The first time Margret Aldrich saw a Little Free Library she didn’t know what to think.
“I think I saw my first one back in 2010, 2011. And I’m a book person, my background is in publishing, so I immediately loved it. But, probably being Midwestern, I was like, ‘Is it really okay to take a book? Is this really free?’”
She’s not alone in that reaction. So much of our lives involves trading money for goods and services it’s disarming to encounter an unattended box — sometimes plainly decorated, sometimes whimsically designed — that simply gives away value items asking only that anyone taking a book also consider leaving a book. (If it’s convenient. No big deal if not. Please enjoy your book.) The idea takes some getting used to. But with 100,000 Little Free Libraries now spread around the globe, it’s starting to seem less shocking — and this year has made it seem more welcome than ever.
Aldrich was immediately drawn to the project. She wrote a book about it published in 2015 and joined the non-profit Little Free Library organization as its director of communications in 2016. By then, an idea that had begun in a garage in Hudson, WI — a small, riverside city not far from Minneapolis — had long since outgrown its humble origins, which can be traced back to a handful of wood from an old door.
A teacher who later shifted into arranging nursing fellowships, Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library in 2009. It was almost an afterthought, an attempt to pay tribute to his late mother, a teacher and avid reader, using materials left over from a home renovation project. Bol built a small box in the shape of a one-room schoolhouse and placed it atop a post. And that might have been the end of it. Except, the idea caught on.
With the help of Rick Brooks, outreach program manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Little Free Libraries started to spread. A second Little Free Library placed on a Madison bike trail led to others, and the Little Free Library began issuing charters to keep track of what libraries existed where. Beyond that, they kept the project simple, and easily replicable: a weather-proof box with a hinged door, some books, and a spirit of sharing and goodwill. Positive press inspired more libraries and the project spread beyond the Midwest, quickly surpassing the organization’s goal of outnumbering the 2508 libraries opened by Andrew Carnegie in the early years of the 20th century.
The project has outlived Bol, who died in 2018. It’s also run into some problems here and there, from occasional acts of vandalism, to permit issues to a trademark dispute involving another member of the Bol family. But the fundamental idea has prevailed, thanks to enthusiasts like Grant and Ashlyn, who serve as stewards (the organization’s preferred term) of a Little Free Library in Mid-City Los Angeles.
“As the daughter of a librarian, I’ve been kind of obsessed with Little Free Libraries for a long time,” Ashlyn says. “The idea of having your own place to help give books to others just seemed like the dream. I wondered if our neighborhood had enough foot traffic to justify it, but when the opportunity presented itself, we set it up and I was honestly so pleasantly surprised! We wish we’d done it sooner.”
Setting up a Little Free Library is just the beginning of a steward’s job. “I think it’s important that the Little Free Library is a source of recommended titles, as opposed to a dump pile of unwanted books,” Grant adds. “That can be a challenging ideal to live up to because it means you literally have to get rid of some of your favorite books! But it’s also a great way to pass things forward. We take the ‘curator’ role seriously. Whether it’s our addition or not, if something’s been in there for two weeks, we pull it and replace it with something else.”
Grant and Ashlyn try to maintain a diverse selection of titles, aiming for a mix of “kids books, YA, comics, non-fiction, genre fiction, self-help, memoir, and so on.” Of course, what gets dropped off remains beyond their control. The first book someone donated, From Scrawny to Brawny, got the hook after two weeks of sitting there without a taker and, as Grant notes, “There have been a few more kids’ books about the dogs who served in the Iraq War than we expected.”
The Little Free Library served as a welcome pandemic project for the couple, as it has for British artist and filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, who found herself stuck in her Nottingham home after spending 2017 and 2018 making the acclaimed documentaries Seahorse and Game of Thrones: The Last Watch then much of 2019 touring with her work. She sees her Little Free Library as an extension of the spirit of support and sharing necessitated by the pandemic. “There was a lot of sharing of plants, tools, food, etc.,” Finlay says via email. “People would leave things on their wall so they could be shared in a covid safe way. It got me thinking that it would be good to have a place for sharing books.”
To do so, she started from scratch. “I am a newcomer to carpentry but I thought I’d give it a go — making the library out of reclaimed wood and donated materials,” she writes. “I learned how to make it, designed and printed signage, created bookplates, and set up social media. I decided to launch on my birthday in August, my gift to the community.” That social media element is no small part of the project; Finlay regularly updates her library’s Instagram and Twitter accounts to shine a light on new arrivals and titles of particular interest. The library has also introduced her to some new acquaintances. “I was woken up a few weeks ago by one of the bin men,” she recalls. “His colleague had borrowed a book the week before so he’d brought me a bag full of crime novels to put on the shelves.”
Finlay’s not alone in using a Little Free Library as a way to foster community spirit in the midst of the pandemic. “This year of course is a year like no other,” Aldrich says, “We’ve really seen little free libraries both being established faster. And we’re hearing from [our stewards] their libraries are getting visited more than ever. More books are coming and going out of their Little Free Libraries.” The organization has found other ways to respond to the events of 2020 as well. Little Free Library’s Read In Color encourages the reading of diverse books by asking stewards to share books by Black, indigenous, people of color, and LGBTQ writers and by supplying some free books that fit that description free of charge.
Whether growth will continue at this pace post-pandemic remains to be seen. But then unpredictability is hardwired into the project itself. It’s flourished thanks to both stewards and visitors seeing the value in sharing books with no strings attached. And from there it’s taken on different permutations depending on each neighborhood and the stewards in charge. “Our goal with the little free library is to make sure that people who walk by always see something new,” Ashlyn says. (They’ve gotten good feedback, including a note reading, “Most Little Free Libraries have a garbage selection but this one is great!”) But the libraries also have a way of taking on a life of their own.
“One night, I noticed a strange light near the library at 11:30 p.m. one night and realized it was two very drunk women, with a torch, giggling and browsing the titles,” Finlay recalls. But she also feels like that’s as it should be. “It’s similar to when a film I’ve made is released: it’s not mine anymore. The library is now owned by the community. I am just a librarian.”
Tasting History host and creator Max Miller credits The Great British Bake Off for his success.
“A lot of the historic things that they cooked on that show in the first few seasons were medieval or renaissance,” he says. “So that just stirred me in that direction. It was only after a few episodes of my show when I started to branch out from that time period.”
Miller started his channel when COVID-19 lockdowns forced him into a work furlough from his day job in sales distribution at Walt Disney Studios. Over the past nine months, his following has exploded, garnering nearly half a million followers — many just as passionate about ancient foods and how to make them as Miller himself. He’s gone deep on ancient Aztec Tamales, Roman Parthian chicken, and even pancake recipes from the 1600s.
“I didn’t really start the channel expecting it to be a thing,” he says. “I started it to be something to keep me busy… I figured I would talk about what I enjoy and what I know and that’s history, specifically food history.”
With the quarantine dragging on, we reached out to Miller to talk about where he plans to take his channel next and tapped him for his legit Tudor Butter Beere recipe — so you can live out your Harry Potter cosplay fantasies as god intended: drunk and in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
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Before we dive into the Butter Beere, what other colonial historical periods interest you and what’s getting you excited in the food world right now?
I really enjoy the Victorian era. I think it’s a really great transition to modern cooking. When you see the recipes it’s like “Oh I can recognize this as something that I’m eating today, but it’s just something different enough where it’s like “Oh, that’s a weird ingredient — canned squid jelly?”
They were big fans of anything made of gelatin.
Another time period, it’s more of a culture I’m fascinated with, is Chinese cooking. It’s so foreign to me. I’ve never cooked it until very very recently. Not only are the ingredients different, but the cooking methods are different… Everything about it is very interesting, seeing the tidal shifts in how it was done. When the Mongols came in, cuisine completely changed, and then when Western cooking came in and introduced chilis, again, it completely changed. But you can’t imagine Szechuan cooking today without chili peppers.
The throughline for Chinese history is so long and we know so much about it, relatively unbroken. It’s a nice thing to look at because it’s so big and has changed so much.
What type of food do you enjoy cooking yourself when you’re not on a historical quest? I imagine you’re not living on a diet of Medieval snacks.
Definitely! My diet does not consist of just medieval recipes! It’s nice when I find a dish that is so good that I can incorporate it into my daily cooking, like the Parthian chicken. But I’m much more simple when it comes to my daily cooking. Really simple, like sandwiches, hamburgers, pasta, it’s not as exciting as one might hope. I
It’s definitely not like Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen, for sure!
What’s the most challenging cuisine to approach?
Medieval cooking is rather daunting, I’m becoming more comfortable with it, but there are so many different aspects of it that take a lot of research. From the quantities that they’re talking about to the methods that they just leave out. You sort of have to guess or look at other recipes from the era to get context clues.
It’s also very very easy to assume you know what they’re talking about, and you don’t. When you look at a very ancient recipe, you can assume you know nothing about it, so you research every aspect of every word in the recipe. Whereas with medieval you see the word “marrow” and you assume you know what it means, but it might not actually be that way, because the word “marrow” in the 14th century could refer to different things.
It’s easy to stumble over things that you’re not expecting simply because you get a little cocky. You know what a pint is, but a pint in the 16th century is different than a British pint today.
Where are you planning on taking the channel in the future?
I’m hoping to get to do more mini-series within the series. I want to do an entire series of the foods they ate on the Titanic and an entire series of what specific groups of people in medieval Europe were eating. I just did an episode on peasant food, I want to do what monks would eat, and what knights would eat.
More throughlines in multiple episodes is what I’m looking forward to next.
When the pandemic is over do you plan on visiting a specific country for cooking inspiration?
Absolutely! That is my goal. The two places I’d like to go to most are Scotland and Japan. Japan because they treat food as an art form over there, so learning even just one bit of that would be amazing. And Japanese history is so fascinating.
Scotland because I really want to make haggis the way that haggis should be made, but it’s hard to find some of the ingredients outside of Scotland. Sheeps lung isn’t even legal in the United States, so you can’t make it here. I’d also love to talk to people who are making the food as their traditional food, not just historic recipes, but the food in Transylvania today, look into what they’re making today where it comes from. Those kinds of things.
Riker Brothers
Personally, why do you think it’s important to keep the history of recipes alive?
I think that history, in general, is so important to have because as they say history repeats itself. If we don’t learn the mistakes of the past we’re doomed to repeat them. We’re probably doomed to repeat them regardless! But while I won’t say that the foods were necessarily mistakes, it’s interesting to see how the food comes full circle, and ingredients that we haven’t really used in several hundred years crop up again and then we say “oh what a fantastic new ingredient that we just found” and then you look back and you see the Romans have been using that ingredient and it’s not new at all, we just forgot about it.
It helps you appreciate the work that goes into food. Not just the cooking, but the planting and the growing and the shipping, all of it, it’s such an important part of our lives that we often take for granted. To be able to see that history, see that work that went into developing these foods, is so important so that we don’t take it for granted today.
ORIGINAL RECIPE – “The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin” c.1594 (or 1588) Take three pintes of Beere, put five yolkes of Egges to it, straine them together, and set it in a pewter pot to the fyre, and put to it halfe a pound of Sugar, one penniworth of Nutmegs beaten, one penniworth of Cloues beaten, and a halfepenniworth of Ginger beaten, and when it is all in, take another pewter pot and brewe them together, and set it to the fire againe, and when it is readie to boyle, take it from the fire, and put a dish of sweet butter into it, and brewe them together out of one pot into an other.
Modern Method:
Take five room temperature yolks and beat them with the demerara or brown sugar until light and frothy. Set aside.
Pour the ale into a saucepan. Try to not create too much foam. Stir in the spices.
Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for two minutes. For a non-alcoholic drink, leave at medium heat and boil for 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the egg and sugar mixture. Then return the pot to low heat until the liquid starts to thicken. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in the diced butter and stir until melted.
Froth the buttered beer with a hand whisk and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow buttered beer to cool to a warm-but-drinkable temperature.
Whisk again and serve warm. *This can be served cold by chilling the beer, then mixing it with cold milk (1 part beer/1 part milk)
“The true purpose of Uprisers is to collaborate, and tell the stories of activists, trendsetters, and people who we call “warriors of change” because collaborating and working on collections that provoke conversations and actions allow us to mobilize our communities.”
On the latest episode of The Show Up, we sat down with Michelle Hanabusa, the founder and head designer of Los Angeles-based activism-focused streetwear brand Uprisers for an inside look at the genesis of the brand, Hanabusa’s imaginative design process, and her efforts to help lift up her community when it was hit hard by the realities of Covid-19 and the racism toward the Asian American community that came with it.
Hanabusa left a cushy job in the music and fashion industry for the creative freedom that comes with running your own company. A risky move no doubt, but Hanabusa has never been one to shy away from risk, which is why when Covid-19 shutdowns threatened her young three-year-old brand, instead of giving up on her dreams she took that time to regroup with the rest of the Uprisers team. Together, they found a way to both build the brand and help people in need by starting a campaign to raise $1 million in support of BIPOC communities strongly hit by Covid-19 and shed a light on the racism facing the Asian American community.
“When I first started Uprisers there was this level of uncertainty because I wasn’t sure how people were going to respond to this type of messaging because we had this rebellious take… but overall it’s been so positive, people really resonate with that… Uprisers commitment to the community is really where Hate is a Virus was born.”
To find out more about Uprisers, Hate is a Virus, and how Hanabasa’s designs get from her mind to the page and into your closet, check out the latest episode of The Show Up above.
Mulatto and Lil Baby put on an elaborate burlesque show with the help of DC Young Fly in the video for “Sex Lies” from the deluxe version of Mulatto’s debut album Queen Of Da Souf. Depicting the Atlanta rappers getting prepared backstage, the video employs DC Young Fly as the host, who welcomes the masked guests to “Big Latto’s Sex Lies Experience.” Latto herself appears in some classic costumes, cavorting in a giant martini glass and carousing on a massive fruit spread.
The video makes reference to Mulatto’s recent live show controversty as well. The 21-year-old was criticized for performing at a concert in a semi-packed club, where attendees weren’t wearing masks. In the video, the showgoers are seated at the recommended six-foot space and wearing bulky paint respirators, while DC Young Fly reminds them repeatedly to “wear your masks.” Of course, it’s showy and sarcastic, which isn’t really needed — that cow has left the barn, so to speak — but it does make for a cool image thanks to the contrast between the guests’ classy dress and their Bane-ish headgear.
Watch the “Sex Lies” video above.
Queen Of Da Souf (Extended Version) is out now on RCA Records. Get it here.
Disney had itself quite a Thursday, especially on Twitter. Through its various platforms covering Disney, Disney+, and Pixar it announced or teased dozens upon dozens of shows, movies and projects it hopes to deliver fans in the coming years, whether on its streaming platforms or in movie theaters, once that’s a more reasonable way to turn a profit following the coronavirus pandemic.
Though the rash of announcements had a lot of Marvel and Star Wars fans plenty excited, there was a lot of tidbits for more sports-minded fans. You just had to know where to look and, quite frankly, the endless stream of tweets didn’t make it easy. For example news about several sports movies, including a pair set to chronicle the lives of Chris Paul and Giannis Antetokounmpo, came right after the revelation that they’re remaking Three Men And A Baby with Zac Efron.
But there was actually a lot of sports news in the massive drop of future content. And perhaps the biggest is official word that they’re rebooting The Mighty Ducks, and noted bad coach Gordon Bombay back in the fold. This time, he’s bringing Lorelai Gilmore with him.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers continues the legacy of hockey’s finest fowls. The series picks up where the films left off. Emilio Estevez returns as Gordon Bombay and @thelaurengraham is joining the flock. Coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/r6JwLDYzmx
Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is an extremely 2020 show name, but it’s big news to say the least. And it’s not the only Disney+ sports show in the works.
Disney also announced a new ESPN+ show that will sound familiar to anyone who has ever watched, uh, SportsCenter.
Beginning in January, a new daily morning program on ESPN+ will recap the previous night’s sports action and go deep on news, highlights, and trending topics.
There’s also a Tom Brady-focused show called Man In The Arena, which had been announced in the past on the heels of the success of The Last Dance.
Coming to ESPN+ in 2021, Man in the Arena is a nine-part docu-series built around @TomBrady’s first-hand account of the journey to each of his nine Super Bowls. pic.twitter.com/R0kVL0jEL1
The Mighty Ducks news alone is certainly intriguing for anyone who grew up watching the original movies, and it seemed inevitable given the sheer number of reboots and remakes on the way. As for all the ESPN+ content, well, I think they just might have something there with a show recapping what happened in the previous night of sports.
The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.
ITEM NUMBER ONE — Good for Bob Odenkirk
It is the position of this column that every actor and actress should get to play John Wick at some point in their career. Not “John Wick” specifically, of course, because that is Keanu’s role and no one should be allowed to take it from him without a Constitutional amendment. But a John Wick-type, a rampaging lunatic who is out for revenge because someone wronged him in some deeply personal way without realizing he was once a highly trained assassin or assassin-type. Denzel Washington was John Wick in both Man on Fire and The Equalizer. Liam Neeson was John Wick in Taken and most other Liam Neeson movies. Charlize Theron was John Wick in Atomic Blonde. And now, in a development that brings me more joy than any of you can possibly imagine, Bob Odenkirk will play John Wick in Nobody, a new film from the writer of the actual John Wick movies, Derek Kolstad. There’s a trailer and everything. It whoops ass.
How cool is this? Bob Odenkirk, a man who spent the first few decades of his career writing and starring in comedy sketches (go watch a million Mr. Show sketches this weekend, trust me), is now a legit action star, in addition to being a legit leading man in Better Call Saul, one of the best shows on television. That’s awesome. And it’s fun to see him talk about it all, which he just did, in an interview with IGN that was timed to the trailer’s release.
“The hardest thing about doing Nobody was to be deprived of the ironic dimension of the performance. I wanted to play a sort of earnest action hero like Charles Bronson in Death Wish, in these ’70s movies that I loved growing up, Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and that s***. So I was going to deprive myself of being a wisecracker and making fun of myself,” he said. “It’s hard for me to do a scene that’s utterly earnest. … And this goes for Better Call Saul, too. When I don’t get to have a little wink to the audience, when the character knows they’re being funny and I can do that, that’s more my natural state.”
This is great. I’m so happy for Bob Odenkirk. And for me, too. Did you watch that trailer? Go watch that trailer. He’s running around pounding on punks in buses and shouting about stolen kitty cat jewelry and describing himself as a former “auditor,” which sounds kind of like a cross between a hitman and an accountant, which reminds me that Ben Affleck kind of played John Wick in The Accountant, a movie that also contained a straight-up montage of him doing accounting. We’ve discussed this. A lot. We will again. I can’t help myself.
But this is what I’m getting at. Everyone should get to play a role like this, even just once. It’s fun when it’s casting to type, like your Neesons and Therons, and it might be even more fun when it’s casting against type, like this one. Odenkirk in the role opens up so many possibilities I had not considered. Like, picture John Mulaney as John Wick. Amy Poehler. Tracy Morgan. David Letterman. It’s impossible to stop once you get started. Picture Jay Leno dressed in full-denim and mowing down mobsters because someone scratched his steam-powered fire engine. I need to stress that I’m not joking around here. I want these to happen. Maybe not the last one, but the other ones, definitely. I want to see Mulaney with like four days of stubble and a knife in each hand and rage in his eyes. Do this. For me.
It’s strange that this excites me so much. I hate guns. I do not believe in taking the law into your own hands. If the John Wick movies happened in real life I would be firmly in the camp that he belongs in prison. I would be absolutely horrified reading the headlines about the things he does. (“Well-Dressed Gunman Kills Dozens In Crowded Nightclub In Suspected Mob-Related Killing.”) But put this in a nice little two-hour package and show it to me on my television screen? Yes, please. I will watch it on basic cable every weekend from now until some retired assassin takes me out for some perceived slight that dishonored his family and/or beloved pet and/or muscle car. Add Nobody to this list. And make the one with Mulaney. And Poehler. Do one with them together. I do not ask for much.
ITEM NUMBER TWO — Mixed feelings about the chicken movie, folks
This one is tricky. Let’s try to figure it out. Facts first: Lifetime and KFC have produced a kind of fake “Colonel Sanders… but sexy” project that will air this weekend. It’s 15 minutes long and it stars Mario Lopez as Steamy Colonel Sanders and it is described in the press release thusly: “As the holidays draw near, a young heiress contends with the affections of a suitor handpicked by her mother. When the handsome chef, Harland Sanders, arrives with his secret fried chicken recipe and a dream, he sets in motion a series of events that unravels the mother’s devious plans.”
So there’s that. There are things in here that I like very much. I like goofball antics that turn conventional stuff on its head. I like the chaos of dropping a Steamy Colonel Sanders short film at noon on Lifetime on a Saturday in December. I like that, at one point in the trailer, someone says the phrase “secret’s out, chicken man.” I did not know how much I wanted to hear someone say that collection of words in that order. Turns out the answer is “a lot.”
But it’s… weird. It’s weird. The whole thing is a big commercial, sponsored content run amok, in a way that feels… weird. If this had been some Adult Swim fever dream that wasn’t tied to a marketing campaign — just some rascal/renegade production that stretches the doctrine of Fair Use to its limits and beyond — I think I would adore it. Knowing KFC is the driving force behind it and the whole point is to make your brain say “hmm, I want some chicken” makes it feel different. I don’t know exactly why, either. All television shows and movies are money-making ventures, even the bozo Adult Swim productions I referenced earlier. They have commercials and product placement and all of it. This is just kind of cutting out the artifice and coming at the viewer straight on. And if we’re going to make advertisements for chicken, we can at least try to make them completely insane like this.
Do you see what I mean? I want to like it… but I’m conflicted. I want to hate it… but I’m conflicted there, too. Maybe what I’ll do is watch it and then go out and get Popeyes. That feels like a reasonable compromise.
ITEM NUMBER THREE — Yes, I will watch this
YouTube
Disney announced about 500 new shows and movies yesterday, which is fine and possibly even exciting depending on your feelings about the Star Wars Extended Universe and various Marvel properties. And yet, somehow, despite all those projects, one of which will star Donald Glover as Lando and one of which will star John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the Rescue Rangers, none of the ones announced during the event were the most intriguing new show announced that day. That honor goes to The Curse, an upcoming Showtime comedy that features a fascinating collection of names in a fascinating collection of positions.
Start at the top. The show will star Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder as a married couple. Fielder will also direct. The Safdie brothers, the maniacs behind Uncut Gems, will produce. One of the Safdies, Benny, also has a role on the show. The plot description goes like this, per the press release: “The Curse is a genre-bending scripted comedy that explores how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.”
This sounds wild as hell in all the best ways. I am already cringing over how awkward and uncomfortable a Fielder/Safdie collaboration could be. Good, almost assuredly, given the track records of the people involved (Fielder just got done producing How to With John Wilson, for the love of God), but still very uncomfortable. Emma Stone is no slouch either, and she’s got experience with daaaaark comedy, as anyone who has seen The Favourite can attest. This is fascinating on a whole bunch of levels. I might end up watching through my fingers because it all gets too stressful, but I’ll definitely be watching. I’m very happy for you if you all jazzed up about the new Star Wars and Marvel shows. But I vote for more like this, please.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR — Listen, if everyone is going to talk about Spider-man all week, I’m going to talk about the basketball scene (yes, again)
Spider-man is in the news. The next live-action movie in the franchise is going full Spiderverse, with Alfred Molina returning to play Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx returning to play Electro and Andrew Garfield and Kirsten Dunst circling the project in one way or another. Maybe Tobey Maguire, too. Who knows? It’s a whole thing. But if everyone’s going to spend all week talking about it, then I am going to talk about the basketball scene in The Amazing Spider-man.
Superhero movies have a long history of bad sports scenes, and by this I mostly mean “the basketball scene in Catwoman,” which deserves its own multi-part docuseries on some streaming network. There’s a reason for that: showing someone who was previously a dork suddenly excelling at sports is a nice shorthand to highlight their new powers. But come on. Watch that clip. Watch it twice. Notice the following things:
The blatant traveling
The thing where he takes off from the three-point line
The thing where he soars through the air with his entire body rising above the regulation rim
The thing where he shatters the backboard with the force of a monster dunk
But none of that is what bugs me. I can suspend my disbelief long enough to believe Spider-man can do sick dunks, because Spider-man has superpowers and who among us wouldn’t use our superpowers to do sick dunks every now and then. No, my issue is much simpler: This should have been all anyone talked about for the rest of the movie. Look at this freaking kid.
SONY
Do you understand? A high school student just did the single greatest dunk in history, in his high school gym, in front of dozens of teenagers. This should have been a huge deal. The high school basketball coach should have been banging on his door every night begging him to play. Word would have spread throughout the community. Someone probably would have gotten it on video. Are you following me yet? Do you see the world where this ends up on YouTube with 25 million views and news organizations start hounding him? Believe me. I’ve seen enough basketball recruiting highlight reels to know how this works. Barack Obama showed up to watch a college game Zion Williamson played in and Zion never did anything close to this. I remember watching this scene in the theater and having it take me out of the movie completely. It was all I talked about at dinner after the matinee. It was all I talked about for a week. I’m talking about it again now, many years later, and I bet I would have talked about it earlier if I had an excuse 80 percent as good as this one.
My point here is that you probably do not want to watch a movie with me. I have issues.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE — Good, keep it on the air forever
FX just renewedIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for four more seasons. Four! Four seasons! This will bring the total to 18 seasons. For some perspective, consider this:
“Always Sunny” will now run for at least 18 seasons. It was previously renewed for Season 15 back in May. The Season 15 renewal officially broke the record previously held by “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” which ran for 14 seasons on ABC. The renewal is no small feat for the unconventional and genre-defining sitcom, which started out as a pilot shot on a home video camera nearly two decades ago.
Kudos to Variety for remaining professional by using words like “unconventional” and “genre-defining.” That’s no small feat, considering what Always Sunny does week-in, week-out, going on two decades now. For example, there’s this screencap, which I will post without context in part because it’s funnier that way and in part because context is not necessary even a little.
FX
What a treasure. What an absolute joy. It’s thrilling to me that this show holds a prestigious place in television history. It’s not just because it’s insane and set in Philadelphia, either (go Birds, though). It’s also because it has retained a ridiculously high-quality despite being on the air as long as it has. It premiered in 2005, the same year as The Office and How I Met Your Mother. It’s been on the air for a Phillies World Series and an Eagles Super Bowl. This is a serious accomplishment. I am not joking. I’m so proud of them. I hope they keep making them until the Sixers win a title, too.
READER MAIL
If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.
From Rob:
I have an idea. Dolly Parton has been in the news a lot lately with her Netflix specials and charitable works. The Fast & Furious franchise still has a few films left after the next one (probably) goes to space. What if Dolly joins the Family? Maybe she’s Dom’s mom, or Brian’s mom, or maybe she’s a legendary moonshine runner from Tennessee who they recruit for a mission through the hollers. She could be a villain, too. The details aren’t important. I just want to see Dolly Parton in a Fast & Furious movie and I bet you do, too.
Rob, this email is shameless. Combining Dolly — a top-five living American, as we’ve discussed — with the Fast & Furious family is so squarely inside my wheelhouse that it’s started to get mail delivered there. Of course I want this. I like the idea about her being a famous moonshine runner. I also like the idea of her being the President who authorizes the Toretto space mission, which I just thought up as I was typing that last sentence. Or her being the only person who ranks above Kurt Russell in the secretive government agency that has an unlimited budget, apparently. But mostly I think I like the idea of her and Ludacris making a whole Fast & Furious collaboration concept album.
There. We’ve put it out into the universe. We did our part. The rest is up to Hollywood. I see no reason it can’t happen. In conclusion, look at this picture Vin Diesel posted on Instagram this week.
Police in Russia said on Wednesday they were searching for thieves who plundered technical equipment from a top-secret military aircraft known as the Doomsday Plane that is designed for use during a nuclear war.
I’m sorry. I am. This seems bad. I do not see how you can read “Russian Doomsday Plane targeted by plunderers” any other way. And yet… AND YET…
All I can think of is Kelsey Grammer’s character inMoney Plane — currently on Hulu! — being the mastermind behind it. Like, read this in his voice, but just replace “Money Plane” with “Doomsday Plane.” Do it, out loud, right now.
QUIVERQUIVER
You see my point now, yes?
The robbery, which raises questions about the security of sensitive military-related installations, took place as maintenance work was being carried out on the Ilyushin Il-80 plane.
Remember this line from Money Plane?
QUIVERQUIVER
How about this one?
QUIVERQUIVER
We’re probably all going to die from black market Doomsday Plane related tragedies and I’ll be looking up at the reddish-orange sky quoting this movie as my skin melts off. I feel okay about it.
Police said the aircraft had been at an aerodrome in the city of Taganrog, but gave no details about the nature of the stolen equipment except for its estimated worth — more than 1 million roubles ($13,600).
Hold on.
Wait.
Wait.
They stole $13,000 worth of stuff.
That’s, like, a Kia.
They stole a Kia worth of stuff off the Doomsday Plane.
Well, I feel much better about making those Money Plane jokes now. And about, like, not dying in a Doomsday Plane tragedy. But mostly the jokes.
The NBA season is right around the corner as training camp has begun around the league, and for all 30 teams, that means optimism abound. You can make a legitimate case that there are 26 teams that justifiably believe they can make the postseason this year, as the West is loaded from top to bottom with at least reasonable contenders and the East has a number of teams that hope to make the leap into playoff contention this season as well.
With the new play-in format, 20 of those squads will have actual chances to earn a spot. For the few teams that still seem pretty firmly outside of the playoff picture, their eyes are on the future, particularly with seeing what they have in terms of young players and hoping to see one or two emerge as possible cornerstone pieces to build around. With that in mind, we are going to take a look around the league, beginning with the East, at each team’s most important player this season.
This isn’t necessarily the best player (and often won’t be), because we typically know what to expect from each team’s best player. Instead, we want to look at those on the team with maybe a bit more variability in terms of outcomes, but if they are at the top of their potential, can really elevate their team to the heights they hope to reach this season.
Atlanta Hawks: Clint Capela
It has been easy to forget about Capela’s presence on this new-look Hawks team since he joined Atlanta at the deadline last year but has yet to step on the floor for the Hawks. With Trae Young firmly as the team’s star and their blockbuster moves this offseason in free agency, Capela has somewhat become the forgotten man. While Young has to continue to be brilliant as their best player, it’s Capela who they’re counting on to shore up their defense and anchor a unit that has been dreadful in recent years and needs to at least take a step towards mediocre or average to be the playoff contender they want to be. The depth behind Capela at center is fairly thin and quite young, with rookie Onyeka Okongwu and second-year man Bruno Fernando, and as such, they need Capela to log major minutes and serve as the rim protector to provide some cover when Atlanta runs out more offensive-minded backcourt and wing rotations.
Boston Celtics: Kemba Walker
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The Celtics offseason was a mixed bag, as they didn’t make any big splashes but did add Tristan Thompson to help beef up their frontcourt rotation with a much-needed experienced presence. They also added Jeff Teague as their backup point guard, with the hope being that Teague in limited minutes as a backup can be a step up from the departing Brad Wanamaker. Jayson Tatum is firmly in the superstar category and Jaylen Brown is a tremendous two-way wing, but this was a team that, in the playoffs, wasn’t able to find the same offensive rhythm. A large part of that was Walker not being 100 percent.
That they still came just a game short of the Finals is a testament to how good this team is, but with other teams around them improving, they’ll need their star trio at their best. Walker is the biggest question mark of the three, as he continues to battle a knee injury that took him out of action after the All-Star break and he still hasn’t fully recovered from, as he had an injection in that left knee that will keep him out of action until at least January. Boston can weather the storm in the regular season without Walker for a bit, but they will need him at his best to have a shot at emerging from a pretty crowded top of the East this season.
Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant
In this case, the best player is the most important player, and the one with the most questions surrounding him. Durant is coming off of an Achilles injury that has been, historically, very difficult to come all the way back from. Offensively, I have fewer questions about his effectiveness than I think some do, because he’s the best shooting 7-footer in league history and even if he’s lost a bit of burst, he can get his shot off at pretty much any time. Defense, however, is where I’m most curious to see how he looks, because this Nets team is built to support him offensively, but desperately needs someone that can defend at a high level. Durant is one of a few on the roster with the track record of doing so.
That’s where his mobility, burst, and ability to change direction quickly will be most tested. If he can be even close to the pre-injury KD we saw dominate on the defensive end in Golden State, that’s huge for Brooklyn’s chances to contend for a title. His length on the wing and ability to alter and block shots often felt like an underrated quality because so much discussion about KD is his ability as a scorer. Brooklyn’s best players are offense-first guys, and they could really use his two-way abilities. If he’s lost a step there, they figure to be a rough defensive unit and that makes them much more beatable, even if offensively they are going to be a nightmare to deal with.
Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen
The Bulls are a fascinating team this season because they have an actual NBA head coach now in Billy Donovan with a cast of young players that all seem to have some promise, but haven’t ever found a way to fit together. You could make an argument that Otto Porter Jr. is the answer here, as he’s in a contract year and the highest paid player on the team, but had his season derailed by injuries a year ago. However, I think the more interesting question for the new Bulls front office will be what to do with Lauri Markkanen, who is likewise going to be a free agent this summer (albeit a restricted one).
Markkanen popped as a sophomore, averaging 18.7 points and nine rebounds per game, but took a step back last year as he seemed to be lost in a strange frontcourt rotation and never quite found his same footing. This year, the hope in Chicago is that Donovan will deploy Markkanen better and be able to coax more out of the stretch big man who is more than capable as a three-point shooter. Finding out if he and Wendell Carter Jr. can make things work as a young frontcourt duo has to be at the top of the priority list for the Bulls given the way the clock is ticking on their rookie deals, and while the playoffs are certainly on the Bulls wishlist, the future and solving some of their roster questions are probably a bigger priority.
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball
The Hornets drafted Ball third overall and suddenly have a bit of a logjam at the lead guard spot. Ball’s most effective as a facilitator and floor general, and Terry Rozier is making a lot of money, and Devonte’ Graham was Charlotte’s breakout player a year ago. Still, Ball has to be the focal point for the Hornets, even with the arrival of Gordon Hayward, and he should be given ample opportunity to grow and make mistakes (of which there will surely be many). The Hayward acquisition doesn’t necessarily muddy the opportunity for Ball directly, but it signals a desire to be back in the playoff hunt sooner than later. That might not align with Ball being handed the keys, and as such it’s going to be very interesting to see how the Hornets balance chasing a play-in spot with letting their precocious rookie star have ample minutes to establish himself in the league.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland
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The Cavs have seen Collin Sexton steadily improve over his two seasons in Cleveland and, obviously, they hope he continues that trend, but the bigger question is that of last year’s lottery selection, Darius Garland, who struggled as rookie point guards often do. The Cavs hoped to pair Garland and Sexton as their backcourt of the future, and there’s certainly time for them to figure things out. That said, as Sexton continues to emerge as the leading scorer on this Cavs team, how Garland fits into the puzzle becomes even more interesting to watch. The young guard is going to have to carve out his niche on this team and next to Sexton, and in the absence of a second-year leap, the Cavs will potentially begin looking in other directions. If he can make a jump, though, it sets Cleveland up very nicely going forward.
Detroit Pistons: Blake Griffin
The Pistons’ trajectory in the coming years is almost completely determined by Blake Griffin’s play this year, and what he looks like after missing most all of last year with continued knee issues. If he’s healthy and even close to approaching the player he was two seasons ago when he dragged them to the 8-seed, he can put Detroit firmly in the playoff conversation again, while also giving them a very interesting and valuable trade chip at the deadline should they choose to go further in a future-facing direction. If his knee problems persist, they exist in a strange purgatory between the worst teams in the league and playoff contenders, and, likely, would need to operate as I mentioned with Charlotte, which is to hand Killian Hayes the keys and see what the young man can do.
Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo
This was maybe the toughest choice to make, because this is a team with a lot of very interesting players that will need to make a statement this season. Domantas Sabonis emerged as an All-Star last year, and they’ll need him to regain that form coming off of a foot injury that took him out of the Bubble. Myles Turner is perpetually in trade rumors, but here he remains, trying to carve out a role alongside a frontcourt player he clearly doesn’t fit with. Malcolm Brogdon was terrific last year, but he and the Pacers hope to see better three-point shooting out of him after he slipped well off his efficiency he showed in Milwaukee. T.J. Warren was a Bubble superstar and his ability to carry that over into next season is a huge storyline for Indiana’s ability to hang onto their position as one of the East’s six best teams.
However, nothing in Indiana is as important as Victor Oladipo’s play for however long he remains in town. The former All-Star struggled after coming back from his ruptured quad tendon, and found out the hard way this offseason how the rest of the league views him when his trade request resulted in no market forming for his services as he enters a contract year. The Pacers and Oladipo might only have one more year together but his play will be critical in both his trajectory and that of the team. Losing an All-Star for nothing is a miserable proposition, which is why, beyond how it’d help them in their quest for another postseason berth, they need him to build a trade market for himself by proving he’s still a strong player so that they can at least try to fill that hole with some helpful role players or at least quality draft assets.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro
There are known commodities in Miami, like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Goran Dragic, but the trajectory of this team in 2021 will be defined by their young players and how much they get out of them. The Heat at best tread water this offseason with the departures of guys like Jae Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr., and Solomon Hill, replacing them with Avery Bradley and Moe Harkless. They tried to thread the needle of remaining competitive while not sacrificing their entire 2021 flexibility to make a splash signing — although Adebayo’s max extension makes things a bit trickier there — and did a pretty good job. But for a team coming off a Finals appearance, expectations are very high for the Heat and internal improvement is the only way to get there.
The player with the most pressure to take a leap forward is Tyler Herro, who was tremendous in the Bubble in their run to the Finals, but cooled off some against the Lakers. People are now very high on the second-year wing, despite him riding the typical regular season rollercoaster rookies do of having serious highs and also some serious struggles. The second-year leap for Herro would be huge for Miami, particularly in keeping up in the regular season with the best in the East. However, there’s a very real chance he’s still a similar player to who he was last year, which simply means when he isn’t exhibiting the hot hand, he’s not a guy you want to have to rely on. Figuring out consistency from night-to-night is going to be the challenge for Herro, and it can very well determine whether the Heat are real contenders in the East again this season.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks went all-in this offseason on Jrue Holiday, dealing a treasure trove of picks as well as their starting and backup point guards for the veteran two-way star, and they are banking on him being able to bring a higher level of play to their backcourt come playoff time. However, it is the back-to-back MVP who has to be the one that figures out how to get this team over the hump come playoff time, and it comes down to being able to adapt his game.
There’s been so much focus on Antetokounmpo’s three-point shooting in recent years, but far more important is his ability to develop a midrange game, especially a short-to-medium midrange arsenal for when teams pack the paint and cut off the rim in the postseason. Antetokounmpo doesn’t need to become a lethal three-point shooter, but being more versatile while going to the rim with the ability to pull-up from the short midrange (and bumping up his free throw percentage where he so often lives) would have a far greater impact on how teams have to defend him. He certainly needs more help and Holiday figures to be a significant improvement in the playoffs over Eric Bledsoe, but make no mistake, everything in Milwaukee comes back to Giannis.
New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett
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It was a struggle for Barrett last year and, to be honest, the team New York has built around him this year isn’t exactly tailored to maximize his talents, but the Knicks desperately need someone on this team to pop and show some hope for the future. The Knicks are firmly among the few teams that don’t have actual playoff hopes this season, and as such, success will be defined by their young players showing improvement and promise for the future. Mitchell Robinson has been the diamond in the rough for the Knicks, but they need one of their recent top-10 picks to pop and Barrett seems like the best hope for that — as well as the obvious hope of seeing positives from this year’s top pick, Obi Toppin. Again, the lack of shooters on the floor will make life a bit difficult for Barrett, who wants to barrel his way to the rim, but hopefully his second season will allow him to show a bit more comfort and see his efficiency take a leap forward.
Orlando Magic: Markelle Fultz
Gone is D.J. Augustin, which means the Magic are fully turning to Markelle Fultz this season at point guard. Orlando still has playoff dreams, but with Jonathan Isaac out, one figures their defense will take a bit of a step back, although Steve Clifford always has his teams at a high level on that end. As such, they’ll need the offense to take a step forward to make up for some defensive slippage without their young star on that end, and Fultz figures to be the key to potentially unlocking more for the Orlando offense.
Fultz had a 2019-20, but figures to play more minutes and be even further involved in orchestrating the Magic’s offense. Clifford has raved about Fultz’s growth over the last year and has had positive things to say about his shooting mechanics starting to get back to where they were pre-shoulder injury. Anything you get from Fultz in that area is a bonus, but as he grew more comfortable last year, you could see the burst downhill that makes him so dangerous getting to the rim. The Magic are largely the same team they were last year, just without Isaac, and as such, internal development is needed to keep pace with other East teams that got better this offseason. Fultz represents the best chance for someone making a jump and it’d be terrific to see after all he’s been through early in his career.
Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons
The Sixers overhauled their roster this offseason, surrounding their two young stars with shooters like Danny Green and Seth Curry that should, in theory, fit much better than Josh Richardson and Al Horford. As a result, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are expected to have more space to operate and, the hope is, they can take a step forward to contend in the East. While Embiid is critical, I find Simmons to be the player with the most intrigue this season, and the one that can lift the Sixers to their fullest potential. We saw last playoffs where the ceiling is for this team with just Embiid, and with shooters abound now, the space for both he and Simmons to operate where they are at their best should be there.
Simmons’ shooting is always a topic of conversation, but much like Giannis, I think it’s more important for him to add some touch shots and counters from just outside of the restricted area than it is imperative that he become a three-point shooter. He is a force with the ball in his hands and his vision is spectacular, which will be highlighted with the players they’ve put around him now. He’ll have to deal with trade rumors as James Harden murmurs will persist until Houston makes a decision on moving their star, but the Sixers have finally built a team that makes some roster sense around their two stars and Simmons figures to be the one that benefits most from that.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam
If the Raptors are going to keep up with the rest of the top contenders in the East, Siakam is going to have find a way to shake off his playoff performance from a year ago. After a tremendous regular season, Siakam seemed to struggle with the increased attention he received as a primary option for Toronto in the playoffs. Given the loss of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol — even though Aron Baynes and Alex Len are very solid pickups to bolster their frontcourt — getting production from Siakam to provide balance for their backcourt stars is going to be vital for Toronto’s chances come playoff time. I have few concerns about this team in the regular season, as they’ve still got plenty of depth, their leaders still in place, and a great coaching staff. However, everything at this point is about the postseason and trying to avoid a similar exit to last year, and Siakam will be the most important part of improving on last year’s efforts.
Boston sat on Siakam’s spin move on drives all series and he struggled to make the most of post-ups against shorter but stronger defenders. He’ll need to figure out where his spots are and how to get to them more efficiently this year to take that step forward as a primary option, but he’s shown the ability to grow each year and there’s no reason to think he won’t learn from his mistakes.
Washington Wizards: Russell Westbrook
The Wizards want to make the playoffs and need to make a statement to Bradley Beal that they are capable of building around him. It’s why they dealt John Wall and a pick to Houston for Russell Westbrook, and their new star point guard seems very happy to be in the nation’s capital. The Westbrook-Beal fit is an interesting one, but with the shooters they have (including Beal), there’s a pathway to a very good Russ season. That’s going to be needed, but I think the discourse around Westbrook has shifted too far towards questioning his efficacy as a player. Westbrook has always raised the floor of a team, and while you can certainly ask questions about whether he caps your ceiling at a certain level, the Wizards need a floor raiser right now. Russ is going to bring that, and while at this point he simply isn’t a shooter, the Wizards don’t need him to be. The question for Washington is going to be if they can do anything defensively, but on offense they figure to be a terror and Westbrook might see his perception among NBA fans shift dramatically because of it.
Next month will mark two years since Westside Boogie shared his debut album, Everyting’s For Sale. The project was a great display of the connection between love and social media along with its high and lows. Since he released the album, Westside Boogie has stayed rather quiet, only reappearing for an occasional guest appearance like with Reason on “Trapped In” and on the LVRN’s Home For The Holidays album for “12 Days of Bhristmas” with OMB Bloodbath. Now, the Compton rapper is ready to release his next project and he begins its rollout with a brand new single alongside Joey Badass.
The rappers join forces for the first-ever collaboration on “Outside.” The track finds them confined in the walls of their thoughts, walls that emulate the literal fixtures that much of the country has been enclosed in over the past few months due to the pandemic. Boogie leads the way with a verse that dives into the depths of mind while giving his label boss, Eminem, a shoutout on the song by interpolating his 2000 track, “The Way I Am.” Joey Badass comes through with his own guest verse, joining his 2020 list that includes Phony Ppl’s “On My Sh*t” and Pusha T’s “No Explanation.” Boogie returns with a third verse to bring the introspective track to a close.
Prior to the song’s release, Westside Boogie shared two promo videos that saw him get kidnap and forced into a studio to record music after such a long period without releasing something for his fans.
What a year, huh? 2020, to summarize a common sentiment, has not been awesome. That doesn’t mean it can’t end on a high note, though.
We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and if there are any music fans you’re still trying to get gifts for, let us give you a hand. We’ve gathered a heaping handful of gift ideas for you to look over and consider, and there are a ton of options here, too. Whether you’re looking for a headlining gift or an opening act to stuff in a stocking, you can’t go wrong with something listed below. We got everything from Megan Thee Stallion’s clothing line to clever music accessories to audio solutions, so pore over our picks below and maybe you’ll find something that can help give somebody’s 2020 a satisfying conclusion.
We’ve conveniently divided the list into groups of gifts that would be fitting for a certain kind of person, so let’s start with:
For the fan who wants to look fresh
Fashion Nova x Megan Thee Stallion
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Price: varies
If you’re reading this, it’s possible you already have something from Megan Thee Stallion’s new collaboration with Fashion Nova, as the line moved $1.2 million of product in just its first 24 hours of availability. If you don’t (or if somebody in your life doesn’t), though, there are plenty of options that should please any of Meg’s hotties. The line has looks for all budgets, too: There are tops for under $30, or if you have a bit more to spend, there’s a white feather jacket that’s a real statement piece.
Earlier this year, David Byrne’s online magazine “Reasons To Be Cheerful” launched a “multimedia editorial project” called “We Are Not Divided.” The project was described as “a six-week collaborative journalistic exploration of our capacity to overcome division,” and on top of that noble cause, it has spawned some top-rate merch. This is a rare opportunity to get a shirt (or mug, bottle, bag, notebook, etc.) designed by Byrne himself, and his illustrations would look great on your body (or holding your hot beverages, your cold beverages, your written thoughts, etc.).
Tyler The Creator’s Golf Wang clothing line has been a gift guide staple for about a decade now, and it has really evolved to become an entity that’s something beyond just Tyler. Vibrant new items are always being introduced, and as it stands now, the Golf online store has everything from masks to lighters to socks to sweaters to jewelry to underwear. Basically, if there’s a gap in your wardrobe, Golf Wang can probably fill it.
Noise For Now describes itself as “a national initiative that enables performers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of reproductive justice, including abortion access.” If that’s a cause you want to financially support, the initiative now offers a way to do it that that involves you getting a slick-looking article of clothing in return. There are shirts, bandanas, masks, and more emblazoned with the Noise For Now logo or pro-Roe vs. Wade messages, so the collection is worth a look if what Noise For Now does resonates with you.
Not all great headphones need to cost an arm and a leg. These new Beats Flex wireless earbuds are great for home or travel, and feature 12 hours of battery life in four distinct colors: black, yellow, blue, and gray. We’re highlighting a couple higher-end headphone options below, but sometimes it’s important to have that set that can easily go anywhere with you, and that stay connected to each other in case you have the habit of misplacing small things.
Yes, the price point is a little higher than the other Beats offering we are highlighting, but it’s also well worth the jump. In a year when outdoor exercise is one of the few treats we still are able to experience, these headphones make a hike or a run a fully immersive audio experience. There’s a reason why Beats is such a beloved brand in the headphone industry, and these have some great functionality, including 9 hours of battery life and sweat and water resistance. Plus, I just love that they wrap around my ear, helping me not to drop them as I jog around LA.
This was my first year using Sonos and I am hooked. There is a wide variety of products that the speaker giant offers, but the essentials are the One and the One SL, which you can strategically place in a living room and buy additionals for other rooms in the house. I also am a big fan of the Port, which allows me to incorporate my vinyl listening into the Sonos experience. But if there is ever a reason to make the Sonos jump, it’s the launch of Sonos Radio this year. Not only do you have voice-activated, pristine sounding speakers that you can just as easily operate from a phone app, but now Sonos connects to radio stations across the country as well as their own highly curated offerings, including exclusive channels from the likes of Thom Yorke, Third Man Record, Brittany Howard, and many more. And they just launched a subscription HD version of the service, too.
If you want bass that will rock your world, you can’t go wrong with this line from Skullcandy. The adjustable, sensory bass on these bad boys is just what the doctor ordered for much of the modern music being created today, and its 40 hours of battery life will keep you listening for long beyond your workday and commute. But while the Evo Crushers are a well-rounded product sure to satisfy people of all listening habits, a wise person once said “it’s all about the bass.” With these headphones, that’s never been more true.
The aforementioned speakers and headphones are perfect for their intended use cases, but you might run into trouble if you try to use them while jamming out in the shower. Fortunately, speakers for that specific purpose have long been made, and this one here is one of the most-bought and highest-rated ones on Amazon. It’s only a hair over $30, too, so whether you’re looking to (very carefully) dance in the shower or want to enjoy a podcast or audiobook in the bath, here’s an inexpensive way to make that happen.
I got to take this for a spin earlier this year and Oda is doing something very cool in the home listening space. When more artists are exploring live streaming out of necessity, Oda is looking at this as a possibility beyond the current world circumstances. First, you get the Oda speakers, which look like warm wood panels that can sit unobtrusively anywhere in your house. Then, you get to listen to them come alive. Artists like Arca, Bradford Cox, Jessica Pratt, and Madlib perform special live sets designed specifically with Oda’s sound in mind, serving up tunes for engaged listening, rather than just a streaming playlist you can throw on in the background. This is a new experience for dedicated music fans that miss concerts, and one that should thrive even when live in-person shows return.
Tash Sultana x Fender Signature Stratocaster guitar
Fender
Price: $1,099.99
Tash Sultana has established themself as one of indie’s most fascinating and creative guitarists of the past few years, so they are more than deserving of their own Signature Stratocaster from Fender. This gorgeous instrument has a transparent cherry-colored finish and is furnished with all-gold hardware, so even if you’re not a Sultana obsessive (yet), this would be a beautiful gift for an artist who has been very good this year. And hey, we’re even giving you the chance to win one of these right now.
The holiday season is also gift card season, so if you’re a guitarist, here’s a solution for all that plastic that becomes useless after you’ve spent the money: Turn it into guitar picks. This hole punch from Amazon will turn gift cards, old credit cards, or any sort of comparable bit of flat plastic into a perfectly sized and shaped pick. With nearly 3000 ratings that amount to a 4.5 out of 5 average score, the Amazon community has spoken, and they’re saying that this is worth the pick-up, especially since the kit comes with a handful of other goodies.
Fender x Brixton Limited Edition Headwear Collection
Fender
Price: varies
Style and functionality defined. This Fender x Brixton collab looks great on your head, so much so that you wouldn’t even notice the pick holders present inside of them. It’s only fitting that one of the most beloved names in headwear would match so perfectly with one of the most trusted names in guitars. Personally, I’m more of a ball cap or beanie guy, but if you want to sport a look closer to one of the Mumfords or Stevie Ray Vaughn, this new series has you covered.
The Blue Yeti has become an essential microphone for anybody who wants a consumer-level but high-quality piece of equipment at a perfectly resonable price. From podcasts to music, this mic has been used for basically any audio-capturing purpose and has done the job well. Heck, just the other day, I was watching an NBA interview and I noticed that Kemba Walker was talking into one. I’ve personally had one of these since 2014, and all this time later, it has held up tremendously well and delivers results that never leave me wanting.
Vona and Sigur Rós’ “Sleep” and “Wake” CBD tinctures
Vona
Price: $99.95
I’m not going to lie, this year has been massively stressful for an abundance of reasons. Thankfully, there is CBD to help many of us keep anxiety in check and remain calm. Sigur Rós, ever the calming force in music, got into the CBD game this year with this duo of tinctures, made for both “Sleep” and “Wake.” It doesn’t take a genius to figure out when each of these are appropriate, but it’s important to remember that this product uses organic ingredients and sustainable materials. An important note: there is no THC in this! But now in many states in the US, we can find that elsewhere.
More CBD! This one doesn’t have a direct music tie-in, but CBD is honestly the most appropriate gift of 2020, and is great for a night of sitting by the record player with loved ones. I personally like the 1:1 CBD and CBG Broad Spectrum Tincture, and it makes me especially happy to know that there are no pesticides, herbicides, solvents, or chemical fertilizers used.
The music of Boyz II Men has soundtracked a romantic evening or two in its day, an essential component of which is some wine. Now, you can get both of those things from the same source, as the group has their own wine brand, the appropriately named Harmony. Whether you want a Bordeaux Rose, Bordeaux Red, or Bordeaux White, you’re in for one sweet day.
Hopefully, we’re just a few months away from throwing some drinks and snacks in a cooler and getting together with friends for a concert, a barbecue, or any of the other social endeavors that we’ve sorely missed this year. And, when we are back to such activities, this collaboration from cooler icon Igloo and music icon The Grateful Dead is a must-have. Available as both traditional Igloo coolers and backpacks, the series features the legendary Dead artwork, tie-dyed aesthetic, and, of course, great functionality to ensure that food and beverages remain as icy cool as they started. I can feel summer coming just by looking at them.
Good luck approaching a celebrity in the street these days, or even seeing one. There is still one way to interact with some big names, though, and that’s by getting them to film a custom video message for you or a loved one on Cameo. The platform has a surprisingly large roster of musicians that includes Akon, Redman, Arlo Guthrie, Kenny G, and a number of others.
All year, we have been keeping track of the best vinyl releases in a monthly column, so if you have a friend with a turntable and a collection that welcomes additions, our archives are a great place to start your hunt. We’ve highlighted new releases, reissues, and special editions, and there have been items from all over the musical spectrum. In January, for example, we included It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers and some Joy Division live albums. No matter who you’re shopping for, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find something that will suit their tastes.
If you want a more direct vinyl recommendation, here’s one: This box set features Gang Of Four’s early work along with some wonderful box-set-y goodies. The official description of the collection really speaks for itself, so I’ll let it: “The box set contains Entertainment! and Solid Gold (both remastered from the original analog tapes), an exclusive singles LP, and an exclusive double LP of the never officially released Live At American Indian Center 1980. Additionally, the package includes two new badges, a C90 cassette tape compiling 26 never-before-issued outtakes, rarities and studio demos from Entertainment! and Solid Gold, and an epic 100-page, full-color handbound book.”
After a year pretty much without concerts, there’s finally a shred of hope for the future of live entertainment. There has been talk about a coronavirus vaccine in the not-so-distant future, so when concerts eventually come back, you can make sure the concertgoer in your life is ready with high-quality earplugs. Even beyond live music, hearing protection is important, so these would be great to wear while mowing the lawn, working with power tools, babysitting, or doing anything else that could potentially damage your hearing in the long run. (Just kidding about babysitting, please be an attentive caregiver if put in that position.)
Chasin’ The Bird: Charlie Parker In California graphic novel
Z2 Comics
Price: $99.99
Charlie Parker made some of the most beautiful jazz the world has ever known, and this graphic novel gives his story the visual accompaniment it deserves. The publisher’s statement about the book notes, “The graphic novel explores Bird’s relationship with the characters and events he encountered during his time in L.A. including recording some of his signature songs with Dial Record founder Ross Russell, a brief but influential stay at the home of famed jazz photographer William Claxton, a party for the ages at the ranch home of artist Jirayr Zorthian, and others who found themselves in the orbit of the jazz genius.”
In a time when concert venues have never been more missed, this new book from Tito’s and Yeti, Bring Music Home, has never been more appropriate or welcomed. It features images of and words about storied performance spaces like The Filmore and Baby’s All Right, all in 400 pages that has exclusive photos and stories. On top of the quality of the product, a portion of proceeds go to benefit The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), so the books looks good and you can feel good about having bought it.
In, “Ground’s Melody,” a new two-part series of videos spinning out of his partnership with Remy Martin, trap-soul star 6lack explains how his sound is influenced by his hometown, Atlanta, and his adopted headquarters, Los Angeles. While he credits Atlanta’s history, culture, and people with giving him his start, he calls LA “key to the music industry,” and breaks down how the unique atmosphere attracts worldwide talent to the famed city, which is more than the glitz, glamour, and parties.
Although 6lack hasn’t released much solo music this year, he’s been a constant presence on releases from other artists while working on the followup to East Atlanta Love Letter. He kicked off the year with a guest appearance on K Camp’s “Black Men Don’t Cheat,” then connected with fellow Atlantan Deante’ Hitchcock on the latter’s breakout debut album, Better. 6lack then celebrated his birthday with 6pc Hot, an EP featuring the tracks “ATL Freestyle,” “Float,” and “Know My Rights” with Lil Baby. His run of features included contributions to Tinashe’s “Touch & Go,” Gorillaz’s “Pink Phantom,” Dej Loaf’s Sell Sole II Melii’s “You Ain’t Worth It,” and collaborations with both crews that have been instrumental to his rise. On Spillage Village’s Spilligion album, he helped “Baptize” listeners, then on LVRN’s Home For The Holidays, he covered James Brown’s “Santa Claus, Go Straight To The Ghetto.” He’s had a busy year and he still has a third album on the way. Keep your eyes peeled.
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The series picks up where the films left off. Emilio Estevez returns as Gordon Bombay and 
Starring 
