What’s that photo up there? Why, it’s a pic of Lady Gaga accepting a Grammy back in 2010, the Best Pop Vocal Album award for The Fame Monster, one of three she picked up that night out of six nominations. Yes, long before the alien landscape of Chromatica stretched out to welcome Little Monsters confused and worried about an uncertain pandemic, and well before Ariana Grande and our Mother Monster begged the rain to come down upon them, a different monster existed.
This was, none other than The Fame Monster, released on November 18, 2009, technically a reissue of Gaga’s 2008 debut, The Fame, yes, but also so much more. This was the record that introduced us to the “Bad Romance” that Gaga would lead us all into, and so much more, including “Telephone” which eventually spawned one of the greatest collaborations of all time when Beyonce hopped on board a remix.
All this to say, it’s no surprise that longtime Gaga fans, reinvigorated by her return to form this year with the sticky dance-pop of Chromatica, are more than eager to celebrate the album’s birthday. I mean, it seems like everything is happening at the speed of light right now, and more than half of what every single person on the internet says right now is about politics, why not take a moment to remember a simpler time?
Consider, first of all, just how impactful this record was for Gaga’ career:
Today is the 11th anniversary of The Fame Monster. This 5x multi platinum album received universal acclaim with 5M certified units, 3 Grammys, and 8 VMAs. Lady Gaga was just 23 years old when she released it. pic.twitter.com/4dsm8Gsyii
11 years ago today, @ladygaga released her Grammy-winning album/EP, “The Fame Monster”. It’s one of the most acclaimed and successful projects of all time and change her career and pop culture forever.
11 years ago, @ladygaga released “The Fame Monster”. It is one of the best selling EPs this century.
Sales – 2.13 m. Singles (30.6 m. / 6.67) = 4.59 m. Spotify (1.172 b. / 1500) = 0.78 m. YouTube (2.272 b. / 1500) = 1.52 m. Others (809 m. / 1500) = 0.54 m.
HBD to The Fame Monster~* Here’s a photobooth pic of moi, freshman year, after picking up my copy from the Union Square Barnes & Noble where the music seller behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about when I asked for Lady Gaga’s new album lol anyway pic.twitter.com/RJnI7qK0NA
since today is Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster’s 11th anniversary let me bless your timeline with these legendary pictures from its booklet pic.twitter.com/FKTDfJjml6
Happy 11th birthday to The Fame Monster! This album is an absolute masterpiece it really did change the music industry, every single song in this could have been released as a single and it would have done well! I can’t believe its been 11 years already, wow time has flown by pic.twitter.com/IiHShoYqqd
Iron Smoke/Wyoming/George Dickel/Cedar Ridge/istock/Uproxx
Christopher Osburn has spent the past fifteen years in search of “the best” — or at least his very favorite — sips of whisk(e)y on earth. In the process, he’s enjoyed more whisk(e)y drams than his doctor would dare feel comfortable with, traveled to over 20 countries testing local spirits, and visited more than fifty distilleries around the globe.
America is a wildly varied country — in topography, culture, climate, and people. The mountain folk of Colorado live a whole different sort of existence than the people residing in the Florida Everglades. The same goes for the citizens of dusty, southwestern cities like El Paso and those who own second homes on Cape Cod. So it should come as no surprise that America’s whiskey distilleries are equally diverse.
That being said, there are over 2,000 craft distilleries in the US (barring some COVID closures). So picking one whiskey from each state is quite the epic task. Seriously. And agonizing too, in the case of certain distillery-rich states (I see you, KY).
I’m going to attempt to do it anyway.
Just to be clear, though. These are my picks for the absolute best bottle of whiskey from every state. Not Uproxx’s. Each choice is calibrated to my unique palate, which is cultured but probably not perfect. Knowing that, feel free to let me know in the comments exactly where I went wrong.
This American single malt is the first non-moonshine whiskey to be produced in Alabama in 100 years. It’s made using malted barley and smoked with pecan and peach wood.
Tasting Notes:
The result of this unique process is a whiskey with a subtle nose of dried fruits, charred oak, campfire smoke, and flavors of brown sugar, dried orange peel, and spicy cinnamon.
The finish is long, mellow, and ends with a final flourish of spice.
Alaska Outlaw Whiskey is produced in the hometown of Sarah Palin, but don’t hold that against the brand. Aged for three years in charred, American oak casks, this small-batch whiskey is surprisingly mellow.
Tasting Notes:
It starts with a nose of sweet cherries, toasted oak, and sweet vanilla. From the first sip, your palate will be met with spicy cinnamon, dried apricots, caramel, and charred wood. The finish is medium in length, warming, and filled with more caramel sweetness.
Whiskey Del Bac has quickly become one of the most popular whiskey brands in Arizona. Its flagship Del Bac Dorado is its “must-try.” The Scottish-style single malt is made from 100% malted barley that’s dried over mesquite wood.
Tasting Notes:
This is a whiskey with a pleasing nose, filled with campfire smoke, toasted marshmallows, and subtle hints of maple syrup. The first sip is filled with rich caramel, sweet vanilla, and a solid kick of wood smoke.
The finish is medium in length, smooth, and ends with a lovely hit of sweet smoke.
This grain-to-glass whiskey has won numerous awards and is undeniably the best whiskey coming out of Arkansas. It’s made in small batches with a super high corn content (82%). It’s aged in new, charred oak barrels and has the designation as the first-ever bourbon distilled in Arkansas.
Tasting Notes:
This award-winner begins with aromas of caramel corn, rich vanilla, nutty almonds, and subtle toasted oak. Flavors of cocoa, more caramel, subtle cinnamon spice, and candied fruits are prevalent in each sip. The finish is long, warm, and filled with indulgent chocolate and spicy pepper.
This is truly a unique whiskey. It begins as an American single malt that’s matured for three years. Then it finds its way into a French oak vat, littered with red oak, grape wood, hickory, and maple staves.
Tasting Notes:
The addition of resting on the staves gives this whiskey a well-balanced, very complex flavor with initial aromas of cracked black pepper and Christmas spices before moving on to the dried cherries and sweet caramel. The first sip is filled with charred oak, butterscotch, clover honey, and creamy vanilla. The finish is medium, very warming, and ends with a nice dash of pepper.
Colorado (Stranahan’s Snowflake Whiskey)
ABV: 47%
Price: $99
The Story:
Stranahan’s Snowflake Whiskey is truly a limited edition. It’s only available for one day every December. This very special whiskey is first aged in charred, white American oak casks before finishing in wine, sherry, cognac, rum, and tequila barrels. The result is a complex, very different whiskey that you’ll never forget (if you get a chance to try it).
Tasting Notes:
While every batch is a little different, I tried the 2019 version. The first aromas I’m met with are those of sweet sherry, dried orange peels, and subtle cinnamon. The first sip is bursting with hints of caramelized sugar, rich honey, and sweet cherries. The finish is medium in length, warming, and ends with a final kick of spice.
Litchfield’s straight bourbon whiskey has won numerous awards and for good reason. It’s aged to perfection in charred American oak casks. This expression ramps up the flavor by aging it an extra year in port wine barrels. You’ve probably seen it done by the likes of Angel’s Envy and others.
Tasting Notes:
Aging in port wine barrels has given the nose supremely sweet aromas of dried fruits, vanilla, and toffee. The first sip yields even more sweetness with honeyed cream, charred oak, and caramelized sugar up front, followed by candied fruits and subtle cinnamon. The finish is long, dry, and ends with a tannic hit of port wine sweetness.
Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione has been known to push the boundaries in the beer world. Recently, he’s branched out into spirits, specifically whiskey. His best offering to date is Alternative Takes: Vol. 2. It’s distilled with a mash bill of malted barley and applewood smoked malt. It’s first aged in charred, American oak cask before finishing in casks the held Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron brown ale.
Tasting Notes:
If you give this whiskey a proper nosing, you’ll be welcomed with clover honey, subtle spices, and malty ales scents. The palate delivers salted caramel, sweet vanilla, and dried fruits. The finish is long, warming, and ends with hints of sticky toffee and more vanilla sweetness.
You’ve probably never heard of Florida Straight Bourbon. In the simplest terms, it’s a bourbon made in Florida. The base is a mash bill of 60% Florida corn. The other ingredients are barley and wheat. There’s no rye in this whiskey and it’s aged for three years in charred oak casks.
This mashbill creates a much mellower, soft bourbon.
Tasting Note:
Like all good whiskeys, this offering should be nosed before taking a sip. Your nostrils will fill with the scents of cinnamon sugar, toasted marshmallows, and dried apricots. The first sip will bring you cooking spices, sweet toffee cookies, dark chocolate, nutty almonds, and rich caramel.
The finish is mellow, long, and ends with a final punch of sweet cream.
Old Fourth Distillery is cranking out some great whiskey in Atlanta, but it’s bottled in bond bourbon is its best offering. This award-winning, unfiltered 100 proof whiskey is made using a traditional mash bill and was limited to only 75 barrels. It’s a truly limited-edition bourbon that’s 100% worth seeking out.
Tasting Notes:
The nose begins with the scent of the barrelhouse itself. It then dives into sweet corn, velvety vanilla, caramel, and subtle cinnamon. The first sip is filled with maple syrup, grass, cocoa powder, and butterscotch. The finish is long, very warm, and ends with one last hint of brown sugar.
Named for the mountains where, according to legend, the gods live, Ko’olau is a Hawaiian whiskey that’s starting to make waves in the spirits world. Made from local corn and blended with water filtered through volcanic rock, this small-batch whiskey is limited to 1,800 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is very sweet and light, with hints of butterscotch and honey. The first sip is highlighted with a nutty sweetness followed by sweet vanilla and brown sugar. The finish is long, warming, and ends with notes of almonds, cream, and caramelized sugar.
This award-winning whiskey from Koenig Distillery in Caldwell, Idaho should immediately be on your radar. It gets its name because the water source for this bourbon is the Seven Devils Mountains. Aged between two and five years in new, charred, American oak casks, this small-batch whiskey is the best the Gem state has to offer.
Tasting Notes:
The first aromas to fill your nostrils are candied orange peel, maple syrup, and caramel corn. The first sip brings you sweet milk chocolate, clover honey, sweet vanilla, and subtle, spicy cinnamon. The finish is long, warming, and ends with an extra punch of nutty sweetness.
While Koval is making some great offerings, my absolute favorite Illinois whiskey is FEW Straight Bourbon. This three-grain bourbon is a mix of southern style and northern rye. Made in small batches in new, charred, American oak barrels, this award-winning bourbon will make you rethink your assumptions about the style when it comes from distilleries outside of Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
One of the unique aspects of this whiskey is the fact that it’s fermented with a yeast normally used to make saison beer. This adds a subtle peppery scent to the nose that works well with the other aromas of cinnamon, caramel, and brown sugar. The first sip will blow you away with the level of mellow drinkability and hints of charred oak, caramel corn, sweet honey, and nougat.
The finish is long, subtly warm, and ends with a wisp of caramel apple.
For years, Indiana’s MGP was simply a rye whiskey distiller that made juice for George Dickel, Angel’s Envy, Bulleit, and others. But releases this high rye bourbon every fall. The fourth iteration, this limited-edition whiskey gets its flavor from two different mash bills. 77% of the blend consists of a bourbon made with 21% rye and the other is made up of a bourbon with 36% rye.
It’s spicy, sweet, and perfectly rounded.
Tasting Notes:
Take time to give this whiskey a proper nosing. You’ll find hints of cracked black pepper, dried fruits, and charred oak. The first sip yields caramelized sugar, butterscotch, baking spice, and vanilla beans. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice kick of toasted wood and spice.
Templeton Rye would have made the list for Iowa, but it’s made at MGP in Indiana now. That bumps up Cedar Ridge and its Iowa Bourbon to the top spot. This award-winning whiskey is Iowa’s first bourbon since prohibition and is made using corn from founder Jeff Quint’s farm.
It doesn’t get more grain-to-glass than that.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor experience starts with the nose. Aromas of sweet corn, toffee, dried cherries, and caramel cake fill your nostrils. Sipping this whiskey brings you nutty almonds, rich vanilla, toasted caramel, and charred oak. The finish is mellow, long, and ends with hints of dried fruits and cinnamon.
This award-winning whiskey is a blend of straight bourbon, light corn, and straight rye. All whiskeys in this blend have been aged for at least four years in American oak casks before finishing in 15-year-old Oloroso sherry butts. The result is a remarkably mellow whiskey, perfect for mixing or slow sipping.
Tasting Notes:
Your first experience with Kansas City whiskey is its nose. You’ll find aromas of sweet sherry, dried fruits, cinnamon, and caramelized sugar. The first sip brings you hints of buttered popcorn, toffee, cloves, sweet cherries, and subtle charred oak. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a final flourish of sweet heat.
I could easily write a list of the fifty best whiskeys in Kentucky alone. But if I had to pick one (and I’m not talking about the ridiculously hard to find unicorn bottles), I’d have to go with the tried and true Booker’s Bourbon. It’s unfiltered, uncut, warming, and perfectly suited for sipping neat or on the rocks.
Tasting Notes:
Take a whiff of this award-winning whiskey before taking a sip and you’ll be met with strong hints of caramelized sugar, hot cinnamon, and toasted wood. The first sip is filled with charred vanilla, marshmallows, espresso, cocoa powders, and caramel.
The finish is long, very warm (the Kentucky hug!), and ends with a final hint of peppery spice.
This Louisiana whiskey gets its name (LA1) because it’s the first aged whiskey in the state since prohibition. Made with a mash bill of corn, rye, barley, and rice, this small-batch whiskey is 94 proof and supremely drinkable. It’s also great for mixing into a boulevardier or your favorite whiskey cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find sweet brown sugar, spicy rye, and honey. The first sip brings you flavors of fruit cake, chocolate, sweet vanilla, and cracked back pepper. The finish is long, warm, and ends with even more of that spicy rye.
Maine (Fifty Stone Single Malt Whiskey)
ABV: 45%
Price: $44.99
The Story:
This whiskey from Maine Craft Distilling in Portland is made in the Scottish style. It starts with barley from Maine. But it ramps up the Scotch vibe even more by using local peat and seaweed to smoke the malts. It’s aged in new, charred, American oak barrels.
The result is a taste of Scotland made in the heart of New England.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find scents of campfire smoke, ocean brine, sweet caramel, and cinnamon. Rich vanilla, dried fruits, and brown sugar flavors are tempered by a subtle smoky backbone. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a final kick of peaty smoke.
Sagamore gets its name from Sagamore Farm and the spring house that was built in 1909 where the distillery still gets the limestone-filtered spring water used to make its whiskeys. While the distillery has multiple award-winning offerings, it’s hard to top its flagship straight rye. A blend of MGP rye and its own house distilled rye, it’s spicy, sweet, and perfectly mellow.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with cooking spices, brown sugar, and sweet cream. Sipping it, you’ll be treated to cinnamon, cloves, peppery rye spice, nutty almonds, and caramel. The finish is medium in length, warm, and ends with a final hint of butterscotch.
This award-winning small-batch bourbon is made up of 72% corn that’s sourced from farms within miles of the distillery. It’s triple-distilled before being aged in charred, American oak barrels. It’s proofed using the area’s famous spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with hints of caramel corn, subtle cinnamon, and peppery rye. Sipping this whiskey, your palate will fill with flavors of pecans, rich caramel, and Christmas spices. The finish is long, smooth, and ends in a final crescendo of creamy vanilla.
This highly regarded bourbon is made to pay homage to the whiskey of the same name that was distilled on the same sight before prohibition. Made with 70% corn, this 90 proof bold, complex whiskey is perfect for anyone looking for a throwback to a bygone era of spirits production.
Tasting Notes:
If you spend time nosing it, you’ll reveal aromas of dried orange peel, cinnamon, sweet corn, and brown sugar. The first sip brings up flavors of rich caramel, dried fruits, more spicy cinnamon, honey, and creamy vanilla. The finish is medium, subtly warm, and ends with a final kick of citrus and cinnamon.
Minnesota (Crooked Water Old Hell Roaring Bourbon)
Heather Manley founded Crooked Water back in 2013. Since then, the distillery has been cranking out high-quality spirits. One of its best is Old Hell Roaring Bourbon, a double-barreled, high-proof whiskey that gets added flavor from a proprietary toasting and smoking regiment.
Tasting Notes:
Enjoy a healthy dose of charred wood, subtle smoke, and sweet cream on the nose. Then take a sip and enjoy more subtle campfire smoke paired with cinnamon apples, honey, caramel, and fruit cake. The finish is long, full of pleasurable heat, and ends with a final flourish of woodsmoke.
Old Soul is a blend of high-rye bourbons. 55% is a straight bourbon aged for 4 years, 8 months. 35% is a straight bourbon aged for 4 years, 3 months. The final bourbon was aged for over 2 years. The whiskeys are distilled in Indiana and Mississippi. It’s made in limited-edition, hand-selected batches.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll smell hints of yellow cake, sweet vanilla, and charred oak. The first sip yields sticky toffee, subtly spicy rye, sweet honey, and creamy vanilla. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a healthy dose of cracked black pepper.
This rye is a mixture of spicy and smooth. It’s uncut, unfiltered, and high proof. But even at 90 proof, this St. Louis-made rye whiskey is well suited for old fashioneds, whiskey sours, or slow sipping on its own.
Tasting Notes:
Your nose will be met with aromas of sweet cream, sugary vanilla, and just a kiss of peppery rye. The first sip is filled with caramelized sugar, dried fruits, soft leather, and white pepper. The finish is long, mellow, and ends with a nice combination of butterscotch and spice.
There are two keys to the success of Five Drops Bourbon. The first is the use of pure Montana spring water. The second is the fact that this whiskey is matured in smaller-than-normal charred, white oak barrels in a rickhouse that has no temperature controls. The distillers believe that the massive swings in temperatures throughout the years give this bourbon a unique flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of fresh wood scents as well as sweet caramel and brown sugar. The first sip is filled with the flavors of caramel corn, rich vanilla, and subtle smoke. The finish is medium, warming, and ends with a nice final kick of charred oak and toffee.
Many distilleries have attempted to make Scottish style whiskeys in American. Many of them barely resemble Scotch. Cut Spike is one that works. Surprisingly only aged for two years, this single malt whiskey is made using malted barley in Scottish-made pot stills.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is spicy with hints of cinnamon, cloves, and subtle pepper. This moves into scents of vanilla beans and brown sugar. The first sip is brimming with hints of dried fruits, candied orange peels, caramel apples, rich vanilla, and subtle charred oak. The finish is long, full of warmth, and ends with a great mixture of cinnamon and vanilla.
It doesn’t get much more grain-to-bottle than Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon. This “whiskey farm” literally grows the ingredients that go into each bottle. Made from a combination of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley, this offering was aged to perfection for four years.
Tasting Notes:
If you give this whiskey a nosing, you’ll find hints of candied orange peel, dried apricots, charred wood, and sweet vanilla. Sipping it yields herbal hints along with sweet corn, grass, dried wood, toasted caramel, and subtle cracked black pepper. The finish is long, full of warming heat, and ends with more spicy rye pepper.
New Hampshire might not be known for its rye whiskey. Chocorua is about to change that. Made by Tamworth Distilling, this complex and smooth whiskey is made using only one crop of organic rye farmed in Maine. It’s distilled in the Tennessee sour mash style to give it a unique flavor profile you won’t soon forget.
Tasting Notes:
The first time you nose this whiskey, you’ll be surprised at the natural, outdoor scents of grass and hay that are followed by dried cherries and a slight hint of cinnamon. The first sip yields hints of spicy rye, sweet caramel, spiced apples, and fresh mint. The finish is medium, warm, and ends with a final kick of peppery spice.
This four-grain bourbon (the same mash bill as its Barnegat White Whiskey) is the first to be made in New Jersey since prohibition. It was distilled at least three times to 140 proof before being matured in new, charred, American oak casks.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with hints of charred oak, sweet corn, and spicy cinnamon. The first sip is full of flavors like rich vanilla, subtle peppery rye, crème Brulee, and dried cherries. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice final hint of vanilla and spice.
New Mexico (Santa Fe Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey)
If you crack open a bottle of Colkegan and you don’t know anything about it, you’d assume you’re sipping on a Scotch whisky. Little do you know that you’re enjoying an American single malt that was made in New Mexico. But, like many of your favorite Scotch whiskies, this unique offering was made with peat-smoked malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Crack this one open and you’ll be sure it’s an Islay single malt. The nose is filled with hints of vanilla, sweet chocolate, and subtle peat smoke. The first sip is filled with dried fruits, toasted marshmallow, rich caramel, and just a wisp of woodsmoke. The finish is medium, mellow, and ends with a final flourish of peaty smoke.
This award-winning bourbon is a little different than what you’d expect and that’s not such a bad thing. This small-batch whiskey produced in Fairport, New York is a four-grain bourbon made using applewood smoked wheat to give it a unique, sweet, and smoky flavor not usually associated with bourbons.
Tasting Notes:
Your nose will be greeted with the expected flavors of brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. But, behind that is subtle, sweet smoke. The first sip yields peppery spice, charred oak, sweet vanilla, and a backbone of woodsmoke. The finish is medium in length, dry, and ends with more sweet smoke.
The first bourbon made in North Carolina since prohibition, Seventeen Twelve Bourbon is made with corn, rye, and barley from Carolina farmers. It’s distilled twice and aged for a minimum of two years in a new, charred, American oak cask that is also filled with toasted yellow birch wood. It’s unfiltered, bold, and unforgettable.
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey begins with a nose of spicy cinnamon, baking spices, and charred oak. The first sip is full of creamy vanilla, clover honey, and brown sugar. The finish is long, full of warming heat, and ends with a nice kick of white pepper.
Proof Artisan Distillers crafted the first single malt whiskey produced in North Dakota since prohibition. Made from 100% non-GMO malted barley, it’s matured in new, charred, American oak casks before finishing in ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
The aroma is filled with rich malty scents as well as charred oak and caramelized sugar. Once you take a sip, the flavors you’ll find include spicy cinnamon, crème Brulee, sticky toffee, and honey. The finish is short, subtly warm, and ends with a final hit of sweet caramel.
Made by Middle West in Columbus, Ohio, Oyo Oloroso Wheat Whiskey is first aged in lightly toasted, American white oak casks for several years. It’s then finished in Oloroso sherry butts. The result is a highly complex, soft, super sippable whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Your nose will first fill with the scents of cinnamon, almonds, and sweet sherry. The first sip brings forth dried cherries, velvety vanilla, bitter chocolate, and subtle peppery spice. The finish is long, warming, and ends with more caramel sweetness.
Top of its class when it comes to American single malts, Westward’s offering is made using locally sourced malted barley and ale yeast. It’s matured in charred, new American oak casks in a barrelhouse that sees the highs and lows of every season. The result is a refined, well-balanced whiskey worth stocking up on.
Tasting Notes:
Like a great Scotch, the aromas your nose is first met with include creamy vanilla, caramelized sugar, and cooking spices. The first sip is filled with dried fruits, rich malts, and brown sugar. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a hit of dark chocolate and cinnamon.
Aged between two and four years, this organic rye whiskey was made in the traditional Monongahela style. Made in a traditional pot still using 68% locally sourced rye, it’s a great whiskey for rye novices as it’s lighter, softer, and smoother than some of the spicier varieties on the market.
Tasting Notes:
Your nostrils will be filled with the spicy scent of cracked pepper along with dried apricots, sweet vanilla, and rich honey. The first sip is full of spicy cinnamon, almond cookies, various herbs, and a spicy rye backbone. The finish is medium, supremely mellow, and ends with a spicy kick.
Rhode Island (Sons of Liberty Uprising American Single Malt Whiskey)
Like all single malts, this offering was made using 100% malted barley. But, unlike many other single malts, Uprising includes dark malts that are often used to brew stout beers. This and aging in charred, American oak barrels as well as toasted French oak, give this whiskey a unique, complex flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find hints of dark, roasted malts, coffee, and caramel. The first sip yields flavors of sweet vanilla, espresso, dark chocolate, and butterscotch. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a final kick of bitter chocolate.
This whiskey from High Wire Distilling in Charleston, South Carolina is a throwback to the classic, easy-drinking bourbons of yore. The grains (heirloom white corn, red winter wheat, malted barley, and Carolina Gold rice bran) are all sourced from southern farms. Without the addition of spicy rye, this bourbon is extra mellow, soft, and highly drinkable.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with subtle wood smoke, charred oak, and nutty sweetness. The first sip is filled with sour cherries, sweet caramel, toasted vanilla beans, and brown sugar. The finish is medium, warm, and ends with a mellow hint of caramelized sugar.
South Dakota (Badlands Iron Hill Bourbon)
ABV: 40%
Price: $30
The Story:
Unsurprisingly, South Dakota isn’t home to a ton of distilleries. The best of the lot is Badlands and its Iron Hill Bourbon. Made with corn that’s grown on the family-owned ranch, it’s made in small, limited-edition batches and is only available to purchase at the distillery in Kadoka, South Dakota.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with sweet corn, rich caramel, and subtle cinnamon. The first sip is an immersion of caramelized sugar, subtle pepper, and clover honey. The finish is medium in length, warming, and ends with a final kick of cinnamon sugar.
Normally, rye whiskey isn’t chilled charcoal mellowed. But, like all of George Dickel’s whiskeys, its rye gets this treatment. This super high rye whiskey (95%) is supremely spicy and well suited for all of your favorite rye-based cocktails or slow sipping.
Tasting Notes:
If you nose this whiskey, you’ll be met with hints of toasted marshmallows, toasted oak, and spicy, peppery rye. The first sip will bring you hints of dried fruits, caramel, sticky toffee, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long and full of spicy heat.
By now, you probably know that I enjoy smoky, Islay Scotches. That’s why I love this corn-based whiskey that’s smoked using Texas scrub oak. It’s smoky, sweet, and perfect for mixing and sipping. Try it instead of your favorite Islay Scotch for a unique dram.
Tasting Notes:
With the obvious reference to smoke, it’s surprising that the first aromas are those of brown sugar and spicy cinnamon. This is followed quickly by woodsmoke and vanilla. The first sip is filled with flavors like tobacco, dried orange peel, caramelized sugar, and more smoke. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a final kiss of barbecue smoke.
Named for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, this complex whiskey is a limited-release version of High West Rendezvous Rye that’s finished in French oak port barrels. This gives it a more nuanced, rich flavor that pairs perfectly with the spicy, sweet original rye.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is comprised of sweet chocolate, charred oak, toasted vanilla, and cinnamon. The first sip is chocked full of dried cherries, caramelized sugar, sweet honey, toffee, and subtle peppery rye. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a combination of fruity sweetness and spicy cracked black pepper.
This whiskey originated in Alberta, Canada. It was being used as a blending whiskey and was “rescued” by WhistlePig to be a standalone rye. It was aged in new, charred, American oak casks and then bottled in Vermont. It’s currently the most awarded rye whiskey in the world.
Tasting Notes:
There are a lot of scents on the nose. First, there’s the candied orange peel. This is quickly followed by toasted oak, peppery spice, and sweet brown sugar. The first sip is filled with caramel, honey, and black pepper. The finish is long, surprisingly mellow, and ends with a final hint of toffee.
Virginia (Virginia Distillery Port Cask Finished Virginia Highland Whiskey)
What begins at a 100% malted barley-based whiskey made in the traditional Scottish style is blended with actual Scotch whisky before being finished in port wine casks. The result is a very unique, global whiskey that should appeal to drinkers from both sides of the pond.
Tasting Notes:
You’ll first be met with aromas of English toffee, cinnamon, cloves, and charred oak. Then when you take a sip, you’ll be greeted with hints of cereal, dark chocolate, dried orange peels, and sweet caramel. The finish is medium in length, full of warmth, and ends with a nice hint of brown sugar.
If you’re a fan of spicy rye whiskey, you can’t miss Woodinville with its 100% rye mash bill that’s sourced from Washington State farms. Distilled in copper pot stills and aged for at least five years, this is a banger of a spicy rye bomb at any price.
Tasting Notes:
Right away, your nose is filled with the aromas of peppery rye, fresh mint, and charred oak. The first sip is full of sticky toffee, vanilla beans, almond cookies, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long, smooth, and ends with a final kick of pepper mixed with sweet milk chocolate.
This wheated bourbon was mashed, distilled, aged, proofed, and bottled at the Smooth Ambler Distillery in West Virginia. This is important because some of the brand’s other whiskeys are made by MGP in Indiana. It’s aged in charred, American oak barrels for five years to give it a soft, sweet, mellow flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
If you nose this whiskey, you’ll be met with hints of caramelized sugar, almonds, and cooking spices. The first sip is filled with hints of sweet vanilla, anise, and cinnamon. The finish is medium in length, full of warmth, and ends with a nice dash of spice.
This award-winning whiskey is higher in malts than most bourbons (22%), this gives it a smoother, mellower, richer flavor. It’s aged in new, charred, American oak barrels and made in very small batches using only Wisconsin- sourced grains. It’s uncut, unfiltered, and underappreciated.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of cocoa powder, apple pie, sweet almonds, and sandalwood fill your nostrils. Upon taking a sip, you’ll notice charred oak, creamy vanilla, dried cherry, and leather flavors. The finish is long, full of heat, and ends with a pleasing hit of spicy cinnamon.
This small-batch bourbon was distilled, barreled, and bottled proudly in Wyoming (hence the name). It’s a highly palatable 88 proof and has won numerous awards over the years. If you’re looking for a bourbon to try that’s not from Kentucky, you can do much worse than this one.
Tasting Notes:
Surprisingly, there a large floral presence in the nose that quickly moves into more recognizable scents of toasted vanilla, charred oak, and English toffee. The first sip is full of creamy caramel, spicy cinnamon, and sweet cake. The finish is medium and filled with spices with a final hint of sweet cream.
Rudy Giuliani’s lawyering has been the talk of the political world in recent weeks, as he does his best to keep Donald Trump’s fledgling attempt to win an election he lost going through the American legal system.
While his press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia may be the most notable of his gaffes while in charge of Trump’s legal challenges to the election, there have been plenty of laughable legal moments over the last few weeks. Each one makes Giuliani’s slapdash legal work viral once more, and some have equated the work to a fictional lawyer from The Simpsons. But one former writer on the show says that’s not fair. Not to Giuliani, but the fictional lawyer, Lionel Hutz.
Hutz was a character on the early seasons of the show that often appeared to represent clients and, well, just not be a very good lawyer. But while The Simpsons has a long history of poking fun at Trump, writer Bill Oakley would prefer you not compare Giuliani to Hutz.
I am dubious of any comparison between Rudy Giuliani and Lionel Hutz because although they are both inept and unscrupulous, Mr. Hutz is essentially a good-hearted soul who doesn’t actively work to harm people or the nation
“I am dubious of any comparison between Rudy Giuliani and Lionel Hutz,” Oakley tweeted. “Because although they are both inept and unscrupulous, Mr. Hutz is essentially a good-hearted soul who doesn’t actively work to harm people or the nation
Hutz was retired from the show after the death of Phil Hartman, who voiced him. So don’t expect to see any direct comparisons on the new episodes of The Simpsons, either. And Oakley does make a good point here: while both are clearly not very good lawyers, only one of them can further damage the fabric of democracy in America. And the other one is a cartoon character.
Bobby Brown’s family has unfortunately suffered another loss in the family as TMZ reported on Wednesday that his son, Bobby Brown Jr., was found dead in his Los Angeles area home.
A source close to the family tells TMZ Bobby Jr. was found dead Wednesday in his home in the L.A. area. Police are still at the house, and our sources tell us, at this point, they do not believe there was foul play involved.
Bobby Brown Jr. is one of the singer’s seven children which he had during his on-again-off-again relationship with Kim Ward, whom the singer dated in the decade before his marriage with the late singer Whitney Houston.
Brown’s son’s death comes just five years after his half-sister, Bobbi Kristina, passed away. Kristina was found unresponsive in a bathtub at just the age of 22 and remained in a coma for almost six months. An autopsy report also showed that while her cause of death was due to drowning in the tub, she did have toxic levels of cocaine and alcohol in her body. Her mother, the late singer Whitney Houston, died three years prior to Kristina’s death in an unfortunately similar way.
Houston’s death rocked the world as the legendary singer was taken from the music world much earlier than most expected. Bobby Brown has yet to address the reported death of his 28-year-old son.
In a bit of a shocker, the 2020 NBA Draft saw the entire lottery go by without any trades, despite months and months of speculation that teams at the top would be looking to move down. Apparently the relative weakness of the top of this draft class proved to be enough of a deterrent for teams below to offer a strong enough package to move up, and for much of the draft, trade chatter was relatively minimal.
We did see the Thunder deal Ricky Rubio and a pair of late firsts to Minnesota for the 17th overall pick to take Aleksej Pokusevski and some other shuffling of picks in the bottom half of the first round, but it wasn’t until the second round that we got the biggest trade of the draft itself. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a shooting guard swap that would send Seth Curry to Philadelphia in exchange for Josh Richardson and the No. 36 pick, which they used on Tyler Bey.
It’s a trade that makes a lot of sense for both parties. The Sixers are a team in need of more shooting, and while they brought Danny Green in earlier on Wednesday in a deal with OKC for Al Horford and picks, it remained a significant need. At 21, they took Tyrese Maxey, who was a steal at that point in the draft but still didn’t address the shooting need, so swapping Richardson, who is an excellent player but likewise isn’t an elite floor spacer, for one of the league’s best long-range marksmen makes a ton of sense.
As for Richardson, he goes to a Dallas team that could use his two-way presence in the backcourt alongside Luka Doncic, and with their selection of Tyrell Terry with the 31st overall pick, they added a shooter that possibly gave them comfort to move on from Curry.
Supreme makes a lot of hats. Too many? Probably. In any given year, the beloved streetwear label will drop nearly 100 pieces of headwear. Did a global pandemic stop Supreme from producing more hats that play on the brand’s iconic box label than the world will ever need? Nope! Like graphic t-shirts and high-profile brand collaborations, Supreme’s hats are a staple of the company’s output and the drops just keep coming.
Unlike edgy graphic t-shirts and luxury brand collaborations, Supreme’s hat game showcases a side of the label that isn’t often talked about. Supreme’s roots are planted firmly in the counter-culture world of New York skateboarding, nobody denies that, but the label is also really deep into mainstream sports. Sure, Supreme will drop a sports-focused starter jacket every once in a while, but it’s the caps — from snapbacks to bucket hats to beanies and boonies — that their love for the game, specifically baseball, shines bright. Chalk that up to deep-rooted New York connections and the nostalgic joy of watching a ballgame on the TV set.
We digress. As we said, Supreme just makes too many hats. So we’ve gone through the Herculean task of winnowing their selection down to the 50 best lids in the brand’s 26-year history. Let’s dive in!
Supreme Flags Camp Cap, Unreleased
We considered not even including the Flags Camp cap on this list, as the design remains unreleased and is really more of an urban legend than an actual ownable piece of the brand’s history. But just look at it! It’s frankly too dope not to include. This sample design is rumored to have only been given to a select few, but was most likely pulled from release because of the controversy that might’ve been caused by the inclusion of the Saudi Arabian flag, which includes a message that reads “There is only one God and Mohammed is the Messenger of God.”
Of course, shying away from controversy is the last thing we’d expect from Supreme — so who knows why this is such a limited piece?!
Supreme “Vuitton” Crusher, 2000
Bucket hats… we’re just going to say it, are kind of lame. But for whatever reason when you throw a bunch of logos on one, they just end up looking pretty dope. What makes the Supreme Vuitton crusher dope is that Supreme never got Louis V’s permission to include this remixed version of the luxury brand’s famous patterning. As such, the bucket hats were pulled off the shelves within two weeks of their release.
Meaning this drop was destined to be rare!
Supreme “Vuitton” Caps, 2000
Released in the same year as the Vuitton Crusher, the Vuitton caps took everything that made the matching bucket hats cool and improved upon the design. By, you know, printing the pattern on a six-panel hat instead of a stupid bucket hat.
Supreme Nuggets Hat, 2003
Supreme repped the Denver Nuggets hard on this trucker hat that borrows the Nugget’s jersey design for a new spin on a retro look. “Nuggets” was swapped out from the jersey’s original design for, fittingly, “Supreme,” and the snow-covered Rockies have been replaced with a white skyline of New York City, allowing Supreme to rep both the Mile High City and the city that never sleeps in a single look.
Supreme Heineken Cap, 2003
In the early 00s, it would be fair to describe Supreme as bratty. They dropped a pair of SB Dunks in the beer’s iconic colors and the brand was less than pleased with Supreme lifting part of their design. When Supreme heard that there was static, they dropped a hat covered in Heineken logos.
See? Bratty.
Supreme “Pirates” Cap, 2007
Grailed
For whatever reason, in the ‘00s, people starting rocking Pittsburgh Pirates hats whether or not they were fans of the team or even fans of baseball. We can’t say why, but for a minute the hottest headwear look in streetwear was a black cap with an embroidered “P” in the center, so Supreme ran with that trend and gave us the “Pirates” cap, which is almost identical to a Pittsburgh Pirates cap only it says Supreme.
And no shade to Pittsburgh but… that makes it better.
Supreme “World Famous” Cap, 2007
Another play on a piece of sports memorabilia. For the “World Famous” cap, Supreme lifted the “W” logo from the Washington Nationals and combined it with one of the brand’s commonly used tags “World Famous,” inserting a cartoon Earth in place of the “o.”
If you own this and you’re a Washington Nationals fan, congratulations, you have the coolest Washington Nationals cap ever. And it’s unofficial, which somehow makes it more official!
Supreme Corduroy Script Cap, 2007
A supremely (see what we did there?) elegant piece, the Corduroy script hat is a great showcase for the brand’s love of minimalism. We have a simple Supreme’s script logo, the always dope color combo of blue and white, and a dope as hell fabric choice.
What else does a good cap need?
Supreme “By Any Means” Cap, 2008
Like 2007’s “World Famous” cap, this design borrows an iconic baseball team logo — The New York Yankees — and combines it with one of Supreme’s oft used phrases, “By Any Means Necessary.”
It’s a little bit more dope than the Washington Nationals cap thanks to the “No ” branding that mimics the classic “I NY” tourist shirts.
Supreme Olympic Beanie, 2008
We’d like to live in a world where all Olympic memorabilia was designed by Supreme. 2008’s Olympic Beanies somehow manage to look both retro and like something we’ve never seen before. Supreme tried to be inclusive here, dropping colorways made up of the colors utilized across many national flags, rather than outright repping a specific country.
Who knows, if COVID-19 didn’t cancel the 2020 Olympics, we might have a whole new set of Olympic themed headwear from Supreme. Here is hoping it drops next year.
Supreme Balloons Camp Cap, 2008
Supreme
Supreme is at its best when the brand is being silly. What were they going for dropping a collection of hats with hot air balloons? Who knows, but we love it. Primarily because it looks like a design Will Smith would’ve rocked on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Supreme Alpine Camp Cap, 2008
You probably couldn’t tell at first glance, but this Alpine Camp cap has a very unique patterning featuring rock climbing gear. It’s a hat made for rock climbers. No other streetwear brand has done that.
We just wonder why there hasn’t been a The North Face Supreme hat collection this cool.
Supreme “World Famous” Snapback, 2008
Maybe we were wrong about Supreme’s love for sports, maybe it’s all just a troll. This hat feels designed to piss people off. Here we’ve got the Miami Hurricanes mascot printed on the side sporting a t-shirt that reads “NY,” which is sure to piss off fans of both states. To top it off, we have “World Famous” embroidered in two different fonts.
What does any of it mean?!
Supreme/American Needle S Logo Cap, 2008
This collaboration is pure vintage snapback. For this pinstriped cap, Supreme linked up with American Needle, a brand that calls itself “The Original Snapback” for a design that pays homage to the early baseball caps of the 1900s. In Supreme’s hands, it still looks cool over 120 years later.
Supreme Posse Corduroy Panel Hat, 2008
The Posse Corduroy Panel Hat is the cap that single-handedly created thousands of Supreme obsessed hype beast Zoomers. Well, saying single-handedly is probably being too generous to the design when it was Tyler the Creator who popularized this particular fit.
These days it’s hard to picture Tyler rocking anything that doesn’t say Golf or has a donut on it, but vintage Tyler was all about the Posse Corduroy.
Supreme Subhumans Cap, 2009
My favorite thing about this hat is that you don’t have to be a fan of either Supreme or English punk band Subhumans to dig it. It’s just a cool design. Liking things that look dope will always be cool. Liking something because it says “Supreme” or reps your favorite brand? Lame reason to like something.
This hat also pisses off hardcore Subhumans fans when they realize it says “Supreme” and not the name of their favorite band. And isn’t pissing people off the most punk thing of all?
Supreme Budweiser Bucket Hat, 2009
Supreme
I hate hate hate hate Supreme’s Budweiser collaboration. But to deny that this wasn’t a significant drop by the brand would just be a lie. This hat was EVERYWHERE at music festivals in 2009, so much so that it sent above-it-all hipsters towards Pabst, just to feel different.
Supreme Feathers Camp Cap, 2010
Again, Supreme owes a significant debt to Tyler the Creator. Would Supreme be as hot as it is right now if a new generation of kids didn’t know anything about the brand? We don’t think so.
This hat is case in point.
Supreme “Land of the Free” Hat, 2010
A little slice of commentary from Supreme, this design ripped Red Man Chewing Tobacco’s logo and replaced the slogan “America’s Best Chew” with “Land of the Free” marked with an asterisk. We didn’t say the commentary was strong, but it does seem the brand is trying to say something about the genocidal beginnings of America.
Misprint Supreme Ethnic Soft Bill Camp Cap, 2011
In 2011 Supreme f*cked up and accidentally printed a bunch of hats with an upside-down boxed logo. So they bumped up the price and sold off the limited stock as a rarity. The fact that it worked so well is the sort of thing that will either make you love or hate the brand!
Supreme / The North Face Checkered Cap, 2011
In an earlier entry, we complained that there aren’t enough dope The North Face x Supreme hats. We still feel that way, but this mustard-colored checkered cap from 2011 is proof that the brands are at least capable of making it happen. Can we see a rock climber or a hiker rocking this hat?
Unfortunately, no. Which is cool for Supreme heads but kind of sucks for The North Face fans.
Supreme Classic Logo Camp Cap, 2011
Supreme
How is it possible for a single brand to have this many iconic logos? People go every bit as crazy for the classic Supreme logo, seen here on these camp caps, as they do for Supreme’s classic box logo. This collection remains hard to find to this day, meaning if Supreme ever drops a refresh people are going to lose their minds.
Supreme Donegal Wool/Suede Visor Camp Camp, 2011
Supreme
It’s almost impossible to wear Donegal Wool without breaking out into an itchy fit, but put the fabric on a hat and you’ve got a fashion-forward solution to the problem. These hats are sickeningly fly, even 9 years later. While there is no doubt that the red box logo was the fan favorite, we’re loving the green and blue variation for their subtly toned wool.
Supreme x Loro Piana Camp Caps, 2011
Supreme
These hats are still everywhere. Made in collaboration with Italian luxury wool and cashmere brand Loro Piana, this multi-colored set has become a defining design from the brand and they still play off its look in more recent releases.
100% classic. 100% Supreme.
Supreme Leopard Safari Camp Cap, 2011
Tyler the Creator, yet again, rocked this top and bottom bill leopard printed 5-panel cap to the VMAs and the brand had another instant classic on their hands. It’s still one of Supreme’s best caps and proof that leopard print can be fly… in the right hands.
Supreme Tree Camo Camp Cap, 2012
Supreme
A dope enough design that Kanye West himself once wore the matching pullover. Ye in Supreme feels like a rarity, and for that reason alone we’re including the hat version of his famous look.
Supreme Croc Camp Cap, 2012
Supreme
Always up for a challenge, Supreme took on faux crocodile skin for a cap in three colorways with other accessories — backpacks, camera cases, etc. — to match. Not gonna lie, it’s kinda cool. No matter how risky of a fashion choice it is.
A faux-crocodile skin cap in blue, red, or black? Leave it to Supreme to make a thing no one asked for or thought of and still manage to make them cool.
Supreme x Vans x Campbell’s Soup Cap, 2012
Supreme
Part of a larger collaboration with Vans, this Supreme trucker hat is pure Warhol. Though… these days we don’t know how well a red hat holds up. Does this make you think of Warhol or Trump? Scary.
Supreme “Hate” Camp Cap, 2013
Supreme
This hat could’ve only been made in the Obama era. These days it seems a little too dark to drop a cap with a statement like “hate” plastered all over it, but when the country didn’t feel like a hate-filled never-ending nightmare, no one would bat an eye at a design this whimsical that also veered negative.
Supreme Velvet Camo Camp Cap, 2013
Supreme
This hat just doesn’t work in California. It’s made of velvet, which is probably one of the least ideal fabrics to wear on your head unless you know, you like sweating all over your face. But rocking this during an East Coast winter? Classic look.
Supreme/Commes de Garćon SHIRT Cap, 2014
This is simply a dope design. Made in collaboration with Comme des Garçons, this hat features vertical pinstripes and a backward Supreme logo. Only this time it was intentional, so the brand didn’t upcharge for it.
You know, more than they already do.
Supreme/Jordan® Hat, 2015
Dropped as part of a larger collection consisting of hats, shoes, shirts, and athletic wear, you can’t go wrong with a hat that reps both Supreme and Air Jordan. You could call this one lazy, but how else would you want this collaboration to look? It gets the job done.
Supreme/Stone Island Heat Reflective Cap, 2016
Personally, I’m not a fan of metallics, but it’s hard to deny that this collaboration between Supreme and Stone Island isn’t dope. The colors of this hat are supposed to change based on how much exposure to heat and sunlight it receives. It’s gimmicky, but just look at it!
Is it not the dopest banana colored cap you’ve ever seen?
Supreme/Rap-A-Lot Records Hats, 2017
Supreme
Satin 5-panel hats that rep late-80s hip-hop label Rap-A-Lot records? Leave it to Supreme to make a hat that only the core heads will know to love.
Supreme Classic Logo Six Panel Hats, 2018
Supreme
This Christmas, gift me (or someone you know, whatever) an all-cotton six-panel classic logo hat in pink or yellow. It’s certain that if you do, I (they) will be your best friend until the end of time
Supreme Washed Chambray S Logo 6-Panel Hats, 2018
Supreme
This feels a little too close to Palace for comfort, but with that iconic “S” logo, this collection also looks like a candy bowl full of Skittles. In a cool way.
Look at them for a minute, they’ll grow on you.
Supreme Military Boonie, 2018
Supreme
This throwback piece is pure Hot Boys. Military Boonies are just a step above bucket hats in my book, but the camo iteration is the only hat I want to wear on my next outdoorsy adventure.
Supreme/Cordura Mesh Crusher, 2018
Supreme
If you’re wondering why the list suddenly exploded with bucket hats, it’s because the damn things are enjoying a streetwear renaissance right now. It feels a little too ironic to rock a bucket during a global pandemic, but we’re expecting to see lots of bucket hats when music festivals are finally a thing again.
Supreme Floral 5-Panel Cap, 2018
Supreme
Supreme is probably the only streetwear brand that’s able to comfortably navigate maximalism as much as they can minimalism. Whether they’re slapping their logo in a red box and calling it a day, or dropping a hat with a loud collegiate font and an all-over flower print, they’re somehow able to make it all work.
Supreme Ganesh 5-Panel Caps, 2018
Supreme
It would be fair to say that Supreme is a fairly… random brand. Seven colorways all featuring an orange patch with the Hindu deity Ganesh. Which may lead you to ask: Why?
The harder question to answer is: how did it end up so dope?
Supreme Primaloft Earflap Camp Cap, 2018
Supreme
If Supreme was a brand purely concerned with looks, it would a lot lamer. Luckily that isn’t the case, and this Earflap Camp cap is proof of their attention to functionality. Made in collaboration with Primaloft, a synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material developed for the U.S. Army in the 80s, this cap was made to keep your head warm and your hat game strong.
Supreme Fleece Pullcord Camp Camp, 2018
Supreme
Pullcord caps, you either love them or hate them. Thanks to Supreme’s clean design and heavy use of fleece here, we’re not mad at it. But in the hands of any other brand, that probably wouldn’t be the case.
Note to hat makers. Stop making pull cord caps.
Supreme Patent Leather Patch Camp Cap, 2018
Supreme
Remember when I said I wasn’t a fan of metallic fabrics? Patent leather is why. Why have ugly overly reflective material when you can have the sheen of patent leather?
Supreme Vampire Beanie, 2018
Supreme
Made in collaboration with Alien Workshop cofounder Mike Hill, this acrylic beanie looks unlike anything produced by Supreme. It’s also a reminder that Supreme is a skatewear focused brand, and a sports or outdoor brand like this list would lead you to believe.
Supreme Contrast Panel Camp Cap, 2018
Supreme
These caps are slightly retro and remind us of the days when color was king. Each piece (except for the black colorway) is pieced together in two different colors, providing options for the streetwear lover or skater who likes a little pop of color in their world.
A little retro, this collection of camp caps from Supreme dropped at the height of streetwear’s ‘90s revival. We’re still deep in that, so these are looking just as fresh as they did two years ago.
Supreme Faux Fur Camp Cap, 2019
Supreme
Dropped as part of 2019’s Fall/Winter season, aka the last season before the world entered a global pandemic, the Supreme Faux Fur Camp Caps featured an ultra-clean box logo design in white, black, and mint. White is quickly becoming Supreme’s go-to color of choice since Trump appropriated the red cap and white lettering look. We think this is a step up.
Supreme USPS Flap Cap, 2019
Supreme
Back before the Post Office became a topic of political discourse and a fixture in the streetwear realm, it was Supreme that first opened people’s eyes to how dope the uniforms and iconography of U.S. Postal workers are. This piece has never been more relevant and shows that the only way the U.S. Postal uniform could be cooler is to have Supreme themselves design future fits.
We hope this isn’t the last we see of this partnership.
Supreme Box Logo Ushankas, 2019
Supreme
The audacity of Supreme to launch a Russian inspired ushanka in an attempt to launch a very weird trend! We’re glad it didn’t take off, but we got to hand it to Supreme, only they’ve could’ve made this effort.
Does it belong in the top 50? Maybe not. But as a conversation piece? Definitely.
Supreme x Kangol Fuzzy Cap, 2020
Supreme
There is no doubt that Samuel L. Jackson made Kangol hats cool, but if Samuel L. Jackson in his prime was somehow transported to 2020 (this is the year of weird random things happening), there is no doubt in our mind that he’d be rocking this fuzzy cap version by Supreme.
Anyone looking to capture Jackson’s swagger in the modern age would do the same.
Supreme GORE-TEX Rammelizee Camp Cap, 2020
Supreme
Made in collaboration with New York-based artist Rammelizee, this GORE-TEX equipped Nylon cap features an all-over space print that looks like it came straight off of vintage bedsheets from the ‘80s. The collection also consisted of matching beanies and Anorak jackets, but the Camp Cap’s are the best utilization of the design.
We’re getting a new Miley Cyrus album in just a few weeks, and so far the lead up to Plastic Hearts has been mostly focused on the disco-country banger “Midnight Sky” and Stevie Nicks vibes. Well, that’s all about to change tomorrow with the release of a new collab, this time with Dua Lipa. Lipa is also in the left-field disco world, but with a decidedly pop twist, and it looks like her and Miley are getting into some major looks for their new “Prisoner” video, which you can watch a snippet of below.
Miley even changed her Twitter pic to a clip from the video, covered in what looks like blood… but wait? Looking closer you can see the two pop stars are probably just playing with maraschino cherries, so it’s not quite as violent as it seemed. Or is it? At the very end of the teaser clip, a super brief masked figure screams into the camera, meaning there might be some darker layers to this video after all. As far as what the song will sound like, this clip doesn’t give much insight, but it does show Dua and Miley dancing and some close up shots that are very suggestive.
Given the streak Dua’s been on this year with Future Nostalgia, the single is sure to be a good one. Check back in tomorrow for the official “Prisoner” drop to see how it all turns out.
Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
While 2020 has not produced a solo project from Cardi B, the Bronx native has one of the year’s biggest moments in music thanks to her “WAP” single with Megan The Stallion. The track and its accompanying video sent the internet into a frenzy while producing an equal amount of fans and critics, all of whom helped the song land three weeks atop the Billboard singles chart.
Months later, the track, as well as other 2020 highlights for Cardi, helped the rapper win Billboard’s ‘Woman Of The Year’ award. While the award may be well-deserved to some, others believed that it should’ve gone to someone else. In a recent video post to Instagram, the Bronx native responded to these critics.
“For you crybabies that’s like ‘what? she only got one song’ – yeah I got that song, b*tch,” Cardi said in the video. “You know? The one that sold the most, the one that streamed the most. The one that had Republicans on Fox News crying about it. The one that’s about to be six times platinum in three months.” She added, “The one that had your grandma popping her pussy on TikTok. Yeah, b*tch, that one.”
The rapper closed the boastful video by reminding viewers that she “won’t ever change” her ways. “Eat it up, I’m just that b*tch,” she said.
You can view Cardi’s response in the video above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Wednesday was supposed to be a day of excitement for the Golden State Warriors, who held the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and were poised to either draft one of the top prospects or trade it away for what figured to be a handsome return.
However, mere hours before the Warriors were set to be on the clock, word emerged that star guard Klay Thompson had suffered a lower leg injury in a workout that was in need of evaluation. As more information emerged over the course of the evening, it became clear that the injury was feared to be severe, with Shams Charania of The Athletic reporting he couldn’t place weight on his leg leaving the gym to Marc Spears simply tweeting he’d been told the injury was “not good.”
Late Wednesday night, we got word of just how bad the injury was as Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports the Warriors fear Thompson suffered an Achilles injury in his right leg, thus ending his 2020-21 comeback season before it ever got started.
Yahoo Sources: The fear is Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson has suffered a significant Achilles injury. An MRI scheduled for tomorrow morning.
They will wait for all tests to come back before confirming, but it is a devastating outcome for someone who has worked tremendously over the last year to rehabilitate his left knee after tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals. A ruptured or torn Achilles is one of the most debilitating injuries for a basketball player, but the hope is obviously that Thompson will be able to work his way back to find something close to his pre-injury, All-Star form.
For the Warriors, who had hoped after being without Thompson and Stephen Curry for most of last season they’d bounce back into title contention in 2021, it’s a huge blow to their team hopes. The chief concern at this point has to be for Thompson’s health and recovery, but it certainly has to shift their plans this offseason.
Next month, Jack White’s Third Man Records will release a new greatest hits album by The White Stripes. For White, it’s another classic anachronistic move: In the age of streaming platforms, greatest hits compilations have become all but extinct. But it’s also warranted and even necessary revisionism for one of the great (and misunderstood) bands of their era.
Almost a decade after they broke up, The White Stripes are even more out-of-step with the pop mainstream in 2020 then they were during the era of nu-metal and teen pop. Jack White has since moved on to a successful solo career, though his tendency to come off as a reactionary crank in interviews has taken some of the shine off of his former band’s legacy. In their time, The White Stripes were as unlikely a world-conquering band as Nirvana was in the early ’90s. Their formula of commingling a plainly constructed mythos — a brother-sister band dressed like peppermint candies — with utterly simple and gut-level blues-based rock proved to be remarkably resilient, both commercially and artistically, over the course of six albums. Ultimately, it was hard to tell sometimes where the mythos ended. (When White calls himself “the seventh son” in “Ball And Biscuit,” he’s referencing a classic blues trope and the fact that he is literally the seventh born son in his family.)
Hopefully the new greatest hits record will be an excuse to go back and listen to The White Stripes’ music, which I’m happy to report holds up very well. How exactly did this band make blues rock great again? I tried to figure that out by revisiting my 30 favorite White Stripes songs.
30. “Let’s Shake Hands” (1998)
Their debut single, and a summation of their sound and aesthetic. In Detroit back in the late ’90s, The White Stripes were not immediately popular; a local scenester once described them as “the kid band that nobody liked.” That was partly due to White’s voice, which was even more shrill and Robert Plant-esque (and therefore un-punk) in the early days. But there was also the novel combination of extreme, even cartoonish childishness and brute old-world aggression derived from the unrestrained machismo of the blues. (White later said that the former was a way to initially distract audiences from the latter.) You can hear all of that in “Let’s Shake Hands” — the text is chaste, but the subtext is highly charged.
29. “I Fought Piranhas” (1999)
Like Jack and Meg White, I am a native of the upper Midwest, and I remember what it was like here in local indie-rock clubs at the turn of the century. You couldn’t toss a PBR bottle cap without hitting a band with a name like The Filthstooges or The Redsideburns or Johnny & The Harley Cats In Heat. Garage rock was a reaction against technology and the internet rapidly remaking culture, so it was an inherent bug of the genre that 99.9% of the bands from that time have been memory-holed or otherwise stranded in their time. As the extremely rare exception, The White Stripes had the benefit of undeniable vision and sturdy tunes, though they also knew how to play the game. “I Fought Piranhas” is the sort of surly, bluesy vamp that leather-jacketed Detroiters, Milwaukeeans, and Chicagoans could get behind, no matter the lack of piranhas in Lake Michigan.
28. “Black Math” (2003)
The 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud opens with the most Jack White scene imaginable — we see him dressed like Johnny Depp in Mortdecai, carefully assembling a Coke bottle guitar while surrounded by cows on the Tennessee plains. The image projected here aligns with White’s persona as the ultimate purist, but this is actually a character called “Jack White” that a boy named Jack Gillis invented. Before he was Jack White, young Gillis loved Led Zeppelin, a band that never was all that reverential of their blues roots. (They were plunderers, not preservationists.) And that hasn’t really changed — Jack White might preach about the primal beauty of a homemade Coke bottle guitar, but musically he’s closer to one of Jimmy Page’s double-neck beauties. Listening to “Black Math,” The White Stripes are best understood as a Gen X Zep, a quintessential riff-rock machine operating on cheap equipment.
27. “Screwdriver” (1999)
Unlike another band from Michigan that likes to get the Led out, The White Stripes had the foresight to not emulate them visually, nor did they ape their million-dollar classic-rock production. White’s love of monstrous, stutter-start riffage instead was married to consciously scruffier sonics. The first song White ever wrote for The White Stripes, “Screwdriver” is like Led Zeppelin II if had been recorded at Cobo Hall by a Walkman with dying batteries.
26. “Icky Thump” (2007)
The best description I’ve seen of a Jack White guitar solo, courtesy of The New Yorker‘s Alec Wilkinson: “Often a series of collisions, a challenge to a song to defend itself. He likes fat, sludgy tones and clipped attacks, often repeating a note as if he were throttling it.” This violent, car-crash style also comes across when he plays other instruments, like a Univox synthesizer, which White maximizes for every squeak, squawk, and squiggle on “Icky Thump.”
25. “You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)” (2000)
Among the many fascinating contradictions of The White Stripes: They are both strongly Midwestern in their core musical elements and embrace of no-frills simplicity, and yet also indebted to British rock in terms of their interest in highly constructed “fake” visual facades as well as White’s songwriting. White is an American obsessed with this country’s native 20th-century music forms — blues, folk, country, jazz — but he’s coming at them as an outsider, separated by an ocean of time and technology in the same way that British rockers were put at a distance by a literal ocean. “You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)” is a poppy blues-rock song that has always reminded me of The Kinks — like Ray Davies, White was man out of time, pining for the traditions that his peers were rapidly setting aside, a romantic who fought off his own cynicism but cultivated an anachronistic naiveté about the modern world.
24. “Truth Doesn’t Make A Noise” (2000)
I’ve gone far too long without talking about Meg White, White Stripes drummer and essentially the whole point of the band. In Meg, Jack founds something that would make this particular blues-loving Midwestern white-people band different from all the other white-people bands. Her drumming was both post-modern and primitive; it made The White Stripes sound like a contemporary reimagining of the blues, and also older than the blues. Meg was also Jack’s muse — pretty much every White Stripes song can be interpreted as being about her or inspired by her, or taken as a signifier of what she represents to the audience and White himself. “Truth Doesn’t Make A Noise” is about a woman who projects her power by not speaking, which must have been especially attractive (as well as frustrating) for a busybody like White. This song appropriately veers between admiration, resentment, and protectiveness. “You try to tell her what to do / And all she does is stare at you / Her stare is louder than your voice / Because truth doesn’t make a noise.”
23. “You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket” (2003)
I’ve spent more time than most critics psychoanalyzing the Jack and Meg White dynamic. (White’s first post-White Stripes album, 2012’s Blunderbuss, is a rich text for Jack and Meg watchers, replete with songs that appear to comment obliquely on their musical breakup.) Since Meg never talks, the texts here tend to be one-sided, though Jack to his credit often paints himself (or his unnamed male protagonists) as weak or misguided. Often these songs hinge on power — who has it, and how it is unwittingly transferred freely between parties. Responding to charges that he was overly controlling in The White Stripes, Jack told The New York Times Magazinein 2012, “Meg completely controlled the White Stripes. She’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, and you don’t even get to know the reasons.” That quote makes me think of “You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket,” a song in which a controlling man knows he ultimately has no power over a woman who he’s convinced will one day leave him. The fact that Meg did eventually leave confirmed those fears. When Jack performed it on The Tonight Showa few years ago, he was visibly emotional. Some drummers you can just never get over.
22. “Little Room” (2001)
Setting aside all of the Jack vs. Meg palace intrigue in The White Stripes, let it also be known that Meg White is first and foremost an incredible rock ‘n’ roll drummer. “Little Room” is one of her greatest performances, as real and primal and visceral as Son House’s handclaps on “Grinnin’ In Your Face.” It’s The White Stripes at their simplest, and one of their wisest statements about how fame can kill the original inspiration that makes fame possible. It’s not long, so I might as well quote the entire song: “Well you’re in your little room / And you’re working on something good / But if it’s really good / You’re gonna need a bigger room / And when you’re in the bigger room / You might not know what to do / You might have to think of / How you got started sitting in your little room.”
21. “The Denial Twist” (2005)
Get Behind Me Satan was the great curveball album after White Blood Cells and Elephant made them one of America’s most popular and lauded bands. After so much meat-and-potatoes minimalism, hearing piano featured so prominently on a White Stripes record was as jarring as the shiny synths on Van Halen’s “Jump.” But this is also one of the best pop songs in The White Stripes catalogue, though the ragtime-punk feel is more 1905 than 2005.
20. “Offend In Every Way” (2001)
Jack White has the dubious distinction of producing the least listenable album of Neil Young’s career, 2014’s A Letter Home, recorded with a Voice-O-Graph vinyl recording booth that makes the LP sound like a dead man’s attic. I prefer this deep cut from White Blood Cells anchored by Jack’s faithful replication of Neil’s fuzzy guitar tone. Neil should have produced Jack, not the other way around.
19. “Hello Operator” (2000)
Recently I was talking on one of my podcasts about how the legacy of The White Stripes has been affected in the past decade by Jack White’s progressively grumpy public persona. This is a purely anecdotal observation, based on various conversations I’ve had with “the kids,” but it seems like The White Stripes — the most critically adored band of that early aughts “return of rock” generation — currently lag in popularity behind The Strokes and even Interpol and The Killers among younger generations. Right or wrong, they’re now commonly perceived as Luddite killjoys with a theatrical streak that’s out of step with current indie trends. As a rebuttal, I would forward “Hello Operator,” an incredibly fun rock song that reminds me of “Funk #49.” In spite of White’s reputation, this band was not joyless. At their best, they could be gleefully, happily dumb.
18. “My Doorbell” (2005)
Exhibit B in the case of The White Stripes being a lot more fun than people remember. Also a good example of White’s talent for writing dumb songs in a smart way.
17. “Do” (1999)
I wonder if Jack White internalized early criticism from his Detroit peers about his voice, as he still tends to not view himself as a singer. (“I don’t have a sing-the-national-anthem voice,” he told The New Yorker. “What I do is vocalize characters.”) All of this seems strange now, because White is rightfully recognized now as a fantastic rock singer, capable of conveying rage, innocence, lust, infatuation, confusion, and regular old rock-star swagger and authority. And he could do that from that beginning, no matter the haters. This smoldering ballad from the self-titled debut about not trusting the intentions of strangers — a classic JW trope — features one of my favorite early Jack White vocals, touching on all of the aforementioned feelings and more. “Don’t want to be social / Can’t take it when they hate me / But I know there’s nothin’ I can do.”
16. “White Moon” Under Great White Northern Lights version (2009)
Another one for the “psychoanalyze Jack and Meg” file. White apparently wrote “White Moon” (as well as another Get Behind Me Satan track, “Take, Take, Take”) about Rita Hayworth. But in the 2009 tour documentary Under Great White Northern Lights, this Dylanesque tune appears to comment on the undoing of The White Stripes. Toward the end of the film, Jack plays it at a piano with Meg at his side, and in that light the thematic connections “White Moon” has to other Meg songs — the struggle for control, and the inevitability of separation — is made plainer than it is on the album version. As Jack’s emotional performance peaks, Meg starts to break down. “And I promised I wouldn’t lead her on / But she met me, then led me / And I ate what was fed me / ´Til I purged every word in this song.”
15. “The Union Forever” (2001)
Orson Welles was a control freak from the Midwest who obsessively threw himself into multiple projects simultaneously throughout his life. Naturally, Jack White was drawn to Welles and his signature film, 1941’s Citizen Kane. This intense, swirling psych-rocker from White Blood Cells functions as a kind of cover version of that movie. In White’s reimagining, the insecurity and megalomania of Welles/Kane is viewed through the prism of White’s own anger and determination to get one over on the world. “What would I liked to have been? / Everything you hate” functions as a mission statement for his career about as well as anything he actually wrote.
14. “I’m Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman” (2001)
The best longform interview with Jack White was conducted by Conan O’Brien in 2013, mainly because their friendship made White comfortable enough to drop his usual facade of hostile defensiveness with the media. A bit that stands out is White’s belief that people used to have more etiquette with technology; the supposed loss of politeness as society moved beyond landlines to mobile phones is what he finds most offensive about progress. Once again, we see White’s preoccupation with ritual and formality, which informed nearly everything about The White Stripes, from their color schemes to the way White wrote and recorded songs. It’s also reflected in the eccentric phrasing of “I’m Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman,” in which heartbreak is couched as a failure to maintain a proper level of decorum.
13. “Jimmy The Exploder” (1999)
The funniest subplot of The White Stripes’ career was their rivalry with another Midwestern two-person blues-rock combo, The Black Keys. It was instigated entirely by White, who was convinced that The Black Keys ripped them off. Did they? Maybe a little, though the Stripes and the Keys both owe a huge debt to Flat Duo Jets. It’s possible The Black Keys only bothered listening to the first song on the first White Stripes album, as “Jimmy The Exploder” is the White Stripes song that sounds the most like the Black Keys.
12. “Apple Blossom” (2000)
If the twee exterior of The White Stripes was an act of misdirection giving them space to play the blues without suffering “white boy blues band” taunts, the undercurrents of aggression and menace in their music in retrospect allowed them to transcend the quirky excesses of the era. “Apple Blossom” comes awfully close to sounding like a Moldy Peaches track; extreme cutesiness for the sake of extreme cutesiness. But childishness for White is an affectation that can’t fully conceal the fiercely restless adult beneath. His voice might be light and his words romantic on “Apple Blossom,” but Meg’s drums and those clipped piano chords tell a different, more foreboding story.
11. “Jolene” (2000)
When Dolly Parton sings “Jolene,” it’s gently (even sweetly) pleading, with Dolly attempting to flatter her rival in order to deter her from taking her man. (There’s also the joke embedded in the subtext that any woman could possibly be more desirable than Dolly Parton.) When Jack White sings “Jolene,” the woman is driven so mad with jealousy and self-hatred that it turns the song into a threat of violence. Dolly’s “Jolene” is finely wrought southern melodrama. The White Stripes’ “Jolene” is a slasher film.
10. “The Hardest Button To Button” (2003)
Speaking of slasher films, this is The White Stripes’ answer to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a darkly funny tune about a dysfunctional family plunged into even deeper crisis by the arrival of a new baby. This is also the most underrated guitar riff in the band’s canon; the only reason it wasn’t the breakout track from Elephant is that tens of thousands of people can’t sing it in soccer stadiums.
9. “The Same Boy You’ve Always Known” (2001)
“The Hardest Button To Button” is Jack White’s exaggerated caricature of what it’s like to grow up in a large family; “The Same Boy You’ve Always Known” feels more like an expression of Jack Gillis’ experience. (I can certainly imagine Jack as a kid pre-planning the lowering of his casket.) A nakedly vulnerable song about loss and regret, “The Same Boy You’ve Always Known” is also one of the band’s prettiest and most melodic tunes, with a riff that evokes the second side of Abbey Road.
8. “The Big Three Killed My Baby” (1999)
The White Stripes eventually had to leave Detroit, lest Jack White punch out every second and third-tier garage rocker in town. But Detroit could never be fully removed from the heart of The White Stripes. Detroit is one of America’s great music cities, of course, but it’s also a city of underdogs and scrappers. Even after The White Stripes “won,” they never stopped acting like the world was against them. “The Big Three Killed My Baby” is a love letter of sorts to their home city, though because it was written by Jack White, it’s also about hating the city’s auto companies, “planned obsolescence,” and modernity in general. “Well I’ve said it now / Nothing’s changed / People are burnin’ for pocket change / And creative minds are lazy / The big three killed your baby.”
7. “Hotel Yorba” (2001)
Jack White is fond of telling this story about how he keeps his guitar picks on stage far away from the microphone, so he’s forced to work a little extra hard. Struggle is the mother of invention in his world. But the pleasure of “Hotel Yorba” is that it’s so easy; it’s their happiest, lightest, and most ebullient song. Unlike that other famous rock ‘n’ roll hotel, you can check in any time you like, because all they got inside is vacancy.
6. “We’re Going To Be Friends” (2001)
Another song that would be insufferable and dated to the period if it were played with even an ounce of irony. (“We wanted things to be as childish as possible, but with no sense of humor,” White once explained to Spin.) What steers it away from quirksville is Jack White’s inescapable melancholy; he’s reliving childhood, not simply remembering it, and you can hear the distance between where he is now and where he wishes he was then. This song treats the act of chasing all the ants and worms as the most important thing in the world because that’s how it feels to a 6-year-old.
5. “Seven Nation Army” (2003)
The most famous White Stripes song, and probably the single most famous rock song by anybody of the last 20 years. The New Yorker called it the second most recognizable guitar riff ever, after the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” which seems like an exaggeration. (Ritchie Blackmore can afford to live like a bejeweled warlock in a castle somewhere because people can’t stop humming “Smoke On The Water.”) But it’s true that the “Seven Nation Army” riff is incredibly easy to sing along with — it’s not the band’s best riff, but it’s unquestionably their most communal. It’s the sort of riff that most bands don’t even attempt to write anymore, because aspiring to the kind of impact that “Seven Nation Army” has had seems ridiculously out of reach. But there’s clearly still a need for songs like this, and Jack White was fortunate to come up in an era when virtually nobody else was either capable or interested in doing it.
4. “Fell In Love With A Girl” (2001)
People forget that before “Seven Nation Army,” this was the big White Stripes “hit.” It stills sounds like a perfect rock song to me, though I suspect that it might come across as very “aughties” to people who weren’t around at the time. A lot of songs by a lot of early ’00s bands that nobody remembers kind of sound like “Fell In Love With A Girl” — chunky riff, rudimentary but powerful rhythm section, yelp-y singer. It was The White Stripes’ entry in the great “garage rock anthem” sweepstakes, which I think was ultimately won by The Hives’ “Hate To Say I Told You So.” But if they lost the battle, The White Stripes obviously won the war.
3. “Death Letter” (2000)
Ghost World came out the same year as the third White Stripes album, White Blood Cells, so Jack White didn’t have to suffer Blueshammer jokes from haters until he was already well established. But he certainly feared Blueshammerism seeping into his own music from the beginning of his band; dressing up in red, white, and black was a way to sidestep conversations about the contradictions about being an earnest white bluesman. But when The White Stripes covered Son House’s “Death Letter,” there was no hiding behind a clever color scheme; they were going to judged strictly on the merits of their execution. Amazingly, they pulled it off; this is their greatest musical performance on record, with Meg swinging hard against Jack’s slashing slide solos. It works because it’s not an attempt to sounds like Son House; it’s pure gutbucket Detroit blues-punk made by arty outsiders.
2. “Ball And Biscuit” (2003)
Sex appeal is The White Stripes’ most underrated attribute. In their prime, Jack and Meg radiated an intense magnetism on stage; everyone in the audience wanted to be with one or both of them, these so-called siblings who in the throes of their heaviest jams stared at each like they wanted to jump each others’ bones. Jack was also the rare male rock star of his era who sang about sex proudly and even boastfully, as if he might actually be good at it. (Julian Casablancas meanwhile typically sounded too sleepy for a little action.) Film director David Fincher was among those who appreciated this aspect of The White Stripes; I think that’s why he put their sexiest song, “Ball and Biscuit,” in the first scene of The Social Network. How better to demonstrate Mark Zuckerberg’s interpersonal ineptitude than by showing him not getting laid in spite of the appearance of this audio aphrodisiac?
1. “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground” (2001)
Yes, The White Stripes’ music was simple. But it was also extremely difficult to pull off. Executing a song like “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground” in a way that sounds fresh and feels legitimately exciting already seemed impossible almost 20 years ago when White Blood Cells dropped. And yet hearing the first 20 or so seconds of this song for the first time in my car at full volume is an experience that remains burned into my memory; I’ll never know what it was like to hear “Whole Lotta Love” in 1969, but I’m confident that hearing “Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground” in the summer of 2001 more than makes up for that. If you think that’s just nostalgia, please go back and listen (as I did in real time) to every garage-rock band that attempted to write a song like this between the years 1998 and 2003. The failure rate is astonishingly high; the lack of success at taking old blues riffs and turning them into vital 21st-century rock songs rivals that of the Washington Generals’ futile attempts to defeat the Harlem Globetrotters. The White Stripes’ accomplishment only seems more incredible in retrospect; they took some of the most familiar musical stems in the American pop culture grab bag, and made them sound different and current at a time when the odds of anyone caring about the blues were astronomically out of whack. But that’s all just music-critic projection. Put this song on. It doesn’t speak to your head or even your heart. It goes straight for the loins. And that’s where all the best rock ‘n’ roll lives.
(@ladygaganownet) November 18, 2020
https://t.co/sNEMwMwaYj pic.twitter.com/hOgKmO8vMM
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like/follow limit (@godgatheist28) November 18, 2020
it really did change the music industry, every single song in this could have been released as a single and it would have done well! I can’t believe its been 11 years already, wow time has flown by pic.twitter.com/IiHShoYqqd
Pop a 911
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Gagavirus
(@GagavirusByMM) November 18, 2020
Ryan | Lady Gaga
(@ryanleejohnson) November 18, 2020
” branding that mimics the classic “I 
