Month: June 2021

Much like the Knicks did for five games in the first round, the Philadelphia 76ers have a serious Trae Young problem on their hands. The third year star guard for the Atlanta Hawks cooked them in the first half to lead Atlanta to a 20-point lead at the break that proved just big enough that Philadelphia couldn’t fully reel them in down the stretch. Young finished the night with 35 points and 10 assists — with 25 and eight in the first half — along with only four turnovers.

Early on, the Sixers simply couldn’t figure out what to do with the Young pick-and-roll, which Atlanta wisely spams over and over because it’s just a miserable thing for defenses to deal with. The Sixers communication was lacking and their opening strategy of putting Danny Green on Young failed miserably, as Young didn’t even need the screens to blow by the veteran guard and get to the paint for either his patented floater or a pass to a wide open teammate as help was forced to run towards him.

On the other end of the floor, Green allowed Young to do almost no work defensively, remaining stagnant in the corner as Young could camp out and be fresh for another pick-and-roll or drive on the other end. In the second half, the Sixers threw a number of different looks at Young and had varying levels of success, but all were certainly improvements over what they did initially. Still, each option against Trae comes with pros and cons, and it’ll be incumbent on Doc Rivers to figure out which is least detrimental to his team overall.

The obvious choice in the minds of many is to put Ben Simmons on Young, as the man who stumped for DPOY all year by touting his versatility should be the perfect option. However, as Rivers has noted, putting Simmons on Young is an easy way to get his star in foul trouble given Young’s mastery of the dark arts — Simmons picked up two fouls guarding Young in the early third quarter after taking the assignment and was quickly switched off. After Game 1 — when Young was 9-for-9 at the foul line — the Sixers were clearly on message about trying to get the refs to call fewer fouls when Young leans in and creates contact himself.

On Monday, Rivers confirmed Simmons will not have Young as his primary assignment for that reason, noting the foul concerns as the chief reason, meaning Simmons will only be a change of pace look for Trae.

While somewhat understandable, it’s a bit worrying that Simmons can’t be trusted not to pick up foul after foul and adjust how he defends the smaller Young if that is something he is supposed to be able to do. Simmons’ preferred physicality can certainly make Young uncomfortable, but his over-aggressive manner in constantly applying that physical pressure leads to cheap fouls well away from the basket. Figuring out how to simply use his length to deter Young rather than needing to constantly be in his space where he’s in danger of getting fouls is a necessary step for Simmons if he is to be the versatile defender he claims to be in the postseason.

The advantage to having Simmons on Young isn’t just that he’s a big, long, physical defender, but that it puts the Hawks in serious conflict in transition and semi-transition situations off of missed shots. Pushing off misses would put Young on Simmons or force the Hawks to try to very quickly cross-match, which can lead to breakdowns or miscommunications as they send help to Trae against a 6’10 force of nature barreling down hill that he has no chance of stopping otherwise, opening up others or risking letting Simmons waltz to the rim. The fouls are a reasonable concern, but Simmons has the length to play more off of Young and give late closeouts on pull-up threes (which, while he’s capable of making them, are not exactly his best attribute) and not requiring as much help from Joel Embiid and others on drives, which takes away some of Young’s playmaking. It’s unlikely to be an adjustment he can make mid-series, but learning to play further off of guards and use that length and his quickness as a deterrent without relying on his physicality is the next step for Simmons as a perimeter defender that will unlock even more of his potential.

If Simmons isn’t the choice, that leaves a couple other options for the Sixers to use on Young as the primary look, and each of them presents positives and negatives for Philly.

Despite protests from Sixers fans and him getting cooked for the better part of the first two quarters, we are most likely going to see Danny Green start on Young once again. Green mentioned on Monday that it’s on him to make Young work more when the Sixers are on offense, but he seems to be focused on the wrong things in how that should happen.

Danny Green serving as the creator to attack Young is going to be a win for the Hawks, as that’s just not his game. However, Green could be much more active off the ball and the Sixers need to design more weakside actions to force Young to work through screens or possibly get him switched on someone like Tobias Harris or Seth Curry who are better creators rather than having Green stationary in the corners. He doesn’t need to be in the primary action, but his threat as a shooter would at least make Young work to stay attached to him and possibly create some desirable switches for players who could attack a Young mismatch better off the bounce.

Should Green stay on Young, the best option for Philadelphia may just be sending him under screens and living with Young shooting threes. Young was 4-for-11 from three in Game 1, which is good, but if he’s shooting, he’s not creating for the rest of the Hawks. It also will prevent Young from getting Green on his hip, which is his favorite thing to do to defenders that jump over screens, because from there he dictates the pace, gets to his floater and is a master at slowing down or stopping outright to draw contact and toss the ball up at the rim for a hopeful and-1. Going under runs the risk of Young becoming a flamethrower from deep, but for Green it’s honestly the best chance to keep Young from getting whatever he wants going downhill by meeting him on the other side of the screen and letting Embiid or Harris focus on sticking the roll man to take away lob threats and not forcing help off shooters in the corners.

The next option, and in my mind the best one, is to deploy Matisse Thybulle more during Young’s minutes, which requires taking a shooter off the floor in Green, Curry, or Harris. That is less than ideal offensively and he provides even less opportunity to make Young work off the ball, as Trae’s not going to be concerned about sticking with him all the way through off-ball action. However, Thybulle is an elite defender with the length to bother Young’s shot and floater and while he picked up a very questionable call that Rivers challenged somehow unsuccessfully in Game 1, he’s the best bet for making Young uncomfortable and you really shouldn’t be concerned if he gets in foul trouble as he’s not a guy you’re worried about making it 30 minutes. Thybulle is the best screen navigator the Sixers have and isn’t going to get blown by when Young rejects the screen the way Green was.

The offensive questions are legit, but for the regular season, lineups with Thybulle, Embiid, and Simmons had a +18.9 net rating in 125 minutes. Many of those had Harris and Green out there, as three-man groups with Thybulle, Harris, and Green were boasted a +21 net rating in 188 minutes. Thybulle is a capable connector on offense and doesn’t disrupt things by taking bad shots, he just doesn’t always knock down the good ones.

George Hill and Tyrese Maxey are other secondary options to change the look for Young, which is the chief thing I think Philly learned in Game 1. Leaving one defender on Young for the whole game will eventually lead to him exploiting something else, and for Game 2 I expect Rivers to be quicker to change the look on the Hawks star guard. Green, Simmons, Thybulle, Hill, and Maxey will all get their shot, and as the second half of the opener showed, throwing various looks and particularly players who are quicker laterally that can stay in front while applying ball pressure can at least make life more difficult on him.

There is no stopping Trae Young, as he’s on a scoring start to his playoff career currently that puts him on lists where the only other name is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor). Young scoring is one thing, but when you let him score and collapse your defense to create wide open looks for others, you simply have no shot. He is a maestro offensively and the Sixers likely need to unleash their best on-ball defenders and live with the results of leaving them on an island to offer less opportunities for Young to create great shots for everyone else. That means more Thybulle and Simmons and less Green and Hill, and if the concern is Simmons foul trouble, then you just let Matisse go as long as he can.

It will feel like the Sixers are giving up offense for defense, but all season Thybulle plus starters units have been tremendous on both ends, and given the disastrous play of Philly’s bench unit in Game 1 on the offensive end, having either Curry, Green, or Harris out there with them rather than Thybulle makes more sense anyways.

Mike Myers has entered the streaming wars. The famed Saturday Night Live alum and comedic star of the Austin Power and Shrek films has started production on a new limited series for Netflix called The Pentaverate. The streaming giant announced the series in a press release that touted Myers taking on seven brand new characters for his latest comedy creation that will consist of six 30-minute episodes.

Here’s the official description via Netflix:

What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347? As this new series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!

While Myers will personally make up the bulk of the cast, The Pentaverate also locked down some strong comedy players, who will help bring the series to life: Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West.

The announcement of The Pentaverate arrives on the heels of Myers’ biggest public appearance yet in recent years. Back in February, he re-teamed with Dana Carvey for a Wayne’s World revival during the Super Bowl that turned out to be an Uber Eats commercial. But, hey, at least the two were talking again after a lengthy falling out that stemmed from Carvey accusing Myers of stealing his Lorne Michaels impression and using it for Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers films.

An app that aims to bring fans inside the creative process is now available. Blast Radio — or simply Blast — is an audio-based app where artists of all kinds can broadcast whatever they like, whenever they like, for a more intimate fan experience. The goal is to provide an outlet for artists to share the music, sessions — and potentially behind-the-scenes content — that they wouldn’t necessarily record or publish otherwise.

“Over the last 15 years, I noticed that reality has no place on visual social media platforms,” said Yousef Ali, Blast’s Founder and CEO. “People have been reduced to doctored selfies and public displays of perfection. This is especially challenging for musicians where sound is their secret weapon. Blast gives artists an easy way to reach fans with their actual talents and to do so in an environment that’s not meant to be curated and perfect. It’s a space for artists, to be heard, and to highlight their work, not their appearance.”

The element of spontaneity is reinforced by a built-in time limit: Blast broadcasts are only accessible for 24 hours. Recordings are made using a small attachment called a Blast Box that attaches to the artist’s audio equipment through an RCA wire. The Blast Box (which can be pre-ordered now) pairs the artist’s device with their Blast Radio profile through Bluetooth. The artist can then manually press “publish” to upload the broadcast onto the Blast app.

Blast users get notifications when any artists that they follow have new broadcasts. They may then listen in real-time, or check out the broadcast for the next 24 hours, as well as comment, share the broadcasts, and give a “like” (Blast calls them “Vibes.”)

Right now, more than 150 musicians are posting performances, weekly radio programs, album release previews, and live broadcasts from venues on the app. Some of these early adopters include Ghostly International founder Matthew Dear, Grammy-nominated composer and Detroit DJ Carl Craig, artist and owner of Klakson and Dolly imprint Steffi, Brooklyn-based DJ and producer The Juan MacLean, and acclaimed chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound.

“I’m always searching for ways to connect with fans. Whether I’m jamming in the studio or playing a DJ set, I need an effortless way to broadcast my music, instantly. Blast has now made that process extremely simple. I just did my first broadcast from Detroit and listened back to the set afterward. I can’t wait to share more live music soon,” said avant-pop artist Matthew Dear.

Detroit producer Carl Craig added: “Performing live at shows is great, but there’s a ton of music that I love that I can’t play because there’s just too much to share on one tour. On Blast, I can broadcast what I care about right now, and do so in an environment built for high-resolution audio — where it sounds great, isn’t restricted by low-res algorithms, and isn’t competing against a world of curated selfies and cat videos.”

Artists can pre-order a Blast Box here and listeners can download the Blast App in the App Store or the Google Play Store.

Many of the funniest shows of all-time had rough beginnings. The first seasons of The Office and Parks and Recreation are eminently skippable; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia didn’t take off until Danny DeVito joined the cast in season two; even The Simpsons occasionally struggled from the get-go. But not I Think You Should Leave.

Tim Robinson’s sketch series for Netflix was on fire from episode one. “Has This Ever Happened to You?” alone has Turbo Team, “Baby of the Year” (“I hope you f*cking die, Harley Jarvis”), Vanessa Bayer winning best hog at the hog sh*t snarfing contest, and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun and mud pies. So good — and so rewatchable.

With only six episodes so far, I Think You Should Leave was easy to memorize and became a second language of sorts among comedy fans (the memes spread far and way). But Netflix announced today that the series is coming back for season two, and it’s coming back soon. I Think You Should Leave will return for a still-unknown number of new episodes on July 6. To celebrate the announcement, the streaming service also released a video of Robinson and Detroiters co-star and real-life good buddy Sam Robinson singing a medley of some of the show’s greatest hits, including “Friday Night” and “Moon River Rock.” Watching the trailer? That is a good idea.

You can watch the premiere date announcement trailer above.

Global pop star Ava Max dropped her highly anticipated debut album Heaven & Hell in 2020 after making a name for herself with a handful of empowering singles. Now following up on her success, Ava Max returns to make sense of her emotions with the electrifying single “Everytime I Cry.”

The new track opens with resonating synths, building up momentum until a groovy beat drops. The song is about finding power in tears and realizing that being in touch with your emotions is healthy. “After every struggle you go through you become a little bit stronger,” Max says of the song. “And every tear you shed is not wasted, but becomes your river of hope.”

While fans were hoping the new track marks the beginning of a new era, Max clarified that they’ll still have to wait a bit until her next full-length project. “This is not the next era quite yet…,” she wrote on Twitter. “it’s a continuation of heaven and hell.”

Max has good reason to stick with her Heaven & Hell era for the time being. The project cemented her stardom, arriving after two of her songs had gone No. 1 in several countries. Her album’s track “Kings & Queens” impressively boasts over one billion streams, making her the one of the most-streamed female artists in the world.

Listen to “Everytime I Cry” above.

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

Every bourbon journey has to start somewhere. For a lot of us, that journey begins with affordable “straight bourbon whiskey.” These are the bottles that are one step up from the huge plastic jugs on the bottom shelf, labeled simply as “bourbon” — which are generally blends featuring a touch of bourbon mixed with grain spirits (think Everclear or vodka). That’s why they cost $5-$10 for a gallon. We’re not here to talk about those.

“Straight Bourbon Whiskey” is a legal designation. If that moniker is on a label, it means that the whiskey was aged a minimum of two years in new oak and doesn’t have any coloring or flavoring agents added. It’s the entry-point for pretty much all real-deal bourbon brands. From there, you get into bottled-in-bonds (aged at least four years under the government’s watchful eye), small batch, high proof, wheated, high rye, 100 percent corn, barrel proof, single barrel, four-grain, and various age statement releases (though those are usually limited releases from a handful of brands). Of course, then there’s the whole world of special barrel finishing that can dip into pretty much any category — besides bottled-in-bond — and covers everything from double barreling to toasted oak to honey barrels to stout, port, or red wine casks (plus every other kind of barrel you can imagine).

There’s a big ol’ world of bourbon out there, is what we’re saying. And with our price point exploration winding down (we’ve gone from $20 bottles to $1,000 expressions), we’re going to start diving into it according to styles. Today, we’re starting with the standard, low-ish ABV, average mash bill bourbons that you can find pretty much coast-to-coast. If any of these bottles pique your interest, click on the links to give them a try yourself.

Wild Turkey

ABV: 40.5%

Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This fairly new expression is Eddie Russell’s stamp on his dad’s legacy. The younger Russell devised this lower-proof bourbon to be another workhorse whiskey for the mixing crowd who also might take a sip on the rocks every now and then. This is achieved by letting the juice rest in deeply charred oak for six to seven years before it’s cut down to 81 proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a matrix of mild spice, bitter oak, ripe stone fruits, creamy vanilla, and, dare we say, salted caramel up top. The taste delivers and expands into peach cobbler territory with plenty of vanilla, brown sugar syrup with baking spices, and an almost smoky oak edge. The end is another left turn — featuring a dusting of dark chocolate over the top of a honeyed underbelly as the oak, spice, and stone fruit fade away.

Bottom Line:

Every bourbon whiskey journey should start with Wild Turkey. This expression has all the depth on a classic Wild Turkey 101 without that high-proof burn. That’s what makes it an easy win for any newbie.

Old Forester 86 Proof

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Old Forester’s 86 Proof is a very straightforward whiskey. The mash bill is mid-range rye with 18 percent next to 72 percent corn and a final ten percent malted barley. The juice is aged in a fairly heavily charred oak barrel for an undisclosed amount of time (the youngest barrel is likely older than four years). The whiskey is then blended and proofed down to a very manageable 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

This has a big nose of vanilla-cherry tobacco with a hint of fresh mint lurking in the background next to a touch of floral honey. The taste has a grilled corn-on-the-cob vibe with a hint of pepper and butter next to small doses of citrus and soft oak. The end is surprisingly long and leaves you with a spicy warmth and a touch more of that sweet corn and butter.

Bottom Line:

This really is a great mixing whiskey. We’d argue that it also works on the rocks. When that water starts to cut into the whiskey, it’ll open up for some of those flavor notes while cooling it down a bit.

Jim Beam

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Classic white label Jim Beam has a low-rye mash bill. It’s aged for four years before the barrels are blended and it’s cut down to 80 proof. This is a lot of folks’ entry point into the wider world of bourbon because it’s a quaffable whiskey that’s very affordable and on pretty much every liquor store shelf right at eye level.

Tasting Notes:

You can sense the corn next to classic bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla, and orchard fruit — especially cherry. The sip centers the vanilla and caramel as a distant echo of oak arrives on the tongue. The sip warms with a bit of spice next to a sweetened caramel corn edge on the fast finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a simple and perfectly constructed high-value straight bourbon whiskey. It’s straightforward and will never challenge you while still maintaining a robust bourbon vibe.

Fistful Of Bourbon

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

This is one of the more interesting sourced whiskeys on the shelf in the U.S. The juice is the design of Scottish Master Blender (for William Grant & Sons) Kelsey McKechnie. McKechnie left Scotland for the U.S. to work in bourbon in the same ways she worked in blended scotch. Fistful of Bourbon is the fruit of that labor — blending five straight bourbons (from undisclosed distilleries) into one bottle.

Tasting Notes:

This is whiskey by design and hits classic and deep notes starting with bespoke but not too sweet Red Hots, vanilla pods, and a touch of mint on the end of the nose. The palate refines the spices and broadens to a clear Christmas spice feel next to a touch of dried fruit, leather, and oak. The end sharpens the spiciness while holding onto the bold vanilla as the oak and fruit fade completely out.

Bottom Line:

This is designed to mimic crafty bourbons with a touch of nostalgia built-in — those Red Hots cannot be denied. The spiciness makes it a great candidate for cocktails and on the rocks sipping.

Redemption Bourbon

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

This MGP sourced juice from Redemption is a masterclass in blending. The juice inches towards a high-rye mash bill (21 percent) and is comprised of barrels picked by Master Blender Dave Carpenter. The whiskey is then proofed down to a very drinkable 88 proof with that soft Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with a mix of dark caramel with a touch of salt, bitter dark chocolate, and maybe a hint of anise and nutmeg. Those spices enter an eggnog vibe with a vanilla pudding drizzled with caramel sauce and a touch of black pepper. The end isn’t too long and delves further into the spices and vanilla before finishing on a sweet popcorn note.

Bottom Line:

No list would be complete with a classic MGP bourbon. And this is a great one to get a handle on how the Indiana mega-distillery creates pretty amazing juice that’s then treated well and expanded upon by a master blender.

Buffalo Trace

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history — especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.

Tasting Notes:

Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and a raw leather that veers towards raw steak. The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove and star anise — next to a hint of tart berries underneath it all. The end is long, velvety, and really delivers on the vanilla and spice.

Bottom Line:

Like most of Buffalo Trace’s releases, this is a much-sought-after bottle. Luckily, it’s still pretty affordable because, let’s face it, this is an ideal cocktail whiskey.

Four Roses

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Four Roses’ entry-point bourbon is a blend of the brand’s ten signature whiskey recipes. The distillery uses a high-rye and low-rye mash bill, each fermented with five different yeast strains, bringing a lot of variable flavors to the whiskeys. The juices are then blended, proofed, and bottled with the idea of mixing in mind.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a definite steel note to this whiskey that leans toward minerality when water is added. The nose also brings along dried flowers, plenty of honey, and orchard fruits, with a hint of dark spice. The palate adds vanilla to the honey and apple foundations. The end is short but full of fruit, sweetness, spice, and green oak.

Bottom Line:

You can’t really go wrong with Four Roses. It is a little funkier than the standard straight bourbons on this list, and that’s why we dig it. The florals, honey, and minerality with a green woodiness all stand out in good ways.

Woodford Reserve

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

Woodford Reserve is a unique bourbon with a pretty typical medium-rye mash bill (18 percent). However, it’s triple distilled, a la Irish whiskey, giving the Kentucky juice a serious edge. The bourbon is then matured for a minimum of six years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a nice mix of dark chocolate-covered raisins next to a flourish of orange zest and plenty of bourbon vanilla and spicy tobacco. That slight tobacco chew leads back towards creamy vanilla, buttery toffee, and rich chocolate, with a hint of orange cutting back in. The end is just the right length, with a well-rounded creaminess that beckons you back for more.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle you graduate to when you start taking bourbon drinking a bit more seriously. There’s real craft behind the juice and it comes through in every sip. It’s also versatile in that it works as well as a cocktail base as an everyday sipper.

Woodinville Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

This craft whiskey is a grain/corn-to-glass Washington experience. The grains are all grown near the distillery. The oak is toasted and aged outside of the distillery’s warehouses for 18 months before the hot juice goes in for maturation. After around five years, the whiskey is blended, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Tropical fruits meld with Christmas spices and plenty of brown sugar, vanilla, and nuts leading towards an almost dark rum nose. The palate delivers but dials into butter-fried bananas, creamy vanilla pudding, rich toffee, and a hint of toasted wood. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and brings about a mild spicy chewiness and more of that toasty oak, with a nice return of the toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty high-end bourbon at an affordable price point. It absolutely works wonders in a cocktail or as a sipper (on the rocks or neat). This expression also beats out tons of bottles that cost twice as much, making it a hell of a bourbon stepping stone.

Heaven’s Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Bob Dylan’s whiskey company is still sourcing their juice from Tennessee distilleries (though they’re making their own distillate now, too). This expression is a blend of Tennessee bourbons that aged a minimum of six years in new oak. The whiskeys are then vatted and watered down to a drinkable 92 proof in a bespoke bottle with a Dylan-designed wrought iron gate image as the label.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in with a nose full of freshly buttered salted popcorn next to hints of bourbon vanilla, eggnog spices, and wet oak. The taste delivers on those promises and adds in a buttery cinnamon toast made with raisin bread next to a whisper of eggnog latte with a dusting of chocolate powder. The end is a medium-length with a nice fade from sweet to warm to buttery.

Bottom Line:

This is a cool bottle and a cool whiskey. It’s not overly crafted and remains a very easy-drinking bourbon that’ll take your tasting abilities up a notch.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

Although the pandemic forced the cancelation of numerous concerts, festivals, and tours, as live entertainment returns, fans who missed out on last year’s festivities are getting some consolation. One of the festivals that was canceled, the Dreamville Festival, is sort of coming back in a smaller capacity as Dreamville On The Rocks, a one-day mini-fest featuring nearly the entire roster at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The label’s social accounts posted a motion flyer providing the details and revealing the lineup and date: October 23, 2021.

Although team captain J. Cole is notably absent — perhaps he’ll be participating in some NBA team’s fall training camp, hoping to continue his professional basketball career — all of the label’s other roster mainstays are accounted for. Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, Earthgang, JID, Lute, and Omen are all listed, which could also be a good sign for expected releases from each after a year of relative inactivity (although Earthgang and JID both participated in the Spillage Village album Spilligion in 2020).

Dreamville On The Rocks doesn’t appear to be as big of an event as the original Dreamville Festival was planned to be with no announced guests from outside the label and only one day, but perhaps the crew is using it as a dry-run to shake off the rust before announcing a larger event down the line. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 am. You can find more information at Dreamville.com.

This fall, Grammy-winning R&B bassist Thundercat will resume celebrating his acclaimed album It Is What It Is with a massive North American tour that was originally cut off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compton rapper Channel Tres will open all of the shows and special guests will appear on various dates. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, June 11 via Thundercat’s website.

It Is What It Is won the 2020 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B album, beating out albums by Jhené Aiko, Chloe X Halle, Free Nationals, and Robert Glasper. That win was Thundercat’s second Grammy award.

Thundercat, the bassist/singer whose real name is Stephen Bruner, is one of the most in-demand contemporary funk musicians. His longtime writing partner is rapper/producer Flying Lotus. Thundercat has also worked with a variety of respected artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, NERD, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Childish Gambino, Janelle Monáe, Moses Sumney, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Kamasi Washington, and Travis Scott.

Check out Thundercat’s North American tour dates below.

07/31 — Omaha, NE @ Maha Music Festival
08/08 — San Francisco, CA @ Stern Grove Festival
08/26 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series
09/12 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
10/24 — Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
10/26 — Jacksonville, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
10/27 — Tampa, FL @ Jannus Live
10/28 — New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater
10/30 — Austin, TX @ TBA
10/31 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
11/02 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/04 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
11/06 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/07 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues
11/10 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
11/11 — Toronto, ON @ History
11/14 — St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theater
11/16 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
11/17 — Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
11/19 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Downstairs
11/20 — Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues Dallas
11/23 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
11/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
11/30 — Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
12/03 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
12/04 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
12/05 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Boise

With its Disney+ premiere less than 24 hours away, the first review for Loki are pouring in, and the overwhelming consensus is clear: Critics love the dynamic between Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Owen Wilson’s Mobius. If fans felt short-changed on the banter between Sam Wilson and Bucky in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki will apparently scratch that exact itch while also over-delivering in the weirdness department that WandaVision flirted with so well.

While these reviews are based on the first two episodes that were provided to outlets, the latest Marvel series is shaping up to be the best Disney+ offering yet, thanks to Hiddleston and Wilson and the show’s uncanny ability to improve on its predecessors. Which is fitting for a series that’s based on trying to fix the past to make a better future. That is, unless the Trickster God has other plans.

Here’s what the critics have to say about Loki.

Mike Ryan, Uproxx:

God bless Owen Wilson. He plays Mobius M. Mobius, a lifer desk jockey for the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Wilson is tasked with explaining a lot to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) about how time travel, and alternate realities, and magic space timekeepers work, which means he’s explaining it to us, the viewer. He is Mr. Exposition, but also he’s Owen Wilson so of course he can make this entertaining. This really is inspired casting. Also, it’s really something to watch Wilson not playing a free spirit, drifting through life and the story we are watching.

Matt Webb Mitovich, TV Line:

The banter between Hiddleston and Wilson is electric and often hilarious — a significant upgrade from what Falcon and Winter Soldier believed it was doing — and I cannot stress how critical that is, since the two, roughly 50-minute episodes sent to critics (out of six total) revolves around their push me/pull you dynamic.

James Whitbrook, io9:

Loki is primarily driven by a manic, buddy-cop rapport between our titular anti-hero and Owen Wilson’s mysterious Agent Mobius M. Mobius—a TVA agent who is equal parts a company diehard and also a bit of a cool vagabond. He lackadaisically strolls about the TVA’s halls like he kind of owns the place, and Wilson is in fine form, a fitting foil to Loki’s peculiar new role as a master manipulator suddenly out of control. As it pushes and pulls between Loki’s ever-present desire to bite his thumb at authority and his attempts to prove himself to this man he’s just met that he’s capable of being a… loosely good person, their partnership is electric and comical in all the right ways.

Daniel Fienberg, THR:

It’s a classic odd-couple pairing of leads and a perfect play on the respective screen personae of Hiddleston, verbally dextrous and capable of making total nonsense sound Shakespearean, and Wilson, droll and precise, able to unravel with five words any tapestry of logorrhea Hiddleston might spin in 50. If The Falcon and the Winter Soldier led with soaring plot, but frustrated people simply wanting to watch Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan banter, Loki establishes Hiddleston and Wilson sitting across from each other at tables as its trademark set-up.

Richard Trenholm, CNET:

Loki takes WandaVision‘s weirdness and pushes even further into a whole new myth of the MCU that feels big enough to completely shake up the whole Marvel thing (unlike previous Marvel TV shows, which were precision-engineered to not affect the big screen story at all). After a decade, it’s thrilling to see there are still some surprises in the MCU.

Andrew Webster, The Verge:

The chemistry between Wilson and Hiddleston is great, with the pair able to seamlessly transition from throwing barbs to contemplating serious revelations. Mobius has spent a long time studying Loki, and he’s both unfazed and impressed by him. Early on, he shows Loki pivotal scenes from his life, asking questions like “Do you like to hurt people?” Eventually, Loki breaks down and starts to worry that he’s a villain. “That’s not how I see it,” Mobius tells him. It’s a touching moment that further complicates an already complicated character, as you can never really tell what side Loki’s on (aside from his own).

Alex Abad-Santos, Vox:

Based on what I’ve seen of Loki so far, the show is off to a great start. I’d even say it’s more promising than WandaVision at the outset: The show’s murder mystery coupled with Hiddleston and Wilson’s chemistry makes me want to watch more. With the time-jumping and the double-crossing and satirical bureaucracy, the show’s writers have a lot to play around with. I also hope that we see more of Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays the imposing authority and time judge Ravonna Renslayer, in upcoming episodes.

Loki starts streaming June 9 on Disney+.

Summer is officially here and that means it’s time to chase down some refreshing and crushable craft beer. Beer release schedules are an every-turning wheel of unique styles and flavor profiles that help you keep things seasonal and fresh. Right now, we’re deep into the summer releases. We know summer only really started over Memorial Day weekend and doesn’t technically kick off until the 20th of June, but as far as beer goes we’re about six weeks away from pumpkin ale and fall beers.

Meaning that now’s the time to indulge in the fruity, refreshing craft entries that are dropping right now. The sort of brews that hit the spot after a long hike, a day on the boat, or an invigorating surf session.

Hopefully, the eight beers we’re giving love to this month will pique your interest and inspire you to explore exciting breweries in your neck of the woods. These picks represent regional craft beer releases from breweries that we vouch for (with tasting notes from the brewers themselves if we didn’t get to taste the beer yet), along with some seasonally released bottles that we’ve been looking forward to trying again.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST DROP: Alaskan Brewing Icy Bay IPA

ABV: 6.2%

Average Price: $10.99 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Alaskan always has a refreshing beer at the ready. Their Icy Bay IPA has just enough kick to keep you going back for more all summer long thanks to a blend of Summit, Bravo, Calypso, Apollo, and Cascade hops mixed with pale ale malts and that signature glacier water from Alaska.

Tasting Notes:

This is a pretty classic West Coast IPA with big notes of dank (almost cannabis tasting) floral and piney hops on the nose and on the palate. The taste lets the hops do their oily thing while leading you towards hints of citrus, more pine, and plenty of sticky resin with a slightly caramelized malty underbelly.

Bottom Line:

This is a bold one that’ll wake up your palate after plenty of light lagers.

SOUTHWEST DROP: Stone Enjoy By 07.04.21 Tangerine & Pineapple IPA

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $18.99 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Stone continues to drop crushable seasonal brews with their “Enjoy By…” series. This edition is a fruity IPA that’s been spiked with a hefty amount of tangerine and pineapple. The end result is a robust double IPA with nine percent ABVs that feels like a tropical fruit punch.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of a battle between the resinous and floral hops against the big citrus and tropical fruit notes throughout this sipper. The beer really leans into the tart yet sweet tangerine citrus to the point that you feel like you’re straight up taking a bite out of the fruit, skin and all.

Bottom Line:

Get this as cold as you can and crush it. It’s so damn refreshing, like drinking a boozy Orange Crush with a hop background. Though be warned, that nine percent ABV is no joke.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN DROP: LeftHand Moscow Mule Ginger & Lime Pale Ale

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $11.99 (six-pack)

The Beer:

LeftHand is one of those crafty breweries that’s pretty much perfected the fruity summer crusher. This brew is a classic pale ale base that’s inspired by the equally classic Moscow mule cocktail. The beer is made with lime juice, lime peels, and chunks of fresh ginger in the tank, giving the final brew a summer refresher vibe from top to bottom.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a subtle warmth thanks to that ginger that creates a pleasant throughline on this sipper. The lime juice edges from tart to sweet to almost bitter as the ginger heat attaches to the lightly dank and floral hops. The overall experience is slightly sweet, a little bit dry, and 100 percent will remind you of a lime-forward, spicy mule.

Bottom Line:

There are a lot of summer refreshers on this list. This might be the most “ah…” inducing. The flavor profiles are dialed to what the can is selling and really stay light without forgetting it’s still a beer.

SOUTHERN DROP: Rahr & Sons Paleta de Mango, Mango Chile Beer with Lime

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $10 (six-pack)

The Beer:

Rahr & Sons is another craft brewer that has mastered the art of adding fruit to beer. In this case, a kölsch (light, sessionable German lager) is amped up with Mexican Pequin chili, lime juice, and mango. The end result is pure Texas craft by way of strong German foundations.

Tasting Notes (from the brewer):

“Palate: pleasing juicy and tropical flavors of ripe mango, fresh lime, and Mexican Pequin chiles.”

Bottom Line:

Rahr & Sons never lead you wrong when it comes to taking old European beers and playing around with them for seasonal drops. This is sure to be a summer fav.

MIDWEST DROP: Bell’s Oberon Ale

ABV: 5.8%

Average Price: $9.99 (six-pack)

The Beer:

It’s not really summer until Bell’s drops their wheat beer, Oberon. The beer is has become a modern classic that coaxes spice, fruit, and richness from yeast, malt, hops, water, and nothing else.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a slight tingle of rum spices (think clove and anise) next to a light and almost cold orange juiciness with pops of citrus oils. The body of the beer is velvety smooth with deep notes of that spice popping back in.

Bottom Line:

This is a very crushable wheat beer that feels like a warm summer day was brewed into every sip.

NORTHEAST DROP: Samuel Adams/New Belgium Love Conquers Ale

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $16 (16-oz. four-pack)

The Beer:

Samuel Adams teamed up with New Belgium to create a beer that directly supports GLAAD for Pride this month. The beer is a fruit-gose that’s cut with blackberry juice and lime. More importantly, Samuel Adams is donating $16 from every four-pack sold in June to GLAAD.

Tasting Notes (from the brewer):

“Bright fruit notes like blackberry and lime, coupled with a light purplish to pink color give this beer something to celebrate. It’s a tiny bit tart, slightly salty, and deliciously refreshing.”

Bottom Line:

Good summer beer for a good cause? That’s a win-win.

WILD CARD DROP: Upslope Mexican Style Dark Lager

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $9.99 (six-pack)

The Beer:

This summer brew from Colorado is inspired by the Vienna lagers that came to dominate the Mexican beer scene. There’s a touch of flaked corn in the mash with plenty of Vienna malt to make this a light yet very drinkable summer lager.

Tasting Notes:

Those malts really shine through with a warm Southern biscuit vibe next to a drizzle of caramel, thanks to that sweet corn. The beer stays very effervescent while keeping the hops in the background — they read more as floral than anything else.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect summer sipper. It’s a soft dark lager that is all about being refreshing. Drink a few ice cold on a hot day.

INTERNATIONAL PICK OF THE MONTH: Mönchsambacher Lager

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: Varies

The Beer:

This kellerbier from Bamberg is goddamn summer in a bottle. This beer is the epitome of what makes Bavarian lagers so popular worldwide. It’s light yet full of deep flavors. It’s easy-drinking but you will feel it after having a few. It’s made with the simplest ingredients (water, yeast, malt, and hops) yet packs nuance and greatness.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of dark German rye crust that leads towards a slightly floral hoppiness and dried straw feel. Those malts sweeten towards fresh and floral summer honey as the hops gently ease into a light lemon citrus buzz with a touch of bitter pith. A touch of clove arrives late and is counterpointed by an almost mossy earthiness that helps keep this one light and fresh.

Bottom Line:

You’re going to have to go to a really good beer shop (or beer bar) to find this in the US. Still, it’ll be worth the hunt for a unique and absolutely quaffable summer session beer from one of the most important beer cities on the planet.