April’s sound is fierce and independent, with one key message: Reclaim the narrative and make it yours. The world is far from returning to what we called ‘normal’. Thankfully, neither are we stuck in what has been called the ‘new normal’. (Not yet, anyway.) So here’s to another month of the beauty of audio entertainment keeping us sane.
Dark Air with Terry Carnation featuring Rainn Wilson
The incomparable Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute from The Office) as alter ego Terry Carnation! Follow the on- and off-air life of this make-believe, late-night, paranormal talk show host, where Terry’s discussions on bizarre topics with outrageous callers become a dark reality when he gets caught up in a mystery of his own.
Bringing all that is Rainn Wilson to this role, Dark Air with Terry Carnation is an amazing trip down this dark and humorous podcast series with elements of thrilling horror. And the best part? The incredibly ‘90s-esque website, www.terrycarnation.com.
Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Aaron Mahnke and popular internet sensation HowStuffWorks bring you Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Much like the informative nature of HowStuffWorks, Cabinet of Curiosities designs to tickle your fancy and invoke your quizzical nature with an “audio tour of the unbelievable, the unsettling, and the bizarre!”
More unbelievable than anything covered on the show, however, is the incredible release schedule of the podcast with new episodes releasing every Tuesday and Thursday on a whole bunch of platforms. You’re never going to run out of content to consume. As the site best puts it:
“Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.”
Audiobooks
Temujin: An Audio Drama
Returning to an era when the swashbuckling, bounding-in-a-single-leap stories of action and adventure were confined to the resonant voices of storytellers and vocally expressive actors, Temujin: An Audio Drama is an auditory experience.
This Singapore-made award-winning audio drama has been recognised by multiple awards bodies and continues to impress audience and critics alike. In April, the drama got nominated for a Webby for Best Scripted Fiction Podcast, alongside Trevor Noah, BBC, HBO.
“Temujin: An Audio Drama follows the rise of Genghis Khan, and the fall of his closest friend. A cinematic adaptation of Central Asian epic history, successfully funded on Kickstarter. Launching in late January 2020, available for free on all major audio platforms.
“An exiled boy catches the eye of a restless young aristocrat. What begins as pity swells into an unlikely brotherhood – even as the lofty ambitions that brought them together threaten to tear them apart. Dramatised for the first time in English, experience a tragic friendship that shaped the modern world.”
We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen
Thanks to more than a decade of pop culture saturation, superhero entertainment is discovering all new heights in relevance every other day. So it’s really no surprise that stories and genres not typically associated with superheroes are becoming quite the norm.
We Could Be Heroes follows an amnesiac man with the power to read and erase people’s memories – a power he may have been victim of himself.
Touted to be “an extraordinary and emotional adventure about unlikely friends and the power of choosing who you want to be”, We Could Be Heroes might be the road to the superhero tales of tomorrow!
Music
The Bitter Truth by Evanescence
Following an arduous four-year wait since their last album, Evanescence is back with The Bitter Truth.
Maintaining their familiar tones and atmospheric vocals, the album nevertheless offers a different experience, which is especially rewarding for those who have been following their evolution over the better part of the last two decades.
While Amy Lee’s voice continues to be a highlight, their new, dynamic tone more evenly distributes the listener’s journey between her powerful vocals and the equally powerful instrumental melodies with which Evanescence has become synonymous. Expect to be surprised by their new sound – it is SO GOOD!
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Say what you will about her music, but Taylor Swift’s been a force for a fair bit of positive change from within the music industry. And if there has ever been an appropriate way to celebrate the meteoric rise of a female musician reclaiming her very own art it would be Fearless.
A re-recording of her second studio album, Fearless marks Taylor’s journey towards re-recording and releasing her own take on her own music, and is a musical journey for fans new and old.
Jupiter by KHAI
This lighthearted and preppy number is but a façade to the more emotionally demanding journey of relationships and love. But the quick beats and very fun video helps the heavier themes stay at bay for you to enjoy it for its happy melody and notes.
And if you are looking for a song that understands what a relationship can feel like while also keeping your spirits up, Jupiter might just be what the doctor ordered.
