As the first artist signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ new label Saddest Factory, Claud has the responsibility of representing the label well on its maiden release. So far, they’ve done just that with a handful of singles leading up to the album Super Monster, which drops in February. Now they’ve shared a new single, “Cuff Your Jeans.”
The lo-fi song is accompanied by an appropriately lo-fi visual, which uses a green screen to place Claud in crudely animated (endearingly so) environments and to give them some long legs, like Tim And Eric long. Claud says of the track:
“‘Cuff Your Jeans’ is a song about yearning. I wrote it after having a fever dream about trying to get on a train to see my friend but missing it over and over and over because there was always some obstacle in my way. The dream left me in a cold sweat and extremely frustrated. All elements of this song are a much needed form of rebellion against my redundant lifestyle, and my pitched down vocals in the verses — which appear in a few more places throughout Super Monster — are a way to further a more courageous and outspoken persona.”
Watch the “Cuff Your Jeans” video above.
Super Monster is out 2/12 via Saddest Factory. Pre-order it here.
French Montana is back with a new video for “Hot Boy Bling” from the deluxe version of his Coke Boys 5 mixtape. Released in November, the tape marks French’s first full-length release since quitting drinking after being hospitalized in 2019.
The Bronx rapper is joined on “Hot Boy Bling” by two rappers in the middle of their own big breakouts, Jack Harlow and Lil Durk. While Harlow is fresh off his first Hot 100 Top 10 in “What’s Poppin” and the release of his debut album, That’s What They All Say, Lil Durk experienced a career resurgence last year, featuring on Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” as well as a plethora of hit singles and album cuts from seemingly every hot artist who released a record in 2020. He also capped the year with his own release, The Voice, just six months removed from Just Cause Y’all Waited 2.
The video finds the three rappers flexing in the wreckage of a structure in the desert, channeling the Mad Max films for inspiration (a favorite go-to for rappers dating back to Tupac’s “California Love”). It doesn’t look like Durk was able to make the shoot, so he’s green-screened in. The rappers are also flanked by scantily clad models, decked-out in post-apocalyptic spikes and chains.
Watch the “Hot Boy Bling” video above.
Coke Boys 5 is out now on Montana Entertainment / EMPIRE. Get it here.
Jon Hamm’s big break should have come following his sweet-ass butt cut’s appearance on The Big Date, but the actor would have to wait until 2007 when Mad Men premiered on AMC. In another timeline, however, he would have already been known by that point for playing a good TV dad — arguably the best TV dad — instead of a bad TV dad.
On Rolling Stone‘s “Too Long; Didn’t Watch” podcast, hosted by Alan Sepinwall, Hamm revealed that he auditioned to play eyebrow icon Sandy Cohen on The O.C. “I did audition for one of the dads on The O.C. I was probably 31 or 32. I think it was me and Harry Hamlin,” he recalled. “I remember walking in and going, ‘Is that Peter Gallagher? Why am I here?‘ I love Peter Gallagher, but I was just like, ‘Dang!’” Hamm didn’t get the role — he’s only eight years older than Adam Brody, who would have played his son — but he did eventually get to California, right back where we started from.
AMC
The debut episodes of “Too Long; Didn’t Watch” have Hamm and Alison Brie watching the first and last episodes of Gossip Girl and Game of Thrones, respectively. Both shows with good beginnings; both shows with terrible endings. Listen to them below.
Frank Grillo has confirmed that his villainous character, Crossbones, will return in the upcoming animated series Marvel’s What If…? when it makes its debut on Disney+ in 2021. Staying true to the title, the show will examine various alternate reality scenarios like “What if T’Challa became Star Lord instead of Black Panther?” or “What if Peggy Carter took the super-soldier serum and became Captain America instead of Steve Rogers?” It’s that last scenario where Grillo most likely comes into play, considering Crossbones’ history of squaring off with Cap, which made the jump from the comics to the big screen in both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.
As for getting Grillo to sign on to the animated series, it apparently didn’t make much convincing for him to work with Marvel again, as he told Collider:
“If the President calls and says, ‘I want you to come to the White House,’ you don’t ask why, you just kind of get on a plane and go to the White House. CAA called, my agents called and said, ‘They’re doing this thing, What If…?, and they have four or five episodes planned out, you can do it all in one [day].’ I’m like, ‘Whatever, I don’t care what the money [is], it doesn’t matter, yes I’m going to do it. Absolutely. All day, every day.’”
Since its announcement, Marvel’s What If…? has promised that most if not all of the MCU actors will voice their respective characters in the animated series. That includes the late Chadwick Boseman, who “came in about four times and recorded numerous episodes,” Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige told Emmy Magazine. “In hindsight, it’s very moving.”
At just 18 years old, Billie Eilish is one of the biggest global superstars. In 2020 alone, the singer was awarded five Grammys, planned (and then canceled) a sold-out arena tour, and recorded the new James Bond theme song. Now, Eilish is reflecting on her life, fame and all, in a new photo book.
Titled Billie Eilish, the singer’s book will serve as a visual storytelling of her rise to mainstream stardom. It will offer never-before-seen glimpses into her early childhood, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at her tour life. Fans can see pictures of her seated behind a piano as a child, as well as on-set photos of her “Bury A Friend” video.
Interscope
In order to put the photo book together, Eilish said she scoured through her family photos: “I spent many hours over many months pouring through my family albums and archives, handpicking all of the photos in this book. I hope you love it as much as I do.”
Along with publishing the photo book, Hachette Book Group will share a standalone audiobook where Eilish reflects on her life. She’ll tell previously unheard stories from her personal life to provide an intimate look at her journey as a musician.
Echoing Eilish’s excitement about the book, editor Gretchen Young said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working on the first book by iconic singer and songwriter Billie Eilish. Her unique combination of sophisticated artistic vision and tenacious creative energy shines through on every page, and the vibrant visual nature of how she has chosen to share herself and her truth captures perfectly the unassailable authenticity for which she is so beloved by her ever-growing legions of fans.”
Vic Mensa‘s nonprofit organization, SaveMoneySaveLife, was reportedly robbed of over $40,000 worth of donated goods on New Year’s Eve, according to a video the rapper posted to Instagram Monday.
“On New Year’s Eve, the entire donation inventory for my non-profit @savemoneysavelife was robbed,” he wrote in the caption. “I founded the organization in 2018 to help the city I call home and since then we’ve donated 100,000+ pounds of food, over 50,000 pairs of shoes, and countless PPE supplies since the dawn of the pandemic. Sadly, we were set up and someone brought a truck to our Southside Chicago location and cleaned us out of over $40,000 worth of brand new shoes, Still, I want to thank everyone who has supported us thus far. Donation links are in my bio.”
The second slide of the post depicts the ransacked warehouse, with shoeboxes opened, emptied, and strewn all over the room. The shoes were collected ahead of a giveaway inspired as a reaction to 2018 reports of the Chicago Police Department using “bait trucks” to try and entrap potential thieves in underserved neighborhoods. SaveMoneySaveLife also provides first-aid training to volunteers, studios and training for aspiring media professionals, and organizes peace walks and back-to-school drives in the Chicago area.
For more information about the organization, visit its website here.
It’s no secret that COVID-19 is having a pretty devastating effect on the restaurant industry. According to data collected by Statista from the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau, the foodservice industry has lost $130 billion in sales between the months of March and October, shed 2.1 million jobs as of this December, and seen over 110,000 restaurants closed permanently or for the long term as a result of the pandemic.
On top of all of the hardships that come with running a service business amidst a (currently worsening) pandemic, chefs and restaurant owners are also having to deal with a customer base that’s living in and reflecting the most overtly divisive political climate in recent American history. For New Orleans chef Jason Goodenough, the toxicity of it all was simply too much.
Goodenough, chef and owner of the acclaimed New Orleans bistroCarrollton Market, announced his departure from the industry on his personal Instagram account, sharing a screenshot that reads, “I am walking away from CM and closing permanently. This is not a financial decision. Instead, now that the stimulus will prop up my staff, I am walking away because my passion for the craft has turned to apathy and my love of serving people has turned into disdain towards them.”
The photo was accompanied by a caption reading #TimeToMoveOn.
Further, Goodenough told NOLA.com, “It’s been so disheartening. It just crushes a chef’s spirit.”
Goodenough’s decision seems to have been, at least in part, motivated by a series of events that first began last month, when the chef received an email from a disgruntled customer who took issue with his restaurant’s pro-BLM display in the Carrollton Market storefront, writing, “We ordered dinner from you Friday. It was delicious. But as we pulled up to your front door… you had a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in your window. How offensive!!!! We will never eat at your restaurant again and we will tell all of our friends and neighbors in the Garden District that you support a ‘Marxist Organization.’”
In response, Goodenough set up a fundraiser with Cafe Hope NOLA, a local non-profit offering life skills and service industry training to at-risk youth, and raised $10,000 in the customer’s name (revealed only as “Kenneth S”). Soon after, Goodenough shared his reply to another email from a different customer, who seems to have been complaining about the chef’s response to “Kenneth S,” which contained another lengthy screenshot that was captioned with #ThisShitMakesMeHATEServingPeople.
Chef Goodenough followed up his second viral post with an opinion piece published in Food & Wineentitled, “You Don’t Like My Politics? I Don’t Need Your Business.” The announcement that he’s closing his restaurant offers bold punctuation to this series of events, an illustration of the difficulties that come with having to appease a politically divided customer base, and the continued challenges of running an independent service industry business in a pandemic and politically divisive climate.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is so punk rock and doesn’t care what you think: That includes the President of the United States.
Three days after the riots at the Capitol, Trump announced he would be awarding future NFL Hall of Famer coach Belichick the Medal of Freedom, which is our nation’s highest civilian honor. So, for Belichick to turn it down is quite a statement. He is the only person who could refuse such an honor without anyone thinking that he is trying to gain the spotlight. He just does what he thinks is right.
And that in itself ironically might be what makes him award-worthy.
Belichick has never been known for attention-grabbing antics. Anyone who has seen his press conferences knows what I’m talking about. During a Monday night in September 2014, the Chiefs embarrassed the Patriots, 41-14. New England needed to brush it off and focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, who was their opponent the following Sunday.
During the post-game press conference, the media peppered Belichick with ludicrous questions attacking the integrity of the entire organization, quarterback Tom Brady not withstanding. Rather than getting dragged into a frivolous back and forth with the press, Belichick answered every inane question with three words: “on to Cincinnati.” That became a rallying cry of sorts for the Patriots over the rest of the season. From there, they won 11 out of the 12 games remaining in the regular reason, and went on to win their first Super Bowl in 10 years.
To this day, “on to Cincinnati” has become a popular catchphrase for “let’s move on.”
When Belichick announced Monday night that he will not accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying “remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award,” was his way of politely saying “on to Joe Biden.”
Although Belichick describes himself as apolitical, he was forced to address a note he penned to Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election. Belichick claimed at a press conference that “anyone who has known him for more than five minutes knows that he is not a political person.” He went on to say that his friendship with Trump went back a long way, but that John Kerry was also in the Patriots locker room weeks earlier. Belichick was quick to point out that the two politicians had very different political views, but who he is friends with has nothing to do with who he votes for. That, alone, is a page we should all take from the greatest football mind of all time, especially if we are going to heal this country.
Loyalty is important, but standing up for what you believe in is even more so. In typical Belichick-style, his delicately-worded statement said everything he wanted to say (in as few words possible):
“Recently I was offered the opportunity to receive the presidential medal of freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients. Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation’s values, freedom and democracy. I know I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award.”
It doesn’t matter if Belichick was close with Donald Trump. By turning down the Medal of Freedom from one of his friends (technically he didn’t refuse it, he just isn’t going to “move forward” with it), he has given us the blueprints to stay true to our hearts, no matter what those around us might feel. Standing up for what you believe in doesn’t mean just spouting your point of view on social media. It means walking the walk.
If you were pressed to go back further, you could perhaps trace the roots of vodka sauce to Neapolitan Pomodoro sauce (which itself descends from the Americas), made from ripe tomatoes, butter, and fresh basil. The foundation is the same — tomatoes plus fat equals sauce — but the end result is drastically different. Then, of course, you have the vodka.
The addition of vodka to pasta sauce has no precedent before the swinging 70s in Italian cuisine. The booze is used as a de-glazer and an emulsifier. Truth be told, you can use white wine for the exact same purposes and that will add a little more depth and flavor (that bright, fruity sharp chardonnay taste, for example), versus a relatively neutral vodka. You can also use brandy if you want deeper, heartier flavors.
Still, the name of the dish is “vodka sauce,” so we’re using vodka today. As for the rest, the dish is pretty easy to make, which perhaps explains why it’s been such a hit on TikTok. #VodkaPasta has trended on the platform off and on for months, including a particularly uninspired recipe by model/influencer Gigi Hadid. There are 18.2 million views on the hashtag to date, which feels like a lot for a recipe this easy.
One of the biggest perks of vodka sauce, and perhaps why it lends itself to so many TikToks, is that it takes about the same amount of time to make as boiling your noodles. You do need a little technique and patience with the base of onions and garlic and then the emulsification of the tomato and cream, but other than that it’s a simple, straightforward weeknight recipe. Easy to execute in 20 minutes or less, depending on your knife and sauteeing skills.
As with any sauce, this one is also highly permutable. You can alter it to suit your taste by adjusting the spice to your liking or leaning into either the cream or the tomato paste elements. Add in some crumbled Italian sausage for more oompf. Toss it with ravioli or tortellini instead of penne or rigatoni. Want to take a week to infuse some oil with chilis and really amp the heat up?
There’s really not a whole lot to say here besides: Buy fresh, quality ingredients. Shitty parm or olive oil or tomato paste will leave you with a shittier version of this meal. Also, you don’t need to double up flavors or fats. If you’re already using fresh garlic, you don’t need garlic powder. If you’re already using whole-fat cream, you don’t need butter (the same thing). Keep things simple and dialed in.
You’re also going to want a broad, tube-shaped pasta. The more surface area you have, the better this sauce will stick. Rigatoni and penne are common — I’m making rigatoni because my editor has a vendetta against penne. Orichette would work, too. Rotini is fine but perhaps too dense.
Step 1:
Zach Johnston
The first step is to gather all your ingredients and then get a big pot of water on the flame. I’m using a 4-liter pot that’s filled 1/2 way with water and has a good punch of salt added.
While that starts to warm up, I do my prep. This entails peeling and dicing one onion and smashing and peeling four cloves of garlic. I cut the hard, root end off the garlic cloves and smash them with the face of the knife. The peel will slide right off. If you’re cooking for a date and want your garlic to be milder, you could pre-roast it — submerged in olive oil, low and slow at 200-degrees for three-ish hours.
Zach Johnston
The last bit of prep is to put the cream in a small pan on low heat. When you add the cream to the tomato base later, you want it to be warm (not hot or boiling). That way the cream won’t curdle in the pan when it hits the acidic tomato. Again, do not boil the cream. Just warm it up.
Step 2:
Zach Johnston
I’m using a heavy-bottomed saucepan. I pour in a layer of olive oil and bring it up to medium heat — don’t go higher than medium-high. I add in the onions with a pinch of salt and maybe a half-cup of the water from the pasta pot.
The water will simmer off the onions and speed up their softening while also not allowing them to brown or go bitter. There’s a term in Italian cooking that’s something like “tornare all’olio” which means “return to the oil” in braising. Essentially, you know the dish is ready to move on when the watery liquid is all evaporated and the oil is all that’s left in the pan.
Once the onions are very soft and translucent, add in the smashed garlic and sautee another three or so minutes, making sure not to brown anything. I use the wooden spoon to further break up the smashed garlic cloves. Keep the heat low-ish.
Zach Johnston
By this point, the water should be boiling, so I add the pasta to the water and give it a stir. I also turn the cream off as it’s warm enough and I don’t want it to boil.
Now, it’s time to make some sauce.
Zach Johnston
I add in about half of the red pepper flakes (saving the rest for service). I let them bloom in the pan until they’re very fragrant, about 30 seconds.
I then add in the vodka and stir everything with the wooden spoon until there’s a bit of thickening as the oil and vodka combine.
Zach Johnston
Next, I add in the tomato paste. I stir that in until the whole thing is combined. I keep the heat on medium and let that base completely heat through to help the tinniness of the tomato paste fade away. Give this a few minutes and taste it to make sure you’re not getting any tin can flavor.
Zach Johnston
Next, I slowly stir in the cream, adding it in a steady and slow stream from the small pot it was warmed in. As soon as that’s all in, I add in about a half-a-cup of pasta water and stir until completely emulsified.
Lastly, I check for seasoning and add in a good pinch of salt and a few shakes of fine white pepper. Stir and taste again.
I kill the heat. It’s time to make our dish!
Step 3:
Zach Johnston
You’ll want the pasta about one or two minutes shy of the on-the-box cook time to be proper al dente. I usually just fish out a piece and try it (please don’t burn yourself). It should still have a bite — the tube ought to have a lot of spring — but be nearing soft. Don’t worry, it’ll finish in the sauce.
This is important: you don’t want to drain off the pasta. You want to bring a bit of the pasta water into the pan as you toss the pasta with the sauce to finish.
I use a slotted spoon to transfer all of the pasta into the waiting pan. Once it’s all scooped out, I add about a dozen fresh basil leaves. I then use the wooden spoon to mix it all together. The sauce should create a creamy sheen and stick to the pasta without a problem.
Zach Johnston
I then dish the pasta into a warmed bowl. I sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes over the dish and crack some black pepper. I then finish with a grating of young parm. We’re ready to tuck in.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This takes me back to those long lunches and birthday dinners at Maggiano’s in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside of D.C. It’s a hefty dish that’s obviously f*cking delicious. Come on, it’s cream, tomato, garlic, and chili pepper. What’s not to love?
The biggest complaint I could possibly levy on this dish is that it’s pretty heavy. You don’t need a lot and this will easily serve six, especially if it’s a primi (first course).
Still, it’s tomato-y, creamy, spicy, garlicky, and really, really velvety. It’s also pretty easy to make and quick. Plus it’s got that pink hue and a nice luster to it. It feels sexy on some level — great for social media, obviously, but even better for IRL dates, when that’s a thing again.
Weyes Blood released the apocalyptic album Titanic Rising back in 2019. She had to cancel the remainder of her tour dates last year, but she’s made it no secret that she’s planning on sharing the LP’s follow-up in 2021. While fans are patiently awaiting new music from the singer, Weyes Blood decided to debut a previously unheard track in a clever way: in a Roblox game.
Weyes Blood’s “Titanic Rising” outtake, titled “Titanic Risen,” can be heard while exploring a sunken ship in Roblox Titanic. The digital game is based on the sinking of the 1912 ship and boasts an impressive 3 million monthly players.
After downloading the game, fans can board the Titanic ship and virtually explore the cabin’s opulent interior with other players while reenacting the spotting of the treacherous iceberg. While playing the simulation, they can roleplay as Jack and Rose from the iconic Titanic movie and decide which moves to make. As the ship sinks, players can go underwater into the flooded rooms and launch lifeboats — all while listening to Weyes Blood’s “Titanic Risen” and a few other Titanic Rising tracks.
Watch a trailer for Roblox Titanic above and listen to Weyes Blood’s “Titanic Risen” in the game here.
Titanic Rising is out now via Sub Pop. Get it here.
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