Month: March 2022

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 the new album by Band Of Horses, a new era for Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a snappy new Haim track.

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Band Of Horses — Things Are Great

Band Of Horses was undoubtedly one of the most talked about bands of the mid-aughts and they’ve now made a triumphant comeback with Things Are Great, their first album in six years. The 10-track release saw the band returning to their roots, with vocalist Ben Bridwell not afraid to play his “sloppy, weird style of guitar.” Bridwell told Uproxx in a recent interview that Things Are Great was his chance to spearhead the production and finally make the record he wanted to.

Nilüfer Yanya — Painless

UK musician Nilüfer Yanya took the world by storm when she released her debut album Miss Universe in 2019. Now armed with a new perspective, Yanya brings her refined sound to her sophomore LP Painless. Through groovy licks and vibrant synths, the record revolves around emotion. Yanya copes with loneliness and isolation while she dives headfirst into emotional vulnerability.

The Weather Station — How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars

After making waves with the 2021 album Ignorance, The Weather Station drops the companion LP, How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars. The piano-laden album as a whole examines similar themes to the previous one, seeing vocalist Tamara Lindeman sharing musings on disconnection, conflict, love, and climate anxiety. Lindeman herself calls the project “a quiet, strange album of ballads.”

MICHELLE — AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS

NYC’s buzzworthy collective MICHELLE prove they live up to the hype with their LP AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS, which beautifully infuses soulful melodies with R&B-inspired beats and tender lyrics. The six-piece group’s connection in tangible on each song, capturing each four singers’ soaring harmonies and ability to pen tender yet invigorating songs.

Red Hot Chili Peppers — “Poster Child”

Last month, Red Hot Chili Peppers teased a return by announcing the upcoming Rick Rubin-produced album Unlimited Love, which is due out in April. After noting that their only goal on the project was to get lost in music, the group dropped “Poster Child,” their funkiest single to date. It proves Red Hot Chili Peppers can still have fun making music after nearly three decades, spotlighting Anthony Kiedis’ recognizable vocals spitting enigmatic and tongue-twisting lyrics.

Haim — “Lost Track”

After Haim sister Alana starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film Licorice Pizza, the musical trio shared the tune “Lost Track,” an impromptu song which spawned during a photoshoot with the director. The snappy single came out naturally, laying Danielle’s urgent vocals over sparse-yet-shimmering instrumentals. “We were inspired by the idea of someone doing something so drastic to get out of a situation they felt uncomfortable in,” the band explained in a statement.

Bartees Strange — “Heavy Heart”

Newly signed to the label 4AD, indie favorite Bartees Strange celebrated his music’s new home with the track “Heavy Heart.” The song is Strange at his most vulnerable, delivering lyrics about coping with guilt; guilt about his family; guilt about touring; and guilt about his musical success. All these emotions leave him with a heavy heart, which he explores over gripping electric guitars.

Wet Leg — “Angelica”

With just a handful of singles, Wet Leg continue to prove that their witty and quirky music make them one of the most compelling bands in indie music right how. Their new track “Angelica” fits perfectly into their catalog, combining shimmering guitars and rollicking refrain with tongue-and-cheek lyrics and drumming up anticipation for their self-titled debut album.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever — “Tidal River”

Aussie rockers Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are bringing their explosive and exuberant sound to a new era of music with their upcoming album Endless Rooms. Their new track “Tidal River” gives fans a taste of what’s to come featuring propulsive guitars and lyrics speaking to a sense of confusion and urgency. “‘Tidal River’ is a little snapshot of living in a place at a time when it feels like there is no-one at the wheel,” vocalist Tom Russo said about the song.

Sharon Van Etten — “Used To It”

With her second ambitious single of the year, Sharon Van Etten shares the ethereal number “Used To It.” The song expands on the singer’s typical acoustic-leaning guitars, composing a sprawling mix of keys and harmonies to create a comforting soundscape. The song was originally written for Baby God, an HBO documentary centering on a fertility specialist who impregnates women with his own sperm.

Alex Cameron — “K-Hole”

Alex Cameron is notorious for adopting a new persona with each album rollout, and with his upcoming LP Oxy Music, the singer is critiquing self care culture. His single “K-Hole” is a dreamy, earnest neo-lounge track that takes aim at our world’s reliance on the internet, and how that’s certainly not helping our collective mental health.

Kevin Morby — “This Is A Photograph”

Following up on his pastoral 2020 LP Sundowner, Kevin Morby heralds his upcoming seventh studio album with the nostalgia-inducing title track, “This Is A Photograph.” The song was inspired by him flipping through a box of old family photos and is a poetic ballad that pieces together imagined narratives from the faded pictures.

The Linda Lindas — “Talking To Myself”

Teen rockers The Linda Lindas experienced their breakout moment when their kiss-off tune “Racist, Sexist Boy” went viral. Now armed with a debut album about the joys and pitfalls of growing up, the group fired off the new track “Talking To Myself.” Like much of their other music, the song is both playful and edgy, showing off the girl group’s natural talents.

SALES — “Moving By Backwards”

It’s been a few years since Orlando duo SALES released a full-length project, but after having an unexpected viral moment on TikTok with their oftentimes misquoted song “Pope Is A Rockstar,” the band are back with the endlessly dreamy tune “Moving By Backwards.” With a warm-toned guitar creating the song’s backbone, the band penned a comforting and lush tune.

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

Tony Hawk is the most famous skateboarder in the world. But if you’re like me, someone who learned the little that they know about skateboarding from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (and Betty), you might not know much about the legend himself. Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off will change that. The HBO documentary is a “wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades,” according to the official description. There better be at least 20 minutes dedicated to his cameo in Weird Al’s “Smells Like Nirvana” music video.

“I was just thrust into adulthood,” Hawk says in the trailer above. “I never thought I’d be famous. But it’s the worst drug.” Here’s more:

Hawk, born in San Diego, Calif., is a pioneer of modern vertical skating and one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. The documentary features unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk, and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off premieres on HBO Max on April 5.

Kanye West is trying out a new form of expression lately, sharing visual poems on his Instagram (after deleting all his other posts again) expressing his feelings on “DIVORCE” and on death with his latest, “DEAD.” Ye, who is legally separated from Kim Kardashian, reflected on the couple’s ongoing divorce with his last poem, which found him comparing the feeling to having “full-blown COVID” and rolling his ankle on the first play of the Super Bowl.

In his latest, he imagines being dead without knowing it — a la the ghosts from The Sixth Sense, I suppose — and the world going on without him, despite his best efforts to continue participating in life. He also spells “prayed” as “pread,” so it’s a pretty typical Kanye work in that sense (remember when he had us all going along with “apologin’?”). He also, apparently begrudgingly, offered the following by way of explanation of the poem/rap, lest it be taken out of context. Still, I don’t think any of us would complain if he took a break and reached out to a therapist. You can read the poem in full below.

“I feel already compromised that I have to justify my expression after over 20 years of art that I’ve contributed to the planet but I also see the need to make sure we as a species are allowed to still feel anything Men not allowed to cry celebrities not allowed to cry I will not explain this new piece for the explanation destroys the mystery and magic of true love and puts it in a box that can be counted Art is subjective Art only works when it is the artist absolute truth Someone’s truth can be another persons lie We don’t all have to feel the same because we are not the same With out further ado I present to you my latest creation it is called DEAD”

“No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / And only people that would talk to me were in my head / No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / Only people who loved me would visit in their dreams instead / They would come to my grave and sprinkle some bread / So on my tombstone the birds would be fed / I would give new requests but nothing was said / Cause no one wanted to tell me that I was DEAD / They ran through my account like the sign said free bread / But no one wanted to tell me I was DEAD / My kids would dance for me in a home I once led / But kids see ghosts and didn’t know I was DEAD / Every thing was wrong in the press that I read / Cause nobody would tell me that I was DEAD / I realized when people spoke to me was only when they pread / Cause nobody would just tell me / Bro you been DEAD / Won’t anyone listen to one word I said / Of course not sir / You know how long you been DEAD / Funny it’s been a long time since I bled / You think someone who prides being smart as me would have known that he’s DEAD / So now every idea only exists in my head / I guess that’s how people treat people who are DEAD / I found out one day at the newsstand in purgatory, there was a front page article of my murderers story / I was so surprised at what it said / This info is for the living/ And surprise … You’re DEAD.”

Nostalgia is often viewed as a limitless ratings well when it comes to television.

Networks bank on it with remakes and reboots, creators capitalize on its ability to make characters, settings, and storylines wistfully relatable. But, as much as it’s relied on to help new shows break through the crowded streaming landscape, it’s notoriously difficult to wield effectively. After all, how many throwbacks, prequels, and adaptations have we seen fail to capture the essence and flair that made their originals so popular?

That track record is what makes Showtime’s Yellowjackets that much more impressive.

The time-hopping series about a group of teenage soccer stars stranded in the wilderness following a freak accident is a melting pot of some of TV’s most addictive tropes: survival stories born from mysterious plane crashes, nature-infused mysticism, nonlinear timelines, and ’90s nostalgia. It sees-saws between the past and the present, following its younger cast as they try to endure the unforgiving wilds and catching up with its older cast 25 years later, as these now-grown women struggle to keep the past buried. The show is filled with the kind of plot twists and central mysteries that double as conspiracy-theory catnip for Reddit subs and hashtag fandoms. But the wildest swings – the secret societies and ritualistic sacrifices and shroom parties – work because its creators, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, aren’t trying to exploit nostalgia – they’re paying homage to it.

And, besides Yellowjackets’ killer (pun intended) soundtrack, nowhere is that more evident than in its casting choices.

The ’90s gave us plenty of gifts: Tamagotchi’s, grunge, the hit NBC comedy Friends, and the internet. The decade also marked a time when Hollywood became more heavily influenced by the indie boom, leading to more bold and interesting storytelling across the board. Suddenly, teen romcoms were borrowing from literary classics, slashers were self-aware, and few topics were off-limits, illuminating stories about coming of age awkwardness that explored experimentation and puritanical pushback. Hell, the times even gave us a cult-classic about conversion camps that would one day age surprisingly well. Big names came from the era too: Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kirsten Dunst, and George Clooney all sprouted to A-list level heights during the decade, playing heartthrobs and shirtless hunks, quick-witted action heroines and murderous baby vampires.

But even though the ’90s could be considered Hollywood’s alt-era, there were actresses that still felt on the fringe – even more “alt” than the mainstream “alt.” They crafted careers based, not on prospective box office success, but on boundary-pushing material that interested and challenged them. They were riot grrrls, punk feminists subtly embracing third-wave feminism on-screen, playing serial killers and deranged teenagers and morbidly-curious young women. They were weirdos and misfits and proud of it.

If you hadn’t guessed by now, they were Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci, and Melanie Lynskey.

The leading ladies of Yellowjackets’ adult ensemble (along with the inimitable Tawny Cypress) play mature versions of the kind of teen oddballs they regularly depicted on-screen in the ’90s. Their film catalogs offer more of an intentional mix of dark, complicated characters thrust into dangerous situations, less action-packed blockbuster or crowd-pleasing rom-coms, though there’s some of that too (because these women can play anything). In their early days, Ricci, Lynskey, and Lewis seemed more interesting in telling the stories no one else seemed to be telling, playing women who were wild, wounded, fiercely independent, and just a bit different from everyone else — not unlike the group of characters their new series has assembled. It’s that through-line that makes their casting, and the show’s use of their clout, so genius. While Yellowjackets relies on its younger cast to physically embody that all-important nostalgic hook with chic mullets, oversized letterman jackets, and plaid – so much plaid – the series’ older cast gets to flaunt their roots. Their performances as psychotic nurses and relapsed addicts and blood-thirsty housewives feel all the more believable (and familiar) because of the roles they popularized decades earlier.

There’s a bit of vindication in seeing their success on the show, too. Lewis was an undeniable talent when she first got her start. As The Guardian once wrote, her characters were often an enthralling mix of “volatile and vulnerable” whether they were the teenage love interest of a homicidal con-man in Cape Fear or one-half of a serial killing Bonnie & Clyde in Natural Born Killers. Lewis possessed a raw magnetism on-screen, an unbridled sense of freedom, and a rebellious streak that made her unpredictable yet endlessly watchable. She seemed to choose stories that gave her space to explore her instincts on-screen, consistently playing women society would rather cast off and ignore. She gave those characters a voice. But the roles that aligned with her best qualities as an actress never felt like the kind of roles that would catapult her to “movie star” status. At least, not the clean-cut, wholesome, America’s Sweetheart kind that some of her contemporaries enjoyed.

The same can be said for Ricci, who, like Lewis, got her start young. Before the rest of us hit puberty, she had already acted opposite Cher and Wynonna Ryder and crafted an iconic interpretation of Wednesday Addams in two successful adaptations. A prepubescent goth maniac who harbored an intense fascination with death and enjoyed burning blonde-haired future girl-bosses at the stake, Wednesday was an alt-girl role model – a kind of feminist mascot for young girls in heavy black eyeliner, ripped jeans, and combat boots. Ricci’s career is filled with similar anarchists and outsiders, ax-wielding murderers and social outcasts – so many in fact that she’s earned a reputation for bringing exciting, hard-to-translate characters on-screen, making even their worst traits entertaining to watch.

And those same kind of on-the-periphery characters also make up many of the highlights in Lynskey’s portfolio of work.

A sorely underrated character actress who got relegated to wacky neighbor sitcom roles for a time, Lynskey got her break in the Peter Jackson-directed Heavenly Creatures. Starring opposite a young Kate Winslet, Lynskey played one-half of a murderous friendship – a young girl from a working-class family who develops an unhealthy obsession with Winslet’s affluent, eccentric Juliet. Even in her earliest role, Lynskey displayed the same quiet intensity and inner turmoil that would make her Yellowjackets character, Shauna, so exciting to watch. But, like Lewis and Ricci, her career is filled with on-the-cusp performances, roles in reimagined fairy-tales, and LGBTQ dark comedies that are only just now getting the mainstream recognition and praise they deserve. She didn’t always gravitate towards the social outcast roles or the off-beat anti-heroines that Ricci and Lewis did, but she performed best when she was able to disappear into a character — to get to the meat of what made a role different, challenging, or even terrifying to act out on-screen.

These women have always made the more exciting choice when it comes to the stories they tell on TV and film, and audiences are now getting a fresh reminder of their talent or, in some cases, an introduction to it thanks to the success of Yellowjackets. Not just in terms of the mind-boggling number of people fawning over the show, but also the critical consensus that its pitch-perfect casting doesn’t just hook viewers, it elevates central storylines within the drama.

Lewis, Ricci, and Lynskey were ’90s anti-heroines. They played flawed and complicated characters who taught us that yes, women could be sadistic, unhinged, reckless megalomaniacs too. In Yellowjackets, they inhabit some of those same traits. Ricci’s take on Misty as a lethal, manipulative sociopath echoes some of the best choices she made as Wednesday Addams and Lizzie Borden. Lewis’ Nat is impulsive, brash, and broken, kind of like Kate in From Dusk Till Dawn and Mallory in Natural Born Killers while Lynskey’s Shauna, an unfulfilled housewife seemingly living her best friend’s fantasy, harnesses the same reserved savagery and endless emotional depth that made Pauline in Heavenly Creatures and Michelle in Togetherness so entertaining to watch.

It’s as if Yellowjackets recognizes the clout these women should have, the talent we maybe forgot about and gives them the kind of scenery to chew on as lunatics and nonconformists, outlaws, exiles, and eventually, criminals – roles women have only recently begun to inhabit in higher-profile projects. They’re also the kind of roles we owe to Lewis, Lynskey, and Ricci, who were playing them long before it was cool to be screwed-up and unlikable on-screen.

A video of a young Ukrainian girl singing “Let It Go” in a bomb shelter has been making the rounds on the internet as the world watches the horrifying events unfold in Ukraine. During a small moment of hope, a young girl is seen performing a stunning rendition of the inspirational song, which has now been seen by millions.

The video recently caught the attention of Idina Menzel, aka Elsa from Frozen. Menzel shared the video with the caption: “We see you. We really, really see you” along with yellow and blue hearts.

The video was shared on Facebook by Marta Smekhova, a woman who has been staying in the shelter with other families. The young Ukrainian girl, named Amelia, sang the iconic song in her native language, which included the lyrics “I’m not afraid of anything anymore,” and brought the group of adults in the room to tears, as she performed standing on a chair. “She told me that she loves to sing,” Smekhova said in a Facebook post. “From her first word in the bomb shelter, there was complete silence. … Everyone put down what they were doing and listened to the song.” Other Frozen stars also shared the video, including Josh Gad, the voice of the lovable snowman, Olaf.

Oliver Stone has rarely met a political argument he didn’t want to take a controversial stance on. Over the past several months, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine have ratcheted up, the Oscar-winning filmmaker has been sharing his own takes on exactly what is happening, and they’ve largely been pro-Putin—which is hardly a surprise to anyone who is even semi-acquainted with the moviemaker’s filmography. As Deadline reports, Stone has been using his own social media channels to share his views on the Russia-Ukraine situation and has been a sought-after figure to weigh in on the crisis. As Deadline’s Tom Tapp wrote:

Early last month, Stone told KCRW’s Robert Scheer: “The United States and its allies in NATO have been provoking Russia for, since two years now—actually three years—over the Ukraine…”

In the same interview, the director decried “bloodthirsty” media coverage saying, “they have no proof that Russia intends to invade Ukraine; I doubt that they would. I think Russia is concerned only with the Donbass region.”

But following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Stone seems to have changed his tune—though he has criticized the media for calling Russia’s invasion an “invasion.” On Thursday of last week, he condemned Putin’s actions via a Facebook post, which began:

“Although the United States has many wars of aggression on its conscience, it doesn’t justify Mr. Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. A dozen wrongs don’t make a right. Russia was wrong to invade.”

Much like a certain former president who clearly admires Vladimir Putin’s tyrannical ways, Stone has long been fascinated by what makes the Russian president tick. In 2017, he released a series, The Putin Interviews, which featured some frank political conversations between the two culled from more than a dozen sit-down chats (plus at least one screening of Dr. Strangelove).

Of course, like most things with Stone, he found a way to bring it back to JFK when he stated: “Now is the time, as JFK and Khrushchev faced down the perilous situation in Cuba in October 1962, for the two nuclear powers to walk this back from the abyss.”

You can read the full post below:

(Via Deadline)

Saying that something is underrated is a little tricky because the very concept of what underrated means is different for everyone. To us it’s not strictly about popularity, it’s more that something doesn’t get the credit or praise that it deserves. And that sense of being overlooked by media and core aficionados is certainly evident in the crowded world of beer, especially when it comes to European brews.

The general lack of love for certain Euro-brews is likely because we have so, so many craft breweries to choose from here in the US (over 9,000 at last count). Naturally, we tend to stick with beers from well-known craft brewers or the craft outfit in our neighborhood — forgetting the European trailblazers who made our favorite IPAs, stouts, pilsners, and sour ales possible (and the breweries still crafting those high-quality beers today).

“English pub beers in general get short shrift here in the States,” says Andrew Frazee, brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California. “Standard bitter and dark mild both are beers big on flavor but low in ABV. Chewy, biscuity base malt paired with rich caramel and chocolate malt flavors and fruity English yeast! What’s not to love?”

Pub beers aside, there are countless other classics — from pilsners to lagers to lambics — that have been perfected in Europe and just don’t get enough love on this side of the pond. To find them, we tasked a handful of well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us their picks for the most underrated European beers on the market right now.

Bitburger Pils

Ryan Tefft, assistant brewer at Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $9.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I recently had a Bitburger Pils. I haven’t had it in a long time. When I tasted it again, it reminded me that it’s a quality brew. It has a clean lager and malt character and is well balanced. It’s easy drinking with a smooth, clean finish. Classic.

Boon Oud Geuze

Ryan Pachmayer, head brewer at Yak and Yeti Brewpub & Restaurant in Arvada, Colorado

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $8 for a 375ml bottle

Why This Beer?

Boon’s Oud Geuze sits on shelves everywhere and it’s every bit as good as the vast majority of regular offerings from other lambic producers, much of which people will spend a lot more for. Boon is just so refined and delicious. It’s subtle and smooth while being flavorful and interesting. It has a little citrus, a little sour, a touch of grape, a hint of pepper, you can write paragraphs about what you’re tasting in this beer.

Saison Dupont

Rob Day, senior director of marketing for Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Massachusetts

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $7 for a 375ml bottle

Why This Beer?

Saison Dupont is an underrated European beer. It’s a perfect example of the style and makes the perfect, refreshing, everyday beer that you can rely on and know it’s well crafted.

Weihenstephaner Original Helles

Luis G. Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: $10.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

The most underrated European beer in my opinion is Weihenstephaner Original Premium. It’s a helles lager with incredible drinkability while still offering notes of crisp malt. It’s definitely a beer that deserves more praise.

Pilsner Urquell

Jeremy Anderson, brewer at New Holland Brewing Co. in Holland, Michigan

ABV: 4.4%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I feel like Pilsner Urquell gets criminally overlooked in the United States. I think part of the reason for this is that it’s often drunk too cold in the U.S. at temperatures that are better served for less flavorful American lagers, which numbs the tongue and mutes the aroma. Serving Pilsner slightly warmer (42-46°F) really brings forward the bready Moravian malt and herbal, spicy Saaz hop aromas. Pilsner Urquell is also almost never served from a side-pull faucet in the U.S. like it should be because most American pubs don’t have one. The small screen inside the faucet produces a dense, wet foam that makes the aromas jump out of the glass and gives the beer a creamy, velvety texture.

I think Pilsner Urquell would be much more appreciated in the U.S. if it was served the way it was intended to be because when it is, it’s one of the best beers on the planet.

Duchess de Bourgogne

Mike Kelly, senior brewer at Harpoon Brewery in Boston

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $14 for a 750ml bottle

Why This Beer?

Duchesse de Bourgogne is my pick. While not rated poorly by most people, I don’t think this beer is talked about enough. This beer is remarkably complex and one of the best examples of mixed fermentation beers that is regularly available.

Fuller’s London Pride

Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston

ABV: 4.1%

Average Price: $10 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

I’m going with Fuller’s London Pride, ideally enjoyed on cask. Many classic European beers aren’t given enough love these days. Cask ales in particular could teach us a lot about the enjoyment of the subtleties of malt and hop flavor from a nice mellow pint whilst relaxing at the pub. Americans are used to big flavor in their craft beer — the bigger, the better — and these small pleasures are lost on them. Beer as the backdrop rather than the exclamation point can be rather refreshing, especially once one becomes accustomed to the soft malt sweetness balanced with earthy hops.

St Bernardus 12

Douglas Constantiner, founder and CEO of Societe Brewing in San Diego

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $19 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

I think St. Bernardus 12 is the most underrated European import because it’s pretty easy to get so people forget just how good it is. The fig, date, and caramelized sugar flavors are grounded by this boozy backbone, and I just like it. A complexity that is both available and affordable is a great combo.

Writer’s Pick: Kronenbourg 1664

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Kronenbourg 1664 is one of the most underrated beers in Europe. This crisp, refreshing pilsner comes from France, but the German influence is obvious. It’s sweet, slightly malty, and has almost non-existent bitterness. It’s a truly crushable and memorable beer that deserves more credit.

In director Coodie’s comprehensive Kanye West-centered documentary, Jeen-Yuhs, viewers get an intimate look at Ye’s creative process. Through over 20 years of footage, fans see the work that went into his iconic albums, including The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. In the Netflix documentary’s third and final part, titled “Act III: Awakening,” we see parts of the Wyoming sessions, which took place between 2017 and 2018, which resulted in the albums Ye, the Kid Cudi-collaborative Kids See Ghosts, and Teyana Taylor’s K.T.S.E.

In an outtake shared by Time, Ye and Taylor work on a song called “Cold Blooded,” which ultimately didn’t make the final tracklist of K.T.S.E. Unsatisfied with the sound of the song, Ye strips “Cold Blooded” of its original beat, then creates a new instrumental track in real-time.

Before making a name for himself as a rapper, Ye climbed the industry ladder producing tracks for Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Alicia Keys. In recent years, he’s worked behind the boards for artists like Christina Aguilera, Lil Nas X, and Pusha T.

With Jeen-Yuhs, we get a look at how some of Ye’s biggest songs and albums, both of his own and ones he produced for other artists, came to be.

Check out the outtake above.

Prodigious rapper Lil Wayne recently went on the I Am Athlete podcast featuring Brandon Marshall, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, and Omar Kelly to talk about what he’s been up to. He just released a collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly on the new single “Ay,” and about a month ago he unveiled the music video for his track “Cameras” from his aptly-titled mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait. On this podcast, though, he was asked more about his process, including how long it takes him to write song lyrics since he’s practically known for his clever quips. “It depends on what it is,” he said. “When it’s my sh*t, on god, man, I could take seven weeks on two lines.”

Explaining why he has such an arduous process, he said, “I’ve said so much that I don’t ever wanna say the same thing. Also, you have to understand your audience. There were certain things I could have said to my audience in 95 that you’re not trying to hear right now. But you know I mean I could figure it out and that’s the beauty of it.”

Listen to the podcast above, where he also discusses Young Dolph, Drake, and where the state of rap is headed.

This week was full of plenty of pleasant surprises in pop music. “Head On Fire,” the addictive collaboration between Griff and Sigrid, welcomed even more guests with King Princess and MØ hopping on to the track, while Charli XCX returned with an ’80s-inspired track and a stunning music video that received a wide array of reactions on the internet.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Khalid — “Last Call”

Persistent hitmaker Khalid always knows what he’s doing. He mumbles over a steady trap beat on the verses of this new song, but sings with a visceral, autotuned soprano voice on the chorus in a way that evokes nostalgia. It helps that the video depicts him lounging in the backseat of a sleek car as it’s driven through a colossal, almost unreal landscape, conveying a sense of pure bliss and unfiltered emotion.

Fefe Dobson — “Fckin In Love”

The Canadian star who’s written songs for artists like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez came back with this energetic, ecstatic anthem. It kicks off with a thumping soundscape and a declaration of content hedonism: “We just made love / I’m in bliss, I don’t wanna get up.” It serves as a great entrance into spring.

Sir Chloe — “Mercy”

The Bennington, VA-based group is “swollen with doubt and animosity” on the dejected “Mercy.” The song builds as the begging continues, intensifying and growing bigger. The vocals are certain and matter-of-fact, almost deadpan, making the listening experience hypnotic.

Griff, Sigrid, King Princess, MØ — “Head On Fire”

Griff and Sigrid’s original collaboration for this track was such a pleasant surprise; who knew it could get better? King Princess and MØ strengthen the grip of “Head On Fire,” adding gorgeous harmonies that are easy to get lost in.

Justin Bieber, Omah Lay — “Attention”

This rhythmic track shows how sweetly Bieber’s tender voice mixes with that of Lay, which is as soft but made even more bewitching with sparkling autotune. The premise of the song is simple; “It’s basically about sometime in everybody’s life, you’re lonely,” Lay said. When they repeat, “Show me a little attention,” it’s in a sincere whisper and it makes the listener wonder who could say no.

Cecilia Gault — “Kira Kira”

Cecilia Gault’s brand of pop is hallucinogenic and irresistible, like being immersed in a videogame. Though the chaos of it can be headache-inducing, it’s worth it in the end. This track in particular flaunts that talent unapologetically and unforgettably.

Charli XCX — “Baby”

“Baby” is a quick, determined spurt of desire, simultaneously reminiscent of ’80s disco and early-2000s Britney Spears. The best part of the song might be its brisk, urgent pace, communicating that it’s not willing to wait for anyone. The dancing in the music video definitely adds to the magnetism of the music.

Mallrat — “Teeth”

Australian miscreant Mallrat has always loved to imbue pop songs with murky, ominous bass. “Teeth” opens with that; uncomfortably deep chords bring the listener into the track, and then her soft-spoken, detached vocals come next. Though her lyrics portray a sense of fear, she sounds like an all-powerful force that others should be afraid of instead: “When I ask I receive / Don’t play fair, don’t be sweet,” she intones mesmerizingly.

The Regrettes — “That’s What Makes Me Love You”

“That’s What Makes Me Love You” is a wholesome ode to love. It’s devoted to pushing away dark, anxious thoughts, and giving in to ridiculous amounts of affection and dedication to another person: “I wanna have babies let’s go fucking crazy move out of this city to Tokyo / I’ll learn the piano and you can play cello and every night playing ‘La Vie En Rose,’” Lydia Night sings, bubbling with happiness.

Benee — “Never Ending”

Pop-sensation-via-TikTok-star Benee has been showing off her versatility by dipping in and out of different genres. Sometimes a song of hers is difficult to be classified as any one thing; this autotune drenched ballad has the texture of emo rap with a recurring trap beat. The hooks, though, echo the sentiment of a heartbroken pop song: “Push me over failed lover / Am I just not enough for ya?” Either way, her music demands to be put on repeat.

Some artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.