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Illuminati Hotties has been red-hot behind the scenes, lending production to Boygenius’ The Record and opening for a portion of Boygenius’ current North American tour. But Sarah Tuzdin’s brainchild is about to reclaim the spotlight. A press release promises that their follow-up to their 2021 album Let Me Do One More “is due imminently.” The forthcoming LP has been preceded by a newly released single, “Truck.”

The acoustic-based, dreamy track exemplifies an uninhibited feeling otherwise known as summer vibes. Tuzdin tugs at nostalgia, singing, “You grew up way too fast / Took your corncob act to the city / Thought there could be something more / Turns out Hollywood’s just as boring / Sticking to the first game plan.”

In a statement, Tuzdin said, “If mortality is a jolting, jagged highway exit, then heaven is a truck as it rumbles through the unknown. ‘Truck’ is a gentle affirmation that the dream can change at no deficit of dignity. For Tim.”

She also wrote on Instagram, “Take a long drive and stream the heck outta this lil cruiser!”

Listen to “Truck” above, and check out Illuminati Hotties’ upcoming tour dates below.

07/23 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
07/29 — Quincy, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre*
07/30 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater*
08/01 — Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater*
08/02 — Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden*
08/03 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Library Square*
08/05 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
08/11 — Adelaide, AUS @ Lion Arts Factory Yeah #
08/12 — Perth, AUS @ Rosemount Hotel #
08/18 — Sydney, AUS @ Crow Bar #
08/19 — Melbourne, AUS @ Night Cat #
08/20 — Belgrave, AUS @ Sooki Lounge #
09/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether+

* w/ boygenius
# w/ Alex Lahey
+ w/ Silversun Pickups

We’re inching closer toward Utopia.

Travis Scott will actualize his forthcoming album at the Pyramids Of Giza in Egypt on July 28, despite reports that the event had been canceled. There have been other questions about whether The Weeknd will be featured on Utopia, and Scott has now answered that as well.

“Flame Abe Benito Out Tomorrow Night,” Scott joint-posted with The Weekend on Wednesday evening, July 19, confirming his single with Bad Bunny and The Weeknd. According to Scott’s official website, the track is titled “KPop” and is available in digital, CD, and vinyl form.

In late May, videos circulated online of an alleged Utopia showcase at Lilly’s Club in Monaco, where Scott is said to have teased an unreleased song featuring Bad Bunny. Benito addressed it as the cover star for Rolling Stone‘s July/August 2023 issue.

“We worked on that a while back — and I think Travis has been working on his project for a minute,” Bad Bunny told the publication.

While Utopia still doesn’t have an official release date — though it’s rumored to be arriving on July 28 — it’s worth noting that Scott will serve as a headliner at Rolling Loud Miami on Saturday, July 22. Nothing about this Utopia rollout has been predictable, but it’s probably safe to expect the “KPop” live debut at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium this weekend.

Various Utopia “Topia Pack” options are available for pre-order here.

A new era is dawning for NewJeans, and it feels like deja vu. Uproxx recently named the band’s self-titled EP wa among “The Best K-Pop Albums Of 2022.” NewJeans are after attention again. “Super Shy” arrived less than two weeks ago, debuting at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and catapulting them to No. 1 on the publication’s Emerging Artists chart dated July 22.

Now NewJeans have released two videos for “Cool With You.” The first, billed as “(side A)” netted over 2.2 million YouTube views within its first eight hours, and its corresponding “(side B)” logged around two million. Hoyeon Jung and Tony Leung guest star across both.

All of this will culminate in NewJeans’ Get Up EP, releasing on Friday, July 21.

“This album overall really contains a lot of different concepts. So each song will feel very different. And so you’re going to have a lot of fun just listening to the whole album,” NewJeans’ Hyein told Elle in an interview published on Tuesday, July 18.

“Personally, I think there’s a lot of songs that are going to feel a little bit different from what you have seen from our previous work that has come out so far. And personally, I think that is especially true with the fourth track, which is ‘Cool with You,’ it has a performance of NewJeans that you haven’t seen from us yet. So I hope you’ll look forward to it with a lot of anticipation.”

Watch the “Cool With You (side A)” video above, and watch the “‘Cool With You’ & ‘Get Up’ (side B)” video below.

Donald Trump’s supporters don’t seem to mind that he’s under multiple criminal investigations. Indeed, it makes him more popular with them if anything. They’re probably going to love even more: On Tuesday the former president said he received a “target letter” from special counsel Jack Smith, who’s looking at two separate cases involving the big guy. Does that mean he’s about to have a third indictment, on top of the other two? A former pal sure thinks so.

Chris Christie, who’s used his campaign to regularly call Trump out on his bull, went on CNN Wednesday to weigh in on the case given his background as a former federal prosecutor. He wanted to hold back on speculating over a possible conviction given that the details of the indictment remain under lock and key.

The ex-New Jersey governor did predict it will be a “speaking indictment, as we call it in the business, which will provide detail about the evidence that backs up the charges, and it’s speculation until we see what the grand jury returns, if they return something.”

But the target letter is a bad omen. He said, when he was a prosecutor, he “would never send a target letter if I wasn’t completely sure to put something in front of the grand jury to return the indictment.”

Christie also argued that it sure doesn’t sound like Trump’s going to emerge squeaky clean. He said Trump “can’t complain about the indictment and not acknowledge that the conduct where you lie to your lawyers, where you show around classified documents regarding our intelligence activities and our military activities. Wolf, what that does is potentially put our troops at risk and potentially put our intelligence officers at risk and we’re out there doing dangerous things around the world.”

Just in case you forgot Christie was a Republican, though, he also said he thought Hillary Clinton should have been charged for her own, far less egregious case of classified information possession. But maybe it’s good to remember that now and again.

You can watch Christie’s CNN appearance in the video below.

(Via Raw Story)

George Santos may be a sitting United States representative, but he’s also out on bail. Back in May the serial fabulist was indicted on 13 charges, among them wire fraud and theft of public funds. He pled not guilty. Soon thereafter some mystery people, whose identities he’s keeping secret, put up the $500,000 bail to get him back on the street, albeit with restrictions, such as being allowed to move freely between New York and D.C. But that’s not good enough for him.

As per The Daily Beast, Santos has asked the judge that indicted him to loosen the law a bit. For one thing, he wants to do away with “unnecessary notifications” when he does travel. He also wants his to expand the areas he can travel to, namely a 30-mile radius around the nation’s capital.

Why does Santos feel he deserves such luxuries? So he can carry out the “usual and customary functions of someone who lives and works in” D.C., among them “dining, shopping, meetings, events, and even use of the local airports.” He also noted the prosecutors are cool with this.

Santos has laid low compared to when he first gained national attention. Late last year and early this year, hardly a day went by without some leftfield, creative revelation of something he claimed or did, including lying about his mom dying in the September 11 attacks, being a college volleyball star, and helping produce one of Broadway’s biggest-ever fiascos. Recently he compared himself to Rosa Parks, so it’s not as though he’s seen the light.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Country singer Miranda Lambert recently paused mid-song during a show in Las Vegas to confront fans who were taking a selfie during the performance, and no one can seem to agree whether or not she was right to do so.

In a video taken at the Sunday night concert, Lambert is seen beginning her ballad “Tin Man” when she suddenly says, “I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry. These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song,” referencing a group of friends somewhere in the front section.

“I don’t like it, at all,” she continues, “We’re here to hear some country music tonight…I’m singing some country damn music,” before motioning for them to put their phones away.

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The clip quickly went viral, sparking a heated debate about who was in the wrong. Over on TikTok, most commenters thought Lambert was out of line in her chastising and agreed that the harshness did more to ruin the moment than the girls trying to take a photo.

@redneckinvegas Miranda said its My Show.. #selfie #narcissist #Miranda #country #music #show #iPhone #tinman #sing #viral #share #wwyd #comment #vegas @Miranda Lambert #startover #scream #concert #wtf #lol #haha #me #like #love #vegasshow #subscribe #pissmeoff #girls #why #beautiful #sexy ♬ original sound – redneckinvegas

“Imagine it was their favorite song and they were taking a video and they were excited,” one person wrote.

“They were just making memories,” wrote another.

Another pointed out that even if Lambert were in the right, she could have handled the situation differently, suggesting that “she could have finished her song and just said some blanket statement like ‘let’s try to be in the moment and stay off our phones.’”

One even noted that for folks who “paid upward of $700 to sit up front…they SHOULD be able to take photos.”

It even became a point of focus on “The View,” wherein Whoopi Goldberg defended Lambert against the other hosts, saying that for those willing to pay high prices for front row seats to a show, they should equally be willing to “give respect” by watching someone “do their thing.”

Eventually, one of the women called out by Lambert, Adela Calin, decided to speak up. She assured NBC News that posing for a photo that night took “30 seconds at most” and came from innocent intentions—they had even attempted to capture the image before the show started but couldn’t find proper lighting. They had finally asked a woman behind them to snap a photo when Lambert spotted them.

“We just couldn’t get one good picture,” Calin told NBC. “We were so excited because I think we had the best seats in the whole theater.”

The entire situation reflects a larger exhaustion many people are having with the tech that is now the cornerstone of every aspect of our lives. According to a survey published by Fast Company, an overwhelming number of Americans (including those from Gen Z) long for a pre-plugged-in world, when life didn’t revolve around a 24-hour news cycle, constant content and a barrage of screens. It seems like many would prefer to return to simply being at a concert and trusting that the memories will be made through the feelings felt in the moment, rather than posting something online and then never thinking about it again.

There’s also the recent uptick of concertgoers literally abusing performers by throwing their phones and other objects at them, as with Bebe Rexha and Harry Styles. This is, needless to say, dehumanizing and dangerous, and most likely something that influenced Lambert’s reaction. Even Calin acknowledged this.

Absolutely great show ruined by a fan throwing their phone at @BebeRexha hopefully she is ok after that pic.twitter.com/4eBScgurv5

— Alex Chavez (@captiv_8_) June 19, 2023

However, Calin added that while she might understand Lambert’s concern, her determination to make her group look “young, immature and vain” was unfair.

“It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong and telling me to sit down back in my place,” Calin said. “We were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”

There isn’t a clear-cut solution to this modern-day dilemma. Selfie-taking is a deeply embedded part of our contemporary culture and like any social trend, there are pros and cons to that. Probably the only thing that we can count on not changing is the value of keeping to kindness while discussing the topic.

What gives dogs the right to have such big and hilarious personalities? It seems like these dogs have found a way to make their humans laugh while also annoying them until they’re ready to come apart. It’s truly a skill that only dogs and toddlers seem to possess in great quantities.

Zoe is a pit bull with a bombastic side-eye that makes it clear that she only tolerates her mother, Raven, but adores her grandmother, Yonika. There is no confusion about who her favorite person is, and Zoe’s grandmother only seems to encourage the behavior. The two of them are the best of friends, and Mom…well, she’s the third wheel.

Sure, Zoe likes her mom a little—she does feed her, after all—but the verdict is still being determined if love can be claimed. Raven can’t even convince the sassy pittie to go on a walk with her.

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Zoe lays on the ground like a chubby little pancake any time her mom tries to take her for a walk. Raven has even pulled on her leash, slowly dragging the dog down the hallway, but Zoe insists that her legs do not remember how to work. But as soon as Grandma takes the leash, a miracle occurs. Suddenly Zoe is a spry whippersnapper with four working legs and a happy tail.

“She refuses to walk whenever I take her outside,” Raven explains. But that’s just not the case for Grandma, and there really doesn’t seem to be an explanation for it other than preference.

“When I’m around, she is an absolute angel. She listens,” Yonika says.

In fact, Raven says when Grandma is around, Zoe completely ignores her so she can continue getting Grandma cuddles. This dog has mastered the side-eye, and Grandma is only assisting in her snubbing her mom in the cutest way. It’s something you have to witness for yourself to fully appreciate, so check out the video below.

Few instruments in this world are as universally loved as the drums. For thousands of years, humans in virtually every culture have used drums to raise energy, be it for ceremonial purposes or good old-fashioned celebration. I mean, have you ever listened to a really bangin’ drum solo and not been immediately revved up? It’s pretty much impossible.

So when a masterful drum player aces an instrument that already gives such a visceral experience, you know you’re in for one hell of an auditory ride. Twenty-six-year-old Timothy Fletcher gave “America’s Got Talent” audiences just that.

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Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, and armed with only a single drum, Fletcher mesmerized the crowd with a personality-filled hip-hop routine that not only had a fantastic array of rhythms, but fun dance moves and impressive tricks. It really was a whole show in itself.

Watch:

Fletcher shared with the judges that he started playing drums in high school, but stopped. However, he took up the passion once again thanks to the encouragement of a friend who said he had a gift with the instrument, even predicting that one day he would be on the “AGT” stage.

After that friend was tragically killed, Fletcher decided to really take that message to heart by sharing his gift with the world. And yes, coming to compete for the winning title.

Fletcher is clearly well on his way to doing so, earning an enthusiastic “yes” vote from all four judges. Heidi Klum called it a “perfect first audition.”

We don’t always see our talents for the gifts that they are. But that changes when we receive support from a loved one. Their affirmation can carry us to surprising, exciting and wondrous places even after they’re gone. Love really is a magical thing.

An unusual story out of Australia shows that even though someone may be a hardened criminal, they may still have feelings of remorse. It also shows that even their victims can forgive and forget if they don’t take things too personally.

The Daily Mail reports that Christopher Howard Gordon, 35, knocked on the door of a home in the Victorian town of Traralgon in Australia last March, holding a fake gun. When a man opened the door, Gordon demanded that he be allowed in the home and that the owner give him cash.

The man led him into a room where his daughter and partner slept. After seeing the sleeping child, Gordon was startled and immediately fled the home after receiving a box of cash.

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The next night, Gordon went out to a video poker lounge 40 minutes from where he had robbed the man. In a bizarre coincidence, Gordon and the victim were there simultaneously. Instead of fleeing the scene, Gordon apologized to the man telling him that he was given the wrong information from an acquaintance. He had no idea that children would be present, and just wanted some “cash and weed.”

— (@)

The victim accepted the apology, and the two sat beside each other playing poker, with Gordon handing the victim the cash that he had stolen. At the night’s end, Gordon asked the victim for a ride home, and he obliged.

When Gordon appeared in court for sentencing, the judge noted that his actions showed remorse for his crimes. “You and the victim sat near each other on the slot machines while you intermittently handed the victim $150 to $200,” Judge Arushan Pillay said, according to ABC Australia.

“When the venue closed at midnight, you asked the victim for a lift home, who eventually agreed to this. I consider that your words and actions to the victim demonstrate a level of immediate remorse,” the judge added.

Gordon was granted time served and released from jail.

So, will the fact that Gordon experienced remorse for his crimes deter him from robbing someone else? The most recent research, albeit from nine years ago, shows that remorse plays a big role in determining recidivism rates, but there’s a difference between whether people feel guilt or shame for their actions.

“When people feel guilt about a specific behavior, they experience tension, remorse, and regret,” the researchers wrote in a 2014 article published by Psychological Science. “Research has shown that this sense of tension and regret typically motivates reparative action — confessing, apologizing, or somehow repairing the damage done.”

Researchers found that criminals who feel a sense of guilt are less likely to commit another crime than those who feel shame. Those who felt shame were more likely to feel defensive, blame others and return to their old ways.

The question is, did Gorgon feel guilt or shame for his actions? He blamed his acquaintance for sending him to the wrong address but accepted responsibility for his actions by paying the man back. Time will tell if Gordon learns from this episode and gets his life back on track.

What would happen if you mixed The Strokes’ early music with alt radio and a love of skateboarding and cigarettes? Well, AlexSucks is here to answer that question. The LA-based four-piece just arrived on the scene with their debut album The Gutter, on a mission to make garage rock cool again.

Songs like their title track, “Can We Forget,” and the electrifying “6 Pack And Cigarettes” show off the band’s knack for making music that’s gritty, tongue-in-cheek, and really damn fun. To celebrate the release of their debut album The Gutter and their US tour, AlexSucks sits down with Uproxx to talk flat earthers, LCD Soundsystem, and always wearing a helmet in our latest Q&A.

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

Indie, grunge, Alternative, Indie.

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

Tight. Ex: “Their music was tight.”

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

Denver CO.

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

Evel Knievel, because he’s tight.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

In n Out, Double-Double animal style.

What album do you know every word to?

Benches’ Wishful Thinking.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

LCD Soundsystem, hella sounds. Every synth was played live.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Levis, Converse, and a vintage tee. Because it’s tight.

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

@memesforskumbags on Instagram.

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

“Do You” by Spoon.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Flat Earthers.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Ok Computer by Radiohead.

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

The bush of a car dealership. Just slept right on it.

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

First tattoo is a dude skating because I like to skateboard.

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

Blur.

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

Bought me a 6 pack and cigarettes.

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

Wear a helmet….

What’s the last show you went to?

The Cure, Hollywood Bowl.

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

Starwars.

What’s one of your hidden talents?

Finger boarding.

The Gutter is out now via Stairs Music/Hallwood Recordings. Find more information here.