Angel Olsen delivered the shimmering and immaculately-produced album All Mirrors last year. For the album, the singer turned her sound up a notch, replacing an acoustic guitar with synths and keyboards. Now, Olsen is pivoting back to her back catalog with her upcoming record Whole New Mess. After announcing the album with the title track, Olsen offers another glimpse of the project with the vulnerable “Waving, Smiling.”
Armed with just her guitar and lilting vocals, Olsen croons a reflection on coming to terms with the end of a relationship. The singer has mourned and cried over the loss, now it’s time to smile and accept the relationship has come a close. “I’ve made my bed / I’ve laid out all those tears,” she sings.
In a statement alongside the track’s release, Olsen said she envisions the song as the conclusion to an important chapter in her life:
“‘Waving, Smiling’ in my head is the last scene, a slow motion realization of love not lost but at peace somewhere within myself. It’s the bittersweet end of a chapter of my life – it is the final acceptance that despite coming to an end all of that time was not lost or wasted.”
About the album as a whole, Olsen described the events which inspired the new release: “I had gone through this breakup, but it was so much bigger than that — I’d lost friendships, too. When you get out of a relationship, you have to examine who you are or were in all the relationships. I wanted to record when I was still processing these feelings. These are the personal takes, encapsulated in a moment.”
Listen to Olsen’s “Waving, Smiling” above.
Whole New Mess is out 8/28 via Jagjaguwar. Pre-order it here.
The Weeknd welcomes fans to the uncanny valley with a new Spotify microsite that allows them to “chat” with the singer via artificial intelligence. Upon logging into the site, a digitized version of The Weeknd addresses the user by name before launching into a sort of mad-libs-esque monologue that draws on the user’s listening data to keep Abel’s CGI avatar talking. As he does so, the titles of the listener’s favorite Weeknd songs jump and flash across the screen while the digital character reacts to the new information in real time.
It’s just one more way Abel’s utilized tech to replace touring as a way to connect with fans — even if it is one of the most borderline off-putting (remember Ex Machina? It’s a little like that.). The Weeknd has always been on the forefront of new streaming tech, from the vertical videos for his My Dear Melancholy EP to the trippy animated videos for “In Your Eyes” and “Snowchild” from his latest album, After Hours. He’s also been staying in touch with supporters via his Memento Mori Radio on Apple Music, where he recently played a few unreleased tracks from his Kiss Land recording sessions, and via TikTok, where he staged a live virtual concert and previewed a new song.
Check out a preview of his “Alone With Me” experience above and try it out for real here.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
On their incredible and sprawling new album, Young Jesus are not tied down by the influence of any genre classification. Across its seven tracks (a few of which clock in over ten minutes in length), Welcome To Conceptual Beach “covers enough sonic ground to encompass Sigur Ròs, Sun Ra, the Dave Matthews Band, and numerous points between and beyond those acts,” writes Steven Hyden in a recent review for Uproxx.
The Killers — “Dying Breed”
With their new album Imploding The Mirage finally only days away, The Killers have shared “Dying Breed,” the record’s final single. With krautrock-inspired percussion throughout and a Springsteen-esque chorus, the upbeat track is what Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx “one of the most exciting tracks from this album cycle so far.”
Sufjan Stevens — “Video Game”
Although the first two singles from Sufjan Stevens’ forthcoming LP The Ascension both ran over ten minutes, the latest single “Video Game” embraces a more traditional runtime. A more straightforward synth-based indie pop track, “Video Game” is a track that Stevens said in a statement is meant to emphasize the idea that “your worth (invaluable) should never be based on other people’s approval (ephemeral).”
Slow Pulp — “Falling Apart”
Slow Pulp wrote an album’s worth of material while on tour last year with Alex G, but then a number of factors caused the band to scrap the project and start from scratch. The ongoing COVID-19 lockdown gave the band space and time to reconvene and start writing again, and “Falling Apart” is the first taste of the results. The slow track features roomy production with gorgeous flourishes of violin to anchor the melodies, and grapples with the ongoing back and forth that is needed to tell yourself everything is going to be alright.
Helena Deland — “Someone New”
Along with the announcement of her debut full-length Someone New, Helena Deland shared the song of the same name. With not much more than light percussion, a guitar, and vocals, the sparse track “is about the validation and relief from one’s internal world that a romantic encounter can offer, but also about becoming aware that there seems to be an expiry date on that type of opportunity for women,” according to a statement.
Idles — “Model Village”
“Model Village” is the third of four singles ahead of Idles’ new album Ultra Mono, opening with very tight and snappy production for the first verse before exploding into frenetic post-punk on the chorus. “I hated growing up in a city that was really a town that was really a fishbowl,” Idles vocalist Joe Talbot in a statement. “I left as soon as I could, only to realize the fishbowl didn’t exist…just the fish, and they’re everywhere.”
Bartees Strange — “Boomer”
Only a few months after releasing the EP Say Goodbye To The Pretty Boy, Bartees Strange is back with the announcement of his debut album and a new single. “Boomer” is what Carolyn Droke calls for Uproxx a “rowdy and unapologetic track,” one that embraces aspects of indie rock, R&B, and hip-hop, which makes for a very exciting listen.
Anjimile — “Baby No More”
I’ve been excited about the new Anjimile album Giver Taker since hearing its lead single “Maker” earlier this year. “Baby No More” lives up to the hype, with groovy instrumentation and a head-bobbing chorus. According to a statement, the track “is more or less what happens when you’re not a good boyfriend. Although it’s got a very groovy and relatively light-hearted musical vibe, some of the lyrics are quite dark.”
Nana Adjoa — “I Want To Change”
On the third single from her anticipated new album Big Dreaming Ants, the Dutch-Ghanian singer-songwriter digs in for a subtle, but direct and vibrant exploration of the desire to push forward. “I’m giving space to an inner voice that quietly yearns for change and amplifying it in a way, calling for change that speaks to both the global and individual scale,” Adjoa said in a press statement. “I wrote the song over a year ago, now placing it in the context of the current state of the world, that inner voice feels more like a call to action for myself.”
Knot — “Horse Trotting, The Feet Not Touching The Ground”
It feels like just yesterday that the members of revered indie band Krill announced they’d be reforming as a new project called Knot. “Horse Trotting” is the second single from the band’s forthcoming self-titled kinda-sorta debut album, an unpredictable and adventurous new single that certainly builds on the hype and promise that Krill cultivated.
Run River North — “Cemetery”
Although they haven’t officially announced a new project, LA-based outfit Run River North are rolling out music regularly, and “Cemetery” is a nice addition to the catalogue. With illustrative narrative lyrics delivered through beautiful harmonies from Alex Hwang and Sally Kang, “Cemetery” is a track that is beautifully haunting, reflecting on life and contemplating death, all while examining everything that comes between.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Boston Celtics picked up a big win in Game 1 of their first round series with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, as their young star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were sensational.
Unfortunately, the final minutes of the game when Boston began pulling away saw their other star wing, Gordon Hayward, go down with a right ankle sprain after he landed on Daniel Theis’ foot under the basket and rolled his ankle badly. Hayward immediately went to the locker room and left the arena after the game on crutches, with an MRI scheduled to determine the severity of the injury.
On Tuesday, the Celtics announced the results of that MRI showed a Grade 3 sprain, which will keep him out for approximately four weeks, depending on how much pain and swelling he is dealing with.
#NEBHInjuryReport Celtics forward @gordonhayward suffered a Grade III sprain of his right ankle during the fourth quarter of last night’s game against Philadelphia. He is expected to miss approximately four weeks.
While the Celtics certainly have the firepower on the wing to make due without Hayward, it puts a much larger load on Brown and Tatum, both in taking away a creator on the floor with them and also a player who can run the offense when they’re on the bench. How Brad Stevens now handles the minutes of Brown and Tatum will be interesting to watch, as they are the obvious keys to a deep playoff run and now might need to play even more earlier than Boston hoped.
The four-week timetable would bring Hayward back in mid-September, but it’s possible he’s gone longer as his wife, Robyn, is due to have their baby in September and Hayward had said earlier this summer that he would leave the Bubble, as Mike Conley did this week, for the birth of his latest child. Boston had always had that absence built into their potential playoff plans, but now his ankle sprain means they could be without Hayward for much of their playoff run.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, Russell Crowe’s Unhinged is on track to the be the first film to open in theaters since widespread quarantines threw Hollywood into disarray in mid-March. To promote the film’s questionable Friday release, Crowe has been posting a series of bizarre videos to his Twitter account, where it’s unclear whether the actor is genuinely trying to boost ticket sales or just having a ball firing off weird promos.
Case in point, in one video, Crowe whips out the mask from Gladiator and opens with a reference to his iconic “My name is Maximus” speech from the 2000 classic before getting into character to promote Unhinged.
“My name… is incidental, pointless, of no concern,” Crowe says in the odd PSA. “I am a figment of your nightmares. I am from a reference point deep inside your hidden list of fears. I am rage, past the point of reason. I am unhinged.”
But just when you think the video is all business, Crowe breaks character in the end and starts laughing about how there’s “nothing new” going on, and he’ll “see you soon.” It’s pretty bizarre.
You can see Crowe’s viral video below:
Feel like going to the movies ?
August 21st #Unhinged opens across the USA in 44 states. Check your local theatre listings for details.
In light of Crowe’s PSAs, The A.V. Club spoke to two epidemiologists who heavily recommend not going to theaters anytime soon. “There is no scenario in which going to a movie theater is a good idea,” Dr. Anne W. Rimoin, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center For Global And Immigrant Health at the University Of California, bluntly put it. The experts note that indoor seating for long periods of time is already a dicey situation. Couple that with people removing their masks to eat concessions (which both doctors agreed should not be served for the foreseeable future), or simply for convenience while under the cover of darkness, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Jack White’s label Third Man Records is fairing well in light of the pandemic. At the onset of the lockdown, the label’s Detroit flagship found a new way to bring music to people. The store began holding daily livestream sessions from their indoor stage in order to keep the spirit of live music alive. Now, the label has found a new way for fans to interact with their favorite artist. Third Man Records has launched a digital garage sale and is posting some of Jack White’s former gear for sale.
The virtual garage sale is a way for fans of The White Stripes to commemorate their era of music. Among items for sale are guitars, furniture, and clothing that appeared in video shoots, pedals used by the band on tour, stage equipment, and other personal items from White’s musical collection. “Third Man Records is proud to disperse pieces of its history into the world via an online garage sale/auctiperon,” the label said in a statement, “featuring guitars, amplifiers, personal items, notes, stage equipment, and other one-of-a-kind items from the label’s archives and owner Jack White’s musical career and collection.”
Carly Rae Jepsen has remained focused on her music and her fans while in quarantine. Following 2019’s Dedicated, the singer shared a full-length collection of album B-sides in May. But Jepsen didn’t stop there. The singer shared the buoyant single “Me And The Boys In The Band” Tuesday alongside a pastel-colored video as an homage to late nights on the road while on tour.
Directed by Jake Chamseddine, the “Me And The Boys In The Band” visual offers a glimpse into each touring members’ life in quarantine. Jepsen herself has found ways to stay entertained in her home while several other musicians in her backup band are preoccupied with kids and home life.
In a statement about the song, Jepsen said she longs for the days of touring:
“On the road. That was the life. I miss travel and performing and my band mates who over the years have become my adopted brothers. Through romantic relationships good and bad I have always found myself again in the late-night conversations with my band. Here’s to all the shows we have played and have yet to play. The late-night dancers we turn into on the long bus drives and the tourists we become in the early mornings. Here’s to nostalgia city and keeping close the ones that know you best. Can’t wait for more. Till then a from home ‘pick me up’ song from all of us to you. Me and the boys and the band! Big thanks to Jack Antanoff, Tavish Crowe, Jared Manerika and Nik Pesut for making this jam come together from a distance.”
Watch Jepsen’s “Me And The Boys In The Band” video above.
The plot of The Purge, in case you haven’t seen any of the roughly 93 films in the Blumhouse series, is that all crimes are legal for 12 hours on one day of the year. Hulu’s The Binge supposes, what if instead of murder and arson and listening to all four hours of a Joe Rogan podcast (the most heinous crime of all), drugs and alcohol are illegal in America’s glorious near-future, except for one night of the year where anything goes. In this case, “anything” means “teens cracking open a room temperature Natty Ice.”
The Binge is a knowingly silly premise for a movie (the title alone…), but that’s why it could be fun? At the very least, it’s a high-concept twist on the trope of teens trying to get laid on prom night. I mean, The Binge still has teens trying to get laid, but… it also an alligator on the dance floor. And a pop-punk cover of Afroman’s stoner-rap classic “Because I Got High.” It’s honestly shocking that The Binge wasn’t made in, like, 2008.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
In the not so distant future all drinking and drugs have been made completely illegal by the government… except for one night a year. High school seniors, Griffin, Hags and Andrew make a pilgrimage to get to the best party in town where all their dreams will come true… Sure they will have to avoid their crazed principal, violent siblings, and the wild animals roaming the streets, but that’s all part of the fun! Their friendship will be tested, love live’s will be rattled and their brains completely scrambled. One thing is for sure, no one’s life is EVER the same after participating in The Binge!
The Binge, which stars Skyler Gisondo, Eduardo Franco, Dexter Darden, Vince Vaughn, Grace Van Dien and Zainne Saleh, premieres on Hulu on August 28.
Cashing in on the added attention from his inclusion in XXL‘s 2020 Freshman Class, Atlanta trap star Lil Keed has found an intriguing way to promote his recently released album, Trapped On Cleveland 3: A zombie-bashing video game set on Cleveland Ave. The game sees the player take over an animated Keed with a Friday The 13th-esque mask to take out hordes of the undead with a chainsaw, shotgun, and dynamite. The rapper also teased a special prize for the top scorers. Of course, the leaderboards are already jumping up by 10k at a time, so you may want to get started.
Trapped On Cleveland: The Game is out now in the iTune store. I got a special prize for the top scores.
In addition to receiving a placement on the most coveted cover in hip-hop, Keed was blessed with one of the more influential co-signs during his recent tour to promote his last project, Long Live Mexico. When Drake popped out from backstage during Keed’s stop at the Novo in downtown LA, the message was clear: Pay attention to this kid, he’s going places. His clever use of the Trapped On Cleveland to promote his music just shows he’s thinking a few steps ahead.
Of course, he’s not the first rapper to put out a mobile game to promote a new album. Fellow ATLiens Earthgang released the game Mirrorland to plug their album of the same name, while the game’s developer, Ant Clemons, also put out the fun Lil Ye Land featuring a cutesy Kanye avatar. Drake and Lil Wayne also released a simple fighting game to promote their Drake Vs. Lil Wayne tour in 2014. Maybe that’s where Keed got the idea.
Check out the trailer for Keed’s Trapped On Cleveland: The Game above and listen to his new album, Trapped On Cleveland 3, here.
Tennessee whiskey is, by its very design, a more refined version of bourbon. And things don’t typically taste worse the more refined they become. For me (as someone who drinks a fair amount of whiskey for a living), the juice from Tennessee is more interesting to me (in general) than its Kentucky cousin. Both because of that refinement and the relative scarcity of the stuff compared to the much more ubiquitous bourbon.
What sets Tennessee whiskey apart from Kentucky’s bourbon is one step in the entire distilling/bottling process. For the most part, Tennessee whiskeys and ryes have to follow the same rules as standard bourbons and ryes. Except for a bottle to be called a “Tennessee” whiskey or rye, it has to go through the Lincoln County Process. This is a filtration step — usually before aging — where the hot juice is run through or steeped with sugar maple charcoal, to add more depth of flavor and color to the juice. This process was popularized by the legendary first master distiller of Jack Daniel’s distillery, Nathan “Nearest” Green. (Just to be clear, “Tennessee bourbon” does not have to go through the Lincoln County Process. It’s usually just bourbon made in Tennessee.)
If you’re feeling a little burned out on Kentucky’s signature tipple, it might be time to put down the bourbon and reach for a bottle of whiskey from Tennessee that’s newer to your palate. To help you get into the style in a little more depth, I’m calling out eight bottles I dig. Some of these are going to be pretty easy to find, others… not so much.
Still, tracking down a good bottle of booze in half the fun.
ABV: 46.5% Distillery: Nearest Green Distillery, Shelbyville, TN (Sourced) Average Price:$45
The Whiskey:
This label, which celebrates Uncle Nathan “Nearest” Green and his achievements in Tennessee whiskey, is a great entry point into the style. The juice is sourced but the barrels are hand-selected by descendants of the Green family who still work either for Uncle Nearest or Jack Daniel’s.
Tasting Notes:
The nose comes in a mildly sweet with a note of earthiness and clear vanilla. That vanilla carries on, as a nice spice kicks in alongside a tart fruit edge. The sip holds onto the cinnamon spice as light flourishes of more fruit and even florals dance in the background on a lingering finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a very solid bottle for mixing cocktails. Try it in an old fashioned and go from there.
Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey
Nelson
ABV: 45.5% Distillery: Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, Nashville, TN Average Price:$30
The Whiskey:
Nelson’s Green Brier is on the frontline along with Uncle Nearest in bringing the spotlight back to Tennessee whiskeys. This signature expression from the shingle uses a corn base with a dose of wheat and malted barley — essentially making this an analog to a “wheated” bourbon. The juice is slowly filtered with sugar maple charcoal before aging in new oak until it’s just right.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel apples spiked with sharp cinnamon mingle with an oily vanilla bean pod. The cinnamon, apple, and caramel carry on through the taste as a sense of dark chocolate powder ebbs late. The sweetness edges towards a wet brown sugar that pushes the tart apple and cinnamon into baked apple crumble territory, with a fleeting hint of dark berries on the very end.
Bottom Line:
I dig this stuff a lot. I use it mostly for highballs with soft mineral water to help all those notes really shine.
Davidson Reserve Tennessee Whiskey
Davidson Reserve
ABV: 48% Distillery: Pennington Distillery, Nashville, TN Average Price:$35
The Whiskey:
Davidson Reserve from Pennington’s stills in Nashville is a Tennessee whiskey version of a “high-rye” bourbon. The corn and rye are the stars of this mash with a small supporting role from malted barley. The juice is filtered and then spends at least four years in the barrel before it’s blended into small-batch bottlings.
Tasting Notes:
Crème brûlée covered in fresh strawberries draw you into this sip. The sweetness is pure maple syrup that supports a baked peach fruitiness alongside notes of mild nutmeg and flicker of pineapples baked into sugar cookies. The warming end embraces all the fruit as a quick flash of fresh mint arrives right at the end to close things out.
Bottom Line:
This is a great cocktail base to have on hand. All that fruit and a little bit of mint make it work well in a whiskey smash or mint julep.
George Dickel Bottled in Bond Distilling Tennessee Whisky
Master distiller Nicole Austin might be one of the sharpest distillers working today. Case in point, this bottled-in-bond release highlights Austin’s keen sense for when whiskey is ready for the bottle. This expression spent eleven years aging in Cascade Hollow’s rickhouses under bonded supervision before it was filtered and bottled under Austin’s watchful eye.
Tasting Notes:
Christmas spices and pecan pie greets you. The sip stays bold with a sense of tart apple orchards next to bushels of sweet red berries as notes of vanilla pop up alongside a continued sense of all those spices. The fattiness of the nuts peeks in again as the fruit mellows into a buttery and spicy cobbler.
Bottom Line:
I drink this stuff on the rocks mostly. Though if it’s around the holidays, this becomes the go-to Manhattan base, with a nice and herbal sweet vermouth.
Fugitives Grandgousier Tennessee Whiskey
Fugitives Spirits
ABV: 47% Distillery: Nashville Craft Distillery, Nashville, TN Average Price:$60
The Whiskey:
This single barrel expression is all about the grain-to-glass experience of Tennessee. The mash uses a Hickory Cane heirloom corn that was cultivated in the area long before Europeans showed up. They also use Irish malted barley to round out the mash bill before small-batch copper pot distillation. The juice is then filtered with their own sugar maple charcoal. Then the juice goes into the barrels until it’s just right.
Tasting Notes:
Roasted corn cobs dance next to caramel covered apples and a hint of freshly baked biscuits dripping with butter. That buttery biscuit note carries on as flavors of fruit, vanilla, and spice mingle on the palate. The sip ends slowly with a return of the corn and caramel as a faint wisp of smoke.
Bottom Line:
If you can get your hands on this one, try it as a sipper with a single rock or few drops of water.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey
Jack Daniel
ABV: 47% Distillery: Jack Daniels Distillery, Lynchburg, TN (Brown-Forman) Average Price:$50
The Whiskey:
You can’t have a list of Tennessee whiskeys without Jack Daniel’s … you just can’t. This expression is a great highlight for the mammoth brand. Each bottle is hand-selected from the upper floors of the rickhouses. Each barrel is selected for its character and depth that best represents what a great dram of Jack can be and is then bottled individually.
Tasting Notes:
Toasted oak is the dominant note up front with a hint of dark spice and maple sugar. Subtle vanilla sits next to a very slight essence of banana as the spice and wood continue to be the center of the sip. The spice gets a little peppery on the end as the vanilla marries to the toasted oak before the sip slowly fades away with one last gasp of fruit.
Bottom Line:
I tend to drink this with a single rock, though I’ve been known to use it as a cocktail base as well.
Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey
Collier and McKeel/Drizly
ABV: 43% Distillery: Pennington Distilling, Nashville, TN Average Price:$55
The Whiskey:
As much as Jack Daniel’s feels like and an “old school” whiskey, Collier and McKeel really feels like a throwback (even though it’s not, really). The rye in the all-locally-sourced mash bill helps to amp up the distillate. But it’s really the slow, drip-by-drip sugar maple charcoal filtration that comes to define this dram.
Tasting Notes:
There are clear notes of bourbon vanilla, caramel, and oak up top. Hints of honey mingle with notes of apple, worn leather, and a distant whiff of pipe tobacco smoke. The sip holds onto that thin smoke as it hits the honey-sweetness and bourbon-y notes again on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This makes for an exceedingly interesting highball base… if you can find it.
Clayton James Tennessee Whiskey
Tenn South Distillery
ABV: 45% Distillery: Tenn South Distillery, Lynnville, TN Average Price:$35
The Whiskey:
This wheated Tennessee whiskey takes things very slow. The tiny craft distillery really focuses on the Lincoln County Process by taking that step their own way. Instead of slowly dripping their hot juice through the charcoal, they steep the whiskey with the charcoal under high-pressure conditions for a solid week. This adds some serious depth to the dram that really highlights what that sugar maple charcoal filtration can do.
Tasting Notes:
Blooming fruit orchards — peach, pear, cherry, apple — greet you with big notes of vanilla and caramel. The sweetness of the sip leans towards a Grade A maple syrup stewing all those fruits with dashes of dark spices and a billow of smoky wood. Then the sip takes a turn, offering up an almost vegetal note with a savory herbal touch that somehow works before the end embraces the spice, fruits, and mild smoke on the medium-length finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a fascinating sip that works in any application, especially a highball.
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