A time-honored tradition, The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place in Washington D.C. last night with both Joe and Jill Biden present for the affair. There was a full-on slate of musical guests that included Chris Stapleton, HER, Juanes, Billy Porter, Keb’ Mo’, Patti LaBelle, Maren Morris, Kristin Chenoweth, the Howard University Gospel Choir, and LL Cool J as the evening’s presenter. Think of the ceremony as the Super Bowl of Christmas Tree lightings and it’s a totally decked out tree that spares no expense. Get a load of the description of this year’s design:
“This year’s design includes a background of warm white lights with a delicate sprinkling of sparkling red and warm white sphere ornaments placed in a cascading pattern from the top all the way down the newly planted White Fir tree, with a cluster of sparkling red and white spheres on the lower branches. A simple, yet elegant star topper finishes off the design. “
So with the gigantic tree flanking the stage, the stars came out and Stapleton and HER laid down a rendition of “This Christmas” that highlights what the 2022 Grammy nominees do best. Stapleton’s down home country vocals and slick guitar kicked off the number before being joined by HER’s gorgeous piano and elegant, forceful singing, becoming emboldened as the song rolled on. Backed by the U.S. Army Band Downrange, the confluence of the pair’s talents on the duet chorus made for a classy performance that feels natural and fits the moment perfectly.
Watch the video of the pair performance of “This Christmas” above.
After ten illustrious years on Alabama’s Gulf Shores, Hangout Festival has had to postpone year number 11 twice due to the pandemic. But the wait is finally over as Hangout Festival 2022 will be going down from May 20th to 22nd with a stacked lineup.
Post Malone is the lone holdover from the previously announced but postponed headlining slate, and he’ll be joined by Tame Impala, Halsey, Doja Cat, Fall Out Boy, Illenium, Kane Brown, and Megan Thee Stallion on top of the bill. It’s a loaded lineup of all kinds of music that will even feature an appearance from Shaquille O’Neal, as his music persona Diesel. Hangout is marked by its bustling oceanside venue footprint and there will be plenty of sunshine to go around next summer at the festival.
The complete lineup includes, in alphabetical order, 347aidan, Audrey Nuna, Bankrol Hayden, Beabadoobee, Blu DeTiger, Breland, Bren Joy, Briston Maroney, Chelsea Cutler, Dayglow, Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), Doja Cat, Ericdoa, Fall Out Boy, Fletcher, Flipturn, Flo Milli, Gabriel Black, Halsey, Hastings, Hugel, Illenium, Jvna, Jack Harlow, Joy Oladokun, Kane Brown, KennyHoopla, Koffee, LP Giobbi, Leon Bridges, Lil Yachty, Louis The Child, Lucii, Luttrell, Madds, Madeon, Maren Morris, Megan Thee Stallion, Montell2099, Moon Taxi, Notd, Neal Francis, Nightly, Oliver Tree, Paul Cauthen, Petey Martin, Phoebe Bridgers, Post Malone, Remi Wolf, Renforshort, Role Model, Sidepiece, Slander, Snbrn, Ship Wrek, Still Woozy, Sublime With Rome, Surf Mesa, Surfaces, T-Pain, Tame Impala, The Band Camino, The Blossom, The Brook & The Bluff, The Head And The Heart, Tre’ Amani, Tyla Yaweh, Vnssa, Zach Hood, and Zedd.
Presale tickets are live on 12/10 at 10 a.m. CT. Register for early access here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Goldenvoice has a proven track record of putting on killer festivals, as they’re behind events like Coachella, Day N Vegas, and Stagecoach. Now, they’re adding a new fest to that list: This Ain’t No Picnic is going down on August 27 and 28, 2022 at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The two-day, six-stage lineup has a rock and alternative lean to it, as the 2022 headliners are The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Le Tigre performing what is currently set to be their first and only reunion show of the year. Also on the bill are Beach House, Caroline Polachek, Courtney Barnett, Dawn Richard, Deafheaven, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet + Floating Points, Genesis Owusu, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Idles, Indigo De Souza, Isaiah Rashad, Jorja Smith, Kaytranada, Kelly Lee Owens, Mac DeMarco, Magdalena Bay, Mdou Moctar, Michelle, Phoebe Bridgers, Romy, Slowthai, Tinashe, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Ying Yang Twins, and Yves Tumor, among others.
This Ain
If the festival’s name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a throwback to the original Goldenvoice festival of the same name. The initial This Ain’t No Picnic debuted in 1999, continued in 2000, and after having to skip 2001, came back for the last time in 2002. A fair amount of artists on those lineups actually wouldn’t feel out of place on this year’s bill, by the way: Sleater-Kinney, Beck, Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, and El-P were involved.
Learn more about the fest here and check out the poster above.
Coming into its fifth anniversary, Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival is already one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, bringing nearly 200,000 revelers to the sprawling Valdebebas urban open space venue. The initial 2022 lineup was announced in June and was heavy on the rock and roll acts with Metallica, Muse, The Killers, Imagine Dragons, Pixies, Faith No More, Twenty One Pilots, and Placebo leading the way.
They took it a step further in October adding a fifth day to the summer fest and artists like Haim, Florence + The Machine, and Nathy Peluso. Now they’ve beefed the lineup up one final time adding Jack White as the fifth day headliner and infusing the lineup with more big name acts like Stormzy, London Grammar, Modest Mouse, Two Door Cinema Club, Local Natives, and Mura Masa.
It brings the grand total to 144 artists playing across the festival’s five nights. Other artists playing on this comprehensive bill include St. Vincent, The War On Drugs, Beabadoobee, Arlo Parks, Phoebe Bridgers, Leon Bridges, Animal Collective, Tinashe, Glass Animals, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chvrches, Wolf Alice, and loads more.
Mad Cool Festival festival goes down from July 6 to 10, 2022. Tickets are on-sale here.
Mad Cool
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The flood of year-end music round-ups has started over the past few days, as websites (like Uproxx) have shared their year-end lists and Spotify Wrapped has made the rounds. Now Billboard has chimed in with their year-end charts, and some expected figures have found themselves atop the ranks.
Drake was 2021’s top artist and following him on the list are, in order, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, and Morgan Wallen. As for Top New Artists, Rodrigo tops that list and is followed by The Kid Laroi, Giveon, Pooh Shiesty, and 24kGoldn. There’s also a lists of top artists that are duos or groups, and that’s led by BTS, as well as Glass Animals, Dan + Shay, Fleetwood Mac, and AJR.
When it comes to Billboard 200 albums, Morgan Wallen reigns supreme with Dangerous: The Double Album, ahead of Rodrigo’s Sour, Pop Smoke’s Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon, Swift’s Evermore, and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” leads the Hot 100 Songs chart, followed by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Save Your Tears,” The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” 24kGoldn and Iann Dior’s “Mood,” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U.”
Check out all of the year-end charts here and below.
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly’s relationship never fails to make headlines whether they’re making out on the red carpet or sharing some very confusing pickup lines used at the start of their relationship. They’ve been dating for a few months now and are so comfortable with each other that MGK knows Fox’s bucket list includes getting abducted by aliens. But, as any relationship goes, they still tried impressing each other when they first got together. MGK even went so far as to accidentally stab himself while trying to look cool in front of Fox.
MGK recently sat down for an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where he recalled the story. The musician started off by explaining the fateful night that started with him severely bruising a bone in his butt and ended with a knife lodged in his hand. It all went down right when he and Fox had first started dating and he was playing a filmed beer pong match with Post Malone. MGK entered the beer pong arena by sliding down a staircase railing and he failed to see a giant spike at the bottom — which was obviously very painful. But since he was trying to act tough before the game, the musician played it off and acted like he wasn’t in pain.
MGK impressively ended up winning the beer pong game (he later found out he had bruised the bone in his butt called a coccyx) and went home with Fox. To try to impress her, he picked up an engraved knife that was gifted to him and tossed it in the air with the intention of catching it without looking. “I threw it up and it came down and stuck in my hand,” he said, showing Fallon the scar he still has to this day.
Watch MGK talk about his relationship with Fox on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon above, around the 5-minute mark.
Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in December. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, December 3
1K Phew & Lecrae — No Church In A While (Reach Records)
Aisha Badru — The Way Back Home EP (Nettwerk Records)
Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge — Remixes JID010 (Jazz is Dead)
Andrew Gabbard — Homemade (Colemine Records)
Arca — Kick iii (XL Recordings)
Arca — Kick iiii (XL Recordings)
Berner — Gotti (Bern One Entertainment)
Carleigh Aikins — Junk Jewelry (SilverDoor)
Cold Collective — Weathervane (Rise Records)
Deep Throat Choir — In Order To Know You (Bella Union)
Emilia Anastazja — Flower House EP (Young and Aspiring)
Failure — Wild Type Droid (Failure Music)
Fruit Juice — Mirke vs. The Dreamy LLC (Easy Street Records)
Full Bush — Movie Night EP (Brutal Panda Records)
G’emma — Types of Water EP (Sonar Kollektiv)
Jason Boland — The Light Saw Me (Proud Souls Ent.)
Jesse Cook — Libre (Outside Music/Redeye)
Kathryn Williams & Carol Ann Duffy — Midnight Chorus (One Little Independent)
Kenny G — New Standards (Concord Records)
Khalid — Scenic Drive (Right Hand Music)
LP — Churches (PIAS Recordings)
Luttrell — Music For My Memories (Anjunadeep)
MadeinTYO and UnoTheActivist — Yokohama (Private Club Records)
Marissa Paternoster — Peace Meter (Don Giovanni Records)
Mike Block — Planispheres (Bright Shiny Things)
The Mother Hips — Glowing Lantern (Blue Rose)
Nardo Wick — Who Is Nardo Wick? (RCA)
New Found Glory — December’s Here (Hopeless Records)
Nils Frahm — Old Friends New Friends (LEITER)
NLE Choppa — Me Vs. Me EP (No Love Entertainment/Warner)
No Rome — It’s All Smiles (Dirty Hit)
Pepper Lewis — She Told Me To Sing My Heart Out EP (AWAL)
Pick A Piper — Sea Steps EP (Tin Angel)
Polo G — Hall of Fame 2.0 (Columbia Records)
Quinn Christopherson — I Am Bubblegum EP (4AD)
Rival Consoles — Overflow (Erased Tapes)
Sky H1 — Azure (AD 93)
So Hideous — None But a Pure Heart Can Sing (Silent Pendulum)
Tom Morello — The Atlas Underground Flood (Mom + Pop Music)
Treetop Flyers — Old Habits (Loose Music)
Trini Lopez — The Rare Reprise Singles (Omnivore Recordings)
Volbeat — Servant Of The Mind (Republic Records)
Wajatta — Do You Even Care Anymore? (Brainfeeder)
Friday, December 10
Aeon Station — Observatory (Sub Pop Records)
Big Boi and Sleepy Brown — The Big Sleepover (HITCO)
Buck Owens and Susan Raye — Together Again (Omnivore)
Clear Mortifee — Fairies: Act II EP (AntiFragile)
Fela Kuti — Vinyl Box Set #5 (Knitting Factory Records)
Green Day — The BBC Sessions (Warner Records)
Herman Dune — Santa Cruz Gold (Yaya Tova)
Honey Guide — A Tidy Room Is A Tidy Mind EP (Bam Bam Records)
Horse Show — Falsterbo EP (PNKSLM Recordings)
Jeff Parker — Forfolks (International Anthem/Nonesuch)
Jlin — Embryo EP (Planet Mu)
Joan Avant — Dies Irae (Red Masque Records)
Juice WRLD — Fighting Demons (Grade A Productions/Interscope Records)
Kid Dad — Bloom EP (Long Branch Records)
Majid Soula — Chant Amazigh (Habibi Funk Records)
Mercury X — Imprisoned (Frontiers Music)
Michot’s Melody Makers — Tiny Island EP (Nouveau Electric Records)
Monsta X — The Dreaming (Starship Entertainment Co. Ltd./Intertwine Music)
Moses Sumney — Live From Blackalachia (Tuntum)
Mouth Congress — Waiting For Henry (Captured Tracks)
Nalan — I’m Good. The Crying Tape (Mansions and Millions)
Nicole Atkins — Memphis Ice (Single Lock Records)
The O’My’s — No Swimming EP (ADA/Warner Music Group)
Rick Ross — Richer Than I Ever Been (Maybach Music Group)
San Fermin — In This House (Better Company)
Spell Songs — Spell Songs II: Let The Light In (Thirty Tigers)
At last week’s Australian Recording Industry Awards (ARIA), Canberra singer Genesis Owusu was the big winner of the night. The Ghanaian-Australian won four awards, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year, for Smiling With No Teeth. For comparison, the ARIA’s are essentially Australia’s version of the Grammy Awards, and Owusu’s feat is damn near Eilish-ian in nature.
Smiling With No Teeth is a jovial, soul-packed expression of hip-hop; more melodic than rugged, more danceable than pensive, more rock & roll than R&B, and cheekier than stoic. In short, it’s hella fun. Today, Owusu has shared a new video for the remix version of “Waitin On Ya” (which he performed at the ARIA gala.) It’s a time-and space-shifting visual that features Jagwar Ma’s Jono Ma assisting on the mix. There’s a lively snare drum beat with a hint of the amen break in the background, breathing new energy into the song. A spritely sax peppers its way in as Owusu plays a shady travel agent that teleports to tropical locales while smiling broadly through gold teeth.
Watch the video for “Waitin On Ya (Remix)” above and check out the tour dates for Owusu’s first US headlining tour below. Get tickets here.
01/13/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
01/15/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
01/17/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos
01/19/2022 — Denver, CO @ The Bluebird
01/25/2022 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
01/28/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
01/29/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Basement East
01/30/2022 — Austin, TX @ Antone’s
Smiling With No Teeth is out now via House Anxiety / Ourness
Come December 8th, Moses Sumney will be out with a new concert film entitled Blackalachia. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, it was filmed in the fall of 2020, when playing in front of live crowds was something we all weren’t sure of when would happen again. Part of WeTranfer’s Wepresent series, the 67-minute set sees Sumney playing songs off of both Græ and Aromanticism, along with some new material, which is what brings us here today.
On “In Bloom (In The Woods),” Sumney operates with a renewed comfort vocally. Perhaps it’s the bucolic setting, but there’s a distinct peace-of-mind in his delivery as he sings over gorgeous strings and a modest beat. You can almost hear the insects chirping in the background of the audience-less recording. The film itself obviously stars Sumney, but it was also directed by him. “Over the course of two days, we filmed 14 songs, totally live, the trees as our audience, the grasshoppers our background singers,” Sumney said in a statement. “The film is a wild imagining of what can happen when we seek not just to reclaim nature, but to reintegrate with it.”
Listen to “In Bloom (In The Woods)” above and watch a whip-fast drone-filmed trailer for Blackalachia below.
Even if the aspiring artist in your life already has all the gear they need, there are still some goodies and novelties that will surely be appreciated. So, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites and the list includes things like a terrific DIY recording kit, accessories that bring convenience to the life of a nomadic artist, and a few fun things that are are more low-key but surprisingly useful. So, if you’re looking for inspiration ahead of the end-of-year holidays, keep reading.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Pack
Guitar Center
If there’s an aspiring artist in your life who has the talent to create amazing music but doesn’t have the resources to make some decent-sounding recordings, this kit could be a perfect start for them. There’s a large diaphragm condenser mic to capture their performance, a pair of headphones so they can really hear what they’re doing, and a USB audio interface to manage all the inputs and outputs. Pair this with a laptop that has even a simple digital audio workstation program and your up-and-comer has a chance to create something great.
That previous kit is great, but if you’re looking for something more compact or your budget is a bit tighter, this little Fender device could be a perfect alternative. What we have here is a guitar headphone amplifier and a recording interface that can be used to record over USB, stream Bluetooth audio to make it easy to play along to a backing track, and mess with amp, effect, and EQ settings. That’s quite a bit considering it all comes in a pocket-sized package.
Buy a guitar and it’ll usually come with some dinky strap that is good enough, but if you want to treat yourself with something more reliable, getting something of a higher quality is a justifiable expense. Fender has a great model that’s made with the same leather they use in baseball gloves, perhaps the piece of sporting gear most famous for lasting for years. Between the heavy-duty contrast stitching and the strap’s adjustability, you can’t go wrong here.
Similar story here: Guitars can come with a case, but it’s usually flimsy and should really be considered a temporary solution. If you want something less ephemeral, this gig bag is a fine way to protect and transport your acoustic six-string. It has 10.5 mm padding throughout, a weather-resistant exterior, and a bottom rubber guard, so this case offers fantastic protection whether you’re out and about or just storing your guitar at home.
Getting to play music on stage on a regular basis is the dream for a lot of performers, but the nightmare that often comes later on is hearing loss. Fortunately, that is easily preventable with a simple-but-effective pair of ear plugs. This pair from Hearos promises to deliver “flat attenuation,” which allows you to “hear the music just as it was intended, but with the elimination of up to 12 decibels of potentially damaging noise.” If you find yourself in an overly loud environment, music-related or not, these are a must-have.
If you’re shopping for somebody who already has all the gear they can handle, a fun novelty isn’t a bad idea for a stocking-stuffer. These audio jack key-holders are better than most novelties in that they actually serve a useful purpose, both by keeping keys organized and letting guests in your home know in a fun way where your passion is.
Cheap microphones can get the job done in a pinch, especially if you’ve adopted a DIY aesthetic. For those who want something cleaner and more professional-sounding, though, something like this Shure mic, which has nearly 300 5-star ratings on Guitar Center’s website, is sure to be an upgrade. This model boasts “internal ‘air suspension’ shock isolation” and a built-in pop filter, getting rid of audio distractions and letting whatever it is you’re recording shine, whether it’s music, podcasts, or whatever you can think of.
There’s some quality recording equipment on this list, but fancy gear can only do so much of the acoustics of the room you’re playing in are trash. This set of acoustic panels take care of that issue really quickly, as they can cover your walls and take care of errant reverb and other acoustic issues for relatively cheap. Considering how drastically acoustic panels can improve the quality of your recordings, these are beyond a worthwhile pick-up.
A sturdy stool is a versatile tool for pretty much everybody in the band and PDP makes a great one for under $100. This one ought to come through when it counts, too, thanks to features like its double-braced legs and slip-resistant feet. For just a few bucks, this is a rock-solid gift that will see a bunch of use and hold up for years to come.
Orange Amplifiers Crush Mini 3W 1×4 Guitar Combo Amp
Guitar Center
A quality primary amp is an essential investment, but having a smaller secondary one is an excellent accessory to keep handy, too. This one is a mini version of the classic Orange amp, which makes it perfect for situations when portability and convenience are paramount, whether you’re busking on the street, practicing on the road, or working on your next great musical idea in your bedroom.
