Allison Russell has announced her next album, The Returner, and is treating fans to a glimpse of it by dropping the title track.
Russell’s new album will also feature her “Rainbow Coalition” band and appearances from Wendy & Lisa, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, and Hozier.
“My goal with The Returner – sonically, poetically, and spiritually – is a radical reclamation of the present tense, a real time union of body, mind, and soul,” Russell shared in a statement. “This album is a much deeper articulation of rhythm, groove, and syncopation. Groove as it heralds the self back into the body, groove as it celebrates sensual and sexual agency and flowering, groove as an urgent call to action and political activism.”
“In just a word, it’s funkier,” she added. “But as is the history of anything funky, it’s never just a party. It is a multiverse of energies that merges the celebration and the battle cry. For while an embrace of the present tense is a celebration, it is equally an unquestioning leap into battle – cultural, political, environmental.”
Check out Allison Russell’s “The Returner” above. Continue scrolling for the album’s full tracklist and cover art.
Fantasy Records
1. “Springtime”
2. “The Returner”
3. “All Without Within”
4. “Demons”
5. “Eve Was Black”
6. “Stay Right Here”
7. “Shadowlands”
8. “Rag Child”
9. “Snake Life”
10. “Requiem”
The Returner is out 9/8 via Fantasy Records. Find more information here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Mike Pak can take any of his interests and turn them into something bigger than just personal hobbies. Known as the unofficial mayor of LA’s Koreatown (Pak’s personal Instagram handle is @koreatown, he lives and breathes the neighborhood), Pak has made (and continues to make) his stamp on the bustling neighborhood. Nearly a decade ago, he started the Koreatown Run Club along with Guy Nguyen (who gave him the “unofficial mayor” title), which started as a casual weekly meetup and blossomed into a movement that has garnered attention from Nike, GQ, Runner’s World, and Therabody.
Then, on a whim, Pak and Nguyen decided to get into the world of smash burgers (neither had restaurant experience under their belts), linked up with restauranteur Jimmy Han, and created Love Hour, a pop-up that garnered a whole bunch of attention, turned into a permanent fixture of the neighborhood, and this year took its food to Coachella.
As if his slate wasn’t packed enough, Pak has just launched a new venture — a monthly Supper Club series that will enable creatives to get together and interface with one another in a private dinner that celebrates the local businesses around Koreatown. Still in its infancy, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Supper Club will turn out to be, exactly. But if Pak’s track record is anything to go off of, we’re sure it’ll become a fixture of the community.
To get a better sense of the sights, eats, and hang-outs of Koreatown for the uninitiated, we linked up with Pak and he hit us with his favorite local K-Town spots. If you’re visiting LA, K-Town is a must, and who better to guide you than the “unofficial mayor of K-Town” himself?
What’s the first thing someone visiting K-Town should do upon arriving?
The first thing someone visiting K-Town should do is go for a walk and take in the neighborhood. From natural springs to the best diverse cuisine, Koreatown has so much to offer! But get ready for a night of drinking. Beforehand, make sure you drink lots of water and electrolytes. I’m telling you… it’s going to be a long night.
It’s hard to pick just one spot for the best late eats because there are so many good spots to choose from. But if you’re twisting my arm, I’d say the best picks that first come to mind are Mom’s House on 8th, Sun Nong Dan, BCD Tofu, and Juntong. These are all great spots for traditional Korean late-night food cravings.
It’s definitely a coin toss between Olympic Cafe and Bistro on the Blvd. Both are mom-and-pop spots that serve up all your breakfast classics. If you want a standard morning after recovery that serves the basics like eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee, look no further.
Best Place to get a good drink and view of the city?
My personal favorite is Apt 503, it has great views and great cocktails which is a major plus. Openaire located inside the Line Hotel on Whileshite is also a fan favorite. If you could put yourself in one of these spots during sunset, you won’t regret it.
The Wiltern Theatre is the best place to see your favorite artists perform. It’s a two-story, 155-foot Art Deco landmark at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Undoubtedly an iconic building in the neighborhood. It’s also THE perfect spot for date night.
While there are many spots for good eats and drinks. If you want to unwind and take a pause from the city, you can set up a picnic in front of Radio Korea. It’s also a great spot to take your pups. There’s a huge lawn space to just lay out and relax.
It’s hard to pick a favorite so I’ll share some K-town favorites of mine. My top list includes Normandie Club, Frank n Hanks, Thai Angel, Monte Carlo, Southland Beer, HMS Bounty, The Prince, Brass Monkey, and of course Love Hour!
When you walk into The Prince it’s like being transported through a Time Machine. With their old school decor no wonder shows like New Girl and Mad Men have filmed there. Lately, Frank n Hanks has been the regular spot to grab quick drinks with the buds. A historic bar with dim lights, pool table, and classic jukebox, the cheap drinks will keep you coming back.
Best place to take in the culture of the neighborhood?
The Food court inside Koreatown Plaza is the best place to capture and soak everything in. It feels like you’ve been transported to Seoul on a busy Sunday afternoon. If you visit, invite a solid group of friends, and don’t forget to order one dish from each stall for a mini food tasting and gather around the table for a good eats hang.
A night of not making any plans. But if you must have a plan in mind — visit the oldest restaurant in Koreatown by checking out El Cholo off Western. It’s been there since the 1930s and they were the first spot to introduce Tex-Mex nachos to the world.
Let’s go all the way back to a month and a half ago and remember the opening round series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies. You may recall that, after a Lakers win in Game 1, the Grizzlies were able to bounce back in Game 2, which led to former main character of the NBA playoffs Dillon Brooks going at LeBron James a bit. Brooks called James “old,” said “I poke bears,” and made clear “I don’t respect someone until he gives me 40.”
Los Angeles would go on to win three out of the next four games to bounce Memphis from the playoffs, with James posting something on Instagram in the aftermath of the series that sure showed that he had Brooks’ comments on his mind. And on the most recent episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” one of Brooks’ soon-to-be former teammates in Memphis conceded that his comments did put some pep back in the Lakers’ step following the loss.
“It helped L.A. get around something and get some energy, get some life, and they went in the game with some life,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said at the 41:40 mark of the above video. “But, he is old, and he kicked our ass. Kicked our ass and he’s old. He dropped 20 and 20. He’s thinking about retiring. I mean, he’s been playing since 03. Like my dad retired…he’s great like he kicked our ass, he beat us. He’s not old? I mean, damn…He beat us 4-1. He kicked us and we got to spin the block but I hope we get a chance because I don’t know how many more years he wants to do it.”
George’s podcast has become a very interesting place for Brooks chat, as he’s previously compared the way Brooks carried himself in the series against the Lakers to the way Lance Stephenson prodded James when the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat would square off in the postseason. Unsurprisingly, that continued to be the case in his conversation with Jackson, as the two talked about how quotes in media availabilities can be turned into bulletin board material.
“And that’s fine but this is the NBA that’s bulletin board material right there,” George said. “Like coaches tell you that sh*t all the time. Don’t say this, don’t say that. If that’s how you feel, cool keep that sh*t to yourself. You know what I mean? Like we gotta play this motherf*cker, keep that sh*t to yourself. You feel me like it’s a team sport and like for Dillon, it’s not like Dillon is shooting 20, 30 shots a night. It’s not like he’s a 30-point producer. You don’t get that same opportunities Bron gets, you know what I mean? Like why would you even try to challenge him on that level?”
“Media availability, man,” Jackson said. “A lot of podiums, a lot of opportunities. Like, I mean, at that point you know, it’s Dillon. It’s packed around him, they’re gonna ask him anything. He’s there for like 20 minutes. Eventually one of those questions… they good.”
I Think You Should Leave Season 3 has barely been available on Netflix for a week, and already, industrious fans have recreated the randomly hilarious “Eggman Game” from the new batch of sketches. In the comedy short, Tim Robinson’s character is playing a browser game at work where you simply move eggs into the mouth of an Eggman. However, there’s seemingly no rhyme or reason to how the game keeps track of eggs.
At one point, Robinson’s character buys 80 eggs, drops a few in the mouth of Eggman, and the game then tells him he only has 40 eggs left. Baffled by this turn of events, Robinson tries to shove as many eggs into Eggman’s mouth as he can while ignoring his co-workers who’ve brought an important matter to his attention. Eventually, the sketch ends when it’s revealed that feeding Eggman enough eggs will cause him to, well, show you more of Eggman than you’ve ever wanted to see.
Now, you can live that experience for yourself thanks to Matthew Barton and his friend who recreated the browser game.
The fan creation also has a charitable bent, according to Gamespot:
At the top of the screeen is the donate button. It links to two things: the Ruth Ellis Center, a shelter that specializes in “providing trauma-informed services for LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness, in the child welfare system, and/or experiencing barriers to care.” The other one sends you to I Think You Should Leave actor Biff Wiff’s (Detective Crashmore/Santa, and featured in the Shirt Brother sketch in Season 3) GoFundMe page as he needs assistance with cancer treatment.
We’ve messed around with the home-brewed Eggman game, and it is absolutely has the random egg count down pat. As for the pornographic ending, we haven’t been able to recreate that… yet.
I Think You Should Leave Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the musicial collaborations. Miranda Lambert’s new single “If You Were Mine” featuring Leon Bridges is the latest example. On the track, the two Texas natives create magic as they blend together elements of country and R&B. Lambert hailing from Longview and Bridges from Fort Worth, the pair pay homage to the Lone Star State.
The Grammy Award-winning songwriter draws metaphors from across the country side, including the Frio River, as heard in the line, “I’d make sure your stars are shining / Sure as the Frio’s winding / I’d bottle you up like lightning / I’d rope the moon for you / A million times / That’s what I’d do / If you were mine.”
In a statement, Lambert gushed about her collaborator, saying, “I have been a big fan of Leon for a while because he is very authentic as an artist and I love his music.”
Later, the singer spoke about the hometown tribute throughout the lyrics, saying, “Since we are both from Texas, we threw in a few Texas references, of course – the Frio River being one. When we finished this song, we sent it to Leon in hopes that he would want to collaborate and we were so glad that he said yes. I have really enjoyed getting to know him and I’m happy to have him as a new friend.”
While there is no drama as to what happens with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, where the San Antonio Spurs have likely already turned in a draft card to Adam Silver that just reads VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, the rest of the top 10 is far less assured.
The Charlotte Hornets will likely be choosing between Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson at No. 2, although they’re also bringing in the Thompson twins for workouts as well. With Miller as the expected choice, but far from a guarantee, it leaves a lot of uncertainty as to who will be available when Portland is on the clock at No. 3. Given the Blazers would like to trade that pick to bring in veteran help in order to, once again, try building a contender around Damian Lillard, not knowing who will be available at that spot makes it difficult to pin down a trade before Draft night.
The Blazers front office will certainly be working the phones prior to then, but they might find themselves needing to hammer out a deal in the five minute window in which they are on the clock on June 22. As Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports, that, along with Portland’s desire to land a veteran for the pick rather than trading down or acquiring future picks, has other teams “skeptical” of their ability to find a trade partner.
While the Trail Blazers have signaled an openness to move that No. 3 pick — general manager Joe Cronin told Yahoo Sports in May his team is “trying to win and trying to maximize Damian [Lillard’s] timeline” — rival teams are skeptical Portland will find a suitable trade partner for that coveted selection before the Blazers come on the clock.
…
Trail Blazers officials have left inquiring teams with the impression that Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in last year’s draft, is off limits in any dialogue regarding the No. 3 pick.
The Sharpe note is also interesting as the young wing is their most intriguing player to add to trade talks, but if he’s off limits, that will limit the caliber of player they can be targeting. All of this sounds awfully similar to the situation Golden State found itself in back in 2021 when they had the No. 2 pick and the entire league knew they would rather trade it than make a selection. Because of that, they struggled to find a trade partner willing to move the kind of player they were seeking in order to jump up to that spot (albeit in what was considered a weaker draft). The result was Golden State taking James Wiseman, thinking he was a better fit than LaMelo Ball, with Wiseman not lasting two years with the Warriors before being shipped off to Detroit in a three-team deal that brought Gary Payton II back to the Bay.
Portland could find itself in a very similar spot if the Hornets select Miller, as Henderson would be the obvious best player available, but his immediate fit with Damian Lillard (and Anfernee Simons) is a bit questionable. The hope for Portland would be that Henderson is a more coveted prospect than either Wiseman or Ball were in the 2021 Draft, and if he’s the one still on the board after Charlotte picks, their phone should be ringing. That said, teams are typically terrified of making a trade at the top of the draft that looks like they didn’t land value, which is usually hard to do when trading a pick for a veteran.
Teams with the caliber of player that Portland would think could get them back into playoff contention in the West aren’t usually looking to move up in drafts to add young talent that (usually) take longer to impact winning. What makes the Portland situation even more fascinating than Golden State in 2021 is, failing to find a trade partner doesn’t just mean trying to get healthy and running it back with a championship squad like the Warriors did. The Blazers need an influx of talent to even be a playoff team in the West. If they don’t trade the pick, it would certainly seem to indicate they are choosing to get younger, which opens the door to even more speculation about Lillard.
There are a bunch of recurring themes in this show, some of which we’ll get to shortly, but I really enjoy that between this sketch and the Karl Havoc one from season two, one of the bigger ones is “guy has a costume that’s too bulky and/or heavy.” I hope next season opens with Santa Claus in a Crashmore sequel where he’s become 50 percent robot for some reason. The best part here is that this is one of the more ridiculous ideas I can think of and it’s still like a four on the ITYSL insanity scale. The scale goes to 100.
25. Gelutol (Episode 4)
NETFLIX
Some notes:
Multiple twists here, which is fun
I like that he’s screwing with the guy’s wife, too, just for no reason
I’m going to use “we were talking about getting killed” as an out next time I get caught talking about someone and don’t want to admit it
Moving on.
24. Dirty Songs (Episode 6)
NETFLIX
ON ONE HAND: I didn’t love this sketch as much as I thought I would when the action got started.
ON THE OTHER HAND: I really do enjoy the name “Don Bondarley.”
Let’s talk about this more at Corset later.
23. Street Sets (Episode 1)
NETFLIX
[one week ago] You know, I bet I would never laugh at a video of an old man getting his face smashed into a parking meter…
[today] I stand corrected.
22. Conflict Resolution (Episode 6)
NETFLIX
The whole “banana breath” thing is funny in the context of the sketch and I do enjoy the idea of someone becoming so pleased with a C- joke they made that they try to make t-shirts to commemorate it, but the highlight for me is the phrasing of “How big are you?” Not “What size are you?” No. “How big are you?” That’s gonna stick with me for a long time. In a good way. I hope
21. Ponytail Fiasco (Episode 2)
NETFLIX
Here’s another one where the pointless recurring ITYSL bit makes the sketch for me. Because I wasn’t loving this one at first. Which was weird. On paper, I should have loved this one. It’s got so much I like: Will Forte, unfortunate haircuts, screaming, etc. But I wasn’t fully into it until the lady started looking through his camera roll and there were just dozens of pictures of cigars.
I don’t know what exactly about cigars makes me laugh, but it does almost every time. Tim Robinson gets this.
20. Team Building (Episode 1)
NETFLIX
What I like here is the left turn this one takes. Because, like, you think it’s gonna be about Tim Robinson taking it too far, with the fake water splashing and all the talk about orgies, but nope. In marches a hero from out of frame, with a real bottle of water and a problem with getting too hyper.
This is one of those screencaps that you’ll see a lot on social media in the coming months, I suspect.
19. Volcano (Episode 5)
NETFLIX
Some notes:
There are not a lot of sketches in this show that end on a sweet little note like this
I shouted a little at the appearance by Tom Scharpling, host of The Best Show
Probably won’t be able to look at a highlighter the same way ever again
It’s fine.
18. Friend Group (Episode 4)
NETFLIX
Lots going on here but I think my favorite thing is that Tim Robinson is wearing a suit that’s like five sizes too big and no one ever mentions it even one time.
17. Virtual Reality (Episode 2)
NETFLIX
I liked parts of this sketch already, starting with the phrase “I didn’t know how to work the body” and extending to Tim Robinson’s consistently amazing ability to contort his body in new and hilarious ways. All of it good and fun. But then Apple went and announced its crazy expensive new VR headset just a few days later and made the whole thing even funnier somehow.
I like to imagine someone at Apple watching this sketch last week and knowing their big announcement was coming and just sighing very deeply about the memes that were headed their way.
16. Darmine Dog Doors (Episode 2)
NETFLIX
Some notes:
It is a very ITYSL thing that something this insane stemmed from a property line dispute and a guy’s partner getting flipped by a dancer
I choose to believe they used 85 percent of their CGI budget on the beast in this sketch
Imagine how freaked out you’d be if a pig in a Nixon mask crawled through your doggy door
Lots to think about.
15. Dog Hair (Episode 3)
NETFLIX
The reveal that he got the dog haircut because of a magazine mixup involving Bryan Cranston was so stupid that I could not help but laugh at loud at my computer like a lil sicko.
14. Live Sitcom Taping (Episode 2)
NETFLIX
See, I wasn’t feeling this sketch at first. It was one of those where it felt like the idea for it was better than the execution. But then it cut to the montage at the end with the limo and the Super Bowl ring and the watch exploding and blasting springs everywhere and things clicked into place for me. I would be angry, too. I would want people to know. It all seems kinda reasonable, in context.
I said “kinda.”
13. Tasty Time Vids (Episode 6)
NETFLIX
This is an ITYSL special, from the normal situation (ordering lunch at work) to the awkward escalation (coworker realizes the person isn’t following him on Instagram and adds himself without asking) to the deranged twist as it develops (terrible sketch comedy, death threats, etc.). Which is great. It’s one of the things this show does so well.
But that’s not why I have this sketch in the top half of these rankings. I have this sketch in the top half of these rankings because Connor O’Malley’s little pouty overreaction faces and arm crossing at the beginning is just about the peak of physical comedy to me. Watch it again. Go. Do it.
12. Wedding Photographer (Episode 5)
NETFLIX
There is a chance — A CHANCE —that I am overrating this sketch because it has Tim Meadows in it and I am predisposed to liking anything with Tim Meadows in it because Tim Meadows is the best.
I do not care.
I feel great about it.
11. Cardboard Cutout (Episode 3)
NETFLIX
I’m sorry. I really am. But if you do not see the comedic value in a sketch that starts with Patti Harrison abusing a cardboard cutout and ends with a reveal that involves her declaring herself “a rat mom,” then there’s just nothing I can do for you. Go watch another show. Lord knows there are plenty.
10. Shirt Brothers (Episode 4)
NETFLIX
This one is divisive among my friend group (a good group of guys otherwise). Some people loved it. Some people hated it. Some people thought it was good but went on too long. I can see both sides of this.
But here’s why it cracks the top ten for me: It gave me that screencap up there of my beloved Biff Wiff. I’m going to use it so much. I don’t know if this is a good reason to rank this sketch above ones that made me laugh more, but I am doing it anyway.
9. Feed Eggs (Episode 2)
NETFLIX
Two things worth noting here:
I could absolutely see myself getting addicted to a stupid game like this where the rules don’t make sense
It’s a good thing I work from home. I don’t want to have to explain an egg bush to anyone.
8. Barley Tonight (Episode 1)
NETFLIX
Some notes:
I originally had this ranked lower until I shared the draft with my friend Ryan Perry — who runs the objectively perfect I Think You Should League Pass Twitter account — and he yelled at me about it
Ryan was correct
Please again note how great Tim Robinson is at flailing his body into various positions in the pursuit of getting a laugh
Good sketch.
7. Stop Talking About Your Kids (Episode 5)
NETFLIX
Here’s another one where the twist got me. I thought this was going to be a sketch where Tim Robinson made Jason Schwartzman’s character’s life hell by stalking him throughout the party and borderline torturing him every time he mentions his kids. I was sure that was what we were looking at.
But nope!
The actual twist is that Schwartzman’s character ends up having a blast — cigars again, for the record — while Robinson ends up in a prison of his own creation. It’s a good bit. Shoutout to Godzilla the Gorilla.
6. Jellybean (Episode 3)
NETFLIX
This is a fun sketch to try to explain to someone who doesn’t watch the show. “So there’s this guy who’s like a mime and he does shows where he has to pay the audience every time he breaks and starts talking but a bunch of frat dudes hear about it and it becomes a whole thing where they show up drunk and holding red Solo cups and they shout ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’ at him over and over until he melts down on stage about it.” Everyone looks at you like you’re crazy. It’s a good time.
5. The Zip Line Saga (Episode 1, Episode 4)
NETFLIX
Two things here…
THING ONE: The idea of a guy on a dating show just becoming obsessed with the zipline at the pool to the degree that he starts trying to sabotage the other contestants in the hopes he can stay and keep using it… I mean, that’s just good stuff.
THING TWO: I made a GIF of the zipline.
NETFLIX
I love how serious he is about it. Look at his face. The man is not kidding around at all.
4. Driving Crooner (Episode 1)
NETFLIX
This one is, by far, the one I’ve seen referenced most often on social media in the days since the third season dropped. There’s a very good reason for that: it’s really just a lot of fun.
I mean…
consider this an official announcement that I have started watching the new season of ITYSL pic.twitter.com/XqPmK8M0Rv
Absolutely the stupidest thing possible and I love it very much.
3. Pay It Forward (Episode 3)
NETFLIX
THE GOOD: This is one of those sketches where it’s so good that you get surprised no one else thought of it first. Like, of course someone would take the “pay it forward” drive-thru thing too far at some point, to a ridiculous degree. It’s so dumb that it’s kind of brilliant like that.
THE BAD: I was out last weekend and paid with cash for something and told the guy at the register to keep the coins in the little dish for someone else and he goes “Paying it forward like that always seems to work out” and it took all I had not to look him square in the eyes and shout “55 BURGERS, 55 FRIES, 55 TACOS, 55 PIES, 55 COKES, 100 TATER TOTS, 100 PIZZAS, 100 TENDERS, 100 MEATBALLS, 100 COFFEES, 55 WINGS, 55 SHAKES, 55 PANCAKES, 55 PASTAS, 55 PEPPERS, AND 155 TATERS” like a lunatic.
I really don’t know why the number 55 makes this so funny. But it does. Let’s not overthink it.
2. Pacific Proposal Park (Episode 4)
NETFLIX
Some notes:
Sam Richardson is almost always funny at everything he does and this is no exception
There is no reason at all to end this sketch with a professional wrestler’s penis popping but they did it anyway and I appreciate that
I really like that one of the wrestlers is named Toilet Truck
Happy for everyone here. Especially me.
1. ABX Heart Monitor (Episode 3)
NETFLIX
The thing I like here is the layers. It starts as a sketch about a guy with heart problems and then you find out some of his heart problems stem from him dancing like an animal at exclusive night clubs and then the doctor gets jealous about this guy getting into the nightclubs and starts using the monitor to track him and then you find out the guy only got into the clubs because he built the party deck for one of them and then you find out the party deck collapsed and then the sketch just ends with this collection of words in this order…
NETFLIX
Which is all great. But I’m ranking this at number one mostly because of the way Tim Robinson says “yeah, I dip in there sometimes.”
George Santos is so adamant about protecting the identity of the anonymous donors who paid his $500,000 bail that he actually had his lawyers send a letter to the judge in his fraud case where the freshman congressman claimed he’d go to jail before outing his benefactors.
“Here in the instant case, the suretors are likely to suffer great distress, may lose their jobs, and God forbid, may suffer physical injury,” Santos’ lawyer Joseph Murray wrote to Judge Anne Shields. “My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come.”
Murray buttressed his argument by claiming that both he and Santos have been the target of death threats over the identity of the bail donors.
“The fact that someone emailed me my own letter back to me soon after I filed it with the Court, tells us that they are just ready and waiting to pounce,” the lawyer wrote. “A few hours later on Friday, June 2, 2023, I received a call wherein a male voice just shouted what sounded like, ‘Who paid Santos’ bond?’ Again, they are just waiting to pounce on the suretors.”
Judge Shields didn’t buy it. On Tuesday, she ordered that the identities of Santos’ backers must be unsealed and gave the congressman a “brisk schedule” to appeal that decision, according to Law and Crime managing editor Adam Klasfeld.
The identities of Rep. George Santos’s bond co-signers must be UNSEALED, a magistrate judge ruled.
George Santos is so adamant about protecting the identity of the anonymous donors who paid his $500,000 bail that he actually had his lawyers send a letter to the judge in his fraud case where the freshman congressman claimed he’d go to jail before outing his benefactors.
“Here in the instant case, the suretors are likely to suffer great distress, may lose their jobs, and God forbid, may suffer physical injury,” Santos’ lawyer Joseph Murray wrote to Judge Anne Shields. “My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come.”
Murray buttressed his argument by claiming that both he and Santos have been the target of death threats over the identity of the bail donors.
“The fact that someone emailed me my own letter back to me soon after I filed it with the Court, tells us that they are just ready and waiting to pounce,” the lawyer wrote. “A few hours later on Friday, June 2, 2023, I received a call wherein a male voice just shouted what sounded like, ‘Who paid Santos’ bond?’ Again, they are just waiting to pounce on the suretors.”
Judge Shields didn’t buy it. On Tuesday, she ordered that the identities of Santos’ backers must be unsealed and gave the congressman a “brisk schedule” to appeal that decision, according to Law and Crime managing editor Adam Klasfeld.
The identities of Rep. George Santos’s bond co-signers must be UNSEALED, a magistrate judge ruled.
Dua Lipa was facing a lawsuit that claimed she copied her hit song “Levitating” from Artikal Sound System’s 2017 song, “Live Your Life.” In the first (and likely, final) ruling on the case, US District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes ruled that nobody who worked on Lipa’s song had access to the one from Artikal and dismissed the case.
The band had previously claimed the brother-in-law of one of their members taught guitar to a woman who worked with Lipa’s co-writer, according to Billboard.
“These attenuated links, which bear little connection to either of the two musical compositions at issue here, also do not suggest a reasonable likelihood that defendants actually encountered plaintiffs’ song,” Sykes wrote.
Artikal Sound System also pointed out that they had sold “several hundred” CDs and the song was popular enough to have been heard by the “Levitating” writers.
“Plaintiffs’ failure to specify how frequently they performed ‘Live Your Life’ publicly during the specified period, where these performances took place, and the size of the venues and/or audiences precludes the Court from finding that Plaintiffs’ live performances of the song plausibly contributed to its saturation of markets in which Defendants would have encountered it,” Sykes added.
Currently, the lawsuit is over, unless Artikal Sound System decide to return to Sykes with changes for an “amended complaint.”
Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
(@ms_samsisekki)
(@theprincela)
