Month: January 2023

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet and where to buy them. It’s the first week of 2023, which means the search for the best sneakers of the year officially begins today! Does that mean any of the sneakers we’re shouting out will make that list?

We have doubts!

No shade to this week’s picks, but we have a whole lot of days ahead of us and if last year is anything to go by, the best sneakers tend to drop toward the middle of the year during the summer. But hey, 2023 might surprise us, because although we’re light on drops this week what is coming out is pure fire. New releases include collaborations between JJJJound and BAPE, a new Jordan 7, the latest LeBron, a BRED-inspired New Balance drop, and the return of the Smoke Grey Air Force 1. All five releases would be highlights on any other week, so although we’re only shouting out five sneakers this time around, it’s one hell of a strong five.

Let’s get into it.

Nike Air Force 1 Color Of The Month

We generally ignore Nike’s Color Of The Month series but this smokey AF-1 is impossible not to love.

Featuring a Smoke Grey colorway with an all-over suede upper and an iced-out midsole, this sneaker sports a jeweled swoosh, ribbed laces, and vintage Nike Air branding at the heel. It’s got that classic ‘80s vibe which is when the AF-1 looked its best. The sneaker drops with a Nike-branded cleaning brush because this is the sort of look you’re going to want to keep in pristine condition.

The Air Force 1 Color Of The Month is set to drop on January 5th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike LeBron 7 Florida A&M University

A reimagining of a 2009 release, the LeBron Florida A&M University colorway returns! The design is built upon a plush pigskin nubuck upper with rattlesnake graphics at the tongue to rep FAMU, a full-length Nike Air unit, and speckled details along the swoosh and translucent midsole.

It’s one of the more elegant and simple LeBron designs in recent memory, which is always welcome!

The Nike Lebron 7 Florida A&M University is set to drop on January 7th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Jordan 7 Olive

MJ loved to golf (it’s why the Jordan 2 went for a country club luxe design), which is why occasionally you’ll see a Jordan draped in the sort of luxurious colorway you’d expect to find on a super expensive club bag like this week’s Olive Jordan 7.

Featuring a mix of cherrywood red and olive tones over a premium leather upper, this sneaker oozes luxury. Rounding out the design are stealthy black panels and gold accents outlining the cherrywood.

The Nike Air Jordan 7 Olive is set to drop on January 7th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Bape x JJJJound BAPE STA

In what is hands down my favorite drop of the week, JJJJound is teaming up with BAPE for their second BAPE STA collaboration. Featuring a 100% calf leather upper in white with navy leather accents, this collar sports round laces, laser etched branding, and metal aglet in silver.

The sneaker has dual branding with the JJJJound logo at the heel and a woven BAPE label on the tongue and drops in a special navy-colored camouflage BAPE box. The sneaker is also dropping alongside a matching apparel collection in navy blue featuring hoodies, sweatpants, t-shirts, and mesh caps.

The Bape x JJJJound II is set to drop on January 7th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $230. Pick up a pair at the JJJJound and BAPE online stores as well as in-person at BAPE locations.

New Balance 650R Black with Red and White

It’s impossible to look at this New Balance 650R and not instantly think of the legendary Air Jordan 1 BRED. So… bold move New Balance! While this shoe looks a lot like another very famous shoe, who cares? It’s 2023 and New Balance is coming for Nike’s crown, we love to see that.

Featuring a leather upper and a high-top style that recalls vintage b-ball kicks, the 650R Black with Red and White sports raw-edged leather eyebrows and a cushy puff and stitch collar.

The New Balance 650R Black with Red and White is out now for a retail price $139.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.

Everyone wants a piece of the Original Beef of Chicagoland. Or rather, everyone wants to see how The Bear‘s Carmy will switch up the family sandwich joint in Season 2. Of course, some people also want to know if Carmy will get busy in some other context than the kitchen, but here I am, getting carried away again about this show. It’s the good kind of stress, y’all.

Season 2 of the popular FX show is on the way, at some point. The show will be more about community, according to creator Chris Storer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo, who recently spoke with Variety, but when will this happen on our small screens? Well, hang tight there. In the same Variety piece that dropped this week, it became clear that stars “[Jeremy] White and [Ayo] Edebiri haven’t read Season 2 scripts yet,” meaning that filming surely hasn’t begun as of yet. The shows cast and crew are currently in Golden Globes mode, too, so they’re undoubtedly busy, and besides, White has a handful of newfound film roles on his plate, so all of that must be taken into consideration.

However, NME relays a November 2022 statement from Storer and Call:

Although no exact release date has been given at present, Storer and Calo said that they couldn’t “wait to bring you all back to The Bear in 2023”. If the second season premieres around the same time as the first, the show should return to screens next summer.

So, there you have it. It’s vague, but it’s something: 2023 seems to be a sure thing, and please don’t hold out hope that Carmy and Sydney would get together. That would ruin their dynamic and maybe even the whole show. That ‘ship is misplaced here, so let’s instead hope for some type of return cameo from either Jon Bernthal or Joel McHale. Maybe even both of them. Yes, that’s better.

The Bear is currently streaming on Hulu.

(Via NME & Variety)

For the last two days, the House of Representatives has been a mess. The GOP now has control over the chamber, but only by a razor-thin margin. To make matters worse, a small but pivotal cadre of MAGA Republicans have sabotaged former House minority leader Kevin McCarthy’s wish for a promotion. There’s in-fighting. There’s in-fighting among the in-fighting. And then there’s one of the fresh fish: accused prolific fabulist George Santos, who appears to have lied about…well, everything. So when he repeatedly failed to recognize he was being called on for votes, that only made people even more suspicious.

It was Day Two of the House’s failed attempts to name a new Speaker of the House, which, as of this writing, has yielded six separate votes. So far McCarthy has accrued fewer ballots than even Democratic nominee Hakeem Jeffries. It’s a chaotic scene, which may explain why Santos — who arrived on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and spent most of his first day alone, avoided by everyone — may have repeatedly missed his own name being called to vote.

In video of him missing his name, Santos appears to be looking down at something. Maybe he’s playing around on his phone. It happens. But many hatched the same theory: that either Santos isn’t the serial fibber’s real name or he has so many aliases that he’s forgotten the real deal.

There were also plenty of jokes.

Again, it could be an innocent mistake. Lots of people miss their own names being called out at take-out joints, restaurants, in classrooms, etc. But given the sheer range of Santos’ alleged fabrications, it was inevitable that people smelled something fishy.

Any true festival-goer ought to have a bucket list of experiences. In all honesty, if Your Paradise Fiji is not on that list, it could be because a sedative mud root drink called cava, the national drink of Fiji, is somehow working its magic on you from over 5,000 miles away. Because this party is lit.

Held in a lush utopia in the South Pacific, Your Paradise Fiji prides itself on featuring some of the world’s most exciting artists in an equally stunning setting. From December 10-16, a very lucky group of 600 music-loving adventurers enjoyed six days and nights of action, culture, music, and wellness on the remote Islands of Mamanuca, an archipelago off the coast of Fiji’s mainland.

Each day featured experiences such as surfing Cloud 9 (one of the most sought-after surf breaks in the world), yoga on white sand beaches, flying over bright coral reefs, as well partying in sun hats while skipping across the turquoise sea on Fiji One. In addition to nonstop enjoyment, Your Paradise travelers also balanced their experience by giving back to the fragile ecosystem by planting mangrove trees and participating in other carbon-offsetting activities.

Each action-packed day ended at Your Paradise’s oceanfront main stage, where artists and fans kicked off each night of festivity with a wave goodbye to one of the most beautiful sunsets on the planet. Performances by Ben Böhmer, Netsky, and the eclectic duo Illustrious Blacks, only added overkill to an already perfect setup. Side note, check out this lineup bio for Illustrious Blacks. This is such an epic and fitting intro for a duo that’s produced an album titled, “Neo Afro Futuristic Psychedelic Surrealistic Hippy.”

Bottom line: If music travel is your bowl of cava, it could be time to add one of the world’s most iconic music-travel experiences to the list. These photos speak for themselves, so check them out and get ready. Spots are limited and Christmas is only twelve months away.

Barrel proof bourbon whiskey — or “cask strength” or “barrel strength” depending on the brand’s preferred wording — is one of the hottest styles of bourbon at the moment. The idea is that barrel proof bourbon is “more authentic,” thanks to no proofing with water. That’s not really true. Barrel proof whiskeys are simply made from barrels that hit certain flavor notes which make them better tasting without water. Other barrels shine brighter with a little water added. Neither is inherently better.

Semantics aside, with so many barrel proof bourbons on the shelves it felt like it was the perfect time for a barrel proof bourbon blind taste test. For this blind taste test, I lined up the following bottles:

• A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Batch #2
• Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch no. C922
• Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
• Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength
• Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel No. 0002
• Smooth Ambler 6 Years Old Founders’ Cask Strength Series 2022 Batch #1
• Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey
• Booker’s 2022-04 “Pinkie’s Batch”

When it comes to ranking these barrel proof bourbons, it’s pretty simple. What tastes the best? Sometimes it doesn’t have to be harder than that. Still, there is the ABV factor at play with barrel proof bourbons. Do those higher ABVs/proofs blow the palate out? Or is there a real balance where the higher proof/alcohol becomes part of a more cohesive whole? That’s what’s fun about tasting these blinds, finding out answers to questions like that. Let’s find out together by tasting some fantastic barrel proof bourbon whiskeys.

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The 30 Best Bourbon Whiskeys For Fall, Blind Tasted & Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a leathery nature on the nose with classic bourbon deep flourishes of very black cherry, salted caramel, cinnamon toast with cream butter and old vanilla pods, a touch of orange oil, and woody spice berries and barks.

Palate: Apple orchards and cherry pies open the sweet palate toward a massive heat from the ABVs that eventually fades towards creamed soft nut butter, vanilla cake, and apple cider spiked with spiced cherry tobacco.

Finish: The heat comes roaring back on the finish with brash woody winter spice and burnt orange with a touch of vanilla trying to find a counterbalance to all the heat.

Initial Thoughts:

This is classic Sazerac bourbon (Buffalo Trace, Barton 1792, A. Smith) from top to bottom. It’s just kind of classic with a big ABV push through the mid-palate to the finish. That said, it really felt well-rounded and tasted really f*cking good.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a classic bourbon on the nose with deep flavors of buttered buttermilk biscuits, salted caramel, singed marshmallow, Almond Joy, cherry cream soda, and a touch of Nutella and maple syrup.

Palate: The palate leans into cherry root beer with a hint of vanilla cream soda next to eggnog spices and creaminess, old dried roses in older leatherbound books, and a whisper of red peppercorn cracked over some sweet pipe tobacco.

Finish: The end has a candied chili pepper vibe next to burnt orange, marzipan, and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of walnut and cherry saltwater taffy.

Initial Thoughts:

This was supple and kind of soft but delivered a nice overall profile. The heat wasn’t really there in any overwhelming way but popped in from time to time. Still, this felt more “fine” than “wow.”

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a deep leatheriness with a bright line of green hatch chilis next to a warm sense of dry powdered dark chocolate and dried sour cherries with an underlying dry earthiness and this tiny whisper of sourdough starter.

Palate: The palate opens with a hint of peach before kicking in some serious ABV buzziness and heat and then quickly rollercoastering down toward cinnamon and clove-laced dark chocolate, dark caramel, apple chips soaked in root beer, and a hint of clove and orange.

Finish: The end has a mild sense of dry sweetgrass and plenty of heat that gives way to an echo of that cinnamon and dark chocolate with a smidge of smoldering cacao husks and cinnamon bark.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty nice but has a slightly… cheapish finish — kind of like pleather instead of leather. It was complex and tasted good overall but felt way more like something you’d make a cocktail with than sip neat.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the way on the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness.

Palate: The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess.

Finish: The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty nice but very light compared to the last few pours. That lightness really made this feel like a cocktail bourbon more than anything else.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Mocha and leather mix on the nose with fresh-cut green grass and piping hot cornbread dripping with butter and caramel sauce, creating a very grain-forward/crafty vibe.

Palate: The palate starts off with a nice and subtle barrel char leading toward Almond Roca toffees, cherry-chili tobacco, and velvety vanilla cream before those sweet porridge grains kick back in, confirming this as a very crafty bourbon.

Finish: The finish leans into a stewed apple with a hint of clove and sassafras that, in turn, leads to almond tobacco and plenty of cedar wrapped in old leather.

Initial Thoughts:

While this was clearly a craft bourbon thanks to those sweet grain notes, it was still deep and well-rounded with just the right hit of high-proof warmth. Long story short, it had a nice balance.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a soft sense of classic bourbon on the nose with dark cherry, vanilla pod, light caramel sauce, and pecan waffles with pancake syrup and cinnamon-brown sugar butter next to a whisper of old boot leather and a very distant echo of sweet grits.

Palate: The palate has a soft creamed honey sweetness with a twinge of Cherry Coke next to buttery toffee dipped in crushed roasted almonds with a hint of Mounds Bar and chewy caramel. A good dose of ABV heat kicks up on the mid-palate with a mulled wine spiciness and a touch of sour cherry.

Finish: The end is nutty and full of dark cherry tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate and dark brown spices.

Initial Thoughts:

This had a whisper of crafty grain on the nose but ended up hard-core classic bourbon by the end. It’s a great balance.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a very classic Kentucky bourbon nose with big winter spice notes tied to barks and buds with a hint of nutmeg before leaning into oily vanilla pods and salted caramel chews with a nice hint of apple cider and black cherry cola.

Palate: Clove buds, cinnamon bark, and allspice berries lead on the palate with a hint of chili pepper spiciness before a lush sense of vanilla white cake with toffee frosting and burnt orange creates a luxurious mouthfeel with a hint of alcohol warmth.

Finish: The end arrives with a deeply classic vibe that’s slightly tied to old oak cellars next to cherry bark, old bottles of vanilla, and easy-going salted caramel sweetness next to a hint of apple cider tobacco rolled with cinnamon bark and cedar.

Initial Thoughts:

This is just a classic bourbon from top to bottom that has just the right amount of kick balanced out with a deeply satisfying flavor profile.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a nice sense of Graham Crackers dipped in dark chocolate with a hint of singed marshmallow next to orchard wood, dried cherry, and mild winter spice.

Palate: The palate opens with soft brown sugar next to cherries dipped in dark chocolate, allspice berries, and eggnog creaminess.

Finish: The end has a Cherry Coke vibe next to cinnamon bark, buttery gingerbread, and a hint of apple-cinnamon tobacco wrapped up in leather and cedar.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty nice and refined overall. There was a little jaggedness around the edges but it was barely noticeable.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a crafty, sweet grain nose that opens toward a pile of freshly chopped firewood, lemon pepper, creamy vanilla-laced honey, winter spices, and Kiwi boot soap.

Palate: The palate has a hint of caramel malts next to Vanilla Coke, a buttery and spiced apple pie with plenty of brown sugar, and a hint of ginger next to some orange blossoms in the background.

Finish: The end is solid with a spicy warmth next to more of that dry firewood and a smidge of sweet oatmeal cookies.

Initial Thoughts:

This has a nice crafty base but feels about a year too young. It’s just not quite as refined as the other pours today. Still, it tastes pretty good overall, and I imagine a rock would sand off those rougher edges quite nicely.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is full of dark brown sugar vanilla pods and winter spices that start to lean toward chili and cumin and then a sense of a well-seasoned pork butt before it goes into the smoker — it’s kind of like raw leather.

Palate: The palate is classic bourbon with a rich vanilla white cake frosted with buttercream next to bold dark cherry, woody notes of dry reeds, and salted caramel with a twinge of orange oils.

Finish: The end has a mild sense of tangerine flesh and star fruit that leads back to warm ABVs and dark winter spices layered into fresh tobacco and old cedar bark.

Initial Thoughts:

This is funky Beam through and through. The proof really does hit a high on the end but never overwhelms anything going on in the flavor profile. Overall, this felt really good on the nose and the palate, but I don’t think it was my favorite.

Part 2: The Ranking

10. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch no. C922 — Taste 3

ABV: 62.48%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

The last Elijah Craigh of 2022 is also the highest-proof release this year. The whiskey is made from a very low rye bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. That juice then ages for at least 12 years before the barrels are vatted in very small batches and bottled without proofing or filtration.

Bottom Line:

It’s weird to say this felt “cheap” but it just did. That said, this would work perfectly well in a cocktail.

9. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength — Taste 4

ABV: 56.25%

Average Price: $45

The Whisky:

This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.

Bottom Line:

This was on the thinner said, which is par for the course with Maker’s Mark. That’s what makes this the perfect bourbon to build your cocktail with.

8. Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 9

ABV: 60.25%

Average Price: $92

The Whiskey:

The bourbon in this bottle was contract distilled in Ohio at Middlewest (but it’s now being made in Kentucky too). The juice is a wheated bourbon that spent eight years mellowing before bottling. Each barrel was hand-picked before being married into a barrel strength expression that’s bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was a little rough around the edges, but still had a great depth and overall profile. Plus, that roughness will go away once you make an old fashioned or whiskey sour with this one.

7. Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023 — Taste 2

ABV: 56.77%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Barrell’s New Year Bourbon is one of the most beloved releases of the year. This year’s batch is made from a grouping of five, six, seven, eight, and 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wyoming, New York, Texas, and Maryland. Those whiskeys were batched in Kentucky and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was nice overall but felt a little light as well. And if you’re looking for big “barrel proof” vibes, this might be a slight letdown. That said, this works on every other level as a tasty sipper or cocktail base.

6. Smooth Ambler 6 Years Old Founders’ Cask Strength Series 2022 Batch #1 — Taste 8

ABV: 59%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made from a high-rye mash of 71% corn, 21% rye, and 8% malted barley. That whiskey is then left alone for six years before it’s batched and bottled without filtering or proofing.

Bottom Line:

While I did find a twinge of roughness to this one, I was really trying to find it. If you’re just looking for an easy-going and classic bourbon with a little kick to it, this will 100% deliver.

5. Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 5

ABV: 58.54%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This craft darling from Washington state is all about local ingredients. The mash is rendered from locally grown corn, rye, and barley. The spirit is distilled in Western Washington and then shipped to Eastern Washington to age for at least five years. That whiskey is then batched and bottled as-is with no fussing or cutting.

Bottom Line:

This was able to balance the craftiness of it all — that sweet graininess — with a really solid overall high-proof bourbon flavor profile. And while I’d probably use this for a cocktail, I can see sipping this easily over a few rocks and never being disappointed.

4. Booker’s 2022-04 “Pinkie’s Batch” — Taste 10

ABV: 61.2%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

The last batch of Booker’s of 2022 is a nod to Booker Noe’s father, Pinkie Noe. The whiskey in the bottle was created from barrels from the middle/sweet spot of four warehouses. The average age of the batch ended up being 6 years, 10 months, and 10 days old when it was bottled completely as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was a funky Beam product and I kind of dig it. It was a tad warm, but that high ABV heat never overpowered the unique profile. That said, this feels like it needs a little time and water to really find its full potential in the glass.

3. Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength — Taste 6

ABV: 58.4%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This uncut and unfiltered version of Redwood Empire’s beloved bourbon is a four-grain whiskey built from a blend of California, Kentucky, and Indiana whiskeys. The mash ends up being 74% corn, 20% raw rye, 4.5% malt barley, and a mere 1.5% wheat. The barrels in the final blend range from four to 12 years old with the older stuff coming from the Ohio Valley.

Bottom Line:

This leaned hard into classic territory with a whisper of craftiness lurking beneath. Overall, the profile was spot on and felt very satisfying as a cask-strength bourbon experience with good flavor and warming heat in the chest. This is a good sipper.

2. A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Batch #2 — Taste 1

ABV: 72.25%

Average Price: $2,999

The Whiskey:

This new batch from Sazerac’s Virginia distillery is all about upping the ante on last year’s bold ABV release. This year, Batch #2 takes the ABVs even higher in this cask-strength bourbon bomb thanks to the careful selection of old barrels that are batched and left completely uncut and non-chill-filtered.

Bottom Line:

I was shocked this ranked this high. The ABVs really didn’t overwhelm but added to the overall spiciness and warmth of the bourbon flavor profile. It was deep and rewarding from nose to finish. That said, I want to revisit this with some time and water to find what’s lurking beneath those hot ABVs.

1. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel No. 0002 — Taste 7

ABV: 62.05%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from awards-favorite Frank August dials things into a single barrel of whiskey. The whiskey in the bottle is a 5.1-year-old Kentucky bourbon from an undisclosed source. That barrel is bottled 100% as-is with no cutting, filtering, or fussing.

Bottom Line:

This was just f*cking delicious. It had the perfect balance of single-barrel warmth with a deep and delightful bourbon profile. It’s an instant classic through and through.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I kind of just want to talk about that Frank August Single Barrel all day. It’s quintessential and yet somehow fresh. There’s a lot of vibrancy that speaks to deeply classic bourbon notes while still offering a sharp sense of uniqueness. It’s so good, folks.

Effusiveness for Frank August aside, this was a killer lineup of bourbons. Each one had its own vibe and moxie that makes it a great pick. Still, the top five really are the ones you want to focus on if you’re looking for a truly fantastic barrel proof bourbon pour.

While the House struggles to find a new Speaker, another surreal drama is unfolding. For the last few weeks, Marjorie Taylor Greene has been breaking ranks with her fellow chaotic MAGA Republican lawmakers. She started by attacking former co-heckler Lauren Boebert. Then she came for Matt Gaetz in a 25-tweet rant. Now she’s going one step further, accusing him of “lying.”

Speaking to schlubby young Republican Charlie Kirk, Greene continued to unload on her old pals, who’ve been driven apart by an unlikely figure: repeated failed Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Greene has been pro-McCarthy. Boebert and Gaetz and 18 other House Republicans are not. In fact, the latter have effectively crippled the House by refusing to support McCarthy.

Gaetz has nominated another potential Speaker: Jim Jordan, the Beavis to his Butt-Head. Jordan will almost certainly never get anywhere near the needed votes to nab the gig. What’s more, as Greene pointed out, Jordan told Gaetz “to his face” that he didn’t want it. That Gaetz still wants Jordan for the job, she weirdly argues, is the same as telling a fib.

“It is lying!” Greene told Kirk. “OK, when you have Matt Gaetz and the rest of the group going out there saying Jim Jordan is going to be Speaker, but, yet, Jim Jordan doesn’t want to be Speaker. That’s lying to the American people, Charlie! And I’m not going to support any lying to the American people.”

Greene then issued some even harsher words for her fellow Trumpists. “We can’t live in conservative fantasy land,” she railed, adding, “although I share those same conservative fantasies with the group of 20.”

After a program break, Greene then turned her ire towards Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry for “leading this fight against Kevin McCarthy.” It sounds like she’s done with her former buds, and that even the MAGA wing of the GOP is in disarray.

“I’m sick of these people that have done things that are hypocritical, truly hypocritical and the base would hate them for it, and they would be screaming at them for it,” she ranted. “But the base doesn’t know because the only person they’re hearing being chewed apart is Kevin McCarthy.”

It’s just another day in the ongoing soap opera that is the crumbling Republican Party.

(Via Raw Story)

Ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, new CNN CEO Chris Licht made the call that less boozing would be had from on-air hosts. Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen did make mention of this omission while taking “mystery shots,” and Cohen joked about edibles, but the real point of this post is to discuss the apparent beef between Cohen and Ryan Seacrest.

This largely sources back to one year ago when Cohen made on-air noises about how “Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers that are performing behind us.” And while recently speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Seacrest approved of how CNN hosts wouldn’t be getting wasted, and he added, “I think they had something to say about my show at one point, which was I’m sure from the alcohol because, I don’t think they would say what they said about our performers if they weren’t drinking.”

Fast forward to the most recent Times Square shindig, and something else did happen. Or rather, it didn’t happen in a way. As Seacrest claimed on Live! With Kelly And Ryan, Cohen allegedly failed to acknowledge his existence on NYE while Anderson Cooper did wave towards Ryan. Via Decider:

“My big stage was right in front of Anderson and Andy and so when I was not working, I was trying to get their attention,” Seacrest said. “I thought maybe I was in the shot. I just wanted to wave and say hi. You know, they have a great show.”

The host, who called Cooper “the best,” said the CNN anchor turned around and mouthed, “Hi, how are you?” and told him, “Have a good show.” Seacrest then sharply added, “Andy did not turn around.”

To that, Kelly Ripa responded, “That’s not true. He said he was trying to get your attention,” which was met with this from Seacrest: “Really?”

Oh, but there’s more. Cohen addressed Seacrest’s claim during Andy Cohen Live. Via Deadline, Cohen attempted to set the record straight: “I didn’t see him.” Then he maybe excused himself by pointing out that Anderson usually is good about mentioning these things. “[U]sually if he’s waving at Ryan, he’ll say to me, ‘Hey, there’s Ryan.’ You know what I mean? Yeah. And then I’ll turn around and wave or I’ll say, ‘There’s Ryan,’ but he didn’t do that.’”

Yeah, this is a total mess. Cohen then claimed, “He’s got a bug up against me.” You can listen to that go down below.

(Via Decider & Deadline)

In 2022, it’s doubtful that anyone would have guessed that Marjorie Taylor Greene might ever be described as the voice of reason in any situation, but 2023 is already full of surprises. OK, so maybe she’s not exactly the voice of reason. But as the House of Representatives prepares for a sixth round of voting to maybe finally hopefully elect a new Speaker of the House, it’s still somewhat surprising that the historic political stalemate doesn’t have the Georgia congresswoman’s bleached blonde handprints all over it.

On Tuesday, in between round number whatever of trying to name a new SOTH, Raw Story reports that Greene blasted her frenemies in the so-called “House Freedom Caucus” for not backing Kevin McCarthy. Think about that for a second: Marjorie “Gazpacho Police” Greene, the woman who blew half her salary on fines just so she didn’t have to wear a face mask. The woman who tried to make an analogy between COVID and farts.

But here’s Margie, going against former bestie Matt Gaetz and frenemy Lauren Boebert — and saying she’s asking for nothing in return. As she told members of the press on Tuesday, the current chaos really comes down to three Republicans who “went in last night and were demanding positions for themselves, demanding gavel positions, demanding subcommittees, demanding for people to be taken off committees, for people to be put on committees.”

“Three! Three Republicans out of our 222,” Greene continued. “I have not done that for myself! The only thing I’ve done is debate and request and argue amongst my peers for the right things, for the rules package, and for our agenda for the American people.”

That there’s a true American patriot!

It’s also worth noting that, back in November — when McCarthy seemed to think that winning over Greene was the way to win over the rest of the rebel Republicans — the congresswoman did begin naming herself to committees.

(Via Raw Story)

Maluma is stepping into the new year with a new persona. On Monday (January 2), the Colombian superstar said goodbye to Papi Juancho and hello to “Don Juan.”

Maluma’s real name is Juan Luis Londoño Arias. Over the years, he has embraced different personas with his albums. His breakthrough LP, 2015’s Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, saw him take on that titular persona. With 2018’s F.A.M.E. album, he became “Maluma, Baby,” which is his popular tagline.

In 2020, Maluma embraced the Papi Juancho moniker with his album of the same name. He continued to use that persona with his EPs, 7 Días En Jamaica and The Love & Sex Tape. Maluma called himself Papi Juancho one last time in his song “Ojalá” with The Rudeboyz and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. That collaboration dropped in October.

In a video that Maluma posted on Instagram, he celebrates his triumphs as Papi Juancho and gives that persona a farewell. In a voiceover, Maluma thanks his fans and his family for their support. In Spanish, Maluma says, “Undoubtedly without you guys, I wouldn’t be who I am, but I have made up my mind. It’s time to say goodbye forever to Papi Juancho.”

Maluma is then shown with a new look and his hair braided. While smoking a cigar, he adds, “Don Juan is here.” It appears that a new Maluma album with that title could be on the horizon later this year.

In early 2022, Mac DeMarco played a make-up show at The Warfield in San Francisco after a rainout the year before. But instead of motoring back home to Los Angeles, DeMarco decided to take a road trip to nowhere in particular and only end it when he was done recording a new album along the way. These are the bones of Five Easy Hot Dogs, DeMarco’s new album which will be coming out on January 20th, via his own Mac’s Record Label. Conceptually, it’s a trip.

“I’d spend a bit of time putting together a portable recording system that I had packed into my Toyota before the San Francisco show, eight channels max,” Mac said in a statement. “I had my guitars with me, a bass, a weird little drum kit with a kick drum we sawed in half in Golden Gate Park, all the stands and cabling I’d need, a couple of mics, an old model D, and a TX7. I wound up picking up a bunch of stuff as I went as well, trying to keep it as travel friendly as possible though.”

The road trip ended up taking him up the West Coast through California, the Pacific Northwest, and then into Canada before heading East through Chicago and to New Jersey. The new album’s track titles are a reflection of where each song was recorded and mixed. From the sleepy Pacific Coast Highway town of “Gulala,” to the Canadian metropolis of “Edmonton” where he’s originally from, and Jersey’s “Rockaway.”

The album of hypnotic instrumentals from DeMarco follows a similar spirit to his 2015 Bandcamp-only release, Some Other Ones, a soundtrack to backyard BBQs of sorts. “Maybe it’s the last couple of years, or maybe it’s my age now, but the idea of forgoing any sort of normalcy or comfort and making my entire life, for a segment of time, completely insane feels very inspiring to me. I stayed out on the road doing this for almost four months,” DeMarco added. “This record sounds like what rolling around like that feels like.”

Check out the album artwork and tracklist for Five Easy Hot Dogs below.

1. “Gualala”
2. “Gualala 2”
3. “Crescent City”
4. “Portland”
5. “Portland 2”
6. “Victoria”
7. “Vancouver”
8. “Vancouver 2”
9. “Vancouver 3”
10. “Edmonton”
11. “Edmonton 2”
12. “Chicago”
13. “Chicago 2”
14. “Rockaway”

Five Easy Hot Dogs is due out on 1/20 via Mac’s Record Label. Pre Order it here.