Anyone who follows Phish with any regularity knows that they tour year-round and make studio albums sporadically. With concert commitments and a smattering of side projects, writing new songs and getting together in the studio to record them isn’t a top priority for Phish. Even so, Evolve — their 16th offering and first studio effort since 2000’s Sigma Oasis — showcases the band’s gift for songwriting and arrangements — all without the unpredictability of extended jams and makeshift nuance. It should be noted that half the songs on Evolve have appeared on two of guitarist Trey Anastasio’s solo albums, as well as a collaborative album  he did with keyboardist Page McConnell. That hardly minimizes their effectiveness — good songs are good songs no matter how many different ways they are interpreted. And Phish should know because at their concerts, their songs are totally revamped at each performance. The album’s title track, “A Wave of Hope,” and “Lonely Trip” appear on Anastasio’s Lonely Trip release from 2020. That album was recorded with Phish drummer Jon Fishman during the COVID-19 pandemic when concerts weren’t happening due to lockdown restrictions, so they hold a therapeutic trance. However, on Evolve, they receive a new lease as fully formed Phishorized songs. That’s especially the case with “Evolve,” which, with McConnell’s piano and backing vocals, seems to slip on more comfortably. And while the version of “Life Saving Gun’ on Anastasio and McConnell’s January album from 2023 is pulsating wonderment, the Phish version bears far more spring in its step, with a ready-set platform plumb full of improvisational possibilities. “Hey Stranger,” which appears on Anastasio’s 2022 album Mercy, and “Oblivion” opens Evolve on a snappy note. Cast in an ocean of harmony and lusciousness, “Pillow Jets” winds down with a long guitar solo, while both “Monsters” and “Ether Edge” ease out of the gate with calculated thought and precision. Phish is certainly more steadfast in the studio than on the concert stage — similar to the way the Grateful Dead balanced their album output with their concerts in the 70s. Bassist Mike Gordon’s “Human Nature,” The twangy “Valdese,” and the bountiful “Mercy” sidle softly and swiftly through the ear canal to conclude Evolve. At this stage in their career, Phish can dictate the terms of their music, and that’s how this record plays out. Evolve probably won’t drive you to commit obscene acts with a blender, but it delivers on the promise of progress for a band that’s continually pushing forward and keeping everyone guessing for the foreseeable future. ~ Shawn Perry

Vice President Kamala Harris made a joke after throwing a protester out of a campaign rally.

Delta Airlines faced intense backlash after the company’s social media account said it would be “terrified” if flight attendants wore a Palestinian flag pin, forcing it to issue an apology. 

Just before former President Donald Trump officially accepts the Republican Party's presidential nomination, UFC CEO and President Dana White will speak to delegates at the Republican National Convention next week, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

A NY Times writer found a way to make the plot to ditch Joe Biden about a right-wing conspiracy. Politico says 17 Democratic representatives want Joe Biden to quit the race. There were 15, and two more—Reps. Ed Case and Greg Stanton—joined in. They want him to step down for democracy’s sake, even though he […] The post NYT Ties Dems Wanting to Ditch Joe to a Right-Wing Conspiracy appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

NBC fake news is reporting lies again. Even as the proof of their irresponsible journalism is photographed and widely circulated, they lie. These are the same people who want to shut down the free speech of anyone who goes against their narrative. Kelly O’Donnell said the following on X: For the first time this year, […] The post NBC Reporter Spreads Fake News About Questions in Advance appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Sen. Tom Cotton (AR-R) will speak at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, where the party will highlight its pledge to “Make America Safe Once Again,” his team tells The Daily Wire. “Senator Cotton will be making the case that President Trump is uniquely positioned to restore our borders, our strength, and prosperity while reversing the damage from Joe Biden’s failed presidency,” a spokesperson for Cotton said. Cotton has been mentioned as a possible running mate for former President Donald Trump. Though that no longer seems like a possibility, the Arkansas military veteran has emerged as one of Trump’s closest allies in the U.S. Senate. Following Trump’s debate with President Joe Biden last week, Cotton weighed in speculating that the race is really between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris as the president’s mental capabilities are in question. “After only 13 minutes, this debate has made clear: a vote for Biden is a vote to make Kamala Harris president,” Cotton tweeted. “It’s deeply alarming that Joe Biden needs to be secluded for seven days so he can speak coherently for 90 minutes. Remember, this performance is Biden at his absolute best after seven days of secluded rest and prep.” Cotton has been a defender of Trump’s foreign policy in recent months including in an interview last month on CNN with Jake Tapper where he discussed the former president’s approach to the war in Ukraine. “I think it’s important to look at the context of what’s happened in Ukraine over the last 10 years,” Cotton said. “I have noticed that Vladimir Putin only invades Ukraine when Democrats are president. It happened under Barack Obama. It happened under Joe Biden. It didn’t happen with Donald Trump.” “In fact, the weapons that Ukraine used in the early days of this war to fend off the Russian invasion are the weapons that Donald Trump sent, that Barack Obama and Joe Biden had refused to send,” he continued. “One reason why Joe Biden — or why Vladimir Putin thought he could get away with going for the jugular in Ukraine is because of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which projected weakness and indecision. It was just a few weeks later that he began to mass troops on Ukraine’s border.” The Republican Party released its 2024 platform ahead of the convention earlier this week with points that are in line with typical Trump talking points. They include securing the border, deporting illegal immigrants, combating inflation, tax cuts, keeping men out of women’s sports, and fifteen other commitments. “Our future, our identity, and our very way of life are under threat like never before,” the platform’s preamble, titled  “America First: A Return to Common Sense” reads. “Today we must once again call upon the same American Spirit that led us to prevail through every challenge of the past if we are going to lead our Nation to a brighter future,”  “Like the Heroes who built and defended this Nation before us, we will never give up,” the document continues. “We will restore our Nation of, by, and for the People. We will Make America Great Again. We will be a Nation based on Truth, Justice, and Common Sense.”