Philadelphia indie-rock alchemist Alexander Giannascoli understands better than most musicians who’ve emerged in the past decade how to convey the slipperiness and complexity of emotion in song. The 27-year-old kicked off his career in the early 2010s with a streak of albums he self-released or put out through small cassette labels, and they all wound up on the Bandcamp page he ran as Alex G. By the time he added “(Sandy)” to his stage name in 2017, his blossoming cult status had gotten a major boost from his contributions to Frank Ocean’s two 2016 albums, Endless and Blonde. Giannascoli’s second album for big-time indie Domino, Rocket, brought him to his own crossover moment that same year. On his follow-up, September’s House of Sugar, he’s refined his experimental, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to indie rock without losing the emotional ambiguity that makes his music magnetic. The radically processed vocals on “Gretel” give way to a Lynchian melody, hinting at the odd range of feelings that anyone going through major life changes faces, regardless of age. Giannascoli’s calming vocals on the chorus act as a balm against dark moods, and he performs with a resilience that suggests moving forward won’t be as bad as we fear. v
Irreversible Entanglements will leave you shaken. The group make tight, synergistic free jazz anchored by the dynamic spoken-word declarations of poet Moor Mother, aka Camae Ayewa. Their music sometimes sounds chaotic and freewheeling, but it ensnares listeners with arrangements carefully considered to help deliver fiery political messages. The five-piece ensemble–the lineup also includes saxophonist Keir Neuringer, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, bassist Luke Stewart, and drummer Tcheser Holmes–originally performed as two different groups at a 2015 New York benefit show called Musicians Against Police Brutality. They create art with a purpose, and on their new album, Who Sent You? (International Anthem/Don Giovanni), they sound more potent than any other act out there. The title track surrounds you with a vortex of barreling drums as Moor Mother evokes the terrors of living in a police state. She sounds assured and calm, firing off words that indict the futility, ineptitude, and foolishness of cops and their failure as civil servants. “Blues Ideology” rallies against harmful religious ideologies that powerful leaders feed the masses, and the stumbling, anguished instrumentation bolsters the anger in Moor Mother’s voice (“Pope must be drunk,” she exclaims). No track feels frivolous, and that’s Irreversible Entanglements’ greatest feat: they instill a desire to think, act, and live more purposefully. v
Long before drummer Warren G. “Trae” Crudup III and bassist Luke Stewart launched noisy free-jazz duo Blacks’ Myths in 2018, they backed celebrated saxophonist James Brandon Lewis as the rhythm section in his trio. They’ve also enmeshed themselves in D.C.’s jazz scene individually: Crudup performs with a slew of scene fixtures, including saxophonist Brian Settles and poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, while Stewart plays in Afrofuturist crossover group Irreversible Entanglements and works for jazz nonprofit and editorial site CapitalBop as “director of presenting and avant music editor.” Blacks’ Myths 2018 self-titled debut showcases Crudup and Stewart’s preternatural musical connection: on “Upper South,” Stewart weaves together lightly pinging foreground notes with a hypnotic, relentlessly propulsive riff, which Crudup girds with cool, in-the-pocket percussion whose brisk snap he can intensify at a moment’s notice. On their follow-up, last year’s Blacks’ Myths II (Atlantic Rhythms), they tack toward discord; Stewart’s bass takes on a blistering metallic throb, and Crudup fights off the feedback with cascading drum fills that blow open pockets of space in the noise. Though Blacks’ Myths II can be intensely discombobulating, its most irascible passages make it even sweeter when Crudup and Stewart relax into a linear melody. And when shrieking patches of noise erupt from the sluggish but triumphant “Free Land,” they feel like sunlight on the horizon. v
Remember the Lil Wayne of 2008 and 2009? He constantly boasted that he was the “greatest rapper alive,” and you know what? He actually was. The 2008 album Tha Carter III, released about ten years into his career, was a full-blown landmark. It gave the world a string of smash singles, including “Lollipop” and “Got Money,” which showed Wayne’s knack for infectious pop hooks. And on “La La,” “You Ain’t Got Nuthin,” and the legendary “A Milli,” he solidified his reputation as an unstoppable MC by hammering out some of the fastest, cleverest, most skull-rattling wordplay ever committed to tape. Wayne got even wilder on 2009’s No Ceilings mixtape, which he supposedly recorded completely freestyle–he was at the apex of his game, his charisma and skill decimating every rapper around him. At the turn of the decade, Wayne was releasing new music and collaborations at such an astonishing clip (he even put out a rock record, Rebirth, in 2010) that it’s hard to fathom how he also found time to jump-start the careers of Drake and Nicki Minaj. Since then, Wayne’s been on a long, strange trip of his own–a prison sentence, hospitalizations for codeine withdrawal, countless face tattoos–but he’s still managed to keep the releases flowing. Some have been better than others, but none has held a candle to his best. As the years have gone by, Wayne’s delivery has begun to sound almost tired and mumbly. On his latest full-length, the seemingly never-ending 24-track Funeral, he occasionally achieves a moment of brilliance, but now that hip-hop has made a viral hit out of a Rascal Flatts medley sung by a heavily armed man in a ski mask and designer bulletproof vest, Wayne kinda sounds old-fashioned. At the end of the day, though, freaky modern rappers wouldn’t exist without Lil Wayne–even as his output becomes less relevant, his importance can’t be denied. v
There is no doubt that we have endless amounts of time on our hands recently. With limited resources open, we are forced to spend more “me time” than ever before. After watching countless episodes of The Office, you might be feeling a little brain dead. Don’t you worry, there is much more to keep yourself reoccupied during this quarantine!
Do you ever wonder how some users on social media platforms have so many followers and viewers? Believe it or not, it doesn’t have a whole lot to do with how they look, but the way their profile looks! It doesn’t take a lot of time to clean up the old and put out the new. There are just a few simple keys that will ensure your social media gets a fresh, new makeover: color, editing, and planning.
Discover Who You Are
What are some things you are passionate about? And how can you implement those passions to your targeted audience? For one, if you love animals, you can capture candid moments with your pets for easy content everyone will love. On the other hand, if you have more of an artistic vibe, you can share your music, lyrics, poetry, or paintings on your Instagram to break up the selfies. Try to use filters and vocabulary that coincide with how you see the world.
Color of Your Soul
Do you have a common mood? Happy? Lively? Calm & Collected? Colors are a crazy representation of emotions. In the best ways, we can express ourselves through this method that will activate other senses in our bodies. Try creating color schemes on Pinterest, We Heart It, or even DudePins for the men in your life! All sites require a quick registration to a fast and easy platform to save all your favorite designs and ideas.
Edit, Edit, Edit!
Your phone has more editing tools than you know! There are plenty of Apple and Android apps that offer helpful editing tools for photos and videos. Take advantage of them! Digital Trends has lots of tips and tricks on how to use apps that are friendly to Android and iOS users.
There are so many ways you can pass the time as it seems to feel like it’s going slower and slower day by day. Have fun with it, learn something new, and educate others. Spend your time wisely.
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Amazon Prime has more than a few gems you might not have seen yet. Catch on the classics, award-winning films, and what’s trending now on Amazon Prime when you dive into this movie bucket list.
Best Movies
Let’s start with the much-anticipated best movies on Amazon Prime Video. Everyone wants to know what’s trending and what the next topic of conversation can be with your pals via FaceTime, Skype, or Snapchat. In a world that is on lockdown, what else is there to talk about? We’ve got you covered.
Photo Credit: Avengers
The Avengers | IMDb 8/10
If you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time. If you’ve already seen it, time to watch it again! This film is action-packed and full of awesome actors. S.H.I.E.L.D., an international peace-keeping agency, breeds the world’s finest superheroes. When global security is under attack, this agency pulls together the Marvel team, maximizing all of their powers to save the world!
Photo Credit: We Need to Talk About Kevin
We Need To Talk About Kevin | IMDb 7.5/10
Oh boy, this one is great, but it sure packs a punch. At its core, the movie itself tells the honest truth about the importance of parenting, therapy, communication, and coping skills. It’s a movie for those who aren’t easily offended by the rawest of emotions. Now, for an overview… Eva is a mother who can’t provide the proper parenting for her son, Kevin, a troubled child with sociopathic tendencies, to say the least. With a husband who ignores most of the major issues, Eva is in it alone. But don’t let this scare you; it’s a great film and worth a watch.
Photo Credit: Logan Lucky
Logan Lucky | IMDb: 7/10
Even though this one came out in 2017, it took some time to get its well-deserved fame. This movie tells the story of two brothers, Jimmy and Clyde, who attempt to reverse an old family curse. How do they plan to do it? By robbing the Speedway of course! This drama is not to be missed.
Classics
You can’t go wrong with a classic film. In times like these, it’s an awesome way to catch up on the oldies that will always be goodies.
Photo Credit: What’s Eating Gilbert Grapes
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape | IMDb 7.8/10
Ah, the classic! This one will never get old for us. Gilbert Grape is a young man from a podunk town. Despite his young age, he bears much burden, the biggest of which is his mother, who cannot leave the house due to her weight. This, of course, leaves Gilbert with the responsibility of caring for his mentally impaired younger brother. This movie is a realistic feel-good that is sure to leave you better than before you watched it.
Photo Credit: Road House
Road House | IMDb 6.6/10
Patrick Swayze! Oh boy, what a man. Don’t get us started on those tight denim jeans he wears! Swayze, known as Dalton in the film, plays a bouncer at the Road House. He’s hot, he’s dangerous(ly good looking), and he will rip out throats with his bare hands! This awesome film will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Photo Credit: To Catch a Thief
To Catch a Thief | IMDb 7.4/10
Old Hollywood glamour will always excite us. This classic movie tells the tale of John “The Cat” Robie, who finds himself in a long string of crimes in the French Riviera. Attempting to redeem his name, he ends up intertwined with a beautiful socialite, played by Grace Kelly. This movie is classy, elegant, and downright ritzy.
Trending
If Amazon Prime Video has taught us anything, it’s that just because something is trending doesn’t mean it’s the best option. Although we’ve shared some awesome movies with you already, here are our thoughts on the latest additions.
Photo Credit: Honey Boy
Honey Boy | IMDb 7.4/10
Remember Shia LaBeouf from classics such as Even Stevens or Holes? Well, ladies and gentlemen, he’s back, and this time… it’s a little strange. Honey Boy is a project this well-known actor has been working on for quite some time. The movie tells the story of Shia’s childhood from his own eyes. Shia plays the role of his father and depicts him in a not-so-heroic light. This one is certainly a coming of age story that details the strong bond between father and son.
Photo Credit: The Report
The Report | IMDb 7.2./10
First of all, we just love Adam Driver. The characters he plays are hard to not find intriguing. In this particular film, he plays an FBI agent named Daniel who goes deep into an investigation of the CIA when they adopted new interrogation and torture techniques after 9/11. The cast is amazing, the movie a little lackluster, but if you’re quarantined — why not?
Blow the Man Down | IMDb 6/10
Easter Cove… a small town on the very tip of the coast of Maine. When something fishy happens in this small fisherman’s town, Mary Beth and Priscilla have to do their very best to cover up their actions. These sisters end up deep in the cringe-worthy crime scene of their tiny hometown. In our opinion, the town really isn’t the only thing that stinks…
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Tell us what you think matters in your neighborhood and what we should write about next in the comments below!
With Eddie Jackson locked down on a long-term deal, the ChicagoBears needed to address the strong safety position, and they may of just done so…
According to multiple reports, safety Deon Bush will return to the Chicago Bears following the conclusion of his rookie contract after Chicago selected Bush in the fourth-round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Since joining the Bears, Bush has played in 54 total games, including eight starts and has accumulated 44 combined tackles, three pass deflections, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit.
Though those numbers might not jump off the page at you, Bush has quietly become a core special teamer for the Bears. For instance, during the 2019 NFL season, Bush amassed 58 total defensive snaps, but totaled an additional 263 snaps on special teams.
So, what’s the details of Bush’s new contract? It looks like Bush has re-signed to the Bears on a one-year deal worth approximately $1.4 million. In general terms, that may seem like a bit much for a player who has been primarily a core special teams player. However, I truly believe that Deon Bush may be looked at as a viable option to start opposite Eddie Jackson.
If you missed it, former Bears safety, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed a one-year deal to join Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys. While, Clinton-Dix was a very reliable defensive back for the Bears last season, one could argue that he mirrored too much of a resemblance to his Alabama counterpart.
Rumblings coming out of Halas Hall are that Bears Defensive Coordinator, Chuck Pagano would prefer to play a hard hitting, box-safety next to the coverage focused, Eddie Jackson. Say someone that fits the mold of an Adrian Amos type?
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While there are still bigger name free agents out on the open market (i.e. Tony Jefferson, Eric Reid, etc.), I can see a scenario where the Bears give Deon Bush the first opportunity to earn the starting job.
I mean, even looking over past scouting reports of when Bush was coming out of Miami — it’s clear as day that Bush was sold as a prospect that could become that physical, hard hitting box-safety that the Bears might just be looking for…
On the other hand, it makes sense for the Bears to look for an inexpensive option across from Eddie Jackson, after making Jackson one of the highest paid safeties in the history of professional football.
In my opinion, I’d like to see the Bears add another safety in the later rounds of the draft and allow Bush to compete in an open-competition with the rookie for the strong safety starting job. However, who knows what’s going through Ryan Pace’s mind right now? For all we know, he could be looking to make a splash deal for a high-level safety…
ChicagoBears General Manager Ryan Pace has a lot of pressure on him heading into 2020. Can he convince ownership that he is the right man for the long haul?
Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Pace is moving like a man whose feet are held to the fire. This is even with the limited resources at his disposal. However, that has not stopped Pace from being aggressive so far this offseason (even if some of the moves are head-scratching).
He went with veteran leadership over youth and upside by picking Danny Trevathan over the younger more promising Nick Kwiatkoski. When it came to the tight end position, he went with a familiar face in former New Orleans Saint Jimmy Graham.
We pounded the table as fans for more pass rush help at the outside linebacker position. Pace went out and signed one of the best ones available in Robert Quinn. Last, but certainly not least, he went out and traded for a Matt Nagy hand-picked guy in former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
The moves by Pace this offseason reek of a GM who knows the pressure is on for him to produce a winner in 2020.
The Foles acquisition is an admission of Nagy being just about done with Trubisky. In Foles, Nagy gets a quarterback that knows the system inside and out. Pace signed Quinn because he saw what every other Bears fan saw in 2020. That was Leonard Floyd was simply not good enough as a pass rusher.
We can complain about the puzzling signing of Graham. However, availability was a big issue with both Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen. Despite his age at 33, Graham’s durability over the past few seasons has not been a concern.
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So far Pace has had a decent offseason, but still has issues at positions that need to be addressed. They have a gaping hole at right guard. Uncertainly after Allen Robinson on the wide receiver depth chart. No answer currently at strong safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. You also don’t have anything to be confident about in your number two cornerback.
For Pace, the pressure is on for this squad to have a winning season to have solid job security heading into next year. As much as the McCaskey family loves Pace, another year where they miss the postseason would be tough to swallow.
The ChicagoBears have not had the quarterback they have needed to get it done in recent memory. They need to keep going until they find their guy.
The Chicago Bears have had a subpar quarterback for a very long time. They have never had a superstar under center and Jay Cutler in his prime was the only one who even came close. He showed flashes of brilliance and there were other times where he was plain awful. Right now, it is pretty clear that Mitchell Trubisky isn’t the answer and won’t be any time soon.
That fact led to the Bears acquiring former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is likely going to be the starting quarterback in Week 1 unless something crazy happens. They may or may not trade Trubisky but as of right now, they need to be starting the best option to give themselves a chance to win.
Despite having Foles in the mix along with Trubisky’s uncertainty, the Bears still need to draft someone at the 2020 NFL Draft. They likely aren’t going to trade up to pick Joe Burrow or Tua Tagovailoa as they will both likely be taken in the top five or six. They do, however, have two second-round picks that they could spend on a quarterback.
Jake Fromm and Jalen Hurts are the two most notable names that might be there when the Bears are on the board. They both had very successful collegiate careers so the Bears would be wise to try one of them out. They likely aren’t going to be bad enough in 2020 to draft Trevor Lawrence of Clemson University who will likely be the first overall pick.
So if they have Foles and have yet to trade Trubisky, why would they draft another quarterback? There are multiple answers to that question. The first is that you never know what is going to happen with Trubisky or Foles beyond 2020. Another is that the Bears should just keep trying new quarterbacks until they get it right. Eventually, one of these guys has to be good for them. There is no reason for them to settle for bad quarterback play. They should be doing anything they can to make sure they have the best quarterback possible.
The ChicagoBears have a hole at their starting safety spot opposite Eddie Jackson, and one top-tier free agent may want to come to Chicago…
NFL free agency has officially begun and the Chicago Bears have made a slew of moves in hoping to improve their roster entering the upcoming football season. However, after a quick glance at the Bears depth chart you will quickly realize that the Bears are in desperate need of a starting strong safety, opposite that of All-Pro defensive back, Eddie Jackson.
Well, what about Ha Ha Clinton-Dix? Incase you didn’t see the latest sports news, but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has reunited with his former Head Coach, Mike McCarthy by signing a one-year deal worth $4 million with the Dallas Cowboys. In a corresponding move, the Bears signed core special teamer, Deon Bush.
Enter former Baltimore Ravens safety, Tony Jefferson… The hard hitting, former undrafted box safety has made it evidently clear that he’d welcome the opportunity to play on the lakefront.
Jefferson joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 and since then has accumulated 174 combined tackles, 11 pass deflections, three-and-a-half sacks and two interceptions. Unfortunately, Jefferson’s past season was cut short due to severe knee injury.
Jefferson is currently just 28-years old, and is revered in the league as one of the hardest hitting safeties. A signing of the Oklahoma product would be a perfect fit alongside Eddie Jackson, and would bring that “dog” mentality to the back end of the Bears ferocious defensive unit.
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That idea seems to be on the top of Cordarrelle Patterson‘s mind, as well. It seems like Patterson is not only a fan of Jefferson, but that he may be the best sales man for the Chicago Bears.
So, the real question is what would it take for the Bears to get Jefferson to sign on the dotted line? Well, Clinton-Dix signed a one-year deal worth $4 million ($2.5 million fully guaranteed). Given the circumstances, Clinton Dix is a year-younger than Jefferson and played a full, productive season last year.
With that all being stated, Jefferson will hold a dead cap hit in Baltimore for the 2020 season of $4.65 million. Therefore, I believe the Bears could get Jefferson to sign for a one-year, incentivized deal worth roughly $3.5 million guaranteed. This would allow Jefferson to play behind an elite defensive front, and reset his market value to cash in during the 2021 free agency period.
Would that get it done? I believe so. Is a healthy Jefferson worth more than that on the open market? Absolutely, but Jefferson is coming off a bad season (due to health issues) and the strong safety market has been suppressed due to an abundance of options at a position that isn’t as favorable as the ball-hawking free safety spot. Will Ryan Pace make the move for Tony Jefferson? Only time will tell…
