The Indiana Pacers have brought back a familiar face to lead their team next season (and they hope for many more) as Rick Carlisle is returning to the bench in Indianapolis after resigning from the Mavs earlier this month. Carlisle is one of the most well-respected coaches in the league, although he hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with some players — this is the reported reason he left Dallas is a rocky relationship with his young star in Luka Doncic.
Still, he brings a resume that allows him to command respect immediately, and after the Pacers had a rather disastrous season in Nate Bjorkgren’s lone year at the helm before he was fired for losing the locker room before he ever got a hold of it, Carlisle brings a welcome sense of stability. The Pacers greatest player in franchise history is particularly excited about the hire, as Reggie Miller played for Carlisle when he was both an assistant in Indiana in the late 90s and the head coach from 2003-07.
Miller feels the hire is great news for the franchise, but also had a message to the team’s players that there are no more excuses for underperforming beyond themselves after they “ran off” Nate McMillan who has the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals and then Bjorkgren after one season.
Pacers legend and @NBAonTNT analyst Reggie Miller called it “a sunny day in Indiana to get coach Carlisle back.”
Miller isn’t wrong here. The Pacers will absolutely be in put up or shut up mode next season after a very strange 2020-21 season that saw them deal with injuries and illnesses that never let them find a rhythm beyond the first couple weeks of the year. There’s talent on the roster but the question for some time in Indiana is how that talent fits, namely Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner (the latter of whom seems to be perpetually on the trade block), and what their true ceiling is. With Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, and hopefully a healthy TJ Warren, next season figures to be another playoff run for Indiana, but another stumble like this past season or another first round exit as had become the norm might lead to some serious roster changes, because they know they have a coach with a strong pedigree now.
Today, Ontario-based singer-songwriter Ellis (whose real name is Linnea Siggelkow) previews her new EP, Nothing Is Sacred Anymore, with the lilting new song and video for “Hell.” The song features vocals from her real-life partner, Chastity (Brandon Williams). “We walked in circles around the cemetery, playing Truth Or Dare,” Ellis sings. “And you asked me if I think it’s scary — must get pretty dark down there.”
In the video, Ellis is in a church parking lot, pulling a cart with a bag that appears to be leaking blood (but is too small to be a body bag). Williams is waiting for her, first digging a grave in a cemetery, then down by a river where, together, they set the cart on fire and hover over the flames.
In a statement, Siggelkow explained the song is about contemplating the afterlife. “I think the concept of Hell in a traditional sense is very strange,” Siggelkow said. “Thinking about it as a place that exists in the afterlife feels like it discounts all the real and sh*tty things that people endure in this lifetime. Hell exists on Earth, we see it all the time. I like to think that death isn’t the gateway to ell, it’s some kind of freedom from it.”
Nothing Is Sacred Anymore follows Siggelkow’s acclaimed debut album, Born Again, which also dealt with intimate reflections on death and her religious upbringing.
Listen to Ellis’ “Hell” above and revisit her other previously released tracks from the EP, “Hospital” and “What If Love Isn’t Enough.”
Nothing Is Sacred Anymore is out 6/25. Pre-order it here.
There are some people who are real sticklers for the rules. Every kid you know who wanted to be the hall monitor ended up working in law enforcement, some ended up as middle management at a large corporation, and one, apparently, became the bouncer at New York nightspot Barcade, where Rihanna was refused entry after the internationally famous superstar, whose face and name are global institutions, who has been on TV since she was 17 (16 years ago!)… forgot her ID. Let’s go to the tape:
So, a couple of things here. One: Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are an adorable couple albeit a slightly unconventional one. Two: What on Earth is this bouncer thinking? Look, man, I get it: Rules are rules. But look here, wannabe Captain America. That is Rihanna. Rihanna, who, again, has been famous for over 15 years. Whose age is readily and easily Googleable for anyone who owns a smartphone — which in 2021, includes approximately 85% of the American population. Maybe this bouncer just really needed this job, perhaps he lives in a pineapple under the sea that gets no internet, radio, or television reception, or maybe his boss was one of those aforementioned hall monitor kids and just could not abide making an exception for anyone, but whatever the case, it’s truly one of the most baffling celebrity-related incidents to take place this week… A week that also included both Meghan McCain and Piers Morgan commenting on Britney Spears’ conservatorship and Trick Daddy claiming Beyonce “can’t sing.”
Naturally, Twitter users are beside themselves as a result. A recurring theme seems to be an undercurrent of spiteful glee at the singer’s predicament, a perceived punishment for not releasing a new album in five years. Fortunately for the couple, they eventually got in, according to Buzzfeed, and a wonderful date night was had by all… except for that bouncer, who should really invest in a Spotify account or something. Check out some choice responses below.
I just saw a bouncer try to not let rihanna into a bar for not having id lmaoooo whose mans is this
rihanna telling the bouncer who she is and he doesn’t care because he doesn’t remember the singer who hasn’t released an album in 5 years: pic.twitter.com/zP2NuFHiB8
You can literally google Rihanna’s age. Wtf was that bouncer doing?
— OluwaTeej the Suns Fan (@Less_HumbleTeej) June 24, 2021
The whole point of an ID is to verify that you are who are say you are
That makes sense for normal people. The bouncer don’t know who I am
Everyone KNOWS who Rihanna is. ID is useless.
— OluwaTeej the Suns Fan (@Less_HumbleTeej) June 24, 2021
Rihanna: “it’s me, singer, Rihanna, you remember me?” Bouncer: “oh yeah Rihanna, she’s a singer? Idk the last time I hear her music was…wait you a singer?” pic.twitter.com/qViTk9vh0b
Vince Staples may be gearing up for the release of his upcoming self-titled album, but that’s not the only exciting project the rapper has in the works. Staples revealed that he’s partnered with Z2 Comics to co-author a science fiction graphic novel titled Limbo Beach.
Staples and Z2 Comics shared a first look at the novel’s illustration style Thursday. Limbo Beach was co-written by Vince Staples alongside novelists Bryan Edward Hill and Chris Robinson, with illustrations by Buster Moody. According to the summary on Z2 Comic’s website, the story follows a group of “a band of misfit teenage raiders” as they explore an abandoned amusement park run by adolescents that give them super powers.
In a statement alongside the novel’s announcement, Staples described the world in which the story takes place:
“Limbo Beach is the story of lost children fighting to regain their stolen youth. It takes place in a world similar to the one that we all live in, where we are shaped by our experiences and those around us. I appreciate the opportunity to create these stories in a way that I never have before. Hopefully it is the first of many.”
Limbo Beach is slated for a December 2021 release. Pre-order it here.
After taking HBO Max viewers through the arduous task of juggling a complicated pregnancy and a new comedy special, Amy Schumer is back with a new unscripted series for the streaming service. Titled Amy Learns To…, each half hour episode will feature the comedian tackling a wide variety of vocations that she’s never done before.
“We are thrilled to be working with Amy again!” HBO Max executive vice-president Jennifer O’Connell said in a press release announcing the new series. “She is sure to surprise and amaze us with her willingness to push boundaries and try something new, always with a hilarious spin.”
“We are pumped for this!” Schumer added.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Amy steps out of her comfort zone and into someone else’s. In each episode, Amy learns a new skill, craft, or trade from a local expert in her husband’s hometown on Martha’s Vineyard. Whether she’s learning to dive for clams, sell real estate, perform a magic trick, or (sort of) repair a roof, she’ll meet each challenge with her signature wit, vulnerability and willingness to try anything.
On top of being the comedian’s second streaming series for HBO Max, Schumer has become an active player in the streaming realm. She also has a new series, Life & Beth, lined up at Hulu, which she writes, produces, and stars in with Michael Cera, who hasn’t starred in a TV role since his time as George Michael on Arrested Development.
Richmond, Virginia’s own AOK — formerly known as Bootychaaain — drops by UPROXX Sessions this week with a swaggering performance of her ruthless single, “Cutthroat.” Built over a bubbling bassline with a skeletal snare beat and twinkling piano loops, the party-ready song shows off AOK’s one-of-a-kind, devil-may-care style, and full-chested confidence. “When they talkin’ sh*t, call it promo,” she boasts. “Bad lil’ b*tch, and she cutthroat.”
Calling herself “the Black Lara Croft” after the heroine of the Tomb Raider video game series, AOK (short for Aunty Okaaay) is a buzzy SoundCloud rapper with a quirky style that can’t be contained to just one box. Eschewing many of the conventions of traditional hip-hop, she’s putting in her time on the underground scene, performing brash songs like “Trap Rap” and “Hot Grease” at mosh pit-ready shows that take inspiration from everything from ballroom to the goth scene. Disinterested in doing anything that has come before, AOK can truly consider herself unique among the current crop of rising stars in rap.
Watch AOK’s “Cutthroat” performance above.
UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross,UPROXX Sessionsis a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.
The famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival routinely has one of the biggest and most diverse lineups on the festival circuit. For its 2021 event, that will be no different, as revealed with today’s lineup announcement.
This year’s festival is set for the weekends of October 8 to 10 and 15 to 17, and even though today’s list of artists isn’t even the full lineup, it’s still stacked. On the top line of the poster are Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, Lizzo, and Demi Lovato. Other highlights include The Black Crowes, HER, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, The Beach Boys, Ludacris, Jon Batiste, Wu-Tang Clan, Brittany Howard, Randy Newman, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Big Freedia, and PJ Morton.
Learn more about this year’s festival and tickets here, and find the two-weekend lineup below.
October 8 to 10
Dead & Company, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Black Crowes, Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile, Wu-Tang Clan featuring The Soul Rebels, The Revivalists, Ludacris, Ziggy Marley: Songs of Bob Marley, Randy Newman, Tank and The Bangas, Galactic, David Sanborn, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbeque Swingers, Chris Isaak, Cyril Neville, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Charlie Musselwhite, Arturo Sandoval, Martha Redbone Roots Project, Ricky Skaggs, Doug Kershaw, Boyfriend, El Gran Combo, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Tab Benoit, Leo Nocentelli, Anders Osborne, Walter Wolfman Washington & the Roadmasters, Little Freddie King, Kathy Taylor and Favor, Tribute to Bessie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Deacon John, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, We are One and Divine Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, and more.
October 15 to 17
Stevie Nicks, Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band, H.E.R., Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Beach Boys, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Jon Batiste, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Brittany Howard, Irma Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, The Isley Brothers, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Boz Scaggs, Rickie Lee Jones, Ledisi, Tower of Power, Big Freedia, Keb’ Mo’ Band, PJ Morton, Playing for Change Band, Samantha Fish, Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective, Rebirth Brass Band, Shovels & Rope, Asleep at the Wheel, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Radiators, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Davell Crawford, Puss N Boots, The Campbell Brothers, Jermaine Landrum & Abundant Praise Revival Choir, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, Tribute to Dr. John, The Count Basie Orchestra, New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Ronnie Lamarque, and more.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Dallas Mavericks are one of five NBA teams still looking for a head coach. As their old coach signs onto a new job in the Eastern Conference, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that Jason Kidd is a “prime candidate” for the job.
The Mavericks remain focused for now on their front-office search, but Jason Kidd will be a prime candidate in their coaching search, league sources say.
Rick Carlisle just took the Indiana job and told @espn_macmahon his “hope is that Jason Kidd will be next coach of the Mavs.”
Kidd has been a head coach twice before, once with the Bucks and once with the Nets. He was an assistant with the Lakers this past season and was linked to the still open Trail Blazers job before taking himself out of the running after Blazers star Damian Lillard publicly vouched for him. Kidd also played for the Mavericks on two occasions — the franchise drafted him second overall in 1994 — and was a key part of the 2011 team that won a championship.
Interestingly, ex-Mavs coach and newly hired Pacers coach Rick Carlisle (who coached Kidd in 2011) publicly vouched for Kidd to get the job. In Carlisle’s eyes, there are similarities between Kidd during his playing days and Mavericks franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic that would make the former the perfect coach for the latter.
Rick Carlisle on his Mavs: “It’s hard to put an exact finger on it. It’s just a feeling that I had that it would be mutually beneficial. My hope is that Jason Kidd will be the next coach of the Mavs because he and Luka have so many things in common as players.”
Carlisle (cont.): “I just think that it would be a great situation for Luka, and I think it would be an amazing situation for Jason. I’m the only person on the planet that’s coached both of those guys and that knows about all of their special qualities as basketball players.”
Kidd would be an interesting choice for Dallas in that he’s a former player and, in theory, could relate to Doncic as someone who makes plays at the highest level, although it must be said that he was fired by the Bucks during his last coaching gig. Kidd has also been linked to the open Magic job during this hiring cycle.
Lorde fans were so looking forward to the singer’s return that they consistently made her trend on Twitter, even without new music. So of course, her listeners were over the moon when the singer announced her upcoming Solar Power album and tour dates. But they’re now running into a road block as her tour dates are selling out in minutes.
Lorde fans took to Twitter to air their grievances about having a hard time securing tickets to her 2022 tour. Many detailed waiting in a Ticketmaster online queue for hours, only to see the show sell out right before their eyes.
— andwele | solar power! (@itsandwele) June 24, 2021
waited all week for lorde tickets to go on pre-sale this morning only to be put in a queue and then have all the tickets sell out pic.twitter.com/KFQmrAUyZK
One fan was so excited about the chance to see Lorde live that they bought tickets on their phone while visiting an active volcano site.
Anyway here’s me with a literal active volcano in the back trying to secure my Lorde tickets! – see ya at the Solar Power tour in DC and Boston 🙂 pic.twitter.com/LgPtsRZWBt
While fans need to wait until next year before seeing Lorde live, they can rest assured knowing her Solar Power album is just about two months away from an official release. Lorde has only shared the LP’s title track thus far, but she did recently note some of her songwriting inspirations. “The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors,” Lorde said in a statement. “In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learned to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.”
Solar Power is out 8/20 via Republic. Pre-order it here.
Irish whiskey is much more than a simple base for an Irish coffee and a shot to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The triple distilled tipple from the Emerald Isle is specifically crafted to be a subtle, workhorse whiskey both sippable and mixable. Notes of grain, honey, florals, and fruits take center stage while leaning into the tradition of aging in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
While there’s no wrong time of year for this Irish import, the soft, sweet, mellow flavors are best suited for summer sipping, especially if you’re making an effervescent highball or citrus-forward cocktail. This is the time of year when that lightness in your whiskey is deeply enjoyable and the syrupy, leathery, and overly spicy firestarter whiskeys that warm your soul in the winter might not hit the sweet spot.
To find the best Irish whiskeys for summer, we turned to the pros for advice. We asked a handful of our favorite bartenders to tell us the best Irish Whiskeys to drink this summer (and in general). Check them all out below and click on their prices if you want to try any of these yourself.
Two Stacks
Two Stacks
Chris Hennessy, bartender at Dylan Whisky Bar in Kilkenny, Ireland
Two Stacks Irish Whiskey, with their transparent blending, is a breath of fresh air for the bar industry. On the labeling, they break down the exact distillate percentages and maturation casks, helping bartenders to pinpoint flavor profiles to best suit their guests. This then helps people find the best expression to enjoy during the summer months.
Roe & Co
Roe & Co
Eoghain Clavin, brewery ambassador for Guinness in Dublin, Ireland
The old Guinness power station across the street from the Guinness brewery, in the heart of Dublin City, is the home of Roe & Co. Irish whiskey. Their distillery is one of Ireland’s newest, and I was lucky enough to get to visit the distillery when it opened in 2019. It’s truly an amazing experience and home to some outstanding whiskey. Flavors of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of spiced pear and woody vanilla make this the foundation for many great Irish whiskey cocktails.
I wish more people knew about Writer’s Tears Copper Pot. Their product represents a blend of single pot still and single malt whiskies. This is a relatively new label that pays tribute to Ireland’s long history of brilliant, but miserable writers. It might be expected to go harsh on the palate, but the opposite is true. Writers Tears may be the easiest drinking Irish whiskey you will come across.
West Cork Distillers’ Bourbon Cask whiskey is great this time of year. There are a lot of pleasant grain and citrus notes from the whiskey itself, and the bourbon cask gives it a nice caramel dessert finish. It’s a high-quality spirit and you can get it at a price point that doesn’t empty your wallet.
I’m a huge fan of The Sexton Irish Single Malt Irish Whiskey, which I think is often overshadowed by the usual competitors on the market. The nose is dominated by stone fruit while the palate is filled with flowers, honey, and dried fruits that make for an incredibly smooth and robust drinking experience. And the packaging is unlike anything else we see on the shelves.
A nice showpiece for summer parties.
Teeling Small Batch
Teeling
Austin Zimmer, bartender at Le Privé in New York City
I wish people knew more about Teeling, especially for those looking for a light summer mixer. It’s a very smooth Irish whiskey with a sweet vanilla taste, caramel touch, smooth creamy finish, and lively spice notes. I especially enjoy their Small Batch. It’s definitely not to be missed.
Tullamore D.E.W.
Tullamore D.E.W.
Francisco Fonseca, bartender in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tullamore D.E.W. is a great summer sipper and mixer. It’s a mild blended whiskey thanks to spicy lemony and malty notes with charred wood undertones giving it a soft, buttery, rounded flavor that lingers in the mouth.
Green Spot
Green Spot
Evan Charest, owner and director of operations at Severence Melrose in Los Angeles
Green Spot is my go-to. I wish I could scream to the hilltops about the beauty of single pot still Irish whiskeys. The category gets dragged in the mud for its sole use in highballs and Irish coffees. Green Spot specifically has a wonderfully smooth-yet-subtle taste with a slight hint of brininess and is perfect over a small cube or two on a hot summer day.
My go-to is Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey. It’s great for cocktails but also works well as a sipper because of its nice, honey finish. It’s very smooth and memorable.
Redbreast 12
Redbreast
Joseph Fredrickson, bartender at Society Lounge in Cleveland
This pot still whiskey gives a more robust flavor profile while still coming off incredibly smooth with that hint of honey and oats that makes me think of Irish whiskey.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
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