Month: November 2021

After already getting ground-shakingly sued by Dominion Voting Systems for propagating the “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from Donald Trump, Newsmax and One America News (OAN) are each getting slapped with new lawsuits that could also result in billions in damages. This time around, Smartmatic is the one initiating legal action after the voting technology company had its reputation dragged through the mud by the right-wing news outlet’s baseless claims of election fraud. Via Mediaite:

“The damage to Smartmatic from this parallel universe of lies and disinformation has reverberated across the United States and in dozens of countries around the world,” said CEO of Smartmatic Antonio Mugica. “The global repercussions for our company cannot be overstated.”

While the suits do not specify how much Smartmatic is demanding from Newsmax and OAN, the voting company will be seeking damages caused by the election conspiracies, which Reuters reported totals up to $2 billion in losses.

This latest suit follows Smartmatic’s previous legal action against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, and Sidney Powell for being active players in the rampant election fraud claims. That suit seeks just shy of $3 billion in damages and blasts all three entities for knowingly milking Trump’s big lie for profit.

While none of these cases have made it into a courtroom yet, it should be interesting to watch considering players like Giuliani have already turned to making Cameo videos to stave off bankruptcy. He’s also since admitted that some of his “evidence” of voter fraud came from Facebook, which is always a red flag, kids. Never trust the place where your aunt tells people that Wayfair is selling babies.

(Via Mediaite)

Idles are gearing up for the release of their fourth studio album Crawler, which arrives just about a year after their 2020 LP Ultra Mono. While much of their previous music is a response to the state of oppressive politics or the anxiety of global events, their newly released track “Car Crash” is a little different.

The new song is still as brazen and raucous as their previous releases, but it’s instead a response to a harrowing near-death experience that forced vocalist Joe Talbot to reexamine his life. As the title suggests, Talbot was involved in a serious car crash which he described as a “horrific, comedown hangover.” The song itself mirrors the jerking whiplash of the event through the use of sporadic instruments and resonating drums.

In a statement about the song, Idles guitarist and co-producer Mark Bowen said:

“We wanted it to be as violent as possible to reflect that event. I really wanted it to be this sonic touchstone. We recorded the drums beforehand and put them on a vinyl acetate. Whenever you replay an acetate, because it is kind of like a liquid, it degrades every time. It touches on things being transient and momentary — even a single drum hit. It’s like a memory, when the moment has passed and you deal with the repercussions over and over again, and they morph and change into something else. It’s one of the first times on an Idles song where we used proper effects on the vocals — it was Joe going through my pedal board, so you get both clarity and degradation”

Listen to “Car Crash” above.

Crawler is out 11/12 via Partisan Records. Pre-order it here.

Hulu’s Pen15 is a very good, Emmy-nominated show in its second season, but if you haven’t watched yet and/or you’re wondering if it’s for you, fast forward the trailer above to 0:20. If the sight of two 30-something actresses pretending to be teenagers standing between another fake-teenager wearing a Timmy from South Park shirt over a long sleeve shirt and cargo shorts doesn’t make you laugh, Pen15 isn’t for you. For everyone else (people with good taste), congrats on finding your new favorite cringe comedy.

Season two of Pen15 was divided by an animated special that had Maya (Maya Erskine) and Anna (Anna Konkle) take a road trip to Florida with Anna’s dad. It did not go well. Now they’re back at school, and their friendship is being tested by Anna’s boyfriend, Steve. “What if we just wake up one day and we’re not friends?” Maya worries. Meanwhile, Anna has issues of her own: she’s being shuffled back and forth between her mom and dad’s separate homes. The trailer also has an era-specific cell phone, a FUBU hoodie, and Maya and Anna running away, only to get distracted by a hungry dog.

Like I said, very good show. Pen15 returns to Hulu on December 3.

When the film Bruised comes out in theaters on November 17th and then on Netflix a week later, it’ll mark Halle Berry’s directorial debut on the big screen. She’ll also be playing the film’s starring role as the maligned mixed martial arts fighter, Jackie Justice, looking to make a return to the octagon as she looks to get her life back on track.

Along with Berry’s breakthrough as a director, the film’s soundtrack, out November 19th, will also be making history as the first all-female hip-hop soundtrack to a major film release. Co-executive produced by the Academy Award winning Berry and Cardi B (who will be hosting the AMAs this month), the soundtrack will feature songs by Cardi, Saweetie, City Girls, HER, Flo Milli, Latto, Young MA, Baby Tate, Rapsody, Erica Banks, Big Bottle Wyanna, Ambre, and DreamDoll. Of the 13-tracks on the album, six are original cuts written specifically for the movie and seven additional tracks that were inspired by the flick. The single “Scared” by City Girls, is out tomorrow night.

The Young MA track on the film’s trailer, so check that out below.

Bruised (Soundtrack From And Inspired By The Netflix Film) is out 11/19 via Warner Records.

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

It’s only been about a year since former LVL UP member Dave Benton unveiled the second Trace Mountains LP Lost In The Country, one of the most underrated records of 2020. Now, Benton is back with House Of Confusion, which continues down the Americana path Benton set down with the previous effort, but features more polished songwriting and some truly stellar jams. Where Lost In The Country got Trace Mountains on the radar in the first place, House Of Confusion proves Benton’s strength as a songwriter and cements the project as one to watch in the coming years.

To celebrate House Of Confusion, Benton sat down to talk AC/DC, Lifetime movies, and wearing hats on stage in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

contemporary indie rock music.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

ah man, i dunno. sure would be nice to be remembered, but you can’t control what the art means to someone. i hope it inspires people to write their own music or words.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

new york city or missoula, mt

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

i idolized my friend liam betson (liam the younger) when i was a teenager. i still love his music, but his early records showed me it was even possible to do this. i don’t think i’d be doing this if i hadn’t been shown the way by him & his music.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

might be piccola cucina osteria siciliana in new york. that’s the first one that comes to mind right now! really great little italian restaurant in soho.

What album do you know every word to?

american idiot or pretty much any green day album. they were my first favorite band.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

kurt vile i think. i just saw him but it was really special. i think he’s at a magical moment in his career & development as an artist. i don’t see a ton of concerts though. wish i did really!

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

whatever makes you feel good. i’ve been having fun wearing funny hats myself. i think it’s good to have fun with it.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

lily hayes always makes me smile, she’s amazing.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

hands down “it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock & roll” by ac/dc

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“is marijuana legal in new mexico”

What album makes for the perfect gift?

house of confusion by trace mountains of course.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

my old band lvl up was on tour with pile a long time ago and we crashed with an ex marine who threatened to shoot us if we stole any of his stuff. i went to sleep immediately but others stayed up with him late doing cocaine and playing video games while he unloaded horror stories on them about his time in the military. there really have been so many weird times though. that’s probably not even the weirdest situation i’ve been in but it’s the one that comes to mind right now.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

i don’t have any tattoos!

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

ac/dc, marvin gaye, the (dixie) chicks

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

it’s really hard to think of the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. people do nice things for me all the time! i guess related to music, bill from evil weevil (dead record label) put out my band’s record when there was really no reason to do that. his support encouraged me to keep going at a time when i needed it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

it’s ok & good to dedicate your life to writing songs.

What’s the last show you went to?

kurt vile & others at woodsist records music festival. it was pretty awesome to see a concert again.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

anything on lifetime. i get that from my mom!

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

well, i’d have to invite my dad. he loves that mf. i’m kinda sick of everything i make right now though. i’d probably hit up rainbowplantlife.com for some ideas. maybe i’d pick up some fancy mushrooms & make her mushroom stroganoff, which i haven’t made in a while. that’s a great recipe.

House Of Confusion is out now via Lame-O Records. Pick it up here.

Music and fashion have gone hand in hand for decades. Since the ‘50s and ‘60s, dating back to the rise of Elvis and the Beatles, popular trends in music have influenced how people dress, from mods and the hippies to ‘70s punk styles and glam, and beyond. Today, fashion-conscious shoppers have more outlets than ever from which to choose, but one shopping method has exploded in popularity over the last decade: thrifting. And your favorite musicians are joining in by selling items from their closets.

Thrifting is nothing new, of course. Buying secondhand has long been a way for shoppers to save money, express individuality, and, more recently, reduce their carbon footprint. As buying and selling via secondhand/vintage/consignment apps (Depop, Poshmark, Tradesy, Mercaci, ThredUp) has risen in popularity, musicians have, in addition to the traditional band merch, started selling clothes they’ve worn on tour or for photoshoots, or just happened to have taking up space in their homes.

“What made me start a Depop shop was being a touring musician,” says Brooke Dickson of The Regrettes. “In-between tours, I need to have some kind of income. It’s kind of tough to have a job that you can hold down that’s totally fine with you being on your own schedule.

“I also have so many different costume-y kind of clothes I’ve used for performances and photoshoots,” Dickson adds. “[Selling] accomplishes multiple things at once, where I’m getting rid of old stuff that I don’t need to keep anymore, and then instead of just donating it, I figure I might as well sell some of the good stuff that people like me who would be on Depop as well would be looking for.”

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Wafia Al-Rikabi, who also sells on Depop, grew up moving from country to country with her family. “We’d always have to pack up and leave, so I would [only] have things that I could fit into one suitcase,” she describes. “I’ve always been a not-owning-a-lot-of-things person because of my parents’ lifestyle.” Now, as a performer, Wafia has a surplus of pieces sent over from brands, and in the last few years, her visibility has increased following her successful cover of Mario’s “Let Me Love You.” Depop, which mainly attracts younger sellers hunting for Y2K-era garments, reached out to Wafia personally. “They reached out to me, and I just have so many things that I’ve only worn once. Even in the process of putting them on Depop, I was trying to be really considerate to not mark up the prices. If you want it, you can have it.”

For Speedy Ortiz singer/guitarist Sadie Dupuis, who also performs as Sad13 and runs a small Depop shop, donating and consigning clothes has been something she’s done since childhood. “I grew up with my mom going to consignment and thrift stores,” she says. “I got Depop when I was first moving to Philly in early 2016, and I had a feeling I was going to have a lot less closet space. I thought, ‘Maybe there’s somebody who wants to wear the dress that I wore to play with Junglepussy or something.’ I would try to put a nice note and some stickers or something, almost to make it like a merch item.”

While some artists look at selling their clothes as a passive side hustle, a pragmatic way to free up space in their homes, others, like Nashville-based performer Stef Colvin, are much more heavily engaged in the process, even making consistent income through thrifting. Colvin’s shop currently has 37K followers; it’s where she sells a wide array of ‘90s and ‘00s pieces to her Gen Z audience, who, Colvin theorizes, are most interested in following multidisciplinary creators who make content that is both aspirational and relatable. “I think [music and fashion] live very cohesively together,” Colvin says. “[Gen Z] is very into aesthetics, they’re into having things that no one else has, some of them are concerned about the environment. That’s why they thrift. Fashion is such a big part of my music branding as well, and I think Gen Z kind of looks for that in artists.”

Artists’ individual reasons for selling can vary, but one thing everyone seems to have in common is the destination: Depop. As opposed to consignment apps like Poshmark, which is probably Depop’s number one competitor, Depop, which was founded in 2011 and is based in London, is more focused on selling one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and tends to draw a younger, more creative class of shoppers.

When Dickson started her shop, she figured more fans of her band would already be Depop customers. “It seems like more young people, more trendy, alternative, whatever you want to call it, people closer to my age and fans of the band, would be on Depop versus Poshmark,” she says. “When I look on Poshmark, I tend to see more, I don’t know, Madewell, J.Crew, stuff like that. I still wear that stuff too, but that just leads me to believe that it’s slightly older, slightly more designer stuff. My older sister, for example, shops on Poshmark more.”

On top of generational consuming habits, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic likewise plays a role in how artists are selling clothing and other merchandise to their fans. As a Spotify For Artists story points out, last year’s pause in touring meant that artists had to find other methods of engaging with their fans, and fans were hungry for ways to support their favorite artists. As a result, there’s been a marked rise in artist merch sales. Though secondhand selling is not quite the same thing as traditional band merch, artists offering items from their own closets is just another way for fans to foster a parasocial connection.

“I have bought more merch from artists I like during this last year or two than I probably did before,” Dickson says. “We all want to feel connected to the creatives or people we follow online. I think we all want to feel like we know them.”

Taking it a step further, Colvin is convinced that many artists might want to lean harder into the merchandise space. “I honestly don’t think enough artists capitalize off of the merch-clothing element,” she argues. “If you already have a fan base that wants to buy from you, why aren’t you dropping more consistent and better merch? I don’t think enough people do the clothing right, and they’re missing out on a lot of money that they could be making.”

For all of her success selling on Depop, however, Dupuis feels trepidation around the environmental implications when artists feel external pressure to capitalize on their merch. “It really freaks me out that the way that bands have to make money now is by entering the garment industry, which is so messed up for the planet and bands are expected to have, you know, six different, like, cotton t-shirt designs per year,” she admits. “I have complicated feelings about that as a sustainable way for music artists to make their income. There’s so many unseen things that go into making these products when we are in an unprecedented climate crisis.”

That isn’t to say that Dupuis isn’t all for secondhand sales, which is much more environmentally conscious. Likewise, Speedy Ortiz has switched to printing on sustainable materials and selling in lower quantities. But, she points out, artists shouldn’t have to feel like they have to depend on merchandise sales and “run secondhand boutiques” just to survive. “I feel like things produced in limited quantities with secondhand or found materials is a way forward to making an income for artists,” she continues. “But I also just wish that digital music could be valued at a more fair price point so that we wouldn’t have to be brainstorming every which way.”

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

As hip-hop continues to evolve and morph into its ever-growing wealth of styles and formats, it’s nice to just hear someone spit some bars over a cool beat once in a while. In that spirit, Symba’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Ain’t Saying Sh*t” is like a nice refresher on punchline-forward, swaggering battle rap as he goes for broke illuminating all his virtues and pointing out all foes’ many flaws.

Hailing from the Bay Area, Symba traded in hoop dreams for microphone skills in middle school, taking his name from an obvious source (The Lion King) and setting out to establish himself as royalty in his own right. He’s also one of those artists who approach the game with a degree of hard-earned business savvy from prior industry experiences. When a deal with Columbia Records in 2017 soured, he returned to the independent grind, generating enough buzz to attract another deal from Atlantic.

Making a splash earlier this year with a viral LA Leakers freestyle and a standout 2021 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher verse, and building on his 2020 mixtape Don’t Run From R.A.P, Symba is a member of a new wave of rap-first hip-hop artists that is about to start flooding the game sooner than you might think.

Watch him perform “Ain’t Saying Sh*t” 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 Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

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

Long ago in a galaxy far away, there were rumors that former Doctor Who star Matt Smith was meant to appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in a pretty substantial role. Now, two years later, the actor is finally setting the record straight, confirming the rumors were in fact true and the 39-year-old actor was almost at the helm of a major “shift in the history” of the Star Wars franchise.

In the most recent episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast (via The Wrap), Smith opened up about his almost-part on the project, driving both Horowitz and Star Wars fans everywhere a bit mad imaging what could have been. According to Smith, he took several meetings leading up the film’s production, going over his character and the impact he would have on the series, but was ultimately cut from the film when the role “became obsolete.”

“We were close to me being in it, but then it just never quite happened. I think the thing they were thinking of me for, eventually… it became obsolete. They didn’t need it. So I never got to be in Star Wars.”

After Smith dropped the news, Horowitz asked him the question I’m sure we’re all thinking right now: who was Smith supposed to play? Horowitz then suggested Emperor Palpatine’s son, which caused Smith to smile and quickly grow quiet, before replying, “I could not possibly say, I could not possibly say. But it was a pretty groovy thing.”

“It was a big thing.” Smith added. “Pretty big — it was like a big story detail, like a transformative Star Wars story detail. But it never quite got over the line.”

While everyone has their own feelings on how the Star Wars sequel saga ultimately ended, you can’t deny it’s pretty fun to speculate what Smith would have been up to in the final film had he been involved. Luckily for Smith, however, the actor is doing quite well and is keeping busy in some pretty major franchises, including Sony’s Morbius and the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.

Anyone who’s been using Roku to get a porn fix (and there are presumably plenty of people who have been doing so) will have to find a new outlet for all of that energy. This week, the rapidly growing digital/streaming-player manufacturer (which is getting into the content game with upcoming new Reno 911 episodes) made that announcement during its developer conference. All of this means that Pornhub will no longer be available for Channel Store distribution, but how that’s happening is not exactly a straightforward process. That’s because Pornhub’s existence on Roku hasn’t been straightforward, in and of itself, either.

Porn content found its way onto Roku through private channels (known as “uncertified channels” in Roku terminology). They were intended for developer use, and these channels don’t appear in the Channel Store. This, naturally, led to Pornhub and similar providers to get their foot in the door, but that loophole will close on March 1, 2022 with the disappearance of private channels. While this news probably won’t affect as many people as when Roku wrapped up its HBO Max issue, the effective porn ban will surely be noticed. As first reported by Protocol, here’s the lowdown:

This includes many of the major adult content providers: Pornhub has its own private Roku channel, as do pay-per-view platforms like Adult Empire and AEBN, as well as adult video studios and subscription services like Wicked, Adult Time and Naughty America. All of these companies’ Roku channels are expected to disappear on March 1.

Roku’s existing policy of effectively turning a blind eye to private channels has been criticized in the past. Rights holders have at times clashed with the company over private channels that offered access to unlicensed content.

Gizmodo elaborates on the development while noting that Mexico briefly banned Roku due to concern over private channels. They’re developing a solution to the issue by transitioning to Beta Channels, which will satisfy developer needs while shutting down the non-certified mechanisms, and as a Roku spokesperson relayed to Gizmodo, “At our annual developer conference in October, we announced the launch of Beta Channels, a new feature that aligns with industry standards and offers a more dynamic and flexible environment for developers.”

So, no more explicitly naughty stuff will go down on Roku, but here’s some conciliatory news: there might very well be more “New Boot Goofin’” on the way from Lt. Dangle. Oh!

(Via Protocol & Gizmodo)

So far, Jenny Lewis has spent 2021 releasing new songs with Chicago rapper Serengeti, the latest of those being “GLTR.” Now, though, she’s back on the solo grind, as today brings a new single called “Puppy And A Truck.”

On the breezy track, Lewis starts by noting how rough things have been lately, singing, “My 40’s are kicking my ass / And handing them to me in a margarita glass.” In the chorus, though, she shares her solution to life’s troubles: “Like a shot of good luck / I got a puppy and a truck / If you feel like giving up / Shut up / Get a puppy and a truck.”

Lewis posted a message about the song on Instagram, showing her appreciation for Harry Styles’ fans showing her love while she opened for him on tour. She wrote, “i wrote this song in the spring and recorded it with [Dave Cobb] @ RCA studio A in the summer in nashville featuring my gorgeous friend [Jess Wolfe of Lucius] on backing vocals Greg Leisz on steel [Nate Smith on drums] brian allen on bass & myself on my 65 [Gibson] J45 from [Fanny’s House Of Music]. thank you to [Harry Styles’] lovely fans for singing along pre release on #loveontour i feel the love and so does [Lewis’ dog Bobby Rhubarb Lewis].”

Listen to “Puppy And A Truck” above.

Jenny Lewis is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.