Month: August 2024

Today’s episode begins with Steven and Ian dipping into Sportscast discourse about the Olympics and Jordan Love’s recent historic NFL contract. After that, they delve into the week’s new releases, which include a Smashing Pumpkins album not even Steven and Ian care about and an Ian fantasy draft pick that might have been a reach. They also talk about the recently announced American Football tribute album, and Steven’s experience seeing Vampire Weekend live this week.

In the mailbag, the guys answer questions about the validity of predetermined “farewell” albums and their feelings about Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy in light of a new greatest hits album for FJM.

In Recommendation Corner, Ian goes the Swedish emo band I Love Your Style while Steven talks about retro country singer Charley Crockett.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 200 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

Polo G’s long-awaited fourth studio album was finally given a release date this week, as well as an updated title. While it’s still called Hood Poet, the title is now an acronym, which according to a press release for its new single “We Uh Shoot” with Lil Durk, stands for He Overcame Obstacles During Pain Or Emotional Trauma.

And on “We Uh Shoot,” Polo teams up with the perfect person to represent that concept in Lil Durk. Both of the Windy City rappers grew up heavily entrenched in street life, but at the same time, both have distanced themselves from a lot of that aspect of their artistic expression. Both rap a lot about how their experiences shaped them — and yes, traumatized them — but also have more optimistic outlooks in their music than many of their Second City compatriots, many of whom went the other way and got downright nihilistic during the drill days.

H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. has seen a bit of a rough rollout; initially announced nearly a year ago in August 2023, the album was pushed back a few weeks later in light of Polo’s arrest for kidnapping, robbery, and assault charges. After getting back to business in February of this year with “Sorrys & Ferraris,” he was derailed again by legal trouble, this time an arrest in New York on weapons charges.

With the album’s new release date just a week away, Polo’s given himself less time for getting into trouble, and that should be good news for fans.

You can listen to “We Uh Shoot” up top.

H.O.O.D. P.O.E.T. is due on 8/9 via Columbia Records. You can find more info here.

During her set at Lollapalooza in Chicago tonight, Megan Thee Stallion was met with a pleasant surprise: An onstage visit from local WNBA star Angel Reese. It’s clear from fans’ videos that she had no idea the Chicago Sky player was backstage, meeting her appearance with a delighted but shocked “What the f*ck?” (or is it “What THEE f*ck?”) She hugged Angel, who was wearing a similar hairstyle, and Reese stayed onstage to dance to Megan’s performance of “Where Them Girls At.” Later, on Twitter, Angel called Megan her “twin.”

This marks the second time the two tall performers shared the stage this summer; back in May (okay, fine, technically fall… but it was still during Megan’s Hot Girl Summer tour, so we’re counting it), Megan and tourmate GloRilla brought Reese out during their tour’s Chicago stop, where Meg twerked on Angel while performing.

No sooner had she been drafted to the Chicago Sky than the WNBA rookie became hip-hop’s favorite WNBA player, attracting the likes of Latto to come hang out with her at a game after being featured in Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” video a year prior. With Meg wrapping up her tour and the second half of the WNBA season coming soon, it probably wouldn’t be surprising to see Meg courtside at a future game. Or, hey, as long as we’re dreaming, bring back the Houston Comets with Meg as part owner, so they can aim for a trade (or an outright signing when Reese’s rookie contract expires) and they can hang out all the time.

In the video for Khalid’s new Sincere song “Heatstroke,” the lovelorn singer compares heartache to global warming. “Even if we’re fakin’,” he pleads, “Thinkin’ maybe we can save this.” Unfortunately for him, as seen in the song’s metaphorical music video, he’s just deluding himself into avoiding facing the inevitable. In the video, the trappings of a life of comfort go up in flames and Khalid himself finds himself melting down under the heatwave.

Sincere, Khalid’s third studio album, arrived tonight after multiple delays and a rather ironic name change (it was originally title Everything’s Changing, and how true that turned out to be). The 16-song album contains only one guest feature, British singer Arlo Parks, and was preceded by three other singles: “Adore U,” “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me,” and “Ground.”

While the album’s only been out stateside for less than thirty minutes, international fans (or those with VPNs) have already declared the album a return to form for the Texas singer, who was magnanimous about the praise, but unsurprised by it on social media. “I told yall,” he replied to one effusive fan. “American Teen (but mature) sh*t!!!”

You can watch the video for “Heatstroke” above.

Sincere is out now via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records. You can find more information here.

It has been a little over a month since ASAP Rocky finally announced the official release date for his long-awaited upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, and tonight, he has shared the first single since then, “Highjack,” featuring folk singer/songwriter Jessica Pratt. Pratt’s fresh off the release of her own new album, Here In The Pitch.

Despite being the first single since the release date was announced, “Highjack” isn’t the first glimpse of what to expect from Don’t Be Dumb. Since he first announced the album’s title way back in December 2022, he’s released a handful of singles, including “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n),” “DMB,” and “Same Problems.”

However, one thing we do have an inkling about; Rocky’s feud with Drake isn’t over yet, either. Earlier this week, Hot97’s DJ Kast One told his cohosts that at least one song on the album addresses Rocky’s feelings about his former friend and recent romantic rival. And, of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but Rihanna also recently promised that the couple’s music together is so good, they haven’t been able to hash out whose projects it belongs on. Don’t Be Dumb might be a good possibility — or, at least, the most likely to come out.

You can listen to ASAP Rocky’s “Highjack” featuring Jessica Pratt above.

Don’t Be Dumb is due on 8/30 via ASAP Worldwide, Polo Grounds, RCA. You can find more info here.

Big Sean’s new album, Better Me Than You, is coming soon, and he keeps the rollout rolling with a video for his new single, “On Up.” The video is shot from the perspective of Sean and Jhené Aiko’s son as Sean reflects on — revels in, really — fatherhood.

Sean began the rollout for the new album back in March with the release of the “Clarity” freestyle, then quickly followed up with his single, “Precision.” Unfortunately for him, the buzz for the new project was overshadowed and derailed by the battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

After lying low for a bit, Sean rebooted the hype machine with an eyebrow-raising freestyle for On The Radar Radio. While some fans misinterpreted the freestyle as a shot at Kendrick Lamar, the supporters of the verse’s true target, Kanye West, allegedly retaliated by leaking the album early. Sean shot down the theory that Kanye did it himself, and with a new management team in place, seems confident that the album will return him to fans’ good graces and earn him the attention he deserves.

You can watch the video for “On Up” above.

Better Me Than You is out 8/9 via FF to Def Entertainment. You can find more information here.

We all know that humans need water to survive, but how much just plain water do we actually need to consume each day to be healthy?

If your instinct is to say 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, you’re not alone. For many of us, that figure has been ingrained into us since we were kids by health class teachers, family doctors and concerned caregivers alike.

However, needing 8 glasses a day of water is a total and complete myth.

Despite being deeply embedded in our collective conscience, there’s little to no scientific evidence to back up the idea that drinking 8 glasses—or any specific number of ounces—of water per day is ideal. This fact might take a minute to digest, since these days so many of us carry water bottles measured in specific ounces to help us stay hydrated and may even track our water consumption with an app or daily planner.

Knowing how many ounces of water we should drink and tracking how much we do drink may give us a satisfying sense of control, but it’s largely meaningless. According to the Mayo Clinic, staying hydrated isn’t so much about how much water you drink but about how much fluid you consume overall, including from foods and beverages besides water. And that amount is different for every person because every person’s body is different.

Additionally, our circumstances are different each day. If you’re exercising or sweating from the heat, your body’s hydration needs change. If you’re sick, pregnant or breastfeeding, your hydration needs change. Certain medications can alter how much fluid your body needs, as can a high-salt diet.

But there must be some kind of guideline, right? We can’t just be willy nilly drinking water whenever we feel like it in the age of step counts and sleep tracking apps, can we?

Feeling thirsty?Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Inadequate hydration is linked to early aging and chronic disease, among other things, so it’s important to get enough fluids. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine lists adequate daily fluid intake as:

– About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men

– About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women

Some doctors point out that we have a natural mechanism to tell us when we aren’t well-hydrated—thirst. “Drink when you’re thirsty” may sound like basic advice, but it’s what many physicians recommend. However, thirst is a sign that your body is already mildly dehydrated, so some recommend drinking before you get thirsty as well.

Just don’t go too far that way, either. Another common myth is that you can’t drink too much water, but that’s not true. A tragedy in 2023 in which a healthy mother of two drank four bottles of water in about 20 minutes and died of water intoxication highlighted the importance of not drinking too much water too fast. And drinking an excess of water overall, though rarely a problem for well-nourished adults, can make it hard for your kidneys to process properly.

One way to gauge your hydration level besides monitoring thirst is to check your pee. While it doesn’t need to be clear(contrary to popular belief) it shouldn’t be dark. According to Healthline‘s handy hydration chart, “lemonade” is about the shade you’re looking for. Too clear means you’re probably overhydrating. Darker than a light beer and it’s time to up your liquid intake a bit.

Water is good. Hydration is important. Pay attention to thirst. Shoot for lemonade-shade pee. That ought to keep you on the right track for getting enough liquid without having to keep track of how many glasses or ounces of water you drink each day.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has had a fascinating career arc. The playwright shot to stardom behind the runaway success of his historical hip-hop musical Hamilton, but then, fans quickly felt that the market was oversaturated after the cast was booked to perform on seemingly every late-night show and award show for a solid year (certain optics didn’t help either). Miranda moved onto other projects, but the more he did, it seemed, the more fans wished he’d do less.

That was the general sentiment on social media when Manuel announced his next project: a concept album inspired by the 1979 cult classic film, The Warriors. I must admit, I’ve been softer on Miranda than most — Hamilton is good, Miranda’s a decent technical rapper with legit hip-hop chops, and the Moana and Encanto soundtracks are leagues better than either Frozen — and I declared no longer than a week ago that the “Rap Concept Album Is Back,” and even I’m a little skeptical, albeit cautiously so.

If there’s anyone I’d trust to be able to pull it off, it would be Miranda. The album will feature a full cast, recounting the plot of the film, which follows a small band of New York City gangbangers as they fight their way back to their Coney Island stomping grounds from a meetup gone wrong in the Bronx. At the very least, it’s closer in historical context to the rise of rap music than the retelling of nation’s founding, as The Warriors and “Rapper’s Delight” were released within six months of each other (the former on February 9, 1979, the latter on August 2).

The album’s got some legit hip-hop bonafides behind it, too; it’s executive-produced by none other than Nas. Also, let’s be real; remake-mania has already come for The Warriors, which a lot of you only know because Rockstar made a video game about it, so not too much on my man Lin, alright?

In the video for the title track from Gunna‘s new album, One Of Wun, the Atlanta rapper takes on dual roles, playing both coaches in a high-stakes basketball game between two teams at the Overtime Elite youth basketball league arena. Each version of Gunna is a different coaching stereotype; one is cool, calm, and calculating, while the other is bombastic and demonstrative on the sideline.

Rather than playing out with one team losing and one winning, however, the split-screen video (directed by Spike Jordan) ends with both outcomes, playing on the chorus lyric, “Think all about how they want me to lose, but I’m W, due for a win.” In the end, Gunna gets to have his cake and eat it too, winning no matter what.

A whole slew of real-life rising star high schoolers appears in the video as themselves, including the #1 and #2 ranked players in the country, Tyran Stokes of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA and Brandon McCoy Jr. of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, CA (respectively), and OTE players Parker Robinson, Jayden Wilkins, and Romelo Hill.

You can watch the video for Gunna’s “One Of Wun” above.

One Of Wun is out now via YSL/300 Entertainment. You can find more info here.

PinkPantheress was flying high at the start of 2024. She teased new music, completed her Capable Of Love tour, and was booked as the opening artist on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour in addition to a slew of festival bookings including Jack Harlow’s Gazebo Festival, FORM Festival, III Points, and more.

However, it seemed after all this, she’s hit a wall, and pushing through it has proved more difficult than expected. Today, she announced she’s canceling all future performances for 2024, including her tour and all those festival sets she had planned.

“it is with the heaviest heart that i sadly have to announce that i will not be able to continue with the rest of my live shows this year in order to focus on my physical health and overall wellbeing,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “it appears i have reached a wall which i am struggling to penetrate through. this will include my GUTS tour, Field Day, Summer Sonic, FORM, Ill Points, and Australia/NZ appearances.”

“i would like to thank all of you, as well as my touring team and Olivia for giving me the platform to perform some super fun shows,” she continued. “I’m sad to disappoint anyone and can only hope we will be in each other’s company once i return to health.”

You can see a screenshot of her announcement below.