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The last few years have been a bummer to say the least, but Austin-based four-piece Good Looks are attempting to flip the script on their debut album Bummer Year. Much of the LP is inspired by the sounds of vocalist Tyler Jordan’s youth. Growing up in a South Texas coastal town, he first learned to sing in his father’s church. Eventually, he became inspired by artists whose music carried an important message — something he infuses into the songs on Bummer Year. As self-described “blue-collar bad boys being blatantly vulnerable,” tracks like “Vision Boards” grapple with self-doubt and perceived shortcomings over washed-out guitars and endlessly dreamy melodies.

Emphasized by ripping chords, warm-toned melodies, and slight country twang, Bummer Year is an album about learning how to take care of yourself and prioritize the relationships around you. After all, it’s not possible to get through a bummer year without a good support system. Ahead of the release of the debut LP, out this Friday on Keeled Scales, Good Looks sat down with Uproxx to talk about their musical inspirations, impressive beer shotgunning talents, and love of Willie Nelson on the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Honest, Literal, Songwriter, Rocknroll, I cheated on the last word

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?

I’m not sure, I guess it doesn’t really matter that much to me. Growing up, music was there for me in my darkest moments. It was always an escape. I guess I hope that my music could help someone else through a similar experience.

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

It’s probably a tie between Little Rock and Reno. They’re both small cities with super supportive music scenes.

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

Well, corporations aren’t people and neither are nonprofit folk fests, but if they were, the Kerrville Folk Festival has been the single most important thing in terms of inspiration. I would not be the writer that I am without that place. I’ve been attending religiously since 2009.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

This is a hard question to answer, but probably at Habanero Cafe on Oltorf.

What album do you know every word to?

There are probably a few, but the one that comes to mind is Willie Nelson’s Phases And Stages.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Cate Le Bon inside at the Mohawk on the Mug Museum tour

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

I don’t know man, I wear a lot of T-shirts. I’ve been recently leaning into wearing boots more on stage. They just make you feel tough and add a little bit of swagger.

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

Patti Smith’s Instagram account is a God damn gift to humanity

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

Unfortunately, I think it’s Darude’s Sandstorm. haha

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Whether the “l” is lowercase or uppercase in Cate Le Bon’s name.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Anything that The Numero Group puts out. All of their album packages are so nice and thought out.

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

Walker Lake state park in the middle of nowhere Nevada.

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

Actually nobody in our band has a single tattoo, which is bizarre really.

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

Anything with Gerry Rafferty or George Jones.

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

Wow, this is a really hard question to answer. My life has been filled with the kindness of strangers and friends.

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

To be more willing to say yes and let people in. I spent a long time shutting people out, and the key to success in the music business is all about connection and who you know. I wish I had realized that sooner.

What’s the last show you went to?

I think it might have been Buck Meek at 3ten.

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

Almost Famous

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I’m a world-class shotgunner of beer.

Bummer Year is out 4/8 via Keeled Scales. Pre-order it here.

As music fans know by now, longtime Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died last month. After somebody passes away, their work usually receives some renewed attention. Now Billboard reveals this has indeed happened with Foo Fighters on the latest Billboard charts.

The band’s Greatest Hits compilation rose from No. 8 to the very top of the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, its first time at No. 1 since it debuted there in November 2009. It also rose from No. 24 to No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart (a new peak) and up from No. 147 all the way to No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.

“Everlong,” one of the band’s signature songs, also re-entered the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart at No. 1, topping the chart (which launched in 2020) for the first time. It’s worth noting Hawkins doesn’t actually drum on the album version of the song since he joined the band after it was recorded, although he does appear in the track’s video.

Those chart are all dated April 9 and reflect the tracking week from March 25 to 31, meaning the represent the days following Hawkins’ March 25 death.

This comes shortly after Hawkins won some posthumous Grammys with Foo Fighters, as the band picked up the awards for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance last weekend.

When music festivals started making their slow return last year, Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash welcomed 90,000 people to Chicago’s Douglass Park in August. The fest put on by hip-hop tastemakers Lyrical Lemonade and production company SPKRBX has grown into the biggest hip-hop festival in the Midwest. Now moving back to its usual mid-June weekend dates (17th – 19th), the 2022 edition’s lineup has some serious heavy-hitters at the top in Post Malone, Playboi Carti, and the first every collaborative performance from Gunna and Young Thug.

“We’ve leveled up the entire experience,” said Festival Director Berto Solorio in a statement. “We can’t wait to show our fans what we have in store this summer including bigger music acts performing on bigger stages, plus more food trucks, improved amenities, and more art installations than ever before.”

They’ve certainly delivered on today’s complete lineup drop, which is also set to feature performances from Wiz Khalifa, Polo G, Trippie Redd, 2 Chainz, Ski Mask Tha Slump God, Yeat, G Herbo, Rico Nasty, Key Glock, Lil Tecca, Key Glock, and a lot more in a thorough three-day slate. If there’s one knock, it’s the complete absence of gender parity among these talented names. But so it goes with most hip-hop festivals. Regardless, check out the lineup poster below.

Summer Smash tickets go on sale on Friday 04/08 at 10 am CST at TheSummerSmash.com.

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

Chris Rock dropped into the Comedy Cellar for a surprise set on Tuesday night, but don’t hold your breath if you’re hoping for the comedian to open up about the now-infamous Oscars slap. Rock did, however, fire off a quick quip about how his life has been after being assaulted by Will Smith for all of the world to see.

“Lower your expectations. I’m not going to address that s–t,’” Rock reportedly told the crowd, according to a source for Page Six. As for why he was at the Cellar that night, the comedian revealed he was fine-tuning jokes for his current comedy tour because “all the sudden people cared about his early shows.” Apparently, that’s the most people are going to get out of Rock about The Slap for now.

As for Smith, the actor is reportedly not loving the fact that his projects are being pulled following the Oscars fiasco. Via Us Weekly:

According to the insider, “His biggest fear is that he’s in the process of being fully canceled, and there’s nothing he can really do about it except sit back, suck up his punishment like a man and try to atone however he can.”

Speaking of that punishment, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has moved up its annual meeting by 10 days so that it can more “more quickly address possible sanctions” against Smith. The actor preemptively resigned his membership, which removed suspension or expulsion as possible consequences for assaulting Rock. However, the Academy still wants to resolve the matter in a “timely fashion.”

(Via Page Six, Us Weekly, Deadline)

Last month, Jack Harlow revealed the title of his upcoming album, Come Home The Kids Miss You. Today, the Louisville, Kentucky rapper revealed the album’s release date and stripped-down cover art. Featuring a photo of Jack sitting on a stool next to a mic stand, Come Home The Kids Miss You is set for release on May 6. Incidentally, as some fans noticed on Twitter, that’s the same weekend as the biggest sporting event in the rapper’s home state, the Kentucky Derby.

To promote his second studio album, Harlow will be dropping the project’s second single, “First Class,” this Friday. He previously teased the track with a video from the studio that previewed an upbeat instrumental with a loop of Fergie’s “Glamorous.” Before that, he released the first single, “Nail Tech,” as he shot the lights out during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Cleveland, Ohio.

His performance in that game presaged his next big opportunity; in March, it was announced that he’d been cast in an upcoming remake of White Men Can’t Jump. Most recently, he joined Lil Nas X to perform their hit song “Industry Baby” at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday.

Come Home The Kids Miss You is due 5/6 via Atlantic.

In the lead-up to and aftermath of Halsey’s Trent Reznor- and Atticus Ross-produced album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, there has been a lot of talk about the conversations the three had before committing to making the album together. Now, though, Halsey has shared the first look of her real-time reaction to Reznor praising her music, a moment that was clearly moving for her.

Today, Halsey released a behind-the-scenes video about the making of both the If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power album and accompanying film. At about 7:53 into the video, Halsey discusses getting Reznor and Ross involved with the album, noting, “Since my debut, I wanted to work with Trent and Atticus.”

The video then shows footage of Halsey, in Prague, on a long-distance call with Reznor and Atticus, both in Los Angeles. Halsey was clearly nervous and excited to be on the call: While Reznor spoke, Halsey quietly asked the people around her, “Am I doing OK?”

Reznor started with brutal honestly, noting of the work Halsey had sent along to him, “When we heard the arrangements of the music, it made it feel a bit casual. Now I’m not really listening to what you’re saying because the music has told me, ‘Ah, this is something to listen to in the car.’” Reznor’s tone shifted as he continued, “Once we got rid of that or changed that, suddenly, we were really listening to what you were saying and, quite frankly, blown away by the songwriting.”

After hearing that, Halsey looked like she was about to break into happy tears before offering a shaky, “Wow.”

Reznor continued, “Once it’s stripped, these songs feel… I get more goosebumps, not just because the snare drum sounds different, but… I’m really listening to what you’re saying and I’m responding to it. We’re glad to see that you seem to feel the same way. This is something we think, you know, could be really great.”

After Reznor said “goosebumps,” Halsey gave an “Oh my god” sort of expression that communicated how meaningful that was for her to hear, before covering her eyes and resting her hands on her face.

Halsey, still seemingly overwhelmed, ended the call by responding before saying her goodbyes, “I still feel like this phone call isn’t really happening. I’m kind of out of my mind. So I promise I’ll get over my fangirl-ness as soon as possible so we can have a functioning work relationship.”

Once everybody hung up, Halsey opened her mouth as wide as possible, closed her laptop, walked around the room, and proudly recounted Reznor saying her songwriting gave him goosebumps.

It was clearly a special moment for Halsey and it’s delightful to watch it unfold, so check it out in the video above. Given that this video is labeled “Part 1,” there’s presumably more to come, so keep an eye out for further behind-the-scenes videos from Halsey.

After a fan-made TikTok musical won an actual real-life Grammy last week, the app is now beginning to invest in its creators. The video making app, which became many people’s source of entertainment during COVID lockdowns, has inspired a ton of short, quirky musicals which have attracted stars like Adam Lambert and Tituss Burgess, who starred in a live stream of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical in early 2021 (really). Now that creators have established they are able to write, produce, and edit full-fledge musicals on the app, the company is looking to get involved.

TikTok, which is majorly popular with Gen Z, has commissioned its first official musical, titled For You, Paige, a play on words on the app’s “for you” discover page. Daniel Mertzlufft, who gained fame for his work on the Ratatouille musical is the creative lead behind the new production. It features original songs by Mertzlufft, with work from other well-known creators and artists, Julia Riew, Katherine Lynn-Rose, RJ Christian, Blake Rouse, Morgan Reilly, Alex Engleberg, Kate Leonard, and Gosz & Fotos.

For You, Paige will be available to livestream on the official TikTok account on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. ET, performed at a theater in New York City. Mertzlufft posted an extremely quick explanation of the musical:

TikTok’s official announcement of the musical:

TikTok has become a home for Broadway and musical theater lovers and performers to share their talent, creativity and passion for live theater. With popular hashtags like #Broadway, #Musical, and #TheaterKid receiving 4.4B, 6.5B, and 582.4M global views to date, TikTok’s thriving creator community has helped turn creative ideas like Grammy Award-winning album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical into reality by providing a global stage with the potential for more than one billion fans in the audience. Now, TikTok is embarking on a new stage in redefining entertainment with For You, Paige, the first commissioned TikTok musical. Performed LIVE from a theater in New York City, For You, Paige will be available to watch globally only on @TikTok on April 14 at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Now that TikTok is actually investing in creators, there is truly no limit on what they might make next. Why stop at Ratatouille? Why not produce the actual musical from Monsters Inc? The sky is the limit!

Last summer, DeMar DeRozan was linked to the Los Angeles Lakers during free agency. At one point, DeRozan believed a partnership was a “done deal” and he’d return home to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in pursuit of a title.

Ultimately, though, Los Angeles pivoted to trade for Russell Westbrook instead, and DeRozan landed with the Chicago Bulls, where he’s authored an All-NBA-caliber campaign for a playoff squad.

According to a report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, DeRozan “felt that the Lakers were in sort of disarray” when he met with them as a free agent last year.

“I talked to someone from DeRozan’s camp,” Youngmisuk said recently. “(The Lakers) didn’t really have a vision. They didn’t know what they were doing.”

Of course, the ensuing eight months since those decisions are well-documented. DeRozan enjoyed his fifth career All-Star appearance, while Westbrook struggled mightily much of the year. Los Angeles will miss the playoffs and Chicago sits sixth in the East at 45-34.

Obviously, Los Angeles didn’t expect Westbrook to decline so drastically from last year’s splendid second half, but it remains quite fascinating to envision DeRozan as a Laker. Given all their injuries and the way DeRozan carried a shorthanded Bulls team for stretches, he clearly could’ve helped Los Angeles avoid this fate of a playoff-less season.

In her newest music video for her song, “The Dealer,” Nilüfer Yanya shows off her guitar chops. In the visual, Yanya is seen playing different color guitars corresponding to blue, red, and orange outfits. Lights of those same colors shine upon Yanya, as kaleidoscopic lenses capture every emotion on her face.

Toward the end of the video, Yanya is cleansed by rainfall, symbolizing a sense of rebirth.

“When I was writing this song I was thinking about the transient nature of life and the cyclical nature of the seasons,” Yanya said of the song in a statement. “I find it interesting how we attach certain memories and feelings to different seasons and tend to revisit them time and time again, yet our lives move in a more linear motion and even when we feel like we are going back we never really get to go back anywhere. Musically speaking it’s a bit more playful and relaxed.”

“The Dealer” comes from Yanya’s album, Painless, which she says is inspired by the discomfort that accompanies major life moments.

Of the album, Yanya said, “It’s a record about emotion. I think it’s more open about that in a way that [my first album] Miss Universe wasn’t, because [there are] so many cloaks and sleeves with the concept I built around it. I’m not as scared to admit my feelings.”

Check out “The Dealer” above.

Painless is out now via ATO Records. Get it here.

Colin Firth is known for his many iconic roles, most of them being British royalty or a long-lost father, or both! In his latest flick, Firth plays the real-life British naval officer Ewen Montagu, who plans to trick Hilter during World War II, using a combination of wit and a dead corpse.

Operation Mincemeat is based on the very real British operation during WWII. The movie will be based on Ben Macintyre’s book about the successful operation. The trailer shows the outlandish scheme and the lengths the officers go to trick the Nazis.

The movie has an all-star cast, including Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Jason Isaacs, Kelly Macdonald, Simon Russell Beale, Mark Gatiss, and Penelope Wilton. It also features Paul Ritter’s last performance before his death in April 2021.

Like many films coming out over the last few months, production on Operation Mincemeat began in late 2019 and picked up again in 2021. Netflix acquired the film which will be released on May 11th online and in select theaters. According to the official Netflix description:

Hoping to change the course of World War II, and save tens of thousands of lives, two intelligence officers plot to break Hitler’s deadly grip on Europe by recruiting the most unlikely of secret agents: a dead man.

Check out the official trailer above.