Month: May 2021

For a guy who firmly believed he could derail democracy and overturn a presidential election just a few months ago, Rudy Giuliani is having a really rough time of it right now.

The head of former President Donald Trump’s “legal strike force” found himself on the receiving end of a billion-dollar lawsuit from Dominion, the voting system company whose name he trashed in the press after the 2020 Election earlier this year and now, he’s in even hotter water. More hot water? The hottest water? Yes.

Recently, news broke that the Feds raided the Manhattan home and office of the former New York mayor as part of a criminal investigation looking into Giuliani’s ties with Ukraine. Now, we know what they were searching for. Agents seized 10 cellphones and computers from Giuliani’s residences in an effort to see just how deep his connections with foreign officials and agents went during Trump’s presidency. They’re specifically interested in whether Giuliani acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Trump and had a hand in the 2019 ousting of Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Most of the people on that list of names are dignitaries, political leaders, prosecutors, and millionaires from the country — people Giuliani may have also tapped to dig up dirt on President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, during the election last year.

All of this looks really bad for the unofficial Four Seasons Total Landscaping mascot, but the latest statement Giuliani’s lawyer made to the press only makes the whole thing worse. In an unsealed letter filed by Bob Costello, the attorney claims his client is being treated like “the head of a drug cartel or a terrorist” as part of a coordinated attack meant to permanently damage Giuliani’s reputation and that of his most famous client, Donald Trump.

“Unfortunately for Giuliani, and even more unfortunately for the attorney-client privilege and executive deliberation privilege, and the public’s perception that those privileges are real, the SDNY simply chose to treat a distinguished lawyer as if he was the head of a drug cartel or a terrorist, in order to create maximum prejudicial coverage of both Giuliani, and his most well-known client—the former President of the United States,” the letter reads. “The search of an attorney’s office should be done rarely and only under extraordinary circumstances. Otherwise, such high profile and heavily publicized searches such as those of President Trump’s attorneys will just continue to erode and finally extinguish citizen reliance that communications for legal advice are really seriously protected.”

It seems that Giuliani’s biggest gripe with the raid is the information that may be stored on his iCloud account — documents and communications he believes should fall under attorney-client privilege. Whether this means Trump did have a hand in Giuliani’s dealings with Ukraine or not isn’t clear, but it’s a pretty good bet that neither man is happy that the Feds have their hands on those communications from last year.

Now, if the Department of Justice could also figure out the thinking behind owning that many cellphones, we’ll consider this case closed.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Lil Nas X is one of the most successful and visible gay music stars of the past couple years, thanks both to hits like “Old Town Road” and “Montero (Call My By Your Name)” and to his willingness to speak out about being gay. Now, he has suggested that he might have something in the works for Pride Month, which is celebrated in June.

Taking to Twitter this afternoon, he wrote, “i wanna do something special for homosexual month in a few weeks.”

Since coming out, Lil Nas X has discussed his sexuality on a number of occasions. Recently, for example, he talked about the possibility of alienating his straight fans, saying that this doesn’t bother him anymore: “At first I was really afraid of alienating any of my straight fans. But then it was kind of like, if they feel offended, they were never really here for me. They were here for whatever version of myself they made up in their head.”

Over the weekend, he also teased the video for his next single, “Sun Goes Down.” He wrote of it, “in the ‘sun goes down’ video i go back in time to visit a younger version self who’s struggling inside, hating himself, & doesn’t want to live anymore. i try my best to uplift him. can’t wait to share this song and video with you guys on friday. this one is really special to me.”

We’ve been spending a lot of time calling out our favorite Scotch whiskies at every price point between $30 and $500 this year. Over the course of that journey, we’ve named 130 bottles of scotch that we fully and 100% vouch for. But as drilled down as those lists hope to be, that’s still a lot of scotch to sort through. So to narrow it down even further, we’re picking the single best bottle (in our opinion) at each one of those price points.

The litmus for picking these 13 bottles is very simple. First, each one of these whiskies was in one of our previous price point posts. Second, these are the best-tasting Scotch whiskies in their respective price points that we know of. The bottles we reach for and truly stand behind as the best of the best.

Naturally, there are thousands of bottles that didn’t make this list. That’s not to say those bottles aren’t good and there are still plenty we haven’t tried. But these are our “best in class” picks… for now. If they make you thirst, click on the prices to try them for yourself. At the very least, you’re going to be expanding your whisky knowledge and palate.

$30-$40 — Chivas Regal 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Whisky:

This Highland whisky is built around the famed Strathisla Distillery. The whisky is crafted to work as a sipper or mixer, with real complexity built-in. It really shines in both respects.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a matrix of oak, nuts, malts, and fruit up top. The fruitiness leans into orchards in full bloom as a minerality drives the taste towards spicy tobacco with a hint of creamy vanilla. The oak peeks back in with a little more maltiness, as the end slowly fades alongside a mild chewiness.

Bottom Line:

Chivas is the classic “scotch on the rocks” whisky. While we dig it in that format, this is also one of the better highball whiskies out there. In the end, this is quality whisky that’s as easy to find as it’s easy to drink.

$40-$50 — Glenmorangie The Original 10

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $46

The Whisky:

Glenmorangie The Original is the ultimate gateway scotch, especially to the Highland brand’s long list of specialty finished whiskies. This juice spends ten long years resting in ex-bourbon casks before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Peaches swimming in creamy vanilla are countered by a rush of bright lemon zest. The palate really lets the vanilla shine with a mild maltiness next to hints of dried flowers and orange rinds. That orange lightens on the medium-length end as the vanilla fades with a hint of spice and wood, leaving you with a final burst of that bright citrus and creamy peach.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty easy to get into as an “on the rocks” sipper. Where this expression really shines, though, is as a cocktail base. The subtle citrus, vanilla, and spice hold their own in a Penicillin or boulevardier very well.

$50-$60 — Laphroaig 10

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $59

The Whisky:

This might be one of the most “classic” Islay smoky whiskies on the shelf. The craft behind this whisky is a blend of the unique Islay peat (used to smoke the malts) and the influence of the sea, which laps at the distillery’s outer walls.

Tasting Notes:

The smoke is what greets you with a hint of fruity wood, creating an almost sweet smoke next to a hint of anise and maybe some Band-Aid scent (not in a bad way!). The palate holds onto the smoke while adding a wet seaweed brininess next to hints of vanilla cream, peppery spice, and soft oak. The end really amps up the smokiness while holding onto the iodine of the sea with a final note of salted toffee.

Bottom Line:

This really is a love/hate whisky. We’d argue that if you let it bloom with a little water or a rock, you’ll find something truly special in the glass — but you have to like smoke. If you’re really not sure about smoky whisky, then this is at least affordable enough that you won’t feel too bad if you don’t end up finishing the bottle.

For us, this really shines in an Edinburgh sour with a nice dose of lime juice, egg white, and simple syrup to balance all that smoky iodine.

$60-$70 — Johnnie Walker Green Label

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $66

The Whisky:

The blend is a “pure malt” blended whisky, meaning that it’s made only with single malts (usually blended scotch is made with both grain and malt whisky). In this case, the juice is pulled from all over Scotland with a focus on Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and Island malts, including a minimum of 15-year-old Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.

Tasting Notes:

This sip draws you in with the smells of an old, soft cedar box that’s held black pepper, sweet fruits, and oily vanilla pods next to a hint of green grass. The taste really holds onto the cedar as the fruits lean tropical with a hint of dried roses pinging in the background. The end builds on that by adding a note of spicy tobacco, a splash of sea spray, and a distant billow of campfire smoke.

Bottom Line:

A lot of people love this bottle (us included). If you can find it, it makes one of the best highballs you’ll ever taste while also working perfectly well as a sipper on the rocks or a cocktail base.

$70-$80 — Oban Little Bay

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $78

The Whisky:

This expression from the tiny-yet-legendary Oban distillery is a highwater mark in whisky-making. The single malt is a blend of whisky matured in American and European oak barrels touched by sherry. The juice is then batched and instead of being vatted in a big tun, then it’s re-barreled in small-format barrels for a final maturation before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with a spicy, fruity, and nutty Christmas cake next to bright pops of red berries, pear, and apricot. The candied orange from the Christmas cake rises to the surface on the taste, next to ripe pears, and the feel and taste of salted dark chocolate just touched by mint.

The finish is slow and so mild — with that salted chocolate vibe carrying on towards a final touch of that Christmas cake in all its glory.

Bottom Line:

We’re pretty big fans of Oban around these parts and this dram is a great example of why. It’s smooth with a capital “S” and only gets better and more unique as you take your time nosing and tasting over and over again (just don’t forget the drops of water).

$80-$90 — Ardbeg Uigeadail

ABV: 54.2%

Average Price: $84

The Whisky:

“Oog-a-dal!” This dram, also from Islay, is a blend of old and young single malts aged in ex-sherry casks with ones aged in ex-bourbon casks. The final product is a single malt that’s deeply flavored yet still approachable.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a definite peat smoke on the nose but it’s kissed with sea brine and counterpointed by notes of holiday cake stuffed with candied orange, fatty nuts, dried fruit, and plenty of dark spice. Those spices marry to the smoke as the palate sweetens with toffee and becomes almost like silk with a rich choco-tobacco chew arriving late, bringing a buzz to the tongue. The end really embraces that chew as notes of toffee, dried fruit, and spice lurk behind the billows of briny smoke.

Bottom Line:

Peat aficionados who need more balance than a pure peat bomb will appreciate the touch of sea brine alongside the smoke. Still, this is a bold smoky whisky that’s simply not for everyone.

$90-$100 — Aberlour A’bunadh

ABV: 56.2% (varies)

Average Price: $95

The Whisky:

A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the juice in this Highland bottle represents that for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Olorosso sherry casks exclusively. The juice then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.

Tasting Notes:

That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak. The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla. The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which leads towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.

Bottom Line:

This is a damn-fine sipper. A little ice or few drops of water really helps to open up the deeper bitter chocolate and vanilla edges while holding onto all those fruits. Price aside, this also makes a killer cocktail.

$100-$125 — Lagavulin 16

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $120

The Whisky:

This is an “essential” scotch for any whisk(e)y drinker. The Islay expression harnesses local Port Ellen peated malts to create their smoky whisky. But it’s more than that. Aging on the sea and masterful barreling and blending brings about an Islay whisky that’s about much more than just smoke.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a clear billow of smoke similar to an alder-fueled smoker (placed on a beach), dripping with brisket and salmon fats as it smokes those meats along with all the brown sugar, salts, and spices those meats were brined in. The palate holds onto those notes while drying out, a touch — with mild vanilla and fruit in the background. In the end, the sea salt, fatty smoked beef and salmon, and soft dry woods dominate the palate as this one fades slowly away.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect barbecue or smoked fish pairing whisky. Yes, it’s peaty and smoky but those billows ride along with the richer notes of all that brown sugar, sea salt, and fat. They never overpower the whisky or everything else that’s going on.

Plus, you can’t make a Smoky Cokey without this. The mix of Classic Coca-Cola and Lagavulin 16 in a highball is one of life’s best “this shouldn’t work but it sure as hell does” drinks that you’ll fall in love with from the first sip.

$125-$150 — Aberfeldy 18 Limited Edition

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $130

The Whisky:

This release from late last year is a masterclass in finishing a whisky. The juice is first aged for 18 years in refill bourbon and sherry casks. Then the whisky is transferred to first-fill red wine casks from Pauillac, Bordeaux. The whisky is then proofed with the soft water from a local, gold-flecked river to a very accessible 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

That beautiful creamy honey and vanilla of Aberfeldy greets you with notes of blackberries, soft cedar, and a hint of marzipan and rose water. The palate creates this bowl of vanilla sauce overripe red berries (blackberry and raspberry especially) that’s drizzled with fresh honey next to soft and dry cedar leading to dry grass. The end embraces the fruit and takes on a fermented apricot (not quite a schnapps) vibe, as the honeyed sweetness and nuttiness slowly fade out.

Bottom Line:

Full disclosure, this is my favorite expression from Aberfeldy, so maybe I’m biased. But I’m telling you — this is phenomenal with a single rock in a Glencairn. The berries, honey, almond, cedar all hit just the right balance to be something that’s impossible not to enjoy.

$150-$200 — The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 17 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $155

The Whisky:

The Balvenie continually hits it out of the park with their lineup. This expression spends 17 long years maturing in old American oak before it’s transferred to old sherry casks for about a year more of maturation. The results are then proofed with that soft Speyside water and bottled in the brand’s iconic, stubby bottle.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with a clear sense of Granny Smith apple peels that are still fresh, next to oily vanilla, fresh honey, and a slight touch of cedar. The taste indulges in the vanilla, creating a creaminess, while a deep Christmas cake vibe of dried and candied fruits, almonds, dark spice, and orange arrives. The end is long and luxurious with more of that spicy, nutty, and fruity holiday cake dancing through your senses on the slow fade.

Bottom Line:

This is a crazy easy sipper (as with most of The Balvenie’s roster). Add in an ice cube and really take your time letting this bloom in your nose and on your tongue. It’s the sort of bottle that feels like a celebration dram (though we wish it could be our everyday dram!).

$200-$250 — Talisker 18

ABV: 45.8%

Average Price: $248

The Whisky:

This is a classic single malt that also happens to hold the title of “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” from the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic juice is rendered in Talisker’s bespoke stills and then spends nearly two decades resting in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, like most of the true classic single malts.

Tasting Notes:

This is subtle. The nose has a light yet clear sense of ripe plums, orange oils, buttery toffee, and an almost sour apple next to a distant whiff of briny campfire smoke from one beach over. The orange oils remain on the palate as eggnog spices peek in gently, with hints of that butter toffee driving a rich silkiness. The smoke remains in the distance as the spices warm your senses and the meaty fruit takes the edge off on the slow and satisfying fade.

Bottom Line:

This is a masterpiece. It’s not overly smoky or overly sweet. Instead, you get a perfect balance of everything Scotland has to offer, from both poles of the Scotch whisky experience. From the first sip, it’ll become obvious why this continually wins top whisky awards and has taken home the title of “world’s best whisky.”

$250-$300 — The GlenDronach Parliament Aged 21 Years

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $260

The Whisky:

Don’t let the name fool you. The “parliament” in this case is the collective noun for rooks — a type of European crow that nests above the distillery. That dark essence is rendered in the whisky through 21 long years of maturation in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks exclusively.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lot going on with this nose, starting with blackberry brambles hanging heavy with ripe fruit leading towards a well-spiced oatmeal cookie vibe and cut with hints of orange zest and vanilla. A sticky toffee pudding sweetness arrives (heavy on the dates) with flourishes of bitter dark chocolate notes and a sharp holiday spice matrix. The end is very long but very velvety with hints of dark fruits and spices warming your body as it fades away.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those “ah-ha!” whiskies where you might finally “get” what all the fuss is about when it comes to pricey scotch. This is a phenomenal dram that needs a little time to really open up. So add some good water. Re-nose. Re-taste. Take your time and find the depths within this one.

You won’t be disappointed.

$300-$500 — The Glenlivet XXV

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $456

The Whisky:

This masterpiece from Glenlivet is their iconic whisky that’s left to mature for 25 years. That whisky is then finished in an Olorosso sherry cask for that final chef’s kiss of perfection before going in the bottle at an incredibly accessible 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine the best, most bespoke dark chocolate-covered raisins from a ridiculously expensive chocolate shop and you’ll be on the right track. Those sweets are the foundation for burnt orange peels, Almond Roca candies, and sweet caramel malts with zero edges. The finish is so long that you might still be thinking about it on your death bed thanks to an orange/spice/nutty matrix of silky whisky smoothness.

Bottom Line:

If we were going to spend nearly $500 on a bottle of whisky, this is probably the one we’d pull that trigger on. It’s really that good.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

After taking a little break in the wake of his and Fat’s pregnancy announcement, Tobe Nwigwe and his family return in the elaborate, exuberant video for “Fye Fye.” Debuting the video exclusively on Facebook, Tobe and the gang turn all the way up while representing South West Alief, Texas (aka SWAT, aka “WEEEEEST”), again donning their matching uniforms and employing a small army of dancers on a local outdoor basketball court.

This time around, Tobe’s flow reaches a register normally reserved for college basketball fans after winning a championship game as he shouts out his hometown — literally — and asserts his realness over yet another domineering, bass-heavy production from Lanell Grant. Fat herself appears midway through the video to run rampant all over the beat, proclaiming her toughness, wit, and loyalty as she and the bun in her oven bop along. “I ain’t Kim,” she shouts to close her verse. “Tob’ can’t never go Kanye!”

2021 looks to be a big year for the Nwigwe family. Not only was Tobe booked for The Roots’ 2021 Jam Session in March (with kids and wife in tow, as per usual), he also made his television debut with a performance of “Eat” on JImmy Kimmel Live! Tobe’s always been about progressing with every move, so his next one is sure to be even bigger.

Watch the “Fye Fye” video above.

Slowly but surely, the live music industry is returning to normal. Artists are announcing tour dates and festivals are planning to go ahead with their 2021 events after canceling or postponing in 2020. Even just today has been big for festival news: Pitchfork Music Festival unveiled a big 2021 lineup this morning, and now so too has Bottlerock.

The Napa, California music, wine, food and brew festival is set to return this year, on the weekend of September 3 to 5. Foo Fighters, Stevie Nicks, and Guns N’ Roses have been tapped to headline the weekend. Elsewhere on the poster, rounding out the lineup are Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, G-Eazy, Run The Jewels, Brandi Carlile, Cage The Elephant, Portugal The Man, Young The Giant, Maren Morris, Black Pumas, Future Islands, James Murphy (DJ Set), Jimmy Eat World, Finneas, Polo G, Jack Harlow, Jessie Reyez, Dominic Fike, Chromeo, Mavis Staples, Jon Batiste, Kota The Friend, Village People, Hamilton Leithauser, Joywave, Big Freedia, and Meg Myers, among others.

Tickets for Bottlerock are set to go on sale on May 20 at 10 a.m. PT. More information about the festival can be found on its website.

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

Sebastian Stan understands the assignment, as the Internet saying goes, and he’s been extraordinarily game lately to promote his projects as such. For instance, he recently bared almost all to promote his romantic drama, Monday, and he sang a Beach Boys tune for us while talking about Bucky Barnes. He’s also making headlines lately for his almost-too-good look as Tommy Lee in Hulu’s upcoming Pam and Tommy limited series. Stan’s casting is arguably better than the series ever needed to accomplish, but The Covenant star is proving how committed he is to the Motley Crue drummer role by showing off his “Sunday Workout” to get in fighting shape.

Well, The Rock might technically be posting superior workout videos all the time, but Stan sure can twirl that drumstick like a pro (and he’s got the tongue gesture down, too).

Meanwhile, Stan’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier co-star, Anthony Mackie has revealed that he wasn’t initially feeling this role for his pal. As E! Online reports, Mackie admitted, “I was horrified. I was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re playing Tommy Lee?’” Then he saw photos, and “it’s just humbling when you see your friend, and he succeeds. And he crushed it. I mean, he really was able to transform, and that’s every actor’s dream with every role you play.”

Now one more mystery remains: are the nipple rings, uh, real? If so, that’s more devotion than this role reasonably requires.

Welcome to our roundup of the week’s best streetwear drops! Last week we hit a bit of a slump in the world of streetwear — there just wasn’t enough to talk about. But this week we’re back with all the latest and greatest from the likes of Supreme, Stüssy, Gucci, Stray Rats, Melody Ehsani and more!

We’ve taken a peek at what’s to come next week and it looks like we’re out of slump season as we barrel toward the summer and ready ourselves for our first season outdoors spent with our friends in over a year. Before we hit up any backyard BBQs or camping trips, we’re going to have to gear up with our best fits to make up for all that time we lost. This means you’re going to need a fire pair of kicks too. As always, we’ve got you covered there so be sure to hit our weekly sneaker roundup to complete your new look.

Ready? Let’s go!

Cactus Plant Flea Market x CDG T-Shirt Collection

Cactus Plant Flea Market and COMME des GARÇONS sub-label CDG have linked up to release a pair of simple t-shirts that combine the former label’s playful aesthetic with CDG’s clean minimalism. The graphic t-shirts feature the sun, ying-yang symbols, and flowers along with dual branding and “I’m ok!” text. It’s not the biggest release of the week (it technically came out last week) but if you’re a fan of both brands, it’s an easy choice if you’re in the market for a loud spring-centric graphic t-shirt.

The Cactus Plant Flea Market and CDG T-shirt collection is out now, find the collection at the CDG webstore.

Stüssy Summer 2021 Collection

Quick avert your eyes, Stüssy’s new optical illusion graphic camp collar (also available as a dress) will straight up make you dizzy if you stare at it too long. Eye scrambling aside, Stüssy’s Summer 2021 collection is the best collection the label has dropped all year.

Featuring an extensive amount of men and women’s street and skatewear essentials in a mix of earthy and neutral tones, psychedelic prints, and lots of spring-appropriate floral motifs, Stüssy keeps things fun with heavily layered fabrics, wide-legged pants, some patchwork pieces, and a range of mostly useless accessories. Highlights include the aforementioned optical illusion camp collar and dress, and the knitted sweater, cream-white sweater vest, and all the wide-legged pants.

Wide-legged pants for the win!

The Stüssy Summer 2021 collection is set to drop today at 1 PM EST at the Stüssy webstore.

Gucci Bananya Collection

Gucci has joined forces with anime streaming platform Crunchyroll for a special set of apparel that features characters from the anime Bananya, which is, as you can probably tell, about cute little cats that live in bananas. Are they small cats living in a regular-sized banana or regular-sized cats living in a very large banana? Doesn’t matter.

The full collection consists of seven pieces in spring-friendly colors like bubblegum pink, spring green, and off-white. Rounding out the collection are a Gucci Rhyton and Ace sneaker, and a metal chain necklace adorned with the Bananya crew.

The Crunchyroll x Gucci Bananya collection is available now at the Gucci webstore.

Lazy Oaf OafLeisure (In)Activewear Collection

London-based label Lazy Oaf is known for their lounge-y laid-back style, so the idea of the brand releasing an activewear collection is kind of a joke, a joke the brand is in on as they’ve officially dubbed this an (In)activewear set.

Don’t let that dissuade you, a person can definitely work out in anything from this 14 piece collection, which consists of tracksuits, bralettes, a bodysuit, bike shorts, leggings, and jackets all dressed in monochromatic designs with minimal graphics on a color palette of soft lilac, neon green, and pink. But you could just as soon not work out and you’ll still look good.

This line gives the illusion that you’re someone who works out, and sometimes that’s better than actually, you know, breaking a sweat. The hot days of summer are coming up, we all need to be as comfortable as possible while still looking ready to face the world.

The Lazy Oaf OafLeisure (In)Activewear Collection is out now at the Lazy Oaf webstore.

Timberland x Supreme Spring 2021 Collection

A couple of weeks back Supreme and Nike resurrected the Air Max 96 and it looks like they’re continuing to spread that ‘90s love by linking up with another fixture of the era, Timberland. Released as part of the label’s 11th Spring/Summer 2021 drop, the Timberland collection featured an Anorak with matching track pants in orange, black, white, and purple colorways with dual Timberland and Supreme branding embroidered on the back, accented with 3M detailing throughout.

Rounding out the collection is a set of crewneck sweaters and matching hats.

The Timberland Supreme Spring 2021 collection is out now and is available to shop at the Supreme webstore.

Stray Rats Spring Summer 2021 Collection

Ah Stray Rats, the streetwear brand single-handedly making it appropriate to wear an ugly graphic rat on your clothes. It’s looking like the label got a late start this year as this is the first we’re hearing of the brand in 2021 as they unveil the first delivery of their Spring/Summer 2021 collection. The small collection consists of graphic t-shirts and sweaters with playful stray rat branding.

The collection goes heavy on the graphic detailing, so if you’re on a more minimalistic fashion kick, this probably isn’t the drop for you. On the other hand, if you live with the belief that you can never have too many graphic t-shirts, Stray Rats has got you covered.

Delivery one of Stray Rats Spring Summer 2021 collection is available now at the Stray Rats webstore.

Melody Ehsani Rose Sweatsuit

Melody Ehsani has been quietly killing it all season long offering small drop after small drop of amazing color-heavy insanely-detailed pieces. This week brings a new tie-dye colorway of the label’s classic Rose unisex sweatsuit. Each piece is individually hand-dyed with lime, purple, and blue tones, resulting in a unique dye job for every set.

We dig on that sort of attention to detail, which seems lost in the ever-expanding streetwear space but is a constant in Melody Ehsani’s work. So kudos to M.E. for keeping things legit and handcrafted.

The Melody Ehsani Rose sweater and sweats are available now at the Melody Ehsani webstore.

Adam Sandler provided the voice of Dracula in the first three very good Hotel Transylvania movies, all of which were directed by animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky. Unfortunately, Sandler isn’t returning for the fourth film, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (the “blah blah blah”s will now be provided Brian Hull), but Tartakovsky is back as a screenwriter. Also, Andy Samberg turns into a monster. Well, not actually Andy Samberg. The human character voiced by Andy Samberg turns into a monster, although if Sandler and Samberg want to make a sequel to That’s My Boy where they’re both werewolves, possibly at a bar mitzvah, I would watch that. Just an idea.

Anyway, please enjoy Blobby. Here’s the official plot summary:

Drac and the pack are back, like you’ve never seen them before in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Reunite with your favorite monsters for an all-new adventure that presents Drac with his most terrifying task yet. When Van Helsing’s mysterious invention, the ‘Monsterfication Ray,” goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny becomes a monster! In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it’s too late, and before they drive each other crazy. With help from Mavis and the hilariously human Drac Pack, the heat is on to find a way to switch themselves back before their transformations become permanent.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, which also features the voices of Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Jim Gaffigan, and Molly Shannon, opens on July 23.

Peacock just unveiled the official trailer for its upcoming miniseries, Dr. Death, based on the podcast of the same name, which follows the real-life case of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas surgeon who left a trail of bodies in his wake. In the new miniseries, Joshua Jackson takes on the role of Duntsch while Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater play two colleagues who are struggling to figure out what is going on with the once-celebrated neurosurgeon.

Is Duntsch just that criminally incompetent or is he a psychopath reveling in playing God? More importantly, how did he get away with killing this many people, and how do they stop him?

Here’s the official synopsis:

Based on Wondery’s hit podcast, DR. DEATH is inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. Patients entered his operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries and left permanently maimed or dead. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him. DR. DEATH explores the twisted mind of Dr. Duntsch and the failures of the system designed to protect the most defenseless among us.

Dr. Death premieres this summer on Peacock.

(Via Peacock)

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

Closely following a St. Vincent album rollout is akin to a masterclass in world building. With each album, Annie Clark expertly fine tunes an eccentric protagonist; her 2019 Grammy-nominated Masseduction followed a dominatrix visionary freshly out of a mental hospital while her 2015 self-titled LP laid out the path of a futuristic cult leader. Clark’s previous releases envision a surreal future with cutting-edge guitars, but on her sixth album Daddy’s Home, it’s clear Clark is taking her sound in a different direction.

The beguiling persona Clark built around Daddy’s Home is drawn from the past. Her Masseduction character was deadpan in pleather and hot pink spandex, but this time, Clark dons a blown-out blonde bob and sepia-toned sunglasses. She embodies the elegant and charismatic charm of ‘70s trans icon and Warholian muse Candy Darling, who she even memorializes with a song on the LP. But hiding beneath the shiny polyester and mascara-smeared stoic gaze of Clark’s Daddy’s Home persona is her most personal album to date. A departure from the futuristic sounds heard on her previous releases, Clark’s Daddy’s Home instead looks to history in order to reckon with her own complicated past. The album is Clark’s way of reclaiming her story while offering an earnest examination of how our society romanticizes the archetype of the struggling artist.

Clark is notoriously guarded with her personal life. She’s always found ways to cleverly skirt around direct interview questions about her past, like playing a voice recording on her phone when a journalist asks her a question she’s tired of answering. But any separation built between her music and her personal life came crashing down when she began dating UK supermodel Cara Delevingne around 2015. Once their relationship went public, UK tabloid The Daily Mail scoured through court documents and rang distant family members to uncover any and all information they could about Clark’s life. The tabloid published a piece exposing Clark’s father for being imprisoned on a $43 million stock manipulation charge in 2010, a fact the musician intentionally kept secret in order to protect her younger siblings and privately work through the trauma.

With Daddy’s Home, Clark’s story is no longer under the control of tabloids. She examines the complex feelings around her father’s indictment through the lens of a sleazy struggling artist dwelling in mid-’70s New York City. The visuals released for Daddy’s Home seem to be ripped from the pages of a Patti Smith memoir, arousing the grimy chicness of a broke artist, or as Clark puts it in press materials, “glamor who hasn’t slept in three days.” Each grainy video depicts a half strung-out Clark sulking around a worn-down apartment complex looking effortlessly-cool in muted earth tones and cheap jewelry.

The music on Daddy’s Home is steeped in the same aesthetic. The woozy sitars, sultry back-up vocals, and embellishing jazz flutes draw inspiration from the early ‘70s music Clark grew up listening to. Her album opener and lead single “Pay Your Way To Pain” begins with playful piano keys before breaking down into a fuzzy and entrancing riff. It’s here she introduces her album’s languid protagonist who wanders the streets in search of survival. “You’ve got to pay / Your way in pain / You’ve got to pray / Your way in shame,” she repeats with a hint of sarcasm at the chorus, poking fun at our society’s obsession with hustle culture and the notion one must suffer in order to make it big.

Songs like “Down And Out Downtown” and “Living The Dream” similarly unpack what it means to be a struggling artist. A groovy bassline offers the backbone to the former track, a song where Clark soulfully speaks to the less-than-glamorous act of the early morning walk of shame. “Living The Dream” adds a more personal touch. It’s a fever dream of shimmering sitars opening with her protagonist waking up from a drunken stupor to find themselves in an unfamiliar place. Contending with her creative lifestyle, Clark listlessly asserts, “I can’t live in the dream / The dream lives in me.” The line speaks how essential music is to her life while also examining the concept of lineage and inheritance. Can she avoid some of the traits passed on by her father, or are they inevitable and living dormant inside of her?

Exploring a different facet of her artistry, Clark’s track “The Melting Of The Sun” questions her legacy. Briefly shirking her Daddy’s Home persona, Clark grapples with the duties of being crowned an influential woman in rock music. The sorrowful-yet-heady tune name drops pop culture and famous feminist icons like Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, and Nina Simone, praising the serious sacrifices they made for their art while wondering if she herself is worthy of comparison. The song also pays tribute to Marilyn Monroe, someone who became an era’s symbol of beauty while quietly suffering in private. “Who’m I trying to be / A benz’d out beauty queen?” Clark wonders, wrestling with how she critiques culture by crafting characters rather than taking a more direct approach.

When Clark does decide to be direct, it’s still somewhat veiled. Her mellow title track “Daddy’s Home” is the most explicit she’s ever spoken about her personal life. She sings of signing autographs for various inmates as she waits for her father’s official release from prison, a surreal moment that actually happened. She notes how strange it was to see her father’s green prison jumpsuit in contrast with the fancy Italian leather shoes on her own feet. Repeating the words “Daddy’s Home” with an acerbic sense of humor, Clark explores how the fatherly roles have been reversed. Yes, her father is finally returning home, but this time she’s taken on the role of caretaker.

Though Daddy’s Home finally sheds light on Clark’s personal life, the album does it in her own way: dreamy, vague, and heavily cloaked in references. She’s now in control of her own story, sharing some insights while still leaving room for speculation with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. That’s because, like any true artist, it’s the act of creation that’s for herself. “I think once I make the work and put it out in the world, it’s really for everybody else,” Clark said about the album. “How you take it is no business of mine.”

Daddy’s Home is out now via Loma Vista. Get it here.