Is there anything as quintessentially American as a road trip along the California Coast? Consistently immortalized in movies and TV, it is on nearly everyone’s travel bucket list. Everyone that I want to know anyways. Just a six-hour drive winds you through beaches, mountains, forests, and awe-inspiring cliffs all along the winding Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It’s stunning.

I’ve driven the Cali coast in its entirety multiple times – all solo – and while I imagine it is an amazing trip to take with a partner, friend, or family, there is something freeing about being on the open road alone. Whether you’re solo or not, it helps to have a guide. With that aim, I’m laying out my full guide to driving the California coast in 2022.

Start in LA

I’d recommend starting your trip either in Los Angeles or San Francisco and traveling to the other. Of course, this isn’t the full coast, but the just six-hour drive can easily fill an entire week or more.

I have traveled both ways, with my last trip starting in LA. I chose it as a starting point mostly because flights are usually fairly cheap and easy from many other domestic locations, and the rental car process has always been smooth for me.

If you love beaches, consider starting a tad further south — down in San Diego — and doing a few beach days before heading north.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Rental cars are expensive and scarce already, add to that a usually higher fee for one-way rentals and it clearly pays to do your research in advance before any other bookings. The flights and accommodations can be moved around much easier.

Stop 1: Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park is a bit of an anomaly. The visitor center in Ventura and boat harbor are less than 70 miles from LA, but I have only met a handful of people – even Southern California natives – who have ever actually visited any of the islands in the park. Despite its location and easy access for millions of people, it continues to be one of the less-visited National Parks in the US. You can only visit the islands by boat or plane, and once you arrive there are no modern amenities on the islands.

This is the perfect place to go solo – trust me. Despite being rugged, it is an island, so you can’t really get lost on your own. You also have to arrive and leave with your tour group meaning that it never gets overcrowded – and you have built-in new friends, if that’s what you’re after.

There are five islands that make up the National Park, with Santa Cruz Island being the largest and also most popular. You can camp overnight on the islands or just stay for the day and enjoy hiking, whale watching, kayaking, snorkeling or just laying in the grass like I did for most of my visit.

It feels a million miles away.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Book your transportation far in advance – Island Packers is the official park concessionaire and travels from Ventura and Oxnard harbor daily with a limited schedule – but weather affects the schedule very frequently, so make sure to call and check in that your trip is still as planned. If the boat is sold out, you can take your chances and show up when they open hoping for a cancellation or no show.

Stop 2: Santa Barbara

After a day spent on the island, I’d head up to Santa Barbara. I spent many years passing by the town, thinking it was only for the bougie and coupled up – then quickly realized I was wrong after deciding to stop for some lunch on a recent trek.

I recommend stopping at The Douglas Family Preserve – a small but gorgeous public park in the city limits with 70 acres of shaded trails and unobstructed ocean views (you can actually see Channel Islands National Park – just 22 miles off the coast – from the preserve). Other hiking options are Inspiration Point and La Cumbre Peak.

Solo Traveler Tip:

After a hike I’d stop for lunch at the Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach – which is just over a mile from The Preserve and right on the beautiful and more secluded Hendry’s Beach. It is the perfect place to bring a book (or a prop book to use while you simply people watch), enjoy a glass of wine and enjoy some fresh seafood.

Stop 3: Avila Beach

I am a huge fan of the Central Coast. Huge. It’s quieter and less traveled for sure, but that’s the beauty of it – especially for a solo retreat. The sea-scapes are pristine and the pace of life feels slow enough to actually enjoy it.

Avila Beach is a town of just over 1,300 people, but I always make a point to stop there when I’m in the area. Just ten miles from San Luis Obispo (another underrated destination), it has it all. Quaint downtown on the water, beautiful beaches, water sports, hiking, biking, and a surprising number of wineries.

Some of my favorite spots are Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards, Alapay Cellars, Avila Paddlesports, and Avila Valley Barn.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Book an hour in a cliffside private mineral springs tub at Sycamore Mineral Springs. It feels like a luxe treat to sip some wine while soaking under the trees.

Stop 4: Montaña de Oro State Park

California is home to 280 State Parks, and just over 20 miles northwest of Avila Beach is one of my favorites: Montana de Oro. Set 6 miles Southwest of Morro Bay, Montaña de Oro is a gem that is somewhat hidden in plain sight. With seven miles of dramatic shoreline, 8,000 acres of cliffs, beaches, campgrounds, hiking, and mountain biking trails – it has it all and has surprisingly not been crowded at all when I’ve visited.

I recommend Spooners Cove, Bluff Trail, and Sand Dunes Bluff Trail.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Detour to the Sand Dunes in the park. There are dunes along most of the coast with zig-zagging trails to reach them. As I hiked up the dunes, the only other people I saw were fellow solo travelers laying in the sand reading, napping, and biking. I could have stayed there all day. Next time I think I will.

Stop 5: Big Sur

Between Carmel and San Simeon, Big Sur magically appears as if you’ve entered into a mirage. It is mythic and fantastical and truly one of the only places I’ve visited that is deserving of its legendary status. Below the Santa Lucia Mountains, Big Sur is a long undeveloped stretch of coast that just cannot be described by words or photos alone. You have to see the sweeping views for yourself — along with the redwoods, ample hiking, sandy beaches, and eclectic eateries. Known for its limited cell service, a trip to Big Sur feels not so much like moving back in time but transcending time itself.

I recommend taking the short hike to McWay Falls, browsing the Henry Miller Memorial Library, and taking your chances at landing a parking spot at Pfieffer Beach. The beach is famous for its purple sand and Keyhole Arch (try to visit in winter when the sunset lines up in the arch). It’s my favorite stop in Big Sur, but with only 60 spots to park down a winding unmarked road it is hard to get to during peak times. But bonus: it’s never crowded once you get there.

Stop at the infamous Bixby Creek Bridge on your way north out of town to get the perfect Instagram shot.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Nepenthe is a Big Sur staple and the perfect place for a solo lunch with a view. The outdoor bar seats have the best view of the Pacific in the house, and the South Coast Margarita is worth the 30+ minutes you are likely to wait to get it.

Stop 6: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

On the way up north from Big Sur, I always stop at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. The shoreline is dramatic and its beauty rivals anything I have ever seen. Whalers Cove is a great spot for scuba diving, kayaking, and snorkeling – but any trail you take will lead you somewhere worth going.

Solo Traveler Tip:

Try to hit the trail at sunset! But be mindful of the operating hours – now it’s only open from 8 am to 5 pm.

Stop 7: Shark Fin Cove

The last stop on the trek back to San Francisco is probably also the easiest to get to – Shark Fin Cove. Just 10 miles North of Santa Cruz and 0.7 miles from Davenport, the shark fin-shaped rock is visible from the road. Park north of the Bonny Doon Beach Lot – there is a dirt pullout – and follow the steep trail down to the beach and sea cave.

Solo Traveler Tip:

The trail is steep so proceed cautiously if no one else is around. The views from above are also gorgeous and super Instagrammable if you’re hesitant.

End in SF

Head back home from San Francisco. Try a few of these bars, perhaps. While you drink, spend time dreaming of your next trip to explore the rest of the coastline.

(SPOILERS for this week’s P-Valley epsiode will be found below.)

After almost two years, P-Valley made its return to STARZ to kick off the show’s long-awaited second season. The Katori Hall-led show, which is an adaptation of her play of the same title, follows a group of strippers who work at The Pynk, a strip club in Chucalissa, Mississippi. For season two of P-Valley, things are a bit different at The Pynk. Hailey, who came to Chucalissa after surviving a hurricane, is now a co-owner of the strip club after she paid $250,000 to buy it at an auction after it went into foreclosure towards the end of season one. Additionally, all of the girls at The Pynk are figuring out how to stay afloat as the world navigates the coronavirus pandemic.

The aforementioned events in this week’s episode are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. They include Jucee Froot’s thumping “Down In The Valley” which serves as the series’ theme song.

What Songs Were In ‘P-Valley’ S2E1?

The songs that soundtracked the standout moments on this week’s episode of P-Valley are Jucee Froot’s “Distance” with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and J. Alphonse Nicholson’s “Mississippi Pride (Extended)” with FM New Money and “When I Get Out.” Froot’s record appears as a man (Rolando Boyce) checks out a make-shift car wash that the Pynk Ladies have set up to bring in some dollars. It’s this scene that establishes the new day-to-day lives of everyone at The Pynk.

Nicholson’s records support his role as Lil Murda on the show. Both records show that the aspiring rapper is finding his sound as he aims to spread his name far past the Mississippi Delta.

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes the following songs:

Jennifer Robles & Belinda Robles — “Drip Wet”
Shae Marie — “IDFWYB”
LightSkinKeisha — “Spend Sum Cash”
Sam Cooke — “The Last Mile Of The Way”

STARZ’s ‘P-Valley’ airs on Thursdays at 9:00 pm EST.

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

Marjorie Taylor Greene of the Jewish space-laser rant (her conspiracy theory about how California wildfires start) gets very upset when journalists mention her Jewish space-laser rant. Yet she is now ranting with a similar mindset about school shootings, which she says happen because people aren’t embracing fascism and white supremacy. Or something like that.

To that end, the QAnon cheerleader posted a video, in which she addresses the Ulvade mass school shooting that saw a lone gunman kill 19 children after purchasing an AR-15-style rifle on his 18th birthday. The subject hasn’t been handled well by the usual GOP suspects (because they love that gun-lobby money), but Greene’s reaching a whole, far-right new level with her rant about how only “Christian nationalism” can end these shootings. She further declared, “Nationalism is a good thing.” Then she added, “We should be proud of an America First nationalism” while urging people to not be afraid of what’s essentially fascism.

Naturally, people pushed back hard at the “dimwitted twit” for essentially stepping up for the KKK and Nazism under another label. First up, though, was the VoteVets organization, a group of progressive veterans who called out Christian nationalism as “completely incompatible with the values of our military, and our country, given our 1st amendment,” especially considering that service people of other faiths consistently step up to defend the United States.

Yep, this is all coming from a sitting congresswoman. The midterms should be a telling moment for Georgia voters.

When people talk about Crash these days, they generally mean the Paul Haggis 2004 race parable, widely acknowledged as one of the worst movies ever to win Best Picture. Which tends to overshadow David Cronenberg’s 1996 Crash, a superior film starring James Spader about people who get horny for car accidents. Cronenberg’s latest, Crimes Of The Future, set in a time when “surgery is the new sex” is a lot more like the horny-for-car-accidents Crash, a beautiful piece of counter-programming for basically all of current pop culture.

Crimes Of The Future, starring Viggo Mortensen and Lea Seydoux, is a movie that feels like I should’ve been watching it from a peephole booth, periodically feeding it quarters to keep my dingy viewing device from turning off. It’s not “the movie we need right now” or one you should “see on the biggest screen possible” or any of those other boilerplate superlatives critics throw at movies to exhort people back into theaters nowadays. This is a weird little movie made by a weird little dude. It’s not Top Gun, and you’re not going to leave the theater cheering. Though you might leave the theater excitedly running your sweaty little palms together, which for some of us is even better. (I may enjoy slop from time to time myself, but I hate the sound of other piggies squealing for it).

Now, after a long sigh and a sense of vague resignation, let me attempt to explain what it’s about (I guess? Is that important?). Viggo Mortensen and Lea Seydoux (Lea Ski-Doo, I call her, I’m hoping it catches on) play Saul Tinser and Caprice, respectively, a pair of performance artists who do surgery on stage. Or at least, in front of people in seedy rave basements. They exist in a parallel universe where (as previously noted) surgery is the new sex, “everyone wants to be a performance artist,” and people have stopped feeling pain in the usual ways. And so they’ve taken to cutting each other open and rooting around in the viscera.

Other developments in this world are people growing new organs, for which there is now a “National Organ Registry,” (as represented by “Wippet” and “Timlin,” played by Don McKellar and Kristen Stewart, respectively) which, X-Men like, seeks to maintain a list of aftermarket organs to keep tabs on a society that is becoming “less human,” at a molecular level. There’s also a little boy who can digest plastic, a vice cop (Welket Bungué) and a gang of rogue plastic eaters led by Scott Speedman (I still can’t believe that’s his real name but apparently it is) who are out to promote their plastic-eating lifestyle.

Meanwhile, in typical David Cronenberg fashion, everyone is kind of horny for each other, and horny for gore. Crimes Of The Future takes the concept of wanting to “get up in those guts” very literally. Admittedly during the setup I got a little bored, having to keep track of who all the different characters were and why they wanted what they wanted. Obviously, Crimes Of The Future has an environmental message, sometimes abstract, sometimes on the nose (microplastics, anyone?).

But the joy of it isn’t that it’s a tidy metaphor; in fact it’s probably the exact opposite. Crimes Of The Future is a glorious overgrown garden of intersecting and contradictory ideas (no wonder Cronenberg loves body horror, his plots look like vascular systems). Should people cut out the “alien” organs their bodies are growing, like Saul Tinser, or trust that it’s part of a plan and maybe leading to something bigger, like Scott Speedman? In a macro sense, that all tracks, but the conceits Cronenberg constructs to illustrate it all are what make Cronenberg Cronenberg.

Whereas most other directors would probably make future technology small and sleek, like iPods and earbuds (Joseph Kosinski did this beautifully in Oblivion) the future tech in Crimes Of The Future all looks like it was created by HR Giger for use aboard the spaceships in Alien. The centerpiece of Saul and Caprice’s act is a classic, fully restored autopsy machine, with tiny, alien-like hands that Caprice operates using a remote control that looks like it was made out of ET’s fingers. Thus not only do we live in a world with 1. autopsy machines, 2. that look like alien bugs, 3. this one is also like some kind of restored classic car, suggesting Crimes Of The Future takes place in Rome-after-the-fall time period, when people scavenge technology that humanity can no longer produce. …And this technology exists for performing autopsies. How many other filmmakers’ brains work this way?

There are also alien/insect-looking pods that people like Saul sleep and eat in, the pods manipulating their bodies in order to sleep or digest better, with the implication being that their bodies are no longer capable of doing these things involuntarily anymore. It’s a cute enough idea, but in practice, watching a giant insect machine trying to help Viggo Mortensen digest his bowl of orange future slop is one of the best things I’ve seen in a theater in a long time, somehow simultaneously hilarious, disgusting, and sexual. David Cronenberg’s movies are like pimple popping videos, fascinating and cathartic in ways that defy explanation. I could watch him lance a boil over and over.

‘Crimes Of The Future’ is available only in theaters, June 3rd. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. More reviews here.

Kevin Hart is a busy man! The comedian will star alongside Woody Harrelson in the upcoming comedy/thriller The Man From Toronto, plus he spends many hours a day defending Dave Chappelle from cancel culture. Now, he has his own sitcom in the works!

Hart is developing a half-hour comedy with comedian Dan Levy (not that one) who will be the writer and showrunner for the show, which will head to Peacock. The series, called True To Size, will take inspiration from his own life, which Hart loves to do, and take place in a sneaker store in 1998, with a group of twenty-somethings trying to find their place in the world. We’ve all been there! Here are the official details:

Before Kevin Hart was the biggest comedian in the world, before his movies grossed over a billion dollars, and before he was a mogul, he was a lost 20-year-old in Philly working at a sneaker shop in a 90s mall — a job he didn’t really want and only took to make his mom happy and keep him out of trouble. However this job would eventually change his life forever when the store manager convinces him to try stand up at an open mic.

Philly in the 90s?! That sounds promising! Very few details about the series have been announced, but maybe Woody Harrelson will stop by for a cameo of him buying some cowboy boots.

When we last checked on who’s running communications for Rudy Giuliani, he was working with Todd Shapiro, a man best known for representing Lindsay Lohan’s family and several Hooters restaurants in New Jersey and Long Island. Shapiro, who had replaced 20-something Instagram influencer Christianne Allen, is apparently out of the picture because Giuliani’s latest PR guru is, well, let’s just say a logical next step.

According to a post on her Instagram page, Giuliani is now being represented by Kristin Davis, the “Manhattan Madam” who infamously ran a high-end prostitution ring in the 2000s. Remember when Elliot Spitzer got caught in 2008? That was Davis’ service he used to hire Ashley Dupre. And if you’re wondering why we didn’t say “former” Manhattan Madam, that’s because Davis is still using the name for her Instagram handle as you can see below:

Of course, like all things Giuliani, Davis naturally has some interesting ties to the MAGA world on top of, again, being a well-known high-end madam. Via Mediaite:

Davis also has a strange connection to Robert Mueller’s Russia collusion investigation. Davis was contacted by investigators before they searched the duplex home of Donald Trump ally Roger Stone. Davis had also lived at the duplex, but had moved out a week earlier. She ended up testifying before a grand jury as part of the investigation, the Washington Post reported.

For Davis’ first assignment, maybe she can talk Rudy out of screaming at people at parades. That seems like something you don’t want your client doing. Also, maybe keep him away from hidden camera situations. You’re gonna really want to avoid those.

(Via Mediaite)

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Post Malone, Yo Gotti, Babyface Ray, and more.

Happy First Friday in June! It’s my birthday month so I’m especially paying attention to what’s sounding good and will be played on June 25. There are a lot of great raps, namely Cyhi and Ncognita, and some fun tracks to bump in the car or on the big speakers. Don’t just take my word for it though, read up and press play on this week’s offering.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending June 3, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Post Malone — Twelve Carat Toothache

Despite all of his success, Post Malone has also seen the downfalls that come with fame. He returns this week with his fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache to address it all. “Reputation” is a somber, introspective opener that immediately transports you into Posty’s psyche. The album features Roddy Ricch, Doja Cat, Gunna, Fleet Foxes, The Kid Laroi, and The Weeknd. He may call himself “White Iverson” but here he gets as many assists as points he scores over the LP’s 14 songs.

Vory — Lost Souls

Vory’s gotten a lot of big looks over the years, namely co-signs from Meek Mill and Kanye West. Now, the Houston talent is here with his debut album Lost Souls where the 24-year-old bears his own over 17 tracks. Features include Ye, NAV, Yung Bleu, Landstrip Chip, Fresco Trey, and Beam. The title track opener and “Lesson Learned” are the gems here.

Big Moochie Grape — East Haiti Baby

Who can deny an album that opens with a clean sample of Blackstreets’ “No Diggity” featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen? Let me know when you know. Big Moochie Grape is here with his second project East Haiti Baby with features from the late Young Dolph, Key Glock, and Kenny Muney. The singles “I’m The One,” “Never Had Sh**,” and “Uncut & Raw” provided a glimpse of what to expect from the album, but tracks like “Rick Flair,” “Christopher Wallace,” and “Joe Biden” may end up being what gets repeated the most.

KayCyy — Get Used To It

KayCyy is here with his latest EP and he wants you to Get Used To It. Embracing a variety of sounds, the Kenyan 24-year-old gets meta on the standout “Replay,” raises the adrenaline up on “Shoutouts” and brings along Lancey Foux, 070 Shake, Annahstasia, and Steven Bamidele for the ride. The album title and message are clear across its 9 songs: everyone ought to get accustomed to solid music like this.

Lil Tracy — Saturn Child

Lil Tracy’s Saturn Child is a solo galactic exploration, acknowledging the hedonistic nature of the women in his life on “Voodoo” and the king in his mirror’s reflection on “Touche.” The 26-year-old New Jersey native opts for no guest appearances here, but with a delivery like his, they aren’t necessary this time around.

Singles/Videos

Babyface Ray — “Spending Spree” Feat. Veeze

“Spending Spree” shows Babyface Ray and Veeze rapping in a garage and a control room. The fish eye effect adds a uniqueness to this video in addition to the various filters they use with it. Though the rappers flash money, there isn’t much spending here. Perhaps they just got back from cashing out? Either way, it’s a fun song and Babyface Ray never disappoints.

Choosey — “Reminded”

Choosey “plays for commas, you can keep the comments” in his new piano-laced track “Reminded.” He calls out people who make it to the blogs but still aren’t hot, and likens moments not lasting to episodes of television shows. His deep vocal tone in conjunction with the pianos and drum kicks make this the type of record best experienced through headphones.

Payroll Giovanni — “Back 2 The Basics”

Payroll Giovanni lives up to his name in the new video for “Back 2 The Basics.” With a blunt in hand and homie to his side, the visual opens with him arranging a transaction for his watch. He tasks his partner with making the drop, and it all goes well as another associate returns with a bookbag full of money in between scenes flashing money counters or the rapper delivering his verses with his crew backing him. Business as usual for Mr. Giovanni.

NCognita — “2x Freestyle” Feat. Tundra

The video for “2x Freestyle” shows NCognita kicking things off, passionately rapping at the top of a staircase at what either appears to be a house party. She gets the outside crowd rocking even though there is a function going on inside. In a nod to classic comedies, there is a cutscene of an angry neighbor yelling upstairs to quiet down and threatening to come upstairs. Nothing changes and Tundra opts to join the crowd as he raps and dances along to his verse. It’s safe to say the neighbors know their name, but that just may not be a good thing in this instance.

Tanna Leone — “Picasso”

“And my name not sex at all, but a n**** came from nothin’” is hilarious. Tanna Leone croons about money, women, and success in his new track “Picasso,” but it’s the video that truly makes the experience. The visual’s appeal begins with the time lapsed reverse zoom into Leone’s shades, and continues on with the slowly deteriorating phone booth he raps in. Then we find him lying on a couch while a woman dances next to him, only the floor elevated to where she is almost perpendicular to the pgLang artist. It’s all very well executed.

Blk Odyssey — “Benny’s Got A Gun” Feat. Benny The Butcher and George Clinton

Blk Odyssey’s song and video for “Benny’s Got A Gun” featuring Benny The Butcher and George Clinton is both a tough listen and watch, but the storytelling is excellent. A young man is trying to get tougher, runs into a situation where he can’t defend himself and is driven to up the ante by using a gun for his comeuppance. It is certainly a relatable narrative for some, and an unfortunate reality of a position many young Black men are put in. Odyssey and Benny appear in multiple scenes, watching over the young man who is bloodied, pensive, and vengeful. George Clinton’s soulful vocals make this even more of an immersive experience.

Cyhi — “LA Leakers Freestyle”

Cyhi stopped by LA Leakers and absolutely blew it out of the water. He first spit a load of metaphors over 42 Dugg’s “Maybach” beat before following Jeezy’s instructions and going berserk over the “Go Crazy” beat. The breath control and myriad of flow switches were eye-opening, and him confidently claiming himself as everyone’s inspiration due to all of his songwriter credits should earn Cyhi’s June 1 visit a spot in the LA Leakers canon. We can debate.

CMG The Label (Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, Mozzy, Lil Poppa — “Big League”

CMG The Label’s artists Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, Mozzy, and Lil Poppa reimagine themselves as a basketball team on “Big League” and everyone hits their shots here with Murda Beatz calling the plays on the production side. This could easily be synced in an NBA Finals commercial with all of the NBA references, but it also serves as a victory lap for CMG which has had a successful last few years due to its popular roster. More years of this and there may need to be a serious dynasty talk.

Quando Rondo — “War Baby”

Quando Rondo is iced out and pushing a Benz in the “War Baby” video, but simultaneously sticks to his roots. Scenes show him among what appears to be his hometown homies from Savannah, Georgia. He raps about difficult situations they’ve worked their way out of and how those experiences have turned him into a “War Baby.” Rondo doesn’t run away from the trauma but rather uses it to fuel how he moves forward in life. Obviously, autotune is not a new concept, but there is a conversation to be had about introspective songs like these sounding better at times when the artist half-sings with autotune’s assistance.

Rowdy Rebel — “Woo Nina”

Rowdy Rebel’s “Woo Nina” follows the NYC drill production starter pack to a T, but he sets himself apart with a few clever, funny, or ridiculous bars. “Catch me geekin’ off these meds like I’m Urkel” yielded a chuckle, the “Woo” chant was well-executed, but the Black Lives Matter bar is where things got wild. Among a crew of his people, some ski-masked up, he says “They say Black Lives Matter / Let me catch my opp lackin’, see if that sh** matter.” Oh, Rowdy. In any event, this will pass the car test with flying colors and the Brooklyn enigma will always be a fun listen.

Audrey Nuna x Deb Never — “Sardines”

“Sardines” gives college house party energy. Audrey Nuna and Deb Never are in high spirits and won’t allow anything to bring them down. “If you really want me gotta show me what you got / Like ‘Okay!’ / I’m feeling really good.” And while the internet often makes jokes about songs with a similar boom-bap feel “scaring the h***,” this is an example of that type of record that can exist in a fun, social space. Nuna and Never did well.

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

Canadian rye whisky still isn’t getting the hype it deserves. That’s a shame. But the tide is shifting (slowly), as brands like Barrell Craft Spirits integrate amazing Canadian barrels into their bespoke releases. It also helps that WhistlePig now admits they use the stuff in their bottles too. But overall, Canadian rye is still a footnote to the wider whisk(e)y boom.

Becasue of that, killer bottles like Alberta Premium Cask Strength often languish on the shelf. Which, again, is too bad.

Alberta Premium put out a pretty great whisky with their Cask Strength expression late last year. It’s well-priced, easy to find, and, guess what? It tastes pretty freaking good. What more could you want in a premium whisk(e)y release?

Below, I’m giving you my professional opinion of what’s in the bottle. Overall, this whisky continues to slip under the radar for a lot of whiskey folks. That’s an advantage for everyone else in that you can actually find this for a good price. Good whiskey that’s not marked up on the aftermarket is always a good thing. Let’s get into it!

Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey from the Last Six Months on UPROXX

• All 19 Brands From The Buffalo Trace Distillery, Ranked
• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Rye Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• We Tasted Rye Whiskeys Blind To See If Any Of Them Could Beat Willett
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

Alberta Premium Cask Strength 2021 Edition

ABV: 63.7% (varies)

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

The whisky starts off with rye grains grown on the Alberta plains. Those malted grains are then mixed with glacial water from the Rocky mountains before fermentation begins. The juice is distilled and loaded into ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time (a minimum of four years). The barrels are then selected for this expression, vatted, and bottled as-is with no proofing.

The Bottle:

The faceted bottle is a mid-century eye-catcher with a subtle label. The pebble effect plays nicely and stands out. The bottle also comes in a nice box that works as a good gifter. Overall, it’s a unique presentation for a unique whisky.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a hint of Cherry Twizzlers on the nose that leads to soft cedar tobacco boxes from the last century with a hint of used vanilla pods. The palate takes dark and tart currants and dips them in creamy yet dark chocolate with a dusting of nutmeg and clove next to vanilla-laced shortbread dipped in black tea. The mid-palate balances a hint of dark cherry tobacco with more of that old cedar as the creamy vanilla sneaks in and smoothes everything out. The end has a slight green peppercorn vibe that circles back to the nutmeg and clove with a tiny touch of woody cinnamon and more of those tart berries and a minor note of savory fig and… maybe melon (?) on the very backend.

Bottom Line:

This is complex and rich without being overpowering in the slightest. There is a tiny bit of spicy warmth on the mid-palate but it never overpowers the rich and creamy flavor profile. Moreover, this leaves you wanting another pour. It’s enticing yet sooting and a little refreshing.

Ranking:

91/100 — This is really solid. It’s an easy and rewarding sipper with hardcore ABVs that hides them well in a masterful build.

The Los Angeles Lakers filled their head coaching vacancy by bringing on board now-former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham. According to a new report by Marc Stein, Lakers brass had another name very high on their shortlist of candidates and may have gone as far as to tell him the job was his.

Stein reports that Michigan coach Juwan Howard was the “preferred candidate” for the team among those who currently have head coaching gigs elsewhere, which includes a pair of names who were rumored for the gig throughout the process: Sixers coach Doc Rivers and Jazz coach Quin Snyder. In fact, Stein claims that the team would have given Howard the job if he wanted to pursue it, which ultimately ended up not being the case.

The Lakers, I’m told, made such strong overtures to Howard that the implication was clear: The job was his if he wanted it. As covered here on May 2, Howard made it clear in turn throughout the Lakers’ 47-day search that — despite his long associations with both James and Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka — he had no interest in leaving behind the college game at Michigan and the opportunity to coach sons Jace and Jett next season.

Howard was a teammate of James’ with the Miami Heat before spending a year as one of the team’s assistant coaches while James was in town — he ended up spending six years on staff before taking the gig at his alma mater. His ties to Pelinka are even stronger, as the two were teammates in Ann Arbor.

For someone who is so rich she could easily stay out of the spotlight for several years and still be rich, Kim Kardashians just keeps…saying things. This time, she is defending her controversial decision to lose weight before stepping into Marilyn Monroe‘s iconic gown (a move that was already highly criticized).

In a new profile with The New York Times, Kardashian defended her decision to lose 16 pounds in three weeks by saying that people gain and lose weight for roles all the time. She is of course referring to movie roles, not walking down a red carpet for less than 15 minutes, so it doesn’t quite apply. But her logic was…there.

“To me, it was like, ‘OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role and that is acceptable.’ Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role. It’s all the same to me.” Kardashian was referring to the multiple times Bale has gained and lost weight for movie roles, though, to be fair, that was never really acceptable either. He even admitted that he just “doesn’t eat” which is literally the worst thing you can do.

Kardashian then explained that she wasn’t encouraging her fans to follow in her footsteps. “I wasn’t saying, ‘Hey everyone, why don’t you go lose this weight in a short period of time?’” she said, adding that if she couldn’t lose the weight, she “just couldn’t have gone, which wouldn’t have mattered. It was just important to me to reach that goal.” As it turns out, the dress didn’t even zip up all the way, which is why she wore a fur coat to hide the back.

Even if she isn’t explicitly encouraging her fans, she is saying that it’s possible to lose that amount in such a short amount of time, even though it should not be, especially for people who don’t have access to the most expensive trainers and dieticians. The moral of the story is this: don’t follow anyone else’s advice, especially people who have more resources at their disposal than most normal people ever will.