Month: March 2022

At the beginning of the year, Interpol announced that they finished up their seventh studio album and would be heading out on a worldwide tour with Tycho, Matthew Dear, and Dry Cleaning. They’re back with more news today that they’ll also be embarking on a North American co-headlining run with Spoon, who just unveiled Lucifer On The Sofa, on the Lights, Camera, Factions tour.

The lineup will also have The Goon Sax as openers. It’ll kick off in Asbury Park, New Jersey at the end of August and will close in Portland, Oregon in September. Check out the full dates below.

08/25 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage
08/26 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage #
08/27 ­– Portland, ME @ Thompson’s Point
08/28 – Providence, RI @ Bold Point Pavilion
08/30 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! Outdoor
09/01 ­­– Cincinnati, OH @ Andrew J. Brady Music Center
09/02 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern %
09/03 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit
09/04 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
09/06 ­– Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors
09/08 ­– Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River Park
09/09 ­– St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
09/10 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
09/13 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
09/14 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
09/16 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
09/17 – Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square
09/18 – Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square

# Metric, Interpol, and Spoon
% Interpol only
* Spoon Only

It’s hard to believe that Bobby Shmurda has been a fixture in hip-hop for nearly eight years and still has yet to release his debut album, but it’s true. Sure, at least part of that is due to his extended stint at New York’s Clinton Correctional Facility after being convicted of conspiracy to murder, weapons possession, and reckless endangerment in 2014, but he was released from prison in February 2021. The flurry of positive press he received should have been the launching point for at least an EP or a mixtape, but the moment came and went without much new music.

Bobby may soon get the chance to begin releasing music again, though, as Bobby announced his departure from Epic Records on Instagram over the weekend. Bobby signed to Epic in 2014 at the height of the mania for his viral single “Hot N****,” but had expressed his frustration with the imprint since being released from prison. In a prior post on Instagram, explained, “I ain’t been in charge of my music since I was 19 years old and I just turned 27 and honestly idk when sh*t dropping. So don’t ask me shit go ask them mf’s since they wanna control everything!!!!!!!”

However, his more recent post was much more upbeat. “I just sign my release papers,” he wrote. “Also jus made ah milly today I can’t wait to drop.” He noted that he was shooting his first video as an independent artist and would be celebrating his newfound freedom into the week. With control over his music regained, perhaps the comeback we’ve all been waiting for can finally take place.

As spring settles in, the pop world has been blossoming with new releases. Charli XCX surprised us all with a deluxe version of the bombastic Crash that was released just last week, and Wallows, most known for their simmering collaboration with Clairo “Are You Bored Yet?,” unveiled Tell Me That It’s Over, the follow-up to 2019’s catchy Nothing Happens.

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

Beabadoobee — “Talk”

Beabadoobee, who rose instantly with her hit with Powfu “Death Bed (Coffee For Your Head),” released her debut album Fake It Flowers in 2020, which showed her moving in an alt-rock direction. Her new song “Talk” maintains that edge while still bubbling with infectious energy.

Wallows — “Marvelous”

On “Marvelous,” Wallows go all-in on optimism, declaring: “We know that we could be anything we want to be,” against sputtering, buoyant rhythms. It’s a completely healthy love song, which is rare, encouraging confidence over insecurity in a way that’s both inspiring and danceable.

Charli XCX — “Sorry If I Hurt You”

It’s practically impossible to talk about pop these days without mentioning Charli XCX. The deluxe tracks on Crash prove her skill at churning out unforgettable anthems, and this track impressively balances the weight of pain with uplifting electronic landscapes.

Tate McRae — “Chaotic”

This new piano ballad from Tate McRae is about the pain of having your pain recognized. Her vocals are sincere and hesitant as her friend notices her sadness: “You said it looks like I’ve been going through hell / How did you know? How could you tell?” It’s as cathartic and stunning as it is tragic.

Christina Perri — “Evergone”

Christina Perri has a knack for songs about heartbreak. What this track, “Evergone,” does so well is maintain hope in the face of it. Despite the ending of a relationship, she sings of the way love is infinite: “In the songs we sing and the ones we leave / We carry on / But no one is ever gone.”

Maren Morris — “Humble Quest”

Texas-native genre-blender Maren Morris is not trying to get ahead of herself on “Humble Quest”; it sounds like, for once, she’s learning to find a pace at which she’s comfortable moving. It’s a spiritual journey she’s on, and her determined vocals against twangy guitars that intensify throughout the song showcase her excitement to move forward in life.

24kGoldn, Travis Barker – “In My Head”

“Mood” singer 24kGoldn teamed up with Travis Barker to give his already-catchy anthems even more of a kick. The three-minute track is about being so deep in an infatuation that it makes you regret finding this person in the first place: “Ain’t a secret, you my weakness, shouldn’t-a let you in,” he raps.

Mxmtoon — “Sad Disco”

“Sad Disco” by Mxmtoon is the exhilarating soundtrack to a Friday night alone. “It’s a song meant to make you find joy in the quiet, to emulate that feeling of being alone in your bedroom, blasting music through a pair of headphones in the middle of the night,” she said, and it absolutely achieves this amazing goal.

Fireboy DML – “Playboy”

This leisurely track by Fireboy DML is anchored by a slow, pulsating beat that sends heatwaves under Fireboy DML’s flawless flow: “Make nobody follow my shadow / Bring more cups let Hennessy flow / Sweet white wine and anything goes,” he warbles invitingly.

Koffee — “Shine”

Against simple, encouraging guitar chords, Koffee deadpans about the casual darkness of waking up: “Sun’s out, issa siren / Gun violence tiring.” She’s not pessimistic though; she asks in earnest for some help: “Oh Lord, have mercy, shine your light pon me, yeah / Guide me, show me ah what my eyes can’t see.”

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

The takes are still rolling in about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the Oscars, from Judd Apatow, Jimmy Kimmel, Howard Stern, Tiffany Haddish… It’s now officially weird if you haven’t weighed in with your stance on the incident. We can now welcome Julian Casablancas to the club; the Strokes leader joined the discourse with a long-winded, rambly Instagram post.

He wrote:

“imm bummed no one stood up for Chris Rock in the moment and after, will smith shoulda tried to stand up to Eminem and Dr Dre same way…isn’t it Chris Rock job’s (!?) to make fun of people in the audience, very weird. congratulation to will smith for bringing a MILLION times more attention to his wifes embarrassing thing that no one woulda known about otherwise.

Will Smith has sucked (yet continued to be full of himself) since Independence Day…

of course actors and mega-celebrities defend their elk i guess…? (not all, i know – but still) i wish i was there to try and defend Chris Rock, idk maybe bad look cause i’m white or whatever but chris rock is kind of a slender dude and will smith trained for a boxing movie for a year so i feel that was just an act of bullying… – trying to redeem his Tupac jealousy issues (?) under the guise of being some fake hero who needs anger management… he might need mental treatment, idk, or just retire for the sake of overall movie quality.”

Poor grammar aside, it’s worth noting that Casablancas, like any kid that has attended The New School, is full of provocative opinions. Remember when he said that he doesn’t think rock is dead but he wouldn’t mind if blues rock went away? Yeah…

Tom Cruise’s eternal (and relatable to many) frustration with pandemic delays will soon ease up, at least for one of this franchises. Top Gun: Maverick hasn’t been delayed as many times as Morbius (which arrives on April 1), but the original plan was for Pete “Maverick” Mitchell to fly back into theaters in June 2020. That didn’t happen, but the good news is that Maverick brings Tom back to Cannes for the first time in 30 years. So ready your “need for speed” because it’s finally happening.

Also, the the Iceman is definitely in tow (although, where is he?), and we learn where his chess piece is played in this final trailer. The dynamics here are fraught with tension, per usual, and Jon Hamm’s Vice Admiral Cyclone declares that he’s not exactly a Maverick fan and didn’t ask him to return to the Top Gun program. Rather, that call was made by Iceman, who’s now Admiral Tom Kazanzky. Oh boy. And Tom’s got another more tension apparent here, and that would be with the son of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. Miles Teller is stepping into those shoes with the call sign of Rooster. Can we get a wingman here? Wait and see, but hopefully, this sequel will be a cross-generational hit and sort-of the Cobra Kai of fighter-pilot stories.

There’s plenty of high-in-the-sky action being teased, and yep, a silhouette of a volleyball game. From the synopsis:

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw, call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, a.k.a. “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

Top Gun: Maverick arrives in U.S. theaters on May 27.

In a skit on last night’s airing of The Late Late Show With James Corden, the namesake host meets with his table of writers to plan what they’ll talk about on their post-Oscars show. When the show’s co-head writer Ian Karmel appears to suggest they talk about the slap heard ’round the world, Corden immediately shuts the idea down. Corden then breaks out into song, parodying “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto.

“We don’t talk about Jada, no, no, no,” he sings, joined by The Late Late Show band member Guillermo E. Brown. The two then proceed to highlight some of the 94th Academy Awards’ most talked-about moments, including Beyonce’s opening performance, Timothee Chalamet’s revealing outfit, and Regina Hall patting down Josh Brolin.

Corden and crew were likely hesitant to talk about Jada Pinkett-Smith after Will Smith’s directive to Chris Rock to “keep my wife’s name out you f*cking mouth” during the Oscars broadcast. Smith’s warning, preceded by him slapping Rock, has since left fans and his Hollywood peers divided on whether or not the action was appropriate.

Smith has since taken to Instagram to apologize for the slap, saying, “Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

Check out “We Don’t Talk About Jada” above.

While the world watched Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday, The Flash star Ezra Miller was apparently making a nuisance of themselves at a bar in Hawaii. According to a police report, Miller was arrested for disorderly conduct and harassment. They were later released on $500 bail, which wasn’t exactly difficult for a Hollywood actor to cover. Via Variety:

According to a post by the Hawai’i County Police Department, South Hilo officers responded to a report of a disorderly bar patron on Sunday evening at 11:30 p.m. Police determined that the agitator had become unruly while other patrons sang karaoke and had begun “yelling obscenities.” Miller then “grabbed the microphone from a 23-year-old woman singing karaoke and later lunged at a 32-year-old man playing darts.”

As some might recall, this isn’t Miller’s first time with getting out of line at a bar. In April 2020, the actor was caught on video apparently choking a fan and slamming her to the ground at a nightclub in Iceland. In the clip posted online, the girl who was smiling at the time approaches Miller who is heard saying, “Did you wanna fight? Is that the deal?” before grabbing her by the throat, pushing her against the wall, and then to the ground. Voices in the background can be heard yelling, “Whoa, bro, bro, bro.” Sources later confirmed to Variety that the clip was not a prank despite online theories to the contrary.

However, that was the end of the incident. The Reykjavík Metropolitan Police issued a statement that they were never called to the bar nor was anyone placed in custody. But with their recent arrest in Hawaii, the previous incident is making the rounds again, and it could cause some headaches for Warner Bros. as it prepares to launch the solo The Flash movie starring Miller.

(Via Deadline)

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes four times, but never the Academy Awards. At least not yet. The star of such fine films as Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb would consider it, but only if he “could write my own jokes and say what I wanted, no rehearsals… but that would never happen. I’d be canceled halfway through.”

Gervais shared one of his “cancelable” jokes in response to a Twitter follower wishing that he had hosted the 2022 Oscars on Sunday instead of Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall. “Hello. I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you’re unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn’t be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given,” he tweeted. “I’m proud to announce that this is the most diverse and progressive Oscars ever. Looking out I see people from all walks of life. Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. F*ck them.”

Gervais also weighed in on the discourse surrounding Will Smith and Chris Rock by retweeting a clip from the British version of The Office. In it, David Brent, the character he played (who absolutely made a G.I. Jane 2 joke to no laughs), says, “Particularly for his wife. And she’s got alopecia. So… not a happy homelife.”

As new details are being uncovered about the tragic death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, the music world continues to grieve and reflect on his legacy. Last night, Late Late Show host James Corden reserved some time on his late-night show to pay tribute to Hawkins: “He was a bright light. He lit up every room he ever walked into. He was so joyous and full of light and love and all the things that you want in a human being,” he said.

He continued, “I have such fond memories of any of the times that I got to spend with him. We just wanted to say that our thoughts go out to his family, his friends, his bandmates, the Foo Fighters fans who are all around the world. And, Taylor, thank you for everything you gave us while you were here.”

He then played an old “Carpool Karaoke” clip of him and the band going to a Guitar Center together in Los Angeles, where a giant picture of Hawkins playing the drums is hung up. Inside, he and Hawkins and Grohl all start hitting on drumkits and it ends with Corden hysterically laughing after failing to emulate Hawkins’ crazy drum solo.

Watch the tribute above.

In recent months, Britney Spears has been active in taking to Instagram and calling out people who have wronged her. She did so again yesterday, this time putting Justin Timberlake on blast in a now-deleted post.

Although Spears doesn’t refer to Timberlake by name, she mentions her “ex” in the post and seems to reference Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” video, which famously featured a Spears lookalike. Spears wrote:

“Ok … so I like my new dress !!!! Pssss guess what ???? I had a calling last night from Jesus and you know what he said ??? ‘Dear child your mom had a serving with her book at the exact time when you needed her most ..all for WHAT ??? FAME and ATTENTION !!! Your ex did the same thing he served with his first album using your name claiming you did him dirty !!!! Then your blood, one of the hardest times in your life guess what your sister does a book too … all for what ???? Knowing doing a book is the last thing you would ever do … well because you ran away from drama and created a dream world for yourself … that’s why artists play characters to for yourself escape !!!! So since I know you don’t want to tell your story as Jesus your Lord and Savior … I’m gonna give you 5 bottles of jack and a life supply of McDonald’s french fries … now go play dear child !!!!”

Timberlake previously apologized to Spears (and Janet Jackson) back in early 2021, writing on Instagram, “I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism. I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”