Category: Viral

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 massive tribute album to Metallica’s self-titled LP, Ryan Pollie’s first new single in two years, and another taste of the forthcoming album from Illuminati Hotties. 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.

Metallica – The Metallica Blacklist

2021 marks 30 years since the release of Metallica’s legendary self-titled fifth album, and the band is celebrating the occasion with an absolutely massive compilation of covers from some of the world’s biggest — as well as the most promising — artists. The Metallica Blacklist features 50+ renditions of classic cuts from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Mac DeMarco, Rina Sawayama, Weezer, Jason Isbell, St. Vincent, Pup, Corey Taylor, Cage The Elephant, J Balvin, Moses Sumney, The Neptunes, Portugal The Man, Phoebe Bridgers, My Morning Jacket, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Idles, and Kamasi Washington.

Sleigh Bells – Texis

Sleigh Bells have been quiet since the release of their 2017 Kid Kruschev EP, but now the veteran noise-pop duo is back with an all new collection of distorted cuts in the form of Texis. “We stopped worrying about whether or not we’re in or out of our comfort zone, or if we were being repetitive or formulaic,” producer/guitarist Derek Miller said in a statement. The resulting effort is something uniquely Sleigh Bells, and indicative of their raw power as a duo.

Park Hye Jin – Before I Die

On her debut album, Park Hye Jin dials into something almost intangible, alternating between Korean and English across its 15 tracks. Before I Die creates a unique sonic world rife with skittering beats and melodic vocals which demonstrates the DJ, singer, rapper, and producer’s incredible knack for musical world building.

Amyl & The Sniffers – Comfort To Me

There’s not a ton of tried-and-true snotty punk rock going around these days. Australian firebrands Amyl & The Sniffers caught my attention with their ferocious self-titled debut back in 2019, a collection of ferocious punk songs reminiscent of bands like The Germs (with better vocal performances). On their sophomore album, Comfort To Me, Amyl & The Sniffers throw a layer of polish onto their brash sound and dial into some impressive, yet still volatile, melodic hooks.

mxmtoon – True Colors

Earlier this year, indie-pop phenom mxmtoon announced that she would be serving as the singing voice for Alex Chen, in the latest entry of the critically-acclaimed video game series, Life Is Strange: True Colors. In conjunction with the game’s release, mxmtoon has shared four tracks that she sings within the game’s narrative, another exciting entry in the increasingly impressive resume of the songwriter.

Low – Hey, What

According to Steven Hyden in a recent issue of the Indie Mixtape newsletter, long-running Minnesota outfit Low “has effectively mined narrow sonic terrain for decades — they either make really pretty slow-paced guitar music, or relatively aggressive slow-paced music.” But the band’s 2018 LP Double Negative sent them on a whole new sonic adventure toward a more experimental sound, a trend that continues on their new album Hey What, which finds Low perfecting the balance between noise and ambiance for something truly beautiful.

King Krule – You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down

King Krule’s new live album was pieced together from the lone trio of shows that Archy Marshall was able to perform in 2020 before the pandemic forced him to cancel his extensive tour. Even so, You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down serves as a document of an artist ready to take the leap into stardom. The songs here are completely reimagined from their studio versions, a representation of the vitality and necessity of live music.

Gully Boys – Favorite Son EP

Just a few weeks after sharing the single “The Way,” Gully Boys have unleashed their new EP. At just five tracks, Favorite Son hearkens back to the ethos and excitement of Riot Grrrl, espousing the message of rage in the patriarchy, but never at the expense melody and driving instrumentation. As they head out on the road this fall, keep your eye on Gully Boys.

Ryan Pollie – “The Shore House”

Ryan Pollie’s first new song in two years kicks off like a ’70s pop ballad. Featuring a string quartet and a lonely harpist, as well as some conceptual foley work from a desk bell and a gym whistle, “The Shore House” is a track inspired by Pollie’s own father, telling the story of a man raising a family in the suburbs, all the while wishing that they would have the same freewheeling youth that he did as a kid on the shore.

Angel Du$t – “Big Bite”

Angel Du$t’s new music doesn’t really sound anything like their old music. What started as a hardcore band and pivoted to melodic acoustic rock has now morphed into a driving power pop outfit. “People get really married to the idea of making a record that sounds like the same band,” vocalist / guitarist Justice Tripp explained in a statement. “If one song to the next doesn’t sound like it’s coming from the same band, I’m ok with that.” “Big Bite” is the first preview of the band’s forthcoming LP AK: A Collection Of Truck Songs, which has the band setting their sights on something completely new.

Illuminati Hotties – “Threatening Each Other Re: Capitalism”

Illuminati Hotties’ anticipated new LP Let Me Do One More is still a few weeks away, but they haven’t been shy about sharing new music in its lead-up. “Threatening Each Other Re: Capitalism” is the latest offering from the album, which Rachel Brodsky calls for Uproxx a “mild-mannered” track that “plays out much more chill than its title suggests.”

Super American – “RIP Jeff”

Buffalo, New York alternative rockers Super American are prepping their new album Sup, and the new track “RIP Jeff” is essentially about ego death, identifying the parts of your psyche that hold you back and finding ways to push them away. It’s a relatively mellow track featuring clean guitars and melodic vocals, which enable the listener to really dig into the lyrics, which the band said in a statement are about “wanting so desperately to be a better and happier person while having innumerable thoughts crashing into each other simultaneously from every direction in your brain at all hours of the day and then looking around and realizing most people are probably not thinking about any single thing at all and wishing you could do the same.”

Save Face – “Bury Me (Tonight!)”

I think I played a show with New Jersey’s Save Face once in a past life. Once a local pop-punk band, Save Face is now signed to Epitaph, and “Bury Me (Tonight!),” the lead single from their forthcoming album Another Kill For The Highlight Reel, incorporates the operatic drama of the best My Chemical Romance songs with absolutely massive production from The Movielife’s Brett Romnes, anthemic guitars, and pummeling percussion.

Blush Cameron – “Julietta”

Blush Cameron is one of my favorite up-start projects. It’s the endeavor of songwriter Geoff Webb, a solo writer/producer who creates everything in his bedroom, but the DIY limitations don’t apply to the songwriting here, with massive hooks that will remain stuck in your head for days if not weeks. “Julietta” is the latest self-released single, a lo-fi power-pop masterpiece.

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

Stephen Colbert and The Late Show crew couldn’t help but have a little fun with Kim Jong-Un’s weight loss on Monday night. The North Korean dictator has been noticeably looking less plump as of late, so The Late Show decided to jump to the inevitable next step in Kim’s weight loss journey: Shilling his own workout video.

In a parody video for “Uns of Steel,” Kim promises his subjects that they can achieve the same head-turning results as their Dear Leader if they order today:

Greetings glorious people, it is me, Kim Jong-Un. You may not recognize me because I am now the hottie with the body. And now you too can achieve the same glorious results with my new workout video: Uns of Steel.

When one catches a glimpse of your glorious melon, they will say “Pyeong-Dang.” So order Uns of Steel today and get a one year supply of my Nutri-Shake: Kim-Fast.

While the “Uns of Steel” gag is great, nothing can top the beginning of the clip where Colbert aired actual footage of Fox News host Rachel Campos literally gushing about Kim Jong-Un’s new look. The anchor even went so far to say that the North Korean dictator “looks better than our president,” which is an objectively weird thing to say.

One, Campos is praising a fascist dictator who routinely threatens to nuke the U.S. Two, Biden is decades years older than Kim Jong-Un. Looking better than an almost octogenarian is kind of a low bar, don’t you think?

The Met Gala is a glamorous affair with impossibly attractive people in fancy clothes paying $30,000 to attend — and eat food that’s reminding people of the Fyre Festival. You never, in any circumstance, want to remind people of the Fyre Festival.

Keke Palmer hosted the red carpet live stream for this year’s event (the theme: “In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion,” whatever that means), and when the Hustlers actress wasn’t comparing herself to Will Ferrell characters (“I’m like Ron Burgundy, just put it in the prompter and I’m good”), she was taking photos of the grub.

“Give us all the teaaaa! What’s on the menu? Who sniffing a lil under the table?” a Twitter follower requested of Palmer when she was inside the event. She did not disappoint. “The menu chile,” she tweeted, along with a photo of a meager pile of vegetables on a large plate. The caption on the photo: “This why they don’t show y’all the food. I’m just playinnnn.” That was followed by the eyes emoji.

Leading up to the annual fashion extravaganza carefully curated by Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the fashion magazine published a piece noting that, for the first time in Met Gala history, the food dished out to attendees would be totally plant-based with a focus on sustainability.

I’m sure the food tasted better than it looks in Palmer’s photo, and the plant-based concept is an environmentally-friendly concept from many talented chefs. But at the same time, maybe add one hot dog to the menu next year. For Teyana Taylor’s sake.

(Via Insider)

This week in pop music saw new music from some of today’s biggest pop artists. Ed Sheeran offered a new tune, Kacey Musgraves dropped her highly anticipated album, and SZA shared an affecting track for a movie soundtrack.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Ed Sheeran — “Shivers”

Ed Sheeran is one of the most successful pop stars of the last decade, and his new single “Shivers” displays his talent for writing catchy, chart-climbing hits. The track is a wonderfully buoyant anthem about a new crush and marks the third song Sheeran has shared ahead of his upcoming album =, which is slated for a late-October release.

Kacey Musgraves — “Simple Times”

With her new album Star-Crossed, Kacey Musgraves is back and better than ever. Her LP, which fans have been calling her “divorce album,” includes the track “Simple Times,” a subdued reflection on the relatable feeling of nostalgia for the youthful days of lipgloss and mall visits with friends.

SZA — “The Anonymous Ones”

Fans have been patiently waiting any news about a new album from SZA. While the singer is still keeping her fans at bay for a full-length release, SZA did share an emotional tune for the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack. “Anonymous Ones” sees the singer attempting to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight as she sings of putting her burdens behind her.

Lana Del Rey — “Arcadia”

Lana Del Rey has finally set a solid release date for her LP Blue Banisters, which she confirmed with the swooning single “Arcadia.” The track sees the singer returning to her “Video Game” days, delivering a quiet piano ballad featuring veiled lyrics that detail her rise to fame through her journey moving to LA. “I’ve never felt the need to promote myself or tell my story, but if you’re interested this album does tell it- and does pretty much nothing more,” Del Rey said about the upcoming album alongside “Arcadia.”

Chlöe — “Have Mercy”

After much teasing, Chloe x Halle singer Chlöe officially kicks off her solo career with the sultry single “Have Mercy.” A strong solo debut, the song proves Chlöe is a force to be reckoned. The empowering anthem showcases Chlöe’s confidence through her boastful lyrics and honeyed vocals, making fans excited to see what’s next from the singer.

Troye Sivan — “Angel Baby”

For his first new track of 2021, Troye Sivan goes full ’90s love ballad. His new track “Angel Baby” is a synth-heavy crush song that daydreams about the perfect romantic partner. “‘Angel Baby’ is my crack at an adoring, doting, love struck, mega pop, gay, power ballad. I thought we needed a few more of those,” Sivan said about his new release.

Sabrina Carpenter — “Skinny Dipping”

Offering up her second song of the year, Sabrina Carpenter puts her past behind her with her poetic single “Skinny Dipping.” The song showcases Carpenter’s cathartic songwriting, detailing a hopeful story of reigniting a past flame over a wistful guitar. “One day we’ll be older and see our past experiences with such fresh eyes that maybe the bad things won’t feel so bad, and trust that life will lead us exactly where we’re meant to be,” Carpenter said about the song in a statement.

Remi Wolf — “Sexy Villain”

Whether its self-sabotage or at the expense of another, we can all be sexy villains at one point or another. Remi Wolf knows this all too well, so she transformed her personal woes into an addictive pop tune. Showcasing her whimsical songwriting, the new track further previews her upcoming debut album Juno, proving that her listeners are in store for a playful and catchy LP.

Lisa — “Lalisa”

K-pop star Lisa is the latest Blackpink member to pivot to a solo career this week with her debut single “Lalisa.” With thumping bass and playful lyrics, it’s no surprise Lisa’s fanbase jumped on board with the track and made the video rack up over 50 million views in just 12 hours on YouTube.

R3hab, Jonas Blue — “Sad Boy” Feat. Ava Max, Kylie Cantrall

R3hab, Jonas Blue, Ava Max, and Kylie Cantrall joined forces this week for the radio-ready hit “Sad Boy.” The electric earworm is everything you’d want in a pop collaboration: A fluttering beat drop, empowering lyrics, and Max and Cantrall sugarcoated vocals. “This song is all about having a crush on that dark, mysterious person people may not expect,” Max said about the new track.

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

UK DIY upstart PinkPantheress has shared a new video for her bouncy single “Just For Me.” The brief clip, which is co-directed by the singer, shows PinkPantheress hosting a subdued live show. Against a stark white background, a small audience watches, and some members embrace. There’s also lots of ancient technology present, including CDs and flip phones. Just enough to make an elder millennial start digging their own grave. Just kidding — the video is just as much fun as the rapid-fire pop track, which PinkPantheress has described as “a song based around unhealthy obsession and is almost a part two to pain.”

PinkPantheress remains a largely anonymous pop breakout; according to a few interviews she’s done, the songs she’s released were written in her college dorm in London (“I have my uni work to do, and I didn’t have the luxury of a recording studio or ‘creative me-time,’” she’s said). Aesthetically, PinkPantheress draws significant influence from Lily Allen, ’90s and ’00s pop and punk acts, and K-pop. “A lot of my melody choices are from pop-punk bands like Blink-182 and Good Charlotte,” she told Dazed. “Some of the more complex melodies derive from early Panic! At The Disco, the beat choices are inspired by a lot of K-pop, Linkin Park, Frou Frou, and British dance music.”

Watch the “Just For Me” video above.

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

It has been almost two years since Compton rapper Roddy Ricch made his impressive debut with Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. Released through Atlantic in 2019, the album spawned the runaway hit “The Box,” making Roddy a household name at just 20 years old. Since then, though, it’s been relatively quiet on the “new music” front, as he made rare appearances as a featured rapper in 2020 — most notably on DaBaby’s No. 1 hit “Rockstar” — but this year, he’s shown signs that his follow-up album is on the way, releasing the Mustard-produced single “Late At Night” in June with a “Thriller”-inspired music video.

Last night, he gave the first major indication of what’s to come, posting a cryptic photo to his Instagram Story that appeared to reveal the title of the upcoming project. A screenshot of what looks like a streaming upload reads “RR LIVE LIFE FA$T,” which some have interpreted as the album’s title: Live Life Fast.

In addition to promoting this mysterious new project, Roddy has busied himself making guest appearances throughout the year. So far, he’s appeared on 42 Dugg’s “4 Da Gang,” DJ Khaled’s “Body In Motion” with Lil Baby and Bryson Tiller, “Stunnaman” with Birdman and Lil Wayne, and on Kanye West’s “Pure Souls” from Donda.

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

Is there anything more badass than walking out of a restaurant when you’re asked to show a photo ID with your COVID vaccination card? Not if you’re Fox News host Bill Hemmer.

On Monday, as Mediaite notes, Hemmer and his “America’s Newsroom” co-host Dana Perino were discussing the various mandates being put in place by New York City restaurants in order to protect restaurant workers and diners from COVID. But this being Fox News, it was only a matter of time before the “news” became personal—and braggadocious, with Hemmer sharing this spellbinding tale:

“I popped into a restaurant three weeks ago. I said, ‘I don’t have my vaccination card but I do have an app,’ so I downloaded that and I showed it to them. And they said, ‘Sir, can we see something with your name on it?’ I said, ‘Here’s my Amex, here’s my Visa.’ And they said, ‘Sir, can we see a card with your picture on it?’”

While Perino wanted to know if he showed them his Fox News badge—which, besides a license or any other piece of photo ID any regular human carries around with them—would have been the logical thing to do in response, Hemmer, rule-breaker that he is, showed the restaurant worker a thing or two… by walking out.

“I turned around and walked out!” Hemmer explained. “‘You guys can have it. Good luck.’ The joint was empty.”

It’s not quite clear why Hemmer would take the trouble to download an app to prove his vaccination status, then reach into his pocket and show more than one credit card—but then become indignant when asked to show something with his picture on it. But he somehow thought it was an interesting enough yarn to share it with viewers.

Greta Thunberg’s got nothing on Bill Hemmer.

(Via Mediaite)

The late summer sun beat down on those lined to enter Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 for the first time in over two years, creating a sense of anticipation not only to enter the gates, but to find a spot to take shelter from the unusually warm September afternoon. As soon as the doors opened, any thoughts of discomfort were instantly curbed by the excitement of the return of the veteran indie festival.

During the three-day event, thousands of music lovers were reminded of the collective euphoria of what the pandemic made us sorely miss; the cathartic, joyous, and albeit at times frustratingly claustrophobic experience of witnessing your favorite band perform to a crowd of equally-dedicated fans. And with more band tees than designer outfits seen at the event coupled with headliners Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, and Erykah Badu, music is still at the forefront of the Chicago festival.

Pitchfork Music Festival’s 15th iteration took place over the weekend of September 10-12. While the canceled 2020 event was slated to be their anniversary celebration, this year was still made special. The annual Chicago festival takes place in West Loop’s Union Park and has always made music their top priority. This year was no different, with the festival being one of the only in the country to achieve 50/50 gender equality in their lineup. For a band, playing at Pitchfork also acts as a caliber for “making it” in indie music, a sentiment early afternoon bands would often remark on stage. Bartees Strange was one of the first to perform on Saturday. Drawing an impressively-sized crowd for an early spot, Strange announced it had always been a dream of his to play the festival, a feeling echoed by Chicago’s Divino Niño, who noted they have aspired to take the stage at Pitchfork for over a decade.

The weekend was jam-packed with amazing performances from Faye Webster to Caroline Polachek. But Danny Brown’s Sunday set perfectly encapsulated the experience of returning to a large-scale festival after being confined in our homes for a year. He was, as we all were, a little rusty. Brown no doubt put on a wildly fun show, but because he hadn’t performed in a while, there were times he would stop his set after forgetting his lyrics. He joked that while his fans may have sat around in quarantine listening to his songs, if he had done the same we should “call a therapist.” Despite the hiccups, the rapper constantly reminded the crowd how overjoyed he was to be there, proving that enduring discomfort was well-worth the experience.

And endure discomfort we did. After being around no more than a handful of people at a time for over a year, getting thrown into a tightly-packed festival full of thousands was jarring to say the least. Excitement about the idea of spending three days seeing live music shrouded the reality that it would also mean three days of using unsightly portable bathrooms at a time when we’re constantly reminded of the danger of germs. The dirt-covered grounds of Union Park coupled with a constant stampede of people lent itself to an incessant layer of lingering brown dust, turning unlucky festival goers’ white t-shirts to a mousy brown in the matter of a few minutes. Lines for the water bottle refill stations were never less than 15 minutes long, and the small handful of food vendors providing meals to the entire festival created such long wait times that going without dinner was not uncommon.

But the lack of creature comforts aside, the dusty, sweltering, three-day event was a reminder of the connective power of live music — and proved what people will endure for the collective joy of seeing their favorite bands on stage. Though we were all covered in a thin layer of dirt, people still simultaneously thrashed to Dogleg and Oso Oso, danced to Kelly Lee Owens and Yaeji, swooned at Jamila Woods and Erykah Badu, cried at Big Thief and Waxhahatchee, and were stunned by rock goddesses St. Vincent and Kim Gordon.

Pitchfork’s lineup is curated with the website’s editorial coverage in mind, but although the publication now calls NYC its home, Pitchfork Music Festival is still a Chicago event through-and-through. Ubiquitous Chicago beer company Goose Island cleverly turned a CTA train car into a walk-up bar, and even collaborated with Faye Webster for a peach-flavored lager inspired by her Better Distractions album. Local radio station Chirp FM hosted a record fair inviting local record stores and indie labels to sell vinyl and merchandise. A section of the grounds were even dedicated to local and national poster artists, who displayed their concert poster art and conversed about their favorite indie bands.

The only mention of Pitchfork’s website itself came in the form of a tongue-in-cheek comment during St. Vincent’s show-stopping headlining performance inspired by the ‘70s, flower child world of her Daddy’s Home album. A ringing vintage phone was answered by St. Vincent on stage, who pretended she was talking to her sister on the other line. The singer said she was at Pitchfork, then held the phone up to the crowd so the other line could hear the shouts of thousands watching her set. St. Vincent told the crowd that their screams were only “rated a 6.7,” and could be better, a brazen nod to the score Pitchfork rated her Daddy’s Home album.

After a full weekend of incredible music, Erykah Badu’s magnificent voice serenaded Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 to a cathartic close. Once the doors had officially shut, attendees left Union Park exhausted but still buzzing from the experience. Now left with sore feet and a camera roll full of precious memories, fans are already anticipating next year’s event — as long as they remember to bring extra hand sanitizer.

Check out Uproxx’s full 2021 festival coverage here.

The 2021 Met Gala certainly wasn’t a stuffy event, and much of that was due to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez distracting (as well as both thrilling and outraging) people with her “Tax The Rich” dress. The gown, designed by Aurora James (founder of Brother Vellies, a Black-owned business out of Brooklyn), carried an explicit message, of course, but AOC clarified to reporters that “I think it’s time we bring all classes into the conversation” of a “fair tax code.” And that message was visible in walk-away mode.

Naturally, some people didn’t dig this dress, which appears to have been intended to cause a messy reaction. AOC wrote on Instagram that she was “proud” to wear this dress by James, “as a sustainably focused, Black woman immigrant designer who went from starting her dream @brothervellies at a flea market in Brooklyn to winning the @cfda against all odds.” And yep, this was a “borrowed” garment.

However, two outspoken right-wing voices didn’t approve of the message or its presentation. Rootin’ tootin Lauren Boebert tweeted her disdain for “hypocrites” with shade about mask-wearing, too: “Good Morning to everyone except those who spent last night at a $35,000 per person event with unmasked celebrity hypocrites wearing a tacky dress to fight ‘wealth inequality.’”

Whereas Fox News commentator Tomi Lahren tagged AOC, calling her “tone deaf.” Tomi added, “This party is full of clowns. It’s embarrassing.”

Naturally, Boebert and Lauren both did not fare well in the reply department.

As other people Twitter suggested, however, AOC was probably calling out hypocrisy rather than being hypocritical herself, so “the hypocrisy is the point.”

On her quest to re-record her back catalog, Taylor Swift has earned plenty of supporters along the way. Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl is on board, and in fact, he actually once tried to do something similar.

A new Rolling Stone feature on Grohl and Foo Fighters includes an anecdote about Grohl at a party, speaking with a musician who plays with Swift. The artist told Grohl about Swift’s current mission to re-record her albums and the reasons behind it. A “deeply impressed” Grohl said of Swift’s re-recording process, “Like, f*ck yeah, girl. Hell hath no fury. Now I’m scared of her! I would be so nerdy and into it. I think it’s so much fun.”

He also noted that he once tried to do something similar and enlist the current iteration of Foo Fighters re-record the band’s 1995 self-titled album, which Grohl had recorded by himself over the course of a few days. However, the band’s wasn’t feeling the idea: “I was really into it. I was like, ‘It would sound like Styx, you know, instead of like a f*cking garage recording.’ Everyone was like, ‘No f*cking way, dude. People will wipe their asses with that.’”

Check out the full feature here.