Month: July 2023

The fundamental principle of rock music is to rebel against the system. That’s an ideology pioneers Lol Tolhurst (of The Cure), Budgie (Siouxsie & The Banshees and The Creatures), and Jacknife Lee have upheld throughout their careers. On their joint single, “Los Angeles,” with James Murphy, the trio pushed that creative practice even further.

The group described the single as: “A journey into the dark heart of contemporary LaLaLand, the city of its birth, a place of limitless possibility, yet also a diseased and consumptive hell-on-earth.” However, it’s much more than that. “Los Angeles” is a punk rocker’s guide to providing social commentary.

Within the record, the musicians take aim at several societal issues plaguing the city, including the infrastructure, gun violence, and lack of support for the younger generations, amongst other topics. The opening verse is a jarring reality check, as they sing, “Los Angeles eats its children / Los Angeles eats it young / Los Angeles you don’t need water / Los Angeles just needs guns.”

Director John Liwag heightens the musicians’ sense of desperation in the official video. The mini-film features young people attempting to carve out a piece of joy for themselves amidst the chaos.

“Los Angeles” will appear on the collective’s upcoming album by the same name later this year.

Watch the full video for “Los Angeles” above.

Los Angeles is out 11/3 via Play It Again Sam. Find more information here.

Two weeks ago, SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s actors guild, joined the WGA on the picket lines. It will likely be a long battle with studio execs, who have bristled at things like paying their workers a decent wage, upping residuals, and ensuring that AI doesn’t take their jobs. Those involved need some help. And lo and behold, among those coming to the rescue are Dwayne Johnson.

As per Variety, guild president Courtney B. Vance and executive director Cyd Wilson recently drafted a letter to the 2,700 highest paid members, asking them to donate to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. First set up in the early days of the pandemic, the non-profit works to provide aid to the union’s 160,000 members. In the letter, they said they usually rely on donations to help those struggling.

“But when we hit a crisis like this and we’re going to spend millions and millions of dollars in financial assistance,” the letter read, “this is when we need our high profile talent who can afford it, who are in a situation to help others.”

It didn’t take long for Johnson to reach out to Vance and offer a “historic” sum, the size of which is not being made public.

“It was a love fest. It’s like, ‘Man, you’re stepping up in a way that is allowing others to know the dire necessity of it,’” Vance told Variety of the call. “This is him saying, ‘In such a time as this, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, whatever you need me to do.’ And that sends a huge message to other folks to do the same thing.”

SAG-AFTRA Foundation grants deliver up to $1,500 per member, though that sum can go up to $6,000 in cases of medical emergencies.

Johnson has always seemed like a nice guy, though even he’s not immune to bouts of depression. He’s also one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors, who’s even getting his own Fast and Furious spinoff. So good for him for helping out those trying to eke by while those even richer and more powerful than they are get booed in public.

(Via Variety)

Romy’s highly-anticipated debut solo album, Mid Air, is slated to be released in just a few weeks. Back in April, she shared the project’s euphoric lead single, “Enjoy Your Life.” Now, Romy is looking to switch things up with her latest track, “The Sea.” Co-produced by Fred Again.., it’s a rough rolling tide of emotions.

On the record, Romy recounts a rocky love that, despite all her efforts, she could not make better. She sings, “I fell in love by the sea / Oh, that girl has a power over mе / My heart burned a thousand degrees / Whеn she told me she was leaving / I left my heart on the beach / No, in love there are no guarantees” — words that paint a picture of this turbulent romance.

In the video for the song, director Mollie Mills does a stellar job mirroring those deep pockets of instability. “I loosely referenced Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture ‘The Couple,’ which actualizes that soul-rupturing entanglement of falling in love — and this is what we wanted to feel in these seascape scenes,” said Mills regarding their approach to the video.

Mills added, “This light, blissful, euphoric togetherness that happens alongside these memory slices of euro-heaven. There’s a power that can live in the simplicity of these domestic moments between two queer bodies, too — when I think back to the loves of summers past.”

Watch the full video for “The Sea” above.

Mid Air is out 9/8 via Young. Find more information here.

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

Donald Trump used to love getting his name in the papers. Perhaps he still does. He’s one of his history’s greatest narcissists, so any press is good press. Too bad so many of them are unflattering or gloomy or riddled with mockery. His coverage is so bad that one of his lawyers, who has yet to grow sick of her client, is trying to make lemonade from the endless supply of lemons given to her.

As per Mediaite, Alina Habba, who’s been representing Trump through the most legally fraught period of his long, rocky career, went on Newsmax to speak with guest host Matt Gaetz. (No, it’s not great that an elected official works for a far right news network, nor that he also gets into movie premieres.) Gaetz asked Habba about a recent Daily Beast report about former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik cooperating with special counsel Jack Smith, who’s handling two separate Trump cases.

Habba said she couldn’t “get into any details.” But she did use the occasion to take a swipe out news outlets for reporting on things that make her client look bad. She hatched a strange conspiracy theory, which included a bizarre accusation:

Every headline that comes out in media — I don’t even know if I would recognize The Daily Beast as a valuable media source — but The Daily Beast, you know, they come out with these leaks and, you know, I read a little bit more reputable newspapers, but listen, they come out with this for a reason, and everything is done in specific timing. Headlines are done for election interference. Watch.

We know that Hunter’s associate was supposed to come out and testify on Monday, I heard now he may not be doing so, but watch, they’ll come after Trump again around the same time so that, again, they say, ‘Look at the shiny ball, guys. Don’t look over here. We don’t want you to see it. We wanna give you another headline.’

Conspiracy theories are popular among the MAGA crowd. Just ask the big guy himself. But suggesting that the Deep State, or whatever Habba is referring to, is in cahoots with reporters to make Trump look bad — when his followers already don’t read news that isn’t skewed MAGA-ward — is out there even for them.

(Via Mediaite)

When you’ve earned the stamp of approval from a former United States president, there isn’t much left to do. Still, somehow Ethel Cain manages to keep herself busy. For her latest single, “Famous Last Words,” Cain partnered with Matthew Williams’ collaborative project 1017 Alyx 9SM to bring the haunted track to life.

The song was initially released last year on the heels of the 2022 film Bones And All, starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell. Now, the belated video for the song is finally seeing the light of day, thanks to Cain and co-director Silken Weinberg. The pair used the dark overtones of the film to transform the “Famous Last Words” video into a pastiche of a horror film, in which Cain emerges even more haunted than her usual self.

In past releases, including the cover art for her song “Morning Elvis” with Florence + The Machine, Cain has incorporated horror elements. But as she rubs blood around her upper body, as he does here, Cain has reached new scream queen heights.

Cain has more goodies to share beyond the video. Beginning in October, she will hit the road again on the Blood Stained Blonde Tour, this time with a much lighter schedule to avoid the medical complications she faced before.

Listen to “Famous Last Words (An Ode to Eaters)” above.

View the full schedule for Ethel Cain’s Blood Stained Blonde Tour below. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 28. Find more information here.

10/03 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
10/04 — Portland, ME @ State Theatre *
10/05 — Hudson, NY @ Basilica Hudson ^
10/09 — Omaha, NE @ Slowdown &
10/11 — New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre +
10/20 — Big Sur @ Henry Miller Library
10/23 — San Francisco, CA @ Castro Theatre %

* — with 9Million
^ — with Skullcrusher
& — with Midwife
+ — with Wulven
% — with King Woman

On Friday, far right pundit Ben Shapiro did what many people did that day: He went to go see Barbie. Alas, he didn’t go because he was stoked to see that Ryan Gosling musical number. He went to hate-watch it, all so he could record a deranged, 43-minute video takedown about how it triggered him. Speaking of that musical number, Shapiro showed up at the theater wearing one of the outfits Gosling rocks in it. Now he’s claiming that was pure coincidence.

On Monday, after his epic video earned him widespread mockery, Shaprio went on his show to offer a clarification in his usual nasal, Micromachine Man on speed voice. He brought up an NBC News piece headlined “The Internet is Roasting Ben Shapiro for Hate-watching ‘Barbie’ — While Dressed Like Ken.”

“Apparently being dressed like Ken now amounts to you wear black jeans and a black shirt,” Shapiro explained with rapid-fire delivery that’s a pain to transcribe.

Shapiro also addressed people dragging him, an adult male pushing 40, setting a Barbie doll ablaze at the video’s start, to which he had an interesting comparison.

“The reaction to me burning a Barbie car, with a Barbie and Ken in it, is like when someone burns a Quran in Sweden,” he said. “It’s totally crazy. Like, wow, guys, wow.”

He also laughed about getting death threats. “I’m not kidding you,” he said. “There are people on Twitter who are literally tweeting out about, like, ‘Can we do something about this Shapiro?’ Like, over a Barbie movie?”

Yes, it sure is strange that people are getting so worked up about a movie with a possibly record amount of pink. But it also tells women to stand up to tyrannical men, so maybe that’s the reason the far right’s so worked up.

As Adele sang in her beloved song “Someone Like You,” sometimes relationships last in love. But sometimes, they hurt instead. Steve Lacy’s Grammy Award-winning album, Gemini Rights, explores the latter at great length, especially on his track “Helmet.” To celebrate the LP’s one-year anniversary, Lacy belatedly dropped the official video for the track.

The video, directed by Aus Taylor, is an in-depth look at healing from a toxic romantic breakup. As Lacy struggles to regain his footing, he aimlessly wanders around his bedroom, searching for something to distract him from the pain. However, he quickly learned that the world doesn’t stop revolving just because he’s sad.

At one point he sings, “I tried to play pretend / Try not to see the end (ah) / But I couldn’t see you the way you saw me / Now I can feel the waste on me / I tried my best to be worth all your while / You just gotta let me go as I’m tryna let go of you.” It’s his way of saying that ending the relationship was for the best.

Throughout the “Helmet” video, viewers are reminded just how introspective Lacy’s work is — an attribute that made people fall in love with him in the first place.

Watch the full video for “Helmet” above.

Gemini Rights is out now via RCA Records. Find more information here.

Walking through the Nashville airport, I am surrounded by bachelorette shashes, sequined cowboy hats, guitar cases, and American flags. In many ways, it is just what you’d expect Nashville to be. The “Country Music Capital of the US” is legendary for music, brew tours, country tourism cosplay, and bachelor/bachelorette parties as far as the eye can see – mostly centered around Broadway, the major entertainment district. Dotted with honky tonks, celebrity-backed bars/restaurants, boot shops, and rooftops – Broadway is, as they say, quite a scene.

And I am not opposed to Broadway – it has its place –, but as I’ve spent more time in the city, I have been searching for the perfect medium. I want to be close to the action without getting stuck in pedal bar traffic or a gaggle of bridesmaids on the way back to my hotel.

That’s why I love The Gulch. Situated within walking distance of downtown Nashville, The Gulch has a decidedly sleeker, more upscale vibe. The former industrial area is now a trendy and stylish sought-after neighborhood for locals and visitors alike. With incredible bars, restaurants, and shops, it is the perfect place to stay in Nashville, with access to everything you want or need.

I loved staying at the Thompson Nashville, which is directly in the action of The Gulch, on a recent trip. Here is why:

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

I love a hotel that has it all – while still feeling boutiquey and exclusive. Beyond just a place to sleep, but restaurants, bars, and lounge space — you get the idea. And Thompson Nashville checks all the boxes. The sleek design is evident the second you walk through the doors into the spacious lobby, then on to the rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern design.

The customer service is impeccable, from check-in to coffee, drinks, and dinner. It lives up to its luxury description – without breaking the bank.

IN-HOUSE FOOD AND DRINK:

KILLEBREW COFFEE

The Nashville-based Killebrew Coffee has a gorgeous physical cafe on the lobby level of Thompson Nashville. The popular coffee company — for locals and visitors alike — offers delicious coffees, small bites, and on-the-go fare. I loved my vanilla latte and biscuit with jam.

L.A. JACKSON

Nothing is better than asking a local where to go in a new place, and their recommendation matches what you’ve already planned. It’s even better when it’s just a few floors above your hotel room. That’s just what happened with L.A. Jackson. The rooftop bar at Thompson Nashville was repeatedly recommended for great cocktails, panoramic views, and vibes.

After visiting, I completely understand why. The service was the best I had encountered on my trip, and my specialty cocktail was perfect. I loved watching a storm roll over the city before ducking into the well-designed space to mingle with the chill crowd.

MARSH HOUSE

As a solo traveler, I often find myself dining solo at upscale restaurants (it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it, am I right?). But it’s not as often that I immediately text my coupled-up friends after, exclaiming that they “HAVE TO have a date night here.” And it wasn’t just the result of the two glasses of the sommelier-recommended wine – it was the entire experience I had at Marsh House.

Service responsibly sourced and sustainable seafood with a Southern twist; I enjoyed the Blackened Swordfish with butter bean cassoulet, crispy rice, and herb aioli and followed it up with an espresso brownie that has been in my dreams ever since.

AMENITIES:

• Digital Check In
• Fitness Center
• In-house restaurant, cocktail bar, and coffee bar
• Concierge
• Pet-friendly
• EV charging
• Rooftop bar
• Luxury Sferra bedding
• D.S. and Durga toiletries

ROOM TYPES:

Thompson Nashville has a wide variety of configurations within its 224 rooms. I loved staying in a corner King with incredible floor-to-ceiling window views, a comfy bed, mid-century decor, wood floors, and a luxurious bathroom with a rainfall shower. The honor bar, robe, and entryway were all elevated touches.

You can also opt for double rooms, and several suite types, including the 1,298-square-foot Penthouse.

BEST THINGS TO DO/EAT/DRINK WITHIN A 10-MINUTE WALK:

Explore The Gulch, of course! There is enough to keep visitors busy in this trendy neighborhood just south of downtown. Go shopping – stop at Rustler Hat Co. and customize a Stetson for a true Nashville experience – or stop by one of the many popular bars and restaurants. I loved getting pizza and sangria at Emmy Squared and a lavenderfrosé at The Co-Op Frosé and Eatery – yes, an entire bar dedicated to frosé. Great art galleries and murals are everywhere in The Gulch, making it an Instagrammer’s dream.

BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A $10 CAB RIDE:

So I know I spent the last 800 words urging you to get off Broadway and into The Gulch, but if you have more time – I’d still pop over to downtown and the Broadway district. Thompson Nashville is within walking or a short Uber distance to the Nashville entertainment epicenter, where you can spend time at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Ryman Auditorium, or at one of the many honky tonks.

I loved visiting the Johnny Cash Museum – home of the world’s largest collection of Johnny Cash memorabilia and artifacts, before heading next door for a meat and three along with live music at Johnny Cash Bar & BBQ (big Cash fan, what can I say?).

After a quick jaunt down Broadway, I popped into the impressive National Museum of African American Music – the “only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the many music genres created, influenced, and inspired by African Americans” – where I spent hours following the interactive exhibits and curated collections.

BED GAME: 9/10

A hotel can be luxurious in aesthetics and have every amenity, but if the bed isn’t right, it won’t matter. I’m happy to report that the large King bed in my room at Thompson Nashville was the perfect respite after days of walking all over town in the sun. The mattress was perfectly soft, and the luxury linens felt like a treat.

The wooden headboard was stylish, and I loved having a city view from bed.

SEXINESS RATING: 9/10

This might be the highest I’ve rated a hotel in this series on “sexiness,” but that is not a fluke. Thompson Nashville is refined and stylish while also having an air of sexiness that is hard to describe until you see it yourself. This is a place for singles and couples who enjoy luxury and service but want something special.

VIEWS/PIC SPOTS:

This spot is an Instagrammers dream, without being cheesy. That’s how I learned about it – scrolling through social. The lobby is exquisite, the restaurant is upscale, dark, and moody, the rooms are light and luxurious, and the rooftop bar is the perfect spot to catch the sunset with a view. You really can’t go wrong here.

BEST SEASON TO VISIT:

Nashville is a great place to visit in all seasons, but most of the action/festivals occur in April- October. If you aren’t interested in the humid heat, I would aim for a spring or fall visit.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:

There isn’t anything to complain about here. It hit every box I was looking for – and then some – for a hotel in Nashville. There is no pool on the property – and with so much to do nearby, I understand why – but that may be important to some guests.

Book here.

INSTAGRAM IMAGES TAKEN AT THOMPSON NASHVILLE:

The biggest movie in the world right now is director Greta Gerwig’s follow-up to Little Women, and ain’t that grand? Alas, not everyone’s a fan of Barbie. The far right has lost their marbles over an aggressively pink comedy with strong feminist bona fides (plus some nothingburger business about a map that’s enraged Ted Cruz). And yet the movie is if anything even more popular in red states than in blue, which has left Fox News hosts scratching their heads.

A segment on America’s Newsroom was devoted to the comedy’s command performance at the box office this weekend. Unlike others on the right, the hosts weren’t necessarily down on the movie. But they were surprised at a map that showed it was somehow more popular in non-Democrat-dominated states, where Oppenheimer has the edge.

“I don’t know what’s going on down South,” said Daa Perino. “They like this Barbie movie a lot.”

Taylor Riggs argued that it shows those states are a “little more fun,” preferring it to a three-hour panic attack about the birth of atomic warfare.

But Bill Hemmer couldn’t get over the map, asking, “What’s going on” with Barbie’s Red state popularity?”

“I think people in the South like to party,” joked former MTV VJ Kennedy. “And people in the North, you know. They maybe have a little bit of intellectual guilt about the way Western civilization has unfolded.”

Earlier in the segment, Kennedy praised both Barbie and Oppenheimer for being “completely authentic,” she said. “They know their audience, and they’re giving them a multi-dimensional experience that they can be completely attached to and invested in.

“You have something for both types of movie fans,” she continued. “You have a big bubblegum experience where you get to dress up, and then you have something for the intellectual crowd that lets you think and reflect and appreciate history with phenomenal performances, writing, and directing. So it’s rare that all of those things happen at once, but we will take the perfect storm.”

Shocked as they were by red states embracing an openly feminist movie about a doll line, the hosts’ responses were a marked change from others in the party. That includes Ben Shapiro, an adult man pushing 40 who over the weekend released a 43-minute diatribe in which he even burns a Barbie doll. It’s almost as though they’re huffing and puffing about destructive “woke” stuff is falling on deaf ears.

(Via Mediaite)

Eating an early dinner has always been a stereotype associated with older, retired people who don’t have to worry about work schedules and traffic. Plus, older people tend to have an early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule and are more concerned about thoroughly digesting their meals before hitting the hay.

But an unexpected change in the great American culture means that older people and Gen Zers are more likely to fight each other for a 5 p.m. reservation at their local diner. A recent story in The Wall Street Journal shows that an increasing number of Americans are going out to dinner earlier.

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According to Yelp data cited by the WSJ, restaurants currently seat 10% of diners between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. That number has doubled since 2019 when only 5% of people went to restaurants between those hours. People are also taking Ubers to dinner earlier these days, with a 10% jump in rides between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and a 9% drop in those after 8 p.m.

— (@)

The trend has also caught on in New York City, which, at one time, was known for being a city that never sleeps. RESY reports that reservations across New York City made at 5:30 p.m. have jumped from 7.75% to 8.31% over the past two years, while 8 p.m. reservations have fallen to 7.8%, down from 8.31%.

So what has happened? Have Americans been so run down by the last few years that they’re now acting like their grandparents? Is it more important to binge TV before bedtime than burn the midnight oil with friends? The Robb Report attributes the change to hybrid work. These days 34% of people work from home most of the time, so they can leave the house a lot earlier than before. Plus, when you’re cooped up in your house all day it’s nice to get out and enjoy a bite to eat as soon as possible.

Broadway has adapted to the new trend by scheduling its performances earlier in the day. Movie theaters accommodate the new early-bird lifestyle by adding more early screenings and canceling those that run late at night.

Devorah Lev-Tov from RESY New York applauds the change. “A few years ago, we would’ve joked about dining with all the old folks or being condemned to screaming children. Yet now, 5 or 5:30 p.m. is my preferred time to dine … And I’m not alone,” Lev-Tov writes.

According to research, this new change in the American lifestyle could benefit our collective health.

A study published by Cell Metabolism found that people who eat all their meals within a 10-hour window and finish dinner earlier in the day are less hungry, burn calories faster and have a lower risk for obesity.

This rapid change in America’s dining habits shows how sometimes the things we think are deeply embedded in our culture can easily change overnight. The next question is, will brunch still be brunch when people begin eating it at 7:30 a.m.? Because then it’s just breakfast, and drinking champagne for breakfast feels uncouth. But then again, that could change, too.