Month: April 2022

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Once again, the ladies are at the forefront of this week’s best and new R&B releases. Syd leads the way with her new album Broken Hearts Club. It presents 13 songs and features Kehlani, Smino, and Lucky Daye. Elsewhere, Chloe returns with her second solo single thanks to “Treat Me” and Keep Cool Records signee Marzz extends her 2021 project with a deluxe reissue of Love Letterz.
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Syd — Broken Hearts Club

Five years after she released her debut solo album Fin and nearly three years after she dropped Hive Mind with the rest of The Internet, Syd is back with new music in the form of her new album, Broken Hearts Club. On it, you’ll indulge in 13 tender tracks with guest appearances from Kehlani, Smino, and Lucky Daye.

Chloe — “Treat Me”

After getting her solo career off to a strong start with “Have Mercy,” Chloe is ready to take the next step in her career. She returns with “Treat Me,” a bouncy single that sees her requesting a lot more than the bare minimum from her lover. It also arrives with a provocative video that captures Chloe showing off her eye-popping dance skills.

Marzz — Love Letterz (Deluxe)

After signing to Keep Cool Records at the end of 2020, Lousiville singer Marzz arrived with her colorful debut project Love Letterz. Nearly a year since its release, Marzz returns with a deluxe reissue of Love Letterz that adds seven additional songs including the previously released “KMS,” “FYM,” and “Rain Freestyle.”

Mack Keane & Esta. — Intersections

At long last, Soulection artists Mack Keane and Esta. have released their debut project Intersections. Prior to its arrival, the duo released “Open Up” and “O.M.L.,” both of which can be found on the six-song project. The brief effort also arrives with contributions from Destin Conrad and Joyce Wrice.

Destin Conrad & Kiana Lede — “Unpredictable”

In addition to contributing to Mack Keane & Esta.’s project, Destin Conrad also dropped a single of his own. “Unpredictable” touches down with an excellent contribution from Kiana Lede as both singers take a moment to discuss the varying complications in romance.

Hennessy — “All For Nothing”

Providence, RI singer Hennessy is gearing up to release her debut project later this year. She kicks off the rollout for it with her new single “All For Nothing.” Hennessy uses the lovelorn release to question if a past relationship was worth the time and energy she wasted. Backed by production from Pluto Brazy and Cam Bells, it’s a promising sign of what’s to come from Hennessy in the future.

Davion Farris — “Bad Guy”

After concluding his 2021 year with “Sometimes,” West Coast singer Davion Farris, who’s also the brother of SiR and D Smoke, returns with his new song “Bad Guy.” It’s a tender track that Farris uses to vent his frustrations with his partner. Pain, regret, and anger are all present in the song, making it as enjoyable as it is relatable.

Brandon Banks — “Tryin’”

Back in 2020, Inglewood singer Brandon Banks released his second EP Static. It was quite the strong release that year, but after its arrival, Banks laid low for the better part of two years. Now he’s back with “Tryin’,” where he confesses to life’s difficulties while motivating himself and others around him to keep pushing and preserving.

Jawan.mp3 — “Get Back”

Whether Jawan.mp3 is a new name to you or one that you’re just getting familiar with, it’s time you take a moment or two to fully dive into his discography. Your first stop could be his new single “Get Back,” a heartfelt number that explores how to love and trust another person after taking some time away from relationships. After that, make sure to check out his 2021 EP The Abstract.

Siergio — “Complicated”

At the end of the month, Los Angeles singer Siergio will drop his latest body of work Before It’s Too Late. At the moment, it’s billed as a 13-song release with contributions from Hundo and Jori. After releasing “Take You Out” at the top of the year, Siergo follows it up with “Complicated,” a rhythmic tune that carries some ’90s influence as Siergio unloads his feelings about a woman despite their relationship being a thing of the past.

NO1-NOAH — “Bonjour” Feat. Summer Walker

Since signing to Summer Walker’s Ghetto Earth Records imprint in late 2020, NO1-NOAH and Summer have collaborated a couple of times. Their songs together, “White Tee” and “SWV,” appeared on Summer’s Life On Earth EP. Now, NO1-NOAH takes the lead on their latest song together as they unite for “Bonjour.” The track is the lead single from NO1-NOAH’s upcoming project You Should Come Over which arrives on April 22.

Kenyon Dixon — “Get High, Get By” Feat. D Smoke

At the top of the year, Kenyon Dixon fired off “Love On Replay” with Tiffany Gouche, and after letting that song marinate for a few months, Dixon returns with his latest effort “Get High, Get By.” The song features D Smoke (Gouche’s cousin) and focuses on doing whatever, including getting high, to get through the day-to-day ups and downs of life.

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

Just days before Lizzo is set to drop her much anticipated new single “About Damn Time,” the singer/rapper is making the rounds on Twitter. This time, for her outfit choice while boarding a flight.

Lizzo was recently photographed boarding a plane rocking a sports bra and leggings, part of her new Yitty Shapewear collection with Fabletics. The leggings, which didn’t hide much of the “Truth Hurts” singer’s backside, caused a stir on Twitter.

“So Lizzo’s allowed to get her BARE ASS on a plane & it’s fine but Olivia Cuplo former Ms Universe is forced to wear her boyfriends hoddie to fly Cabo cause it was ‘inappropriate’… we’re truly living in a clown world,” said one Twitter user.

The Twitter user was referring to a situation in which Cuplo was attempting to board a plane wearing a sports bra and Spanx shorts last year, but was told to cover up by airport security. In Lizzo’s case, she was flying private.

Lizzo responded to the hater, asking, “Like what you see?” before directing her to Yitty’s website.

Fans of Lizzo went to the website, but noticed the bottoms she was wearing in the photo weren’t available for purchase. Lizzo promised that the leggings are “coming soon.”

“About Damn Time” is out 4/14 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

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

On the opening track of his sophomore album Harp, LA-native Chris Adams, who makes music under the moniker PENDANT, sings of confronting his own death. He meets the idea with ambivalence rather than fear before the song collapses into a frantic, house-leaning beat drop. Much of the album reflects a similar structure; Adams shares veiled reflections on mortality, grief, and loss masked by hard-hitting electronic pop, fuzzy shoegaze, and gloomy post-punk-inspired beats.

At times kinetic and twisted, the eclectic album is the result of nearly a decade of painful emotional reflections and healing triggered by the death of his father. But much like how grief is experienced, the feeling isn’t immediately apparent in Adam’s music. Instead, it floats beneath the surface, present but never the immediate focus of the 13-track release.

Celebrating the release of his album Harp, out now via Saddle Creek, Adams reflects on tour memories, shares some inspiring advice, and flexes his plumbing skills on the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Mentally ill dance music.

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

Well in 2050 I’ll be around 60 years old. I’ll probably still be making music in one way or another. I hope people can still extract something emotional from my music then. But I’ll probably be more focused on whatever I’m making at the time. If someone were to listen to my music and think “man that guy can write a chorus,” I’d say that’s about as much as a could ask for in terms of a legacy or something.

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

I performed a few shows in Tokyo many years ago in a different band. It was part of this Japanese tour we were doing — those were some of the most special live experiences I’ve ever had. I was sick for most of the trip but it was all still so stunning and exciting. The entire trip felt electric.

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

First thing that comes to mind is Jason Dill. He said something in an interview that’s become really valuable to me. Not a direct quote but it was something like… making something great requires two things: soaring narcissism and crushing self-doubt.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Peter Luger Steak House in New York.

What album do you know every word to?

Definitely Maybe by Oasis.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

I saw Prince in 2013 in San Francisco at a tiny club (for Prince to play at) called DNA Lounge. Only a handful of years before he died. The entire stage was lined with pedals. He’d run across the stage and hit a delay pedal. Then run to the other side and stomp on a distortion pedal. Every second of that show was so incredible.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

My live fit of choice right now is a beat-up pair of Carhartts, a skin-tight cycling jersey, and a pair of black Air Forces. Comfortable and chaotic.

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

Correll B on Twitter is a national treasure. He’s been doing his thing for so long and has never (to my knowledge) parlayed his following into some brand deal or cash grab. He’s so pure. He just loves music and dancing with such a lovely passion.

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

I haven’t been on tour in many years but for a while, it was “I Love You” by Lil B. It was a great way to defuse interpersonal issues and some of the stresses of being on tour. It instantly put us in a good mood. It’s so wholesome. The video is great too. Lil B is crying in a snake shop.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“Polyurethane foam”

What album makes for the perfect gift?

All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. I don’t think anyone can not enjoy at least half of the songs on this record.

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

This middle-aged guy invited us to stay at his Mom’s house once. She wasn’t there and when we showed up he was passed out drunk on the couch. We let ourselves in and went through a bunch of his old stuff — baby pictures of him and all these artifacts from his childhood. We ended up leaving before he woke up. We knew all these intimate details about his life and he never even knew we were there.

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

I have the logo from the album Harp tattooed on my arm. It’s been my favorite since I got it. My friend who designed the logo ended up tattooing it on me. He’s such a special artist and I felt so lucky having him involved in creating the album. Shout out, Peace On The Sun.

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

I don’t listen to the radio often but the first time I listened to KROQ in Los Angeles (my mom wouldn’t let me listen because they played songs with curse words), I was 8 years old and took my Mom’s car keys and snuck into her car to turn on the radio. I wanted to hear Linkin Park or Blink-182 or something but I ended up hearing “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys. I think that experience totally rewired my brain. I felt like a different person after that.

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

My best friend/manager Nik is one of a kind. He believes in me in a way I can’t totally comprehend. He’s a big reason why I’m doing what I’m doing now. I owe so much to him.

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

You deserve kindness and love. Don’t try to convince yourself otherwise.

What’s the last show you went to?

I saw DIIV play at The Lodge Room In LA. I love that band.

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

Speed with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. They’re both so hot in that movie. And the plot is just so dumb but so entertaining. Dennis Hopper is the villain. It’s just an undeniable ’90s action movie.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I don’t know if this is necessarily a talent. I feel like in another life I would have been a plumber. I get a deep satisfaction from unclogging drains. I’ve fashioned a wire hanger into a hook to pull out all the blockage from a sink/tub. I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Harp is out now via Saddle Creek. Get it here.

Toro y Moi’s seventh album, Mahal, is coming out on April 29th and it promises a meld of ’60s and ’70s psychedelia with post-rock explorations of the later decades. Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear has never been one to for a conventional release, always surrounding the cycle with visuals that give insight into the artistic sphere of Toro at the time. The clip for “The Loop” has been the most telling in regards to the Mahal world, with Bear riding around San Francisco in his custom Jeepney. The mini-truck was used primarily in the Philippines to transport GIs and Bear has embraced his new method of transportation as a motif of sorts as he dives deeper into his South Asian background.

Now for the newly announced short film, Goes By So Fast, he’s sitting shotgun as funny man extraordinaire Eric André mashes down the motorway.

“Chaz, you’re my co-pilot, you always have been and you always will be,” André says in the film trailer as they drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The film, which premieres on April 22nd at an event at LA’s Brain Dead Studios, weaves together mixed visual media concepts, from a narrative, to trippy animations, live performance, and a documentary aspect. It’s directed by Harry Israelson (who also directed Toro Y Moi’s Live In Trona concert film) and it further builds the concept for Mahal.

“You ever get the feeling we’re all just barreling down an endless highway with no one at the wheel?” André asks in the trailer.

Buckle up y’all.

Watch the trailer for Goes By So Fast above.

Mahal is out 4/9 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.

Aside from being Questlove‘s directorial debut, the Oscar-and-Grammy-winning Summer Of Soul is also an important document of a once-in-a-lifetime cultural event. Or, at least, it was. Now, thanks in part to Quest shining a light on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival with Summer Of Soul, the festival will be returning to Marcus Garvey Park (formerly Mount Morris Park) as the Harlem Festival of Culture in 2023. According to Billboard, attendees of the original festival in ’69, after seeing the documentary, will relaunch the festival next year to pay tribute to the original while updating it for the modern era.

The founders include Harlem native Musa Jackson, the editor-in-chief of Ambassador Digital Magazine, Nikoa Evans, and Yvonne McNair. In a statement, Jackson — who appears in the documentary as a child — points out the authenticity of the new festival, which is being launched by actual residents of the historic New York neighborhood. “Being rooted, watered, and grown in this village of Harlem, I believe HFC is our moment to show the world the vibrancy of today’s Harlem — the music, the food, the look, all of it!” he writes. “The original event was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that I will never forget. With this initiative, we want to create something that evokes that same sense of pride in our community that I felt on that special day in 1969. We want to authentically encapsulate the full scope: the energy, the music, the culture. We want people to understand that this festival is being built by the people who are from, live, and work in this community.”

Summer Of Soul executive producer Joseph Patel echoed that sentiment in a statement of his own. “One of the things we hoped would happen with Summer Of Soul is that it would open the door for other stories to be told, in all their forms, especially by people from Harlem,” he said. ” I couldn’t think of a better person to charge through than Musa, whose devoted roots in the community make him the perfect person to represent for Harlem.”

Whereas the 1969 festival ran for several weeks that summer, the revamped version will be a multi-day outdoor event, with a series of related events throughout the year leading up to it. Those will begin April 15 with an open mic night tribute to the film Love Jones at the Museum Of The City Of New York. And to think, until Questlove unearthed the original Harlem Cultural Festival footage, the original event had nearly passed from memory.

Molly Shannon is known for being one of the funniest comedians, and she got her big break when she was a part of several (very male-centric) Saturday Night Live seasons in the 90s. In her new memoir Hello, Molly chronicles her life in great detail, including tragic stories about her family, sprinkled in between behind-the-scenes SNL facts.

While promoting the new book, Shannon chatted with Howard Stern, who brought up a very disturbing story from her memoir regarding actor Gary Coleman, known for his breakout role on Diff’rent Strokes.

Stern described the story as “dark,” as Shannon said she remembers meeting with an agent at a fancy hotel in the late 80s. The actress described also meeting Gary Coleman, a client of the aforementioned agent, and his “relentless” behavior at the hotel.

“I was a virgin, so I wasn’t even thinking about that,” Shannon explained after Stern asked if she had expected something from Coleman. “He held my hand, and I was like, ‘He’s so cute!’ He had a suit on.” Then things went sour once the agent left.

He’s like ticking me a little…I was trying to be polite. I’m a polite catholic girl! I’m naive about that….He was relentless. He was trying to kiss me and get on top of me, and I was like, ‘Gary, stop.’ So I’d push him off. Then I would get off the bed, then he’d bounce on the bed – jump, jump, jump – and wrap himself around me, then I would fling him off, then he got on top of me…. I was like, ‘Gary, stop!’ but I guess because of his size I didn’t feel physically threatened. I go to the bathroom, and then he grabs onto my leg … I had to kick him off. Then I go lock myself into the bathroom and then he sticks his hand under the door and said, ‘I can see you!’

Shannon eventually sprinted out of the room, admitting that she wished she stood up for herself.

While the two were laughing during the clip, it’s clear the encounter made Shannon very uncomfortable. “It’s not funny, the agent leaving you alone, it’s all so f*cked up and so sad,” Stern says after the story. You can hear the whole story in the clip above.

Conservative anger-king Ben Shapiro is trending on Twitter again, this time for being owned by a college student during a speech about gender identity.

Shapiro, who can’t seem to stop visiting college campuses and getting into it with undergrads, gave a talk at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, where he attempted to argue that gender is a fixed state. Now, it’s pretty bold of him (a man who kind-of admitted that his wife doesn’t visibly get aroused) to pose as an expert on a topic as complex and controversial as gender identity, so obviously, a student in the crowd called him out on his lack of credentials.

The student, who claimed to be a mathematician and physicist, first argued that Shapiro’s terminology was outdated. He referenced the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders before stating, “Most of what you’re saying is based on, like, old data. ‘Gender identity disorder,’ that’s a DSM4, bro. We use the DSM 5 now for psychologists.”

Shapiro, for his part, tried to argue that the term he used was actually “gender dysphoria,” but he seemed to be missing the bigger point which is that you should never engage in a battle of words with someone younger than you. It just never ends well. And it didn’t for poor Ben.

“You sound like a bozo, bro,” the student lobbed back as Shapiro continued to try to argue. “And you get no p***y and can’t even make your wife wet, bro, so what’s good?”

In case you forgot, that last dig is a direct reference to Shapiro’s own self-own, sparked from the controversy he ignited with his spoken-word rendition of Cardi B. ft Megan Thee Stallion’s raunch single, “W.A.P.”

After backlash to his initial tweet, Shapiro claimed to be “concerned” for women who needed a “bucket and a mop” for their genitals because his “doctor wife” told him she never got that wet.

Now, did the student do enough to publicly humiliate Shaprio? Yes, but if you’d like to laugh at him a bit more, here are some digs on the timeline that accurately sum up what’s going on:

(Via Mediaite)

Wild Pink is now a bit over a year removed from the release of their most recent album, A Billion Little Lights (which Uproxx’s Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen both named one of their favorite albums of 2021 on Indiecast). Now, the John Ross-led group is back with a new six-minute single, “Q. Degraw,” which is driven by aggressive rock stomp while still featuring the group’s signature airiness.

Ross says of the song, “This song is about my experiences with some health problems and how an extremely stressful situation can sharpen your focus on what’s important in life. It’s also about how that stress can sometimes cause you to dissociate from yourself.”

He previously noted the late-2021 single “Florida” “puts a period at the end of the A Billion Little Lights sentence, in my mind,” so it would seem “Q. Degraw” perhaps kicks off a new era for the group.

Listen to “Q. Degraw” above and find Wild Pink’s upcoming tour dates below.

04/21 — Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom (Oxford Pennant Stage)
04/22 — Columbus, OH @ Big Room Bar
04/23 — Athens, OH @ Lobster Fest
04/24 — Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
04/26 — Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
04/27 — Lancaster, PA @ Tellus 360
04/28 — Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Karl Hall
05/03 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
05/04 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
05/06 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
05/07 — Washington, DC @ Capital Turnaround *
05/08 — Durham, NC @ Hayti Center *
05/09 — Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle *
05/10 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
05/12 — Austin, TX @ Antone’s Nightclub *
05/13 — Dallas, TX @ The Texas Theatre *
05/14 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Beer City Music Hall *
05/17 — Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
05/18 — Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern *
05/20 — Los Angeles, CA @ First Congregational Church *
05/21 — San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club *
05/23 — Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater *
05/24 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
05/26 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
05/27 — Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
05/29 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café *
05/31 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
06/02 — Detroit, MI @ El Club *
06/03 — Toronto, ON @ Great Hall *
06/04 — Montreal, QC @ L’Astral *
06/05 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *

* supporting Antlers

Jamal Murray has not played in an NBA game since suffering a torn ACL on April 12, 2021. Vague rumors of a potential season debut have floated, but no firm date or concrete news has been announced.

Days ahead of the Denver Nuggets’ first-round series with the Golden State Warriors, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said Murray’s decision as to whether he’ll play this year is “up to him.” Connelly said Murray debuting in the middle of the series is possible and that the 25-year-old guard is in the “red zone” with regard to a return.

The end of that tweet notes Murray is ahead of Michael Porter Jr. in the rehab process. Porter has not played since Nov. 6 and underwent back surgery on Dec. 1. Despite the lengthy absences of their second- and third-best players, the Nuggets won 48 games this year and earned the No. 6 seed out West. Nikola Jokic is once again a leading MVP candidate after a magical regular season.

Of course, star guard Stephen Curry’s status is in flux for Golden State. An update was announced Tuesday and there’s a chance he’s ready for Game 1. He and the Warriors will kick off their first-round matchup against Denver on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.

For millions of Bloater-fearing gamers, HBO’s most-anticipated upcoming series isn’t the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, or The Wire creator David Simon’s return to Baltimore, We Own This City — it’s The Last of Us.

The 2013 video game (and its polarizing-but-brilliant sequel, 2020’s The Last of Us Part II) is getting an expensive adaptation starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The first image from the series looked exactly like the game, and in an interview with British GQ, Pascal sounds optimistic that fans will appreciate the show’s vision.

“There’s a very, very creative way of honoring what’s important and also preserving what is iconic to the experience of the video game, and also [to include] things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect,” he said. “And then directions that you would expect it to go, and it might not… they’re doing some really smart things, is all I can say.”

Pascal also compared HBO’s The Last of Us to The Mandalorian, where he plays Baby Yoda’s bounty hunter father figure, Din Djarin.

“It’s similar to the way Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni treat The Mandalorian, in how [creator Craig Mazin and The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann] are treating The Last of Us. It’s in good hands because they love it so much. Well, clearly Neil created the video game, but Craig loves it so much. So it really is made for the people that love it. And there’s some very intense storytelling for people who might be less familiar.”

Before long (2023), everyone will know the horror of the Rat King. I can’t wait.

(Via British GQ)