The Howling Tongues- BOO HISS

GUYS! Guys. The Howling Tongues released their new album BOO HISS on Tuesday and boy, have I got a review comin’ at you full speed ahead.

As per usual, you can expect heavy rock’n’roll tones, rebellious lyrics and driving-to-work dance parties. However, this album has a new uniqueness to it. There may be hints of Jack White circa The White Stripes and Pink Floyd’s spacey influence, but one thing is truly certain: this album is fully The Howling Tongues.

The rock’n’roll album you’ve been waiting for starts off with an anthem called “Raw Power in a Red Dress.” With gritty guitar tones, quick organ sweeps and a loud 1-2-3-4 count-off, the song is a perfect fit to start off the BOO HISS experience. “Raw power in a red dress. Her legs get it started but her hips do the rest” is the perfect frame for such a dance-fueled song.

The fast paced energy holds on tight in “The Shakes,” their single, “Vivian” and “Alone.” Davey Rockett reveals his bluesy and soulful voice while the band creates the perfect pocket of unifying melodies and punchy drum beats. The hook, “I’m addicted to ya, baby. I need to medicate, I’ve got the shakes” quickly induces dancing and singing along. “Vivian” and “Alone” follow suit in what continues to encourage gyrating dance moves to solid power chords and electrifying hooks. Find my review of “Vivian” here.

The Tongues somewhat slow it down for “Belladonna.” This song is definitely a favorite of mine, but then again, I’m a sucker for a piano-lead power ballad. Thomas Wainwright starts the song off soft and sweet with angel-like piano fills. After a few bars, the song takes off with the entire band and a sort of slow bounce coming from Nick Magliochetti on guitar. The verse is pure ambiance, and then the chorus kicks in with a thicker and grittier sound. The chord progression builds up to the end of the chorus and then drops to concentrate back on to the piano and the original sweet melody. A second hook that starts off with piano and guitar playing against each other completes the bridge of this musical genius. With the addition of drums by Tylor James, and the eventual fill of bass by Brandon Witcher, the whole band comes together with so much emotion to create what I think to be an absolutely intoxicating song.

The album kicks back into high gear with “Greatest Lover Around.” The song starts off with a full band tick and smooth falsetto. After a repeated verse, the song fades into a spacey distortion with the lyric, “You make me sick when you lay it on thick, girl.” This sets off the eruption of the full band back into the chorus and a wave of loud howls from Davey. The chorus repeats and Magliochetti introduces his guitar tones evocative of The White Stripes, however still distinctive of The Tongues.

“Crooked Eyes” is a tune to stomp your feet to. It is full of bounces around the piano, deep and soulful vocal tone, and an unforgettable hook. The bass line and drum pocket come together to work its listeners into a clapping frenzy. If you’ve been to one of their shows, you know that The Howling Tongues are great at getting the crowd involved and excited; and by the end of “Crooked Eyes,” the inclusion of harmonica and a loud howl of “Crooked Eyes” do just that.

Next comes “Space.” This song gives off this otherworldly vibe illustrated in the name: spacey. The band does a great job of painting pictures with their music and “Space” is a perfect example. Listening to this song, you’ll hear descriptions of atmospheres and gamma rays as well as incredible drum fills and interesting sounds and effects coming from the rest of the band. An abrupt ending leads to the final song, “S.O.S.”

The chorus of this song is shouted like an anthem, “I don’t care anymore.” Rebellion and contempt for conforming are the main points in this song. It is another great song for crowd involvement and chaotic dancing and a beautiful way to end such a powerful album.

The Howling Tongues are currently on tour debuting their album to the masses. Check their website for tour dates and merch sales.

Rock’n’roll lives

K (Heartbreaker)

 

 

The Howling Tongues – “Vivian”

(Cover photo from The Howling Tongues)

They’re back. The Howling Tongues have released their new single titled, “Vivian” and it picks up right where The Tongues left off. The new single is ready to take you to another galaxy with fiery melodies, guitar riffs, rebellious lyrics and deep organ tones, all reminiscent to the sounds of Queen and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. However, unique in all the right ways.

The song is about a fun-sucker named Vivian and her manipulative and dismal tendencies. Lead singer, Davey Rockett starts the first verse with just his vocals and guitar, slowly building with the addition of drums. Then the song erupts into a full-band punch in the face that is sure to get anyone dancing. That’s where those fiery melodies come in. “Vivian, I wanna get you in the daylight” is almost literally a howl setting the tone for the raw emotion coming from the song.

And it doesn’t stop there. The whole band works together to create a truly rock’n’roll tune. Tylor James on drums, Nick Magliochetti on guitar, Brandon Witcher takes the bass and Thomas Wainwright on the keys. This band has orchestrated another anthem for the people who thought rock’n’roll was dead.

No holds barred, “Vivian” is now available for download on all online music retailer and streaming outlets. The band has also announced that a 45RPM vinyl of the single will also be available for pre-order.

Do yourself a favor and download Vivian today.

Rock’n’roll lives.

K (heartbreaker)

 

When Someone Doesn’t Choose You

No matter the sweet words they’ll throw around and the loving touches that will send you into a deep, protected sleep — they will wake up one morning and realize that it’s not you. It was never you. It could never be you.

When someone doesn’t choose you, regret will flood your already drowning mind. You’ll spend hours crying over the times you were too stubborn to kiss him, knowing that you can never make it right. Chaos will build a playground around your heart leaving you to wonder how someone could claim to love you so much, yet not enough to fight for you. Your heart will be broken and your eyes sharp daggers. When someone doesn’t choose you, change is inevitable. The person you once were will become unrecognizable.

Skewed logic will convince you that you aren’t good enough, and you’ll be too obstinate to admit how badly you’re hurt. You’ll hate yourself for being the one that loved more — the one that loved too much. When someone doesn’t choose you, you’ll be left all alone to wonder why. Closure will become a fantasy and you’ll learn to live with this new, excruciatingly harsh reality.

There will come a time that it clicks. It will click not only for the one you once adored, but it will click for you as well. After months of wracking your brain for what went wrong, you’ll realize that the love you shared was good. It just wasn’t good enough to fight for.

 

-K

A Piece of PI

Technically, I spent my vacation in three costal South Carolina cities. Murrell’s Inlet is about 2 minutes north of Litchfield, which is about 3 minutes north of Pawleys Island. Two of my cousins live in one of them… The three mostly look like one town, but if I had to guess they’d be in Litchfield. We laughed hearing them and other locals tell us how literally everything we asked for was just five minutes away, and it was true. I took my camera, but never once took it out of it’s case, and both mine and Taylor’s phones stayed dead the majority of our trip. I didn’t get nearly the pictures I would have liked and the ones I have are not great, but I did enjoying taking in the trip away from a camera lens.

Taylor surf fishing at Huntington Beach State Park

We decided to tent camp in the middle of the summer. Our decision was questioned around 4 o’clock every afternoon, as we trekked to the bath house for a cold shower to forget the heat, but still we enjoyed ourselves. We chose to camp at the stunning Huntington Beach State Park. The park rests on the south end of Murrell’s Inlet. It is home to gorgeous bicycle trails, the remains of Atalaya, a castle like home built by famous sculptor and her husband in the 1930’s, close to 150 camping sites, and a host of rabbits, Mosquitos, and terribly smart raccoons. Our tent site was just a quick walk from the beach, and we could actually hear the waves crashing as background noise to the insects as we fell asleep at night. The boardwalk from our tent site took us to the north end of the park, which meant a practically private beach. It was a thin beach at high tide, with hardly 40 feet of sand between the dunes and the water. The water was impressively clear and blue for the Atlantic, and the sand was a perfect soft tan.

Grilling fresh trout caught with Black River Outdoors

We spent most of our days on the beach, or fishing, or both. On beach days, I posted up with my umbrella and book while Taylor went surf fishing. Two mornings, we took a guided kayak fishing tour though a company called Black River Outdoors. While they were a little hard to get in touch with at first considering everyone there just uses their personal cell phone to contact clients, our guides, Mike and Johnny, were amazing. Both were knowledgeable and helpful, and there was no mistaking they loved the environment in which they work and wanted to share that love. We had an amazing time on both trips, and brought home a speckled trout and redfish that made for delicious meals. I would be delighted to fish with Mike and Johnny again any day.

Goat Island in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina

We had originally planned on cooking most of our own dinners, but found ourselves longing for an escape from the bugs and stagnant heat. Aside from the night we used our fresh caught redfish for tacos, most afternoons we set out to find a cool place for food and drinks. We tried somewhere new every night, and our favorite dinner spot was a place called Bubba’s Love Shack in Murrell’s Inlet. The Murrell’s Inlet Marshwalk where Bubba’s is located seems to be the most tourist attracting place around, yet Bubba’s held on to it’s effortless beachy vibe drawing in locals and tourists alike. The entire back  wall of the restaurant opens to a patio that overlooks Goat Island, a small island in the marsh where someone strangely decided goats and peacocks should cohabit as a topic of conversation for onlookers.

Taylor at Bubba’s Love Shack

Our last night there, my cousin took us to a local bar called Pawleys Island Tavern, also known as The PIT. This place was awesome, and definitely a home for the locals. A tourist would never know it was there unless they’d been told about it. Tucked away from the main road (yes, THE. There is really one main road.) the bar is covered in visitors’ dollar bills and half the people there are barefoot. It felt like our favorite bars at home, except that I wish Atlanta places would let me in without shoes. It felt like everyone knew everyone at The PIT, giving a glimpse into small town island life that is all but a distant dream of simplicity and community as I’m sitting back in Alpharetta, where my immediate neighbors and I have hardly exchanged more than a hello. At The PIT, old high school friends didn’t ignore each other, and new friends felt like old friends. There was no live music the night that we were there, but apparently it happens more often than not. Pawleys Island Tavern has a great, down to earth vibe. It’s the kind of come-as-you-are bar that doesn’t try to impress you, and you don’t have to impress it.

 

I adored our trip to Murrell’s Inlet/Litchfield/Pawleys Island. In fact, I wasn’t quite ready to come home. I suppose I’ll just use it as a good excuse to see family again soon.

If you ever make the trip to the easy going, nature loving beach town, be sure to download the Life in PI app for iPhone or visit their website at www.life-in-pi.com. It was an amazing resource to have as we searched for where to go and what to do.

Popsicles!

Hey, everyone. Your favorite nanny here!

The kids’ summer just started and I’ve been desperate to find activities for them to do other than playing on the iPad and watching movies. So, homemade popsicles it is!

*playing with our food*

We opted for the raspberry limeade flavor to deliciously refresh us on these long, hot days.

The ingredients are simple enough:

• 1 can Raspberry Lemonade concentrate
• 1 lime
• ½ cup raspberries
• 2 cups of water

 

In a medium size bowl, juice your lime and scrape in some of the pulp. Then add the raspberries. I gave texture to the popsicles by mildly mashing the raspberries so they were soft but still chunky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add your can of Raspberry Lemonade concentrate and the 2 cups of water into the mixture and stir.

Pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and freeze 4-6 hours; or overnight for safe measure.

Wrestle your delicious popsicles out of their molds and enjoy!

 

This will be my third summer spent with these kids and I’m so excited to share our adventures with you! I know it’ll be a good one, so stay tuned.

-K

GRUB!

I just had a full week off from work and it was glorious. However, it’s a new week and it’s back to work for this nanny. *pouting*

During my wonderful week of relaxation, exercise and pigging out, I found myself at a burger bar in Atlanta called Grub! It is located in the Cobb Galleria off Cobb Parkway. Holy. Cannoli. Let me tell you about it.

Some friends of mine suggested the place and I have some major things to share. My friend Kaitlan and I shared a burger called the Texas Luau- consisting of pulled pork, a grilled pineapple slice, jalapenos and some amazing sauce magic. When I eat really delicious food (or any food at all) I dance in my seat and smile while inhaling the goodness.

This restaurant also serves a series of alcoholic milkshakes. Uhh, YUM. I ordered the mint chocolate chip milkshake that can be served with Vodka, but I opted out because I know my limit. Kaitlan ordered the Nutella milkshake which is only served up virgin style. I slurped mine down in what seemed like one gulp.

My tummy was so satisfied after a day of sun bathing at the pool. There’s just something about those kinds of days that give you such an appetite. No complaining here!

Try this place out while you wander around Atlanta, or make a special trip just to experience the glory. It won’t disappoint. Have I ever lead you astray? 😉

-K

Linville, North Carolina

Macrae Peak, 5845 ft.

I spent my weekend at my family’s house in North Carolina. Over a decade ago, my grandparents purchased it to be a meeting place for their kids and grand kids that were spread across the southeast. My grandparents have passed, but the house is still used for it’s original purpose. Full of memories and family, I don’t hesitate to say I love that place. I wasn’t there for long this trip. We pulled in the driveway around 9 on Saturday night, and left late afternoon Monday. Since our stay was so short, we didn’t get to do most of the things we usually do, but we made a point to go on two of our favorite hikes. One to Linville Falls, the other up Grandfather Mountain. Both are beyond beautiful. The air is fresh, and the landscape a perfect image of grandeur. They’re the kind of places that make you stop and realize the majesty of this earth we live on.

Linville Falls

Linville Falls is a great hike. With a wide variety of easy to difficult trails, it makes it an ideal place for families with children or pets. Be prepared to wait on a lot of people to pass and say, “excuse me” on this path. Also, do not be surprised if you find yourself a little lost. Trails fork and twist in all different directions here. Don’t be afraid to ask someone how they got down to the falls. You’ll want to see it from the bottom. The most amazing thing about this waterfall is that it makes a 90 degree turn about half way down. The waterfall is stopped and redirected by a huge section of rock face is has not yet eroded before it rushes into the pool below.

Linville Falls Overlook

Coming down the Underwood Trail. The size of my mom and sister should give you perspective into just how steep and long these rock “staircases” are.

Grandfather Mountain is a State Park on the Blue Ridge Mountains. The park has a museum, restaurant, animal park, and it’s famous mile-high swinging bridge. All are great experiences to see before, after, or instead of hiking. Hiking is why I visit though. The paths are relatively difficult, but well worth it to see some of the most beautiful mountain views. My favorite path to Macrae Peak (the panoramic view from this view is at the top of this post) forces hikers to climb several ladders. Some which are perched only a few feet from the edge of the mountain. Clearly, it is a rather unwise choice for those afraid of heights. With that in mind, there is another path to the top that runs up the opposite side of the mountain called the Underwood Trail. Heights don’t bother me, so I only went down this way to find out what it was like. Let me just say… If you plan on walking up this way, be prepared to have extremely sore legs. The trail is half a mile of series of rock staircases with little break between them. Whatever way you choose to go, pack a lunch or snack to eat at the peak. The view is so breathtaking, you’ll want to stay for a while.

View from Grandfather Mountain near Macrae Peak

Take a hike to a grand location. Feel accomplished. Feel small.

-M

Fox Brother’s Barbecue

My boyfriend Taylor and I watch a lot of food TV. In fact, if our television is on, you can pretty much bet on it being food, travel, or fishing related, or two of those things combined. Last week, we were watching a show that was featuring the best 10 barbecue joints in the United States. Fox Brother’s barbecue came up as number 3. Now, I’ve been to Fox Brother’s before, but my barbecue-loving boyfriend hadn’t. So, naturally, we ventured into town the next day so he could experience the glory.

My first experience with Fox Brother’s almost made me cry, it was so good. It’s been probably three years since that night, and I still remember that first bite into my sliced brisket sandwich. As much as I wanted that again, I decided to go for the dish that was featured on the TV show we’d just seen. Fox Brother’s twist on the American classic… a brisket burger. A chopped brisket sandwich, topped with pimento cheese, bacon, jalapeño mayo, tomato, onion, and pickles. It was a mess. An absolutely delicious mess. After one attempt to eat it like a standard burger, I quit and picked up my fork. There was no other way.

Brisket Burger with Potato Salad

Taylor got the pulled pork plate with macaroni and cheese and okra. Let me start by saying, I don’t eat pork very often at all… I don’t really like it. However, I will if I have to, or if it’s from a famous barbecue joint… I LOVED IT. Seriously. Had Taylor not eaten it so fast, I would have. The macaroni was amazing too. They don’t use the standard elbow noodle, and it somehow makes it a million times better.

Now, for the one bad thing I have to say: that okra was just straight up wrong. The okra itself was fresh (they only serve it in season), but the breading ruined it. Too much flour, not enough cornmeal, zero seasoning, piled on SUPER thick, and under fried. It was like okra covered in chalk.

Pulled Pork Plate with Macaroni and Cheese and Fried Okra

I will still go back. I have a soft spot for this place. And when I do go, I’ll probably order okra again. My heart tells me maybe the okra guy just had a bad day. Whatever the case, Fox Brother’s Barbecue was delicious. Definitely a must visit for Atlanta natives and tourists alike.

 

-M

Fiesta Fun! Ay! Ay! Ay!

Hi, friends! I recently hosted a party just because and it was called Nueve de Mayo, well, because there was no other justification other than it was on the ninth of May. And my friends and I really like to party.

As I was filtering through ideas for refreshments, I came across a recipe for Jell-O shots. Not just any old Jell-o shots, these were inside of a quartered lime. I was sold to say the least.

Not only were they a delicious, practically mini-margarita, they were also SUPER cute. I found the recipe on food blogger, Jaymee Sire’s blog, Brit + Co. The recipe will make around 24 Jell-o shots and calls for:

• 6-8 limes
• 3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 package Knox unflavored gelatin (2 teaspoons)
• 3 ounces good quality tequila (I used Jose Quervo Gold)
• 1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau (Triple Sec if you’re desperate)
• Sea salt or large crystal sugar for garnish

The hardest part of the entire process is hollowing out the limes. First you want to halve each lime and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. After each lime is juiced, you should prepare to find some paper cuts on your fingers and begin to hollow out the pulp from the limes. I found it easiest to use my fingernails and get under the bottom layer of the pulp. Once you get the skin off, it should all peel off in one piece. Place your lime halves into a mini-muffin pan.

So you’ve got your hollowed out lime halves, now you want to work on the good stuff. Combine the fresh-squeezed limejuice from your measuring cup, water and sugar. Then, sprinkle the gelatin into the mixture and warm over medium heat. Stir the blossoming concoction until the sugar and gelatin have dissolved.

*Side note: pouring your mixture through a small strainer will remove any unwanted pulp*

Stir in your preferred tequila and the Grand Marnier and pour into the lime halves. Using something with a spout, like a measuring cup, eases up this step.

Once you have your lime halves all full and happy, refrigerate them for 4-6 hours. Over night works best, just for safe measure.

Once your Jell-O shots have gelatinized fully, take each lime half and cut it one more time so that you have 4 quarters per lime. Arrange on a tray and serve!

Super fun fiestas are one of my favorite things. Add a lime Jell-o shot and you’ve got a happy Katie. Try out this recipe and let me know how it works! I’m all for your own variations as well.

Enjoy!

-K

Apalachicola Thrills

Hello, gracious readers, Katie here! As Mariel mentioned in one of her previous posts, we are still very new to WordPress and all of the different buttons and gadgets. Bare with us as we make this blog everything it was meant to be.

Getting into the heart of why we started Through the Looking Glass , I wanted to share with you my latest adventure!

I just got back into Atlanta from a beach trip in Apalachicola, Fl; more specifically Saint George Island. And what a beautiful island it was. My favorite day of the trip was Friday when we all toasted on the beach with cold drinks and fresh fruit by our side. I made some mean margaritas that day: Jose Cuervo Gold, Jose Cuervo Lime Margarita Mix, and ice blended and garnished with lime.

It’s the simple things that make traveling so wonderful, not all of the expensive shopping and restaurants – while none of that is any less desirable. Lazy beach days are just one of my many simple pleasures in life and it is safe to say that, margarita in hand, I enjoyed myself 100 percent.

However, if you’re the kind of person that loves to stay busy and moving while on vacation, I’ve got you covered on that, too. We all went to a beachy bar on Friday night called “Eddy’s Teach’s Raw Bar” located right on the island. Live music, beer and wine filled the air while I twirled around the sandy dance floor. Being famous for their oysters, I was a little upset that I didn’t try any. They looked delicious.

Day two, we made the hour and a half long trek to Panama City Beach. As soon as we got there, my sister and friend, Olivia committed to the “Sling Shot” – a ride for adrenaline junkies. Find a link to the Instagram video below:

http://instagram.com/p/nQ_5d9Qsg2/

After that rush, we all gathered our jaws off the floor and went to Pier Park where there is all kinds of shopping, food and carnival rides. With the location being right beside the Panama City pier, the place was packed. We stopped off in Kilwins Creamery where I scarffed down a sugar cone of key lime pie flavored ice cream, A.K.A. the best thing to ever happened to me.

For dinner, we went to a steakhouse called Angelo’s . I ordered the Ladies Fillet with steamed vegetables in an attempt to save my bikini body. The restaurant offers the infamous A1 Steak Sauce, but I opted for Angelo’s signature steak sauce. Not a bad decision! With sweet and spicy combined flavors, it added a kick to my steak.

After dinner, we hopped in the car and decided to go race Go-Karts. With each adult ticket being $9.50, it was a little bit on the expensive side, but quite a ride indeed. We raced on a track called “The Golden Gate” that has a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge on the course. With the rough transmissions and picked leather seats, it was not the most comfortable for my gnarly sunburn, but it was fun nonetheless.

Such a family-fun trip to the beach with some alcohol left over! Its now back to reality and work and responsibilities until the next vacation.

-K