Month: September 2020

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got a new track from Beabadoobee’s anticipated new album, a groovy dance number from Djo, and Robert Smith’s first song appearance in years on a new Gorillaz track. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

The Flaming Lips – American Head

If new Flaming Lips music wasn’t great news on its own, Kacey Musgraves joins the band for a handful of songs on American Head. After spending much of the 2010s working on esoteric projects, American Head is a welcome return for the veteran psychedelic band, airing closer to Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots or The Soft Bulletin than a full-album cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon or Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.

William Tyler – New Vanitas

William Tyler has been pretty prolific over the last year. The 39-minute EP New Vanitas marks his third release since 2019, and takes on a more ethereal guitar-driven approach. The EP is comprised of what he calls “ghostly and otherworldy self-recordings” that were captured during a period of studio sessions earlier this year.

Beabadoobee – “Worth It”

On the third track from her forthcoming debut album Fake It Flowers, 20-year-old Beabadoobee looks back to the height of alternative guitar rock with “Worth It.” It’s a track that “borrows its aesthetic from guitar-driven ’90s indie-rock, although it manages to avoid sounding old and played out while doing so,” according to Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx.

Djo – “Keep Your Head Up”

Last year, Stranger Things star Joe Keery quietly released Twenty Twenty, his debut album under the moniker Djo. Marking a new era for the solo project, “Keep Your Head Up” takes on a more hi-fi approach, and “boasts crunchy synths and Keery’s feel-good lyrical delivery,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Matt Berninger – “One More Second”

With his debut solo record Serpentine Prison just around the corner, Matt Berninger has shared “One More Second,” the latest in a string of advanced singles. The track is what Berninger calls his interpretation of a “desperate love song,” with the writing intended as a response to Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” It’s a more moody number than the previous two singles, and shows a nice range of what can be expected from Berninger’s solo debut.

Gorillaz – “Strange Timez” (ft. Robert Smith)

The roster for Gorillaz’ Song Machine series has been far from lacking in guest appearances, and the world got a bit bigger this week with “Strange Timez,” featuring vocal contributions from the goth king himself: The Cure’s Robert Smith. Less upbeat than previous tracks on the project, “Strange Timez” has what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “an uneasy and alternative energy,” the latest preview of a star-studded tracklist.

Waxahatchee, Bedouine, Hurray For The Riff Raff – “Thirteen” (Big Star Cover)

We’ve been waiting for Azniv Korkejian of Bedouine, Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, and Hurray For The Riff Raff‘s Alynda Segarra to record music together ever since their collaborative 2017 tour. Now, the trio has teamed up for a cover of Big Star’s “Thirteen.” “With just a sleepy guitar and the three musicians’ soaring voices,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx, the cover puts on full display the raw talent of the three singers.

Slow Pulp – “At It Again”

Slow Pulp is gearing up for the release of their debut album Moveys next month and “At It Again” is a melodic shoegaze track that manages to take the shape of a pop song across its short runtime. If Moveys is as engaging as Slow Pulp’s 2019 EP Big Day, we are in for a treat when the rest of the album drops.

This Is The Kit – “Coming To Get You Nowhere”

You might recognize This Is The Kit from their support slots alongside The National, Sharon Van Etten, and more. For her new album Off Off On, Kate Stables teamed up with producer Josh Kaufman (Taylor Swift, The Hold Steady, The National) to push the boundaries of her songwriting. The resulting “Coming To Get You Nowhere” is an impressive entry into the catalog of This Is The Kit, and a promising indicator of what’s to come with the full-length album.

Shame – “Alphabet”

British post-punk outfit Shame has been more or less silent since wrapping up the support of their 2018 album Songs Of Praise. “Alphabet” marks the official return of the quintet, a surging and thrashing rocker that reminds us what was so great about the group in the first place. “At the time of writing it, I was experiencing a series of surreal dreams where a manic subconscious was bleeding out of me and seeping into the lyrics,” said frontman Charlie Steen in a statement.

Rhye – “Helpless”

Rhye (aka Michael Milosh) is an example of someone who has used their time in quarantine to expand their creativity. “Helpless” is a love song about Milosh’s partner, with whom he has been quarantining for the better part of 2020. While there is no indication that a new full-length Rhye album is on the horizon, it would seem that isolating with his partner has served as a source of inspiration for Milosh, and “Helpless” shows the potential for how fleshed-out and impressive his quarantine output can be.

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

Summer Walker’s debut album Over It is now platinum, which provides her the perfect opportunity for a sensual late-night performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The singer/part-time conspiracy theorist is well-known for her passionate performances and her latest was no exception, once again making the most of the social-distanced, pre-recorded format (as befits the self-described introvert).

This time around, she sings “Body” in a room filled with flowers. The space appears to be a warehouse with loft windows behind Summer and her band and a smoky sunset shining through. A fan in the corner keeps the crew cool as Summer croons her way through the Over It favorite in a skintight green dress. It offers a simpler concept than her BET Awards performance of “Come Thru” with Usher but as usual, she makes it work for her, keeping the focus on her magnetic performance.

Along with her live performances Summer kept herself in the proverbial spotlight this year with her Life On Earth EP, which charted two songs on the Hot 100 — “Let It Go” and “My Affection” with PartyNextDoor. She’s also provided a selection of feature choruses for other artists, including the remix of Justin Bieber’s “Yummy,” DVSN’s “Flawless,” and Aminé’s “Easy.”

Watch Summer Walker’s Tonight Show performance of “Body” above.

“The dominant trait of Conan as I know him is the wild chaos and turbulence of the creative and whimsical mind. It is that which must be captured.” That assessment is from Jordan Schlansky, human observer (or observer of humans) and Associate Producer on CONAN when I ask him about how he’d portray his boss, Conan O’Brien, if he was trying to do what I was: recreating a moment from the TBS late-night series’ lore with crafts and toys. It’s a uniquely Schlanskyesque response, but also an answer that inspires a question: How do you recapture the “wild chaos and turbulence of a creative and whimsical mind” with popsicle sticks and paper props?

For many CONAN fans, the challenge of that (and the lure of a fun project) was enough of a driver to contribute to the upcoming DIY CONAN (airing 9/21 on TBS at 11/10 PM Central). An entirely fan-made episode, the special is sure to be filled with crafty and clever twists on selected moments like the classic Shrub Cop or the time Conan confronted Schlansky over his end of the week tardiness only to get a truly memorable tour of his daily routine (the clip I chose to try and re-create). Several hundred fan-made clips were submitted and dozens will be used with methods ranging from stop motion animation, live-action, CG, and ones I can’t even think of as CONAN fans take advantage of an opportunity to shine, create, and pay tribute to their mutually beneficial fandom. It’s something they’ve had the chance to do before, notably crowdsourcing an episode in 2013 under the title Occupy Conan. It’s also something that’s right in line with the ethos of the show and that “creative and whimsical mind” that drives it.

DIY Spirit

I’ve previously said O’Brien embodied a punk spirit from the start, and there’s a thread that runs across almost 27 years of television and two networks that still connects with that. The silliness and aggressive weirdness of his shows for sure come from a place of necessary inventiveness owing to a shoestring budget and a hanging-by-a-thread existence in those early days. Not to mention a chip on the shoulder that pushed the show to stand out against the competition. All of those things seemingly solidified as a calling card by the time O’Brien became the comedy cool kid’s host of choice. And that’s still the case. Conan still looks and feels a little different from the field and it still takes big creative swings as evidenced by DIY Conan and Conan Without Borders.

From a hand puppet to syncro-vox interviews, and a cavalcade of other sneakily clever but lo-fi creations and bits, the DIY spirit has always been alive with O’Brien’s shows. But DIY isn’t a label rigidly applied to arts and crafts comedy only, it’s a mentality and creative ID that extends to O’Brien’s willingness to make comedy out of what’s available and in reach. Evident when he parachutes into situations and mines the funny from real interactions, be they at a bus depot in Houston, a doll store, the back of a rideshare, South Korea, a van exploring the world of online dating, or in the stupefying company of Jordan Schlansky.

The Craft

“Even with my explicitly intimate self-knowledge, I’ll always lack the objectivity of the external observer,” Schlansky says when commenting on what it feels like to have people try to reimagine on-screen moments with him and O’Brien. “As I spend my lifetime examining others, in the spirit of balance and symbiosis, I’m always curious to understand how others, in turn, might perceive me,” he adds. When I ask how I can capture his essence, his answer is simply, “exterior stoicism often belies a deep and dynamic psychology within.” Gotcha. For Jordan, I select an 8″ wooden art pose mannequin with doll jeans and paper sunglasses. For Conan, I cheat.

This entire process was utterly and surprisingly messy, requiring me to push past multiple layers of “don’t do that, you’re supposed to be a serious writer” blockades. But chances are high that I want to do something like this again. It involves toys and a part of the brain that most adults don’t get to use that often. It’s play, really. But I swear you find yourself putting a level of care and energy into these creations that surprise you. Because it’s just supposed to be fun and light and a lark and then you want it to be more and better and you’re scouring your action figure collection at 7AM for an alternate shirt for a wood doll because the tropical print one that came with the other doll clothes just won’t do.

I started thinking this would be a very quick and low lift thing, I ended up with an office covered in glue, doll parts, fishing line… sorry, I just got distracted by an errant oat still on my desk. (OATS! Oats, everywhere.) In the middle, I found myself daydreaming about my shot list, staring at my desk/makeshift stage, and stressing that I was going to lose light and not be able to match the thing I’d shot in a stolen moment hours earlier during my workday. Thank goodness the result was only a 2-minute video. Much more and I think the chances are high that I would have been lost to madness or the creation of my own YouTube channel.

Again though, this was fun. I can’t say that enough. I hope you like the end result, but it honestly isn’t about that. Instead, I feel like I found a few minorly original ways to express myself with what I could mine from my mind and my supply run. DIY, punk, whatever you want to call it, but it feels great. Save for the glue gun burn on my finger.

I haven’t seen the DIY Conan episode yet, but I can’t imagine my experience was unique and that fans who participated didn’t get as into it as I did, honoring the absurdity of the act as much as the show that they love while, for just an instant, getting a closer look at the “wild chaos and turbulence of a creative and whimsical mind.”

‘DIY CONAN’ airs 9/21 on TBS at 11/10 PM Central

The Denver Nuggets strung together a pair of memorable performances, coming back from two consecutive double-digit deficits to even the series against the L.A. Clippers. On Tuesday evening, the Clippers still enter Game 7 as seven-point favorites against the Nuggets but, in a winner-take-all scenario, anything can happen.

With that as the backdrop, we’re highlighting three keys that could swing the result in Game 7, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers waiting for the winner in the Western Conference Finals.

1. The Montrezl Harrell conundrum

Montrezl Harrell is a good basketball player. The 26-year-old big man won the NBA’s 2019-20 Sixth Man of the Year award and, during the regular season, Harrell was both efficient and productive, averaging 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the floor. Those are strong numbers under any circumstances and, considering his impact on a top-flight team like the Clippers, it is easy to see why Harrell was a leading candidate and, eventually, the winner of a league-wide award.

In this series, however, it has been a struggle for Harrell, and that puts a tremendous focus on him in advance of Game 7. Harrell had to leave the Orlando Bubble for a family matter and, as a result, he missed the Clippers’ seeding games, only to return at the outset of the playoffs. On the whole, his counting numbers look just fine, especially when taken on a per-minute basis, but Harrell has been a notable weakness for L.A. against Denver.

Over the course of six games, the Clippers have outscored the Nuggets by 1.9 points per possession. That figure would be (much) more impressive if not for back-to-back collapses from L.A. but, in short, the Clippers have been the better team by point differential. With the exception of Reggie Jackson, who essentially vanished from the rotation and has only played 29 minutes in the series, Harrell has the worst on-off splits of any Clipper, and that is only backed up by the eye test.

The Clippers are being outscored by 11.3 points per 100 possessions in the 108 minutes with Harrell on the floor through six games. That translates to a -29 over 108 minutes and, in the midst of a close-fought series, the minutes with Harrell in the middle have been costly for the Clippers. Harrell is, quite easily, the more prominent player when compared to Ivica Zubac, but Zubac has been notably better in this series.

Broadly speaking, Doc Rivers might lean in the direction of keeping Harrell engaged. After all, he is a very strong player and Harrell has been a key cog for the Clippers all season long. In the crucible of a win-or-go-home scenario, however, it will be quite interesting to see just how long Rivers is willing to stick with Harrell. He is a shaky defender, especially when Nikola Jokic is on the floor, and Harrell isn’t bringing the same kind of offensive impact since returning from his extended pre-playoff absence.

Can Rivers really just remove Harrell from the rotation? Probably not, but he should be on a (very) tight leash given how the rest of this series has gone. If he plays too much, the pendulum may swing toward the Nuggets.

2. Can Denver’s supporting pieces make three-pointers?

The Nuggets were unbelievable offensively in the second half of both Games 5 and 6. It goes without saying that Denver’s comebacks were highly unlikely but, in addition to the “help” provided by struggles from the Clippers, the Nuggets scored 1.39 points per possession against a strong defense. Much of that can be attributed to the lights-out work of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, just has it has been throughout the season. Still, that duo can’t carry the entire load, and the Nuggets have to get something from supporting pieces.

While there are other ways to make contributions, one practical impact could be simply knocking down three-pointers. Members of the Nuggets not named Jokic and Murray are just 38-of-120 from three-point range in the series, converting at only a 31.7 percent clip. That isn’t fully damning but, if presented with the choice to accept that rate in Game 7, Doc Rivers would likely jump at the chance.

In the last two wins, though, Denver’s supporting cast is 12-of-33 from three-point range. That only jumps to 36 percent in that small sample but, in a “make or miss league,” one or two connections could mean the difference.

As noted above, the Clippers could play a shallower rotation and, in a Game 7, offense is often at a premium. It won’t be a breeze, but the Nuggets getting something from the likes of Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris, Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap from long distance would go a long way toward pulling the upset.

3. Who’s the best player on the floor?

After winning the 2019 NBA Finals MVP on the way to a championship, Kawhi Leonard made a leap into rarified air. He is a tremendous player by any description and, with the experience of operating as a superstar at the highest level, it is exceptionally difficult to pick against Leonard. In this series, Leonard certainly hasn’t been the problem for the Clippers, averaging 26.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game on strong efficiency, but Nikola Jokic has also been outrageous for Denver.

Jokic’s numbers are predictably strong, both for the playoffs overall and this series specifically, but the All-NBA center put up 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists per game while nailing big shot after big shot in the last two wins. It would be far too aggressive to suggest that Jokic is better than Leonard in a broader sense, but it is also entirely possible that he flashes enough to be the best player on the floor in a single game.

In a sense, it is far too simplistic to suggest that the best player in Game 7 will get the victory. That is especially true in a series that also includes a legitimate star in Paul George and a rising stud in Jamal Murray. However, the Nuggets likely need Jokic to throw a (near) perfect game to get a third straight win and, if Leonard plays at his absolute best, the Clippers should rightly expect to win.

Mike Budenholzer earned criticism for his work in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, as the Milwaukee Bucks flopped in a five-game loss to the Miami Heat. While at least some of the underwhelming performance can be attributed to the players (and plenty of credit belongs to what the Heat did to the Bucks), Budenholzer’s reputation proceeded him as a coach hesitant, or sometimes unwilling, to make adjustments at the highest levels and, by the time Milwaukee made some changes after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury, it was simply too little, too late for the Bucks to make it a series.

As Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals looms on Tuesday evening, the Boston Celtics are in an interesting position, with five games of tape on how the Miami Heat were able to upend the top-seeded Bucks. To be fair, the Celtics had their hands full in a seven-game battle against the Toronto Raptors but, with a schedule that included a brief hiatus between series, Boston had time to regain their legs and dive into some of the high-level strategic analysis needed to attack a top-flight coach in Erik Spoelstra.

While much of the attention paid to Budenholzer’s showing in the last round centered on the limited deployment of his best players, one significant criticism was Milwaukee’s inability to make adjustments on either end. The Bucks laid back in their conservative defensive scheme, failing to attack the Heat with consistent ball pressure until very late, and the results didn’t swing their way in the fashion that led to Milwaukee’s No. 1 defensive rating in the regular season. That was, in many ways, predictable, but it was actually the other end of the floor that arguably led to Milwaukee’s downfall.

The Bucks simply didn’t score enough to beat the Heat, averaging only 1.06 points per possession over the course of five games. Again, some of that is tied to struggles of players like Eric Bledsoe but, in short, Milwaukee did not take full advantage of a Heat defense that, while solid, has some holes to exploit.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are tremendous two-way players, operating at a star level on offense and performing well in both individual and team concepts on defense. From there, Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala are strong veteran defenders, with experience at the highest levels and the ability to function in various matchups over the course of an extended series. However, Miami wasn’t quite as dominant defensively during the regular season, ranking ninth in the NBA in defensive rating, as one might think, and a look at the team’s rotation reveals some tangible concerns.

Late in the conference semifinals, the Bucks (finally) elected to let Khris Middleton hunt favorable matchups, and the All-Star wing averaged 29.5 points per game in the final two contests. Milwaukee arguably didn’t do it enough but, when they did, it was tough to ignore, and the Heat have some potentially flammable defensive lineups.

For example, Duncan Robinson enjoyed a breakout season, knocking down a mesmerizing 44.6 percent of his three-point attempts while getting up almost 14 per 100 possessions. He is one of the best shooters in the NBA and, when he’s cooking, the opposition is almost powerless to stop him. However, one of the adjustments the Bucks did make in the last round was keying on Robinson, culminating in Game 5 when Robinson played fewer than 14 total minutes. While Robinson’s gravity still aids Miami’s offense even when he’s not firing away, his defense is a potential question, and he isn’t alone among Miami’s perimeter players.

The Heat were actually outscored by 5.8 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor against Milwaukee. The sample size of 136 minutes is relatively small but, on the defensive end, Miami was torched to the tune of 117.6 points per 100 possessions. That figure is hideous under any construct, but it is something that the Celtics can aim for again, using their cavalcade of wing options to attack Robinson. To be fair, the former Michigan sharpshooter isn’t a completely hapless defender but, much like one of his well-chronicled archetypes in Kyle Korver, there are certain danger matchups for Robinson, and Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, with their ability to isolate, would qualify.

Elsewhere, the Heat deploy the likes of Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic on the perimeter, all of which could be targeted by Boston. Herro is feisty and athletic but, as a rookie, he can be hunted and, for all of his offensive promise, he is still a 6’5 combo guard with limited length and physicality. Nunn may be out of the rotation at times, as evidenced by only 67 minutes in the last round, but he isn’t a fantastic defender either, and the Heat may lean on other more capable options against a Boston team that gives you nowhere to hide.

As for Dragic, Miami’s veteran point guard has found rejuvenation to this point in the playoffs, averaging 21.1 points and 4.7 assists per contest in the first two rounds. By any standard, Dragic has been fantastic offensively and he, along with Butler and Adebayo, is the biggest reason for Miami’s offensive jump when compared to the regular season. Still, Dragic has never been an excellent defender, and he is limited in size, physicality and on-ball tenacity.

There are varied ways for the Celtics to attack Miami’s perimeter deficiencies on defense, and Brad Stevens would appear to be a more likely candidate to exercise them than Budenholzer proved to be. Can Dragic hold up on Kemba Walker over the course of a full series? That remains to be seen. Can Herro, Robinson and/or Nunn avoid being hunted by the likes of Tatum and Brown? Quite honestly, even Marcus Smart might have the edge against any of Miami’s quartet of offense-leaning players, especially given his brute force and aggressiveness.

To be fair, the Heat can (and will) field lineups with only one shaky defender, surrounding Dragic (or Herro or Robinson) with Butler, Adebayo, Crowder and Iguodala. That is a five-man unit that can hang with anyone defensively, as the problems don’t begin to mount until you have more than one defensive hole.

As the series persists, Spoelstra’s goal must be to find a way to succeed defensively while keeping his offensive firepower on the floor. On the other side, Stevens must attempt to force Spoelstra to take his offensive weapons off the floor, taking advantage of the fact that Boston’s best offensive lineups also feature limited places for the opposition to attack on the other end.

Robinson, Herro and especially Dragic are capable of being so good on offense that it (almost) doesn’t matter how the other end of the floor unfolds. Still, the Celtics will likely attempt to bet against that reality and, if nothing else, Miami’s non-Butler perimeter options will need to prove they can hold up defensively, or risk being marginalized over the course of what could be a lengthy series.

Travis Scott has always encouraged his fans to rage, but it looks like he wants to channel that energy in a new direction. In The Face magazine’s new profile of the Houston rapper, he acknowledges that “we got a voice to try to make change,” although he admits he might not quite know how. To that end, he says, “We want to try to make sure they understand that I’m a tool. Allow me to help in any way. Let me know where we got to go show up. It’s a big picture. It’s like a lot of groundwork we got to do.”

He continues, “You’re trying to get to a point where people are finally seeing the oppression that’s been happening and overlooked, and that we, as a culture, have been fighting through every day. I mean, look how many leaders we have in the Black community.” He says he wants to eventually be one, but first he needs a direction.

Whenever Travis does step into the mantle of leader of the people, his outsized influence may be a huge driver for social change. After all, his collabrative merch with McDonald’s has sold out within days, despite consisting of some of the weirdest items around. That’s a big platform and maybe, like Cardi B, he’ll find ways to utilize it to encourage people to push for progress.

Read the full profile of Travis Scott here.

Sufjan Stevens has offered multiple previews of his upcoming album The Ascension, and a lot of them have been lengthier than your average song. Now he’s back at it again with “Sugar,” a new seven-minute epic.

The single begins with a few minutes of instrumental melancholic electronica before Stevens sings, “Come on baby, cut me some slack / Now that it’s a quarter to 10 / Come on baby, give me some sugar.” The video features a shortened version of the track, and it shows a family dealing with a home in disarray.

Stevens says of the track:

“‘Sugar’ is ultimately about the desire for goodness and purity (and true sustenance). On the surface the song is just a string of clichés, but the message is imperative: now is the time to gather what is good and pure and valuable and make it your own, and share it with others. Feed your soul and speak new life into those around you. Give each other love, respect and sacrifice. Relinquish all the old habits, all the old ways of thinking and doing, all former practices — ‘business as usual’ — and bring new life to the world. This is our calling.”

Stevens also previously said of the album as a whole, “My objective for this album was simple: Interrogate the world around you. Question anything that doesn’t hold water. Exterminate all bullsh*t. Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep it real. Keep it true. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.”

Watch the “Sugar” video above, and listen to the full-length song below.

The Ascension is out 9/25 via Asthmatic Kitty Records. Pre-order it here.

This is the way, I mean, this is the trailer for The Mandalorian season two.

Our first look at the sophomore season for the hit Disney+ series is full of Baby Yoda, as it should be, but let’s take a moment to also appreciate the Tusken Raider sitting atop the Bantha, the throat singing, the X-wings, the alien space-wrestling, Din Djarin/Mando using a jetpack to escape Stormtroopers (he flies now?!?), and “the songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi.”

Which brings us back to Baby Yoda. “You expect me to search the galaxy and deliver this creature to a race of enemy sorcerers?” Mando asks the Armorer. “This is the way,” she responds. It’s the first step (well, second step after rescuing the Child from Evil Herzog) towards Yoda stealing Luke’s dinner centuries later. That’s history in the making.

Here’s more.

The Mandalorian and the Child continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire. The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez.

The Mandalorian returns on October 30.

Dave Chappelle is one of America’s funniest people, so naturally, he made his television debut on America’s Funniest People.

The comedy series, which was basically America’s Funniest Home Videos but with more joke telling and less people falling off lawnmowers into pools, was hosted by a different member of the Full House cast, Dave Coulier, as well as Arleen Sorkin, the voice of Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series. There’s conflicting information online about when the first episode aired, but it was definitely in September 1990, making this month the 30th anniversary of Dave Chappelle telling his first joke on television.

Chappelle appears 19 minutes into the pilot episode. Standing in front of a brick wall and dumpster, the Chappelle’s Show creator cracks, “This is my impression of Batman fighting crime in my neighborhood. ‘Robin.’ ‘Yes, Batman.’ ‘Didn’t we park the car right here? I swear it was here a minute ago.’” He then slaps his legs like a sting. Even in the early days, he was telling race-based jokes. Dave Coulier-approved race-based jokes.

I’m certain America’s Funniest People was canceled after four seasons, compared to 30 seasons (!) of America’s Funniest Home Videos, because the set caused permanent eye damage to anyone who tuned in. Anyway, that Batman joke was Chappelle’s creative peak. Not Chappelle’s Show, not the standup specials, not Half Baked, not winning a Mark Twain Prize, but the Batman joke. Go to 19:10 in the video below to see Chappelle.

(Via Reddit)

After releasing two advance singles, Atlanta (by way of Austin and LA) band Mamalarky have announced their debut self-titled album. Across ten tracks, the quartet deliver blissed out fuzzy indie-pop tracks that are nostalgic for a simpler time. They are a band that emanates cool factor, with technically impressive instrumentation and a rhythm section that serves as an anchor beneath flowing synth lines and buzzy guitars. The latest single “Schism Trek” is another indication that Mamalarky is definitely not a record to sleep on as the leaves turn and fall sets in.

Ahead of the new album, the band sat down to talk wearing suits on stage, cute pigs, and the space-time continuum in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

fuzzy gooey cookie melt.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

Like a dream sequence in the movies where there’s a harp playing and the screen gets blurry before it takes you to the dream, where we’re all wearing suits and playing the album to you from a cloud. that would be ideal for us, please.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

Atlanta, it’s so beautiful and it was the best crowd we’ve ever had. The bands were all really great and nobody had their arms crossed.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Each of my bandmates!

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Noor makes ridiculous sweet potato sandwiches and they’re some of the best things to have after a long drive. I miss those tour sammys.

What album do you know every word to?

The new Orion Sun album, Hold Space For Me.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Palm Sunday at 529 blew us away, please check her out, her voice is otherworldly. It was a solo set too! Nothing could have prepared us for the real-life angel that took the stage that night.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Any two-piece suit kind of deal. It saves time to throw on the same two things before you play every night and feel somewhat presentable without having to think about it.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

@Cutest.Pigs on Instagram is our biggest influence.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney, we have harmonies all figured out it’s a production.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

How many table spoons are in a quarter cup. Dylan was makin’ braised beets at work and yeah they were f*cking good.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

The absolute perfect album to gift is the Spanish ABBA album, Oro. Noor has given it to many people and it’s never disappointed.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

We stayed at a Mormon farm once in Taylor Arizona. We didn’t know beforehand and it was kind of intimidating but they were a really sweet family and they had newborn puppies to play with and fresh out of the oven apple pies for us upon arrival. For breakfast, they had fresh milk and made us spiced peaches and hard boiled fresh eggs that Dylan collected in the morning with their son Mordecai. It was all there.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I would say my favorite tattoo is my magnolia seed pod, I always gravitated towards them as a kid and now they remind me of home so I’m happy to carry that with me now

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Noor and Michael helped Livvy in the Texas summer heat when my old car broke down just last week. Definitely one of the nicest things I’ve experienced, both their energies are grounding and sweet in those kinds of moments. I really like this question it made me think of good memories!

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Don’t listen to anything I say or it’ll disrupt the space-time continuum.

What’s the last show you went to?

It was actually Mamalarky’s last pre-corona set at Bootleg Theatre in LA. Check out Eyeshadow, they were amazing that night.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Ratatouille is America’s finest film.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

We’d prepare our previously mentioned famous sweet potato sandwiches and then find some way to start a pointed dinner conversation about deportation.

Mamalarky is out November 20 on Fire Talk. Pre-order it here.