Month: December 2022

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 the best vinyl releases of December below.

Crosby, Stills & Nash — Crosby, Stills & Nash (Reissue)

It’s been over 50 years since Crosby, Stills & Nash released their beloved self-titled debut album and now it’s lovingly been given a deluxe vinyl reissue. This edition was mastered from the original tapes and the packaging is similarly detailed, featuring special foil-stamped jackets and other intricacies that make this UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector’s edition the version of this album to own.

Get it here.

Neil Young — Harvest (50th Anniversary Reissue)

Speaking of the CSNY squad, Neil Young’s Harvest turned 50 this year. So, he’s given the iconic album a big box set that comes with, along with the beloved original album, three studio outtakes and a previously unreleased 1971 BBC solo performance, as well as a hardbound book and fold-out poster.

Get it here.

Bo Burnham — Inside (Deluxe)

Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs), consisting of tunes from his Inside comedy special, was an unexpected hit, as it became his first top-10 album in 2021. Now there’s a new limited edition box set, a 3-LP release that includes everything from Inside as well as the later supplementary release, The Inside Outtakes. Target and Urban Outfitters have their own exclusive versions, too, pressed on opaque white and crystal clear vinyl, respectively.

Get it here.

Paul McCartney — The 7″ Singles Box

Paul McCartney die-hards: this one’s for you. Earlier this month, Macca dropped The 7″ Singles Box, which features a whopping 80 7-inch singles. In total, there are 163 tracks making up over ten hours of music and a 148-page book (that features writing from McCartney and Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield), all housed in a wooden crate. Only 3,000 copies have been produced, too, so if you’re interested, it’s one to scoop up quickly while it’s still available.

Get it here.

Idles — Five Years Of Brutalism (Anniversary Reissue)

For Idles, it all started with 2017’s Brutalism. Half a decade later, the band has given the LP a fresh coat of paint with Five Years Of Brutalism. This anniversary rerelease is pressed on cherry red vinyl, comes with alternative artwork designed by the band’s Joe Talbot, and is limited to just 10,000 copies worldwide.

Get it here.

Alabama Shakes — Boys & Girls (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

It’s been ten years since Brittany Howard established herself as one of music’s most powerful vocalists with the release of Alabama Shakes’ debut album, 2012’s Boys & Girls. To mark the occasion, there’s a new reissue that is packaged in a foil-board gatefold jacket and comes with a bonus 12-track KCRW radio session from January 2012.

Get it here.

Pharoah Sanders — Karma (Reissue)

Karma is an enduring classic from 1969 and if the Pharoah Sanders album isn’t in your library yet, here’s a terrific opportunity to add it. This reissue was mastered from the original analog tapes and was pressed on 180-gram vinyl, which is housed in a high-quality tip-on deluxe gatefold jacket. The release comes after the jazz icon’s death, which came in September at 81 years old.

Get it here.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens — Catch Bull At Four (50th Anniversary Edition)

If you own Catch Bull At Four on vinyl, it was pressed when the LP was originally released back in 1972. Now, though, the Yusuf/Cat Stevens album has been reissued in vinyl for the first time since then. It’s also been newly remastered and is available in both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram orange vinyl editions.

Get it here.

Queens Of The Stone Age — Like Clockwork and Villains (Reissues)

Queens Of The Stone Age have kept their output relatively minimal over the past decade, as their two most recent albums are 2013’s Like Clockwork and 2017’s Villains. If you need to get caught up, though, the band has given those two LPs new reissues. Like Clockwork was recut from the original master tapes and comes with alternate artwork, while Villains comes pressed on limited edition leaf-green transparent vinyl and with a new poster.

Get it here.

Inspectah Deck– Uncontrolled Substance (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)

Wu-Tang Clan has spawned a number of beloved solo albums, including Inspectah Deck’s 1999 debut Uncontrolled Substance. This new Vinyl Me, Please reissue is actually the first time the project has ever been re-released and this 2-LP edition comes pressed on understated but lovely “cop car blue” vinyl.

Get it here.

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

The last week of the year tends to be a sleepy one for most. Not for Andrew Tate. The kickboxer-turned-professional misogynist thought it’d be fun to spend the last days of 2022 belittling Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate change activist who’s been begging the world to save her generation from a horrible death. Instead, he a) wound up getting owned back and b) got arrested. Now the guy will spend New Year’s in jail.

As per the BBC, a Romanian court has agreed to hold Tate — and his brother Tristan, who was also arrested — in detention for 30 days. The pair were rounded up as part of an investigation into allegations of criminal activity, human trafficking, and rape. The Tates’ lawyer said they would appeal the decision, arguing that the investigation has not yet reached the part where either guilt or innocence is proven.

Tate’s arrest came a day after he attacked Thunberg over his newly reinstated Twitter account, asking her to give him her email address so he could brag about his 33 cars and all the carbon emissions they’re sending into the atmosphere. Thunberg supplied an email address: smalldickenergy@getalife.com. That prompted Tate to reply with a sarcastic video, which, on top of having strong “jerk store” energy, may have tipped Romanian authorities off to him being back in the nation. The possible giveaway? That he included pizza boxes from a Romanian pizza chain.

Tate — who was booted from Twitter after saying women should “bear responsibility” for sexually assault — has yet to comment directly on the allegations. What he has done is tweet that “The Matrix sent their agents,” as well as retweeting another Matrix-inspired meme from Musk. Of course, the trans women who made the game-changing sci-fi-action franchise don’t exactly think fondly of Musk. Surely they don’t think much of Tate either.

In the meantime, Thunberg had the perfect response to Tate’s downfall. Happy New Year, everyone!

(Via BBC)

Atlanta Hawks coach Nate McMillan has apparently considered resigning from his position. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, McMillan, who ascended to the position in March of 2021 after the team decided to fire Lloyd Pierce, has “seriously” weighed ending his tenure with the team amid their 17-18 start to the campaign.

Charania did note that, ever since Landry Fields took over basketball operations, “there have been only positive conversations with McMillan about the direction of the team this season,” and that there’s nothing imminent on the horizon regarding McMillan possibly stepping away. But apparently, McMillan sees the writing on the wall regarding his future, whether that’s in the immediate future or after the season comes to an end.

McMillan’s job status came into question across the NBA after his exchange with Hawks All-NBA star Trae Young at a gameday shootaround. His job status has been considered safe, and the Hawks have wanted to finish out the season with McMillan on the sideline, sources said. But McMillan, 58, appears to be near the end of his tenure with the Hawks after the season — unless there’s a resignation before then.

After head coaching stints in Seattle, Portland, and Indiana, McMillan joined Pierce’s staff ahead of the 2020 campaign. He’s gone 87-68 during his time as the head coach in Atlanta and helped get the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

One of the most viscerally upsetting scenes in all of college football occurred on Friday afternoon. The Maryland Terrapins beat the NC State Wolfpack, 16-12, in the only bowl game sponsored by a condiment, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. As a result, Maryland coach Mike Locksley participated in a recent tradition that happens to the head coach of the winning team: getting an entire cooler of mayonnaise dumped on him.

The problem is that Locksley appeared to, you know, not wanna get too saturated in that famous emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and other stuff. As a result, Locksley looked elsewhere in the DMV area and took inspiration from Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson, as he put on a gigantic hat while the whole thing happened.

Locksley eventually took the hat off, which led to a tiny bit of mayo that was left in the cooler getting dumped on him.

The tradition began last year, when South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was on the receiving end of this after the Gamecocks beat North Carolina in the game. At the very least, Locksley can take a ton of pride in knowing that his entire football team seemed to believe this was the funniest thing in the entire universe, which, if my boss got a huge cooler cooler of mayo dumped on him, I would probably also think this. Anyway, with the win, the Terrapins finished the season 8-5, which goes down as the best record that Locksley has had during his four-year tenure in College Park.

The 1990s was a very good decade for action crime movies, and for the people who love to watch them. For those same fans, the 2000s also had some excellent viewing options to choose from. Whether it’s blood-drenched sword fighting, comic book carnage brought convincingly to life, or fast cars being stolen and driven in a race against the clock, here are 10 of the best action crime movies that the 2000s has to offer.

1. Collateral

Year: 2000
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo,
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: Watch here

Michael Mann returns once again to his adopted home of Los Angeles for another unconventional and darkly compelling crime story. This one focuses on a hitman (Tom Cruise) who arrives in town to kill five people on his hit list, forcing a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around as he carries out his assignment. Tense moments follow, such as a gunfight in a Korean nightclub set to the music of Paul Oakenfold’s “Ready Steady Go” and a simple exchange where two armed robbers hear the phrase “Yo, homie!” before realizing that they chose the wrong person to steal from. Overall, the film shows us how both characters affect one another while drawing out some of the best performances of both Cruise and Foxx’s careers.

Watch it on Paramount Plus

2. Kill Bill Vol. 1

Year: 2003
Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 111 minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Trailer: Watch here

Inspired by the martial-arts movies and revenge flicks he grew up watching and loving, Quentin Tarantino created The Bride character (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who goes on a roaring rampage of revenge against her former teammates who betrayed her and left her for dead. This includes her ex-boyfriend, Bill (the late David Carradine). The film’s final chapter is absolutely not for the squeamish, as The Bride shows just how dangerous she is with a sword in her hand, no matter the odds. One of Tarantino’s finest works that features one of Thurman’s very best performances as well.

Watch it on Apple TV Plus

3. Miami Vice

Year: 2006
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell
Genre: Crime, Action
Rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: Watch here

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in this feature film adaptation of the NBC crime drama of the 1980s. Despite what many critics and fans believed when it was first released, the film is every bit as dark and intense as the television show itself. And Mann isn’t shy or lazy in showing the physical and psychological toll of undercover work, while also giving his audience the thrill of seeing white supremacists getting much-deserved beatdowns in the expertly choreographed gunfights that he is known for.

Watch it on HBO Max

4. Man on Fire

Year: 2004
Cast: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 146 minutes
Director: Tony Scott
Trailer: Watch here

Denzel Washington is known for his numerous collaborations with the late Tony Scott, and in this one, he gets to show off a mean streak while playing one of the good guys. Washington plays an ex-CIA agent who agrees to work as a bodyguard for a young girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City, and declares all-out war when she is kidnapped by a mysterious entity known only as “The Voice.” Scott films every scene in the film as if it’s an acid-fueled documentary that grabs the audience by both shoulders to demand attention, and it works quite well, as we see Washington exact cruel and inventive acts of revenge in order to find who he’s looking for.

Watch it on Amazon Prime

5. Sin City

Year: 2005
Cast: Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 124 minutes
Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Trailer: Watch here

Comic book writer-artist Frank Miller’s black-and-white tribute to film noir and pulp novels is skillfully brought to life by director Robert Rodriguez and a large ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Rosario Dawson. Three stories about betrayal, honor, revenge, survival, redemption, and smashing the patriarchy with guns and samurai swords fill a bleak and corrupt metropolis in a film that, while not right for the whole family, still stands out as a comic book adaptation that’s worth your time.

Watch it on HBO Max

6. Taken

Year: 2008
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen
Genre: Crime, Action
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 90 minutes
Director: Pierre Morel
Trailer: Watch here

Liam Neeson’s career got an unexpected shot of adrenaline thanks to his starring role in this action thriller (and franchise starter pack) about a retired CIA operative (Neeson) who discovers that his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) has been kidnapped while vacationing in Paris. Much of the thrills from seeing Neeson turn words into actions as we see him dish out ferocious tactics against a parade of enemies while saving the day in this film that helped to keep the mid-priced action thriller alive and well at the start of the comic book hero re-boom.

Watch it on Peacock

7. Bad Boys II

Year: 2003
Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Gabrielle Union
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 143 minutes
Director: Michael Bay
Trailer: Watch here

When Michael Bay made his feature film debut with Bad Boys, it wasn’t exactly known for its subtlety. But its sequel takes everything that fans loved about the first film, kicks it up several notches, and reminds us why his work in the action genre should not be easily dismissed. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return as Miami detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowry, cops who are as good at cracking jokes as they are at taking down the bad guys, whether on their home turf as they dodge coffins flying at them during a car chase, or in Cuba, as they literally drive through people’s houses during yet another car chase.

Watch it on Amazon Prime

8. Wanted

Year: 2008
Cast: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Trailer: Watch here

Almost everyone dreams of living a better and more exciting life, and Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of the Top Cow comic book series shows what happens when that dream becomes a reality and quickly becomes a nightmare. James McAvoy plays an ordinary office drone who agrees to join a secret society of assassins after being recruited by one of its deadliest members (Angelina Jolie). The action is far more impressive than the story itself, as the film throws the gauntlet down and shows that it won’t let a little something like the laws of physics get in the way of making sure that the audience is enjoying this particular ride. Think of it as a more grounded and less ambitious version of The Matrix.

Watch it on Netflix

9. The Rundown

Year: 2003
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Sean William Scott, Christopher Walken
Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Peter Berg
Trailer: Watch here

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launched his career as an action star with this action-adventure film, playing a bounty hunter who heads to Brazil to find his boss’ son (Seann William Scott) and bring him back to the U.S., only to end up in a treasure hunt and a battle to the death with a ruthless interloper (Christopher Walken). Peter Berg shows a deft hand balancing action and comedy while taking advantage of the great chemistry between his leads as they bicker and battle through the jungle. A solid debut for Johnson that hinted at his movie star potential.

Watch it on Apple TV Plus

10. Gone In 60 Seconds

Year: 2000
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 118 minutes
Director: Dominic Sena
Trailer: Watch here

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Dominic Sena’s remake of the 1974 exploitation film is much glossier in comparison to the low-budget, hard-edged original. But seeing Nicolas Cage as a reformed car thief who reunites with his former crew to steal fifty cars in one night (and all of the nonstop vehicular mayhem that happens as a result) qualifies as a high-speed, pedal-to-the-metal pleasure to watch. Pretty cars, slick dialogue, and a collection of supporting characters played by Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Olyphant, and a scenery-chewing Christopher Eccleston as the big bad add to the watchability for this 2000s action gem.

Watch it on Apple TV Plus

The White House was never exactly calm during the Trump administration, but during its last stretch it was a circus. That’s because the big guy lost re-election but refused — and still refuses — to accept it. There were a lot of crazy characters gallivanting about 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., hocking up increasingly desperate (and in some cases illegal) nonsense. One person who reportedly did not enjoy the commotion was the then-First Lady, who was sure some of those idiots would walk in on her wearing only a robe.

As per The New York Post, when she spoke to the Jan. 6 committee, Stephanie Grisham made sure to spill some beans about Melania, for whom she worked as Chief of Staff during her final days in the administration. According to her, her former employer was “very upset” when her husband’s revolving door army of bozos would make their way into the residential area of the White House.

“She hated when people would come to the residence,” Grisham, who these days can be seen on The View, told the House select committee. “That was her home, she wanted privacy. So I do recall, towards the end, her telling me that there were constantly meetings happening in the Yellow Oval, which is the room up in the residence, with various people.”

To make matters worse, no one, not even her thoughtful husband, would give Melania a heads up when some conspiracy theory-spouting twit would make their way into her then-home, where she might be casually walking around in a robe. She didn’t name names — well, except for Sidney Powell, the Diet Dr. Pepper-loving lawyer who torched her livelihood to spread nonsense even Trump thought was wackadoodle. And she named Rudy Giuliani, who did more than burn up his law licenses.

Grisham never said whether or not Giuliani and company ever walked in on Melania while she was chilling out. But the idea of the guy who had black mystery goo dribble down his head during one of his chaotic voter fraud pressers suddenly entering your personal space doesn’t sound nice. No wonder she wasn’t exactly upset when they had to leave.

(Via The New York Post)

If 2022 has heralded any large-scale trends in the music industry, then the prominence of the double album is a surefire contender. Over the course of this year, we’ve had double albums from indie stalwarts like Beach House, Wilco, and Big Thief, plus the likes of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Kendrick Lamar, Johnny Marr, Jeff Parker, and even two from Red Hot Chili Peppers. You could count Jack White’s two complementary albums this year, too, if you want. These sprawling, ambitious records have become a noteworthy staple, a major fixture of 2022 that’s become especially apparent as year-end coverage reaches a fever pitch. We’re aware this phenomenon exists, but why does it?

Double albums are not something new. They were particularly important in the 1970s, including seminal titles like Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, and the Clash’s London Calling, to name just a few. But, they were spread throughout an entire decade. This year alone has seen a concentrated abundance of them. It’s a fruitless task to highlight only one reason for this surge, but the pandemic has likely played a significant role. Tom Schick, who co-produced Wilco’s twangy Cruel Country, mentions it. “With the pandemic, a lot of artists were able to get in a room together for a long time,” he says during a phone call. “There was just a lot of creative energy that was pent up, and the double album is just a natural result of that, at least in Wilco’s case.” Once frontman Jeff Tweedy and co. hit the studio, the music “naturally flowed out of them,” as Schick puts it.

Peter Standish, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Warner Records (with whom Uproxx shares a parent company, WMG), worked on both of the Red Hot Chili Peppers albums from this year, and he echoed Schick’s rationale. “A lot of the recording occurred during the pandemic,” Standish says. “Maybe people have a lot more time on their hands to write and record.” Still, the SoCal funk rockers had another factor at play. It was their first time writing with guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s colossal Stadium Arcadium, and the quartet was thrilled about the reunion. “John’s tenacious focus on treating every song as though it was equal to the next helped us to realize more songs than some might know what to do with,” goes one of the band’s quotes from the Return Of The Dream Canteen press release.

Even though touring is still highly infeasible for many artists today, it was completely put on hold during lockdown. This opened up more free time than usual for artists to write new material. It makes sense why so many of these massive albums are appearing just now, considering vinyl supply chain issues affecting the production process. At the time of this writing, Cruel Country is still unavailable on vinyl; it’s slated for a January 20 release date. “It takes forever for when you finish the record for the actual vinyl to come out,” Schick says. “[Cruel Country] came out in the summer. We’re still waiting on the vinyl; I think we might get it this week, which is just crazy.”

Johnny Marr, however, intended to create a double album from the outset. Surprisingly, he had never made one before Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4. Once he realized that, the influential English guitarist charted a course for his foray into more conceptual territory. Making a double LP appealed to him in the sense that it rejected the playlist-based streaming culture we currently inhabit. To Marr, this represents a sense of artistic freedom that’s often scarce.

“Generally, I think people like the idea of taking on something that’s a little less fiercely commercial,” the former Smiths guitarist explains over Zoom. Even in mainstream circles, that notion applies, as he cites prominent, critically acclaimed filmmakers like Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. “I think Kendrick’s album is a really good example of it. Right out of the gate, it appears to be conceptual and expresses a bigger idea than just how many streams it can hit up.”

A double album can also allow for more expression. While some artists may use brevity as a tool to convey their ideas in a short-form capacity, a long-form project provides ample space to explore a wide variety of styles they may not have otherwise tried. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, for example, shifts from ebullient alt-country (“Red Moon”), to spacious post-rock (“Little Things”), to MPC-driven lo-fi (“Heavy Bend”).

“I can try not to sound immodest, but I think what it suggests is people being inspired,” Marr says. Referencing fellow Odyssean efforts like Once Twice Melody, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Cruel Country, “I quite like the company that I’m in with this. I think it’s a really healthy inspiration and a healthy disregard for crass commercialism. Hopefully, that’s true.”

Artists’ reasons aside, however, why have listeners been gravitating toward these notoriously lengthy endeavors? The streaming industrial complex, after all, begets a single- and playlist-focused economy, one that doesn’t prioritize unified experiences like a deliberately sequenced, front-to-back album. Schick points toward a deeper connection with fans.

“For the fans and these artists, it’s exciting to see,” Schick explains. “To be able to sit with it [for a longer time], it’s just a more intimate thing. The double record is ambitious, and it’s exciting. It’s fun for the fans, and it’s fun for music-lovers.”

Length, though, isn’t always the definitive trait of a double album. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, for example, is shorter than 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly. Sonic Youth’s influential Daydream Nation, which clocks in at just under 71 minutes, is a paltry appetizer compared to the seven-course meal that is Smashing Pumpkins’ gargantuan Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, whose original vinyl pressing is over 128 minutes long. To put it another way, the qualifications for a double LP are as nebulous as they are malleable. What constitutes an EP vs. an LP, a regular album vs. a double album, has been a long-standing curiosity. Some EPs, like Sufjan Stevens’ hour-long All Delighted People, are much longer than some LPs, such as Pusha T’s 21-minute Daytona.

If 2022 marked such a momentous time for the double album, then can we expect it to fade out of view in 2023? It’s a difficult metric to predict, one that Schick also agrees is inconclusive. “I can speak only from my experience and the people who I’ve been working with, like Jeff Tweedy and Wilco,” he says. “ But I wouldn’t be surprised to see the quadruple album, just from the amount of playing and writing that they’re doing. On my end, I don’t see that slowing down, but maybe it’s a different situation for other bands and other artists.”

As of now, the only major 75-minute-plus record slated for next year is Smashing Pumpkins’ “three-act” statement, ATUM. Maybe this is an ongoing trend we’ll see for the next year or two, or maybe 2022 has simply been an auspicious time for these enormous projects. If it continues, then 2022 has proven that double albums don’t have to be stuffed to the brim with filler. They don’t have to be tedious, monotonous experiences that we listen to all the way through exactly once. As incredible records like Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Mondays At The Enfield Tennis Academy, and Once Twice Melody demonstrate, an album’s length can easily be justified. The primary draw of a double LP, to begin with, is how different songs resonate with different listeners; seldom is there a steadfast consensus on the absolute best track. Part of that harkens back to what Schick mentions as a crucial raison d’etre for music writ large: human connection.

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

Interactions with strangers can be the highlight of your day, the reason you’re crying in a bathroom stall at Chipotle or anywhere in between. A user on Reddit wanted to hear about the most memorable moments people had with strangers in what is assumed to be an effort to show the good in humanity.

The question read, “What is the most memorable moment you shared with a stranger who you never saw again?” Well, leave a prompt like that and the internet is ripe with responses ready to go. This particular post has more than 11,000 comments, but it was one comment in particular that stood out and brought the internet to tears.

Reddit user misdolnurs2517 answered the prompt with a story about grief and how a group of strangers came together for a momentary act of kindness.

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The user says at the time of the incident her father had passed away earlier that day and she felt like she was doing a pretty good job holding it together. Grief is a strange thing, sometimes it’s delayed, sometimes its immediate and oftentimes it peeks its head up in the most unexpected moments. You never know how grief is going to affect you until it hits, and it’s something you don’t have much control over.

For this particular Reddit user, grief snuck up on her when she took a stroll around Target to clear her mind and buy a few groceries. The commenter recalls getting to the checkout stand with her arms full when she dropped a container of sour cream. It was in that moment, the dam broke. Right in the middle of Target for everyone to see, this grieving daughter began to sob uncontrollably.

She said, “I completely lost control of myself and started to cry. The ugly cry.” Everyone knows that cry and it doesn’t tend to happen over sour cream splattered all over the floor. The shoppers around her knew that something deeper was going on but no one pried.

The Reddit user said she was instantly surrounded by a group of women who took charge of the situation without saying a word. Connecting with someone on such a human level that words are not needed is a moment to be treasured. She said the women cleaned up the mess, someone grabbed her a new sour cream and helped her get checked out.

I’m stereotyping here, but that is some big mom energy coming from that group of women. They saw someone who was hurting and did what needed to be done without shaming, without prying and without talking. The group anticipated the needs of a stranger then anticipated the actions of the other women helping to get a grieving person home.

The story garnered many supportive comments but most were speculating on if a group of moms is called a flock or a gaggle before telling their own stories of how a random mom helped them. No matter what a group of moms is called, the story is a beautiful testament to seeing one another’s humanity.

If you’ve never been on Reddit, there’s a section titled “Am I the A**h*le” aptly abbreviated AITA where people ask for clarification on a difficult situation. The idea is that commenters will help you decipher if you are being the jerk in a situation or if it’s the other person involved that holds the title.

A Jewish dad and his two children took to this subreddit to seek his own clarification. The dad, who doesn’t give his name for obvious reasons, explains that he is a remarried widower who came into his second marriage with two children by his deceased wife. He tells readers that his current wife isn’t Jewish but also isn’t particularly religious while her parents are and have attempted to convince his daughter to be baptized Christian.

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Boundaries were set according to the post and the family ate dinner at the in-laws house prior to Thanksgiving. Even if you know nothing of Jewish religion, you know that those who follow religious doctrine eat foods that are kosher, which is something that had been explained to the in-laws and they had always abided by.

After the meal was finished, his mother-in-law remarked, “See, we told you nothing bad would happen.” and upon further clarification, she admitted to mixing bacon into the casserole dishes. While he says the father-in-law appeared to be uncomfortable, he agreed that he knew what his wife had done to the food. The situation resulted in his daughter crying and leaving the room with the child’s stepmother following close behind. The poster’s son, who is 15 had some choice words for his step-grandparents.

The entire situation created a rift between not just the in-laws and the person who posted, but with the wife (stepmother) as well. It seems his wife stayed behind at her parents’ house after her husband and stepchildren left. She eventually returned home to be with the family she married into. But the damage had been done after she supposedly sided with her parents in saying her stepson had to apologize before being welcome to Thanksgiving dinner being hosted by her parents.

The thousands of comments were overwhelmingly supportive and turned the comment section into a master class on confronting antisemitism.

And while I certainly don’t believe tampering with someone’s food when you’re aware of their religious restrictions is subtle, it may not be as clear as some of the more overt examples. But Merriam-Webster defines antisemitic as, “feeling or showing hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a cultural, racial, or ethnic group,” which is exactly what the Reddit poster’s mother-in-law displayed by sneakily adding bacon to the family’s food.

Commenter, Millerlicious said, “Yup. I’m Jewish, my fiancé is from a Catholic family. They might not have always understood my religion or diet, but they would have never snuck pork into my food. That is some disgusting level of antisemitism. I would be reevaluating this whole marriage.”

Another commenter, melloussa wrote, “As a Muslim who doesn’t eat pork I would feel so violated and cry like your daughter. This is just evil disrespect. They are not trying to convert you, they are just trying to prove to you that you are wrong. I would go completely NC. NTA.”

The majority of the commenters did not think the 15-year-old son should have to apologize and many thought the marriage may be too broken to salvage. The update given provided some hope explaining that he and his wife will be attending counseling and he will be speaking to his Rabi. There will be no further contact between his children and their step-grandparents for the foreseeable future.

According to hip-hop mega-producer Metro Boomin’s No. 1 album, the world may be filled with heroes and villains. But there are also heavenly angels continuously surrounding us. For the “All The Money” musician, it’s his late mother, Leslie Wayne. Since her tragic passing in June, the Atlanta-based producer has done everything in his power to honor her life, including the launch of the Single Moms Are Superheroes initiative.

Now to celebrate her posthumous birthday, Metro Boomin took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute, writing, “Happy Birthday, my Queen, my mentor, my best friend, my biggest supporter, my motivation, my real twin, my hero, the Love of my life, my Mother,” he continued with. “You taught me what unconditional love truly means, and I carry that with me to this day and every day forever after that.”

Before closing out the message, Metro promised his late mother, “I will continue to do everything in your name and shine light throughout this dark world, further building the legacy that You started and achieved so much in. God made You so strong to make me so strong, and I see the bigger picture now. I Love You always and forever and can’t wait to see You again.”