Month: April 2024

Game 2 between the Nuggets and Lakers in Denver was one of the wildest finishes of the year (but arguably not the wildest finish of the night in the NBA). The Nuggets erased a 20-point deficit to earn a 101-99 win, hitting all seven of their shots in the final four-plus minutes to walk down the Lakers before Jamal Murray could hit the game-winner at the buzzer over Anthony Davis.

It was an incredible scene at Ball Arena, as the place erupted after Murray’s shot and the celebration was on in Denver. However, not everything was jubilant, as there was apparently an altercation near the family section. Nikola Jokic’s brothers got into it with a fan, with one of the brothers punching the fan in the face. Naturally, because it’s 2024, someone had a phone out as things escalated and captured the punch on video.

There is clearly something more that went on here as far as that fan saying something that crossed the line at the Jokic family, as the video starts with the brothers go climbing down to confront him and, eventually, a right hand landed across his chin. The fact that it didn’t escalate any more from there was a good thing, as the last thing anyone wanted after that game was a brawl in the stands. I’m sure the team and league will look into whatever happened, but it’s not the first time the Jokic brothers have been ready to rumble in the playoffs.

TNT and NBA TV were the national broadcasters for the three playoff games that took place on Monday night — TNT got instant classics in Sixers-Knicks and Lakers-Nuggets, while NBA TV had the game between the Magic and the Cavs. Because of this, Mike Breen didn’t have anything to do for ESPN, which meant that he got to do the Knicks game for MSG alongside Clyde Frazier.

By know, you probably know how that game ended: The Knicks scored eight points in the final 27 seconds in somewhat controversial fashion to steal Game 2 from the Sixers, with a three by Donte DiVincenzo giving them the lead down the stretch. It was such a big moment that Breen blessed it with a double bang, which is basketball’s version of being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Breen has long exclaimed “BANG!” when someone hits a big shot, but the double bang is a rarity — DiVincenzo’s triple is only the sixth time he’s ever used it, and the second time he’s done it on an MSG broadcast. Fortunately, someone at the NBA had a very good idea and decided to put all of them together in a video that his socials on Tuesday morning.

I would like to thank whomever let me take 3:19 this morning to watch this, and I recommend you, dear reader, do the same.

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 Pearl Jam, Cassandra Jenkins, Cloud Nothings, 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.

Pearl Jam – Dark Matter

It’s not really a late-career Pearl Jam album cycle unless one of the band members comments on said album’s unexpected heaviness. In most instances, the statement is misleading. With Dark Matter, though, it’s at least (partly) true. Eddie Vedder and co. indulge their quieter tendencies, as on “Wreckage,” but they also cater to the fans who just want some good ‘ol rowdy rock songs, like “Running.” Dark Matter is the product of a legacy band not overthinking it, just plugging in and playing. It’s the most relaxed they’ve sounded in a while.

Ekko Astral – Pink Balloons

D.C. punks Ekko Astral want you to don some mascara in the mosh pit, as you should. Their debut album, Pink Balloons, creates the ideal setting to do so. Songs like the winking, thrashing “On Brand” and the drone-turned-fiery punk anthem “Devorah” showcase why this band is among the best doing it right now in indie music. Who else could resuscitate a decade-plus-old joke about the proper pronunciation of Bon Iver and pull it off? Pink Balloons is meant to be as fun as it is furious; as Ekko Astral demonstrates, the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Cloud Nothings – Final Summer

There is no such thing as a bad Cloud Nothings record. With Final Summer, the trio comprising vocalist-guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jason Gerycz, and bassist Chris Brown successfully defend their title as one of indie’s most consistently excellent bands. From the punchy, rousing “I’d Get Along” to the explosive, immediate “The Golden Halo,” the Cleveland band deliver another batch of incredible rock songs.

Debby Friday – “To The Dancefloor”

Good Luck was a watershed moment for the Toronto electronic pop artist Debby Friday. For her 2023 record of clattering beats, sticky hooks, and industrial sonics, she won the coveted Polaris Music Prize. “To The Dancefloor,” her first single of the year, follows in the footsteps of Good Luck but with an even more pointed homage to nightclubs. “I need all the girls on to the dancefloor,” Debby commands throughout the track. You’d be remiss not to comply.

Menomena – The Insulation EP

Portland, Oregon, art-rock trio Menomena are back with their first batch of new music in over 10 years. As a surprise release, The Insulation EP is a welcome return. Composed of three songs with each member taking over lead vocal duties per track, Menomena’s new EP is a reminder of what we’ve been missing in their time away. Even if the title track and “Copious” are technically old B-sides for 2010’s Mines, Menomena sound renewed with an undeniable vigor.

Alice Glass – “Drown”

From 1991’s Gish through 1995’s Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, Smashing Pumpkins were pretty untouchable. That extends to their non-album cuts, too, including 1992’s “Drown,” which was featured in Cameron Crowe’s rom-com film, Singles. Alice Glass, who originally covered “Drown” for an unspecified compilation that never came to exist, has decided to share her rendition anyway. Thankfully, it won’t succumb to an eternal life on a hard drive. Glass’ cover, alongside her regular collaborator and producer Jupiter Keyes, infuses the Pumpkins’ track with a frostbitten edge, trading in the original’s guitar-bass-drums configuration for dark, echoey synthesizers. The end result is altogether different from its source material; it’s an exciting take on an already great song.

Cassandra Jenkins – “Only One”

My Light, My Destroyer wasn’t originally what Cassandra Jenkins had written for her next album. Following the widespread critical acclaim of her 2021 masterpiece, An Overview On Phenomenal Nature, Jenkins toured relentlessly to the point of exhaustion, physically and artistically. She had a new album ready to go, but her fatigue had affected the new music, so she completely restarted the songwriting process. This is the album that emerged from that new beginning. “You’re the only one I ever loved,” she sings in the chorus of the lead single, “Only One,” her delivery quietly radiant. Awash in synth pads, distant horns, and Jenkins’ gossamer vocals, it sounds like a rebirth.

One Step Closer – “Orange Leaf”

The Wilkes-Barre hardcore group One Step Closer are officially less than a month away from sharing their sophomore album, All You Embrace. They’ve put out another single from it, the heart-on-your-sleeve emo-meets-hardcore ripper “Orange Leaf.” With every new teaser the straight-edge crew supplies us with, it seems like a more certain prediction that All You Embrace will be one of the best heavy albums of 2024.

King Hannah – “Davey Says”

The Liverpool indie-rock duo King Hannah, made up of songwriters Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle, are slated to release Big Swimmer, their second album, at the end of next month. Its title track, which came with the announcement, is a stunner, and King Hannah’s latest preview of it, “Davey Says,” takes things in a slightly louder direction. For a band predicated on moody, blues-inflected minimalism, “Davey Says” draws from the fuzzy, distorted stylings that dominate the zeitgeist. In another band’s hands, it may sound like pastiche. In King Hannah’s hands, though, it sounds triumphant.

Jamie xx – “Baddy On The Floor”

While we keep waiting for that second Jamie xx album (he promises it’ll be here this year), the London producer has been drip-feeding us with occasional singles since 2020’s “Idontknow.” His latest, “Baddy On The Floor,” which he premiered at Coachella, is one of the best singles he has shared since his as-of-now sole record, 2015’s In Colour. Alongside fellow DJ and producer Honey Dijon, Jamie stitches together vocal samples and deep-bass house beats like an adroit quilt-maker.

Throughout this month, it seems like the theme in the Black music scene is “everybody fighting.” “Everybody” in this case has begun to take on its literal definition, as even disgraced but somehow still insanely popular R&B star Chris Brown has joined the Black music Royal Rumble currently taking place on social media platforms and DSPs across the world wide web. His beef appears to be with Quavo, and the two have traded diss tracks and Twitter barbs for the better part of the last three days.

Read on for a timeline of Quavo and Chris Brown’s “beef.”

April 2017 – Quavo Seemingly Begins Dating Chris Brown’s Ex

Prior to the rumor surfacing that Quavo had begun dating Karrueche Tran, he and Brown had apparently been on friendly terms. Brown appeared on Migos’ 2015 track “Just For Tonight” and a year later, Quavo returned the favor on Chris’ mixtape track “Whippin’.” However, in April of 2017, TMZ reported Quavo and Tran were seen spending time together, which apparently incensed Brown, who couldn’t let go of his prior relationship with the model/influencer, despite her dumping him in 2015. She later filed a restraining order against him, alleging harassment and abusive behavior.

June 2017 – The Two Stars Confront Each Other

In June that year, Brown and his entourage confronted Quavo and his at the BET Awards, but for the past few years, the two have appeared to be on good enough terms… until now.

April 2024 – Brown Calls Out Quavo, Quavo Responds, And A Beef Is Born

On April 11, Brown released the deluxe edition of his 2023 album 11:11 with a new song, “Freak,” in which he referenced the 2017 fling, seemingly revealing he still harbors a grudge about it after all this time (of course he does). “OK, now f*ckin’ my old b*tches ain’t gone make us equal / Sippin’ that 1942 ’cause I don’t do no Quavo,” he sings — a reference to the resemblance between Quavo and “Jose Cuervo,” the popular brand of tequila.

A day later, Quavo dropped “Tender,” a song responding to Brown’s call-out, in which he raps, “You did the b*tch wrong and now the b*tch gone, she posted with a thug / Call the b*tch phone, she won’t come home, don’t beat her up,” — a pretty obvious reference to Brown’s history of abusive relationships, including the infamous 2009 incident in which he battered Rihanna so badly, she was hospitalized.

April 2024 – Chris Brown Drops “Weakest Link”

Chris came back with “Weakest Link” a week later, on April 20. In it, he not only addresses Quavo’s “Tender” taunts about Karrueche, but also suggests that turnabout is fair play and that he slept with Quavo’s ex Saweetie. “They say revenge is sweet, now think about that sh*t,” he raps. “Don’t let that line go over your head, I might just sing about that sh*t / I had her fiending ’bout that d*ck, there’s something sweet about that sh*t / I got some tea up out that b*tch, but I ain’t go speak about that sh*t.”

Quavo’s response, “Over Hoes & B*tches,” dropped last night (April 22) and continues to drag out Brown’s abusive past. We’ll see if if these two continue to taunt each other, but let’s all just hope it blows over because at this point, the returns are diminishing rapidly. I never thought I’d say this, but Kendrick really needs to respond to Drake; the quality of these rap beefs is about as good as month-old milk.

Baby Reindeer has been transfixing audiences after hitting the Netflix Top 10 around a week ago. And as the Internet is prone to do, speculation has been running wild as viewers hope to unravel the mystery identities of two characters.

Those characters would be Martha (the female character who stalked Donny and landed in prison as portrayed by Jessica Gunning) and Darrien (the male character who raped Donny, sending him into a spiral of trauma as portrayed by Tom Goodman-Hill). The series is based upon leading actor Richard Gadd’s real life experiences, although he is now making it clear that the circulating speculation is not something that he wanted to see.

Via BBC, Gadd posted an Instagram story, in which he suggested that speculation is getting out of hand:

Gadd asked fans of the show not to speculate about the true identities of the characters, saying people he loved “have worked with and admire are getting unfairly caught up in speculation”.

“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard.”

As Gadd has previously revealed, the real-life Martha did not go to prison because he “didn’t want to throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell” into incarceration mode. Gadd also stressed that he had changed enough details about both the Darrien and Martha characters to ensure that they could not be tied to their real-life identities through onscreen portrayals.

The Baby Reindeer limited series is streaming on Netflix.

(Via BBC)

Taylor Swift has won more awards than just about anybody: She has 14 Grammys to her name and the Wikipedia page listing the awards and nominations she’s received has quite the scrollbar.

Swift’s awards list is about to get even bigger, too: The 28th Annual Webby Awards are set to go down on May 13. Ahead of that, People has the exclusive on some of the winners, and the list includes Swift beating out Travis Kelce to claim Best Creator Or Influencer Collaboration, Features (Social) Category. Each category has two awards: the Webby Award and the Webby People’s Voice Award. The former is decided by the International Academy Of Digital Arts And Sciences (IADAS), and the latter is chosen via a fan vote. Well, both parties decided that Swift would take home this honor.

Swift was nominated for “Vote.org + Taylor Swift on National Voter Registration Day,” while Kelce was nominated for “The Cheesecake Factory x Travis Kelce: Fashion Icons.”

As Billboard notes, though, Kelce isn’t going home empty-handed: New Heights With Jason And Travis Kelce won the People’s Voice Award for Best Co-Hosts, Features (Podcasts).

Meanwhile, it seems the two have been enjoying some quality time together lately. It’s the NFL offseason and Swift is on a break from The Eras Tour, so the pair made time to check out the first weekend of Coachella.

The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead in their first round series thanks to one of the great late comebacks in recent playoff memory on Monday night against the Sixers. With 30 seconds to play, Philadelphia held a commanding five-point lead, but in the blink of an eye the Knicks erased it on a truly wild sequence of events.

It was a chaotic and controversial sequence that saw Jalen Brunson finally get the lid off the basket with a bouncing three-pointer, which the Sixers followed up by bizarrely not calling a timeout to advance it immediately. Once they got it in to Tyrese Maxey, he got trapped and it certainly looked like he was fouled, but the refs allowed a play on and Donte DiVincenzo got an open look at the lead. That went begging, but Isaiah Hartenstein flew in for an offensive rebound and the ball swung back out to DiVincenzo who did not miss the second attempt. From there, Hartenstein blocked Maxey at the rim on a go-ahead layup attempt and the OG Anunoby iced the game at the free throw line.

There were so many factors that went into the Knicks win, but one Philly folks could not get past was the referees not calling a foul on Maxey. Joel Embiid ripped the officials after the game, calling it “f**king unacceptable,” and the team decided to file a grievance with the league over the officiating in the first two games.

That won’t do much of anything, but maybe they can get a couple calls to go their way going forward. Whether it’s too little too late remains to be seen, but Knicks fans at the Garden were absolutely glowing after the win. Among them was Stephen A. Smith, who was seated courtside and had a great view of the ending chaos, and on Get Up the next morning, he could not deny that Maxey got “mugged.”

No one is better at TV delivery than Stephen A., who starts by solemnly noting he witnessed a mugging at the Garden before letting his smile loose while talking about how the Sixers got hosed but Knicks fans, like himself, are thrilled. This series would have a totally different feel if that final 30 seconds went differently, and while the referees certainly are a central story, the Sixers also had a number of chances to keep them from being part of the story and didn’t make that happen.

I, like everyone else, had a lot of questions after reading about Tom Cruise reportedly breakdancing and doing the splits at Victoria Beckham’s birthday party. Like: can I see the footage? I would very much like to see the footage. Also, is this something he does a lot? Maybe not “a lot” but showing off his dance moves in public is something Tom Cruise has done before — on a date.

During a 2013 episode of Chelsea Lately, Melrose Place actress Heather Locklear discussed her night out with the Mission: Impossible star in the early 1980s. “We had auditioned for something together and he didn’t have any friends,” she said. “I mean, not that he doesn’t have friends. Out here he doesn’t have friends. We went out and we went dancing.”

She continued, “You know in Risky Business where he does that dance in his underwear and does the splits? We were dancing at a club and he went into that! He starting doing the splits.”

Locklear felt awkward while Cruise did his thing, according to US Magazine. “You just kind of stand there and don’t know what to do. Do you dance around him?” she said, adding, “It was weird. I just sat down.” That was the first and last time they went out together. I wonder if he still sends Locklear a cake?

(Via US Magazine)

Lana Del Rey’s performance was one of the highlights of Coachella 2024’s second weekend, a set that was notable in part thanks to a surprise appearance from Camila Cabello. That’s probably not the same takeaway Coachella organizers have, though.

TMZ reports that Del Rey’s set went 13 minutes past the festival’s curfew, which has resulted in Coachella having to pay a $28,000 fine to the city of Indio, California, where the festival takes place.

On the bright side, TMZ reports this is the only fine Coachella is facing for both of its 2024 weekends. That’s relatively good considering the fest paid out $117,000 in fines for the just the first weekend of the 2023 event.

Meanwhile, Del Rey had some behind-the-scenes drama of her own leading up to Coachella. In a list of thank-you’s after the first weekend of the festival, Del Rey wrote, “Emily for stepping up as tour manager when Pete quit for no reason after 15 years because he was butt hurt that I got 10 comped bikes for free from Wally and randomly decided he was more of a stage designer than a tour manager… Never got a phone call probably never will. Still grateful for the 15 years though. No worries – 37 days was more than enough time to put together an entire headlining set all by ourselves. Not stressful at all.”

Challengers appears to be more than up to the challenge of owning the box office. The Zendaya-starring movie revolves around Tashi, a decorated tennis pro who suffers a devastating injury and moves into coaching after retiring from competition. The rub there is that she is coaching her husband, Art (Mike Faist), who ends up being pitted against Patrick (Josh O’Connor), who is the third member of the threesome that once happened with Tashi and Art. Awkward? In the best way. And apparently, all the “scintillating” vibes translate into the on-the-court scenes, too.

Early critical reviews of the movie raved about the “femme fatale” role as portrayed by Zendaya, and director Luca Guadagnino’s mastery of the sensual material. Surely, it doesn’t hurt that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross scored the movie, but overall, the first reactions are thrilling to see.

“2024 is the year of Zendaya” is only one proclamation. From there, the film is being called “a perfect blend of high class sports drama and erotic thriller,” “scintillating,” “sensational start to finish,” and “the most eruditely seductive film in a long while.” Zendaya’s chemistry with both Faist and O’Connor appears to be off the charts, and the three leads are being mentioned in the same sentence as “Oscar nominations.”

Did we mention that “Zendaya DEVOURED this role” that translates into “pure electricity”? Not only that, but the drama moves through multiple timelines without losing the plot. Sounds like it will have long legs at the box office when the movie releases this week.

Challengers arrives in theaters on April 26.