Category: News

If you enjoy snacking on M&Ms, you might want to think long and hard before reading any further. You will never look at them the same again after learning of Mike Hadreas’ aka (Perfume Genius) take on the redesign of M&M characters earlier this year, especially the traditionally “sexy” Green M&M.

Hadreas, who dropped his Ugly Season album in June, reviewed 2022 for Stereogum and was asked if he’d heard about the “inclusive” M&M redesign that aimed to leave the characters’ sexy traits in the past. “How’s that more inclusive? To have less sexy people?” Hadreas countered. After interviewer Ryan Leas explained that “it was supposed to be less gendered” and “they’ve changed the relationship between the women M&Ms to gesture towards women supporting each other instead of women competing with each other,” Hadreas really let us know how he feels.

“I like that, but I think they should have little titties,” he said. “Little pubic mounds. They can have multiple in all configurations, or, I don’t know. But definitely titties. Any kind of sensual mound.”

Hadreas additionally gave his takes on Adam Levine’s cheating scandal (“if the whole story is that he’s corny and midlife-y then to have that put on blast is embarrassing”), Taylor Swift (“just not for me”), and more. The 41-year-old indie rocker named Alex G’s God Save The Animals and Angel Olsen’s Big Time as favorite albums of the year, both of also made Uproxx’s Best Indie Albums Of 2022 list.

WNBA all-star Brittney Griner being released from a Russian prison was a cause for celebration for most people, but Donald Trump Jr. and Marjorie Taylor Greene aren’t most people. They’re way more annoying.

“No one cuts better deals than Biden. We get an awful America Hating WNBA player, while Russia gets AN INTERNATIONAL ARMS DEALER!!! The adults are back!” the former-president’s son wrote on — where else? — Truth Social after the news broke. The “international arms dealer” is Viktor Bout, who “was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization,” CNN reports.

In a separate post, Trump Jr. lashed out about the prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, Newsweek reported. “You guys know how to make sure [Russian President Vladimir] Putin keeps arresting Americans and severely punishing them?” Trump wrote. “Trade him an arms dealer aka ‘The Merchant of Death’ someone guilty of conspiring to kill Americans and aiding a terrorist organization for an America Hating WNBA activist.”

Meanwhile, Taylor Greene believes that Joe Biden should be impeached for the swap. “Another reason to impeach Biden,” she tweeted. “The President of the United States traded Russian terrorist arms dealer, Viktor Bout, left a U.S. Marine in Russian jail, and brought home a professional basketball player. How many people will Viktor Bout now kill bc Biden set him free?” Speaking of releasing prisoners…

(Via Raw Story and CNN)

For the past couple of years, one of the more controversial topics in hip-hop has been the so-called “BBL” — short for “Brazilian butt lift.” As any number of rappers have referenced the procedure in their lyrics (some examples include 21 Savage, Kanye West, Latto, Moneybagg Yo, and more), its popularity has grown — and become more divisive. One of its loudest proponents was Cardi B, who talked about feeling like she was “too skinny” in high school and how her own butt lift also raised her tips when she worked at the strip club.

However, it appears she’s changed her tune; in a recent Instagram Live, she told fans she recently had her own reversed and warned them against getting one in the first place. According to People, Cardi admitted, “In August I got surgery and I removed 95% of my biopolymers… if you don’t know what it is, it’s ass shots. It was a really crazy process. All I’m going to say is that if you’re young, if you’re 19, 20, 21, and sometimes you’re too skinny, and you be like ‘Oh my god, I don’t have enough fat to put in my ass,’ so you [think you should] resort to ass shots, don’t!”

Cardi previously recalled getting the procedure done illegally for $800 in a Queens basement. “It was the craziest pain ever,” she said. “I felt like I was gonna pass out. I felt a little dizzy. And it leaks for, like, five days.” During her Live, she gave a more ardent warning: “If y’all want advice from me, before you get your BBL done you have to make sure your blood levels are all right,” she said. “If a doctor says your blood levels are too low or you have diabetes or whatever, don’t do it.”

Taylor Swift somehow has the time to become an ascending director in the thick of her world-beating pop star career. The Midnights songstress made her directorial debut with November 2021’s All Too Well: The Short Film, starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink. The 15-minute video has racked up the awards this year and is up for Best Music Video at the 2023 Grammys. Swift shared a behind-the-scenes cut of All Too Well: The Short Film this morning (December 8), and she’s about to give fans another glimpse into her directorial mastermind.

Variety has announced that Swift and The Banshees Of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh will feature in the “Directors On Directors” interview series premiere next Monday, December 12, beginning at 11 a.m. PT across its channels.

At the Tribeca Festival in June, Swift screened All Too Well: The Short Film and discussed her filmmaking ambitions. “It would be so fantastic to write and direct a feature,” she said. “I don’t see it being bigger in terms of scale. I loved making a film that was so intimate with a crew that was relatively small. Just a really solid crew of people that I trusted.”

Swift also directed and wrote the videos for her Midnights standout tracks “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled.”

Yesterday, she was named to The Hollywood Reporter‘s “2022 Women In Entertainment Power 100” list and asked who in Hollywood she’d trade places with. She chose Guillermo del Toro, lauding his diverse storytelling range” and “distinctive artistic fingerprint on every film.” Given Swift’s track record, it wouldn’t be wise to doubt that she could one day join del Toro as an Oscar winner.

In just two short seasons, Abbott Elementary has become an outright sensation. The show, which is kind of like The Office or Parks And Recreation set in a Philadelphia public elementary school, has garnered rave reviews for its heart and laugh-out-loud comedic touch. However, another aspect of its popularity that can’t be overlooked is its cameos and commitment to its Philadelphia setting.

While comedian/rapper Zack Fox played an integral role in the first season, the second season has upped the ante, with a hilarious appearance from Philly Flyers mascot Gritty, and in the show’s latest episode which aired last night, Vince Staples and 76ers legend Andre Iguodala. They join a cast that is already full of delightful comedic personalities including Tyler James Williams (from Everybody Hates Chris), Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Quinta Brunson, the show’s creator and main character, rookie educator Janine Teagues.

And since Staples is cast as a romantic rival to Williams’ Gregory for Janine’s affections, fans are rightfully freaking out, since Greg and Janine are the show’s “will they, won’t they” couple. Williams and Brunson’s smoldering chemistry doesn’t hurt either.

Iggy’s appearance is played more for straight laughs, as he appears as the boyfriend of the school’s irresponsible principal, Ava (portrayed by James). Fans were naturally excited to get yet another Philly reference on the show, which has nodded to Sixers basketball a couple of times this season, including with Janine’s Halloween costume of James Harden.

The show is going into its winter hiatus. Still, it will return in early 2023 — undoubtedly with more fun surprises and complications in the ongoing story of the interoffice romance between Janine and Greg (and hopefully, more Ava/Iggy shenanigans).

2023 is already looking great: It was announced today (December 8) that The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are uniting for a joint tour next year. A press release noted Ben Gibbard will be playing both The Postal Service’s 2003 album Give Up and DCFC’s also-2003 album Transatlanticism in full.

So, as far as what songs the bands will be performing and as a refresher about the albums, here’s the Give Up tracklist:

1. “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”
2. “Such Great Heights”
3. “Sleeping In”
4. “Nothing Better” Feat. Jen Wood
5. “Recycled Air”
6. “Clark Gable”
7. “We Will Become Silhouettes”
8. “This Place Is A Prison”
9. “Brand New Colony”
10. “Natural Anthem”

The 10th anniversary deluxe edition of the album also featured the bonus tracks “Turn Around,” “A Tattered Line Of String,” “Be Still My Heart,” and “There’s Never Enough Time,” along with covers, remixes, and live recordings.

Now, the Transatlanticism tracklist:

1. “The New Year”
2. “Lightness”
3. “Title And Registration”
4. “Expo ’86”
5. “The Sound Of Settling”
6. “Tiny Vessels”
7. “Transatlanticism”
8. “Passenger Seat”
9. “Death Of An Interior Decorator”
10. “We Looked Like Giants”
11. “A Lack Of Color”

Gibbard said in a statement, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Find more info about ticketing here and revisit both of those albums below.

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

The Postal Service’s 2003 album Give Up is one of the most beloved indie projects perhaps ever. Since the band disbanded, fans have been clamoring for a reunion. Every now and then, they’ve gotten one, like when they did an anniversary tour in 2013 or when Ben Gibbard and Jenny Lewis had a mini reunion in 2019. Now, it’s happening again.

Today (December 8), it was announced that The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are going on a joint tour in 2023, where both groups will be performing their respective 2003 albums (Give Up and Transatlanticism) in full. The tour starts in September and will run through to mid-October. Ticket pre-sale begins on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time and more info can be found here.

In terms of new music from the group, though, that may not be likely. In 2021, Gibbard said, “I love Jimmy [Tamborello] and Jenny so much, but the dream or idea of doing more music kind of died when we attempted to make the second record in 2004 and 2005. […] You want to never say never, but no one should be holding their breath waiting for Postal Service music coming any time soon. We haven’t worked on anything. We stay in touch as friends, but that’s kind of the extent of it.”

Check out the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

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

Today brought some amazing news for fans of 2003-era Ben Gibbard: The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie are going on a joint tour in 2023, in celebration of the albums Give Up and Transatlanticism, respectively. This is going to be one of indie music’s biggest events of the year and these concerts will be must-attend affairs.

If you’re looking to get tickets, here’s what you need to know: pre-sales begin on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time. Whatever tickets remain will be released to the general public on December 16. Find more info about ticketing here.

The tour starts on September 8, 2023 in Portland, Maine and will hit cities like Boston, Detroit, and New York before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on October 13.

Gibbard said in a statement, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Find the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

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

2023 is a significant year when it comes to Ben Gibbard-related anniversaries. In 2003, The Postal Service released Give Up, their debut and so-far-only album. Later that year, Death Cab For Cutie dropped one of their most beloved projects, Transatlanticism. Now, we have some exciting and unprecedented news: In 2023, Gibbard and company will celebrate both of these projects with a joint Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie tour.

The co-headlining tour will see Gibbard performing with both bands, alongside Jimmy Tamborello and Jenny Lewis in The Postal Service and with Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr in DCFC. For the bands’ sets, they will be performing their respective aforementioned albums in full.

The tour starts on September 8, 2023 in Portland, Maine (where Gibbard and Lewis previously staged a mini Postal Service reunion in 2019). From there, it will hit cities like Boston, Detroit, and New York before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on October 13. Ticket pre-sales begin on September 14 at 10 a.m. local time, while remaining tickets will be released to the general public on December 16. Find more info about ticketing here.

Gibbard offered a statement about all this, saying, “I know for a fact I will never have a year again like 2003. The Postal Service record came out, Transatlanticism came out. These two records will be on my tombstone, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve never had a more creatively inspired year.”

Watch the announcement video above and check out the full list of tour dates below.

09/08/2023 — Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
09/09/2023 — Kingston, RI @ The Ryan Center
09/10/2023 — New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
09/12/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/13/2023 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
09/14/2023 — Washington, DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/17/2023 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheater
09/20/2023 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/21/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center
09/24/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/26/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/27/2023 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
10/03/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
10/07/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/10/2023 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre @ UC Berkeley
10/13/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

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

A film’s box office total isn’t necessarily indicative of whether it was a success or not… but it’s still cool as hell that Everything Everywhere All at Once made over 100 million bucks. The A24 mind-bender is a leading contender for a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, and its star, Michelle Yeoh, is all but guaranteed to be up for Best Actress. The actress spoke to another likely nominee, Tár‘s Cate Blanchett, as part of Variety‘s Actors on Actors series, and she revealed the reason that she nearly left the project.

“With [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert], I had to see if they were certifiably insane, in the best possible way. It’s very important that I feel the director is a visionary and I’m one of their tools,” Yeoh said. “The only thing I said to them was, ‘The character cannot be called Michelle Wang.’ They’re like, ‘But why? It’s so you.’ I’m like, ‘No, I’m not an Asian immigrant mother who’s running a laundromat. She needs her own voice.’ That was the only thing.” She added, “If you don’t change the name, I’m not coming in.”

It’s a good thing they listened to Yeoh, which is a good rule for most things in life.

(Via Variety)