Month: April 2024

When you travel as much as the Uproxx family, you start to feel like a pro when it comes to the act of booking accommodations. We know how to pick the best AirBnB from the bunch. We’ve got clear criteria for chic resorts that won’t be overrun with sugared-up kids and exhausted parents. We definitely know the luxury brands we love. We even gave them their own special column, Hotels We Love.

Point being, we’ve got our stay n’ play game down! And we still get legit excited when something new comes across our radar and makes us perk up.

I recently took a quick jaunt down to Miami to follow the sun and beat the winter blues. To my delight, the Moxy Miami South Beach presented a fresh flavor that felt new and intriguing to my travel-seasoned palate. With a sense of irreverent flare that walks a fine line between playful and posh, they’ve got a formula that felt just on the edge unfamiliar but thoroughly inviting. Here’s what hooked me hardest:

BOLD DECOR

So what exactly makes the Moxy Miami South Beach live up to its name as if Sinatra were saying it?

First, the aesthetic is about as bold as you can go without becoming brash. It’s not a stretch to say that the decor could have easily been put together by Hunter S. Thompson in a peak altered state. Clean and unassuming from the outside, as soon as you walk in the door you’re hit with a wave of vibrant color.

Surrealist murals line the lobby and smartly contrast the sleek mirrored glass bar anchored in the center of the space. When I visit a hotel, I love not having to ask where to get our cocktails upon arrival, Frank and Hunter would agree.

FLOW

More than just flare, the Moxy Miami has flow. The lobby opens to a beautiful atrium where you can step out to sip your evening cocktail or enjoy your morning juice and breakfast burrito from the tienda. From the atrium, you can proceed up a staircase to the 2nd floor restaurant Serena which takes a much more refined approach which we appreciated for dinner.

Both Serena’s food and beverage menus lean LatinX with plenty of options to delight from the spiciest taste buds to the more subdued not looking to pile on the feugo. Oh, and keeping with the requisite pinch of random, we’ll note that the guacamole and plantain chips appetizer is portioned to be a meal unto itself. No skimping detected here.

Not hungry? The same staircase will wrap you around to the pool which you can count on being full of floaties and eye other eye candy catching a little sun in their ample rows of lounge chairs and cabanas. Not in the mood for a dip? Step just past the pool and you’ll find yourself in their fitness center which is stocked enough for even the hardcore gym bros to not scoff.

THE ROOMS THEMSELVES

The meat and potatoes of any good hotel. I stayed in a corner king suite which was just as flavorful as the lobby. Jungle leaf wallpaper lined the entry to the living room with a neon sign that read “Mañana, Mañana, Mañana” – a mantra reminding me to relax and just enjoy the moment.

Not to overdo it, the wallpaper stops short and the rest of the room keeps it clean and white. A portrait of Jean Michel Basquiat hung over the bed and proved a refreshingly on-point pop-alternative to so much of the hotel art we’ve all become used to.

THE INTANGIBLES

Made for the stay with an emphasis on play, the Moxy offers several floor plans designed for the group of friends who aren’t in town to stay cooped up in the room. Yes, they offer the standard king and double queen options, but the Moxy Miami also has a quad-bunk bed layout for those dedicated to squad life. We were intrigued enough to ask and although the bunk option isn’t available at all Moxy locations, you and your pack can shack up tight and save a few bucks to offset your bar tab at many of their global properties.

So where to next? I stated earlier that I followed the sun down to Miami but the Moxy brand has just launched a partnership with the Sanctuary astrology app that’s meant to encourage travelers to literally follow their stars and discover new locations based on their signs. They held a launch party for the partnership while I was in town and I got an astro-cartography reading that gave some insight and recommendations for where I might find auspicious energies awaiting in my upcoming travels.

The main bar served up a well-rounded offering of zodiac-inspired cocktails and they even had a crystal bar where I grabbed a few rocks for my pockets to balance the ones in my drink. The evening’s offerings were equal parts playful and thoughtful, just like the rest of the Moxy experience. The Uproxx crew loves a little “woo-woo” with our “where to?” and Moxy nailed that in style.

Check out the Moxy website and book here. Rooms start at $350 per night for a standard King and hike up to $750 for a Suite. Bunk rooms fall somewhere in the middle but make for a great way to split the tab as a team. No matter what room you choose, our crystal ball predicts a whole lot of winning.

When it comes to sessionable, no-frills lagers, you’re likely to hear a few descriptive words repeatedly. These include “crushable”, “thirst-quenching”, “dry”, and most importantly “crisp.” For us, the latter descriptor is most important. When warm weather hits, we’re looking for the epitome of crisp when we crack open a lager.

That’s why we drink pilsner this time of year.

For those unaware, a pilsner is a type of lager that’s brewed with pilsner malt and lager yeast (and other ingredients). It gets its name from the city of Plzen in the Czech Republic. This is where the beer style was first invented in 1842, with the creation of Pilsner Urquell.

Known for its balance of pilsner malts, floral hops, and lightly bitter, dry, very crisp finish. It’s a great beer in the spring and summer, but one that pairs well with all seasons. Keep scrolling to see our favorite no-frills, crispy pilsners you can buy right now. We even ranked them for you.

8.) Troegs Sunshine Pils

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This year-round offering from the folks at Troegs was brewed with pilsner malt, lager yeast, and Saaz and Hersbrucker hops. Secondary fermentation adds even more flavor to this crisp, refreshing, surprisingly well-balanced American pilsner.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll be treated to aromas of cereal grains, citrus peels, honey, and floral, earthy hops. The palate contains biscuit-like malts, cereal grains, honey, orange peels, and spicy, floral hops. The finish is hoppy, crisp, and gently bitter.

Bottom Line:

This American pilsner has all the crisp flavor drinkers love in the style, but it’s also surprisingly well-balanced.

7.) Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This Bohemian-style pilsner is one of Oskar Blues’ most beloved beers and for good reason. This year-round offering is a crushable, sessionable 4.7% ABV. Known for its malted, citrus, honey, and floral flavors, it’s hopped with Saaz and Aramis hops.

Tasting Notes:

Bready malts, sweet honey, lemon peels, hay, and floral Noble hops make for a very inviting nose. Sipping it reveals hints of freshly baked bread, biscuit malts, citrus peels, cracked black pepper, honey, and floral, earthy hops. The finish is dry, lightly bitter, and pleasantly crisp.

Bottom Line:

Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella is a crisp, refreshing American take on the classic Czech-style pilsner.

6.) von Trapp Bavarian Pils

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Stow, Vermont’s von Trapp Brewery (yes, it’s the same family from ‘The Sound of Music’) is well-known for its interpretations of traditional European beers. One of our favorites of the bunch is its Bavarian Pils. It’s brewed with malts imported from Bamberg, Germany, and hops from Bavaria’s Hallertau Region. It’s known for its malty, floral, lightly bitter, crisp flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are aromas of freshly baked bready, pilsner malts, grass, straw, lemon peels, honey, and floral, herbal hops. Sipping it reveals notes of bready malts, honey sweetness, citrus peels, peppery spice, and grassy, floral hops. The finish is dry, crisp, and very refreshing.

Bottom Line:

Sure, you could book a flight to Bavaria to enjoy a crisp, refreshing beer or you could simply crack open this delicious brew from von Trapp.

5.) Sixpoint The Crisp

ABV: 5.4%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

With a name like The Crisp, you should have a pretty good idea about what you’re in store for when you crack open one of these bad boys. Brewed with Cargill malt as well as Tettnang and Hallertau hops imported from Germany, it’s known for its clean, crisp, floral flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of biscuit malts, honey, peppery spice, grass, lemon peel, and floral hops start everything off on the right foot. The palate is all cracker malts, honey, lemongrass, hay, and spicy, floral, snappy hops. The finish is dry, thirst-quenching, and effortlessly crisp.

Bottom Line:

Dry, crisp, and very floral. This is a great choice for drinkers who prefer their beers to lean heavily into those adjectives.

4.) Deschutes King Crispy

ABV: 4.8%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

We’re not sure what country King Crispy calls home. We do know that he adorns the can for this sublimely crispy beer. This highly crushable 4.8% ABV pilsner is brewed with pilsner, Bohemian pilsner, Carafoam, and acidulated malts. It gets its hop aroma and flavor from the addition of Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang hops.

Tasting Notes:

There are a lot of yeasty bread, pilsner malt, honey, grass, straw, peppery, and floral hop aromas to start everything off right. Drinking it brings forth notes of bready malts, peppery spice, lemon peels, toffee, wheat crackers, and floral, earthy hops. The finish is majestically clean and crisp.

Bottom Line:

This beer is balanced, crisp, and very crushable. We’d pay tribute to this regal monarch any time of year.

3.) Victory Prima Pils

ABV: 5.3%

Average Price: $13 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This beer might be brewed in Pennsylvania, but it’s German through and through, Brewed with pilsner malts and Tettnang, Hallertau, and Saaz hops, it’s known for its mix of sweet malts, citrus peels, and gently spicy, floral hops. It’s clean, crisp, and memorable.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a fragrant bouquet of bready malts, lemon peels, grass, straw, and floral, herbal hops. Drinking it brings you flavors of biscuit malts, honey, lemongrass, orange peels, and spicy, floral, lightly piney hops. The finish is clean, dry, and very crisp.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to American takes on classic German pilsners, you’d have a difficult time finding a better example than Victory Prima Pils.

2.) Oxbow Luppolo

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

We talk a lot about Czech-style pilsners and German-style pilsners, but we wouldn’t want to leave out crisp, refreshing Italian-style pilsners. This is exactly what they brewed at Maine’s Oxbow with its Luppolo. This unfiltered dry-hopped pilsner features European malts and hops.

Tasting Notes:

A memorable nose of sweet corn, cereal grains, rice, honey, and floral, earthy hops greets you before your first sip. The palate is crisp, refreshing, and filled with notes of sweet rice, corn, lemon peels, white pepper, honey, and spicy, floral hops. The finish is dry, refreshing, and effortlessly crisp.

Bottom Line:

While pleasantly crisp and refreshing, this beer leans sweeter than many of the other beers on this list. It’s not a bad thing.

1.) Schilling Jakobus

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

If you’ve never tried a beer from New Hampshire’s Schilling Beer, what are you waiting for? This brewery makes countless noteworthy beers, including its take on the traditional German pilsner called Jakobus. It’s brewed with a mix of German malts and Hallertau Mittelfruh and Saphir hops.

Tasting Notes:

A classic nose of cracker malts, cereal grains, lemon peels, honey, hay, and grassy, floral hops starts the whole experience off right. The palate is loaded with notable flavors like biscuit malts, yeasty bread, fruit esters, lemongrass, orange peel, honey, and floral Noble hops. The finish is dry, hoppy, and very crisp.

Bottom Line:

If you only buy one beer on this list, make it Schilling Jakobus. It’s a perfect, crisp mix of sweet malts, fruity, citrus, and floral flavors.

After setting ratings records in back-to-back games, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes figured to make a little more history on Sunday afternoon when they took on the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks for the national championship on ABC. A rematch of last year’s Final Four thriller that went Iowa’s way pit the biggest player against the best team in the women’s game, and the sports world was locked in for the 3 p.m. ET tip in Cleveland.

As she usually does, Clark rose to the moment in the early going, scoring 18 first quarter points to give Iowa an early advantage, pulling up from deep and giving the Gamecocks defense some fits in the first 10 minutes.

Among those dialed in for the game was LeBron James, who was wowed by Clark’s early effort like everyone else and decided to let folks know that not rocking with Clark’s game just makes you a “flat out hater.”

Clark has found herself as the leading topic of conversation of late, not just in the women’s basketball space but the sports world as a whole, which has brought an awful lot of takes with it. Some of those, unsurprisingly, have been folks looking to poke holes in her game. While Clark seems fine shrugging those off, she can take a bit of solace in knowing she has a big fan in the biggest name in all of basketball — who also knows a thing or two about dealing with that level of attention.

For weeks, Drake and J. Cole fans waited for their response to Kendrick Lamar. Before Dreamville Fest 2024 kicked off, Cole served up his formal retort with the song “7 Minute Drill.”

However, many don’t believe it compares to Lamar’s brutal guest verse on Metro Boomin and Future’s track “Like That.” Joe Budden so happens to be one of those people. Today (April 7), in the latest episode of the mogul’s namesake podcast, he shared his unfiltered thoughts.

“This is not ok,” he yelled. “Cole, call Royce [Da’ 5’9″]. Call a killer. You’re just too nice. It’s the tone…That’s my issue with this narcoleptic-sounding sh*t. That is my issue. It sounds like if I was actively trying to cop fentanyl…[7 Minute Drill] is what I would put on.”

When asked what he wanted from Cole, Budden replied: “I want him to sound alive.”

But he did praise the beat selected for the track. “The first half [of the track] is giving me Latto,” he said. “The first half sounds like he was having a lot of fun on that tour with Drake. That first half sounds like a hit if he sounded alive, and then Drake came on right after.”

Watch the full episode of the Joe Budden Podcast above.

Sadly, each generation of hip-hop lovers has experienced tragedy. For the inception class, the tragic 2002 murder of Run-DMC‘s Jam Master Jay (real name Jason William Mizell) is a pain that won’t go away.

After decades of speculation, on February 27, two men (Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr.) were found guilty for their involvement in the beloved DJ’s untimely death. However, the case is far from over, as one additional suspect (Jay Bryant) is still awaiting trial. But, according to AP News, Bryant is reportedly in talks to accept a plea deal.

The outlet states that although Jordan was charged with firing the gun and Washington was involved in the plan to murder Mizell. However, Bryant also allegedly played a part in the overall conspiracy. With Bryant scheduled to head to trial in 2026, AP claims that the prosecutor’s office and his lawyer, César de Castro, are considering cutting a deal.

Nothing has been finalized as of April 4. By August 5, all parties are expected to file the written status with the courts and presiding Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.

In court documents, the prosecutor argued that Washington and Jordan killed Mizell over a drug deal gone wrong. Mizell’s widow and children haven’t issued a statement regarding the claims.

The 1975 frontman Matty Healy’s enemy list is rather long. The people, organizations, and government agencies inked on the document include the Swifties, Rina Sawayama, Ice Spice, Noel Gallagher, and the country of Malaysia.

But it looks like he’s finally made an ally. In a post uploaded to Instagram, Robbie Williams seemingly cosigned Healy as a musician and his past controversial actions. “How boring is the music scene right now,” he wrote. “I’m not attacking the music itself. I’m just lamenting the death of friction, danger, and personality.”

But Williams did make an exception for Healy. “Matt Healy is the only commercially viable Pop/Rock star that I can see who is willing to be something other than beige,” he wrote. “I really like Matt. He’s unhinged, super smart, super talented, and willing to upset. Upsetting for a cause. The cause being a complicated inner life, a rebellious streak, and boredom.”

He closed by promising to carry out that energy. “I’ve gotta get some of that energy back in my musical life,” he wrote. “Like I say, ‘So many people to offend. I hope I have time to fit them all in.’ It’s time to take the piss again…and I’m looking forward to it.”

Healy hasn’t responded to Williams’ remarks. But based on past trends, something could be said quite soon.

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

Stephen King has made it his mission to keep an unending supply of novels wherever books are available for purchase, and both the TV and film realms are keeping the spooky spirit alive in kind. In the foreseeable future, we can hopefully expect to see Mike Flanagan’s take on The Dark Tower books, and for sure, we will see a new Salem’s Lot movie as well as It prequel series Welcome To Derry, but there’s more where that came from.

That includes The Monkey, a feature film adapted from an evil-doll story that King originated in 1980 (and later revised for the Skeleton Crew collection), long before the likes of Child’s Play, Annabelle, and M3GAN. Let’s get down to business on what to expect from this movie, which is not to be confused with a 2023 short directed by Spencer Sherry.

Plot

Black Bear International delivers this feature-length movie directed by Osgood Perkins, who will also soon unsettle the world with Longlegs, the cryptic, apparent home invasion movie starring Nic Cage. Perkins has been busy lately, given that he has also directed The Monkey and adapted the screenplay from King’s 1985 Skeleton Crew. The production team also bodes well for horror devotees and includes James Wan (The Conjuring, Saw, Insidious), Michael Clear (M3GAN), and Jason Cloth (Joker).

The story revolves around a set of twins — portrayed by Theo James (The White Lotus, The Gentlemen) and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth, Cocaine Bear) in different eras of life — who discover a relative’s long forgotten, cymbal-clanging toy monkey, who soon appears to set death in motion. Naturally, they attempt to throw the doll into the trash, but you know how well that goes in the horror genre. That monkey isn’t about to be forgotten and reappears to wreak havoc again, which spurs the brothers into crisis mode.

Black Bear Pictures has provided the following synopsis:

When twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years. But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.

Cast

Spooktacular performances will be coming your way from not only Theo James and Christian Convery but also Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany, Colin O’Brien, Sarah Levy, and Rohan Campbell.

Release Date

Filming has wrapped, so there’s a decent chance we could see this movie surface in the fall.

Trailer

We are not fortunate enough to have seen a trailer or any official clips. So, let’s stick with the haunted toy theme and wonder if The Monkey will screw with canon and give a nod to Chucky. After all, The Monkey likely made it possible for Chucky to exist, but the Good Guy doll paved the way for The Monkey movie.

Earlier this week, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake took place in New York City. The earthquake took place just days before the total solar eclipse, which viewers can look forward to experiencing this coming Monday (April 8). But during the “Weekend Update” portion of tonight’s (April 6) Saturday Night Live, both the earthquake, played by Marcelo Hernandez and the eclipse, played by Kenan Thompson, had some words for each other.

While the earthquake may have taken New Yorkers by surprise, “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost insisted it wasn’t noticeable. However, the earthquake insisted that it was a life-changing event.

“It was chaos, Colin! People stopped working for five, even six minutes, to text their friends,” said the earthquake.

He continued, saying, “Move over, guy who was punching women in the face. I punched the whole city in the face!”

Chaos aside, the eclipse wasn’t having any of this. He appeared via satellite to chime in.

:”You want to do a little shimmy shake and try to steal my thunder?,” said the eclipse. “Well, what you gonna do when the solar eclipse runs wild on you? Monday, all of America will be covered in eternal darkness.”

But Jost noted that the eclipse is only supposed to last “like four minutes,” however, the eclipse said this will be more than enough time.

“[It’s] gonna feel like an eternity when you’re staring at me,” said the eclipse.

You can watch the hilarious clip above.

A new thriller is coming to your local pilates gym soon. In a new sketch from tonight’s (April 6) episode of Saturday Night Live, Chloe Fineman and Molly Kearney pay visit to a pilates gym in a parody trailer for a pilates-themed horror movie.

The gym is bedecked with A24-esque lighting, and machines, which, are described by SNL cast member Sarah Sherman as looking like they’re “designed for torture, but somehow also sex.”

The pilates gym is ran by a charming, energetic figure, similar to a cult leader, played by tonight’s guest host, Kristen Wiig.

“Good job, mamas,” says Wiig in the trailer. “Now take those foot straps to your hand straps. Wrap your hand straps around your foot straps. Take those ankle straps around your waist and your knee straps around your head. The machine is called a reformer.”

Throughout the trailer, Sherman warns Fineman not to go to the classes — which she notes often comprise of “eight gorgeous women, and one gay man not wearing underwear,” the lattermost played by Bowen Yang. Kaia Gerber also makes a quick appearance in the trailer.

But what really shakes Fineman up is seeing Kearney’s character transform into a pilates first-timer to a full-blown fanatic.

You can see the trailer above.

In her second performance of the night, RAYE delivered another set of orchestral renditions from her debut album, My 21st Century Blues on the Saturday Night Live stage. This time, she gave the audience a double dose of hits, beginning with “Worth It.”

Once again, joined by a full jazz band, RAYE sang about falling into a deep love, which makes all the hard parts — well, worth it. The swinging band gave the song a smooth, bubbly feel.

Then, RAYE switched things up as the song transitioned into a new song “Let There Be Light,” which she performed earlier this year at the BRIT Awards. Not missing a beat, RAYE continued to move to the groove, and maintain her timeless energy. She closed out the performance gorgeously hitting a high final note.

RAYE released her debut album My 21st Century Blues last year, after a 10-year battle with Polydor Records, before she was ultimately dropped from the label. Now, as an independent artist, RAYE is finally in control of her own story. Her two performances of the night have show her that now, she is more powerful than ever as a hitmaker in her own right.

You can see the performances of “Worth It” and “Let There Be Light” above.