Category: Worldwide

After Toronto-based four-piece pop punk outfit Pup shared their acclaimed third record Morbid Stuff last year, the group has stayed busy with other projects. Pup released a benefit live album in July that was available for only one day and ended up raising over $27,500 for charity. Now, the group returns with a lively cover of one of their favorite rock bands, Grandaddy.

Pup came together to record a cover of Grandaddy’s 1997 song “A.M. 180.” The group manages to capture the disgruntled energy of the original track while infusing their fuzzy and endearing sound. Speaking about their decision to cover the song, drummer Zack Mykula praised Grandaddy as one of indie rock’s “best kept” secrets: “Grandaddy are one of the unsung hero bands of indie rock,” says Pup’s drummer . “A best kept secret. I mean, forgive me for going ham, but this song is like a lily in an otherwise barren valley. An outstanding piece of songwriting, doing more with less than most any other song of the same caliber. So, that’s why we decided to cover it.”

Along with sharing the lively cover, Pup has unveiled a new edition of their zine, PupTheZine Vol. 4: Quaranzine. The booklet contains cut-outs of drawn Pup figurines, a postcard, each band members’ resume, guitar tabs for “Anaphylaxis,” a pedal board breakdown, a disc of a ska song written in while they were quarantine, and much more. About the zine, Pup said they had originally created it at the onset of the pandemic lockdown before the country turned their focus to elevate the Black Lives Matter movement:

“This zine was created in the first few weeks of our mandatory quarantine. It was printed and ready to ship before the full impact of COVID-19 was felt across the world and before the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, and Breonna Taylor (to name but a few) further exposed the foundational white supremacy and structural inequality at the heart of American, Canadian, and other capitalist societies. We are grateful for the voices and perspectives of marginalized peoples that continue to play a central role in this worldwide awakening and in the sustained call to dismantle racist and patriarchal structures that have perpetrated violence in our communities. We stand in solidarity with all those trying to envision safer and more just communities and will continue to do our daily best in amplifying and uplifting these voices as we move forward in the world.

With that in mind, we hope you’ll view this thing for what it is: a time capsule. It is the four members of PUP, bored as fuck, fresh off a cancelled tour, trying to create something as silly as possible because, at the time, we wanted a distraction. Although it doesn’t necessarily represent our current emotional states, we had a good laugh making it and had a good laugh revisiting it all these months later. Honestly, that’s why we started making these zines in the first place. If you buy this thing, we hope it helps you find a bit of levity in what has been an incredibly bleak few months.”

Listen to Pup’s “A.M. 180” cover and find the Quaranzine cover art above.

Following the lead of Pac-12 athletes, the athletes of the Big Ten have stepped forward in a new article at the Players Tribune to lay out their own proposal for how fall sports should happen this year, if they are to happen at all. Their letter was penned in conjunction with College Athlete Unity, a nationwide organization of college athletes that seeks to “effect positive change” in the NCAA.

It was released, likely not coincidentally, on the same day the Big Ten announced a condensed college football schedule that is set to begin in less than a month.

“The NCAA — which is known for its zeal for regulations and enforcement — has had ample time to prepare for the safe return of its athletes to competition, yet it has done nothing,” the statement reads. “Its laissez-faire approach is forcing each conference and each school to create its own plan, resulting in inconsistent policies, procedures and protocols.

“Given that the NCAA and conference leadership have not asked for our input, we feel compelled to call for clarity, commitment, and action regarding our common-sense proposal below.”

The Big Ten athletes go on to list their demands for a successful fall sports schedule. The big bullet points include:

• Third-party testing staff as well as a third party to enforce all public health protocols, and “sufficient penalty for noncompliance” and a requirement for all athletic staff to report violations
• “Adherence to WHO and CDC guidance for sporting events and compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations” with regard to attendance and fan interaction
• Appropriate social distancing, masking, sanitation and temperature checks across all sports
• Highly accurate, quick-result testing three times per week as well as extensive contact tracing and strict quarantine rules for those who test positive or come into close contact with an infected individual
• Protect “whistleblowers” who come forward to report noncompliance and ban COVID-19 waivers for college athletes
• Continued scholarship funding if sports are delayed or canceled, as well as coverage by schools for medical expenses related to COVID-19 in the short- and long-term

With athletes from two Power 5 conferences now aligned on a sweeping set of demands that would go a long way toward securing collegiate sports complexes and caring for the people on the field, the ball is now in the court of the NCAA and the conference commissioners when it comes to how to protect student-athletes playing during a pandemic.

Griselda Records first lady Armani Caesar has always boasted of her versatility since officially signing with the Buffalo, New York-based label in March of this year and with her new single, “Simply Done,” she proves it in spades. Although she’s been great at crafting the so-called “stripper rap” that marries bass-heavy, twerk-ready beats with money-hungry lyricism, on “Simply Done,” she proves she’s more than capable of hanging with the grimy guys of Griselda, employing a classic DJ Premier production to channel the tough spirit of ’90s Kim and Fox with fierce, chest-puffing rhymes alongside Benny The Butcher.

“My n****s sharpshooters, aim and click, I ain’t talkin’ no Twit’ pic,” Armani growls in her verse. “I get in that booth and I rip sh*t / No playin’, no kid sh*t.” DJ Premier provides a typically soulful beat, looping up a cinematic sample with his signature boom-bap drums to give Caesar the perfect backdrops for her threats. Benny runs the anchor leg, sneering at his opponents, “You get what you pay for, you wanna be a hustler / But you can’t afford the work, n***, don’t quit your day job.”

As Westside Gunn teases his departure from the rap game and passes the torch to Conway, Benny, and Armani, it appears Griselda is in good hands as they become one of the premiere (heh) labels in traditionalist rap today.

Listen to Armani Caesar’s “Simply Done” featuring DJ Premier and Benny The Butcher above.

After nearly five months in the wilderness, the NBA season is underway again and, as a result, DIME is back with power rankings. A lot has changed in the world since March 10 but, in basketball circles, the status quo is largely still in play, even with a few exceptions.

If nothing else, 22 of the league’s 30 teams are in Orlando taking part in seeding games and each franchise has at least two games under the belt at this juncture. That gives us just enough to provide overreactions and, with a long way to go before the marathon postseason even begins, let’s get weird with power rankings that are (almost) entirely focused on what’s happening in the bubble.

1. Toronto Raptors (2-0, Last week — n/a)

Are the Raptors actually the best team in the NBA? Maybe not. However, Toronto began their Orlando run with a 2-0 record that included wins over the Heat and the Lakers. In general, the Raptors are for real, and they shouldn’t be ignored.

2. Phoenix Suns (3-0, Last week — n/a)

Well, I tried to tell you that these were bubble-based rankings, so let’s have some fun. Obviously, the Suns aren’t the second-best team in the league, but Phoenix is 3-0 in Orlando and they are riding high after wins over the Mavericks and Clippers. Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and company are generating buzz as a playoff sleeper for 2021, but they aren’t quite dead in 2020 either.

3. Indiana Pacers (3-0, Last week — n/a)

In three games in Orlando, TJ Warren is averaging 39.7 points per game. That’s not a misprint. He’s not the only reason that the Pacers are 3-0 but, given that Indiana is operating shorthanded in the bubble, Warren’s stellar performance has been huge.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (2-1, Last week — n/a)

With only three unblemished teams, somebody had to be here, and it probably needs to be the Lakers. LeBron and company did run into the Toronto buzzsaw but, otherwise, the Lakers have quality wins over the Clippers and Jazz. They also happen to the betting favorite (or at least one of them) to win the title.

5. Miami Heat (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Oh look, another team that lost to the Raptors. Like the Lakers, the Heat have two really good wins (over the Nuggets and Celtics) and Miami’s most recent performance was stellar to get a victory without Jimmy Butler on Tuesday.

6. San Antonio Spurs (2-1, Last week — n/a)

In stunning fashion, the Spurs are playing quite well in Orlando. They came quite close to a 3-0 start and, while DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay are prominently involved, there is a real youth movement happening. Gregg Popovich has (rightly) unleashed Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, and company, with Derrick White looking good as well. The Spurs are interesting again.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Jusuf Nurkic is back, Damian Lillard is Damian Lillard, and the Blazers are good at basketball. Portland nearly toppled Boston to stay unblemished but, after a close loss, the Blazers beat the Rockets in prime time on Tuesday. Seeing this makes you long for what might have been if Nurkic was healthy all season.

8. Houston Rockets (2-1, Last week — n/a)

The Rockets are wild, but we already knew that. Houston is playing incredibly small and, for the most part, it’s working. Whether they can keep it up over the long haul is something else, but the high-variance approach is ripe for intrigue.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1, Last week — n/a)

It’s only been two games, but there isn’t much to dissuade anyone from continuing to believe in the Thunder. This is a good basketball team, and Chris Paul is must-see TV with the ball in his hands.

10. Orlando Magic (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Unbelievably, the Magic have morphed into an offense-first team and they look pretty good. The injury to Jonathan Isaac is brutal for the long-term, but the “hometown team” in the bubble is genuinely playing well. Of interest, though, is the fact that the Magic have deployed 2018 lottery pick Mo Bamba for only 10 total minutes in the restart, leaning on Khem Birch instead.

11. Brooklyn Nets (2-1, Last week — n/a)

Break up the Nets! Brooklyn would’ve avoided the basement by simply beating Washington but, for good measure, the Nets pulled off a massive upset against the Bucks on Tuesday. Make no mistake, this is still a bad basketball team as currently assembled, but they’re playing really hard and getting results.

12. Philadelphia 76ers (1-1, Last week — n/a)

God bless Shake Milton. If not for Milton’s game-winner against the Spurs, Philadelphia would be considerably lower on this list. Ben Simmons has been out of sorts and, to be honest, the Sixers have a lot of the same problems they had before the hiatus.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (1-2, Last week — n/a)

Quite obviously, the Bucks remain very good and they don’t need to care about the seeding games. Milwaukee did lose to the wildly shorthanded Nets on Tuesday, though, so they have to pay a penance.

14. L.A. Clippers (1-2, Last week — n/a)

No one should worry about the Clippers. Even without Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, L.A. was competitive against the Lakers on Thursday and they trounced the Pelicans after that. Devin Booker delivered a second loss, dropping them down the rankings in hot take fashion, but all is well.

15. Boston Celtics (1-2, Last week — n/a)

Losing to the Bucks in the bubble opener was totally reasonable, even if there were some warning signs. Losing to the Jimmy Butler-less Heat on Tuesday evening was less ideal, even if Boston is clearly still rounding into form as the playoffs loom.

16. Dallas Mavericks (1-2, Last week — n/a)

The Mavs lost their first two games by six points combined. Honestly, that is kind of on-brand for a team that struggled in clutch situations all season long but, on the whole, Dallas has been just fine. They’ll have a chance to make a statement against the Clippers on Thursday evening.

17. Denver Nuggets (1-1, Last week — n/a)

Denver’s roster wasn’t anywhere close to full strength in their opener, and a 20-point loss arrived as a result. The Nuggets looked (much) better in the follow-up, though, with Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. cooking on the offensive end.

18. Utah Jazz (1-2, Last week — n/a)

The Jazz actually have the third-worst net rating in the small sample since teams arrived in Orlando. Utah did beat New Orleans in the opener, though, and that allows them to slide up one slot. It isn’t too shocking that the Jazz have struggled given their roster constraints, but they will have an interesting match-up against Memphis on Wednesday.

19. New Orleans Pelicans (1-2, Last week — n/a)

After a shaky loss to Utah and a terrible showing against the Clippers, the Pelicans did bounce back to edge the Grizzlies. Zion Williamson even flashed some of his otherworldly traits in that match-up. It would still be fair to say the Pelicans have underperformed, but the remaining scheduled is forgiving.

20. Memphis Grizzlies (0-3, Last week — n/a)

On the bright side, Taylor Jenkins’ team had a big cushion as play began. They might need it. Memphis has at least been competitive in their three losses, but with Jaren Jackson Jr. now on the shelf, the team’s perimeter shooting issues are even more dire.

21. Sacramento Kings (0-3, Last week — n/a)

The Kings had some “don’t forget us!” vibes in advance of the seeding games, but things haven’t gone well. Sacramento is winless and, with a -10.1 net rating, they’ve really earned it. De’Aaron Fox is a bright spot, but any optimism about a Cinderella run to the play-in is now gone.

22. Washington Wizards (0-3, Last week — n/a)

It’s not as if Washington is the only win-less team in Orlando, but this is still an easy choice. The Wizards are playing without Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, but the team has a -10.8 net rating in three losses. On top of that, Washington lost to Brooklyn, and that clinched this placement.

Phoebe Bridgers released her stunning sophomore album Punisher in June and since she can’t tour behind the record, the singer has come up with creative ways to keep her fans entertained on livestreams. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in April, Bridgers performed her track “Kyoto” from her bathtub and for her recent set on Seattle’s infamous KEXP radio, the singer sang from outer space.

For the live performance, Bridgers was joined by her full band all sporting the singer’s signature skeleton costume. The group positioned themselves in front of a green screen and projected images of outer space and the solar system while giving lively renditions of the Punisher tracks “Chinese Satellite,” “I See You,” “Kyoto,” and a cover of Sinèad O’Connor’s song “Black Boys On Mopeds.”

Speaking to KEXP host Cheryl Waters about “Chinese Satellite,” Bridgers said she penned the song as a reflection on religion: “It’s kind of about faith weirdly. I wasn’t raised religious and I think I’ve always been jealous of people who’ve always had some sort of drive in life. But I can’t make the leap, I can’t bring myself — even conspiracy theories and stuff — I just can’t. It’s just that wanting to feel like somebody has your back but feeling totally alone.”

Watch Phoebe Bridgers perform on KEXP above.

Punisher is out now via Dead Oceans. Get it here.

Tim Heidecker has long been penning silly tunes for Tim And Eric-related endeavors over the years, but he has a more serious side to his musicality as well. Last year, for example, he released What The Broken-Hearted Do…, a non-comedic, ’70s singer-songwriter-inspired album about ill-fated relationships. Now he’s ready to drop a new album, Fear Of Death, which is set for release on September 25 via Spacebomb.

The announcement was accompanied by a video for “Fear Of Death,” which features vocals and piano from Weyes Blood. She can be seen singing behind the keys in the song’s video, which shows Heidecker, her, and others performing the track in a studio. The album also features contributions from Drew Erickson, the Lemon Twigs’ Brian and Michael D’Addario, and Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado.

Heidecker says of the album:

“I didn’t know that this record was going to be so focused on death when I was writing it. It took a minute for me to stand back and look at what I was talking about to realize that, yes, I am now a middle-aged man and my subconscious is screaming at me: ‘You are getting old, dude! You are not going to live forever! Put down that cheeseburger!’ […]

This record is a dream come true for me. I got to work with some of the best, and nicest, musicians in town who helped me take some shabby, simple tunes and turn them into something I’m really proud of.”

Watch the “Fear Of Death” video above.

Fear Of Death is out 9/25 via Spacebomb. Pre-order it here.

Madden NFL 21 is slated to hit consoles later this year — current-generation consoles will get the latest in EA Sports’s football series on August 28, while next-generation consoles will have the game as an option sometime after they launch. Those who want the game now can get its mobile version, and when the app is opened, they’ll get a glimpse into the newest game mode in this year’s edition of the game.

EA Sports announced The Yard on Wednesday morning via a trailer. In it, gamers get to play a backyard football-style game, one (called The Yard: Underground) that is 5-on-5 on the mobile version of Madden and 6-on-6 when it hits for consoles.

“We wanted to create a new way for players to express themselves and take on small-sided football in an arcade-style experience that’s completely new to Madden,” Seann Graddy, the Executive Producer of Madden NFL 21, said in a statement. “The Yard is fast, thrilling and most importantly fun. Players will delve into all new gameplay on mobile and on consoles that will bring to life the backyard football that NFL players and fans grew up loving, where the rules are relaxed, and you can win with attitude.”

The Yard will include solo, online co-op against the computer, and online head-to-head multiplayer games with teams of 1-3 players. The concept seems awfully similar to another former EA Sports NFL release, NFL Street, in that it embraces the silliness of backyard football with things like trick plays, while also giving players the ability to customize the character they control in the game mode.

For months, government officials, school administrators, teachers and parents have debated the best and safest way to handle educating kids during the global coronavirus pandemic. While some other countries have been able to resume schooling relatively well with safety measures in place, outbreaks in the U.S. are too uncontrolled to safely get kids back in the classroom.

But that hasn’t stopped some school districts from reopening schools in person anyway.

Photos have emerged from the first day of school at two districts in Georgia that have people scratching their heads and posing obvious questions like “Um, they know we’re in a pandemic, right?”

One photo shows high school students crowded in a hallway in Paulding County, Georgia. Of the dozens of students pictured, the number wearing masks can be counted on one hand. It’s like looking straight into a petri dish.

Another photo comes from Etowah High School in Cherokee County, Georgia. Dozens of senior class students, all huddled together for a photo in front of the school, with neither a mask nor distance between them.

According to 11 Alive News, Paulding County students were given the option to do online schooling, but there were only a limited number of spots available. Of the 30% of students who chose virtual schooling, it’s not clear how many ended up on the waiting list and were forced to go to school in person.

In addition, masks are “encouraged” by the district, but not required, for both students and teachers. Clearly, that’s not working out so well.

The photos are being shared widely on social media as examples of how outrageously badly parts of the U.S. are handling the pandemic. Pretending as if life can go on as normal in the middle of a pandemic is just silly. Acting as if young people are immune to the virus (they’re not) or as if they don’t spread it (they do) is uninformed behavior.

Every single one of those students presumably lives with a parent or other older person, and they’re in classrooms with teachers who are in higher risk age groups as well. It’s already risky enough to try to resume in-person school with strict social distancing measures and mandatory masking in place. But this? This is lunacy.

Americans have proven without a doubt that far too many people won’t wear masks if they’re just “encouraged” to or if masks are seen as a “personal choice.” If schools can mandate dress codes and police girls’ tank top straps and shorts length during normal school days, they can certainly mandate masks during an actual pandemic.

It’s no wonder teachers have been expressing concerns about reopening schools without a solid safety plan in place. No one in their right mind would agree to go to work in a place where people are going to fill hallways without even being able to distance, especially without masks. There’s a reason we’re doing all of this social distancing and quarantining and mask-wearing, and it’s not because the whole world is in on some kind of conspiracy involving American partisan politics. No, it’s not because of some evil plan of Bill Gates either (enough with the conspiracy theories already).

There aren’t enough words to describe how ridiculous these photos are in this current moment. Georgia has the third highest number of active coronavirus cases in the nation, and that number has risen steadily in the past month and a half. The World Health Organization recommends percent of positive cases to be less than 5% for 14 days before considering reopenings. Georgia’s percent of positive cases is above 12%. Schools there shouldn’t even be reopening in person to begin with, much less without very strict protocols in place.

This is foolishness. We’re just making things harder and harder on ourselves. Come on, U.S. Get it together, for all our sakes.

TMZ reports Detroit rapper 42 Dugg has been arrested after evading police for two months. He was picked up Monday in Oakland County, Michigan after fleeing from officers in a Detroit suburb after an attempted traffic stop on June 5. Officers tried to pull over a 2020 Chevy Tahoe that ran a stop sign, but after the SUV pulled over and they approached it, it pulled away and made “a clean getaway.”

Police ran the SUV’s plates and found out it was a rental under the name of a local promoter. Eventually they learned Dugg was one of the promoter’s clients and reviewed area surveillance video to identify Dugg as the driver of the Tahoe. They tracked him down and booked him for fleeing a police officer — a third-degree felony in Michigan (but, let’s face it, probably not as bad as whatever Dugg may have had in the car that prompted him to flee in the first place).

Dugg was released on $20,000 bond but was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor as part of his conditional release. He now faces up to five years in prison, a $1,000 fine, and suspension of his license for up to a year. His arraignment is scheduled for next week.

42 Dugg is best-known for his collaborations with Lil Baby, “We Paid” and “Grace,” and recently dropped the Young & Turnt mixtape in March.

Throughout their entire career, the Beastie Boys have kept up morale on tour by remaining playful. But sometimes, the jokes had a lasting impact.

Beastie Boys detailed their career, lives, and practical jokes through their recently-released Beastie Boys Story documentary directed by Spike Jonze. While Beastie Boys Story shed a spotlight on the group’s tight-knit relationship, there were some stories that were left out of the documentary. One deleted scene, for example, recounts the time Ad-Rock found himself the target of a 15-year-long prank.

It all started when the Boys went to a post-show afterparty and Ad-Rock was approached by a “creepy” man who insisted that the rapper keep his ring. Without thinking too much about it, Ad-Rock pocketed the ring. But it kept mysteriously appearing in his backpack even after he threw it out. One time, the Boys were on a train ride to DC when Ad-Rock discovered the ring was once again in his backpack. The rapper freaked out, made a scene, and threw the ring to the back of the train car:

“Cut to 15 years later, Santiago, Chile. I’m in my hotel room, packing my bags, getting ready to meet everybody downstairs like usual. I reach into my backpack and there it is — the ring. What the f*ck? I f*ckin’ froze. I ran down to the lobby in full panic mode and I told everybody, ‘The ring! I got the ring.’ And they were like, ‘Ring?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah! Remember that super f*cking creepy guy with the ring and the thing in San Fransisco?’ And they were like, ‘Wow, that’s really peculiar.’ And I was left standing there with the f*cking horror show in my backpack. […] Outside the hotel there was this fountain it to have a little private moment of observance wit the ring. ‘Stop doing this to me.’ And I threw the ring in the fountain and we left Santiago, Chile.

The next night, we’re on the side of stage getting ready to go on and play a show, and Yauch pulls me aside. ‘Hey man. I put the ring in your bag. Remember when we were on that train to DC and you threw the ring down the end of the train? Well, when you went to the food car, I looked around on the floor and I found it and I just kept it. I had it and I put it in my bag every time we’d go out on tour and I’d wait for the right time to sneak it back into yours.’ ‘Wait, that was 15 years ago!’”

After finding it out was a prank all along, Ad-Rock was more impressed at Yauch than he was angry. “Who has the prank stamina to hold it back for 15 years?” he said.

Watch Ad-Rock tell the story above.

Beastie Boys Story is streaming now through Apple TV+. Watch it here.