NYC Summer Streets is back this month and bigger than ever, with 22 miles of car-free roads
In honor of the city's 400th anniversary, this year's edition is doubling down on scale and energy, with more than 400 blocks of car-free bliss. For the first time, you'll be able to walk, bike, jog—or cartwheel—your way from the Brooklyn Bridge to Inwood without seeing a single traffic light turn red. The Manhattan mega-route, open Aug. 2, 9 and 16, includes a Harlem activation along Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd with community programming and live entertainment.
The series kicks off July 26 in Queens and Staten Island. Expect waterfront views along Vernon Boulevard and a new Staten Island route on Forest Avenue, complete with giveaways from Coca-Cola, Siggi's yogurt and FIFA's Skyline to Shoreline Tour.
On Aug. 23, Brooklyn and the Bronx close out the season with routes along Eastern Parkway and the Grand Concourse, respectively. And if you're the competitive type (or just need a reason to break in your new Hokas), the New York Road Runners Start Line Series is bringing free 2.5-mile and 5K community races to Queens and Brooklyn.
Summer Streets will also pack plenty of memorable moments along the route this year—think a giant inflatable soccer darts game from Brooklyn FC, photo ops with larger-than-life NYC letters, slushie samples from mushroom coffee brand RYZE and an interactive sculpture called Collective Bloom that turns your literal energy into art. There's even a 'Grand Lawn' pop-up at Park Avenue and 40th Street courtesy of Grand Central Terminal, complete with lawn games and snacks.
Everything's free. It all happens rain or shine. And Citi Bike is even throwing in free 24-hour passes during the events (just use code LYFTSUMMER25).
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The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
Sabbath, Satanism and solo stunners: Ozzy Osbourne's 10 best recordings
Ozzy Osbourne's voice was probably at its strongest and most distinctive during the great run of Black Sabbath albums of the early 1970s, before years of drugs and alcohol took their effect. In those days, his desolate wail had reach and range, and a deep melancholy. That tone was perfect for the subject of this bleak and blasted reflection on cocaine (Vol 4 was dedicated to 'the great COKE-Cola company of Los Angeles'). Osbourne sounds like a man who has been wiped clean, both terrified of and in thrall to the drug: 'The sun no longer sets me free / I feel the snowflakes freezing me.' At a time when cocaine was still considered a party drug, the fervour in Osbourne's voice as he celebrates enslavement to it is deeply unsettling – it's every bit as amoral and devout in its drug worship as Lou Reed's Heroin. It's pointless trying to extricate the sound of Osbourne himself from Sabbath as a band: at their peak, they were a single being with four heads, but a single musical will – they were perhaps the first truly monolithic-sounding band. So, inevitably, the better the band sound, the better Ozzy sounds. And, dear God, did the four of them ever combine better than on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, especially in the 'dreams turn to nightmares' section, where Osbourne is singing at the absolute top of his range, while Tony Iommi goes to the very bottom of his to play a riff that even 52 years later sounds as though it has been dredged from some primordial sludge, rather than played on a guitar. And on the acoustic passages, Ozzy makes the perfect transition from rage to gentleness. Blinding stuff all round. Sabotage was probably the best Sabbath album, both profoundly heavy and strange and experimental. Hole in the Sky, though, was Sabbath at their most traditional and basic: a huge rolling boogie, powered by Bill Ward's swinging drums, and topped by Iommi's brutal riff. Near the top of his register, Osbourne – as on Snowblind – sounds possessed by an ecstatic emptiness, like a cult leader. Or, more accurately, a cult follower: he sounds delighted as he sings: 'I'm looking through a hole in the sky / I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie.' The contrast between Osbourne's shriek and Iommi's roil was a key component of the Sabbath sound – when Iommi was not soloing, his voice was often the only treble in the mix. Though you're never going to Osbourne looking for vocal pyrotechnics, he had a vital role in the musicality of Black Sabbath. Listen to any doom band with a growling vocalist to hear the difference his voice makes. One of the greatest of all heavy metal tracks – you can hear lightbulbs going off in the minds of a generation young musicians as it plays – has a reputation that rests largely on its riff, and its heaviness, but Osbourne brings it to life. Here, he is vicious, bordering on unhinged, his cries of 'yeah' stretching out and getting ragged as his voice fades. Symptom of the Universe depends on its power for Osbourne's commitment, because Geezer Butler's lyric is – to be honest – a bit of a dog's dinner. Osbourne makes it sound credible through sheer force of will. And in the outro – all acoustic guitars and shakers, and Latin rhythms – the desperation turns to grit, and Ozzy is suddenly a kind of soul singer. Told you this was a strange record. When it opens with that bubbling bassline, you might think you're listening to an unheard Cure song. Then the guitars and vocals come in. But where The Writ goes is entirely unexpected. Over the course of nine minutes it manages to encompass not just proto-goth, but Zep-esque storming, with bluesy flourishes from Iommi: anthemic arena rock, grinding and faintly psychedelic passages that preface a large amount of US noise rock a decade later and harpsichord ballad sections. And wherever you throw him, Ozzy sounds completely at home. Sometimes his voice was a monotone, but that meant small gradations and changes in tone really registered. The measure of how central he was to the Sabbath sound was that the band had to overhaul it to incorporate his successor, Ronnie James Dio. Banished from Sabbath, seemingly out of control and hardly likely to top anyone's list of reliable people to ask for a household favour, Ozzy needed to begin his solo career with a bang, and find a way to be something other than Sabbath Part 2, but not as good. He found it in a young, blond California guitarist named Randy Rhoads, who had been playing around Los Angeles with Quiet Riot. Rhoads, who died in 1982, helped reinvent Ozzy – something his employer has always acknowledged. His tone was bright and shiny, a polar opposite to Iommi, and he played with flash and flair – this was the sound of rock guitar to come, and a clean break for Osbourne. For their first single together, Rhoads brought a killer riff, and Bob Daisley gave Ozzy a perfectly self-aware lyric to acknowledge his public perception: 'I'm going off the rails on a crazy train.' Sign up to Sleeve Notes Get music news, bold reviews and unexpected extras. Every genre, every era, every week after newsletter promotion The other signature song from the first Ozzy record, Blizzard of Ozz, gave him a lyrical subject on-the-nose enough to reassure the old Sabs fans that their hero had not strayed too far. You don't release a single about Britain's most famous satanist if you want to let people know you've changed from your old, evil ways. The version on the album was clunky, which was perhaps why a live cut was selected for the single. Ozzy is fine, but no one is really pretending the hero of this recording is anyone other than Rhoads. After Don Airey's portentous keyboard intro, it is Rhoads who provides the crashing riff – just evil enough, but no Sabbath parody – and he who provides the two guitar solos that helped cement his international reputation. Rhoads shredded, but played with melody – he didn't just cram notes in, but made them do things other hard rock guitarists were not contemplating. Arguably the standout moment of Rhoads' career, it's also a song that illustrates that long before experimental metal was a thing, the genre was far from being unimaginative. Diary of a Madman – and yes, the title is once again on the nose – was an extraordinary song of shifting moods, and Osbourne singing a lyric that is not in the least cartoonish but a darkly empathetic account of mental illness, of someone utterly trapped in their own despair. A technically better singer might have been tempted to overemote, but Ozzy keeps the mood, allowing the music – by the end there's an operatic choir – to provide the drama, while he offers the feeling. Ozzy achieved huge commercial success through the 80s without touching the heights of the two albums with Rhoads. There were high points, but there was a fair amount of hair-metal awfulness, too. Ozzy himself long described 1986's The Ultimate Sin as the worst record of his career, no matter it going double-platinum in the US. No More Tears, though, was the toughest and best album in a decade, guitarist Zakk Wylde and producers Duane Baron and John Purdell giving him a completely sympathetic backing. The album opener reconfigured Osbourne in villainy and horror, but of a much darker and less fantastical hue than in the devilish days: Mr Tinkertrain is written from the perspective of a predatory paedophile, a creepy lyric with a perfectly judged backing, that manages not to overstep the mark from horror into prurience. The seven-minute title track of No More Tears was commercial metal par excellence: epic and grand and stirring without becoming overbearing. And, because it was Ozzy, this one was sung from the perspective of a serial killer. This was another case of a band performance bringing out the best in Ozzy: he sounded stronger than he had in years, actually weird and dangerous rather than acting out a pantomime of weirdness and danger. His singing behind the beat in the pre-chorus, dragging out the syllables, is genuinely creepy. Even in the year of Nirvana's Nevermind, an on-form Ozzy was still a metallic force to be reckoned with: No More Tears ended up going quadruple-platinum, his second most successful after his first solo record. It deserved its success; it was also his best record since that debut.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Coca-Cola launches new drink that tastes just like popular cider
IN A FIZZ Coca-Cola launches new drink that tastes just like popular cider Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COCA‑COLA has unveiled a brand new fizzy drink – and fans say it tastes just like a well-known pear cider. The new flavour, Pear Fanta, has been spotted in Home Bargains stores across the UK, with excited shoppers sharing their finds on Facebook. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 New cans of Pear Fanta spotted at Home Bargains which joins a wave of creative drinks hitting shelves this year Credit: Facebook 3 FANTA has also launched a new range of drinks much to the delight of shoppers Credit: Coca Cola One Facebook user posted: 'New cans of Pear Fanta spotted at Home Bargains,' prompting dozens of comments from curious fans. One said: 'I had one yesterday, different lol but nice.' Another commented: 'It's absolutely amazing.' A third joked: 'I can't believe it, a new Fanta flavour that isn't sugar free?!?' Others tagged their mates, encouraging them to hunt down the new drink, with some even comparing the flavour to popular fruity cider Kopparberg – though it's completely alcohol‑free. FANTA has also launched a new range of drinks much to the delight of shoppers. Coca‑Cola, the parent company behind the famous fizzy drink, has released three new drinks for fans to try. The flavours include Fanta Apple Zero Sugar, Fanta Raspberry Zero Sugar, and the limited-edition Fanta Tutti Frutti Zero Sugar. But shoppers have given mixed reviews about the product, with one describing the apple variety of the drink as "gross". However, another person was excited about the launch, stating they "must get these". While a third commented: "I like a bit of Tutti Fruitti". The Apple and Raspberry drinks are available in UK supermarkets now. A two-litre bottle of the berry drink is listed on the Asda website for £2, but currently appears to be out of stock. Coca-Cola admits 'shifting focus' after rush of customers report popular Diet Coke variety has been discontinued The new releases join a wave of creative drinks hitting shelves this year. Coca‑Cola recently launched Orange Cream, a blend of classic cola with orange and vanilla, available in both regular and zero‑sugar versions. It's expected to stay on shelves through at least the end of the year. Meanwhile, Diet Cherry Coke is making a return across the US this summer in retro 1980s packaging, though launch details remain limited. In a separate move, Coca‑Cola is preparing to roll out a version of its original cola sweetened with cane sugar this autumn in the US, replacing high-fructose corn syrup for a more natural taste. Not to be outdone, Pepsi released Wild Cherry & Cream in January, mixing rich cherry and smooth vanilla flavours in both full‑sugar and zero‑sugar formats. Pepsi is also entering the health‑conscious market with Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, launching this autumn in Original and Cherry Vanilla. The new range includes cane sugar and added prebiotic fibre, as the brand targets growing demand for gut‑friendly fizzy drinks. Why are products axed or recipes changed? ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders. Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether. They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers. There are several reasons why this could be done. For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes. Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs. They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable. For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018. It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version. Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year. Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks. While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
EA Sports FC 26 preview - rip it up and start again
This year's EA Sports FC 26 has been revealed at last and it's going to be fundamentally different from its somewhat unloved predecessor. The franchise previously known as FIFA is one of the games industry's great cash cows. However, it has had a rocky time recently, when two years ago EA made the break from the famously money-hungry FIFA and rebranded the series to FC. At first this seemed to work out fine but last year's iteration, FC 25, didn't live up to EA Sports' sales expectations. To their credit, EA's response to that failure has been immediate and seemingly far reaching, when it comes to the changes being made to FC 26. EA has cited community feedback as the driving force behind EA Sports FC 26's radical rework. The company has released a raft of presentations to insiders, covering every aspect of the game but, tellingly, the first of those was conducted by Sheldon Rogers, head of FC 26's global community team, who said: 'When we say 'The club is yours,' we really mean it. We have been tracking what is most important to our players, and bringing that directly into our development process.' So what, exactly, has that process brought to FC 26? Undoubtedly the headline change will be that for the first time in the franchise's history, players will be able to choose between two gameplay styles, called Competitive and Authentic. Paul Parsons, FC 26's lead gameplay producer, explained the thinking behind that radical move: 'We've got two different, really core, audiences in our game. We've got the competitive player, who wants a high-paced, uptempo, head-to-head experience, and we've got the offline career player who's looking for something that's slower, more tactical and with scorelines that are lower, in line with what you see in a real-world game. 'In the past, we've found ourselves disappointing one of those two audiences, but we're not willing to do that in FC 26. This year, we've come up with two completely different tunings for the game.' So, the Competitive style will breed ultra-fast, end-to-end gameplay that may not bear a huge amount of resemblance to the real-life game, and is aimed at those whose FC gameplay revolves around the FC Ultimate Team (FUT) and Clubs elements of the game. According to Parsons, the priority of the Competitive preset was to improve responsiveness and foreground user skill, and one key way in which EA does that is by dialling down the game's fatigue system. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. EA has also added sliders that will enable players to fine-tune both experiences, and one key difference between the two will be that in Competitive mode players will have to control defenders manually, whereas in Authentic the game will take more control over their positioning. You'll be able to pick either system in any mode of the game, and also to save and quickly retrieve your tweaked versions of them. Adding two different gameplay-tuning presets to FC 26 is an unprecedented move. In the past, when FIFA games would slug it out with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer, PES was renowned for taking the more measured, true-to-life approach that EA Sports is attempting with the Authentic preset, whereas FIFA fell squarely into Competitive territory. It will be fascinating to see which tuning FC 26's fanbase ultimately prefers. FC 26's Authentic mode is still unlikely to provide an experience which is anything like as measured and, some would say, ponderous as that of PES games of yore. That's because the other raft of changes EA has made to FC 26 is to rework a large number of fundamental gameplay elements, in a quest to improve player responsiveness. Those fundamentals include dribbling, where FC 26's players will make more touches while dribbling, turn more sharply, and move faster with the ball. Goalkeepers' AI has been rewritten so that their tendency to deflect the ball to incoming attackers, as seen in FC 25, has been reduced, and they generally position themselves more intelligently. Tackling and interceptions have been retuned to reduce the previous tendency for the ball to bounce back to opposition players. More Trending EA has also tweaked players' run curves, giving them more explosive acceleration and allowing them to turn more sharply. And the final fundamental that has been reworked is players' ability to shield the ball. Parsons said that the company has worked hard to make ball-shielding more consistent in the game, adding two new shielding mechanics (called Contested Boxouts and Shield Entries), a new Enforcer play style, and by upgrading the physics of shielding. Another fundamental aspect of the game that EA says it has improved is general online responsiveness, especially the area of delay between players' inputs and what happens on screen. The publisher has also highlighted a number of additions and less fundamental tweaks to pretty much all of FC 26's game modes – such as the return of low-driven shots, triggered by double-tapping the shoot button – but we'll bring you a deeper dive into those when we've had a chance to play the game. Given the sheer amount of changes and upgrades that we already know about, EA Sports FC 26 should feel radically different to its immediate predecessors. Hopefully in a good way. But it certainly looks as though EA has been making better use of the vast amount of money it used to have to pay FIFA each year, and pouring at least some of it back into the game itself. EA Sports FC 26 will launch on September 26 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: The Elder Scrolls creator Julian LeFay dies following battle with cancer MORE: Assassin's Creed Shadows on Switch 2 all but confirmed for next Nintendo Direct MORE: Battlefield 6 release date and open beta details leak ahead of reveal trailer
