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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Is Sweet, Slight, and (Kevin) Bacon-Flavored: Review
The Pitch: Did you know that in Britain, there’s a long and proud tradition of ongoing series putting out special episodes for the holidays? More often than not, they’re even broadcast on Christmas Day, when it seems that entire nation turns into couch potatoes. In America, though, our more couch potato-y holiday happens to be Thanksgiving, and our biggest ongoing series happens to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus, this week’s release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special feels pretty apt. Clocking in at 42 minutes (including post-credits scene), James Gunn’s breezy holiday confection offers a little bit of set-up as to where the titular Guardians, including Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillen), Rocket (Bradley Coop...
2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Essentials for Music and Pop Culture Fans
Deals! Sales! Limited-time offers! Big, flashy advertisements everywhere you go! It really is the most magical time of the year. To help you wade your way through retail’s busiest season, we’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for the music, film, and pop-culture-loving person in your life. From books to Blu-rays, tech to live experiences, these goodies will help you win the unspoken “best gift giver” award this holiday season. Better yet, pick up a few of these for yourself – you deserve it. ‘Tis the season to click through gift guides and inspire your own wishlist, eh? Then, truly treat yourself by checking out the Consequence shop to score deals on wearables, CBD products, and more. And if you’re looking for vinyl-specific ideas, head over to our vinyl gift guide for even more inspirat...
Andor Season 1 Told the Star Wars Story We Need for Times Like These
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 1 finale of Andor.] A lot of major plot points are packed into the Season 1 finale of Andor, but really, one of the year’s most powerful episodes of television came down to a speech from a dead woman. Fiona Shaw’s work was the definition of Emmy-worthy in the back half of the season, as Cassian Andor (Diego Luna)’s adoptive mother, fully aware that she was nearing the end of her days, became fully committed to one goal: doing whatever she could to combat the rise of the Empire. Her passing in Episode 11, as seen from the point of view of her loyal droid B2EMO, was already a heartbreaking moment for the show — the childlike sadness of “I want Maarva” jerking tears from anyone who’s ever lost a loved one. But then came her sp...
2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Must-Have Vinyl and Box Sets
With Black Friday just around the corner on November 25th, the busiest shopping season of the year will soon be in full force. For many in the music community, that means one thing: a license to spend far too much money on vinyl, CDs, and super deluxe, multi-LP, limited edition, hardbody box sets. To help those looking for physical copies of their favorite albums, we’ve compiled a holiday gift guide of must-have vinyl. Whether you’re buying for your loved ones or taking the opportunity to beef up your own collection (hey, we’re not here to judge), we’ve got you covered with some of the hottest releases you’ll find in 2022. From the classics to modern favorites, here’s a guide for what to get your physical-media-obsessed audiophile friend. Then, be sure to check out Consequence’s Black Frid...
The Smile Prove They Aren’t Just a Radiohead Side Project at New York City Show: Recap + Setlist
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are many things, but flashy certainly isn’t one of them. Along with drummer Tom Skinner of Sons of Kemet, the two Radiohead members quietly re-emerged together earlier this year as The Smile. The trio released their debut album, May’s A Light for Attracting Attention, with relatively little press or social media promotion surrounding it; as with most good things involving Radiohead, the music speaks for itself. With the exception of Greenwood’s prolific output of consistently beautiful film scores, even the most ardent fans would have to admit that many Radiohead members’ side projects (solo endeavors, the Flea-featuring supergroup Atoms for Peace) have up to this point typically paled in comparison to their main band’s discography. But when Yorke, Greenwood,...
Welcome to Chippendales: What’s Fact and Fiction In the New Hulu True Crime Series?
Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales is without a doubt one of the biggest surprises that TV has to offer this year. Following Chippendales founder Steve Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), the show starts out as an exciting underdog tale about an Indian emigrant who goes on to create one of the world’s most popular establishments. But then, as Chippendales becomes more and more of a success, the show metamorphoses into a stranger-than-fiction story of arson, racketeering, and murder – to just scratch the surface. Is this story actually stranger than fiction? Below, we investigate the contents of Chippendales, episode by episode, breaking down what actually happened, and what was fabricated — or completely made-up — for the series. We’ll update this post each week as each new episode debuts. [Edito...
Why Alien: Resurrection Is the Worst Alien Film — and Also the Most Fascinating
Twenty-five years ago, 20th Century Fox released the fourth Alien film, and with it brought its once-lucrative franchise to a screeching halt. Yet, despite the fact that Alien Resurrection is maybe the worst of the four original Alien films, it’s probably the one I’ve seen the most times. I keep coming back to it, over and over, as a fascinating mismatch between writer and director that, on paper, should have been legitimately amazing. I keep wanting to understand it. Every time, I fail. But I still come away fascinated by the sheer fact of its existence. Resurrection features the fourth (and to date final) appearance of Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, who we originally met as a humble space trucker in the first Alien, before she became one of the galaxy’s sole living experts on the terr...
A Solo Traveler’s Guide to London’s Dance Music Scene
London’s electronic dance music scene is as vibrant as ever. If you’re traveling on your own, identifying the right place to party is paramount to the experience. In your search for affordable accommodation, look no further than St Christopher’s Inns, an international hostel group that offers a diverse range of accommodation options for backpackers. Belushi’s London at St Christopher Inn London Bridge Village. Jarett Lopez What makes them unique is Belushi’s, their in-house party bar brand, the perfect spot to meet new friends before exploring London’s many large-scale clubs and intimate underground spaces. While booking your accommodation at one of St Christopher’s London locations, feel free to use the code EDM5 for 5% off your stay. In this guide, we ...
Zhou Guanyu Embraces the Pressures of Formula 1 as He Looks to the Future
It can be said that Formula 1 is not for the faint of heart. With only 20 drivers making up the grid each year, the pressure is immensely high. 2022 marked the longest F1 season in history since the sport began in 1950, with 22 races taking place all over the world. Of course, with Formula 2 and junior drivers trailing not far behind, there’s also the added pressure of performing well in order to keep your seat. For neophyte Zhou Guanyu, however, pressure is all part of the process. Like for most drivers, Formula 1 is more than a sport, and the 2022 newcomer joined the ranks and quickly began making a name for himself, scoring points in his debut race and making history as the first Chinese racer in the history of the motorsport. The past season saw many highs and lows for the Chinese race...
Lola Plaku Believes That Clarity Is Key in Adapting to the Ever-Evolving Music Industry
As a 13-year-old girl who had just moved to Canada from Albania, Lola Plaku had absolutely no idea that her career would involve running her own creative agency and women empowerment organization, serving as an adjunct professor at one of the most prestigious music schools in the world and producing the early shows of artists like The Weeknd, Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky. An affinity for promotion, discovered during her time at Wilfrid Laurier University, led her to start promoting local hip-hop groups and from there on, her passion for the music industry only continued to grow stronger. Her next decade in the music industry was spent wearing many hats: music journalist, event promoter, concert production and artist manager. It proved to be an important and significant time for Plaku and th...
Best New Tracks: Brockhampton, Yung Kayo, PinkPantheress and More
As the week in music comes to a close, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks. This week brings together industry veterans with emerging artists. Brockhampton released back-to-back albums, The Family and TM, while YSL Records’ Yung Kayo dropped the new single “150.” Benny Sings and Kenny Beats teamed up for an exciting explosion of production and lyricism on new song “The World” and PinkPantheress kept it chill on the track “Do you miss me?” Yung Kayo – “150” [embedded content] YSL Records signee Yung Kayo shared the first cut from his upcoming project, Nineteen. Following his widely-celebrated debut album DFTK, the first song from the roll out of his new endeavor intertwines hyperpop-style production with Kayo’s unique rap-yelling sound. L...
Best New Tracks: Brockhampton, Yung Kayo, PinkPantheress and More
As the week in music comes to a close, HYPEBEAST has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks. This week brings together industry veterans with emerging artists. Brockhampton released back-to-back albums, The Family and TM, while YSL Records’ Yung Kayo dropped the new single “150.” Benny Sings and Kenny Beats teamed up for an exciting explosion of production and lyricism on new song “The World” and PinkPantheress kept it chill on the track “Do you miss me?” Yung Kayo – “150” [embedded content] YSL Records signee Yung Kayo shared the first cut from his upcoming project, Nineteen. Following his widely-celebrated debut album DFTK, the first song from the roll out of his new endeavor intertwines hyperpop-style production with Kayo’s unique rap-yelling sound. L...
