Summertime Vibes

And it is now nearly the end of August.

I cannot believe the swiftness of summer, how 3 months feels like 3 weeks. And so it goes.

The other day I found myself sitting at a table behind Osmium, taking in a few sips of one of my favorite coffee concoctions. While it was 85 degrees, I was taking my Agave Latte hot. As I sat there jotting down a few lines in my journal, I realized just how fast it was slipping away [warm weather, that is, not the latte]. There were only a handful of days left to feel summer's heat on our skin, to be overwhelmed with sunshine, warmth, and the sporadic thunderstorm. I love summertime. We look forward to it during every other season. There's such a magnificent ease to it all, an energy.

However, for all the glorious things I filled the past 3 months with; the concerts, the company, the delicious meals, the plethora of beer; I am ready for fall. Hell, I may even be ready for winter. Yes, I will absolutely hate myself for typing this later [you can find me denying it in 4 months]. It's not the freakishly cold days I'm longing for, it's the desire to stay INSIDE. Summer sets me free, leaves me with no excuses, a bit obligated, and also leaves me a bit broke and scattered. I have one focus in the warmer months and that is to have no focus. A lengthy autumn would be most desirable.

Try 'Em Out:

1) Bitter Pops  .  2) Fahlstrom's  .  3) The Northman  .  4) DMK Burger Bar  5) Mortar and Pestle

[worth the mention and your business]

The Line-Up:

Oh, the concerts! I have been to a slew of shows; Le Butcherettes and At The Drive In [Riviera], Of Monsters and  Men and Florence + The Machine [sponsor, sponsor, other sponsor in Tinley Park], Phish [Wrigley Field], Sweet Spirit [The Hideout], Lollapalooza (Flume, Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem), and Ray LaMontagne [Northerly Island]. Each holds their own impact, Le Butcherettes inspired me beyond belief, Florence is the queen of everything, Sabrina was such a gem when I saw them at The Hideout, and then there is Ray LaMontagne, whom I've been wanting to see for a solid 10 years. He moved me to bits with his cathartic voice and made the wait absolutely worth it. While a lot was seen, it seemed like there were so many I missed. Luckily, I have a small pocketful of shows coming up in the next few months that I'm rather excited for: [Glass Animals, Gold Panda, and Nightmares On Wax].

The Playlist:

__________________________________________

1) 'Insomniac Olympics' by Blockhead

{but honestly, I've been listening to all of Blockhead's albums in heavy

rotation this summer if you're not familiar with his work, I suggest you delve in}

2) 'Hey, No Pressure' by Ray LaMontangne

3) 'Soundcheck' by Catfish and The Bottlemen

4) 'Right Here' by Tricky

5) 'Wish I Knew You' by The Revivalists

6) 'Be, I Do' by Nightmares On Wax

{like Blockhead, Nightmares On Wax have been another group that I've

put endless hours of listening time into over the past 4 months. I cannot get enough}

7) 'The Perfect Parts' by Shakey Graves

8) 'Take Me To A Party' by Sweet Spirit

9) 'Forest Crunk' by Aesop Rock

10) 'Cha Cha' by D.R.A.M.

____________________________________________________________________

The Summer Visual:

         1) sippin' a Bloody at Dry Hop    

2) Pre-Florence platform excitement!

3) With my Sister-in-Law, pre-phish  

4) Meeting Jeff Garlin at my work

5) F.R.I.E.N.D.S: The Musical The One Where They Sing  

6) Sweet Spirit at The Hideout

7) Sabrina signed my shirt after telling me I should take it.

Seriously, I love Sweet Spirit, such rad people.

 

8) beverage line-up at Mortar and Pestle

Enjoy what's left of the summertime! -  TG

Wandering New Streets [life + music + products]

It's been a minute and a lot has happened. I am no longer a Lakeview resident within the city, but I'm now living life in Ravenswood. The past month has consisted of me putting my life into boxes only to take them out weeks or days later, and so it goes. Needless to say, I'm loving the space and can get completely used to this location. Lakeview is the ultimate "starter-pack" neighborhood for when you move to the city, which is why is suited me so well over the past two and a half years. It's nice to explore new space and move into a place that allocates such a nice transition.

In the mean time, there has been a lot of music that I've been amped on that I feel needs some sharing. These have been in the rotation over the past two months or so, and in that period of time, there has been a lot of time to process certain aspects of my life and a lot of changes have come my way, and this music has served as a tasty soundtrack. Music always seems to fall into place at the right times, and I'm thankful for it.

SONGS TO HEAR:

'River' by Bishop Briggs is a hard-hitter and it was love on first listen, and of course I had WXRT to thank for that. Those are the best kind of songs, the ones that don't take any time at all. I highly recommend this jam, she's a powerhouse and I'm seriously looking to catching her play live when she rolls through. (please tell me that didn't already happen). I'm currently listening to it now and it's worth your time.

Daedelus, oh, how I love him and his funky bow-ties; I fell in love with 'The Open Hand Avows' on a stroll home from work. It's a tune that has the ability to make you feel on a larger level. A feeling that's hard to explain, but could be easily felt.

'Able To See Me' by Hippie Sabotage was one that crept in on accident and I'm so glad it did. My roommate's Pandora radio was playing this jam about a week ago and I had to check in on what it was. It definitely caught my ear right away and there have already been freestyle moves thrown down to this one, which always gives a song that much more staying power.

AND OF COURSE; 'Burn The Witch', as well as the rest of the songs off of A Moon Shaped Pool, the latest by Radiohead, but that was a serious given. That single seems to get better and better each time I hear it. The album really comes together as a whole and I can listen to it over and over.

I have to highly recommend giving Bosnian Rainbows a listen. Now, I've mentioned them before, but perhaps years ago when I saw them at Bottom Lounge. That was a hell of a show and I absolutely love their sound. Here's the whole album; Bosnian Rainbows. You're welcome.

Elemental Fusions:

I mentioned this brand a few posts back, but they definitely need a stronger highlight. I was exposed to these products about 6 months ago by a co-worker, whose parents make the products that make up the brand Elemental Fusions. Their goal was to make all-natural products that are affordable, yet extremely effective. They sell them locally and spread the word among family and friends, however, their stuff is too good to keep secret. For Christmas I received a handful of items from their line, containing all natural oils and scents, along with the essentials; honey, aloe, olive oil, glycerin, etc. I couldn't even pick a favorite item of theirs; candles (which unfortunately are no longer part of their line, but the ones I do have left, are awesome), facial scrubs and soaps, linen sprays, and most importantly, the lotions! I am obsessed with them - and you've got options; the thicker lotion that's similar to a "butter" - loaded with oils and goodness. It's the perfect lotion to apply just before you put on a pair of mittens, and you let your hands soak up the glory. The other option is their lighter lotion; absorbs at a quicker rate and still does a wonderful job of getting your hands tip-top moisturized. The scents are glorious as well; honeysuckle and tuberose have been my go-to's thus far in terms of any requests I've made for additional products. And trust me, there have been requests. While I speak volumes for the lotions, I need to mention the facial scrub because I absolutely love it and believe it's what god intended when it comes to facial scrubs. The elements of the ingredients it's made from really come together to leave your skin feeling extremely soft and well scrubbed without the harshness. Needless to say, they are definitely part of my daily skincare game and I recommend making them a part of yours.

[get at them] : TLC@ElementalFusions.com

While there is plenty more I can talk about and suggest right now, this seems like a nice place to wrap it up. I really do need to talk about that Le Butcherettes show though, which by now happened weeks ago. They opened for At The Drive-In on the 19th of May. It was some pretty rad shit and I'm beyond stoked I got to see them play live. Teri is a gem. I've always heard they put on a hell of a show, and thre is absolutely no doubt about that. For now, jam out to this; 'Witchless C Spot', a favorite off their latest album, A Raw Youth. TG