Month: November 2020

Let’s face it, we could all use a break from 2020. At the very least, we could use a breather from solely focusing on our continuing “Election Night” that may not resolve anytime soon. As vote-counting continues in battleground states, Joe Biden’s lead is widening while Donald Trump has been falsely claiming victory in states that he has not won as well as the entire nation. Luckily, TV can be a wonderful source of escapism, as well as a source of inspiration. To that end, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took a breather on Twitter to not only declare that she wants a nap, but she plans to hop onto Twitch soon to chat with a certain set of fans.

AOC’s referencing her Star Trek: Voyager love, which isn’t exactly a secret (more on that in a moment), and Captain Janeway herself was paying attention to the conversation. Kate Mulgrew hit AOC with a reply about Tuvok and Neelix while congratulating AOC on winning reelection in NY’s 14th congressional district.

In response, AOC revealed that Janeway served as her youthful inspiration on “how leadership means being responsible for working through dilemmas w/ no clear answers.” She continued: “All the easy decisions are made before it gets to the top. Janeway leads w/ focus on her mission – to get her crew home.”

The respect between AOC and Mulgrew isn’t new. The latter endorsed AOC at a 2018 rally and bestowed her with a badge/communicator.

And AOC’s nerdery runs deep, as her mother, Blanca Ocasio-Cortez, revealed in 2019 to Daily Mail that her daughter enjoyed watching Voyager with her late father, who saw some shades of Janeway in AOC. “In one scene, Captain Janeway (a character played by Kate Mulgrew) appears,” Blanca related. “[A]nd my husband, who could no longer talk, pointed at the captain then at Alexandria, and back and forth, to say to her he thought she’d be like Captain Janeway one day, someone in charge.”

For their new EP Sour Lemons, Local Natives took a more free-flowing approach to the songwriting process than they have on previous efforts. The result is four tracks that feel simultaneously refined and effortless, which is a perfect mindset for approaching Local Natives music. The highlight of EP comes in the form of “Lemon,” a duet with Sharon Van Etten that revels in the discomfort of being out of touch with time and the people you love.

To celebrate the new album, vocalist Kelcey Ayer sat down to talk 311, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, and Legally Blonde in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Use ears. Biden 2020.

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?

Honestly this question triggers something I’ve struggled with in my career up until now, and that’s finding validation in what people think of our music, especially critics. Yes of course I want our band to be revered in the leagues of artists we’ve looked up to with such reverence, Radiohead, Bowie and the like… what artist doesn’t want that? (Also, if they say they don’t, that’s ADORABLE.) But that’s not up to me, and spending energy on how our music is perceived against those standards just doesn’t serve me anything but corrosive jealousy and unnecessary pain. It’s taken me a while to understand something so seemingly obvious but I think finally I may have: music is subjective. I’ve met people who think Radiohead is garbage, and yet these people still walk the earth without something horrible happening to them and they’re happy and everything is fine. Some people think Rascal Flatts is their Radiohead. WTF. All that matters is how something affects you, and no one can take that away. So my answer is that if anyone cares at all, if anyone is still moved in any way in 30 years from now, I’ll be a happy man.

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

I’ve had so many amazing experiences in so many cities that I truly hate this question. Every single city has had a rad coffee shop that helped me start my day, a crowd who paid for tickets and showed up and cared, and countless other discoveries I’ve treasured over the years. I’d rather just say my least favorite city to play in: Cambridge. We played Cambridge in 2013, and while the town and campus was beautiful, the audience was a total snooze-fest and it was awful. Finally we know why: Cambridge Analytica.

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

Thom Yorke. In my generation there is no one who even comes close to me in regards to their commitment to artistry over commercialism while making truly affecting and arresting music through Radiohead or his solo work. If there was a Venn diagram of everything I love about music, the feeling of euphoria, the commanding rhythms of a pulsing piano, the energy of really loud underwater beat, the “artists who don’t give a f*ck about art” attitude, on and on, the part that’s in the middle that they all have in common is him. What can I say, my ears have backs and he is their back-scratcher.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Once in 2013 while in Rome, our tour manager really wanted to see the Vatican, but we didn’t have a lot of time before the show for dinner, and if I didn’t get food ASAP I’d have to wait until after to eat (eating too close to the show runs the risk of throwing up on everyone, which obviously is, um, “not the vibe”). We did a radio interview so close to the Vatican that I felt bad to bail on him, so we made a compromise: I’d stop at some random place for food and I’d eat while he sped through an audio tour. We found a small deli where I grabbed a bag of buffalo mozzarella, a small baguette, and some prosciutto. We got there and he ran inside as I sat on the Vatican steps and started eating. I was in shock. Imagine the best bread and prosciutto you’ve ever had, and then there was the mozzarella. I can’t even describe how good this cheese was. Imagine eating an orgasm. That’s how good it was.

So this is my answer whenever I’m asked this and I love it for two reasons. One: because I’ll never be able to find that deli again, so it’s this memory I’ll always treasure knowing it’s one I can never experience again, so I feel no need to relive it. I can just enjoy it. And two: it made me truly appreciate single ingredients. Whereas before I’d have a zillion things in a meal, but after I realized that truly amazing meals can consist of just a few high-quality things.

What album do you know every word to?

The first album I ever knew inside and out was 311’s 311, also known as their Blue Album. They were my first love and I’ll always have a soft spot for them.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

In 2011 I saw Thom Yorke’s newly assembled Atoms For Peace band play at Coachella before they recorded their debut record. They played Yorke’s 2006 solo album Eraser as a band and to hear that album come to life with Flea losing his shit and everyone so in-sync, it was mind-blowing. Have I mentioned yet that I like Thom Yorke?

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Black shirt and black pants. I just think the more you can not think about your outfit the more you can focus on the show. Some people are empowered by really loud awesome clothes, which I envy, but I find the simpler the better, especially in a band where you’re supposed to come together as one.

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

Let’s just be honest, Phoebe Bridgers is the best thing on Twitter, that’s just a fact. And as far as Insta, I’ve found so much joy in discovering Jordan Firstman and all his “impressions” of things, I highly recommend spending some time with him.

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

Probably “Go Back” by Tony Allen feat. Damon Albarn. It just ticks off all the boxes for what we look for in our driving music: groove, energy, rad beats, a touch of darkness, and most importantly, Damon Albarn.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Can you activate active dry yeast with lactose-free milk? I was making Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls and thought maybe I f*cked it up using the wrong milk for that part. Yeast acting correctly is everything in baking, so it was a pretty high-stakes google. I learned nothing. Rolls came out great. It was all for nothing (giant smiley-face emoji).

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Portishead’s Third on vinyl. Also works great for sorting out who your real friends are.

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

The night before our first ever show in NYC we were in Philly and needed a place to crash, and the cook at the venue said we could go to his place. We were on tour with two other bands and the guy said that he had room for everyone, so we were extremely grateful. The only catch was that he had to make one stop on his way home. We all proceeded to go with him to a bar where he drank for two hours, grabbed a to-go six-pack of PBR tallboys, and we finally headed to his place at 2am. He had a decent sized apartment, but with 15 of us, there basically wasn’t a spot on the floor without a grimy musician on it. As we got into our sleeping bags, he went to put something on the record player, then sits in a chair staring out the window as the record starts playing. It was a murder mystery. He stayed up until sunrise drinking every last one of those tallboys listening to this thing, only for his nurse girlfriend to come home at 6am from an all-night shift, see nothing but dirty 20-year-olds and freak the fuck out. Basically we got next to no sleep but still had an amazing show, it’s called being 20.

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

I’m thinking of who I even like getting played on the radio still, and I’d probably say Drake. He consistently is on and it’s consistently the most interesting thing on top 40. My one and only moment of actually stopping everything I was doing and turning up the volume was the first time I heard “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, a true miracle of a song.

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

I actually just broke my favorite red Stax coffee mug I got in Memphis in 2014, and my wife went through multiple hoops to buy a new one for me. I’m not sure if that is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, but she definitely is the nicest person to me in my life.

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

Have WAY more sex.

What’s the last show you went to?

My wife and I saw Andy Shauf here in LA and he was great. He writes amazing songs and creates tangible stories you can live in. He was reserved and chill and they played the songs exactly how they are on record, and I love when you can rely on an artist like that.

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

Legally Blonde. That movie is fucking amazing, and if you don’t like it then you’re heartless.

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

I’d make fresh guacamole to go with my famous tater-tot tacos with homemade corn tortillas. I’d also try and get him drunk so he could tell me if aliens exist or not. I mean, we both would get drunk. I wanna get drunk with Obama. God I miss Obama.

Sour Lemons is out now. Listen on Spotify and Apple Music.

Leon Bridges and Lucky Daye first teased their “All About You” collaboration a few weeks ago with a photo of the pair on a stage with instruments and a blazing LED screen behind them. Now, we know what the stage was for; their electrifying performance of the track for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Backed by their band and “playa’d down,” as Bridges put it in the tweet for the teaser, they deliver a spine-tingling rendition of their soulful duet. Be prepared to make a stank face all the way through, especially at the end.

In the absence of live touring, Bridges has been on something of a video tour with his new music this year, bringing his heartbroken ballad “Sweeter” to the Democratic National Convention and sharing his own virtual performance on YouTube. He also brought some lighthearted fun to locked-down fans alongside John Mayer with the tongue-in-cheek “Inside Friends” video during the quarantine earlier this year.

Meanwhile, rising star Lucky Daye has been raising his profile with a string of smooth features. First, he linked up with Compton rapper Buddy for the steamy “Faces,” then he appeared on Bryson Tiller’s Trapsoul reissue. He also appeared on Kehlani’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t and co-wrote on Zayn Malik’s comeback single “Better.”

Watch Leon Bridges and Lucky Daye perform “All About You” above.

Mortal Kombat 11, the latest title in the storied fighting game series, was first released last year. In less than two weeks, though, Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate Edition, an enhanced version of the game containing all the DLC that has been released, will be coming out, on November 17 for current- and next-gen platforms. To help get the word out, the game makers enlisted Megan Thee Stallion to introduce the addition of fan-favorite character Mileena.

In a promo video, Meg is dressed up as the fighter, complete with the signature toothy mouth. Sharing the clip on Instagram, Meg wrote, “I just wanted to stop by real quick and let y’all know that thee b*tch is BACK. HotGirl Mileena is back in the game. Gameplay bout to drop real soon. #MKUltimate #ad @mortalkombat.” She later shared a photo of herself dressed normally except for the mouth.

The video is more than just a paycheck for Meg, as she’s a fan of the franchise and actually dressed up as Mileena for Halloween in 2019. Meg also isn’t the only musician to get involved with the game: In October 2019, 21 Savage released a new song he made for the game, “Immortal.”

Watch Meg’s new Mortal Kombat 11 promo above.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Common, who recently released this 13th studio album A Beautiful Revolution (Pt 1), appeared last night on The Tonight Show to perform the album’s lead single “Say Peace” alongside Black Thought and PJ. Set in front of a green screen, the colorful performance saw the two rappers trade verses as scenes of protest played in the background. Guest singer PJ also appeared on the screen, while a number of solo shots of Common himself cut across the footage.

Common released the Afrobeats-influenced track a week before the album after having another of the album’s tracks used in Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote campaign. Common also headlined the Life Every Voice Juneteenth live stream concert sponsored by When We All Vote in July. Before that, he spoke with Charles Thorp for Uproxx’s “Quarantine Kit” series, detailing his lockdown essentials which included shooting hoops outdoors, bodyweight training indoors, and, of course, a healthy dose of self-help books.

Black Thought, meanwhile, recently delivered a spirited performance of his own for COLORS, while PJ recently released her “I’m Forreal” video with fellow North Carolinian Lute.

Watch Common’s Tonight Show performance above.

A Beautiful Revolution (Pt 1) is out now on Loma Vista Recordings. Get it here.

PJ is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

It was just announced that Foo Fighters will be the musical guest on this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, and in light of evidence that has been accumulating in recent days, it wouldn’t be surprising if they performed new material on the show, or even had a new album out by then (although nothing has been confirmed on that front).

Late last night, the band shared a 32-second snippet of audio, which is just a drum beat. The Shazam app identifies the audio as coming from a Foo Fighters song called “Shame Shame,” which appears on an album supposedly called Medicine At Midnight. “Medicine At Midnight” is also believed to be the title of one of the songs on the album. The band has yet to announce an album title, tracklist, or release date.

This comes after a teaser featuring the text “FF X,” with the “FF” in the Foo Fighters font, and a burning coffin was projected on a Los Angeles building on October 29; The band’s next album will be their tenth, which explains the “X.” Since then, fans have noticed that the coffin video now plays when listening to Foo Fighters songs “The Pretender” and “These Days” on Spotify.

In February, Grohl revealed that the band had finished recording the new album, saying, “We just finished making a record. Some of those songs, the best ones happen in 45 minutes. Then there’s other songs — there’s a riff on the new record I’ve been working on for 25 years. The first time I demoed it was in my basement in Seattle.”

Grohl also previously compared the album to David Bowie, saying, “It’s filled with anthemic, huge, singalong rock songs. It’s almost like a dance record in a weird way — not like an EDM, disco, modern dance record. It’s got groove, man. To me, it’s like our David Bowie’s Let’s Dance record. That’s what we wanted to make, ’cause we were like, ‘Yeah, let’s make this really up, fun record!’”

Even if you haven’t seen the Star Wars Holiday Special, as it’s never been officially released on home video or streaming, you’re still likely aware of its reputation. Its terrible, terrible reputation. George Lucas famously once said that “if I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it,” which is rude to Itchy, Lumpy, Space Harvey Korman, Jefferson Starship, and all your other favorites in the special. I don’t expect the Star Wars Holiday Special to appear on Disney+ any time soon, if ever (much to writer Bruce Vilanch’s dismay, no doubt), but at least we’re getting the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. Except instead of long, dialogue-free stretches of Wookiee moans, it appears that there’s an actual plot that mashes up the timeline so that Rey and Darth Vader meet Baby Yoda! You crazy for this one, Disney+.

Here’s more on the special:

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special premieres on Disney+ on November 17.

Ice Cube has been dealing with a fair amount of backlash in recent days after it was revealed he worked with the Trump administration on its “Platinum Plan.” It’s been weeks since that news has come out, and Ice Cube has spoken about it on a number of occasions since then. This morning, he has again addressed the situation, and he confused by the hate he has been getting.

Taking to Twitter this morning, he wrote, “Let me get this straight, I get the president of the United States to agree to put over half a trillion dollars of capital in the Black Community (without an endorsement) and N****s are mad at me? [crying laughing emojis] …have a nice life.”

Before that tweet, he shared a single-panel comic of a bunch of literal sheep voting between a wolf candidate and a lion candidate, suggesting that neither Trump nor Biden will do much good for people. Somebody then asked Ice Cube, “So did you endorse the Wolf or the Lion,” to which he responded, “Neither one…I’ve always endorsed the sheeple.”

Like he wrote in his tweet this morning, Ice Cube declared in an interview a couple weeks ago that he does not support Trump and said in regards to Trump’s and his administration’s alleged white supremacy, “White supremacy do turn me off, but it’s everywhere and it’s on both sides of the aisle. That’s just the reality that we live in, and I’m not naive to that. We’re engulfed in white supremacy, so that’s just something we’re going to have to fight our way out of, and we’re going to have to fight on all fronts.”

As vote-counting in battleground states continues, not everyone is thrilled to see Democracy in action as states flip to Biden. In Nevada an angry Trump supporters charged into a news conference to spout conspiracy theories. In Detroit, they’re doing strange flash mobs with pizza boxes, and in Arizona, these Trump die-hards are now turning their anger toward a target that no one would have seen coming a week ago.

MSNBC footage shot outside the Maricopa, Arizona vote-counting center showed a MAGA mob that was collectively furious that the state might not go to their guy. They seem to be blaming Trump’s (formerly-)favorite cable-news network, Fox News, which made the unanticipated move of calling Arizona for Biden on Tuesday night.

Yes, “they’re actually chanting Fox News Sucks.”

As the New York Times reported, the Trump campaign fired off a series of angry phone calls over Fox News’ Arizona determination, one that caused some on-air venting from Tucker Carlson while he spoke with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, although Tucker also believes that Trump has no one to blame but himself for potentially losing this election. Now, Fox News finds them in the strange position of reporting the potential downfall of the candidate that they helped to elevate. Then again, when that candidate is acting like an unhinged authoritarian, one can certainly understand the need to distance.

Who knows what will happen, though? Even though Biden’s leading the electoral college at this moment, Arizona’s still counting votes, as are Nevada and Georgia, and yep, 2020 continues to be an unpredictable beast.

Ever since J. Cole released KOD in mid-2018, fans have been waiting for his next album. Checking out Twitter this morning, some may have thought he dropped a surprise effort overnight: As of press time, “J Cole” is the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter. That’s not because of any new material, though. Instead, it’s because the platform has been overtaken by people making puns out of Cole’s name.

The format starts with somebody describing something Cole could be doing and then presenting the newly punned version of his name based on that activity. For example, Questlove wrote, “J Cole starting a rap group with his aforementioned Foot Locker Coworkers: J La Sole.” Other plays on Cole’s name were sprinkled throughout the top 30 Twitter trending topics today, including “J Bowl,” “J Stroll,” and “J Poll.”

Some other famous people got involved as well, like Cozz, Desus Nice, and Big Pooh, among others.

While this may have been a false alarm in terms of new music, that doesn’t mean that some isn’t coming. In fact, a month ago, Cole may have covertly promised new material coming this year through his Kill Edward alter ego. On a Kill Edward Instagram Story, Cole wrote, “Damn been off for awhile but ima make sure we end 2020 something special.”

Check out some other Cole pun examples below.