Category: News

Madonna is a hit on Instagram, as her 18 million followers prove. She recently tried to treat them by going live on the platform but the singer was surprised to learn Instagram had banned her from doing so. Instead of going live, Madonna shared a video of her finding out her live broadcast privileges had been revoked.

In the clip, Madonna and a couple of associates sit in front of a phone and ring light as they prepare to start the broadcast. When they hit the button to go live, they’re met with a pop-up message that reads, “Blocked from sharing live video.” The message further explains, “Posts from your account have recently been removed for going against our Community Guidelines, so live video sharing has been temporarily blocked.”

“What the f*ck,” a puzzled Madonna wondered out loud. She added, “I’ve never worn so many clothes in my life.” The clip ends with Madonna saying, “I’m speechless.” She captioned the post, “Not Us!!!! violation of community guidelines………. [eyes emoji] [siren emoji].”

This happened last night, when Madonna was supposed to go live with Sickick to promote “Frozen On Fire,” a new take on Madonna’s 1998 song “Frozen,” which has gained newfound attention on TikTok in recent months. In a video shared on her Instagram Story, Madonna explains the situation to Sickick and notes, “I haven’t done anything lately. I haven’t done anything crazy… not this week, anyway.”

She also speculated that her ban could be a “delayed reaction” to her recent NFT collection, which features renderings of her vagina giving birth to various things.

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

When Tom Cruise set out to make Top Gun: Maverick, a daunting task considering the original Top Gun is a beloved ’80s classic, he “railed hard” for one very specific element to return: Val Kilmer. The prolific actor famously played Tom “Iceman” Kazanzky in the first film, and Cruise was adamant that his character Pete “Maverick” Mitchell reunite with his rival-turned-friend Iceman.

Cruise has already revealed that Iceman is the one who gets Maverick back in action in the heavily-anticipated sequel, and during the London premiere, he gushed about working with Kilmer again.

“It was lovely. The whole experience, you know, 36 years to make this film. There were so many moments in making it that were very special, incredibly unique,” Cruise told Metro. “He’s an actor that I greatly admire, so it was wonderful.”

Reuniting Cruise and Kilmer was also a moving experience for producer David Ellison, who couldn’t believe the cameo was actually happening:

‘The first movie made me want to become a pilot. This was the first movie when we originally started working with Paramount 12 years ago we said we wanted to make,’ he said. ‘So to see the two of them on set, the emotion that people hopefully get from that scene, was how it felt to be on set. It was a surreal experience.’

Due to lingering health problems from a grueling battle with throat cancer, Kilmer was not present for the film’s London premiere. However, Iceman was there in spirit as he praised Cruise and the film’s royal reception on Twitter:

“Congratulations old pal. Well deserved reception,” Kilmer tweeted. “Here’s looking forward to another 36 years of fun!”

Top Gun: Maverick barrel rolls into theaters on May 27, and God, we can’t wait to see this one. It’s supposed to be pretty good! Sorry, gushing over.

(Via Metro)

With new breweries sprouting up everywhere seemingly every week, it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always like this. The US is tipping the scales at more than 9,000 breweries and counting in 2022, but as recently as 2010, there were less than 2,000. And all the way back in 2000, there were fewer than 400. Even with the beer boom of the last two decades, there are a few beers that have been around since the beginning that are still popular today. These are the old-school, OG beers. We’re talking about beers from the 80s, 90s, and well before.

Jeff Smith, co-founder at LUKI Brewery in Arvada, Colorado has fond memories of drinking beer in a time when craft beer was something special. He knows how important it is to hold onto classic beers because they aren’t guaranteed to be brewed forever. His go-to beer was Raspberry Wheat from the now-defunct Heavenly Daze Brewery in Colorado.

“For me in mid-90s Boulder, there were only a few places around town that had this on tap. It certainly wasn’t available in bottles, so if not on tap you were heading to the source in Steamboat Springs before they opened a brewery in Denver in the late 90s. It was the first time I had a fruited wheat craft beer – and it was a fabulous balance of wheat body and tart fruit without it being a mouthful of yeast. It had a very clean finish that allowed multiple pints. In an age of fruited sours and ready-to-explode cans of ‘slushy’ beers, I long for the delicacy of this beer.”

While beers like Smith’s favorite fruit beer are long gone, there are myriad beers that were launched way before the craft beer boom that are still available today. In a world of endless options, can any of the old boys still compete? To find out, we sought out experts who would know, asking handful of notable craft beer experts, brewers, and brewing professionals to tell us which “old school” beers are still worth drinking today.

Odell 90 Shilling (Brewed since 1989)

Derek Gold, director of brewing operations at WeldWerks Brewing Co. in Greeley, Colorado

ABV: 5.3%
Average Price: $15.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

My pick is 90 Shilling from Odell Brewing Company. Thirty-plus years later, this amber-hued Scottish ale has stood the test of time, thanks to its balance and approachability. Smooth, bright, and medium-bodied, its rich biscuit, toffee, and caramel malt sweetness combines perfectly with a light herbal and citrus bitterness on the back end, creating a beer that can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere. 90 Shilling was one of the first craft beers I ever tasted, and I’ll be drinking it for years to come.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager (Brewed since 1985)

Kevin Smolar, production and quality lab manager at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Sam Adam’s Boston Lager. Boston Lager is one of those beers that’s never let me down. It’s full of sweet malt and toasted biscuit flavors that are complemented by a bright, spicy hop finish. It’s a great beer year-round, but there’s something special to me about a Boston Lager and a hot dog outside at a baseball game.

Allagash White (Brewed since 1995)

Jeremy Anders, quality control and safety manager at New Holland Brewing in Holland, Michigan

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $12.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Allagash White was first brewed in 1995 when most American beer drinkers had no interest in drinking a hazy, citrus-forward, spiced wheat beer. Since then, it has come to define the witbier style. Its approachability to the casual beer drinker has likely been a factor in its success. It has introduced many to the world of fruity, expressive Belgian beer styles, including myself. The citrus notes, from both the orange peel and the coriander, are complemented by just the right amount of spice. The effervescent body and creamy white head really make the aromas burst out of the glass. The incredible consistency from batch to batch is an indicator of a world-class quality assurance program as well. We can’t get it here in Michigan (yet), but it is definitely worth the three-hour drive to Chicago to bring back a keg.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Brewed since 1980)

Dennis O’Harrow, head brewer at Lone Tree Brewing Company in Lone Tree, Colorado

ABV: 5.6%
Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the king of old school. Pale Ales have fallen out of the spotlight and given way to trendier styles that are hazy. This one remains a forever classic. Plus, it’s the beer that paved the way for the hoppy, crisp pale ales and IPAs of today.

North Coast Old Rasputin (Brewed since 1995)

Chris Elliott, chief brewing officer at Wild Leap Brew Co. in LaGrange, Georgia

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

My favorite old-school beer is Old Rasputin by North Coast Brewing Company. This was one of the only imperial stouts that was regularly available around Georgia in my early beer-drinking days, and I always loved that style. It’s fairly dry and bitter for a stout by today’s standards, but it’s nice to have a true Russian Imperial Stout every once in a while.

Anchor Steam Beer (Brewed since 1971)

Douglas Hasker, head brewer at Puesto Cerveceria in San Diego

ABV: 4.9%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Steam Beer, Anchor Brewing Co. It’s not only a world-class beer, but Anchor Steam is the originator of a whole beer category known as California Common. What makes Anchor Steam unique are the ingredients and brewing techniques once used by necessity in the cool maritime climate of late 1800s San Francisco Bay. Light and refreshing like a traditional German lager but with the added character of a special yeast fermented at higher temperatures and distinctive aromas from Pacific Northwest grown Northern Brewer hops. A unique beer that helped kick off the craft beer revolution.

Miller High Life (Brewed since 1903)

Chris Wittemann, area sales at Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin

ABV: 4.6%

Average Price: $6.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Miller High Life is my pick. While this has been around for a lot longer than the 80s or 90s, it’s another easy-drinking light lager that has stood the test of time. Smoother than Pabst but with a little more flavor. My dad worked in the beer industry for over 35 years, so you could say I “grew up” on High Life.

Sierra Nevada Celebration (Brewed since 1981)

Kyle Park, director of marketing at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. in Croydon, Pennsylvania

ABV: 6.8%

Average Price: $11.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Sierra Nevada Celebration is a beer that I’ll always buy a case of when it comes out annually and it’s a rarity for me to buy a full case of anything these days. Somehow, every sip is always a revelation even though I’ve had it countless times. I feel the same way about that beer that people feel about their grandma’s Christmas cookies.

Writer’s Pick:

Deschutes Mirror Pond (Brewed since 1988)

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $7.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

You might not realize it, but Deschutes Mirror Pond has been around since the 80s (1988 to be exact). This classic pale ale is known for its complex, well-balanced flavor with notes of grassy, resinous pine, floral hops, sweet grains, and a subtle biscuit-like malt backbone that holds everything together nicely. There’s a reason this classic, crisp beer has stood the test of time.

If Lalo Salamanca from Better Call Saul is the most fascinating character on television, NoHo Hank from Barry might be a close second. He’s a Chechen mobster, an LGBTQIA icon, a good friend, and a surprisingly nimble dancer — he’s something for everyone. But the world was nearly deprived of Anthony Carrigan’s terrific performance after some schmucks said he wasn’t handsome enough to be an actor.

Carrigan was diagnosed with alopecia areata, which causes hair loss, when he was three years old. “There was a moment [in my early 20s] where my alopecia had progressed so much so that I had lost pretty much half [of] my scalp, both my eyebrows, [and] all my eyelashes,” he explained to People. “It really threw everyone that I was working with, and no one knew what to do with me.”

Carrigan was told by a number of people that “you’re not going to be able to do this. You’re not attractive anymore. You will fail if you try to do this.” Luckily, the 39-year-old is “one of those people that if you told me that I can’t do something, I will.”

And he did, giving us this indelible moment in TV history.

Thank you, Anthony Carrigan. Thank you, NoHo Hank. Thank you, Barry.

(Via People)

070 Shake has a little more to say before she drops her upcoming album. Her new single “Body” is a whirlwind of sonic experiences, opening with a sultry nature before everything heightens and becomes frantic. Eventually, the song becomes simultaneously haunting yet beautiful but through the jarring transitions, the New Jersey artist and guest star Christine And The Queens vocally command the space with ease. David Andrew Sitek and Mike Dean contributed on the production side, the latter of whom also mixed and mastered the track.

“Body” is the third single from the 24-year-old’s upcoming sophomore album You Can’t Kill Me, following “Web” and “Skin & Bones.” You Can’t Kill Me, set to release on June 3, comes almost two and a half years after Shake’s critically-acclaimed debut album Modus Vivendi. The Def Jam artist burst onto the scene after signing with G.O.O.D Music back in 2016 before appearing on Pusha T’s Daytona and Kanye West’s Ye in 2018. 070 Shake earned her first chart entry in 2019, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart as part of DJ Khaled’s “Holy Mountain,” also featuring Mavado, Buju Banton, and Sizzla.

Check out “Body” above.

Christine And The Queens is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

James Cromwell is really mad at Starbucks! The actor made waves earlier this month for literally super-gluing his hand to a Starbucks counter during the morning rush at a midtown Manhattan location, which is notoriously the scariest place to be on any given weekday. Now, the Succession actor is explaining his motives. Though, they were pretty clear at the time.

Cromwell wrote an essay for The Washington Post explaining that the “greedy” Starbucks execs are over-charging for vegan milk, which allegedly only costs them “pennies” but costs consumers up to 80 cents per drink. Starbucks cranks out 4 million drinks a day.

“Former CEO Kevin Johnson acknowledged that dairy products are Starbucks’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions and that switching to plant milk is ‘a big part of the solution.’” The actor wrote. “Yet despite knowing that cow’s milk is responsible for three times the emissions of plant milks, the corporation still slaps an undue fee of up to 80 cents on eco-friendly choices.”

Cromwell added a slew of stats and facts to back up his claims, finishing off the essay with a vague threat: “So Starbucks, put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise, I might have to put my hand where your counter is — again. End the vegan upcharge.”

Two things can be true: you can be right, and also you can be wrong for super-gluing your hands to the counter of a place where people are just trying to work and get through the day. See how much easier it is to just use your words?

Dominique Wilkins is a Hall of Fame inductee and still holds the mantle of the best player in Atlanta Hawks franchise history, but for 25 years, he felt like something was missing. Wilkins was left off of the NBA at 50 team in 1997, and is considered one of the biggest snubs from that list.

This year’s NBA 75th Anniversary Team righted that wrong as he earned one of the 76 spots on the league’s updated list of the greatest players to grace the NBA hardwood. It’s an honor Wilkins doesn’t take lightly, as he soaked in the full experience of being in that room at All-Star in Cleveland with the league’s all-time greats.

Last week, we got a chance to speak with Wilkins about that experience, the MVP race, celebrating regular season accomplishments, and the Hawks falling short of expectations as he was promoting an auction benefitting KultureCity, a non-profit focused on accessibility for autism and other invisible disabilities, where they partnered with Ballerz and NFT Genius to auction off a piece of digital art as well as some signed Wilkins memorabilia.

It was a big year for you getting named to the 75th anniversary team and I know you’ve spoken on that at the time, but getting to go to Cleveland and being at All-Star with those guys, what did that mean to you? And what was that experience like for you?

I can tell you it was surreal emotions and feelings. I still haven’t been able to grasp it yet because of the importance of that honor. And I can tell you everybody in that room felt the same way even though you know, you’re great players and all that, but when you’re in a room where you anointed as royalty, the greatest to ever do this, man. It was an emotional thing. I had the chance to know myself, LeBron, Carmelo, Dr. J., and guys like Magic, all of us sitting in this room that’s talking about man, this is unbelievable. And you would think guys are like, “Yeah, yeah, I know I’m supposed to be here,” but it wasn’t like that. It was like, nobody could believe that we were all in this room together, being anointed as the greatest players to ever play. So I’m still emotional about it, even to this very day, but man that was an honor worth waiting for.

How cool was it that those guys, the current players that were able to be in that room, and it seems like there’s that respect that you get across generations when you’re at that level? And what is it like to see that and to be able to see guys that you looked up to who were in that room and guys that were looking up to you?

You know, the respect we gave to guys before us, we’ve always given those guys respect, but the respect was even at a different level that night. And I gotta tell you, the young guys, the current players in this league today who got selected, they were the same. They gave utmost respect to us and appreciation, and we all realized at that moment that we are one of the smallest, big families in the world. And it was a level of respect, I cannot tell you how good it felt, you know, coming from everybody. And so that’s something that you can share with your kids for a lifetime. And no one can ever take that from you.

Right now a big discussion point is Nikola Jokic winning the MVP and a lot of people were talking about, oh, should we tie MVP to what people were doing in the postseason because he got knocked down in the first round, that sort of thing. And I want your perspective on this because I think we’ve shifted away a little bit — maybe too far — to everything has to be about the playoffs. How do you think we should talk about regular season greatness because it’s such a grind, and when we, I think, we need to celebrate that as well?

Well, you know, the MVP was very hard to, in my opinion, to pick this year. I think the three top guys all deserving of being an MVP — Joel Embiid definitely deserving of being an MVP and Giannis. Their body of work of what they did during the regular season, you know, that’s what really dictated where you ultimately end up. I mean, the playoffs, I don’t think what you did in the playoffs should really diminish what you did in the regular season. Because you look at what Jokic and Embiid have done in the playoffs, they’ve been incredible. So it I don’t think it really was predicated on what you do in the playoffs and never has been, right?

So that’s the way it is and a lot of times it’s hard for people to accept, but it was a very hard honor to pick this year. It really was, and I know it was hard for [voters]. But you know, are all those guys deserving of that? Absolutely. Now, I probably would have picked Embiid as well, because of what he did in a regular season when he was unconscious and the way he played, but all three of those big guys man I mean, like you flip a coin. That was a tough one this year.

I do want to talk about your work with with KultureCity. First off how did that come about? And how did you come to this idea for this NFT auction?

Well, you know what, Julian Maha and I, who was the founder of KultureCity, he and his wife Michelle, I met him on Twitter and we had conversations and we kind of hit it off and we talked about special needs in his family and my family, and we thought it was a great fit that we team up together. And the last five years it’s been great, man. I can tell you the relationship has been absolutely wonderful because I’ve learned more, myself, even though I’ve been involved with special needs with my daughter for quite some time. I learned so much by being attached to KultureCity, and that’s why I’m the chairman of board now and helping us continue to build awareness and a lot of participation in helping to do what we do.

What do you want people to know about accessibility and the things that we can do to make life easier on on everybody and the things that it takes to do that?

Well, first of all, you want people not to ignore the issues and the problems that people are dealing with with special needs. It’s been around since the beginning of time. It’s been around, but people have ignored it. They have looked at people dealing with special needs or autism and hidden disabilities and invisible disabilities as like it’s a second thought. It’s like nothing that really important until something happens that is out of that person’s control because no one has given attention to that person to help them deal with their issues. So we want to make sure that no one gets left behind, that special needs get a serious, long, healthy look and how we can come together to raise money to continue to raise the awareness, to put facilities in place to help people help themselves.

Absolutely. I do want to talk a little Hawks with you. What did you see from the team this year that was maybe a little different than than last year that didn’t come all together?

Well, I think we underachieved for sure, no question about that. But a lot of things came into play with that. First of all, not enough consistency in the rotation as far as our line up because so many people without due to COVID or injury or those things but I thought we got a little comfortable at times. And then at the end the year we started to pick it up and turn it on where we say hey, if we’re gonna make the playoffs, man, it starts now. And so even though we struggled for the most part throughout the season, we still got in the playoffs and played against a tough Miami team. And you know, and you look at Philly, they’re seeing that as well. It’s not like Miami is a fluke, they’re good team. So, again, you know, they did what they were supposed to do as the No. 1 seed, you know, but at the same time, I do think we underachieved.

From Trae’s perspective — the attention that he got in that Miami series from them defensively and obviously what they were able to do to slow him down, what do you hope to see from him coming in next year? And what do you think he can learn and take away from that experience? Because it’s the first time that some team has done that and really taken him away.

Well, you know what, I tell people all the time, how do you beat the double team? You go before it gets there. And what I mean by that is you either make a quick move and get to the basketball or you pass it to the next guy to set them up. Because when you set those other guys out to be successful, and they start making shots, for example, your game becomes easy because now the defense got to make a decision on how you guard the other guys. So you can’t let that guy continue to sit over and knock down shots, you got to make an adjustment. So now later in the game, it becomes Trae’s time. And so that’s things he’s learning, but you know, if you look at it from a defensive standpoint, Miami threw a lot of different looks and they’re one of the better, if not the best defensive team in the league. So they got guys that just for every position who can guide out front enough to get help, and that’s what happened.

A women stripped off her clothes after crashing the Cannes red carpet, but before you joke, “Well, yeah, Idris Elba was there,” she did it for a very serious cause. According to reports, the activist was seeking to support Ukraine and shine a spotlight on alleged war crimes being committed against women by Russian forces. However, she didn’t make it far, as security guards quickly removed her from the red carpet where Elba and co-star Tilda Swinton were premiering their new film, Three Thousand Years of Longing.

Via IndieWire:

An unidentified woman, who appeared to be wearing a shirt that said “scum” on the back, burst onto the scene and began screaming at the top of her lungs.

The woman reportedly removed all of her clothing and collapsed to her knees before security guards promptly removed her from the premiere. She appeared to be wearing yellow and blue body paint in the colors of the Ukrainian flag with, according to one observer, the words “stop raping us” written across her abdomen.

Due to the swiftness of the Cannes security team, there’s very little footage of the woman’s protest, but New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan managed to tweet a very brief clip and confirm the disruption.

“On the Cannes red carpet for George Miller’s new movie, the woman in front of me stripped off all her clothes (covered in body paint) and fell to her knees screaming in front of photographers,” Buchanan tweeted. “Cannes authorities rushed over, covered her in a coat, & blocked my camera from filming.”

Buchanan continued his thread with updates, but the commotion appeared to be short-lived as Miller and the film stars continued down the red carpet as if nothing had happened.

(Via IndieWire)

Alex Garland is an author turned writer (author of The Beach, screenwriter of Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and Dredd) turned director of brainy-yet-visceral sci-fi like Ex Machina and Annihilation. In his latest, Men, a horror-sci-fi whatsit starring Jessie Buckley opening this weekend, Garland’s talent is as palpable as ever, but his inspiration feels a little thin.

Buckley, who has a nice career going after memorable roles in Taboo, Chernobyl, Fargo, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, and The Lost Daughter (the latter earning her BAFTA and Oscar nominations), plays Harper, a recent widow who has rented a house in the English countryside to try to forget her troubles back in London. Those troubles, we learn through a series of flashbacks, mostly involve her recently deceased ex, who seems to have been emotionally and physically abusive.

So now Harper’s renting a 300-year-old country manor from Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), a chipper, snaggletoothed estatesman who’s so English he seems like he might spontaneously burst into a newspaper full of fish and chips at any moment. Geoffrey seems nice enough, though suspiciously over-attentive, the kind of guy who’s clearly interested in Harper and pleasant on the surface, but also awkward and fumbling, oblivious to personal boundaries enough that she can’t be certain he won’t turn dangerous. MEN, am I right?

Kinnear, who is genetically 175% English according to Ancestry.com, plays this kind of character perfectly and effortlessly, which is probably why Garland has him play multiple iterations of it, The Fatties Fart Two-style. That choice might sound like an odd fit in a sort of psychological horror-ish movie, and it is, but Alex Garland is nothing if not full of bold, offbeat storytelling choices. To some extent, it works — adding to this environment of vague-but-persistent dread, the kind of terror you might wonder whether you’re just imagining. The kind of terror other people would try to convince you was only in your head. A recipe for “gaslighting,” in buzzier words.

In Men, Garland has a lot of great little ideas, with brilliant performances and viscerally compelling imagery, but lacks one big idea to tie them all together. He maintains the act masterfully for a while, building beautifully and meticulously Harper’s snow globe of persistent dread. Such that it’s only midway through the second act when he starts having to lay his cards on the table that you realize he doesn’t have much of a hand. It’s mostly movie tricks and empty concepts. That’s a criticism of Men but it’s backhanded praise of Garland, who even in this middling effort accomplishes a lot of things other filmmakers simply couldn’t.

Still, maybe the title should’ve been a clue as to the vagueness of Garland’s purpose here. “Men.” That’s it? Harper is haunted by, like, the demon-ghost of toxic masculinity? In 2022, when roughly the last 27 major releases have all been sold as being “explorations of toxic masculinity” (something you could say about any number of classics, from Goodfellas to Swingers to The Sands Of Iwo Jima and not be wrong) a villain has to be a little more specific than “toxicity” and “gaslighting.” And anyway, didn’t Alex Garland already explore this pretty perfectly in Ex Machina?

What Garland is attempting in Men is basically a movie with one character, played off a series of vaguely-defined and sort-of-hackneyed concepts. It’s a credit to his skills as a craftsman that he pulled it off for even a minute. Men ends up being a handful of solid scenes and intriguing performances signifying nothing.

‘Men’ is available only in theaters May 20th. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. More reviews here.

Damon Albarn may have devoted a significant chunk of his life to gorillas (rather, Gorillaz), but they’re not the only animals he cares about: He and a bunch of other artists contributed to For The Birds: The Birdsong Project, a five-volume collection of 242 recordings inspired by birds and their singing, with proceeds benefiting the National Audubon Society.

The first volume rolled out today and among the new songs is “Bird Calling,” a collaboration between Albarn, Mark Ronson, and Wale. Ronson offers some rhythmic, midtempo production while Wale carries the song with rapped and Albarn provides the hook.

Project organizers say, “The Birdsong Project is a community dedicated to the protection of bird life, and to the celebration of the joy and mysteries of birdsong. We believe that birds — no matter feather or flock — are precious and inspiring and fundamental to our world. That a world without birds would be a world without freedom and flight and song. We believe birds matter. Are endangered. And need our help.”

Elvis Costello, who contributes to the endeavor, adds, “This should be so very obvious; without birds we would be knee-deep in worms, swarmed by bugs, the trees bereft of song. The least we can do is raise our voices in praise or lament. I’m grateful to [producer Randall Poster] for asking me to join his magnificent flock.”

Listen to Ronson, Albarn, and Wale’s “Bird Calling” above.

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