On the latest episode of People’s Party with Talib Kweli, Matthew Modine — actor, filmmaker, activist, and only other older dude besides Keith Richards who can successfully rock a bandana — chopped it up with Talib Kweli over some of the symbolism in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket. Without giving too much away (you should absolutely see Full Metal Jacket if you haven’t already) Kweli brought up a particularly striking and eerie scene in which U.S. soldiers march through a burning Vietnamese village singing the Mickey Mouse Club theme song, prompting Modine to share an interesting read on the famous scene.
“I never talked to Stanley, but he never asked permission from Disney to use it, he just did it which I think was fantastic,” Modine begins before going deeper. “But it’s the words and Stanley’s deep right?… ‘Who’s the leader of the gang that’s made for you and me? Who’s the leader of the gang who’s marching coast to coast and far across the sea’… I don’t understand why we were fighting in Vietnam, was it just for westward expansionism? Was it just to get Coca-Cola and Marlboro cigarettes, to expand what I believe is American democracy, that we don’t live in a Republic anymore, a democratic society? We live in a capitalistic society. That we’re a corporatocracy?”
A lot has been said about the symbolism of this particular scene, with many common interpretations pointing to a loss of innocence amongst the soldiers, particularly Modine’s Joker, but this read feels particularly resonant right now as we re-enter an economic recession amidst a global pandemic, all while the world potentially sees its first trillionaire in Jeff Bezos. It’s also a great reminder that we should rewatch Full Metal Jacket, or you know, any Stanley Kubrick movie while we still have free time on our hands. Right after we watch this episode of People’s Party, of course.
Check out the clip above for Modine’s full comments and find out why political propaganda soured the actor on Top Gun.
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.
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The 1975 — Notes On A Conditional Form
The 1975’s fourth album is also their most bloated and self-important to date, according to Steven Hyden for Uproxx. But that doesn’t mean that Notes On A Conditional Form doesn’t feature some absolute bangers. Spanning nearly an hour-and-a-half, there’s something for everyone on latest effort from The 1975. It’s very diverse in its sonic palette, spanning from punk rock to Britpop to confessional indie.
Jeff Rosenstock — No Dream
When there is a catastrophe, Jeff Rosenstock is always there to soundtrack it. After kicking off 2018 with a surprise album POST-, Rosenstock’s latest LP also dropped out of the sky from nowhere. No Dream is “a raucous, guitar-driven affair,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx, and it features some of Rosenstock’s heaviest songs to date. With not much going on these days, No Dream gives us that onslaught of punk rock energy that will surely up your energy levels to at least make you feel something again.
Owen Pallett — Island
It’s been almost six years since In Conflict, Owen Pallett’s last solo LP. All that changed late last week when Pallett surprise-released Island, a new album recorded with the London Contemporary Orchestra. It’s a uniquely introspective affair, with cinematic flourishes throughout, making it an especially exciting release. .
Phoebe Bridgers — “I See You”
With Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore album Punisher just a few weeks out, she has shared another preview in the form of “I See You,” a layered and billowing breakup track that is slightly different than other breakup tracks. “It’s about my breakup with my drummer. We dated for a few years, made music every day, and were extremely codependent,” Bridgers wrote in a statement. “We became like family to each other, so our breakup was extremely tough. But if this tells you anything about our relationship, we wrote this song together, just like everything else.”
Elliott Smith — “Big Decision” (Live at Umbra Penumbra)
To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Elliott Smith’s self-titled album, his label Kill Rock stars is set to release a remastered and expanded version of the album. Included in the expanded version is the entirety of a lost live album featuring the earliest known recording of Smith as a solo artist, captured September 17, 1994 at Portland’s café and “art salon” Umbra Penumbra. “Big Decision” is the first taste of what we can expect from the newly unearthed live album, and it depicts a songwriter at the height of his talents, though he was unknown at the time.
Khruangbin — “So We Won’t Forget”
With the psychedelic Texan trio prepping to release their third album, “So We Won’t Forget” is yet another promising preview of what’s to come, this time focusing on the passing of time and memory. Sonically, the track features “groove, soft percussive elements, and world music influences,” as described by Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Idles — “Mr. Motivator”
Idles enters a new era with a video featuring fan-submitted clips of their workout routines. “Mr. Motivator” is a boisterous reminder of why Idles is one of the best punk bands out there right now, a track that “aims to encourage fans to get through these tough times with dance,” according to Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Ian Sweet — “Sword”
Nothing embodies summer more than a good dream-pop track. While a proper new album from Ian Sweet is still unannounced, “Sword” marks a new era for Jilian Medford. It’s a jump into a genreless space, anchored by infectious synthesizers and hopping bass.
Eliza Elliott — “Sometimes You Lie”
On her new single, Eliza Elliott dials into the lane that made Clairo so popular. “Sometimes You Lie” is the lead single on Elliott’s new EP, a promising sign of what we can expect from the up-and-coming songwriter’s latest effort.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
John Wall has had a rough go of things over the last few seasons. Injuries limited him to 41 games during the 2017-18 campaign and 32 games the following year. This season, Wall has not played at all, opting to get his body right with the hopes that he can regain the form that made him one of the most exciting players in the NBA.
Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said last summer that Wall would likely miss the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign, as Wall is trying to work his way back from a ruptured achilles. Wall spoke to the media on Tuesday, and while he mentioned that his rehab has gotten his body to a point where he feels like he’s at “110 percent,” he does not plan on taking the floor whenever the NBA decides to restart its season.
John Wall: “I’m 110 percent. I’m healthy.”
I will answer the follow-up, since he and the organization have said it 392 times: No, he does not plan on playing this season, even if there are more Wizards regular-season games to be played.
Washington would need a miracle to make the postseason — the team sits 5.5 games behind the 8-seed and have played 64 games on the year, so if the NBA decides to go with the top-8 squads in both conferences, they would find themselves on the outside looking in. But even with a more expanded playoff format, the Wizards are not winning a championship with a rusty Wall on the floor.
Whenever he’s able to play, it’ll be great to see Wall back out there, especially if he really is healthy and able to get back to being an All-Star point guard. For now, continuing to take things slow and not rushing back to play is almost certainly the sensible decision.
Purrazzo was one of the wrestlers announced for All In, the pay-per-view that preceded that creation of All Elite Wrestling, in 2018, but had to pull out of the show when she was signed by WWE. Purrazzo says that she “one hundred percent” thinks WWE signed her because of that All In announcement:
This culminated in, ‘She’s going to go somewhere else and do something good with other people, so we’re going to bring her here.’ If they had done something with me, then that would have been fine. But I feel that in the last year or two with AEW, [WWE] tended to be hoarding.
Purrazzo explained she thinks she suffered from so many other women coming to WWE from the indies around the time she signed with the company. She wasn’t the only person unhappy in this environment, and then when the layoffs came around, “it was the people voicing frustration and maybe the idea that they didn’t want to be here anymore if nothing was going to happen.”
Now that she’s out of WWE, Purrazzo says she doesn’t know if pulling out of All In has ruled out a possible future in AEW:
I don’t know. I feel like there was probably some, ‘Oh, that sucks’ because I committed to doing All In and I actually tried to push my WWE signing date back so I could still do All In. But WWE wasn’t having it, I have to pick and choose those battles, but I don’t think it affected anyone negatively. That’s not anything I’ve heard or has stopped me from being friendly with people that work for AEW.
Purrazzo doesn’t know yet where she’ll end up next, but says “It’s going to be interesting to see those negotiations and see where I land.”
Today, KFC will be testing a “bigger, better, and more premium” chicken sandwich across Orlando. What exactly does “more premium” mean? Well, that it’s capable of competing with Popeyes’ viral chicken sandwich from last year … KFC hopes. It’s not every day that a chicken chain drops a brand new menu staple as essential as the chicken sandwich — it’s as if McDonald’s just decided they wanted to do a refresh on the Quarter Pounder — and it’s even rarer when a brand is this honest about why they’re doing it.
“We wanted a chicken sandwich that really lives up to our legacy as the fried chicken experts and let’s face it, ours wasn’t the one to beat,” said KFC U.S. chief marketing officer Andrea Zahumensky, “We knew an upgrade was necessary, so we painstakingly selected each ingredient to create a bigger, better, and more premium chicken sandwich than ever. I think we’ve unlocked a chicken sandwich that won’t just compete — it’ll win with fried chicken lovers everywhere.”
Will it catch on? That remains to be seen!
KFC’s new chicken sandwich. Popeyes chicken sandwich. They even advertise the same pickle and sauce distribution. pic.twitter.com/V1Siwwg2JY
According to Orlando Weekly, the new sandwich is 20 percent larger than KFC’s current Crispy Colonel sandwich, offered in spicy and non-spicy iterations, is double-breaded for an extra crunchy and crispy bite — which seems catered to the ASMR crowd when the sandwich inevitably appears in an online review on YouTube — and served on a brand new buttered brioche bun with thick pickles and the Colonel’s real mayo spread.
Before dropping to the public in Orlando, the first taste of the sandwich was delivered to the frontline workers chronicled in Orlando Sentinel‘s Pandemic Portraits, which included teachers, auto mechanics, police officers, and other essential workers on the frontline of the city’s coronavirus response.
The sandwich is now available throughout the Orlando area for just $3.99 a la carte or $6.99 as a meal, which is a small price to pay and the perfect option for you to have delivered to your door for dinner. According to Food & Wine, you can be one of the first to try KFC’s new chicken sandwich at the following 15 locations:
16800 W New Hwy 441
6217 International Road
502 S Alafaya Trail
5200 S John Young Parkway
4466 Pleasant Hill Road
3601 S Orlando Drive
2882 N Hiawassee Road
1130 W Osceola Parkway
5780 Central Florida Parkway
11302 S Orange Blossom Trail
510 U.S. Hwy 27
5680 W US Highway 192
250 Aloma Avenue
10825 E Colonial Drive
3009 W Colonial Drive
If KFC takes the crown, will anyone even care? Or are big viral chicken moments just a thing of the past now?
Carly Rae Jepsen is fresh off releasing Dedicated Side B, but she might have even more fresh material in the pipeline: She recently revealed that she (along with songwriting collaborator and guitarist Tavish Crowe) has made a quarantine album.
During an appearance on the Switched On Pop podcast, at the tail-end of the conversation (around the 39:10 mark), she spoke about the record, saying, “Tavish and I have already made an entire quarantine album, and it’s very different, it’s kind of fun! We had to do it around Zoom or things like that so it’s been like a challenge, but a really fun one! You kind of write differently that way. You have more time to have space in between the decisions you’re making and more time to kind of be away from the song for a minute, so I find it to be a whole new style of going at it, and I really like it.”
Of course, there are positives and negatives to being an artist during quarantine. Some are out of work, and some (like Rosalía and Charli XCX) have spoken about a pressure they feel to be productive during these times. That said, great works that musicians can be proud of have been released during this time (like Charli’s How I’m Feeling Now). Jepsen spoke positively about the quarantine album-making process, so hopefully that came from a positive space and hopefully fans get to hear it in the near future.
Listen to the full Switched On Pop episode below.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s almost a week later, and Zack Snyder‘s surprise announcement that HBO Max will officially “Release the Snyder Cut” in 2021 is still reverberating across the fandom and streaming worlds.
In a new interview with Business Insider, HBO Max Content Chief Kevin Reilly opens up about the decision to turn the fabled cut of Justice League into a reality, and how it fits into the streaming service’s aggressive content strategy of “closing deals every week.” According to Reilly, conversations about the Snyder Cut had been happening in secret for a while, but there was a significant amount of red tape involved. In fact, there was a chance that the decision couldn’t be ready before HBO Max launched.
I forget when Zack and Deborah [Snyder] first gave us the sense of where they were heading, but even from that meeting, me and my team felt it was something we really wanted to do. There were a lot of issues involved to figure out how we could deliver on his vision, and a myriad of legal issues. We’ve been sitting on this for quite some time but working on it. It was obviously a secret project given the high level of interest, but we were chipping away at it piece by piece. There was some strategy but also some serendipity in how we got over the hurdle of some of those issues just before the launch [of Max].
Reilly also reiterated HBO Max’s commitment to DC Comics properties like Justice League Dark from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Greg Berlanti’s upcoming Green Lantern series. On top of that, the content chief says they’re still sitting on a couple of “headline grabbers,” which could be good news for fans who are feverishly hoping to see David Ayer’s director cut of Suicide Squad. Much like the Snyder Cut, the Ayer Cut could also be tossed together quickly and at a minimal cost, which would help HBO Max fill a gap in content thanks to production delays from the current pandemic. Plus the announcement would almost definitely grab headlines.
This Wednesday, Matt Riddle is facing his former substitute tag team partner Timothy Thatcher in a “cage fight” on NXT. Thatcher debuted to replace Pete Dunne, who had won the NXT Tag Team Championship with Riddle after they won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and who has been unable to travel to the US since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel. After Riddle and Thatcher lost the Tag Titles to Imperium, they pivoted into a brief one-on-one feud, but Wednesday’s match should be the end of that. It may also be the end of Matt Riddle’s NXT career.
As reported by the Wrestling Observer, if the Cage Fight isn’t Riddle’s farewell to NXT, it will at least be the setup for a farewell to happen soon. According to them, the Original Bro’s Main Roster debut should be coming very soon.
PWInsider says they’ve confirmed with multiple sources that Matt Riddle will join the Smackdown roster, and should debut on that show soon. That means he won’t be on the same show as Brock Lesnar, who he’s been wanting to fight for a long time (Brock seems far less interested), but it will give him a chance to have matches with some of the best in-ring talents in the business, like Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, and the newly returned Drew Gulak.
When Georgia’s governor allowed for restaurants and other businesses to re-open earlier this month, the understanding was that those businesses would follow strict safety guidelines to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. However, as we’ve seen in other states that pushed to re-open businesses, the risks weren’t worth the rewards — especially for 2 Chainz, whose Escobar Restaurant was ordered to close by Georgia authorities after throwing a raucous party for Memorial Day.
According to TMZ, Georgia State Police shut the restaurant down after noticing “the location was rather loud, busy, and occupied to be operating as a restaurant at that time of night.” The restaurant’s Instagram account features videos showing that it was packed to capacity with a line out front, as attendees to its Memorial Day Weekend party danced, smoked hookah, and ordered bottle service. The police spoke to the manager, advising them that the restaurant was “violating executive orders regarding protocol issued due to COVID-19.”
2 Chainz initially received a backlash to the announcement he was planning to re-open Escobar, prompting him to reconsider and pass out meals to the homeless instead. However, the 95% decrease in business forced Chainz and his business partner to furlough 80% of their staff.
It appears 2 Chainz was amenable to re-opening after Georgia issued new guidelines allowing restaurants to re-open, limiting dine-in service to 10 patrons per table and per 300 square feet of public space. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s holiday party plan wasn’t conducive to social distancing, causing the shutdown and likely a lot more trouble than it was worth.
You can see photos and videos on Escobar’s Instagram Story.
Drew McIntyre has held the WWE Championship for 51 days (or 61 days, depending on if you count from the day his WrestleMania match was taped or when it aired). In that time, he’s successfully defended his title against the Big Show, Andrade and Seth Rollins, and is currently gearing up for his championship match against Bobby Lashley at Payback on June 14. But his name keeps ending up in one loosely WWE-affiliated athlete’s mouth: Tyson Fury.
The Gypsy King and the Scottish Psychopath exchanged words via social media back in April, and everyone presumably figured that would be the end of it. But in a new interview with BT Sport, Fury not only talked up McIntyre again — he said he wanted a WWE Championship match in the U.K.:
“If WWE comes to the United Kingdom and wants a massive PPV, then look no further than the Gypsy King vs. @DMcIntyreWWE…”
“I’m a big, big fan. He’s absolutely in fantastic shape. A real good-looking fella. He may be able to teach me a few beauty tips and a few wrestling moves, who knows? But I did see him talking about a big British fight. For sure, if WWE comes to the United Kingdom and they want a massive pay-per-view event, then look no further than the Gypsy King vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE belt.”
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