April Covers

For all of those following along (*cough*) Mom, Lange (*cough*) you may remember that this is actually the second rendition of a much more robust personal musing space known as the (a)Musings of  Bro You Know. I would argue that was some of my most honest, unrefined, and raw work to date. I also think I might have been funnier back then? And I digress.

Anyways, a major part of that blog was posting a new cover song every week, a streak that I kept going for an entire year. Not bad for a spacey college kid. 

This week, I had a track reawaken the cover feelers, and figured I needed to share it with you guys. Ella Eyres' soulful pipes take a stab at Jermaine Stewart's 80s abstinence anthem "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off", and the resulting quirky cover just works for me. Remember folks, we can dance and party, all night...

April Tunage

So here's my Confession(s Par II): I'm a rather large RnB fan. My expertise ranges from about '95-'05, but I just really dig the rhythm and those sappy, sultry lyrics. But somewhere along the line, RnB created a hybrid beast of the RnB-inspired electronic variety that has started to pull at the heartstrings, giving birth to the likes of Chet Faker and, now, a group called Honne. Per usual, the song isn't new, just new to me, but it's another one for the ole playlist. Enjoy beezys.

Musica March

Ok ladies and gents, sincere apologies, but winter has zapped all of my extra writing energy. Turns out skiing is pretty darn good this season, so I haven't spent as much behind the keyboard. Alas, that means your poor music libraries have been starved of sustenance, and for that, I apologize. Here's me trying to make it up to you with a little song called, "Genghis Khan" by the talented guys of Miike Snow. Check'er.

Musica...Wednesday?

Well at least I'm consistent. Consistently awful at updating this weekly music thing regularly, that is. 

This week's headlines have been dominated by the sad passing of a rock 'n roll icon, David Bowie. His death at the age of 69 is a big blow to the music world, and it's times like these that you really see the influence of an icon like the Mr. Ziggy Stardust. You know, like that time a Brazilian artist recorded an entire album of acoustic covers in his honor. If you haven't heard Seu Jorge's entire cover session for The Life Aquatic, check it out here. 

Today's track is one of my favorite tributes to Bowie, Seu Jorge's rendition of "Rebel, Rebel". Enjoy.


Monthly Roundup: December 2015

Sunrise skin up Tumalo Mountain with buddy Sam Balyeat with views of Mount Bachelor, OR.

Sunrise skin up Tumalo Mountain with buddy Sam Balyeat with views of Mount Bachelor, OR.

Man, 2015. What a year. This trip around the sun will always stick out as "The Year of Further" in my mind. Further away from home, further out of my comfort zone, further into relationships, friendships, and experiences, further into the crazy ups and downs of life's addicting roller coaster. 

By the numbers, I visited six countries, hit Alaska for the first time, and visited family approximately not nearly enough (the latter being a number that will never quite be big enough for my liking). I got to road trip across Spain with my sister and my mom, ski virgin peaks in the wilds of Kyrgyzstan, and bungee jump off a friggin' bridge in Oregon. I also slept on airport floors, ferries, truck beds, real beds, and more than a few couches. 

The best part? I got to write about all of it, call it a job, and share those experiences with the people I care about.

A year that started in Japan and ended at a questionable taco truck, 2015, you were one for the books.

Here's some published work from December, including  a sandy debut in Men's Journal. Hey, 2016, what you got?

Powder Magazine

A Cut Above

Monday Music

One of my good buddies puts together a killer Top 50 music list every year, giving me enough listening material for a solid few months. Luckily for all of you, I pass some of the (many) gems your way. If you aren't into the double-filtered selection, head over to Spotify and give Zach Morrissey's personal channel a gander. 

For now, a little Neon Indian and their new track "Annie", will have to do.

Happy holidays, beezys.

Monthly Roundup: November 2015

Touring around Mount Baker Ski Area on my birthday. November, 15, 2015.

Touring around Mount Baker Ski Area on my birthday. November, 15, 2015.

Winter is all but here and that means everybody everywhere is going through their preseason checklist. Do I have my season pass? Is the workout routine ramped up? Where is my outerwear? What is that smell? Why is that smell coming from my outerwear?

But for a ski writer, it's little more than that. Bookending Thanksgiving are the pivotal few weeks where we decide what we're doing with our lives (okay, maybe just our winter, but still), presenting our finest ski ideas to our favorite publications and hoping that they think we're as cool as we think we are. Pitch season. It's a fun dance, but a time consuming one, so I'm thankful to have still gotten some writing done this month. I even made my debut in a new (to me) print publication, Coast Mountain Culture, which, if you haven't checked it out, is just about as close to art as you can get in the magazine world.

Thanks for checking it out guys. Now, let's get ready for the Niño. 

Powder

Extreme Michigan

Musica Monday Nov. 16

I'm not a huge birthday guy—presents aren't my thing, not a huge fan of that birthday song, and getting old, well, it feels weird. That being said, I hit 27 over the weekend and got to spend time with some of my favorite people in the world. And my other favorite people in the world? Yeah, well they called me, texted me, messaged me, and even emailed me from anywhere and everywhere. I'm really a lucky dude surrounded by some pretty amazing people.

And I digress. As for music this week, another local band that has been stuck in my cerebral is Deep Sea Diver, a catchy alternative group with shades of the Shins, Phantogram, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Press play.



Musica Monday #Number

Greetings all, happy Monday! After a little friendly prodding last week, I made it out to Neumo's (concert venue of Nirvana fame) for some local live music from bands Sisters and Deep Sea Diver. I have to say, it's been way too long since I've seen some good live music and this one-two punch was exactly what the beats doctor ordered.

While Deep Sea Diver absolutely blew me away, I'm turning to a track by Sisters this Monday. For their final track of the night, a pretty upbeat song called, "Back 2 U", they pulled up renowned Seattle rapper Sol to bring it home. It's the track that stuck with me, and now I'm passing it to you. Enjoy Beezys.


Monthly Roundup: October

Got a chance to see/shoot the Northern Lights for the first time near Mount Baker. Maple Grove, 2015.

Got a chance to see/shoot the Northern Lights for the first time near Mount Baker. Maple Grove, 2015.

This is an experiment, so bear with me here. After having several people ask me where they can find some of my writing, I've realized that I don't really have a good answer. Sure, I have articles on this trusty little site, but it's often hard to update it fast enough to keep up with my current work.

Call me slow on the uptake, but I figure it's time to try something new. Instead of posting a barrage of social media content and pleading with people besides my mom to check out some of my projects, I've decided to list all of my work for the past month in a blog post. The goal isn't narcissism here, I just wouldn't mind making it easier to read, comment, rip apart, or angry tweet some of the content I'm putting out into the world.

So here goes. Read to your hearts content, or turn the page. Thanks for swinging by.

Powder

Hunting For Jerry (print)

Passing Through: Crystal Mountain

Passing Through: Killington

Passing Through: Sugarloaf

Hack Your Gear: Fix the Zip

Week in Review: In Tatum We Trust

GrindTV

Which Ski Pass is Right For You?

Is This the Most Creative Skate Video Ever?

Catching Up with Conrad Anker

Behind the Scenes of Sweetgrass' 'Darklight'

Thrillist

Why Japanese 7-Elevens Totally Kick Ass

 

 

It's happening.

While the days are getting shorter and the nights colder, days in the lift of a ski junkie are really heating up. The mountains are awakening from summer slumber and it's almost time to get up and out there. With the latest system dumping feet of snow in higher Cascadian elevations, we may have jumped the gun getting some early season turns up at Crystal Mountain over the Halloweekend, but damn if it didn't feel good to slide downhill again. 

We even met a soul surfer named Eric at the summit, who proceeded to save our day with a screwdriver, a nip of whiskey, and the kind of contagious positivity that draws people like us to the mountain culture year after year.

I'll leave you with a tune, a few grainy phone pictures, and a promise to whip this blog into shape! B EZ.

Musica #14

Competition heating up in the streets of Havana. Cuba, 2013.

Competition heating up in the streets of Havana. Cuba, 2013.

Well, it's Thursday and per social media standards my mind is turning the page back to one of the best places I've ever been: Cuba. I was lucky to visit twice, having the rare opportunity to make friends on the island nation and then return to catch up with them a second time. My time in Cuba was special and this little mix and its heavy Cubano influence brings me back to early Havana mornings, the city slowly coming to life as the sun announces itself through cracks in the concrete jungle.

Musica Monday #13

Oh man, we've made it to #13. I'm not superstitious but I am a little stitious, so I decided to go with an artist who doesn't need any luck to produce quality music year after year. Beck has been pumping out jams for decades, so it should come as new surprise that his new album is another solid effort. Check out his track "Dreams" to see what I'm talking about.

Musica Monday

Macklemore aside, Seattle has one heck of a hip-hop pedigree. Look at names like Blue Scholars, the Grynch, Sol, and even early Sir Mix-A-Lot (my posse's on Broadway!) and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

So when I heard The Physics, a new-to-me crew out of South Seattle, I was psyched to see they're keeping the rich tradition alive. Here's a track with a few Seatown references and an old school sample beat to get the noggin knockin'. Cheers, beezys.

Musica Monday #?

Hey kiddos, hope your weekend was a good one. It may not feel like it, but summer is fading fast on us and the calendar is starting to point towards a dip in the mercury and the rise of Old Man Winter. Okay, we're still months away, but I guy can dream, right?

As for music, I found a re-work of a Phantogram song that has me all sorts of giddy on a Monday morning. The Fall in Love "re-imagination" by Until the Ribbon Breaks is a great new look at a great old song. Can't beat that.

Oh, and one last note: I took a deep breath and jumped off a 300 foot bridge this weekend. Really glad that bungee held. 

Tunesday

Okay, maybe this isn't your idea of a humblebrag, but for me it's about as good as it gets. Sorry for missing posts last week, but I was on an island in Maine with no electricity or Internet connection. SCORE.

Before I left on that adventure, Capitol Hill Block Party rolled through Seattle, and with it a whole lot of good music. One band that I was particularly jazzed on was Broods. A nice little mixture of New Zealand brethren Naked and Famous and Lorde, they gave a killer show and enough haunting vocals to whip out my cell phone and write, "look up Broods tomorrow" in my notepad.

This track, Never Gonna Change, is a breakup song but damn it sounds good and is already helping me charge ahead this week. Check'er, send'er, give'r.