Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of March below.

Bon Iver — Blood Bank (Rerelease)

As Uproxx’s Steven Hyden notes, Blood Bank was a pivotal Bon Iver release, and now it has received an expanded reissue. Vernon said of the EP back in 2009, “It just didn’t seem to fit the story and lineage [of For Emma, Forever Ago], I guess. So I just sort of surrounded ‘Blood Bank’ with three other songs that were very different from one other, and they all kind of came together as a palette cleanser for the last record. And I’m really excited about it.”

Get it here.

Kenny Rogers — Greatest Country Hits (Rerelease)

Country music legend Kenny Rogers sadly passed away this month. Coincidentally, the 1990 Rogers compilation album Greatest Country Hits was re-released just weeks before his passing, making it a great way to honor one of the all-time greats.

Get it here.

Cocteau Twins — Garlands and Victorialand (Rereleases)

Two key records from dream pop pioneers Cocteau Twins are back in print thanks to the new vinyl rereleases of Garlands and Victorialand. Both albums are pressed on 140g black vinyl and feature audio that was remastered from the original analog tapes, as well as art that is faithful to their original designs.

Get Garlands here. Get Victorialand here.

Spice Girls — The Greatest Hits and Spiceworld (Rereleases)

People who weren’t around when it was happening might not realize how huge The Spice Girls truly were. Now fans (and fans-to-be) can dive into the world of Spice with fresh rereleases of two prime records: Their sophomore album Spiceworld and the compilation album The Greatest Hits. Whichever one you pick (if not both), now is a great time to get spicy, especially since the group has been more active in recent years.

Get The Greatest Hits here. Get Spiceworld here.

Jimi Hendrix — Band Of Gypsys (Rerelease)

The last album Jimi Hendrix released during his lifetime is back on vinyl, and this rerelease comes almost exactly 50 years after the record originally came out. Pressed on 180-gram audiophile black vinyl, this new analog edition of the album has been mastered from the original tapes by engineer Eddie Kramer, a name that Hendrix fans know well.

Get it here.

Paris Hilton — Paris (Rerelease)

Paris Hilton spends a lot of her time as a DJ these days, but that wasn’t her first musical endeavor. Back in 2006, she released her debut and so far only album, Paris, which yielded the successful single “Stars Are Blind.” Now, the record is available as a limited edition maroon and blonde marbled vinyl for its first-ever vinyl reissue, making this a fascinating piece of pop music history.

Get it here.

Kelis — Kaleidoscope (20th Anniversary Rerelease)

It’s been two decades since Kelis, then 17 years old, released her boundary-pushing album Kaleidoscope, and now it’s back as a limited translucent orange 2-LP deluxe (180 gram) vinyl reissue. It has all the Neptunes production and Kelis vision you remember, now in one of the most aesthetically pleasing and best-sounding packages it has ever received.

Get it here.

2Pac — Me Against The World (25th Anniversary Rerelease)

Tupac landed his first No. 1 album with his third effort, Me Against The World, and now the star-making album has received a 180-gram 2-LP vinyl rerelease. The record’s lead single, “Dear Mama,” was his first top-ten hit, and the album as a whole foreshadowed the superstardom that Tupac was quickly headed towards.

Get it here.

VMP Anthology: The Story Of Zamrock

Vinyl Me, Please is sharing a piece of obscure music history with their new 8-LP box set, which tells the story of the music of Zambia’s independence. Described as sounding “something like Jimi Hendrix meets James Brown with some Black Sabbath and Rolling Stones thrown in for good measure,” the set includes eight rare albums pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, as well as liner notes and a five-episode podcast series, to help convey the historical and aesthetic significance of what you’ll be hearing.

Get it here.

Rae Sremmurd — Sremmlife (Rerelease)

It’s been five years since Rae Sremmurd burst onto the scene with their debut album Sremmlife, and now the duo is marking the release with a new translucent red, 180-gram, double-vinyl rerelease. The album spawned hits like “Black Beatles,” and there’s more to discover and revisit in this visually striking release.

Get it here.

Local Natives — Gorilla Manor (Vinyl Me, Please Rerelease)

Local Natives recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of their debut album, Gorilla Manor, and now it has received an exclusive reissue from Vinyl Me, Please. The album has been newly remastered, and it is pressed on gorgeous 180-gram ultra clear/black smoke vinyl.

Get it here.

Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud

Katie Crutchfield told Uproxx of her new Waxahatchee album, “I wanted to take a sharp turn and not make another rock album. I had really no idea what I did want to make.” What she did end up making is her most personal and engaging album yet.

Get it here.

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

The NBA 2K League is in the midst of a tournament that looks to give fans a way to enjoy basketball during the NBA’s ongoing suspension due to COVID-19. The NBA 2K League Three for All Showdown, which was announced earlier this month, just finished up the fan portion of the festivities, and now, it’s moving into its second leg, which pits fans against a whole host of folks, from 2K League players to those who suit up in the NBA, WNBA, and NFL, among others.

Included in all of this is a trio of players from our very own website. Our social media ace, Tony Xypteras, our do-everything writer/editor, Ryan Nagelhout, and myself will fire up our Xboxes and compete as the 16-seed in the X Bracket. Our first-round matchup is against 17-seed Watch Us Work, which consists of three WNBA players: Alexis Jones, Allisha Gray, and Aerial Powers.

In classic 16-seed fashion (non-UMBC division), we are not optimistic about our chances, but if you would like to watch, there are a few avenues to do this. The festivities begin tonight at 8 p.m. EST, and our games — first to 21 wins, best two out of three, the finals are best three out of five — will begin around 10 p.m. We have our own Twitch channel (which, if you’d be so kind, subscribe!), and we’ll be streaming our game there, but you can follow along with all the action on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

I speak for all three of us when I say that our goal, first and foremost, is to have fun. From there, we hope to not lose by a ton of points and if we get extremely lucky, pick up a win or two. In the event we go on any sort of run, well, that would be nothing short of a miracle. Here are the brackets (XBox and PS4) and schedules for the entire tournament, and here’s the roster list for all of the teams in the field. Ryan, Tony, and myself would like to wish the best of luck to all of the other teams in the field, and to Watch Us Work, please don’t run up the score on us.

The NFL’s teams officially expanded the playoffs for the upcoming 2020 season to 14 games on Tuesday, completing the final step of the measure that was put in place by the new CBA.

As such, 14 teams (seven from each conference) will now make the playoffs and the Wild Card Round will expand from four to six games, with only the top seed in each conference earning a bye. The games will now be played in a triple-header on both Saturday and Sunday, which means more football for CBS and NBC, who pick up those two additional games in January. CBS will take the extra game on Sunday, but they won’t be the only network carrying the broadcast.

The NFL announced they would be adding a kids-focused broadcast that would simulcast the game on Nickelodeon in an effort to draw in a younger audience to football, in an announcement that caused many to double check that this was still March 31 and not April Fool’s Day.

The details on the Nickelodeon broadcast are scarce, but we can only hope they lean into it and have, like, a guy in a Spongebob costume handling sideline interviews and some Nickelodeon star in the booth — my first inclination was to say put Keenan and Kel in the booth and then I remembered I am old and that wouldn’t be a draw to young kids but instead people in their late-20s and 30s. Maybe the losing coach gets slimed, too. The possibilities here are endless.

In any case, it’ll be fascinating to see what a kids football broadcast looks like — one would assume it will be more discussion and explanation of the basics of what’s going on — and if the NFL sees success, one would think they’ll push for more cross-platform broadcasts.

Tiger King has been the talk of the internet since the documentary series first hit Netflix earlier this month. The show’s subject, Joe Exotic, is an eclectic character and a controversial figure. That’s true for a number of reasons, and now a new one can be added to the list: Old footage of him has resurfaced, in which he complains about not being able to say the “N-word.”

In the video, which TMZ notes is from 2015, Exotic is speaking to the camera and he says, “What’s going on in here, in this country? It’s absolutely pathetic. I can’t say the N-word, but you can get on YouTube and watch any Black man’s rap video, and they’re calling each other the N-word. What the hell, is this discrimination? I’m white, I can’t say the N-word and they can?”

Since the clip emerged, Exotic has not gotten much sympathy online for his views. One of his detractors is Bun B, who shared the video and added a simple message: “No Joe. You’re pathetic. Later for this clown.”

Speaking of old footage resurfacing, fans have recently discovered that some of the personalities from Tiger King were actually involved with Britney Spears’ 2001 MTV Video Music Awards performance. Meanwhile, Cardi B said she wanted to start a GoFundMe campaign for Exotic, although she later insisted she was joking.

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

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The COVID-19 pandemic is different from many crises in that it has affected all of us regardless of politics, economics, religion, age or nationality. This virus is a good reminder that humanity is vulnerable to what nature throws at us, and that we are all in this together.

I am an academic psychiatrist specializing in research and treatment of anxiety and stress. Believe me, you are not alone if you feel like complaining.

COVID-19 has affected us if not infected us

This pandemic has profoundly changed our way of living. Overnight, dining out, exercising at the gym or seeing friends in person became impossible for millions of Americans. Remote working, reduced work hours and income, and uncertainty are indeed stressful. Most of us are having to make important adjustments and quickly learn new skills, such as how to do virtual meetings or be motivated to work from home. Given we are creatures of habit, these adjustments can be hard.

We are also stressed by continuous exposure to sad news, often contradictory predictions and recommendations coming from different sources. The constantly changing and evolving nature of this situation is very frustrating.

We humans hate the unknown and limited sense of control over life. Worse, our fear system is designed for fending off dangers, not for modern life crises where we do not need to fight or escape a predator. Hence, we need to find creative ways of responding to crisis, some adaptive and some not.

This angry mom’s rant about homeschooling children while in quarantine goes viral

www.youtube.com

Complaining and venting

Humans are a social species, which means sharing one’s thoughts, feelings and experiences. Successful social connection involves the ability to share both positive and negative emotions. During crisis, we can get comfort in sharing our fears and receiving calming and objective feedback from others.

The question is: How much can I complain without being the person everybody avoids? We don’t want to be an Eeyore.

To answer this question, consider what we and others get out of such communication. Is the end result for us feeling less worried or sad, and others feeling supportive? Or are both parties emotionally exhausted and feeling worse?

Benefits of venting

Venting our fears and concerns can be beneficial. Sharing feelings with others, just the act of verbalizing those feelings will reduce their intensity.

Others may provide support and care, and soothe the negative feelings. And we can do the same for them. We learn that we are not alone in this, when we hear others are also having those feelings.

And, we may learn from others, how they cope with their frustration or fear, and that can help us adopt those methods in our life.

When to know the limits

Venting should not become a habit, though. At the end of the day, it won’t fix the problem. Here are suggestions on when to stop sharing negative emotions:

• When venting becomes the main coping style, and importantly, when it delays adaptive necessary action. Venting about homeschooling children will not take care of their education.
• When sharing with others stresses them. It is unfair to make myself feel better at the expense of others’ sanity. When people start avoiding you in response to your venting, it means you are stressing them out.
• When venting does not achieve the goal of feeling better, and one or both of us feel worse. Do not vent just for the purpose of complaining. Your mind is like your stomach: If you feed it good food, you will be healthy and happy. If you keep feeding it garbage, you will feel sick.
• Young children are not there to listen to our problems, and their job is not to soothe us. Being parents’ therapist can have negative long-term effects on children, the least of which is that they may learn that complaining as a main coping style.
• When you experience signs of clinical depression (depressed mood, low energy, poor or increased appetite, insomnia, poor concentration, among others), talk to your doctor to see if you need professional care beyond just a listening ear.

images.theconversation.com

Other ways to cope

Here are a few tips on how to cope with the stress of these days:

• Get your facts from medical experts, and websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities, not from rumors or random social media posts. By knowing the facts, you get an objective estimate of the risks. Knowing legitimate ways of protecting yourself and your loved ones provides a sense of control and reduces anxiety. Just know enough to protect yourself and your family.
• Do not get obsessed with the news, and do not keep checking for hours and hours. Make sure to give yourself hourslong breaks from the news. Don’t worry – the network anchors will always be there for you to come back to them.
• Give yourself a chance to be distracted from bad news. Watch movies or TV series, documentaries (animals are awesome), or comedies if you want to watch something.
• Remember all the activities you always wanted to do but did not have time. This does not have to always be errands or housework. It could, and should, include fun activities and hobbies.
• Keep your routines. Go to bed and leave bed at the same times you did before, and eat your normal meals. Now you can spend more time cooking and eating healthy.
• If you are a social person, stay connected via phone, video chat or other technology. Physical isolation should not lead to social isolation. Connect, especially now that you have free time.
• Stay physically active. Regular exercise, especially moderate cardio, not only improves physical health and immune system but also helps with depression and anxiety. Trainers are offering free home exercise training these days online. You can also use exercise as a means for bonding with your loved ones.
• Meditate and use mindfulness techniques.
• Work on your yard or gardening projects. You will be safe, active and productive.

Finally, know that this too shall pass. Medicine will ultimately control the pandemic. We are a very resilient species and have been around for millions of years. We can survive this with wisdom.

Arash Javanbakht is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University

This story originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read it here.

Asheville crooner Moses Sumney debuted the first side of his two-part studio LP Grae in February. His first release since the 2017 project Aromanticism, Grae: Part 1 arrived as a 12-track effort crafted with careful emotion. Ahead of the record’s release, Sumney debuted videos to accompany the singles “Virile” and “Polly.” Now that the first part of the record has been released, Sumney has returned with the enthralling single “Cut Me” and a video for the track.

Directed by Sumney himself, the video opens with an ambulance rushing through a deserted road. Sumney begins singing through a ventilator, with others in the ambulance joining him on the trombone. The remainder of the visual shows Sumney admitted to a ward in the hospital.

Along with his backup dancers, Sumney performs a choreography throughout the hospital. Sumney moves on an auditorium stage, on hospital beds, and throughout the hospital’s hallways before eventually escaping atop the same ambulance that brought him in. “Might not be healthy for me but seemingly I need / What cuts me, cuts me, cuts me, cut me, cut me, cut me,” Sumney sings in unison with the jagged swaying of his choreography.

Watch Sumney’s “Cut Me” video above.

Grae: Part 1 is out now via Jagjaguwar. Get it here.

As the coronavirus pandemic forces festivals, concert tours, and album releases to be postponed or canceled entirely, musicians across the globe are coping with the financial effect of the virus in their own way. Some big-label artists are fortunate enough to be able to donate funds to benefit those in need. Other artists who are more independent, however, are coming up with creative ways to substitute revenue. Mac DeMarco and a group of collaborators shared their new subscription-based web platform Eternal Family as a way to stay creative and support themselves through the pandemic.

DeMarco shared a surreal and esoteric trailer to the site. Animated to be an otter-like character grinning at a computer screen, DeMarco explained the new platform: “Hi. I want to tell you about a new entertainment service. It’s called Eternal Family and you can gain access through eternal.tv,” DeMarco says in the trailer’s opening. “It’s an artist-run membership experience and a place to try out new ideas.”

Essentially, the new site is similar to that of a Patreon. Those who choose to subscribe for $5 a month of $50 a year get exclusive access to entertaining videos and other content from DeMarco and his musical friends. Fellow musician Jerry Paper will be creating his own videos to add to the website and DeMarco will share segments about his favorite audio recording techniques.

Sharing the trailer to Instagram, DeMarco’s longtime collaborative partner Cole Kush further explained the site, saying its a way to financially help out musicians and creatives: “60% of the monthly revenue goes to our creators and the rest to operations & funds to create and license more interesting things,” Kush wrote. “You can cancel anytime if you do NOT enjoy this service. The goal is to create stable income and a place to try out ideas that can be self-produced and perhaps hard to pitch.”

Watch DeMarco’s Eternal Family trailer above.

We’ve been loudly beating the “give Rhea Seehorn an Emmy for her performance as Kim Wexler on Better Call Saul” drum for years now, to no avail. It’s like Carrie Coon on The Leftovers all over again, except Carrie Coon was eventually nominated for an Emmy (for Fargo, but still good!). There’s concern about the Primetime Emmys even occurring this year, due to obvious, more-important-than-saluting-Modern Family reasons, but whenever the ceremony does happen, Rhea Seehorn better get her Emmy.

But don’t take my word for it. Take Patton Oswalt’s.

“If @rheaseehorn doesn’t get the Emmy for this season of @BetterCallSaul I just don’t know. That opening scene, everything she says WITHOUT speaking. Good Lord,” the comedian tweeted, referring to last night’s episode. In response, Seehorn wrote, “PATTONNNNNNN!!!! (The N’s should have a little sing-song quality when spoken in my voice.) Thanks for this. Really. Really.” But Oswalt wasn’t done with his compliments.

“I love that Kim’s dialogue is so terse and bland because in her head she’s making a million decisions a second. You can SEE all of that turmoil in her eyes and it’s thrilling and tragic. She’s an intelligent person whose thoughts are killing her.”

Hopefully not actually killing her, though. We don’t want that.

On Monday evening, Sony Pictures announced delays for three of its upcoming blockbusters as the coronavirus continues to drastically affect the global box office leaving studios in an unprecedented state of uncertainty. The three titles pushed back by Sony are Morbius, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Uncharted, which immediately raised concerns on social media that Venom 2 would no longer hit its October 2 release date.

However, both IGN and Deadline report that Sony is still holding strong on Venom 2‘s release date for the time being. While medical experts have cautioned that Covid-19 will be a health concern for the next one to two years, drastic social isolation measures could subside by the summer, but again, these are uncharted waters. If that optimistic outlook holds, Sony could be looking at a massive hit on its hands as eager fans flock to the theater after months of being trapped indoors and watching slew of anticipated blockbusters get pushed into 2021.

Here are just some of the strong reactions when it looked like Venom 2 was in trouble:

And here are the cries of joy when the smoke cleared and Venom 2 was still standing. For now.

With Tom Hardy reprising his role as Venom/Eddie Brock, the sequel directed by Andy Serkis will feature the symbiotic anti-hero facing off against Woody Harrelson’s Carnage in a showdown that comic book fans have been waiting to see on screen since the ’90s. There are also reports that the film could also feature another villain, Shriek, who has a long, complicated history with Carnage that could stir things up.

Spider-Man fans are also curious to see if Sony and Marvel’s new agreement will officially mesh the MCU and Sony’s Spider-verse by allowing Tom Holland to make a cameo. He was originally supposed to appear in the first Venom, but Marvel’s Kevin Feige pulled the plug even after the scene was already filmed. However, this time around, the studios are on friendly, more collaborative terms, so anything is possible.

(Via IGN, Deadline)