Month: July 2021

Less than a week after Netflix announced that it will start streaming Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami, a docuseries that continues director Billy Corben’s deep dive into the infamous Miami drug scene, the streamer has released a riveting new trailer full of speedboats, murder, women, and literal tons of cocaine. The series will focus on an almost legendary pair of Miami drug runners, who engaged in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with law enforcement. They proceeded to become billionaires by smuggling in mountains of blow and effortlessly slipping away from authorities even while in the middle of being arrested.

It also didn’t hurt that the local community viewed “Los Muchachos” as speedboating Robin Hoods, thanks to their propensity for sharing their vast wealth. Here’s the official synopsis:

Fifteen years after the release of his original cult classic film comes director Billy Corben’s Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami – a six-part saga on the South Florida traffickers indicted in one of the largest drug cases in U.S. history. Alleged to be the chief U.S. distributors for two of Colombia’s biggest cartels, Cuban exiles Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador “Sal” Magluta were accused of smuggling over 75 tons of cocaine into the U.S. in the 1980s. The high school friends built a reputed $2 billion empire that made Willy and Sal, aka “Los Muchachos,” two of Miami’s biggest celebrities. While law enforcement plotted their takedown, the world champion powerboat racers managed to skillfully outrun and outmaneuver prosecution for decades before the chase finally came to an end.

Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami speedboats onto Netflix on August 4.

Sturgill Simpson has been one of the busiest people in music in recent years. Aside from filming a Martin Scorsese movie, he’s released three albums since 2019, including two last year. Now, he’s ready for another: The Ballad Of Dood And Juanita, a concept album, is set for release on August 20.

Simpson calls the project “a simple tale of either redemption or revenge” and also says of it, “I just wanted to write a story — not a collection of songs that tell a story, but an actual story, front to back. [It’s a] rollercoaster ride through all the styles of traditional country and bluegrass and mountain music that I love, including gospel and a cappella”

Impressively, the album was written and recorded in less than a week. It was made with the same artists with whom Sturgill collaborated on his 2020 Cuttin’ Grass albums, as well as Willie Nelson, who features on “Juanita.”

Find the The Ballad Of Dood And Juanita art and tracklist below.

1. “Prologue”
2. “Ol’ Dood (Part I)”
3. “One In the Saddle, One On the Ground”
4. “Shamrock”
5. “Played Out”
6. “Sam”
7. “Juanita” Feat. Willie Nelson
8. “Go In Peace”
9. “Epilogue”
10. “Ol’ Dood (Part II)”

The Ballad Of Dood And Juanita is out 8/20 via High Top Mountain Records.

Never you fret! If you have questions about Fender’s American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster, superproducer and songwriter Finneas is here to help.

For context, and Finneas and Fender have launched a special hotline for fans who want to ask Billie Eilish‘s brother/producer/guitarist questions about the Jazzmaster, which, for the uneducated (me), is a guitar “that is neither acoustic or electric” and is “capable of sounding like ten guitars in one.” Well then! There you have it. If you’re interested, you can call the hotline to leave a message for Finneas, and the Grammy winner will get back to select fans. (Note that the hotline is active from July 21 through August 2, Monday through Friday, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. MST.) Here are the instructions:

“Numbers: 833 4-JAZMSTR (US), 0800 015 2838 (UK)
Press 1 to leave FINNEAS a voicemail asking about his creative process on the AAJ.
Press 2 to talk to a Fender Gear Advisor.”

And off you go!

Finneas has had quite an upward trajectory alongside his sister and musical collaborator. Just in 2020, he worked on songs with artists like Halsey, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, and Kid Cudi. Recently, a new report indicated that Finneas was the No. 1 songwriter on Spotify in 2020. As Music Business Worldwide recently noted, data from music rights data platform Blokur ranked Finneas as the most successful songwriter on Spotify last year. Finneas was also a key component to Billie’s forthcoming sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, which arrives on July 30.

Tyler The Creator is a longtime fan of Converse and has collaborated with the brand on a number of fascinating releases, including his Golf Le Fleur line. It’s likely his love of the brand stems from his roots as a skater in LA, where the kicks are a symbol of multiple different subcultures — and often, a connector of those cultures, bringing together punks, skaters, and gangbangers over their shared love of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe.

When the brand tapped Tyler to create a short film (a commercial, really) highlighting this connection, they say they had no idea what they were going to get. Knowing Tyler, though, they were sure it’d be a reflection of his off-the-wall sense of humor and unique worldview and it’s probably safe to say they weren’t disappointed in the result, a minute-long spot titled “The Really Cool Converse Club.”

The hilarious ad depicts a group meeting of various subcultures tied to the shoe full of members of Tyler’s own wildly diverse friend group and Converse’s longtime brand partners like NBA legends Bill Walton and Marques Johnson, stand-up comic Josh Johnson, actor Tim Meadows, rapper Vince Staples, punk icon Henry Rollins, and Odd Future member Jasper. Converse skaters Milton Martinez and Louie Lopez and actors Errol Chatham, Arsenio Castellanos, and Jackson Randall also make appearances.

Tyler explained his vision in a press release: “I instantly thought about the many pockets of people that wear Chucks – like skateboarders, soccer moms, kids down the street, guys in the neighborhood I grew up with – and I wanted to put them in one place, that was important to me. Everyone wears Chucks…including pirates.” I won’t spoil it for you here but I will say The Really Cool Converse Club has some pretty strict rules.

Watch Converse’s Tyler The Creator-directed “The Really Cool Converse Club” ad here.

Dune has an incredible cast, including Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. But without Timothée Chalamet, there would be no Jason Momoa is Duncan Idaho.

In an interview with Total Film magazine, director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) admitted that he’s not sure what he would have done if Chalamet had not agreed to play Paul Atreides (the role was originated by Kyle MacLachlan in the David Lynch version). “We said, ‘It’s Timothée.’ We didn’t have a Plan B,” he said. “Honestly, if he had said no, I don’t know what I would have done. There would be no Dune, maybe.”

Villeneuve continued:

“Of course, [Paul] has all of those techniques that make him a very dangerous fighter, but it doesn’t rely on external muscles. How can I say it? I was like Paul. I looked like Timothée when I was 16 years old. So maybe it’s like vengeance. I created my hero. He looks like what I used to look like, and he’s kicking the ass of the big guys, you know? It’s like Revenge of the Nerds.”

Great, now I want to see a Revenge of the Nerds reboot directed by Denis Villeneuve. If you think that sounds like a terrible idea, I have four words for you: Timothée Chalamet as Booger. Make it happen, Hollywood.

(Via Total Film)

Welcome to another installment of Ask A Music Critic! And thanks to everyone who has sent me questions. Please keep them coming at [email protected].

I’m really excited about the return of live music. But there’s one thing about concert culture I don’t really understand: Why is there a stigma against wearing a band T-shirt at a concert performed by that band? How did this taboo start, and do you agree with it? — Jamie from Philadelphia

I have been asked this a lot over the years, and to be honest I don’t know how this unwritten rule started. But I understand the reasoning behind it, and I think it really, really blows.

Before we proceed, it should be noted that the “no band shirt at the band’s show” rule doesn’t apply to all genres and music scenes. Go to a metal show and you will see scores of people repping the band who happens to be on stage. In some musical subcultures, a band shirt is an expression of identity and pride; of course you would stan for Iron Maiden or Metallica when in the presence of your fellow tribe members at a gig. The gig is the one place where you metal fandom is accepted and normal. Not wearing a band shirt is what seems odd.

However, in the realm of indie culture — in which looking like you’re trying too hard has always been a magnet for mockery — it does seem like the unwritten rule still has some sway. The idea (I think?) is that wearing band merch when you’re already at the band’s show suggests that your entire personality is caring about this band and that (I guess?) is sort of pathetic. Like I said: This really, really blows!

As far as an origin story for the rule, the most cited explanation I’ve heard is the 1994 frat comedy PCU, in which Jeremy Piven plays the de rigueur party dude on a campus overrun with political correctness. (Given how the milieu could easily be applied to 2021, I’m perversely curious to re-watch PCU for the first time since the ’90s, back when it played on a loop on Comedy Central. Then again, I didn’t have a life back then and I thankfully have one now, so this would likely be a colossal waste of time.) In the film, there’s a scene in which Piven scolds another party dude (played by Jon Favreau, who sports some truly awful dreadlocks) about wearing a band shirt to a concert that night performed by the band.

“Don’t be that guy,” Piven implores.

Now, if it’s true that this unwritten rule originated with PCU — or at least was popularized by the film — I think we can all understand the ridiculousness of taking “cool” notes from a C-list ’90s comedy. In what universe is Jeremy Piven considered an arbiter of acceptable concert etiquette? Who in the world wants to be regarded as “Piven-esque”?

I should add that I’m not convinced that we can blame PCU entirely for this. We’re talking about a film that grossed a grand total of $4.3 million during its initial theatrical run. Even with home video and all of those Comedy Central spins, I’m not sure PCU has enough of a cultural footprint to implant such a ubiquitous taboo on live music culture. Unfortunately, there are a lot of judgmental, fun-hating, Piven-esque people out there who for decades have also projected enough influence to make the rest of us feel insecure about wearing a damn shirt at a damn show.

Here’s what I think: When you go to show, nobody cares about what you are wearing. If there is one quality that all humans share, it’s that we’re all too wrapped up in ourselves to think about the shirts on the backs of strangers. As for all of those Pivens out there, just remember that those people also truly despise themselves. That self-loathing is what they’re mostly focused on. So, pay them no mind and wear what you dig.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the coverage around Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour since you discussed it on Indiecast a recently. I was baffled by reviews at the time (Stereogum said “let it be your transition to indie rock,” Pitchfork recently said that the evolution of Paramore can be best heard in “Good 4 U”). But it’s pretty clear she/someone on her team has ripped off the entire image for the album rollout from an actual band, Pom Pom Squad, in addition to the co-opting of broader pop punk/indie rock buzz words. Sour is a serviceable pop album. But it is a pop album. The songs are pop songs, performed by a literal Disney pop star. What are your thoughts here? — Alex from New York City

Hey Alex, let me address Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour specifically first, and then the issue of indie-rock appropriation (is that the right way to put it?) by pop stars more generally.

Regarding Sour, I think I’m with you in thinking that some of the reviews have been a little hyperbolic. For me, the album peaks early with the opening track, “Brutal,” which is a really fun and quotable teen angst pop-punk song. I can’t get enough of that track. The rest of Sour is solid — I’ll go one step beyond “serviceable” — but it doesn’t have the same personality as that stellar first track. “Driver’s License” might be a genuine pop phenomenon, but I find it overwrought and even hectoring. However, because Rodrigo is so young, I am curious to see where she goes from here and anticipate that her second album could really be a major step forward.

As far as the accusation that she “stole” her act from Pom Pom Girls, Illuminati Hotties, and other lesser-known indie acts, I have two thoughts: (1) I don’t know about that; (2) I don’t care.

At the risk of lapsing into critical cliché here, it’s simply a matter of fact that popular music is built on borrowing (i.e. stealing) ideas from other people, and then putting your own spin on them. If the public digs it, you win. And you should win! Because execution matters! Reaching people matters! (That’s based on the assumption that Olivia Rodrigo actually did borrow from Pom Pom Girls and didn’t instead just draw on the well of teen angst pop-punk that’s existed for literal decades. That’s a pretty big assumption by the way! After all, it’s not like Pom Pom Girls invented the wheel here.)

Maybe that’s an annoying take if you love Pom Pom Girls and resent Olivia Rodrigo because you believe Rodrigo big-footed PPG. I would counter by suggesting that a musical ecological system benefits from having gateway artists. I don’t think there is any credible argument that says if Olivia Rodrigo didn’t exist, Pom Pom Girls would assume her place as the hottest pop act on the planet. There is something specific about Rodrigo — no doubt aided by her Disney connections, I’ll give you that — that has captivated millions. If anything, I would say that Rodrigo has likely helped Pom Pom Girls by acting as a gateway to snotty pop-rock with a young female perspective for so many listeners. She isn’t stealing an audience; she’s building one. And that’s good for everyone.

Have there been any recent additions to the 5 album test collection? — Tyler from London

Great question, Tyler! Actually, this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately because there is a new War On Drugs album that was announced this week. It’s called I Don’t Live Here Anymore, and it drops on October 29. I was fortunate to get an early listen of the record, and for now I’ll just say that it’s already the 2021 album I’ve played the most by far. (I don’t want to get too deep yet into this since we’re still a few months out but I’ll definitely be going deep on The War On Drugs in the fall.)

With The War On Drugs, I need to figure out two things. First, is I Don’t Live Here Anymore a great album? Again, I can’t answer that definitively yet but I know how I’m leaning. Second, is their 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues a great album? Because that album also needs to be great for TWoD to pass the test. I’ve lived with that album for 13 years and I’m less sure about that. If the answer is “no,” there’s another potential subquestion: Can I justify counting the excellent 2010 EP Future Weather in my five-album run?

I’ll need to get back to you on this one, Tyler.

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

Through the years, Disney movies have introduces a number of songs that have gone on to become cultural classics. Now, Olivia Rodrigo and her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series castmates have taken on one of the all-time greats: “Be Our Guest,” from Beauty And The Beast.

Billboard shared an exclusive clip from the upcoming season finale, which airs on July 30. In the clip, Rodrigo’s character, who landed the coveted role of a fork, performs part of the song on stage as part of the titular musical. Billboard also shared the tracklist for the show’s second season soundtrack, which includes a handful of Rodrigo songs.

As part of this Beauty And The Beast plot line, Rodrigo also penned an original song based on the story, “The Rose Song.” That premiered in a previous episode and was shared as a standalone single. Of that song, Rodrigo previously said, “The success of the music I’ve put out recently has given me a lot of confidence as a writer and in the other songs that I’ve written, like ‘The Rose Song.’ I think it’s one of the best songs I’ve written. It’s this really intricate metaphor and I’ve never written a song like that before.”

Check out the “Be Our Guest” clip above.

For the first time since 1971, the Milwaukee Bucks are NBA champions. The team completed its ascent to basketball’s mountaintop on Tuesday night with a hard-fought 105-98 win over the Phoenix Suns, giving them a 4-2 series victory and capping off a years-long effort to bring a title to Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the helm of the franchise.

While all of the attention is one Antetokounmpo’s NBA Finals MVP-winning performance, and deservedly so, a pair of dudes who played major roles in this title run were reserves Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis. Connaughton hit on 44.1 percent of his threes during the Finals and was a willing and aggressive rebounder, while Portis provided toughness and shooting off the bench, with his 16 points in Game 6 giving Antetokounmpo some much-needed help.

After the game, the pair appeared on NBA TV to discuss a number of things, including how much champagne they had drank. Kristen Ledlow wanted to know how much of the bubbly they’d put down before they hopped onto the airwaves, which led to the pair looking at one another and laughing extremely hard.

The devious locking of eyes that they partook in before laughing hysterically is just terrific. I sincerely hope that both of them are still celebrating with the finest bottles of Dom Pérignon they can get their hands on.

The Black Keys have announced a three-date “World Tour Of America,” which, despite its name, focuses on just a few small parts of the world and America. It kicks off in Oxford, Mississippi in September before moving to Athens, Georgia and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Patrick Carney said in a statement, “Dan [Auerbach] and I have joked about doing a tour of American cities named after other cities in the world since we were touring together in a van. It feels like now is as good a time as any, and we are excited to play in some places we haven’t played since the early days of the band and for fans that have not had a chance to see us in a while.”

Additionally, the duo, who released their blues covers album, Delta Kream, back in May, are partnering with the Save The Music Foundation to support Mississippi-based elementary and middle school music programs. “We’ve teamed up with Save The Music – a national non-profit dedicated to building school music programs – and a group of local Mississippi partners to contribute instruments and teacher support to schools in the Hill Country,” the band said of the partnership. “The goal is to grow music programs across the state, starting this coming school year with Holly Springs.” Check out the tour dates below.

9/20 — Athens, GA @ The Classic Center
9/21 — St Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
9/23 — Oxford, MS @ The Lyric

Sweepstakes details are available here. Tickets for The Black Keys’ World Tour of America go on sale on 7/23 at 10 a.m. local time. Get your tickets here.

Delta Kream is out now via Nonesuch Records. Get it here.

The Black Keys are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After seeing its release date go over the waterfall like so many films during the pandemic, Jungle Cruise, the action comedy starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt, is finally making its way to theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access. As evidenced by the trailers, the film features Blunt routinely one-upping The Rock (or in some cases, flat-out punching him in the face), and the two of them brought that energy to a recent interview.

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, The Rock revealed how he went out of his way to film a video to “woo” Blunt into starring in the film — and she ignored him:

So when Jungle Cruise‘s taciturn Spanish director, Jaume Collet-Serra, was planning to fly to New York to hand deliver a script directly to Blunt at her home in Brooklyn, Johnson wanted to send him along with the video as a kind of charm assist. “I must have shot it about five or six times because I had not communicated with Emily yet,” Johnson says. “I had not even met her. And I wanted to let her know via this video just how important she was to this movie and how I only wanted her in this movie. And it was great. And I… I actually never heard again from Emily. Didn’t respond at all. Just ghosted me.”

In classic Emily Blunt style, she politely thanked The Rock for the video, and then ruthlessly burnt him alive for telling the anecdote. “I thought the video was sweet. Didn’t know you were going to be so sensitive.”

Jungle Cruise floats into theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)