Category: Worldwide

Irish post-punkers Silverbacks are quickly accumulating buzz as their sophomore album Archive Material nears a release later this week. Archive Material is an excellent progression from the band’s debut album, Fad, which marked the band’s entry onto the scene when it was nominated for the Choice Prize, Ireland’s top music prize, in 2019. The new album is comprised of twelve excellent songs, but it’s tracks like “A Job Worth Something” that really stand out for showcasing the band’s instantly-palpable cool factor, which is just the cherry on top of their knack for melody and song structure.

To celebrate the new album, guitarist Killian O’Kelly sat down to talk Brian Eno, pesto pasta, and his first PlayStation in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

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

Lots of fun guitars.

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?

“Woh nelly this band slaps!”

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

The dream has always been to see the world with the band but we are yet to achieve that. We played Elmwood Hall in Belfast and that was pretty cool.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

Snack Tabora in Brussels at the end of a night out – I had a mitraillette with Sauce Blanche and Andalouse

What album do you know every word to?

I’m terrible at remembering lyrics so I am going to be a terrible human and say Ambient 4: On Land by Brian Eno

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

One of them would be Mogwai at Rock Werchter in 2009, first time I ever heard Scotland’s Shame – it rocked.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Anything with tight sleeves around the wrists, not mad about sleeves getting in the way of guitar playing – a shorter answer would be t-shirts.

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

catatonicyouths on Instagram is a goldmine.

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

“The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy and “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads, anything that gets the vengabus jumping.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

What year did Mogwai play Rock Werchter?

What album makes for the perfect gift?

I hear Silverbacks have some lovely orange vinyl up for grabs on Bandcamp for the moment. Go and get it!

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

Don’t have any weird ones but we once stayed across the way from the beigel shops on brick lane in London, that was a tasty number and a wild night.

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

Anything that is good to drive to – radio time is car time.

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

I got a PlayStation for my birthday last year, that was pretty extravagant and I felt spoilt rotten. I had to go cool off in the fridge.

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

“Don’t be a loser you little shit”

What’s the last show you went to?

Black Midi at Vicar Street

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

Deerhunter, stone cold classic

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

Pesto pasta.

Archive Material is out January 21. Pre-order it here.

Three weeks ahead of February’s trade deadline, reports are heating up surrounding De’Aaron Fox, Ben Simmons, and Domantas Sabonis, three of the biggest names that could potentially be on the moon.

According to a report from Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the Sacramento Kings are willing to deal Fox in a trade that returns Simmons or Sabonis, each of whom is a multi-time All-Star. Anderson reports that Sacramento’s willingness to move Fox represents a notable shift for the organization.

“The Kings were not willing to entertain the thought of trading De’Aaron Fox last summer when they started surveying the market for a transformational move to alter the course of the franchise,” he wrote.

“A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have stepped up their pursuit of Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis and they are including Fox in those discussions. Fox was so far off the table he wasn’t discussed when the Kings approached the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons last summer, sources with knowledge of the talks told The Bee, but now Fox is reportedly part of those conversations as well.”

Averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, Fox enjoyed a career-best campaign in 2020-21. But his shooting numbers have slipped this season, and the continued emergence of second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton has seen Fox’s responsibilities narrowed in recent months to predominantly scoring rather than scoring and passing.

Simmons’ arrival would invigorate a team that finished last in defensive rating a season ago and is 27th this season. He’s a two-time All-Defensive First Team honoree and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2020-21. He wouldn’t solve all their issues on that end, but he’d certainly help considerably.

Meanwhile, Sabonis would provide an interior playmaking hub to pair well with Haliburton. He’d diversify and improve Sacramento’s 21st-ranked offense, perhaps allowing them to successfully lean all the way into an offensive-minded identity amid the hunt for a playoff berth.

The Kings are 18-28, but find themselves just 1.5 games back of the Portland Trail Blazers for the West’s final play-in spot. Simmons and Sabonis wouldn’t guarantee anything, though each would increase this team’s chances of ending its lengthy playoff drought. And that chance might be enough to entice the front office to deal Fox, despite his own talents and rise over the years.

Britney Spears and her sister Jamie Lynn are currently embroiled in a social media confrontation about Jamie Lynn’s forthcoming memoir, Things I Should Have Said. Jamie Lynn’s book details growing up on the heels of Britney’s global fame, her acting career, relationship to her parents, and her experience becoming pregnant at age 16. But there are also apparently a few stories about Britney in the book, and the singer isn’t happy about it. Not only did Britney say she should have “slapped” Jamie Lynn in the face, but she’s now reportedly taking legal action.

According to documents obtained by Variety, Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, sent Jamie Lynn a cease and desist letter on the singer’s behalf. The letter pertains to Jamie Lynn’s memoir, calling its claims “misleading” and “outrageous.” “We write with some hesitation because the last thing Britney wants is to bring more attention to your ill-timed book and its misleading or outrageous claims about her,” the letter states.

Rosengart goes on to write that Britney has no plans to actually read the book, but the singer believes Jamie Lynn’s words exploit her past:

“Although Britney has not read and does not intend to read your book, she and millions of her fans were shocked to see how you have exploited her for monetary gain. She will not tolerate it, nor should she. You of all people know the abuse and wrongdoing Britney had to endure during the conservatorship, after initially growing up with a ‘ruinous,’ alcoholic father. In fact, your own book reportedly states that your father ‘spent most of my life in that cycle of ruinous behavior. His bouts of drinking caused me periods of torment and sorrow.’”

The letter continues to make claims about Jamie Lynn’s “fantastical grievances:”

“As I have previously stated, having endured a 13-year conservatorship that stripped her of civil rights and fundamental liberties, Britney will no longer be bullied by her father or anyone else. Britney was the family’s breadwinner and she also otherwise supported you. Publicly airing false or fantastical grievances is wrong, especially when designed to sell books. It is also potentially unlawful and defamatory. […] Michelle Obama famously said, ‘When they go low, we go high,’ and to Britney’s great credit, that is exactly what Britney is going to do, for the time being. You recently reportedly stated that the book was ‘not about her.’ She takes you at your word and we, therefore, demand that you cease and desist from referencing Britney derogatorily during your promotional campaign. If you fail to do so or defame her, Britney will be forced to consider and take all appropriate legal action.”

Read Variety‘s full report on the cease and desist letter here.

Big Thief has a big album with a big title coming out soon: The 20-track Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is set for release on February 11. Ahead of that, the group was set to begin a European tour at the end of January, but now plans have changed: Big Thief has rescheduled those tour dates, moving them to June and July.

The good news, though, is that they softened the blow of that news by sharing a new track today, “Simulation Swarm.” It’s an upbeat tune that’s grounded in a relaxing place by Adrianne Lenker’s idiosyncratic and gentle vocals.

Listen to “Simulation Swarm” above and find Big Thief’s full updated list of upcoming tour dates below.

02/24 – Manchester, GB @ Manchester Academy 1 *
02/25 – Glasgow, GB @ Barrowland Ballroom *
02/26 – Dublin, IE @ The National Stadium *
02/27 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol *
03/02 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire *
03/03 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire ^
03/04 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire ^
03/05 – London, UK @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
04/12 – Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre of Ithaca
04/13 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
04/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
04/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
04/18 – Montreal, QUE @ L’Olympia
04/19 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
04/21 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
04/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
04/23 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/25 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
04/26 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater
04/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
04/29 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
05/02 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
05/03 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/04 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/07 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
05/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Theatre
05/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern Theatre
05/13 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
05/14 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
05/15 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
06/05 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale ~
06/06 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale ~
06/07 – Lyron, FR @ Transbordeur ~
06/08 – Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey ~
06/09 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/11 – Rotterdam, NL @ Best Kept Secret
06/12 – Berlin, DE @ Tempelhof Sounds ~
06/13 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA ~
06/14 – Stockholm, SE @ Filadelfia
06/16 – Helsinki, FI @ Sideways 2022
06/18 – Stavanger, NL @ Mablis Festival 2022
06/19 – Bergen, NO @ Kulturhuset i Bergen
06/20 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Music Hall
06/21 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik
06/23 – Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall ~
06/27 – Utrecht, Nl @ Tivoli Vredenburg ~
06/28 – Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal ~
07/01 – Hamburg, DE @ Fabrik ~
07/04 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys ~

* with KMRU
^ with Tucker Zimmerman
~ rescheduled show

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You is out 2/11 via 4AD. Pre-order it here.

Howard Stern has never been one to hold back his opinions on the unvaccinated. The shock jock has routinely slammed them for prolonging the pandemic, and he’s even taken shots at prominent anti-vaxxer “idiots” like Aaron Rodgers, Kyrie Irving, and Joe Rogan. As Omicron continues to ravage the country and push the healthcare system to its breaking points, Stern didn’t hold back on the Wednesday episode of his show when a caller asked him about just letting the pandemic “run wild run wild and move through the unvaccinated.”

“If it was up to me, anyone unvaccinated would not be admitted to a hospital,” Stern bluntly stated before railing against anyone who is still refusing to get the vaccine despite almost an entire year of data showing that they’re safe and keeping people from dying or being put on a ventilator. Via Mediaite:

“No one’s sitting there conspiring against you. Americans don’t want to create a vaccine that’s going to turn you into a robot, or magnetize you. There’s enough Americans now have taken it. Look at us as a sampling where nothing has happened to us. It’s time for you to get it.”

Stern concluded by saying “Now if you don’t get it, in my America, all hospitals would be closed to you. You’re going to go home and die.”

Stern took things a step further by calling getting vaccinated “your civic duty,” and you know who agrees with him? A fully vaccinated and boosted Donald Trump. Unfortunately, the former president was booed after revealing that information, so Stern probably shouldn’t hold his breath waiting for anti-vax conservatives to change their minds anytime soon.

(Via Mediaite)

Memphis’ own Jucee Froot is back with a new song touting her love for French wine company Luc Belaire, “Belaire Bleu.” The video for the new track sees Jucee surrounded by bottles of the titular line, which has apparently become all the rage among the upper echelons of hip-hop stardom — and, from there, everywhere else.

“I don’t need no chaser, baby, but I got the juice,” Jucee raps, showing the sort of confidence that lends weight to the words. The track, Jucee’s first of the year, is a strong kickoff to her 2022 campaign as she prepares the follow-up to her 2020 debut mixtape Black Sheep.

Because she made her debut just ahead of a pandemic, the rapid rise she might otherwise have was partially curtailed, but that didn’t stop her from making waves in the meantime. In addition to landing songs on the soundtracks of Birds Of Prey and Insecure and dropping her Grinch-themed video for “Christmas List,” she received the support of Memphis powerhouse Juicy J, whose support has been instrumental in the rise of other Bluff City favorites like NLE Choppa, as well as major stars like Megan Thee Stallion.

Watch Jucee Froot’s “Belaire Bleu” video above.

Jucee Froot is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Riddler is arguably Bruce Wayne’s second most famous adversary (after the Joker, all 17 of them), even though he’s only appeared in one big-screen Batman movie. That’s one less than Two-Face. But for the first time since Jim Carrey wore the green question mark suit in 1995’s Batman Forever, the Riddler will menace Gotham in The Batman.

This time, “Edward Nigma” will be played by There Will Be Blood actor Paul Dano, who has a very different take on the character than Carrey did. There will be far less buffoonery. The Batman kept the Riddler’s look a mystery until a recent trailer, and even then, he’s only on screen to f*ck with the Dark Knight for a few seconds. But if you’re craving more Riddler content, take a look at one of the new posters for The Batman.

See it? Look beyond the stubble. Enhance!

As someone who still thinks about the scene from the otherwise-unmemorable superhero movie The Phantom where some dude has his eye pierced while looking through a microscope, I hope this doesn’t mean that the Riddler will mess with Batman’s eyes. Even the Joker would think that’s too twisted.

Warner Bros. also released a poster focusing on the Bat and the Cat.

The Batman, which also stars Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin, opens in theaters on March 4.

There’s no doubt that Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner has had an insanely busy year. Not only did she drop the acclaimed album Jubilee (which landed at No. 1 on Uproxx’s 2021 Music Critics Poll), but she but she also released the best-selling book Crying In H-Mart, wrote the score for an indie video game, and was nominated for two 2021 Grammy awards. After bringing her songs to a number of late-night TV performances, Zauner now takes The Late Late Show With James Corden stage.

Arriving on the stage in an intricate gown, Zauner is backed by a full band for a spirited rendition of her track “Side Tackle.” Not only does Zauner bring all to energy to her performance, but she also brings out a saxophonist for a brief, loungey solo. Aside from the performance, Zauner also chatted with Corden about her Grammy nominations, getting a coat check named after her, and Coachella.

Ahead of her late-night set, Zauner sat down with Uproxx to talk about winning the 2021 Critics Poll and a few of her other achievements last year. Talking about the overwhelming support from her listeners, Zauner said, “It’s a really, really wonderful feeling, because I think as an artist, there’s so much time that’s spent feeling like no one understands you or what you’re doing. And it’s been such a long time working on music and feeling like no one really got it. It was such a special record for me and it’s really wonderful to have that feeling be shared with people with such high standards and impeccable taste.”

Watch Japanese Breakfast perform “Slide Tackle” on The Late Late Show With James Corden above.

Jubilee is out now via Dead Oceans. Get it here.

If you’re a subscriber to Patti Smith’s substack newsletter, then February just got a little brighter. And for those superfans who maybe haven’t signed up for the rock icon‘s newsletter yet, you just might want to before February 2. Today, Smith announced that she’ll be throwing a virtual event that’s exclusively available to her Substack subscribers. Hosted at Electric Lady Studios, a place where Smith has a long history, the night will be a mix of mediums, just like Smith’s career has been. Beginning at 8 PM EST on February 2nd, 2022, Smith will host a “special night of music, readings and conversation.”

She will be joined by frequent collaborators Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan, and those who tune in to the performance will be given the chance to submit requests for songs and readings, and have access to replay of the evening for up to 24 hours following the event’s broadcast. Smith announced the event, where else?, on her Substack, which she launched back in April of 2021. Since then, she’s used her community on the newsletter platform to regularly post poetry, music, audio and video notes, and other ruminations. Substack has also been the home of her first serialized work, The Melting, which will be complete soon after almost 40 weeks of installments.

The news of Activision Blizzard’s record-breaking sale to Microsoft shocked the tech and gaming industries. Perhaps the most interesting part of it, though, is that this deal could have ended up happening with someone else.

According to Bloomberg’s Dina Bass and Liana Baker, Activision Blizzard was initially not sold on the idea of being acquired by Microsoft. With the amount of money involved, the deal felt like something that had to happen, but that didn’t stop Activision Blizzard execs from seeking out an alternative buyer. One of the companies they talked to: Oculus Rift producer and social media giant Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc.

Yet even as Activision fought to salvage its reputation with players and investors—the stock dropped about 15% in the month after the Wall Street Journal article — and weighed the potential takeover, Kotick and the board weren’t sold on Microsoft as the acquirer, two people familiar with the matter said. Activision made calls to try to find other interested parties, said the people, who asked not to be identified talking about private conversations. Those included Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. and at least one other big company. But no other serious interest materialized. In an interview, Spencer declined to discuss how the deal went down. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment, and a representative for Activision didn’t return requests for comment.

While in the end, it’s probably a good thing Activision Blizzard went to Microsoft instead of Meta, it’s wild to think about what this alternative purchase/merger would have looked like. Facebook has been slowly moving away from being known as just a social media company with a recent rebranding to “Meta” to represent its interest in the buzzy “Metaverse” that much of the tech industry is interested in. Had this deal happened, perhaps we would have seen Activision Blizzard’s future focus less on video games and more on Facebook’s tech interests, or perhaps we would have seen an even greater focus on VR and mobile gaming.

At the end of the day, Activision Blizzard will likely continue to focus on video games under Microsoft. The deal should assist Microsoft Gaming and help push players to services like Game Pass on the Xbox and PC.