Month: July 2021

House Representative Tim Ryan gave his Republican colleagues, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, quite the tongue-lashing this week and social media is kind of loving it.

A clip of Ryan condemning House GOP members who have used the new mask mandate on Capitol Hill as political fodder has been viewed more than 1 million times, and for good reason. In the video, Ryan can be seen dressing down McCarthy and his colleagues for their very public temper tantrums in response to a memo sent out by Capitol physician Brian Monahan. In the memo, Monahan stated that masks were mandatory for Congressional members holding closed meetings indoors now that the Delta variant has become so prevalent. McCarthy, who himself hails from a hotspot where COVID continues to spread unchecked, tweeted his faux outrage over the new mandate on Tuesday.

He wasn’t the only Republican to use the doctor’s orders like some kind of political rallying cry for a conservative, vaccine-hesitant voting base, and when Ryan stepped up to the mic during a House meeting on Wednesday, he delivered a blistering rebuke of his colleagues, many of whom he said were “immature” and “juvenile.”

“Look, the attending physician of the United States Capitol, the top doctor for Congress, asks us to put on masks when we come to a chamber with 435 people,” Ryan said in his speech. “Just stop with this craziness. We’re trying to be safe, trying to protect our family members, our kids, our parents, close relatives, and the Minority leader mocks that. I just find it absolutely immature and appalling to somehow diminish it, try to score cheap political points. And that’s exactly what we saw a few minutes ago.”

Ryan shared the video on his timeline, doubling down on his comments, saying “Today, Minority Leader McCarthy gave a low rent and juvenile speech dragging us for wearing masks to keep our loved ones safe. You can always count on him to take the low road.”

Harsh, but accurate.

For their most recent album, 2017’s Villains, Queens Of The Stone Age brought Mark Ronson on board to produce. The partnership was a success, as the album was critically praised and it was Grammy-nominated. It wasn’t without tension, though, as Ronson once had to kick Dave Grohl out of the studio.

Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Ronson said:

“I didn’t really know Dave at all. He reminded me of how I kicked him out of the studio when he came one time in to crash a Queens session. It was the first time we were doing vocals and I was like, ‘Dave Grohl, rock legend, get the f*ck out of here.’ […] It was like the first day we were doing vocals and Josh was like really in a rhythm and it hit something, and I’m such a fan of Foo Fighters, Nirvana. It was not pleasant to have to ask Dave Grohl nicely to leave the session. […]

I think we were doing maybe ‘Villains [Of Circumstance]’ or ‘Fortress,’ a very personal song on the record, and it was the first time Josh had really found that emotional place to get to, to sing that record. We had tried it a few times and I think Dave and Alison Mosshart were maybe next door getting jolly and just came in to like, ‘What’s up, everybody?’ And I was like… that’s why.”

He then elaborated on how they got to that point, speculating that Grohl was trying to push him as a form of hazing:

“I think at the beginning, they went next door making their record with Greg Kurstin, the East West, and we were at United. And I think I was, like, the newbie. And at that time, I liked to probably dress a little too involved for going in the studio. I think Dave was hazing me. He was just testing how he could push me. Every now and then. [he’d] come by with three pairs of basketball shorts and be like, ‘Do you ever wear shorts?’ It was like a funny… it was funny and then I was like, I don’t know if this guy even likes me. But I think he was just hazing the new guy a little. But no, at that moment, when you’re the producer, it doesn’t really matter who it is, your job is to just fortress your guy’s studio, protect the artist, protect the vulnerability, all this stuff, at any cost. So unfortunately, even if it was Dave Grohl, Stevie Wonder, whoever would have come in at that moment, I would have had to been like, ‘Please, please come back.’”

Watch the full interview below.

While it seems like only yesterday we heard Whittaker’s first “oh, brilliant,” the time has come to brace ourselves for the next set of the Doctor’s heartbreaking final words. After three years portraying one of Britain’s most iconic television characters, Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has announced she is leaving the show. In addition, showrunner Chris Chibnall — the man behind Whittaker’s casting — will be exiting as well. The duo leaves the project with nothing but kind words for the BBC and those involved and is apparently leaving as to fulfill the “‘three series and out’ pact” they made to one another when Whittaker’s tenure began.

The pair is scheduled to wrap up their respective roles in Doctor Who after the show’s third season — which airs this winter — and three specials releasing throughout 2022. Seeing as next year is also the centenary of the BBC, it’s likely the channel has big things in store for those specials and the fourteenth Doctor’s big reveal.

In his farewell, Chibnall celebrated his and Whittaker’s collaboration on the show before stating, “I can’t imagine working with a more inspiring Doctor – so I’m not going to!” Whittaker’s statement was also heartfelt, and gives us just a taste of the emotion she’ll bring with her during the show’s final episode:

“In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories. We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learnt forever.”

As of right now, the BBC has not announced who will be replacing Whittaker once her saga reaches its end. However, considering the history Whittaker made as the first woman to ever play the iconic Doctor, it would seem whoever is next has some “size 13 shoes” to fill.

For weeks, one common refrain in the lead-up to the 2021 NBA Draft has been that the Detroit Pistons would do their homework before deciding who to take with the top overall pick. Several hours before things are slated to begin on Thursday night, the team’s apparent decision came in, and unsurprisingly, the Pistons will end up taking the guy who has been the presumed No. 1 pick for the last year.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pistons came to the conclusion that the best thing would be to select Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, and after flying to meet with him in New York City ahead of the Draft, their minds were made up.

Wojnarowski did add one potential wrench in the plan: If someone blows Detroit away in a trade for the top pick, their calculus could change.

It is probably more surprising that it took this long for news to come out of Cunningham getting the nod than it is that he is the pick. Cunningham has been penciled into this spot for months, regardless of who received the No. 1 pick, after the former five-star recruit averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals in 35.4 minutes per game for the Pokes en route to being named a consensus All-American. While guys like Jalen Green and Evan Mobley piqued the interest of Detroit’s brass, Cunningham is viewed as a future All-Star talent and the kind of player who can fit alongside any collection of teammates.

Blackpink has been making their mark as a group for years now, culminating in the release of their debut full-length project, The Album last year. But as the group gains ground in the mainstream, individual members are also releasing new music and making a name for themselves as well. Probably the most impactful of those solo members right now is Rosé, who debuted two single songs back in March. “On The Ground” was the standout of the two, accompanied by the B-side, “Gone Gone,” but it was “On The Ground” that inspired people like Brie Larson to try their own rendition.

Now, the tables have turned and its Rosé who is doing the covering. Eventually joined by Onew of the four-piece group Shinee and Lee Suhyun of, AKMU, a sibling duo, the Blackpink member began an incredible rendition of Alicia Key’s classic hit “If I Ain’t Got You” for a South Korean variety show called The Sea Of Hope. The singers perform in front of a live audience and against the sparkling backdrop of the ocean, bringing the show’s title into clear focus. Later in the show, Rosé also joined Onew to cover Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat’s duet “Lucky.” Check out the Alicia Keys cover above, and the “Lucky” rendition below.

Jared Leto’s love of disappearing into makeup and prosthetics is growing almost as legendary as that of Johnny Depp. The most recent DCEU (and crowd un-favorite) Joker will have to wait until 2022 for audience to see him vamp out as Sony’s Morbius. Yet in better news for those who enjoy seeing massive transformations, the Oscar winner will reach new prosthetic-wearing heights as Paolo Gucci in the Ridley Scott-directed House of Gucci film. Take a look at this poster to spot the Leto.

Yep, he’s dead center — to promote the biographical crime drama based upon Sara Gay Forden 2001’s book, The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed — and flanked by Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jeremy Irons, and Al Pacino. And naturally, Leto is drawing the most focus here, so I do hope that Adam Driver has enjoyed his previous days of shirtless-centaur attention because it’s behind us (well, it’s never going to be behind John Oliver). This hour is all about Leto, for very different reasons.

Well, it’s a hell of a make-up job, and it’s no wonder Leto nabbed this role.

Comparisons are being made made, including the following: Jeffrey Tambor, Dr. Phil, and uh, NYPD Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Also, M. Night Shyamalan’s Old is getting some shoutouts. And there are people wondering why Leto took this role away from some guy who actually looked like Paolo Gucci. Acting!

House of Gucci arrives on November 24.

In recent years, Canada has shed some of its lingering whisky stigmas. Historically speaking, Canada has been most commonly associated with some not-so-great blends. While the country has been producing high-quality whisky for decades, the world didn’t seem to notice until Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was named as the “world’s best whisky” in the 2016 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Flash forward to 2021 and another Canadian whisky — Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye — was named as the “world’s best whisky” in the same publication.

This brings us to one of the most confusing aspects of Canadian whisky — the word “rye.” At some point, Canadian distillers began using rye in their mash bills to add a peppery element. This led to Canadian whisky being referred to as “rye whisky” even though all the expressions in question didn’t necessarily fit the criteria of American rye (>50% rye in the mash bill). Today, some drinkers still use “rye whisky” to refer to the spirit, regardless of the amount of rye included.

It’s confusing, to say the least. To make things even more tangled, there actually are a fair number of Canadian whiskies that fit the criteria of a classic rye whisky.

Part 1: The Taste

For this blind taste test, I picked eight of the most well-known Canadian rye whiskies and ranked them on flavor alone. As always, there were a few surprises. Here’s the lineup I settled on:

• Canadian Club 100% Rye
• J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye
• Pendleton 1910 Rye
• Long Stock & Barrel 16
• Masterson’s 10 Year Straight Rye
• Lot No. 40 Rye
• Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
• Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

Let’s do this thing!

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is totally complex with scents of dried cherries, raisins, candied orange peels, caramel, and slight spice. When I sipped it, I found flavors of clove, cinnamon, toffee, vanilla beans, slight floral notes, and spicy rye at the end.

I really enjoyed this whisky for its complexity of flavors and lasting rye spice.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this whisky’s nose. There are notable aromas of vanilla beans, sweet malts, and a nice wallop of spicy rye. From there, I got flavors of butterscotch, oak, dried fruits, and more white pepper. The finish is clean and perfectly spicy.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a bit light. Maybe I expect too much from a rye whisky, but all I noticed were scents of oak, cinnamon, and just a hint of vanilla. No pepper to be found. The palate featured flavors of brown sugar, more oak, and toasted vanilla beans. The finish is all cracked black pepper.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is surprisingly bland for a rye whisky. There’s a hint of vanilla and oak, but not much else. Sipping it revealed some butterscotch and more vanilla, and a pretty bold kick of peppery rye.

This is definitely a whisky for fans of peppery rye as it’s definitely center stage.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with aromas of caramel corn, vanilla beans, pipe tobacco, candied pecans, and a slight hint of pepper. The palate reveals hints of sweet honey, chocolate fudge, butterscotch, cooking spices, and a nice spicy, peppery kick at the very close.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

The first aromas I noticed were mint, caramel, dried cherries, and sweet grains. Sipping it revealed slight oak, buttery caramel, dried fruits, and a very slight hint of cracked black pepper at the very end.

It’s complex, well-balanced, and mellow.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

The nose was so fragrant I had to go back multiple times to find dried fruits, honey, buttercream frosting, fresh mint, and a spicy backbone. Drinking it, I found flavors of maple candy, almond cookies, butterscotch, and nice, gentle, peppery rye spice.

This is an exciting whisky that will require multiple samplings.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

Now, this is a spicy nose. I noticed scents of cloves, cinnamon, cracked black pepper, caramel, and dried fruits. Sipping it brought out fruity flavors, raisins, buttery caramel, vanilla, and a nice finish of sweet fruits and slight-peppery rye.

Part 2: The Ranking

Things get wild and wacky when you do a blind taste test. This, in particular, is why I consider them to be the best possible way to rank whisky.

8) Canadian Club 100% Rye (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $20

The Story:

Canadian Club is most known to modern drinkers as the whisky Don Draper enjoyed on Mad Men. This expression from the well-known brand definitely isn’t the same one enjoyed by the ad man. Made with a mash bill of 100% rye grown in Alberta, this is spicy, peppery whisky for fans of super-bold, rye-based whiskies.

Bottom Line:

This is a fairly aggressive whisky. While there are notes of sweet vanilla and buttery caramel, the spicy, cracked black pepper flavor takes center stage — I wish it was slightly more well-balanced.

7) Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (Taste 3)

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32

The Story:

Crown Royal is well-known for its high-quality blended whiskies. Its award-winning Northern Harvest Rye is a blend made with 90% rye grain. It’s well-known for its mix of spicy rye and gentles sweetness that make it well-suited for slow sipping or mixing into your favorite cocktails.

Bottom Line:

This whisky is reasonably well-balanced but actually lighter on the rye spice than I would have hoped. It’s definitely a good sipper though — especially if you’re not trying to get knocked out by black pepper.

6) Masterson’s 10 Year Straight Rye (Taste 6)

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $75

The Story:

This straight rye whisky is made using a mash bill of 100% rye from the Pacific Northwest. This Calgary-produced whisky is aged for ten years in American oak barrels. The result is a nuanced, spicy, complex whisky that deserves to be sipped straight.

While it’s made in Canada, it’s bottled in California and really bridges the gap between the two whisky-loving nations.

Bottom Line:

Just like some of the other whiskies on this list, this isn’t a bad whisky. In fact, it’s a really good whisky. I just wish there was more of a kick of rye after touting a 100% rye mash bill. Try as I might, I can’t savvy out that gap.

5) Pendleton 1910 Rye (Taste 8)

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

Named to pay tribute to the year the first Pendleton Round-Up rodeo took place in Pendleton, Oregon, Pendleton 1910 is a 100% rye-based Canada-made whisky that’s aged for a minimum of twelve years in American oak casks. The result is a smooth, highly sippable, surprisingly low-priced dram.

Bottom Line:

This is truly a well-balanced whisky. It ticks all of the rye boxes. There’s a fruity sweetness, rich maltiness, and just the right amount of peppery rye. Still, it didn’t reach the heights of flavor that some of these next bottles hit.

4) J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye (Taste 2)

ABV: 43.5%
Average Price: $25

The Story:

Like Crown Royal, J.P. Wiser’s is known for its award-winning blended whiskies. One of its best is its Triple Barrel Rye. Made from whiskies aged in first-fill bourbon, used oak, and virgin oak barrels, it’s rich, mellow, and known for its sweetness to spice ratio as well as its low price.

Bottom Line:

This is a great rye for sipping and mixing. It’s well balanced with caramel and vanilla notes that pair well with peppery rye. Well-suited for a Manhattan or another classic cocktail.

3) Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye (Taste 7)

ABV: 65.1%
Average Price: $79.99

The Story:

Before last year, many drinkers probably hadn’t ever heard of Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. The world learned of this whisky and reveled in its 100% rye mash bill, crazy high proof, and multi-dimensional aroma and palate.

Bottom Line:

This is the kind of whisky that needs multiple samplings to truly appreciate. I feel like I missed some of the aromas and flavors in the midst of a blind test and I’m excited to return to it at a later date.

2) Lock Stock & Barrel 13-Year-Old Rye (Taste 5)

ABV: 50.65%
Average Price: $129

The Story:

Another Canadian whisky that’s sold as an American product, Lock Stock & Barrel 13-Year-Old Rye is made from 100% rye before being aged for thirteen years in American oak barrels. This award-winning whisky might be a little pricy, but it’s definitely worth it with its bold rye flavor.

Bottom Line:

This is definitely an older whisky. The flavors meld together so well you’ll want to enjoy the buttery caramel and spicy rye notes neat or on the rocks only.

1) Lot No. 40 Rye (Taste 1)

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $39

The Story:

Lot No. 40 Rye is one of the most well-known rye whiskies in the world. This 100% rye-based whisky is distilled using traditional copper pot stills. It’s made in small batches and is known for its rich, highly complex, extremely sippable flavor.

Bottom Line:

As I went down this list, I found myriad well-balanced, complex expressions. In my opinion, this is by far the best of the bunch. If I could only drink one whisky on this list, it would be this one.

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

We’re five and a half seasons into Billions — Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin’s series about terrible rich people doing terrible things to each other that isn’t Succession — and AG trust funder Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis) still can’t play nice. Fortunately for Rhoades, he’s now got an ally in the form of Mike Prince (Corey Stoll), yet another billionaire hedge fund manager, but one who hates Axe almost as much as Chuck does.

On Thursday morning, Showtime released the new trailer for the final five episodes of Billions’ fifth season, and everyone’s about to go scorched Earth. While that might be just another day at the office for Chuck, Axe, Wags (David Costabile) and their pals, it’s new territory for Prince — a cornfed Indiana farm boy and former high school basketball star who had to climb his way to the top and isn’t about to let Axe take any of that away from him.

According to Showtime’s official summary:

In the second half of season five, the presence of powerful billionaire Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) sends ripples through Axe Capital and gives Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) a potential new weapon in his fight against Bobby Axelrod (Lewis). Alliances form, get ripped apart and form anew, and everyone from Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon) to Wendy (Maggie Siff) gets roped into the conflict, which comes very close to destroying all they hold dear. The series also stars David Costabile, Condola Rashad, Kelly AuCoin and Jeffrey DeMunn. Jeanane Garafolo will guest star as Winslow, the hip owner of a legal cannabis corp.

While Axe and Wags (especially Wags) seem thrilled at the prospect of taking down Prince “Joan of Arc-style,” Prince hates that he’s been “sucked into chaos” by Axe. His only solution? “Someone has to wipe him off the face of the Earth!” Chuck, of course, is happy to oblige — or at least go down trying.

Billions will return with five new episodes on Sunday, September 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. You can watch the full trailer above.

Ever since DaBaby’s fall from grace began this weekend, Dua Lipa fans have tried to forget that he featured on the hit remix of Future Nostalgia highlight “Levitating.” One person even swapped out DaBaby with Megan Thee Stallion to make their own unofficial “fix.” Now, it looks like music curators are responding to the DaBaby situation by opting for the solo album version of “Levitating” instead of the DaBaby remix: Pop Crave reports that the DaBaby version of the song has been removed from multiple Apple Music playlists, as well as Dua Lipa’s Essentials playlist, on which has been replaced by the solo version.

Additionally, US Radio Updater notes that some radio stations are now opting to play the solo version of the song over the DaBaby remix. Some listeners have also noticed that they’re now hearing the solo version on the radio instead of the remix. As US Radio Updater notes, though, the solo version was already being played by adult contemporary programmers, while pop and rhythmic stations tended to play the remix.

Lipa previously said of the DaBaby situation, “I’m surprised and horrified. I know my fans know where my heart lies and that I stand 100 percent with the LGBTQ community. We need to come together to fight the stigma and ignorance around HIV/AIDS.”

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

Glaive is a rising new voice in the pop space, and he’s gearing up to release his second EP. All Dogs Go To Heaven will be out next Friday, and it follows up his debut EP Cypress Grove, which came out last fall. Mixing a pop-punk sound with synths and a singing style that hews close to rap, the North Carolina plays with genres to create a sound that’s wholly his own. The 16-year-old phenom started making music last year around the time the pandemic began, quickly releasing his debut EP and racking up accolades and listeners.

Now that he’s readying this follow-up EP, Glaive dropped another new single today to continue previewing the project. “Bastard” is in line with the self-deprecation of past tracks like “Detest Me,” and the same frenetic energy as his breakout hit, “Astrid.” The former will also be on this new EP, and Glaive shared a bit about his experience making the song. “I made this song a year ago when I was 15,” Glaive said of his latest track. “I’ve had it for a while but I think it stands the test of time.”

Check out the new song above and look for the EP out next week.