Month: December 2021

The best albums of the year lists are definitely making the rounds on the interwebs. Maybe you saw Uproxx’s Best Albums Of The 2021 already? Or our genre-focused year end round-ups in hip-hop, indie, etc… They’re filled with killer releases from across the spectrum. Same goes for lists from other outlets that all highlight the prevalent music that marked this past year.

But damnit if there wasn’t some incredible music put out in 2021 that didn’t get the same shine as Olivia Rodrigo, Jazmine Sullivan or The War On Drugs. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best albums of the year that were slightly off the radar. Or maybe you’re just that in tune with things that you didn’t miss these at all? Regardless, these are positively ten of the best albums of the year and they deserve your attention.

Charlotte Day Wilson — Alpha

The Toronto-based singer and producer had put out two EPs in the past that yielded singles like “Work” and “Doubt” that effectively put her on the map. But Alpha is her proper full-length debut and it’s a stunning fully-formed collection of songs that sounds like nothing else. On “Take Care Of You” featuring Syd, Day Wilson morphs her voice on the hook to lay the groundwork for her and Syd to show why they’re two of the pre-eminent Queer vocalists today. “Lovesick Utopia” is one of the most intriguing productions of the year that flashes Day Wilson’s chops as more than just a singer. There are also appearances from fellow Canadians Daniel Caesar and Badbadnotgood, and Drake even picked up a sample of “Mountains” for his track,”Fair Trade,” off of Certified Lover Boy.

ALLBLACK — TY4FWM

Packing slick sports references in his bars at every turn, Allblack is a certified play runner who’s been killing the Bay Area street rap game. On “Ego,” he spits over Kenny Beats’ production: “Big bread, hero / Pressin n*****s, Deebo / At the bank more than Harden at the free throw / All this cash that I’m gettin’ f***in’ up my ego.” He raps about his past life as a pimp on “Life Of A P,” a hyped-up old-school G-Funk beat with Kossisko on a deft hook. TY4FWM is an album about gratitude though (heck, it’s in the title) and Allblack spends time shouting out the cats who’ve been there with him through thick and thin, and the ones who came up with him along the way. He’s on a French Montana level with the sheer volume of features, but they all pop off, like the 2Pac-inspired “War Stories” with Mozzy and Peezy, and the rough and tumble “We Straight” with Vince Staples over a sick beat by Cal-A.

Aaron Frazer –Introducing…

Easy Eye Sound, the label helmed by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, had an incredible year, with standout releases from Yola, Shannon Shaw, Robert Finely, and more. But none felt as true to its retro-minded aesthetic than the debut album by soul singer Aaron Frazer. For the uninitiated, Frazer is the drummer and high-pitched vocal yin to Durand Jones’ yang in The Indications. On Introducing…, Frazer more than holds his own as the singular focus on the classic soul vibes of “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby” and the groovy R&B of the flute-inflected “Bad News.” Auerbach produced the album himself and it’s the little details he employs — the way the horns hit on “Can’t Leave It Alone” or the deliberate way Frazer’s voice is mic’d on “Bad News” and “Lover Girl” — that paint the perfect canvas for his label’s new star to sound like a reincarnated 1950’s heartthrob.

Alfa Mist — Bring Backs

The rise of London’s modern jazz movement cannot be understated and pianist, producer, and rapper Alfa Mist is among its most prolific products. This is jazz music for hip-hop heads that’s tailor made to both groove to, or burn to. On “Mind The Gap,” Alfa opens singing over an arrangement of his masterful keys, a shrewd drum beat, and hypnotic horns. “I take my time, so they only see me in the right state of mind… we all rise and decline,” he sings, before giving way to Lex Amor coming in like a young Martina Topley-Bird. There’s a lot to like on Bring Backs, from trip-hop soundscapes to jazz drum breaks, in a welcome journey of the mind all around.

Sam Evian – Time To Melt

Recorded at Evian’s Flying Cloud Studios in the Catskills, Time To Melt is a gorgeous expression of psychedelic pop music. It’s gentle enough to soothe, but built intricately to stimulate. Evian, who has produced albums for similarly trippy folk artists like Cass McCombs, Blonde Redhead, and Okkervil River, is dashing on his third solo release. The combo of sweeping strings, Rhodes keys, and unpredictable horns on “Knock, Knock,” make the existential jam flow like a pristine stream. “Dream Free” features vocals from his partner Hannah Cohen and is a celestial electric number that like the album, is built for those who want to ponder the intricacies of the cosmos and the constructs around us.

Glbl Wrmng — glbl wrmng vol. 1

Presented by rapper Pell as a compilation that showcases the strength of the New Orleans hip-hop community, glbl wrmng vol. 1 was all that and then some. It represents the diverse sound of New Orleans rap, from the syrupy “Well Sh*t” featuring Paasky, to the shimmering and hopeful “Technicolor” with LeTrainiump and Dominic Scott to the twisty, sticky production of “N95” by Malik Ninety Five and Bryant Keith Malonson. Pell appears on every track and is a confident and stoic facilitator throughout all of it, for a veritable discovery trove of collaborators. There’s 16 tracks on the album that each seem to scratch a different sonic itch, as the collective searches for hope and peace amid tumultuous times. None are more affecting than “Take Time” with Pell and Kr3wcial finding harmony in hip-hop, in more memorable fashion than just about any cut I spun this year.

Ross From Friends — Tread

The Brainfeeder-signed producer courses through the electronic music spectrum jumping from techno, to vaporwave, to drum and bass and more. Don’t let the name fool you, this is serious stuff fronted by British producer Felix Cleary Weatherall that understands both the nuances of big room bass and chill out. Samples under beats often call back to Detroit disco and techno, like the well-enacted tear down and build-up of “Life In A Mind.” It’s almost as if you’re witnessing the bones of a track’s construction as it’s being laid down.

LUMP – Animal

While Laura Marling is one of the best modern folk singers on the planet, her electronically-minded side-project with producer Mike Lindsay (of Tunng) is proof that her penchant for exploration sees no bounds. The second LUMP album represents the continuity of the vessel Marling has found for material that doesn’t necessarily fit into the tightly-wrapped warmth of her acoustic guitar. But she’s a dynamite lyricist no less and on “Bloom At Night,” she sings:

“I predict that this affliction lasts for life
I suspect that you’ll regret your lust for light
I suggest that you address your appetite
For to be seen to cast your beam across the night”

Animal is an album about escape and embracing your inner beast in the process, and Marling places another mighty feather in her cap over Lindsay’s entrancing production.

Larry June — Orange Print

Yes, it’s another Bay Area hip-hop album, because if there’s any scene that consistently falls beneath the surface, it’s Bay Area rap. June is from San Francisco and Orange Print illustrates the culmination of his never-ending hustle. This is a dude who consistently puts out multiple records each year and he’s finally made it, but is somehow only now getting on the same scope nationally as rappers from more prominent enclaves. On “Intercepted,” he relishes on finally starting to get his flowers “Hard times, we prevailed, spent years manifestin’ / ‘Nother day, another lesson, took it all as a blessin’.” There’s an aura about June on Orange Print that emanates comfort for where he’s at in life. He’s not concerned with what people are doing outside of his sphere anymore, and it lets him spit about success, wisdom, and his signature health conscious calling card with poise and couth.

Alice Phoebe Lou — Glow

The South African indie singer-songwriter put down one of the most beautiful and spacey releases of the year. Her staccato is unwavering on “Only When I,” her jazzy coo is reminiscent of Billie Holiday on “Dusk,” and she channels her inner-Angel Olsen on “How To Get Out Of Love.” When Lou sings, it always feels as if the stars are her audience and her voice just grows into infinite spaces. Her sweet delivery over a clarinet on “Lonely Crowd” will send you right into the night sky. Yet, Glow is a perfect companion piece for sleeping in, having breakfast at noon, and just spending your whole day at home in your sweatpants.

The only thing missing from Questlove‘s moving historical documentary Summer Of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (aside from the hours of footage that had to be cut to make a watchable documentary in the first place) was a soundtrack that could be played outside of watching the film itself. After all, the doc covered the weeks-long 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which featured free live performances from Black music legends like Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nina Simone, and Sly & The Family Stone.

That changes today, with the announcement of the official soundtrack coming soon to streaming and physical media, including CDs and vinyl. Like the film, Questlove curated the once-lost audio documentation from several of the original performances, compiling 17 tracks including Sly & The Family Stone’s “Sing A Simple Song,” B.B. King’s “Why I Sing The Blues,” and The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir’s rendition of “Precious Lord Take My Hand” with Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples.

In the press release announcing the soundtrack, Questlove said, “It goes beyond saying that you can’t have a monster music journey on film without an equally awesome soundtrack. The people demanded ‘more!’. So for the people, we bring you musical manna that hopefully won’t be the last serving. These performances are lightning in a bottle. Pure artistry! Enjoy.”

The Summer Of Soul soundtrack is due on streaming and CD 1/28/2022 via Legacy Recordings. Pre-save it here. The vinyl release will be announced at a later date.

When St. Vincent returned this spring to release her new album Daddy’s Home, it was dripping in references to the ’70s, both visually and sonically. For her new era, St. Vincent donned literal rose-tinted glasses and polyester blouses while her songs featured woozy sitars and referenced strung-out stars. But when asked to remix her Daddy’s Home single “Pay Your Way In Pain,” UK post-punk group Idles took things in a very different direction.

Idles’ version of “Pay Your Way In Pain” strips all the nostalgia and glamor from the song. Band member Mark Bowen transformed the track into a jazzy, soulful single into a harsh, industrial anthem. The new version features quick-tempoed beats, yelping vocal samples, and disorienting harmonies.

Speaking about taking the track in a new direction, Bowen explained:

“What I really enjoy about the Daddy’s Home album is using this camp energy in a really violent way. This embracing of the nostalgic even the kitsch but using it to make progressive futuristic music. It reminded me a lot of the energy of early house and techno but wrapped up in this early ’70s aesthetic. I wanted to ramp up the camp and the violence in the remix but still maintain the sentiments and sensibilities of the original track.”

Listen to Idles’ remix of St. Vincent’s “Pay Your Way In Pain” above and revisit our review of Daddy’s Home here.

EA Sports College Football is one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming titles currently in development, and for good reason. We haven’t had a new college football video game to play since NCAA Football 14 released all the way back in 2013. Since then, the series has been shuttered due to legal issues from the NCAA’s refusal to allow athletes to make money off their names, image, and likeness.

However, we’ve seen some huge changes in college football since 2013. Not only are players able to make money off their NIL now, but the sport itself has added a playoff and a new round of realignment just took place. While plenty of people still pop in NCAA 14 thanks to the memories, the age in the game is clearly visible when. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer for a new college football game, because back in February, EA officially announced that it would bring back its college football series under a new name … eventually.

Video game development is difficult, and predicting it is never easy, but if we take into consideration that development on EA Sports College Football began around when it was officially announced, we can safely ballpark a potential release date as 2023. That would give the team working on the game a little more than two years to develop and release the game. This timeline would also match up with a report from Matt Brown of Extra Points that the development team has been aiming for a 2023 release date.

On Thursday, we got confirmation that EA is aiming for that window from Cory Moss, the CEO of College Licensing Co. Moss told Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports that the hope is for a summer 2023 release date for the upcoming game.

Obviously, everyone wants a new game to come out as soon as possible, and the dev team is assuredly hard at work as we speak, but until the game is given an official release date, we probably want to be cautious on assuming that 2023 is locked in. Any number of things could happen between now and then that could delay the game beyond an expected release time — for example, finding a way to get all of the new real-life players into the game is a challenge in itself.

All of that said, let’s choose to be positive and hope that in 2022, we’ll get some more information from EA itself on an anticipated release date.

Honey bourbon usually elicits incredulity from me. I’m on the record as not really digging the flavored whiskeys out there. I like a few for cocktails, don’t get me wrong. They have their place. But a vast majority of the “flavored” whiskeys are overly sweetened sugar bombs that hint at their signature “flavor” with a whiskey-ish background, maybe.

Belle Meade Bourbon Honey Cask Finish is what I wish all flavored whiskey was. First and foremost, the folks at Nelson’s Green Brier don’t flavor their bourbon. This is a special cask finished bourbon. They coax honey from a barrel that aged honey instead of adding honey liqueur or syrup to the whiskey. This makes all the difference in the world when it comes to making a nuanced honey whiskey.

I was lucky enough to get to taste some of this year’s release and was, again, very impressed. Here’s my review of this much-sought-after special cask finished whiskey.

Belle Meade Bourbon Honey Cask Finish

ABV: 53%

Average Price: Distillery Lottery Only (available on the secondary market)

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts off by seasoning used whiskey barrels (from Nelson’s Green Brier’s warehouse) with honey. The distillery sends their barrels to TruBee Honey Farm in Arrington, Tennessee where the barrels are filled with wildflower honey. After the honey has finished its rest, the barrels are emptied and sent back to Nashville. Once they arrive at Nelson’s, they’re filled with Belle Meade’s award-winning bourbon for a six to eight-month rest where the honey makes its mark on the whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

The floral honey notes from that honey really shine through on the nose. It’s supported by a slight woody yet sharp cinnamon that’s been stored in a cedar box with a hint of green tea lurking underneath that floral honey. The palate pushes the cinnamon to the foreground as a light touch of fresh brioche with butter and orange marmalade mingles with soft toffee and almost sticky honey cream, which creates a velvety mouthfeel. That honey and cinnamon combine on the mid-palate and lead towards a light note of vanilla pods and almond butter on the super-soft finish.

The Bottle:

Belle Meade bottles are weighty and classic whiskey bottles. Their stature is almost proud and really stands out on any bar cart. The label has two big bees on it with a golden and yellow theme. It’s immediately eye-catching while informing you exactly what this bourbon is about.

Bottom Line:

Once you get a taste of this, it’s really easy to see why so many folks clamor for it. It’s like what we all wish flavored whiskey actually tasted like. It’s clearly bourbon that’s just touched with real honey that accents and builds instead of takes over with an overly saccharine idea of honey. It’s delicious, subtle, and very drinkable.

All of that being said, you’re going to have to be awfully lucky to get your hands on a bottle this year (and spend some serious cash). The best play is to pay attention to Nelson’s social media around the start of 2022 for their announcement of the next lottery and sign up to see if you can get a bottle.

Ranking:

98/100 — If there’s a better honey cask finished bourbon out there, we haven’t tried it … yet.

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the most iconic boxing saga in cinematic history, Diadora and Foot Locker are rolling out the Diadora x Rocky Vs. collection. Designed by Philadelphia-based artist Keith Show and available at Foot Locker, Champs Sports, and Footaction on Dec. 14 for $120 each, the collection celebrates three of Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) epic opponents: Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Clubber Lang (Mr. T), and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren).

The three iterations of the shoe comes in colorways tied to each opponent, with red and yellow for Drago, blue and red for Creed, and sky blue and white for Lang. Each shoe also features the opponent’s face on its heel and a removable chain, their last name on the tongue, and an image of the fighter punching Rocky on the insole.

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Rocky franchise, keep an eye out for a number of live events and activations planned for the end of 2021 and into 2022 outside of the sneaker drop. The series of events follows slew of news from the Rocky series earlier this year, including insight into a much “darker” original Rocky script, the release of a director’s cut of Rocky IV that includes 40 minutes of new footage, and the revelation that Stallone nearly died from a devastating punch at the hands of Lundgren playing Drago.

Sure, we might have gotten a new 007 film earlier this year and Matthew Vaughn’s The King’s Man is merely a couple away weeks from making its highly anticipated theatrical release, but can you ever have too many smart and stylish spy films? Exactly. Fortunately for us, the start of an entirely new sleuthy saga is just around the corner with Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre — and it looks fun.

Directed by Guy Ritchie (The Gentlemen, The Man from UNCLE, Sherlock Holmes) and featuring a star-studded cast of Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone, and Hugh Grant, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre follows international super spy Orson Fortune (Statham) as he and his crew attempt to track and take down an eccentric, billionaire arms dealer named Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). However, while this might seem your standard spy affair, the comedy-filled trailer paints Operation Fortune as a pretty fun take on the classic genre — as does its official synopsis.

“In the film, super spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant). Reluctantly teamed with some of the world’s best operatives (Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone), Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood’s biggest movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) to help them on their globe-trotting undercover mission to save the world.”

In addition to Ritchie, his frequent collaborators Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies (The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man) are also working on the film as its co-writers. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre hits theaters on January 21, 2022.

Tierra Whack’s new EP may be called Pop? but the Philly-bred star certainly shows off some impressive rap skills on its three new songs. The EP, a follow-up to her previously released Rap?, makes use of some lighter production styles to convey its theme, adopting a pop-rock guitar riff on “Lazy,” a mellow folk-pop tune on “Dolly,” and a high-speed techno-inspired dance beat on “Body Of Water.” Throughout, she demonstrates her singing abilities, but on the latter, she rhymes at warp speed between the sung choruses, reminding fans why she earned her spot on the 2019 XXL Freshman Class.

“Body Of Water” is also the song that receives the music video treatment of the three, once again demonstrating Whack’s wild sense of humor and commitment to delivering eye-popping imagery every time. While it’s probably moot to call a Tierra Whack video “weird” at this point — remember the talking potatoes in “Unemployed“? — this one is definitely surreal and strange, as a group of people get transformed into porpoises after drinking, showering, or playing in water saturated with some sort of mutagen. Whack herself lounges luxuriously in a cozy living room in a couture ensemble that highlights her impeccable fashion sense before stepping into the pool outside — and growing a dolphin tail herself. Like I said: Weird.

Good things come in threes, so we can only hope that Tierra’s comeback will continue with another themed three-pack of new music and if so, we can’t wait to see which genre she tackles next.

Watch Tierra Whack’s “Body Of Water” video above and listen to the Pop? EP here.

Following last week’s interview with ABC News where he denied pulling the trigger of the gun that fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in New Mexico, Alec Baldwin has now posted an open letter from the film’s crew that pushes back against the narrative that the production was unsafe. Baldwin shared the letter signed by 25 members on his Instagram account on Thursday morning and provided no commentary of his own.

Here’s the key excerpt where the signees dispute reports that the set was “chaotic” and unsafe, leading to Hutchins’ death. Via Instagram:

Unfortunately, in the film industry, it is common to work on unprofessional or hectic productions to gain experience and credits. Many of us have worked on those types of productions. Rust was not one of them. Rust was professional. We do acknowledge that no set is perfect, and like any production, Rust had areas of brilliance and areas that were more challenging. While we stand firmly with our unions and strongly support the fight for better working conditions across our industry, we do not feel that this set was a representation of the kind of conditions our unions are fighting against. We do support any and all efforts to make film sets safer to work on for all cast, crew and working animals.

The descriptions of Rust as a chaotic, dangerous and exploitative workplace are false and distract from what matters the most: the memory of Halyna Hutchins, and the need to find modern alternatives to outdated industry firearm and safety practices.

The signees also described the morale on set as “high” and write that “laughter and optimism were common amongst cast and crew.” You can read the full letter via Baldwin’s Instagram below:

(Via Alec Baldwin on Instagram)

When it comes to conversations about music, much of the discourse goes down on Twitter. That’s why it’s no surprise that the most talked-about artists on the platform were those who released an album this year or those that were surrounded by controversy (and if you’re Ye — both).

Twitter collected all their data from this year and shared who the most-tweeted-about musicians were. Drake came in at No. 1, Ye followed shortly after him, and Lil Nas X sat at No. 3. It comes as no surprise that BTS was the fourth most-tweeted-about musician thanks to their massive global fanbase. After BTS, who were the most-tweeted-about group in 2020, was Taylor Swift at No. 5, whose rerecorded Red (Taylor’s Version) gave the singer a fair amount of buzz on the platform. Nicki Minaj came in at No. 6, Beyonce was No. 7, Megan Thee Stallion was No. 8, DaBaby was No. 9, and Cardi B made it in at No. 10.

Though BTS fell down a few placements this year compared to last year, they were still big when it came to the most-liked tweets of the year. Joe Biden celebrating his inauguration in 2021 was the single most-liked tweet, but a selfie by BTS member Jungkook was the second-most-liked tweet of the year with 3.2 million likes.

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