Month: May 2023

Less than a week remains of May 2023, the month that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone declared would be the most magical month for those who worship at the altar of sopapillas. The wait, however, feels intolerable to fans of the famed eatertainment venue, and the utmost secrecy regarding reopening date has led to a fevered pitch in Lakewood, Colorado. Not to mention across the country, from where people have actually planned vacations in hopes of getting “lucky” while they’re in town.

When will Casa Bonita open, though? Well, we only have a few more days with which to work with here. People initially guessed that Cinco de Mayo would be go-time, and that initially made sense. Cliff divers and margaritas, what would be a better combination? Hmm, on second thought, maybe that wasn’t such a wise idea, and perhaps Parker and Stone didn’t want things to get too wild when they already expect over a million visitors annually. That edible food might just do the thing, but more importantly at the moment, let’s review the very important theory about May 26 being South Park‘s opening day, courtesy of local NBC affiliate 9 News:

In the “South Park” Casa Bonita episode, Kyle celebrates his birthday at the the iconic Lakewood restaurant.

Of course, the theory that Casa Bonita will open on May 26 because it’s Kyle’s birthday is only that: a theory, all in good fun, that some fans of the restaurant and the TV show are suggesting on social media.

Well, I’d better pack my bags then. That parking lot might be awfully crowded by the time I get there. See ya.

(Via 9 News NBC)

The much-hyped Barbie movie is getting closer and closer, and as it does, we’re learning more about the film’s music. A Dua Lipa song for the soundtrack, “Dance The Night,” will be here in a matter of hours. Now, we know who else will be involved with the soundtrack.

As Rolling Stone revealed today, the project will feature Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, The Kid Laroi, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, PinkPantheress, Ryan Gosling, and Tame Impala. That’s not even everybody, as more artists are set to be announced ahead of the project’s release. Mark Ronson is the album’s executive producer.

Gosling on the soundtrack may seem like a surprise to some, but it shouldn’t: Aside from all the singing he did in La La Land, his band Dead Man’s Bones put out a self-titled album in 2009 (and Cat Power covered one of their songs in 2021).

Beyond that, Minaj’s presence is also notable, since she’s long adopted a Barbie persona. Ava Max, meanwhile, previously sampled Aqua’s classic “Barbie Girl” on her own 2017 track, “Not Your Barbie Girl.”

The album is set for release on July 21, the same day the movie premieres.

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

The new Foo Fighters album But Here We Are finally arrives next week. The lead single “Rescued” was a compelling preview, which many fans compared to group’s 2005 album In Your Honor. Now they’re getting another taste with one more new song.

“Show Me How” is the newest track. It’s a totally unexpected foray into shoegaze and dream-pop territory, and it features Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet, whose glimmering vocals make for a stunning harmony with her father’s. The guitars are mesmeric and hazy, sounding in the realm of Slowdive or Ride.

But Here We Are is the band’s first record since the tragic passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year. A press release for the LP reads, “A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family,” which suggests that the content likely reckons with grief over Hawkins.

The new drummer for Foo Fighters is Josh Freese, who has performed with Devo, The Vandals, Guns N’ Roses, A Perfect Circle, Puddle Of Mudd, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Sublime With Rome, Paramore, and Sting, among others.

Listen to “Show Me How” above.

But Here We Are is out 6/2 via Roswell Records/RCA Records. Find more information here.

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

You knew Ron DeSantis launching his 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter was going to be a disaster. But this was a SpaceX rocket-exploding calamity. There were tech issues galore, including “the audio feed [being] affected by feedback, outages, and garbled audio,” the Guardian reported. “Listeners reported their Twitter apps crashing or logging them out as they tried to join the event.” DeSantis eventually made his announcement, 25 minutes later than he was scheduled to, but not before he got dragged by two elderly men.

Joe Biden tweeted “this link works,” along with a link to donate to his reelection campaign, while Donald Trump, hoo boy. After spending the day coming up with nicknames for the Florida governor, he posted a video during the Twitter event of one of Elon Musk’s beloved rockets crashing and burning, the words “Ron! 2024” affixed to it. Trump also did this:

Yes, that is a fictional conversation between “Rob” DeSantis, Musk, George Soros, Adolf Hitler, Klaus Schwab, Dick Cheney, the FBI, and the Devil, why do you ask? A fake Trump also enters the chat at one point. “The Devil, I’m going to kick your ass very soon. Hitler, you’re already dead. Dick Cheney sounds like he’ll be joining Hitler very soon. Klaus Schwab and George Soros, I’m putting both your asses in jail,” he says, adding, “And Ron DeSanctimonious can kiss my big, beautiful 2024 presidential ass. Trump 2024, baby! Let’s go.”

The next 530 days, until the election, are going to be wild.

(Via the Guardian)

Less than a month remains before The Walking Dead: Dead City takes Maggie and Negan into Manhattan, where we’ll get to see exactly how little “the city that never sleeps” has peacefully slept since the zombie outbreak. I’m still looking forward to Daryl In Paris even more, but another dose of the show’s most tenuous dynamic should also do nicely.

Maggie, of course, will never be able to forgive Negan for not only killing Glenn but also doing so in the most cruel and brutal way. Still, they must attempt to survive together in a way that they’ve never had to do before because walkers “fall from the sky” in this spinoff. The series will not ignore Glenn’s death because that’s not possible, but there will be some diversions, including a massive roach attack.

Yes, this will be a thoroughly “New York” show. Lauren Cohan, who is executive producing now, discussed how a “swarm of cockroaches” will attack Maggie and Negan while they are “hiding from walkers” and cannot do much about it. Here’s what Cohan told the New York Post, and yikes:

Thankfully, the roaches were the CGI kind. And Cohan was on hand to witness the digital bug magic. “That was a fun one to watch in post-production,” she says. “The augmentation in the sound of the legs, their shells scuttling together.” There was an initial discussion about which vermin would be most disturbing. “I think there was a time when we thought about doing it with rats,” she says. “But it was so much more insidious for it to be roaches.”

No thank you. Then again, I’d probably rather deal with roaches than this extra disgusting walker, and the same goes for that “running” walker. Cohan does, as well, say that the spinoff leaves things open for future installments, including “a second and third and fourth or fifth season.” Fingers crossed.

The Walking Dead: Dead City rises on July 18.

(Via New York Post)

Foo Fighters are officially back on the road. Last night (May 24), the band took to the Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire for their first show with Josh Freese as their new touring drummer, following the death of Taylor Hawkins. As the band’s current tour gets underway, fans are wondering what the setlist looks like.

Well, now that Dave Grohl and company have one show under the belt, we have an idea.

In New Hampshire, they opened with the recent single “Rescued,” from the upcoming album But Here We Are. The setlist also featured other songs from the album: the title track, “Under You,” and “Nothing At All.”

Also of note was a performance of “Cold Day In The Sun,” a Hawkins-written track the band hadn’t played live since 2018.

Check out yesterday’s setlist below (via setlist.fm) and find Foo Fighters’ upcoming tour dates here.

1. “Rescued”
2. “Walk”
3. “No Son Of Mine”
4. “Learn To Fly”
5. “Times Like These”
6. “Under You”
7. “The Pretender”
8. “But Here We Are”
9. “Breakout”
10. “The Sky Is A Neighborhood”
11. “My Hero”
12. “This Is A Call”
13. “All My Life”
14. “Nothing At All”
15. “Shame Shame” (with Violet Grohl)
16. “These Days”
17. “Cold Day In The Sun”
18. “Monkey Wrench”
19. “Best Of You”
20. “Aurora”
21. “Everlong”

Last night (May 24) was a big one for Foo Fighters: Their performance at the Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire was their first since revealing Josh Freese as their new live drummer. Naturally, it was an emotional show for Dave Grohl, especially when it came time to dedicate a song to the late Taylor Hawkins.

Between songs, Grohl said, “Would you please welcome the man behind the drums Josh Freese, who has helped save the band. We would not be here tonight if it weren’t for Josh, so everybody give Josh a big f*cking round of applause, please.” The audience obliged before Grohl continued, “Now, I have to say that this is…” Grohl trailed off and took a moment to collect himself, seemingly holding back tears. He continued, “…something I never thought I’d have to do.” After another pause, he said, “I’m going to try to do it. Taylor wrote this song. We used to sing it together, so I’m going to do it for him tonight.”

He then performed “Cold Day In The Sun,” a song that Hawkins wrote and sang lead vocals on, from 2005’s In Your Honor. A silhouette of a hawk was shown on a screen behind Grohl as he sang and played the song on acoustic guitar. As the song ended, Grohl said, “That’s for you, Taylor.”

Watch Grohl perform “Cold Day In The Sun” above.

Britney Spears’ conservatorship was terminated in November 2021, but the fractures in the relationships she has with her family members remain. Her mother, Lynne Spears, publicly apologized to her daughter last October.

“I am soooo sorry for your pain! I have been sorry for years!” Lynne Spears commented on Britney Spears’ Instagram post, wishing for her family to “own up to the fact they hurt me” throughout the years. “I love you so much and miss you! Please unblock me so I can speak to you in person! Britney, deep down you know how much I love and miss you! I apologize for anything and everything that’s hurt you!”

Britney responded then by telling Lynne to promptly “go f*ck yourself,” among other very strongly worded sentiments, but it appears she might be more open to mending their relationship now.

According to TMZ on Wednesday night, May 24, Britney and Lynne spent time together in person for the “first time in years.” The report stated that Lynne flew to Los Angeles, and Britney “let her inside her home,” where they talked for “around 30 minutes” with Britney’s husband, Sam Asghari, also there.

“We’re told Britney didn’t know exactly when Lynne was coming, but she knew her mom was in town to see her,” TMZ additionally relayed, later adding, “Our sources say the ice between mother and daughter is thawing … they’ve been texting recently and Lynne knew the path was clear enough to make the trek from Louisiana to L.A.”

TMZ‘s unnamed source told the outlet that Lynne is “committed to making it right with her daughter.”

The iconic pop star likely won’t be happy about this report, considering she called TMZ “the trashiest news channel” last week after the premiere of TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price Of Freedom.

Big Thief is set to headline Pitchfork Music Festival’s 2023 lineup this July, but August is the month to circle for guitarist Buck Meek.

Per press release, Meek’s new home for his solo career is 4AD, and his first album on the label will be Haunted Mountain, due on August 25. Meek started the rollout on Wednesday, May 24, by releasing the folksy, reflective title track, which he described as “about love and… something other. Something bigger than love, something that doesn’t challenge love exactly but stands in contrast to it.”

Meek explained in a statement, “Not break-up songs, but an actual love song written in earnest? That is taboo now. Sometimes it can feel like all the great love songs have already been written.”

The accompanying video finds Meek shirtless and strumming his acoustic guitar. “All of my life I’ve been a rounder / Traveling across this green land,” he sings with a distinctive, inviting vocal delivery. “But now that I live here on this haunted mountain / I know I’m never coming down.”

“Haunted Mountain” was co-written by Meek and Jolie Holland, a fellow Texan.

The press release explained the meaning behind the album’s title:

“560 miles from Meek’s hometown of Wimberly, TX, the Franklin Mountains — or more reverently named, Sierras de los Mansos — rise over the tops of the endless acres of pecan trees that surround Sonic Ranch in the border town of Tornillo, where Haunted Mountain was recorded. The songs were written in mountains: by cold springs in the Serra da Estrela of Portugal, on the submerged volcano of Milos in the Cyclades, Valle Onsernone in the Swiss Alps (where Haunted Mountain’s cover photo was taken), and the Santa Monica range where Buck now calls home — all where his new love was born.”

Haunted Mountain is Meek’s third solo studio album, following Buck Meek (2018) and Two Saviors (2021).

Check out the album cover art and tracklist below.

1. “Mood Ring”
2. “Haunted Mountain”
3. “Paradise”
4. “Cyclades”
5. “Secret Side”
6. “Didn’t Know You Then”
7. “Undae Dunes”
8. “Where You’re Coming From”
9. “Lullabies”
10. “Lagrimas”
11. “The Rainbow”

Haunted Mountain is out 8/25 via 4AD. Find more information here.

For years, Tucker Carlson didn’t film his wackadoodle Fox News show from the network headquarters in midtown Manhattan. He did it from the comfort of his home in rural Maine. Of course, Tucker no longer works for Fox News, though he’s still under contract through January 2025. He wants to launch his own Twitter show anyway, which might require a big old fight with his old employers. It will also require him buying a bunch of new equipment.

As per The Daily Mail, Fox News sent workers to the barn where Carlson filmed episodes of Tucker Carlson Tonight and took back all their toys.

“Fox came in last week and got all their sh*t out of there,” said Carlson’s construction manager Patrick Feeney. “They took the set and everything, all the equipment, the chairs, the desk, the fake walls, everything.”

That means should Carlson want to make do on his vow to get back into filmed monologues, he’s going to have to start from scratch. Indeed, the workers even dismantled his barn set. Getting things back to normal will take at least a month. Said Feeney to The Daily Mail:

There’s no hardware in place at all. There’s not even an infrastructure for a TV studio for a long time…We just came to clean it up and get it looking like something again. There’s no imminent venture. We’re just getting ready in case something does happen. There’s nothing we’re doing other than cleaning the place up, shoring up the walls, making it look good again.

It’s typical for Fox News to take back equipment they lended to stars who record shows remotely. Still, Tucker better get that barn studio back up because, a source told the Mail, “several Fox employees have already quit” so that they can play Renee Zellweger’s Jerry Maguire character to Tucker’s Jerry Maguire.

In the meantime, look how great thing are going with rightwing figures over at Elon Musk’s Twitter.

(Via The Daily Mail)