Month: March 2021

It’s been four years since Kali Masi released their debut full-length Wind Instrument. For their sophomore effort, they returned to the studio with Jay Maas of legendary melodic hardcore band Defeater with a refined punk rock aesthetic ripe with intense hooks and heavy instrumentals. [laughs] is all about finding the strength to be unequivocally yourself, and is another impressive release from the Chicago-based punks.

To celebrate the new album, vocalist and guitarist Sam Porter sat down to talk Instagram, ’90s movies, and gift giving techniques in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Heartfelt, Urgent, Holistic, Smart.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I’d like to be remembered for having integrity and a dynamic body of work that has a piece in it for everyone. I’d love to have no song worth skipping at the end of our road.

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

Tough to say. I love something different about every city. Some highlights are definitely Philadelphia, Fort Collins, Hamburg, and Edinburgh.

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

I’m super inspired by Laura Jane Grace, Joe Strummer, and Carrie Brownstein. I think those three people are really boundless in their creative explorations and don’t give a fuck about rules. That’s been inspiring to me.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Rolberto’s Taco Shop, San Diego, CA.

What album do you know every word to?

The first three Against Me! LP’s. Runner up = CTRL by SZA.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

The Hives at the Metro in Chicago. White Suit-era.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Dirty jeans, an old t-shirt and new sneakers. Nothing to overthink or malfunction, probably not going to slip and fall.

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

I think we all fell in love with Jordan Firstman a bit this year. He makes me laugh pretty hard. I love seeing Reuben Wu’s photography and watching his process for his landscape photography. A small account that I love is my_bloody_quarantine. A friend of ours has been making these ABSURD bloody Mary’s with way too many ingredients (five small pizzas? Several burgers?) throughout quarantine and it’s really funny to me.

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

At some point in every tour, someone usually puts on Transplants self-titled. It’s probably something from that!

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Transplants 2002, because I wasn’t certain it was self-titled or called ‘2002’!

What album makes for the perfect gift?

I always try to give people things that help them grow in some ways, not just STUFF. I actually have an acronym that I use to brainstorm gift ideas. It’s really cheesy but its always helpful! Gives Inspiration For Transformation.

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

Uhhhhhh, first couple that come to mind: abandoned mattress store in Austin, TX. There were no beds to sleep on? Super Happy Fun Land Houston, TX (if you know, you know). Some girl gave us the keys to her flat after our first UK show. She didn’t come with us, she just gave us the keys!! Packing many people into many motel rooms suitable for only one person. In the van when it is outrageously hot.

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

First tattoo: Lyrics to a song by my older brothers band on my chest. I’ve since been covering it up, the lyrics are great but the tattoo is not great. The artist who did it actually was responsible for having the shop he worked at shut down the same year I got the tattoo. He tattooed an MLB baseball team’s logo on someone backwards and they sued.

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

I always sing along to Lana, I’ll stick around when Foo Fighters come on as well. Not ashamed to admit it.

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

I’m a Type 1 diabetic and I have an insulin pump on me at all times. My mom sewed these little pump-sized pockets on my underwear for Christmas for me one year because she knows I love walking around in my underwear but couldn’t do it without having to carry the pump. It was so sweet! I cried.

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

Hey Sam- those people you think are wrong? Yeah, they’re wrong. You’re different. Embrace it.

What’s the last show you went to?

Joyce Manor Acoustic Matinee in Denver, CO at Ratio Brewing. They were so hungover but it was so fun.

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

My Cousin Vinny, Clueless, That Thing You Do.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

Probably some dope vegan Middle-Eastern food while I ask him why he bombed so many innocent middle eastern civilians during his time in office.

[laughs] is out now on Take This To Heart Records. Listen here.

DeMarcus Cousins has not been the force this season that he used to be earlier in his career. Before he was waived by the Houston Rockets, Cousins shot less than 40 percent from the field while averaging career lows in points and rebounds. A mix of injuries and an inability to find the right fit have led to Cousins seeking out his fourth team in the last three seasons — he was technically part of the Lakers’ championship team last season, but an ACL injury sidelined him for the entire season.

Cousins’ career could be at the point of no return if he doesn’t find a landing spot soon, but one team is willing to give him a shot. According to reports, the Clippers are reportedly interested in signing Cousins to a 10-day contract, and he’ll join the team after he clears COVID testing protocols.

This could be an interesting spot for Cousins. While he hasn’t been impressive this season, there would be no need for Cousins to do too much on the Clippers. They have plenty of players who can create with the ball in their hands like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Reggie Jackson, and Nicolas Batum, and thanks to the play of Ivica Zubac and Serge Ibaka, he presumably will not be asked to play major minutes.

With this being a 10-day contract, it’s obviously low risk for the Clippers, but it will be essential for Cousins to prove that he still has something in the tank. If he can make it work, it’s not hard to foresee the 30-year-old big man using this signing as a chance to land somewhere next season.

Miley Cyrus is currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of the premiere of her breakout TV series, Hannah Montana. And what better way to celebrate a defining career moment than with cold, hard cash? Cyrus shared that she’s teaming up with the money transfer app Cash App to give away $1 million worth of stocks to fans.

The giveaway kicked off Wednesday and continues until April 13, or until the entirety of the one million dollars is fully allocated. To participate, fans must simply comment their favorite company or stock along with their Cash App username on any one of Miley’s social media posts. The winners will be selected at random, and they’ll be able to hold fractional stocks in various publicly traded companies.

Announcing the partnership, Cyrus wrote: “Nothing is more important than investing in yourself. I want to spread ownership to as many people as I can, so I’m teaming up with @CashApp to give out $1 MILLION in stocks.”

Cyrus isn’t the first musician to partner with Cash App for a massive giveaway. Back in August, Megan Thee Stallion teamed up with the platform to celebrate the success of her joint Cardi B track “WAP” by similarly giving away $1 million to fans.

Find more information on the giveaway’s rules here.

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

It’s one of the all-time great tweets: “Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it.” Matt Gaetz is Twitter’s main character today.

The Florida congressman is the focus of a Justice Department investigation “over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him,” according to the New York Times. Gaetz was on Tuesday’s episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight for what host Tucker Carlson called “one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted,” and a tweet of his came back to him in the butt(head). The poor timing keeps coming: the job search site Daybook posted a listing for an intern in Gaetz’s office, hours after the New York Times report came out. The jokes write themselves.

It reads:

In the Washington, DC office, internships run throughout the fall, spring, or summer semesters for college students. Although all internships in all offices are unpaid, students gain invaluable work experience. The hours are flexible to accommodate students’ hectic course schedules, but generally run 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. when Congress is in session, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when not in session… In Washington, DC, interns’ responsibilities will vary. They may be asked to answer phones, run errands, research legislation for the Member and legislative staff, attend hearings and briefings and answer constituent letters on various issues before the House. As a result, interns learn about the legislative process and the many other functions of a congressional office.

The listing (and tweet) went viral, but it wasn’t because of an abundance of applications:

Gaetz has previously been accused of creating a game where he would get points for “sleeping with aides, interns, lobbyists, and married legislators.”

(Via Raw Story)

Ever since breaking out in 2019 thanks to his feature on Polo G’s “Pop Out,” Bronx, New York rapper Lil Tjay has carried himself with a superlative level of self-confidence, as seen on his debut album True 2 Myself released later that year. That confidence carries over into the title of his upcoming album Destined 2 Win, as well as its latest single, “Born 2 Be Great,” which Tjay shared today ahead of the album’s Friday release.

Sticking to his usual complement of somber keys, Tjay reflects on the self-possession that has allowed him to maneuver his way to the upper echelons of the rap game, surprising many but never himself. As he croons on the chorus, “I was born to be great / And I won’t let nobody tell me I ain’t.”

“Born 2 Be Great” is just the latest part of an impressive rollout that has included the 6lack-featuring “Calling My Phone” and the Polo G reunion “Headshot” with fellow New Yorker Fivio Foreign. The only hiccup was Tjay’s December arrest for possession of marijuana and grand larceny but he’s already cruised past that legal trouble to release two music videos for the above-mentioned singles.

Listen to “Born 2 Be Great” above.

Destined 2 Win is due on 4/2 via Columbia Records. You can pre-save it here.

Squirrel Flower isn’t too far removed from her debut Polyvinyl album, I Was Born Swimming, which came out last year. She’s already prepared to follow that album up, though, as she has announced a new record, Planet (i), which is set for release on June 25.

This news comes with a new single, a mid-tempo alt-rocker called “Hurt A Fly.” Squirrel Flower says of the tune:

“‘Hurt A Fly’ is me embodying a persona of gaslighting, narcissistic soft-boy type sh*t. The classic ‘sorry I acted violently, I’m not mad that you got upset at me, wanna hang out next week?’ I wanted to see what it was like to be a character trying to skirt around accountability. It’s an angry and unhinged song, and for the video I wanted to be inside a bubble writhing around and trying to get out. A stranger filmed me practicing choreography at a public park, submitted it to a meme page making fun of ‘influencers,’ and the video got 1,000,000 views, which in my mind is perfect thematically.”

Press materials note the album is titled after a “made-up name for the new planet people will inevitably settle and destroy after leaving Earth, as well as the universe imagined within her music” and that the record is “a love letter to disaster in every form imaginable.”

Watch the “Hurt A Fly” video above and and check out the Planet (i) art and tracklist below. Also revisit our Indie Mixtape 20 interview with Squirrel Flower from last year here.

1. “I’ll Go Running”
2. “Hurt A Fly”
3. “Deluge In The South”
4. “Big Beast”
5. “Roadkill”
6. “Iowa 146”
7. “Pass”
8. “Flames And Flat Tires”
9. “To Be Forgotten”
10. “Desert Wildflowers”
11. “Night”
12. “Starshine”

Planet (i) is out 6/25 via Polyvinyl. Pre-order it here.

A series of Instagram DMs in which he, among other things, addressed the recipient with homophobic words has drawn an apology from Kevin Durant. Actor and personality Michael Rapoport posted a private correspondence on his Twitter account that he received from Durant back in December in which the Brooklyn Nets star sent, as Rapoport called them, “threats and disgusting messages.”

You can click the link here to see what Durant had to say, but as a warning, he did step over the line in a number of the words he used to convey what he thought about Rapoport sending out a tweet in which he called Durant “super sensitive” following his highly-publicized interview with the Inside the NBA team in which Durant was not particularly talkative.

Following the DMs appearing on Rapoport’s Twitter account, Durant responded, saying that this is normal banter between people like himself and Rapoport and that anything he said that Rapoport did not like was “my bad.”

It is unclear if the NBA will pay this any mind, although due to the fact that Durant used a series of anti-gay slurs in addressing Rapoport, it is plausible that he could be subject to discipline, which the league has doled out in the past.

Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.

Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of March below.

Neil Young — After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary Edition)

It’s been over 50 years since the release of one of Young’s most classic albums, and following an anniversary release in 2020 was a deluxe vinyl box set this month. Aside from the storied album itself, the set also includes goodies like a 7-inch single featuring two versions of album outtake “Wonderin’” and a litho print of the album art. If After The Gold Rush is somehow missing from your vinyl collection, here’s a chance to own perhaps the definitive version of it.

Get it here.

Chet Baker — (Chet Baker Sings) It Could Happen To You, Chet Baker In New York, Chet, and Chet Baker Plays The Best Of Lerner And Loewe

Chet Baker was one of the most respected jazz artists of the ’50s, and now a quartet of his beloved albums are available on new vinyl rereleases. The albums featured in this collection were originally released between 1958 and 1959, which is a lesson in productivity at a high level. For these reissues, the albums were cut from their original analog master tapes, so this is as high quality a listening experience as possible.

Get them here.

Tokyo Police Club — Champ (10th Anniversary Edition)

Tokyo Police Club broke through in the mid-2000s with their debut EP A Lesson In Crime and their debut album, Elephant Shell. They followed that run with their most commercially successful release, the sophomore album Champ, which turned ten in 2020 and is getting a COVID-delayed rerelease this year. The new edition of the album (the first time it has been pressed on vinyl) includes goodies like the previously unreleased track “Hundred Dollar Day.”

Get it here.

The Clean — Unknown Country and Mister Pop (reissues)

The New Zealand group was an inspirational force behind many beloved indie musicians, and now a pair of highlights from their discography are getting fresh rereleases via Merge Records. The albums — originally released in 1996 and 2009, respectively — are now available on vinyl in the US for the first time, and Merge also offers a t-shirt bundle to let fans rep the band on both their turntables and torsos.

Get Unknown Country here. Get Mister Pop here.

First Aid Kit — Who By Fire

Leonard Cohen left behind a legacy as profound as that of perhaps any artist who has left too soon in recent years. First Aid Kit have decided to honor that with Who By Fire, a live tribute album released in honor of the late legend. The album was recorded over two performances and the duo says of those shows, “We recently listened back to this concert and realized that this was something out of the ordinary for us. […] Dwelling deeply into Cohen’s world was a pleasure, he was so prolific as both a poet and a songwriter, and everything he ever put out held a very strong standard. He cared immensely for his work.”

Get it here.

Meow Mix — Meow ReMix: The Meow Remix Sessions

The Meow Mix jingle was first introduced in television ads in the ’70s, and after all those years, the iconic tune is still one of the most recognizable jingles in all of marketing. Now the brand has celebrated the song’s legacy with a vinyl release that features modern reinterpretations of the song in varying styles. Participating in the project are Luna (delivering a pop rendition of the track), Heart & Paws (country), Gatocito (Latin), Endless Hiss (black metal), and Sweet Teddy Pepperpaw (jazz).

Get it here.

Green Day — Insomniac (20th Anniversary Edition)

It’s been 25 years since Green Day dropped their fourth full-length album, an anniversary they’re celebrating with a fancy new vinyl reissue. It’s available on gorgeous translucent orange vinyl as a double LP, and aside from looking fantastic, the album has been remastered and is accompanied by eight new live tracks.

Get it here.

MIA — Kala (Vinyl Me, Please reissue)

Vinyl Me, Please is delivering a huge release as one of their records of the month for April: MIA’s most enduring and commercially successful album, her sophomore effort Kala. This exclusive variation of the album is pressed on vibrant neon purple and green vinyl as a 2-LP release, has been remastered, and comes with a booklet of listening notes to further enhance the experience of the album. VMP also put out special pressings on two other MIA albums this month, but those have already sold out.

Get it here.

Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett — Her (Original Score)

The Joaquin Phoenix- and Scarlett Johansson-starring film Her came out way back in 2013, but it took about eight years for Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett’s score of the film to get a standalone release. The music here earned a nomination for Best Original Score at the 2014 Academy Awards and Win Butler says of it, “There is a mysterious alchemy in the way sound and picture work together, notes and moods shifting and reacting to one another like a kaleidoscope… And even in the absence of visuals, the emotional landscape still remains.”

Get it here.

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

In a new interview, Pusha T provides a wealth of updates on his highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Daytona. Appearing on the Instagram Live show Behind The Velvet Rope Tuesday night, Pusha told the host Biddy that the project is nearly complete. He also revealed the probable length of 12 songs, admitted he didn’t have a title for the album yet, and promised that it will be “the best album that drops in 2021.”

The only thing yet to be completed, according to Pusha, is a collaboration with Daytona‘s sole producer Kanye West. “I’m working on the album right now,” he said. “I haven’t titled it. Probably 12 [songs]. I usually don’t do a lot of extras. I feel like I have some extras right now but I’m gonna keep 12… I gotta go sit in with ’Ye for a little bit but other than that it’s just these 12.”

Of course, locking down the elusive Kanye for a session might be easier said than done. While the producer’s versatility has given him the longevity to outlast a dry spell musically, it also means his attention is being pulled in multiple directions by several projects currently in the works — among them, his own Donda album, his deal with Gap, and his pending divorce from Kim Kardashian.

However, when the two do get back together, Kanye and Pusha have shown that they can make some world-stopping music. Until then, we also have Pusha’s potential projects with Madlib and Tyler The Creator to look forward to, while The Neptunes are also rumored to be on this upcoming project, as well.

After Grimes made $6 million in one day for selling a collection of digital art as NFTs, musicians have been following suit and trying to break into the cryptocurrency art business. Artists like Diplo, Rico Nasty, and Halsey have released artwork as NFTs and now, The Weeknd is the latest to get into the game by hosting an NFT auction.

On Wednesday, The Weeknd officially announced his cryptocurrency auction, which he had previously teased. Items that will be up for sale include exclusive digital artwork and even an unreleased song.

About his decision to join the NFT marketplace The Weeknd said:

“Blockchain is democratizing an industry that has historically been kept shut by the gatekeepers. I’ve always been looking for ways to innovate for fans and shift this archaic music biz and seeing NFT’s allowing creators to be seen and heard more than ever before on their terms is profoundly exciting. I intend to contribute to this movement and can see that very soon it will be weaved into the music industry’s mechanics”

Echoing The Weeknd’s statement, Nifty Gateway Co-Founder Duncan Cock-Foster said: “The Weeknd’s entry into the NFT space marks a seminal moment in NFT history. One of the most influential R&B singers of our generation creating in this new medium is huge validation for the entire NFT space. We’re thrilled to present this unique, beautiful collection to the world.”

Check out a preview of The Weeknd’s NFT auction items above.

The sale starts 4/3 at 2 p.m. EST on Nifty Gateway. Find more information here.