Month: August 2020

Sometimes a boycott succeeds when it fails.

Although the general aim of a boycott is to hurt profits, there are times when the symbolism of a boycott gives birth to a constant, overt and irreversible new optic for a company to nurse.

When the boycott of Facebook began in June and reached its peak in July, it gathered thousands of brands who vocalized their dissatisfaction with the platform.

The boycott, under the hashtag #StopHateForProfit, was launched by civil rights groups. By July brands were fully behind removing their ad spending – resulting in a small financial dent for the social media juggernaut, but a forceful bludgeoning in the press.

Although Facebook still saw growth during the boycott, the social network was left with no choice but to address its own long standing apathy towards hate speech and disinformation. With copious amounts of money constantly flowing through the company, it’s clear that in many ways the Facebook executive team see their reputation among activists and the public as a more elusive form of intangible capital.

Intangible capital that they cannot afford to burn through at the rate they currently are.

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg once again attempted to rebuff the assertions that Facebook has done little to stem hate speech and misinformation on their platform.

“Some seem to wrongly assume that most of the content on our services is about politics, news, misinformation or hate,” Zuckerberg said.

“These make up a small part of the content on our services, although they are all things that people generally tell us they’d like to see even less of. We do not profit from misinformation or hate,” he continued.

“We completely agree that we don’t want hate on our platforms, and we stand firmly against it,” Sandberg said. “We don’t benefit from hate speech. We never have. Users don’t want to see it. Advertisers don’t want to be associated with it.”

This is a lie.

Many of Facebooks top performing posts, advertisements and public figures peddle a deluge of white supremacy, conspiracy theories, homophobia, misogyny, death threats, coronavirus misinformation and just about every other form of information that can be mangled and weaponized for public consumption.

However, Facebook has more recently made one symbolic step towards something resembling integrity.

Facebook took down a video posted by the Trump campaign in which he claimed children were “virtually immune” to the coronavirus. This is generally regarded by the majority of health experts as completely false and flies in the face of any basic level of logical thought. The reason for it being removed from Facebook was due to it being in violation of the social network’s rules against misinformation about coronavirus. This represents a positive small step forward for the social media giant, a small step in a marathon of decency that should have been started over a decade ago.

The boycott began what will be a series of future reality checks for Facebook, as they can no longer plead ignorance or impartiality. In a statement, the boycott organizers said, “This movement will not go away until Facebook makes the reasonable changes that society wants. The ad pause in July was not a full campaign — it was a warning shot across Facebook’s bow.”

The fact is, despite what Zuckerberg and Sandberg would have you believe, that Facebook is molding the national consciousness and finds itself dangerously close to irrevocably poisoning the body politic.

There is a small window within which to salvage what integrity remains, but consistently denying their own faults does nothing to begin this vital process.

The series of sexual misconduct allegations made against Chris D’Elia earlier this year appear to have cost him at least one role he’d already been given. According to reports, D’Elia has been axed from Zack Snyder’s Netflix zombie comedy film Army Of The Dead.

It’s part of the considerable fallout for D’Elia and his partnership with Netflix, which was to include a show on the streaming service where he was supposed to play the lead. According to IndieWire, D’Elia will be removed from the zombie comedy through reshoots, with fellow comedian Tig Notaro replacing him in the role.

The casting switch-up arrives after a dramatic few months for comic actor D’Elia, who faced sexual-misconduct allegations that spurred representatives from CAA, WME, and 3 Arts Entertainment to drop him as a client. Netflix also canceled a planned show featuring D’Elia in the lead. The news of Notaro replacing D’Elia was originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix confirmed the news to IndieWire, and said that reshoots will begin soon.

As IndieWire noted, the movie was already in post-production when the coronavirus pandemic hit and effectively shut Hollywood down, and though it was unclear when reshoots would happen it will be done in a similar manner that Hollywood has used to replace actors in similar situations.

Notaro will reshoot scenes with an acting partner against a green screen, with CGI used to insert her into the film. This is similar to Ridley Scott’s 2017 “All the Money in the World,” in which Christopher Plummer (going on to earn an Academy Award nomination) had to step in for Kevin Spacey, who was yanked from the movie in post amid his own sexual-misconduct scandals.

D’Elia had an existing relationship with Netflix that now seems in serious doubt. In 2019 he played a comedian in Season 2 of You, the Lifetime show that found a second life on the streaming service. As many noted when the serious allegations against him came out, he (spoilers) played a comedian who secretly was preying on young women.

[via IndieWire]

Mo Bamba didn’t appear in the Orlando Magic’s final six seeding games in the NBA’s Bubble. A report indicated that Bamba, who played 10 combined minutes in the team’s first two games, contracted COVID-19 in June, with the big man telling Josh Robbins of The Athletic that he wants people to “take it as seriously as possible.”

While he’s gotten past COVID-19, Bamba is leaving the Bubble to undergo what the team is calling a “comprehensive post-coronavirus evaluation.” It is unclear exactly what this means or what medical professionals will be trying to determine by putting Bamba through this evaluation, but the team did announce that he will miss the remainder of the season.

Magic coach Steve Clifford had previous said that Bamba’s conditioning was not up to par, although he could not mention exactly why that was the case. As The Athletic laid out, Bamba catching the virus understandably caused major setbacks in his ability to be in playing shape.

Bamba was fully on track with his hiatus training regimen until the virus prevented him from going to the Orlando Magic’s practice facility for individual workouts at a time the performance staff was increasing players’ cardio routines.

Then, after Bamba had gotten better, after he and his Magic teammates arrived in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort, he registered of couple of false positive tests, which forced him to quarantine for extra time inside his hotel room and miss three days of practice.

There is still plenty we do not understand about how COVID-19 impacts individuals, but some thing we do know include the fact that this can serious sap the strength out of individuals, and as we’ve seen with Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (and numerous others), a condition called myocarditis in which the heart muscle gets inflamed. Hopefully nothing this severe is impacting Bamba, and he’ll be able to get back to 100 percent as soon as possible.

Drake released his latest single, the possibly-Kanye-West-dissing “Laugh Now Cry Later,” today. Alongside that news, Drake also revealed that his new album will be titled Certified Lover Boy. It turns out that name has been a little problematic for Drake behind the scenes, though, as he was apparently unable to trademark it.

Complex reports that Robert Kleinman is an attorney with some apparent connections to Drake; His law firm is named Common Sense Counsel, and a company called Common Sense Counsel IP Holdings owns a number of Drake-related trademarks, like Frozen Moments (the name of Drake’s company) and even the name “Drake.” In February, he filed a trademark for “Certified Lover Boy,” and the application named three possible uses for the phrase: music recordings; clothing; and television, movies, and live events.

However, the application was denied in April, as the US Patent And Trademark Office refused the application due to “likelihood of confusion.” One of the entities with which they suspected Drake’s desired trademark could be confused with was Michigan clothing company Lover’s Lane, and the other was Loverboy, the Canadian rockers behind the ’80s hit “Working For The Weekend.”

So, Kleinman and Drake now have the option of trying to file a revised application six months out from the application refusal (so October). They could also reach out to Lover’s Lane and/or Loverboy and try to come to a “consent agreement,” where the brand/band basically says they’re fine with Drake trademarking his album’s title. Whatever the case, none of this will prevent Drake from using the album title, it just won’t be granted some legal protections.

Drake doesn’t appear to see this as too big of a roadblock, as he’s apparently known about the application rejection since April and decided to press on calling his album Certified Lover Boy anyway.

Every murder of an innocent person is tragic, but the cold-blooded killing of a child is too heinous to even think about. So when a man walks up to a 5-year-old riding his bike in broad daylight and shoots him in the head in front of his young sisters, it’s completely reasonable that people would be horrified. It’s an unthinkable and unforgivable act.

Cannon Hinnant didn’t deserve to die like that. His parents didn’t deserve to lose him like that. His sisters didn’t deserve to be scarred for life like that. We can all agree that a horrible tragedy in every way.

His murderer—Hinnant’s dad’s next door neighbor, Darius Sessoms—deserved to be rounded up, arrested, and charged for the killing. And he was, within hours. He deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law, and history indicates that he assuredly will be. The system is working exactly as it’s supposed to in this case. Nothing can be done to bring Cannon back, but justice is being served.

So why is #SayHisName trending with this story, when that hashtag has long been used in the movement for Black Lives? And why is #JusticeForCannon being shared when justice is already happening in this case? Why is #ChildrensLivesMatter a thing, when there’s never been any question that that’s the case?

The complaint stems from the claim that the media isn’t covering this story because the murderer is a Black man and the victim was white. It doesn’t “fit the narrative,” according to these complaints. “If the races were reversed, we’d see nothing but this story on the national news,” say people foaming at the mouth on Twitter as they point to public support for Black Lives Matter protests and ask why there isn’t a similar outrage for this little boy.

First of all, the story is being covered by news outlets. It’s a popular media attack tactic to say that the media isn’t covering a story, when it takes a 30 second Google search to find that it’s not true. National media outlets generally don’t report on individual crime cases, so them not picking up an individual murder story immediately is the norm, not an exception. But it’s certainly not being ignored.

Second of all, while every child’s murder is undeniably tragic, it happens every day. Literally, an average of three children are murdered in the United States every single day. The vast majority of these crimes don’t make headlines on the national news, because most of the time, the system works like it’s supposed to. Families suffer terribly, but murderers are apprehended and convicted. Generally, individual murders—even of children—are considered local stories unless there’s something in the story that pushes it into the national discourse. (For a BLM-related example, Ahmaud Arbery’s murder didn’t make national news when it happened, but rather months later when it came to light that the men who killed him hadn’t even been arrested, much less charged or convicted.)

Third, the not-so-subtle racism in the hijacking of the #SayHisName hashtag is gross, as are the false equivalencies with the BLM movement. Cannon Hinnant was not killed by the police with impunity. He was not a victim of a justice system that disproportionately harms people with his skin color. His murderer is not walking free. BLM isn’t just about Black people being murdered, otherwise the #SayHisName or #SayHerName hashtags would be used for every Black murder. It’s about Black people being killed with impunity by agents of the state charged with protecting people, or murdered by others and justice not being served. There’s not an ongoing justice issue with children being murdered in broad daylight and their murderers walking free.

When I see people complaining that Cannon Hinnant’s murder isn’t getting the same outrage or attention as Black Lives Matter, I see people who willfully don’t get the issue, which has been explained ad nauseam. What exactly is the justice people are calling for in this case? For Cannon Hinnant’s murderer to be apprehended? Already done. For him to be charged with murder? Also already done.

Stop conflating a heinous individual tragedy with the fight against systemic injustice. And stop using a child’s gruesome murder to discredit or demean or deflect from a social justice movement. There is little doubt that justice will be done in Cannon Hinnant’s case.

By all means, be outraged that this little boy was murdered, but direct that outrage at his murderer, not at the individuals and groups calling for justice to be equally applied to all. Say his name if it makes you feel better, but don’t politicize his death to hijack the movement for racial justice. Call for justice in a case where justice is already happening if you must—even though it doesn’t makes sense—but ask yourself if you’ve put that same energy into the systemic racial injustices that have long been documented in this country.

Cannon Hinnant’s murder is a tragedy, no question. But using his death as a political talking point is a travesty. Just stop.

Tattooing, like any other skill, requires practice. The problem is, how do you practice permanently putting a nipple on someone else’s body?

This genius tattoo artist found a solution. “Shannon McCauley gives out free tattoos to the people who volunteer their bodies to help her practice tattooing nipples.

McCauley is a tattoo artist at Steadfast Tattoo in Rochester, NY. She went absolutely viral after tweeting a photo of a leg with a nipple with the caption, “Tattooed my first nipple on skin. I’ll be covering this tattoo for free once it’s healed. I’m learning this so I can tattoo in surgeon’s offices and help breast cancer survivors that had mastectomies.”

She later said she’ll also use this skill for people in the trans community. Simply amazing. You can visit Shannon’s instagram to see even more photos of nipples tattooed on legs.

Tattooing is very common for people that have gone through mastectomies because surgeons can only do so much in terms of pigmentation. Tattoos on the hand have a practically infinite range of shade and color. Artists like Shannon are necessary in helping people through the recovery process.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Lovecraft Country (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — This series (created by Misha Green, based upon Matt Ruff’s 1950s-set dark fantasy novel, and executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams) will blow your expectations away. It’s an audacious, ambitious, and absolutely astounding horror series with standout performances from Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, and the rest of the cast.

Project Power (Netflix film) — Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in the next Netflix action movie about superpowers that can be unlocked through a mysterious drug. Who created the pills, and can the resulting crime wave be stopped? Well, the powers only last five minutes per drug hit, so these are some fast moving criminals for sure.

Boys State (Apple TV+ film) — This A24-produced documentary scored a Sundance Grand Jury prize and follows a group of Texas teens who run their own mock government. Tune in to find out if they go all Lord of the Flies or not.

The Legend of Korra (series arriving on Netflix) — Amid the current controversy involving a live-action Avatar The Last Airbender, all four seasons of this animated sequel series (from Nickelodeon) have arrived for the binging.

Teenage Bounty Hunters (Netflix series) — You totally know what this series is about already (not Warrior Nuns), but let’s do this anyway. Two fraternal twins decide to rebel against their religious Southern upbringing by joining forces with a veteran bounty hunter named Bowser. Jenji Kohan (Orange Is The New Black) is executive producing, so expect things to get weird.

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+ series) — Jason Sudeikis is reviving his small-time college football coach character (who hails back to 2013 NBC Sports English Premier League coverage) for this show. Lasso is somehow coaching professional English soccer, and good luck to him.

The Great Heist (Netflix series) — This story about “the robbery of the century” is based upon true events that transpired during 1994’s assault on the Bank of the Republic. $33 million is an unbelievable take for sure.

A few must-see leftovers from last week:

An American Pickle (HBO Max) — Seth Rogen‘s dual roles have arrived, and the end product is both touching and hilarious to witness. Rogen plays a 1920s Jewish immigrant who falls into a vat of pickle juice and is perfectly “brined” for 100 years, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy the surprising amount of nuance here. It’s both an interesting match-up and a truly inspired Jewish version of Encino Man.

Hitmen (Peacock series) — It’s a workplace comedy about assassins, starring English comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins as longtime pals who kill for dollars.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

Room 104 (Friday, HBO 10:00 p.m.) — The fourth season of the Duplass’ Brothers bizarre playground continues with Eva (Melissa Fumero) overhauling a major decision.

P-Valley (Sunday, Starz 8:00 p.m.) — The Pynk crew is forming new bonds while looking toward the future, but there’s pushback for Andre.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ronnie’s seeing praise from some and reminders of his mistakes from others. Meanwhile, Kevin’s working hard to balance his obligations and personal life.

NOS4A2 (Sunday, AMC & BBC America 10:00 p.m.) — Charlie Manx must face his worst fears, and Millie must make a choice while Vic and Maggie prepare for a dangerous showdown.

We Hunt Together (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — A deadly duo — a former child soldier named Baba and Freddie — finds themselves drawn together (to commit murder). Two detectives are hot on the trail, and only agree on one thing this week.

Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 10:30 p.m.) — The illustrious guest is the WNBA’s Sue Bird.

Is the whole “sex is better with cannabis” thing legit? Or is it just something that stoners tout as yet another benefit of their great green goddess? The short answer is that cannabis can make good sex even better. It makes music sound better, food taste more delicious, and Thanksgiving a way more interesting experience, so why would this sensually-driven experience be different? If anecdotal experience isn’t enough for you, there are some studies out there for you science nerds that suggest that cannabis does, in fact, make sex a more pleasurable experience and that stoners may be having more sex than their non-stoned counterparts.

According to Psychology Today, researchers at Missouri’s St. Louis University conducted two separate surveys of 133 and 289 adult women and found that in both studies women reported their experiences with cannabis and sex as enhancing to both their libidos and the quality of their pleasure. While a larger study, including data from 28,176 women and 22,943 men conducted by researchers at Stanford, didn’t inquire whether cannabis use increased the pleasure users experienced during sex, it did find those cannabis users we’re having more sex than their non-cannabis smoking counterparts, with a 22% increase for men and a 34% increase in women. Weed, unlike booze, doesn’t numb you out or dry you up. Instead, THC makes you more aware of your senses, which perfect if you’re having sex.

So which strains are the best to smoke before getting down? Before we get into those, let’s dispel a big myth here — there isn’t a single strain of weed out there that is proven to increase your libido or “put you in the mood.” That simply doesn’t exist, and anyone who is trying to tell you otherwise is bullshitting. Cannabis doesn’t work that way. Instead, what you should keep in mind when shopping for a cannabis strain to bring into the bedroom is what type of experience you’re looking for.

Which brings us to…

Choosing The Right Strain

It’s important to be honest with yourself. If you’re feeling anxious try reaching for a strain with a high CBD content, if you’re looking for a spark of creativity and energy, go for a Sativa. If you’re looking to increase the sensory experience, an Indica will serve you well. If you want the energy and the pleasure enhancement, go for a hybrid. It’s important to find a strain that is going to work with the mood you’re trying to set or the headspace you need to get into. You may even find that you and your partner would be better off smoking entirely different strains depending on your role that night in the bedroom. The only thing you really need to worry about is someone getting too high — which can increase sedation, paranoia, and, frankly, make you too lazy to want to have sex. So if you’re using cannabis to enhance your sexual experiences, limit yourself to one to three hits just before the clothes hit the floor.

To help get you started on a sex-cannabis exploration, we selected a mix of 10 Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid strains that will help set the mood in just a few hits, with a focus on strains that smell and taste as good as the sex you’re about to have.

Green Crack

Strain: Sativa
THC: 17%

Green Crack definitely has the least sexy name of any weed strain — next to Chemical Cat Piss — but don’t let the silly name dissuade you, Green Crack just might top your list of Sativa sex enhancers. Perfect for those looking to get creative in bed, Green Crack will fill you with a buzz of energy and euphoria, which is perfect for long sessions in the sheets stretch throughout your day. A great strain for a morning wake and bake and sex in the shower.

With tropical flavors of citrus and mango, we recommend packing your Green Crack in the bong, just make sure you refresh that water so as not to kill the mood. There is nothing less sexy than bong breath.

Hit up Weedmaps to find Green Crack at a dispensary near you.

Granddaddy Purple

Strain: Indica
THC: 17%

With just 17% THC, Granddaddy Purple is a great Indica strain to start experimenting with while dabbling in pairing sex and cannabis. Its beautiful purple buds, grape and berry flavors, and inviting scent help to get you out of your head and put your in a sensory mood without getting you way too high. Granddaddy Purple is high in alpha-Pinene, so it’s adept at putting you in a totally relaxed state. Don’t think that this is reserved for touchy vanilla sex, get wild with it — Pinene has pain-reducing properties, making this strain adaptable to any type of sex you’re trying to engage in.

To pick up Grandaddy Purple, hit up Weedmaps to find the strain at a dispensary near you.

Wedding Cake

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 23-25%

A fairly new strain in the weed scene, Wedding Cake is an Indica-dominant hybrid strain that will relax you out and enhance your senses, with a rush of euphoria accompanying the first hit. Since it’s packed with THC, at an average of between 23-25%, one to two hits should provide a head change for even the most hardcore smokers, and its earthy herbal flavor with hints of sweet vanilla will help to tantalize the palate. Better still, it won’t leave you cotton-mouthed and dried out.

Plus come on, with a name like Wedding Cake how can you go wrong? This strain was designed for long honeymoon nights but if that all feels a little too domestic for you, feel free to call it by its alternate name: Pink Cookies.

Hit up Weedmaps to find Wedding Cake at a dispensary near you.

Do-si-dos

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 20%

Keeping things on the high THC spectrum, Do-si-dos is an Indica dominant hybrid strain with a floral peppermint scent that will instantly melt your body into a buzz of euphoric sensory pleasure. With a bowl of Do-si-dos packed, take about two to three hits, reach for the blindfold and prepare to enter a world of shiver-inducing touch and closed eye visuals that’ll turn sex intro a truly psychedelic experience.

To find Do-Si-Dos at a dispensary near you, search the strain on Weedmaps.

Girl Scout Cookies

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 19%

Sometimes known as simply GSC — for legal purposes — Girl Scout Cookies checks a lot of the same boxes as the Granddaddy Purple strain, meaning its great for receiving roles in the bedroom and for enhancing the sensory experience, but GSC’s Sativa genetics help to give it an edge over the Indica Purp by putting your body into a relaxed state AND sharpening the mind, giving you the inspiration to get creative.

The bud’s mix of purple flecked leaves and bright orange hairs are a beautiful sight, too. If you’re so much of a stoner that you like to break up your weed over the body of your partner, they won’t object given this strains beautiful appearance and herbal earthy aroma.

Hit up Weedmaps to find GSC at a dispensary near you.

Sour Diesel

Strain: Sativa
THC: 18.5%
CBD 2%

If anxiety is seriously wrecking your bedroom game, Sour Diesel is the strain for you as its one of the few on this list to have a significant level of CBD content which will help to melt away your anxiety. Keep a few things in mind though, Sour Diesel isn’t sexy — it’s named so for its overly pungent chemical infused aroma, and while its THC content isn’t the highest, it packs a punch with an early onset of cerebral enhancement that feels long-lasting.

Our recommendation? Pack a bowl and light it up outside with your partner, that way the smell doesn’t totally kill the mood once you’re inside. If you can make it that far.

Hit up Weedmaps to find Sour Diesel at a dispensary near you.

Trainwreck

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 16-17%

Easily the weakest strain on this list, smoking Trainwreck, despite its rough-sex suggesting name, is a relatively chill strain. Experienced smokers can easily blow through two bowls of this stuff before being taken over by its giggle-inducing qualities making this an ideal strain for pot-head partners who just want a slight head change before getting busy or first time users looking to experiment with sex on cannabis. It’s piney and flowery flavors will fill the room with a pleasing herbal scent and its relatively low THC content will keep you from getting couch-locked or too high.

Keep this stain handy for quickies or shorter sex sessions that aren’t going to occupy your whole day, the high won’t last too long with this one, which is perfect for those with packed schedules.

Hit up Weedmaps to find Trackwreck at a dispensary near you.

Amnesia Haze

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 19%

Amnesia Haze is known for producing uplighting feelings of euphoria and a boost of energy and confidence conducive to creativity in the bedroom. We highly recommend this strain for couples who like to role-play, as Amnesia Haze will fill your head with new ideas and a desire to experiment and get a little weird, will all the ideas be good ideas? Well, that remains to be seen, but either way Amnesia Haze will give make you believe they’re good — which is something you and your partner can giggle about over a second bowl before round two.

Pink Panties

Strain: Indica
THC: 20%

Come on, you know whoever named this Indica strain knew exactly what they were doing. Look, as we said before, based on the science of how THC influences people in a myriad of ways, we don’t buy into the idea that any one strain will make you more aroused than the other, but Pink Panties is one of those strains that budtenders everywhere will claim can put you into the mood.

Maybe it’s the tantalizing name or the flowery mix of grapefruit and berry flavors, but Pink panties will definitely put you in a good mood, no matter how stressful the day has been. Just be careful, this Indica dominant strain has the power to relax you straight to bed.

Check Weedmaps to find Pink Panties at a dispensary near you.

Northern Lights

Strain: Indica
THC: 17%

We couldn’t recommend Northern Lights enough. Despite its relatively low THC content, Northern Lights excels as a sex enhancer thanks to its delicious spiced herbal and earthy flavors and inviting flowery aroma when smoked, providing a sensory experience from the moment you break up the bud until it’s euphoric effects take hold. Once the high of Northern Lights kicks in — which should be at about five to six hits for those with a high tolerance — your body will start buzzing with euphoric feelings, making this a great weed for lovers of extended foreplay sessions.

You’ll find yourself taking your time on everything when you’re high on Northern Lights, which makes you a good lovemaking partner — revealing it as a strain that will sell you on the idea of cannabis as a sexual enhancer.

Check Weedmaps to find Northern Lights at a dispensary near you.

If you’re anything like me, one of the first times you heard a chillwave song was during the opening credits of Portlandia. The sequence was soundtracked by Washed Out’s “Feel It Around,” a buoyant and hazy number with roomy percussion and nostalgia-inducing synths. The track’s inclusion in the hit show made Ernest Greene a definitive artist in the fledgling genre, and now, a decade later, Washed Out has just released his latest effort Purple Noon.

The new album is the impetus for this week’s episode of Indiecast, which finds Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen digging into the rise and fall of the chillwave genre, starting and ending with Washed Out. Purple Noon is an album from a genre strongly associated with nostalgia, but also manages to provide nostalgia for… chillwave itself. In 2020, the genre has one that reminds millennials that they are getting older.

Also covered in the episode is Welcome To Conceptual Beach, the expansive, stunning new album from Young Jesus that is already a strong contender for Album Of The Year. Check out Steven Hyden’s review here.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 3 above and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Although the coronavirus and subsequent quarantine, social-distancing lifestyle has dominated 2020, it was a couple months into the year already before COVID-19 rocked the world. Some good things happened during those months, too. For example, Christine And The Queens dropped a surprise new EP, La Vita Nuova, as well as an accompanying short film. Today, the French artist has expanded on the project with a new remix EP, featuring alternate versions of the title track.

The track got the remix treatment from Logic1000, Populous, and Charli XCX collaborator A.G. Cook. Even more good news is that they all feature Caroline Polachek, as she also appears on the original track.

Speaking of Charli XCX, she and Christine worked together on “Gone,” a 2019 single. Beyond that, Christine has remained busy in 2020. She was one of the first major artists to start doing livestreamed performances, and since then, she has made TV appearances, covered some musical legends, hopped on a livestream with Charli, and performed “La Viat Nuova” for a digital benefit event. So, while times have been tough, Christine And The Queen fans haven’t been left hungry for new content.

Stream the EP below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.