Month: April 2021

Trump is putting his newfound love of communicating via press releases — because really, who needs social media these days — to good use. Well, by “good” we mean he’s chosen to issue a kind of pathetic statement defending suspected child sex trafficker Matt Gaetz.

Gaetz, as you’re probably well aware, is a Florida congressman currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for sex trafficking and for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl whom he may have paid in perks like travel and hotel accommodations. The Florida congressman has made a series of bizarre TV appearances and taken to social media to defend himself, claiming, among other things, that his father had at one point been wearing a wire for the FBI to expose an extortion plot supposedly organized by a former federal prosecutor. And while the scandal began to publicly unfold in early March, it seems Gaetz may have known authorities were planning a probe long before then.

According to a New York Times report, Gaetz floated a request to former President Trump’s team for a “blanket pardon” in the final days of his presidency. The report never claimed that Gaetz spoke directly to Trump about the pardon, just his staffers, but according to sources who spoke with ABC News, Trump was made aware of the request. All of this makes the former president’s most recent press release that much more strange.

Trump’s office sent out an incredibly brief statement denying that Gaetz ever asked the president for a pardon and reminding people that Gaetz himself has denied the sex trafficking allegations raised against him.

It’s a surprisingly evasive defense that doesn’t really address the Times claims and basically ends with a “remember folks, this guy is saying he didn’t do these bad guy things so let’s give him a break.” Probably not the rousing display of moral support Gaetz was hoping for but hey, when half your base thinks you’re still working on a plan to break up the political cabal of pedophiles currently embedded in Washington D.C., you’ve got to be picky about who your friends are.

After spending the better part of a decade developing The Mauritanian, an adaptation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s memoirs detailing his 14 years of being tortured at Guantanamo Bay despite never being charged, Benedict Cumberbatch has become a fierce advocate for shutting down the prison camp that became a controversial holding facility for alleged terrorists in the aftermath of 9/11. Far too often, it’s been reported that detainees are actually innocent and were never given a chance to defend themselves outside of a military proceeding that is often stacked against them, and Cumberbatch is now planning to take his concerns straight to the top.

During a lengthy interview, the British actor was asked if he’s hoping newly-elected President Joe Biden will actually deliver where Barack Obama did not by finally shutting down Gitmo for good. And from the sound of things, Cumberbatch plans to take a direct approach.

Via The Independent:

“Hoping? I’m going to plead with the guy,” retorts Cumberbatch. “It is a huge spend. It’s the most expensive prison on earth. And what are the results? Where are the prosecutions? That’s just being really brutally economic about it, it just doesn’t work. And then you have the human rights issue. It’s an atrocious own goal, I think for the free world to be incarcerating people through extraordinary rendition, torturing them and extracting confessions they think are then usable in prosecution.

Before elaborating on how he became obsessed with adapting Slahi’s experience for The Mauritanian, Cumberbatch added a final thought to make it clear where he stands on Guantanamo. “It is a really dangerous, unnecessary, and ineffectual place, I think, and enough people have suffered there.” With the actor poised to take on a larger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Cumberbatch will soon have a sizable platform that he can use to get Biden’s attention and press him on closing down Gitmo once and for all. Looks like he’s already on his way.

(Via The Independent)

A few days ago, St. Vincent gave “The Melting Of The Sun” its debut live performance during her stint on Saturday Night Live. Now she’s back with a new video for the track and it goes along with the ’70s-inspired aesthetic that Annie Clark has said her new album Daddy’s Home has. The clip is a vintage-looking animation featuring a lot of orange, brown, and green, as well as St. Vincent as a Teletubbies-style sun.

Clark previously told Rolling Stone of the song, “People tried to quiet [women in entertainment] when they were saying something that was righteous or true or hard to hear. [‘Melting Of The Sun’] in particular is a love letter to strong, brilliant female artists. Each of them survived in an environment that was in a lot of ways hostile to them.”

Clark also previously said of Daddy’s Home more broadly, “I would say it’s the sound of being down and out downtown in New York, 1973. Glamour that hasn’t slept for three days. […] I went back to these records that I probably listened to more in my life than at any other time. Music made in New York from 1971 to ’76, typically post-flower child, kick the hippie idealism out of it, America’s in a recession but pre-disco, the sort of gritty, raw, wiggly nihilistic part of that. It’s not a glamorous time, there’s a lot of dirt under the fingernails. It was really about feel and vibe but with song and stories.”

Watch the “Melting Of The Sun” video above.

Daddy’s Home is out 5/14 via Loma Vista. Pre-order it here.

Atlanta rap supergroup Spillage Village had one of the best albums of 2020 in Spilligion, and today, they took a huge step in extending its shelf life, releasing a remixed version of the album’s second single “Baptize.” The new version adds a who’s-who of the group members’ favorite collaborators, including Deante’ Hitchcock, who contributes the verse from his #NewAtlantaTuesdays freestyle over the beat, IDK, and Flatbush Zombies to turn the introspective track into a full-blown posse cut of cerebral rhymes and complex cadences. Group member Hollywood JB also makes an appearance to help keep the Spillage crew’s presence strong.

While the original version of the song focuses heavily on religious imagery as a lens through which to make sense of the global turmoil at the time of the album’s creation, the new version mostly does away with the framing devices, allowing the guest rappers to right down to the nitty-gritty. While Hitchcock spits socio-political commentary, IDK boasts of his off-season accomplishments and wonders if he should forego meetings with Netflix to work with HBO. Juice and Erick of Flatbush Zombies bat cleanup, preaching self-reliance and optimism to cope with the issues plaguing the world.

Listen to Spillage Village’s “Baptized” remix featuring Deante Hitchcock’, IDK, and Flatbush Zombies above.

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

Arlo Parks hasn’t had the breakout moment she originally expected. Since releasing her poetic debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams, Parks has been cosigned by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Michelle Obama, and was recently nominated for a 2021 Brit Award for Breakthrough Act and Album Of The Year. All the while, she’s still at home with her parents being forced to do chores like vacuuming. Even still, Parks is making the most out of her success by appearing on The Late Late Show With James Corden.

Parks brought her reflective track “Hope” to the late-night set. Backed by a full band, brass section included, Parks paced in line with the camera while intently delivering each lyric. The song itself is a reminder that, even when feeling depressed, you are never truly alone.

Ahead of her performance, Parks discussed the song’s meaning in a conversation with Corden, who says the track is one of his favorites. “This song to me is exactly as the name suggests,” Parks says. “It’s the idea of finding light at the end of the tunnel and looking at pain in a way that’s real and unflinching, but realizing that there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Watch Parks perform “Hope” on The Late Late Show above.

Collapsed In Sunbeams is out now via Transgressive. Get it here.

For his latest album, the painstakingly autobiographical Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me, Waylon Payne recorded his vocals in the same spot where his mother — famed country singer Sammi Smith — sang while pregnant with him decades before. This generational weight and reflection of legacy spans the entirety of Blue Eyes, with Payne cutting the songs alongside a group of musicians spanning genre and generation with production from Eric Masse (Miranda Lambert, Rayland Baxter, Robert Ellis) and Frank Liddell (Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Knight).

To celebrate the recent album, Payne sat down to talk seeing Prince in concert, sleeping in a broom closet, and more for the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Personal, honest and somewhat fun.

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?

As someone who wrote or sang a great song.

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

Haven’t been there yet, but so far they’re all great.

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

It’s a tie between Sammi Smith and Shelby Lynne. One was my mamma, the other is my friend. Both are heroes.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

My buddy Edward’s house.

What album do you know every word to?

It’s a tie between Bobbie Gentry’s Patchwork and Sammi Smith’s Help Me Make It Through The Night.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Prince.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Wrangler Jeans and a Wrangler work shirt – always comfortable and a classic look.

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

Trailer Trash Tammy – for obvious reasons.

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

Nicolette Larson – “Gonna Take A Lot Of Love.”

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Directions to the hardware store.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me.

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

In a broom closet.

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

I have a playboy bunny next to my junk … for an old flame.

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

Jack Ingram, Lee Ann Womack, Shelby Lynne, Willie Nelson, Sammi Smith or Bobbie Gentry.

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

AJ Hancock made me a beautiful guitar – just because.

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

The only thing you can control is right now. So, as long as you have that under control, you are golden…

What’s the last show you went to?

Myself and Wynonna (Judd).

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

Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

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

Anything he wanted … <3

Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me is out now. Listen here.

Paul Pierce has had quite the week. The former All-NBA wing went onto Instagram Live and appeared to accidentally broadcast himself having a racy house party to his entire follower list instead of a close group of friends. While a bunch of current NBA players thought the whole thing was hilarious, Pierce’s now-former employer didn’t think it was quite as funny, as ESPN parted ways with the former Celtics, Nets, Wizards, and Clippers standout.

Pierce seemed to take the whole thing in stride, posting a few messages to social media in which he thanked both his supporters and his haters. Now, one of his former teammates chimed in … well, kind of.

Shaquille O’Neal, who played against Pierce for years and suited up alongside him in 2010-11 in Boston, laughed at the mere mention of Pierce’s name during TNT’s pregame show on Tuesday night.

The great thing about this video is it’s not commentary on anything that happened with Pierce, it is literally just bringing up Pierce’s name in conversation and Shaq immediately laughing. The camera then pans over to the rest of the TNT crew, and while Adam Lefkoe has a smile on his face, both Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade couldn’t help but react to the fact that bringing up Pierce made Shaq’s mind go to that place.

We’ll have to wait until Thursday night to see if Shaq and the Inside the NBA crew have a similar reaction should Pierce’s name pop up. Our bet: Yes, and also, there will be riffing.

Game of Thrones premiered 10 years ago next week. To celebrate a decade of dragons, drunkards, and Dothrakis, HBO has planned a month of Thrones-specific events, including a #MaraThrone of every episode, special appearances from cast members, and a chance for couples “who were married in Westeros-themed ceremonies” to win “anniversary presents including Game of Thrones-branded barrels of wine, custom chalices, and elaborate cakes designed in partnership.” It better be a lemon cake…

HBO has also released a “new” trailer for the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones. It’s a curious decision, as season eight is widely considered to be the worst season of the otherwise great show. As the Hollywood Reporter notes, “The trailer is a well-edited clip that refreshes fans on the dramatic highlights and lavish spectacle of the final six episodes of the Emmy-winning series — yet is also stirring up all sorts of feelings among fans who felt the last season was a massive disappointment.”

This is currently the top comment under the trailer:

Can’t wait to see how important Jon’s lineage is, how they defeat the Night King, how Jamie redeems himself and what Varys’ grand plan has been this whole time

OK, that’s not too bad! Let’s read some more.

Season 8 was like if Frodo realised he could snap the One Ring in half like a twig as soon as he reached Mordor.

Uh oh.

“our enemy doesn’t tire”
*Tires within one episode

Are you guys remaking it? Because if you’re not, then it’s better to not release a trailer for it again and reminding us of something we wanna forget.

I wish they didn’t cancel this show after 6 seasons it had so much potential

It’s crazy how popular this show was back then, and how quickly everyone has forget it.
Probably the most disappointing thing in entertainment history.

That’s a hyperbolic claim (someone hasn’t seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice!), but it goes to show how disappointed many viewers were by the final season. But! There’s plenty more Thrones coming our way, including House of the Dragon, a Broadway play, and three prequel series in development. What is dead may never die.

At least the series trailer rules.

Former The Daily Show host has largely been missing from our TV screens since 2015, but he’s kept his advocacy fires burning, and soon, Jon Stewart will be formally back in your living room, baby. His upcoming current events show has looked for writers on social media, and one can imagine that he’ll stay unconventional while taking on current events once more. The show is already tapped for multiple seasons, and we don’t have a formal start date as of yet, other than Fall 2021.

However, there is now a title for the series. According to a press release, the show will formally be called, “The Problem With Jon Stewart.” That, of course, is ambiguous but in-your-face at the same time. One can imagine that he’ll be exploring various “problems” as he sees them on a regular basis, but he might also be poking fun at himself there because right-wingers will always find a “problem” with how Jon Stewart covers things. Does it really matter, though, what the title precisely means? Stewart’s shown himself to be a gifted satirist, who’s unable to resist amusing his viewers.

Previously, Apple TV+ revealed (via a synopsis) that the series “won’t have a nightly or even weekly cadence.” However, Apple TV+ is also now revealing that each episode shall run one hour in length as a “single-issue” series. So, one should expect the unexpected here? Sounds like a plan.

As stated above (and I wanted to say it again because this is Jon Freaking Stewart we’re talking about), Apple TV+’s The Problem With Jon Stewart will arrive in Fall 2021.

As DMX remains in the hospital in critical condition after suffering a heart attack, TMZ reports the rap icon will require a battery of tests to determine his family’s next steps. According to DMX’s manager Steve Rifkind, doctors will perform the tests today to determine DMX’s brain activity level. On Friday, after his initial overdose and heart attack, doctors say his brain was deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes, which left him with little brain activity and he’s currently in a coma. After the tests, DMX’s family will need to decide whether to keep him on life support in hopes of recovery.

DMX was initially hospitalized in White Plains, New York after his apparent drug overdose on Friday (April 3), which triggered a heart attack. Although false reports were circulated that he was recovering, his family and Rifkind issued a statement hoping to curtail misinformation that might complicate his treatment. The news of his hospitalization prompted a massive response from fans and peers on social media, which saw waves of tweets declaring support for the rapper and dismay over his condition.

DMX’s struggles with addiction have been well-documented, both by the press and in his music, and his vulnerability with regard to his mental health has been credited as one reason his music resonates so strongly with so many people. Before his relapse, he was reportedly working on a new album and enjoying renewed interest after his matchup with Snoop Dogg on Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s popular Verzuz web show.