As we arrive at the midway point of the 2024 NFL season, and there are very different vibes in the NFC and AFC when it comes to the playoff race. In the AFC, the top teams have already separated from the pack. There are really only nine teams that qualify as “in the hunt” for the seven playoff spots, with the Bills, Chiefs, and Texans in commanding leads already in their divisions. In the NFC, it’s much more condensed with 11 teams at .500 or better and two more teams at 3-4. Only the Saints, Panthers, and Giants feel firmly out of the hunt, and no team holds more than a 1-game advantage in their division. As we shift towards the second half of the season, we’ll have to see if anyone can create separation in the NFC, while in the AFC, we might know the seven playoff teams by Christmas.
Primetime Game of the Week: Buccaneers at Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday Night Football, ESPN)
It’s not the best primetime slate this week, but Monday Night Football will bring the game that has the most potential for fun. The Bucs have been in shootouts seemingly every week, with six of their eight games finishing with point totals of 49 or more, including last week when both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were out. Now, they welcome in an undefeated Chiefs team that has been dragging teams into the mud each week and asking them to out-execute Patrick Mahomes and company late in games. No one’s been able to do that yet, and if there were ever a time for the Chiefs offense to breakout for a big scoring week, it’s against a Bucs team that is giving up a ton of points this season.
Sunday Funday Game of the Week: Lions at Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX)
The NFC North is the best division in football by a healthy margin, and the best game of the week pits the top two teams in that division against each other. The Lions have been an absolute buzzsaw, but Jared Goff tweaked an ankle in practice and we’ll have to see if that has any impact on his movement on Sunday. The Packers, meanwhile, just keep finding ways to win games. It’s not always pretty, but here they are at 6-2 and can move into first in the division with a win over Detroit. I expect a fun one in Lambeau, where the elements might play a role, as the forecast calls for a high of 51, rain, and winds at 14 miles per hour.
Under the Radar Banger: Chargers at Browns (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
If you’re a fan of defense, this is the game for you this week. The Browns defense held the Ravens explosive offense to 24 last week and there’s suddenly some juice in Cleveland with Jameis Winston under center on offense. The Chargers, meanwhile, have been the stingiest defense in football this season, allowing just 13 points per game and are fully committed to playing Har-ball on offense, which is to say, running the ball and working clock. I’m not sure this will be a game that you’ll want to lock in on for all 60 minutes, but I do expect it to be tight in the fourth quarter and watching both of these offenses trying to score in crunch time should be fascinating and/or hilarious to watch.
Who Won The MVP Last Week: Jameis Winston
Deshaun Watson has never thrown for a 300 yard game as a member of the Browns and Jameis Winston stepped in and did that in his first game starting, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns to beat the rival Ravens (and lead the league in passing for the week). Now, it should be said that, being Jameis, he did actively try to throw multiple interceptions that the Ravens dropped (including one by Kyle Hamilton that would’ve won the game for Baltimore), but that’s all part of the experience. Having a quarterback with some life in his arm and a willingness to trust a read and throw it was all it took for the Browns offense to come back to life.
Best Bet (4-4): Saints at Panthers OVER 43.5 (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS)
We will be betting NFC South Overs until proven otherwise. We smashed it last week in Falcons-Bucs and we’re going right back to the well with Saints-Panthers. The Saints went over this number by themselves in Week 1 against Carolina, and while I know neither of these offenses have looked great of late, their defenses are both bad enough to give up points — especially the Panthers. The only teams not to score 28 on the Panthers this season are the Chargers and Raiders (who both still scored 26 and 22 respectively), and those two teams actively hate the concept of scoring points. Derek Carr is back and I know Saints fans don’t love him, but he can carve up this Panthers team and I expect New Orleans to get into the 30s and for Carolina to do enough themselves to take us home.
A Google search of Reddit posts mentioning both Nintendo and Spotify yields over 24 million results. On at least the first couple pages, many of the posts are by people wondering why the heck Nintendo hasn’t made its music library, its decades of classic video game soundtracks, available on Spotify or other streaming platforms: They already have the music, it’d be easy money!
Now, there’s a new option, and it’s direct from Nintendo: Last night (October 30), the company announced Nintendo Music, a new app for phones and smart devices that’s available right now. It’s cheap, too: It’s only available to users with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which might be Thwomp groan-inducing at first. But, that’s less than $2 a month if you’re on an annual plan, and anybody who would be interested in Nintendo Music likely already has NSO anyway.
Nintendo Music is what it sounds like: an app for listening to Nintendo music. At first glance, the user interface looks essentially like a direct copy of Spotify (albeit with more Yoshi). So, here’s a question: Why did Nintendo take the time to create their own Spotify, instead of just putting their music on existing streaming platforms? Instead of speculating about the thoughts of people I don’t know, here’s a better question: What are the evident appeals of each approach?
Let’s start with Nintendo just putting its years of Mario and Zelda music up on Spotify. That would have certainly been the easier, low-lift approach from Nintendo: Just click the “upload” button and wait for the pennies of royalties to start rolling in. From a user’s perspective, this would have meant one less app to juggle, and it would have been effortless to integrate the Splatoon soundtrack with their existing music library.
On top of that, having Nintendo music on Spotify would mean it’d be part of the platform’s ecosystem of intricacies. It could participate in the AI playlist feature, so users could find non-game music that’s similar in nature. Users could get game-inclusive “daylists.” Animal Crossing could dominate your Spotify Wrapped!
Now, onto the pros of Nintendo doing its own thing, and this is the time to highlight how Nintendo Music is setting itself apart from Spotify: with bespoke features that are specific to game music.
Perhaps the most notable feature is the ability to extend the length of some songs. It’s not just playing the same three-minute track on a loop, but it actually makes a longer version of the song, so it sounds like how it would if you just stayed in a game level for an extended time and just listened to the music. I know I’ve lingered on a game screen for an extra beat because I was digging the music, and this feature speaks to that part of me.
As I write this, I’m playing “Aquatic Ambiance” from Donkey Kong Country: not the default 3-minute-27-second version, but the hour-long version. A few minutes in, I forgot I was listening to it, which illustrates the value of video game music as background music. Especially in its extended form, these songs are perfect for setting a mood and keeping you in them without distraction, for essentially as long as you’d like, without moving on to a new song or the current song noticeably looping. It’s a seamless and unobtrusive experience.
(Important to note, though, is that not all songs have extended versions: I was really hoping the upbeat “Becoming Stronger” from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet did, but it sure doesn’t.)
Another unique, gamer-focused feature is spoiler prevention, which allows users to filter out music from certain games, such as ones they haven’t played yet and therefore don’t want to hear from. This and the extended songs are examples of things Nintendo couldn’t have done, or at least couldn’t have had as much control over as they’d like, had they gone the traditional streaming route.
This is also just a very Nintendo thing to do: Fans have been clamoring for news of a Switch successor, so naturally, Nintendo… released an alarm clock and then a music app. It’s another classic example of Nintendo’s signature unpredictability and whimsy.
Nintendo is keen on keeping tight control over its intellectual property. Never again would they be burned by third parties after the questionable live-action Mario movie from 1993, or the laughable Zelda CD-i games, which also first arrived in 1993. So, if Nintendo was going to officially release its music, it was inevitable that it would be via a mechanism like this. There are some drawbacks to the walled garden approach, yes, but ultimately, Nintendo Music is a perfect fit for its target audience.
Bartees Strange has a new album called Horror coming in February, but he couldn’t let Halloween pass without delivering something. So, today, he shared a new single, “Too Much.” The song itself isn’t particularly creepy, but Bartees went all in on the video, as the grainy, black-and-white clip sees Bartees playing the song as he navigates a haunted house.
Bartees says of the song in a statement, “This is the sonic thesis of the album. I feel like if you like this you’ll love everything else. This record is about things that scare me. And this song is about that feeling of being overwhelmed by life. This song is about those feelings. Too much to hold, Heaven to touch.”
He also says of the album:
“In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too. For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”
Listen to “Too Much” above.
Horror is out 2/14/2025 via 4AD. Find more information here.
Each week our staff of film and television experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
You might know Brian Jordan Alvarez from his videos on TikTok and Instagram as TJ Mack, the singer of earworm “Sitting.” He’s also the star and creator of English Teacher, about a teacher who “often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional, and political aspects of working at a high school. Evan wants to be a principled person but often runs into trouble because of it.” His first lesson to his students: sitting is the opposite of standing.
The acclaimed anime Dan Da Dan is about Momo, a high school girl from a family of spirit mediums, and her classmate / occult fanatic Okarun, who begin talking after she saves him from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them: Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts. It’s a real Mulder and Scully dynamic, if they were both Mulder (and there was a Turbo Granny). Dan Da Dan, which is getting a weekly release, comes from animation studio Science Saru, who also made last year’s shockingly good Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar-winning director of Children Men, Y tu mamá también (big week for the YTMT freaks out there!), and the best Harry Potter movie, is back with his first new project in six years. Disclaimer stars Cate Blanchett as a journalist who receives a mysterious book in the mail that threatens to reveal her darkest secrets. The ensemble cast of the psychological thriller, which is told over seven chapters, also includes Kevin Kline, Kodi Smit-McPhee, HoYeon Jung, Louis Partridge, Lesley Manville, and Leila George. It’s just nice to have a new anything from Cuarón.
I’m sorry, but the only thing we should be talking about is how there’s a new show starring Bruce Campbell (yes) set during the Satanic Panic 1980s (yes yes) about a struggling metal band that pretends to be devil worshippers to become more popular (yes yes YES). Also, the group’s name is Dethkrunch (g*d yes). Hysteria was created by Matthew Scott Kane and is executive produced by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the duo behind last year’s excellent Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Bill Lawrence might be rebooting Scrubs, and working on more Ted Lasso, and he has big plans for Bad Monkey season 2, but for now, he — and fellow creators Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein — is focused on Shrinking. The mental health comedy returns for another season with Segel as grieving therapist Jimmy and Harrison Ford as his cranky co-worker Paul. But the show’s real MVP is Jessica Williams.
What’s Anna Kendrick been up to lately? Besides raking in “Cups” residuals, she also directed her first movie. Woman of the Hour looks back on the time that a real-life serial killer, Rodney Alcaca, appeared as a contestant on 1970s-era The Dating Game. Kendrick also stars as aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw, who was unlucky enough to pick Alcaca as her date. Woman of the Hour “explores the way women navigate a world of violent men,” and it’s terrifying because it’s so real.
It’s the final season for one of TV’s sweetest shows. Somebody Somewhere follows Kansas resident Sam Miller (played by Bridget Everett), who goes on a journey of self-acceptance and finds “a community of outsiders who don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible,” according to the Max logline. “In season 3, we see growth against all odds.”
Sam Raimi hasn’t directed a horror movie since 2009’s delightfully nasty Drag Me to Hell, but he’s been a busy producer. The Evil Dead filmmaker is attached to a bunch of recent horror favorites, including Don’t Breathe and Crawl. His latest is Don’t Move, about a grieving woman (played by Kelsey Asbille) who is injected with a paralytic drug by a stranger on a hiking trail. She has 20 minutes to reach safety before her body shuts down, all while her pursuer is on her tail. Don’t Move is directed by Adam Schindler and Brian Netto.
The whole based-on-a-video-game thing worked out for Prime Video with Fallout. The streamer hopes to go two for two with Like a Dragon: Yakuza. The action-drama about the dark underworld of the yakuza takes place in two timelines: 1995, where Kiryu (played by Ryoma Takeuchi) and his friends Nishiki, Yumi, and Miho plan a heist at a yakuza-controlled arcade in Kamurocho, and 2005, after Kiryu is released from prison and returns to Kamurocho to protect his former friends. Or so he thinks.
The fourth Despicable Me movie — and sixth overall in the highest-grossing animated film franchise of all-time — welcomes Gru and Lucy’s baby son, Gru Jr., to the family. But really, whether you’re a child or an adult, you’re here for one reason: the Minions. Their popularity will outlive us all.
John Williams, the composer behind Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park, gets the documentary treatment in Music by John Williams. The film, directed by Laurent Bouzereau, includes interviews with Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, Chris Martin, Ron Howard, Chris Columbus, George Lucas, Ke Huy Quan, Seth MacFarlane, and others whose lives have been touched by Williams’ music. If you’ve seen a movie in the past 50 years, that likely includes you.
You know the movie about The Butcher? That freakin’ nutjob that goes around just chopping people up? Well, the feds or whatever heard that he’s gonna be here today, so they set up a trap for him. This whole concert? It’s a trap — and you can watch Trap on Max. It’s M. Night Shyamalan in Peak Dad Mode (with a fun, shirtless pie-eating performance from Josh Hartnett).
2. Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (Prime Video)
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Megan Thee Stallion is one of the biggest rappers in the game right now, and one of the most fascinating. Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words offers an intimate look at her life and career, “exploring themes of resilience, vulnerability, and self-empowerment within hip-hop,” according to the logline. “This film provides a compelling portrait of one of music’s most influential voices today.” If Prime Video wants to pick up her anime series, too, that would be cool.
Not enough has been made about Keri Russell having a hit show in the 1990s (Felicity), 2010s (The Americans), and 2020s (The Diplomat). Season 2 of Netflix’s soapy thriller has Russell returning as Kate Wyler, who had a realization in the season 1 finale that “the attack on a British warship [that] brought her to the UK wasn’t the work of a hostile nation — it was the British prime minister,” creator Debora Cahn teased to Tudum. “Now she has to prove it.” Expect to be entertained — and jealous of Russell’s hair.
This year, house music — a genre whose popularity and influence has made waves around the globe — is celebrating 40 years. While you can find house music in just about every major city, the genre’s true home is its birthplace of Chicago. Last month, ARC Music Festival helped put that fact into perspective.
For the genre’s big fortieth anniversary, ARC Music Festival gathered some of the genre’s biggest legends and new icons over Labor Day weekend for a massive flagship celebration that represented the genre through its four decades. This year, attendees got to experience house music in all of its glory with artists like Disclosure, Carl Cox B2B Green Velvet, Skepta, Honey Dijon, Charlotte de Witte, Dom Dolla, Sven Väth, Purple Disco Machine, Gorgon City, Kaskade Redux, Jayda G, LP Giobbi, and more taking the stage.
To help commemorate this milestone, we tapped some of the festival’s biggest artists to discuss how they felt about ARC, how they’ve seen the genre change over the past four decades, and to share the tracks that showcase the global significance of house music.
Shaun J Wright
YUYA OHASHI
How did it feel being a part of the 40th anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
It was a full circle moment. I was born in raised in the west suburbs of Chicago. Creating & playing house music was my childhood dream. To have that dream realized at such a revered festival in the city that I call home is monumental in every aspect.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
My favorite memory of Arc Music festival is dancing and laughing with DJ Holographic as we rocked the Area 909 stage. She’s a very dear friend in addition to being one of my favorite selectors. Playing with her feels like a gift. Also, neither of us shy away from trainspotting each other’s hot tracks!
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
As a teenager coming of age in the 90s, house music ruled the streets and the radio airwaves of Chicago. I was a member of Mega Sweat, spending many extracurricular moments in sweaty recreational centers engaged in dance battles with other dance crews like Main Attraction & House-O-Matic. I was also sneaking into clubs like the Prop House & The Generator (that’s our little secret as my Mom doesn’t know lol). The culture felt very grounded and organic at that time.
I’ve had the good fortune of being able to chase electronic music around the world for over the past two decades and my understanding of how influential house music has been globally continues to expand. Each region brings its own flavor and cultural attributes to the table.
As with any other art form, more corporate interests have become implemented as the genre evolves. This inevitably affects how the music is promoted and who becomes the gatekeepers of the financial resources within the industry. Nevertheless, I still get chills when I’m in the presence of true Chicago househeads who hold tight to the sacred roots of this culture while dancing with abandon, lost in revelry.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
“A Love Of My Own” – Fingers, Inc.
The gospel-tinged voices of Robert Owens & Ron Wilson soar ecstatically over Larry Heard’s jacking percussion & staccato piano. It is raw and elegant, highlighting house music’s ability to create beauty through contrast.
“Feel Free” – Jump “Chico” Slamm
This funky, unconventional song helped shape my dreams. I nearly obliterated my cherished “The New Chicago House Sound” cassette by rewinding it ad nauseum to glean every nuance of this enchanting tune. I wanted to experience the notion of freedom described by the sparse, yet evocative lyrics. Freedom bittersweetly encapsulated within the crooner’s pining voice.
“I Won’t Waste Your Time (Dreamyness Mix)” – Joi + Jorio
I’ve encountered many people who’ve wrongly assumed that lyrics in house music are vapid. This track brilliantly highlights how good storytelling is an inherent feature within the genre. Joi Cardwell’s sultry voice perfectly melds with the luscious piano chords & strings of this exquisite song, sonically crafting a cinematic journey of unrequited love and the hope of healing through a new romance.
“Have Mercy On Me” – Shaun J. Wright
House music has had a profound impact on my identity. Only through a longstanding relationship with this music and culture would I feel confident enough to produce & release my own music. This songs revisits some of the genre’s most famous tropes, including a squelchy acid bassline & hard-hitting snares, without waxing nostalgic. It’s my vision of where house music is presently, and hopefully, its future direction, fully bolstered by my wonderful hometown of Chicago.
AZZECCA
ARTBYGOLDIE
How did it feel being a part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
It’s honestly crazy to think that house music has only been around for 40 years. House is so ingrained in Chicago culture you’d think it was so much older. Being a part of the celebration at ARC and playing at a venue as historically significant as Smartbar really felt so special. I love being a Chicagoan and ARC makes me so proud of our city.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
I honestly think my favorite memory is from the first year of the fest when I played the local stage. It was the first time I played one of my original tracks in public and it was really the catalyst to everything my career has become. Every year that I get to attend the festival feels like a new “best” memory, through. It’s just such a special event and I always make so many new memories with my friends at ARC.
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
I feel like dance music in general is ever-evolving. Genre definitions are becoming more and more vague as European sounds make their way to the US and BPMs increase. Sometimes it feels like ‘house’ is moving quite far from what true Chicago house sounds like, but there are quite a few artists really paying homage to the roots of Chicago House in their productions (Alinka, The Trip) while also breathing fresh air into the genre.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
“Brighter Days” – Cajmere Dajae
“The Bomb” – The Bucketheads
“Set U Free” – Planet Soul
“Let’s Go” – Fast Eddie
“No Way Back” – Adonis
“Get Get Down” – Paul Johnson
“Mushrooms” – Marshall Jefferson
“My Paradise” – The Trip
“Alinka” – Lake Shore Drive
“Battle For Middle You” – Julio Bashmore
“I Feel It” – Kerri Chandler
“Positive Education” – Slam
“I Want Your Soul” – Armand Van Helden
DJ Hyperactive
DJ HYPERACTIVE
How did it feel being a part of the 40th anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
I feel incredibly honored. Being born and raised here in Chicago, House was my first love as a teen. To be able to represent my city means everything. There are so many producer/djs that would love to have an opportunity to take the stage. I do not take such an engagement for granted.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
There were a lot of good ones, but I think every time I asked someone if they were having a good time they all said they were having so much fun. Every single one!
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
From the warehouses to the clubs there are more styles of house coming from all directions. Have witnessed disco (sampled) house come storming in and taper off, Ghetto House’s emergence then on to juke to a much faster tempo derivative but similar percussion, and some of the original Chicago producers refine their sound with an appeal to a more mature crowd. I have seen so many sub genres evolve, but the underground sound still endures when the fog clears.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
In no particular order a few of my favs have always been:
“Time To Jack” – Chip E
“Mystery Of Love” – Mr Fingers (Fingers)
“No Way Back” – Adonis
“Jupiter” – Lil Louis
“Bring Down The Walls” – Fingers, Inc.
Hiroko Yamamura
GEORGIA MODI
How did it feel being a part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
What an honor it was to be part of ARC again since its inception. I kinda came up in the punk and industrial scene when I was younger, and really took house music for granted. Now getting to see its real significance and getting to enjoy it through the lens of a dj and the joy of consuming some classics for the first time is a pleasure. Getting to play alongside legends both new and older was an unmatched experience. Walking through the crowd, hearing people speaking different languages and explaining how they had flown in from Europe for the show was so surprising, and really made me feel great to be included.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
I would have to say violently kicking in the FJAAK boys’ trailer door to only be greeted by the warmest of smiles and vibes. Also had a chance to catch a lot of newer Chicago artists like Tyson Dias, and others bringing fresh perspectives to the scene. I do hazily recall a night out with Sara Landry that involved some swords and probably things I shouldn’t talk about.
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
I’ve seen every version of ups and downs, gates kept, kicked over and guards changed. One thing that has remained is the ethos, drive quality of music, and how Chicagoans value music beyond something to just listen to over the internet. We’re a rough working-class city, full of division, competition, heartbreak, and tons of broken dreams. After all that, we get back up and hit the dance floor. Chicago is a city where you will see your favorite DJs that live here on the dance floor as often as you will see them behind the decks. We’re a city of people who need music to survive the days.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
Hard one to answer… Since, I can’t think of any I dislike off the top of my head. Here are some that came across my playlist this week:
“All Night” – Garrett David
“I’m Lonely” – Hollis P. Monore
“King Of Swing” – DJ Hyperactive
“Santa Claus” – Le Knight Club
Kaskade
MARK OWENS
How did it feel being a part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
It felt like coming full circle. Chicago was the home that house music evolved from, it was a perfect storm of revolution, passion, and joy. I’ve been everywhere on the planet (almost) and I’ve never found another place that feels like Chicago. Its ghosts of the underground clubs that aren’t there any more live in the events like ARC where we can all celebrate and build on what magic was formed here.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
I loved the moment I brought Jus_us out on stage to debut our single coming out later this month called “MOTIVATED”. Not only is the song heavily influenced by sounds of the original house music, it also is cool to pull someone who is still in the early days of his career and share the torch with them, just how musicians should do. Looking back, looking forward – it’s how I enjoy what’s happening now.
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
That’s an entire multi-season documentary. The short answer is this. The tools to create are so much more widely available which has lent itself to being created from a wider pool, so there is more diversity in what’s happening. However, there’s also a lot of trash coming out, for the same reason. House music will always be morphing and sometimes I yearn for the original stripped-down version but luckily all I have to do is step in my studio and go create that.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
“The Whistle Song” – Frankie Knuckles
“Music Sounds Better With You” – Stardust
“Halcyon and On and On” – Orbital
“The Rapture Pt. III” – &ME, Black Coffee, Keinemusik
How did it feel being a part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
It was surreal! It felt like an honor! The stage itself was beautiful, the sound was serious, and to be up there with my girls… It’s hard to convey in words, but it felt divine and right on time. To be born and raised in Chicago, along with all of the Good Girls, I feel immense pride representing our city and the birthplace of this genre, which has touched so many across the globe. I think this will remain a core memory for the rest of my life!
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
We ended our set by playing our first track!! We got into the studio a few months ago and put something together. I’ve always wanted to make music, and I’ve always wanted to play at Arc, so to be able to do both is wild. As soon as I heard our voices from the monitors, my jaw dropped. Having this opportunity motivated us to work on a few things like production, merch, and outreach. It’s powerful when we all grow together when an opportunity – like playing Arc – creates the space, timeline, and fuel to evolve and take risks. Isn’t that what being an artist is all about?
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
“Follow Me” – Aly Us
“Watch Them Come” – Men From The Nile, Roy Davis Jr.
How did it feel being a part of the 40th anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
Being a part of the ARC Music Festival was a total rush. The energy, the music, the beautiful sea of people dancing will forever be in my memory. ARC”s recognition of the 40th anniversary of Chicago’s first “house music” release, On and On by Jesse Saunders, truly honors the pioneers who laid the foundation for the worldwide genre. I couldn’t be more grateful to be included and more proud of our city!
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
Completely biased but loved the Good Girls DJ set. We were first up so I was concerned that we wouldn’t get a good crowd but I was proved wrong quickly. The response to our set was overwhelming. Seeing everyone dancing in unison was a spiritual experience for me, and I’m guessing, for many others.
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
House music has evolved in all the best ways. So many new artists, producers, and DJs have made this genre far more accessible to everyone everywhere. Hearing House Music on the streets of a small town in Germany gave me goosebumps. It’s really surreal how House music actually changed the world.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
This question is always so difficult as I have so many. Here are a few that scream House Music to me:
How did it feel being a part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of house at ARC Music Festival?
House music plays a massive part in my coming-of-age story, and to be here 40 years later is significant to me. To see the maturation of the art form as well as witness its growing pains are things I plan to keep sharing through my music and storytelling. It’s enormous that ARC Music Festival has paid homage to this life force that is so meaningful to people in Chicago and worldwide on this anniversary. I felt incredibly grateful to be a part of it all.
What was your favorite memory of ARC Music Festival?
I love the intersectionality of ARC, from the intergenerational appearance among attendees to the balance of the lineup with so many women in top slots – more than any mixed-gender festival I’ve seen. Watching Honey Dijon crush it on the main stage in a top-tier time slot represents the culture’s and ARC’s growth. We’ve come from the 90s warehouses and lofts to here! Fests that intentionally make space to expand these stages to include more house music, more women, and Black performers who have persisted and still create on a high level, like Honey, shine with audiences. It’s easy to play to preconceptions about what audiences want, and you won’t know unless you try. Seeing my/our sister up there was a very proud moment of where we’ve come and where we can go.
How have you seen house music change over the past four decades?
Well… We’ve come from school gymnasiums and southside restaurants, juice bars, clubs, and raves to now hold the attention of clubbers from all over the world for three days at a time on multiple stages. Who would’ve thought that we’d come this far? The fact is that because we still exist outside the margins of mainstream music, we can continuously innovate, and that’s a good thing. I’ve seen house music continually expanding yet holding on to its cultural roots. It’s a beautiful thing.
What are some of your personal favorite house tracks of the past four decades?
“Can’t Stop The House” – Thompson & Lenoir
“Used To Hold Me” – Ralphi Rosario
“Days Like This” (Spinna & Ticklah Remix) – Shaun Escoffery
“It’s Yours” – Jon Cutler ft. E Man
“Earth Is The Place” (Restless Soul Peaktime Mix) – Nathan Haines ft. Verna Francis
“Fall For You” – Kings Of Tomorrow, April, Sandy Rivera
And anything Dajae, Monique Bingham, and Barbara Tucker have ever touched.
In recent days, Drake has been putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming joint album with PartyNextDoor that’s due out soon. Amid that, he has also found some time to shoot a new music video, for his August track “No Face.”
The visual, which is currently only available on Instagram, sees Drake and some associates taking over an empty mall and doing what most people would in that scenario: drive around in ATVs and SUVs.
Playboi Carti featured on the initial version of the song, but his contributions have since been removed from the track.
When the song initially dropped, it was believed to be a Kendrick Lamar diss, as Drake raps (via Genius), “I don’t get sleepy off no melatonin / My therapist put in a 30-day notice / ‘Cause I keep on talkin’ ’bout beefin’ and business and money and women, there’s no diagnosis / They emptied the clip (Pfft) quick / Swapped that sh*t out and I came back reloaded / I’m just so happy that n****s who envied and held that sh*t in got to finally show it / I’m over the moon, yeah, we’ll see you boys soon / I’m spreadin’ my wings, I hop out, cocoon.”
The fictional storylines of HBCU culture have been cherished throughout nearly four decades of Black-led film and television. 1980s sitcom A Different World kicked the door down with a hilarious and endearing look into the fictional Hillman College. Spike Lee’s second full-length film, the musical School Daze, leaned into colorism, social bias, and Greek life, among other universal themes that affect Black viewers. Historical drama The Great Debaters revisited an earlier era of HBCUs, when marginalized students at Texas institution Wiley College fought racism through the power of constructive dialogue.
While HBCU representation continues to be limited in entertainment, that representation has strengthened with necessary watches like 2000s teen flicks Drumline and Stomp The Yard, shows All-American: Homecoming, and even a more controversial depiction in drama Burning Sands. Meanwhile, more PWI-oriented, Grown-ish and Dear White People (both the movie and series adaptation) also fit the primer of Black students being incorporated into college settings. For some HBCU alums who majored in film, television, and media studies, these HBCU portrayals created a path for them to seek more wide-ranging stories that involved their educational backgrounds.
Auteur and Howard University graduate Tevin Scott plans for his proof of concept short film The Mecca to become a scripted TV series, and he was previously a screenwriter for late 2010s BET drama The Quad. Reflecting on the now-canceled show, Scott admits that he found its plot inauthentic in comparison to the more comedic classics he grew up on, including A Different World, School Daze and Drumline. All three are referenced in The Mecca, which depicts the humorous side of the Howard University experience.
“That show didn’t really highlight what was great about HBCUs,” Scott tells Uproxx. “It was kind of just trying to put a whole lot of drama together, and the season two finale ended on a mass shooting on campus, which is not necessarily something that happens.”
He continues, “HBCUs are safe spaces for Black students, and I just think that they were leaning a little bit too much into being dramatic and not trying to tell an authentic story to uplift the HBCU experience. I think that’s what led to our demise.”
In The Mecca, Scott cast members of Divine Nine orgs Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, and Delta Sigma Theta, but shares that entertainment still doesn’t know how to appropriately represent Black Greeks. Although not an HBCU show, former HBO hit comedy Insecure controversially depicted supporting character Tiffany wearing Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority colors.
“As far as HBCUs go, as far as doing that, it can get corny when you make up orgs, [or when] you’re showing a real org, but you’re dressing them up in different colors — that can kind of get a little messy,” Scott says. “Unless creators have a connection to the org, I don’t think you should try to go too much into that, because it’s always touchy.”
Pledging Delta during her time at Delaware State University was production expert and creative director, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago before coming to the United States for college. It was A Different World that set the tone for the communal and educational standards that molded Kara Barnett’s pre-grad impression. For her, A Different World “was not just about them learning about Blackness in the class–the show was about the experience of Blackness in their community.”
“I took African-American history courses as a freshman because I was like, ‘My high school experience did not teach me the depths of the Civil Rights Movement.’ So I went to learn about that stuff,” Barnett says. “When you watch A Different World, and they’re having these conversations in the cafeteria or there’s a moment where there’s some kind of issue of racism, that’s how you understand that education goes beyond the classroom.”
Comedy continues to be present in shows and films that center HBCUs, but as restrictions on African-American studies and even book banning have ramped up, the aforementioned forms of entertainment have taken on cynical narratives. Barnett hopes that this growing tradition shifts back to the amusement that A Different World paved.
“I enjoy a mix, I enjoy the dramedy. We defer to –- and this might just be college content in general, because you think about stuff like Grown-ish it gets kind of heavy –- it gets kind of dramatic,” Barnett says. “And not saying that people don’t go through it; financial aid is very real. But at the end of the day, the levity of college and the fun and the transformation and the opportunities — and especially in a time when HBCUs constantly get questioned — I would love to see more of that.”
Funny potential storylines are extensive, from rushing cross-campus to catch a probate to maintaining lifelong friends that met as undergrads to struggling to make 8 AM classes because college early mornings aren’t the same as high school. While scenes like these were lightly touched upon in Homecoming, Burning Sands, and formerly, Dear White People, they’re overtaken by heavy dramatic elements.
Barnett continues, “I feel like sometimes we focus on the dramatic because that’s what tends to sell in media, but you think about Abbott [Elementary] and its really well-written banter[-heavy], ensemble moments. I would love to see that on HBCU campus; that doesn’t feel heavy.”
Attending Howard as a graduate student, filmmaker Quan Lateef-Hill says that coming to the D.C. campus was less of a “culture shock” after spending her undergrad at Western Michigan University. HBCU representation to Lateef-Hill wasn’t exclusive to entertainment based around education, as school names also made cameos in hit comedies in the 1990s.
“As a kid of the ‘90s, it was so many like Black sitcoms or shows that through fashion or [would feature] fraternities and sororities,” she says. “Living Single, Martin, Fresh Prince [of Bel-Air], all of those shows had these moments where you’re like, ‘Wait, what’s Howard?’ or ‘What’s Morehouse?’ You can take that deep dive just because the right people were in that room.”
Coming from a PWI where she felt tokenized, Lateef believes the options are limitless for all HBCU student backgrounds to be recognized in entertainment. If these institutions are where Black students can build community, it can also reshape our fictional characterizations.
“Oftentimes, when we talk about inclusivity or diversity, we’re talking about specific stuff like color of skin. But there’s so much more in terms of diversity, like region or dialects or accents. Neurodiversity, even,” Lateff-Hill says. “As we continue being the storytellers and can create our own stories and messages independently, there’s still a lot more to see.”
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of October below.
Weezer — Blue Album 30th Anniversary Edition
Geffen/UMe
Weezer is celebrating three decades of their iconic debut album this year, and they’re doing it big. A new anniversary reissue of the album is packed with goodies, including newly released archival recordings, all in a massive box set that has four LPs, a 10-inch vinyl, and a 7-inch vinyl. Many of the formats, including the box set wrapped in a sweater and the zoetrope edition have sold out already sold out, but the half-speed remaster is still available for pre-order online, or you can head to your local record store starting on 11/1 to see what they have.
Utah Saints, pioneers in the UK electronic scene, released their self-titled debut album 30 years ago now, so they’re giving it a big, fancy reissue to mark the occasion. The rerelease has been remastered and extended with rare cuts and remixes from folks like David Morales, CJ Bolland, and Andrew Weatherall, all housed in “special limited edition mirror board packaging.”
Jimmy Eat World — Futures: Phoenix Sessions and Surviving: Phoenix Sessions
Exotic Location Recordings
Jimmy Eat World performed their classic album Futures in full earlier this month, and that’s because the album just turned 20 years old. The group has also unveiled an anniversary vinyl in honor of the project (and of Surviving), which is taken from the band’s 2021 livestream event, during which they played the album.
Girls — Album (Reissue); Father, Son, Holy Ghost (Reissue); and Broken Dreams Club (Reissue)
True Panther Records
Girls had a strong run from 2007 to 2012, and now that era is being immortalized: They released two albums — Album and Father, Song, Holy Ghost — and an EP — Broken Dreams Club— and they’ve all gotten vinyl reissues. This is the first time the albums have been pressed since their initial releases. And, if you want to see what Christopher Owens is up to now, he just dropped his latest, I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair, which is also available on vinyl now.
MF DOOM’s legacy continues to grow (even, unintentionally, in the realm of popcorn buckets), and part of that legacy, 2004’s MM..FOOD, is getting some love on its 20th anniversary. The new anniversary edition, available in vinyl and digital editions, comes with new artwork by Sam Rodriguez.
Green Day — American Idiot (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Green Day
American Idiot was a massive album back in its day… era-defining, even. That was somehow 20 years ago now, and Green Day is giving the album the love it deserves with a significant new reissue, an 8LP (and 2-Blu-ray) box set that has previously unreleased demos, rare B-sides, bonus songs, and unreleased live recordings.
Neil Young — Freedom (Reissue), Ragged Glory (Reissue), Weld (Reissue), and Arc (Reissue)
Reprise Records
Last year, Young re-released four beloved albums from the late ’80s and early ’90s as Official Release Series Volume 5, but now he has made all of those albums available independent of the collection. The box set marked the first time these albums were remastered for vinyl, so this is the best these albums have ever sounded in this medium.
“Careless Whisper” is one of the more iconic songs ever, so fans are in for a treat with this one: It’s the song’s 40th anniversary, so there’s a new EP celebrating it, and it includes a previously unreleased live recording of the classic.
Bronski Beat — The Age Of Consent (40th Anniversary Edition
London Records
“Smalltown Boy” has been dubbed one of the best dance songs ever, and the album it comes from, Bronski Beat’s The Age Of Consent, is now 40 years old. There are a few new editions out now in light of this, including a 2LP version that also features the follow-up remix album, Hundreds & Thousands.
Motown has been on a tear reissuing a bunch of albums from their classic catalog, and of course the Jackson 5 are part of the proceedings. Among the October offerings is Third Album, home of the iconic hit “I’ll Be There.” They also offered up new pressings of The Supremes’ A Bit Of Liverpool (Mono edition) and The Temptations’ Sky’s the Limit, continuing a run to get some of the best music ever created in fresh circulation.
Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition)
Warp Records
Aphex Twin is reissuing Selected Ambient Works Volume II in a number of new editions. The 4LP box set is the most impressive configuration, as it features four black LPs in polylined inner sleeves, a fold-out poster, and a “sticker sheet and booklet containing development sketches for the original artwork concept by designer Paul Nicholson,” all in “a hinged oak case with a bespoke chemical etched and eroded copper plate and engraved logo with paint infill.”
Creedence Clearwater Revival — Willy And The Poor Boys (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
CCR was hustling in 1969: Willy And The Poor Boys was the third and final album they released that year. It was a winner, too, featuring two of the band’s signature songs: “Fortunate Son” and “Down On The Corner.” The new Vinyl Me, Please edition is a winner, gorgeously pressed on “washboard marble” vinyl.
Brat summer is over, but Charli XCX fall is just getting started. SNL has revealed that the “Apple” singer will do double duty as the host and musical guest for the November 16th episode. This will be Charli’s third time on the show, although first as a host. She previously performed “Boom Clap” and “Breaking the Rules” when Martin Freeman hosted in 2014, and returned in 2022 for an Oscar Isaac-hosted episode to sing “Beg for You” and “Baby.”
In the SNL season 50 premiere, Bowen Yang did an impression of Charli XCX in a talk show sketch. “I love Bowen, and I honestly think he did a great job,” she told Howard Stern on his radio show. “I was very impressed with the hair texture, actually. I thought it was a really good wig. It was good. It was cool.” When asked if she was annoyed by the sketch, Charli replied, “Oh, no, no, no. I think SNL is iconic and Troye [Sivan] and I, we had an inkling it was coming, and so we were very excited about it.”
SNL also announced that the November 9 episode will be hosted by Bill Burr with musical guest Mk.gee. Here are the next three episodes:
November 2: John Mulaney and Chappell Roan
November 9: Bill Burr and Mk.gee
November 16: Charli XCX and Charli XCX
The Hornets picked up their second win of the season on Wednesday night, beating the Raptors 138-133 in a shootout in Charlotte. That win to get the team back to .500 early in the year had vibes high on Thursday morning in the Hornets facility, where the win seemed to have made some forget what holiday it was.
On Halloween every year, teams in the NBA and NFL love to set up their players for a jump scare that they can capture on social media. At this point, a lot of players keep their guard up when they arrive at the facility on Halloween, but LaMelo Ball did the opposite and strolled through the Hornets facility singing and happy right until he walked through a door and was greeted by a creepy clown.
The transition from singing “waaayyyy up I feel blessed” to a blood-curdling shriek to slapping the head off of the clown while yelling “boy, what the F**K” is incredible. It’s a good thing this was just a doll and not a person in a costume, cause they would’ve had to go into concussion protocol after LaMelo got done with them. The Hornets staffer cackling only makes this video better as poor LaMelo lays down on the stairs to try to get his heart rate back down, and I bet he’ll never be trusting of that walk to the practice court again.
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