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The Best Blended Bourbon Whiskeys Right Now, Ranked

It wasn’t too long ago that the word “blended” had a very negative connotation in the bourbon whiskey world. The idea was that “blended” bourbon wasn’t “straight” bourbon so it was, thereby, automatically inferior. While that may have been true at some point (but even then, not really), those days are long gone. Today, blended bourbons are amongst the most respected and lauded bottles on the shelf.

In fact, entire brands are built around the fact that they take barrels from all over and blend them into masterpieces. It’s a genre unto itself.

So what is a “blended” bourbon these days? Very simply, a blended bourbon is a mix of different bourbons from different mash bills and distilleries, sometimes from completely different states. With this list, I’m focusing on the blends with whiskey from different distilleries and states that are put together by craft distillers and blenders. For clarification, Four Roses bottles could be on this list — as they blend ten different bourbons from two mash bills with five yeasts each for each bill. But since that’s still all in-house, I’m not adding it below. These are the blends that combine very different barrels of bourbon from multiple producers to create something bigger and bolder.

I’m also adding my tasting notes and ranking these. Look at it this way, ten through six are all solid sips but five through one are the ones that I’d eagerly reach for. Savvy? Let’s jump in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

10. Three Chord Blended Bourbon

Three Chord Bourbon
Three Chord

ABV: 40.5%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Three Chord is a small blendery that focuses on striking the perfect chord — get it! — while blending bourbon. The juice is a mix of up to 12-year-old barrels from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Those whiskeys are blended and then proofed way down to 81 proof.

Tasting Notes:

There’s woody maple syrup on the nose that leads to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to a thin line of orange zest. The palate leans into salted caramel and vanilla cream before a mild cinnamon and nutmeg kick in, leading to dry sweetgrass. A very mild bitter chocolate note attaches to the orange zest as a warm cinnamon leads back to that dry sweetgrass with a hint of burnt cedar on the very backend.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid sip all around. It’s a little too soft for me, but it’s not washed out by that low proof. That said, this over some rocks and you’re set.

9. Fistful of Bourbon

William Grant & Sons

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is one of the more interesting sourced whiskeys on the shelf in the U.S. The juice is the design of Scottish Master Blender (for William Grant & Sons) Kelsey McKechnie. McKechnie left Scotland for the U.S. to work in bourbon in the same ways she worked in blended scotch. Fistful of Bourbon is the fruit of that labor — blending five straight bourbons (from undisclosed distilleries) into one bottle.

Tasting Notes:

This is whiskey by design and hits classic and deep notes starting with bespoke but not too sweet Red Hots, vanilla pods, and a touch of mint on the end of the nose. The palate refines the spices and broadens to a clear Christmas spice feel next to a touch of dried fruit, leather, and oak. The end sharpens the spiciness while holding onto the bold vanilla as the oak and fruit fade completely out.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that’s perfectly solid. I tend to reach for this when I’m mixing simple cocktails (old fashioned) or whiskey highballs.

8. Milam & Greene Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Blend Whiskey

Milam & Greene
Milam and Greene

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

This expression starts off with a two-year-old Texas bourbon distilled by Milam & Greene. That whiskey is blended with two Tennessee whiskeys, one a three-year-old and another an eleven-year-old. Those barrels are blended and balanced before a little bit of that Texas water is added to bring the proof down.

Tasting Notes:

That two-year-old bourbon pops on the nose with a hint of yellow masa next to butterscotch, vanilla beans, and a hint of Red Hots. The palate has a sharp black pepperiness that’s immediately countered by soft vanilla ice cream drizzled with maple syrup and speckled with dark chocolate chips. The finish lets that dark chocolate shine as both creamy and slightly bitter as the Red Hots kick back in with a touch of warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice foundation for a cocktail. That hefty cinnamon warmth really shines through in a sour or Manhattan. That said, this works on the rocks too.

7. High West American Prairie Bourbon

High West

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

American Prairie is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced whiskeys. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye, low-rye, and undisclosed source mash bills from Indiana, Utah, and elsewhere. The release supports the American Prairie Reserve by highlighting the project and supporting it financially.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with caramel apples next to new leather, vanilla pudding, and sweet buttered corn with a touch of salt. The palate has a nougat svelteness next to creamed corn and Southern biscuits dripping with butter and honey. The mid-palate to finish starts to dry out with vanilla husks and cedar bark but then veers into apple candy.

Bottom Line:

This is soft and simple but not basic. It’s deep and interesting while being straightforward and kind of classic. I like it in cocktails but wouldn’t turn it down on the rocks.

6. Old Elk Blended Bourbon

Old Elk Bourbon
Old Elk

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $46

The Whiskey:

Old Elk is the work of distilling legend Greg Metze. Metze devised a bourbon through MGP of Indiana, a distillery in New York, and Old Elk’s facility in Colorado. The combined mash bill ended up being 51% corn, 34 percent malted barley, and 15 percent rye, which is one of the more unique mash bills in the game. The juice is then proofed down to a very accessible 88 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls with powdered sugar icing mingle with a hint of walnut, dark cacao powder, and a hint of dry cedar bark. The palate is very lush with a note of chocolate chip pancakes covered in brown butter and syrup with a dash of vanilla next to singed dry sweetgrass braids and a touch of burnt toffee. The finish lets the chocolate turn velvety as a whisper of dried chili meets salted caramel.

Bottom Line:

This is just good. It’s also probably not going to be a blended bourbon for much longer, as Old Elk has plenty of its own stock now.

5. Widow Jane Aged 10 Years

Widow Jane

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $77

The Whiskey:

This is sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee bourbons. The hand-selected barrels are sent to New York where they’re blended in small batches (no more than five barrels), proofed with New York limestone mine water, and bottled. What you’re paying for here is the exactness of a whiskey blender finding great barrels and knowing how to marry them to make something bigger and better.

Tasting Notes:

This has a matrix of rich vanilla pudding next to oranges infused with mulled wine spices and … Irish Spring soap. It definitely works and draws you in. The palate is all marzipan and dark chocolate-covered brandy cherries that lead towards a dry maply syrup mid-palate. The finish dries out a bit more while still holding onto the cherry, bitter dark chocolate, and almost woody maple syrup.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bottles that’ll empty faster than you’d expect. It’s easy to drink but also unique enough to keep you searching for more in that flavor profile. It works really well in Manhattan too.

4. Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon

Smooth Ambler

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

Smooth Ambler is a great example of how smaller craft operations get up and running. This expression is a blend of sourced high-rye bourbon that’s aged for nine years with Smooth Ambler’s own-make, a wheated bourbon that’s aged for two years. The sourced bourbon is MGP of Indiana, giving the blenders a quality foundation to build their bourbon off of.

Tasting Notes:

Classic notes of bourbon vanilla and oak mingle with spicy stewed cherries buried in a sourdough pancake on the nose. The palate holds onto that sweet fruit and spice, as notes of worn leather and soft cedar arrive with a hint of grain. The end is short-ish with the spice, oak, and cherry lasting the longest until a nice and velvety vanilla mouthfeel arrives.

Bottom Line:

This is really good juice. It’s complex but not overly so. It’s easy-going while offering a classic sipping experience.

3. Stellum Black Bourbon

Stellum Black Bourbon
Barrell Craft Spirits

ABV: 54.67%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Stellum Black Bourbon basically takes the recipe from Stellum Bourbon — one of our favorite bourbons for 2021 — and uses the reserve barrels (sourced from Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky) from the series to create this heightened blend. The whiskey is batched and bottled at cask strength to let those barrels shine through in every sip.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a mix of black and green peppercorns next to kettled corn with salted caramel sauce, dried yet sweet cedar, vanilla blossoms, and a hint of an orange creamsicle stick. That orange drives the palate as soft suede mingles with that floral vanilla vibe next to holiday spices (think cinnamon and clove) layered with that sweet cedar and sharp black pepper. The pepper fades out on the finish and makes way for a dark mocha chocolate/coffee bitterness with a vanilla tobacco chewiness with a hint of pepper, leather, and cedar on the far back end.

Bottom Line:

This is a very easy sipper. Like it on a single rock but it shines just as brightly neat. It also makes a killer Manhattan thanks to that higher ABV and killer flavor profile.

2. Pursuit United Bourbon

Screen-Shot-2021-09-01-at-4.22.18-PM.jpg
Bourbon Pursuit

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is a vatted from 40 total barrels from three different states. While the team at Pursuit United doesn’t release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively.

Tasting Notes:

Dark chocolate-covered caramels that are just touched with orange oils draw you in on the nose. The taste has this light sense of cornmeal next to dark chocolate-laced tobacco with a hint of dried red fruit that feels like a red wine stave. The mid-palate has a Christmas cake feel with spice, fruit, and nuts all with a hint of vanilla leading towards an old cedar box that used to hold tobacco.

Bottom Line:

I really dig this on the rocks after a long day. It’s a complex and deep whiskey but feels like a table whiskey with zero pretension — which is a breath of fresh air.

1. Barrell Batch 030

Barrell Bourbon Batch 030
Barrell Craft Spirits

ABV: 58.66%

Average Price: $93

The Whiskey:

2021’s Barrell Batch 030 launched the brand’s awesome blends into a new direction by adding Wyoming bourbon into the mix with Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee whiskeys. The final mix ended up being a blend of five, six, nine, ten, eleven, and 15-year-old bourbons that were bottled at barrel proof.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a plum pudding brimming with dark, wintry spice, dried and candied fruits, and fatty nuts that’s all been soaked in dark rum with a hint of worn library leather that leads towards this dramatic shift towards fresh blackberries and raspberries with a hint of the bramble. The palate is blackberry pie with a lard crust topped with a cinnamon vanilla ice cream next to hints of oatmeal raisin cookie, ancho-chili-laced dark chocolate, and dry walnut shells. The mid-palate harnesses that chocolate and nuttiness and leans it toward creamy Nutella as a dry pine arrives on the very end with an almost bitter dark soil.

Bottom Line:

This is the epitome of modern blended bourbon. This is also gettable and (relatively) affordable — a great place to start diving into the wonders of how amazing blended bourbon is in 2022.

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Taylor Jenkins Agreed To A Multi-Year Contract Extension With The Grizzlies

On the heels of helping spearhead a massively successful 2021-22 campaign for the Memphis Grizzlies, Taylor Jenkins has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the organization, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He finished second in Coach of the Year voting behind Monty Williams.

At 56-26, the Grizzlies posted the NBA’s second-best regular-season record this year. Their 56 wins tied a franchise record and they won a playoff series for the first time since 2014-15.

Ultimately, their season ended in the second round at the hands of the third-seeded Golden State Warriors, who dispatched Memphis in six games. Of course, superstar point guard Ja Morant missed the final three games while dealing with a knee injury. Before his absence, Memphis saw itself down 2-1 in the series.

Only 37 years old and three years into his first stop as an NBA head coach, Jenkins has quickly established himself as a premier lead man. His Xs and Os are consistently creative and he puts his players in ideal positions to succeed. Memphis’ deep cast of quality rotation players deserve the most credit for their wonderful 2021-22 season, but Jenkins’ was integral to that success as well.

Watching he and the Grizzlies’ young core grow will be fascinating. Now, Jenkins gets to be part of that maturation for a few more years, at a minimum.

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Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ Rises To The Top Five On The Hot 100 Chart, A First For Bush

These days, viral trends are more prone to being reflected on the Billboard charts and if you’ve been paying attention, you know that’s happening right now: Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, which was the first time any of her songs had placed that high (not to mention, it’s currently No. 2 on the UK singles chart). This is all thanks to the song featuring prominently in the new season of Stranger Things.

That chart success wasn’t just a one-week (stranger) thing, though: On the new Hot 100 chart dated June 18, “Running Up That Hill” continues to rise, as it’s now Bush’s first top-five single in the US thanks to ranking at No. 4 this week.

In terms of non-holiday songs, this is the longest journey to the top five in Hot 100 history, as it’s been 36 years, nine months, and two weeks since “Running Up That Hill” debuted on the chart in 1985. The next closest non-holiday song on that list is Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which itself was propped up by a media placement, in the famous Wayne’s World scene. Queen’s run was 16 years, three months, and two weeks, between January 3, 1976 and April 18, 1992.

Bush recently shared her thoughts on the song’s success after it achieved a new peak on the UK charts, writing on her site, “How utterly brilliant! It’s hard to take in the speed at which this has all been happening since the release of the first part of the Stranger Things new series. So many young people who love the show, discovering the song for the first time. The response to Running Up That Hill is something that has had its own energy and volition. A direct relationship between the shows and their audience and one that has stood completely outside of the music business. We’ve all been astounded to watch the track explode! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported the song and a really special thank you to the Duffer Brothers for creating something with such heart.”

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11-year-old AGT audience member wows everyone with her amazing voice—getting her own ‘Golden Buzzer’

We all know that in NBC’s long running “America’s Got Talent,” it’s all about earning that coveted Golden Buzzer. Performers of all kinds grace the stage in hopes of wowing the judges, seizing the prize and moving onto the next round.

What you might not know is that during commercial breaks, random audience members get a chance to show their stuff as well. Usually this bit is just for fun to pass the time. But one young singer gave such a spectacular performance that everyone was left in awe.

Eleven-year-old Madison Baez Taylor was placed in the audience by the show’s producers unbeknownst to the judges. A huge AGT fan, Madison had been to tapings since she was 4 years old and would always try to sing during the commercial breaks. Finally—the year she came to actually audition, no less—her dream came true.


Once Madison was handed the mic, there was no holding back. Her raw, soulful rendition of “Amazing Grace” instantly wowed, and the crowd burst into a standing ovation. Judges Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel spun in their chairs. Even the notoriously unimpressed Simon Cowell quickly came in from backstage to see who the mysterious powerhouse was.

“We do ask people in the breaks if they’d like to sing a song and I was literally just coming back in and I heard this voice, thinking, ‘Who the hell is that?’ And then I see this little thing in the audience and it’s you,” Cowell told Madison.

With a smile, Cowell then asked Madison to sing again. This time on the stage. For an official audition.

Through tears, Madison sang again a capella, somehow with even more flair and gusto. And holy moly, that vibrato.

Needless to say, cheers ensued.

After her thrilling encore, Cowell told Madison, “I’m not kidding. In all the years we’ve ever done this, this has never actually happened before. I mean, I normally leave during the break because people do sing, so this is actually the opposite. It actually brought me back into the room.”

Mandel then asked Madison what she might do with the $1 million grand prize if she were to win. Her heartfelt answer caught everyone by surprise.

“I would help my dad with cancer research. He’s had stage 4 colon cancer for the past nine years,” Madison said, getting emotional.

Her dad, who had come to support his daughter during her big moment, later joined Madison on the stage. He revealed that she learned to sing by serenading him during his surgeries and chemo treatment. “She’d sing to me and help me get better, and I’m doing very well,” he told the audience.

Madison received the Golden Buzzer from Mandel. No vote necessary. She and her dad shared a wonderful moment of victory as the golden confetti rained down. Whether she makes it to the final round or not, this girl is a winner.

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Woman saves $28,000 in travel expenses by watching other people’s cats in places she visits

A woman from Brisbane, Australia, has found a clever way to make her travel dreams come true by doing what she loves—taking care of people’s cats. Madolline Gourley, a 32-year-old writer, estimates she’s saved $28,000 in travel expenses since 2017 by cat- and house-sitting in nearly 50 homes across the U.S. and Australia.

“As a sitter, you house or pet sit for ‘free’ in exchange for accommodation,” she told Business Insider.

Gourley finds places to stay on house-sitting websites including TrustedHousesitters, MindMyHouse, HouseCarers, Aussie House Sitters, House Sitters America and House Sitters Canada. She documents her travels on a blog, One Cat at a Time.

She believes that she gets the gigs primarily because of her experience with cats.


“If you take out the fact that I’m from Australia, it’s not that much different than a friend or a neighbor watching your pet,” Gourley told NBC. “Their place is the only form of payment I get.”

For Gourley, cat-sitting was a natural fit. “I’ve had cats since I was little and my mum is a big cat fan, too. She’s also had cats all her life,” she told The Animal Rescue Site. “When I found out about the whole house/pet sitting for accommodation thing, I only wanted to do it looking after cats because I’ve only ever cared for cats.”

Her most recent 75-day trip across America was her most adventurous yet. “I’ve looked after 15 cats and nine different homes in seven cities across the country. I started out in Seattle before making my way to Austin, New York City—where I got sits in Chelsea, South Park Slope and Prospect Heights—Salt Lake City, Denver, Chicago and Portland,” she wrote on her blog.

The great thing for Gourley is that cats are pretty easy to take care of, only taking up about 30 minutes of her day. The rest of the time she’s free to be a tourist. She gets a lot of great sightseeing and eating recommendations from her customers.

“Traveling by way of house and pet sitting might come with a few extra responsibilities, but on this trip alone, it saved me thousands of dollars on accommodations,” she wrote. “Reserving 15 minutes of my morning and evening for pet care or house maintenance wasn’t much to ask when I had the rest of the day to explore each of the cities I visited.”

Even though her accommodations were taken care of through cat-sitting jobs, the trip wasn’t entirely free. Her American vacation cost about $7,200, or around $96 per day. That included the $1300 round-trip airfare from Australia to the U.S.

Gourley didn’t need to budget for her trip because she gets around $9,000 back every year on her Australian tax returns, which she reinvests into her traveling fund.

People have told Gourley she should write a book about her incredible traveling hack but she doesn’t want to ruin the fun.

“A few people have emailed me saying I should compile a book, and that makes me laugh,” Gourley said. “I’ll still mull on the idea, but I don’t want to invest weeks and months and putting something together … It’s been a pretty cool experience, and an opportunity to save a ton of money.”

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Trump’s ‘Big Massive Dumps’ Interview Pushed Its Way Into The Jan. 6 Hearings

As the January 6 hearings continued on Monday, one of Donald Trump‘s more unhinged interviews has reportedly made it into evidence. Back in late November 2020, a seething Trump appeared on Fox News where he began building the foundation for his “Big Lie” that the election was stolen from him. However, like all things Trump, the interview with Maria Bartiromo took a wild turn as the outgoing president began ranting about “big massive dumps.”

Granted, Trump was referring to alleged data “glitches” that he claims were giving thousands of his votes to Biden, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious that he kept ranting about huge dumps on live television. Also, he accused the FBI and Department of Justice of being “involved” in said dumps, which as you can see, is coming back to bite Trump in the dumper.

“We had ‘glitches’ where they moved thousands of votes from my account to Biden’s account.” Trump said in the interview played by the Jan. 6 committee. “And these are ‘glitches.’ They’re not glitches. They’re theft. They’re fraud. Absolute fraud. This election was over, and then they did dumps. They call them dumps. Big, massive dumps. In Michigan, in Pennsylvania, and all over. How the FBI and the Department of Justice– I don’t know, maybe they’re involved. But how are people allowed to get away with this stuff is unbelievable.”

Naturally, Twitter is already having a ball with “big massive dumps” making a comeback, and you can expect more reactions like this to start piling in as the day goes on:

(Via Bobby Lewis on Twitter)

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On ‘A Face In Your Life,’ Pet Fox Make Magnetic, Unafraid Indie Rock

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Last year, I saw the Boston-based indie-rock trio Pet Fox in a small space with fake spiderwebs hanging from the low ceiling and Brooklynites cloaked in colorful costumes for Halloween. They’d released their new EP More Than Anything a few months prior; it was three patient, powerful tracks that paid attention to build-up and intoxicating basslines. I listened to the songs, especially the addictive “Imagine Why,” on repeat since they first came out. My binging, however, took on a different meaning once I suffered an abrupt breakup. Theo Hartlett’s emotive shouts, reiterating the vague yet prophetic refrain “To know is to feel / Imagine why, imagine why,” became a point of solace for me. But as I moved on from my personal sadness, every melody and every line seemed to reverberate with pain, or at least the vivid memory of pain, so I took a step back.

When the band broke into “Imagine Why” in Bushwick that October, though, everyone was dancing in unity. It was an obvious celebration. Animals, superheroes, and monsters were all moved by this poignant anthem that surrounded us like a forcefield. It was equally invigorating and protective. My friend was dressed as a raccoon, crouching on the floor to photograph the three members, who were visibly driven by something bigger than themselves, their instruments becoming an attachment to their bodies like limbs. The next day, I put on More Than Anything again and immersed myself back inside of its catharsis.

A Face In Your Life is Pet Fox’s third studio album, following 2018’s self-titled and 2019’s Rare Occasion. While their previous records were both self-produced, the band turned to Ethan Dussault at New Alliance Audio for production for this new LP as well as Seth Engel for mixing, the latter of whom is known for working with some of the most interesting Chicago acts such as Ratboys, Retirement Party, and plenty more.

There’s a chance that this change contributed to the brilliance of A Face In Your Life, which watches Pet Fox engage in larger, more moving songs than ever before, unafraid and trusting their shared instincts. It bursts with the cosmic energy I witnessed at their live show, evoking a range of emotions, like melancholy, ecstasy, security, understanding, and vehemence. Everything that it elicits is severe and deep like a wound or a first love. A great deal of this stems from the rich sonic landscapes; Hartlett and Morgan Luzzi are also in prolific, cult-followed shoegaze group Ovlov with Luzzi also having a history in the indie-rock band Palehound, while drummer Jesse Weiss is in the idiosyncratic post-punk band Grass Is Green. What I’m saying here is that Pet Fox is the perfect storm.

Every track on A Face In Your Life contains mesmerizing instrumental work and is textured with comforting familiarity. The opener “Settle Even” is one of the more quiet songs, lingering in a wavering, downtrodden sound for the most part, like a placid body of water — that is, until the crashing, all-consuming guitar solos take over, sending a rippling current. “Only Warning,” the following song, picks up the pace with its overwhelming urgency that culminates throughout the four minutes and grows into a colossal, chaotic blizzard. Hartlett’s hypnotic harmonies make it all the more magnetic; his last words are his repetition of the phrase: “Only warning / only wanting,” another murky but visceral mantra. It’s a stunning second track whose repetitive twinkling riffs feel reminiscent of the beginning of Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights except three times faster. “Undeserving You,” which comes much later, also exemplifies the group’s knack for building momentum; after withholding their utmost energy for about two minutes, they deliver a frenetic surge that serves as a satisfying payoff.

“While this may sound incredibly simplified,” the band said in the press release, “we really do just get together and play off of each others’ ideas, whether they were preconceived or pieced together in the moment.” This spontaneous chemistry is at the forefront of these songs; not only does Pet Fox’s music create a sense of togetherness within its listeners, but it exists within the three of the players. “Checked Out” has a playful ambiance with its fickle riffs and Hartlett’s frivolous vocals, and “Hesitate” haunts with its brooding bassline and patient drumming. It helps that the band cites both Weezer and Autolux as influences; it sums up their simultaneous ability to have a vibrant personality and shred in a Blue Album kind of way, while also tending to atmospheric, vulnerable walls of sound in a Future Perfect fashion.

The finale “Slows Me Down,” like the opener, finds power in delicacy, meandering slowly while Hartlett offers concise contemplations, “Picking up my old ways, not what I prefer / I’m always fighting to be heard.” The line matches the sentiment of the album artwork — an arm reaching out from underwater, trying to grab someone’s attention. His voice is fatigued but earnest, and not completely out of hope as he continues, “Aiming for something better than this / It can’t all be bad, I find it slows me down.”

No Pet Fox song is overly depressing or overly happy; I didn’t know “Checked Out” was an anti-capitalist track about people who don’t “give a damn about you until they realize that you hold some sort of worth that is valuable or cool to them” until I read their statement about it. I still don’t exactly know what the line “To know is to feel / Imagine why, imagine why” from “Imagine Why” means, but I don’t need to in order to feel its immensity. In fact, the abstract nature of the words makes them resonate even more. They’re never pushing any sort of story or meaning — they’re just guiding the listener into a place of feeling. It’s about fighting to be heard, but not dictating exactly what the interpretation will be. It’s therapeutic and necessary to have music that allows this. Pet Fox don’t just want you to listen to them, they want you to listen to yourself.

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‘Lightyear’ Has Been Banned In Several Counties Due To A Same-Sex Kiss Between Two Animated Characters

The biggest “will they/won’t they” award of this year goes to Disney/Pixar, as they famously cut out a same-sex kiss in Lightyear before putting it back in after employees spoke against the move. Now, if Disney wants to release the Toy Story prequel in other countries, they might have to cut it out again.

The film’s star Chris Evans even voiced his support for the kiss, saying, “It’s great that it’s back in the film…I think it’s a shame that it’s such a story. It should be more normalized, but I’m glad we are making those steps.” As it turns out, not everyone thinks it should be normalized.

Lightyear has been banned from several countries in the Middle East because of the kiss, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The scene involves Hawthorne, voiced by Uzo Aduba, as she kisses her partner in an emotional montage. Lightyear will be banned from various countries, including Saudi Arabia and The United Arab Emirates, due to its “violation of the country’s media content standards.”

This is the fourth Disney movie this year that caused outrage in other countries, all for LGBTQ references in the films. Doctor Strange, Eternals, and West Side Story all had trouble hitting screens in various Persian Gulf countries. While Pixar employees were happy that the kiss scene made it into the film, it just goes to show that the world is a long way from normalizing even the most basic form of LGTBQ affection. Even when its literally an animated character who does not exist!

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Cordae Compares Himself To Ja Rule In His Insightful TED Talk

In just three years, Cordae has gone from being a relatively unknown second banana in a viral favorite rap group to an accomplished solo rapper to a Grammy nominee and renowned activist. Most new artists would be fine with working alongside Stevie Wonder and dating an international tennis superstar, but apparently, Cordae has even bigger plans. His next step appears to be “motivational speaker,” as he premieres his first-ever TED Talk about what he calls the “Hi-Level mentality,” named after his recently launched label.

Of course, he recognizes that there might not be much overlap between the crowds who regularly attend TED conferences and Rolling Loud festivals, so he lightens up the mood during his introduction with a universal joke: A reference to the infamous “Where’s Ja?” meme kicked off by Dave Chappelle back when Cordae himself was just six years old. “I know what you’re thinking,” he predicts. “What does a 24-year-old rapper possibly have to say turning a TED Talk? Like, ‘Who cares what Ja Rule thinks,’ you know?”

It turns out, he has plenty to say, recounting how his mom raised him in a series of neighborhoods so bad that her car was once stolen twice in the same week but continually upgraded to the point where such things were no longer a concern. He also details how his own discipline led to his own rise in stature in the rap business and encourages the audience to “maximize your time on this earth.”

Cordae is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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The Smile Announce A Slew Of 2022 North America Tour Dates

While the world hasn’t gotten a new Radiohead album since A Moon Shaped Pool came out in 2016, The Smile’s A Light For Attracting Attention is one of the best albums of 2022 so far. The trio, of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood along with drummer Tom Skinner, laid down an excellent guitar-driven collection of tunes like “Thin Thing” and “You’ll Never Work In Television Again” that often feel as macabre and paranoid as Radiohead’s classic musings. Produced by Nigel Godrich, it’s a seriously stunning album and more than just a stopgap in the Radiohead canon.

Today, The Smile announced their first tour of North America and all of the dates will be happening before 2022 comes to a close. Their East Coast run begins in mid-November with dates in Providence, Boston, and New York City, before shooting up to Canada, the Midwest and then ending in on the West Coast for dates in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Fans across the country will get a chance to experience the band’s new album live and tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 17th at thesmileband.com. Check out the full list of tour dates below.

11/14 — Providence, RI @ Veterans Memorial Auditorium
11/16 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
11/18 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
11/20 — New York, NY @ Hammerstein
11/23 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
11/25 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
11/26 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/28 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
11/29 — Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
12/01 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
12/03 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
12/04 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
12/06 — New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/08 — Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
12/10 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
12/14 — Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
12/16 — Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater
12/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
12/21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium