Music Monday: Round II
By Danny on May 16 Filed In Live Music Add a Comment
When I looked at the Free Press Summer Fest lineup, one artist jumped out me. Hayes Carll. The typical Sweet Leaf employee doesn’t exactly fit the country music mold, however, someone has to add variety!
Since living in Austin, I have been able to see this Texas Country gem many times. Hayes Carll is real, he’s gritty, and he always puts on a great show. Simply, he’s just plain good. Check him out and let me know what you think!
Happy Music Monday – @sweetleafjacqui
Music Monday: 1st Edition!
By Danny on May 9 Filed In Live Music Add a Comment
Hey music junkies, festival seekers, and new music maniacs! This is the 1st edition of Music Mondays from Sweet Leaf Tea!
Now I know that this isn’t the first music monday blog or concept you have heard of, BUT to get all of ya’ll PUMPED UP for festival season we are dedicating this to bands performing at the Music Festivals and Events we are sponsoring! WOOT!
@SweetLeafDanny here with a long time favorite pick! NEON INDIAN
This band has been at the top of my feel good, dance your pants off playlist for a while and I am STOKED to see them playing at Free Press Summer Fest in Houston this summer!
Led by Alan Palomo and formed in Denton Texas, this chillwave group is among the likes of Toro y Moi and Washed Out but a little more dancey! Plus, Alan has a past history of making music you can shake your booty to. Formerly the frontman in both Ghosthustler and VEGA (another personal fav) he is sure to make your head nod into a place were neon lights shine on all the walls and your body twists and turns like a dance floor robot.
Favorite songs include Psychic Chasms and Mind Drips. (click play below)
I’ll see you at FPSF (Free Press Summer Fest) on June 4th and 5th!
Final Training Ride: Pedal Power Wildflower Ride
By April on Apr 12 Filed In Activities, Austin, Texas, Sweet Bikes 7 Comments
if you know me then you know that I’m not an early morning person, so training season is pretty hard on me no matter how early I go to bed the night before. I was able to get up when my alarm went off at 6:30AM Saturday morning because my body and mind were in mutual agreement that if they could just get going this time, I wouldn’t be asking much more of them after next weekend. Todd came by the house to pick me up and we were off to Johnson City, home of LBJ State Park and the Pedal Power Wildflower Ride.
We did this ride a couple of years ago and we went away wondering why they had the nerve to put the words, “wildflower ride” in the title when there was not 1 flower on the whole ride. This year was thankfully, VERY different. Remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy walks into the field of poppies? It was sort of like that, but more vibrant than even Technicolor could have made possible. Breathtaking.
We started the ride late (that’s just how we roll) and finally caught up to our buddy Allison at the first rest stop, about 13 miles or so in on our 62 mile journey. I love the Pedal Power rest stops because they are the only rides I’ve been on that have smoked sausage wraps, cheese slices and crackers. Sure, they have plenty of horrible, chemical-laden cookies and such too, but can you really beat a slice of cheddar cheese, a sausage wrap and a couple of orange slices while riding 60+ miles? In the immortal words of LL Cool J, “hmm, I don’t think so.”
Allison and her friend. (L-R)
As the road kept winding around and around, the views became even more spectacular. I have these moments sometimes where I see something so beautiful and awe-inspiring that I stare at it a little longer, to insure that the “picture” will forever be ingrained in my memory. I have this theory that we have flashes that go through our brains when we die, and what I saw Saturday will be one of those flashes. I have cried on bike rides before, but usually it’s because of how heinous the ride was, but this time, there were almost tears from being so overwhelmed by the beauty that exists in nature, if we just take a moment (or 60 or so miles) to sit back and really enjoy it. As we rode down this one massive hill at about 43 mph, I couldn’t help but stare at the massive hills and the cliffs in the background. It never once occurred to me that if you go that far down into a valley, that you will eventually have to go back up. Ugh. We started climbing back up and out of the valley, but due to the amount of cars and motorcycles (all checking out the flowers) I had a hard time getting back on my bike, so I pushed it uphill..and up, and up some more, while taking the time out to check out how the view was changing. Someone drove past me and mentioned how awesome it must be to be on a bike in such a beautiful area. I agreed and then stopped to look at the view and to marvel at how high up I was. From this vantage point I could see just how far down we had been. DANG! I hopped back on my bike only to realize that I was still no where near the top. A person at the rest stop right before this area warned us that it was a long, long hill and that it was more than a mile long. I’m willing to bet it was close to 3 miles up. Geez, it was hard to walk up, so you can imagine how difficult it must have been to ride up it. Todd-I salute you my brother in all things saddle!!
Me climbing one of many hills.
Todd B. and Me. (L-R)
Todd and I finally crossed the finish line around 4PM. It was a long and somewhat painful ride, but I’m glad that we did it, if only for the incredible view. I am ready for the MS 150 and hope that the rest of Tea’m Sweet Leaf Tea is ready too! Want to donate to our Tea’m? There’s still time!
Tea’m Sweet Leaf Tea Rides Again!
By April on Jan 21 Filed In Activities, Austin, Texas 1 Comment
It’s that time of year again.
What time of year is THAT you ask? MS 150 time!! We have a tea’m of over 50 that will be riding in the name of CRUSHING multiple sclerosis. We have created a group on Facebook where folks like YOU can go and cheer us on! We’ll need all the love and $ we can get, as our team goal this year is $20,000!!
With the help from Austin Cycle Camp, we had our first training ride last weekend but TX weather got us again and rained it out. Todd and I headed out to ride Saturday once it cleared up and did a nice and easy-paced 21 miles. Sunday we had 4 folks from our team head south and ride about 23 miles. It was awesome but it’s only going to get better and more fun when we ride out with our big group!
Todd, Brian and Cinda resting in Buda before heading back to ATX.
Stay tuned as we’ll be posting all kinds of fun stuff related to Tea’m Sweet Leaf Tea over the next couple of months. For now, it’s time to hop back in the saddle, cus 180 miles on a bike don’t happen by itself. (I sure wish it did!!)
Have a fun training route you’d like to share for Austin or Houston? We’d love to hear about it!!
Can’t turn off Gossip!
By Alexandra on Dec 29 Filed In ACL, Celebrities, Live Music, Los Angeles, SXSW Add a Comment
Gossip is Good
Have you heard about Gossip? This band is better than the rumors.
I first heard this Oregon-based group on Sirius radio and immediately downloaded several of their songs from iTunes. They have an awesome dance/ rock sound that blends Blondie, Janis Joplin and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and makes every day better. My favorite song right now is ‘Heavy Cross;’ perfect for singing, running, dancing, you name it. For a great play list, look for them on Pandora.
Looking forward to more Gossip in 2010… and possibly an American tour?
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