Category: News

Rain poured down with such force that it obscured the grounds beyond the festival gates and delayed entry. It was the kind of summer rain Midwesterners know all too well; heavy and humid but falling in short spurts. The dirt at Chicago’s Union Park began turning to mud and a passerby had one word to sum up the first few hours of Pitchfork Music Festival 2022: Soggy. But even the perpetual rain during the three-day festival didn’t deter excitable indie fans. Clad in brightly colored ponchos, attendees made the most of the weather; rain jackets became lawn blankets and umbrellas became props to dance with when they weren’t providing shelter. Enduring the rain was worth catching sets by today’s top indie artists like Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Camp Cope, and Toro Y Moi.

The rain didn’t come as a surprise to seasoned Pitchfork-goers, seeing as the festival is routinely booked during the rainiest week in Chicago’s summer. But the weather served as a reminder of the gritty ethos of the festival and reflected the tenacity and determination of music fans. People don’t come to Pitchfork for Instagram-able moments or to sport glittery festival outfits. They come to lose themselves in muddy mosh pits set to the tune of left-of-the-dial artists they won’t hear on mainstream radio. All weekend, crowds were dense with music lovers collectively swooning to Indigo De Souza and Cate Le Bon, thrashing to The Armed and Dry Cleaning, bouncing to Tierra Whack and Noname, and getting a move on to Amber Mark and The Roots.

For fans and artists alike, attending Pitchfork is an indie badge of honor. The event is a benchmark of indie stardom and puts the trajectory of artists’ rise to fame on full display. Those who frequent the festival have had the pleasure of seeing certain bands blow up before their eyes. Lucy Dacus, who held an evening performance slot on day two, reminisced on her Pitchfork set from a few years ago; she had played to a much smaller crowd while being lightly shocked by the microphone in the (once-again) pouring rain. But now, she was serenading a crowd of thousands of adoring fans screaming her name in between each jaunty song.

Japanese Breakfast have also earned impressive accolades since their last Pitchfork performance. After playing a midday set on the festival’s smaller stage a few years ago, the group received two Grammy nominations and performed on top-rated late-night talk shows. Singer Michelle Zauner is now a New York Times best-selling author whose book, Crying In H-Mart, is being translated into several languages. This year, their indie esteem was tangible as they took over Pitchfork’s main stage backed by a full brass section and flashy stage props complete with a massive, flower-adorned gong. During their set, Zauner invited Jeff Tweedy to join her on stage, lead singer of Wilco and quasi Chicago indie royalty. Together, they sang a rendition of one of Japanese Breakfast’s “Kokomo, IN” before harmonizing a cover of Wilco’s “Jesus Don’t Cry.”

Beyond Wilco’s cameo and Japanese Breakfast’s engaging set, day two as a whole was something special. Deemed “sad girl Saturday” by festivalgoers thanks to the back-to-back-to-back performances by Dacus, Japanese Breakfast, and Mitski, the day decidedly drew the largest crowds of the weekend. Several people gushed about the “sapphic energy” the lineup exuded and Dacus even took a poll about the orientation of the crowd in attendance. “I’ve been taking a census at shows lately — who here is gay?” she asked, and the vast majority of the hands in the crowd shot up alongside a roaring cheer. The elated screaming was just as audible for Mitski, who transformed the headlining stage into a theater, remaining in character as she fluidly moved through the intentional choreography of each emotive track.

While most of the music fans powered through the stormy weather, the rain did seem to put a damper on the general mood. Slick stages prohibited artists from dancing around and health scares were unfortunately common. Both Japanese Breakfast and Noname had to stop their sets several times call for medical attention in the crowd, taking to the mic to remind the importance of drinking water and looking out for those around them.

After tender and emotional sets the day prior, it was clear energy levels were depleted by day three. Earl Sweatshirt’s DJ attempted to lift the crowd’s spirits in vain, announcing there were “too many people for it to be this quiet.” But the pervasive gloom was picked up by the groovy lineup. A high-spirited performance by Toro Y Moi drew the most energetic crowd by far as the musician bopped through a mix of funk-fused Mahal tracks and early career favorites. “I hope you all like 160 bpms,” he told the crowd before they erupted in movement. The Roots, fronted by rapper Black Thought and backed by drummer Questlove, ended the festival on a high note. Jazzy solos by a wildly talented keytar player and flutist sent infectious positive vibes loose throughout the park, which were only lifted by a guest appearance by comedian Hannibal Burress.

Through gray skies and pouring rain, Pitchfork 2022 is a reminder of why we tolerate discomfort to experience the pure bliss of watching our favorite bands alongside a community of music lovers. Enduring torrential downpours and slippery mud is worth it for the music — worth it to grin and groove alongside strangers and new friends — as long as the expensive shoes are left at home.

Following a series of rapper deaths in recent years, record labels have supposedly begun taking out life insurance policies on their artists. This is what rapper French Montana claimed during a recent episode of DJ Akademiks‘ Off The Record podcast.

Montana delved into beef in the rap game, and how things are handled now, compared to the past.

“We was beefing for real,” Montana said. “People was dying and this and that, and it was blocking a lot of money. People didn’t want to touch you. Your rap friends stop picking up, the labels stop picking up. It gets crazy. But now it’s even crazier, they gettin’ life insurance on artists. At least back then, we didn’t have that. You’re praying on his death. You’re praying on making millions on his death.”

Last month, Montana released an album called Montega, which was produced entirely by Harry Fraud. In an interview with Okayplayer, Montana said the purpose of his previous album, They Got Amnesia was to remind people of his musical ability. On Montega, he seeks to cement his and Fraud’s legacy.

“…I scratched off my bucket list everything that I wanted to accomplish,” Montana said. “From going platinum on albums to going diamond. Now it’s back to how I want to finish my legacy with Harry Fraud how we started. How we made music, from the point of view of when we had our backs to the wall. When we would fight with music to get out of the rabbit hole, that’s what we got with this. Now we’re making music to bring everybody back but take them where we’re going at the same time.”

Check out the Off The Record clip above.

We are living in a renaissance of psychedelic research, no doubt about it…particularly when it comes to medical treatment. Psilocybin and MDMA are being used to alleviate depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Ayahuasca retreats continue to become more popular as healing centers. Even my go-to yoga spot now offers a “Microdose Flow Night.” What a time to be alive.

And yet, as plant medicine makes its way back into the mainstream of our modern world, traditional spiritual wisdom often seems to get lost, even dismissed, from the conversation. But what if there were a way to blend new and old ways of thinking?

psychedelics, psychedelics and religion, gtuxAll images courtesy of GTUx

Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a world leader in the study of religion and theology. Their new virtual learning program, GTUx, is a is a vibrant home for the exploration of spirituality and activism through online learning opportunities, all inspired by experts of spiritual, ethical, cultural and social fields.

GTUx recently launched “Psychedelics and Religion”—a first-of-its-kind online program that explores the inherent (but often overlooked) relationship between spirituality and science in hallucinogens. Plus, it’s completely free to sign up.

Psychedelics and Religion Part I | gtu.edu/x

www.youtube.com

GTUx’s “Psychedelics and Religion, Part 1” has nine easy-to-watch modules offering in-depth conversations from leading scholars in both religious and medical fields, including Michael Pollan, Celina De Leon, Ayize Jama-Everett, and many others.

The content is practical for a general audience, and particularly for those interested in using plant medicine in holistic ways.

Brian Anderson, Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF General Hospital, and one of the GTUx speakers considers it paramount to incorporate spiritual knowledge from ancient practices into the medical use of psychedelics. This is important even if the person taking these substances doesn’t label themselves as religious.

“Survey data suggests that people who identified as atheist or agnostic after having a high dose psychedelic experience might change…having some form of new spiritual beliefs or convictions that they did not have before. This is something I’ve certainly seen in a number of people,” he shared with Upworthy.

Clinical settings generally lack frameworks to better understand these profound experiences in what many might call the “mystical” realm. It’s sort of like being dropped into a brand new country without a map or translator.

Religious scholars, however, are fluent in mystical language. Dr. Sam Shonkoff, Taube Family Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the GTU, and panel leader, hopes that their contribution might reinstill a sense of “awe” into our modern view of psychedelics, in the fullest sense of the term.

“There’s a really desperate need to slow down and think carefully and critically about what it means to tap into these very powerful substances that are associated with very rich cultural traditions and to not take that lightly,” he explained.

Dr. Sam Shonkoff, Taube Family Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the GTU

“I think that people who study the histories and phenomenologies of religion and spirituality are importantly situated to help us think more carefully and critically about where we are and where we’re going in relation to psychedelics.”

Participants of “Psychedelics and Religion” will learn about psychedelics in relation to mysticism, mental health, and chaplaincy, and how to better integrate their profound transformational experiences into everyday life. By the end of the program, they might discover that when it comes to plant medicine, science and spirituality actually do complement one another.

Part 1 of this free online offering is already available, which you can check out by clicking here. It’s guaranteed to be a good trip.

As Netflix slowly builds back the fanbase that it lost during the first quarter of 2022, the company has been testing out various ways to try to make back some of its money. The streamer has been toying with the idea of paid advertisements and cracking down on password-sharing. Now, Netflix is hoping to pull a Hulu and charge for additional homes on each plan.

In a new blog post, the streamer broke down how the “Paid Sharing” update would go. Those who wish to add multiple homes would have a monthly upcharge per household:

Each Netflix account – whatever your plan – will include one home where you can enjoy Netflix on any of your devices. To use your Netflix account in additional homes, we will ask you to pay an extra [219 Pesos per month per home in Argentina / $2.99 per month per home in the Dominican Republic / $2.99 per month per home in Honduras / $2.99 per month per home in El Salvador / $2.99 per month per home in Guatemala]. Members on the Basic plan can add one extra home, Standard up to two extra, and Premium up to three extra. You will soon be able to control where your account is being used – and remove homes at any time – from your account settings page.

The company also confirmed that viewers can still access their “home” account on the go, using a tablet or laptop while traveling.

This rollout will be for customers who are using the same account in multiple households. If that account is used somewhere other than one of their paying households for more than two weeks, they will get a notification asking them to either add a household or change their primary household to the new location. If not… they will lose the ability to re-watch Stranger Things, which is a nightmare to some.

While the feature is still in its early days of testing, there are still other (less confusing and easier) ways that the streamer is hoping to get users on board, including adding cheaper, ad-supported tiers. Hulu has a similar location-based model which is notoriously stressful for families who don’t share a zip code, so maybe that’s not the best way to do things.

Even though Netflix has been warning users about this for some time, it still stings. Maybe it’s time we re-introduce cable back into the cultural consciousness.

(Via Bloomberg)

Alex Jones isn’t exactly what most individuals would describe as a “stable” person, as evidenced by such on-air stunts as recently threatening to cut his finger off on live TV to show his viewers how much he loved them. While some people believe that the Infowars host’s over-the-top persona is all a bit of performance art, Jones himself fiercely denies these assertions. In a way, whether or not Jones believes his own conspiracy theories—like how the liners in our soda cans are causing men’s penises to shrink, or how we’re all destined to become cyborg slaves of Satan—really doesn’t matter, as Jones it totally committed to the role.

So it was hardly surprising when journalist Will Black posted a video to Twitter that captured Jones in the midst of a total meltdown while supposedly grabbing a bite to eat at what appears to be ​​Lucy’s Fried Chicken, a restaurant in Austin, Texas.

It’s hard to make out exactly why Jones is so angry or really much of what he’s saying, but what we do witness is the conspiracy theorist making enough of a scene that nearly everyone in the restaurant seems to be turned around and watching. As bystanders are recording Jones’ outburst, he is recording them right back—and losing. As Mediaite reports, one man can be heard telling Jones to “eat shit,” while another diner tells Jones to leave. His defense? “I already was leaving!”

At one point, a waitress comes over, presumably to calm everyone down, but walks away—exasperated—just as quickly. Seconds later, another individual, presumably a manager, approaches the bickering crowd and seems to suggest that it would be best if Jones would just leave. Instead, however, Jones attacks one of the diner’s patriotism (LOL) by calling him a “slob” and stating that “We never would have founded the country with big-ass wimps like you.”

When the object of Jones’ tirade just sort of laughs at him, Jones yells that “You’re the one who wants to run your fat libtard mouth!”

A few hours after the video was posted, Mediaite reported that it was actually an old clip that was filmed in 2019. Which doesn’t really make it any less enjoyable to watch—especially if the note running with it is correct, and it’s true that what got Jones’ knickers in a twist in the first place was that he was given curly fries with his order, which is not what he had asked for. (He does seem like a steak fry kind of guy.)

(Via Mediaite)

Seth Meyers returned to the Late Night chair following a two-week vacation, and had lots of news—and random observations—to catch up on, including Steve Bannon’s criminal contempt trial, which is happening now, and Liz Cheney’s mic drop moment at the last January 6th hearing when she hinted that they may have evidence that Donald Trump engaged in witness tampering. Meyers, however, seemed more preoccupied with a slightly less important, but bizarrely fascinating, observation: MAGAites have been shilling for Diet Dr Pepper big time.

The most obvious imbiber is Sidney Powell, who was guzzling down cans of the syrupy stuff during her January 6th deposition like she had just emerged from two months in the desert with nothing to drink. As Meyers explained:

The official drink of the U.S. government from now on will be a Diet Dr Pepper thanks to seditionist and coup plotter Sidney Powell, who was chugging them during a deposition she gave to the January 6th committee that aired last week.

Meyers played a clip from Anderson Cooper 360, where the host had to stifle a laugh while mentioning the Diet Dr Pepper, which Powell held in her hand — label forward — as if she was a paid spokesperson for the beverage. (To our knowledge, she is not.)

When she took a gigantic sip from the can, Meyers remarked that she “slugged that soda like she’s playing quarters at a Christian sleepaway camp.” But he did think that of all the soft drinks in all the world, Diet Dr Pepper seemed like the right choice for Powell as it’s “the soda you have when there’s else left in the vending machine. Just like Sidney Powell is your attorney when there’s nothing else left at the lawyer store.”

Oddly, Powell isn’t the only spacey Republican to give her Diet Dr P a shout-out. Back in April, when Fox News’ Jesse Watters asked one-time Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin whether she was ready for the backlash that was sure to ensure, Palin replied:

“I would never be so cocky as to say ‘Bring to it on,’ but… I anticipate that when when I walk down that hall to get my Diet Dr Pepper, sure, the jackals are gonna be there doing their jackaling. And I just think: I’ve got nothing to lose. What more can they do?

Well, they can make fun of that soda you’re drinking.

MorMor burst onto the scene in 2018 with the single “Heaven’s Only Wishful,” the first of many smooth and genre-combining tunes from the Toronto artist. Since then, he’s maintained a relatively low profile, especially in recent years. After 2018’s Heaven’s Only Wishful EP and 2019’s Some Place Else EP, MorMor dropped “Don’t Cry” in October 2020 and before today, that was the most recent output from him.

Now, though, after nearly two years, MorMor returns with another new song, “Far Apart.” The tune, which arrives with a video directed by
Camille Summers Valli, is a fine balance of groove and soul and is therefore more of what has made MorMor so beloved by fans. Press materials also note the song was recorded during a pandemic lockdown and was self-written and self-produced. The track arrives after MorMor teased a 30-second portion of it on Twitter last month.

MorMor says of the tune in a statement, “[Far Apart] is a song about the toxicity that occurs in a relationship when both people haven’t yet faced their demons.” On Twitter, he described the tune as the beginning of a “new chapter,” which echoes the press statement saying there’s “more from MorMor coming soon.”

Watch the “Far Apart” video above.

While it might not be true that everything is bigger in Texas, one thing that seems to be heightened is a general lack of empathy on the part of the state’s most high-powered lawmakers. And no, we’re not even talking about Ted Cruz hightailing it Mexico when his constituents were freezing their asses off during a power grid failure. No, in this case we’re talking about Governor Greg Abbott, who has reportedly opted to forgo attending the funerals of any of the 21 human beings who were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde—nor has he reached out to any of the families grieving the tragic (and avoidable) loss of their children.

As Central Texas’ ABC 25 reports, Abbott has largely been MIA—both in spirit and in person—since May 24, 2022, when a teenager walked into an elementary school and committed mass murder while local police just stood around both outside and inside the school, where video seems to show them texting and playing with a hand sanitizer machine while children are being massacred just feet away. While the Uvalde Police Department just outright stopped cooperating with authorities when the evidence of their lack of action was exposed, Abbott has done his best to distance himself from this royal f**k-up and even claimed that he doesn’t have the legal authority to release the footage of what actually happened on that day (spoiler alert: he does).

To make matters even worse (if that is even possible), parents of the children who senselessly lost their lives that day because the (nearly 400!!!) law enforcement officers at the scene decided not to make a move out of fear that “they could’ve been shot,” are now claiming that they haven’t heard a peep from Abbott or other lawmakers.

“For everybody out there getting ready to vote, since this has happened Governor Greg Abbott has yet to reach out,” Angel Garza, the father of slain 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, said. ABC 25 obtained the governor’s official schedule from May 25 through June 15, which indicates that while Abbott—who’s always yakking about being an exemplary Christian—had some vigils on his schedule, there was no indication that he planned to attend any individual funerals.

“Senator Cruz had a meeting with Uvalde family members scheduled for today. Unfortunately, they ended up having to cancel it,” said Darin Miller from Cruz’s office. ABC 25 reached out to Abbott’s campaign and office, but only heard back from the former—who passed the buck onto Abbott’s state office. “The Governor’s State office should answer these questions,” Mark Miner, a member of Abbott’s campaign office said. “It’s not appropriate for the campaign to be involved. You should direct your questions to the Governor’s state press office.”

Ted Cruz has also been a no-show, according to Garza. Darin Miller, a member of Cruz’s office, claims that “Senator Cruz had a meeting with Uvalde family members scheduled for [Wednesday of last week]. Unfortunately, they ended up having to cancel it.”

Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke has been showing his solidarity with the people of Uvalde and beyond by marching alongside them in the fight for safer gun laws. While O’Rourke’s office would not comment on whether or how many Uvalde victim funerals the wannabe governor has attended, several family members have confirmed his attendance.

(Via ABC 25)

Over the weekend, Kylie Jenner treated her 359 million Instagram followers to a photo of her and her boyfriend, rapper Travis Scott, standing in front of a pair of private jets. “You wanna take mine or yours?” she wrote. It’s very relatable content. Also relatable: taking your environment-destroying private jet on a minutes-long flight.

The Daily Mail reports that “Kylie is the latest member of her family to be accused of hypocrisy, after she flew on her luxury ‘Kylie Air’ private plane twice across the county on July 13, and again just two days later on July 15. The Bombardier Global 7500 jet travelled for 35 minutes from Palm Springs, just outside of LA, to Van Nuys, in Los Angeles, close to her $36 million Hidden Hills mansion on July 15.” Two hours later, she went from Van Nuys to Camarillo, a trip that “took just 12 minutes.”

A private jet like “Kylie Air” is five to 14 times more dangerous to the environment than taking a commercial airplane, let alone driving the meager distance from one California city to another nearby California city, and “50 times more polluting than trains,” according to Transport and Environment. Over two tons of CO2 are emitted. That’s… not great.

Had the star driven the 26 mile trip from her home in Hidden Hills, to Camarillo it would have taken her around 39 minutes – without traffic. But instead the star drove 30 minutes in the wrong direction to Van Nuys airport, before jumping on the plane – with the journey taking longer despite the 12 minute flight.

Jenner, who responded to the controversy with a TikTok of her and her kids shopping at Target in an attempt to seem “normal” and not someone who casually takes their private jet for a quick jaunt, is being called a “climate criminal” on social media.

(Via the Daily Mail)

This week was full of blessings with the long-awaited release of albums from Lizzo and Sabrina Carpenter. Along with these gems, we got news about a new Zara Larsson album, plus new singles from Maggie Rogers and Demi Lovato, previewing their new eras.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Demi Lovato — “Substance”

Demi Lovato’s pop-punk direction persists with this new track “Substance,” less dark than “Skin Of My Teeth” and more interesting in a catchy rhythm and fast pace. They sound optimistic despite the dejected lyricism: “So I ask myself / ‘Am I the only one looking for substance?’ / Got high, it only left me lonely and loveless.”

Maggie Rogers — “Horses”

The singles from Maggie Rogers’s highly anticipated sophomore album Surrender have been previewing a dynamic record. The past tracks have been more upbeat and pop-leaning, but “Horses” showcases a twangy side. Driven by acoustic guitar, the paean is vulnerable, finding power in Rogers’s strong, gorgeous vocals preaching hope and persistence.

Finneas — “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa”

“Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” by Finneas sputters and skids with mischief, telling a complicated love story. Romance comes when we least expect it; Finneas wasn’t prepared, but he accepted it anyway: “She could be the Mona Lisa / If the Mona Lisa had a prettier face / This could be heaven / If heaven was an actual place,” he quips coyly.

Calvin Harris, Halsey, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams — “Stay With Me”

Who expected this stacked collaboration? Halsey and Justin Timberlake? Pharrell Williams and Calvin Harris? The funky “Stay With Me” seemingly came out of nowhere, but we’re glad it’s here. At over five minutes, the song is playful and inflected with disco, shaking with an irresistible playfulness.

Omar Apollo — “Archetype”

Though Omar Apollo’s debut LP Ivory already came out, he’s not done with it. He’s expanding it, and “Archetype” is one of the new tracks from this longer version. It’s as groovy and catchy as his previously released songs, and it leaves lots of room for anticipation of the other extra tracks that’ll be unleashed soon.

Carly Rae Jepsen, Lewis OfMan — “Move Me”

This jovial collaboration between Carly Rae Jepsen and Lewis OfMan came about when the two connected over Zoom during the pandemic. “Move Me” doesn’t sound dimmed at all my poor circumstances; it’s an uplifting earworm with a catchy melody and infectious piano, radiating hope.

Sabrina Carpenter — “Because I Liked A Boy”

Sabrina Carpenter has not had an easy year after drama related to Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. “Because I Liked A Boy” from her new album Emails I Can’t Send addresses this upfront: “Now I’m a homewrecker / I’m a slut / I got death threats / Filling up semi-trucks.” It’s a wake-up call for all the people online who’ve been acting like she’s not human; also, it’s just an addictive tune.

Lizzo — “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)”

Lizzo’s new album Special is packed with bangers, but “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” takes on more vulnerable topics while still retaining a bright, upbeat sonic palette. She speculates, “How am I supposed to love somebody else? / When I don’t like myself?” She makes it clear, though, that she wants to overcome these obstacles, and the key change toward the end provides an extra layer of optimism.

Latto — “P*ssy”

“P*ssy” is Latto’s unabashed response to the overturning of Roe V. Wade and the lack of concern from men. It’s full of brilliant quips: “All up in them comments talkin’ ’bout some p*ssy that you’ll never touch / F*ck you and your double standards, p*ssy ain’t for you to judge,” she raps, along with lines about lines calling out hypocrisy, gender roles, and the sexualization of lesbians. She touches on a lot of topics worth discussing, which often go unnoticed in hip-hop.

Porter Robinson — “Everything Goes On”

For the popular game League Of Legends, Porter Robinson shared this skittish, thoughtful track “Everything Goes On,” which simultaneously radiates excitement and bittersweetness: “But if I was gone tomorrow, / Won’t the waves crash on? / Is it selfish that I’m happy, / As we pass the setting sun?” he sings.

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