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Music discovery is at an all-time high. With algorithms, blogs, social media, and direct marketing by artists and their reps, it seems like every day is a chance to find yourself falling in love with a new artist’s music. But the downside is that there are so many that it can be hard to keep track of them all, let alone figure out which ones are fly-by-night flashes in the pan and which are the real deal.

That’s why live shows are still the best form of music discovery, even with all the newfangled technology throwing new rappers and singers onto our radars all the time. There’s an opportunity to connect with what makes each artist special, their unique energy, charisma, and how they engage with a live audience — that’s what separates the one-hit-wonders from the rising stars and the superstars in the making.

In Los Angeles, the live showcase that best displays the next generation of stars before they gain national attention is TheBasement Series. A monthly industry showcase, TheBasement Series highlights some of the hottest emerging talents from across the country. This week, the show featured rising stars Dub Aura, GoGo Morrow, Inayah, Josh Levi, and KenTheMan, who electrified the stage at Break Room 86 in downtown LA. Each artist also told us which song of theirs fans should check out first. You can get to know each from the quotes and photos below.

Dub Aura

“A song that represents and speaks to who I am right now the most would be ‘New Ways.’ It’s a pretty solid depiction of who I am. There’s many dynamics to the record for me – there’s the lyrical aspect, a tone of vulnerability, and also the wittiness of growing up in New York City, specifically Harlem which makes up who I am and what I represent.”

GoGo Morrow

“As an artist on the rise, I think the best song for fans to listen to from me, to get to know me, would be ‘In The Way.’ A lot of people have been through the same situation that I sing about, but it’s the perspective that truly identifies me as a woman and as an artist. In the song, I sing about deserving to be loved properly and if he can’t, that’s ok, because there’s someone else out there who will. In real life, I’m a soft girl, but I’m dominant as well. ‘In The Way’ is just that; vulnerable and cutthroat all at the same time. And that’s truly who I am… that’s GoGo.”

Inayah

“They should definitely tune into ‘Always Something.’ It’s one of those records that just resonates so deeply with many people’s realities with a message that’ll forever be relevant. “

Josh Levi

“if you listened to ‘NASA’ you’d get a super quick look into the world I live in sonically, a combination of the past and the future. ‘VICES’ would give you a picture of where my head has been at mentally and spiritually, making decisions that are healthy and good for the mind, body, and soul.”

KenTheMan

“I would say ‘Love Yourself’ expresses a lot of me but as a KenTheMan supporter you can’t limit yourself to just one of my tracks. There is so much diversity in my music that exudes self-love, women empowerment, and being in control; you find pieces of me in my entire catalog.”

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

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

In her famous poem “Lady Lazarus,” Sylvia Plath writes, “Dying / Is an art, like everything else. / I do it exceptionally well.” It was penned in 1963 and published posthumously in 1965. Centering on her two suicide attempts, she summons the image of a “peanut-crunching crowd” watching her perform a “big strip tease”; she’s removing her soul from her body, becoming bare, empty of life. But it’s as seductive as it is dark, while also flirting with humor and engaging in nursery rhyme: “Gentlemen, ladies, / These are my hands / My knees.” The voyeurism is simultaneously disturbing and bewitching. In many ways, just reading it feels wrong, as if the reader is in the peanut-crunching crowd also, entertained by her unraveling.

So, it is not that much of a shocker when Plath is invoked on Soccer Mommy’s unsettling new record Sometimes, Forever. On the pained ballad “Darkness Forever,” Sophie Allison makes a casual reference to her notorious suicide: “Head in the oven / Didn’t sound so crazy / My brain was burning / Hot to the touch.” Lyrics about misery and despair paired with off-kilter ambiances make for a heavy experience, but it’s balanced with enough Plath-like awareness and wit that it becomes hypnotic. She doesn’t burden the listener with her lamentations; she evokes uneasiness and captivation, sending a chill down their spine in one moment and then making them laugh in the next. “Sophie finds magical ways to complicate her bubblegum melodies with a subtle weirdness: a twisted chord, a bent texture, some dark comedy,” album producer Daniel Lopatin told Pitchfork. “It’s addictive to listen to all that sweet and sour stuff she has going on, so I just tried to amplify that.”

Essentially, Allison has mastered the art of haunting, which is a bit of a pivot after 2018’s endearing breakthrough Clean and its intimate 2020 follow-up Color Theory. The lead single “Shotgun” proved this departure into darkness immediately; the sly bassline and her detached vocals in minor key concoct an eerie atmosphere, and the chorus likens love to a weapon, but on the second verse she sings, “Cold beer and ice cream is all we keep / The only things we really need.” It doesn’t even feel like a moment of levity, necessarily; it feels strangely prophetic and clever.

“It’s about this sense of fear and the overhanging of something bad because it’s about the beginning of falling in love — the really exciting feeling, but also you don’t know where it’s going,” Allison explains about “Shotgun” over the phone in early June. “But that kind of sense of just giving your heart over to someone — it feels not too scary, just intense in general. I compare it to uppers — this kind of sense of heart racing, on edge, never knowing what’s going to happen next. There’s this uncertainty and nervousness and fear. But it’s also just supposed to be about that fun feeling, that excitement.”

Panic and exhilaration become inextricable from each other, much like pleasure and pain. Masochism bleeds onto the bubbling shoegaze ballad “With U”: “But I’ll take the pain / Feel it every day / Just to have you look at me,” she admits. In “Still,” the bleak closer that is confessional to an almost risky extent, Allison lulls, “I cut a piece out of my thigh / And felt my heart go sky diving.” It resembles the opening lines of Plath’s poem “Cut”: “What a thrill— / My thumb instead of an onion.” The singer’s publicist warns: “You may notice that the lyrics to ‘Still’ are challenging to read.” The admission of — or even just allusion to — serious self-destruction does not come without awkward, uncomfortable consequences, but that sacrifice is part of what makes it powerful. In many ways, acknowledging self-inflicted pain and the complicated nature of it is incredibly difficult, let alone exploring it through art in front of millions of strangers. It’s brave. “Gentlemen, ladies, / These are my hands / My knees.”

It’s also tricky because listeners are, at the end of the day, consumers, not unlike a peanut-crunching crowd while Allison is laying herself bare on the stage, giving away parts of herself in a way that’s not unlike being disembodied. Sometimes, Forever confronts this weird dynamic of the music industry, and capitalism in general: “I’m tired of the money / And all of the taking at me / I’m barely a person / Mechanically working,” she deadpans on “Unholy Affliction.” “When it comes to artistry, there’s a strive for perfection and for success and all of these things, but all of that comes with playing the game,” she explains. “You can’t just make this perfect album and pop it on the internet and have this amazing rollout. Like, it doesn’t happen if you’re not already hugely successful.” To avoid feeling bought, she places less value on photoshoots and interviews and tries to only care about the art, but “Unholy Affliction” is evidence that this conflict inevitably seeps into her consciousness and her creations.

Not only are the lyrical decisions on this record brave, but the sonic ones as well. It digs deeper into the grunge sound that her past two studio albums flirted with. The experimentation, with the help of Lopatin, is showcased best on the aforementioned “Unholy Affliction” that skids and rattles, as well as on the meandering “Newdemo,” both of which have a sort of brooding feeling that’s interspersed with sputtering, supernatural synthesizers. When asked about what influenced her to go in this direction she mentions Black Sabbath, with a laugh of humility. “They are so heavy and doomy, and it can be slow and sludgy,” she says. “It feels heavy all the time, but it’s not like a thousand guitars or this crazy shredding. It’s really evil.”

This horror movie-like aura is the perfect backdrop for her words. Like Plath, her lines are at their most striking when as concise as possible: “It’s darkness forever / A cold sinking ocean / I want to feel the / Warm of release,” she sings on the mystical “Darkness Forever.” Throughout the 11 tracks, there are fragmented recollections of having sex in the backseat of a car, seeing a ghost, driving into a sunset with hopes of being swallowed by it, and feeling emotions so intense that it’s like being hit with a tidal wave. Revelations manifest in these unforgettable images, especially on “Newdemo”: “Sometimes I dream there’s a gate to a garden / That only the earth could break through / But what is a dream but a light in the darkness / A lie that you wish would come true,” she croons.

About the meaning of that song, Allison says it’s about feeling really low and dealing with cynical thoughts like, “What’s the point of hoping for things that won’t happen or clinging to nice thoughts that aren’t real?” She is quick to add, “But also, there is a point.” Sometimes, Forever would not exist without dreams and hopes for something better. Fantasizing is a kind of survival. In “A Birthday Present,” Plath writes: “Do not be mean, I am ready for enormity. / Let us sit down to it, one on either side, admiring the gleam.”

America’s infatuation with Johnny Depp sees no bounds. After winning a defamation suit against his ex-wife Amber Heard — in a trial that gripped America so much so that you’d think a bloody glove and a white Ford Bronco were involved — the actor is resurrecting his Hollywood Vampires “supergroup” with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

The hard rock band, which put out its second album Rise in 2019, will be heading out for a small tour in Europe. But don’t get too excited, as it doesn’t begin until June of 2023. Among the six scheduled dates, five of them are in Germany and one is in Luxembourg.

Cooper and Depp share vocal duties, with Cooper doing most of the lead work. Their albums are a mix of original material with some covers sprinkled in between, and their current top song on Spotify is a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” All four members including Tommy Henriksen play guitar and the band is typically backed by a touring bass player, a drummer (Cooper drummer Glen Sobel), and a keyboardist who also plays guitar (because can you really have enough guitars?) The band’s debut self-titled album came out in 2015 and included appearances from Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Slash, Robby Krieger, and more.

Check out the list of tour dates for Hollywood Vampires below.

06/20 — Oberhausen, DE @ Rudolf Weber- Arena
06/21 — Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal
06/24 — Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle
06/27 — Hamburg, DE @ Stadtpark
06/28 — Berlin, DE @ Citadel Music Festival
06/30 — Mainz, DE @ Summer in the City

Lil Nas X has made it clear in recent weeks that he has beef with the BET Awards. At the top of June, Nas commented about how he received “an outstanding zero nominations again” for the 2022 ceremony, adding, “black excellence!” He later went on to use the snub as a launching point to discuss “the bigger problem of homophobia in the black community.”

That was a couple weeks ago now but Nas hasn’t forgotten about the BET Awards, as he proves with his latest hilarious promo for his upcoming single, “Late To The Party.”

Last night, Nas shared a video that’s presented like a traditional sort of television commercial spot for the BET Awards broadcast. The differences are easy to spot once you get past the glossy veneer, though, like how all the B-roll is of Nas, Nas can be heard saying “F*ck BET” repeatedly in the background, and how the date and time of the awards show shown here is actually when Nas is releasing “Late To The Party” (this Friday at midnight ET). The ad is so well-executed that if it actually aired on TV, a viewer who wasn’t paying close attention probably wouldn’t suspect anything about it was unusual.

On top of that, Nas shared the art for the new single and it features a license plate, front and center in the image, that reads, “F*CK BET.”

This all comes after Nas, the master of promotion that he is, got eyes on him and his antics by coming up with some hilarious fake company partnerships in the name of “Late To The Party.”

Check out the promo video above.

The Wonder Years officially began traveling the road to their seventh studio album, pairing the announcement with the new video for “Wyatt’s Song (Your Name)” today. The visual shows the band playing in black and white video is highlighted by cartoon illustrations outlining various people or objects throughout its duration. The drawings also pop-out, as children are seen playing different games in between cuts of the band performing in a room.

Prior to “Wyatt’s Song,” The Wonder Years released “Summer Clothes” and “Oldest Daughter.” Their next album, The Hum Goes On Forever, will be 12 tracks long and comes over two and a half years after 2020’s Burst & Decay (Volume II). It also marks the first album the Philadelphia band has made since their vocalist Dan Campbell became a father. In a press statement, it is revealed that the “six members have all grown together as musicians; they know when to be restrained and when to explode, filling in space and emptiness as needed to create a record that mirrors the heart-torn urgency at its core.”

Watch the video for “Wyatt’s Song (Your Name)” above. Below, find the art and tracklist for The Hum Goes On Forever.

1. “Doors I Painted Shut”
2. “Wyatt’s Song (Your Name)”
3. “Oldest Daughter”
4. “Cardinals II”
5. “The Paris Of Nowhere”
6. “Summer Clothes”
7. “Lost In The Lights”
8. “Songs About Death”
9. “Low Tide”
10. “Laura & The Beehive”
11. “Old Friends Like Lost Teeth”
12. “You’re The Reason I Don’t Want The World To End”

The Hum Goes On Forever is out 9/2 via Loneliest Place On Earth/Hopeless Records. Pre-order it here.

The 2022 WNBA All-Star Game will be held in Chicago on Sunday, July 10, as the defending champion Sky will be the host team for the league’s best.

On Wednesday, the starters, as voted on by the fans, players, and media — with the same 50 percent/25 percent/25 percent weighting as in the NBA — were revealed on the NBA Today. Two of the game’s all-time greats headlined the list in their final seasons — Seattle’s Sue Bird and Minnesota’s Sylvia Fowles — and three first time All-Stars in Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young. The last two of those will be joined by their teammate, A’ja Wilson, on the starting rosters, as the Aces pace the field with three starters, fitting for the league’s best team.

The full starters are as follows, in descending order of the most selections:

Sue Bird
Sylvia Fowles
Candace Parker
Nneka Ogwumike
Breanna Stewart
A’ja Wilson
Jonquel Jones
Sabrina Ionescu
Kelsey Plum
Jackie Young

Parker will get to serve as the unofficial host of All-Star in her home city, and Fowles, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury, will likely get an injury replacement but gets a fitting parting honor in her final season alongside Bird. Now it’s up to the coaches to fill out the rest of the roster pool for the captain’s draft.

Fowles and Stewart will serve as co-captains for one team, while Bird and Wilson will captain the other, as the Storm teammates get to go up against each other in Bird’s final All-Star game.

Kyrie Irving‘s future in Brooklyn appears to be the subject of some consternation. Irving has a player option for the 2022-23 campaign, but there is no guarantee he picks that up, while conversations between the All-Star guard and the franchise about a contract extension are reportedly in a strange place due to Brooklyn’s concern over giving him a long-term extension.

As such, reports have popped up in recent days that indicate other teams are watching the situation with some level of interest should he hit the open market. And on Wednesday, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that one team in particular is at the front of the line, but it comes with a gigantic caveat.

“The Lakers are considered the most significant threat right now for Kyrie Irving,” Wojnarowski said. “But that would essentially entail him taking $30 million less than he can opt into in Brooklyn. There’s a $6 million taxpayer exemption he can sign with the Lakers. Now, most people would say a player’s not gonna give up that much money, but Kyrie Irving gave up nearly $17 million because of his refusal to get vaccinated, he’s in the process of losing a shoe deal with Nike.”

Wojnarowski wrote earlier in the day that the Nets and Irving prefer to get a deal done to keep him teamed up with Kevin Durant
in Brooklyn, and he noted at the end of this hit that “there’s a sweet spot for the Nets and for Kyrie Irving to find a deal.” Whatever that number is, both in terms of money and years, remains to be seen.

Have you ever watched the critically-acclaimed, award-winning classic Paddington and thought “maybe this could work if it was set in NYC, and he was a crocodile who can sing in the same style as Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes?” Maybe not, but Sony Pictures took that thought and ran with it! Of course, it’s actually based on a children’s book, but the story is the same. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is an upcoming movie that will likely change the face of cinema for years to come, just like Cats and Minions.

The movie stars Shawn Mendes as the voice of the croc who befriends a child who just wants to show the world how great a singing crocodile can be, naturally. Mendes even told People that he “relates” to the story, which is really telling. And he wears a cute scarf!

It gets better: the movie stars Constance Wu, Javier Bardem, and Scoot McNairy, all of whom look like they are taking the role very seriously. McNairy is known for his serious, dark roles, in movies like Argo and 12 Years A Slave. Bardem is also one to take on more gritty roles, like No Country For Old Men and Mother! It is nice to see them having fun with a crocodile that sings. Here is the official synopsis:

When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.

Even though the premise is silly, that’s probably what people said about Paddington back in the day. And look at where he is now! The movie will be released in theaters (yes–it’s getting a wide release, not straight to streaming) on October 7th.

We are now just two days away from the release of the Baz Luhrmann biopic Elvis, and therefore two days away from the movie’s soundtrack hitting streaming services. Before that happens, though, we’ve been gifted what will presumably be the final pre-album preview, Kacey Musgraves’ rendition of the Elvis Presley classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Musgraves turned in a beautiful rendition of the frequently covered song, going for a downtempo approach, with just her vocals accompanied by piano.

Musgraves was clearly destined to be involved with this project: She recently re-shared a video of herself from 1995, gleefully opening a gift of a Presley cassette and perfume. Of course, her 2018 album Golden Hour also has a highlight called “Velvet Elvis.” She has also performed a Presley cover or two in her day; Here’s a rendition of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” from 2015.

Aside from Musgraves, the Elvis soundtrack features Eminem, CeeLo Green, Ann Nesby, Alton Mason, Chris Isaak, Denzel Curry, Doja Cat, Gary Clark Jr., Jack White, Lenesha Randolph, Jazmine Sullivan, Kacey Musgraves, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Les Greene, Måneskin, Nardo Wick, Paravi, PNAU, Rufus Thomas, Shonka Dukureh, Stevie Nicks, Swae Lee and Diplo, Tame Impala, and Yola.

Listen to Musgraves’ rendition of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” above.

The blonde ale, also known sometimes as a golden ale, doesn’t really get the respect it deserves in the summery beer world. Despite being frequently overshadowed by IPAs, pale ales, lagers, and pilsners, the blonde ale is a low-bitterness, balanced style that can encompass a wealth of complexity.

Blonde ales can be fermented with lager or even ale yeast. Sometimes simple and citrus-driven, other times they’re spiced, or brewed with fruit or honey. It’s truly a unique, memorable warm-weather beer.

With complexity comes options, and to help you find some of the best takes on this underrated style, we went to our favorite craft beer professionals for help. We asked a handful of craft beer experts and brewers which blondes they prefer for summer refreshment. Keep reading to see all of their picks.

Treehouse Eureka

Eric Martens, founder and owner at Border Brewing Company in Kansas City

ABV: 4.2%

Average Price: $10.99 for a 16-ounce can

Why This Beer?

It’s hard to find in many areas of the country, but Eureka from Treehouse in Massachusetts is a really great beer. It’s light in body, as a blonde ale should be, but has great flavor and citrus hop presence. It’s a great summer beer.

Deep Ellum Dallas Blonde

Hector Cavazos, owner and head brewer at Rebel Toad Brewery in Corpus Christi, Texas

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $8.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Deep Ellum Dallas blonde is great. It’s citrusy and floral. Brewed with Pale, Vienna, and wheat malts as well as a smattering of bright, floral American hops, it’s crisp, light, and easy to drink. It’s the kind of beer you want to drink all afternoon. Especially if it’s a hot day.

Allagash Sixteen Counties

Mike Kelly, senior brewer at Harpoon Brewery in Boston

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $12.50 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Allagash Sixteen Counties is my go-to golden ale. A flavorful Belgian ale brewed with 100% Maine-grown malt. A delicious beer that also tells a great story about a brewery’s commitment to growing agriculture in their own state.

Firestone Walker 805

Dan Lipke, head brewer at Clown Shoes Beer in Boston

ABV: 4.7%

Average Price: $8.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Firestone Walker 805 is a great crisp and refreshing blonde ale, slightly citrusy but not in a hoppy way. It’s a smooth refreshing brew for when you want an easy-drinking ale. It’s the kind of beer you drink all summer long.

Maui Brewing Bikini Blonde

Kyle Park, director of marketing at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. in Croydon, Pennsylvania

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: $12.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Maui Brewing’s Bikini Blonde. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Maui a few times and that beer just brings me right back to early morning poolside happy hours or floating out in a tube watching the sunset, can in hand. It’s a deceptively simple beer with subtle malt sweetness with a crisp and clean finish.

Pure Brewing Tropical Mist

Douglas Hasker, head brewer at Puesto Cerveceria in San Diego

ABV: 5.1%

Average Price: $16 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Tropical Mist, Pure Project Brewing is my pick. Lighter beers require a delicate touch and quality ingredients. This blonde ale showcases fresh bready malt character from California-based Admiral Malting, fruity esters from their house hazy strain, and a refreshingly light touch use of locally grown organic Valencia orange. A wonderfully balanced beer with a lot of complexity to keep your interest.

Wynwood La Rubia

Marshall Hendrickson co-founder and head of operations at Veza Sur Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $10.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Wynwood Brewing Co – La Rubia is hard to beat. La Rubia is my go-to blonde ale for many reasons. Wynwood Brewing Co is just a stone’s throw away from our brewery, so I can guarantee it’s always fresh. It’s well balanced with subtle hop bitterness, but most importantly, super crushable.

Tyranena Three Beaches

Chris Wittemann, area sales at Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $10.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Three Beaches Honey Blonde Ale by Tyranena Brewing Company in Lake Mills Wisconsin. Like Sprecher, Tyranena perfectly knows how to incorporate honey into its products. Tyranena does an excellent job adding it in the brewing process for a few of their outstanding beers. The honey, citrus, and lemongrass flavors are a perfect combination for a nice, light-drinking, blonde ale.

Waterfront Crazy Lady Honey Blond

Thomas Reese, brewer Ghost Harbor Brewing Co. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina

ABV: 5.6%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Crazy Lady Honey Blonde from The Waterfront Brewery in Key West, Florida. What flavors make it great? Crafted with locally sourced honey from up the Keys adding another dimension to an already crushable blonde ale. Light, crisp, citrus, and honey. What’s not to love?