Month: October 2021

The Boys is known for relishing ultra-violence, and that’s putting it mildly. Heads have literally exploded on the show, both spontaneously and as part of sex act, with more expected to come from the third season premiere. The show never shies away from overdoing everything, and that includes taking aim at the fetishization of gun violence. Showrunner Eric Kripke has showed off a satirical ad (for an upcoming episode) that plays on Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” only it’s “Girls Just Want To Have Guns.” When it comes to actually using guns during the filming of episodes, however, Kripke is declaring that he’s drawing a line.

This announcement arrives after the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Alec Baldwin’s Rust. All indications were that the film has seen a very troubled production, and given that this situation happened years after Hollywood aimed to take the issue more seriously (following Brandon Lee’s death after being hit by a blank during The Crow), clearly, something must be done. Kripke is taking action (The Boys‘ Soldier Boy actor Jensen Ackles, a longtime Kripke collaborator, also stars in Rust) by straight up vowing to ban “guns with blanks” on his sets. He’s calling this a simple, easy pledge: “We’ll use VFX muzzle flashes.” He added, “Who’s with me?”

Mare Of Easttown director Craig Zobel is with him. “There’s no reason to have guns loaded with blanks or anything on set anymore,” he tweeted. “Should just be fully outlawed. There’s computers now. The gunshots on Mare of Easttown are all digital. You can probably tell, but who cares? It’s an unnecessary risk.”

In addition, ABC’s The Rookie has banned live weapons on set, and on a related note, The Boys star Jack Quaid has reposted an Ackles Instagram entry, which asks people to donate money for a Halyna Hutchens scholarship fund.

It’s been about six decades since The Beatles established themselves as an international force, one that has maintained significant popularity even after all this time. Consequently, Paul McCartney is one of the most admired people in music history, and therefore, he gets asked for autographs a lot. Now there’s some bad news for signature seekers, though: McCartney is done signing autographs.

He recently explained his reasoning for that to Reader’s Digest (via Contact Music), saying, “It always struck me as a bit strange: ‘Here, can I write your name down on the back of this till receipt please?’ Why? We both know who I am.”

McCartney is also not huge on selfies, as he continued, “What you’ve usually got is a ropey photo with a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable. Let’s chat, let’s exchange stories.”

Around this time in 2008, McCartney’s Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr also took a stand against autographs. In a video, he warned his supporters that he would no longer be signing things sent to him in the mail, saying, “Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October! If that has a date on the envelope, it’s going to be tossed. I’m warning you with peace and love. I have too much to do, so no more fan mail! And no objects to be signed. Nothing! Anyway, peace and love, peace and love.”

Phoebe Bridgers‘ music wasn’t designed for big stages. Her voice is as intimate as can be, often breathy and hushed, its delicacy providing a foil for her often funny, sharp, and poignant lyrics. But, as two sold-out nights at the Greek in her hometown of Los Angeles can attest — as well as near-immediate sellouts at similar venues across the country — large venues are where she’ll find herself for the conceivable future. But when everyone is on your side, even the largest spaces can feel like a living room, with Bridgers’ devoted fanbase turning the Greek into a safe space for laughter, tears, and lots of singing on Thursday night.

It’s all a testament to what Bridgers has built over the last five years. These fans didn’t fall out of the sky, they have been drawn through a steady stream of both solo work and group offerings with Boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center. The worldview she shares, both in her music and on her very active — and very good — social media platforms, advocates for decency and goodness in the music biz, as well as in the world at large. It’s the kind of stuff that’s contagious, and surrounded by more than 6000 like-minded people can feel almost intoxicating. When Bridgers looks out into the crowd and sees fans shouting back her words, you can tell that the majesty of the experience is still not lost on her. She can’t hide her smiles — you can tell she’s as blown away as the audience.

As a concert, Phoebe Bridgers is more than just doing justice to her pair of great albums, Stranger In The Alps and Punisher. She’s presenting them in a fully realized state, with a robust backing band that can often expand on her spare album arrangements. Her most full-band-sounding work, be it “Motion Sickness” or “ICU” or “Kyoto,” thrives under such conditions, but even a more gentle tune like “Graceland Too” can feel like its unlocking new dimensions in its widescreen glory. In short, Bridgers is easily slotting into a tradition of indie greats that came before her, that moved to big rooms with comfort. The sturdiness of her songwriting is holding up to the new challenges.

But the lasting emotions that come from seeing Phoebe Bridgers at this moment aren’t really about the performance or the songs or even Bridgers. It’s the community she’s cultivated. Certainly, her fans are not a monolith and range from grandparents to children, but it’s hard not to notice the young women who flocked to the show. Many came in groups, dressed in their own skeleton costumes or Bridgers’ distinct fashion sensibilities, with the wide-eyed wonder of a five-year-old on their first trip to Disneyland. The merch lines were massive and joyous, masks were worn proudly and respectfully, the eventual Black Eyed Peas entrance music cueing thousands to acknowledge how good of a night they were all about to have. I was reminded of similar young fanbases that I’d witness absolutely losing their shit at Lorde and BTS shows over the last several years, where you’d almost feel like an outsider — if they weren’t so damn welcoming — and if their enthusiasm wasn’t so inspiring.

Go to enough shows over enough years and it’s easy to understand how special the Phoebe Bridgers fanbase is. It’s not common to feel such support and positivity, so much so that it rubs off on you, that your faith in the world can be boosted, if at least temporarily. Gestures like shining your phone light in the air or clapping along to the beat or screaming the conclusion of “I Know The End” feel like no one else had ever thought to do that at a concert — like you’re witnessing the invention of the wheel in real-time. Often, observing the reaction to the music was as captivating as the music itself, like when “I Know The End” begins its tempo shift and groups of young fans started locking arms and sharing knowing, beaming grins in the anticipation of the grande finale.

The next night, I was driving through Los Feliz when Bridgers’ second Greek show was getting out, and the streets were crawling with teenagers in skeleton costumes. It was undoubtedly frightening to those not in-the-know, but for those that got it, it was a quick reminder of how bright the future can be, of what good hands we’re in with Phoebe Bridgers leading the charge.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw Lana Del Rey keep her momentum going with a quick new album turnarond and The Weeknd’s long-awaited Swedish House Mafia collaboration. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia — “Moth To A Flame”

Last month, Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd included a new snippet of The Weeknd vocals in their VMAs set that set speculation ablaze. The two quickly all-but-confirmed a collaboration was on the way, eventually setting it in stone. Now, “Moth To A Flame” is out, and it’s a thumping electronic number that builds nicely off The Weeknd’s After Hours era.

Lana Del Rey — “Blue Banisters”

So far, 2021 has offered a Lana Del Rey for almost all seasons. In March, she dropped Chemtrails Over The Country Club, and last week, she made a rapid return with Blue Banisters. A few days ahead of the album, she dropped the video for its title track, which supports the characteristically vivid imagery of the song.

Elton John, Young Thug, and Nicki Minaj — “Always Love You”

During the early pandemic, a lot of artists found their way through by hunkering down and get to work. That includes Elton John, who, based on how much collaborating he did, found solace in company. In fact, he linked up with so many artists that he got a whole album, The Lockdown Sessions, out of it. The album’s out now, and he worked with folks from multiple genres, including a pair of hip-hop’s finest on “Always Love You.”

Wale — “Light Years” Feat. Rick Ross

In a recent Uproxx cover story, Wale said of his new album Folarin II, “I feel like the process on this one was pretty much, as soon as I got into the mode, it just started feeling like, ‘You know what? Where I am, how I feel, how I know who I am, regardless of what anybody’s talking about,’ it started just speaking to me more. I was like, ‘This is Folarin II.’ Folarin is when I started really coming into my own. I really was in that space. I was just singing with my chest. I think that’s what’s happening now. […] Folarin II is its own thing, but it’s just the same intentions and the same feeling that I had when I made Folarin.”

Big Sean and Hit-Boy — “What A Life”

Big Sean got a big assist on his 2020 album Detroit 2 from Hit-Boy, as Hit-Boy served as executive producer of the effort. Last week, the pair reunited on “What A Life,” which Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes “finds the Detroit rapper reflecting on his best moments and the hardships he got through over a quick-paced beat supplied by Hit-Boy.”

Khalid — “Present”

This summer, Khalid admitted that he is having a rough time working on his next album. Still, he has given fans plenty of advance singles to enjoy while he wraps things up, the latest being “Present.” While the track is a gift, the title is more about the singer making a conscious effort to give a special somebody his full attention.

Sean Paul and Sia — “Dynamite”

“Cheap Thrills” was a huge collab for Sia and Sean Paul, as the 2016 single gave Sia her first No. 1 song and Paul his first in a while. Now, the pair is hoping for more magic as they reunite on a new single, “Dynamite.” Of the song, Uproxx’s Adrian Spinelli notes, “It’s the kind of song that no matter where you’re listening to it, you might as well be transporting yourself to a beachside discotheque.”

Coldplay and BTS — “My Universe (Suga’s Remix)”

Coldplay and BTS’ hit collaboration “My Universe” didn’t need any help, but BTS’ Suga remixed the track and managed to add something to it. While Music Of The Spheres as a whole sees Coldplay really embracing a pop sound. Suga’s re-work of the song takes things even further in that direction with subtle but noticeable tweaks.

Jack White — “Taking Me Back”

Jack White is famously old-fashioned, but he’s been full of surprises in recent days: He’s into NFTs and he’s sporting blue hair now, for example. Another surprise came last week: His first new single since 2018. The song, “Taking Me Back,” was premiered in a new trailer for Call Of Duty: Vanguard, and as for the track, it’s not too far outside of White’s rocking wheelhouse.

Majid Jordan — “Forget About The Party”

Majid Jordan are trying things with their latest batch of music, which is extremely evident on the acoustic “Forget About The Party.” The duo’s Jordan Ullman recently told Uproxx the song is “at the center of who we are as musicians” before continuing, “I think it makes people remind themselves of a time in their lives. Anytime I listen to that, it really makes me go into a world of myself and memories.”

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

Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra continues the rollout for her third studio album Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies with its third music video, tapping Tyler The Creator to appear in a fun, throwback clip for “Neon Peach.” Playing around with uptempo pop, the song encourages the listener to let go of the past and move on from a prior, stalled relationship. In the video, Snoh and Tyler perform in surreal scenes, including a bizarre science lab and a western tableau, and perform in front of a white backdrop with a throwback fish-eye lens effect.

In addition to helping Snoh Aalegra promote her new album, Tyler The Creator’s busy year has included some big wins, including being given the Rock The Bells Cultural Influence Award at the 2021 BET Awards, appearing on Maxo Kream’s new album (on the single “Big Persona“), announcing his Call Me If You Get Lost tour with Vince Staples and Kali Uchis, and directing a new commercial for Converse with some of his favorite artists and entertainers. His own new album, Call Me If You Get Lost, became his second No.1-charting album, as well.

Watch Snoh Aalegra’s “Neon Peach” video featuring Tyler The Creator above.

Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies is out now via Atrium Recordings/Roc Nation Records. Get it here.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally struck by a bullet from a prop gun fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie Rust. In the days since the incident, we have a clearer sense of how the tragedy happened — and how it could have been avoided.

In the hours before the shooting, many crew members walked off the set in protest of terrible working conditions, including “long hours, long commutes, and waiting for their paychecks” and numerous accidental prop gun discharges. A search warrant obtained by the Los Angeles Times also revealed how the gun came into Baldwin’s possession.

[Director Joel] Souza said three people were handling the gun for the scene: armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, then assistant director Dave Halls, who handed the gun to Baldwin, the affidavit said. Halls had taken one of three prop guns set up by Gutierrez Reed on a cart left outside the structure because of COVID-19 restrictions, the affidavit said. Halls did not know live rounds were in the gun when he handed it to Baldwin, and Halls yelled “cold gun,” according to the affidavit.

“Cold gun” is an on-set term intended to indicate that the weapon did not have any live rounds, but “as far as [Souza] knows, no one gets checked for live ammunition on their person prior and after the scenes are being filmed,” the affidavit read. “The only thing checked are the firearms to avoid live ammunition being in them.”

Following a lunch break, the crew and cast returned to set, and as Baldwin was explaining how he was going to draw his gun (which may have “previously been used by crew members for target practice off-set, using real bullets”) and “where his arm would be when he pulled the gun from the holster, it discharged,” according to the Times.

Souza was shot in the shoulder, Hutchins in the chest. She was pronounced dead at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

(Via the Los Angeles Times)

Anti-Trump ads have made it onto Fox News before, but you know one is good when it finally got the former president to release one of his rambling, incoherent statements frothing with rage. On Sunday, Trump blasted the conservative network for taking money from the “forces” working against him.

“What good is it if FOX News speaks well of me when they continually allow horrible and untruthful anti-Trump commercials to be run–and plenty of them,” Trump wrote in a statement (via Mediaite). “In the good old days, that would never have happened and today it happens all of the time.”

Because Trump isn’t big on specifics, it was hard to tell exactly which ad sparked his latest tantrum. But after he responded, the MeidasTouch PAC came forward and took responsibility for the epic troll. The group boasted that it “broke” Trump with their ad mocking him for not being too afraid to get involved in the Virginia gubernatorial election.

Via Mediaite:

“Donald why are you so scared to go to Virginia?” the ad says. “Is it because you know Glenn Youngkin wants nothing to do with you? Or is it because your loser stench rubs off on everyone you touch?”

“If you aren’t too weak or scared or washed up, you would get to Virginia fast,” the ad later notes, and calls him a “coward.”

According to MeidasTouch co-founder Ben Meisalas, the ads have been running in the Mar-a-Lago market for the past week, and clearly, they worked to get under Trump’s skin. The president is a notorious Fox News watcher and reportedly spent much of his time in office watching the right-wing news network while scarfing down McDonald’s.

(Via Mediaite)

Over the weekend, Justin Vernon and his Bon Iver cohorts performed a pair of shows to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Bon Iver, Bon Iver. For fans who didn’t get to check that out, there’s some good news: Bon Iver is going on tour in 2022.

Today, the band announced shows in March, May, June, October, and November, which will feature support from Dijon, Bonny Light Horseman, and Barm. As for Vernon’s band, he will be joined by the same group he played with this past weekend: Sean Carey, Jenn Wasner (of Wye Oak), Mike Lewis, Matt McCaughan, and Andy Fitzpatrick.

Check out the full list of tour dates below.

03/30/2022 — Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre *
04/01/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Greenway *
04/03/2022 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Greenway *
04/03/2022 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory *
04/05/2022 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *
04/08/2022 — New Orleans, LA @ Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square *
04/09/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park *
04/13/2022 — Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park *
04/14/2022 — St. Augustine, FL @ The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre *
04/15/2022 — Miami, FL @ FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park *
06/03/2022 — Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium **
06/04/2022 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE **
06/07/2022 — Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Amphitheater **
06/08/2022 — Essex Junction, VT @ Champlain Valley Exposition **
06/10/2022 — Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point **
06/11/2022 — East Providence, RI @ Bold Point Park **
06/13/2022 — Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE! **
06/15/2022 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre **
06/17/2022 — Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park **
06/18/2022 — Lincoln, NE @ Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater **
06/21/2022 — Newport, KY @ PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION **
06/24/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater **
06/25/2022 — Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit **
10/16/2022 — Dublin, IE @ 3Arena ^
10/19/2022 — Leeds, GB @ First Direct Arena ^
10/20/2022 — Glasgow, GB @ The SSE Hydro ^
10/24/2022 — Manchester, GB @ AO Arena ^
10/25/2022 — London, GB @ SSE Arena Wembley ^
10/26/2022 — London, GB @ SSE Arena Wembley
10/31/2022 — Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena ^
11/03/2022 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome ^
11/03/2022 — Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis ^
11/05/2022 — Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum ^
11/07/2022 — Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi ^
11/09/2022 — Madrid, ES @ WiZink Center ^
11/11/2022 — Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena ^

* with Dijon
** with Bonny Light Horseman
^ with Carm

James Cromwell has had a distinguished career, including five Emmy nominations; starring roles in The Green Mile, L.A. Confidential, and Star Trek: First Contact; and he’s a progressive activist who’s been arrested multiple times fighting for his beliefs. But he’s probably best known for talking to a pig. To be fair, it wasn’t just any pig — it was Babe, the eponymous star of the charming 1995 film (co-written by Mad Max‘s George Miller!) that made a surprise $254.1 million at the box office and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Cromwell.

Twenty-six-year-old spoiler alert, but Babe ends with world’s tallest farmer Arthur Hoggett, played by Cromwell, winning a sheepdog herding contest after initially being ridiculed for having a pig do a dog’s job. “And though every single human in the stands or in the commentary boxes was at a complete loss for words, the man who in his life had uttered fewer words than any of them knew exactly what to say,” the narrator says in the closing seconds. Those words: “That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.”

Crowell, who probably hasn’t gone a week without hearing “that’ll do” from a stranger since Babe came out, repeated his iconic line in Sunday’s episode of Succession. The moment occurs about halfway through “Mass in Time of War,” when my sweet boy Greg (New York’s most eligible bachelor, Nicholas Braun) reaches out to his grandfather and Logan’s brother, Ewan, about getting a lawyer. When Ewan agrees to help him, Greg goes in for a hug, but gets dismissed. Instead, he’s met with a “that’ll do” (and a grunt).

It’s peak Succession to turn a heartwarming moment into a grandfather’s cold rejection of a grandson’s hug. But the Babe reference was not lost on viewers.

While the world is starting to open back up, we’re not done with COVID-19 yet. People are still getting it, and that includes Ed Sheeran, who announced over the weekend that he tested positive and is therefore unable to make any planned in-person appearances for the time being.

Sheeran wrote on social media, “Hey guys. Quick note to tell you that I’ve sadly tested positive for Covid, so I’m now self-isolating and following government guidelines. It means that I’m now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I’ll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I’ve let down. Be safe everyone x.”

It appears, then, that Sheeran won’t be able to perform on the upcoming November 6 episode of Saturday Night Live; The day before Sheeran shared his COVID news, it was announced that Sheeran will be the musical guest on the SNL episode hosted by Kieran Culkin. Page Six cites a “source” that says the show’s producers are “scrambling” to replace Sheeran, preferably with “another singer who appeals to the same demo,” citing Shawn Mendes or Justin Bieber as examples. It’s apparently also possible that Sheeran could still perform on the show, as the source notes, “Ed is offering to perform live via video link, but this isn’t something SNL does. The show likes to have the performer in studio.”

This wouldn’t be the first time SNL had to quickly find a replacement musical guest. In fact, around this time last year, Morgan Wallen was pulled from the show after he was seen at a non-socially distant party and replaced relatively last-minute with Jack White.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.