Gwyneth Paltrow is a multi-millionaire movie star who sells exploding vagina candles. She’s not the most relatable person — except for when it comes to her fuzzy memory about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There’s a lot of Marvel movies and shows, and there will continue to be a lot of Marvel movies and shows for the rest of our lives. It’s hard to keep track of them all, even (especially?) when you’ve been in eight of them.
Paltrow had no idea that she was in Spider-Man: Homecoming; she forgot that she had met MCU co-star Sebastian Stan twice before; and Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige had to remind her that Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury (“What are you talking about? He’s Nick Fury! You’ve been in movies with him,” he told her). Her latest instance of being blissfully unaware about the MCU happened on Instagram, where she was asked for her thoughts on the Disney+ series Hawkeye. She replied, “No, what is that?”
Paltrow needs to ditch the goop Podcast and start one where she explains what she thinks various Marvel movies and shows are about without having seem them. I would subscribe just to hear her say the word “Quantumania.”
As for why she can’t keep track of all the Marvel movies she’s been in, Paltrow explained, “It is confusing because there are so many Marvel movies, and to be honest, I haven’t seen very many of them. It’s really stupid and I’m sorry, but I’m a 47-year-old mother.” There is nothing to apologize for. Honestly? Respect.
Jake Tapper had some harsh words for Hollywood, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, the NBA, and anyone else who has willfully turned a blind eye to the many human rights atrocities that have taken place under Xi Jinping’s reign all in the name of the almighty dollar. As The Wrap reports, Tapper praised the Women’s Tennis Association for doing “something that few other athletic organizations or corporations in general have been willing to do: Criticize the Chinese government and take serious steps to protest its brutality.”
On December 1, the WTA announced that would will no longer take part in any tournaments in China following tennis star Peng Shuai’s allegations that she was sexually assaulted 10 years ago by China’s former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
On November 2, Shuai shared the details of her alleged assault via a social media post on Weibo. Within 30 minutes, the post was removed as was Shuai’s account and any mentions of her on social media. Shortly after that, Shuai herself vanished—a situation that has many, including fellow players like Serena Williams—worried for her safety.
I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuaipic.twitter.com/GZG3zLTSC6
While Shuai has been seen in videos released by Chinese state media, it’s unclear whether she is actually safe. The situation is drawing international attention, particularly given that we’re less than two months away from the Winter 2022 Olympics in Beijing. “Not only is the [International Olympic Committee] not raising its voice in solidarity in protest, the IOC is helping the Chinese government by providing cover,” says Tapper.
The IOC claims that it has had two video calls with Shuai over the past two weeks, yet has not provided any footage from these calls or the transcripts. “The IOC has not mentioned her allegations of sexual assault,” Tapper said, “nor would the IOC explain who set up these calls. The IOC is behaving like a mob lawyer.”
The human rights atrocities in China, of course, go back much further than Shuai. “This year both the Trump and the Biden administrations have asserted that China is committing ‘genocide’ and crimes against humanity.”
Tapper mentioned companies like Apple and Nike by name, saying that the companies “publicly claim to decry slave labor, but to be clear: the behavior we are seeing from U.S. corporations, it’s not about a company surviving. It’s about discontent with just hundreds of millions of dollars, desiring instead billions of dollars.”
The way Tapper sees it, Shuai’s disappearance is akin to “the consciences of the millionaires and billionaires of Hollywood and the NBA and the IOC and Wall Street are all so eager for Chinese cash, they’re pretending none of this is happening. There is no amount of money that can buy enough soap to wash that blood off their hands.”
Tom Holland will be taking a break from web-slinging to do a little tap-dancing. The 25-year-old Marvel star will be playing Hollywood legend Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic. Variety reports that Holland confirmed the role on Sunday, while in London promoting Spider-Man: No Way Home.
In a recent GQ profile of the actor, Spider-Man producer and former Sony chairperson Amy Pascal described the actor as “the hardest-working person that I know” and said that “there are very few actors working now who are versatile in the way that he is.” In addition to discussing his ongoing journey as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Pascal mentioned to writer Oliver Franklin-Wallis that she was hoping to get Holland to play Astaire in an upcoming movie, but left it at that.
When an AP reporter mentioned the possibility of the part to the actor on Sunday, he confirmed that “I am playing Fred Astaire,” but didn’t have much more to say about the part, as the script just came in a week ago, so he has yet to read it. “They haven’t given it to me,” Holland said. “I know that Amy Pascal has the script. She FaceTimed me earlier; I was in the bath, and we had a lovely FaceTime. But I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Though it sounds like a movie could be made of Holland and Pascal’s bath-time FaceTime.
As Variety noted, Holland just might be the perfect actor to take on the imposing role of a noted song and dance man, as the current (and future) Spider-Man got his start on the stage as the lead in the West End version of Billy Elliott the Musical from 2008 to 2010.
Holland isn’t the only actor who’ll step into the role of Astaire for an upcoming project. Jamie Bell, who originated the role of Billy Elliot in Stephen Daldry’s 2000 film, will be playing Astaire to Margaret Qualley’s Ginger Rogers in yet another biopic that follows the pair’s acting—and dancing—partnership.
Leading into this week’s Succession episode, I didn’t believe it was possible for me to feel less empathy for Shiv than I already do. Surprisingly, this has nothing to do with her recent cringeworthy party moves, which our own Brian Grubb described as “[d]ancing like a person who just grew limbs that morning in a frantic attempt to exorcise all these demons.” That dance gave us nothing, and Roman put it, “I heard it looked like a cry for help,” but it’s clear that no one in history has been less thrilled that her husband’s not going to prison. Shiv’s cold-heartedness knows no bounds, and while Logan is objectively the most ruthless person in Succession, Shiv gives him a run for his money. I’d even argue that she’s worse because there’s not an ounce of likability on display. What really gets me is how she’ll turn on a dime on the issue of sexual misconduct, and she uses her femininity to manipulate these situations to her own advantage.
Clearly, a lot happened this week, including these biggies: Kendall may have drowned (I hope they don’t kill him off yet, although the preview for next week doesn’t look promising for him); Logan made his own grandson poison-check his food (because this show can’t help but get Shakespearean up in this motherf*cker); and oh yeah, Roman inadvertently sent Logan a d*ck pic. We’ll get back to that point in a minute, but first, this: Every line out of Shiv’s mouth felt more unredeemable than the one that came before. She managed to knock Tom down several more pegs during pillow talk, and instead of easing his “after burn,” she capped things off in that department with a few choice lines:
– The master manipulator called Tom “manipulative” when he felt discomfort over the horrible things she said in bed, and she reminded Tom for the umpteenth time that she doesn’t love him, and “you know.” Oh, Tom knows.
– She professed a desire to “bag some embryos” and “put it together” after deciding to stick it to Mom and have some kids. One gets the distinct feeling that she’d have no issue flushing Tom’s babies down the toilet, at some point in the future.
That wasn’t all. Waystar Royco President of Domestic Operations Siobhan Roy topped her own reprehensibility in the final moments this week. Her episode kicker calls back Season 2’s penultimate episode, when this happened:
HBO
Shiv had appealed, woman-to-woman, in an attempt to shut down the cruise-lines scandal by intimidating a sexual assault victim into silence. She painted an aftermath where the victim would be held out as a “slut,” her legal testimony would be all over her tombstone, and so on. While playing the for-the-greater-good card and professing her intent to take down The Man, Shiv wielded her femininity in the most sinister of ways. She took away a victim’s voice, and of course Shiv hasn’t done a thing for anyone but herself in the aftermath. We recently saw her overlaying some PR magic on this scandal while Kendall let some truth fly through his guerrilla speakers via Nirvana’s “Rape Me.”
After these documented attempts from Shiv to shut down sexual assault victims’ right to justice of some sort, she sure changed her tune after Roman’s dick pic slip-up. She seized upon the situation in a blink of an eye, trashing both Roman and Gerri to Logan. For just a moment, let’s behold the background on Roman’s phone.
HBO
That’s a bit of a gut punch to see, right before Shiv threw Roman under the bus, though it’s hard to argue anything in his favor, since he was so insistent upon sending those “items” to Gerri, despite her declaration (“I’m f*cking serious”) that she did not want them. Yet Shiv knifed the hell out of Gerri, too, while more than suggesting to Logan that Gerri’s saving those dick pics as “leverage” and “banking it as ammo.” And Shiv’s monstrous nature is undeniable when she takes it upon herself to pressure Gerri to report Roman while stressing that her “delicate position as interim CEO” would be in jeopardy “if you can’t deal with your own sexual harassment.”
HBOHBO
This exchange (which also feels like a threat) with Gerri, when one considers it along with how Shiv intimidated the cruise-lines scandal sexual assault victim, makes things crystal clear on Shiv’s end. Her top (and only) priority is her own ambition, and her “this must be so hard for you” routine is only an act. Shiv’s said and done a lot of horrible things over the course of this show, but being so loosey-goosey about sexual misconduct — and massaging each instance for her own ends — might be the worst.
Gerri, for her part, appears to not be too ruffled by this exchange. She’s surely stocked up plenty of ammo from other dealings with the Roys, and she knows where all the bodies are buried, so hopefully, she’s safe. Yes, it’s true that Logan’s been looking for an excuse to push Gerri out, and he’s also seemingly less disgusted by Roman’s actual behavior than how Roman’s behaving this way toward someone who’s not “a nice piece of tail” while branding Gerri “frozen f*cking p*ss” who needs to be shipped out. Even Roman knows Gerri shouldn’t be fired at this point, but hey look, Shiv’s already seizing upon this situation for her own purposes: to push Roman out and finally be The One. Ugh. I mean, I could conceivably admire Shiv’s hustle (we are, after all, dealing with various degrees of a-holes with these siblings), but she crosses the line with her fake-ally stances, when we really know that she does not care about putting an end to sexual misconduct. That’s simply another pawn to her, and god, I want Gerri to mop the floor with this whole damn family.
Well, other than Cousin Greg. Everyone can leave Greg alone.
HBO’s ‘Succession’ airs on Sunday nights, and it’s almost season finale time.
Currently (and also for the past half-decade), Rihanna anxiously fans wait for the follow-up to her 2016 album Anti. Therefore, they eat up any sort of update about new music from Rihanna, no matter how minor it may be. Well, the latest Rihanna dispatch is certainly minor but is exciting regardless, as she suggested to a paparazzo recently that new music is quickly forthcoming.
In a video of the encounter, Rihanna emerges from a car and the person behind the camera asks her, “Any new music, anything?” The singer responded as she walked away, “Soon, soon, soon.”
Rihanna responds to paparazzi asking if she has any new music coming:
In September, she said of her upcoming music, “You’re not going to expect what you hear. Just put that in your mind. Whatever you know of Rihanna is not going to be what you hear. I’m really experimenting. Music is like fashion: you should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want, and I treat music the same way. So, I’m having fun and it’s going to be completely different. That’s it.”
Last Week Tonight is off until 2022, but over the weekend, the HBO show released a web-only video on a very important topic: snack-sponsored video games.
There was 7 Up’s shockingly good Cool Spot (here’s a fun podcast about the game), Cheetos’ Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool, and the Doom-inspired Chex Quest, which increased sales of the cereal that tastes “like the box it came in” by 248 percent in six weeks. Or as host John Oliver put it, “For six weeks in 1996, Chex cereal f*cked.”
Oliver is sick of snack brands tweeting like humans who are Going Through It, including Sunny D’s infamous “I can’t do this anymore” tweet, to which Pop Tarts replied, “Hey sunny can I please offer you a hug we are gonna get through this together my friend.” No, it’s time for snack brands to “tweet less and make games more.” Oliver even threw out some suggestions: Orville Redenbacher: Space Marine, Chips Ahoy! “but you’re a grizzled cookie pirate, sailing a sea of milk trying to track down Captain Crunch and nail his severed head to your mast,” and a Chef Boyardee vs. SpaghettiO fighting game.
They may not reach the highs of Pepsiman, but it’s a start. You can watch the clip above.
Halo Infinite might be taking over the world right now thanks to an incredible free to play multiplayer mode, but longtime fans of the series are eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming campaign mode. Not only because we need to see how Master Chief is going to save the galaxy this time, but because it’s going to be a completely new Halo experience.
Infinite is taking the series into an open world environment and it is not a small one. The Zeta Halo that Infinite takes place on is huge and when players are thrown into it they might find it a little overwhelming, especially as icons start to appear on the map with new objectives. Thankfully, the game does a good job of guiding us along on what to do next, but eventually, the chains will come off and it’s going to be up to the player to make their own decisions. While some players might feel inclined to just immediately jump right back into the next campaign mission we strongly suggest exploring the world a bit and seeing what Infinite has to offer. Still not sure where to start though? Don’t worry, we got a chance to play the campaign early so we know exactly how the player should focus their time in those early hours.
Upgrade Your Grappleshot
With a world as massive as the one in Halo Infinite the player is going to want to find a way to get around it as easily as possible. That’s why we think the very first thing the player should do before anything else is take any upgrade points they’ve collected and put them into upgrading the Grappleshot. Equipment is a big part of Master Chief’s arsenal in Infinite and easily the best one is the Grappleshot. This multi-use tool allows Master Chief to latch on to enemies, hijack vehicles, and pull himself across walls. It also happens to be a very good device for getting around quickly when Master Chief is without a vehicle or is moving vertically.
Once fully upgraded, the Grappleshot becomes an excellent tool for maneuvering around not only the world but in firefights. By endgame, the world of Infinite is throwing entire armies at you and fights can get hectic. There will be scenarios when sprint isn’t cutting it and the Grapplehook becomes the best means of escape while also allowing the player to stay on the offensive. It’s a great tool and one that shouldn’t be ignored. Get it maxed out as quickly as possible to reap the early game benefits.
Capture FOBs
When Chief reaches Zeta Halo he quickly discovers that his allies, the UNSC, have been decimated. A big part of Infinite‘s side campaign is helping the UNSC get back on its feet so it has a fighting chance against the game’s main antagonists, The Banished. Of course, no work goes without its rewards, and Infinite has some pretty good ones. Every time Chief helps out the UNSC he receives Valor. As he collects Valor he eventually gains access to better guns, vehicles, etc., and the way he accesses these are locations called FOBs. These FOBs act as mini bases for Chief to fast travel, restock, and more importantly spawn in vehicles.
Getting around the world of Halo Infinite can be a challenge and the player is going to want to lessen those challenges whenever possible. FOBs are a no-brainer option for players to focus on because of the rewards they give. Not to mention that most of these are on the way to major objectives so it’s just a no-brainer to capture them even if it require going off the beaten path a little. Trust us, it’s all worth it the first time a Scorpion drops down.
Eliminate Enemies Of Interest
Halo has always had fun weapons, but 343 Industries really wanted to put its mark on Infinite with the weapon selection. Not only are there four different weapon types to cause chaos with, but now some of these weapons have special variants that the player can unlock, and call in from a FOB, when they eliminate the enemies of interest spread out throughout the map.
One thing Halo Infinite did really well was the special characters. It’s hard to do a good boss fight in a first-person shooter, let alone a mini-boss, but Infinite really nailed it with the enemies of interest. Spread out across the world are members of The Banished that have earned a negative reputation among the UNSC. All these characters are rocking a special gun that is unique to them, but when Master Chief eliminates them he gains access to that gun variation. As soon as these options start to appear on the map, go out and eliminate a few of them to add their weapons. These not only help create a nice variety when fighting through waves of enemies, but they’re really fun to use and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters here. Fun.
2021 has been huge for BTS, ad the K-pop titans have released a handful of No. 1 singles. They’ve definitely been busy, but now, they’re getting ready to take a break, their label Big Hit Entertainment announced over the weekend.
Calling the upcoming break an “official extended period of rest,” the label notes the break will “provide the members of BTS who have tirelessly committed themselves to their activities, a chance to get re-inspired and recharge with creative energy.”
While the term “extended” might be scary for fans worrying the group will be away for a while, there’s a reassuring precedent here. BTS started “an official and extended period of rest and relaxation” in August 2019, and just a few months later, in January 2020, they returned with “Black Swan” before releasing the album Map Of The Soul: 7 the next month.
We would like to inform you that BTS is planning to take a second official extended period of rest since their first in 2019 after they complete their official scheduled events of BTS Permission To Dance On Stage — LA and the 2021 Jingle Ball Tour.
BTS stayed active in order to engage with fans in 2020 and 2021 amidst the Covid-19 situation, and achieved dazzling results to cement themselves as top global artists.
This period of rest will provide the members of BTS who have tirelessly committed themselves to their activities, a chance to get re-inspired and recharge with creative energy. It will also be the first time for them since their debut to spend the holiday season with their families. We kindly ask once again that you show consideration for their need to enjoy ordinary and free, everyday lives while solely concentrating on themselves, albeit for a short while, during their period of rest.
BTS will be focusing on preparing for the concert and release of the new album that will mark the beginning of a ‘new chapter’. They are preparing for a concert this coming March to connect and communicate with the fans in-person in Seoul.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the fans who continue to cheer for BTS and they will return as their best, healthiest selves after recharging so they can return all the love from the fans.
If nothing else, music serves as a prime reminder of the strength of community and uplifting shared experience. From a purely musical perspective (don’t get me started on the other stuff), the theme of 2021 was hope as the live music industry trudged toward a beacon of light at the end of a long tunnel. Concerts slowly started to return during the summer, and by the fall, every venue still in business after all this was back up and running. Before we knew it, Foo Fighters were welcoming fans back to Madison Square Garden for the first arena show in a Covid world and the coat check at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer was adorned with Michelle Zauner’s name after Japanese Breakfast performed a historic run of sold-out shows at the venue.
“New Music,” the opening track of New Music And Big Pop, took a mere 31 seconds to capture my full attention when a streaming link popped into my inbox about a year ago,” I wrote in a recent feature about the New York trio. Admittedly, it’s difficult to judge a full project based on 31 seconds of the opening track, but it does manage to set the stage well for what is ultimately ten songs that are imbued with a sense of liberation and raw talent that feels rare in modern indie rock, rife with catchy hooks and impressive vocal arrangements that act like a comforting hug. – Zac Gelfand
Arlo Parks — Collapsed In Sunbeams
Transgressive
Arlo Parks was like a therapist during the pandemic. Originally beginning as poems, her songs are gorgeous ruminations on the depressive states that are all too common with young people today, and became magnified as we lived our lives in a locked-down state for months. The way her warm-voiced presentation of lyrics like “It’s so cruel, what your mind can do for no reason” (on “Eugene”) struck a chord with the loneliness millions were feeling in 2021 and were a salve in dire times. Collapsed In Sunbeams won the Mercury Music Prize as the top album in the UK, and also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. It illustrated the power of Parks’ universal songwriting and she’s maintained an unshakeable grace and charisma along the way. – Adrian Spinelli
The Armed — Ultrapop
Sargent House
The Armed is a real trip. For the unfamiliar, the experimental hardcore group has an ever-changing lineup that isn’t usually revealed. They did give a list of artists who performed on the new album Ultrapop (their first released through Sargent House), but given the group’s history of misdirection, who knows whether or not that should be taken at face value. Things only get more confusing when you listen to the new album, but in a good way, as it features the group pumping out everything from post-hardcore to power-pop, doing it all in ways that make the band’s many mysteries all the more engaging. – Derrick Rossignol
Big Red Machine — How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?
Jagjaguwar
What’s interesting about the second Big Red Machine album is how unexperimental it sounds. Whereas the first Big Red Machine record consisted of esoteric sketches that felt like excerpts from long, heady jam sessions, How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?includes some of the most approachable and pop-oriented material that Aaron Dessner or Justin Vernon have ever produced. This can partly be attributed, of course, to the involvement of Taylor Swift, who along with suggesting the album title appears on the album’s most immediate track, “Renegades.” But the rest of the record is similarly melodic and warm, evincing little of the electro-indie dissonance of the recent output by The National and Bon Iver. – Steven Hyden
Dijon — Absolutely
R&R/Warner Records
The incredibly evocative singer helped redefine traditional notions of R&B on Absolutely. The album is as stunning for the way Dijon delivers his vocals as it is for the music that backs him. Guitars and strings are an ever-present character motif, like the city of New York in a Spike Lee joint, and the surrounding cast of musicians (led by guitarist Mk. Gee) provide a glorious canvas for Dijon’s vocal tour de force. “Many Times” is a riveting number that’s controllably frenetic in the best way possible. Same goes for “Bike Mike’s,” with its slide guitar popping in from one angle, bass from another, and Dijon floating in congruence with drums and guitar as he pines for a mythical woman. – A.S.
Dry Cleaning — New Long Leg
4AD
There was no shortage this year of British post-punk bands that deployed talky vocals, clanging guitars, and loose-limbed rhythm sections in the service of conveying, quote unquote, the banality of modern’s life horrifying existence. Many of these bands are derivative and even tiresome. Dry Cleaning is the exception. While they certainly fit that standard nü-post-punk mold on New Long Leg, they’re able to ultimately transcend the limitations of the genre thanks to lead singer Florence Shaw, whose deadpan delivery and darkly funny non-sequiturs leave a strikingly unique impression. – S.H.
Faye Webster — I Know I’m Funny haha
Photo by Pooneh Ghana
For Atlanta die-hard Faye Webster, I Know I’m Funny haha represents the fully-formed vision of her folk and country for the well-rounded mind. “Got you a bass last year on your birthday / The same one the guy from Linkin Park plays / But you look better with it anyways,” she sings over a sultry pedal steel on the title track. Then, she pours it on for Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr with “I saw you last night in my dream / That’s still the closest you and I have been,” as a saxophone bellows alongside her on “A Dream About A Baseball Player.” Webster’s ability to enact the impeccable Americana vintage sound from the nuanced perspective of a 20-something is what will keep her firmly entrenched as a torchbearer of the Southern music tradition. – A.S.
Foxing — Draw Down The Moon
Grand Paradise
After leaving it all on the table with 2018’s art-rock masterpiece Nearer My God, Foxing raised the stakes once again earlier this year with Draw Down The Moon, a record that Ian Cohen called “Foxing’s answer to Future Islands’ Singles or Bleed American or Manchester Orchestra’s A Black Mile To The Surface, recent examples of perpetual underdogs betting on the most direct version of themselves.” The verdict is still out on whether this record will help Foxing will be able to overcome the hurdles that have plagued them to date, but at least we got to reap the benefit of everything they had to give. – Z.G.
Geese — Projector
Partisan Records
Though five-piece Brooklyn band Geese are fresh out of high school, you would never be able to pick up on their young age by listening to the band’s debut album, Projector. Geese was born out of a truly DIY-ethos, gathering every Friday in their parents’ basement to record music with amps covered by blankets. But despite their humble beginnings, Geese manage to make music that’s both haunting and energizing, inspired by the experimental styles of artists like LCD Soundsystem and other early aughts post-punk. While the lyrics on most of the album’s songs are far from the focal point, each track is teeming with understandable anxiety and angst about relationships, climate change, and the future while being both effortlessly catchy and layered with emotion. – Carolyn Droke
Hovvdy — True Love
Grand Jury
Hovvdy are one of the rare bands that are able to take the leap from true lo-fi songwriting into a world far greater than they could have ever imagined, all without leaving any of their inspiration behind. Their new album True Love is the first with new label home Grand Jury, and the duo took full advantage of the new resources to help bolster their sound in the studio setting. True Love is what I called in a recent feature “one of the rare ‘return to roots’ albums that build upon the band’s lore and set them up for further success.” – Z.G.
Illuminatti Hotties — Let Me Do One More
Snake Shack Tracks
2018’s Kiss Yr Frenemies was a big indie hit, making it a tough act to follow for Sarah Tudzin and her Illuminati Hotties cohorts. They tried their best with this year’s Let Me Do One More, and it turns out their best was indeed good enough and then some. Tudzin said she wanted to get more into writing pop hooks on the new album, and indeed, there are catchy moments throughout that exist in a variety of well-executed aesthetics, like on the beachy “Uvvp” (which features Big Thief’s Buck Meek) and the more slowcore-influenced “Threatening Each Other Re: Capitalism.” – D.R.
Indigo De Souza — Any Shape You Take
Saddle Creek
With her sophomore album, Any Shape You Take, Indigo DeSouza tackled her songwriting with a kind of vibrancy and open-mindedness that was hard to find in her tiny North Carolina hometown. The songs on her album resist fitting any specific genre category, moving fluidly between sparkling pop anthems and somber suburban emo power ballads. Though it can’t be defined by labels, DeSouza’s music tackles love in all forms while flexing her range of intimate songwriting abilities. The shimmering song “Hold U” is a pumped-up track that describes the importance of platonic love, while other songs like “Pretty Pictures” and “Kill Me” detail the aftermath of a life-altering breakup. – C.D
Japanese Breakfast — Jubilee
Dead Oceans
Michelle Zauner had a momentous 2021. In April, her first book, a memoir about her complicated relationship with her late mother called Crying In H Mart, debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list. Then she made the best Japanese Breakfast record of her career. While Japanese Breakfast’s early material was often classified as lo-fi, Jubilee represents her grandest music yet, nodding to the sonically rich and expansive indie albums of the ’90s and ’00s by artists such as Bjork and Joanna Newsom. In terms of lyrics, Zauner has turned her eye to character studies that are delivered with cinematic flair. – S.H.
Julien Baker — Little Oblivions
Matador Records
With each album, Julien Baker widens her scope a little bit. Where Sprained Ankle was a very sparse affair focused mostly on lyrics, Turn Out The Lights introduced a few more instruments and depth into the mix, and now Little Oblivions is what Steven Hyden calls “the most musically inviting album that Baker has made yet, with extra heft added to the guitars and rhythm section nudging her closer to a full-on rock record. But the emotional brutality of the lyrics somehow melds with the uplifting beauty of the music, perhaps giving Baker some peace in the process.” – Zac Gelfand
The Killers — Pressure Machine
Island
In interviews about the latest Killers LP, Brandon Flowers likened Pressure Machine to Achtung Baby. Incredibly, he’s sort of correct. For one thing, both albums were the seventh releases for the respective arena-rock institutions. But the similarities go deeper than just discography placement. Just as Achtung Baby was a reboot for U2, Pressure Machine is a bold reinvention for The Killers, setting Flowers’ most evocative narrative lyrics ever to dusty, downscaled versions of his band’s hybrid of anglophilia and heartland rock. It’s one of 2021’s most surprising comebacks. – S.H.
Lucy Dacus — Home Videos
Matador
Though she’s been operating in the the indie sphere for half a decade at this point, Lucy Dacus‘ third album Home Video marks her strongest effort yet. Now in her mid-twenties, Dacus is far enough away from her youth to reflect on her childhood. With a sense of humor, nostalgia, and a bit of incredulity, Dacus examines her bible study days on Home Video. With catchy refrains, inviting vocals, and heart-tugging lyrics, Dacus walks listeners through the highs and lows of first-times, youthful relationships, and self-discovery. Armed with her current wisdom, Dacus’ music gives honest advice in the form of poetic ballads, urging both her former self and her friends to see their self-worth in the face of potentially harmful relationships through songs like “VMB” and “Christine.” – C.D
Mdou Moctor — Afrique Victime
Matador
Afrique Victime is loaded with moments where the great Nigerien guitarist Mdou Moctar steps out of the song in order to ram his guitar directly into your guts. He does this for emotional effect, bending and blurring notes with the furious energy that defines one of his most obvious influences, Jimi Hendrix. But you suspect that Moctar also believes that ripping off a sick solo is extremely dope, which on this record it absolutely is. It might even make you ask: Why don’t we hear guitar solos more often these days? As it is, the concept of the guitar hero remains alive and well thanks to this six-string genius. – S.H.
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis — Carnage
AWAL Recordings
Decades into his career and as prolific as ever, Carnage stands among the best work of Nick Cave’s career. In song after song, surprising moments sweep the listener off their feet, from the nightmarish repetition of the titular phrase on opener “Hand Of God” to the best Spiritualized refrain that they didn’t write on “White Elephant.” Collaborator Warren Ellis makes his mark on each, turning an album that’s often spare into a headphones-needed exercise in nuance. There might not be more beautiful moments on tape this year as the title track or the plaintive “Albuquerque.” – Philip Cosores
Petey — Lean Into Life
Terrible Records
It’s likely you’ve seen Petey on TikTok (where he’s known as @peteyusa), as his off-kilter and hilarious videos routinely rack up millions of views. Learning that he also makes music might seem like you’re finding out about a frivolous spin-off endeavor that influencers do to expand their brands, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. His TikTok fame actually came after his record deal and the music really is something to behold. His comedic traits can be seen in the music, but his songs, which are diverse and constitute some of the year’s most gripping indie-rock, are no joke. – D.R.
Sega Bodega — Romeo
NUXXE
Sega Bodega may not yet be on your playlists, but that’s just due to lack of exposure. The Irish artist only just released his first album last year but already has major co-signs under his belt: Rihanna has used his music in Fenty ads and Arca makes an appearance on this year’s Romeo, featuring on “Cicada.” That song is one of many from the new album that shows off Sega Bodega’s versatility: While “Cicada” comes across like warped ethereal Reggaeton, the album features everything from dreamy electronica (“Only Seeing God When I Come”) to straightforward pop ballads (“I Need Nothing From You”). – D.R.
Snail Mail — Valentine
Matador
Snail Mail went through a lot of major life changes between her breakout debut LP Lush and sophomore follow-up Valentine, which included a seemingly non-stop tour and mental health struggles. As a result, Snail Mail’s Valentine tackles the aftermath of her fame and the cult of personality surrounding her musical persona with a delicate maturity. The earnest, rollicking tracks throughout her album detail self-destruction, masochistic love, and fame with an energy that teeters between loungy ballads and songs that absolutely shred. – C.D.
Turnstile — Glow On
Roadrunner
Just an insanely fun record that has unwittingly inspired a revival of one of the biggest bummer music conversations: What makes a hardcore band a hardcore band? Specifically, can a band that kind of sounds like 311 and ’80s Rush (seriously!) really be considered hardcore? Fortunately, Turnstile themselves don’t seem to care all that much about semantics. Yes, they play shows with the manic energy of a hardcore gig. But their songs have so many hooks that Glow On ends up being one of 2021’s most inviting and inclusive records. – S.H.
The War On Drugs — I Don’t Live Here Anymore
Atlantic Records
After four long years, The War On Drugs finally returned in November with a reward for our patience. Musically, I Don’t Live Here Anymore is a refinement of the craft the band explored on 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, which itself was a refinement of 2014’s Lost In The Dream. It’s evidence of a band that is always adapting and evolving for an LP that is without a doubt their most accessible material to date. It packs in catchy hooks, driving rhythms, and emotionally cathartic instrumental arrangements anchored guitar solos that will remind you why guitar solos are, in fact, awesome. – Z.G.
Wild Pink — A Billion Little Lights
Royal Mountain Records
The latest Wild Pink release, A Billion Little Lights, feels like a culminating moment for songwriter John Ross. What originally began as a vision for a massive double-album exploring the history of the American West was eventually trimmed down to a more conventional release, with Ross refocusing his efforts instead on creating the most beautiful and enveloping soundscapes that he could. A Billion Little Lights is what Steven Hyden called the project’s “most ambitious and overall best work, infused with deep lyrical craft and impeccable melodies that set Wild Pink apart from the indie-dude pack.” – Z.G.
Willow — Lately I Feel Everything
Roc Nation
As someone who has essentially existed in pop culture her entire life thanks to the celebrity status of her parents, Willow hit the mark with her distinctive pivot to pop-punk on the album Lately I Feel Everything. Willow didn’t purposely follow along with returning trends while writing the songs on her latest LP, she was instead inspired by the apathetic music that was popular during her youth — a juxtaposition to the album’s title. Produced by Blink-182 drummer and impending Kardashian family member Travis Barker, Willow expertly pours an excess of emotion into her music through electrifying guitars, raucous production, and wailing vocals that make listeners forget she ever even had a stint as an R&B artist. – C.D.
Some artists here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
We’ve already talked about the best general gifts for whiskey and cocktail fans. Now it’s time to talk about some of the best actual bottles of bourbon to give as a gift this holiday season. Bottles that tell a story while delivering in the flavor department.
The bottles below are bourbon whiskeys we’d love to see under our own trees this year and, therefore, think would make great gifts. Each is fairly easy to find nationwide, tastes good (for the price), and comes in at under $50. These aren’t the bottles that are meant to “wow” on flavor alone when the paper gets ripped off the box — we’ll get to those at the $100 level. These are very solid mixing and sipping bourbons that are hard not to love, even if your giftee is just beginning their bourbon whiskey journey.
Eagle Rare is a marriage of at minimum ten-year-old Buffalo Trace whiskeys. Each barrel is hand-selected to bring in classic bourbon flavors that also feel deeply rooted and unique to the brand.
Tasting Notes:
This one opens boldly, with orange rind and maple syrup next to touches of honey, worn leather, and toffee. Then the oak char and vanilla kick in, giving it a classic old-leather-chair-in-a-smoky-library vibe, as hints of mint lead back towards the toffee. When you add a little water, there’s a dark chocolate bar with an almond note that blooms in the glass. The finish is short but sweet in all the right ways.
Bottom Line:
Even passive bourbon fans have likely heard of Eagle Rare. What’s amazing is that you can still score the entry-level bottle for a pretty fair price. Even if the person you’re buying for already has a bottle of this on the shelf, they’ll be stoked to get another.
Hotaling & Co., started by San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing, is a hell of a blendery. This expression is a mix of two MGP of Indiana whiskeys. The lion’s share (94 percent) is a five-year-old bourbon with a fairly standard mash bill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley. That’s married to a six-year-old bourbon with a mash bill of 60 percent corn, 38 percent rye, and four percent malted barley. The whiskey is proofed down to 92 proof and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of pipping hot cornbread dripping with whipped butter cut with cinnamon and vanilla on the nose. That spicy vanilla butter really drives the palate’s flavor as the sweetness leans towards pancake syrup on a pecan waffle with a small hint of leather and tobacco lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is a very unique whiskey that stands out on the shelf and in its flavor profile. It’s affordable, works as a mixer, and shines as a sipper. You can’t beat that value in a bourbon gift.
The juice in this bottle is from Buffalo Trace’s Mash #1, which has a scant amount of barley and rye next to mostly corn. This is the same mash that’s used for bigger hitting brands like Eagle Rare, Stagg, and E.H. Taylor. In this case, this is a four-year-old bonded that’s sort of like a proto-E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch.
Tasting Notes:
This is surprisingly bright with a nose full of lemon-honey tart sweetness, a touch of vanilla extract, a hint of charred wood, and maybe a little wet leather. The taste keeps it simple and really leans into the oak and vanilla while the honey sweetness mellows to a standard caramel with a hint of spicy tobacco. The end is pretty short but leaves you with that vanilla, honey, and tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey has been winning awards this past year. For this price point, you really can’t go wrong. If whoever you’re gifting this to doesn’t 100 percent dig it on the rocks, they can always mix it into a cocktail or cut it with coke and not really worry. Still, the pedigree of this whiskey is undeniable and that’s what this gift is highlighting.
This whiskey, distilled at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, is kind of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky. The juice has a pretty standard mash bill corn, rye, and barley. But, once the spirit comes off the stills it’s filtered through charcoal, just like Tennessee whiskey, before it’s filled into the barrels. That whiskey is then batched, proofed down with limestone water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This also leans very classic bourbon with hints of corn on the cob with melty salted butter next to hints of soft leather pouches filled with roasted peanut shells, a touch of caramel, and a vanilla/chocolate ice cream vibe. The palate keeps things super easy as that rich vanilla ice cream leads towards holiday spices, tart green apples, and a freshly baked cornbread bespeckled with dried chili flakes and black pepper. The finish is soft and fast with that spice leading back towards a leather tobacco chew.
Bottom Line:
This is definitely a step up from Benchmark above and, I’d argue, makes for a great (and cheap) on the rocks bourbon. Look, any bourbon under $30 that is this tasty is going to be a great gift.
This Diageo whiskey is made from a mash bill of 73 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and nine percent malted barley. The juice was then aged in the famed Stitzel-Weller warehouse for four to 20 years, depending on the barrel in the final blend. Up until very recently this was only available on the Asian market but was recently released in the U.S.
Tasting Notes:
Balance is the key to this bourbon on the nose and on the palate. Notes of sweet and savory fruits drive towards sweet caramel, rich vanilla, and a touch of dried roses. The palate has a touch of masa lurking in the background as juicy berries with a hint of tartness lead to holiday spices, nuttiness, and candied cherry. The mid-palate leans into that soft and sweet red fruit as the spices kick back up with clove and allspice leading the way with a touch of white pepper that ends up with a cherry/vanilla tobacco warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is a really solid and unique bourbon for this price point. You’re not really going to find anything quite like this, making it a great present for any bourbon lover in your life.
Out in California, Sonoma County Distillery is working some unique magic with their bourbon. Sonoma Bourbon has a mash bill that eschews rye and instead uses local wheat. The bill ends up at 70 percent corn, 25 percent wheat, and five percent barley. The wheat adds a nutty and bitter dimension to the final product that’s worth checking out.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a grassy nature here. Think of a field of grass at the very end of summer when everything is amber-gold and the sun scortches the earth. Then rushes of buttery and brisk toffee come into play alongside oaky vanilla, bitter roasted coffee beans, and wonderful echoes of almond-heavy marzipan. There’s a mild alcohol spice on the backend that leaves you wanting another sip.
Bottom Line:
While this might be a little easier to find in California (or the West Coast in general), it’s still a great gift bourbon. A bourbon from wine country is a great “outside the box” gift for any whiskey drinker. Plus, this stuff is really tasty.
This tiny and new distillery was founded in West Louisville by brothers Victor, Chris, and Bryson Yarbrough. The distillery is the first African-American-owned brand working in the state. For now, this bottle is contract-distilled (distilled at a big distillery based on their own recipe/concept) in Indiana from a mash bill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with dried roses, marzipan, and creamy eggnog on the nose with a hint of apple and corn. That apple drives the taste with more orchard fruit (think pears) as the nutmeg really spikes and the marzipan takes on a rosewater vibe next to a very distant flutter of pepper spice in the background. The finish sweetens with a spoonful of fresh and floral honey as those orchard fruits affix to a mildly spicy and vanilla-forward tobacco leaf.
Bottom Line:
Support Louisville’s first Black-owned distillery and buy all your whiskey friends a bottle of this as a gift this year.
This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky Bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The juice is then blended by whisky blending legend Shinji Fukuyo.
Tasting Notes:
Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose. The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet. The finish is jammy-yet-light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the best mixing bourbon on the list. It is just outstanding in cocktails. It also comes with a great story, which is what you want in a good gift bourbon.
This is where everything comes together that makes Woodford unique. The mash bill on this bourbon is mid-range rye heavy with 18 percent of the grain in the bill for support. The triple distilling in pot stills and blending with column distilled whiskey is utilized. And yes, this bourbon rests for six to seven years — taking time to mature before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s that classic note of bourbon vanilla up top but it doesn’t overwhelm the notes of dark chocolate oranges, dried fruits, spicy tobacco, and a distant wisp of fresh mint. A lovely toffee richness creates a well-rounded mouthfeel as notes of spicy and chewy tobacco mingle with dark chocolate dust, more orange oils, and a touch of cinnamon sticks. The end is pure velvet, lingers for just the right amount of time, and brings the whole sip together.
Bottom Line:
There’s something about Woodford that really feels like a great gift bottle. Part of it is the design of the bottle and logo, sure. But this has a wintry vibe that feels like it just matches holiday flavors and vibes.
Michter’s really means the phrase “small batch” here. The tank they use to marry their hand-selected eight-year-old bourbons can only hold 20 barrels, so that’s how many go into each small-batch bottling. The blended juice is then proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Buttery caramel and peaches mix with creamy vanilla and oak on the nose. The vanilla really shines as the peach almost takes on a grilled edge as it gets sweeter and adds a whisper of smoke next to peppery spice. The spice kicks up and warms the senses as the slow fade embraces stone fruit, toffee, and more vanilla with a final kick of charred oak.
Bottom Line:
A bottle of Michter’s for under $50?! It’s true and this bottle will be the highlight of any gift-giving session. It’s a killer bourbon that works wonders in wintry cocktails or just sipping on the rocks after the melee of the present opening is over.
Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This year’s release is a whiskey that was warehoused in the fall of 2008. 13 years later, this juice was bottled at 100 proof (as per the law) and sent out to the wide world where it received much adoration.
Tasting Note:
The nose on this one is mildly sweet with almost earthy maple syrup next to pecans from a pie with a touch of dried apple and old leather. The taste runs deep with vanilla leading the way next to a touch of apple and pecan crumble. The mid-palate takes a turn away from all of that and dives into a candied cherry that’s dusted with dark chocolate and a ground-up fruit Neco Wafer or Flintstone’s multivitamin (that’s also cherry-flavored) before the finish gets this browned butter vibe with a touch of soft, sweet oak.
Bottom Line:
This remains one of our favorite all-time whiskeys under $50. It’s a delightful whiskey (yes, all Tennessee whiskey passes the tech specs for bourbon) that hits such unique and vibrant flavor notes. This is a winner all around and will advance a burgeoning palate or make an advanced whiskey drinker very happy.
This Memphis-made bottle is a 2021 release with a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley — a commonly sourced mash from MGP. It’s finished in toasted French oak and there’s no age statement. The “crossroads” in the name is a reference to the crossing of the two woods — new American oak and French — and the famous “Devil at the crossroads” myth of a musician selling his soul to the devil.
Tasting Note:
The nose here is pretty mellow and relatively predictable. It’s a common MGP mashbill without a ton of variance (just the wood finish). You get a little bit of French Oak but that really levels up on the palate. The rest of the nose is vanilla forward — Vienna Finger cookies (are those still a thing?) — alongside some typical baking spice notes. The palate is a little oakier and I got some faint… I feel like Zach here, but… leather chair/ musty library vibes? The mouthfeel was pleasant and viscous and it was warm but not hot on the finish.
The real key here is that this is an easy, sweet, luscious intro bottle for someone just getting into bourbon on the rocks.
Bottom Line:
Fun story to chat through with musicians. Fun intro bottle. Great value.
Win-win-win.
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