Category: Worldwide

The 1975 have been teasing their highly-anticipated album Notes On A Conditional Form for some time. The record finally has a firm release date, though the group began releasing singles from the project late last year. After debuting a visual accompanying the track “Me & You Together Song” in February, The 1975 return with an alternate live version of the song.

Directed by Adam Powell, the “Me & You Together Song” live visual sees the band performing against a stark white backdrop. The camera moves along a dolly to continuously show the band performing, creating a panoramic optical illusion.

The live visual arrives just after Matty Healy announced a The 1975 tribute livestream. The musician tapped artists like Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, and Rina Sawayama to perform covers of popular The 1975 songs on Instagram.

Ahead of the video’s release, Healy opened up to The Face about their upcoming 22-track release, Notes On A Conditional Form: “I think that the question on this record is: can the center hold with all of this sh*t? Politically, economically, climate-wise — it feels like we’re getting under a lot of pressure. So there’s that on the record. And there’s also just a lot of personal stuff about me.”

Watch The 1975’s “Me & You Together Song” alternate video above.

Notes On A Conditional Form is out 5/22 via Dirty Hit/Polydor Records. Pre-order it here.

Paul Oakenfold — the world-renowned DJ/ music producer — is a man of many layers. He’s most famous as an electronic dance music artist, having performed at Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, Mount Everest, and clubs around the world. No big deal. Peel back another layer and you’ll discover that he’s also a qualified chef, a former A&R honcho for Champion Records (he signed DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, as well as Salt-N-Pepa), and the co-owner of award-winning Perfectomundo Tequila. His cool is undeniable.

With Cinco de Mayo behind us and summer on the way, we decided to ask the tequila aficionado to explain why a Brit ended up feeling such a deep connection to the agave-based spirit and how he’s spending his days under quarantine (hello, new record). Oakenfold will also be joining this Thursday, May 7th, at 4 pm PST on Instagram Live via @UPROXXLIFE to guide us through a mini tequila cocktail session.

How’s quarantine life been for you? What’s keeping you motivated and occupied?

I’m in the studio a lot, making music and trying to finish my record. That’s really my priority. During downtime, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, spending time rearranging all my books, and — this will sound strange — but doing a lot of washing [clothes]. Which I kind of enjoy, to be honest with you. I’m doing things I’ve never had time to do because I was too busy to do them. When I was a kid, I used to take my clothes to the laundry and now I’m doing these sorts of things and it’s taking me back to my early days.

You mentioned you’re working on a new record. Is there a set release date?

We’re trying to get singles out as soon as possible. I don’t want to hold onto it too long. In the studio, I’m always trying new things. It’s a little bit more difficult lately — because I like to be in the room with my fellow musicians and now we’re doing stuff from afar. There are two ways you can go. You can hang on to your record until after we’ve got over the worst, then everyone will be releasing music or I’m just going to release it as it comes and enjoy the moment of sharing it with people.

That’s a good game plan. We really don’t know when this will all wrap up. So, why withhold all your new music from the world?

Yeah, exactly.

You’ve done so much in your career from DJing back-to-back with Carl Cox at Stonehenge to performing at Mount Everest. Then, of course, you have your own tequila, Perfectomundo. So, how did this come about?

A few years ago, I went down to the distillery in Mexico. I met the guy who ran the distillery for 50 years. He taught me the process and shared his knowledge. I liked the idea and got involved with the design of the bottle, the name we chose is named after my record company — “perfecto mundo” is Spanish for “perfect world.” My role as one of the owners of the company is simply to share and enjoy it.

Nice! Do you have a preference such as a reposado, blanco, añejo, or even mezcal?

Yes, I do. I’m not much of a mezcal drinker. It’s too woody and smoky for me. My preference is over ice and I prefer añejo. Now, if I’m going to mix it, I’ll go for the blanco and use fresh-squeezed pineapple, orange, or watermelon juice. I don’t really like to shoot it. I’m not that kind of drinker.

You bring up a good point about your preference. Some people are under the impression of tequila is made strictly for doing shots, not something you can drink neat like a cognac. What was your first introduction to tequila as a slow sip?

Funny you mention cognac. I’m a fully qualified chef, so I was all about having a nice cocktail. In England, you’d have a fine cognac, whiskey, or whatever, after dinner. When the tequila opportunity came, I wanted something smooth for when you’re with friends and sip tequila.

My first experience with tequila was not good. It was a blend and cheap tequila. I had a hangover from hell. I was like, “I don’t like this drink. It’s not for me.” So, that’s why initially when I got asked to be involved with Perfectomundo, I was like, “no.” I really wasn’t a tequila drinker. I was a vodka drinker. Then, when I went down to the distillery, I tried a few different options.

And that flipped your perspective on it?

Also, I don’t feel drunk or high. I feel really good on it. With that being said, I have a couple and I have a glass of water and that can be enough for me. I don’t need to go crazy on it. I just like the buzz it gives me. I’ve tried to switch it up a bit with vodka, but it’s a completely different buzz. There was a moment when gin came back into fashion. I was drinking a lot of gin in England because gin and tonic was the drink of choice back in the day. But for me, there’s nothing like a blanco with fresh juice.

The last major studio PGA Tour golf game for consoles was Rory McIlroy PGA Tour back in 2015 — EA Sports’ last effort at reviving its once incredibly popular Tiger Woods PGA Tour game. For the last five years, golf gamers have looked to the classic Golden Tee, or WGT, or The Golf Club (which had PGA Tour licensing, but did not feature a mode to play as PGA Tour players).

That will change this year as 2K Sports has decided to dip its toes into the world of virtual golf with PGA Tour 2K21, which will be announced in full on May 14 with more details. For now, we know a console game is coming and, given the teaser trailer is of The Players Championship and someone getting set to tee off on the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass, one would expect this to allow players the chance to pick up the sticks either as their favorite Tour golfers or against them.

The Tiger Woods series by EA Sports was wildly popular, and reached its pinnacle in the 2012 edition when they added Augusta National for the first time and allowed you to play the Masters. It will be interesting to see what courses beyond Sawgrass are in PGA Tour 2K21, how expansive the Tour event offerings are, and what golfers have signed on to be in the game. We’ll get that information next week, but for now we at least know we have a console golf game on its way and that’s exciting.

There are — and this is a conservative estimate — 10,000,000,000 stories from Allen Iverson’s tenure in the NBA that highlight that he’s a uniquely wonderful athlete. All of them tend to involve him deciding he was not going to do something basketball players are normally supposed to do and then going out and dropping a zillion points in a Sixers win. A slightly NSFW example:

Allen Iverson ruled, as does the latest story we have about him doing something that you might not expect from an NBA player. Being a high-level professional athlete, theoretically, involves eating right and having the sort of balanced diet that views food as good, clean fuel to operate as peak efficiency.

Iverson, however, was not that sort of cat. In a new piece by Rich Hofmann of The Athletic, we learn that Iverson loved himself some Taco Bell, to the point that he would always go there when Philly would put on Fan Day events involving players. But the best anecdote comes via Larry Platt, the author of a book on Iverson who said the following:

There’s also a moment where he disappears from practice because his guy Gary Moore had Taco Bell outside in the little hallway, which was at St. Joe’s (where the Sixers practiced). Allen goes out, downs a few burritos and then comes running back in and rejoins the scrimmage.

There are few things on this earth I want to know more than what Iverson’s Taco Bell order was, and one of those things is what is the most Iverson ever spent on one meal from Taco Bell, since that’s the exact sort of place where spending $20 can get you enough food for a few days. I’m also operating under the assumption that after he did this, Iverson not only was not bogged down by his mid-practice meal, but he proceeded to just thrash everyone else, because he is Allen Iverson, and he was the dude who just did that sort of thing.

The country is beginning to open up. And though public life is going to be markedly different for a good while still, we’re finally able to actually wear our spring threads out in public. That’s a huge deal if you’re been spending your time in isolation amassing a brand new wardrobe and a cool opportunity if you’ve been saving up for this very moment.

This week is packed with fire sneaker drops from PUMA, Jordan Brand, and New Balance — which make up for the lack of notable apparel drops. Expect the lack of apparel to change in the weeks to come, as labels prepare to unload their late spring and early summer collections on the weary (and financially drained) masses.

Here are all the best sneaker and apparel releases dropping this week. Let’s dive in and start dressing for our first public (but socially distanced) outings.

Adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 Sulfur

Classic YEEZY fans will find a lot to like in Ye’s latest colorway for the 350 V2. Dubbed Sulfur, the shoe features an algae-like tone with olive monofilament side stripes and a hefty heel tab. Sitting atop a cushy BOOST midsole, the Sulfurs also sport a duo-toned gum sole. The Sulfur has a bit of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vibe that we’re digging on. It’s definitely one of the more interesting earth-toned colorways out of YEEZY brand, which is very much the brand of earth-toned colorways, so that’s saying something.

The Adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 Sulfur is set to drop on May 9th for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair exclusively through YEEZY Supply.

The Hundreds x PUMA Cliques Collection

PUMA and LA-based streetwear brand The Hundreds have teamed up for an interesting collection that uses the segmented subcultures of the 90s as inspiration. The Cliques Collection celebrates the differences between ravers, jocks, and preps by giving each subcategory of the 90s teenage experience its own respective shoe. The Cliques collection also has a sneaker intended to represent the youth of 2020 — the whole thing is so high concept it’s shocking that it actually works.

Consisting of a pair of Clydes, Performer Mids, RS Pures, and Palace Guards, the Cliques is a testament to how much shoes reflect our tastes and passions. Try to guess which sneaker belongs to which subculture below (hint: It doesn’t matter, they’re all cool).

The Hundreds X PUMA Cliques collection is set to drop on May 7th. Shop the full collection at the PUMA webstore.

Air Jordan 1 Royal Toe

Another week, another fire Jordan drop. The Air Jordan 1 Royal Toe is a brighter take on the highly sought-after Black Royal colorway, swapping out the original’s black panels for a brighter white accent with a black swoosh in place of the blue. The Royal Toe also has a bit of a metallic sheen that the original doesn’t have. We’ll call it right now — this is the better colorway. Purists will argue, but the addition of the white paneling, the black swoosh, and the brightened wings logo just pops more, and it fits with more modern sensibilities.

The Air Jordan 1 Royal Toe is set to drop on May 9th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS App.

New Balance 327

If you’re looking for a bright spring-appropriate runner or if you just want to look like Sonic the Hedgehog, New Balance’s new 327 sneaker is the shoe for you. With a 70s indebted slim silhouette, the 327 combines elements of the New Balance 320 and 355 for a running shoe that works as well on the pavement as it does on a trail, giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to support.

The New Balance 327s are set to drop May 9th for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.

Nike Air Force 1 React D/MS/X QS

In a design that recalls Virgil Abloh’s Gore-Tex AF1 sneaker for his legendary “The Ten” collaboration, this Nike React take on the AF1 updates the popular silhouette with a squeaky-clean lightweight white upper that features Nike React’s custom patterning, an oversized pastel blue swoosh outline, and D/MS/X and React branding all atop an icy blue midsole.

The Nike Air Force 1 React D/MS/X QS is set to drop on May 8th for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app, or atmos, Noir Fonce, and Finishline.

Chinatown Market Stay Home/Rainbow Smiley Collection

Chinatown Market has been keeping busy during lockdown with a steady clip of drops that make reference to quarantine, either by way of social distancing slogans like “Stay away fro me” or by slapping a face mask on their iconic smiley face logo. A few pieces of the Stay At Home collection are still available online, but if you’re tired of thinking about quarantine Chinatown Market has got your back with the release of their new rainbow smiley hoodie and t-shirt collection.

Chinatown Market’s Stay Home and Rainbow Smiley Collection are out now. Check out the Chinatown Market webstore to shop the collection.

Supreme Barbour Spring 2020 Capsule

This waxed cotton collection from Supreme and British label Barbour features a field jacket, waist bag, crusher hat, and camp cap all dressed in bright orange, black, or leopard print colorways. Each piece in the capsule collection is doused in a mix of wax, oil, and gum for added protection against extreme weather conditions, a staple that comes by way of Barbour’s specifications.

Barbour began in mid 80s North England and was originally made with sailors, fishermen, and dockworkers in mind and matches perfectly with modern streetwear’s obsession with rugged workwear.

The Supreme Barbour Spring 2020 Capsule collection is set to drop on May 7th. Shop the collection exclusively at the Supreme online store.

The Vancouver Titans have had a rather tumultuous season so far in the Overwatch League. Despite reaching the Grand Finals last season in dominant fashion they’ve been plagued with challenges to start their 2020 campaign. No team appears to have been impacted more by the switch to an online only environment than the Titans with the team moving to the Asian division of Overwatch League to try and allow players to compete from their homes in South Korea.

However, there were reports that many of the Titans players were unhappy with management throughout this process and rumors that the entire Grand Finals roster could leave if something didn’t change. On Wednesday the Titans made a decision regarding these rumors and put out a statement. It was as many feared. The Titans roster is undergoing a complete overhaul.

With the organization unable to meet the players expectations in Korea, and after much deliberation and conversation with the players, the difficult decision was made to move the team back to the North American division and both the players and management agreed that finding a new home for the players would be in everyone’s best interest.

The following players/staff have since agreed to mutually part ways with the team:

HyoJong “HakSal” Kim

Minsoo “Seominsoo” Seo

Seongjun “Slime” Kim

Chunghee “Stitch” Lee

Juseok “Twilight” Lee

JeHong “RyuJeHong” Yu

Yangwon “Yang1” Kweon (coach)

Jae Hong “Andante” Hwang (coach)

The team has also released Chan Hyeong “Fissure” Baek.

From all of us at the Vancouver Titans organization, we would like to thank these players and coaches for the positive memories we’ve had, of course highlighted with an appearance in the Overwatch League Grand Finals in our first season. These players were able to leave a lasting impression on fans from around the world. We wish them all the best as they move on in their careers.

This is extremely unfortunate. The Titans had the potential to be one of the best teams in Overwatch League with this roster and it really does feel like this is only happening due to circumstances out of everyone’s control. The miscommunication issues that the Titans and the players are having is largely due to the players being in Korea and the team being based in Vancouver. Obviously even in an online based eSport there are still going to be challenges when you have to deal with such as timezones and the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic effecting everywhere differently. Hopefully, this does end up being the best result for everyone.

These are all extremely talented players and I expect to see most if not all of them on rosters again. Maybe even within this season. The Titans, on the other hand, have a difficult task ahead of them. They need to re-create their entire roster and quick now that they’ve moved back over to the North American division. Putting together a team that can compete at an elite level while also accounting for team chemistry and fit is going to be quite a task. Let’s see if they can pull it off.

We reported last week that All Elite Wrestling announcer Excalibur had promised that when AEW Dynamite went live this week, every person in the building would be “tested,” but I made a point of mentioning that he never made it clear what test they were being given, and that anything less than a COVID-19 test wouldn’t meet a reasonable standard of safety. Fortunately, we now know they are testing specifically for COVID-19 as they prepare for tonight’s live broadcast.

Chapter 115 of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), the union that represents AEW’s production crew, posted on Facebook about the level of precaution they’re experiencing today at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, which does include COVID-19 Rapid Tests for everyone, as well as masks and other precautions:

We reopened with AEW-All Elite Wrestling SAFELY at Daily’s Place Amphitheatre today. A COVID-19 Rapid Test was given to every stagehand, road crew, venue staff and talent before entering the venue. Portable wash stations, hand sanitizer stations, mandatory masks covering, social distancing (especially at breaks) at all times. We didn’t ask to be the first but we are and we are working to keep it SAFE! #iatse115 #unionstrong #returntoworksafely

Obviously even this isn’t as 100% safe as cancelling and letting everyone stay home would be, but if AEW’s going to run shows right now, it sounds like they’re being as safe as they possibly can.

Tonight should also see the return of some AEW talent who missed the tapings that comprised their last month of episodes. For example, Nyla Rose is there, and she took the precaution of not just traveling in a mask herself, but also providing one for her Title Belt.

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Kamasi Washington announced that he played a big role in Michelle Obama’s new documentary: He scored the entirety of Obama’s Netflix film, Becoming. Washington’s score will also be released in soundtrack form, on May 15.

In a statement, Washington gushed over the opportunity to work with Obama:

“It was such a pleasure and honor to work on Becoming. Michelle Obama is such an amazing person and this film gives a very unique insight to who she is, how she thinks, and the way she navigates the world. It’s truly inspiring to see! Working with the film’s incredible director Nadia Hallgren to create a musical palette to support this amazing piece was truly a blessing. I’m so thankful to her for the opportunity to be a part of this. Barack and Michelle Obama’s time as President and First Lady had an impact on the history of this country and the world that is hard to put into words, but both Michelle Obama’s book and Nadia Hallgren’s film do an amazing job of it!”

Becoming producer Nadia Hallgren echoed Washington’s praise:

“Working with Kamasi Washington on the musical score for Becoming was a dream come true. Not only is Kamasi a masterful musician, he also has a unique sensitivity that he pours into his music. His music reaches deeply into your soul. Mrs. Obama loves music, and when I read the line in her book ‘And heaven, as I envisioned it, had to be a place full of jazz,’ I knew immediately Kamasi was the artist that could interpret her experience musically. His sound is contemporary and timeless, a magical fit to her story.”

Becoming offers a rare and intimate look into the life of Michelle Obama. The film follows the former First Lady as she makes a 34-city tour across the country that highlights the power of community and diversity.

Watch the Becoming trailer above.

Becoming (Music From The Netflix Original Documentary) is out 5/15 via Young Turks. Pre-order it here.

When not beefing with wrestler Goldberg (“Goldberg… woof”), Macaulay Culkin is preparing to star in the latest season of American Horror Story. It was an unlikely, if welcome casting choice from creator Ryan Murphy, as the Home Alone star has only appeared in a handful of projects over the past decade (he was too busy writing pizza-themed Velvet Underground songs). What made Culkin agree to sign up?

Why, having “crazy, erotic sex” with Kathy Bates, of course.

“So, I have this very, very great insane part. And I asked to speak to him on the phone and he said OK,” Murphy told E! Online. “[When] I cast, I never let people read things, usually. I said, ‘OK, here’s the pitch.’ And I told them the character and I told him he has crazy, erotic sex with Kathy Bates and does other things. And he paused and he goes, ‘This sounds like the role I was born to play.’ So, he signed up right then and there.”

That’s also how Failure to Launch got Terry Bradshaw. But can Culkin, who Murphy also called “fascinating and interesting,” top the Hall of Fame quarterback’s natural on-screen charisma? We’ll find out when American Horror Story season 10 (eventually) premieres.

(Via E! Online)

While college campuses grapple with how best to invite students and faculty back for the fall semester, college football is low on the list of priorities. After all, the athletes have to be able to live and learn on campus in order to represent their schools on the football field — lest you forget the NCAA’s insistence they are student athletes and not employees. Yet in a new survey at The Athletic of several conference commissioners, Andy Staples and Stewart Mandel uncovered optimism that football could come back without the participation of every school.

After a precious few weeks where every state operated under the same guidelines, the United States is moving toward a summer and fall with scattered local regulations that differ from state to state. That means a conference like the ACC, which stretches from New York (not close to a full “reopening”) to South Carolina (already on its way there), will have trouble making decisions for all its member schools at once.

“We’re in 10 states. Theoretically, we could have half of our schools being allowed to play at a certain point and the other half not being allowed to play,” ACC commissioner John Swofford told The Athletic. “Hopefully, it won’t turn out that way, but it could in any combination of play and not play. Then we would have some decisions, as any conference would.”

The AAC is in a similarly polarized situation with regard to the geography of its schools, as Tulane resides in the heart of an epicenter while other schools are in regions with very little struggle with the virus.

“We’re going to have a long discussion with our ADs about this, but the sense I’m getting is that we would play if the vast majority of our teams could play,” AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said. “If maybe there was a team or two that couldn’t, I don’t think the teams that couldn’t play would want to hold back the entire group.”

While it would be incredibly bizarre to have some schools shepherd athletes back to school in an effort to subsidize the rest of their conference and the college football industry, the fact that commissioners are open to it shows it may be more likely than logic would indicate.

However, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott threw some ice on these possibilities: “We’re all members of the College Football Playoff, and if we’re going to have a Playoff at the end of the season, we need to have uniformity on how we have a season.”

It would certainly ruffle the feathers of, say, Washington if their local leaders’ aggressiveness in fighting the pandemic resulted in not being able to participate in the season. Despite what other commissioners say, in practice the idea seems far-fetched.

The logistics do not favor the expeditious return of college football, either. Swofford told The Athletic that athletes would need to return to campus by mid-July in order to pull off some semblance of a 2020 college football season. On the other hand, many schools are worried about whether they will have procedures and technology in place to bring any students back when the semester begins in August.

Said Swofford: “If an institution is not operating at all from an academic standpoint in some way shape or form, it seems foreign to me that there would be athletic contests going on involving that athletic institution’s teams. But I think there can be different definitions of what a campus being open might mean given these circumstances.”

At this point, there are a lot of perspectives, some with more urgency than others, but like anything in this crisis, very little clarity, let alone certainty.