Category: News

After her debut LP Miss Universe became one of 2019’s most fascinating breakouts, Nilüfer Yanya is back with even more music. Her driving new single “Stabilise” officially kicks off a new era of music, which she confirmed with the announcement of her upcoming album, Painless.

The “Stabilise” video, directed by Molly Daniel, captures Yanya in constant motion. She starts off on a run as the camera emphasizes the uniform, block-like buildings on her street. She then hops in a cab and rides a bike to her final destination, which sees her rocking out on stage.

Speaking about her inspiration behind the single and it’s visual, Yanya describes how exhausting it can be at times to live in a big city:

“I was really thinking about your surroundings and how much they influence or change your perception of things. A lot of the city is just grey and concrete, there’s no escape. The video plays on the central theme in the song of no one coming to save you ever. It’s set in depths of reality in every day life where we are the only one’s truly capable of salvaging or losing ourselves. Nothing is out there -both a depressing and reassuring statement (depending on how you look at it). Sometimes you have to dress up as a spy or a rock star and just hope for the best.”

Watch Yanya’s “Stabilise” video above and see her Painless cover art and tracklist below.

1. “The Dealer”
2. “L/R”
3. “Shameless”
4. “Stabilise”
5. “Chase Me”
6. “Midnight Sun”
7. “Trouble”
8. “Try”
9. “Company”
10. “Belong With You”
11. “The Mystic”
12. “Anotherlife”

Painless is out 3/4/2022 via ATO. Pre-order it here.

There’s a memorable turn in Tyler The Creator’s Call Me When You Get Lost, when the album flips to the nearly ten minute “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted To Dance.” It’s clear how much fun Tyler is having fun on the record and it’s symbolic of the creative peak he’s been riding for the past three years. Brent Fayiaz spits a verse, but there’s this angelic singer stitched through the track giving it the sweetest R&B lean of any moment on the record. It’s Fana Hues (pronounced “fawn-ah”) and hers is the last voice we hear, singing, “So don’t forget about me, I’ll save a dance just for you…”

It’s a lovely moment for the Pasadena native, who’s been building on her own in the meantime, with last year’s excellent project Hues and now with the first taste of what’s to come in the new video for the magnificent “Pieces.” The dimly lit visual establishes her as a benevolent diva of sorts and a flat out magnetic singer. Directed by Phillip Youmans, the clip takes us through a showcase of the bizarre, but nothing lingers more than Hues and her tears of gold at the end.

Signed to indie label Bright Antenna, Hues is a unique emerging force. “Pieces” is a masterful showcase of the wavy R&B that she creates. It’s intriguing music and an approach that she reflected upon in a statement: “I want to capture all the different shades of one idea.”

Watch the video for “Pieces” above.

The next time you talk to your parents on the phone, don’t bring up Yellowstone unless you want it to be a two-hour long conversation. There’s a good chance that the Paramount Network series, created by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water) and John Linson (Sons of Anarchy) and starring Kevin Costner as a rancher, is your dad’s favorite series — and there’s a lot of dads out there who still subscribe to cable.

The season four premiere “averaged 8.12 million viewers over its two hour-plus running time, setting an all-time high for both the series and Paramount Network as a whole,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. The first of the two episodes was seen by 8.38 million people, which is the second largest viewership of any show on any broadcast or cable this year behind only another mom and dad-favorite, NCIS.

Yellowstone also drew the biggest same-day audience for any cable scripted series in almost four years, since an episode of The Walking Dead in November 2017.

The series premiere of Dexter: New Blood wasn’t a Yellowstone-sized hit, but it still did well. The episode drew 678,000 viewers for its initial airing (the most for Showtime since the Shameless series finale earlier this year), while “streaming and on demand viewing gathered 1.3 million viewers, and an additional 188,000 caught an on-air replay, bringing the cross-platform total for Sunday to 2.17 million.” That’s the most for a “premium cable scripted drama premiere” in 2021. A niche distinction, but a distinction nonetheless.

Oh, and in case you were wondering: Yellowstone airs on Sundays, so you should think about leaving the folk’s home the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Otherwise, you might get sucked into the show. Kevin Costner’s rugged handsomeness has that effect on people.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Former professional athletes getting into boxing has become a popular venture in recent years, albeit one that can sometimes end in disaster, as Nate Robinson learned the hard way.

Still, many get into boxing or martial arts as a way to stay active after their careers end and their natural competitive desire leads them to wanting to try their hand at an actual fight. Deron Williams and Frank Gore will be the two latest former stars from the world of basketball and football who will try their hand at the sweet science in December, when the two meet on the undercard for the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury main event on Showtime PPV on December 18 in Tampa.

Williams owns an MMA gym and has been practicing mixed martial arts for some time, but will now look to show off the hands in the ring with Gore. The two issued statements in an official release when the bout was announced on Tuesday.

“Combat sports have been a part of my life since my youngest days. Before I was a basketball player, I was a wrestler,” said Williams. “Since 2015, I have had the privilege of owning an MMA gym, and through that I have trained in various martial arts to stay active. Over the last year, I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to translate my training into a professional debut. I’m making that happen on December 18 against Frank, one of the physically strongest NFL players in history.”

“I’m excited to be fighting on this card and can’t wait to show the world what I’ve been working on,” said Gore. “Boxing has me excited, and on December 18 expect fireworks!”

It will be a fairly fascinating fight given Williams certainly has more training in combat sports, but not exclusively boxing. Gore, meanwhile, was able to carve out a 16-year NFL career at a position that typically pushes players out in half that time, if they’re lucky, and has taken up boxing much more recently. As guys like Robinson, Chad Johnson, and others have learned when they’ve gotten in the ring for an actual fight, the stamina required in boxing is a wholly different type of being in shape to football or basketball. That’s a big reason this is only a four round fight, but whichever of Williams and Gore can stay fresher for longer will likely have the upper hand. That they’re fighting another ex-ball player rather than a professional fighter also lends itself to making this fight have the potential to be much more entertaining.

No offense to any of the various musicians who’ve partnered with fast-food chains for co-branded merchandise, but Megan Thee Stallion’s latest drop with Popeye’s might actually be the coolest one yet. Dubbed the “Animegan” collection, the latest set nods to the Houston Hottie’s love of Japanese cartoons with a tote bag, T-shirt, hoodie, and bandana featuring an illustrated Megan surrounded by flames — a clear reference to one of her favorite characters, Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, whose powers make him a human flamethrower. Megan has cosplayed as him a number of times in the past.

But the coolest item — at least, to me — is an adorable Megan Thee Stallion plush doll with a cowboy hat and a Hottie chain. I mean, come on, just look at this thing:

The latest drop follows the “Thee Heat” collection, which included a flame emoji emblazoned bikini, a Popeyes three-piece box dog plush toy, and a cropped “Saucy” T-shirt. There’s still no word on bottles of the Hottie Sauce, but it’s Megan Thee Stallion — if nothing else, she gives her fans what they want (see also: her new EP, Something For Thee Hotties, and her booty-baring graduation photos). Fingers are firmly crossed.

You can check out the new merch here.

Holly Humberstone is sitting in Central Park on a sunny early fall day, watching the boats and raving about her first time visiting New York City. “Oh my gosh, it’s so lovely,” she exclaims. “Everything looks like a movie. It looks like a film set. It’s amazing. I’m having a lovely day.”

It’s safe to say the Grantham, England, native has been enjoying a string of lovely days as of late. The previous night, Humberstone played her second sold-out show of the week at the Bowery Ballroom. These gigs came on the heels of a pair of sold-out shows in Los Angeles. And, just hours after our interview, she’ll appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing the synth-dappled “Scarlett” for an adoring audience.

For Humberstone, playing live gigs is a slightly disorienting experience. Incredibly enough, her entire career has unfolded — and taken off — within the last two years, as the world navigated the extended pandemic-related break. Her first single, the spare and searing “Deep End,” arrived in early 2020, right before the first lockdown in the UK, while the piano-sprinkled “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” arrived in March 2020.

“I found it hard to gauge if my music is connecting because everything was online and over social media,” she says. “I’ve really never toured these songs. Getting a chance to play these songs and seeing people singing them back [to me] is so, so, so surreal and bizarre. But so cool — and so affirming, encouraging, and inspiring.” Naturally, she’s found the crowds to be extra energetic and supportive. “Everybody has been so excited to be there,” she says. “I feel like I don’t have the type of music where people get rowdy and jump around. Everyone’s been so excited to be there and just rooting for me as well. I feel like I have them to thank for everything.”

Humberstone herself turned to music as solace during the pandemic, especially as a listener; Phoebe Bridgers and Flyte were faves. “I found throughout lockdown I really relied on music for my personal human connection to the outside world,” she says. “Because there wasn’t really anything else.” However, during lockdown, she found writing for herself much more difficult. “I find that I’m most inspired when I’m really busy, seeing my friends, [being] in the city and out and about and doing things. When my senses [are] overloaded, I find I’m really, really good at writing and creating. [During lockdown] I didn’t have anything going on apart from the pandemic, and there’s nothing inspiring about being trapped inside for months and months.”

Like many artists, Humberstone started to put pressure on herself to be creative, and began comparing herself to other people and what they were producing. “[I thought] everyone’s going to come out the other side of that albums and albums, and I can’t even write, like, a word,” she says. “I had all the time, suddenly — and I couldn’t even write.” Once she eased off and started being kinder to herself, the words started flowing once again. “But it was months and months before I could even kind of think about doing it,” she admits. “I learned creativity is just something that I can’t really force. I have to strike when I feel inspired and squeeze the creativity out of me then.”

Her instinct to wait for the right inspiration elevates the forthcoming The Walls Are Way Too Thin EP, which is out November 12. The release encompasses sinewy electro-pop (“Please Don’t Leave Just Yet,” a song co-written and co-produced by The 1975’s Matty Healy), somber piano balladry (“Haunted House”) and folk-pop (“Friendly Fire”). The diverse release reflects her changing personal tastes. “A lot of the first EP, I was listening to a lot of pop music and I was trying to figure out what I wanted my sound to be and how I wanted to kind of come across,” she says.

While writing The Walls Are Way Too Thin, Humberstone instead was listening to ’80s music, such as that decade’s offerings by Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. You can pick out these inspirations here and there on the EP, both lyrically (excellent pointed lines such as “We had a shelf life, but neither believed it”) and musically (the title track is very reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night). However, The Walls Are Way Too Thin is pleasingly eclectic.

“I don’t know how to describe my music; I think it changes all the time,” Humberstone says. “I don’t really think that I have one particular kind of style or way of making music that I stick to. I make what I’m into at the time. The sound just changes with life. I’m not the same person as I was when I wrote the first EP, so it’s going to sound completely different. I’ve got different things going on in my life now.”

Indeed, in addition to navigating the emotional and creative ups and downs of lockdown, Humberstone has also experienced some major life changes since early 2020. The decaying old house in which she grew up and wrote the songs on Falling Asleep At The Wheel was deemed unsafe, meaning her family would have to move. This was no ordinary crumbling house; in fact, Humberstone describes an idyllic, magical home where she and her three sisters flourished.

“We didn’t have a TV, so we did art and did music and made things with our free time,” she says. “I was really lucky, because my parents are really nurturing and they just said, ‘Use this space — use the house as just your space to create and do creative, fun things.’ I love the house and I feel like it’s a seventh family member. It’s so scruffy, but it’s like my sacred place.”

At the same time, Humberstone also moved away to London and started living on her own. This was also tough: She didn’t know the city well and was separated from her friends and sisters, all of whom were away at different universities. “Everything seemed to be changing at the same time,” she says. “Everything all at once was changing around me. There wasn’t really much that was familiar anymore from my own my old life, I guess.”

These changes also inspired The Walls Are Way Too Thin. “I kind of just got a bit lost, really, in London and didn’t really know who I was anymore. It was just a really weird time. And the only way that knew how to process it was going into the studio and writing. That was the only thing I thought that I had still left from what I knew.” She starts laughing. “And that’s why the EP I think is quite pathetic. I think it’s got quite a lot of pathetic, ‘feeling sorry for myself’ songs on it.”

Humberstone’s self-deprecation is charming, but isn’t necessarily warranted. Her willingness to be open and vulnerable is refreshing and compelling, and has already led to gigs such as opening a massive Girl In Red tour in 2022. “To be able to work and to get opportunities in a pandemic, and still be busy — I’m feeling really, really lucky and just really grateful that I’ve managed to come out the other side and still able to do music,” Humberstone says. “I’m still able to do what I love and that be my job. I’m pretty much the luckiest person in the world.”

As the Aaron Rodgers fiasco continues, his fiancé Shailene Woodley has entered the discourse. Only Woodley isn’t so much concerned with addressing Rodgers’ anti-vaccine views (or more importantly, whether she shares them), but she does want everyone to know that the Green Bay Packers quarterback is, uh, well-endowed.

While swatting down a Daily Mail article accusing Rodgers of continuing to flaunt the NFL’s rules by allegedly going out for coffee in Brentwood, Woodley took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to point out that the photos the publication were using are not of Rodgers. How could Woodley tell? The “rando dude” was lacking in certain… areas. Via The Daily Beast:

This is straight up HILARIOUS. News outlets STILL grasping at straws to disparage Aaron. Finding random fucking men on the streets of la and saying it’s him.” She then drew a circle around the random man’s feet and wrote: “I know Aaron’s body. VERY well. First off, his feet, ahem and no offense to this rando dude, are a LOT bigger. 😉

As the Instagram Story continues, Woodley points out that it’s “no secret” that Rodgers has the “hairiest hands on the f*cking planet,” which the man in the photo does not. She also shaded the dude’s car and wrote, “Aaron would never drive this.”

(Via The Daily Beast)

Ye’s business portfolio is nearly $1 million lighter after paying to settle a California lawsuit against his clothing company, Yeezy. Last month, the Alameda, Los Angeles, Napa, and Sonoma county district attorneys filed a suit alleging the company had violated a state law holding companies liable for the timely shipping of products purchased online. In California, items bought online must be shipped within 30 days, or customers must be notified of delays and given options like refunds and according to the DAs, the Yeezy brand had failed to do this in numerous cases.

According to Billboard, Yeezy agreed to pay $950,000 to settle the lawsuit, including $800,000 in civil penalties to the district attorneys offices, $50,000 in restitution to a state consumer protection fund, and $100,000 in investigative costs.

Ye himself, meanwhile, has been taking a lot of flak over the past several weeks for a number of other unusual activities. During a recent interview with the Drink Champs podcast, he lashed out at his former G.O.O.D. Music artists Big Sean and John Legend for refusing to support his presidential bid, claimed that he still supports Donald Trump, and received criticism from producers Just Blaze and Hit-Boy over comments he made in the interview and allegedly trying to have Hit-Boy blackballed in the industry. Most recently, though, he encountered Houston hip-hop godfather J Prince, who apparently coerced him into making a statement requesting an end to his feud with Drake.

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2021-22 season with modest expectations. While Cleveland was not generally placed alongside teams like Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Houston in preseason projections toward the bottom of the NBA, the Cavaliers were not widely projected as even a contender to reach the play-in, leaning on a young roster with seemingly mismatched pieces. The start of the campaign has been friendly to the Cavs, however, and the results are intriguing.

Cleveland is on an active four-game winning streak with a 7-4 record through 11 games, even with only three of those games taking place at home. The Cavaliers own a +1.8 net rating with above-average marks on both offense and defense, and Cleveland has received positive contributions up and down the roster. Furthermore, the Cavs have done their damage against some solid opponents, knocking off the Hawks and Blazers at home with road wins over the Knicks, Raptors, Hornets, Clippers and Nuggets.

Unfortunately, some of Cleveland’s early shine has been removed by Collin Sexton’s meniscus injury, with the team’s leading scorer from last season on the shelf without a firm timetable to return. With that said, the Cavs have actually navigated this early stretch with Sexton struggling, at least relatively, and the frontcourt is leading the way. $100 million man Jarrett Allen is averaging 14.9 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, providing strong rim protection and making 68.7 percent of his shots. Next to Allen, rookie standout Evan Mobley is already making a substantial impression.

Mobley is a potential frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors at this (very) early juncture, averaging 14.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game with high-end defense. He exploded for 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a win over the Knicks on Sunday and, in addition to Mobley’s early brilliance, veteran backup Ricky Rubio set a career-high with 37 points and eight three-pointers in the same victory. Darius Garland is also continuing a breakout from last season, averaging 18 points and seven assists per game during the four-game winning streak, and Cleveland’s offense has been helped by an elite offensive rebound rate of 29.8 percent.

Defense has been a significant question in recent years for Cleveland and, with Garland and Sexton at the point of attack, it may always be. However, Cleveland’s ability to prevent free throw attempts and contest shots at the rim is helpful, and the Cavs have overcome shaky defensive rebounding to this point. Allen and Mobley do not form an elite rebounding duo, but the Cavs have put together a start that they can be encouraged by, and Mobley is a potential defensive difference-maker.

All told, the Cavs have not transformed the franchise with 11 games, but the start has been as good as anyone could have possibly envisioned. Where does that leave Cleveland in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s find out.

1. Golden State Warriors (9-1, Last week — 4th)

If you remove priors, it isn’t a close race for No. 1. The Warriors have a 1.5-game lead on the field and the best net rating (+13.2) in the NBA by nearly four full points. Steph Curry’s 50-point eruption in a blowout win over Atlanta is the latest example of how well he’s playing, and the Warriors are absolutely locked in right now.

2. Utah Jazz (7-3, Last week — 3rd)

It seems odd that Utah would rise in the rankings after two straight losses. Part of that is attrition elsewhere, but part of it is that the Jazz just ended a whirlwind road trip and were gassed. Utah is No. 2 in net rating and, within the the last week, the Jazz throttled the Hawks on the road without Donovan Mitchell.

3. Phoenix Suns (6-3, Last week — 13rd)

Phoenix is on a five-game winning streak, erasing the sour taste of a rough start. It’s fair to note that the Suns defeated four shaky teams (plus a struggling Hawks squad) in that run, but Phoenix is also improving metrically. The Suns should command some level of respect after an NBA Finals run, and wins are wins.

4. Miami Heat (7-3, Last week — 1st)

Monday’s Heat-Nuggets game was marred by the incident between Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris. With that said, the Heat lost by 17 points, and that was the second 17-point loss in three games for Miami. There’s nothing to worry about just yet, but the early-season dominance waned a bit this week.

5. Philadelphia 76ers (8-3, Last week — 5th)

The Sixers are wildly short-handed right now, with myriad players in the health and safety protocols. That group is headlined by Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris but, provided they are healthy in the near future, Philly is playing great, even without Ben Simmons.

6. Chicago Bulls (7-3, Last week — 2nd)

Chicago is top-five in net rating, even after two losses this week. Both of those defeats came at the hands of a quality opponent (Philadelphia), and the Bulls just beat the Nets in sound fashion on Monday. Of note, the Bulls have one more home game before heading out on a very difficult trip through the West beginning on Friday.

7. Brooklyn Nets (7-4, Last week — 7th)

Brooklyn’s five-game winning streak ended on Monday with a lopsided road loss in Chicago. It was the second night of a back-to-back and, in short, I’m not worried about that loss for the Nets. The Bulls get the head-to-head nod, though, and that’s okay.

8. Dallas Mavericks (7-3, Last week — 15th)

The lows have been low for Dallas, with all three losses coming in lopsided fashion. The Mavericks have also won three in a row, however, and Luka Doncic called game in memorable fashion earlier this week.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers (7-4, Last week — 19th)

As noted above, Cleveland’s start has been a lot of fun. It also may get even better, with the Cavs facing a stretch of eight home games in the next nine contests.

10. Washington Wizards (7-3, Last week — 14th)

Through 10 games, the Wizards rank in the top five of the NBA in defensive rating. Is that sustainable? Probably not. Have they played against great offenses? Not particularly. Washington still deserves credit for the way they’ve guarded and the way they’ve performed in the aggregate, as a revamped roster and new head coach have brought some life to the nation’s capital.

11. L.A. Clippers (5-4, Last week — 17th)

The Clippers are a giant shrug emoji for me. L.A. was awful in the early going. They also just won four games in a row, but the four victories came against unimpressive competition. I’m punting and placing them here.

12. Denver Nuggets (6-4, Last week — 12th)

Denver has a trio of two-game winning streaks and a duo of two-game losing streaks this season. That’s just one of those weird, early-season things. The jury is out on how long Nikola Jokic may be suspended, but the Nuggets are playing at home in five of the next six games and can potentially build on early-season success. On the negative side, Michael Porter Jr.’s back has him sidelined, and the Nuggets can’t approach their ceiling without him.

13. New York Knicks (7-4, Last week — 9th)

New York did take care of business against a short-handed Philly team on Monday. If you zoom out, though, the Knicks haven’t played exceptionally well since a flashy start, losing three of the last five.

14. Los Angeles Lakers (6-5, Last week — 10th)

Without LeBron James, the Lakers are very ordinary. That may not be surprising, but it has to be noted. Los Angeles did secure a nice win over Charlotte on Monday, but the two previous results were not particularly positive.

15. Memphis Grizzlies (6-4, Last week — 16th)

Memphis is 25th in the NBA in point differential so far despite a winning record. It’s so early that may not be revealing, but when they lose, they lose badly. Ja Morant has been exceptional, but there is a lot left to learn about the Grizz.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (4-6, Last week — 6th)

It’s impossible to rank the Bucks. No one thinks they’re bad when they are healthy. They also haven’t been healthy at all and the results are shaky. Things don’t get easier for the Bucks either, with four straight road games against talented opponents this week.

17. Portland Trail Blazers (5-5, Last week — 20th)

Provided Damian Lillard isn’t actually going to struggle like he has to this point, the Blazers can be optimistic. Portland has an above-average defensive rating, which is wildly encouraging, and the Blazers have managed to deploy a solid offense even with Lillard scuffling. They’re still 5-5, but you can view it in a brighter light if that is the choice you make.

18. Toronto Raptors (6-5, Last week — 8th)

The Raptors are 4-0 on the road with a top-10 defense and a very solid offense so far. On the whole, it’s been a good start and that needs to be noted. I will also say that it remains baffling that Toronto lost to Cleveland on Friday night in a game in which they led for all but about five seconds in the game.

19. Boston Celtics (4-6, Last week — 25th)

Unfortunately, the biggest story for Boston this week is the injury to Jaylen Brown. On the floor, they were 2-1 this week, and the one loss came at the hands of a Luka Doncic buzzer-beater. It wasn’t a disaster, but how building on a brief upswing without Brown will be a difficult task.

20. Indiana Pacers (4-7, Last week — 23rd)

The Pacers should probably be on a four-game winning streak right now. Indiana missed a layup in the final minute of the only loss they suffered this week and, in general, it was a positive slate of results. They do have five road games in the next six contests, which may reveal more information about the team’s overall quality.

21. Sacramento Kings (5-6, Last week — 22nd)

This might be too low for the Kings, with Sacramento boasting a positive net rating and a top-eight offense. They will need to keep it up, but the signs are positive, and they’d be higher if not for back-to-back losses to end the week.

22. Atlanta Hawks (4-7, Last week — 11th)

It was a brutal week for the Hawks. Atlanta has lost four in a row, in addition to six losses in seven games, and the Hawks allowed nearly 119 points per 100 possessions in those four defeats. The competition level has been very high in the early going, but the honeymoon is over for Atlanta after the run to the Conference Finals.

23. Charlotte Hornets (5-7, Last week — 18th)

Charlotte is really fun to watch. Charlotte is really bad on defense. The Hornets are currently the worst defensive team in the NBA by the numbers, allowing 120 points or more in three straight games. An active five-game losing streak doesn’t do them any favors, and Charlotte was housed by Sacramento in a game in which they allowed 140 (!) in regulation.

24. San Antonio Spurs (3-7, Last week — 24th)

San Antonio’s preseason expectations were modest, and they’ve fulfilled them so far. With that said, the Spurs have five losses by six points or fewer and, even with a 3-7 record, San Antonio has outscored its opponents. They might be legitimately good on defense, but we don’t know that just yet.

25. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-6, Last week — 21st)

It wasn’t that long ago that the Wolves were one of the best stories of the first week of the season. Now, Minnesota has lost five in a row, and Monday’s loss to Memphis was brutal. The Wolves collapsed in the fourth quarter and, even after heroics from Karl-Anthony Towns to force overtime, they couldn’t close it out. The Wolves are 24th in net rating and the statistical profile isn’t too favorable.

26. Orlando Magic (3-8, Last week — 26th)

Pessimistically, the Magic are below-average on both ends and a bottom-five team in net rating. Optimistically, Cole Anthony is exceeding any rational expectation and Orlando has seen flashes from players like Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner. It feels like the Magic are a half-step above the bottom four, which is encouraging.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-6, Last week — 30th)

Just as some began to speculate that the Thunder could challenge the NBA’s all-time futility records, OKC has won two games in a row. Two of OKC’s three wins have come over the Lakers, and this week’s triumph included a 19-point comeback in the second half. It’s already weird with the Thunder.

28. Houston Rockets (1-9, Last week — 28th)

The Rockets have the longest losing streak in the NBA. That wasn’t enough to drop them into the bottom two, though, because every game of Houston’s extended skid has come against a playoff-quality opponent. Context matters, at least a little bit.

29. New Orleans Pelicans (1-10, Last week — 27th)

New Orleans probably deserves the basement slot this week. The Pelicans have lost seven in a row, including the last four games in lopsided fashion, and the available roster is dire due to injury. New Orleans at least has the excuse of high-profile injury absences, but that probably isn’t making anyone feel better.

30. Detroit Pistons (1-8, Last week — 29th)

If you want to be positive, Cade Cunningham being on the floor gives observers a reason to watch Detroit. If you remove that, the Pistons are dead-last in both offensive rating and net rating, with the team’s only win coming at home over Orlando. It’s ugly.

A bit over a year ago, Claud had the honor of being the first artist signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory record label. So far, the 21-year-old has surely made Bridgers proud, as their 2021 album Super Monster is one of the year’s most beloved indie releases. Now, Claud has shared their first new material since that esteemed effort with the evocative new single “Tommy.”

Meanwhile, Claud also announced that they’re going on tour in 2022, a trek that follows their fall tour opening for Bleachers. The run starts in Canada in February 2022 and and makes its way through North American between then and the end of March.

Listen to “Tommy” above and check out the full list of Claud’s upcoming tour dates below.

02/22/2022 — Montreal, QC @ Le Ministere
02/23/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
02/25/2022 — Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
02/26/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
02/27/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
03/01/2022 — Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
03/02/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
03/04/2022 — Portland, OR @ Holocene
03/06/2022 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Second Stage
03/08/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
03/11/2022 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
03/12/2022 — Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
03/15/2022 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
03/16/2022 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
03/21/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Mercury Lounge
03/22/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
03/24/2022 — Washington DC @ Union Stage
03/25/2022 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
03/26/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
03/27/2022 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
03/28/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg