Month: March 2023

Gwyneth Paltrow walked away a winner from the bizarre, yet highly entertaining ski accident trial that had everything from cozy winter looks, random questions about Taylor Swift, and somehow, O.J. Simpson weighing in.

During the courtroom proceedings in Utah, Paltrow faced off against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson who sued the Oscar-winning actress for damagers after accusing her of colliding into him then fleeing after allegedly causing him several injuries. Paltrow, however, countersued and accused Sanderson of crashing into her, which a jury believed. She was awarded a symbolic one dollar in damages and a reimbursement of legal fees.

After the verdict, Paltrow was seen whispering in Sanderson’s ear, and we now know what she said. Like a bone broth angel on wings of grace, she had nothing but good will for her opponent.

Via CNN:

“Her exact words: ‘I wish you well,’” Sanderson said. “Very kind of her.”

He said he responded, “Thank you, dear.”

Despite Paltrow reaching down from her organically gilded pedestal to bless the rest of his days, Sanderson was understandably not thrilled with the outcome. He lamented that Paltrow’s celebrity status gave her “assumed credibility” with the jury.

“Who wants to take on a celebrity? No wonder I hesitated, right? It’s difficult,” Sanderson said. “Who wants to do that? Someone who learns lines, learns how to play someone else’s part and be believable, be credible, wins awards? Who wants to go on that path.”

As for Paltrow, obviously, she’s pleased with the outcome and congratulated herself for showing up in court.

“I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity,” Paltrow wrote in an Instagram Story via PEOPLE. “I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case.”

(Via CNN, PEOPLE)

To say that Vladimir Putin has been in denial over his war would be an understatement. He only recently admitted (after a year of embarrassment) that Russian troops were making far fewer advances in Ukraine than he expected, but the Putin backlash is becoming realer by the day. Angry Russian elites were allegedly recorded while labelling him as “Satan,” and his former underlings have expressed their stunned state over how his “Superman” image has disintegrated.

To make matters worse for him, the Russian economy is apparently in a state of collapse. Putin recently delivered a public guilt-trip to billionaires while asking them to prop up the tattered financial state of Russia, given that the company cannot even muster up paper or Viagra, but recently a billionaire oligarch (and one-time Putin ally) laid down some reality.

As reported by Forbes, industrialist tycoon Oleg Deripaska proclaimed that “they” (Putin’s regime?) has started to “shake us down” because “[t]here will be no money already next year.” And now, Putin has been forced to admit that Western sanctions are really hurting Russia. Via CNN:

“The illegitimate restrictions imposed on the Russian economy may indeed have a negative impact on it in the medium term,” Putin said in televised remarks Wednesday reported by state news agency TASS.

CNN’s analysis points towards Russia being unable to control its own expenditures (which happens in wartime), which jumped 59% from January 2022 to January 2023 while the government’s incoming wallet shrunk by 35%. The World Bank apparently points towards worsening times for the “medium term” with a further 7% contraction due to the ongoing war and sanctions from dozens of countries. All the while, Russians have also been dealing with a sorry imitation of McDonald’s, too. In other words, Putin cannot possibly expect to remain president if he loses this war.

(Via Forbes & CNN)

Earlier this month, Taylor Swift kicked off her colossal Eras Tour. It was no casual affair in Glendale, Arizona; the town honored her presence by temporarily changing its name to Swift City. Now, Arlington, Texas is following suit in welcoming the pop star.

Just for the weekend (March 31-April 2), the town will be renaming Randol Mill Road to Taylor Swift Way. They’re inviting fans to take photos in front of the sign. Read an excerpt of their statement below.

“Arlington is participating in a friendly competition with other U.S. cities hosting The Eras Tour to demonstrate its ‘Reputation’ as one of Swift’s biggest fans. We don’t have any ‘Bad Blood’ with Las Vegas, which recently lit its Gateway Arches in colors that correspond with Swift’s various musical eras, but never in our ‘Wildest Dreams’ would we go so far as to ‘Change’ Arlington’s name as our friends in Glendale, Ariz., did when it rebranded as Swift City.

In honor of the ‘Bejeweled’ singer, Arlington is ceremoniously naming Randol Mill Road to Taylor Swift Way for the weekend. Fans are invited to pose for pics with the temporary street sign at the corner of Collins Street and Randol Mill Road, which features the ‘Gorgeous’ AT&T Stadium in the background.”

Find it in full here.

DJ Drama’s seventh studio album, I’m Really Like That, is out today with a tracklist that features the late, great Nipsey Hussle, Tyler The Creator, the DJ’s Generation Now artists Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert, and more.

Nipsey Hussle appears on the brusque track “Raised Different” alongside Atlanta rapper Jeezy and fellow West Coaster Blxst, who sings the hook. Nipsey’s posthumous verse focuses on the spoils of success but also warns foes about the consequences for pushing their luck with him. “Y’all want verbal,” he barks. “We candle your curb up.” Meanwhile, Jeezy’s verse takes stock of hip-hop’s recent run of losses: “They buried Takeoff today, let me pay my respect / Plus, it’s Dolph’s anniversary, you just don’t be next.”

In the run-up to the release of I’m Really Like That, Drama promoted the album with a string of clips reproducing scenes from the 1992 classic Juice including their original actors like Queen Latifah. Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins also reprised their roles, with Jim Jones filling in for the late Tupac Shakur. You can check out more of those clips below.

Listen to DJ Drama’s “Raised Different” featuring Nipsey Hussle, Jeezy, and Blxst above.

I’m Really Like That is out now via Generation Now and Atlantic. Get more info here.

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

To paraphrase the words of “Tomorrow 2” rapper Cardi B, once someone has beef with her, they are going to beef forever. This is a motto that 50 Cent lives by to this day. After visiting the Target Arena to celebrate his spirits company, Sire Spirits, closing a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he couldn’t help but throw in a jab at his longtime rival, Ja Rule.

As the musician walked through the office, he joked with the Timberwolves staff mentioning his foe’s 2019 halftime performance for the team that didn’t garner much crowd participation.

“We had a curse! Somebody f*cked up, and they let Ja Rule perform at halftime,” 50 said before adding, “Now, what we’re gonna do is take the curse off!”

To add insult to injury, in the video uploaded to the rapper’s Instagram page, he took a few creative liberties to insert the clip of Ja’s performance onto one of the T-Wolves staff member’s computer screens including the audio of a joke former pro-athlete and Undisputed sports commentator Shannon Sharpe saying, “Skip, this might be worse than Fyre Festival.”

Once, again, 50 Cent proves that he’s not above taking jabs at anyone.

Watch the full clip above.

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

If you’re considering checking out Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and wondering if you have time to squeeze it in between all your other weekend errands, we’ve got some good news: the movie’s runtime is just 107 minutes — or 1 hour and 47 minutes.

While that may sound like a lot of movie for a film based on a role-playing game, consider this: the average time it takes to play a game of D&D ranges from three to 72 hours — so consider yourselves lucky.

While the movie might not initially appeal to everyone, it’s already receiving a pretty positive response. In his review of the movie, UPROXX’s Mike Ryan called Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves “lighthearted and fun.” Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an 89 percent rating with critics — and rates even higher with audiences.

The official synopsis of the film — which stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, and Hugh Grant — reads as follows:

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.

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. Yves Tumor, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

It’s not quite radical enough to qualify as “experimental” and not quite catchy enough to work as a full-on pop move. But sonically it’s one of the best-sounding indie albums of early 2023. With the assistance of Noah Goldstein, an engineer who worked on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Alan Moulder, who’s one of the great architects of ’90s alt-rock, Praise A Lord invites you to get lost in its grooves. It’s a very good headphone record. The instrumental tones are on-point. On my podcast, I’ve talked semi-seriously about the “upscale Måneskin” lane that’s opened up in indie, in which artists are once again embracing sleazy rock vibes but with a tasteful flair. Yves Tumor might own that lane now.

2. Ratboys, “Black Earth, WI”

The latest single by this very likeable Chicago band was my most replayable song of the month. At more than eight minutes, “Black Earth, WI” takes its time getting to the titular rural destination, and most of that time is taken up by a long, epic guitar solo. Anyone planning on taking a road trip in the near future is well-advised to cue this song up.

3. Ryley Walker, Live In Malmo

Speaking of guitar solos, the king of indie jam returns with this great live album, in which he extends old favorites like “Telluride Speed” and “The Halfwit In Me” well past the 10-minute mark on a series of thrilling improvisations. Also, because Ryley is also a master of patter, you also get a funny comedy album tucked between the long jams. Who could ask for anything more?

4. M83, “Laura”

This synth-pop institution released their first album in seven years this month, and it felt like a conscious return to the sweeping cinematic sound of 2011’s landmark Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. I can’t say that Fantasy always hits the mark, but the highs on that record — and “Laura” for me is the highest high — prove that Anthony Gonzalez is still the best at making retro ’80s-sounding music that aches with deep and heartfelt melancholy.

5. Lankum, False Lankum

This was the slow burn favorite for me this month. On paper, it might sound daft: It’s a traditional Irish folk record put through a post-rock filter, basically like if the Pogues sounded more like Sunn 0))). I don’t know how to explain it but there’s something metal about this record even though it’s not metal at all. Maybe it’s because of the album cover, which makes them look like a Profound Lore band. But it’s the most beautiful “coming out of winter” music I’ve encountered this season.

6. Lana Del Rey, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.

I have two immediate thoughts about this record: One, I think it’s her best since Norman Fucking Rockwell. Now, 2019 is really not a long time ago, but it did feel like she had a bit of a hangover with Chemtrails Over The Country Club and Blue Bannisters. What I appreciate about LDR is that she’s one of the last old-school rock stars we have left. Unlike virtually every other big-name artist now, she appears to have zero interest in coming across like a normal person. And I really appreciate that. It makes her seem less predictable than her contemporaries, even though she has an extremely well-defined persona by now.

My other thought is that this album is at least 20 minutes too long, and it feels like it’s 40 minutes too long because there are virtually no drums. Seriously, I would love it if a jam band would lend LDR one of their drummers so we give these songs a little more pep. Nevertheless: Seems like one of her best LPs.

7. The Hold Steady, The Price Of Progress

Can you believe this band turns 20 this year? Yet another instance of life slipping away from me. Things that helped to shape my life in my 20s and early 30s are now multiple decades old! This new album is another collaboration with producer Josh Kaufman, who entered THS’ orbit via Craig Finn’s solo albums. His project has been helping the band expand its sonic palette, which in this case means a lot of synths, strings, and keyboards. At the same time, there are songs that reference Robert Plant and LeBron James, so it seems like a happy medium between a “mature” sound and the band’s classic themes.

8. Dazy, OTHERBODY

Last year, Virginia-based singer-songwriter James Goodson released his charming debut full length OUTOFBODY. A very fun and catchy record that breezes by in 26 minutes, OUTOFBODY is punky power pop with zero perfect fat. Apparently he left some gems on the cutting room floor, because he put out an EP this month that feels like an extension of the full-length. Funny enough, OTHERBODY is barely shorter than its predecessor, clocking in at eight songs in about 20 minutes. But it hits even harder.

In January, Quavo shared “Without You,” a powerful tribute to Takeoff, his late nephew and fellow Migos member. He took the song to the Grammys for the In Memoriam segment. The lyrics found Quavo in mourning: “Tears rolling down my eyes / Can’t tell you how many times I cried / Days ain’t the same without you,” he sings. Now, he’s back with another song for Takeoff.

“Honey Bun” is more playful than the last one; it unexpectedly references Drake and 21 Savage’s recent hit “Rich Flex”: “Honey bun, can you do somethin’ for me? (Do somethin’) / Can you go automatic just for me?” Quavo sings in the same melody. This time, he’s not asking for sympathy: “I don’t wanna hear no sorry for my loss,” he raps.

Last month, he also unveiled the song “Greatness.” He alluded to the end of Migos, rapping, “Came in, swept the game like a storm with the motherf*ckin’ flow, Take’ did that / So don’t ask ’bout the group, he gone, we gone…it can’t come back.”

The other week, he also went on NBC’s That’s My Jam to perform a humorous cover of Lil Jon and The Eastside Boyz’s “Get Low.”

Listen to “Honey Bun” above.

At the start of this week’s episode, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen try to come to terms with the fact that Ed Sheeran doesn’t think music critics are necessary. Ultimately, we concede that the man has a point — after all, if music critics had any power, Ed Sheeran would not be a hugely successful pop star.

In the banter segment, we talk about the upcoming tour by Smashing Pumpkins, Interpol and Stone Temple Pilots, which is like Pavement’s “Range Life” come to life. We also talk about the new album by The Hold Steady, The Price Of Progress, in which Steve wonders whether Ian might finally come around on his band and Ian suggests … that he might?

In our mailbag, a reader asks for our favorite sophomore albums. Can we interest you in a little record called Nevermind? How about The Bends? Actually, our letter writer stumps for Weekend In The City, because it is now Indiecast law that we mention Bloc Party in every episode. Finally, we get to the meat of the episode, in which we review two big spring indie releases by Lana Del Rey and Boygenius.

In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks about the American Football side project Lies, while Steve raves about the Irish folk (with a post-rock twist) band Lankum.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 132 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

Jacob Chansley, a.k.a. the QAnon Shaman, has been released from federal prison early and moved to a halfway house in Arizona. Thanks to his outlandish outfit and memorable photos of him wielding the American flag like a spear, Chansley was practically the face of the January 6 riot. However, during his trial he denounced Trump and publicly called on the former president to take care of “all the jackasses” he “f*cked up.” Chansley also denounced QAnon, but a judge did not buy his change of heart and sentenced the shaman to 41 months in prison.

As for why Chansley is getting released after 27 months, former New York prosecutor Mark Bederow told Insider that that federal sentences getting cut short is normal.

“It’s relatively common for an eligible offender to have a federal sentence moderately reduced before an offender completes the full term of a prison sentence,” Bederow said.

Chansley’s former attorney also praised the decision in a statement to Insider:

“It is appropriate this gentle and intelligent young man be permitted to move forward with the next stage of what undoubtedly will be a law-abiding and enriching life.”

Watkins wrote that he attributes the early release of Chansley — who walked the Capitol building wearing a horned headdress and paint — “to be a function of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons evaluating Mr. Chansley’s eligibility for release based on the plea agreement, the sentence imposed, the model behavior of Mr. Chansley while confined, the programs he completed and a host of factors routinely taken into consideration by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.”

What isn’t the cause of Chansley’s release is Tucker Carlson’s January 6 footage. The Fox News host aired heavily edited footage of the Capitol attack where he attempted to portray the MAGA rioters as peaceful sightseers. Even Carlson’s network colleagues weren’t buying the narrative, but Elon Musk was on board. The Twitter CEO called for the QAnon Shaman’s release on Twitter while sharing Carlson’s footage. But in the end, Chansley got out of prison through the normal process of good behavior.

(Via Insider)