Month: October 2023

October is here. Time for Pumpkin Spice Latte, Taylor Swift —at football games, in theaters, or on the charts, take your pick — and Austin City Limits. The latter’s 2023 iteration will be staged this weekend, October 6-8, and next weekend, October 13-15, with headliners Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, and Mumford & Sons. The other big-text artists are Odesza, The Lumineers, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, The 1975, and Hozier. You can find all of the acts’ set times here.

But before you can enjoy any ACL performances at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, you’ll have to find somewhere to park. According to the festival’s official website, Zilker Park does not offer parking. However, per the site, “Pavemint has partnered with ACL Fest to provide parking for festival attendees with Pavemint’s smart parking solution.” Parking reservations can be made here. The website additionally clarifies, “There is limited accessible parking available near the festival on a first-come, first-served basis to vehicles displaying an appropriate state-issued plate or placard.”

The festival will kick off on Friday, October 6, with the likes of Delacey, Portugal. The Man, Lil Yachty, Little Simz, Maggie Rogers, Kali Uchis, The Revivalists, The Lumineers, and Kendrick Lamar. (Lamar will also headline on Friday, October 13.) Foo Fighters will deliver headlining sets on Saturday, October 7, and Saturday, October 14, while Mumford & Sons will headline on Sunday, October 8, and Sunday, October 15.

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last year something exciting happened to Winnie-the-Pooh: He and his cadre of woodland critters entered the public domain. The rights to A.A. Milne’s beloved characters had spent decades held hostage by The Walt Disney Company, who milked him for numerous beloved shorts, movies, and shows. Once Winnie, Eeyore, Rabbit, et al. were free, people have gone above and beyond to give them makeovers. There was that horror movie adaptation. And there’s a forthcoming body horror game that’s making people wish Disney had never let its rights lapse.

It’s called Winnie’s Hole, and believe it or not the title is not the most shudder-inducing thing about it. It comes from the Australian game studio Twice Different, and, as IGN reported a while back, players play a “virus traveling through Winnie the Pooh’s body.” It gets worse:

“As you spread throughout the bear’s rotund vessel like a cancer, you branch out the map and gather the resources you need to capture healthy cells and mutate them to grow as many extra appendages and eyes to transform Winnie into a monstrosity of your liking and adapt his form for survival.”

The game was announced back in June, but sometimes traumatizing things take a while to fully horrify the general populace. After IGN brought the game up again a few days ago, on Wednesday it finally went viral. And when it went viral, a lot of people couldn’t handle Winnie-the-Pooh going David Cronenberg.

Some couldn’t even handle the title.

Some over-analyzed the premise, deducing that it made no sense for a toy bear to be plagued with a virus wreaking biological rebellion.

Some speculated about other children’s IP entering the public domain.

Some hatched conspiracy theories about all these kid’s Ips getting edgy treatments, like that Grinch horror movie from last year.

Some mocked other “nightmare fuel” reboots.

Others welcomed the nightmare fuel.

You can watch the trailer for Winnie’s Hole (again, *shudder*) below.

(Via IGN)

(WARNING: Spoilers for the most recent Power Book IV: Force episode will be found below.)

We’re about to cross the halfway point in the second season of Power Book IV: Force and it’s been quite the hectic season already. So far, the biggest moment has been the death of Walter Flynn, a character played by none other than Tommy Flanagan. He was killed by his son Vic Flynn who is now working with the police to take down his sister and Tommy Egan, though, he’s a bit reluctant to do the latter. As for Tommy, he’s moving forward on his plan to take over the Chicago drug with Diamond by his side as they partnered to lead CBI. It’s been a whole lot going on in this season of Power Book IV: Force. Here’s how many episodes you can expect to indulge in this season.

How Many Episodes Are In Power Book IV: Force Season 2?

Season two of Power Book IV: Force has a total of 10 episodes which is the same amount that season one had. The new episodes are available on Fridays starting at midnight EST/PST. Each week, the new episode will also air on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT.

What Is The Release Date For Power Book IV: Force Season 2, Episode 6?

Power Book IV: Force season 2, episode 6, titled “Here There Be Monsters,” will be released on the STARZ app on Wednesday, October 6 at midnight ET/PT. The episode will also air on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT that same day. You can read the synopsis for the episode below:

Tommy and Diamond expand their coalition by bringing Vic and Jenard into CBI, just as the Serbs declare war against them all.

New episodes of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

There’s jumping the gun, and then there’s what The Drew Barrymore Show did. Last month, the daytime talk show’s titular star announced it was returning, even though the WGA strike was still raging. Massive backlash ensued and Barrymore had to renege on her plans. Had she only waited a week-and-a-half, things might have turned out different. But the show’s on course to return for real this time, although with a bit of extra bumpiness.

As per Deadline, The Drew Barrymore Show is set to come back on October 16. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it will do so minus three of its head writers. Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon and Liz Koe, Deadline reports, have “decided not to return to the show.”

Sources say that after the strike ended, all three were extended new offers. All three declined. The show is in the process of interviewing new writers, with less than two weeks before its comeback.

Kinon was among those interviewed in September, when the strike was on its last legs. When asked what she thought about her show returning without its writers, Kinon said, “It’s not personal,” adding, “Everybody’s doing what they need to do. They’re going on with the show, and we are picketing.”

(Via Deadline)

Mutual Benefit, the project of songwriter Jordan Lee, sings of a massive flame that tears through the land on his Growing At The Edges track “Season Of Flame.” The song describes the feeling of looking out into a wasteland after a fire has blazed through, and the want to imagine another, better world that comes in the wake of destruction. That longing for a better world is something we can all relate to. But rather than focusing on the ruin, Mutual Benefit is more interested in the growth that follows.

As a whole, Lee’s fourth studio album Growing At The Edges is a meditation on change and transformation. “I became interested in the unruly first signs of growth after a disaster, and the beautiful ways lives start to blur into each other through relationships,” Lee said of the album in a statement. “Edges are where spaces are negotiated.”

As someone who makes self-described as “astral folk” music, Mutual Benefit’s songs are transportive. Throughout 10 tenderhearted tracks, Growing At The Edges examines changes both in the world and in Lee himself. It was also inspired by classical and jazz radio stations he’d listen to during lockdown, which comes through on the various tranquil instrumental tracks.

Celebrating the impending release of Growing At The Edges, Lee sits down with Uproxx to talk Joanna Newsom, opossums, and the fear of being misunderstood in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Contemplative, ornate, catchy, evocative.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

My hope for listeners in 2050 is the same as it is now, for my music to be a little portal where people can visit and hopefully feel some catharsis or comfort. I hope Mutual Benefit will still sound good through Amazon brain implant surveillance and shopping modules.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Back in the early days of Tumblr there was a bi-coastal collective called FMLY that inspired a lot of the ethos and trajectory of my music career. They championed the sort of DIY, book your own tour, record your own music, make your own cassette label, find the other freaks in your town and book shows in your kitchen sort of mentality that gave me permission to think of myself as a musician instead of a poser who needed outside permission to release music.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

A narrowly-missed slice from Pizza Suprema in NYC after a long flight from Montana.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

Joanna Newsom solo at El Museo del Barrio in Harlem. I was in a post-tour depressive slump and my partner surprised me with tickets. At the show she was effortlessly switching between piano and harp, sometimes mid-song, and masterfully reinterpreting these huge arrangements into their most important parts. It was absolutely spiritual to me.

What song never fails to make you emotional?

“River Man” by Nick Drake. The arrangement transports me like few other songs. The picked guitar part feels like rowing, the strings seem to be asking a question which the lyrics don’t answer, and instead the music just partially resolves. Just like life! I’m listening right now and getting emotional, mission accomplished haha.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“Do opossums live in Rhode Island?”

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

One memory that comes to mind is sleeping in a treehouse in Providence but getting awoken by what I think was a huge possum. I freaked out and ran back inside to sleep on the floor, it was so scary!

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

I really like playing in Scotland. Something about the rowdy crowds, the weird sense of humor, the big bearded men who become sensitive after a couple pints. I love it, especially Glasgow. I’ve never performed anywhere besides North America and Western Europe and would absolutely love to play outside of that bubble someday. It feels more meaningful to be “invited” into a new country by a band or organization who is excited about my work instead of just randomly booking it so I’m biding my time…

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

I’d probably tell my 18 year old self to be less afraid of making mistakes but honestly I just found my journals from when I was that age and I miss the world feeling so open and new and feeling things so hard. Maybe I should get some advice from my teenager self haha.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can make a new friend within twenty minutes of sitting at an airport bar.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

I’m a lot more interested in creating the conditions where the idea of charity doesn’t need to exist. That being said, I would redistribute that money to projects in my neighborhood doing mutual aid and food justice work like Brooklyn Supported Agriculture which is a Black-led cooperative that sources, packs, and distributes fruits and veggies. I’ve been admiring their efforts to take something as foundational as food supply and reimagining it as a more just system.

What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?

I see AI’s impact on the future of music as an extension of what is already happening when people whose main goal is to chase maximum profits are in charge of how music gets made and distributed. I’ve seen so much change happen in the 14 years my band has existed like the importance of catering to social media platforms, switching from posting songs to 15 second snippets of the catchiest moment, to touring though venues that are increasingly monopolized and corporatized. If there’s already rigid formulas and aesthetics for getting music to succeed on these platforms, why not have AI do it?

Still, I do have faith in underground and non-commercial music communities. I think there will always be interesting things happening, including right now. I just wish the economics of it were more fair and there was more incentive to be creative.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.

I like the idea of an outside camping festival somewhere beautiful like a desolate Big Sur type landscape where there is mountain, forest, and ocean at the same time. A manageable amount of people come, like 200 or so, and there would be music stations set up in different locations where people could collaborate to make ambient music, atmospheric music. The goal would be to make sure each location would be making some sort of sound at all times and that a wide range of people could use the music stations at any time. People could meditate, read, write poetry, nap, whatever.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

I see they’ve calmed down a bit, but there were a couple years where the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) was absolutely unhinged on twitter. They would make up these characters like Pasta Frog or The Eye of Destiny. I definitely wish more federal agencies used twitter for the sake of surrealist memes.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I don’t have any but on tour I’ve highly considered getting 3 diagonally stacked hearts as an homage to the Love’s logo because their bathrooms are so clean. In parts of the country it is like an oasis in the desert.

What is your pre-show ritual?

I like to practice harmonies with the band while jumping and rolling around to get all my nervous energy out and be loose for the show.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Lady Marian from Disney’s Robin Hood. Take that as you will.

You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?

I heard there is a long mountain trail in Japan where you can visit the Shinto temples and camp. Doing something like that would be a dream. I’d bring my girlfriend along if it sounded fun and not miserable to her.

What is your biggest fear?

To be misunderstood.

Growing At The Edges is out 10/6 via Transgressive. Find more information here.

What do the biggest celebrity tequilas, the most Googled brand, and the oldest tequila have in common? They get talked about — and sold — a lot! But talk is cheap. What do these brands actually have to offer tequila drinkers?

We’re here to find out by pitting four bottles against one another in a blind taste test. Let’s talk about the four brands we’ve chosen:

Right now one of the most Googled tequila brands is Hijole! It’s a fairly new brand on the scene and is already on track to sell 900,000 bottles of tequila by the end of the year. There is a pretty good reason for all the curiosity out there — the brand has sponsorship deals with big sports teams like the New York Mets, The Denver Broncos, and The San Antonio Spurs, to name a few. Basically, a lot of sports fans are being introduced to Hijole at stadiums and naturally want to know if its any good.

On the celebrity side, we have Casamigos and 818, two brands known for their connections with big-name celebrities (George Clooney and Kendall Jenner respectively, through Clooney sold Casamigos to Diageo in 2017). Both, believe it or not, both produce some pretty solid tequila bottles for their respective price points. In our opinion, these two brands are the gold standard of celebrity tequila.

Representing the “oldest brand,” we have Jose Cuervo — which has been making tequila for over 250 years, Jose Antonio Cuervo being the first officially licensed tequila manufacturer.

In an effort to even out the playing field as much as we can, we’ll be tasting each brand’s un-aged expressions. Because Jose Cuervo Especial Silver is straight garbage, we decided to toss the brand a bone by opting for a bottle from their more high-end Reserve De La Familia line, Jose Cuervo Platino. All four bottles can be found anywhere between $30-$60, so we think we’re being as fair as possible, let’s drink!

Part 1: The Tequila Blind Taste Test

Taste 1:

Nose: Warm roasted agave and whiffs of fresh-cut grass on the nose. There is a bright earthiness to this that is very inviting.

Palate: A medley of vegetal asparagus and bright citrus zest. There is a strong peppery quality to this tequila that awakens the tastebuds.

Finish: That pepper quality lives on the finish as well, but it’s balanced out by some subtle hints of vanilla.

Taste 2:

Nose: Roasted agave is the strongest note apparent but it’s lightly kissed with some honey and vanilla, giving it an alluring sweetness you can almost taste.

Palate: Strong tropical vibes from this one, I’m tasting coconut, toasted almond, vanilla, and a light bit of black pepper.

Finish: A nice balance between sweet and dessert-like, with a tobacco leaf bitterness that keeps it from tasting too perfumed and artificial. Real nice journey with this tequila.

Taste 3:

Nose: Strong dessert vibes on the nose, I’m getting a lot of vanilla and roasted agave from this one. There is an apparent mellowness here, almost like an aged expression.

Palate: Sweet and super smooth. I’m tasting some fruity berry notes and a hint of cream. One of the least harsh unaged expressions I’ve ever tasted.

Finish: The vegetal notes come out at the aftertaste. It still goes down smooth and has a dessert-like quality to it, but the aftertaste brings forth vegetal flavors. A hint of green bell pepper and green grass.

Taste 4:

Nose: Blunt alcohol note with hints of roasted agave. Easily the dullest nose of the bottles we’ve tried today. The aroma comes across as flat and doesn’t have the same brightness as the other bottles.

Palate: Very smooth, almost suspiciously so — with juicy pineapple and pear notes. Good flavor, but it leaves too soon.

Finish: The finish has a citrus zest to it and a strange herbal aftertaste.

Part 2: The Tequila Ranking

4. Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia — Platino (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%

Price: $61.99

The Tequila:

Jose Cuervo’s high-end line ranks last for us. Unlike the Especial line which are cheap mixto tequilas (meaning a mix of tequila from agave and other sugars), the Reserva De La Familia is made following the handcrafted techniques originally started by the brand’s first master distiller, utilizing the inner portions of the agave and cooked for 48 hours.

The bottles are produced at NOM 1122, Casa Cuervo, and placed in wax-sealed bottles that are hand-numbered. I think the bottles are beautiful and it’s a line of bottles a lot of people seem to forget the brand has, but it just didn’t have what it takes to compete with the other bottles chosen for this matchup.

The Bottom Line:

Jose Cuervo’s best un-aged expression, but for the money, you can find better bottles with better flavors.

3. 818 — Tequila Blanco (Taste 3)

ABV: 40%

Price: $64.99

The Tequila:

I’m a big defender of Kendall Jenner’s 818, I think it gets a lot of undue criticism and as a tequila writer, I’ve hosted many a party where people have openly written off this brand, only to be proven wrong in an impromptu blind taste test (my parties are the best). Having said that, in this particular blind taste test, this bottle came off as too sweet and way too smooth.

Produced at NOM 1607, Grupo Solave, the agave here is cooked in stone brick ovens, tahona extracted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The Bottom Line:

Sweet, smooth, and people-pleasing. If you want something brighter with a lot of character and a stronger emphasis on agave, look elsewhere.

Casamigos Blanco (Taste 1)

ABV: 40%

Price: $39.99

The Tequila:

George Clooney hasn’t owned Casamigos for six years now, and yet people still consider it “Clooney’s brand.” We get it, and it makes sense considering his and former model Rande Gerber signatures are still on the bottle and appear in all the marketing for the brand (these dudes are paaaaaaaaid).

The major difference between Casamigos and 818, is that the former leans on the bright flavors of agave, giving up ease of drinkability for something that tastes a bit more true to the expected flavors of tequila.

This bottle is produced at NOM 1609, Diageo México Operaciones using agave cooked in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and distilled in stainless steel pots with a copper coil before being rested in stainless steel.

The Bottom Line:

Brighter and more peppery than 818 with a hint of vanilla qualities to balance it out.

Hijole! Blanco (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%

Price: $36.99

The Tequila:

I didn’t expect Hijole to take the top spot here. Not at all. But this bottle came across pretty easily as the best in our lineup today. There is a people-pleasing smoothness to this bottle (it doesn’t have the strong character of additive-free tequila) but it still offers a lot of vegetal notes, and a slight bitterness at the finish that reminds you, yes, you’re drinking tequila.

Produced at NOM 1614, Tequilera Tap, the agave here is harvested at six years maturity and cooked in an autoclave for 24 hours before being roller mill extracted, and fermented in a stainless steel pot. I’m actually surprised that so many stadiums are embracing Hijole, it’s not as smooth as Casamigos and 818, not as well known as the Cuervo family, and actually has some bite to it.

The Bottom Line:

A pretty solid bottle of tequila that is fruity and bright and sports a bouquet of flavors that take your tastebuds on a journey. But as much as we like this bottle, we can’t help but feel your money is best spent elsewhere. You can order your stadium margarita with Hijole but outside of the ball game, there are a bunch of other brands near this price point that offer more interesting flavors and more character.

Fans looking forward to catching Ty Dolla Sign’s More Motion Less Emotion Tour might just be out of luck. Songkick’s calendar for Ty Dolla Sign is showing a slew of canceled shows, while Ty’s own website has no upcoming events listed. Even Live Nation only has one show coming up in Costa Mesa, CA on October 21.

So…

Is Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘More Motion Less Emotion Tour’ Canceled?

Although no official announcements have been made either way, it certainly looks like it is, for all intents.

We’re not entirely sure what prompted the cancellations, other than the fact that we’ve seen similar events being dropped from the likes of Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and more this year. Certainly, the live entertainment industry is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic (which, sorta hasn’t really ever stopped so much as we all decided to go on about our business after over a million people died from a completely preventable breakdown of public policy and social discourse). Venues are doing less business at their bars, and with Live Nation nixing merch fees for artists, their venues are are sure to see revenues take a hit.

Artists themselves are struggling, too. While top-line artists like Beyoncé, Drake, and Taylor Swift have devoured all the oxygen (and money) that would probably ordinarily be going to indies and rising artists, even established majors are finding it tough to sell tickets, route tours, and turn a profit from a hungry public that demands more bang for their buck than but has a lot fewer of those bucks to spread around.

It wouldn’t be surprising to find out Ty’s in this boat, for now, all this is just conjecture. And speaking of conjecture, there’s speculation among fans that he’s been working on Kanye West’s new album, which fans on Twitter believe is being recorded in Italy
One thing is for sure: This is a tough break for openers Leon Thomas and Symba, who could have used the exposure — and the tour money.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ice Spice’s ascension as the hip-hop it-girl of the year continues as Saturday Night Live announces the lineup for its return next week, October 14. The show’s return has been in doubt since the paired Writers’ Guild of America and Screen Actors’ Guild strikes basically shut down all of Hollywood for the second time in the past four years, but with the studios capitulating to the writers’ demands, production has resumed on at least some shows, including SNL.

In addition to the temporary return of Pete Davidson to the cast as guest host, Ice Spice will make her late-night TV debut as the musical guest. She’ll have plenty of hit songs to choose from for her performance, including “Barbie World,” “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” “Deli,” “In Ha Mood,” “Princess Diana,” and of course, her breakout hit “Munch.” And although her Dunkin Donuts ad spot with Ben Affleck had her looking a little stiff, who knows? Maybe she’ll also turn out to be a comedic genius should she get added to any skits as part of her planned acting career transition.

One thing is for sure: This performance will almost certainly be safer than her recent set at the Listen Out Music Festival in Sydney, Australia. During a performance of “Princess Diana,” Spice’s backside was nearly singed as she twerked in her signature short skirt a little too close to the pyrotechnics. Talk about your wardrobe malfunctions. Hopefully, she can avoid anymore fashion mishaps when she takes the SNL stage on October 14.

The WGA strike has only been over for a week and change, but already some shows have started roaring back. Late night chat shows have returned to the airwaves, with some hosts railing against the five months it took AMPTP execs to give into strikers’ demands. SNL vowed to come back very soon, too, and sure enough they’ve already set a date that’s right around the corner, with the help of a popular alum.

Per Variety, the 49th season of the deathless live sketch show will kick off on October 14, i.e., in just a week and a half. The show announced the hosts and musical acts for the first two new episodes. On the 14th, no less than Pete Davidson will take the reins, alongside musical act Ice Spice. On October 21, Bad Bunny will do double duties as both host and musical guest.

Davidson was actually supposed to host SNL back in May, but that coincided with the start of the WGA strike, which brought a premature ending to Season 48. It would have been the first time he’d been on SNL since leaving in the spring of 2022. But now, some five months later, he’s been given the chance to do a Mulligan — while nimbly avoiding any promotional stuff, like talking up his new movie Dumb Money, because Hollywood top dogs still haven’t resolved that other massive strike.

SNL will return on Oct. 14, with Pete Davidson and Ice Spice, and again on Oct. 21, with Bad Bunny.

(Via Variety)

Drake might well be one of the most consistently productive rappers of his generation, but that hasn’t stopped every one of his album releases from being events. No one ever wants to miss out on a Drake album release, and his upcoming eighth studio album, For All The Dogs, appears to be no exception.

When Will Drake’s ‘For All The Dogs’ Come Out On Spotify?

After months of teasing and at least one release date delay, Drake’s latest album is scheduled for release on all platforms — including Spotify — on October 6. However, with Drake, you can never be 100 percent sure that he’ll make his release deadline, even though he’s usually been pretty good at getting them in under the wire.

Which songs will comprise the album remains to be seen, though. While he’s already released a pair of singles this year, “Search & Rescue” and “Slime You Out” featuring SZA, only the latter has been promoted as an official album single. However, Drake did share the album’s avant-garde cover, which was allegedly drawn by his six-year-old son, Adonis.

Originally due near the end of September, For All The Dogs was pushed back to allow Drake time to finish his It’s All A Blur Tour. We’ll find out if the wait was worth it on Friday, 10/6.