Month: June 2021

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, the Chicago-based group of brothers (they’re all sons of the late jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran), is at the center of the second iteration of Jagjaguwar’s 25th-anniversary series. This year, the label will release a tribute album honoring the experimental-folk musician Richard Youngs and his pivotal 1998 album, Sapphie.

On the ensemble’s latest release, a breathier, spacious rework of Youngs’ “A Fullness Of Light In Your Soul,” singer Perfume Genius steps in for the vocal parts.

“I recorded this cover while deep in quarantine,” Perfume Genius said in a statement. “Working on [“A Fullness Of Light In Your Soul”] brought a really welcome energy, I went fully into song world and put reality on hold for a moment. It’s a big song, too, so I got to stay there for a while. Both the original and the arrangement by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble have a truly hypnotic and almost mystical quality, while singing it I tried to stay hyper-present and thought of it like we were all casting one long spell.”

The collaboration arrives with a video featuring outsider folk-artist Lonnie Holley, walking through his studio and yard. Holley, 71, was born in Birmingham, Alabama, one of 27 children, at the end of the Jim Crow era. He is known for his recycled found-object sculptures and paintings, which have been featured in places like the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Smithsonian. Holley’s sprawling yard — and adjacent, abandoned lots near his home — became his canvases. In the mid-’80s, people began traveling to his immersive art installations until he was forced off of his property by the expansion of an airport.

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble reimagined Youngs’ other songs and performed with guest vocalists including Moses Sumney (on “Soon It Will Be Fire”) and Sharon Van Etten (on “The Graze Of Days”). The full album, called This Is A Mindfulness Drill, arrives on June 25.

New to Sapphie? Listen to the original “A Fullness Of Light In Your Soul” below and compare it to Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Perfume Genius’ new version above.

This Is A Mindfulness Drill is out 6/25 via Jagjaguwar. Pre-order it here.

Back when the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Anthony Davis, much was made about the jersey number situation involving The Brow and LeBron James. While Davis wore the number 23 in New Orleans, James had that number in L.A., and for some production-related purposes, James couldn’t switch his number to free that one up for his new teammate until after the 2019-20 season ended.

The duo kept their numbers the same during the 2020-21 campaign, but according to a new report by Tim Cato and Shams Charania of The Athletic, things are changing up a bit heading into next year. While Davis will continue to wear the number 3, James will switch to 6, which he wore during his tenure with the Miami Heat.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is changing his jersey number from No. 23 to No. 6 next season, sources tell The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Tim Cato. Anthony Davis is expected to remain No. 3.

The change is expected to come after Space Jam.

It’s unclear whether Space Jam: A New Legacy plays a role in any of this, although based on the new trailer that dropped on Wednesday, James does wear No. 6 in the movie. He also famously once said that he believes 23 should be retired league-wide in honor of Michael Jordan.

Young Nudy’s new album Dr. Ev4l is out now on RCA Records and as he continues to roll out the release, his new video for “Soul Keeper” highlights what fans can expect from the project overall: airy beats and a non-stop flow from Nudy. It’s simple but effective, as Nudy raps in a penthouse overlooking the city and in the street with his crew backing him up.

Nudy’s other standouts from the project include “2Face” with G Herbo and 21 Savage on “Child’s Play.” The album is his second major-label realease after debut project Anyways dropped just ahead of the coronavirus pandemic’s shutdown of live touring in 2020.

Nudy’s back catalog recently made headlines when a video of partying students causing a floor to collapse while Nudy’s “EA” played in the background went viral. One of the students created a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for repairs, explaining that the owner of the Airbnb where the party was held was home during the party and approved of the students’ graduation celebration. “Call y’all spam Young Nudy ina comments,” the student requested. “He gotta kno what his music doin to people.”

Watch Young Nudy’s “Soul Keeper” video above.

Dr. Ev4l is out now on PDE and RCA Records. Stream it here.

Tegan And Sara aren’t shy about sharing stories of their teenage antics. The sister duo even documented them in their memoir High School, which is set to be adapted into a TV series. Along with forming their musical tastes, their teenage years were a time when the two experimented with psychedelics. Now, in a segment on Comedy Central, Tegan And Sara recount one particular night at an acid-fueled rave in the ’90s that didn’t quite go as expected.

Sitting down on Comedy Central’s series Tales From The Trip, Tegan And Sara told the story of lying to their parents to go to a rave. Describing the night, Sara recalled the feeling of joy and connection to those around her. But her feelings shifted once the lights turned on:

“I remember this intense feeling of joy and feeling so connected to these people. The connection and love and vibe that we felt from going to these spaces. They were full of alternative people, and people experimenting with gender, sexuality, and embracing all these different kinds of music within the same space, it was very liberating. There was this heightened sense that I was with exactly the people I was supposed to be with and we all took on the same shape and size. All those things I worried about when I was not stoned, they evaporated and we became this one big blob. […] I was having a blast right up until the moment they turned the lights on. Everybody looks amazing, and then they turn those fluorescent lights on and everyone looked like a zombie movie. The magical, warm space was just a sh*tty warehouse and there was just slush and dirt and water.”

After leaving the rave, the two were caught lying by their parents. As punishment, they were forced to finish a paper route on no sleep while it was freezing, an experience that would have been insufferable if they weren’t still tripping.

Watch Tegan And Sara tell the story of their rave experience above on Comedy Central’s Tales From The Trip.

Tegan And Sara is a Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Later this week, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor are slated to release Remedy, the first full-length Azure Ray album in a decade. Despite the time away, Remedy picks up right where Fink and Taylor left off ten years ago, without missing a beat.

To celebrate the new album, Fink and Taylor sat down to talk The Beach Boys, sleeping outside a 24 Hour Fitness, and their first South By Southwest festival in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

contemplative, ethereal, cathartic, confessional.

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 a salve for the soul.

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

There’s something very romantic about performing in Vienna, but all shows where the crowd is polite and attentive get gold stars.

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

Probably a cross between Elliot Smith and Bill Callahan. Classic songwriting, poetic lyrics, dark as f*ck.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Hmmm.. it’s either La Copine in the high desert, or Gus’s Fried Chicken in Memphis.

What album do you know every word to?

Sophtware Slump by Granddaddy.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Nina Simone at Chastain Park in Atlanta.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

All black, all the time.

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

Cheapoldhouses, yourcheapdreamhome, circa houses — all house porn basically.

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

“Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya” by Dr. John. Whenever I hear that first line, “They call me.. Dr. John…” makes me feel like all is right with the world…

What’s the last thing you Googled?

How many fully vaccinated people have contracted covid-19

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Azure Ray – Remedy (haha) OR Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

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

A house boat? The parking lot of a 24 hour fitness? I mean… there were just so many weird places but I shoved most of them out of my memory 😉

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

Our first band, Little Red Rocket, played at one of the first South by Southwest festivals. We all got tattoos of a little red rocket on our forearms. We had such a bond with our band members and those days were so light and free and fun. I love that I still have the tattoo to represent those times. Don’t ask Orenda what happened to hers. LOL. I’m still mad at her 😉

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

Anything from the ’80s.

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

Hmmm…that’s a toughy. I’m blown away all the time by the kind hearts and generosity of all of my friends and family.

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

I would hand myself a hair straightener and steal my hair cutting scissors. AND remind myself to not hold back and always give everything all you got.

What’s the last show you went to?

The last show I went to was our own show. Azure Ray played a daytime Sunday showcase with our friends and label mates, “Radnor and Lee.” The whole world shut down a couple of weeks later.

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

Wait…things just come on the tv still? I had no idea;)

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

There’s only one thing I feel confident enough to cook for Obama. My grandmama’s Basta. It’s shell pasta with a very thick (almost stew like) sauce that’s flavored with slow cooked beef and Italian sausage. I hope he’s not vegetarian!

Remedy is out June 11. Pre-order it here.

Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and D-Nice made a major impact on the music landscape in 2020, and now their efforts are being recognized: The three will be receiving the ASCAP Voice Of The Culture Award during the 2021 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, for their inventive and uniting virtual music events — namely Verzuz and Club Quarantine — during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The award celebrates the most-performed R&B/hip-hop, rap, and gospel songs from the previous year. The virtual celebration will be held on June 22 through June 24 via social media. Registration for the virtual chats and other events is available at the ASCAP Experience website.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’s Verzuz was the virtual singing competition series that gained instant claim on Instagram Live by pitting musical legends from all genres against each other, including Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott, Earth, Wind & Fire vs. the Isley Brothers, Snoop Dogg vs. DMX, and more. The two Grammy-winning producers and label founders created must-see spectacles that brought millions of isolated people together over music.

Similarly, the legendary DJ Derrick “D-Nice” Jones, turned his Instagram Live broadcasts into a virtual dance party with Club Quarantine. D-Nice’s DJ sets were praised as a much-needed respite by millions during the 2020 lockdowns. Even A-listers like Will Smith, Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Diddy tuned in for D-Nice’s heavy rotation of funk, disco, hip-hop, and R&B. D-Nice teamed up with Issa Rae’s Raedio to co-curate the official playlist of the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inauguration. His full-length studio album is set to arrive later this year.

During a panel discussion on Chris Harrison leaving The Bachelor after being embroiled in a racist controversy that’s plagued the reality show for the better part of the year, The View‘s Meghan McCain unloaded on the dating series for its palpable lack of diversity. After blasting Harrison for how he dismissed Extra host Rachel Lindsay’s concerns about contestant Rachael Kirkconnell attending an antebellum-themed party in college, McCain basically said the whole show is trash.

“I don’t love The Bachelor,” McCain said. “I apologize to our parent company ABC. I mean no disrespect to the work that’s done on this network, but it’s an extremely problematic show.”

According to McCain, The Bachelor has fallen woefully short when it comes to diversity, and not just racially, but in body types as well. The View co-host voiced her criticisms at the 3:55 mark below:

And in true Meghan McCain-style, she made about it she was always open-minded when it came to dating. Via Mediaite:

“There’s no different bodies — different people. Dating is about experiencing the world. I dated every kind of race, every kind of person, cause I never knew who was going to be the one,” she continued. “I think that’s more reflective of 2021, so I think the show has a lot of make-overs to do in a lot of different ways that goes way beyond the host.”

In McCain’s defense, racism is one of the very rare instances where she deviates from her fellow Republicans. Last week, she agreed that reparations need to be paid for the Tulsa Race Massacre, and in a notable departure from conservative circles, McCain supported teaching Critical Race Theory in schools.

Fear Street is the horror-friendly middleground between the kiddie scares of Goosebumps and the aggressively violent and sexual (not a complaint) of American Horror Story. The book series, written by R.L. Stine, is meant for teenagers, although adult Stranger Things fans will probably enjoy Netflix’s Fear Street Trilogy.

Director Leigh Janiak sees the three films, which will be released over the course of three weeks, as a throwback to old-school horror favorites and something new for the streaming age. “I love the slasher movie, but we’ve done that, right? We’ve done slasher movies in various ways, and I was interested in how we could reinvent the genre a little bit,” she told EW. “Part of that came from this opportunity to tell a different kind of story that had a bigger narrative, connected over all three, that you need to watch in a short amount of time to get the full experience. It’s not a traditional sequel model.”

Here’s the official plot summary:

In 1994, a group of teenagers discovers that the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations ​may all be connected — and that they may be the next targets. Based on R.L. Stine’s best selling horror series, the trilogy follows the nightmare through Shadyside’s sinister history.

Fear Street Part One: 1994 comes out on July 2, followed by Fear Street Part Two: 1978 on July 9 and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 on July 16.

Today, rising dance music star Kelly Lee Owens announced a brief US tour this September in support of her 2020 album, Inner Song. The producer-musician will also bring her ethereal, clubby creations to Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival in September and Miami’s III Points festival in October. Tickets are available this Friday, June 11 at 1 p.m. ET on Owens’ website.

In addition to tickets, Owens will release her Inner Song Remix Series EP on Friday. The EP will feature remixes by dance musician-producers such as Loraine James, Coby Sey, and Roza Terenzi.

Owens has said that she worked on Inner Song after “the hardest three years of my life.” The electro-pop artist, who used to work as a nurse, was at an emotional tipping point when it came time to make her second album. “I wasn’t sure if I could make anything anymore,” she said. “And it took quite a lot of courage to get to a point where I could make something again.”

Check out where Owens’ tour is heading below and revisit our recent interview with her here.

09/08 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09/10 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
09/11 — Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time
09/13 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
09/14 — Washington, DC @ Union Stage
09/16 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
09/17 — Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
09/18 — Seattle, WA @ Nuemos
09/19 — Portland, OR @ Holocene
09/22 — Oakland, CA @ Starline
09/25 — Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
10/22-23 — Miami, FL @ III Points Festival