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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 anticipated return of Bright Eyes, the impressive new album from The Killers, and two new tracks from Father John Misty. Check out the rest of the best new music below.

Bright Eyes — Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was

It’s been nearly a decade since we last heard from Bright Eyes. While Conor Oberst has been incredibly active in the years since, there was a Bright Eyes-sized hole in our hearts that has now been filled. Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was is an apt title for an album released in 2020, and Steven Hyden writes for Uproxx that the album “unfolds as a series of epic Americana mini-symphonies, each one more grand and big-sounding than the last.”

The Killers — Imploding The Mirage

Three years removed from Wonderful Wonderful, The Killers are back with an unexpectedly impressive effort. The record’s strong streak kicks off with its first track “My Own Soul’s Warning,” which Steven Hyden writes for Uproxx is “a Killers song in 2020 doing exactly what I always want a classic Killers song to do, against my will even. I could only laugh at my reaction: Were the Killers … kinda great again?

The Front Bottoms — In Sickness & In Flames

The Front Bottoms are more focused than ever on their fifth full-length. This becomes abundantly clear on the album’s second track “Camouflage,” which features one of the band’s most bombastic choruses to date, and showcases their ever-improving pop sensibilities. Watching this band grow over the last several years from writing eccentric acoustic ballads to arena-filling pop-rock anthems has been a true joy.

Bully — Sugaregg

On their latest album, the Nashville rockers turn up the fuzz and distortion, while also locking in for their most refined and polished work to date. Sugaregg is an album that was written during a chaotic period, when leader Alicia Bognanno turned to music as a method of finding clarity and pressing onward. The result is a perfect soundtrack for all of our collective existential dread.

Phoenix — “Identical”

It’s been relative radio silence from Phoenix since the release of 2017’s Te Amo. Now, they’re starting to tease a new album with the release of “Identical,” a new contribution to the soundtrack for the upcoming Sofia Coppola film On The Rocks, starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones. The eclectic synth pop track feels like something that could have appeared on 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which is definitely a good sign for an album that Thomas Mars is calling a “weird Frankenstein of an album.”

Father John Misty — “To S.” / “To R.”

On his first original songs in two years, Josh Tillman delivers what we love most about Father John Misty. “To R.” and “To S.” are both piano-led numbers, with Tillman’s soft vocals floating above light percussion and orchestral flourishes.

Angel Olsen — “Waving, Smiling”

On the last taste of her new album Whole New Mess, Angel Olsen is vulnerable and introspective. “Armed with just her guitar and lilting vocals, Olsen croons a reflection on coming to terms with the end of a relationship,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx. “The singer has mourned and cried over the loss, now it’s time to smile and accept the relationship has come a close.”

Kate Bollinger — A Word Becomes A Sound EP

It’s hard to classify Kate Bollinger’s work into traditional genre categories. Her new EP A Word Becomes A Sound incorporates elements of pop, folk, jazz, and even some electronic experimentation. On the five-track effort, the Charlottesville, Virginia singer feels like a blast from the past at the same time as something uniquely modern.

Tomberlin — “Wasted”

Before rolling out her sophomore LP, Tomberlin is previewing a new slate of music with a five-track EP called Projections. The EP was produced by Alex G and the first single “Wasted” features a repeating Alex G-sounding drum beat (which was actually played by Alex G). The excellent, laid-back number leaves the mood up to the listener: “Sad song or summer banger? You tell me,” Tomberlin said in a statement.

Lomelda — “Hannah Sun”

On the latest preview of Lomelda’s forthcoming album Hannah, the eponymous Hannah Read explores the difficulty of finding a connection and maintaining effective communication. These concurrent struggles serve as a bit of a thesis statement for Lomdela’s new record, her most deeply personal to date.

Into It. Over It — “We Prefer Indoors”

I’m still not sure where Into It. Over It lands on the spectrum that exists between emo and indie. On his latest LP Figure, Evan Weiss doesn’t let back on the intricate guitar parts, but turns up the vocal melody and hooks for something truly infectious.

Katie Melua — “Leaving The Mountain”

This track was influenced heavily by a playlist Katie Melua made of all the songs that Bob Dylan mentioned in his book Chronicles Vol 1, and you can hear it. “Leaving The Mountain” has a timeless feel to it that is hard to come by these days, which finds the Georgian-British songwriter’s smooth vocals hovering over light piano and percussion, with orchestration Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ian Sweet – “Dumb Driver”

Ian Sweet (AKA Jilian Medford) has signed to Polyvinyl, and her first new song with the label is “Dumb Driver,” a shimmering dream-pop track that continues building as Medford mourns a broken relationship and repeats a plea for self-preservation.

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

Patricia and Mark McCloskey caught the public’s attention back in June when they were photographed waving guns at Black Lives Matters protesters who peacefully walked past their St. Louis mansion.

After the incident, photos of the couple waving their guns while dressed like they just got back from the country club quickly became a cultural Rorschach test.

Liberals mocked them for exemplifying the irrational fear that some affluent white conservatives have of people of color. Their overreaction to the peaceful protesters appeared to mirror the type of unnecessary violence against people of color that caused the demonstrations in the first place.

To many conservatives, the couple were an example of proudly-armed Americans standing their ground against a frightening mob.

The couple is currently facing weapons charges for brandishing guns at protesters.

Twitter

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The couple were used as political pawns on night one of the Republican National Convention on Monday. The couple made a speech from their home that was a blatant attempt to instill fear in the the suburban electorate.

“What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country,” the couple said in a speech.

“Make no mistake: No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America,” Patricia warned.

The message was very simple: White people should be afraid that their quiet neighborhoods will be overrun by angry mobs of protesters, unless they vote for Donald Trump who will stop the protests. It’s like they haven’t noticed that protests have been going on since March and Trump has yet to stop them.

After it was announced that the couple was to speak at the convention, a rabbi that works at St. Louis’ Jewish Central Reform Congregation, the synagogue next door to the McCloskeys’ house, had to speak up.

“It’s so upsetting that they have a national audience,” Rabbi Susan Talve told Forward, a nonprofit Jewish publication. “It’s upsetting we make heroes out of people who hate.”

The rabbi’s rocky relationship with the couple started back in 2013, when the congregation placed bee hives along a fence that sat six inches inside the McCloskey’s property line.

The hives were there to produce honey for Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish new year celebration. On the holiday, Jewish people eat apples and honey to usher in a sweet new year.

via David Malouf / Flickr

Without even consulting the rabbi or the synagogue, the McCloskeys bashed all of the bee hives and left them to sit smashed on the fence. “He could have picked up the phone and said, ‘Hey, those beehives are on my property,’ and we would have happily moved them,” said Talve.

The children of the synagogue wept after hearing about the destruction of the hives.

The temple has raised bed gardens where it grows thousands of pounds of fresh produce to help local food pantries. “We were going to have our own apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah!” she said.

But the McClosekys didn’t stop there, they sent a note to the synagogue saying they’d face legal action if they didn’t clean up the smashed hives.

“Civility,” Talve said. “I’m willing to speak out now because there’s such a lack of civility that’s happening, and I don’t feel like I can be a part of that, and silence is complicity.”

“They are bullies,” Talve said. “The fact that they’re speaking at the convention is a win for bullies.”

The fact that the McCloskeys were happy to speak at the Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump isn’t a surprise. Of course a couple known for being bullies would be big fans of the bully the currently lives in the White House.

Last week, as California’s oldest state park erupted into flames and the historic Big Basin State Park headquarters buildings burned to the ground, people feared the worst. Would we lose the 2,000-year-old redwood trees that bring visitors from all over the world to the area?

Thankfully, now that the fire at Big Basin is under control and people are able to go in an assess the damage, it looks like most of the ancient redwoods have survived the blaze. According to ABC News, a reporter from the Associated Press hiked the Redwood Trail at Big Basin and found that most of the old-growth giants, among the tallest living things on Earth, are still standing tall. That includes Mother of the Forest, a tree that grew to 329 feet tall before its top broke off in a storm, as well as other elder trees.

Reporter from The Mercury News, Ethan Baron, also took photos of the aftermath and reported on Twitter that the “vast majority of giant redwoods in center of Big Basin Redwoods State park scorched but still standing.”

“That is such good news. I can’t tell you how much that gives me peace of mind,” Laura McLendon, conservation director for the Sempervirens Fund, a group dedicated to the protection of the redwoods and their habitats, told the Associated Press. McLendon said the forest will regrow. “Every old-growth redwood I’ve ever seen, in Big Basin and other parks, has fire scars on them,” she said. “They’ve been through multiple fires, possibly worse than this.”

Fire ecologist director of science at Save the Redwoods League, Kristen Shive, told The Mercury News that redwood bark—which can be up to a foot thick—is fire-resistant. If a fire gets hot enough, it can do serious damage, but even badly burned redwoods can eventually recover.

Managing forests includes managing fire, which can be seen as both a blessing and a curse for forest habitats and humans. Not all forest fires are bad. Some trees need occasional fire to thrive, and controlled burns are sometimes used to prevent out-of-control blazes that destroy homes and animal habitats. When left alone, nature tends to create its own balance, but with climate change causing an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires, in addition to human activity causing some fires in addition to those caused naturally by lightning, it’s difficult to judge when fires are actually beneficial.

California has seen historically destructive fire seasons in recent years, and two of this summer’s fires are already among the state’s worst. As people are evacuated, homes and buildings are destroyed, and air quality from smoke is disrupting the lives of countless Californians, hearing some good news is a welcome breath of fresh air.

If the Portland Trail Blazers are going to extend their first round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ll have to do it without the services of their best player. The team announced on Tuesday afternoon that Damian Lillard will not be able to play on Wednesday evening due to an injury he suffered on Monday night. The injury is classified as a right knee sprain.

Lillard hurt his knee in the third quarter of Monday’s blowout loss, which propelled Los Angeles to a 3-1 lead in the series. He gingerly made his way to the back and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and the results from the first MRI he received were inconclusive.

While it is, certainly, great that Lillard did not suffer a more serious injury that could require surgery and/or months of rehabilitation, losing him for Game 5 seems like the sort of thing that could lead to the team’s entertaining run in Orlando coming to an end. Lillard has been the team’s heart and soul during their time in the Bubble, earning the MVP award for the seeding games and providing numerous moments where he put the team on his back and led them to a win. Now, the onus to get the team to a Game 6 falls onto guys like Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic, all of whom are capable of doing incredible things but have quite the tall task ahead of them,

There’s no word on whether the injury is such that Lillard will be unable to play in a potential Game 6.

It is my position that every actor in Hollywood is either a Batman or a Joker. It’s a gut thing, not always easy to explain but still full of undeniable truths. You can feel it almost instantly, as soon as you see someone’s face or hear someone’s name. It’s one of the things that worries me about Robert Pattinson playing Batman, because Robert Pattinson is in no way a Batman. He looks like a Batman, sure, what with the jawline and eyes and general vibe of an emo billionaire, so it’s understandable how the casting happened. But, I’m sorry, Robert Pattinson is a Joker. I know this because I read the GQ profile where he blew up his microwave making pasta. Blowing up a microwave while making pasta is maybe the most Joker thing possible.

I’ve discussed this theory before once or twice, in brief, but it warrants a full analysis, if only because I need to type it out to have any hope of getting it out of my head. Again, it’s something that’s almost impossible to quantify. A Batman is someone who is typically a little more strong and quietly intense, and a Joker is usually someone with more chaotic energy, but there are exceptions galore. Further complicating matters: being a Batman or a Joker does not mean someone would make a good Batman or a Joker. Mark Wahlberg might be the most Batman-ass dude alive and he should never play the character, not even once, not even as a joke. Sacha Baron Cohen is a Joker but too much, to the degree that he’d probably want to take it the other way and play the character as a boring suburban zero. Again, hard to explain but impossible to deny. Like all truly fun theories.

I think the best way to make my point here is to give you some examples. Let’s run through a few of the more obvious ones first. Will Smith is a Batman. Michael Shannon is a Joker. Adam Driver and The Rock are both Batmen. Lakeith Stanfield and Shia LeBeouf are both Jokers. Michael B. Jordan is a textbook Batman even though his most famous character, Killmonger from Black Panther, had extreme Joker energy. Chris Evans is a Batman. Chris Pine is a Batman. Paul Giamatti is a Joker for reasons I believe with all my heart but cannot begin to articulate. Johnny Depp is a Joker. Bradley Cooper is such a Batman. James Franco is a Joker. Robert Downey, Jr. is a Batman. Ben Affleck was a Batman even before he played Batman, mostly because of that chin. Matt Damon is a Batman. Every actor from Boston is a Batman, basically.

Some cases are a little trickier. Jake Gyllenhaal looks almost exactly like a Batman but, as he has proven many times but especially in his brief but unhinged performance as Mr. Music in John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch, is a Joker from just under that external layer all the way to his core. Donald Glover probably tells people — and believes in his heart — that he’s a Joker even though he’s actually a Batman. Jon Hamm is a Batman who would much rather be a Joker. Timothée Chalamet is a perfect artsy Joker but someone will eventually try to square-peg-round-hole him into being a sensitive Batman. Leonardo DiCaprio is a Batman through and through but he would still insist on playing the Joker to make a point and end up overdoing it. Brad Pitt is a Joker who has been miscast as a Batman his entire life. Will Ferrell is a Batman, somehow, despite a career filled with maniac goofball characters, and his Step Brothers co-star John C. Reilly is a Joker despite handling a number of more reserved dramatic roles. Seth Rogen is a Batman. Jonah Hill is a Joker. Danny McBride is such a Joker that he might be a Batman as a prank.

It works with actresses, too. Charlize Theron is the most Batman woman on the face of the Earth right now. Florence Pugh is a Joker. Gal Gadot is a Batman. Kristen Stewart is a Joker, an apathetic agent of anarchy. Tilda Swinton is such a perfect Joker that now I’m angry she hasn’t played one yet. Emily Blunt is a Batman. Jennifer Lawrence is a Batman even though everyone on Twitter who reads this will probably show up in my mentions to insist that she’s a Joker. Jennifer Lopez is a Batman. Margot Robbie is a Joker, probably, although playing Harley Quinn complicates the issue. Elisabeth Moss is a Joker. Reese Witherspoon is a Batman but not a good one. Regina King is a Batman. Regina Hall is a Joker. Helen Mirren is as much of a Batman as Meryl Streep is a Joker and, yes, I would watch that movie today. Right now. Before I even finish this paragraph.

Sometimes an actor can switch mid-career from a Batman to a Joker or vice versa. The best example is Al Pacino. He started out as a Batman thanks to his role as quiet strongman Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies, but then, possibly around Scent of a Woman in 1992 but definitely by Heat in 1995, he became a raging Joker. Keanu Reeves is an incredible test case because he started as a Joker and then became a Batman for a while after Speed and the Matrix movies but is now somehow teetering back toward being a Joker. Adam Sandler is almost always a Batman but then every 10 years or so he’ll turn in an amazing performance in a movie like Uncut Gems and you’ll find yourself thinking “Is Adam Sandler… actually a Joker?” Denzel Washington had a brief window around Training Day where he could have pivoted to being a Joker but then he made Inside Man and two Equalizers and became a full-on Batman. Walton Goggins is, at present, a Joker, but is one perspective-shifting supporting role away from becoming the most fascinating Batman of all. This is a situation I monitor constantly.

I could go on. And I will, privately, quite possibly forever, usually in the wee hours of the morning when I should be sleeping but am instead on minute 45 of an internal “Would Jason Statham be more of a Joker if he had hair?” debate. But I’ll stop here for now, as I believe I’ve accomplished the two goals I had in starting this conversation:

• Give everyone a fun game to play with friends the next time you get together
• Justify all the time I’ve spent thinking about this by making it “a work thing”

I feel great about it.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Trinkets: Season 2 (Netflix) — The teenage trio from Shoplifters Anonymous keeps the unlikely friendship going between two misfits and a girl who’s considered to be imperfectly perfect, in a high school-popularity kind of way. The show’s based upon a novel by Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You, and She’s The Man screenwriter Kristen “Kiwi” Smith, and these friends find strength in the group as a whole.

The Republican National Convention 2020 (ABC, CBS, NBC, 10:00 p.m.) — The 2020 Republican National Convention is officially underway while taking over the networks and plenty of cable coverage as well. Tonight’s speakers include multiple Trumps (Melania, Eric, and Tiffany) along with Mike Pompeo, Rand Paul, Pam Bondi, and many more.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Trey Gowdy, Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter

Jimmy Kimmel Live — The Avett Brothers

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, James Bay

Netflix’s comedy Tuesdays have yielded several stand-up highlights if you need a laugh tonight:

Eric Andre: Legalize Everything — This New Orleans-filmed special shows Eric Andre once again busting through comedic boundaries while taking on the wars on sex, drugs, and… fart jokes? Alright. Seriously though, It’s the best comedy special of the year and highly relevant to the U.S. police-related discussion today.

Jim Jefferies: Intolerant — The Aussie comedian (who remains notorious for his gun-control opinion) pulls a 180 from where he was five years ago. He’s less focused on issues these days and grows incredibly banal at times, but he’s still uproariously funny. While reflecting upon the state of comedy today, he manages to dole out some hefty insight on life while telling an epic tale of the pursuit of lactose at all costs.

Pete Davidson: Alive From New York — From SNL to a ton of upcoming movies, Pete Davidson’s doing everything, and now, he’s got his very first Netflix original comedy special. Yes, he’s dropping all kinds of unfiltered anecdotes on everything from his SNL-related discomfort to his Louis C.K. beef and Ariana Grande relationship.

Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything — The Emmy and Grammy winning comedian brings his newest comedy special to the streaming giant. Look forward to anecdotes involving a full-scale Millennium Falcon replica and how home buying gets tied to the term “suicide squad.” Stick around for the post-credits bonus, in which Patton introduces another one-hour comedy special, Bob Rubin: Oddities & Rarities.

Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill — The legendary Jerry Seinfeld has dropped his second Netflix special. Expect him to keep mining everyday life to unveil comedy in the commonplace. Although the title of this special feels Bond-esque, Seinfeld doesn’t disappoint those expecting his trademarked sharp perceptions about everyday life.

Marc Maron: End Times Fun — The long-time standup comic, GLOW star, and prolific podcaster unleashes his latest comedy special. Expect Maron’s thoughts on cell phones, vaccinations, and Tumeric. Oh, and he’s definitely talking about his ongoing beef with Marvel movie fans.

Since George Floyd’s death earlier this summer, the Black Lives Matter movement has sparked nationwide protests demanding social justice and police reform. Many NBA players have taken up the torch and used their voices and their influence to facilitate meaningful change.

Before the restart in Orlando, a vocal segment of the players expressed their apprehensions about resuming the season amid all the upheaval, fearing that it might divert attention away from a movement that has mobilized citizens around the country in a way we haven’t witnessed in years.

But after the latest police shooting involving an unarmed Black man, several players now fear that those concerns might be coming true. Jacob Blake, 29, was shot several times in the back by Kenosha police as he leaned on his car after trying to break up a fight. Blake survived, but his father has reportedly said that shooting left him paralyzed.

Video of the incident went viral over the weekend, reigniting outrage among protesters and prompting players around the NBA to re-evaluate whether they might have made a mistake by agreeing to resume the season in Orlando, as George Hill of the Bucks questioned in his postgame press conference on Monday. Raptors players Normal Powell and Fred VanVleet both spoke extensively about the shooting, their exasperation with having to constantly speak out without seeing change, and more during their media availability on Tuesday.

Here’s Powell’s full initial response when asked about Jacob Blake. pic.twitter.com/uxF6wUgNYq

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 25, 2020

Here’s some extended VanVleet, as well. pic.twitter.com/aOJdrOThO5

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 25, 2020

Both expressed their frustration about the lack of accountability for police officers in these cases and shared the sentiment that there is much more work to be done to affect real change. VanVleet also alluded to the idea that boycotting upcoming playoff games could put tremendous pressure on officials to take action — particularly in pushing team owners who wield significant influence both locally and nationally to use that to push for effectual change in their communities.

Jaylen Brown also delivered a stunning statement about the unjust treatment of Black people in America, issuing a powerful plea for the basic acknowledgment of their humanity.

Jaylen Brown opens up his media session by asking America a question about its treatment of African Americans. #BlackLivesMatter #NBABubble pic.twitter.com/8VdWa4RXgv

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) August 25, 2020

It also emerged that some players have at least discussed the possibility of sitting out games, although there is, for now, no plan in place to do so.

“We tried to be peaceful, kneeling, we tried to protest,” Marcus Smart said, via ESPN. “And for us, we tried to come out here and get together and play this game and try to get our voice across. But it’s not working, so obviously something has to be done. Right now, our focus shouldn’t really be on basketball. I understand it’s the playoffs and everything like that, but we still have a bigger underlying issue that’s going on and the things that we’ve tried haven’t been working, so we definitely need to take a different approach and we definitely need to try new things out to get this thing working the way that we know it should and get our voices heard even more.”

“It’s being talked about …. taking a knee is not getting it done.” Norm Powell about the possibility of boycotting games.

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) August 25, 2020

The Raptors and Celtics are scheduled to kick off their second-round series on Thursday on ESPN, but there are two full nights of basketball before then, and viewers will be watching intently to find out what the players’ response will be in the wake of the latest preventable tragedy. Even just voicing the possibility of not playing might be enough to push owners to speak up, but if that doesn’t happen, players seem to be reaching the conclusion they need to do much more than wearing shirts and kneeling for the anthem.

Anyone who wants to see Tenet will soon (August 26 for countries that have their sh*t together, September 3 for the United States) face a moral dilemma: go to a potentially unsafe theater or wait until it’s on digital? Tom Cruise has already made his choice. “Big Movie. Big Screen. Loved it,” the Mission: Impossible actor tweeted on Tuesday, along with a video of himself watching Tenet in a crowded theater. It’s extremely weird.

I’m tempted to break the 0:34 clip down like the Zapruder film (“Jack… and to the left”?), but let’s stick to the highlights.

1. The unnecessary establishing shots of London (?).

2. How did these teens recognize World Famous Actor Tom Cruise in his SUV? Even he seems stumped. “How does that happen? I’m wearing a mask.”

3. It’s nice of Christopher Nolan to let Cruise borrow Bane’s mask from The Dark Knight Rises.

4. If Tom Cruise isn’t there to welcome me “back to the movies” when I go to a theater for the first time since March, whenever that is, I am going to be upset.

5. The only social distance-friendly seating in the theater appears to be next to Cruise, where there are at least six empty rows. Then again, if Cruise’s cameraperson is going to have their phone on the full time to film him, I wouldn’t want to be in that row, anyway.

6. I could brighten this image, but no, it’s perfect as is. Tom Cruise, living in the moment. He does seem like a guy who leans forward for an entire movie.

7. Hey Tom Cruise, did you happen to love Tenet?

Welp, back to work jumping off mid-air motorcycles.

Emerging Memphis rapper Jucee Froot has had a star-making 2020, but she’s far from finished. Following up on her previous singles “Girls Kissing Girls” with Juicy J and “Eat Itself” from the Insecure soundtrack, Jucee declares herself a “Champion” with her latest new song. This song hails from the soundtrack for Electronic Arts’ latest Madden NFL installment and fits the theme with an aggressive beat backed by brassy fanfare and sports-themed lyrics from Jucee. “Yeah, yeah, this the winning team,” she boasts. “Six rings with a pinkie ring.”

While that line may apply more to the recent Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, Jucee is still in good company on the football videogame soundtrack. Other high-profile additions to the game’s playlist include Anderson .Paak and Rick Ross on “Cut ‘Em In,” Big KRIT on “Kickoff,” Earthgang on “Powered Up,” and Jack Harlow on “Automatic.”

Jucee’s soundtrack successes this year have been complemented by the release of her ear-catching debut mixtape, Black Sheep, on which she has big-name collaborations with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Juicy J, and Rico Nasty.

Listen to Jucee Froot’s “Champion” above.

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

Los Angeles duo The Score — comprised of Eddie Anthony (vocals, guitar) and Edan Dover (keyboards, production) are slated to release their new album Carry On later this month, fully leaning into anthems that are suited for stadiums and chorus hooks that don’t cease across the record’s 15 tracks. You might recognize the duo’s music just from watching TV, as their songs have soundtracked campaigns for Jeep, NBA, and even the recent Netflix blockbuster 6 Underground. These syncs, paired with a steady stream of releases over the last few years, have earned The Score a fervent fanbase, which includes recognizable names like Travis Barker and Awolnation, as well as songwriters/producers Pete Nappi (30 Seconds To Mars, Dreamers, Shinedown) and Tim Randall (Imagine Dragons), all of which lent a hand as collaborators on Carry On.

Ahead of the album’s release, the duo sat down to talk Coldplay, Joe Rogan, and more in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Anthemic, motivating, loud, unapologetic.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

We’d like to remembered as the soundtrack to dreamers who strove to be bigger than themselves. The music that helped people fight their demons and find themselves.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

That’s tough. As of now Prague or Hamburg probably so far.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Too many people have inspired us creatively to narrow it down to one.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Rome, hands down.

What album do you know every word to?

Coldplay – Parachutes.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

James Blake at ACL was one of the best in recent memory for me.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

One where you don’t sweat too much.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Barstool Sports or Joe Rogan.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

Cautious Clay – “Cold War.”

What’s the last thing you Googled?

“White living room inspo” can u tell I’m decorating my house? Ha.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

The Killers – Hot Fuss

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

A really questionable hotel room in San Francisco.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

We don’t have tattoos.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

The Strokes.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The nicest thing anyone has done is when fans come up to us after shows and tell us about their lives and how our music helped them during a really rough time, or that it’s making them chase their dreams. Hearing that level of honesty from a stranger makes us feel like what we’re doing is bigger than just making music.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

The best advice I would give my 18-year-old self would be to throw that timeline out the window. Chasing your dream never goes according to plan, and you will fail and hear the word “no” a ton, but you need to enjoy the ride and not get discouraged by the little things.

What’s the last show you went to?

Kyle Dion around Valentine’s Day at The Echo.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

The Godfather Part II.

What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?

Jon & Vinny’s takeout.

Carry On is out August 28 on Republic Records. Pre-order it here.