Month: August 2023

Although the cast of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia has paused public promotional appearances in support of the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes, they still need an outlet to let their creative energy shine. Charlie Day, who plays Charlie Kelly on the long-running comedy series, dropped by a Portugal The Man concert at the Hollywood Bowl over the weekend.

While there, he treated the crowd to one of Kelly’s beloved songs from the show: “Dayman” from the classic “The Nightman Cometh” episode. For context, during this particular episode, the group of friends puts on a musical where Day’s character plays the fictional Dayman, who wears an all-yellow outfit and battles the “Nightman” (played by Rob McElhenney’s Mac).

“Dayman, fighter of the Nightman, champion of the sun / He’s a master of karate and friendship for everyone,” the actually-catchy song goes.

Though getting Day there might seem unexpected, it’s really not for Portugal The Man. The band has been a documented lover of the track, to the point of performing it over 100 times since 2013 (123 times, to be exact, per setlist.fm data).

Day also wasn’t the only zany special guest, as “Weird Al” Yankovic joined the group to duet “Who’s Gonna Stop Me.”

Check out Day’s “Dayman” performance at the Portugal The Man concert above.

Portugal The Man is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Toronto Raptors have become notorious in recent years for losing prominent players in free agency. While Kawhi Leonard was a bit of a unique situation when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers, the Raptors opted to not trade Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet before they could hit free agency and saw both players leave — Lowry went to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade, while VanVleet was able to walk out the door for nothing and join the Houston Rockets.

Next up for Toronto, potentially, is All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, “there have been no substantive conversations surrounding an extension” for Siakam, who could put pen to paper on a 4-year deal worth $192 million. As for a trade, the team that has been most closely linked to a Siakam deal is the Atlanta Hawks, to the point that Charania reports they held discussions at Summer League and made an offer that was rebuffed.

Atlanta has offered a package centered around De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin and draft compensation to Toronto for Siakam, league sources say. But the Raptors are believed to have upped the price on any possible deal at each turn.

The tricky part for Atlanta is that they’re obviously not going to move Trae Young, and thanks to the extension that Dejounte Murray signed, he’s ineligible to get moved until early January. While they have some interesting young players who could get tossed into a deal — Hunter and Griffin are among them — the team moved a hefty amount of draft capital to acquire Murray last offseason.

It’s nearly Dametime. Damian Lillard, known musically as Dam Dolla, is nearly ready to drop his latest album, Don D.O.L.L.A. On the basketball court, he’s earned the respect of some of the game’s most celebrated players. Within the music industry, Dolla is doing to same as he continues to collect impressive collaborations, including Snoop Dogg.

In the album’s official trailer, director Brookfield Duece shows Dolla’s laser-focused grind to be the best on the court and in the booth. The athlete/musician took to Instagram to share a note about the forthcoming release, writing, “My 5th album, #DonDOLLA, is dropping in a couple of weeks. The most complete project I’ve put together. Top-notch features and production.”

The project will feature 15 songs, including previously shared singles “The Way It Goes” and “Cabo” featuring Sy Ari Da Kid. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla Sign, Tobe Nwigwe, Jordan Sparks, Rexx Life Raj, and more will make guest appearances on the album. As for basketball fans holding out to learn more about his career on the court, Dolla also has a message for them.

“Basketball is what I do, but it’s not entirely who I am. Every time I get into the recording booth, it’s like stepping into another world. Being able to pursue a career in music and basketball allows me to be who I am, on my own terms,” wrote Dolla in a separate post on Instagram. Regardless of the NBA team he lands when trade talks have concluded, he’s confirmed that his music career will travel with him.

Watch the trailer above.

Don Dolla is out 8/17 via Front Page Music/Empire. Find more information here.

With Donald Trump now facing federal charges for his plot to overturn the 2020 election, which ultimately led to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, former Vice President Mike Pence has suddenly shown a surprising willingness to attack his old boss.

Prior to Trump’s third indictment, Pence had been reluctant to criticize Trump’s election fraud shenanigans or even the MAGA riot that breached the Capitol while chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” His demeanor has since changed, and according to Bill O’Reilly, the former vice president could be the nail in Trump’s coffin when it comes to the latest indictment from special counsel Jack Smith.

“So there’s only one guy that can convict Donald Trump, and that’s Mike Pence,” O’Reilly told WABC via Raw Story. “And if Pence goes into the courtroom and says, Donald Trump knew the election was not a fraud, but he said it anyway, and I can prove it. And here’s the proof. Donald Trump goes down.”

As O’Reilly noted, Pence’s testimony could be easily supported by Mark Meadows, who is widely believed to have already cooperated with the Department of Justice’s investigation into the January 6 attack.

“Somebody like Mark Meadows would say, yeah, I was in the same conversation and Trump said X, Y, and Z, the jury in the trial, whatever gets there, that would be really damning,” O’Reilly said. “Pence himself is an honest man. [Trump’s] in over his head now.”

(Via Raw Story)

Andor is (a galaxy) far (far) and away the best Star Wars show. The Tony Gilroy-created series is thrilling, intelligent, and there’s no Skywalkers. What a concept! It probably won’t win Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys, but it also doesn’t look out of place in the same category as Succession, Better Call Saul, and The Last of Us.

Andor is coming back for season two, but will season one scene-stealer Andy Serkis return, too? When asked by the Dagobah Dispatch podcast (in an interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike) about the fate of Kino Loy, the Lord of the Rings actor replied, “There weren’t really many discussions about the afterlife of Kino. All that we do know is that he survives. I mean, we don’t see him die. We see him left for a further life of the character.”

Serkis said there were “no discussions” about what “might happen afterward. I was just excited enough about the arc that I had to play, which was a really beautifully crafted illustration of a man who has a belief system that gets broken that then has nothing to believe in, that then gets kind of reignited by someone who inspires him to find himself again, and then self-sacrifices.”

I doubt Gilroy expected Kino Loy to become a fan-favorite character, which leaves him in a tough spot for season two. How can Kino come back without it seeming like cheap fan service? Should he come back at all? Can Serkis and Stellan Skarsgård have dueling monologues? (Hopefully yes.)

(Via EW)

Artists and their labels have never traditionally gotten along all that great, but sometimes, the struggle between art and commerce boils over, leading to public outbursts and occasionally even legal action. This has especially been the case for indie label Top Dawg Entertainment, courtesy of a tendency to sign ornery, outspoken artists who aren’t afraid to vent their frustrations with the label like SZA or take their time recording new music like Isaiah Rashad.

And while TDE has been pretty patient in the past, leading to some of the more successful releases in recent years like albums from the aforementioned artists and former artist Kendrick Lamar, apparently, even they have limits. Moosa Tiffith, son of the titular Top Dawg and one of the managers at the label, finally reached his during a live interview with Del Amo rapper Reason, calling in during the rapper’s appearance to refute his complaints live.

During Reason’s appearance on the podcast BACKONFIGG, he vented about the rollout for his upcoming album, Porches, saying, “We had certain features lined up that could’ve went through. We had the budget, we had the feature lined up, takes too long to get pushed through, feature price ended up going up or something goes away. Content ideas lined up, not executed. Rollout ideas lined up, not executed.” Reason specifically pointed to an attempt to secure a feature from EST Gee, but before it could be finalized, the Louisville rapper had released a song with Future, increasing his popularity and driving up the feature price.

When Moosa called in, though, things got heated as the manager asserted that former co-president, Dave Free, didn’t even want to sign Reason, who he called a “substitute teacher.” He also challenged the show’s hosts to name 10 Reason songs, and mocked the rapper when they couldn’t. “Dave never wanted us to sign Reason,” Moosa declared. “He called him a substitute teacher. Dot only said Reason had talent, but it’s gon’ take more than just talent in this game right now and everybody know that.”

You can check out the full episode above and see the argument in question below.

Grimes appeared for a new interview tied to being on the cover of Wired, where she did not shy away from speaking about all sorts of things tied to Elon Musk. Despite the two splitting a while back, they are still clearly close — enough for her to have an opinion on the reported cage match that Musk is having against Mark Zuckerberg.

She does believe that the fight will actually take place, considering how hyped up it’s been.

“I think so. Elon is very strong, but Zuck seems like he’s been training a ton,” Grimes shared. “I would prefer that it didn’t happen. I love gladiatorial matches, but watching the father of your children in a physical fight is not the most pleasant feeling. But it’s not going to cause brain damage, so actually I think this is good. Dudes need some outlet for trad masculinity. I told Sam Altman there should be a follow-up, him against Demis.”

During the piece, Grimes also admitted she might have been responsible for one of Musk’s Twitter (X?) posts, where he challenged Zuckerberg to a d*ck measuring contest in addition to their physical fight.

“I’m going to take credit for that one,” she added. “I was like, why don’t you cut to the chase and get out a ruler. I didn’t think he was going to tweet it.”

While it’s unclear still when exactly the two tech bros are going to box it out, there will definitely be people tuned in and betting on a winner.

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert swung back into action earlier this week by posting a photo of herself launching grenades after complaining about grocery prices. Now, she’s back to dabbling in history, which hasn’t historically gone well for her, especially when one confuses a founding father with a beer brand. The MAGA congresswoman has also intentionally reminded people of her GED (which she received a few months before being elected to office) and trashed people who have student loans and wanted to abolish the entire education department.

Now, she’s here to suggest that a Democrat get a “history textbook.” Yep, she did. This perhaps rhetorical question went out to Al Sharpton after he suggested that Trump was of the same school as some noted U.S.A. enemies.

It’s unclear whether Boebert took the “or” to be an “and” when Sharpton asked, “Are you on the side of America…or are you on the side of King George or the Confederates? – that’s where I would cast Donald Trump.” She didn’t elaborate upon the substance of her remark, so people were left to interpret it as they will. And that led to a pile-on effect.

Yes, plenty of GED mentions happened, and you know, there is nothing wrong with having a GED. Yet attacking someone else’s intelligence kinda opens the door to criticism on the subject. People also inquired what Boebert was attempting to specifically say about Sharpton’s argument to no avail, which only opened her up to more criticism. As a result, it got a bit ugly out there on social media.

It’s difficult to understand why lawmakers have so much time to tweet when there are so many bills to read, or at least, matters to catch up on during recess.

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 Grandaddy, MJ Lenderman, Speedy Ortiz, Whitney, 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.

MJ Lenderman — “Knockin”

MJ Lenderman recently returned with his first single since last year’s resonant Boat Songs. “Rudolph” had his signature humor, whereas this new track “Knockin” shows off his knack for idiosyncratic slow-burners. “Loneliness is simple / Not much else is,” he drawls disarmingly against hypnotic, scrappy guitars.

Speedy Ortiz — “Ghostwriter”

Next month, Speedy Ortiz are sharing Rabbit Rabbit to follow 2021’s The Death of Speedy Ortiz and Cop Kicker… Forever, which was a celebration of their debut. The singles from their new album have made the upcoming record all the more alluring, and the upbeat “Ghostwriter” has memorably clever lines: “For every white lie I got a gray one and a reason for every failure / Every nickel I’m dimed, I just take it offline,” Sadie Dupuis sings.

Drop Nineteens — “Scapa Flow”

No big deal — Drop Nineteens just announced their first record since 1993’s National Coma. The shoegaze crew are known for their cult classic Delaware, and their new single “Scapa Flow” contains the dreamlike, sprawling sound that fans love them for. Hard Light is out in November and it’s going to be massive.

Grandaddy — “Derek Spears”

Grandaddy is sharing Sumday: Excess Baggage later this month, and “Derek Spears” is a preview. The piano-driven track is intimate and is made all the more emotional with a nostalgic harmonica. Jason Lytle’s distinct vocals are evocative as he details a story: “You slept right by the yogurt hut on a painted curb / Wearing nothing but some cut-offs and a muscle shirt.”

Meet Me @ The Altar — “Take Me Away” (Freaky Friday Cover)

Why not cover “Take Me Away” from Freaky Friday? Meet Me @ The Altar, who just unveiled their debut Past // Present // Future earlier this year, made the song their own with their energetic, invigorating sound. “It’s everything we love all meshed into one — female representation in punk music, and on screen,” the group said about the song.

Spirit Of The Beehive — “Tapeworm” & “Natural Devotion 2”

Spirit Of The Beehive’s Entertainment, Death was a highlight of 2021 with its eccentric ambiance. Their new songs “Tapeworm” & “Natural Devotion 2” from their forthcoming EP I’m So Lucky possess their lovable quirks — whispers, off-kilter atmospheres, screams. It’s a mosaic of madness.

Jobber — “Summerslam”

“Summerslam” is Jobber’s first music since their addictive Hell In A Cell EP, and it’s a great way to end the summer. This new track has their catchy brand of grunge; the heavy guitars and soft vocals meld perfectly together, making the music feel teleported from the ’90s. The music video of wrestlers and dinosaur suits only makes the song hit harder.

Whitney — “Kansas”

Whitney’s new song “Kansas” is instantly emotional as Julien Ehrlich sings with a vulnerable lilt about poignant lanscapes: “Winter sky turned over in Kansas / Though I didn’t notice / The streetlights towered over / Lonely faces drifted out of focus.” The track has been performed to audiences before, so fans can finally listen to it now upon its release.

Pinkshift — “Home”

Pinkshift always provide the pop punk anthems. Their new song “Home” is no exception. The instruments build alongside Ashrita Kumar’s fearless voice: “You’ll never be alone again / I’ll always stay / We’ll never go home again / But I’m still the same,” she sings, leading the track into an enveloping rock catharsis.

The Linda Lindas — “Resolution/Revolution”

“Bela had been rocking out to a lot of Pantera and Judas Priest when we started writing ‘Resolution/Revolution,’” the band explained about their new unafraid anthem “Resolution/Revolution.” The guitars are relentless as they sing in a kind of chant: “You don’t know how to face it / Your arguments are baseless . You don’t have any takes and / Your sympathy is wasted.”

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

Dave Chappelle has had some overlap with the music industry: Chappelle’s Show often had musical guests, Chappelle has won a few Grammys in his day, and now, he has made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The comedian is featured on “Parasail” from Travis Scott’s new album Utopia, and the song just debuted at No. 53 on the chart. (Yung Lean is also on the track, which is his Hot 100 debut, too.)

Rob49 also just made his first Hot 100 appearance thanks to his feature alongside 21 Savage on “Topia Twins,” which debuts at No. 17. Westside Gunn also just had his Hot 100 debut via Scott’s “Lost Forever,” which enters the chart at No. 46.

If it seems like a lot of Scott songs are on the Hot 100 this week, that’s because all 19 tracks from Utopia debuted on the chart. Two of them are in the top 5: “Meltdown” with Drake at No. 3 and “Fe!n” with Playboi Carti at No. 5. Just outside the top 10 is “I Know?” at No. 11.

With that in mind, this next piece of news probably isn’t surprising: Utopia debuted at No. 1 on the new Billboard 200 chart with 496,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States, which was enough to beat Post Malone’s Austin.