Month: May 2023

With Primavera Sound returning to Barcelona this weekend, the festival has announced the set times for headliners Blur, Halsey, Kendrick Lamar, and the rest of its genre-spanning, absolutely massive lineup. Taking over Barcelona’s Ciudad de Rock from June 1 to 3, the festival also features big names like Baby Keem, Bleachers, Christine And The Queens, hometown heroine Rosalía, St. Vincent, and The War On Drugs. You can see the full set times list on Primavera Sound’s website.

If you can’t make it to Spain to check out the festival live, you can stream some of the performances on Amazon Prime. Sets that were previously announced include Alex G, Arlo Parks, Beak >, Black Country, New Road, Blur, Christine And The Queens, Depeche Mode, Julia Jacklin, Los Hacheros, Maneskin, Mora, My Morning Jacket, New Order, Perfume, Sparks, St. Vincent, Surf Curse, The Comet Is Coming, The Moldy Peaches, The Voidz, The War On Drugs, and Turnstile.

The Primavera Sound brand has been expanding in recent years, with events in Los Angeles and São Paulo last year, remaining committed to providing a diverse experience. In the lineup announcement, the festival’s organizers wrote, “Look for yourself in the Primavera Sound 2023 line-up… and find yourself. Because we assure you that you are there. After twenty editions, the festival is the mirror in which the community that will come from near and far to Barcelona and for the first time to Madrid next June looks at itself and recognizes itself, but after everything it has experienced, this reflection goes in two directions, marking the richest musical itinerary we can think of: Primavera Sound also looks for and finds itself in its own audience.”

With Primavera Sound returning to Barcelona this weekend, the festival has announced the set times for headliners Blur, Halsey, Kendrick Lamar, and the rest of its genre-spanning, absolutely massive lineup. Taking over Barcelona’s Ciudad de Rock from June 1 to 3, the festival also features big names like Baby Keem, Bleachers, Christine And The Queens, hometown heroine Rosalía, St. Vincent, and The War On Drugs. You can see the full set times list on Primavera Sound’s website.

If you can’t make it to Spain to check out the festival live, you can stream some of the performances on Amazon Prime. Sets that were previously announced include Alex G, Arlo Parks, Beak >, Black Country, New Road, Blur, Christine And The Queens, Depeche Mode, Julia Jacklin, Los Hacheros, Maneskin, Mora, My Morning Jacket, New Order, Perfume, Sparks, St. Vincent, Surf Curse, The Comet Is Coming, The Moldy Peaches, The Voidz, The War On Drugs, and Turnstile.

The Primavera Sound brand has been expanding in recent years, with events in Los Angeles and São Paulo last year, remaining committed to providing a diverse experience. In the lineup announcement, the festival’s organizers wrote, “Look for yourself in the Primavera Sound 2023 line-up… and find yourself. Because we assure you that you are there. After twenty editions, the festival is the mirror in which the community that will come from near and far to Barcelona and for the first time to Madrid next June looks at itself and recognizes itself, but after everything it has experienced, this reflection goes in two directions, marking the richest musical itinerary we can think of: Primavera Sound also looks for and finds itself in its own audience.”

While Succession has come to a final series close, HBO is starting a new one up to replace the Sunday night slot with the controversial series, The Idol. Ahead of the show’s June 4 premiere on the streaming service, there is also a new trailer to (hopefully) build some hype for it.

The show features Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Lily-Rose Depp playing a boyfriend and a fictional pop star named Jocelyn.

“You’re the American dream,” Tesfaye says in the clip. “Rags to riches. Trailers to mansions. You are f*cking Jocelyn. Just be you.”

“Easy,” she responds. “I’ll just do that.”

The latest teaser then features scenes of her being critiqued about the backup dancers, recording in the studio, and hinting at some of the wild explicit scenes with Tesfaye. Just a few months ago, a Rolling Stone article alleged that the showrunner, Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, had created some rough working conditions.

Then, after The Idol held its official premiere, it debuted with a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes that later fell to the single digits. It now sits at 27%, but still. Variety also described it as a show that “seems calculated to fool audiences into thinking they’re observing how Hollywood operates, when so much of it amounts to tawdry clichés lifted from Sidney Sheldon novels and softcore porn.”

Check out the new trailer for HBO’s The Idol above.

Festival season is not complete without Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw. Although the festival did not go down last year due to the “See You Again” rapper’s hectic tour schedule, during his special cameo in Keem and Kendrick Lamar’s new video for their single, “The Hillbillies,” Tyler gleefully showed off a Camp Flog Gnaw 2023 pin button.

Filmed in front of the event’s former stomping grounds, Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California fans believe this year’s festivities will take place at the venue. Unfortunately, at this time, the festival’s website remains blank and Tyler has yet to share any further information regarding the event.

However, considering Tyler’s manager Chris Clancy’s comments to Billboard last year, an announcement is undoubtedly on the way. After confirming Camp Flog Gnaw 2022 was canceled, Clancy said, “It’s really not that deep. Tyler toured all year and was busy with a number of projects. Reading the tea leaves and what’s happening with festivals coming out of the pandemic, we thought it would be best to come back next year.”

In past years, the festival featured performances from Drake (although the campers weren’t too happy about it), Solange, Brockhampton, YG, Pusha T, Asap Rocky, and many more.

Fans can’t help but wonder if Megan Thee Stallion and soccer star Romelo Lukaku have begun dating after they were seen together at the wedding of one of his teammates. Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez got married in Italy on Monday, and in some videos from the festivities, it appeared the “Savage” rapper might be getting cozy with the Belgian footballer, with whom she was seen talking near Lake Como and sitting aside at a table.

Rumors had been swirling for months that Meg had broken up with her previous beau, fellow rapper Pardison Fontaine. While the couple had shared a Valentine’s Day photo on Instagram, they also both appeared to have unfollowed each other on Instagram. Seeing the videos of Megan and Lukaku at Martinez’s nuptials has fans wondering whether those rumors might be true and thinking Thee Stallion has moved on to a greener pitch.

“If they’re together, this might be the best goal Lukaku has ever scored in his career,” wrote one fan.

Another directed their condolences to Pardison Fontaine. “Welp. @pardi , you had a good run my boy,” they commiserated.

Others still encouraged their peers to either “be happy for her” or let Meg be “left alone,” as she should be allowed to have agency over her own love life.

Meanwhile, until either of them actually confirms a relationship, as always, it remains best to let rumors be rumors.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Golden State Warriors are entering an offseason in which they have a number of big questions to answer, with Klay Thompson extension eligible, Draymond Green a free agent, Steve Kerr entering the final year of his contract, and a need to find better roster balance after struggling with consistency this past season and postseason.

Before all of that can get sorted out, the Warriors need to figure out who is going to be making all of those decisions. Team president and GM Bob Myers is set to have his contract run up at the end of June, and his future with the franchise has been lingering over this entire season. On Tuesday, word broke from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Myers was in fact leaving the organization, telling Woj “it’s just time.”

It’s been 11 years since Myers took over as GM in 2012, and since then he has been the architect of the most successful team of the last decade, as the Warriors have won four championships. However, there has been some signs of cracks in the foundation, with some internal turmoil and indecisiveness on what direction they want to go in the immediate future, as they’ve tried to balance winning now with preparing for the future by bringing in young players lottery picks to try and bridge the gap.

Myers will now be the hottest name on the executive market, but it remains to be seen if he wants to immediately jump back into the NBA world or look to go into media or the private sector. As for the Warriors, VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. seems to be the frontrunner to step into the president role, but whether this changes their outlook on this summer’s decisions with their longtime stars is now a massive question that could have ripple effects around the league.

The right-wing recently came for Bud Light (Kid Rock wielded an AR-15 at some defenseless beer cans) over the beer brand’s association with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Then they came for Target over the retailer’s Pride Month merch displays. And now, ultra-conservatives are coming for a restaurant chain that they believed was one of their own.

Chick-Fil-A, which traditionally closes on Sundays for reasons that everyone can guess, has previously been the subject of LGBT community protests, as the above photo from 2012 shows. That particular protest was attended by PETA members, and attendees claimed (via Getty) that “Chick-Fil-A Is Anti-Gay!” Yet the latest development is now throwing the far-right for a loop.

On the Chick-Fil-A website, the stated Corporate Purpose remains “[t]o glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.” And below that declaration is an announcement about the newly hired Erick McReynolds, who will serve as the VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.

McReynolds provided a statement:

“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”

Well, it didn’t take long for a red alert to go up from the far-right. Ex-YourVoice America co-host and MAGA enthusiast Joey Mannarino sent out a very panicked-sounding tweet.

“We have a problem,” he (apparently seriously) wrote. “Chick-Fil-A just hired a VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This is bad. Very bad. I don’t want to have to boycott. Are we going to have to boycott?”

“We have a problem”? He’s not joking, and he wasn’t alone.

Let’s just say that this development has seemingly taken everyone by surprise. Did anyone expect to wake up and see this happen? Not over here, but the response are flying because god only knows what will happen if Chick-Fil-A decides to “put some rainbows on a chicken sandwich wrapper or something.”

This appears to be a real conservative scandal, and the far-right cannot handle equating “Christian values” with the notion of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” without throwing “woke” accusations into the ring.

Will Chick-Fil-A’s (seemingly) mile-long drive-thru lines actually vacate as a result? That seems doubtful, but anything is possible. One thing is certain: people are getting some good laughs out of this.

Gorillaz is heading back out on the road with a new four-date run announcement across the US. Titled The Getaway tour, it will mark the final dates in support of the band’s last album, Cracker Island. It also follows the group’s two Coachella weekend performances last month.

They will be joined by Kaytranada, Remi Wolf, and Lil Yachty as support on all of the dates.

Tickets will become available starting with a Live Nation presale on May 31 that opens at 10 a.m. local time. From there, the general onsale will open to the public on Friday, June 2 at the same time. More information on tickets can be found through Gorillaz’s official website.

Across the pond, band leader Damon Albarn is also playing some dates across the UK with his other band Blur — giving fans of both projects and across the globe a chance to catch his music live. (Blur is also dropping a new album, The Ballad Of Darren, as their first new release in eight years.)

For now, find the complete list of new Gorillaz tour dates below.

09/10 — Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium
09/13 — Austin, TX @ Q2 Stadium
09/16 — Chicago, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
09/19 — Boston, MA @ Fenway Park

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

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Arlo Parks, Miya Folick, Jeff Rosenstock, Foo Fighters, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Foo Fighters — “Show Me How”

The third single from the forthcoming Foo Fighters album But Here We Are is an obvious change in their sound. “Show Me How” is a shoegaze earworm, seemingly confronting the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins: “Where are you now? / Who will show me how?” Dave Grohl intones with the help of his daughter Violet, whose vocals add to the hazy texture of the song.

Arlo Parks — My Soft Machine

My Soft Machine by Arlo Parks unfurls with a touching flash of intimate slam poetry against a sprawling sonic backdrop: “I wish I was bruiseless / Almost everyone I love has been abused, and I am included,” she confesses. It’s the perfect opening to a vulnerable, dreamy record. While the reckonings may be heavy, the sound is weightless and hopeful. “Devotion” is a breathtaking highlight, not hesitating to illustrate complete love in idiosyncratic, specific ways: “Shaggin’ to Deftones, glitter in my bones / Love you like I don’t know better,” she sings.

Runnner — “Bluejay”

Runnner recently released his new album Like Dying Stars, We’re Reaching Out. His pensive, disarming brand of folk is a delight. “Bluejay” captures his frequent self-consciousness in images, like looking at his phone even though he’s outside. “I know I should try and let it out,” he opens the song singing, reminding the listener that though his ballads are often overly honest, he probably is not in times where it’s most necessary.

Home Is Where — Floral Organs

Another preview of Home Is Where’s new album The Whaler is here with the new single “Floral Organ.” Unpredictable as always, the band opens the track with Christmas-like bells that lead straight into the folky emo carol. They’re frequently compared to Neutral Milk Hotel for the eccentric instrumentation, but the visceral images bring to mind Jeff Mangum as well: “Climbing trees older than anyone alive / We braid our intestines together / Spitting teeth into each other’s mouths / Back and forth until we make a smile.”

Miya Folick — Roach

Roach by Miya Folick was first teased with the upbeat anthem “Get Out Of My House,” a radical call to self-confidence that seemed like a long time coming. It appropriately set the tone of the album; it’s jittery from the kickoff with “Oh God,” a feverish grappling with belief: “Oh God / Do I need God?” she says, appearing to be in a wide-eyed moment of realization. The confusion is aplenty on Roach, but so is the reassurance that it’s okay to be frazzled.

Jeff Rosenstock — “Liked U Better”

Jeff Rosenstock is back with “Liked U Better.” In a chant, he sings in the chorus: “I liked you better / When you weren’t on my mind,” an incantation so catchy it sounds like a declaration of joy. However, Rosenstock has an entertaining knack for turning anger into something exciting, even when he spits: “Can you just get the fuck out of here / And let me get back to my day?”

Squid — “The Blades”

At nearly seven minutes long, “The Blades” by Squid is an odyssey. “They’re just blades of grass, old enough to be trimmed / Thousand people down below / They’re bending in the wind / With their arms stretched open wide,” Ollie Judge sings theatrically, painting a weird image merging humans with the earth. The chaotic instrumentation culminates along with his frenzied voice.

Buck Meek — “Haunted Mountain”

Buck Meek, guitarist and backing vocalist of Big Thief, is stepping out on his own for Haunted Mountain, his first album for 4AD arriving this summer. The title track is out now, country-laden and certainly a recommended listen for those who enjoy the twangy, endearing music of MJ Lenderman.

Helena Deland — “Spring Bug”

“Spring sun and spring rain make past selves sprout out of the ground,” Helena Deland says of her introspective, moving new song “Spring Bug.” Against warm chords, her voice is like a breeze on a spring day. She croons with an admirable wisdom: “For all its pauses / Time will buckle down and pass me.”

Jenny Lewis — “Cherry Baby”

“Life’s a mystery,” Jenny Lewis opens her new single “Cherry Baby” singing. She continues, “We’ll just wait and see / If I don’t lose my mind / I’ll get it right this time.” The exuberant song encapsulates her playful, go-with-the-flow attitude that makes her music so attention-grabbing. If anything goes wrong, at least she can make a cool song about it.

Before Ludacris starred in box office films such as Fast X, he was one of the most impactful Southern rappers. Although his Hollywood Walk Of Fame star is credited to his lengthy filmography credits, he hasn’t forgotten the big music shoes he left behind. However, there are pockets of success that he had as an artist that still shocks him.

During a sit-down with All The Smoke podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, he reflected on his biggest hits, including his single “Southern Hospitality.” Co-produced by Pharrell Williams, Ludacris did not expect the 2000 song would take off the way it did.

“If anybody can give you a hit at the last minute, it’s Pharrell, Chad, and The Neptunes. He throws on this beat, and I’m vibing to it. I’m thinking it’s cool. I’m not like thinking, ‘This is a hit… I did not know that it was the hit that it became,” exclaimed the entertainer.

The track was eventually revamped from its appearance on his independent album, Incognegro. Then, after a few tweaks, it was promoted as the second single on Ludacris’ major label debut album, Back For the First Time via Def Jam Records.

Watch the full interview above.