Month: June 2022

Steve Lacy just dropped his second single this month in “Bad Habit,” and the surge of new music from the producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist isn’t a coincidence. Along with “Bad Habit,” Lacy has also shared the official details for the release date of his new album, Gemini Rights, and it’s coming out a lot sooner than you think.

Out in two weeks on July 15th, Gemini Rights, is written and produced by Lacy, who also played most of the instruments on each of the ten tracks — including one with Fousheé, whom he made out with in a music video earlier this year. Whereas on lead single “Mercury,” Lacy explored saucy bossa nova rhythms and emphatic vocals over a complex arrangement, “Bad Habit” is a sweet, groovy love song where Lacy ranges his voice a la Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes. “I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me,” he sings on the soul-bearing hook.

The album is written in the aftermath of Lacy’s first big heartbreak, which at 24 years old, is a pretty decent streak. The Grammy nominee has cited influences on Gemini Rights from Brazilian maestro Caetano Veloso and Outkast’s Andre 3000 to Sly Stone, The Beatles, and of course, his talented pack in the The Internet.

Listen to “Bad Habit” above.

Gemini Rights is out 7/15 via RCA Records. Pre-order it here.

Every month, Uproxx cultural critic Steven Hyden makes an unranked list of his favorite music-related items released during this period — songs, albums, books, films, you name it.

1. Bartees Strange, Farm To Table

To say that this genre-mixing singer-songwriter took an unconventional path to indie stardom would be an understatement. After spending his 20s working in politics — the D.C. native once held an administrative job in the Obama administration — he put out his debut album, Live Forever, in 2020 in his early 30s. His relatively advanced age wasn’t the only obstacle — there was also the matter of launching a music career in the midst of a worldwide epidemic. And yet Strange has persevered, in part because the music media has fallen hard for his lovable underdog story. Fortunately, Farm To Table justifies the coverage. As was the case with Live Forever, Strange is a natural at mixing emo-pop dynamics with R&B vocal affectations and hip-hop-style production. On his second full-length, he doesn’t so much reinvent this formula as refine it to the point of silky perfection. This album is one of the best sounding records of 2022; you feel the velvety guitars, gooey synths, and supple beats as much as hear them.

2. Angel Olsen, Big Time

I’ve long admired Angel Olsen’s music without ever completely falling for it … until this record. Working with co-producer Jonathan Wilson, Olsen has wedded some of her heaviest songs — the album was inspired by the recent deaths of both of her parents — with the most ravishing music of her career. Retaining the rustic and retro Laurel Canyon vibe of Wilson’s work with Father John Misty and adding a generous dose of twang, Big Time is a beautiful psychedelic country record with a grief-stricken heart. It somehow floats and sinks simultaneously.

3. S.G. Goodman, Teeth Marks

This Kentucky-based singer-songwriter makes music that’s ideal for a melancholy summer, when deep emotions linger as humid days fade into starry nights. Her latest, Teeth Marks, sparkles and rages, balancing stirring ballads with fiery, working-class rockers. The title track belongs in the former category, and is one of the year’s best songs. And then there’s “Work Until I Die,” a garage-rock rager with a John Fogerty vibe that stands as the rarest of modern indie phenomena — a genuine protest song about small-town, lower middle class professional drudgery. If you’re looking for a good chaser for the Angel Olsen record, look no further.

4. Tim Heidecker, High School

Tim Heidecker is an interesting bunch of guys. There is Tim Heidecker, the inventive co-star of the pioneering Adult Swim program Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Good Job! There is Tim Heidecker, the egomaniacal co-host of the popular web series On Cinema. There is Tim Heidecker, the L.A.-based husband and father who oversees the amiable podcast Office Hours. And then there’s Tim Heidecker, character actor and surprisingly (even shockingly) earnest singer-songwriter. On his latest album High School, Heidecker the singer-songwriter has made his most straightforward and autobiographical album yet. A song cycle that looks back on his early ’90s adolescence with the sort of wistful sensitivity and wry specificity associated with ’70s soft rock titans like Paul Simon and Randy Newman — both of whom Heidecker has cited as personal favorites — High School evokes a pre-internet, Middle American, suburban world buoyed by references to Kurt Vonnegut, fiscal conservatism, Gulf War-era CNN reporter Peter Arnett, and Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”

5. Goose, Dripfield

Back in March, I called this Connecticut quintet “the next great American jam band.” June might have been their biggest month yet, as it was capped with a successful two-show run at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan that featured guest spots by Father John Misty and jam scene kingpin Trey Anastasio of Phish, an apparent “passing of the torch” moment. And then there was the release of their latest and best album. I normally don’t listen to jam bands for their studio work — even the Grateful Dead struggled to capture their live magic on wax. But Dripfield is a consistently engaging pop-psychedelic record, like a trippier Father Of The Bride. While it is technically Goose’s third studio LP, it feels like a proper debut, far outstripping its predecessors in terms of quality and ambition. Some tracks slip into funky instrumental tangents, but the focus is on concise and punchy songwriting deriving mainly from frontman Rick Mitarotonda, with guitar-keyboardist Peter Anspach pitching in a George Harrison-sized allotment of tunes.

6. Drive-By Truckers, Welcome 2 Club XIII

These venerable Southern-rock legends are one of the most reliable bands (and brands) in all of rock ‘n’ roll. Every single release, you are guaranteed to hear brilliant story-songs set to crunchy guitar riffs. It’s no surprise that the new Welcome 2 Club XIII continues their winning streak. At the same time, it does represent a break with the furious political commentary that marked their records since 2016’s American Band. While their recent work has been pitched outward, Welcome 2 Club XIII feels like an extended remembrance of days shared and passed between long-time bandmates Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, whose relationship dates back nearly 40 years. The most resonant moments on the record — Hood’s “The Driver,” Cooley’s “Every Single Storied Flameout” — reflect on glory days that weren’t as glorious as nostalgia might have you believe, while also expressing gratitude for having survived long enough to enjoy the luxury of looking back. As Cooley sings, “That part of you that feels alive is wired and can’t be severed from the damage-seeking part of you that runs it.”

Kendrick Lamar made a splash at Glastonbury last weekend by showing up in a crown of thorns, presumably the same one he wore for the Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers album cover, for his performance. It’s a fancy piece of headwear and it turns out it was part of an overall pretty expensive outfit.

In a video from Glastonbury that’s been making the rounds, Lamar is asked how much the outfit costs and he deflects, saying, “I don’t even know, this sh*t ain’t even out yet. But it’s LV, though.” The interviewer then asks more specifically about the cost of the crown and one of Lamar’s associates chimes in, “Three.” The interviewer responds, “Three what?” The associate clarifies, “Three million,” and the interviewer’s excited reaction to that news got a big laugh out of Lamar.

Vogue previously noted the “custom titanium and pavé diamond crown is a collaboration between the rapper, his longtime creative collaborator Dave Free, and the jeweler Tiffany & Co.” that was “designed over the course of 10 months” and features “8,000 cobblestone micro pavé diamonds totaling more than 137 carats, and weighs around 200g.” It also apparently took “more than 1,300 hours of work by four craftsman to handset the diamonds.” The value of the crown was previously estimated at around $200,000.

Maya Hawke didn’t hold back from sharing her thoughts on the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade while appearing on Tuesday’s episode of The Tonight Show.

“We just got into talking about the Supreme Court ruling and this essay that my mom wrote a couple of months ago when they were putting these further restrictions on abortion access, and it was sort of preceding this whole thing,” the Stranger Things star said. In 2021, Hawke’s mother, Uma Thurman, wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post in which she revealed that she had an abortion when she was a teenager.

Hawke continued, “My mom wrote this really beautiful essay about her abortion that she got when she was really young, and about how if she hadn’t have had it, she wouldn’t have become the person that she’d become, and I wouldn’t exist, and how both of my parents lives would’ve been totally derailed if she hadn’t had access to safe and legal health care — fundamental health care.” She recognizes that wealthy people will “always be able to get abortions, but so many people, because of this ruling this week, will not only not be able to pursue their dreams, but actually lose their lives and be unsafe.”

And then:

You can probably guess what the bleeped word is. But just in case, Hawke said it two more times (after getting host Jimmy Fallon’s permission). “I can say, ‘F*ck the Supreme Court’? Oh, f*ck the Supreme Court. Yeah, rock on. But we’re gonna keep fighting, and we’re gonna win like our grandmothers did.” You can watch the interview above.

Vladimir Putin’s sort-of getting what he wants by continuing Russia’s assault on Ukraine for four months and counting, but not without consequence. This has sent his approval rating to a 20-year low, and he’s even lost a long-time ally who’s calling the invasion a “colossal mistake.” Yes, Putin’s still got his Botox, but that won’t keep him warm at night.

Meanwhile, we’ve heard word that Putin’s inner circle has been quietly poking around in order to install a successor, and there sure as heck must be some paranoia going on in Putin’s mind. His enemies famously end up being poisoned and/or dying, but the Daily Beast now reports that Putin’s inner circle is, in fact, shrinking because he fears being taken out. And for good reason, because there’s a growing sense of resentment within Russia (both normal people and oligarchs are feeling financial strain due to global sanctions), and the Beast reveals how ex-CIA Moscow chief of station Daniel Hoffman pinpointed three Russian officials who could very well be plotting to have Putin pushed out or killed:

“Nobody’s gonna ask, ‘Hey Vladimir, would you like to leave?’ No. It’s a f*cking hammer to the head and he’s dead. Or it’s time to go to the sanatorium,” Hoffman told The Daily Beast. “They schwack him for it. That’s what they’ll do.”

Three key members of Putin’s inner circle to watch, according to Hoffman, include Nikolai Patrushev, the chief of Putin’s Security Council; Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the FSB; and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Even watching those three, predicting Putin’s political future–and particularly trying to get inside his head to determine what his plans are–is impossible. But the writing is on the wall. Vladimir Lenin died. Nikita Khrushchev was ousted. Leonid Brezhnev died. Mikhail Gorbachev was booted in a surprise ouster. The list goes on.

As Hoffman puts it, “It’ll happen all of a sudden. And he’ll be dead.” Likewise, though, Hoffman reveals that Putin’s very likely to be plotting to kill these same members of his inner circle. Man, no one must be taking that first bite of food without freaking out. And speaking of which, all of this discontent is apparently going to cause an “explosion” due to economics, which have been dismal in Russia with no sign of improvement, despite Putin “urging calm.”

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reveals that Putin’s been cozying up to the freaking Taliban, which is very bizarre because even Russia has formally declared them to be “a terrorist group,” but Putin wants to strengthen those ties. He’s insisting that this teamwork will help fix the mess in Afghanistan so that “all ethnic groups in Afghanistan… must properly participate in running the country.” However, Putin does want allies wherever he can get them, and that’s why he’s also been all up in China’s business while he’s otherwise a global pariah. That’s what happens when one bombing civilians like it’s nothing, all to fulfill an imperialistic fantasy.

(Via The Daily Beast & Associated Press)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Ever since making her debut as part of the growing roster of 1501 Certified Entertainment, Dallas rapper Erica Banks has contended with comparisons to her predecessor as the label’s crown jewel, Megan Thee Stallion. The parallels are obvious; the two women are Texas natives who pride themselves on their lyricism and flow, and both embrace an unapologetic approach to their sexual subject matter.

Megan’s standing with the label complicates matters. In early 2020, Megan attempted to renegotiate her contract with 1501. The process has since grown increasingly contentious, with lawsuits, countersuits, and disparaging statements flying from both sides. The timing of the label signing and introducing Banks only served to highlight the ongoing drama – and unfortunately, Erica found herself paying the price.

Tabbed by some fans as a replacement for Meg, signed specifically to spite and undermine Thee Stallion’s successful run in the face of her feud with her erstwhile benefactors, Erica Banks was initially mocked when footage of early performances circulated online. As her viral breakout “Buss It” became popular on TikTok, increasing her exposure to a wider audience, the comparisons likewise became more prominent, even prompting speculation that the two women had beef of their own.

But the thing that gets lost in all of this is that Erica Banks is an accomplished, established rapper in her own right, with four mixtapes to her name already – three self-released — before 1501 ever entered the picture. And now, her debut studio album, Diary Of The Flow Queen, has arrived to further differentiate her from her esteemed colleague and establish her as an artist worth giving attention to on her own merits.

Within moments of pressing play, it becomes apparent that the superficial similarities between Erica and Meg remain on the surface level. While the latter’s punchy delivery can occasionally subsume her Texas drawl, Banks’ accent determines her tempo, slowing her flow down even on the more uptempo tracks. Since she’s still in the early stages of her career – think Meg on the Tina Snow and Fever EPs – Banks has yet to experiment with pop-leaning musical styles, sticking to bass-forward, trunk-thumping Texas beats for the majority of the album.

This works to her advantage on tracks like “Slim Waist” and “Nasty” with Bankroll Freddie, on which she also shows that she has multiple vocal tones to match the mood of the song. While her voice is usually a low-register growl, she can pitch up an octave or two for more sultry come-ons when she isn’t straight-up bragging about her sexual prowess. On the penultimate song, “Work,” she even does some singing – an area where her ostensible rival has stumbled in the past – weaving between her usual rhythmic attack and the melodic flow that dominates rap playlists these days.

There are also few features; the aforementioned Bankroll Freddie, fellow Texan BeatKing, and rising New York rapper DreamDoll (who both appear on “Toot That“) are the only voices other than Erica’s on the album. This allows the DeSoto native to show that she’s capable of holding her own for a full project without growing stale – a testament to the above-mentioned malleability of her voice. Diary Of The Flow Queen may not meander far afield of the same lyrical territory that has been explored by many of the other women in hip-hop taking over the charts lately, but as Cardi B once explained, that’s what the fans want.

More importantly, the album establishes that Erica Banks has her own branch of that lineage, with all the potential to reach the same heights of notoriety as peers like Cardi B, Latto, Saweetie, and yes, even Megan Thee Stallion. She could very well be just one hit away; hopefully, 1501 learned its lesson and extended a contract that will keep their latest star happier than their last.

Diary Of The Flow Queen is out now on 1501 Certified and 300 Entertainment. Get it here.

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

The Tea Collection combines philanthropic efforts with a deep rooted sense of multiculturalism into each of their designs so that kids can grow up with global sensibilities. They make clothes built to last with practicality and adventure in mind. But why “Tea”?

Let’s spill it. Tea is a drink shared around the world with people from all different cultures. It is a common thread that weaves the world together. The Tea Collection was born from a love of travel and a love of sharing tea with different people in different places. Inspired by patterns from around the world, these clothes help children develop a familiarity with global communities.

Tea sources their materials ethically and ensures that each of their partners abide to strict codes of conduct. They have a zero-tolerance policy for anything “even slightly questionable” and make sure that they regularly visit their manufacturing partners to ensure that they’re supporting positive working conditions.

Since 2003, The Tea Collection has partnered with the Global Fund for Children and has invested in different grassroots organizations that create community empowered programs to uplift kids in need. They donate 10% of their proceeds and have already contributed over $500,000 to different organizations such as: The Homeless Prenatal Program (San Francisco, CA, USA), Door of Faith Orphanage (Baja California, Mexico), Little Sisters Fund (Nepal) and others in Peru, Sri Lanka, India, Italy and Haiti.

But the best part about the Tea Collection? They’re also an official member of the Kidizen Rewear Collective, which believes that clothes should stretch far beyond one child’s use. They have their own external site for their preloved clothes that makes rewearing affordable. Families can trade in gently used Tea clothes and receive discounts for future products. Shopping the site helps keep clothes out of land fills and reduces the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

By creating heirloom style clothing made to last families can buy, sell, and trade clothes that can be reworn again and again. Because “new to you” doesn’t always have to mean never been worn. And let’s be honest, we all know how fast kids grow! Shopping preloved clothes is a great way to keep styles fresh without harming the environment or feeling guilty about not getting the most out of certain styles.

But don’t just take our word for it! Head over to the Tea Collection and see for yourself!

Upworthy has earned revenue through a partnership and/or may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through links on our site.

Here comes the sun… and a whole new arsenal of beauty products to make the most of the sunny seasons ahead. But with Beauty Pie buyer’s club you can get luxury, top of the line products for a lot less, because they cut out all the middlemen. By going direct to wellness manufacturers, Beauty Pie has access to hundreds of beauty products without the outlandish mark ups. Same luxury, but for 10xs LESS! That’s why we’re all about these picks that give the “I’m on Summer Break” vibe and not the “I sprung and broke the bank” side-eye. Here are our faves:

1. Super Cheek Cream Blush – toss your powder palette to the side, because yes, cream blush really is that much better. With rich colors like French Raspberry and subtle Sexy Berry, this blush collection lets you get some color in your cheeks, without having to log all of that sun time on your face. Made in Italy, these super gorgeous makeup tins will have you swooning from the moment you open them all they way to their post-blend natural finish.

2. Dry Glycolic Soft Feet 7-Day Peel Socks – it’s care from head to toe and with sandal season approaching soft feet are a MUST have. This exfoliant has natural extracts of grapefruit, orange, lemon, almond and coconut. Use these socks for one hour and they will have your feet ready for those new wedges in no time… err.. 7 days later, after the peel of course.

3. Super Healthy Skin Nourishing Body Polish – there’s going to be some sun on that skin so let’s start this season off right. This Italian made scrub smoothes, softens and moisturizes! By harnessing the power of apples, tonka beans, coconut milk, papaya enzymes and Omegas 3 and 6, this body polish will keep your skin fresh and glowing, all summer long.

4. Superdose Vitamin C Bio-Vitamin Brightening Body Lotion – with firming brown algae and brightening vitamin C this lotion is perfect for sun damaged skin. Ideally used for daily brightening and rejuvenating it helps keep your skin one step ahead of the game this season. Clean, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the UK.

5. Shine Up Lip Colour Balm Stick – this collection of lip color is a must for summer Match to your natural skin tone or go with a darker or lighter shade to add in a bit of contrast. Made in Italy these high-cushion, brilliant balms moisturize and soothe. Chic colors like Berry Jane, Baby Bare, Love.Love.Love, and yes even the fave Sexy Berry from the blush collection, leave you with only one problem: how could you possibly chose only one!

Three months ago, Billie Eilish and Finneas both won their first Oscar award after they took home the trophy for Best Original Song thanks to “No Time To Die.” The feat joined Billie and Finneas’ past Grammy wins, thus putting them halfway towards securing the coveted EGOT title, something Jennifer Hudson recently did. As they continue to work on that, the successful duo may now assume a new role with The Academy. Billie and Finneas were two of 397 artists and executives that were recently invited to join The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences.

The news was shared by Deadline, which said that this year’s class includes 71 Oscar nominees and 15 winners, with 44% being women and 37% coming from underrepresented communities. The grand total of 397 invites is two more than last year’s class which was preceded by a jump in membership as The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences worked to diversify its rolls and expand its international footprint following the #OscarsSoWhite backlash in 2015.

Other invitees to the 2022 class include actors Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Jesse Buckley, Michael Greyeyes, Olga Merediz, and writers Zach Baylin, Jeremy O Harris, Adele Lim, and Jon Spaihts.

In addition to winning Best Original Song for “No Time To Die,” Billie and Finneas also performed the song at the 2022 Oscars, and prior to that, they won a Critics Choice Award for it.

Anthony and Joe Russo can do whatever they want, and so far whatever they want doesn’t include yet more returns to the comic book well. They’ve done a crime drama (Cherry), a forthcoming thriller (The Gray Man, with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans). For their next trick, they’re heading to the past with one of the breakout stars of Stranger Things.

As per Deadline, the Russos’ next project is The Electric State, based on the illustrated novel (note: not a comic book) by Swedish polymath Simons Stålenhag. The film will follow an orphaned teenager traversing the American Old West in a retro-futuristic version of the past. She seeks her long-lost brother, her companion is a robot, and, oh right, the Stranger Things cast member who plays her is Millie Bobby Brown.

Chris Pratt’s name has also been floated for the project, but at least as of now nothing’s locked down. Pratt, of course, has appeared in the Russos’ two Avengers movies, and if he’s not too busy voicing Mario the plumber, the three can reunite. The project is obviously still in the larval stage, and by the time it gets made and released, perhaps everyone will have found the time to finish the extra-extra-extra long new episodes of Brown’s starmaking show.

(Via Deadline)