Month: January 2022

There’s an obvious connection between bourbon whiskey and Kentucky. In fact, many believe that bourbon as we know it was invented in Georgetown, Kentucky in 1789 when a Baptist minister named Elijah Craig decided to open a distillery. Fast forward nearly 250 years and some estimates say that 95 percent of all bourbon is still made in the Bluegrass State. But while bourbon must be made up of 51 percent corn, aged in new American oak, and adhere to a few other strict rules, it doesn’t actually need to be produced in KY.

There are high-quality, award-winning, noteworthy bourbons produced all over the country, from St. Augustine to Seattle. Recently, my Uproxx colleague Zach Johnston ranked twenty of his favorite non-Kentucky bottles. This week, I decided to up the ante and blindly taste and rank fifteen of his top selections.

It should be noted that this is 100% based on my own personal tastes. I simply use my sense of smell to nose the bourbons and my sense of taste to sip them. So my picks might not align with yours (or even Zach’s). That said, I try to explain the flavors of each expression to help you find the flavor profile that suits you.

Our lineup today includes:

• 291 Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey (Colorado)
• Old Elk Wheated Bourbon (Colorado)
• Smooth Ambler Contradiction (West Virginia/Indiana)
• Woodinville PX Sherry Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Washington)
• Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon (Texas)
• Garrison Brothers Balmorhea (Texas)
• Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey (Wyoming)
• Leopold Bros. Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon (Colorado)
• FEW Bourbon Whiskey (Illinois)
• Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon (Indiana)
• Bib & Tucker 10-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon (Tennessee)
• Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Nevada)
• Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon (New York)
• Cedar Ridge Reserve Iowa Bourbon Whiskey (Iowa)
• Remus Repeal Reserve Series V Straight Bourbon (Indiana)

It’s a monster tasting with some serious heavy hitters. Let’s start the sampling!

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey has a very unique nose and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. First, I noticed a nutty sweetness that moved into clover honey, slight pipe tobacco, vanilla, and just a hint of peppery rye. The palate begins with a soft citrus zest that pairs with oaky wood, sweet corn, and butterscotch.

From my notebook: “It’s the kind of whiskey that needs multiple tasting to find everything.”

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose of yellow cake, almond cookies, butterscotch, raisins, pipe tobacco, and slight, peppery spices let you know what you’re in for. On the palate, I found caramel corn, spicy cinnamon, oaky wood, more tobacco, and toasted vanilla beans. It ends with pecans, caramel, and more of those spices.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, I found a mix of sticky toffee pudding, toasted vanilla beans, oak, and a gentle, floral backbone. Tasting it revealed flavors like creamy caramel, cinnamon sugar, vanilla beans, and a dusting of holiday spices. The last few sips were warming and featured a great combination of cinnamon and butterscotch.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey smells like a classic bourbon with notes of fresh tobacco, maple syrup, sweet corn, and just a hint of cracked black pepper to tie everything together. Taking a sip revealed candied orange peels, toasted marshmallow, rich oak, and a slight herbal backbone. It ended with a nice mix of spice and cornbread.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

You’re met with a hint of candied orange peels, cinnamon, and other wintry spices on first nosing. This is followed by a palate of apple pie crust, pipe tobacco, dried cherries, dark chocolate, oaky wood, and dried orange peel. The finish is medium in length, filled with warming heat, and delivers a nice mix of sweet cherries and chocolate.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

If you enjoy vanilla, this is the bourbon for you. It’s very prevalent on the nose. I also found hints of caramel corn, dried fruit, and slight oaky wood. The palate is littered with flavors like dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, toasted vanilla beans, and a slight hint of cinnamon spice. The ending is sweet, lingering, and very warming.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Fruit is a notable presence on this whiskey’s nose. The first sniff revealed dried cherries and raisins and moved into caramel, pipe tobacco, and cinnamon sugar. A sip brought notes of caramel corn, Christmas spices, butterscotch, peppery rye. and wood char. The finish is a warming mix of dried fruit, brown sugar, and more oak.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Caramel and wintry spices dominate this whiskey’s nose. There are also hints of dried fruits and toasted vanilla beans. The palate is heavy on toasted vanilla beans pods, sticky toffee pudding, oaky wood, and a nice, pleasing kick of cinnamon at the finish.

From my notes: “Overall, a sweet, spicy, memorable sipper.”

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

The nose is classic bourbon with a good deal of oak that pairs well with butterscotch, raisins, and dried cherries. The flavor is sweet, soft, and filled with more dried fruits, slight cinnamon spice, fresh leather, and just a hint of peppery rye. It ends with a nice mix of sweetness and spice.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

It starts with a bang due to notes of caramel corn, dried cherries, ripe berries, raisins, and toasted vanilla beans. Sipping it only adds to the experience with notes of clover honey, sweet treacle, maple candy, spicy cinnamon sugar, and butterscotch frosting. The ending is warming and a good combination of corn sweetness and cinnamon spice.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey had a surprisingly fruity nose with hints of ripe berries and dried cherries paired with salted caramel, sweet corn, and rich, dark oak. On the palate, I found flavors of wintry spices, butterscotch, more woody oak, raisins, and just a touch of spice. It all ends with a dry, warming, slightly nutty finish.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

When I nosed this whiskey, I found aromas of dried cherries, fresh leather, rich oak, cinnamon sugar, and candied pecans. The flavor is a little spicier than expected with hints of cinnamon and baking spices as well as a nutty sweetness, maple candy, dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, and light herbal quality. It finished with a lingering, warming, salted caramel flavor.

Taste 13

Tasting Notes:

From my notes: “This whiskey smells very corny on the nose.”

There’s a slight hint of oak and maybe a wisp of vanilla as well. There really isn’t much else going on. The palate has slightly more going on with some dark chocolate, vanilla beans, and more caramel corn. It doesn’t taste like it’s been aged very long.

Taste 14

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this bourbon’s nose. First off is a wallop of caramel candy. It’s followed close behind with notes of buttercream frosting, candied almonds, and mint-like herbal aromas hiding in the background. The flavor continues to the trend set by the nose with a slew of flavors including vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, treacle, almond cookies, and slight wintry spices.

Taste 15

Tasting Notes:

The nose is closer to a single malt Scotch whisky than a bourbon. I smell notable hints of vanilla, oaky wood, and sweet grains. The palate is filled with slight cracked black pepper, buttery caramel, vanilla beans, and treacle. It all ends with a mix of sweetness and spice.

From my note: “It felt like it was missing something.”

Part 2: The Ranking

Now comes the really fun part. If you’re reading this, that means you’ve already made your way through my tasting notes. You’re going to finally get what you came here for — the ranking. Again, my palate is different than Zach’s, that’s how palates work. The best thing for you to do is check our notes and see what resonates with you.

Keep scrolling to see how these fifteen non-Kentucky bourbons stacked up (for me!).

15. Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon (New York) — Taste 13

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

Not too long ago, Hudson Bourbon was rebranded and renamed. Formerly called Baby Bourbon, this 95 percent corn and five percent malted barley whiskey isn’t as infantile as its predecessor, as it’s aged a minimum of three years.

Bottom Line:

There’s nothing harsh or abrasive with this whiskey’s flavor. It just doesn’t taste as refined as I would hope — that corn note really dominated.

14. Leopold Bros. Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon (Colorado) — Taste 15

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

First released in 2020, this bottled in bond expression from Leopold Bros. has a mash bill of 64 percent corn, 21 percent malted barley, and 15 percent Abruzzi Heritage rye. It’s pot-distilled, unfiltered, and aged for five years in new, charred oak casks.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t a bad bourbon by any means. It’s just lacking in the sweet corn and butterscotch flavor notes I’d expect from a refined bourbon whiskey.

13. Bib & Tucker 10-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon (Tennessee) — Taste 6

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

If you’re a whiskey fan, the odds are you don’t think of bourbon when you envision Tennessee whiskey. Bib & Tucker — with its ten-year-old small-batch bourbon — is trying to change that. This award-winning, non-chill filtered bourbon is a blend of ten-year-old sourced whiskeys that are aged in low-char casks to create a complex, well-balanced expression.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon is a true vanilla bomb. If that’s what you’re into, this is a perfect whiskey for you. Otherwise, try something different.

12. Cedar Ridge Reserve Iowa Bourbon Whiskey (Iowa) — Taste 1

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Iowa is well-known for being home to a lot of cornfields. This is why it’s so surprising that there aren’t more bourbons coming out of the state. Iowa’s first distillery, Cedar Ridge, is trying to change that. This award-winning expression was aged a minimum of five years before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is a surprising whiskey. It has a ton of flavors I don’t usually associate with bourbon — namely that honey and citrus. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. I actually liked it a lot, it’s jut that there were some expressions I truly LOVED in this round.

11. Smooth Ambler Contradiction (West Virginia/Indiana) — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Smooth Ambler Contradiction is a unique whiskey. Instead of simply sourcing bourbon or distilling their own, Smooth Ambler blended their own wheat bourbon with sourced high-rye bourbon from MGP. The result is a complex, non-chill filtered blended bourbon.

Bottom Line:

This is a very complex, multi-layered whiskey. It starts sweet and moves into spicy before finishing with a nice, classic caramel corn and vanilla finish.

10. Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey (Wyoming) — Taste 3

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Carrying on the tradition that bourbon can come from unexpected places, Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch is made at a grain-to-glass distillery in Kirby, Wyoming. Made from locally sourced grains, this wheated, small-batch bourbon is matured for a minimum of four years.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a whiskey with a nice combination of spicy cinnamon and sweet caramel, this is the bourbon for you. It has a nice bite to temper the sweetness.

9. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Nevada) — Taste 7

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

There’s a lot more to Nevada than Las Vegas. We’re talking about Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon. This is a true farm-to-bottle whiskey. All of the grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley) are grown on-site and the whiskey is fermented, distilled, matured, and bottled at Frey Ranch.

Bottom Line:

This complex whiskey is so filled with flavors, I might need to try it neat again, on the rocks, and mixed into a cocktail before I find them all.

8. FEW Bourbon Whiskey (Illinois) — Taste 8

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Evansville, Illinois’ FEW has made a name for itself in the spirits world in the last decade. One of its best offerings is its award-winning FEW Bourbon. It’s a high-rye, small-batch bourbon that’s matured for slightly less than four years in American oak casks.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic bourbon that would stand up against many of your Kentucky favorites. It ticks all of the bourbon boxes with its sweetness, slight spice, and warming finish.

7. Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon (Texas) — Taste 4

ABV: 64.5%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

In the past few years, Texas has become a popular destination for bourbon fans. Brands like Garrison Brothers and Balcones are leading the way and the latter’s Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon is one of the best. Made from a mash bill of 100 percent Texas blue corn, this cask strength bourbon is as big and bold as the state it’s produced in.

Bottom Line:

Tobacco, corn, butterscotch, and spices, this whiskey has it all. Sweet corn whiskey fans should definitely grab a bottle of this delicious expression — it’s a bottle Zach and I BOTH adore.

6. Garrison Brothers Balmorhea (Texas) — Taste 12

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $190

The Whiskey:

Balcones might be more well-known, but Hye, Texas’ Garrison Brothers was actually the first. Also, while you can’t go wrong with the brand’s iconic Cowboy Bourbon, its limited-edition expressions aren’t to be missed. This includes Garrison Brothers Balmorhea. This 115-proof whiskey is matured in Ozark white oak for four years before finishing in Minnesota oak for one more year.

Bottom Line:

This is complex, with a whole cornucopia of flavors, but somehow still mellow and easy to sip. It’s an all-around great sipping whiskey.

5. Belle Meade Reserve Bourbon (Indiana) — Taste 2

ABV: 54.15%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

You might be confused that Belle Meade is listed as an Indian brand when it’s made in Tennessee. This is because this is a sourced and blended whiskey from Indiana’s MGP. It also should be noted that doesn’t make it a bad whiskey. This blend of high-rye whiskeys ranging in age from seven to eleven-years old is bold, flavorful, and highly memorable.

Bottom Line:

It will be hard to beat this whiskey. It has everything a bourbon fan could want. It’s so multi-dimensional and complex that it begs to be sipped slowly and savored.

4. Old Elk Wheated Bourbon (Colorado) — Taste 14

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

We all know that to be considered a bourbon, the mash bill must consist of at least 51 percent corn. This wheated bourbon from Colorado’s Old Elk really pushes the limits with a mash bill of 51 percent corn and 45 percent wheat. The result is a sublimely soft, easy-to-drink sipper.

Bottom Line:

This soft, sipping whiskey is carried by a nice nutty sweetness and sweet caramel and vanilla flavors that make it a borderline dessert dram.

3. Remus Repeal Reserve Series V Straight Bourbon (Indiana) — Taste 11

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $175

The Whiskey:

If you haven’t yet tried one of the Remus Repeal Reserve expressions, you’re doing yourself a disservice. MGP’s signature bourbon is as complicated in flavor as it was in its creation. Made up of five different bourbons, all with a high-rye content, it’s known for its complex, slightly spicy, fruity flavor.

Bottom Line:

This subtly spicy, fruity, nutty whiskey deserves to be sipped slowly neat or on the rocks while you sit under a warm blanket, slowly watching the snow fall outside of your window.

2. 291 Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey (Colorado) — Taste 10

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

You might be surprised to learn that this isn’t a straight whiskey because it was only aged for one year. How did the folks at 291 get away with that and still make a flavorful whiskey? They made it taste older with the addition of Aspen wood staves in the barrel while it aged.

Bottom Line:

This might not be the most complex whiskey on this list and that’s not such a bad thing. Sometimes less is more and this whiskey proves it. Clearly it really resonated with me — sneaking into a very competitive #2 spot!

1. Woodinville PX Sherry Cask Bourbon Whiskey (Washington) — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

If you haven’t joined the Woodinville bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? This Washington State distillery pretty much makes nothing but bangers at this point. Woodinville PX Sherry Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey is no different. To make this sublime expression, they start with their flagship five-year-old straight bourbon and finish it in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

Bottom Line:

This is a warming, sweet, and memorable whiskey. It’s also a perfect spicy, sweet warmer for the colder winter months.

After slowly emerging from the And Just Like That... incident, which saw one of its exercise bike kill Chris Noth’s Mr. Big (followed by some even worse problems), things were starting to look up for Peloton despite its stock taking a hit. And then the season premiere of Billions happened. While no one died this time around, yet again, another character on a major prestige drama suffered a heart attack while using a Peloton.

Naturally, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert decided to have a little fun with this new trend of Peloton widow-makers, but man, did they take it to a dark place. In a parody episode of Peppa Pig titled “Daddy Pig Gets a Peloton,” the porky head of the household gets an exercise bike, which should immediately cause a feeling of dread to anyone watching. But, don’t worry, Daddy Pig does die, but only because Mommy Pig poisoned his coffee for having an affair and not from using the Peloton. Talk about a marketing win!

Just to set the record straight, there isn’t an intentional trend of having Pelotons kill TV characters. The Billions heart attack happening on the heels of the And Just Like That… incident was truly a coincidence as Billions filmed in the Spring, months before Mr. Big bit the big one. More importantly, Peloton didn’t authorize Showtime to use their brand, and needless to say, they weren’t pleased about the situation.

As Peloton notes in the tweet, “cardio-vascular exercise helps people lead long, happy lives” is an accurate statement. Daily exercise is more likely to prevent a heart attack than cause a heart attack, despite premium cable’s latest choice for a bogeyman.

For the first time since 2019, the Chicago institution that is Wilco is bringing back their Solid Sound Festival to… Massachusetts. OK, it’s not as random as that, because the festival — loaded with indie talent and more from top to bottom — doesn’t just go down anywhere in Massachusetts: It’s at North Adams’ 250,000 square foot Massachusetts Museum Of Contemporary Art (MoCA), the largest center for contemporary arts in the country, where previous iterations of the event have taken place. It’s quite the setting for a music festival and it’s scheduled to occur on Memorial Day Weekend, from May 27th to 29th, 2022.

The inventive and loaded lineup sees Sylvan Esso, Japanese Breakfast, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy riding the top of the lineup card alongside a performance by Wilco, of course. There are other prominent performances on the bill that you likely won’t see at any other festivals, like the free jazz mastery of Sun Ra Arkestra conducted by Marshall Allen, and Josh Hodgman’s Comedy Cabaret co-hosted with hip-hop renaissance woman Jean Grae and featuring comedians Nick Offerman, River Butcher, and Negin Farsad. There’s also a Jeff Tweedy & Friends performance, which could easily make this a Wilco superfest on its own. But there’s more…

The rest of the lineup is an eclectic mishmash of indie’s best. It includes Terry Allen and The Panhandle Mystery Band, Mike Watt + The Missingmen, Hand Habits, Wiki, Angel Bat Dawid, Iceage, Sam Evian, Nnämdi, Cut Worms, Le Ren, Nels Cline: Consentrik Quartet, Autumn Defense, On Fillmore with Jonna Tervomaa, Eleventh Dream Day, Mess Esque, Mikael Jorgensen, Liam Kazar, Tuomo & Markus, and Story Pirates.

Tickets are on now sale here and also include access to the Mass MoCA museum.

The best part of any Star Wars movie or television show isn’t the lightsaber fights or space travel or overly complicated plans — it’s the aliens. The droids are fun, too, but in terms of weirdness and trying to figure out what everyone’s deal is, no robot or human can compete with this guy. Or this one. Or get a load of this weirdo.

Every Star Wars alien is its own particular kind of goofy, but there was one that was deemed too ridiculous looking. “Lightman,” as the creature is known, was supposed to be in Return of the Jedi as “some kind of guide to Threepio somewhere deep inside the darkness of Jabba’s Palace, as well as being seen in some other creature establishing shots in and out of the Throne Room,” according to Star Wars Aficionado. Lightman was out there doing his best, living paycheck to paycheck just like the rest of us, but because he was literally a man covered in lights, no one could take him seriously.

“The mysterious ‘Lightman’ was filmed forty years ago today for Return of the Jedi and pretty much immediately abandoned,” film historian Jamie Benning tweeted, along with a brief clip of the alien. He also asked Phil Tippett, the visual effects whiz behind the original Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park, and RoboCop, for any memories of Lightman.

Tippett replied, “Looked just like that. Everyone laughed. Never got shot.”

Poor Lightman. I still love you. Then again, my favorite Star Wars character is Watto, so maybe that’s not as much of a compliment as it sounds.

Tiffany Haddish has had a rough go of it the past few months. She had a public breakup with rapper Common, lost her dog of 13 years, and has been grieving gince the death of her her ‘great teacher’ Bob Saget earlier this month. She also had a run-in with the law last week when she fell asleep at the wheel and was charged with a DUI in Georgia.

But the comedian was in good spirits when she stopped by Jimmy Fallon‘s show last night. New NFT pumper Fallon, who is a close friend of Haddish’s, applauded her appearance on The Tonight Show, and gave her the opportunity to address the incident. “I can say this, Jimmy. I’ve been praying to God to send me a new man. A good man,” Haddish said. “And God went ahead and sent me four — in uniform. I wasn’t expecting it. I was not expecting that at all.” She ensured her friend that she hired a “really great lawyer” and they are “going to work it out. I gotta get my asking of things to God a little better,” she added.

Haddish then went on to say she wants to turn this grief into another comedy special. “It’s gonna be hilarious. Figuring out how to process it. Kids get to cry whenever they want to, wherever they want to. As an adult, you can’t do that. They send you home.”

The comedian stars in The Afterparty, a murder-mystery parody alongside Dave Franco, Ben Schwartz, and Ilana Glazer, which premiers on Apple TV+ this Friday, January 28th.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is making another video game movie. The star of 2005’s Doom and 2018’s Rampage is no stranger to movies based on video games so we’re not surprised to see that he is once again jumping into the genre. What’s more interesting is that he is choosing to not tell any of us what that movie is going to be about.

Of course, since nobody has any idea what he’s going to be in this led to massive speculation of what it could be. Is it going to be another action movie, perhaps something like Castlevania or Wolfenstein. Maybe he’s going in a more family-friendly direction and providing his voice for an animated adventure like Kirby or Mega Man? Whatever the movie is going to be, everyone had a lot of thoughts on it and couldn’t help but share what they were thinking on Twitter.

While some of these were serious, and others were joking, the potential games that The Rock could star in quickly went from non-serious speculation to see what the most obscure games we could put him in would be.

A lot of people really wanted him to be in a Tetris movie too. How would that even work? Would he slam the pieces down? Maybe he controls them? That’s for Hollywood to figure out.

Of course, movies are no stranger to taking concepts and blowing them way bigger than what they were based on. Boardgames like Clue and Battleship both received movies so hey let’s get weird with video games too. Minesweeper? Pinball? All starring The Rock.

If there’s one thing that’s clear it’s that everyone thinks The Rock could star in a video game movie from any franchise. At this point let’s just let him do nothing but video game movies. He can own the genre all to himself and become the most famous video game movie actor ever.

Following news of Meat Loaf‘s death last week, it didn’t take long for the legendary singer‘s views on the COVID vaccine and masking to come to light. Long story short, he was not a fan of either, which led to his death after reportedly falling ill from the virus. As the pandemic continues to ravage the country, Howard Stern has been a blunt and vocal critic of anti-vaxxers, and he definitely did not make an exception when it came to the “Bat Out Of Hell” singer’s death.

“Poor Meat Loaf got sucked into some weird f*cking cult,” Stern said on the latest episode of his radio show. After highlighting Meat Loaf’s public comments about refusing to get vaccinated, Stern turned his attention to the singer’s family, who the shock jock feels should be pushing the vaccine after seeing the singer on his death bed. Via Mediaite:

“I wish the family would come forward and say, ‘Ya know, when Meat Loaf was laying there in the hospital and he couldn’t breathe, he said, ‘I made a mistake. I should have taken the vaccine.’ Like all these anti-vaxxers, they all say, ‘I made a mistake.’”

It was another example of Stern refusing to pull his punches when it comes to anti-vaxxers, particularly famous ones like Aaron Rodgers, Joe Rogan, and the now-late Meat Loaf. Earlier this month, Stern even went so far to say that “if it was up to me, anyone unvaccinated would not be admitted to a hospital.”

“In my America, all hospitals would be closed to you,” Stern said last week. “You’re going to go home and die.”

(Via Mediaite)

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got a surprise new album from Pedro The Lion, another sample of the forthcoming Big Thief album, and a ton of album announcements from PUP, Hatchie, Girlpool, and many more. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Pedro The Lion – Havasu

With only a few hours of advanced notice, Pedro The Lion unveiled last week the deeply autobiographical new record Havasu, borne out of several trips David Bazan took to Lake Havasu, Arizona, where he lived for a year. He mined the territory for memories, crafting narratives and songs that are built around instruments he played entirely on his own.

Anxious – Little Green House

One of the latest additions to the legendary roster of Run For Cover Records, Connecticut’s Anxious have been making a name for themselves over the last few years by finding the sonic and thematic middle ground between hardcore, emo, and ’90s alternative. After a string of impressive EPs, the quintet has finally unveiled their debut full-length album which makes good on the promise of a rocking good time with infectious melodies and heavy instrumentals.

Silverbacks – Archive Material

Ireland’s own Silverbacks are back with their sophomore album, Archive Material. The new record is an excellent progression from the band’s debut album, Fad, which marked the band’s entry onto the scene when it was nominated for the Choice Prize, Ireland’s top music prize, in 2019. The songs on Archive Material really stand out for showcasing the band’s instantly-palpable cool factor, which is just the cherry on top of their knack for melody and song structure.

Elujay – Circmvntion

When I spoke to Oakland artist Elujay earlier this year, he emphasized the way that love factors into his artist process. On his debut album Circmvntion, Elujay harnesses his Trinidadian roots as a source of inspiration while incorporating elements of rock, funk, R&B, indie, hip-hop… and almost everything else. The album’s title is “about finding alternative routes to an ever transitioning/deteriorating world; striving to find peace and solace and new techniques to approaching life,” Elujay explained in a statement.

Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”

The excitement is mounting as Big Thief’s new double-album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, nears its early February release. We’ve already heard a hefty amount of tracks from the record and “Simulation Swarm” is the latest preview, which Derrick Rossignol describes for Uproxx as “an upbeat tune that’s grounded in a relaxing place by Adrianne Lenker’s idiosyncratic and gentle vocals.”

PUP – “Robot Writes A Love Song”

Pup are back and they’re ready to rock. The Canadian punks announced their new album, The Unraveling Of Puptheband, with a new single called “Robot Writes A Love Song,” which takes on a more melodic, anthemic approach than we’re used to from the band. That said, “much like their previous releases, the new song tackles feelings of existential dread and hopelessness but this time through the lens of a grieving robot,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Camp Cope – “Running With the Hurricane”

It’s been a while since we last from Australian trio Camp Cope. Since the release of 2018’s How To Socialise And Make Friends, Georgia Maq has been releasing a string of solo material, but now she has returned to her bandmates for a new record. Running With The Hurricane is prefaced by its title track, a relatively subdued affair that illustrates the band’s emotional and affecting songwriting chops.

Uwade – “Do You See The Light Around Me”

21-year-old Uwade made a name for herself after featuring on Fleet Foxes’ 2020 album Shore. Now, the Nigerian-American artist has started rolling out a string of new singles that start to bring her artistic vision into focus. “Do You See The Light Around Me” was produced by Brad Cook (Snail Mail, Waxahatchee, Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger), and is built upon thrilling electronic beats and vocal layering.

Band Of Horses – “Lights”

After delaying the release of their seventh studio album, Things Are Great, from January to March, indie rock veterans Band Of Horses have shared another new single. “Lights” is a call back the band’s sonic roots, and “beautifully melts together jangly guitar chords and wailing vocals to craft an anthemic tune that details a night one exceptionally wrong,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Alex Cameron – “Best Life”

A few years removed from 2019’s Miami Memory, Alex Cameron is back with a new record. Due out in March, our first taste of Oxy Music comes in the form of “Best Life,” a thoroughly enjoyable neo-lounge number featuring what Adrian Spinelli calls for Uproxx “Cameron’s signature leisure suit cabaret sound, which really just welcomes you to be yourself.”

Khruangbin + Leon Bridges – “Chocolate Hills”

Two years ago, Khruangbin teamed up with Leon Bridges for an unexpected, but exciting collaborative EP called Texas Sun. Now, the two parties have reunited on another EP called Texas Moon. “Chocolate Hills” is a much slower, ultra-smooth serenade, “featuring sparse instrumentation by Khruangbin that opens up space for Bridges’ room-filling vocals to cut through,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Hatchie – “Quicksand”

A few months after telling the world that she had signed to Secretly Canadian, Hatchie has announced her forthcoming album, Giving The World Away and shared the lead single “Quicksand.” Where previous Hatchie tracks were shimmering shoegaze numbers, “Quicksand” is a full-blown indie-pop track. “The ’80s dance floor synth beat stands out and Hatchie flexes her soaring vocals as she pleas for joy to shine through uncertainty,” writes Adrian Spinelli for Uproxx.

Girlpool – “Lie Love Lullaby”

About a month ago, Girlpool returned from an extended silence with the release of a new song called “Faultline.” As it turns out, that track was an indicator of something far larger from the duo, who announced their new album Forgiveness, which is due April 29. The announcement arrived with “Lie Love Lullaby,” a brand new track that illustrates the band’s newfound industrial moodiness over a pulsing beat.

Nilüfer Yanya – “Midnight Sun”

In just over a month, Nilüfer Yanya is set to release her sophomore album, Painless. “Midnight Sun” is the second single from the effort, a calculated and slow-burning track that utilizes airy guitars and a tempered beat to keep the focus on Yanya’s ethereal and affecting vocals.

Proper. – “Milk And Honey”

After making a name for themselves in the DIY/punk community, Brooklyn trio Proper. have announced their signing to Father/Daughter + Big Scary Monsters, along with their Bartees Strange-produced new album, The Great American Novel. The record is due March 25 and is previewed by “Milk And Honey,” a meditative and building song about coming to the realization that you might not be able to uphold the image your parents have for you.

Mom Jeans – “Graduating Life”

On the fourth sampling of their new album Sweet Tooth, Mom Jeans put the electric guitars down for a moment to get more contemplative for an acoustic ballad. “Graduating Life” is a beautiful moment of vulnerability wherein the band begs to hit pause on life so they can spend eternity with the ones they love.

Something unusual happened on Monday. A fed-up president of the United States took a moment during a press conference to call Fox News’ Peter Doocy (who is no stranger to receiving a “Psaki Bomb” from Press Secretary Jen Psaki) a “son of a b*tch.” Some didn’t mind the sentiment, since Peter is a persistent one and follows the far-right talking points, but it wasn’t the classiest move that Joe Biden’s ever pulled, and CNN’s Jake Tapper wasn’t about to cosign.

“Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?” Doocy had inquired, to which Biden bristled with sarcasm: “That’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a b*tch.” Granted, Doocy did reveal that Biden later called to apologize, but still, Jake Tapper wasn’t too impressed by this public display of sarcasm on Biden’s behalf. At around the 7:00 mark above, Tapper gives his take during a visit with Jimmy Kimmel.

“I don’t think any president should be calling any journalist a dumb son of a b*tch. And to be fair to Peter Doocy, the question was fairly anodyne.” Kimmel (who had earlier practically celebrated the insult in his monologue) pushed back, ever so slightly while mentioning that Fox News classifies Tapper as “a mouthpiece for the Democrats, and yet here you are defending Peter Doocy, who, as far as I have been able to tell, is indeed a dumb son of a b*tch.”

Tapper disagreed on that last point. He further conceded that Doocy would probably not defend him, if the roles were reversed, yet Tapper insisted, “Standards for decency don’t have to do with whether or not you like the people that are being treated poorly.”

It’s all very blunt stuff, and on a related note Fox and Friends definitely discussed the insult heard ’round the world. Steve Doocy wasn’t thrilled about the situation but remarked, “Peter’s a big boy.” Watch below.

Although it has been more than a month since the death of Drakeo The Ruler, tributes continue to roll in, highlighting just how much he meant to the hip-hop world. The latest one comes from Drakeo’s incarcerated “Out The Slums” collaborator 03 Greedo, who shared a remembrance on his Instagram page.

I wanted to wait until I felt like a lot of the clout posts died down because this one really crushed me. I lost a lot of homies, family, and industry friends while I’ve been locked up but to lose my evil twin f*cked me up. I wake up every day wishing I made parole so I could convince you to move out of LA with me and focus on the music. To lose your n****s you made your first millions with before even coming home to enjoy it is mind-blowing. Coming home to Shoreline broken up and no Ketchy or Drakeo — we still have so many hot songs we haven’t shown the world.

In the post, Greedo not only laments the death of Drakeo but also that of Drakeo’s Stinc Team artist Ketchy The Great, who was killed in a car accident months before Drakeo was stabbed to death backstage at the Once Upon A Time In LA festival, as well as the breakup of Shoreline Mafia, with whom Greedo and Drakeo had frequently collaborated as part of LA’s new underground scene.

Greedo was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the state of Texas for gun and drug possession in 2018, as Drakeo faced his own potentially lengthy sentence for attempted murder and gang association in LA. With the tragedy of Drakeo’s death comes the additional loss of the two men’s promised reunion. You can read Greedo’s full post below.