If everyone had taken after quarantine king Teddy Perkins and stayed inside in March, seasons three and four of Atlanta might have come out in January 2021 and fall 2021, as was originally intended. That’s no longer the case.
FX head John Landgraf confirmed on Wednesday that the pandemic has shut down production on the Donald Glover-created surreal comedy (one of our favorites of the 2010s). The seasons were going to be shot back-to-back in Atlanta, Georgia, obviously, as well as Europe; out of precaution for the cast and crew’s health, and because shooting availabilities have shifted, Atlanta won’t begin filming again until early 2021.
“The ‘availability’ of the seasons were being pushed back, in part because of when the show could resume production safely, as well as due to the scheduling of the cast to resume working on the longer stretch of production that is two seasons at once,” Variety reports. “Landgraf shared that cast and crew safety was the ‘number one priority’ and that includes not only new practices and procedures, such as testing, social distancing and contract tracing, but also simply giving them access to doctors and epidemiologists.”
There is some good news, though: Landgraf revealed that seasons three and four have already been written. “One of the things that’s been kind of an unexpected boon from COVID-19 is that writers have had a lot of time to write,” he said. “Donald Glover and his intrepid team of partners have written everything for seasons three and four.”
Drinking wine out of a can a decade or more ago would have sounded like pure blasphemy (unless you lived in Europe where the stuff has been sold in cans for a very long time). Today, it’s not only encouraged but has its own set of charms. But like any new/ emerging vertical for beer, wine, and spirits, the market is beginning to get saturated. That’s where we come in.
First, a little more context — single serving or half-bottle cans are the perfect backyard BBQ accompaniment and also make for an easy way to split a bottle of wine with someone. Each can is usually exactly one-half bottle. Keep in mind, a can of wine is not equal to a can of beer when we’re talking ABVs (in most cases). Wine has two to three times the alcohol of your average beer. That’s 12 to 14 percent ABV compared to four to six percent ABV for beer. Just be aware of how many cans you’re downing and balance your intake accordingly.
The eight cans below are all wines that are easily available at most liquor stores and online for delivery. This list is by no means comprehensive. There some niche brands out there that are hard to get unless you’re in the region where they’re produced, so we left those off this list. We also left off the spritzers and fruited wines from this list. In the end, these are straight up classic canned wines that taste good, aren’t too expensive, and are accessible to the neophyte wine drinker.
ABV: 12% Region: Monterey County, CA Average Price per Can:$6
The Wine:
This wine is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes. The juice spent a year in stainless steel tanks resting. The point of the wine is to have a crisp edge next to the depth of a hefty grape and this one hits that mark.
Tasting Notes:
The bubbles are sharp but not overly fizzy. You really get a sense of the fruit with a lean into tart red juices and a very mild hint of sweetness. The sip is light with a fleeting sense of mineral water and grassy notes, making this one very easy-drinking and refreshing.
This Oregon wine pulls its Pinot berries from all over the state, giving it a real sense of Oregon in a can. The wine is simply designed to be a table wine that you can take anywhere with you. It’s a great outdoors wine, especially when you’re camping out and left the corkscrew back at home.
Tasting Notes:
The dark berries are the star of the show. The sip has an echo of Cherry Coke with a hint of pipe tobacco next to the fruit. There’s a wisp of minerals in the background with a velvet mouthfeel that invites you back for more.
BABE Grigio with Bubbles
BABE
ABV: 12% Region: California Average Price per Can:$3.25
The Wine:
This very branded wine is probably the most quaffable one on the list. This fizzy white is made quickly and accessibly to be drunk and enjoyed. The smaller format of the cans also means that you need three of these to equal one bottle of wine.
Tasting Notes:
While this wine is on the thinner side, its bubbles pop with a nice dry fizz. There are hints of sweet melons next to plenty of lemony citrus. The sip has a very slight minerality that leads towards the echo of an apple orchard near the end.
Hogwash California Rosé
Hogwash
ABV: 12% Region: Napa, CA Average Price per Can:$6.25
The Wine:
This is a winemaker who only makes rosé. That makes this California wine very dialed in and probably the most sippable on the list if you’re a rosé fan. The cans again are smaller, meaning you’ll need three to make a full bottle of wine.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of sandy peaches next to blooming wildflowers on a late summer day. A distant note of seaside brine cuts through the sweeter fruit and helps the orange and lemon citrus shine. The end is slightly honeyed with plenty of that zest to keep it light. All of this makes it the perfect sipper year-round.
Tiamo Organic Rose
Tiamo
ABV: 12% Region: Abruzzo, Italy Average Price:$5.49
The Wine:
This wine hails from the coastal regions of Abruzzo. The wine is made from 100 percent Montepulciano grapes from the village of Chieti and feels like Italy in a can, in a good way.
Tasting Notes:
Wildflowers and ripe, red strawberries dominate the nose. The palate leans into orchards full of stone fruit and pears with a grassy underbelly. The sip ends lightly with a bright crispness supported by all the fruit and florals.
Crafters Union Red Blend
Crafters Union
ABV: 13.6% Region: California Average Price per Can:$6
The Wine:
This blend of California wines is what you want from wine in a can. It’s not overly done but has enough body to make it worthwhile as a sipper. It’s also very easy to drink, even with the higher ABVs.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet and tart red berries mix on the nose. The taste edges into vanilla territory with a light sense of jam laced with cinnamon. There’s a wisp of dark cacao powder underneath all the berries that offers a nice change of pace.
Dark Horse Pinot Grigio
Dark Horse
ABV: 13.4% Region: California Average Price per Can:$6
The Wine:
This California wine is a blend of Pinot Grigio, Viognier, and Riesling grapes that’s then blended with an unoaked Chardonnay. The end result is a crushable everyday wine that’s pointedly crisp. The stainless steel aging adds to that lightness without sacrificing the flavors of the grapes involved.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a note of earthiness underneath all the crisp apples, pears, and berries. The sip leans into the fruit while staying light and almost airy. At the end, there’s a very mild sense of butter, adding a nice texture to the wine.
House Wine Rosé
House Wine
ABV: 12% Region: California Average Price per Can:$6
The Wine:
This is probably the most awarded and easily purchasable can of wine on this list. It’s also amongst the best, simply for its drinkability. This can is so popular that House Wine now has 15 different canned wines to choose from with standards like Pinto Noir and new concoctions like the very refreshing Paloma Wine spritz.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of bright florals mingle with ripe berries on the nose. The berries lean towards slightly sweet/slightly tart strawberries with an edge of dried straw. Citrus arrives late to cut through the fruit and bring about a dry and very thirst-quenching end.
While we still await official word on the pricing and release date of the Series X, Xbox made another major announcement on Wednesday with the news that their Xbox All Access program will be expanding and allow gamers to get the Series S or Series X, along with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, for a monthly rate with no money required up front. There will be a 24-month agreement (two years, for those bad at math) required but rather than having to pay $299 or (the rumored) $499 for the console, you can pay $24.99 a month for the Series S or $29.99 a month for the Series X.
The Game Pass Ultimate subscription provides a library of over 100 games for Xbox, PC, and Android mobile devices, and also provides Xbox Game Studio releases the day they come out, such as Halo Infinite, as well as an EA Play membership included starting this holiday season. Those with current Xbox All Access subscriptions can upgrade that to get the next-gen console and pre-order the Series S and Series X through All Access beginning today.
It’s clear that Xbox is looking to swoop in and claim the more casual gamer market with this next-generation release. PlayStation has incredible brand loyalty due to its exclusive titles, but the higher price tag can leave casual gamers behind. Xbox seems to have recognized this and rather than try to compete with Sony to get more exclusive titles, they’re simply making their new system far more accessible to a broader market. From a cheaper, smaller console for those of us that only play a few titles a year and aren’t looking to fork over big money on a console, to this new monthly subscription service that comes with that new console without the upfront cost of hundreds of dollars, Xbox is making some shrewd moves to cultivate a larger marketplace for its system and go down a different path than PlayStation.
Gorillaz have racked up a roster of big names for their Song Machine series so far, and for the latest installment, they’ve called on a legend: The Cure leader Robert Smith joins Damon Albarn and company on “Strange Timez.” The song has an uneasy and alternative energy, which makes the video’s lunar setting all the more appropriate.
The new song kicks off the Song Machine: Season One — Strange Timez tracklist, which was also unveiled today. Artists who appear on songs that haven’t been released yet include Elton John, 6lack, St. Vincent, Beck, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jpegmafia, and Earthgang, among others.
Listen to “Strange Timez” above and find the Song Machine: Season One — Strange Timez tracklist below.
1. “Strange Timez” Feat. Robert Smith
2. “The Valley Of The Pagans” Feat. Beck
3. “The Lost Chord” Feat. Leee John
4. “Pac-Man” Feat. Schoolboy Q
5. “Chalk Tablet Towers” Feat. St. Vincent
6. “The Pink Phantom” Feat. Elton John & 6lack
7. “Aries” Feat. Peter Hook and Georgia
8. “Friday 13th” Feat. Octavian
9. “Dead Butterflies” Feat. Kano & Rosani Arias
10. “Désolé [Extended Version]” Feat. Fatoumata Diawara
11. “Momentary Bliss” Feat. Slowthai and Slaves
12. “Opium” Feat. Earthgang
13. “Simplicity” Feat. Joan As Police Woman
14. “Severed Head” Feat. Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra
15. “With Love to An Ex” Feat. Moonchild Sanelly
16. “MLS” Feat. Jpegmafia and Chai
17. “How Far?” Feat. Tony Allen and Skepta
Song Machine: Season One — Strange Timez is out 10/23 via Parlophone.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Mxmtoon has had an incredibly prolific year. The singer shared her sunny EP Dawn in the spring and announced its follow-up Dusk shortly thereafter. The singer even recently broke ground on her own podcast, 365 Days With Mxmtoon. On top of that, Mxmtoon had the opportunity to collaborate with beloved pop star Carly Rae Jepsen for the tender single “OK On Your Own.”
Armed with a ukulele, Mxmtoon opens with soulful reflections on “OK On Your Own” before a buoyant beat drops. Jepsen’s vocals arrive later, adding dimension to Mxmtoon’s cool-toned delivery.
In a statement about the single, Mxmtoon gushed over the opportunity to work with Jepsen:
“I was beyond excited to work on this track and have it be graced by Carly Rae Jepsen, someone who stands for empowerment and knows the themes of love and loneliness all too well. my hope for the song is that ‘ok on your own’ can let people know that vulnerability is never something to be afraid of, and admitting you need time for yourself and support from a friend is sometimes a necessary step. […] sometimes relationships aren’t meant to work. it’s a bitter reality that many of us come to terms with at one point or another, but we all have to realize our own self worth before letting certain people into our lives! ‘ok on your own’ is your reminder that stepping away from a relationship isn’t a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength!”
Listen to Mxmtoon and Jepsen’s “OK On Your Own” above.
Arcade Fire’s iconic record The Suburbs was released just about ten years ago. Fans have been anxious for more music from the group after vocalist Win Butler teased a few unreleased songs on Instagram. But as the pandemic lockdown continues in many places, it seems that production on new music has come to a halt. To suffice, Butler and Regine Chassagne got together to commemorate a decade of The Suburbs with a stripped-down version of the album’s title track.
Armed with just two guitars, Butler and Chassagne still manage to make their harmonies full. “So can you understand / That I want a daughter while I’m still young? / I want to hold her hand / And show her some beauty before this damage is done,” Butler sings.
Before sharing the acoustic song, Butler’s brother and fellow Arcade Fire member Will Butler shared a few singles off his upcoming solo project, Generations, which will debut at the end of September. In an interview with NME about his record, Will discussed the status of Arcade Fire’s next album, saying he doesn’t expect to be able to continue writing music with the group until after the pandemic: “It takes more logistics to get together. It always took a certain amount of logistics, but right now it’s insurmountable.”
Revisit Uproxx’s The Best Arcade Fire Songs, Ranked here.
In his colorfully animated new video for “Superheroes,” Stormzy salutes all the everyday heroes that make the world go ’round, casting small acts of kindness as superpowers. The latest video from his 2019 album Heavy Is The Head contains a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played the Black Panther in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and provided a big-screen superhero for kids all over the world to look up to.
Among the “superpowers” displayed in the video, Stormzy saves a child from being hit by a car, but then also provides mentorship. Meanwhile, a young woman cooks a meal and cleans up for her elderly neighbor (or grandmother), while Stormzy’s fellow rapper Little Simz inspires another young woman to be confident in her hair. A young man uses his brain power to fill a white board with equations, Stormzy protects another youngster from menacing policemen, and grime star Dave makes a cameo to lead a Black Lives Matter march. The video points out all the ways in which ordinary people can be superheroes and “save the day,” simply by making small differences in the lives of other people. It turns out empathy is the greatest superpower of all.
Watch Stormzy’s “Superheroes” video above.
Stormzy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic has faced heavy criticism in the months since the country was forced into a national lockdown in March. As the number of deaths continue to grow six months later, the president has also frustrated members of the scientific and medical community with his rhetoric downplaying the severity of COVID-19. However, veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s new book, Rage, reveals that Trump openly admitted several times in private that he knows the virus is “deadly,” but he likes “playing it down.”
In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump admitted as far back as February 7 that he knew the exact dangers of the virus, yet still gave public remarks that were in direct conflict with those facts. Via CNN:
“It goes through the air,” Trump said. “That’s always tougher than the touch. You don’t have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed. And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.”
But Trump spent most of the next month saying that the virus was “very much under control” and that cases in the US would “disappear.” Trump said on his trip to India on February 25 that it was “a problem that’s going to go away,” and the next day he predicted the number of US cases “within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.”
Even as the situation worsened in March, Trump continued to make public statements that went against scientific information that he privately acknowledged. For example, the president has known for months that young adults and children are at risk from the virus:
By March 19, when Trump told Woodward he was purposely downplaying the dangers to avoid creating a panic, he also acknowledged the threat to young people. “Just today and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It’s not just old, older. Young people too, plenty of young people,” Trump said.
Publicly, however, Trump has continued to insist just the opposite, saying as recently as August 5 that children were “almost immune.”
In an excerpt from Rage, Woodward agrees with the assessment that February was a “wasted month,” and that the president failed to adequately prepare for the virus and gave the public misleading information that has only furthered its spread.
“Presidents are the executive branch. There was a duty to warn. To listen, to plan, and to take care,” Woodward writes. Instead, Trump minimized the threat “to reassure the public they faced little risk.”
Christopher Osburn has spent the last fifteen years in search of “the best” — or at least his very favorite — sips of whisk(e)y on earth. In the process, he’s enjoyed more whisk(e)y drams than his doctor would dare feel comfortable with, traveled to over 20 countries testing local spirits, and visited more than fifty distilleries.
Simply saying the world “scotch” to a true aficionado conjures up complex imagery. Peat smoke. Copper pot stills. The fog and brine of the rugged coast of Scotland. Fancy gentlemen (usually wearing full beards or well-maintained mustaches) holding up Glencairn glasses as they marvel at the elegant color of their favorite single malts. (This latter image is finally receding into the rearview as the industry strives to diversify.)
But just because 30-year-old bottles of The Balvenie or GlenDronach easily run $1000, doesn’t mean there aren’t great bargains to be had for less than the price of dinner for two at Chipotle. In the past, we’ve talked about bottles of Scotch in the $50 to $200 range. Today, we’re going to lower our price point (as well as our standards) and head on down the lowest shelf at the liquor store.
Here are my personal picks — snatched from deep in my tasting notebook — for the best bottom shelf Scotch whiskies on the market.
You may have heard the name J & B before without really know anything about this blended whisky. The initials stand for Justerini & Brooks. The spirit inside is truly unique (and rare) because of its combination of Italian, English, and Scottish roots. Made from a blend of 42 single malt and grain whiskies, this bargain bottle never disappoints with its mellow, highly mixable flavors.
Tasting Notes:
You might not think of nosing a bottom shelf scotch whisky (especially a blended scotch), but you should. When you take a sniff of this surprisingly balanced whisky, you’ll be met with hints of toasted oak, cinnamon, and sweet cream. The first sip brings forward dried fruits and cooking spices. Sticky toffee pudding and dried orange peel emerge next. The finish is long, warming, with just a sprinkle of spice and subtle smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason bartenders love this bargain bottle. It’s cheap, complex, and easily mixable into your favorite scotch (or American whiskey)-based cocktails.
There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of Highland Queen Scotch. Named for Mary Queen of Scots, this brand has been around since 1893. It’s made by a distillery you probably have heard of: Tullibardine. The Highland Queen Majesty Sherry Finish doesn’t carry any age statement and is shrouded in mystery. Though it’s purported to be finished in sherry butts similar to offerings from higher-end brands like The Macallan, Bowmore, and Ardbeg.
Tasting Notes:
The sweet smell of sherry is prevalent from the very first nose. After that, your senses will be filled with Christmas spices and sweet vanilla. The first sip yields cinnamon, butterscotch, and toasted caramel. The finish is long, smooth, and warming with a final flourish of spicy heat.
Bottom Line:
If you’re on a budget, but you want a whisky that was finished in sherry butt, this is a good pick. While not the greatest sipper on the planet, it will do the trick in a pinch.
Not only is Famous Grouse “famous,” it’s also been the best-selling whisky in Scotland for more than forty years. If that’s not enough to get you to try this bargain blended whisky, we don’t know what will. While it carries no age statement, the malt and grain whiskies included are blended together and rested to create a whisky known for its mellow, drinkable, mixable flavor.
Tasting Notes:
This supremely well-balanced whisky starts with the nose. The first aromas you’re treated to are butterscotch, dried cherries, and cinnamon. The first sip brings rich, toasted oak, creamy vanilla, and sticky toffee pudding. The finish is long, warming, and smooth with a final flourish of caramelized sugar.
Bottom Line:
This expertly crafted blended whisky is perfectly suited for budget sipping in a Glencairn glass, but it’s a better fit in your favorite whisky cocktail.
Classic Cutty Sark, while cheaper, is only 40% ABV. The brand’s Prohibition Edition with its 50% ABV and bold flavor is a much better value for your money. This blended Scotch whisky was created to pay homage to Prohibition bootlegger Captain William McCoy both in its name and its higher alcohol content.
Tasting Notes:
You might think higher ABV means harsher blended whisky. In some cases you’re right, but there’s an exception to every rule. Cutty Sark Prohibition Editions begins with aromas of sweet cream, dried orange peel, and rich cocoa. The first sip brings forth hints of walnuts, sweet caramel, and subtle peppery spice. The finish is long, very warm, and filled with toffee notes followed by subtle astringency.
Bottom Line:
This is the kind of high-alcohol whisky that deserves to be served neat or on the rocks. Open up the flavors with a few drops of water and sit back and enjoy every sip.
This gold medal winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition is matured for a minimum of 12 years in Scotland before being shipped to Bordeaux, France to be bottled by a brand called Bardinet. So… it’s kind of like a Scottish, French whisky. Don’t worry, we’re also confused.
All you need to know is that it’s technically a scotch and it’s crazy cheap for a 12-year-old.
Tasting Notes:
For a scotch that can be purchased for under $20 at some stores, Sir Edward’s 12 deserves to be nosed. The first aromas you’ll be met with are tree nuts, dried orange peel, and honey. The first sip yields brown sugar, subtle spices, anise, and butterscotch. The finish is long, warming, and filled with toasted oak and subtle smoke.
Bottom Line:
While this whisky was aged for 12 years, it’s still better utilized as a mixer than a sipper. It’s not the harshest sipping whisky, but it shines much brighter in cocktails.
This award-winning whisky is double barrel matured to create a unique, complex, bargain bottle. It’s first aged in new, charred American oak casks before being moved into first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It carries no age statement but is made from whisky distilled at one of the brands owned by William Grant and Sons before being bottled in England.
Tasting Notes:
This is truly bargain bottle — starting with whiffs of dried fruits, sticky toffee, and butterscotch. The first sip brings forward cinnamon, sweet cream, toasted honey, and sweet vanilla. The finish is mellow, medium in length, and ends with a hint of pleasing spicy heat.
Bottom Line:
While you probably want to save the higher-end whiskies for sipping, if you’re ever going to find a really cheap bottle to drink neat, this is it.
Also on the list are common NBA coaching candidates like Sixers assistant Ime Udoka, Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, and newly-demoted Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn, in addition to newer names like Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee and Miami’s Dan Craig and Chris Quinn.
For the most part, though, it seems like Indiana is casting a pretty wide net in the search for its next head coach. The NBA has a ton of highly qualified and smart assistant coaches who could take the Pacers to the next level after five straight first-round playoff exits in the Eastern Conference.
When McMillan was dismissed, reports indicated Indiana would target a coach like Mike D’Antoni who could improve the team’s offense. While D’Antoni’s availability is unknown with the Rockets in the middle of a second-round battle with the Lakers, other creative offensive coaches like Joerger, Hammon, and Vaughn will give the Pacers some new perspective about their team as they conduct a wide-ranging search.
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