GoneTrending

The 2022 NCAA Tournament brings a refreshing set of normalcy, with fan bases across the country tuned into the festivities beginning in mid-March. While all four regions have exciting college basketball teams, each features high-end prospects in advance of the 2022 NBA Draft, and that is especially true of the West Region. The stars are out in a big way in the West, including the No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, a star-studded No. 2 seed in Duke, and other squads that are chocked full of talent.

DIME will be rolling out a pre-tournament look at each of the regions from a draft prospect and, in this space, we’ll touch on the top five prospects from the West Region. Up first? Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren.

Chet Holmgren – C/F, Gonzaga

Not everyone is in love with Holmgren, largely because is incredibly skinny at 7’0 and less than 200 pounds. Beyond that, though, Holmgren has been one of the most efficient players in the country this season, and his defensive feel as a rim protector is absolutely outstanding. He’ll need to put on some muscle mass, as everyone knows, but Holmgren’s combination of length, acumen, shooting profile, and positional flexibility makes him a clear candidate for No. 1 overall.

Paolo Banchero – F, Duke

Banchero isn’t exactly a secret, as many had him No. 1 entering college. It isn’t as if Banchero has struggled either, operating as Duke’s most reliable offensive player and the head of the snake for the Blue Devils. On the flip side, he is shooting only 30.6 percent from three-point range and might not be a true No. 1 option on offense. He’s also a pure power forward, which is a bit out of place in the current NBA, but Banchero also has the ability to be the best player on a Final Four team. That wouldn’t be a bad thing for his Draft stock if he can get Duke out of this region.

AJ Griffin – F/G, Duke

It hasn’t been a steady season for Griffin, who had a very slow start coming back from injury. Since he reestablished himself, Griffin has shot the lights out (46.7 percent from three) and showcased his athleticism and feel. He is 6’6, strong, lengthy and able to scale up and down the lineup. It would be helpful for his stock if he had a few big offensive games, but scouts are already tantalized by what happens when it all comes together.

Jalen Duren – C, Memphis

As Memphis has come alive, so has Duren. Over the last two months, he is averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting more than 60 percent and flashing his mammoth defensive upside. The 18-year-old has a reported 7’5 wingspan, and scouts will undoubtedly be intrigued if he ends up facing Holmgren in the second round. Regardless, Duren also projects as a player that should look better in the NBA with more spacing and improved guard play around him. He’s already good now, which helps.

Mark Williams – C, Duke

There is a bit of a drop-off after the top four to Williams, with his teammate Trevor Keels and Alabama guard JD Davison among the contenders. The NBA is already falling in love with Williams, though, as the big man has been a defensive force for Duke. He is blocking nearly three shots per game (in 22.9 minutes), and Williams is finishing at more than a 70 percent clip. He is certainly a traditional big man that doesn’t space the floor, but Williams is extremely long, active, and productive.

It feels a little unbelievable, but just one week from today will mark the sixth anniversary of Phife Dawg’s death. It’s a sobering sentiment, but the load is lightened by an announcement by the late rapper’s estate last year: March 22 will also mark the release of his long-awaited posthumous album, Forever. Today, his co-producer on the album, DJ Rasta Root, shared the album’s cover art and tracklist, which features a who’s-who of longtime collaborators and friends, including Angel Winbush, De La Soul, Dwele, Little Brother, Lyric Jones, Rapsody, and, of course, his A Tribe Called Quest brother in rhyme, Q-Tip.

Production on the album will be handled by 9th Wonder, J Dilla, Khrysis, Nottz, Potatohead People, and more. So far, only two singles from the album have been released: the Busta Rhymes and Redman-featuring “Nutshell Part 2” and “French Kiss Deux,” which features the late J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J. Both revealed an aesthetic similar to latter-day Tribe production, with stripped-down, funk-driven beats custom-made to show off Phife’s easygoing flow.

The road to the album’s release has been kind of a bumpy one; though initially announced almost five years ago, it has certainly taken a while to prepare, with the album getting pushed back to 2021, then pushed back again to 2022. But, the wait is almost over now, and from the looks of things, the project will be well worth it.

Forever is due 3/22 via Smokin’ Needles Records.

It’s nearly impossible for many of us to imagine living in a country where the so-called “mainstream media” and right-wing propaganda machines are one in the same. A place where tyrannical leaders and oligarchs are the ones dictating and force-feeding the “news” aka alternative reality to their citizens. But that’s exactly what it’s like for the people of Russia, who are restricted from accessing even social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and now Instagram, out of fear that they will understand what is really happening in their country, and how the world is reacting to the current Russia Ukraine War.

But every once in a while, a courageous individual comes along and risks their own personal safety for the sake of their country. Which is exactly what Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor for Russia’s Channel 1, did on Monday. During a live broadcast, Ovsyannikova suddenly appeared on viewers’ screens, holding up a sign that read “Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They’re lying to you here!” while yelling, “No to war! Stop the war!”

Ovsyannikova only managed to get about five seconds of screen time until the camera cut to some stock footage of a hospital. She was promptly arrested and charged with “discrediting the Russian armed forces.” As of Tuesday morning, a number of well-respected media outlets, including The Washington Post, were reporting that Ovsyannikova had gone missing and could not be located, according to her lawyers. However, as The Daily Beast reports, she has now resurfaced—and for unknown reasons won’t be charged with violating the newly installed “fake news” laws, which could have meant spending up to 15 years in prison. Instead, she’s looking at up to 10 days in prison for a much lesser offense.

While there’s no explanation yet for how and why Ovsyannikova fortunately managed to escape a much harsher punishment, we do know that her act of bravery has left much of Russia stunned. As Raw Story reports, Anderson Cooper spoke with Yakov Kronrod, an American citizen who traveled to Russia before Putin invaded Ukraine in order to take care of his ailing grandmother. Konrod, who is now working to get his grandmother out of Russia, said that the enormity of Ovsyannikova’s act was too big to ignore, and that even other state-run media outlets were reporting on it, noting:

“It sends shock waves through all of Russian society. Yandex News had a story about it, and they rarely have anything that’s against the main narrative. Her Facebook page was getting thousands of people commenting every minute. Literally, it exploded. Everyone was texting each other, calling each other saying, did you see? Did you see what happened? And many of the human rights activists that I’m talking to feel this may very well be the start of the wave to see someone like that Channel 1 has 250 million viewers, it’s the number one watched station by most common Russians. For a lot of Russians, this was the first time they saw any dissenting voice.”

You can watch Kronrod’s interview with Cooper below.

(Via Raw Story)

Netflix‘s newest action-thriller features an unlikely cop duo teaming up to chase some bad guys, as chaos undoubtedly ensues. The Takedown is the latest film by director Loius Leterrier, known for Lupin and the incredible (depending on who you ask) thriller, Now You See Me.

The Takedown features Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte as two former cop partners who drifted over time, leading them to have very different policing styles. They team up for a rollercoaster investigation that takes them all the way up the French Alps (while wearing a seatbelt, of course). What started as a basic drug deal turns out to be a thrilling criminal case, wrapped in danger and complete with some unexpected comedy and banter between the two former friends.

Sy also stars in Leterrier’s hit Netflix crime series Lupin, and his performance garnered a Golden Globe nomination. He is also starring in the upcoming Jurrasic World installment, Jurrasic Worl Domination. Lafitte is known for his various roles in French cinema, including the thriller Elle and Boomerang. Sy and Lafitte are also slated to star alongside each other in the upcoming action-comedy, Tower of Strength.

The Takedown drops on April 7th on Netflix. Check out the trailer above.

Ever since the Ms. Marvel trailer blasted online with a first look at the new Disney+ series in action, fans have been sounding off about the very noticeable change to the hero’s powers. In the comics, Kamala Khan (a.k.a. Ms. Marvel) is able to shape-shift and stretch thanks to being exposed to Terrigen mist that activated her latent Inhuman genes. Considering Marvel’s first crack at a live-action Inhumans flopped pretty badly, it’s understandable why Ms. Marvel would want to lean away from the source material. Not to mention, it saves the show from having to explain what the heck an Inhuman even is, and how they’re different from Eternals and mutants. It’d be a whole thing.

As for Kamala’s new powers, they seem to be more “cosmic” in origin and similar to Captain Marvel‘s, who Kamala idolizes in the series. As Entertainment Weekly notes, there’s also a touch of Doctor Strange in there, which is also a deviation from the comics:

Instead of stretching and shape-changing, the Ms. Marvel trailer shows Kamala manipulating energy into blasts, forcefields, and the kind of mid-air stepping stones that we’ve seen Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) use in past MCU films. There are a couple shots where energy envelops Kamala’s hands, which could give her the same kind of powerful punches she wields in the comics, but clearly it all works a bit differently.

Considering the Ms. Marvel comics were a breakout success for Marvel — which is not an easy accomplishment in a extremely crowded landscape dominated by heavy-hitters like Batman, The Avengers, etc. — it’s understandable that fans of the comics have concerns about the change to Kamala’s powers. There was a thematic resonance to her abilities in the books, and so far, fans are not seeing that come through in the trailer.

And there are also Internet theories that Kamala’s powers were changed so she wouldn’t steal Mr. Fantastic’s thunder (he stretches, too) when the Fantastic Four finally make their MCU debut.

You can see some of the reactions below:

Ms. Marvel premieres June 8 on Disney+.

A couple weeks ago, Japanese Breakfast (aka Michelle Zauner) announced she had to change her international touring plans for this year “due to lingering uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 travel protocols.” UK and European dates were rescheduled from March to October, although shows in some cities (Cologne, Hamburg, Antwerp, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Copenhagen) were unable to be rescheduled and were therefore canceled. Zauner also noted, “I am truly devastated we can not make it work at this time but I promise we will be back as soon as possible.”

Now, instead of going overseas this month, Zauner has a full schedule of South By Southwest (SXSW) appearances lined up between March 16 and 19, a rundown of which she shared on social media today. This upset at least one fan on Twitter, as they accused Zauner of canceling/rescheduling the UK/Europe shows so she could go to SXSW. Zauner then took the time to address their tweets, which shed light on what it’s like for her to tour overseas and reschedule or cancel concerts.

The fan wrote, “so this is why you didn’t come to europe,” so Zauner replied over the course of multiple tweets:

“there are so many reasons that we weren’t able to come to Europe and this was not one of them. It’s mostly we are a band/crew of 10 people and if one of us got sick over there we would just not be able to afford the financial risk of properly taking care of our team.

It’s been really upsetting to see comments like this because I want nothing more than to travel to Europe and get to play over there but the reality is we lose thousands of dollars when we tour there because the overhead of backline/flights/visas is so high. Even pre covid building our fan base there has always been a labor of love. But now the the risk is even higher and so we are just hoping for the best that the path is clearer for all of us in October.”

That same fan replied, “we understand all these things, what bothers us is how you hid this information from us until only a week and a half before the start of the tour, after you had announced dates in the US, I love the band, I have been listening for years and i really hope i can see you someday but hope you can understand our point as well.”

Zauner responded, “I do and I’m sorry! But please know we do try our best and touring is just so hard rn. We’ve been given no protocol or guidance this whole time and just have to use our best judgment. I really hope we can make it to Madrid soon I’ve never been and want to go so bad [crying emoji].”

She also noted in other replies, “My agents and managers had to completely rebook the tour. We waited so long because we were working with so many different venues and promoters with constantly shifting schedules to get ticket links up so we would be able to ticket sales to transfer. I checked in on them every day wanting to go up with the news so as not to disrupt people’s travel plans as much as possible but it just takes time. The reason we leave it vague is because so many people argue with us without knowing everything that goes into it.”

Find Zauner’s tweets below.

On Tuesday evening, PBS will premiere Putin’s Road to War, a new FRONTLINE documentary that will “examine the events that shaped Russian leader [Vladimir Putin], the grievances that drive him, and how a growing conflict with the West exploded into war in Europe.” Ahead of its official debut, Frontline shared an in-depth conversation with Julia Ioffe, a founding partner and Washington correspondent for Puck News, and veteran of The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Politico.

In it, Ioffe—an American journalist who was born in Russia—shares some fascinating insights into Putin’s state of mind, including why she believes that he, right now, is “more dangerous than he’s ever been at any point in the last 22 years.”

“What he has opened up with this invasion is unthinkable,” Ioffe told FRONTLINE. “And because he is losing and because the sanctions and the Ukrainians are humiliating him, because he is backed into a corner, he is the most dangerous he has ever been, because it is now existential for him.”

While many people seem to be downplaying Putin’s threats of nuclear war, Ioffe is sending up a warning signal that this is something we should all be taking very seriously:

“[W]hen Putin threatens the use of nuclear weapons—he threatened it the first time he declared war… He threatened again three days into the war when he saw it wasn’t going well. He threatened it in 2018, when he went to that air show and he gave that crazy presentation about all the new nuclear weapons he had that could strike the U.S. If people think that he won’t use them, I think they’re mistaken.

Everything Putin has showed us at every step of the last 22 years is that every time we think he won’t go that far, he does. We think he won’t come back for a third term, he did. He won’t annex Crimea; he did. He won’t invade Ukraine; he did. He won’t try to kill [Alexei] Navalny; he did. He won’t try to subvert an American election; he did. And so why would we believe that this time he won’t do what he says he’ll do?”

You can watch Ioffe’s full interview above (the referenced Putin conversation begins toward the end, around the 45:00 mark).

Putin’s Road to War premieres tonight on PBS.

“Silk Chiffon” singers and Phoebe Bridgers-approved group Muna are back with the announcement of their self-titled album coming this summer, on June 24. The snarky lead single “Anything But Me” is out now, opening with the sharp quip: “You’re gonna say that I’m on a high horse / I think that my horse is regular-sized / Did you ever think maybe / You’re on a pony / Going in circles on a carousel ride,” Katie Gravin drawls over a snappy beat and thumping synths.

The album, according to Rolling Stone, watches the band explore an array of sounds and genres. “The sound of this record explodes in a ton of different directions,” Gravin said.

It helped that their friend and rising star Mitski sometimes joined their writing sessions to give insight. Aside from the support of Bridgers and Mitski, Muna also have Tegan And Sara and Demi Lovato as fans.

Watch the video for “Anything But Me” above. Check out the album art and tracklist for Muna below.

1. “Silk Chiffon” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
2. “What I Want”
3. “Runner’s High”
4. “Home By Now”
5. “Kind Of Girl”
6. “Handle Me”
7. “No Idea”
8. “Solid”
9. “Anything But Me”
10. “Loose Garment”
11. “Shooting Star”

Muna is out 6/24 via Saddest Factory Records. Pre-order it here.

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

Ahead of his upcoming tour, New York City-based rapper MIKE has dropped a new single. On “Makeda,” MIKE is hot off the release of his 2021 album Disco!, but can’t help from “writing, trying to have fun again,” while brushing off his haters. “They don’t like me, never had love for them,” he continues.

Growing up, Mike lived in various parts of the world, including New Jersey, Philly, and England. The regional influences of all of these places are evident on this dreamy, tranquil track.

Mike is set to kick off a tour next month, supported by Freddie Gibbs, Na-Kel Smith, and Mercury.

Check out “Makeda” above and the full list of tour dates below.

04/14 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *
04/17 — Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s $
04/18 — Portland, OR @ Polaris $
04/20 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom *
04/20 — Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress $
04/22 — San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar $
04/24 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy $
04/26 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Space $
04/27 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex *
04/29 — Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater *
04/30 — Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece *
05/04 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre *
05/05 — Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge *
05/07 — Atlanta, GA @ Heaven Stage *
05/08 — Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre *
05/11 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza *
05/12 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore *
05/13 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza *
05/14 — Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom *
05/15 — New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place *
06/05 — Madrid, Spain @ Siroco
06/06 — Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
06/08 — Rotterdam, Netherlands @ BIRD
06/09 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
06/10 — Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique
06/11 — Paris, France @ La Place
06/12 — Zürich, Switzerland @ Exil
06/14 — Budapest, Hungary @ Akvarium
06/15 — Prague, Czech Republic @ Chapeau Rouge
06/16 — Berlin, Germany @ Cassiopeia
06/18 — Warsaw, Poland @ Pardon, To Tu
06/21 — London, UK @ Scala
08/04 — Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival

* with Freddie Gibbs
$ with Na-Kel Smith and Mercury

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we’ve got new tracks by The Black Keys, Rex Orange County, and Florence + The Machine.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Rex Orange County — Who Cares?

Rex Orange County returned following the breakout success of his 2019 album Pony with the new LP Who Cares?. The 11-track release features a number of inspired tracks, including the Tyler The Creator collaboration “Open A Window.” Rex credited Tyler’s belief in him to jump-starting his career, saying: “He’s taught me a lot, but also just him giving me a mirror to look at what I did — that I had made it out there and done it on my own.”

Orville Peck — Bronco Chapters 1&2

The famed masked country singer Orville Peck has been taking after Beach House and releasing his new project Bronco in four-song installations. Chapters 1&2 are officially here, continuing Peck’s signature atmospheric and forlorn ballads that flip the script on the media’s archetype of a lonesome cowboy.

Orion Sun — Gateway

After dropping a pair of albums in 2020, Mom+Pop signee Orion Sun stuns on her new EP Gateway. Produced by Rostam, Nascent, and Rodaidh McDonald, Gateway showcases Orion Sun’s striking R&B-influenced songs that speak to self-healing and discovery. Written during a time when she saw her community plagued by COVID-19 and police brutality in 2020, Orion Sun said: “The Getaway EP was written during my time in quarantine and served as a form of escapism – not just from where I was physically in the world, but from some of my emotions I was feeling as well.”

Bodega — Broken Equipment

Brooklyn-based post-punk group Bodega shared their anticipated sophomore album Broken Equipment this week, which they recently told Uproxx in an interview was inspired by French new wave films. The album is a collection of propulsive and heady songs featuring ripping instrumentals that are sure to make you dance.

Florence + The Machine — “My Love“

Florence + The Machine continue rolling out a new era of music with the snappy track “My Love” this week. The upbeat tune is the most danceable single of the band’s upcoming Dance Fever LP so far, which was heavily inspired by choreomania, a Renaissance phenomenon in which groups of people — sometimes thousands — danced wildly to the point of exhaustion, collapse and death.

The Black Keys — “Wild Child”

The last we heard from The Black Keys, they had dropped an album of blues covers titled Delta Kream. But they’re now ready to go back to their rock roots on their newly announced LP Dropout Boogie, which they previewed with the lead single “Wild Child.” The song is OG Black Keys, pulling on influences of soul and classic rock complete with a ripping guitar solo.

Father John Misty — “Goodbye Mr. Blue”

Father John Misty is back with another ballad ahead of his upcoming Chloë And The Next 20th Century album slated for a release next month. The new twangy track is inspired by an old cat of his, apparently named Mr. Blue, who was the only thing keeping his relationship together with a partner at the time.

Aldous Harding — “Fever”

New Zealand-native singer-songwriter Aldous Harding announced her upcoming album, Warm Chris, back in January. The LP drops at the end of March and so far, Harding had only shared one single. But this week, the singer returned with the toned-down track “Fever,” a whimsy tune with an enchanting array of wind and string instruments.

Horsegirl — “Anti-Glory”

Teenage trio Horsegirl are gearing up for the release of their debut album Versions Of Modern Performance on Matador, which is heavily inspired by the sounds of ’90s shoegaze like Sonic Youth. Their new single “Anti-Glory” is a deliciously hazy anthem complete with dead-pan drums, gauzy guitars, and an endlessly catchy hook.

Automatic — “New Beginning”

LA-based post-punk trio Automatic started a “New Beginning ” this week with an album announcement and a new single. The song translates themes of alienation and escapism into a mesmerizing song that carries an edge ’70s-inspired extravagance and ’80s-inspired synths.

Pillow Queens — “No Good Woman”

Dublin indie rockers Pillow Queens delivered the reflective number “No Good Woman” off their upcoming album Leave the Light On. The song marks a departure from some of their previous noisy tracks, trading in disruptive guitars for cascading melodies and room-filling arrangements. In a statement about the new single, vocalist Pam Connolly said: “It’s written more from the perspective of someone looking upon the scenarios of those around them. It tries to convey the perpetual hopelessness of debt and striving for an ideal that can never be achieved.”

Oliver Sim — “Romance With A Memory”

You may recognize the name Oliver Sim from the 2010s group The xx, but he’s now releasing his first music under his own name. “Romance With Memory” is a groovy and synth-infused tune that comes complete with a fittingly bizarre video and marks the beginning of Sim’s solo career.

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