Category: News

While Mitski has remained relatively quiet since the release of her acclaimed 2018 album Be The Cowboy, she’s now gearing up for a musical project that’s slightly out of left field. The singer announced that she recorded a score to accompany an upcoming graphic novel.

Mitski’s soundtrack will arrive alongside the Z2 Comics graphic novel This Is Where We Fall. According to the book’s website, the story unpacks themes of “theology, death, and the after-life” all through the lens of a science-fiction story.

In a statement about the included soundtrack, Mitski said, “It was exciting to make a soundtrack for a comic book. It allowed me to work outside of my usual songwriting form and try to approach it like a score, but without any of the cues that come with working alongside a moving image, which ended up being both freeing and challenging. I hope the end result helps to immerse you in the story!”

Z2 publisher Josh Frankel added, “A project and partnership like this is the perfect marriage of a visual art form like comics, and music. Fans of Mitski’s music will not only get something new from one of their favorite artists, but a companion piece that completes the experience. Comics readers will find an original work of science fiction from top creators that is enhanced by the music that accompanies it.”

This Is Where We Fall is out is out March 2021. Pre-order it here.

Tucker Carlson got hopping mad on the most recent episode of his Fox News show. Yes, he gets fired up on a regular basis (like about Elmo from Sesame Street), but this time, he acted even more dramatic. Carlson claimed that he would have had a hand in some “October surprise” involving an unverified conspiracy about emails from a laptop that allegedly belongs to Hunter Biden (who has been the subject of wild Rudy Guiliani rantings). However, Carlson claimed that the smoking gun could only be found in a missing package that had mysteriously evaporated.

Carlson then suggested he might have been spied upon as part of a deep-state conspiracy to hide “damning” details about Hunter Biden and China and security issues. The host appeared to believe that these “confidential documents” were the key to toppling Biden’s election chances, but of course, Carlson did not provide any information on these documents that he believes were deliberately lost as part of a dastardly plot. Nor does anyone know why there weren’t backup copies if these documents were so important, but now, a twist has arrived. Via the Daily Beast, UPS has revealed that the package has been located:

“After an extensive search, we have found the contents of the package and are arranging for its return. UPS will always focus first on our customers, and will never stop working to solve issues and make things right.”

This runs counter to Carlson’s claim that an exhausted search had already been conducted with the conclusion that the package was missing forever. Fox News had also published a report about how “the package had been opened and arrived empty” at a sorting facility. But now, the package lives?

Who really knows where this story goes from here. One thing is certain, though: the “package” jokes are coming fast and furious.

Is it November 3 yet?

On occasion, things simply don’t go your way in the NFL handicapping space and Week 7 of the 2020 season was a prime example. Bad breaks (like the Eagles floundering in the red zone) were the rule and, when combined with a couple of wrong-side decisions (ahem, Patriots), the results were not ideal in this space. Fortunately, the impotent offense of the Chicago Bears saved us from full-fledged disaster and, as Week 8 arrives, our resolve is strong.

Before diving into a fascinating slate of games and finding five selections, here is where we stand for the balance of the 2020 campaign.

• Week 7: 1-4
• 2020 Season: 19-15-1

Come get these winners.

TEASER: Atlanta Falcons (+8) over Carolina Panthers AND Green Bay Packers (-0.5) over Minnesota Vikings

I’ll just say this. Many teasers, maybe even most teasers, are not good value investments. However, “Wong teasers” are actually strong historically when you can get them at -110 (full explainer here) and, essentially, the premise is to bypass enough key numbers on both sides to make sense. On Thursday, taking the Falcons from +2 to +8 accomplishes that while also taking advantage of the negative perception on Atlanta right now. Yes, they are performance artists in how they blow leads, but four of their losses this season came by seven points or less. Given that I’m a touch lower on Carolina and the fact that the Panthers will have a hard time stopping the Falcons, I like that side. To cap it off, the Packers are simply better than the Vikings and, while I wouldn’t be enthused to lay a full touchdown in a game between rivals, Green Bay is a big favorite to win outright at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens UNDER 46.5 points

It would’ve been cool to hit this number at the opener of 49 and, if you did, I salute you. That isn’t available at the time of this post, though, and I still like the Under at this number. Pittsburgh’s defense is virtually unassailable at this point and, while the Ravens are stellar on offense, they do churn clock with their ground-based attack. On the other side, the Steelers shouldn’t be able to thrash the Ravens offensively in the way they did to the Titans, and this series has featured some incredible rock fights over the years. Give me punts and field goals.

Miami Dolphins (+3.5) over Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are dealing with another tough schedule spot, with travel to Miami on the heels of a Monday night game. From there, Los Angeles is probably a tad bit overvalued in the market and, in general, I am higher on the Dolphins than some. The Rams are the better team here, but I flatly don’t think they should be laying more than a field goal on the road. Give me Brian Flores and company in their home building.

Seattle Seahawks (-2.5) over San Francisco 49ers

Make no mistake, Kyle Shanahan put on a show last week and embarrassed us as a result. I’ll own that. It was a masterclass. I do think this number is an overreaction, however, to Seattle (narrowly) losing and San Francisco thrashing New England. This implies that these two teams are even and, with San Francisco’s injuries, I just don’t buy that. It is concerning that the Seahawks are genuinely bad defensively, but I trust Russell Wilson to move the ball, even without Chris Carson in uniform. Give me the small home favorite against a trendy underdog, and 2.5 is still available at multiple shops.

New York Giants (+11.5) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We profited from the perception not quite catching up to the Bucs a few weeks ago but, after their recent results, it’s going the other way. Tampa Bay is (very) good, but this line opened 8.5 and has steamed through a couple of key numbers at this point. Given the change from the look-ahead and the principles we hold about double-digit home underdogs (other than those coached by Adam Gase), this is a play we just have to make. The Giants likely won’t win, but they are the side on Monday.

Stillbirth after the 20-week mark happens to approximately one in 100 pregnancies. Approximately 24,000 babies are born stillbirth each year. And while stillbirths are rare, the experience can be emotionally painful for those who have to go through it.

Last month, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend lost their third child, Jack, at 20 weeks. Teigen suffered a partial placenta abruption, a rare diagnosis in which the placenta and the lining of the uterus separate. It prevents the fetus from receiving oxygen and nutrients and causes bleeding in the mother. Now, Teigen is opening up about her experiences with the loss in a heart wrenching Medium essay.

“People say an experience like this creates a hole in your heart. A hole was certainly made, but it was filled with the love of something I loved so much. It doesn’t feel empty, this space. It feels full,” Teigen wrote. “Maybe *too* bursting full, actually. I find myself randomly crying, thinking about how happy I am to have two insanely wonderful little toddlers who fill this house with love. I smother them with love while they ‘Moooooooom!!!!!’ me. I don’t care.”

Teigen’s post has been widely shared across social media and clearly made an impact on millions of people, including Hillary Clinton:

Teigen discussed what it’s like to experience a loss while others experience joy. She recalled going through the halls of labor and delivery. “People cheered and laughed right outside our door, understandably for a new life born and celebrated. You kind of wonder how anyone is thinking about anyone but you,” Teigen wrote.

Teigen had her mother and husband take photos, something which made her husband feel uncomfortable. But it was important. “I knew I needed to know of this moment forever, the same way I needed to remember us kissing at the end of the aisle, the same way I needed to remember our tears of joy after Luna and Miles. And I absolutely knew I needed to share this story,” Teigen wrote.

After sharing the photos, Teigen received criticism for the move. As if losing her child wasn’t painful enough. But Teigen had words for those who tried to shame her. “I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos,” she said. “How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done. I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyone but the people who have lived this or are curious enough to wonder what something like this is like. These photos are only for the people who need them.”

The responses to Teigen’s post weren’t all hateful. Teigen expressed gratitude for those who had kind words to say. “Notes have flooded in and have each been read with our own teary eyes. Social media messages from strangers have consumed my days, most starting with, ‘you probably won’t read this, but…’. I can assure you, I did,” she said.

Ultimately, Teigen’s openness about her experience might help other women going through similar pain. And her frankness might help others who haven’t had the experience understand it so they can better deal with those who have. “The worst part is knowing there are so many women that won’t get these quiet moments of joy from strangers. I beg you to please share your stories and to please be kind to those pouring their hearts out. Be kind in general, as some won’t pour them out at all,” Teigen wrote.

You can read Teigen’s full medium post here. Just make sure you have the tissues handy.

Everyone remembers Meyers Leonard shotgunning Coors Lights in about three seconds flat in the NBA Bubble this summer, and now it appears Leonard scored a sponsorship from Coors Light in the process.

In a new story from Anthony Chieng at the Miami Herald, Leonard discussed his fall road trip plans, which include riding with his wife and dog across the country in a massive bus painted on both sides with the Coors Light logo — Leonard made sure to note on Twitter that he will not actually be driving the RV. They will visit family in Illinois, Leonard said, before making their final stop in Golden, Colorado, where Coors Light is headquartered.

“It’s literally a match made in heaven, that’s the way I’ll put it,” Leonard told Chieng. “I love Coors Light. That’s what we drink where I’m from.”

As Leonard tells it, he downed a couple Coors Lights with his Heat teammates after every postseason win in the Bubble. Leonard also hopes to stick around with those same teammates moving forward, so long as he and the Miami front office can come to an agreement on a role and salary that suits him.

Leonard told Chieng of the Herald that he wants to win and play 20-25 minutes, which history has shown is unlikely. When Leonard was in Portland last year, the Trail Blazers were depleted by the conference finals and forced to put Leonard into the starting lineup, where he was attacked repeatedly by the Warriors in a sweep. He was then taken out of Miami’s starting lineup when they came to the Bubble.

Free agency may not be as nice as the summer Coors Light bus ride for Leonard and his family, but you can rest assured wherever he ends up the mountains will be blue.

Australian electronic duo The Avalanches announced a new era of music through a series of cryptic billboards this February, shortly following up with an official announcement of their third LP We Will Always Love You. Offering another taste of the project, The Avalanches share their shimmering Leon Bridges collaboration “Interstellar Love.”

Like much of the album, “Interstellar Love” was inspired by Carl Sagan and his wife, Ann Druyan. Druyan served as Creative Director in charge of curating the Golden Record, the vinyl record NASA launched into space to be found by otherworldly beings. Sagan and Druyan recorded themselves and added it onto the Golden Record, forever solidifying their own “interstellar love.”

About their work with Bridges, The Avalanches’ Robbie Chater said, “Leon is an incredible singer, with just the most beautiful voice. He’s from Texas but we both happened to be in LA at the same time, which was lucky as he was on my all-time wish list. When we were in the studio, I told him the story about Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan and how her love-struck brain waves were sent out into space on the Voyager’s Golden Record. And this song came out of that.”

Listen to “Interstellar Love” above.

We Will Always Love You is out 12/11 via Astralwerks. Pre-order it here.

Halsey is one of the most beloved and successful pop stars we have, and it turns out she has many talents outside of music. She has recently become a star of basketball Twitter, she’s a poet, and over the past couple days, she has been flexing some impressive costume make-up skills just in time for Halloween.

She got spooky with her showing yesterday, when she shared a photo of herself that looked otherwise normal except for the illusion that her right eye had been gorily gouged out of her head, like a more sinister version of her Manic album art. She captioned her post, “MANIC, but make it Horror.” Somebody asked Halsey if she did the make-up herself, to which Halsey enthusiastically replied, “yes!!!!”

She followed that up today with a make-up job inspired by the titular Corpse Bride from the Tim Burton movie. She quoted a line from the film in her caption, writing, “It takes my breath away! Well it would if I had any…”

Halsey then took a bit of time to explain her make-up background. She wrote in one tweet, “a lil FAQ: yes I do my own makeup. yes I did break out afterwards lmao.” She then responded to somebody who asked how she learned to do make-up like that, writing, “Honestly I was obsessed with the show Face Off in high school and learned how to do a lot of SFX with YouTube tutorials! Combined with having to learn on the fly for music videos and stuff. Like all the SFX for the injuries in the [Hopeless Fountain Kingdom] era videos are done by me!”

Beyond this, it’s been a busy October for Halsey: She interviewed Bernie Sanders and performed at the CMT Music Awards.

In the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton appeared on web series Between Two Ferns, where host Zach Galifianakis grilled her with tough questions like, “When you see how well it works for Donald Trump, do you ever think to yourself, oh, I should be more racist?” The video was a hit with over 24 million views, as was the 2014 episode with Barack Obama, but when asked if Donald Trump would ever appear on Ferns, the Baskets star replied, “Doing it the other way doesn’t interest me. He’s the kind of guy who likes attention — bad attention or good attention. So you’re dealing with a psychosis there that’s a little weird. I wouldn’t have somebody on that’s so mentally challenged. I feel like I’d be taking advantage of him. And you can print that.”

It was printed, and apparently caught the eye of the big man himself.

The New York Times reports that the Trump administration, led by Michael R. Caputo, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, wanted to make a $265 million “star-studded campaign to lift American spirits” during the pandemic. But “they sought to exclude celebrities who had supported gay rights or same-sex marriage or who had publicly disparaged President Trump. The actor Zach Galifianakis, for instance, was apparently passed over because he had declined to have Mr. Trump on his talk show Between Two Ferns.”

Between Two Ferns co-creator Scott Aukerman had an appropriate response:

And don’t even get Trump started on The Hangover not taking place in Trump Hotel.

(Via the New York Times)

A community cookout turns into a scene of terror in the video for Dinner Party‘s “Freeze Tag” featuring Cordae, Phoelix, and Snoop Dogg. Filmed in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw district, the video sees a vibrant neighborhood on a summer evening react as an unseen threat moves through the street, prompting kids playing to drop their games and run inside and disrupting other activities. Finally, when one child points out the threat, the POV changes to show that it was a police officer all along as he chases down the witnesses and pushes one face-first into the ground.

Dinner Party is the crossover project from 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and Terrace Martin, and while only Martin makes an appearance in the video, Cordae’s verse mirrors the bone-chilling visuals, even as the mellow instrumental suggests better days ahead. Cordae recently tackled similar subject matter at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, opening the show with a forceful freestyle that reflected his activist streak. He’s proven himself to be a favorite of soul and jazz standard-bearers, appearing on Glasper’s 2019 mixtape F*ck Yo Feelings and on Stevie Wonder’s new single “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate” with Busta Rhymes, Chika, and Rapsody.

Watch the “Freeze Tag” video above.

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

The Girl Scouts of America earned a merit badge in Social Media Disasters on Wednesday when the organization expressed support for Amy Coney Barrett‘s highly controversial confirmation to the Supreme Court. The tweet featured Barrett in a Girl Scouted themed image next to female justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. “Congratulations Amy Coney Barrett on becoming the 5th woman appointed to the Supreme Court since its inception in 1789,” the caption read.

After facing intense backlash from social media users who pointed out the extremely partisan nature of Barrett’s nomination along with her anti-choice views on reproductive rights, the Girl Scouts deleted the tweet and issued the following apology:

Earlier today, we shared a post highlighting the five women who have been appointed to the Supreme Court. It was quickly viewed as a political and partisan statement which was not our intent and we have removed the post. Girl Scouts of the USA is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan organization. We are neither red nor blue, but Girl Scout GREEN. We are here to lift up girls and women.

But by the time the Girl Scouts walked back the Barrett tweet, calls for a Thin Mints boycott had gone viral, in part due to Zach Braff:

Braff was soon joined by others who vowed to get their Girl Scout cookie fix from other sources in protest:

After watching recipes for Thin Mints go viral, this last tweet pretty much sums up 2020: