The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA’s hottest team right now, winning nine of their last 10 games to climb to fourth in the Western Conference. Most recently, they bludgeoned the Utah Jazz in Luka Doncic’s debut. Doncic scored 14 points in 24 minutes in his first on-court action since December after missing time with a calf strain, but the vibes seem pretty impeccable in L.A. right now — standing in stark contrast to [gestures at the Mavericks].
The one thing that feels unsustainable about the Lakers as it pertains to them being actual contenders in the West is their center rotation after trading Anthony Davis. Jaxson Hayes has been solid since being elevated to the starting role and figures to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Doncic’s arrival, but beyond him the Lakers just have a pair of two-way players (Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison) and then small-ball options. That’s not ideal in the West where there are some stars at center (most notably Nikola Jokic), and the Lakers were well aware they needed reinforcements.
They tried to meet Doncic’s request of trading for a young, talented center, sending their best remaining assets to Charlotte for Mark Williams, but the team’s medical staff failed Williams’ physical and the trade fell through. That happened after the deadline passed, leaving L.A. with limited options to add players. While they could take down the Jazz without another center, they didn’t want to let that need linger for too long, and on Tuesday the team agreed to a deal with Alex Len on the buyout market and waived the injured Christian Wood to create a roster spot, per Shams Charania. Len was initially rumored to be heading to Indiana, but with the Lakers in desperate need for help, he opted for what should be a decent role in L.A.
Len played sparingly for the Kings, averaging just 7.2 minutes per game in 36 appearances, and doesn’t figure to come in and change the Lakers’ fortunes dramatically. That said, he’s a veteran that they can trust to set some screens, finish at the rim when asked, grab some rebounds, and provide some more size and rim protection defensively. Len’s addition is the type of stop-gap move most expected the Lakers to make prior to the stunning Williams trade. I wouldn’t expect Len to suddenly be playing 25 minutes a night for the Lakers, but he can eat 15 minutes backing up Hayes when JJ Redick isn’t comfortable going small.
Here’s some good news for fans of rad bands: Arm’s Length have signed with Pure Noise Records. Not only that, but the emo-influenced, Ontario-based group is releasing a new album, There’s A Whole World Out There, on May 16.
Along with the album announcement, Arm’s Length released first single “Funny Face,” which singer Allen Steinberg described as being about “how discouragement from a trusted loved one can shape who you are as a person and your overall outlook on life. It’s one of our darkest, heaviest tracks. Lyrically, I wanted to illustrate the narrative of being entangled in a toxic codependent relationship, whether romantic or familial. It’s a straightforward, desperate sounding song, sonically and lyrically.” You can hear really that desperation in the soaring chorus, something Arm’s Length does so well.
You can watch the video for “Funny Face” above, and check out the artwork and tracklist for There’s A Whole World Out There below.
Arm’s Length’s There’s A Whole World Out There Album Cover Artwork
pure noise
Arm’s Length’s There’s A Whole World Out There Tracklist
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
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Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory – Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Sharon Van Etten songs have typically functioned as the work of one person. Accompanying musicians are there mainly to buttress her ideas rather than contribute their own. For what is billed as the self-titled debut album from Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, Van Etten is merely one part of a quartet where all four members split songwriting duties. Compared to her solo material, Van Etten, alongside bassist Devra Hoff, drummer and programmer Jorge Balbi, and keyboardist-guitarist Teeny Lieberson, works with a wider canvas. Together, their ideas run free with a cinematic panache.
Barker – “Reframing”
Dance music is often an exercise in tension and release. There’s a rising synth that eventually, predictably, yet nonetheless satisfactorily builds to a bass-heavy drop. It gains steam throughout the first third or so of the track, and once that first chorus hits, the decibel levels and endorphins grow in tandem. With Barker, however, he’s far more interested in the “tension” part. “Reframing,” the latest single from trance producer Sam Voltek, is a vast, drumless expanse with the pulse of a calm river, patient but never stagnant. Even though there’s no easily discernible drop, there’s still a release. Around the halfway mark, the filtered synths float to the surface of the mix, gleaming like brilliant stars in the cosmos.
Destroyer – “Hydroplaning Off The Edge Of The World”
Who doesn’t love a Bejarism? On the latest Destroyer single, “Hydroplaning Off The Edge Of The World,” Dan Bejar treats us with a treasure trove of them. Following a synth-pop romp with rollicking toms and airy backing vocals, he goes spoken-word mode like he does toward the end of Labyrinthitis highlight “June.” He rattles off one memorable line after another: “Mirthless husk floating on an ocean / On the surface of the King of France;” “My life’s a giant lid closing on an eye;” “In the shop window, illumined like candy / I bought all these people this brandy.” It all makes for another magnificent tune by one of the greatest working songwriters.
Cloakroom – “Story Of The Egg”
Indianapolis trio Cloakroom are on the cusp of releasing their next album, Last Leg Of The Human Table, but they’ve shared another single ahead of its arrival. “Story Of The Egg” is its shoegaziest offering yet. Meddling in new wave and dream-pop, the band trades in their normally sludgy tempos for a quicker pace that calls to mind groups like DIIV and Wild Nothing. “Story Of The Egg,” with its fuzzed-out guitars and cavernous reverb, stands out among Cloakroom’s best.
Waxahatchee – “Mud”
Katie Crutchfield is about to hit the road supporting legends such as Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, plus she’s got some headlining dates, including a stop at Madison Square Garden. That’s all to say that Crutchfield’s indie-rock project, Waxahatchee, is bigger than it’s ever been. Ahead of the tour, though, she’s shared another one-off single with “Mud.” Like “Much Ado About Nothing” before it, “Mud” is an alt-country banjo-strummer that showcases the Kansas City songwriter’s preternatural melodic gift.
Oklou – Choke Enough
Futuristic pop is the sound of the present. From Magdalena Bay’s sci-fi-influenced Imaginal Disk to the maximalist ubiquity of Charli XCX’s Brat, left-of-center pop has gone further afield in recent years than it has in a while. Add Oklou to that growing list. For her full-length debut album, Choke Enough, French musician Marylou Mayniel warps conventional pop melodies and structures to suit her outré visions. Take the serpentine synth arpeggio that weaves its way throughout the title track, the drum-and-bass pulse of “plague dogs,” or the softly coursing house beat in the Bladee feature “take me by the hand.” Across its 13 tracks, Oklou transports us to a realm where escapist pop music becomes escapism itself.
Mei Semones – “Dumb Feeling”
James Murphy wrote about how New York was bringing him down. David Berman envisioned the city as a wintry backdrop for the Sabbath. For Mei Semones, it’s the setting of her chaotic yet comforting life: the shrill trains, swarming rats, and glimmering skyscrapers converging into a locale the 24-year-old songwriter is elated to call her home. “Dumb Feeling,” the opening track of Semones’ forthcoming debut LP, follows up on last year’s excellent Kabutomushi EP with a broader palette, expanding her proggy indie-rock blueprint to include bossa nova, samba, and jazz fusion. It’s a love letter to New York, but more importantly, it’s the proper introduction of an exciting new artist.
Anika – “Hearsay”
Annika Henderson’s music has always exhibited a raw edge that placed her within the upper echelons of her post-punk peers. For her latest song, “Hearsay,” those unvarnished qualities are more prominent than ever. The British songwriter recorded her forthcoming album, Abyss, at Hansa Studios, the famed setting that birthed David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. Like Bowie does on his influential triptych, Anika deploys jagged basslines and discordant guitar to mirror the city’s wan atmosphere on its lead single. “Yesterday’s papers they line my bird cage / You’re telling me tales to get your own way,” she seethes in its verses. On “Hearsay,” Anika explores the void, but it doesn’t sound empty.
Panda Bear – “Ends Meet”
Later this month, Noah Lennox will release the first new Panda Bear solo album since 2019’s Buoys. Although he’s stayed busy with his main band Animal Collective on excellent records like 2022’s Time Skiffs and 2023’s Isn’t It Now?, plus his collaborative endeavors with Sonic Boom on 2022’s Reset and its numerous variants, Lennox shapes his own voice once again on the forthcoming Sinister Grift. “Ends Meet,” its final pre-release offering, highlights his chamber-pop, Beach Boys-indebted vocal harmonies alongside instrumentation from his AnCo bandmate Avey Tare and Spirit Of The Beehive’s Rivka Ravede. February 28 can’t get here fast enough.
Rapt – “Making Maps”
Jacob Ware, the man behind indie-folk project Rapt, is about to put out his fifth album, Until The Light Takes Us. Before its imminent release, however, the London songwriter has shared “Making Maps,” a gorgeous tune with lilting pianos and twangy guitars that meet the middle point between Wild Pink and Will Oldham. Still, Ware is in a class of his own, merging tenderness and devastation that’s nothing short of magical.
Magdalena Bay will continue to support Imaginal Disk, one of the best albums of 2024, on a headlining tour. The alt-pop duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have shared new fall dates for the upcoming trek, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Houston, and New Orleans.
Fans can sign up for pre-sale-tickets for the new shows beginning Thursday, February 13, at 10 a.m. local time, while general tickets go on sale on Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m. local time. You can find more information here.
Check out the complete dates below.
Magdalena Bay’s 2025 Tour Dates: Imaginal Mystery Tour
04/25 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
04/26 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
04/28 — Portland, ME @ State Theatre
04/29 — Boston, MA @ Citizen House of Blues
04/30 — New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
05/02 — Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
05/03 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theater
05/04 — Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
05/06 — Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo RiverWorks
05/07 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
05/09 — Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
05/10 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
05/11 — Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
05/13 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
05/14 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Rockwell at the Complex
05/16 — Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
09/18 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
09/23 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
09/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
09/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
10/05 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/07 — Indianapolis, IN @ Old National Centre – Egyptian Room
10/08 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
10/12 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
10/14 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/15 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore
10/17 — St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
10/20 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
10/21 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
10/22 — Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
10/24 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10/25 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
10/26 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Indefatigable rock veterans My Morning Jacket are readying to release their latest album, Is, which they announced last month. They shared the lush “Time Waited” in January, and today, they go in a more rocking direction on “Squid Ink.”
Jim James says of the new song:
“The idea behind ‘Squid Ink’ is that certain people carry a negativity that fills the room like a squid shooting ink into the water. It’s about trying to get out of those murky waters by believing in yourself, and when Patrick and I were jamming I got the idea to sing part of the chorus really low — almost like putting a beard on the face of the vocal.”
“I like how the word is indicates a sense of presence in the now — there’s no logic or rationale behind this record; it just is. All these songs came into existence out of an attempt to connect with something beyond the human experiment, which for me is one of the most beautiful things about music — that connection with something larger than us, yet something we are all equally a part of.”
Watch the “Squid Ink” video above.
Is is out 3/21 via ATO Records. Find more information here.
Among them was the Raptors acquiring Brandon Ingram, as Toronto took a big swing to bring in the former All-Star wing to pair with Scottie Barnes. That trade, in particular, has not been discussed much in the week since the deadline, largely because the Raptors are near the bottom of the East and Ingram hasn’t played yet as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain that’s had him sidelined since December. Still, it was a considerable move from a Raptors team that signaled they aren’t planning on staying in the rebuilding phase after this year, but there was one order of business still to get done.
Ingram was set to be a free agent this summer and has been looking for a long-term, big money extension for some time. New Orleans was not willing to give him the kind of deal he was looking for, but the Raptors trading for him indicated they would be. Sure enough, on Tuesday we learned that Ingram and the Raptors were in agreement on a 3-year, $120 million extension with a player option on the final year, per Shams Charania.
It’s a large commitment by the Raptors and gives Ingram control over the final year of the deal, giving him both security and the ability to go after another lucrative contract before he turns 30 if he thrives in his new home in Toronto. While some wondered if the Raptors had to pay this much now for Ingram when few teams had space this summer, there is no world you can make that trade and not lock him into an extension immediately — also, trying to play hardball immediately isn’t the best way to get him excited about joining your team.
There are real questions about Ingram’s fit alongside Scottie Barnes. He tends to operate in the midrange and their shot charts are eerily similar, which begs the question of how well they can coexist — and we’ve already seen things get cluttered with Barnes and other talented wings when Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby were in town. However, the Raptors clearly have a vision for the partnership and a belief that they can complement each other well. We will have to wait until later in the season to see that in action, but even before Ingram steps foot on an NBA floor in a Raptors uniform, he has a deal to stay there through at least 2027.
This year, on top of the annual performances during the All-Star events at Chase Center, the NBA is putting on a three-day concert series at Pier 48 (tickets available here). Here, you can find all of the musical acts performing at NBA All-Star Weekend each day and where you can see them — there are also going to be dozens of brand activations, parties, and concerts throughout the weekend, like Chance the Rapper headlining TNT’s American Express Road Show.
FRIDAY, FEB. 14
Zedd, Flo Rida, and NAV at Pier 48
The NBA’s concert series will kick off with sets by NAV and Flo Rida, with Zedd giving the headliner performance at Pier 48 on Friday night.
LaRussell at Rising Stars
The Bay Area rapper will perform an original song during introductions for the Rising Stars Game on Friday night at Chase Center (6 p.m. PT).
SATURDAY, FEB. 15
Noah Kahan and Gary Clark Jr. at Pier 48
The second night of the NBA’s concert series will feature Gary Clark Jr. and Noah Kahan headlining at Pier 48.
H.E.R.
H.E.R. will join Andre Iguodala on stage to welcome fans to All-Star Saturday Night (5 p.m. PT).
GELO (aka LiAngelo Ball
GELO will perform his hit “Tweaker” for the first time live on television prior to the Three-Point Contest at All-Star Saturday Night in the Chase Center (5 p.m. PT).
PJ Morton and Goapele
Morton will perform the national anthem and also will join Goapele for “Lift Every Voice And Sing” prior to the HBCU Classic at Oakland Arena (2 p.m. PT).
SUNDAY, FEB. 17
The Chainsmokers and 2 Chainz
The final night of the NBA concert series at Pier 48 will feature a set by 2 Chainz prior to the final headliner of the weekend, The Chainsmokers.
DJ Cassidy, E-40, Too Short, Saweetie, and En Vogue
While there’s not a halftime anymore in the new All-Star format, between games in the mini-tournament there will be a performance of DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live with E-40, Too Short, Saweetie, and En Vogue celebrating the Bay’s music legacy (5 p.m. PT).
Raphael Saadiq
Saadiq will make a special performance during the NBA All-Star introductions prior to Sunday’s games (5 p.m. PT).
Dennis R. Rodriguez and Alessia Cara
The national anthem prior to Sunday’s game will be performed by L.A. firefighter Dennis Rodriguez, with fellow firefighters presenting the colors, while Alessia Cara will perform the Canadian national anthem.
Wes Anderson’s next movie, The Phoenician Scheme, has been quietly underway for years, so it comes as a pleasant surprise that the Moonrise Kingdom and The Royal Tenenbaums filmmaker’s next wonderfully weird project will arrive within months. Considering the usual drip-drip of information and speculation for most anticipated movies these days, silence followed by a sudden announcement feels like a sooner-than-expected arrival, and we’ll take it. Because if this movie rolls out with a vibe like every other Anderson movie, the project should be a balm during our current times.
With The Phoenician Scheme, Anderson has returned to his frequent Focus Features stomping grounds, and the studio set a limited release date of May 30 with wide release to follow on June 6. According to Deadline, the film was co-written by frequent Anderson collaborator Roman Coppola and revolves around “tells the story of a family and a family business.”
Variety reports that Benecio del Toro leads the cast (as Zsa-zsa Korda, a ridiculously wealthy man) and several frequent faces from other Anderson projects are onboard. Those include Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hanks, Rupert Friend, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Additionally, Mia Threapleton portrays Korda’s daughter with Cera as her tutor. The cast will be rounded out by Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Hope Davis, and Richard Ayoade.
That list leaves a rather large Bill Murray-shaped hole, given that he is a frequent Anderson teammate, so is he involved? Well in early 2024, Deadline reported that the nine-times Anderson cast member joined the project alongside del Toro and Cera. However, Murray’s name does not appear in the list of names detailed in current coverage of this project, although a recent Entertainment Weekly article (which quotes Murrayregarding recent controversies) does mention his involvement in The Phoenician Scheme, so until Murray or Anderson declares differently, the jury remains out there.
The 2025 Grammys were stacked, with one of the standout moments being The Weeknd ending his boycott and returning to give a performance of “Cry For Me.” He’s not finished with the song yet, as today (February 11), he released a new video for the Hurry Up Tomorrow highlight.
In the latest from his apparent farewell era, The Weeknd is primarily a shadowy figure amid abstract imagery (aside from some vivid imagery of crying stuff other than tears). HE sings on the chorus, “And I hope you cry for me like I cry for you / Every night for you, take it easy on me, baby / ‘Cause I tried with you, saw my life with you / End of time with you, now we’re strangers.”
This is coming off a big past few days for The Weeknd, even aside from the Grammys. It was announced this past weekend that Hurry Up Tomorrowdebuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it his fifth chart-topper, earning the largest week for any album since Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department thanks to 490,500 equivalent album units. Meanwhile, the nominations for the Juno Awards (essentially Canada’s Grammys) were announced today, and The Weeknd earned four nods.
For as long as I can remember, NBA fans have been wishing for a 1-on-1 tournament at All-Star Weekend. Seeing the best players in the world go head-to-head has felt like a pipe dream though, as there has never been any indication it’s been seriously considered — even as the league has seemingly tried everything to shake up the All-Star format.
Among the biggest reasons we’ve never seen it is star players not wanting to get embarrassed, as a 1-on-1 game (which are usually short) creates the opportunity to get absolutely dusted. If a player goes cold at the wrong time or runs up on someone who is hot and just can’t miss, you can get run off the floor quickly. That could, in theory, be detrimental to their brand, which is apparently too much to put at stake.
And yet, in the first year of its existence, Unrivaled got a bunch of the best women’s basketball players on the planet to sign up for their 1-on-1 tournament. It’s the format basketball fans have been begging to see, and on Monday, the first round delivered a very fun opening night of action — even with some injury withdrawals that shortened the first round to just 8 games.
The games are quick — playing make-it-take-it and scoring by 2’s and 3’s with a target score of 11 can go very fast — and guards and bigs were all thrown into the bracket together, with fan-voting determining the seeding, which created some fascinating matchups. The format seems to benefit guards, as having to take the ball out past the three-point line with a 7-second shot clock doesn’t give bigs a ton of time to go to work on the block. That said, bigs who have a face-up game were able to leverage their size advantage and get some wins as well. The games being to 11 (meaning 5 buckets was enough to win if you hit a couple threes) kept the tension high and led to some shocking upsets, most notably Breanna Stewart getting blanked by Aaliyah Edwards, 12-0.
That part — a major star getting worked by a young up-and-comer — is particularly important because it is the situation that so many players are terrified of, but it’s also great for the game. Stewie took it on the chin and congratulated Edwards (her Unrivaled teammate on the Mist), and it was a star-making performance for Edwards, who spent last year toiling away in relative obscurity on the Washington Mystics as a rookie, where she was not even the focal point on her own team. This gave her a stage to show her complete skillset, and she took full advantage, putting Stewie in the blender on offense and putting the clamps on defensively.
It will take a lot more than a 12-0 loss in a 1-on-1 tournament to put a dent in Stewart’s legacy. She just won another championship with the Liberty and her place among one of the all-time greats is cemented, and while there is some chatter wondering if she’s lost a step, she’ll have a chance to answer that in due time as she and the Liberty go for a repeat campaign in 2025. For Edwards though, that performance against a great is enough to put her on the radar of fans who might not have been all that familiar with her game. The sixth overall pick from last year’s draft certainly isn’t an unknown having starred at UConn, but she was also definitely not the most-discussed player from her rookie class and had an up-and-down campaign in Washington. Beating Breanna Stewart, and doing so in dominant fashion, is the kind of thing that draws broader attention.
This is the real value of a 1-on-1 tournament for the sport as a whole, as it provides a unique stage for players who may play various roles to show different skills. Being great at 1-on-1 requires a different skillset than being great at 5-on-5 (or 3-on-3, in Unrivaled’s case), but it’s also the form of basketball everyone is familiar with and everyone understands. There’s no off-ball action or sets being drawn up, it is just self-creation and survival. That lends itself to entertainment, and Unrivaled has steered into that. Everyone plays 1-on-1, and with a $200,000 prize for the winner, there are enough stakes to add some juice to the proceedings.
As the second round gets set to begin (Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET on truTV), we should see even more intensity as we inch closer to that prize money. The seven second round games (Edwards will get a bye after Marina Mabrey and Kate Martin were both scratches from the first round) feature some extremely fun matchups like Arike Ogunbowale vs. Skylar Diggins-Smith and Courtney Williams vs. Rhyne Howard and presents further opportunity for young players to make a statement, most notably Rickea Jackson who will go toe-to-toe with the league’s top dog, Napheesa Collier.
In Year 2, I could see some adjustments being made to the tournament format, perhaps extending games to 15 instead of 11 to give more of an opportunity for runs on both sides, but the first year already feels like a success from the outside after one round. Hopefully the players enjoy it as well and we continue to get buy-in, because it gives fans something they’ve been asking to see for a long time. Perhaps eventually players in other leagues will follow suit and sign up for some 1-on-1 once they see a loss isn’t the end of the world, but in the meantime, it helps Unrivaled stand out and gives players a stage to show their full skillset as playmakers.
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