break down specific components, you know, world stage, meta script, history bending," will be added to the 24/7 stream.The core of the discussion involves challenging the limitations of mainstream and alternative media views, which the speaker defines as a duopoly and a "closed system".The Failure of Skepticism:The speaker argues that critical examination of presented evidence is routinely avoided:Default responses to connections are "canned responses" used by those defending the "matrix" against "mind viruses"—ideas like the premise of fake staged events.True skeptics would create a "steelman argument" based on the best evidence presented and then attempt to destroy it.Instead, critics rely on ad hominem fallacies like claiming the speaker is "crazy," has a "tin foil hat on," or is in an "internet echo chamber". The World Stage Model and "Parallel Media":The speaker frames the media landscape using several metaphorical models to explain how systemic fakery and Psyops are concealed:Duopoly and Control: The duopoly (mainstream and alternative) are passive receivers of content; the "alternative is a subset of the mainstream". The speaker's work offers "parallel media," questioning the infrastructure that creates narratives for both sides.Seekers vs. Believers: The duopoly produces believers who accept conclusions from chosen sources, while the speaker and colleagues are seekers who confront "known unknowns" and become the "informed disbeliever". Conspiracy theorists, by contrast, rush to fill knowledge gaps with "alternative facts".Plato's Cave: The world stage is a modern interpretation where mainstream media displays "shadows on the wall," and alternative media provides an "adjacent cave on the way out with alternative shadows". Those who exit the entire cave system are deemed crazy by the "Plato's cave dwellers".Westworld Syndrome: People who refuse to confront "long-term media manipulation, how systemic it is and evidences for it" suffer from Westworld syndrome. Their programmed response to evidence that would deconstruct their false model is, "That doesn't look like anything to me".

Saint Stories for the Soul: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Saint Cecilia, Saint Edmund the Martyr (Ep. 488)Journey beyond comfort into the heartbeat of holiness. Each week, Saint Stories for the Soul brings you the gripping, true stories of men and women who faced fear, loss, and temptation—and chose God anyway. Through vivid storytelling and timeless wisdom, discover what the saints would say to our restless age and how their courage, mercy, and faith can shape your own.This week: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary — The Splendor of Mercy · Saint Cecilia — The Song That Never Stopped · Saint Edmund the Martyr — The Crown That Did Not Fall [⁠Manuscript⁠]Ordinary people. Extraordinary grace.Because sanctity isn't someday—it's now.

2. The Islamic World's Scientific Contributions and Mars in Medieval Thought. Matthew Shindell highlights an intellectual renaissance in the Islamic world—specifically Baghdad and Damascus—between the 10th and 16th centuries, which was vital while Europe was experiencing its "Dark Ages." Through translation and original work, Islamic scholars built upon ancient knowledge, fueling a great intellectual transformation. In the medieval period, Mars was widely associated with vices like war, violence, and disaster. However, the renowned poet Dante Alighieri, in The Divine Comedy, transformed this negative association into the virtue of fortitude. Since Dante was charting a path through the heavens, where all planets had to represent virtues, Mars was designated as the sphere housing martyrs and those who died in holy war, becoming a highly important symbol for Christian Europe. 1962

2. The Islamic World's Scientific Contributions and Mars in Medieval Thought. Matthew Shindell highlights an intellectual renaissance in the Islamic world—specifically Baghdad and Damascus—between the 10th and 16th centuries, which was vital while Europe was experiencing its "Dark Ages." Through translation and original work, Islamic scholars built upon ancient knowledge, fueling a great intellectual transformation. In the medieval period, Mars was widely associated with vices like war, violence, and disaster. However, the renowned poet Dante Alighieri, in The Divine Comedy, transformed this negative association into the virtue of fortitude. Since Dante was charting a path through the heavens, where all planets had to represent virtues, Mars was designated as the sphere housing martyrs and those who died in holy war, becoming a highly important symbol for Christian Europe. 1920 JOHN CARTER

Saint Stories for the Soul: Sts. Leo the Great, Martin of Tours, Francis Cabrini (Ep. 487)Journey beyond comfort into the heartbeat of holiness. Each week, Saint Stories for the Soul brings you the gripping, true stories of men and women who faced fear, loss, and temptation—and chose God anyway. Through vivid storytelling and timeless wisdom, discover what the saints would say to our restless age and how their courage, mercy, and faith can shape your own.This week: Saint Leo the Great — Courage in Collapse · Saint Martin of Tours — Mercy with a Sword · Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini — Faith That Builds Doors. [Manuscript]Ordinary people. Extraordinary grace.Because sanctity isn't someday—it's now.

In his Divine Comedy, Dante isn't claiming to offer us a vision of what hell and heaven are actually like. It might be set in the afterlife, but it's really about how we live life here and now. Even if you've never read one line of the epic poem, you've been influenced by The Divine Comedy. It's time we learned more about one of Western literature's greatest works … and how it might just change our lives. CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer and researcher. Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant. Santino Dimarco is Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actor today was Yannick Lawry.Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception's episode possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Josh and Jack used to interrogate life via absurdist jokes and sketches. But the questions they had just kept getting bigger – and led them both to embark upon a profound transformation By Lamorna Ash. Read by Katie Lyons. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Kevin Young is the poetry editor for The New Yorker, and the author of many books of his own poetry. His newest work, “Night Watch,” focusses on death, while also drawing upon his wide view of history, from the end of slavery in the U.S. to Dante's seven-hundred-year-old poem “The Divine Comedy.” Young tells David Remnick that Dante actually played an outsized role in bringing “Night Watch” to life: “This is a book that, I think, without him, I would have kept in a drawer because the subjects were kind of dark that I was trying to contend with, and [Dante] gave a framework for me,” Young explains. “How do you write about [hell] and frame it as a journey rather than a morass?” 

Latch your steamer trunk and press your travel slacks, as Trixie and Katya summon you for a grand tour through the jeweled harbors of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7, Episodes 9 and 10. Like discerning aesthetes adrift upon the sapphire sea, they linger in reverie over the operatic revels of the Divine Comedy challenge, then recline in first-class velvet banquettes to consider, with equal parts mirth and melancholy, the metamorphic splendor of the makeover episode. Their discourse gleams with the intricacy of freshly-blown Murano glass, refracting triumphs radiant as a Tuscan dawn and humiliations heavy as an Amalfi dusk. Let your eyes and ears wander as their recollections drift like perfumed zephyrs along the cliffs of the Cinque Terre. Sit back, relax, and let their reminiscences unfold as an intoxicating odyssey stitched from myth, memory, and the gilded embroidery of glamour. If you're thinking about GLP-1s for weight loss, but don't know if they're right for you—Ro makes it simple to find out and get started. Go to https://Ro.co/BALD to see if you qualify. If you're planning a trip this year, consider hosting your home on Airbnb while you're away. Your home might be worth more than you think! Find out how much at https://Airbnb.com/host This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at ⁠⁠https://Betterhelp.com/BALD⁠⁠ and get on your way to being your best self! Get your gut going and sdupport a balanced gut microbiome with Ritual's Synbiotic+. Get 25% off your first month at https://Ritual.com/BALD Visit ⁠https://gemini.google/students⁠ to learn more about Google Gemini and sign up. Terms apply. Follow Trixie: @TrixieMattel Follow Katya: @Katya_Zamo To watch the podcast on YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/TrixieKatyaYT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To check out our official YouTube Clips Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/TrixieAndKatyaClipsYT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don't forget to follow the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/thebaldandthebeautifulpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you want to support the show, and get all the episodes ad-free go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thebaldandthebeautiful.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/thebaldandthebeautifulpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To check out future Live Podcast Shows, go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://trixieandkatyalive.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To order your copy of our book, "Working Girls", go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://workinggirlsbook.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To check out the Trixie Motel in Palm Springs, CA: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.trixiemotel.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen Anywhere! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/thebaldandthebeautifulpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow Trixie: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.trixiemattel.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@trixie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/trixiemattel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/trixiemattel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter (X): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/trixiemattel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Follow Katya: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.welovekatya.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@katya_zamo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/welovekatya/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/katya_zamo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Twitter (X): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/katya_zamo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    #TrixieMattel #KatyaZamo #BaldBeautiful Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon has a table booked at the Dream Restaurant this week. Something for the weekend.The Divine Comedy's new album ‘Rainy Sunday Afternoon' is released on Fri 19 Sep. Pre-order is here. Follow The Divine Comedy on Instagram @divinecomedyhq Donated to My Lovely Horse Rescue at www.mylovelyhorserescue.com Watch the video version of this episode on the Off Menu YouTube on Fri 5 Sep. Off Menu is now on YouTube: @offmenupodcastFollow Off Menu on Instagram and TikTok: @offmenuofficial.And go to our website www.offmenupodcast.co.uk for a list of restaurants recommended on the show.Off Menu is a comedy podcast hosted by Ed Gamble and James Acaster.Produced, recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive.Video production by Megan McCarthy for Plosive.Artwork by Paul Gilbey (photography and design). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.