Month: September 2020

One of the most legendary stories about Willie Nelson is that he once smoked weed on the roof of the White House. This was during the Jimmy Carter administration, and in the new documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President, the former POTUS himself addresses the tale.

The film was released yesterday, and as the Los Angeles Times notes, in it, Carter was asked about Nelson’s story. He laughed and revealed one of his own sons actually joined the musician in his rooftop smoke session: “[Nelson] says that his companion that shared the pot with him was one of the servants at the White House. That is not exactly true. It actually was one of my sons.”

The POTUS’ son, Chip Carter, confirmed the story, which began on September 13, 1980 during a Nelson performance at the White House. Chip said, “In the break I said, ‘Let’s go upstairs.’ We just kept going up ’til we got to the roof, where we leaned against the flagpole at the top of the place and lit one up.’ If you know Washington, the White House is the hub of the spokes — the way it was designed. Most of the avenues run into the White House. You could sit up and could see all the traffic coming right at you. It’s a nice place up there.”

Watch a trailer for Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President below.

If you had Scream on the brain after seeing the Ghostface masks in the Hubie Halloween trailer, today’s your lucky day: Neve Campbell will reprise her role as Sidney Prescott in the fifth Scream movie. She joins original cast members Courteney Cox and David Arquette (who’s suddenly everywhere with the release of You Cannot Kill David Arquette) in the reboot, directed by Ready or Not‘s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.

Bloody Disgusting broke the news about Campbell, who said in a statement, “After spending time speaking with [filmmaking group] Radio Silence, they have shown such love, respect, and admiration for Wes Craven and all that he’s created in the Scream franchise. I am beyond excited to step back into the role of Sidney Prescott and return to Woodsboro.” Campbell has appeared in all four Scream movies to date:

Radio Silence said in a statement today, “We’re pinching ourselves! It’s hard to express how much the character Sidney Prescott shaped our love of movies and to have the chance to work with Neve is truly a dream come true. It just wouldn’t be a Scream movie without Neve and we’re so excited and honored to join her in Woodsboro.”

OK, Campbell, Cox, and Arquette are back, but what about Matthew Lillard? Bring back Lillard! And Drew Barrymore. I don’t know how that would work (considering, y’know…) unless Scream 5 is a prequel. A Screamquel, if you will. You will not? That’s fair.

(Via Bloody Disgusting)

Since the band’s inception, Pearl Jam have been active in pushing fans to exercise their right to vote. In 1992, two years after the group formed, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band hosted the free Drop In The Park concert in Seattle where they registered thousands of new voters. They did something similar in 2018 when they performed in Montana and additionally registered thousands of their fans to vote. Now, Pearl Jam is launching a new initiative that helps fans secure a mail-in ballot for the upcoming November election.

The PJ Votes 2020 initiative makes it easy for fans to sign up to vote by mail in the coming months. Pearl Jam’s plan is simple, they want fans to vote by mail, encourage three friends to do the same, and not wait to sign up for a mail-in ballot. Citizens can either register to vote on Pearl Jam’s website or by texting “PJVotes” to 52886.

Speaking about the new initiative, Eddie Vedder said, “We believe America is at its best when every voice is heard. This is the most important election in our nation’s history. Our democracy is at risk. Your vote is your voice, and it’s time to use it. Join us by voting by mail — something our band has been doing for almost three decades, since we began touring in 1992. It’s safe, it’s easy, and it’s secure.”

Bassist Jeff Ament echoed Vedder’s statement: “Voting freely and easily is our ultimate right as citizens of these United States. It’s a hard-fought gift from our foremothers and forefathers.”

Find more information about the PJ Votes initiative here.

Trying to map out what the 2020-21 NBA season will look like is tricky, if only because no one has any idea when it is going to start. Beyond the fact that it is believed that there will be CBA negotiations this offseason, the unprecedented situation the league finds itself in by wrapping up its postseason in October means there is no real road map to follow.

Previous reports indicated that the NBA wanted to tip things off in early-December, although that has been extremely fluid, with a range of dates from early-December to March being mentioned at one point or another. Now, the league has a slightly better idea of when it hopes to start things up.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league informed its Board of Governors that the earliest possible start date for the year would be Christmas Day 2020.

There have been calls for years for the league to let the NFL and college football have the spotlight in autumn and turn Christmas Day into its start date for years, but of course, things are far different now than they would be under normal circumstances. This does not mean that the league would target Dec. 25 to start — one report indicated that it would be willing to wait until March if that’s when they could get fans into arenas safely due to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments — but at the very least, it provides clarity on one of the outstanding issues that the league was facing as next season approached.

Today, September 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day, and Demi Lovato and Marshmello have decided to help promote the cause with a new single, “OK Not To Be OK.”

The track goes from melancholy to joyful in the hook, on which Lovato sings, “When you’re high on emotion / And you’re losing your focus / And you feel too exhausted to pray / Don’t get lost in the moment / Or give up when you’re closest / All you need is somebody to say / It’s okay not to be okay.”

Sharing the track, Lovato wrote, “Take a moment today to check in with yourself and your loved ones.”

Marshmello spoke about the track with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and discussed releasing the song on World Suicide Prevention Day:

“I think it’s just such an important subject. I think a lot of people, about negative feelings and negative thoughts that are affecting them are kind of scared to bring it up, scared to talk about it. When in reality, they’re scared because maybe the person won’t relate or the person won’t understand, when in reality most of time the person that you could bring it up to, will most likely has felt like this or will understand or can relate as well. So I think it’s very important to talk about it.”

He also discussed how he and Lovato came to work together, saying:

“I met Demi, I think four years ago. I actually played a party or something for her a while back and before I went on. It was at a hotel in LA, and I went upstairs and met her before and all that stuff. And so we’ve known each other since then. So this collaboration has… because we would always say, ‘Hi at award shows and all that… so this collaboration has kind of been just in the works, I would say, since we met about four years ago.

[…] So she did the song and then I got it, and it was just kind of piano and that’s about it. And so then I was like, ‘How can I create an instrumental, instruments, that compliment the emotion of the song?’ So in the beginning it’s very slow and stuff, so I made the instrumental very slow. And then during the hook, which is the resolve of the song, I kind of picked it up with the energy and it’s kind of like a little dance tune.

I think that was a huge driving force in making the song, as well, as there was only one way the song could be. And so I spent a long time trying to find that exact moment where I was like, ‘Oh, OK, this is exactly how the song should sound. This is how it makes me feel.’ So it was just kind of like emotion turned to music in a way.”

Ahead of the track, Lovato announced a partnership with online therapy platform Talkspace, writing on Instagram, “So proud to announce my partnership with @talkspace. In case you aren’t familiar, Talkspace is an online therapy platform that will connect you with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your phone. Therapy has saved my life in so many ways, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. There’s so much going on in the world right now, so we need to be taking care of ourselves and those around us. Talkspace is such an incredible organization and I can’t wait to share more info soon.”

Watch the “OK Not To Be OK” video above.

In the beginning of September, a 20-year-old Bay Area native launched her own podcast. This is a tale as old as time in the San Francisco tech bubble, and for most people in their early twenties, undertaking a project like a podcast would be enough to keep them busy. But for Maia — aka musician and digital creative Mxmtoon — her new venture is just one of many undertakings she is currently pursuing. Though she plans to release a podcast episode every single day for the next year starting September 14, Maia will also release her second EP of the year on October 1, all while keeping up with her 750K+ Instagram followers, an audience of over 2 million on TikTok, and almost 400K on Twitter. If there’s any corner of the internet where Maia can’t command attention, it doesn’t exist yet.

These kinds of numbers are no small feat for an artist who has remained completely independent, and is interested in building her career from the ground up as an organic expression of her own life, not a polished representation someone else thought would sell records. The same perspective can be applied to her podcast, which is Maia’s take on a single moment from that day in history that she personally finds interesting. Dubbed 365 Days With Mxmtoon, the year-long podcast is a joint effort with The Talkhouse, a media platform built for artists to express themselves. Maia is a half-Chinese, half-white musician who self-describes in the intro to her podcast as a “singer, songwriter, dreamer, ukulele player… and a huge history nerd.” She also identifies as bisexual and is very open — not only about her own sexuality — but her liberal politics and voicing support for helping uplift the historically marginalized, including the Black Lives Matter movement. That history nerd identity, though, is what shows up the most in her podcast.

“365 Days With Mxmtoon was born out of the fact that beyond just music, I really enjoy helping people learn about our world,” Maia explained when we spoke on the phone earlier this month about her plans for the fall. “It’s a podcast about what happened on specific days in history, exploring what else might’ve happened in the music industry, and also even going into my own life to help people have a greater sense of who I am as well. Hopefully it will encourage people to stay curious about the things that happened in the past that brings us to the present.”

Podcast aside, 2020 has been a huge year for Mxmtoon, who released her debut album, The Masquerade, just last year. Something of a mix between Imogen Heap’s heady, layered pop and Frankie Cosmos’ twee, tender songwriting, Mxmtoon’s early songs amassed the kind of devoted audience that will remain interested in an artist for their entire career. Following up an initial EP, Plum Blossoms, in 2018, Maia wasted no time putting out new music after her first full-length came out; earlier this year in April she released dawn, a seven-track EP designed to precede this fall’s follow-up EP, Dusk. Taken together, the two EPs function as a second album for the already-prolific young artist, who is still intent on experimenting with her sound, different collaborators, and various forms of self-expression.

“I’m excited for everyone to hear Dusk, and I really want to know the reaction because I think a lot of the songs are definitely different, even genre-wise,” she said. “There’s a lot of instrumentation that’s familiar but then also some sounds I haven’t quite gotten a chance to try until this EP. Merrill Garbus (of Tune-Yards) also produced a handful of songs on Dusk. She’s local to where I live, Oakland, California, so proximity-wise and sonically, it made sense to work with her. She’s just incredible and one of the kindest people I’ve ever come across when in the music industry.”

Aside from Garbus, another big indie-pop name appears as a guest on Dusk — none other than cult favorite Carly Rae Jepsen. She’s the only featured guest on the EP, and working with her for the track “Ok On Your Own” is what Maia calls “a crazy happening.” This pop collaboration recently followed up another of Dusk’s early singles, “Bon Iver,” a song that’s half yearning love song, half homage to the acclaimed songwriter-producer that is Justin Vernon.

“Working with Carly was a shot in the dark, she came up just because she’s such an influential singer and amazing advocate,” Maia said. “I’m such a huge fan of her, and it was amazing that she was open to it. I got to call her and I was like ‘you know what, you’re Carly Rae Jepsen, you can take it and run with it, just cut vocals however you want to.’ As for ‘Bon Iver,’ he’s so influential in the music industry and that project is something that’s been very inspirational to me.”

Though she started off writing songs on a ukulele alone in her parent’s guest room, in just a few years Mxmtoon has graduated to work alongside indie-pop powerhouses like Tune-Yards and Carly Rae Jepsen. As she continues to expand her creative field with more social media videos, new music, and the forthcoming podcast, her hope for music specifically is just to keep exploring her own side without settling or being put into any kind of box.

“I just released my first album last year, so coming off that I thought I would take a breather and see what other sounds I like for my project,” she said. “Giving myself the opportunity to make two EPs that were related to each other but could also stand alone as separate projects helped me open up avenues in terms of what kind of production and what sort of songwriting I wanted to do. I really wanted to give myself the opportunity to explore my sound a little bit more. It gave me a sense of freedom and relaxation to not have to make a flawless second album or anything.”

And while Dusk may not be a second album, it’s about as close to flawless as a pop EP released in 2020 has come. Look for it out very soon on October 1, and pre-order it here. Also keep an eye out for her new podcast, 365 Days With Mxmtoon beginning in just a few days on September 14.

We’ve written about bourbon a lot this month. A lot. This is partly because the gap between summer and fall is perfectly suited for the corn-based spirit. Also, September is Bourbon Heritage Month — making it the perfect time to get acquainted with America’s “Native Spirit.”

As far as hobbies go, bottle collecting can get pricey. But starting your bourbon collection doesn’t require you to spend a month’s rent. There are excellent value bourbons on the market just waiting to be discovered. (Seriously, we profile a ton of them!) When Megan Martinez, bartender at Condado Tacos in Indianapolis, thinks value bourbon, her mind immediately goes to one of the most iconic brands on the market.

“When it comes to a reasonably priced bourbon for a daily drinker I always turn to Jim Beam,” she says. “I don’t mean their white label, pick up Jim Beam Double Oak or a bottle of Jim Beam Black — both capture the rich woody notes of fall.”

The world of reasonably-priced bourbons goes well beyond Jim Beam, of course. That’s why we asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us the best value bourbons (and one corn whiskey) to drink this month.

Old Grand-Dad Bonded

Arturo Deakins, bartender at Kuleana Rum Shack in Hawaii

Old Grand-Dad Bonded. I love high rye bourbon and this stuff rocks enough sweetness while the extra dry spicy notes from the rye grain still make it through. And it comes in under $30. I can’t not mention Wild Turkey 101, either.

Most people have tried it but I beg them to try it again it’s just solid and I think it has a bad image for some people.

Old Forester 86

Suman Pradham, director of outlets at Viceroy Snowmass in Snowmass Village, Colorado

Old Forester 86. Old Forester is the longest-running bourbon brand on the market and was the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles. The brand is also noted as one of the few whiskeys that were allowed to be sold during Prohibition for medicinal purposes (it’s even featured on the bottle’s label). Bold oak, punchy pecans, and caramelized maple syrup drive home the richness of this sip. The mouthfeel, however, is thinner than expected, based on the heft of the flavors.

Very Old Barton

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Very Old Barton. Produced in Bardstown and aged by Sazerac? Say no more! It might not be your top-shelf dinner bourbon, but it can be as smooth as you like stirred into an old fashioned or right up front in a rocks glass.

Elijah Craig Small Batch

Gavin Humes, bartender at Scratch Bar & Kitchen in Encino, California

Elijah Craig Small Batch is my go-to for a typical cocktail. It’s easy drinking and nice and smooth, but with the extra proof (94 proof) it holds up nicely in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned as well.

Clyde Mays

Nestor Marchand, director of food and beverage at Plunge Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Clyde Mays Straight Bourbon. Well priced at around $25, this bourbon is different from others in this price range. It has complex flavors, a full mouthfeel to it, and hints of “wood” at the finish.

Maker’s Mark

Christopher Farzanrad, bartender at Mila Rooftop Bar in Glendale, California

Maker’s Mark is my pick for reasonably priced bourbon. It has a smooth finish and tastes amazing with ginger ale or on its own on the rocks.

Old Crow

Kurt Bellon, general manager and beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis

Old Crow is almost too reasonably priced but a perfect way to get that smoky taste that’ll have you crowing in no time.

Mellow Corn

Veronica Flores, bartender in Austin, Texas

I’m normally a rye whiskey drinker. But I could always go for the cult classic of Mellow Corn. People don’t realize they’re sleeping on! I’m also a fan of Old Forester. I do enjoy all their expressions, but their bourbon is a home run hitter.

Buffalo Trace

Reniel Garcia, bar director of Havana 1957 in Miami

Buffalo Trace is good as a sipper and in cocktails. It’s the perfect do-it-all whiskey — a solid bourbon that has good yet unremarkable flavors.

Jefferson’s Ocean

Jon Joseph, director of food and beverages at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas

Jefferson’s Ocean is my pick… when you can get your hands on it. It has a great story and concept for how the bourbon is made and is very good. Aged at sea, this is a highly drinkable, well-priced bourbon.

Bulleit

Aaron Miyakawa, director of restaurants and special at Prince Waikiki in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Bulleit. It has a longtime family tradition as a Kentucky bourbon maker but is unique with its wonderful nuance and balance of rye flavors. It has true hints of your typical bourbons such as vanilla and caramel with oaky tones but what gives it character is the spicy smooth finish that sets it apart. It is great for making traditional cocktails such as Manhattans or old fashioneds — which seem to be making a strong comeback with an emphasis on good quality and mixing techniques.

Noble Oak Double Oak

Zachary Shore, bartender at The Nest in Seattle

If you haven’t tried Noble Oak’s Double Oak Bourbon yet, get out there and give it a try while the price remains reasonable. Being such a new brand and watching it gain popularity, I wouldn’t be surprised if they blow up and have to start raising prices to keep up with demand. At $40.00 (roughly) a bottle, this is one of the most versatile bourbons I have had the pleasure to work with and talk about with my guests.

With flavors of honey, vanilla, and dried fruits like cherries and apricots, it is perfect neat, on the rocks, or in an Old Fashioned.

Angel’s Envy

Sabari Kanth, lead bartender at Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Angel’s Envy. This port finished bourbon is a delicious whiskey with a great balance from start to finish. On the nose, we get caramel, raisins, and vanilla — three things I love!

Houston swingman Danuel House Jr. has missed the past two games of the Rockets’ series with the Lakers for what the team has called “personal reasons,” but news continues to come out about the nature of House’s absence.

The latest is from Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic, who report that a guest entered the Rockets’ hotel and made her way into the building before she was flagged by security. Apparently, “early data points” from the league’s investigation into her visit connected both House and veteran center Tyson Chandler, but it appears there is nothing that directly implicates that either did anything to compromise the integrity of the Bubble.

More from The Athletic:

A woman entered the Rockets’ team hotel on Monday night, passing multiple security checkpoints before being flagged for her entry, sources said. She exited the hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and the league cited early data points that implicated two members of the Rockets, House and Tyson Chandler, sources said. When the woman was questioned by NBA security, she did not implicate House’s name and it is uncertain whether she remains on campus, sources said. She claimed to have contact with Chandler and another player, not named House, according to sources.

According to sources, the Rockets’ entire team had to enter a quarantine period on Tuesday due to the potential exposure. Those sources said there appears to be no video connecting House and the woman; only the flagging of her entering and leaving the hotel, and the possibility of a door opening and closing to match those timelines. The NBA has informed involved parties that it has circumstantial evidence implicating House.

House apparently is being steadfast in telling the NBA that no “improper contact with the staffer” occurred. No matter what comes of the investigation, which is clearly short on hard evidence right now, the damage may already be done, as House has missed two games — both Lakers wins — of the underdog Rockets’ second-round bout with Los Angeles.

The NBA is being understandably strict about securing the Bubble. The fate of the season and the league’s financial security rests in the league’s ability to ensure nobody at the Wide World of Sport complex becomes infected with COVID-19, and they have to enforce those rules uniformly. Something unusual appears to have happened this week at the Rockets’ hotel, as someone was able to slip through the league’s security measures. But while there doesn’t appear to yet be anything firm that pegs House with an infraction, his absence has been dire for Houston.

Killer Mike recently met with Georgia governor Brian Kemp to discuss the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on small businesses and the music industry, but with the state’s COVID-19 cases increasing, the gesture has received mixed reactions online.

“Today, Marty and I had a great meeting with Killer Mike,” the governor wrote in post on Twitter Wednesday. “We discussed how small businesses and the music industry are weathering the pandemic, the value of our skilled trade workers, and our fight to end human trafficking in Georgia. We look forward to seeing him again soon!” While the mood of the tweet was optimistic, many of the replies were anything but. Commentors accused Mike of allowing himself to be used as a prop, likening this instance to his previous admitted faux pas in sitting down in good faith for an interview with the NRA, only to have the footage edited to make him seem like an enthusiastic supporter — even though points were made.

Likewise, many commenters pointed out that the incumbent Brian Kemp had purged thousands of voters from rolls just ahead of the last election against Stacey Abrams — an action many say constitutes voter suppression and has Kemp facing federal investigation. Kemp’s also under fire for proposing a ban on face mask orders in the state, despite clear evidence that mandating masks helps slow the spread of viruses like the COVID-19 coronavirus.

In light of these actions, Mike’s meeting with the governor is likely disappointing to those who normally admire his outspoken political views and music. But Mike’s also a small business owner himself — one whose employees are also being affected by the pandemic. He’s also been a proponent of business ownership for Black people himself and is likely trying to be a voice of reason for the Kemp administration, even though he was a big part of Stacey Abrams’ campaign a few years ago. However, Twitter is no place for nuance, so while Mike has supporters, he’s also facing another big backlash. You can read some of the tweets below.

Everyone knows Mariah Carey is crowned as the unofficial queen of Christmas, but some may be surprised she’s also a self-proclaimed super fan of the 2004 cult classic film Mean Girls. Carey recently had the opportunity to be quizzed on Mean Girls trivia with director and writer Tina Fey, and she nailed each question. In fact, the singer did so well that she vied for a spot in Fey’s upcoming remake of the film.

Carey and Fey joined together virtually for an installment of Billboard‘s series Quizzed. Fey tested the singer’s knowledge of film, like which Christmas song the main characters performed at their school’s talent show. Carey aced the question but said she wished they had chosen one of her Christmas songs instead.

“We’re gonna make another movie of it, so if you want to license us that song for the movie and also be in the movie, just say nothing now and we’ll consider it legally binding,” Fey quipped. “Just laugh and it’ll be legally binding.” Though Fey was joking, Carey was on board about the idea of making a cameo. “I’ll make a brand new Christmas song for them to use in the movie,” Carey replied. “I definitely want to be in it as well! I don’t know, maybe I can be friends with Amy Poehler as, like, her other friend that wears sweatsuits.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Carey revealed she relates to many of the Mean Girls characters, including the main character Cady’s obsession with bully Regina George: “I didn’t fit in at all being mixed race and moving 13, 14 times, and having a Black father and white mother and everybody was like, ‘Who is this weirdo?’ So I was mean because I was just trying to fit in and that was the only way I could fit in.”

Watch Tina Fey quiz Mariah Carey on Mean Girls trivia above.