Category: News

In the 2010s, Rick Ross seemed to be building one of the next rap empires with his Maybach Music Group imprint. The Teflon Don rapper had recruited names like Wale, Meek Mill, Omarion, Gunplay, and more to join him on the team. While their early days were bright, the MMG has been much quieter of late, with Ross, Meek, and Wale carrying most of the responsibilities for the label. Now, for the first time in years, Ross has signed a new artist: Boston rapper Smoke Bulga.

The two rappers have some history together, having previously collaborated back in 2010 on a track titled “We Made It.” More than a decade later and Bulga is the newest name to join MMG. To celebrate, he and Ross unleashed a video for their collaboration “Water Whip’n.” The track samples Black Rob’s “Like Woah,” and it captures a true celebratory moment between the rappers as they begin a journey as labelmates.

“It really feels like Draft Day because I’m teaming up with one of the best to ever do it in Rozay with one of the premier labels in hip-hop history,” Bulga said to Billboard about signing to Ross’ label. “MMG has long represented excellence and I look forward to representing the new generation of MMG starting with this new ‘Water Whip’n’ release.”

Ross, on the other hand, expressed his desire to help Bulga grow in the industry. “Smoke Bulga has potential to be a star,” he said. “I’ve seen him put in the work from afar and all he needed is the right opportunity, so I’m excited to welcome the homie to the MMG family.”

You can watch the video for “Water Whip’n” above.

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

It’s been a decade since Bas’ released his first mixtape Quarter Water Raised Vol. 1., which he created music with help from J. Cole, who served as a mentor of sorts before they joined forces on the Dreamville imprint. That year was also when Cole released his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, after signing to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label. During a recent conversation with HipHopDX, Bas recalled the first time he met Jay-Z, which occurred during a studio session with Cole.

“I’ve been in some rooms with Cole, where he was working with some people,” he said. “Then I did Revenge Of The Dreamers [III], where we had half the industry in the studio. You know what I mean? But the first time Hov pulled up to a Cole session, I was pretty star-struck. I can’t lie. I grew up on Hov.”

He added, “That was probably like 2011, 2010. It was the very early, early Cole days. I just said, ‘What’s up?’ He’s real cool. Hov’s mad down to Earth. Super down to Earth. But at that point, I didn’t know that about him. I just know him from what I seen.”

He concluded, “Since then, I just know that’s how he is. He’s just a chill dude.”

Bas also spoke about hitting the road for live concerts in the near future after spending more than a year at home due to the pandemic. “I’m super excited to get back on the road,” he said. “I miss it a lot. You got to find the pros and cons to it. Obviously, shows were taken from us and just human interaction in general. The adventure of life was also kind of taken away. Things got real settled, but there’s pros to that, too.”

You can read Bas’ full interview with HipHopDX here.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Suicide Squad, which HBO Max subscribers can still watch until September 5.

The Suicide Squad — which is to say the recent, Will Smith-less sorta-sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad — kicked off with a bang: It whacked a good chunk of the cast before the opening credits even started. Even Pete Davidson! By the end, writer/director James Gunn backtracked a bit. In the end credits we learned that both Weasel and John Cena’s fascistic Peacemaker weren’t quite dead. (The latter, after all, has his own show to tend to.) But now Gunn’s revealed they aren’t the only two.

Gunn took to Twitter Monday to point out one detail many may have missed. “Important to note if you look at the life signals in the Comms hub TDK isn’t dead,” Gunn wrote, referring to the character played by Nathan Fillion: a superhero whose power is…detachable arms. He’s arguably the most WTF of the Squad this round, based on one of the most WTF characters in DC history. (The acronym, which Fillion’s character is loath to explain, stands for The Detachable Kid, though he’s also sometimes known as Arm Fall Off Boy.)

Indeed, if you look closely at the digital read-out on Amanda Walker’s computer, showing the life stats of each Squad member, TDK is one of the only ones that’s still green. His arms got pelted with machine gun fire, but the guy’s fate remained unresolved.

One person who did catch this bit was Fillion himself, when he went to go see the movie.

So have we seen the last of one of DC’s most curious characters? Possibly not.

(Via EW)

Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle is still in progress, as the singer looks to not only remove her father Jamie Spears from his conservator role but also end the court-approved arrangement altogether. Britney recently hired a new lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, and while that case is ongoing, there’s been a new development. According to TMZ, Jamie is allegedly trying to extort his daughter ahead of his potential removal. Legal documents that were obtained by the publication say the singer’s father is asking for around $2 million.

TMZ adds that Jamie plans to use some of the money to pay his lawyers and former business manager Tri Star. Britney’s lawyer, on the other hand, is quite upset at Jamie’s alleged act and displayed his frustration in the court documents. “The status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted,” a statement from Rosengart reads. The singer’s team is requesting that Jamie step down from his conservator position instead of attempting to slowly pay his way out. She adds that the court should suspend him from the conservatorship starting on September 29 should he refuse to resign.

This new development comes after Jamie said he would only step down from the conservatorship role “when the time is right.” He added that the “transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the Court.”

A month ago few knew the name Mike Richards. (Unless they were talking about Cosmo Kramer.) A lot has changed since. Now he’ll forever be known as the obscure executive producer who spent all of one day on the job as Alex Trebek’s replacement hosting Jeopardy!, only to resign amidst an avalanche of scandals, and then get fired from his executive producer job as well. Reports about his past behavior continue to pour in. And a new piece from The Hollywood Reporter has uncovered shenanigans that allegedly went down when he was at The Price is Right — claims that could have spelled a much-changed version of Jeopardy!, had he remained there longer.

THR spoke with more than a dozen former staffers at The Price is Right, where he was first a co-exec producer and then executive producer and showrunner from 2008 through 2020. Richards stepped in shortly after the retirement of longtime host Bob Barker, and the portrait that emerges is of a meddling micro-manager who really wanted to be host, and who dismantled the show by getting rid of the old guard.

Not all recollections are the same, and some of the former staffers interviewed have nice things to say about Richards. Others allege slimy behavior that gibes with the questionable things he’d say on his old, recently exhumed podcast. One claims he was dicey with the show’s many models, whom he would “parade” around the stage during rehearsals. He even, they say, “polled employees about their attire and gave preferential treatment to some.”

Others told THR that when Richards came in, he undersaw the “dissolution of the close-knit work family that that preceded his tenure on the show.” He “cleaned house” of the Barker-era staffers, including showrunner Roger Dobkowitz, who had been there for 36 years and had won five Emmys while creating 18 of the show’s iconic games. Dobkowitz coached Richards when he auditioned for host, believing that that’s the job he ultimately wanted. Instead Richards took his job.

Richards also get rid of announcer Rich Fields, who was there for seven years, underseeing the transition from Barker to current host Drew Carey. “I was shocked that after treating Mike Richards as kindly as I did during the Bob Barker replacement auditions, that he came in as executive producer just months later and showed complete disdain for me,” Fields told THR. “There was a dismantling. Anybody who worked with Barker was cleansed from the show.”

He also made the job a lot less fun:

During Richards’ tenure, many lost benefits and paid hiatuses as Fremantle took greater control of the series. The envious schedule in which five episodes were filmed over four days each week, with staffers getting Fridays off, were tabled as Richards mandated everyone to come in on Fridays even though it wasn’t a filming day. Paid hiatuses — a staple under Barker — were also taken away and lavish holiday parties with performers like Frank Sinatra Jr. and KC and the Sunshine Band went away.

“People were there for decades because it was a great job. You were getting paid 52 weeks a year and working 30 weeks a year with the taping schedule,” notes a decade-long former staffer who was among one of the multiple departments that were eliminated under Richards and Fremantle. Says another ex-employee who recalled a tenure that she says left her feeling traumatized and nearly prompted her to leave the industry altogether: “It was s*itty management.”

Staffers also noticed a pattern in the Richards era of Price is Right:

“The staff he replaced the older staff with were all under 27 and we called ourselves the Brat Pack,” says a source who was hired by Richards. “We loved our jobs and loved our mentors and when they became disillusioned, we became disillusioned. When people would leave, they’d replace them with people who were loyal to Mike. It became a vicious cycle.”

There’s much more in the THR report, including that he tried to get higher-end brands — ones the show’s middle class demographic could never afford. When companies like Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, and Christian Louboutin turned them down, Richards allegedly had the prizing staff find the goods at outlet stores, prompting a flurry of cease and desist letters.

Richards eventually moved over to Jeopardy!, where he was ultimately conquered by his own hubris. But considering how much he changed The Price is Right, even if it was mostly behind-the-scenes, imagine what he could have done to America’s favorite brainy game show had he stayed longer.

(Via THR)

We’re in the midst of an alcohol renaissance in America. Fans of beer have over 8,000 breweries to choose from (compare that to a decade ago when there were less than 2,000). Spirits drinkers have over 2,000 distilleries, including more than 700 that primarily make bourbon and other types of whiskey. In the simplest terms — we have a lot of options when we drink.

This boom in whiskey — and even more specifically, bourbon — has led to states not normally associated with certain spirits surging to the forefront of the conversation. Texas is the perfect example, leading the craft spirits charge with the likes of Garrison Brothers, Firestone & Robertson, Still Austin, and Balcones. While Garrison Brothers was technically the first Texas bourbon, back in 2006, it’s hard to argue that Balcones isn’t the most well-known. Founded in 2009, the Waco, Texas-based distillery uses copper pot stills and often employs heritage blue corn to create Texas single malts and other award-winning whiskies.

With seven expressions on its “classics” collection (as well as the well-known Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon), Balcones has something for every whisky drinker. There’s a smoky whisky, a sweet single malt, a rye whisky, and some of the best bourbon made outside of the Blue Grass State.

So which should you try first? That’s where the blind taste test comes in. Today, I’m nosing, tasting, and ranking the following:

• Balcones Baby Blue
• Balcones Lineage
• Balcones Texas Single Malt
• Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon
• Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon
• Balcones Texas Rye
• Balcones True Blue
• Balcones Brimstone

Let’s get this Texas whisky party started! Click on the prices if you’re interested in trying any of these yourself.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of 2021

• Our Favorite Bourbon Whiskey From Every Price Point Between $10-$200
• All 19 Brands From The Buffalo Trace Distillery, Ranked
• Here’s Who Won Our Big Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey Blind Taste Test
• We Tasted Eight Texas Bourbons Blind And Ranked Them According To Taste
• The Best Bourbon Whiskeys To Drink Neat, From $50 On Up

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a fair amount of oaky aroma on the nose that’s followed closely behind by sweet corn, caramel apples, and slight spice. The palate revealed a nutty sweetness along with more oak, sweet honey, pipe tobacco, and more caramel corn.

Overall, this is a highly sippable, sweet, rich whiskey.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

At first sniff, the nose is a bit bland. There are hints of raisins, wood char, and slight vanilla, but not much else. Tasting it revealed a surprising nutty flavor along with toasted marshmallows and more oak. It’s not a bad whiskey by any means, but not all that exciting either.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

I’m going to assume that this is the one rye whiskey on the list, as I was immediately struck with fragrances of peppery rye on the nose. This was followed by caramelized sugar and vanilla beans. The palate proved surprisingly light with charred oak, cracked black pepper, and pipe tobacco.

Overall, this is an okay whiskey but nothing to write home about.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this expression. I noticed hints of sweet corn, caramel candy, butterscotch, vanilla, and dried fruits. Upon sipping it, I found notable favors of dried orange peel, caramel corn, treacle, and just a hint of spice and oak at the finish. Overall, this is a very complex, highly drinkable whiskey.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey’s nose is extremely fruity with hints of ripe berries, dried cherries, and raisins. There’s also a wallop of cinnamon and light corn aroma. Complex flavors of chocolate fudge, sweet corn, oaky wood, and vanilla are present on the palate. The finish is warming, fruity, and sweet.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey has a potent nose. There are hints of candied pecans, butterscotch, wood char, vanilla beans, and raisins. The plate is loaded with sticky toffee, vanilla frosting, brown sugar, and slight cinnamon spice. It’s warming, sweet, and rich.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

Oh, boy is this an aggressive whiskey. The nose is like being engulfed in a campfire. That’s about it. There’s a little more going on with the flavor. Sure, the smoky flavor runs throughout, but there are also notes of caramel, vanilla, and dried cherries. The finish is all smoke.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all sweet corn. There are hints of caramel corn and subtle spices as well, but not much else. There’s a little more in the palate with the addition of caramel candy, butterscotch, sweet corn, and dried fruits. Overall, not a very complex whiskey.

From my notes: “tastes more like moonshine than an aged whiskey.”

Part 2: The Ranking

8) Balcones Baby Blue (Taste 8)

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $40

The Whisky:

If you’ve only tried one Balcones whisky, it’s probably Baby Blue. The first Texas-made whisky to hit the market since prohibition, Baby Blue is made with roasted blue corn. It’s a very young bourbon (hence the name) and isn’t as nuanced and complex as many of the brand’s other offerings.

Bottom Line:

I’d be surprised if this isn’t the youngest whisky on this list. It wasn’t a bad sip by any account, it just didn’t taste as mature as the others.

7) Balcones Texas Single Malt (Taste 2)

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $69

The Whisky:

If you’re a Scotch drinker, this is the closest you’re going to get in the Balcones range. This non-chill filtered whisky is made from 100 percent malted barley, copper pot distilled, and is aged for two years in American oak barrels. The result is rich, nutty, sweet whisky.

Bottom Line:

There’s a richness and nuttiness to this whisky that makes it pleasurable to sip, but it’s not as exciting as I would hope from such a renowned distillery.

6) Balcones Texas Rye (Taste 3)

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $39

The Whisky:

Obviously, Balcones is most well-known for its bourbon so it should come as no surprise that it only makes one year-round rye. Distilled using Texas-grown Elbon Rye, this whisky was first produced to celebrate the distillery’s tenth anniversary. It’s aged in a combination of new and charred American oak casks.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a simple, easy to sip, subtly peppery sipper without much else going on, this is a great whisky for you. If you’re looking for something more potent with a more complicated flavor profile, try something else from the brand.

5) Balcones Brimstone (Taste 7)

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

With a name like Brimstone, you pretty much know what you’re in for when you take a sip of this unique whisky. This smoked corn whisky is just that — supremely smoky. It gets its bold flavor from smoking using “sun-baked” Texas scrub oak. The result is a whisky that bridges the gap between Texas and Scotland.

Bottom Line:

If you don’t enjoy smoky whiskies, don’t open a bottle of this expression. It’s like sticking your head inside a barbecue smoker and taking a sip of the air. If you enjoy that (and some do!), you’ll love this.

4) Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon (Taste 1)

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $30

The Whisky:

This is an interesting bourbon. Made with New Mexico blue corn, Texas wheat, and Texas malted barley, this pot still distilled bourbon is matured on new, charred American oak barrels. It’s bottled at 92 proof and is well-known for its sweet corn and caramel flavors.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the most interesting whiskies on this list. It has complex yet simple flavors. Corn is at the forefront, but there’s enough going on to keep it from being one-dimensional.

3) Balcones Texas Blue Corn Bourbon (Taste 4)

ABV: 64.9%

Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

One of the most sought-after expressions from Balcones, Texas Blue Corn Bourbon is an annual release from the distillery. It’s cask strength, bold, and rich. It tastes the way you’d expect a Texas-based bourbon to taste — potent and BIG.

Bottom Line:

This is a great sipper that’s so filled with flavors that it’ll take you multiple tastings to find them all. Subtly spicy, very smooth, and somewhat beguiling thanks to the blue corn, this is a truly memorable bottle.

2) Balcones Lineage (Taste 6)

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $40

The Whisky:

This is a truly global single malt whisky. It’s made using both local barley as well as Simpsons Golden Promise malts from Scotland. It’s distilled in a copper pot still before being aged in a combination of new and refilled American oak barrels.

Bottom Line:

This whisky has everything you’d want in a nice, end of summer or early fall sipper. It’s rich, sweet, and has notable oak and nutty flavors that leave you wanting more.

1) Balcones True Blue (Taste 5)

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

This is like the ramped-up version of Balcones Baby Blue. It’s a 100 proof, bold blue corn whisky. Perfectly suited for mixing or slow-sipping, it’s fruity, slightly spicy, and filled with complex corn notes. It might carry the less-than-respected moniker of a “corn whisky,” but it’s so much more than that.

Bottom Line:

This is the richest, most complex whisky I’ve tried today. It has a nice kick of roasted corn that plays well with various other flavors like butterscotch and spicy cinnamon.

As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

In the aughts, Ann Coulter was one of the great béte noires of the far right, always willing to go farther than most in saying shocking and offensive things. She still does that, but then, so does almost everyone in her party. So how does one stick out in this pugilistic times? By calling Trump mean names and praising Joe Biden. A week after Alex Jones dared call the 45th president a “dumbass” over his (admittedly half-assed) promotion of COVID vaccines, Coulter has gone even further.

The GOP has spent the last two weeks up in arms about Biden withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, following a rollercoaster last 20 years, which ended with things pretty much the same as they were when American troops arrived. Biden has held steadfast on his decision, even as Republicans have called for his impeachment. It’s a complex situation, and even those on the left have been critical of how it’s been handled. But one person who unequivocally thinks he did the right thing: Ann freakin’ Coulter.

“Trump REPEATEDLY demanded that we bring our soldiers home, but only President Biden had the balls to do it,” she tweeted. She than posted screengrabs of “a few of Trump’s wuss, B.S. – I mean ‘masterful’ – tweets,” all from 2020 and 2019, and each of them about bringing soldiers home.

Keep in mind, Coulter’s reasons for supporting Biden — on this and pretty much definitely this alone — are probably not the reasons others have, nor would want to have. But even though her schtick is shock, this one legitimately threw her many, many detractors of a loop.

Many weren’t sure how to feel about agreeing with someone who once advocated taking away women’s right to vote because so many vote Democrat.

Some wondered if she’s been possessed.

Mind you, this is far from the first time Coulter has gone to the other side. She slammed Trump in 2019, when he shut down the government in the middle of a hissy fit over his Southern border wall. And last year, about a month before he lost re-election, Coulter joined Democrats in excoriating him for skirting on his taxes. But don’t worry, she’ll be back to saying stuff no one outside the farthest right circles agrees with. In other words, you almost certainly will never have to welcome her to the resistance.

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each August brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of August below.

Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever

Billie Eilish had a lot riding on her second album, and so far, she has delivered. It has spent multiple weeks at No. 1, spawned hit singles like “Therefore I Am” and “My Future,” and has otherwise kept Eilish in the conversation as one of music’s finest. The vinyl edition of the album is one you can feel environmentally good about owning, too, as it’s pressed on 100-percent recycled vinyl.

Get it here.

The Beach Boys — Feel Flows: The Sunflower And Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971

The Beach Boys’ defining output came in the mid-’60s, but now they’re honoring a pair of their also-excellent early-’70s albums, Sunflower and Surf’s Up, with a giant new box set. There are 135 tracks in total, with 108 of them being previously unreleased tracks, live recordings, demos, alternate versions/mixes, instrumentals, and a capella tracks.

Get it here.

Foxing — Draw Down The Moon

Draw Down The Moon marked a change in direction for Foxing, who embrace genres like pop and rock like they never really have before in their mostly emo-leaning discography. Now, one of the year’s finer rock albums is available pressed on lovely yellow, blue, and green vinyl, which also comes with a 24-inch by 36-inch poster.

Get it here.

The Knife — Deep Cuts (20th Anniversary Reissue)

The Knife enjoyed a tremendous run as a beloved electronic act in the 200)s, and while they broke up in 2014, they’re celebrating their 2001 sophomore album Deep Cuts. As the record turns 20 years old, it has gotten a limited edition reissue pressed on magenta vinyl, which pairs gorgeously with the colorful album art.

Get it here.

Olivia Rodrigo — Sour

Earlier this month, Rodrigo shared a video of herself in awe as she examined the vinyl edition of Sour for the first time. It turns out that’s an experience a lot of her fans replicated, as Sour had not just the biggest vinyl sales week of 2021 so far, but the second-largest of the past 30 years. So, if you don’t already have this one, the market has shown that it’s worth picking up.

Get it here.

Various Artists — Another Side Of John Coltrane

John Coltrane is a headlining act without question, but throughout his career, he also played a supporting role on works by fellow jazz greats like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins. Now some of those collaborations have been compiled on Another Side Of John Coltrane, which is available digitally. The 2-LP set, though, has the whole package, as it includes two vinyl-exclusive songs: “Nutty” (from Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane) and “Birks’ Works” (from Soul Junction by the Red Garland Quintet featuring Coltrane and Donald Byrd).

Get it here.

LCD Soundsystem — The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live At Madison Square Garden (10th Anniversary Reissue)

It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since LCD Soundsystem’s “farewell” show (which of course preceded the band’s reunion). Now the soundtrack album is back in print as an expansive vinyl edition, made up of five LPs, a print of the original concert poster, and a 10.5-inch by 7-inch full-bleed risograph photo print by longtime band photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya.

Get it here.

Wu-Tang Clan — Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Reissue)

Enter The Wu-Tang has gone down as one of hip-hop’s most important and influential albums, and now it has gotten a shiny new reissue via the fine record purveyors at Vinyl Me, Please. Pressed on “gold galaxy”-colored vinyl, this edition comes accompanied by an art print as well as a listening notes booklet.

Get it here.

Public Enemy — Fear Of A Black Planet (Reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please was on fire this month, especially in the hip-hop department. They’ve also dropped a new edition of the Public Enemy classic Fear Of A Black Planet, and this version of the group’s biggest release comes pressed on sharp-looking blue and brown vinyl — or “Us and the Damned”-colored, as VMP puts it.

Get it here.

Big Red Machine — How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?

Big Red Machine is built on collaboration, as the core of the project is the coming together of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner. On top of that, the duo’s latest album also brings into the fold Taylor Swift, Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten, and a host of others, and now they’re all available together on vinyl.

Get it here.

Spice Girls — Wannabe25

Spice Girls know what you want (what you really, really want): They’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of their hit single “Wannabe” with a new limited-edition EP, Wannabe25. Aside from the original 1996 single, this vinyl release also includes a remix of the song by Junior Vasquez (which was originally a bonus track on the 1996 “2 Become 1” CD single), the original demo of the song, and a demo of a previously unreleased track called “Feed Your Love.”

Get it here.

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

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the return of My Morning Jacket, the anticipated, Taylor Swift-featuring new album from Big Red Machine, and a roaring, adventurous LP from hardcore heroes Turnstile. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Big Red Machine – How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?

On their second collaborative effort under the name Big Red Machine, Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon gathered up a collective of their best musical friends (including Taylor Swift) to create a lengthy, sweeping and introspective LP. All told, How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last is “some of the most approachable and pop-oriented material that Dessner or Vernon have ever produced,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.

Chvrches – Screen Violence

Chvrches certainly aren’t the first band to make a record about the perils of the technology age. But few bands do it quite as well as Chvrches on their latest album Screen Violence. The album is a collection of ten electro-pop gems that Rachel Brodsky calls for Uproxx “some of the catchiest tracks of Chvrches’ career,” channeling horror movies and dark imagery to illustrate the dark underbelly of instant and constant connectivity.

Turnstile – Glow On

Turnstile’s major label debut, Time & Space, gave us a glimpse at what the Baltimore hardcore outfit was capable of, incorporating different genre elements for one of the most unique and exciting punk records of recent memory. Fast forward three years and the quintet’s latest effort, Glow On, has raised the bar once again. Featuring 808s, slick riffs, and not one but two appearances from Blood Orange, Glow On is in a world of its own, sonically and aesthetically.

Indigo De Souza – Any Shape You Take

After her self-released debut album won her slots on tours with the likes of Alex G, Beach Bunny, and more, Indigo De Souza returned to the studio with a newfound sense of purpose and direction. Any Shape You Take feels in many ways like a culminating moment, with De Souza fearlessly pushing boundaries and relaying her journey of self-discovery in a direct and approachable way.

Steve Gunn – Other You

Once named an “indie guitar god” by our very own Steven Hyden, Steve Gunn is back with his sixth studio album. Other You allows Gunn to explore the full spectrum of his musical sensibilities, featuring everything from atmospheric melodies to subdued ballads. Arriving just two years after 2019’s excellent The Unseen In Between, Gunn’s latest serves as another reminder why he’s one of indie’s true power players.

Gorillaz – Meanwhile EP

After inserting some new tracks into their setlist during their 20th anniversary celebration earlier this month, Gorillaz have shared the studio versions in the form of the three-track Meanwhile EP. The first track is also the title track, featuring Jelani Blackman with Barrington Levy, followed by “Jimmy Jimmy” featuring AJ Tracey, and finally a live recording of “Déjà Vu” featuring dancehall performer Alicaì Harley.

My Morning Jacket – “Regularly Scheduled Programming”

After sharing The Waterfall II last year, My Morning Jacket have returned with the announcement of their ninth, self-titled studio album. Along with the new album news came the expansive single “Regularly Scheduled Programming,” which Jim James described in a statement as a response to the overwhelming “need to help each other wake up to real love before it’s too late.”

Porches – “Lately”

The new album from Porches (aka Aaron Maine) still isn’t due for about a month, but the New York artist has been steadily rolling out music to tide fans over. “Lately” is one of Maine’s most straightforward rock-focused tracks in recent memory, though he does make sure to put his vocal through a melodic layer of autotune. The new track continues to set the stage nicely for the forthcoming All Day Gentle Hold !, which Maine said in a statement is “injected with as much love, urgency, and lust for humanity as I possibly could.”

Blackstarkids – “Fight Club”

Blackstarkids are awesome. Fresh on the heels of their excellent 2020 project Whatever, Man, the trio is now readying their proper debut album. Puppies Forever still doesn’t have a release date, but “Fight Club” is another entrancing track to keep us engaged. Featuring all three members trading verses over an homemade beat, “Fight Club” is another shining example of why Blackstarkids are a group to watch in 2021.

Scruffpuppie – “Assignment Song”

Phoebe Bridgers has been picking up all of the best and brightest indie rockers for her Saddest Factory label imprint over the last few months. The latest addition to the roster is Scruffpuppie, aka 20-year-old singer and songwriter JJ Shurbet. The announcement of Shurbet’s signing comes with “Assignment Song,” a power pop barn burner that opens with a subdued lone guitar before adding in a full band to complement Shurbet’s fuzzy vocal performance.

Hand Habits – “No Different”

With the new album Fun House due in two months, Meg Duffy has shared “No Different,” a reverb-soaked folk song with a chorus that feels reminiscent of the most melodic, harmony-focused moments of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young’s early output. As with many of Duffy’s songs, “No Different” boasts a gorgeous sonic facade to disguise a track about loss, romantic longing, and childhood trauma.

Soul Blind – “Third Chain”

Hudson Valley, New York rockers Soul Blind have signed to Other People Records, who will release their new three-track EP Third Chain in September. The announcement arrives with the EP’s title track, a storming 90’s-indebted alternative rocker that has everything: drawling vocals, distorted guitars, and pummeling percussion.

Geese – “Low Era”

After garnering quite a bit of buzz, Brooklyn outfit Geese have officially announced their debut album, Projector, and shared the official lead single “Low Era.” Where many of the band’s tracks are a bit darker and heavier, “Low Era” takes a lighter approach for a four-on-the-floor dance number. “Once we stopped enforcing certain boundaries, it ended up working out without us expecting it to, and even ushered in this psychedelic 3-D element that ends up appearing throughout the album,” the band said in a statement.

Mini Trees – “Cracks In The Pavement”

Recent Run For Cover signees Mini Trees (aka Lexi Vega) are currently prepping Always In Motion, their first album for the label. “Cracks In The Pavement” is a gorgeous indie pop number that shows Vega’s knack for writing songs that evolve and morph through different styles and tones. According to Vega in a statement, the song’s lyrics detail “a realization that the grass isn’t always greener, and that the discontentment I needed to confront was internal rather than circumstantial.”

Gully Boys – “The Way”

Minneapolis trio Gully Boys cite influences like No Doubt and Hole, and you can definitely hear it on their latest track, “The Way.” Featuring roaring vocals and an impressive modulated guitar solo that brings new life to the nostalgic sounds of ‘90s grunge for a unique and modern rocker that will leave you wanting more from Gully Boys.

Ekkstacy – “In Love”

With a new album Negative due later this year, Ekkstacy has been rolling tracks over the last few months. Each song has been stronger than the last, and “In Love” is no exception. Opening with a sparse, dramatic grand piano and Ekkstacy’s reverb-soaked vocal, “In Love” is a track that reflects on his relationship with an ex. “It was hard to hear from her after so long, so I wrote this after she told me that her favourite song from me was ‘Love,’” he explained in a statement. “So this song is kind of like ‘Love part 2.’”

Annie Blackman – “Glitch”

Witty and tongue in cheek, the latest track from Annie Blackman was written after watching a documentary on simulation theory. Heavy stuff, but “Glitch” manages to pull it off seamlessly to the point that it almost feels fun. The song is currently trending on TikTok, so with any luck, Blackman will be an international megastar in the next 12-16 hours.

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