it’s been awhile, but i spotted another pbr painting in the virginia highlands. although many of the other pbr murals have been painted over at this point, it was cool to find one i hadn’t seen before!

be sure to check out the other murals we found around atlanta in june and august.

– ryan

who would have thought that a two-piece band featuring a live harp and bass player would be one of the more impressive shows i’ve seen in a long time. on monday night i discovered a great new band called active child opening for school of seven bells. i first heard school of seven bells opening up for m83, so i had a feeling their opening band would be worth checking out as well. i was not let down!

active child is the project of “choirboy-turned-indie pop musician” pat grossi. they play music that sounds like old 80s movie soundtracks, riding the line between dancey and atmospheric. pat’s falsetto vocals were very compelling and at times reminiscent of bon iver or antony and the johnsons. other songs were more in line with old crowded house or joy division, like on their amazing cover of ceremony, a highlight of the night. you can get their debut ep from their website for super cheap or on 10″ white vinyl! it’s totally worth grabbing.

after reading more about active child, i realized i am not alone in thinking they are awesome. npr, pitchfork, and stereogum have already featured these guys.

school of seven bells were very impressive as well! i had talked up the twin sister singers to a friend before the show and was surprised to only find one up on stage. i didn’t realize until after the show that claudia, one of the sisters, had left the band a week before. besides a couple of songs though, you wouldn’t have even noticed. although i definitely would have preferred the dueling female vocals, they still rocked live and filled in the gaps quite well. they played all of the hits i wanted to hear from both of their albums and their encore sounded like a classic mogwai concert with the distortion levels cranked to deafening volumes.

– ryan

on sunday afternoon we packed a picnic and headed up to amicalola falls state park. we soaked in the amazing autumn weather with a nice picnic near the top of the falls! after lunch we headed back to the base and hiked up the mountain for some beautiful views of the falls. although we heard the hike was fairly easy, the numerous switchbacks were definitely tiring. be sure to bring some water and stretch before making the trek.

if you are looking for a peaceful getaway from atlanta, consider the 90 minute drive to this beautifal state park. be mindful though that october is peak season for state and national parks and will be super crowded.

serenity now!

– ryan & gub

amicalola falls state park

240 amicalola state park rd
dawsonville, ga 30534
706-265-4703

fall is in the air!

– ryan

my favorite time of the year has finally arrived! we have cool weather, fall foliage, and, as of last week, we have the 2010 lineup of wet hop ales!

in case you missed my post at the beginning of the summer, wet/fresh hop ales are by far my favorite beers and are only around for a couple months of the year. this type of beer is unique to american craft breweries and is quite the treat when you can find them. these tasty brews are made with wet hops that are delivered to the brewery the same day they are harvested. the brewers are waiting on hand to add the wet hops to the kettle while at the peak of their freshness. the result is one of the hoppiest, most flavorful beers around. it’s the equivalent of cooking with fresh herbs rather then dried ones.

so far i have only been able to find sierra nevada’s northern hemisphere harvest in atlanta, but i am sure many more will be available soon. in the meantime northern hemisphere harvest is totally satisfying my fix.

i will be trying any and all wet/fresh hops ales i can find this fall, so be sure to check back for more reviews! i hear from my buddy rob in oregon that the rogue wet hop ale is also great, hopefully he can send me one.

– ryan

sierra nevada

1075 east 20th street
chico, ca 95928
530-893-3520

i recently tried loose cannon from heavy seas beer out of baltimore, maryland. it’s a tasty india pale ale that is super hoppy and 7.25%, a stellar combination! it’s also well-balanced, especially for such a high percentage, and features a great floral/citrusy hop flavor. if you’re into ipa’s, this will be a treat for you!

– ryan

heavy seas beer

4615 hollins ferry rd. suite b
baltimore, md 21227
410-247-7822

check out these great hair dryers from austell, ga!

– ryan

at the last minute we grabbed standing room tickets for sundays atlanta braves playoff game. we had a ton of fun, especially in the 8th inning when the braves took the lead. that excitement was short lived, however, as the san francisco giants took back the lead in the 9th and won the game. we were still glad we went to see one of bobby cox’s last games though.

– ryan & gub

ps…this is our 100th post!!!

i had a ton of fun at the recent best coast & cults show at the drunken unicorn. the opening band cults only have a 7″ out, but it’s extremely catchy and they were great live. their song go outside was the highlight of my night.

best coast was also a blast! bethany, the singer/songwriter, was very natural on stage and created a fun vibe throughout the evening. their songs packed way more punch live then they do on the album.

you can download the digital version of cults s/t 7″ here. it’s awesome, so go and grab it!

– ryan

i recently went to harold’s barbecue near turner field for the first time. this atlanta establishment has been serving barbecue since 1947 and is often listed as a favorite in town. i tried the rib sandwich with fries and coleslaw, which were all great. the portions were large and inexpensive, two meals and drinks were under $22 after tax and tip. the ribs weren’t as smoky as i would have liked, but i still enjoyed them. the brunswick stew and pulled pork looked great as well.

harold’s had a lot of character. with red and white checkered table clothes, paper towel rolls on every table, and super sweet tea, harold’s had all the staples of an authentic southern barbecue joint. i wouldn’t say it was my favorite barbecue in town, but i’ll definitely be heading back.

– ryan

harold’s barbecue

171 mcdonough blvd se
atlanta, ga 30315
404-627-9268