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VILE BLOG
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
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
I feel like I could walk on stars in these babies.
So, as well ALL know, festival season is upon us! Honestly, how could you not know when all you see on your feeds everywhere is #COACHELLA2K15. I myself don't have any plans to go to any festivals, because nothing exciting happens where I live, but I can dream, right?
Every time I wear LED Light Up Sneakers, I have these nostalgic flashbacks to my childhood years wearing light up flashy shoes, jumping and stomping around everywhere to show off my cool kicks! Who knew, as an almost 20 year old, I'd be doing the exact same thing! Shameless... All I want to do in these shoes, is dance around to 90's music, and run around for hours in the night!
The first shoes I'd seen that were like these, were the ASHISH Light-Up Platforms (shown above) back in February of 2014 for TopShop! But as you may know, ASHISH/Topshop can be a bit pricey, and I'm all about finding a better deal if I can!
I'm a big follower of TiltedSole, and they recently got these babies from Starry Eyed by BESTFIT! The very simple silhouette of the shoe, and the contrast of the light up soles, are the perfect blend of minimal, and flashy! They're extremely wearable, comfortable, and of course, flashy!
These shoes are available in high top, low top, slip-on, and a variety of colors! The way they work, is there's a button on the inner side of the shoe, so you can just click the sides of your feet together, and launch into galaxy shoe heaven! Your LED color options are RED, GREEN, BLUE, YELLOW, TEAL, PURPLE, and WHITE! Everyone asks if they run on battery, but they are actually come with a USB charger than you can just plug in, and let charge for 1-1.5 hours for a full charge, that should last a total of 4-5 straight of light-up dance party greatness!
I know everyone NEEDS a pair of these shoes for this Spring/Summer, because I already know these babes are going to be my go to shoe for every night out! Expect to see them a TON if you follow me on Instagram!
Use code: MELREY15 for 15% off of your purchase at TiltedSole
MEL XO
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
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
So personally, I'm not a big jeans person, just because I don't find them to be the most comfortable, but it is something I am trying to work my way into wearing more! My personal preferences for jeans is definitely light wash, acid wash, black, and TRASHED. Nearly every designer who does denim has come out with some kind of distressed denim look!
I own a few pairs of jeans, and all of the ones I own have some kind of rips or distressed look to them! It's safe to say the distressed, trashed look on denim is HUGE right now. Also, not just on jeans. But I see distressed denim jackets quite a bit as well!
I recently traded a pair of UNIF Twerk Jeans, for a UNIF distressed denim jacket with some cute patches on them! I'd say that was a fair trade, because I didn't wear the jeans all that much, and I've already gotten so much wear out of the jacket! I did a small shoot today wearing that jacket, and some ripped jeans! Here's just one picture of the jacket, you can see the rest on my personal style blog here!
If you tend to be crafty like myself, and don't feel like paying the extra money that really ripped off pieces cost, why not get into some DIY? I'm all about doing things myself if I can, and especially if it saves me money!
Here's how I learned to distress denim! NOW GO DESTROY SOME PANTS!!
Melanie XO
Yup. Fuckin' Black Label. It had been a while so I cracked one last night after a total shit day at work. You know what? That beer was delicious. I don't know if I just needed a beer so bad at that point that it could have been any beer, or something else. Either way, it lead to me doing some googling about said beer. FACT: Originally Carling's Black & White Lager, after renaming it, went on to become the world's first beer to be brewed on a mass international scale. This is back in the 20's.
FACT: Black Label sold amazingly well up to and through the 90's. It's a Canadian Lager that eventually opened up shop here in the states. The idea was to have a premium lager at prices that seemed more local. I guess it's always been cheap. There's nothing overly amazing about this beer. It just is. That may even be the best part. It's exactly that beer for when you just want a damn beer, and you don't want your pants brought down over the price. At this point if you've never had a Black Label... what? Were you ever a young human? You could probably go buy some right now with whatever is in your couch. That's the best. Cheers!
If you are anything like me, I love when I smoke some green that motivates my creativity to the point that I can't stop whatever project that I start til its finished. Mother's Helper is by far one of those strains. I absolutely love the earthy sweet smell and taste. It will have your head on cloud 9 for hours. This strain is a hybrid of the sativa Chocolope and the indica Northern Lights #5. The mix of is compared to heaven and hell for how completely opposite the two strains are. Mother's Helper is the type of smoke that leaves you feeling positive, creative and stoked on life. I hear a lot of patients like to have this strain around for anxiety, stress, headaches, pain and any type of depression. I would have to get it an A++ for its capability to knock down any writers block you might have. If you find Mother's Helper, I recommend you buy all of it and save as much as you can. Let me know so I can partake in the party as well. Have a great week friends! Smoke one for me!!! -Colin
photo by Blair Spear
So it's been a couple weeks, but things have been crazy since the last time I had a piece together for you guys. I hope y'all got to check out Berserker Fest, I heard it was a killer time. Meanwhile, when I was at Pizza Show at the stick- I saw some ridiculous live music that could have easily rivaled the lineups in ferndale, and I got to see punk bands at the Magic Stick(RIP) one last time before the "EDM scene"(blech) got it's chance to puke all over it. One band in particular caught my eye: Lake Effect.
These dudes hail from Port Huron, MI, and they fucking killed it live. Super raw, emotionally charged melodic hardcore homegrown in our own little angsty mitten. I love it. I bought a shirt and got to meet the dudes, as they were stationed right next to the vile merch at the show. Honestly the nicest, down to earth guys ever. Their most recent EP is titled "History" and you can snag it from bandcamp. They are presently writing a new batch of tracks to be released as well(as per their facebook page), so keep your eyes peeled- I'll probably be pulling a write-up on that bitch ASAP once it's done! MI kids- these dudes play out a bit, so make sure you catch them. They fucking bring it live! Make sure you say hi to them, and tell them Toph sent ya ;)
Here's a little snippet of their EP in youtube format-
Fucking dope, right?!? I think that jam might be my favorite on the whole set, so it's no surprise they've used it as the teaser. I just love how heavy and pretty the music gets behind the super raw split vocals. And it's sooooo tight, man- tight like your mom. I think you're adopted. There's no way a baby came outta there!
Once again- Get that shit from bandcamp(name your own price, beyotchhhhh!).
I'm out. Take it sleazy.
Love you guys!
XOXO - TOPH
The first bike I ever owned was a Honda CB750c. It was a cruiser, and at the time, not my taste, but I definitely loved it. From the moment that I parked that bike in my friends garage, I started tearing it apart. I grew up loving the look of flat trackers and scramblers, so I became acquainted with my bike, and got to work.
There were moments where I wanted to kick the bike on its side and just set it ablaze, and there were other moments where everything came together so perfectly. More times than not, the frustrating moments were the ones that have the most memorable stories. I was lucky to have friends that would come over and guide me or jump in and help tear down this bike, and rebuild it as I dreamed. This aspect of the riding community is one of my favorite parts: the stories of riding and brotherhood.
Every bike has a story to tell, and every rider has a handful of stories to go along with the bike, and the artists at Stories of Bike are passionate about telling those stories. Shot mostly in Australia, they beautifully document riders, explore their bikes, and talk about what drives their obsession.
According to this German dick I encountered a few days ago, this isn't an altbier. I rolled my eyes like a turd but really, it's more of an imperial altbier. With a higher abv at 8.5%, it's compared more to a barley wine style. It has a nice medium body and sticky. Definitely a sipper. Spicy notes, dark fruits. A little sweet and a little boozy. Overall it's a great German beer, even if it's not technically true to the style it presents itself as. That flip top lid bottle is awesome too. I'm looking at you, home brewers. Cheers!
My score: 93
Rate Beer: 98
Beer Advocate: 92
So as some may know, I work at an H&M here in Raleigh. As a very trendy store, lots of trendy people come through, so of course, I get to see every current trend that I've been scrolling through Instagram looking at, come to life in my store, which is pretty cool. One I've noticed for quite awhile now, that doesn't seem to go away, is all of the Pastel Princesses I've seen come through! So many adorable pastel heads of hair come through the store, and I drool in envy. My best friend and roommate are both Pastel QUEENS! Lacy usually floats somewhere between lavender, and silver purple; and Summer is either lavender, or platinum white blonde.
Because of how dark my hair naturally is, and how much dye and crap I have on my hair from past styles and colors I've done, it will be nearly impossible to have a mane of beautiful pastel hair! So, for now I can just admire from afar, and from my laptop screen as I scroll through Pinterest. My hair board on Pinterest is an overload of styles and colors, but here are a few of my favorite Pastel Princesses!
One of the most inspirational women I've been following on the internet for the past few years, is a Pastel Princesses, and her name is Angelina or ALB (Instagram/YouTube/Tumblr: Albinwonderland.) Angelina has had pink hair since she was 14 years old, and has been bright pink, and pastel for years!
She's the most empowering woman I've ever seen in my life, because she definitely preaches personal style, and individuality, which is something everyone could use in their lives. I watched a video of her's that really opened up my eyes, and helped me on my personal guide to self love and acceptance! Angelina was also probably the first lady who opened my eyes to feminism, and thank goodness for that. As cliche, and lame as it sounds, I don't think I'd be as confident today had I not watched her inspirational and helpful videos.
I honestly don't see this trend dying any time soon, and I am not complaining about that one bit, because I love all of the little Pastel Princesses I see everyday. Keep on keepin' on you Princess Mermaids, I live for you!!
Melanie XO
This is by far one of the best vaporizers I've ever used..... I would consider this the Apple version of vaporizers. Pax even has a weight to it, that makes you know that it's quality. The way you turn Pax on is by pushing the mouth piece in and it heats up in seconds being ready to use! You load the herb on the bottom of the device that has a magnetic cover. Its super easy to clean as well!!! I'd recommend grinding your weed up pretty well to achieve optimal rips. You will love this vaporizer to death. We have these bad boys in stock 24/7 at The Jungle Room (@jungleroomdetroit).
Come by and i'll set you up!!! Love. -Colin
Recently we had the pleasure of having I Prevail Vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe over to HQ and talk to him about their upcoming tour and recent successes.
And if you dont know...these guys are blowing up in a big big way.
ps heres the video their video for their cover of Blank Space (which currently has over 7 million plays.
And here is their music video for their song THE ENEMY.
and yes we love that Eric Reps our Vile America roll top in all the videos!
It's upon us once again. The wily and elusive Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Known to us beer nerds as the one and only KBS. If you've never had the original Breakfast Stout then stop reading now. Have one, then come back to me. If ever there was a beer that paired with pancakes and sausages, this is the one. How could that get any better, you ask? Let's age it in bourbon barrels. Perfect. Sweet bourbon chocolatey goodness. There are few stouts that meet the expectations of this beast. Only problem is finding some. This is the game we play. Sifting through shelves at every local beer store, bribing clerks to hold us even just one bottle for a chance at sipping this sweet nectar. Of course having two bottles is the idea; one to drink, and one to forget about in your cellar. Not to worry though. Your favorite local craft bar should be getting at least one keg of this. In my experience that keg lasts as long as the piss you take from drinking several of these, so get on it. Cheers!
My Score: 1oo
Rate Beer: 1oo
Beer Advocate: 1oo
"Just a couple super fake blondes, crafting to support their root touch ups!" - Two Fake Blondes (Meghan Trimble & Katie Holland)
Meet Meghan Trimble and Katie Holland! Two ECU Fashion Merchandiser Graduates who decided to join creative forces to create what is known today as Two Fake Blondes! All of the products are hand made by these fabulous ladies themselves, and each is made special! From hand stitched patches, tie dyed shirts, clutch bags, and one of a kind dyed jackets, these girls aren't afraid to get messy with some dye.
They love and encourage custom orders! Another thing I love about Two Fake Blondes is that they are all about customer suggestions, and hearing what their customers want to see next!
Katie and Meghan are only just beginning on their journey with Two Fake Blondes, but I see a bright future for these girls! Check out the promotional video they made to go along with the launch of their most recent addition to their shop, rainbow tie dyed socks and panties!
Follow Two Fake Blondes on Instagram: @twofakeblondes
XX
Melanie
Riding, for me, is all about the trip. Short or long, it doesn't matter. Two wheels, an engine, and the pavement underneath of you. You are connected to the road by nothing more than that. You see everything, you feel every bit of it. It means so much more than just getting from point A to B, it's an experience. There are days that all I could think about is getting off of work, packing up my bike and leaving for the weekend, just ride someplace new and discover.
What if you found out that there was so much uncertainty in your future, and being told by doctors that you wouldn't live to see 30? Aileen of The Moto Quest had to face that reality, and dealt with it head on.
Instead of letting tragedy hold her back, she decided to embrace life and move forward. She has chosen to pack up her Honda CD250U and travel the four corners. Her bravery to set out with no real plan, and to just follow the road to where it takes her is absolutely inspiring.
Please take a few minutes to check her out, and share her story with others
