Month: October 2020

Around this time in 2009, Them Crooked Vultures (Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones) released their self-titled debut album. Aside from the record and the Grammy-winning single “New Fang” (which earned Best Hard Rock Performance honors in 2011), the making of the album also yielded a fan-favorite Grohl moment. In 2010, the band uploaded a video titled “Dave Grohl in FRESH POTS!” to YouTube, and since then, it has racked up nearly 7 million views. In the sketch, Grohl plays an exaggerated(?) version of himself that is addicted to coffee and often yells out for “fresh pots” of it to be made.

It’s a moment Grohl fans look back on fondly, and now, ten years later, “Fresh Pots” has returned.

Out of nowhere and seemingly not in promotion of anything in particular, Foo Fighters have shared a follow-up sketch for a fake new drug called “FreshPotix.” The video begins with Grohl saying in a voiceover, “Ten years ago, I was in the grips of a debilitating caffeine addiction. My ability to maintain personal relationships and solid bowel movements were compromised by crippling sleep deprivation and noxious coffee breath.”

From there, he goes on to promote FreshPotix, but not without outlining its side-effects, which include “severe monkey peen, violent fits of rage towards left-handed people, extra toe, urge to found your own colony, bald ass, Cyrusvirus (your voice changes to that of Billy Ray or Miley), stomach tail, peptic waltzing, stool entirely made of corn (just a cob), oxford commas, weeping taint, echola, nose chickens, uncontrollable tattling, back fro, plaid lung, acid washed jeans, tinselscrote, (break out of Chistmas tree tinsel on balls), and Pauly Shore.”

The band has even set up a website for FreshPotix and are offering merch, which only consists of a FreshPotix pen.

Watch the video above and revisit the original “Fresh Pots” skit below.

As we barrel through October, we’re reminded that after this week is up we only have two more full months of sneakers left in 2020. As a result, every week is packed with choice drops — whether it be this week’s Off-White Jordan 5s, last week’s Comme des Garçons AF-1s, or the Union LA Jordan collection from two weeks back. Are there simply too many dope shoes dropping on a weekly basis?

Our hearts are telling us “no,” but our bank accounts have a different view on the matter.

What’s in store for the rest of the year? We have some ideas, but we’re sure Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Supreme, Palace, and all our other favorite brands have some surprises up their sleeves.

So do you plan for the future, or live in the moment?

That’s your choice, friends. But the launches this week sure aren’t going to make it an easy task. Here are the week’s best sneaker and apparel drops.

Off-White Air Jordan 5 Sail

Hype has been building up around the release of the Off-White Jordan 5 Sail since the pair first appeared on the runway in Paris and at Chicago’s All-Star Weekend. So if you think you’re going to casually open up the SNKRS app this Thursday and be able to cop a pair, let us dispel that naive thought right here and now. If you want these, it’s going to be a challenge.

The official drop will occur Thursday morning at 7:00 AM PST, so be prepared to wake up early. In terms of the design, it’s a solid take on the Air Jordan 5 from Abloh with translucent textiles and cutouts in the midfoot and collar that allows you to see the inside of the shoe from the outside. In a lot of ways, it’s a refinement of the deconstructed style that Abloh’s Off-White line first popularized.

The Off-White Air Jordan 5 Sail is set to drop on October 29th for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app. Assuming you don’t manage to score the shoes there, you’re going to have to check aftermarket sites like StockX.

Adidas Yeezy BOOST 380 Calcite Glow

Even though Ye is a hardcore Christian now (again?) that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still love Halloween. How do we know? Why else would he choose October 31st, — which is a Saturday, not a typical sneaker release day — to drop his latest glow in the dark sneaker? The 380 Calcite Glow features a Primeknit grey and white-toned upper with a translucent glowing sole and glow in the dark detailing throughout.

It’s the most alien-looking sneaker by Ye in a year full of alien-looking sneakers by Ye. We dig it.

The Adidas Yeezy BOOST 380 in Calcite Glow is set to drop on October 31st for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair at the Adidas online store or through Yeezy Supply.

Air Jordan 1 Dark Mocha

We’re not entirely sure how to feel about this pair. On the one hand, they look a lot like the Travis Scott Cactus Jack Air Jordan 1s, a sneaker so popular it broke the Nike SNKRS app. On the other hand, they look a lot like the Travis Scott Cactus Jack Air Jordan 1s, but they… aren’t.

Does that make them kind of lame? Not if you love dope colorways more than the celebrity attached!

So how do the two shoes differ? The Cactus Jacks have a backward swoosh and a noticeably different color with consistent mocha paneling. This dark mocha pair features a traditional thin wrap around swoosh and a mix of black and mocha paneling. It’s a cleaner design, but it doesn’t have that Cactus Jack name recognition, which might be a deal-breaker for you. For us, it’s not.

The Air Jordan 1 Dark Mocha is set to drop on October 31st for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app or select Nike retailers.

Slam Jam Nike Dunk High Clear Black

It sucks to admit, but the best sneaker colorways just don’t come out of the United States. Sure, the classic colorways all started here, and we get all the best Yeezy, Cactus Jack, and Off-White colorways, but every other silhouette, be it from Nike, New Balance, or Adidas, is either coming out of Japan or Europe.

This week’s dopest colorway graces the Dunk High silhouette and is brought to us by Italian sneaker powerhouse Slam Jam. Details include an upside-down Swoosh on the tongue, gummy Swooshes that turn upwards to touch the heel, and a translucent sole that looks so good it makes us feel like every sole should be translucent going forward.

The Slam Jam Nike Dunk High in Clear Black is. set to drop on October 29th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app.

Aries x New Balance 327

The 327 is simply New Balance’s best silhouette and this take by London-based brand Aries is easily the best 327 to drop this year. It’s also the most unique, flipping New Balance’s usual crunchy and practical style into something more luxe. Dropping in both an all-black or white iteration with red accents, Aries’ take features an all premium leather upper and Aries branding on the “N” logo and tongue.

The Aries New Balance 327 collection is set to drop on October 30th, for a yet to be announced pricer. Pick up a pair exclusively through Aries.

Supreme x The North Face Fall 2020 collection

Temperatures are dropping nationwide and if you’re going to be cold, you might as well do it in style. We know what you’re thinking, “but we’re not going anywhere!” That may be true, but you’ve got two options for your next Zoom meeting — either you roll up rocking a blanket, PJs, or a snuggy, or you show up wearing something out of this Supreme and The North Face Fall 2020 collection.

Consisting of mountain jackets, hooded fleeces, parkas, and even backpacks, sleeping bags, and mitts — for you winter campers — this collection has all of the tech-focused performance-based features of quality North Face gear, plus all of the dope head-turning stylings we’ve come to expect from Supreme. That makes it a winner!

The Supreme x The North Face Fall 2020 collection is set to drop on October 31st at the Supreme webstore.

Equihua Virgen Sweater Restock

Equihua has just restocked their iconic “Virgen” sweater just in time for fall and winter. Take it from someone who has grown up around San Marcos style blankets their whole life, there is nothing as comforting, comfortable, and warm as a vibrant Mexican blanket.

The fact that these days we’re able to rock that style as a sweater? It’s a gift.

Hit up the Equihua webstore to shop the look, which pairs almost too well with a clean pair of Nike Cortez.

Penfield x The Rotation Drop 001

We’re living in an era where dressing in fleece is actually dope, so everyone should be taking advantage of this trend because what’s more comfortable than fleece? The answer is nothing. Dropping at The Rotation, this collection of Penfield fleeces pair practical mid-western mountain aesthetics with streetwear vibrancy resulting in some of this week’s dopest fall and winter selections without having to pay the high price tag of a Supreme or Equihua piece.

Shop the Penfield Rotation Drop 001 at The Rotation.

After a strong showing in the playoffs for the Lakers in the Bubble, Rajon Rondo is expected to have many suitors in free agency. Assuming Rondo opts out of his contract this fall (as some have predicted), a new report suggests the Los Angeles Clippers will be among the teams expected to target Rondo.

Marc Stein of the New York Times had it first that the Clippers were interested.

The fit makes sense for both sides. The Clippers struggled to find a groove offensively much of the year, and their current guard options are the undersized Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, who is more of a 3-and-D wing than a true lead play-maker. From Rondo’s perspective, playing point guard in Los Angeles on a championship contender is obviously a great gig if you can get it, so it would be no surprise if he was also interested in the Clippers.

Though Rondo was understood to be a key part of the Lakers’ success on and off the court during their championship run, Jared Dudley and others have explained how Rondo was a strong and separate voice in the Lakers’ locker room, not necessarily somebody who perfectly jived with the rest of the group.

With the Clippers also searching for a strong voice in their locker room and considering Rondo’s relationship with new Clippers coach Ty Lue from their Boston days, the fit seems quite natural. Rondo was due to make $2.6 million next season, so a minimal raise from that figure could be all it takes to woo Rondo in free agency.

Grimes has long been on the cutting edge, and the enigmatic musician has shared another creative new endeavor today: She has teamed up with algorithm-based mood music app Endel for “AI Lullaby.”

Endel explains the project, “AI Lullaby is a limited edition sleep soundscape with original vocals and music created exclusively for this project by our favorite artist Grimes. The sounds are processed by Endel Pacific technology to generate а soundscape that adapts in real-time to your location, weather, and natural light exposure. AI Lullaby is scientifically engineered to help children and adults sleep and nap better.”

Grimes shared a sample of the audio in a 90-second video, but the full experience is available through the Endel iOS app until December 23, with versions for Android and Amazon Alexa coming later this year.

The project site has a smattering of quotes attributed to Grimes, including, “Babies need quality audio,” “This project is basically live remixing of ambient music by robots for babies, haha,” and, “And I’m like aw hey cute little machine!” She also said in a statement, “I think, if approached properly, AI has the ability to radically fix our world. I appreciate Endel because they represent the growing trend of humane technology. I hope that the fields of AI safety, research, philosophy, as well as humane AI and spiritual technology etc. can grow a lot in the coming years. We’ll need it!”

Watch the video above.

Texas trio Khruangbin, a staple at summer music festivals everywhere, expanded their catalog in June with their third studio record, Mordechai. Now following in the footsteps of their predecessors MGMT and The Flaming Lips, Khruangbin are serving up a collection of some of their current favorites with a Late Night Tales compilation.

The group announced the record Wednesday by sharing a cover of Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness.” Transforming the track, Khruangbin infuse their psychedelia sound into the rendition of the groovy classic.

In a statement alongside the “Summer Madness” cover, Khruangbin drummer Donald Johnson and bassist Laura Lee explained why they chose the specific track. “‘Summer Madness’ became a staple in this medley that we play,” Johnson said. “Specifically, one of my favourite things about it is the tone of the bass, which really reminds me a lot of Laura Lee’s bass which has this chunky, peanut butter, rich tone. It was always a special moment, getting to that song because, it just did something to the room, everywhere.” Lee continues: “‘Summer Madness’ was paying homage to Kool & The Gang, a band we aspire to be like and also we’ve played it a hundred times but never in full.”

About their compilation as a whole, the band said:

“We definitely wanted to cover as much global territory as possible. So it was the globe and then home. We wanted to show the treasures from our hometown, or people from our hometown that the rest of the world probably doesn’t know. Then these gems from across the world, showcasing them in the same way. That’s what makes Khruangbin, Khruangbin. The stubbornness about being so hometown-centric. But what makes Houston is this constant international influence; that’s the gulf stream, bringing it right into the city.”

Listen to Khruangbin’s “Summer Madness” cover above and find their Late Night Tales cover art and tracklist below.

1. Devadip Carlos Santana And Turiya Alice Coltrane — “Illuminations”
2. Brilliantes Del Veulo — “I Know That (When The Springtime Comes)”
3. Nazia Hassan — “Khushi”
4. Kelly Doyle — “DRM”
5. Sanulim — “Don’t Go”
6. Maxwell Udoh — “I Like It (Don’t Stop)”
7. David Marez — “Enséñame”
8. Gerald Lee — “Can You Feel The Love (Reprise)”
9. Justine & The Victorian Punks — “Still You”
10. George Yanagi + Nadja Band –「祭ばやしが聞こえる」のテーマ
11. Песняры — “Зачарованная моя”
12. Khruangbin — “Summer Madness” (Kool & The Gang Cover Version)
13. Paloma San Basilio — “Contigo”
14. Roha Band — “Yetikimt Abeba”
15. Tierney Malone / Geoffrey Muller — “Transmission For Jehn: Gnossienne No 1” (Produced by Khruangbin)

Late Night Tales Khruangbin is out 12/4 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

After noticing that her admission that she was “a little Republican” made several headlines last week, Jennifer Lawrence is setting the record straight on her voting record and party affiliation. In a statement posted to her verified Twitter account on Tuesday, The Hunger Games actress made it clear that she’s now a proud Democrat and that her party allegiance changed during Barack Obama‘s presidency even though she voted for his 2008 challenger John McCain:

“I would like to clarify my voting record, which is the subject of many circulating headlines. I grew up in a republican family and voted for John McCain in 2008, but through Obama’s presidency, and growing up to realize I was voting against my own rights, I am proud to say I am a Democrat.”

Lawrence also included hashtags endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in her tweet:

As for why Lawrence felt the need to clarify that she switched parties during the Obama administration, the Oscar winner’s previous remarks on the Absolutely Not podcast made it seem like she only recently left the Republican Party because of Donald Trump.

“That just changed everything,” Lawrence said, “This is an impeached president who’s broken many laws and has refused to condemn white supremacy, and it feels like there has been a line drawn in the sand. I don’t think it’s right. It just changes things for me. I don’t want to support a president who supports white supremacists.”

Considering she caught wind the numerous headlines about her former time as a Republican, Lawrence presumably saw the firestorm that erupted around her Passengers co-star Chris Pratt after social media noticed that he was not reuniting with his fellow Avengers to endorse Joe Biden. Who would blame her for wanting to avoid a similar mess? Katniss will take a hard pass on that, thank you.

Queen and David Bowie’s classic collaboration “Under Pressure” is a daunting track to cover because the original was executed so darn well. That said, Karen O and Willie Nelson have taken the song on and done an admirable job with it. Their take on the track is more country-leaning than the original and also much more serene and stripped-down in nature.

Press materials note that Karen O decided to cover the song after the lyrics resonated with her in regards to the upcoming election: “Pressure pushing down on me / Pressing down on you, no man ask for / Under pressure that burns a building down / Splits a family in two / Puts people on streets.” Karen O says of the song’s origins:

“A friend on the board of NIVA asked if I knew of any country artists who could sign a letter to Congress asking them to help save independent venues from going extinct due to COVID. I recalled my buddy Johnny Knoxville being friends with Willie so I asked to see if he could check in with Willie about it, and then out of sheer audacity I added, ‘And if he ever wants to do a duet I’m ready and willing!’

Johnny came back with the news that the signature was in the works and Willie’s daughter Amy very supportively said, ‘Have her send him the song and he’ll sing on it!’ At this point my mind was melting, but I had to focus and pull a song out of the ether that was worthy of a living legend and spoke to the people in troubled times, not an easy assignment. Then like a bolt out of the blue, ‘Under Pressure’ came to mind — I’ve heard this song countless times without processing the gravity of what Bowie and Freddie were singing about, maybe because their performances are so exhilarating you get swept away in the high of that duet.

Our cover was meant to be more intimate but just as saturated with the power of love. I can’t listen to this song without tearing up every time Willie comes in, one of the purest voices which of course reflects a pure heart, and I get to sing alongside it. I never knew if it was actually going to happen but you must dare to dream. I hope the song brings as much light to the listener as it has to me in dark times.”

Listen to Karen O and Nelson’s cover of “Under Pressure” above.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is only 96 minutes, but it’s brought the world hours of entertainment in the form of Rudy Giuliani doing… whatever he’s doing here.

There’s been a back and forth between the former-New York City mayor and Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen ever since. Rudy, who might think that Borat is a real person, claims the movie was a “hit job,” while Baron Cohen responded to the “innocent sexytime” both in and out of character. Giuliani was asked about the hotel scene by Fox Business host Kennedy on Tuesday night, and he had a rational, even-keeled response.

Hm, maybe not.

“Do you regret your interaction in the Borat movie?” Kennedy asked Giuliani, who somehow got more bug-eyed than he did while screaming about Hunter Biden’s laptop. “Now that’s a stupid question isn’t it? That’s a really stupid question,” he snapped. Kennedy said her question wasn’t stupid at all, that she has a 15-year-old daughter and she “was kind of grossed out by it.” When given a chance to explain himself, Giuliani snarled, “I called the police when I realized that it was a scam. I called the police and he ran away. The minute she said something compromising, I called the police. Whether you believe it or not, I was tucking my shirt in, he made it appear as if it was something different… Borat and his 50-man crew ran out of the place. Would you like to ask me any other questions to attack me for merely coming on your show to show you what criminals they are?” The clip is worth watching for the way Rudy says “Borat.” Weird guy!

(Via Talking Points Memo)

Many around the NBA were puzzled last fall when Bradley Beal signed an extension with the Wizards that took him off the trade market for the entirety of the 2019-20 season. Firmly in his prime and getting better every year, it was surprising to see Beal lock himself into a deal with Washington when the team was decimated by injuries and bloated salaries.

With 2020 free agency nearing, Beal spoke more openly and firmly about his relationship with the Wizards in a new episode of JJ Redick’s Old Man and the Three podcast, saying, “the organization still has to show me that we want to win.”

Beal also mentioned that he wants to see how John Wall returns from injury and that he still relishes the opportunity to have a team built around him, but that the Wizards have not lived up to their end of the bargain.

“You still want to be able to protect yourself and kind of be selfish in that regard and (look at) how I can create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning, if I do choose to get out,” Beal explained. “That’s why it was a one and one versus a the full three-year (deal).”

Owed $63.2 million over the next two seasons before a $37.2 million player option for the 2022-23 season, Beal is also now eligible to be traded again. Judging from his comments here, this season may represent one final opportunity for the Wizards to prove they are serious about getting back into the postseason if they want to keep Beal around.

Jon Stewart will soon return from TV “retirement” for Apple TV+, but since leaving The Daily Show, he’s spent a great deal of his time fighting for 9/11 first responders who have suffered lifelong health repercussions. He ripped into members of Congress who failed to show up for related hearings. And in the above 2019 photo, Stewart celebrated when the U.S. Senate voted to renew permanent authorization of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. On this year’s 9/11 anniversary, the New York Daily News reported that the Trump Administration had raided/withheld money from a fund championed by Stewart to the tune of $4 million. Yes, these funds were siphoned from the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, and CNN now reports that these funds have miraculously been re-funded by the Treasury Department.

The timing of this move, less than a week before the election, is curious, to say the least. The president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association confirmed the re-funding to CNN, which relays a statement from a Treasury Department spokesperson:

“This nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to the 9/11 first responders. This Administration is committed to supporting the heroes of 9/11 and we are pleased this matter has been successfully resolved.”

In response, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued pointed remarks that indicate how the city will keep their eye on the funds going forward:

“The Trump administration should have never held these funds hostage in the first place, and we are happy they realized their error. We will continue to monitor this progress to ensure funds are available for first responders without federal interference.”

This back-and-forth follows program director Dr. Davie Prezant detailing the funds’ disappearance to the NYDN while explaining that the program hadn’t even received a letter to explain the defunding. The pandemic, of course, complicated matters related to healthcare for first responders, many of whom suffer ongoing adverse effects after their time working at Ground Zero. Rep. Pete King also explained that he’d been waiting for a response from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and the White House had also ignored the NYDN‘s attempts to secure a comment. King declared that for “even $1 to be being held back is indefensible,” but all the funding has been put back into place now. Just like that, although those Trump supporters who were left waiting in the cold on Tuesday night still haven’t received an answer on that debacle.

(Via CNN & New York Daily News)