Japanese Breakfast, the project of musician and author Michelle Zauner, is a few weeks way from releasing her album Jubilee. Now offering a prequel to her “Posed In Bondage” visual, which saw her walking around a dystopian super market covered in blood, Zauner shares a video to her song “Savage Good Boy.”
The new visual depicts her alongside The Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli. Zauner is trapped in a bunker with Imperioli and eventually takes matters into her own hands. Speaking about the visual’s concept, Zauner said she was inspired by an article about rich people purchasing bunkers to prepare for an apocalyptic world:
“‘Savage Good Boy’ came from a headline I read about billionaires buying bunkers. I was interested in examining that specific type of villainy, and I found myself adopting the perspective of a rich man coaxing a young woman to come live with him underground, attempting to rationalize his almost impossible share of greed and miserliness. I knew I wanted the music video to be a pretty literal interpretation of that idea. I wanted to juxtapose images of this post-apocalyptic, industrial bunker with the lightness and extravagance of rococo fashion and set design. Aiming for that balance, my cinematographer, Adam Kolodny, and I were really inspired by Chan Wook Park’s The Handmaiden, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and Sally Potter’s Orlando.”
Ahead of the visual’s release, Zauner spoke to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the new direction her music is taking on Jubilee, saying, “I think because my first two records were so rooted in grief and loss and losing my mom, and then I wrote an entire book about that experience, I felt really ready to start a new chapter of my life and fling myself to the other end of the spectrum and write about this whole other part of the human experience, which is joy. And I also thought it was a real challenge for a sad indie girl to take on joy as a theme. And so Jubilee to me is about a year of release, a trumpet blast of victory. And so I wanted to write a record about embracing feelings.”
Listen to “Savage Good Boy” above and find Japanese Breakfast’s 2021-2022 North American tour dates below.
06/04/2021 — Nashville, TN @ OUTLOUD Festival
07/21/2021 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Filmore ^
07/22/2021 — Richmond, VA @ The National ^
07/23/2021 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel ^
07/24/2021 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade ^
07/25/2021 — Birmingham, AL @ Saturn ^
07/26/2021 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ^
07/28/2021 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes ^
07/29/2021 — Hamden, CT @ College Street Music Hall ^
07/30/2021 — Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall ^
08/02/2021 — Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts ^
08/03/2021 — Rochester, NY @ Anthology ^
08/04/2021 — Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall ^
08/05/2021 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre ^
08/06/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/07/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/08/2021 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ^
08/28/2021 — Lexington, KY @ Railbird Festival
09/10/2021 — Boston, MA @ Royale *
09/11/2021 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage
09/12/2021 — Harrisburg, PA @ Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center *
09/14/2021 — Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre *
09/15/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
09/16/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
09/17/2021 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
09/18/2021 — Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre *
09/19/2021 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave *
09/21/2021 — Ogden, UT @ Ogden Twilight *
09/23/2021 — Boise, ID @ Treefort Festival
09/24/2021 — Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall *
09/25/2021 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
09/26/2021 — Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
09/27/2021 — Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre *
09/28/2021 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom *
09/30/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom *
10/01/2021 — San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
10/02/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
10/03/2021 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
10/04/2021 — San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park *
10/05/2021 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl *
10/07/2021 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf *
10/08/2021 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater *
10/09/2021 — Lawrence, KC @ Granada Theater *
10/10/2021 — St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *
10/11/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/12/2021 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
10/15/2021 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
10/16/2021 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
03/25/2022 — Bristol @ SXW
03/26/2022 — Manchester @ Academy 2
03/27/2022 — Glasgow @ St. Luke’s
03/28/2022 — Leeds @ Brudenell Community Room
03/30/2022 — London @ Kentish Town Forum
^ with Mannequin Pussy
* with Luna Li
Jubilee is out 6/4 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.
Sierra Nevada/Pipeworks/3 Floyds/Oskar Blues/istock/Uproxx
The pale ale isn’t a new style. In fact, it’s been brewed since the 1700s. The American pale ale is new. Or… new in the grand scheme of time and space. The Americanized version, featuring North American hops, first arrived in the early 1980s. While the classic English version of a Pale Ale is known for its milder, sweeter flavors, the American pale ale is bolder with bright citrus, vibrant floral, and resinous pine notes.
The crisp, floral, thirst-quenching, subtly bitter flavors of the American pale ale make it well-suited for warm weather drinking. As a bonus, it pairs really well with grilled meats and veggies. Since our goal is to help you expand your beer palate while savoring spring, we’re highlighting eight of our favorite American pale ales to drink this time of year.
No American pale ale list is complete without the OG. Way back in 1980, when there were only a handful of craft breweries in the county, Sierra Nevada made a pale ale using floral, crisp Cascade hops. At the time, few brewers were using this hop variety — which is now a staple of West Coast brewing.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll immediately be met with aromas of grapefruit, lime zest, sweet malts, and subtle pine. The palate is filled with caramel malts, pineapple, lemon peels, grapefruit, and just a hint of bitter hops. It all ends with a nice mix of tropical fruits, citrus, and bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
The chances that you already know Sierra Nevada Pale Ale are high. The brewery pretty much invented the style and it’s even better today than it was over forty years ago.
Chicago’s Pipeworks is known for its tongue-in-cheek sense of humor with epic beers like Ninja Vs Unicorn IPA. With tongues firmly in their cheeks, the brewery claims that the Lizard King is going to finally end this historic blood feud. Whether Robert California is behind the recipe or not, this pale ale is crisp, hoppy, and extremely flavorful.
Tasting Notes:
Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of citrus zest, sweet malts, and subtle resinous hops. The flavor is loaded with tropical fruits, ripe, juicy grapefruit, caramel sweetness, and a nice hit of bitter hops presence. The close is a one two punch of nutty sweetness and subtle spice.
Bottom Line:
Many American pale ales rely on piney hops and citrus flavors to lead the way. Lizard King has a more complex, sweet, caramel flavor that’s a nice change of pace.
Besides its annual releases that are almost impossible to find, Zombie Dust is arguably 3 Floyd’s most popular beer. Formerly known as Cenotaph, this pale ale is single-hopped using a massive amount of Citra hops. The result is a thirst-quenching, full-flavored citrus bomb.
Tasting Notes:
One of the most highly-regarded pale ales ever produced, Zombie Dust begins with a proverbial cornucopia of fruity aromas. It starts with notes of ripe, caramelized pineapple, fresh guava, sweet peaches, that work its way into tart raspberries, fresh flowers, and pleasing pine resin. The palate swirls with more citrus than is reasonable. It’s crisp, bright, and filled with grapefruit, tangerine, and seemingly a whole field of pine trees. The finish is dry and pairs sweet fruits and bitter hops nicely.
Bottom Line:
If you only purchase one pale al on this list, make it Zombie Dust. If you like ripe, bright citrus flavors, you can’t get better than this.
You might think that referring to a beer as “Born Yesterday” would mean that there’s not a lot going on in the flavor department. Well, you’d be completely wrong. One of Lagunitas’ “One Hitter Series” beers, Born Yesterday begins as a Dogtown Pale that’s fresh hopped with Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, and Sabro hops.
Tasting Notes:
It’s important to give a beer this brew a nice nosing. There you’ll find scents of ripe grapefruit, sweet tangerines, spruce tips, and a lot of resinous hops aroma. Take a sip and you’ll be met with subtly tart flavors of juicy mango, pineapple, lemon zest, and flavorful, bitter, piney hops. The finish is brings together tart, sweet, and bitter in equal measures.
Bottom Line:
While this pale ale is loaded with citrusy, resinous hops, it’s not so overly hoppy that it would turn away non-IPA drinkers. It’s ripe, refreshing, and has just the right amount of citrus and hops presence.
One of the most popular American pale ale on the market, Deschutes Mirror Pond is extremely well balanced. It’s made with a combination of 2-Row, Crystal, Carapils, and Munich malts, and Cascade hops. Quite simply, this thirst-quenching, sessionable beer is one of the most well-rounded on the market.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find scents of clover honey, candied orange peels, sweet peaches, and just a hint of resinous pine. On the palate, you’ll be greeted with flavors of grapefruit, pineapples, crisp green apples, a sweet, malty, caramel backbone, and a final kick of citrus and slightly bitter hops at the very end.
Bottom Line:
One of the most well-balanced American pale ales on this list, Mirror Pond ticks all the flavor boxes with caramel, sweet malts, and citrus, bitter hops.
Maine Beer is one of those brands where you honestly can’t go wrong with any of its beer. You can grab a bottle of Lunch, Dinner, Post Ride Snack, or its pale ale MO. Made with 2-Row, Carapils, Caramel, 40L, Red Wheat malts, as well as Simcoe and Falconer’s Flight hops, this brew is fruity, sweet, and filled with bright citrus flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Bask in the scents of grapefruit, pineapple, guava, subtle honey, and resin before taking your first sip. The palate dances with juicy orange, lemon peels, ripe peaches, and sweet malts. But there’s also a nice kick of slightly bitter, piney hops. The finish is filled with tropical fruits, citrus peels, and a veritable forest of pines.
Bottom Line:
This is an extremely complex pale ale. It’s filled with sweet malts, tropic, juicy flavors, and bright citrus notes.
One of the most well-known pale ales on the market, Dale’s Pale Ale is Oskar Blues’ flagship beer. One of the first craft beers to ever be canned, it’s loaded with notes of sweet malts, floral hops, citrus zest, and a wallop of subtly bitter hops. It’s easy to drink and highly crushable on a hot day.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of fresh flowers, recently cut grass, citrus zest, and pleasing, piney hops. The sip reveals a cacophony of citrus fruits like tangerine, grapefruit, and lime. This evolves into hints of nutty malts and fruity, spicy hops. The finish is sweet, bitter, and highly refreshing.
Bottom Line:
The ultimate lawn mowing beer, Dale’s Pale Ale is sweet, hoppy, refreshing, and pleasingly bitter. It’s hard to beat that combination on a hot day.
One of the first beers ever brewed by Chicago’s Half Acre, Daisy Cutter was first launched back in 2009. It started as a limited release, but the fruity, citrus-filled, highly resinous flavor appealed to drinkers so much that it became a year-round offering. It’s remained one of the brewery’s most popular beers in the years since.
Tasting Notes:
Before your first sip, take a few moments to enjoy the fragrances of tropical fruits, citrus zest, caramel malts, and bright pine. The flavor is filled with sweet malts, fresh peaches, pineapples, grapefruits, limes, and a nice kick of resinous, bitter hops. The finish pulls together fruity sweetness, nutty notes, and pine.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason this previously limited-edition beer became a full-time offering. It’s supremely balanced with sweet, biscuit-like malts, citrus, and bitter, dank pine.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
You might reecognize Emily Kinney from her stint as Beth on The Walking Dead (RIP). But Kinney has spent the last few years working on her musical chops, and her fourth album The Supporting Character delves into the songwriter’s relationship with her career and her reflections on life spent under the scrutiny of Hollywood. Most of the tracks are sparsely arranged, allowing for the listener to dive into the lyrical structures and Kinney’s personal storytelling.
To celebrate the new album, Kinney talked Kacey Musgraves, her first tattoo, and crying through a Mariah Carey show in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Confessional, honest, story-telling, fun
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?
Fun and helpful.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
NYC.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
My friend Conrad really made me recognize that I was a songwriter and to start investing more time in it, so he was really an inspiration in the beginning. But otherwise, my friends, my romantic relationships, my family tend to be inspiration for my work.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Last week I went to an outdoor dinner with a friend at Brera in Downtown Los Angeles. I ate everything. I had dessert. It was one of the best dinners I’ve ever had. I also hadn’t been to a restaurant with a friend in over a year and I was hungry. Otherwise I’ve had a lot of really yummy, memorable dinners at Sotto Sotto in Atlanta.
What album do you know every word to?
Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight. I also have been listening to the new Hailey Whitters album, The Dream, and feel like I’m pretty close on knowing all the words on that one.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
I went to see John Moreland at Troubadour and it was so simple but so memorable. He’s so good. I also saw Mariah Carey in Vegas and cried through the whole thing.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
I dunno. But I started wearing these White Rag and Bone boots a while back for shows and I feel like they’ve really improved my stage presence.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
Tiny Toast Crumbs. It’s clever doodles by my friend Hayley. We are actually working on a book together.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
It was in Cleveland. I don’t want to talk about it. Trying to forget.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I found the design from one of those gumball machines that gives you temporary tattoos for 25 cents. I kept the temporary tattoo design and on Easter went with my friends to a place in Williamsburg. We got mimosas to celebrate. It was a heart with a music note, naturally. Cause I love music? I was excited about it at the time, now I dunno I guess I still like it but it’s like ahhh,,,litttle Emily.. Think I need a new one. Planning my next one.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
I like so many but whenever I check in on country radio, I’ll usually move on pretty quick unless I hear Miranda Lambert or Maren Morris singing. For pop radio, I always really like The Weekend and Ariana Grande.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My manager took me to get my wisdom teeth out and then went and got my prescriptions and everything. That was pretty nice. A dude I was dating didn’t get my anything for Valentine’s Day this year and it really hurt my feelings and my sister sent me Jeni’s ice cream cause she knew how bummed I was. That was pretty nice too.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
I dunno. I feel like the things I didn’t know, it was important to go through the process of learning the lessons. Practice guitar and piano a little more. I really didn’t realize how much songwriting would become a part of life and the more tools you have the better….I feel like it’s still growing in ways in myself I really didn’t predict. I take my time I guess.
What’s the last show you went to?
I went to see Run River North at The Echoplex in Los Angeles. I had tickets for Delta Spirit at The Teragram Ballroom, but it got canceled the night before and then I never left my house again.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
You’ve Got Mail. I find that movie incredibly soothing. I fall right asleep around Christmas time and wake up for when Tom Hanks bring flowers to Meg Ryan when she’s sick. Then I’m kind of in and out and until the kiss in the park with the dog.
What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?
I wouldn’t cook, I would order something really excellent.
Michael Che’s doing the rounds to promote HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che, and he popped over to visit with Howard Stern, who (almost) always manages to rustle up some controversy out of his guests. The wide-ranging interview dove into Che’s thoughts about why he won’t date celebrities, but one of the more interesting nuggets that emerged (via Mediaite) involved a once-rejected sketch idea that Che swung by the SNL writers.
The sketch was deemed to go too far, apparently, given that it bounced off prevalent instances of police brutality to depict a group of superheroes who inadvertently kill a black teen who is unarmed. Che also mentioned that this type of “racially specific” joke is more likely to fly on his HBO Max show, but here’s what happened at SNL:
“For obvious reasons, there’s no way that’s going on [‘SNL’],” Che told Howard. “Something that’s like racially specific, the audience is kind of looking at ‘Saturday Night Live’ as Lorne Michaels’ show. They’re not looking at it as black writers making a nuanced observation… On my show, I can get away with it because they know it’s me.”
Che also added that, when he first arrived at SNL (as a full-time writer in 2013), there weren’t any Black writers on the show, so “If I were to write — or if a Black writer were to write — something that’s specific to Black humor, an all-white staff might not get the joke, so it’s deemed not funny, so it doesn’t go on the air.” However, he says that the writing room’s more diverse these days, and he believes that SNL is better and funnier as a result. Meanwhile, Che is definitely tackling policing and related issues on That Damn Michael Che, and he’s doing so with the help of current and former SNL stars including Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner, Ellen Cleghorne, Colin Jost, and Colin Quinn.
Okay, you’re entering a sandcastle building contest. Teams of five, timed (let’s say 20 minutes), tournament-style, head-to-head against another team. When the buzzer sounds, it goes to the judges, whoever built the best sandcastle wins. But there’s a twist: In addition to building your own sandcastle, you can also sneak over and try to wreck the castle your opponent is building. Kick it over, tackle it, whip rocks at it from a distance, whatever you want. Mass chaos at the beach.
How do you build your team? Do you get the five best sandcastle-builders you can find and hope their skills at creation will overcome whatever the opponent brings to the table? Do you sacrifice a little building for people who are also good at guarding the perimeter?
Or perhaps you stack your team with four good builders and find one guy who is just really good at wrecking the other team’s castle. He doesn’t even try to build most of the time. He just sneaks over and reaches his long arms out and whacks their towers smack down into their moat, every time, right before the buzzer sounds, taking the pressure off of the rest of your team to build a perfect castle because your opponents’ castle is in disarray. Victory through anarchy. Triumph via havoc. Your adversaries vanquished and demoralized and covered with the sand that was, as recently as moments earlier, a load-bearing wall of their castle.
What should we take away from this exercise? Two things, mainly:
I should never be put in charge of a sandcastle building contest
You should consider putting Philadelphia 76ers defensive dynamo Matisse Thybulle on your sandcastle team
This is where we rattle off some stats for the people who like stats. Matisse Thybulle finished tied for third in the NBA in total steals despite playing about 500 fewer minutes than anyone else in the top-20. He finished 19th in the league in total blocks despite being a backup shooting guard. If you stretch his numbers out to starter minutes, he would average something like three steals and two blocks every game, which is crazy. He’s the only player in NBA history to accumulate 100 steals and 70 blocks in a season while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. He did all of it in just his second season, after a shortened and disjointed rookie campaign that ended inside a bubble in Disney World. It’s all very impressive.
But the stats aren’t even the point, really. You have to watch the way he does it. It’s honestly incredible. I have never seen a player have this much of an impact on a game without scoring, like, at all. I have definitely never seen a player make defense look this exciting. Defense is usually a slog, a try-hard endeavor meant to slow down an opponent and gum-up the flow of a game. Great defense can make for an ugly basketball game.
Matisse Thybulle does not make the game ugly. Matisse Thybulle makes defense look cool as hell. Like, look at this play, in which he chases down Zach LaVine, one of the best athletes alive who is used to blowing by opposing defenders and scoring, and spikes the ball against the backboard like it’s a dang volleyball.
Imagine being Devin Booker on that play. You run through a maze of picks and other subterfuge to get free, jet to the corner to take the highest-percentage three-point shot there is, everything going exactly to plan, and then POOF, Matisse Thybulle appears out of nowhere to swipe your shot into the expensive seats, almost as though he leaped through a portal along the baseline. Zero points. Sandcastle destroyed. Or, to quote Zach Lowe:
He might be the best perimeter defender in the world. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders I’ve ever seen. Thybulle is some sort of phantom. He doesn’t move in normal ways. He’s in one spot, and then suddenly, without warning, he’s somewhere else 15 feet away — only not enough time has passed for any human to traverse 15 feet. Thybulle doesn’t move. He apparates.
I could very easily just keep posting highlights of cool defensive stuff Thybulle has done this year. In fact, now that I think about it, I will. It’s a lot of fun. Here’s a play where he racked up a block and a steal on the same possession.
Here’s a play where he blocked a shot and then saved the ball from going out of bounds in the same series of motions, which he made look natural despite being a borderline impossible thing to make your body do. Think about what would happen to your limbs if you tried to do this. Best case scenario, you end up in the hospital tied up in a pretzel, like a cartoon character.
There was one point in a game this season where Doc Rivers tossed out a zone defense with Thybulle and Ben Simmons out front. It is my suspicion that he only did it that one time because it was too mean to the other team. Every pass was tipped or altered, every ball-handler was smothered before they could enter the paint. This highlight is not technically from that stretch of game, in which about 14 feet of wingspan and reflexes created bedlam for four minutes, but it provides the same energy and ends with a dunk. Plays that end in dunks are cool.
Pretty ridiculous steal and save from Matisse Thybulle for the Ben Simmons dunk pic.twitter.com/EMp41zUaES
Sometimes he does this thing where it looks like he lets a dribbler get past him on purpose so he can sneak up from behind and block their jump shot. It’s become one of my favorite things in all of sports. It’s almost like playing regular defense is getting too easy for him, too boring, so he has to increase the difficulty just to keep things interesting. That’s what he’s doing in the image at the top of this page.
It’s a blast to watch how confused players get when this happens. They do not understand how any of it worked. Which, really, is kind of fair. It’s not supposed to happen. That shot is not supposed to get blocked. It would be like if you picked up a sandwich and started moving it to your mouth and then you bit down into thin air and your empty hand where the sandwich just was. Your whole reality is now in flux. You are allowed to be perplexed about it.
In a way, I almost like that he has such a limited game on offense. Would I enjoy it if he could score 20 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three? Well, yes, sure. I have rooted for the Sixers for my entire life and would love to see many good things happen to them. But still, it’s kind of perfect this way. It’s like the one tragic flaw a superhero has, Kryptonite to Superman, a software malfunction in Ironman’s suit, a lifetime of pain and abandonment issues after watching your parents get murdered outside the opera for Batman. It makes him relatable and more fun to root for and watch. It makes it really exciting when he dunks on someone or hits a three, in part because it’s like finding a $20 bill on the ground and in part because it triggers the part of my brain that thinks he might have just unlocked the secret to offense, which he has not. Not yet, at least. But it’s really quite thrilling to daydream about. Hope is a wonderful thing, even when it’s fleeting.
For now, though, this is enough. This might always be enough. I never thought I would say anything like this because my ideal basketball game has always been one that ends 150-149 and features dozens of alley-oops and deep threes (I am a child), but here we are. I love the energy of it all. I love the chaos he creates when he enters the game. But mostly, I just love watching Matisse Thybulle turn everyone’s beautiful sandcastles into piles of stupid rubble. Summer is here and it’s cruel as hell. I can’t get enough.
Though she’s been releasing music since a young age, Willow is fully leaning into a pop punk persona with her recent single “Transparent Soul” featuring Travis Barker. The musician showcased her track with a revved-up performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she also mentioned how Michael Cera was an unlikely muse for her new era of music.
About her pivot to pop punk music, Willow says she had been wanting to learn how to play an instrument for some time. Apparently, she was finally inspired to do so after hearing Michael Cera’s folk-adjacent 2014 album:
“I honestly think that it was brewing in me for a while that I knew I needed to play an instrument to really call myself a musician. I think it was just during the time that I had found out Michael Cera made music. I had no idea he made music. I listened to his album and he’s playing some acoustic guitar, like folk acoustic guitar. Michael Cera, the actor. I had no idea that that was ever going to happen. I think it was kind of the breaking point. I was feeling this way for a while and then I listened to that album. Him being such a unique person to even make music, I was like, ‘Woah. This is inspiring in a really unique, weird way.’ So I just kind of took the bull by the horns.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Willow described how nerve-wracking it was to send her music to Travis Barker. “Even before I started making this album, I already had insecurities about my voice in rock music and how I could make that work, and if that was going to be authentic to me,” she said. “So sending it to Travis was kind of like, ‘Okay. This is the moment where you get to see this amazing, talented pop punk God is going to let you know if he likes your song or not.’”
Watch Willow talk about taking inspiration from Michael Cera and perform “Transparent Soul” with Travis Barker on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon above.
After literally teasing fans last week with a brief teaser that only showed a silhouette of the cast members walking together from the back, HBO Max dropped the big guns with the official trailer for Friends: The Reunion. In the emotional two minute promo for the long overdue reunion, we finally get to see the cast of Friends together again. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc, they’re all here, and clearly overwhelmed to all be in the same place at the same time after so many years.
In the montage that’s filled with both tears and laughter, the beloved cast looks back at the legacy of the show and the whirlwind experience of being young actors who were instantly catapulted to insane levels of fame. Hosted by James Corden and punctuated with special guests, Friends: The Reunion show appears to be a mix of interviews, table reads, and a nostalgic trip back to the set of the blockbuster sitcom that defined the ’90s if not a whole generation of viewers.
Our favorite friends are back on the set that started it all. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and special guests reunite to discuss everything from their casting process to whether or not Ross and Rachel were really on a break. Witness the unbreakable bond of the group that perfectly captured the moment in life when your friends become your family.
Friends: The Reunion streams on May 27 on HBO Max.
Lately, it seems like all the rappers I grew up with, the ones conservative commentators railed against daily (a la Cardi B now), have been remodeled into family-friendly brands. Snoop Dogg has a cooking show with Martha Stewart, T-Pain is releasing a book of drink recipes, and Ludacris is learning to cook on television and fly planes. Today’s circumstances are a far cry from the days when Bill O’Reilly called for a boycott of Pepsi over Luda’s endorsement deal. Another hip-hop figure who revamped his public image is Lil Jon, who’ll now be giving homeowners his unconventional renovation ideas for HGTV.
<New Show> GRAMMY Award winner, Lil Jon, reveals his passion for renovation in “Lil Jon Wants To Do What?”
Follow Lil Jon & expert designer/builder Anitra Mecadon (Mega Dens), as they win over home DIYers with a not-so-typical vision for their renovations. Coming this summer! pic.twitter.com/HcUJ0xOD0r
Lil Jon Wants To Do What? is the show’s title and it’ll co-star Mega Dens host, interior designer Anitra Mecadon. The show is currently shooting in the Atlanta area — naturally — and according to a statement, will feature “ideas ranging from removing a ceiling to expand the height of the living room to accommodate huge new windows to gutting the basement to add a fully decked-out speakeasy for entertaining, Lil Jon and Anitra push homeowners out of their comfort zones with ingenious renovations and ideas that are sure to inspire daring and dramatic transformations.”
If the show sounds like a bonkers idea, just imagine being in high school when this man was screaming “Don’t start sh*t, won’t be no sh*t” out of car sound systems. Now, they’re letting him redecorate peoples’ houses. America, amirite?
Jon’s quote from the press release gives a hint of what’s to come when the show airs this summer. “I love walking into someone’s house and turning it upside down,” he proclaims. “When people hear my name, they automatically think… fun! That same energy goes for my designs as well. I don’t love following design trends — I would rather be the trendsetter.”
Two of the best offensive teams in the NBA will square off in the first round of the 2021 Western Conference Playoffs when the Denver Nuggets face the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams are led by top-tier players, with MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic keying Denver’s attack and Damian Lillard manning the point for Portland. As such, points won’t be tough to come by in what should be a highly entertaining series.
With that said, there is much to discuss with this matchup, especially with Denver operating without Jamal Murray for the remainder of the season. The Nuggets are not deploying their best possible roster as a result, while the Blazers finished the regular season with an impressive flourish to snatch the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament entirely. There are some interesting subplots to follow, and we’ll take a glance at a few of them before things get going this weekend in Denver.
Matchup to watch
The playing field isn’t always level and other factors absolutely will play a part in the result, but sometimes it’s simple: The best player in the series will probably lead his team to victory.
Jokic is the frontrunner for NBA MVP honors for a reason. The talented big man is averaging 26.4 points (with a 64.7 percent true shooting mark), 10.8 rebounds ,and 8.3 assists per game. Somehow, numbers this gaudy don’t even begin to paint the whole picture. Jokic’s advanced statistical profile is off the charts, and the Nuggets are nearly nine points better when he plays (+7.7 per 100) than when he sits (-1.2 per 100).
While Lillard doesn’t quite match what Jokic has done this season, he has a playoff pedigree and an All-NBA case of his own. Lillard is putting up 28.8 points and 7.5 assists per game while maintaining a 62.3 percent true shooting mark, and he can break the drop defensive scheme regularly deployed by the Nuggets.
With Murray sidelined, Jokic has arguably been even better, and Michael Porter Jr. is also a major factor. But while Porter is playing at a star level and the Blazers have a number of players capable of making things happen, but this series still may come down to which No. 1 option performs better.
Series X-factor
The Blazers have a glaring weakness on the defensive end of the floor and, well, there is plenty to discuss on that side of the floor. Portland is absolutely going to have issues trying to defend Jokic and co., but we’ll save that for later. On the offensive end, the Blazers are brilliant and, in addition to the play of Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and others, Portland simply never turns the ball over.
Terry Stotts’ team led the NBA in turnover rate, giving the ball away on only 11.2 percent of their offensive possessions this season. That ball security, combined with high-end shooting efficiency, is a direct pathway to offensive success under the simple formula of maximizing the possession game and simply playing the math.
In the postseason, ball security is always key, especially as things slow down and every possession takes on a heightened meaning. As such, it is key to note that the Nuggets are excellent at creating turnovers. Denver is a top-10 team in the NBA, per Cleaning The Glass, in generating havoc defensively, forcing a turnover on 14.5 percent of their defensive trips. That number even rises, albeit only 0.5 percent, with Murray off the court, and he’s not walking through that door.
It is certainly possible that Denver is unable to rattle Portland’s experienced decision-makers but, in trying to get stops, the Nuggets will be reliant on creating turnovers and grabbing defensive rebounds at a reasonable clip.
One stat to know
The Blazers won 42 games while ranking 29th in the NBA in defense. That is pretty difficult to do, and it means that Portland is: A) elite offensively and, B) able to navigate close games effectively. Still, the Blazers will have a hard time winning this series if they can’t defend at a passable level, and that is where Jusuf Nurkic comes in.
Nurkic is, by far, Portland’s best interior defender. In 880 minutes with Nurkic on the floor, the Blazers have been downright frisky in limiting opponents to just 108.2 points per 100 possessions. When he is off the floor, Portland’s defense is a disaster. In the 2,581 minutes with Nurkic on the bench or sidelined due to injury, the Blazers are allowing 116.6 points per 100 possessions.
Part of the issue is that Nurkic is backed up by Enes Kanter. Part of the issue is that Portland’s perimeter defense is far from elite. Regardless, the Blazers both need Nurkic to stay on the floor and they need to be better when he sits. Otherwise, Jokic and the Nuggets will likely be moving on to round two.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday is champing at the bit for the NBA playoffs. Holiday, who spoke to Dime before the end of the regular season, compared the 2020-21 season to the lockout-shortened campaign, calling the last year “exhausting.” His hope is that the playoffs, while more intense on-court, will offer some kind of reprieve.
“I think navigating the schedule is the biggest, not traveling as much,” Holiday says. “Which, again, it seemed like we were never home this year, which, I’m pretty sure everyone has felt that way. But just the games and the back-to-backs and just how the schedule went, it was like, ‘Man, I don’t who hated us, but our schedule was terrible.’ Mentally, I think for the playoffs you get kind of locked in and everything. But there’s just this extra energy that the playoffs bring, so I’m just kind of looking forward to that.”
Holiday spoke to Dime on behalf of Ripple Foods to talk his partnership with the company, their plant-based protein shakes, his approach to nutrition, possible NBA rule changes, and more.
How has nutrition evolved over time for you as you’ve been in the league longer and learned more about health and fitness?
It’s been huge. I came in at 18 or 19, and when you’re a young kid like that, for one, you bounce back quick, and you don’t really watch what you eat. You feel the same every single day. Whether you play or not, you can go out and eat McDonald’s. I’ve eaten a whole pack of Honey Buns in one sitting and been fine at 19, 20 years old. But as the years went on, and I’m in year 12 now, I would say in year six or year seven I started having injuries and I had surgeries and I had to really start thinking about my nutrition and my body and what I was putting into my body. That’s where it started, it started just with being injured and knowing more about my body when it came to fitness and nutrition.
Now, I’m not plant based, but I do my best to be able to put the best things in my body. We’re like cars, right? We are Ferrari’s and you always put the best thing in these types of cars, and that’s how I treat my body and how I do it with my family, too, just to make it easier for all us to be on the same page.
How does it work in a pandemic? Is it even more challenging, because this season is such a grind?
No, it’s easier. I think once you find great products — like this Ripple product, who has a plant-based alternative focus — it makes it easy. Sometimes, when I’d have dairy, I’d get really mucus-y. Now that I use a product like this, I feel like I have more energy, I sleep better, I feel like the way I recover is way better. And again, it makes it easier because my whole family does it. It’s not just me. I have accountability. I think the best part is probably being able to fill the [benefits] of it and feel better. I feel like for an athlete, that’s huge. Again, I’ve been injured plenty of times, but to be able to recover as fast as I do in my 12th year is huge, especially in a season like this.
Walk me through a game day. What does your pre-game, your post-game, and everything else look like in terms of what you’re eating and working out, aside from playing the game itself.
When I wake up, what I have for breakfast is oatmeal. I’m pretty true to that. For shootaround, before shootaround, I get in there, get treatment. I end up doing a lift and then after the lift, I have one of these Ripple protein shakes. Vanilla is my favorite one. After that, we go through walkthrough, we go through the other team’s stuff, get our shots up and then I go back and take a nap. And then before the game, I usually eat a penne pasta with some pesto sauce and get my protein in there, too. I play the game. And then after the game, I have another Ripple shake to put proteins and minerals and vitamins back in my body so I can recover as quickly as possible.
When you’re on the road, is there someone on the Bucks staff that is responsible for having your Ripple shakes on the plane so that when you to Cleveland or New York or wherever you’re going, you can stick to this routine?
Ya. You make me sound bougie or high maintenance. [laughs]
I would be doing the same thing, 100 percent. You have enough to worry about. You have defensive assignments to worry about and schemes. Just have someone else get the shakes.
Ya. So it’s usually right after the game and they have it right there and it’s chilled and ready to go. Right after the game as I’m icing down and just cooling down after the game. Our training staff does a great job of that. Different people have different things, but mine is carrying the Ripple shakes with them. I get it after the game and for an away game, hoping on the plane, I feel like I feel the [benefits] right away. Like you said, a lot of times I’m defending somebody hard and it’s a tough game and then just to be able to have those aches and pains decreased because of something like this and what you put in your body is huge.
What is in your morning oatmeal?
Oats, blackberries, and a nut medley.
Like actual nuts and not a nut butter? I ask because I’m a big nut butter guy, maybe with some berries or zucchini.
Ya, actual nuts, ya.
As far as dairy-free goes, and I know you’re not dairy-free fully — why does it resonate with you and why is it something you’ve embraced?
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For me, it started off with my daughter having ear infections and we went somewhere and they thought it was the dairy and milk. We needed an alternative. Ripple has Ripple Kids where it’s dairy free and done the right way. And when it’s done the right way, you don’t taste the difference, you don’t lose anything. You get the 20 grams of plant-based protein in every bottle and it’s not chalky or gritty at all, which is super important for someone who is trying to find an alternative. You want something that you like.
For me, this is the right product. It’s allergen and GMO-free. I have a niece who has a nut allergy and for her to be able to drink this kind of milk, it’s super huge. That’s kind of where it started and, from there, even just diving deeper into my nutrition and everything like that, this has because a constant in my diet.
You’ve mentioned your family a few times and your wife, Lauren, was obviously a high level athlete. How helpful is it for you to be doing this with your family as a unit vs. you on your own?
It’s a lot easier. Again, my wife is THE athlete of my family. Even before I knew her, she was really into nutrition and what she put in her body, so that made it easier for me. Now that she cooks and does all that kind of stuff, she makes quite a bit of the decisions on what we eat. So for us to keep each other accountable and for me and my wife to do the things we want to do athletically, it’s needed.
My wife is going to run a marathon. For us to hold each other accountable, I feel like it’s a huge. Not only that, but we’ve passed it down to my daughter and will to my son once he’s old enough to drink or have different kinds of products. Right now, he’s still on breast milk. We pass it through to the family and it’s just a lot easier to do it all at once. And also, it takes the temptation out of it. When you go to the store and we say, “Nah, we’re not going to get that one, we’re going to get this one,” that’s our lifestyle.
As a quick follow-up: do you think you’ll ever run a marathon?
No. [Laughs] That’s an easy no. Being a soccer player and her running and doing all that, she enjoys running. She enjoys it and is good at it. I also run a lot, but I run with a basketball. I don’t really see a point of me running if I don’t have a ball. [Laughs]
Ya, like you’re sprinting more vs. a soccer game where you’re maybe jogging a little bit more. It feels almost like the way your body reacts to soccer is more akin to running. That’s not scientific or anything, it just makes sense in my brain.
For sure. Definitely different sports. When my wife tries to get me to run in the offseason, like a jog around the neighborhood or something, I definitely give her a hard time. I end up doing it, but I give her a hard time. Then after I’m like, “I don’t know why you enjoy doing this.” Sometimes it’s nice and it’s nice outside and nice weather and everything. But for the most part, I’m like, “I’m just trying to get this over with.” [Laughs]
Are there any other Bucks, any of your teammates, that are into dairy-free or some kind of clean diet?
Quite a few. One of the biggest ones is Khris Middleton, who completely changed his diet. I don’t think he’s plant based completely, either. But he’s dang near close to it. I feel like we average about the same amount of minutes and we’re playing most of the game. Hopefully this year, we’re going deep into the playoffs and we have to keep our bodies up and right for that. Khris Middleton is definitely one who watches his diet probably the most out of anyone I can think of.
Is nutrition and general well-being that is more broadly discussed now in the Bucks locker room or with other guys in the league now more than even like five years ago?
For sure. Especially when you have products that are good substitutes for beef, chicken, things like that. We all definitely do talk about it because for one, we do want to be able to perform. That’s why I’m with Ripple and we partnered. But when it comes to longevity, these are the conversations that we have. To be able to look back and know that, at this time, I changed my diet and started drinking Ripple or started using this product and even feeling better the next day after a game and being able to recover, it’s huge because you want to be able to play basketball as long as you can.
And you want to be healthy and strong as long as you can. Even five years ago, being able to lift was a big deal. At first, I thought people were thinking that it doesn’t work because you’re not going to be strong enough, not get enough protein in. And at that point, it’s not true anymore. This Ripple product gives you the same amount of protein as regular milk does. So I think to have this substitute is awesome. But at the same time, it’s about longevity and maximizing how much money you can make, and really, it’s about your legacy. Being able to go as long as you can and just showing the world you can do.
I know you recently talked to Chris Haynes about Defensive Player of the Year. Do you feel like with guys like you who play on the perimeter, and are extremely versatile, and switch so much, maybe people with votes or the “media” are missing something in identifying Turner or Gobert or Embiid or Capela as candidates vs. perimeter guys?
I mean personally, I think so. It’s nothing against the big guys or the shot blockers. I think to be able to have to pick somebody up 94 feet is a lot. A lot of the best players in the world are perimeters. And even the best bigs step out to the perimeter now.
But a lot of the best players in the world are perimeters where you have to guard them 94 feet, you have to fight over screens. You have to be able to guard them one-on-one from 35, 40 feet out. And then a lot of them post up to and you have to guard them in the post.
So, ya, I just feel like a lot of bigs who are great at blocking shots and protecting the rim and the basket don’t necessary have to go through the same thing that a guard or perimeter player has to go through because they don’t have to fight over screens. Maybe Joel Embiid or someone like would shoot for 40 feet, but he doesn’t really do that. Steph is doing that at a very high rate. Dame is doing that at a very high rate. I think it’s different and maybe it’s a little more difficult to be a guard than a big.
As I told you, I primarily cover the Cavs and I watch Isaac Okoro defend guys like you, Harden, KD, Kyrie night after night. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do — fight over screens, get his hands up — and it doesn’t matter because the skill level is so high. Is perimeter defense as it seems to me on the outside covering the game?
Yes, it is. It’s a lot of studying. It’s a lot of being able to know tendencies. And it’s a lot of effort. Most of the time, someone like myself is not just playing defense. I’m also on offense and I have to score as well. I have to run the team, I have to get in some sets. I have to make sure people are getting their shots. I feel like that also helps the argument of defenses is just really, really hard.
And again, a lot of the guys you just named are perimeter players. Let’s talk about the Nets going from Kevin Durant to James to Kyrie all in one game. It’s very, very difficult to deal with and then you still have to go down to the other end and score. It’s about effort. It’s about pride and wanting to do your best to slow somebody done because in the game today, you’re not stopping anybody from scoring.
Woj reported that the NBA is planning to address the “unnatural shooting motions” of guys like Harden and Trae Young, Kevin Love does this as well. A) How much easier would your life be if that’s phased out and, B) how frustrating is that for your when that call happens in the game?
A, my life would be a lot easier. [Laughs] B, I think that’s it a really tough call because sometimes, as a defender, you might be leaning into the guy. I feel like it’s a really hard call to make. So it should just be consistent and just be one way, because there are times when the guy is straight up and the offensive player makes the contact and then I get penalized for that. That’s not fair, in my opinion. But other times, it’s a smart play because you’ve outwitted the defender. To take it way, I’m not really sure they’ll ever take it away. I do feel like the things the NBA does now is to speed up the game and that’s something that slows the game down. So maybe they will change it.
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