Blackwork Tattoo Artist: Johnny Gloom!

At just 23, artist Johnny Gloom- the pseudonym of a Parisian tattoo artist (a she, not a he,) is a name that's on the come up in the realm of minimalistic, blackwork, traditional tattoo artists. 

Finding inspiration for designs in everyday life things, and describing herself as "sensitive to her own emotions," and using that as a guide for her work. "Love, Hate, Violence, Passion... Love is the burden of humanity, everyone recognizes it.... Graphically, I love simple things."

Obviously taking inspiration from fetichism, BDSM, film noir femme fatales, doomed lovers, etc. I love this style so much, because it shows that you don't need loud colors, lots of detail and intricate designs to convey a short story. 

Johnny Gloom and Ball & Chain dropped the brand new "ADORE" collection on Monday, August 8th, featuring apparel and accessories featuring the works of Johnny Gloom! My girlfriend and I are obsessed with the work of both Johnny Gloom, and Ball & Chain, and the two working together can do no wrong. She actually ordered a bunch of items from the ADORE collection drop from this past Monday, for her and myself, and words can't explain how excited I am!

Follow Johnny Gloom on Instagram: @JohnnyGloom
Follow Johnny Gloom on Tumblr: @danslamaisonnoire

XO
MEL

Ball and Chain Co. ft Johnny Gloom

Ball and Chain Co. is an apparel, accessories, brand that makes high quality,  patches, jewelry, and pins! B&C paired up with one of my favorite artists/tattoo artists, Johnny Gloom, and used some of his signature designs on a varsity jackets, pins, lighters, banners, and more! A shop close by to my house actually sells some patches and pins by B&C, and I have a few of their patches that I've put on hats!

It's really my life dream to get tattooed by Johnny Gloom. His work is minimalist, and a lot of his work is really sexy, kind of dark, and always very clean. I really like art work done by John Willie, who is best known for his bondage comic strips, and fetish photography, and I get a similar vibe from Johnny Gloom's work!

Follow Ball and Chain Co. on Instagram: @BallandChainCo

Follow Johnny Gloom on Instagram: @JohnnyGloom

The Art Hoe Collective

Last week, I was visiting some friends of mine in Asheville, North Carolina to celebrate my 21st birthday, and when I finally crashed on an air mattress in the middle of my friend's living room, the TV was on a channel called Viceland, and we were watching a really great show, about the fashions around the world, and what the modeling/fashion industry is like for women around the globe. The channel seemed to have a lot of pro-women advertisements, and previews for upcoming documentaries, etc. Suddenly this flashed across the screen.

I instantly hopped up, because the phrase "Art Hoe" is in my daily vocabulary, and you don't always come across internet phrases like that plastered on a television. Instantly completely taken by whatever was next to come, I was SO PLEASED. I can't figure out how to get the video onto this post so you'll just have to watch it HERE HERE HERE HERE!!!!

Mars and Sage
Co-Founders of the Art Hoe Collective

“Artists of colour are constantly being underrepresented and exploited. If we’re not getting swept under the rug, our bodies are being overtly sexualised and used as muses,” -- Mars, 15 year old co founder of Art Hoe Collective

After watching this stunning, progressive, brave, and entrancing commercial, I shuffled for my phone to look for more information about the Art Hoe Collective.

"The Art Hoe Collective was started by QPOC to provide a space for all creatives of color. This is for us, by us."

Artists and activists are what really come out of Art Hoe Collective. Artists of color submit art work, photography, poetry, dance videos, and really so much more. Everything that is submitted that makes it through to be posted on Art Hoe Collective's Instagram page, is posted with the artist's name, age, location, Instagram handle, pronouns, race/ethnicity, and a little written background about the piece of art that is being posted. Everything that is posted, is so worth reading the bios about. This online movement is giving POC to portray themselves the way they want, free from stereotypes, preconceptions of who they are. Art Hoe Collective has been supported and embraced by Amandla Stenberg, young activist and actress, who I've blogged about here awhile back, and teen polymath Willow Smith.

As a queer woman of color myself, who identifies as an artist, this is the most inspiring thing I've come across in months.  It's inspiring as an artist, as a woman, and as a person of color. 

Follow Art Hoe Collective on Instagram: @ArtHoeCollective
Follow Mars on Instagram: @SensitiveBlackPerson
Follow Sage on Instagram: @Sageaflocka

XO
MEL

Undercut Hair Tattoos

I know a few months ago, I did a post about Bald Babes, with shaved heads! I've been seeing a lot of something that's called "Undercut Tattoos" in the past few weeks, on Instagram a bunch! Basically what it is, is people are shaving just a little bit of under their hair, and putting cute designs on them, from geometric line work, flowers, mandala designs, stars, and so much more!

I feel like the shaved hair trend has been very big since last Summer I'd say! I know it's nothing new of course, but I'm seeing a lot more recently amongst more than just very "alternative" styled people. A lot of people are doing it for utilitarian purposes like, their hair is really thick, and they want to take it down a notch as far as how much hair they have, so shaving a bit off definitely does the trick, and looks really awesome, and since you're shaving your hair, why not give it some pop, but adding a design, or some color! It looks great when your hair is in a ponytail!

XO
MEL

DEATH STAR!

In celebration of this weeks Force Awakens premier we present to you Death Star! Finally an indica that is appropriate for night and day time. Of course it would be named after Star Wars. Death Star is a blend of the indica strain Sensi Star and the sativa Sour Diesel. Both strains have such dramatic effects that you would think the high from them being put together would drive you insane. Death Star is known to be a heavy indica, which is true but, the amount of euphoria that it takes from its sativa side is amazing. This strain is recommended for daytime or nighttime. It has great pain relief and tones of mental help. I would say this is a great strain to keep around for an anytime use. Its fairly popular now-a-days so, i'm sure you won't have trouble finding it! Keep it real! -Colin

Dab Rigs

A few weeks ago, I touched on a cannabis product that most of us stoners call dabs. This week i'm going to talk about one of the methods you take dabs. Dab rigs are essentially bongs for the most part. They do make dab pipes but, they are absolutely awful and I don't recommend using them. The way you use dab rigs is a bit different.... Some say that it reminds them of how you would smoke crack and in which is why some don't partake in a dab sessions. You can use any normal water bong. The only extra pieces you need is a torch, dab nail and a dabber. Dab nails are made out of either quartz, ceramic or titanium. Each nail has different benefits. Dabbers are a glass or titanium rod that you use to touch the dab (wax) to the dab nail. You consume the dab by heating the nail with the torch then taking the dabber with the wax on the end of it and putting to the heated nail. The reason that dabbing is even popular is because it sedates you more than any other way of consuming marijuana. For patients with pain, some say it works better than the best narcotic. For stoners, they say it feels like the first time they've ever smoked again. Dabbing is the ultimate high. Peace! -Colin

August Favorites!

August has come and gone already. Everyone's going back to school, and fall is dawning upon us slowly. I love watching these kinds of videos on YouTube from all of my favorite YouTubers, so I thought it would be cute to start a sub-segment here on WCW about my favorites of the month! Basically, this is going to be a post going through a few of the things that I've been obsessing over, throughout the month of August in the categories of beauty, fashion, music, Instagram pages, and other random things I've been loving! Let's get right into it!

Beauty :

Laura Mercier Oil-Free Silk Creme Foundation:

So I've been looking for a new foundation for a few months now, because my skin has been changing so much recently with the weather and season! More recently, my skin has been pretty oily, and problematic. Before discovering this new holy grail foundation, I've been using MAC Studio Fix Fluid, Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation, and a Sephora Brand foundation. All of them are fine foundations, but not for me. Personally, I don't have the best skin, and I have lots of acne scarring, and I tend to break out a lot, especially because of my restaurant job. Because of these things, I like a full coverage foundation. I was shown this Laura Mercier foundation by the amazing girl at Sephora who worked there, and always knows what she's talking about. She gave me a sample, and used on me, and I fell in love. She applied it with a Beauty Blender (more on that later) and it basically transformed the way my makeup looks on my face. I used the sample, and the next day at work, I have several people comment that my skin looked it was glowing, and it looked healthy, and bright, which was so amazing to hear because I'm usually pretty self conscious about my foundation look. I got a few more sample pots of it, before I purchased it recently, because it definitely wasn't cheap. I finally had the $50 to buy it, and I'm so happy I did, because you get what you pay for, and I've been so happy with this foundation. It's my new favorite, and go to foundation! 

Beauty Blender Makeup Applicator Sponge:

I've used so many kinds of brushes, and sponges and nothing can even hold a candle to how much I love my Beauty Blender. I've bought either knock offs of the BB, and nothing has ever worked as well for me as it has! It's completely transformed the way I've been wearing my foundation, and concealer! It's definitely one of those makeup things that when you buy it, boom, you've done it, and you don't have to worry about buying again, for awhile, SO why not just go out and do it?! I realize that now, but before I did, I never realized the difference between a BB and the knock off ones I'd been using before, but the BB is a lot more squishy, softer, gentle on the skin, and it really blends your makeup really well! I don't even mind cleaning it! I was always really bad about cleaning makeup brushes, because it took so long, and I'd have to wait for them to dry, which took forever. You just put any kind of anti-bacterial soap on this bad boy, run it under some cold water, and squeeze squeeze squeeze until the water runs clear, and the BB is back to it's original color! I use my BB wet, as it was advised to when I bought it, so I can pretty much use it right when it's done being cleaned! I don't consider myself to be great at makeup or anything, but I do mine every day, and I've used it every single day since I purchased it. It's usually about $20, and it's well worth it!

SmashBox Step-by-Step Powder Contour Kit:

The same girl who put me onto the Laura Mercier foundation, also helped me find a contour kit that worked for me, and even showed me step by step how to contour, and highlight my face! Since my skin is on the oily side, I should use a powder contour kit so I'm not adding any more oil to my face, and this palette is perfect for that! It comes with an amazing brush that has worked really well whenever I've used this palette! The palette comes with three shades; the contour color, bronzer, and highlight color! There are millions of videos and walk throughs of how to contour, so I'm not going to get into that, but I WILL say, my makeup has never looked better after using this palette! The colors blend flawlessly, and even though I'm not great at makeup, this palette is really easy to use, and comes with basically a diagram next to the mirror IN the palette. It's pretty much fool-proof. 10/10 would recommend!!!!!

FASHION:

I've been so involved with work recently, and it's not a job I can dress up to (I'm a waitress at a Mexican and Colombian restaurant,) so I'm usually really casual. Since I don't ever have days off, I've been all about comfort recently.

Vans Sk8 Hi's:

I have 5 pairs of these sneakers in different colors, and I could LIVE in them basically, like I kind of already do. They're easy to throw on, but they still look good, and effortless. I won't say too much about them, but they're pretty comfortable, and wearable. I love them in all colors, and I plan on getting so many more pairs!

Ray Ban Club Master Sunglasses:

As sort of a TREAT YO SELF after moving into my new apartment, I celebrated by getting myself a new pair of sunglasses that I would cherish, and take care of. I usually keep sunglasses around for awhile, and treat them well, so a friend told me I should just splurge on a nice pair. I have a pair that look like a dupe of the club masters, that are from Urban Outfitters, which are great. But they're made cheaply, and the bridge bumper on them fell off, and that's when I decided, I needed to get a pair of Ray Ban Club Masters, because treat yo self, right? I wear them every single day, and I feel fancy as fuck in them! 

Instagram Page:

@NinaBlackWolf :

I love makeup artist Instagram pages soooooooo much. I could honestly scroll for hours, in envy. Nina's Instagram is definitely one of my favorite pages to lurk for an embarrassing amount of time. First of all, she's GORGEOUS. Hair, makeup, style, and relationship goals ALL over her page. 

I would recommend you check out any and ALL of the things I talked about here! 

XO
MELANIE

Actual Woman Crush Wednesday: Ari Fitz // TOMBOYISH

First things first, before I start talking about this absolute queen of a human being, we need to have a definition of the word "androgynous":

androgynous
adjective an·drog·y·nous \an-ˈdrä-jə-nəs\

: having both male and female characteristics or qualities

: suitable for both men and women

Meet Ari Fitz, formerly known as Arielle Patrice Scott. Ari is a filmmaker, Youtube personality, and star of MTV's "Real World Ex-Plosion" and called "Most Compelling Cast Member" of the season, and was also voted on Buzzfeed as one of fifteen "Androdgynous Models you have to Follow on Instagram!" Ari was discovered by a photographer at a local festival she was attending, and was introduced to a top modeling agency in San Fransisco  , and instantly attracted some really big name clients like Levi's Sprint, Michael Kors, and Macy's! When she had time between all of her modeling work, she began to chase her dream of pursuing filmmaking as she always wanted to! With just $200, Ari put together her first short film "The Anniversary," which led her to be discovered by MTV, and that's when they contacted her about doing The Real World. She jokingly responded about being on the show, landed the part, and ended up being a crowd favorite! 

After the show aired, she wanted to find a creative outlet to utilize her talent in film, and interact with her growing audience, and that's when she started her self titled YouTube channel! In just a few months, her channel took off and in no time she had over 500k views. TOMBOYISH started right there with her channel as it all started to take off! TOMBOYISH is a segment of her YouTube channel where she visits different androgynous women fashion icons all over the country, who are everything from fashion designers, rappers, bloggers and models, about what androgynous fashion means to them, all while giving fashion advice for anyone looking for guidance for dressing more tomboy! All of these women are so inspiring, and I fell absolutely in love with the TOMBOYISH segment instantly when a friend introduced me to it!

With the success of her YouTube channel, and the great response the TOMBOYISH series, Fitz then started TOMBOYISH the clothing line because there aren't many options for those that are a little tomboyish! SHOP TOMBOYISH HERE!

I couldn't think of a better time to write about Ari than right now, with the recent legalization of same sex marriage in the entire United States! I know yesterday was the last day of Pride Month, but I'm just going to continue celebrating this huge milestone we've reached as a country! 

Ari Fitz is such a style inspiration for me, especially since I'm in this very transitional phase with styles right now, and I'm trying to find a style that works for me again. I feel like this YouTube channel is exactly what I've been looking for, so I will definitely be pulling inspiration, and ideas from a lot of the styling TOMBOYISH videos! I HIGHLY suggest checking out her styling videos, and the TOMBOYISH segment on her channel!

FOR MORE ARI FITZ (because I know I definitely can't get enough of this beautiful soul)

https://instagram.com/itsarifitz
https://twitter.com/itsarifitz
http://itsarifitz.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/itsarifitz

XO
MELANIE 

Music Festival Looks: What to Wear?!

Festival season is at it's absolute peak right now, and I can't get enough of all of the cute looks I see my favorite bloggers rocking at them all! Nothing cool happens where I live, so I just admire from afar and imagine what I would wear...  A GIRL CAN DREAM OKAY!!!! 

When dressing for a festival, you want to be in a comfortable, lightweight, and cute outfit! Being in a desert, sharing space with hundreds to thousands of people, in 100+ degree weather, you really want to make sure your outfit is not only fashionable, but also functional! I put together three outfits that I would wear to a festival if I ever got the chance to go to one! 

This first look is a pretty simple one, but I feel like the appeal of it would be the contrast of the simple outfit, with the colorful accessories! The second look is pretty similar to this first one, and I did that on purpose, just to show that accessories really make the outfit for these looks! Since the weather is so warm out, most people (including myself) want to wear as little as possible, and when your outfit is minimal, it's just accessories that are really making the outfit come all together! The sneakers for comfort, since you're probably going to be doing a lot of walking, and dancing around!

Sunglasses, and a hat are essential for the hot and sunny desert days at a music festival! If you're not into sun hats, I would even do a visor of some sort with this look! I love this cardigan/knitted kimono with this look so much and I don't think it'll be too hot to wear it, since it isn't a solid knit, and it has all the holes in it! 

Who needs pants? A dress is always a good choice for hot weather of course, and with this tie dye dress being as flowy as it is, you'll catch every much needed breeze as they come! I paired this dress with a pair of lilac jelly heeled sandals to give it more of a 90's girl vibe! The cross body bag will be great for carrying the necessities for a festival like your phone, your lipstick, some cash for snacks and water, and maybe even a polaroid camera to get snaps of all the fun you'll be having! 

This last look is another fairly simple outfit, paired with some cute accessories that pull it all together! 

Here's a video all about festival essentials, what to wear, and what to pack!

If you're going to be going to any kind of festival this Summer, please be safe, drink lots of water, eat plenty, try not to stray from your group too much, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

XO
MELANIE

TEALE COCO

"Teale Coco draws influences from what lies within us: sexuality, human anatomy, occultism, spirituality – combined with the beauty beyond our bodies: high fashion, subculture, fetish, to promote unique beauty in every form, creating powerful statement pieces that EMPOWER the wearer."

Meet Teale Coco herself, the self titled brand owner of Teale Coco the Brand! Brand owner, photographer, international model, designer, and entrepreneur all by the very young age of 23! Teale completed her bachelors degree in Photography, only to move onto modeling internationally. She's now represented by several agencies worldwide! Teale Coco the brand launched at the end of 2013! Teale shoots and edits all of the Teale Coco Brand lookbooks and editorials herself! She's an Inspirational, and powerful figure for sure.

Teale Coco the Brand is a clothing, accessory and harness lingerie company based out of Melbourne, Australia, who is made up of a team of of very gifted fashion students who specialize in everything from pattern making, design, and manufacturing! Teale Coco believes in providing the highest quality manufacturing for every piece they hand-make. Not only is Teale Coco passionate about providing quality assurance, they work with young and upcoming artists to support and promote the underground Australian and international art scenes! TC aims to make pieces that make the wearer feel powerful, while taking inspiration from sexuality, the human anatomy, occultism, and spirituality and combines it all with elements seen on high fashion runways, fetish, and subculture to promote beauty in all forms for all shapes and sizes! Custom orders are 100% encouraged, and it's a specialty of theirs! 

The video above is a collab video that Teale Coco did with Deandri, a company with similar inspiration that I've done a post on for #WCW a few months back!

XO
MELANIE

Niki Urban Artwork

Meet miss Dominique (Niki) Urban, a Detroit College for Creative Studies 2012 graduate who went on to create some of the most breathtaking, shocking and creepy art, and to create Niki Urban Artwork! HEAVILY Influenced by the Polish Gothic architecture of her youth, THIS VILE GIRL ISN'T HERE TO PLEASE THE PRETTY, FRILLY, AND CUTE PARTS OF YOUR DREAMS.

"Urban's body of work for Red Bull House of Art takes the audience through the back alleys of a dark dream steeped in fantasy; a part of your imagination you don't normally explore."

Her work has been called obsessive for the attention to detail. With her art being displayed at the Red Bull House of Art in April 2015, it was Urban's largest gallery showing to date.

Urban says she enjoys the tedious nature of some of the mediums she enjoys using in her art. What those are you may ask? Well.. The question is what doesn't she use.. Niki uses mediums such as paint, charcoal, digital art, and even ink pen on goat and sheep skulls! She's done many skateboard designs, portraits of others, and of herself as well!

Urban says her works usually have a very "gloomy" or dark theme to them, and it comes from a special relationship with fear and anxiety, the same reason I believe why people like watching horror films, and getting on horrifying amusement park rides, just for the thrill. With the creepier sides of things, you can go to the deepest parts of your mind, and pull out the most illogical scenarios, and characters. So why not go with it, and keep it a little creepy, right?

MELANIE XO

Stillwater Artisanal_Contemporary Works - Surround

When first seeing Stillwater come into the state it seemed as if they were sort of a one trick pony. Everything I saw was a saison, or a take on a saison. I'm not a huge saison fan but they seemed to have an allure to them that made me try every single beer of theirs. Then some other stuff started to trickle in with an eye-catching packing and style descriptions that begged to be sampled. Specifically the new Contemporary Works series that has just been released. The Surround is... wait for it, an oak-smoked imperial wheat stout. Oh yeah. Unfortunately this is a one-off brew so you may never see it again but for now it's in abundance. Taken from Stillwater's site: "Like a sound system that fills the room with audibles swarming in every direction. This massive stout overtakes your senses with aromas & flavor of dark chocolate, caramel, roast, smoke, earth & wood, It's heavy I know, but you have to drop that bass every once in a while if you really wanna get down." Fuckin' A Stillwater. I'm always tryin' to get down. Pair with all of the bbq. Especially a fat Delmonico steak. Cheers!

My Score_95

Rate Beer_97

Beer Advocate_90

BLACKROCKS BREWERY 51K IPA

This one is for my Michigan beer geeks who read this, however few there may be. Yes, another IPA. I had the pleasure a few months back of trying a delicious canned brew from Blackrocks brewery out of the great north... the Upper Peninsula! Blackrocks brewery has now acquired distribution into the lower half of the state, which means elsewhere soon enough. As of this week you can start finding their great canned line wherever finer beers are sold. The first one I'd recommend and the first I've tried was the 51K IPA. It has all the wonderful floral and citrus notes you'd expect from a midwestern IPA. Nice alcohol at 7%. Some might be reminded of a certain beer with a couple hearts, but this beer stands on its own. A great balance of malt and hops, I sure can't wait to try the rest of their beers. I can tell Blackrocks is going to be around for quite a while with flavors like this. Cheers!

REVIEW: Lemix J. Buckley's "Forgive Yourself" EP

    So I know I keep reviewing really twinkly emo/post rock stuff, and I promise I'll get to some heavier stuff soon, but local dudes keep hitting me with these incredible releases and I'd be really fucking shitty for not showing them to you! Not too long ago I showed you guys the single "Hauntings" by Lemix J. Buckley, and now I get to show you "Forgive Yourself" and finish what's been started :)

Cred: Marlene Lacasse

   It's a short lil' fella, with only 4 tracks, but it friggin' hits you. You go from the poppy, yet noodly, yet somber single to open with. Vocals chime in repeatedly "Does anybody have a gun? Won't you clean up when I'm done?". Heavy shit. Definitely a darker themed set of songs, despite the glassy twinkly finish. It's beautiful, though. Josh(Gill) and Gage(Welch) compliment eachother well with the sings and the strings. Then we check into "Bluff" which sort of sticks to the theme of "Hauntings", but seems to get even darker, as it seems to be telling a story from a convicted killer's vantage point- "Smiling in my concrete room//Remembering how I dismembered you ". Gorgeous guitar work and brilliant pacing by the drummer, Mr. Alex Bazzi, who's love for Zach Hill shows in this one. Kudos to Bradley(Lockheart) for holding it down on bass with such an animal on the skins. ;)

   Next we hit a spacier sounding "The Advocate", which really is a change of pace with a waltzy-er pace to go with the echo-ing guitars. It slowly builds in to a much more driving sound and pounds away till the end. Most excellent. But they saved the best for last. "Complex Up" really just shows off everything you'd love about these guys. Kicks off with a really bright, dance-y riff and verse that leads to this glorious chorus bit that just makes you wanna touch yerself. The VERY BEST PART, however is the incredible, building climax of and ending. Josh starts screaming in-between croons, and it all just ends in the right place, with Josh Screaming "I'm fucking sorry". Juicy, twinkly, emotive songs from an incredible Metro Det. area band. Check it below:

SEE? I fucking love these songs. Go download this shit. Listen to it repetitively and check these guys out live, they post shows on facebook!

In the meantime, I need to figure out why my poop is neon green!

See ya next week <3

-XOXO TOPH

 

PS- MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

The BoySz are Back in Town <3

Hey guys!

As you probably already know, Wayne Szaliniski has won my heart with their full-length effort "Black Mirror" last year. Since the album's release they have gone through some changes, and now they are headed out on a whopper of a tour! I took a sec to chat with frontman Andy Milad, who doubles as one of my favorite people on earth!

PHOTO CRED: Daniel Balderas

ANDY: First off, thanks for takin' your time to ask us a few questions, I really appreciate it. Second, so glad you're into the record. That means so much comin' from friends I hope you know. 

TOPH: Thank you for making such a gorgeous set of songs, man. We go back a lil' ways and it's always been so fun to be around you and the music you create :) So, tell me about this tour... Is this your longest one yet?

ANDY: Yep! This is going to be our longest tour to date. Super excited, I'm sure it'll be a blast.

TOPH: I fucking bet! And since you guys released black mirror(one of my absolute favorite things this past year), I know dudes like Nick Galli and Kurt Roy have moved/are moving away. So, how are you guys adjusting to that? (I really wanted Kurt to record my band so it hurts me, hopefully he can master/mix some stuff for me some day!)

ANDY: It's always a bummer to lose a band member. We've played with, I think, five bass players now... so we've learned to adapt pretty quickly. Drums are another issue entirely. When Nick left to go work at his dream-job, we were very sad. Nick had such a profound impact on the sound of the band through his playing-style, so it took us awhile to get back on track. We love Nick, we miss him, but we're also very happy for him. Check his Instagram, he's livin' lavish.

 That being said, we're working with a fantastic new drummer now, Judson Branam. He's got a style all of his own and he's an incredibly positive force to work with. Jud's a really friendly guy and I'm super excited to be touring with him.

TOPH: Good to hear you found a good fit! However, I miss the hell out of Nick. Never got to ride bikes :( And I was broke when it first released, but is "Black Mirror" still available on vinyl?

ANDY: Black Mirror, our debut album, is definitely still available. We sold a bunch when it was released and got more pressed for this upcoming tour. If you can't catch us at a show, you can always get it online, here @ wayneszalinski.bandcamp.com 

TOPH: DOPE! I'm snaggin' that shit ASAP! Now, what were your biggest influences on that record? (I mean both musically and "IRL")

ANDY: Black Mirror is our first full-length record, so it compiles a bunch of songs written over several years. In that time our influences were extremely varied, but I think the strongest were Jeff Buckley, The Smiths, and TTNG

TOPH: I can definitely see it. I'm gonna catch you at PJ's on May 7th, can I please sing with you? <3

ANDY: heck yea man, just get up there w/ me. :)

TOPH: Yesssss. You can count on it. See ya then buddy! Tell Andrew Adams I love him!

You can catch them on the kick-off, like I mentioned, at PJ's in detroit. Click here for the FB event, and peep the poster below for the full tour schedule! Dueces!

XOXO TOPH

Beer Stuff with David Aaron Reaume of Man Mountain

This weeks portion of Thirsty Thursdays is brought to you by Man Mountain. I sat down (made up some questions last minute and sent them via facebook) with David who (is a meme) plays bass in Man Mountain to chat about beer and music because, those things go great together duhhh.

Me_ What's your favorite song to play out of the new tunes you guys have?

DAR_ Little known fact, we are TERRIBLE at naming songs, our new song "To Be Made As New" was code named "Side Boob" for the longest time. With that being said, we have a new song tentatively called "groovy new" that we are all crazy about, it features lots of melodic tapping and some crazy whale sounds Mike was able to come up with on guitar.

Me_  When can I get my hands on the album?

DAR_ We will be heading back to Minx studio in June so we are expecting to have the full length released late summer.

Me_ When did you first realize beer was more than yellow fizzy water from a cheap can?

DAR_ At age 20 when I had my first Guinness, it changed everything for me. I guess I started at the opposite end of the beer spectrum from most but it was finally a drink I enjoyed and not something you choked down to get drunk at a party.

Me_ What are your 3 most favorite go-to styles?

DAR_ Like a good jacket, my beer has to compliment the weather. IPAs are my go-to summer beer, nut browns for the fall, stouts for the winter and session IPAs for the spring.

Me_ For your money, who is a brewery that can do no wrong?

DAR_For the buck I go with New Belgium, I always have a 12 Pack of Ranger in my fridge and at just a dollar a beer its hard to beat!

Me_ How many beers does it take for you to pick up your bass and want to twist it 'round yo head like a helicopter?

DAR_ Sadly, about 4! I once had 5 beers after a show I played with Tokyo Police Club and got kicked out of the venue for throwing a lemon into someones eye from clear across the bar.

Me_ Based on the relatively recent boom of craft beer, where do you see it in 5 years? Bigger and bigger, or leveled off?

DAR_ Sadly I think in 5 years it will SEEM bigger but most of the small independent breweries will continue to get bought up by big box breweries and sell the same crap beer but with a new label.

Me_ When taking brewery tours is it important to hydrate?

DAR_ I once heard that for every beer you drink you should drink half that much water, do I do that? Not at all. I'm really terrible at drinking water when there is a perfectly good beer right next to it, it also doesn't help that I have a personal vendetta against straws.

Me_ What's a flavor of beer in any style you'd like to see made?

DAR_Grape. Not real grape flavor or even wine but grape Kool-Aid grape.

Me_ I don't think grape is a flavor. Purple however, is a flavor. I think that's what you mean. So, how often would you say you try new beers?

DAR_ About every week. Normally when I go to the bar I'll order at least two drinks, the first will be something I've never tried and the second will be an old friend, if the first one is good I'll just stick with it and see how it mellows on the palate for awhile.

Me_ Since we're here in the Mitten, do you have a favorite Michigan brewery/beer?

DAR_ This is really hard for me because I find myself on a different side of the fence every year, last year it was Founders but this year I have really been blown away by every beer Shorts has released. I'll be heading up to Bellaire for their 11 year anniversary this weekend actually.

Me_ One last question. If Jesus ever brewed a beer, what would hebrew and what would the ABV be?

DAR_ I would hope he would brew a beer called Hoplelujah and bottle it at a cool 7.77 ABV.

Me_ Trick question David. Jesus of Nazareth, even if he were a real person, would probably not have drank or made what we know today as beer. What was "beer" back in 30 AD was more of a fermented barley drink served at room temp or above. Plus, Jesus would have totally made wine. Everybody knows that. Cheers!

MMMAN MMMOUNTAIN MMMMUSIC MMMONDAYYY!!!!!!!!

FRESH OFF THE MF'N PRESSES Y'ALL!

MY DUDES in MAN MOUNTAIN have done it again. The post-rockin' dudes of metro detroit have finally followed up last year's release of "To Call Each Thing by it's Right Name" with an incredible new single. "To Be Made As New" is an homage to spring, and it's come just in time. It's gorgeous, comes in twinkling with bright guitars that sound almost like a couple of acoustics echoing all seductive-like, and then before you know it the boys (Mike Reaume, David Reaume, and Jacob Goins) eventually crush you with their land-slide of epic beauty. These guys are special, and I've known that about them forever- so I'm so glad to get the chance to show everyone I know! 

There's no vocals, but they don't need them. The layers of tones and melodies are so immersing. Go get that shit on bandcamp, and keep checking back here because It's Man Mountain's week here at vile company!  And tomorrow I'll be tophin' around with Mike and going over the gear that he uses to crank out that delicious tone you're hearing!

Dueces!

-XOXO TOPH 

Great Lakes Brewing_Chillwave Double IPA

Yup. More IPA's. I can't help it and I just love when one of my favorite hops gets shown off. Chillwave is a blend of Mosaic and Nugget hops. There's a nice sweetness in there from the honey malt too. This is a great hop bomb. Upfront bitterness to a nice dry after taste. Citrusy and floral. Formerly called Alchemy Hour, paying homage to the icy cold lake Erie surfers who brave the freezing temps to shred the gnar. This seasonal IPA always comes around right as spring starts to push it's way out of winter's butthole and its timing is impeccable. Chillwave also clocks in at 9.4%abv so the buzz I currently have is telling me that I've done my work here. Cheers!

My Score: 1oo

Rate Beer: 1oo

Beer Advocate: 95

Hauntings by Lemix J. Buckley

Toph-life has gotten an upgrade recently in the day-job department, which is not only exciting because I'll get more money(hold the problems, please), but because my schedule won't be all freaking up in my shit when I wanna go to shows. So look out for me in the near future, don't be shy because I'm shy and I'll never walk up to you(especially if you're cute). Also, look out for some live reviews and interviews since i'll actually have time on my hands to do such things.

photo cred: Tyler Humphrey

Anyway- earlier this week, MY DUDES in Lemix J. Buckley dropped a fucking killer single that kills you softly in a sexual way. It's this gorgeous, mathy emo ballad that channels feels through their twinkly, noodly guitar work and quick-witted rythm section. I friggin love these dudes, I've known Josh Gill and Alex Bazzi since before they were allowed to drink(are they even that old yet? shit.), and they have come such a long way. So fun to see locals gro into pros, especially when they're your homies and they write dope shit like this. This shit is called "Hauntings" and it is available to rock on bandcamp as you see below:

I know, I'm wet too.

Make sure you follow these fuckers on facebook and keep an eye out for shows. I also know from a specific source that there is much more where this song came from. You know my ass is posting a review on that shit as soon as it's out as well :)

Thanks again guys, I love you all! See ya soon.

-XOXO Toph

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales_Oro de Calabaza golden wild ale

If you've never had a Jolly Pumpkin or aren't really used to the whole funky-brew thing yet, all the beers they have to offer may lead you to assume they've gone bad. They have not. Also no, they're not all pumpkin beers. In fact they only make one pumpkin beer and it's once a year. Jolly loves to infect all their delicious beers by letting them age in wooden barrels that have been carefully infused with bacterias such as brettanomyces, lactobacillus.  These leave the beers with fruity esters, smelling of barnyards and having champagne-like characteristics on the tongue. Oro de Calabaza is brewed in the traditional Belgian Strong Ale way, but then aged on the bacteria barrels for some time. This is a nice light, not too sweet, but delightfully refreshing beer. Sort of spicy but in a zesty kind of way. Slightly floral with a nice acidity to it. Honestly, you can't really go wrong with anything from Jolly Pumpkin. It's obvious they are brewers who truly care about beer and see how many ways they can originate themselves by coming up with unique beer experiences such as this one. This could easily be paired with salads or white fishes. Maybe some chicken or turkey dishes. Cheers!

My Score: 99

Rate Beer: 99 

Beer Advocate: 92