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Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's 'Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame
LOS ANGELES — Fame is a double-edge sword. Though it comes with obvious perks — money, opportunity, praise — it can also prompt a kind of existential reckoning. Now what? Is this all there is? Am I changed because of it and, if so, for better or for worse? Music Review: Cult hero Alex G's 'Headlights' is an introspective meditation on fame This is the kind of wrestling Alex Giannascoli, better known as the influential indie rocker Alex G, performs on 'Headlights,' his 10th album and first on a major label. 'Has your wish come true?' he asks, perhaps of himself, on the aptly titled 'Is It Still You In There?' Although Giannascoli achieved quiet success early in his career — collaborating with Frank Ocean on his critically acclaimed 2016 album 'Blonde ' and joining the R&B superstar on tour — Giannascoli has, until recently, been more frequently labeled a cult indie figure than a household name. But the 32-year-old has risen to prominence in recent years, particularly after his 2022 album, 'God Save the Animals,' which marked a distinct shift from his austere, lo-fi sound to more robust production and instrumentation. He has since collaborated with the pop star Halsey on her latest record and scored filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun's A24 horror hit, 'I Saw the TV Glow.' That trajectory informs Giannascoli's contemplative poignancy on 'Headlights,' releasing Friday. 'Some things I do for love / Some things I do for money / It ain't like I don't want it / It ain't like I'm above it,' he admits on the 'Beam Me Up,' his whirring guitars strumming mesmerizingly against airy background vocals. Many of his lyrics here, like in the past, are poetically inscrutable. But there are also moments of explicit frankness about ambition, self-doubt, transition and success. 'Hoping I can make it through to April / On whatever's left of all this label cash / No I never thought I was the real thing,' he croons on 'Real Thing,' as a pan flute synthesizer whistles underneath him. With 'Headlights,' Giannascoli continues further down his 'God Save the Animals' sonic pivot to higher fidelity — perhaps to be expected on an album coming from a major label like RCA Records — recording in studios in lieu of his home for a more ornate sound. Think dreamy synths and reverb-soaked riffs. Subdued lyrics and a distorted guitar solo almost turn 'Louisiana' into a shoegaze track. 'Louisiana / Wild and Free / The only one who wanted me,' he repeats with distorted vocals. If there is a central message to 'Headlights,' it appears on the song 'Bounce Boy.' 'I'm up in the clouds and I pray,' he sings with pitched-up vocals, one of his signature effects. 'Say goodbye / To the life / That you knew for so long.' For better or for worse, there is no turning back. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Fashion Network
11-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
US-China trade talks on export controls to resume for a second day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for rare earths and other goods that have threatened a fresh rupture between the two superpowers. Investors are hoping for an improvement in ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday that the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going well: "We're doing well with China. China's not easy." Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of U.S.-China talks, which followed a rare phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, comes at a crucial time for both economies. Customs data published on Monday showed that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, tariffs have hammered U.S. business and household confidence and the dollar remains under pressure. The two sides, led at the talks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with the Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital. The talks ran for almost seven hours on Monday and are set to resume after 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with both sides expected to issue updates later in the day. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. He did not attend the Geneva talks, when the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, and its decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended global supply chains and sparked alarm in boardrooms and factory floors around the world. Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term and now a trade partner at the Akin Gump law firm in Washington, said she expected China to reaffirm its commitment to lift retaliatory measures, including export restrictions, "plus some concessions on the U.S. side, with respect to export controls measures over the past week or two". But Shaw said she expected the U.S. to only agree to lift some new export curbs, not longstanding ones such as for advanced artificial intelligence chips. In May, the U.S. ordered a halt to shipments of semiconductor design software and chemicals and aviation equipment, revoking export licences that had been previously issued.


Fashion Network
10-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
US-China trade talks on export controls to resume for a second day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for rare earths and other goods that have threatened a fresh rupture between the two superpowers. Investors are hoping for an improvement in ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday that the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going well: "We're doing well with China. China's not easy." Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of U.S.-China talks, which followed a rare phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, comes at a crucial time for both economies. Customs data published on Monday showed that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, tariffs have hammered U.S. business and household confidence and the dollar remains under pressure. The two sides, led at the talks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with the Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital. The talks ran for almost seven hours on Monday and are set to resume after 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with both sides expected to issue updates later in the day. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. He did not attend the Geneva talks, when the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, and its decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended global supply chains and sparked alarm in boardrooms and factory floors around the world. Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term and now a trade partner at the Akin Gump law firm in Washington, said she expected China to reaffirm its commitment to lift retaliatory measures, including export restrictions, "plus some concessions on the U.S. side, with respect to export controls measures over the past week or two". But Shaw said she expected the U.S. to only agree to lift some new export curbs, not longstanding ones such as for advanced artificial intelligence chips. In May, the U.S. ordered a halt to shipments of semiconductor design software and chemicals and aviation equipment, revoking export licences that had been previously issued.


Fashion Network
10-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
US-China trade talks on export controls to resume for a second day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for rare earths and other goods that have threatened a fresh rupture between the two superpowers. Investors are hoping for an improvement in ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Monday that the U.S. was likely to agree to lift export controls on some semiconductors in return for China speeding up the delivery of rare earths. U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going well: "We're doing well with China. China's not easy." Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of U.S.-China talks, which followed a rare phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, comes at a crucial time for both economies. Customs data published on Monday showed that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, tariffs have hammered U.S. business and household confidence and the dollar remains under pressure. The two sides, led at the talks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, with the Chinese contingent helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital. The talks ran for almost seven hours on Monday and are set to resume after 0900 GMT on Tuesday, with both sides expected to issue updates later in the day. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. He did not attend the Geneva talks, when the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors, and its decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets upended global supply chains and sparked alarm in boardrooms and factory floors around the world. Kelly Ann Shaw, a former White House trade adviser during Trump's first term and now a trade partner at the Akin Gump law firm in Washington, said she expected China to reaffirm its commitment to lift retaliatory measures, including export restrictions, "plus some concessions on the U.S. side, with respect to export controls measures over the past week or two". But Shaw said she expected the U.S. to only agree to lift some new export curbs, not longstanding ones such as for advanced artificial intelligence chips. In May, the U.S. ordered a halt to shipments of semiconductor design software and chemicals and aviation equipment, revoking export licences that had been previously issued.


MTV Lebanon
10-06-2025
- Business
- MTV Lebanon
US-China Trade Talks to Resume for Second Day
Top U.S. and Chinese officials will resume trade talks for a second day in London on Tuesday, hoping to secure a breakthrough over export controls for goods such as rare earths that have threatened a global supply chain shock and slower economic growth. Investors are hoping that the two superpowers can improve ties after the relief sparked by a preliminary trade deal agreed in Geneva last month gave way to fresh doubts after Washington accused Beijing of blocking exports that are critical to sectors including autos, aerospace, semiconductors and defence. The talks come at a crucial time for both economies, with customs data showing that China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% in May, the sharpest drop since February 2020, when the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic upended global trade. While the impact on U.S. inflation and the jobs market has so far been muted, the dollar remains under pressure from U.S. policymaking. The two sides met at the ornate Lancaster House in the British capital on Monday to discuss disagreements around the Geneva deal, and are due to resume talks early on Tuesday before both sides are expected to issue updates. The U.S. side is led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while the Chinese contingent is helmed by Vice Premier He Lifeng. The inclusion of Lutnick, whose agency oversees export controls for the U.S., is one indication of how central rare earths have become. China holds a near-monopoly on rare earth magnets, a crucial component in electric vehicle motors. Lutnick did not attend the Geneva talks at which the countries struck a 90-day deal to roll back some of the triple-digit tariffs they had placed on each other. Trump's often erratic policymaking on tariffs has roiled global markets, sparked congestion and confusion in major ports, and cost companies tens of billions of dollars in lost sales and higher costs. The second round of meetings between the two sides comes four days after Trump and Xi spoke by phone, their first direct interaction since Trump's January 20 inauguration. Following the call Trump said Xi had agreed to resume shipments to the U.S. of rare earths minerals and magnets, and Reuters reported that China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the top three U.S. automakers. But tensions remain high over the export controls, after factories around the world started to fret that they would not have enough of the materials they need to keep operating.