The Kings do not seem intent on trying to tear things down and rebuild despite trading their star point guard, and instead seem determined to stay in the Play-In hunt out West. That was the idea behind adding LaVine (along with two real first round picks and a third that will almost assuredly become two seconds) and they continued to bolster their roster with veterans on Wednesday before the deadline, acquiring Jonas Valanciunas, who is averaging 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season, from the Wizards, per Marc Stein, Shams Charania, and Bobby Marks.
Kings get: Jonas Valanciunas Wizards get: Sidy Cissoko and two second round picks (2028 DEN, 2029 SAC)
Cissoko was part of the Fox trade and will now take one of the longest reroutes one possibly could in the NBA, going from San Antonio to Sacramento for a couple days to now going all the way across the country to Washington, D.C. This was the second trade made by the Wizards on Wednesday, as they sent Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr. to Milwaukee for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, and a 2028 pick swap. Washington made clear coming into the season that they were still in the tearing things down phase, and have now made good on that promise by trading two of their top veterans ahead of the deadline.
For the Kings, they add some center depth and Domantas Sabonis’ teammate on the Lithuanian national team. While it’s not abundantly clear what the plan is defensively in Sacramento, they do continue to add a lot of offensive players ahead of the deadline and seem determined to try and make the Play-In by winning shootouts in the second half of the season.
The most successful years of Kevin Durant’s career from a team perspective were his three seasons in Golden State, where he helped lead the Warriors to two championships where he was Finals MVP both times before losing to the Raptors in their quest for a three-peat after he and Klay Thompson suffered injuries.
However, that last season in the Bay featured a pretty clear rift building between Durant and the Warriors, most famously playing out in a spat on the bench with Draymond Green. That summer, Durant would leave for Brooklyn to team up with Kyrie Irving and has failed to lead another team to the top of the league in his time with the Nets and Suns. With Phoenix in Play-In position and Bradley Beal unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, the Suns have been exploring their options to shake things up, with Jimmy Butler hoping to land in the desert amid his trade request from the Miami Heat.
That has led to rumors this week that the Suns are listening on trade offers for Durant, with the Golden State Warriors being the most aggressive team in pursuit of the future Hall of Famer. The problem for the Warriors is, Durant has no interest in going back to the Bay. On Wednesday, after a couple days of very loud rumblings about a Warriors deal, numerous reports surfaced with one clear message from Durant: He doesn’t want to play for the Warriors again.
Brian Windhorst followed that Charania report by suggesting his best guess is Durant either remains with the Suns or ends up with the Heat, which would be a wild return for Miami to get for Butler. All of this begs the question…why are the Suns suddenly so desperate to trade Durant?
I think at least a part of it — and the reason why the Warriors are trying to get in on every All-Star in the NBA — is that other owners are losing their minds at the Lakers landing Luka Doncic. There’s not really a good basketball reason to trade Kevin Durant, but Mat Ishbia has enjoyed making splashy moves at every possible turn (including bringing Durant to Phoenix). The other reason is also not dissimilar to what Dallas just did (just with very different and more understandable circumstances), which is Phoenix likely anticipates Durant looking to leave soon and potentially asking for a trade this summer. He did not re-sign on an extension this past summer and it seems pretty clear this Suns team as constructed isn’t a real contender, which would make it reasonable for the 36-year-old Durant to want to find a new team that gives him one more run at a title.
If the Suns see that as a possibility, I understand why they’d at least see what’s out there on the market right now. If they were to turn Durant into a few quality players (either young or in their prime) and some draft assets they desperately lack, I could understand trying to reset a touch and try one more build around Devin Booker. That said, if the plan is to turn Durant into Jimmy Butler, I do not see how that solves their problems, but we do know Butler would re-sign longterm when Durant seems to not want to do the same.
On the Warriors side, they have apparently received that message from Durant and have pivoted to their own pursuit of Butler — despite Jimmy stating he didn’t plan on re-signing there if traded. According to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Marc Stein, Golden State has “abandoned” talks with the Suns and moved on to Miami to try and work out a deal for Butler. At this point, if the Warriors strike out on Butler, they’ll have to reassess their position and circle back on guys like Nikola Vucevic or perhaps Brandon Ingram. If Thursday’s deadline comes and goes without a legitimate star going to the Warriors, it’ll be hard for them to explain away to their fans after such a public pursuit of so many guys.
The Notorious B.I.G.‘s estate has filed a lawsuit against Target, Home Depot, and more, arguing that canvas prints of a famous photo of the rapper were sold by the companies without authorization.
According to Billboard, the photo at issue — titled “The King Of New York” and taken by Barron Claiborne days before his death — was illegally reproduced by iCanvas and sold a list of retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Nordstrom, and Target.
“Defendants specifically chose to use Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness … in an attempt to capitalize on their fame and extraordinary financial value,” reads the lawsuit, which includes both B.I.G.’s estate and Claiborne as plaintiffs. “Mr. Wallace’s fan base has continued to expand since his passing. Mr. Wallace’s persona, name, image, likeness, and artistic works are so well known that they are almost universally and instantly recognizable, even by those born after he died.”
When contacted about the photo, the estate writes, Target and Home Depot did remove it from their inventory, but Bed Bath & Beyond and iCanvas continued selling it for the past eight years. The instance joins a string of recent incidents of copyright infringement involving deceased rappers such as MF DOOM.
“The King Of New York” is considered one of the most well-known images of the late Christopher Wallace, featuring the rotund rapper adorned with a plastic crown in front of a red backdrop. A mural in his home neighborhood, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, is based on the photo, and the crown from it even sold for over half-a-million dollars at auction in 2020.
Call it the Taylor Swift effect, but music fans are mixing their love of live music with travel more than ever by “gig-tripping” – planning travel around concerts and music festivals. According to Skyscanners Travel Trends 2024 Report, 44% of US travelers would fly short-haul to see their favorite artists live.
This should come as no surprise, as plenty of data in the last several years confirms that young people prefer spending their hard-earned money on experiences rather than things. With live music, travel, and wellness at the top of many Millennial and Gen Z’s priority lists, combining them just makes sense.
Enter Park City Song Summit, a new breed of music festival that blends it all in the beautiful mountain surroundings of Park City, Utah.
Emily Hart
WHAT MAKES PARK CITY SONG SUMMIT DIFFERENT?
Emily Hart
Park City Song Summit is a relatively new music festival but has quickly gained popularity for its unique approach to the live music experience. Beginning in 2022, the Park City Song Summit has aimed to create an immersive and intimate gathering for music enthusiasts and artists.
Unlike traditional music festivals, Park City Song Summit truly prioritizes meaningful connections between artists and audiences by offering intimate performances, daily panel discussions, and workshops where attendees can engage with their favorite musicians and industry professionals.
The festival emphasizes wellness and mental health for attendees and touring musicians with daily schedules packed with wellness activities, yoga sessions, and discussions on topics ranging from mental health awareness to addiction recovery and inclusivity.
SUMMIT LABS:
Emily Hart
The festival (held this year on August 15-17) contained ten unique sessions, or “Summit Labs.” Park City Song Summit describes them as the “heartbeat of the festival,” and after attending several, I’d have to agree. Held in an intimate and inviting space at Pendry Park City, the conversations ranged from navigating creativity in the age of AI to breaking gender norms in the brass section and driving transformative impact in a transactional world.
Some of my favorite labs were artists in conversation, featuring legendary artists like Darryl DMC McDaniels discussing dignity in dialogue and embracing artistic freedom, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket discussing the toll of heavy touring and mental health with iconic rock photographer Danny Clinch.
FOCUS ON WELLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY:
Yoga, Meditation and Sound Baths
One of Park City Song Summit’s Core Values is “Where Music Meets Wellness,” and the schedule at the festival fully aligns. Yoga, meditation, and sound baths are offered each morning on the beautiful rooftop of Pendry Park City, with views of the surrounding epic mountains.
Song Summit Village and Artists Lounge
Emily Hart
Festival attendees and artists have plenty of options for wellness activities throughout the day. At the Song Summit Village, attendees could book a chair massage, IV hydration, B12 shot, or cuddle some puppies with Nuzzles and Co. pet rescue. Artists and crew had dedicated space to indulge in mocktails, IVs, oxygen, reiki, and many other wellness activities.
A unique aspect of the festival is the Recovery Hangs, offered multiple times each day as a safe place to connect and support those in any and all types recovery. While the festival isn’t alcohol-free, there is a heavy emphasis on addiction recovery and inclusivity for all that stands out.
AND OF COURSE, THE MUSIC:
Emily Hart
I mean, this is a music festival at the end of the day, and the diversity of artists here is well worth the trip on their own. From Mavis Staples to Cimafunk, Larkin Poe, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and My Morning Jacket – there is a wide range of music throughout the day on various stages and the gorgeous amphitheater at night.
WHERE TO STAY:
Hyatt Centric Park City
Emily Hart
Park City Song Summit takes place in the Canyons Village area of Park City Mountain, where plenty of options exist for lodging, restaurants, and shopping. I stayed at Hyatt Centric Park City, which was quickly walkable to all the festival offered.
The rooms and suites at the Hyatt Centric Park City range from deluxe guest rooms to spacious four-bedroom residences. Each features comfortable furnishings, modern amenities, and stunning mountain views. The resort also offers a variety of on-site amenities, including a restaurant, bar, fitness center, and year-round outdoor pool.
Pendry Park City
Emily Hart
Pendry Park City is a luxurious, modern mountain resort in the heart of Park City Song Summit, where many of the festival’s events occur on its property and grounds. Uniquely blending contemporary design and alpine charm, the ski-in/ski-out resort provides easy access to the slopes of Park City Mountain in the winter and to Canyons Village and all the other offerings the rest of the year.
Pendry Park City offers a variety of dining options, including a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the mountains, a fitness center, a spa, and an outdoor pool, providing travelers with ample opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation between festival events.
WHAT TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE FESTIVAL:
Park City Main Street
Emily Hart
A trip to Park City is only complete with a visit to its historic Main Street. If you’re staying in Canyons Village, getting there is easy: riding a Park City Transit bus, using a ride-sharing service, or taking a scenic walk or bike ride the 5 miles to Main Street.
The charming historic district has unique shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants. My top tip for a genuinely authentic Park City experience is to visit Burns Cowboy Shop. This iconic store has been crafting custom hats for over 50 years, with skilled hat makers helping patrons design one-of-a-kind hats.
Hiking
Emily Hart
Park City, like all of Utah, honestly, is a hiker’s paradise, offering stunning mountain scenery, diverse trails, and fresh mountain air. Surrounded by the majestic Wasatch Range, there are hikes for all levels here, offering breathtaking views of awe-inspiring peaks, alpine lakes, and lush forests. AllTrails has tons of options, including these easy to moderate hikes nearby:
Bloods Lake Trail
Just outside of Park City lies one of the area’s most popular trails: Bloods Lake. The trail is moderate and offers stunning alpine views and Bloods Lake itself, a pristine alpine lake surrounded by towering peaks. Length: 2.8 miles Difficulty: Moderate
Armstrong Trail to Dawns Trail Loop
Another popular trail near Park City is Armstrong Trail to Dawns Trail Loop. At 711 feet of elevation gain in 3.5 miles, it is moderately challenging and offers panoramic views of the Wasatch Range. Length: 3.5 miles Difficulty: Moderate
Alpine Lake Trail
An easy trail closest to the festival itself is Alpine Lake Trail. The just 1.6-mile trail is relatively flat, with stunning views of the surrounding peaks and a serene alpine lake. Length: 1.6 miles Difficulty: Easy
No straightforward superhero stories will be found on Prime Video/Amazon, and that’s more than fine. This year, Gen V‘s second season will arrive to follow up on Homelander’s arrival during the campus bloodbath. Additionally, Robert Kirkman’s Invincible will return after an arguably too-slow season, but perhaps that will change with Mark Grayson’s Blue Suit era coming viewers’ way.
Steven Yeun’s character will also make his thoughts clear on the bureaucratic antics of Walton Goggins’ Global Defense Agency chief, Cecil Stedman. A trailer reveals that their working relationship has hit the skids, and February TV is about to bring the graphic comic violence.
When Does Invincible Season 3 Debut On Prime Video?
Premiere day is February 6 with streaming times varying across time zones (3:00am EST, 12:00am PST), and the first three episodes will stream at once. From this season’s synopsis:
Based on Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series, Invincible follows 19-year-old Mark Grayson, as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he could have ever imagined. Everything changes as Mark is forced to face his past, and his future, while discovering how much further he’ll need to go to protect the people he loves.
Invincible‘s massive ensemble cast includes Ross Marquand, Zazie Beetz, Seth Rogen, Sterling K. Brown, Ben Schwartz, Zachary Quinto, and Gillian Jacobs. The first two seasons are already streaming in full.
Okay, maybe Starbucks isn’t the first (or second, or third, or fourth, or fifth) thing we think of when it comes to the year’s most romantic holiday, but that hasn’t stopped the big coffee chain from introducing a grip of new drinks for the season.
Whether you give in fully to Valentine’s Day or are one of those people who see the holiday as just a way for our society to sell us stuff we don’t need, the new drinks capitalize on the flavors most closely associated with the holiday, like strawberries and chocolate, and feel however you want about February 14th, but that’s a flavor combination too good to deny.
The new drinks include the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino, the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew, and the sexily named Midnight Drink. There is no way all of these drinks are worth your money, so we picked up all three, put ‘em to a taste test, and ranked them from least to most essential.
Here are our thoughts.
4. Midnight Drink
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Despite its admittedly evocative name, the Midnight Drink tasted too muted to really appeal to us. The drink consists of a blackberry fruit infusion shaken with coconut milk. Visually, it looks appetizing, but flavorwise it tastes like dirty water tinged with a bit of tart berry undertones.
The coconut doesn’t come through well enough. Overall, it tastes like this one is missing a few key ingredients to make it worth ordering.
The Bottom Line:
Skip this one. It looks great and sounds appetizing, but it tastes muted to the point of near flavorlessness.
3. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Crème Frappuccino
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This is the one drink out of the four that seems explicitly Valentine’s Day-themed, and because of that I would’ve liked to rank it higher but, here it is sitting at third. Despite being second to last, that isn’t to say this drink isn’t good. Unlike the Midnight Drink, Starbucks didn’t forget to pack this one with flavor.
This drink takes the Strawberry Crème base and builds on it by adding a heavy drizzle of chocolate syrup, blended chocolate chunks, and a thick layer of Strawberry purée. The flavor balances sweet and creamy strawberry tones with more tart sensations, with a nice rich dark chocolate finish.
It’s everything you want a Frappuccino to be — indulgent, sweet, and taste-bud pleasing with a nice decadent twist.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious enough that you’ll want it to be part of Starbucks’ permanent menu. It’s a shame it’s not.
2. Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew
Dane Rivera
Of the four new Valentine’s Day drinks, the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew is the only one that has any coffee in it, so if you’re all about that heavy dose of caffeine, this is the drink for you.
The Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew features a nutty, buttery, and earthy flavor with a hint of chocolate and a whole lot of sweetness, which pairs nicely with the soft cocoa flavor of Starbucks’ cold brew base. The foam on this cold brew features little flecks of chocolate which help to emphasize that chocolatey vibe even more.
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
A welcome twist to Starbucks’ cold brew. Especially if you’re into chocolatey Nutella vibes.
1. Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Starbucks’ Refreshers line are essentially mocktails, which makes them incredibly easy to write off. A big criticism of mocktails is that you don’t get anything out of them, it’s essentially an elevated sweet drink, which begs the question, why not just have a Coca-Cola? Well, drinks like the Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher make the whole concept of a mocktail valid.
This drink features a sweet and tangy lemonade base infused with blackberries and a hint of sage. It’s a true joy to drink. It’s tangy, tart, earthy, a bit woody, and has this addicting bright and minty finish. The way the Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher hits your palate takes your tastebuds on a journey. It’s surprisingly nuanced and complex, and it is easily Starbucks’ best lemonade ever.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t write off the Refreshers as simple mocktails. The Blackberry Sage Lemonade Refresher, with its complex, earthy, tart, and sweet flavor is absolutely worth a trip to Starbucks.
That’s not something we ever thought we’d say about this line of beverages.
UK heritage footwear brand Clarks is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a special documentary that tells the story of how a small footwear brand from the isolated town of Somerset became one of the most recognizable and beloved brands in the world (particularly the music world). The documentary, titled From Somerset to the World, is narrated by Yasiin Bey (FKA as Mos Def and one-half of the legendary Black Star) and directed by Set Free Richardson, pays special attention across its 18-minute runtime to the brand’s deep connection to music culture, from the island of Jamaica to the urban jungles of New York City and London.
The documentary features interviews and reflections from the likes of Wu-Tang alum Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, as well as Liam Gallagher, Big Youth, Lila Ika, and Becca Dudley, designers like Martine Rose and Danielle Cathari, and Jamaican footballer Allan “Skill” Cole, which helps put into perspective just how resonant and vital a brand Clarks is to popular culture.
Being around for 200 years is no small feat. But what’s truly impressive about the brand is how many big names it has within its loyal fan base. It’s not every day that a brand can get someone as big as Liam Gallagher to say, “I don’t think there is any other brand for me… I find it hard to even look at other brands.” PUMA could never!
To watch From Somerset To The World, head over to the Clarks or Clarks Originals Instagram channels, or watch it on YouTube.
Since their hit, gold-certified 2018 single “Hunnybee,” Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released the instrumental album IC-01 Hanoi and followed that with the non-instrumental 2023 project V. Now, they’re going back to the instrumental realm: Today (February 5), the group announced IC-02 Bogotá. They also shared a video for “Earth 1,” which features footage from the recording of the album.
The IC series of instrumental albums documents a period spent in a specific city, and in this case, the band made this project in Colombia. A press release describes the project as “possible background music for some strange parties and night drives in your future.”
This comes after a relatively quiet stretch from the group following the release of V. The same year as dropping that album, though, they did have some collaborations with recognizable names: They remixed Wet Leg’s hit “Chaise Longue” and they featured on Portugal The Man’s “Summer Of Luv” from their album Chris Black Changed My Life.
Check out the “Earth 1” video above and find the IC-02 Bogotá cover art and tracklist below.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s IC-02 Bogotá Album Cover Artwork
Last year, CBS gave the post-Super Bowl timeslot to Tracker. That turned out to be a smart move. Fox hopes Super Bowl LIX‘s lead-out program is just as successful.
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game (and Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA halftime show) on Sunday, February 9, will be followed by the season three premiere of The Floor. The Rob Lowe-hosted game show is described as a “trivia battle in which contestants stand on squares on a massive game show floor, competing for a whopping grand prize.”
It’s no The Wonder Years series premiere, or “The One After the Superbowl,” or the Family Guy pilot, but hey, ratings are ratings.
Fox initially announced that Rescue Hi-Surf would get the post-Super Bowl timeslot before it went to The Floor instead. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the first-year drama about sexy lifeguards (not Baywatch) “will likely still get heavy promotion during the Super Bowl (as it did during the World Series), and what the network is billing as ‘a special episode’ of the series is set to run the day after the NFL title game, Feb. 10.”
Super Bowl LIX airs on Fox and streams on Tubi on Sunday, February 9, from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Today, Sumney re-released “Hey Girl” from the aforementioned project as “Hey Girl(s),” adding Meshell Ndegeocello and Syd as features. They slot perfectly into the lush, jazz-accented composition — which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s paid attention to the two singers for the past 20 years. In a press release, Ndegeocello praised Sumney, whose music she’s had an outsized influence on, saying, “I was excited when Moses thought of me for this song because I love his voice, it’s just otherworldly, and this song spoke to me because of the way he pushes a romantic narrative into the future. It was a pleasure to get a glimpse into his process and an honor to be part of it.”
Although there’s no word of when Sumney’s next musical move is coming, you can bet it’ll continue to push boundaries and raise the bar of musical excellence.
Listen to Moses Sumney’s “Hey Girl(s)” featuring Meshell Ndegeocello and Syd above.
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