Holiday Gift Guide #1: Tee Shirts

Posted on 18 November 2008 | No Comments

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With the economy slumping mightily, this holiday season isn’t so much about what you want (but rather) it’s about what you need. You (and everyone else) needs tee shirts, so why not get the ones you love some tee shirts with style.

The Ryde makes super soft & comfy surf inspired tees.

Get huge type looks sweet and other great tees from Turn Nocturnal.

Check out Electric Zombie and their gruesomely awesome shirts.

These shirts ain’t minty fresh, they’re Linty Fresh.

Heartcore Clothing makes some amazing shirts.

For design inspired tees check out Artefacture.

Maybe you go ape shit for Go Ape Shirts? We do.

One, two, three, P Is For Panda has great shirts and great records.

Threadless has officially released a zillion different shirts. I’m not kidding.

Hit the mark and get some tees from Sharp Shirter.

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Music Skins

Posted on 7 October 2008 | No Comments

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My old iPod is scratched up like crazy so if I ever get another one, I’ll need some protection. I could get a gel case, a hard acrylic case, or even a leather pouch, but they are all a bit too bulky. One cool alternative is to slap MusicSkins on your device. They are skins made from premium grade 3M vinyl with a high gloss over laminate and adhesive that removes without leaving a residue. Yeah, these are basically durable protective stickers that will protect your iPod or other device from scratches while making it look sweet. You can get designs from groups like Saves The Day, Thrice, Dr. Manhattan, Young Jeezy, Senses Fail, and tons more like Obama and McCain designs. My wife is rocking a red Alkaline Trio design on her iPod while I’ve got a Coheed & Cambria logo on mine. I’ve actually had at least a half dozen of my co-workers comment about the MusicSkin on my iPod and even if some of them think it now looks a bit strange, at least my keys aren’t still scratching it up when I throw it in my pocket.

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Looking for a good Christmas gift?

Posted on 16 November 2007 | No Comments

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wallet
It seems that you can’t go anywhere or read anything these days without being bombarded about being Green. Carbon footprints, reducing emissions, green housing, fuel economy, recycling, etc… Heck, I just read the Dr. Seuss classic Green Eggs & Ham with my daughter last night. Anyhow, being environmentally friendly and green is something that isn’t going away anytime soon, so I suggest you embrace it.

wallet
One such company that has done just that is the Portland-based designer wallet company db clay. The company began by selling handmade duct tape wallets at street markets and has sold nearly 30,000 of them to date. Their latest line of “pocket art” wallets feature conceptual artwork and photos transferred onto wallets’ exterior. These unique and stylish wallets are made of db clay’s eco friendly custom synthetic textile called Tope. It is similar to a vinyl canvas, biodegradable, and produced using zero toxic materials.

wallet
If it isn’t readily apparent from the pictures here, these wallets look great. A simple, clean design and unexpected graphics makes them an instant conversation starter every time you pull your wallet from your pocket. I’ve probably be asked about mine at least a half dozen times in the past month. Additionally, the wallets’ rugged construction and unique material also makes them extremely durable (db clay claims more durable than leather).

wallet
So with the holiday gift-giving season approaching, perhaps you should consider giving db clay wallets to all the hipsters in your life. Heck, give one to those less hip and make ‘em that much cooler. There are tons of different designs and colors which range from arty photos to repeating patterns. All are priced at $48 but if you want to spend a little more, you can get a one-of-a-kind hand painted wallet instead. Buy one here and use our special coupon code (dbholiday07) for 15% off your order.

wallet

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Our official vodka

Posted on 28 June 2007 | No Comments

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Reyka Vodka from Iceland
Yeah. Can You See the Sunset From the Southside now has an official (well, at least a favorite) vodka. That vodka would be Reyka Vodka and you can see a picture of the bottle in my freezer above. Reyka is an extremely smooth vodka that tastes like vodka. Yeah, you can use it in a martini or gimlet or whatever, but Reyka really shines as a vodka that you can sip on its own. I know that the bottle I got disappeared way too fast.

Anyhow, in addition to being the best vodka I’ve ever tasted (and I’ve had a lot of vodka in my day) it is also a “green” vodka that is distilled using geothermal heat. Plus Reyka and Iceland Naturally are sponsoring a contest where 1 lucky winner and 9 friends can fly to Iceland for three days and 2 nights of partying, soaking in the Blue Lagoon, and seeing the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival which runs from October 17-21 and whose lineup includes: Bloc Party, Of Montreal, !!!, Best Fwends, Mum, Bonde do Role, Annuals, and more. In one word, “Wow!”

So grab a bottle of Reyka Vodka and enter the contest. Any US or Canadian resident over 21 can enter to win.

To comment click the number next to the post title above.

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Meat and Potatoes for dinner tonight

Posted on 28 May 2007 | No Comments

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Meat and Potatoes - Graphic Design and T-Shirts
Meat And Potatoes is one of the country’s finest design firms. They’ve done design work for Cabo Wabo Tequila, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and just about every major record label you can name. Well, what happens when designers of this caliber decide to venture into the realm of fashion?

Meat and Potatoes - Graphic Design and T-Shirts
You get t-shirts. Not just any old “designer” tees, but (rather) hand-screened VERY limited edition t-shirts that come packaged in (you guessed it) a shrink wrapped Styrofoam carton or wrapped in deli paper like they were straight from the butcher shop. The packages also include hand-numbered art prints of the images on the shirt so that your walls don’t feel slighted.

Meat and Potatoes - Graphic Design and T-Shirts
The coolest part of the whole deal (well, aside from the killer shirts) is that a portion of every shirt you buy goes to Meals on Wheels so you can feel good about what you’re wearing. These shirts are like Threadless tees but way cooler and way more limited. Get your Meat & Potatoes t-shirts here. They are excellent.

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Sennheiser CX300 earphones

Posted on 8 May 2007 | 3 Comments

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I recently got a pair of Sennheiser CX300 sound-isolating earphones and really love em. They are another set of phones that I would recommend for people who are fed up with the cruddy sound quality and comfort that standard-issue iPod or Zune earbuds provide.

There are many positive qualities that the Sennheiser CX300 earphones possess. One is that these earphones have an ultra-comfortable in ear design that blocks out a majority of distracting background noise and are smaller than a lot of other in ear headphones. When sealed and fitted with the correctly sized ear pads, the sound isolation is pretty good and the bass response is terrific. Another thing I really like about these earphones is that they are very reasonably priced. With a MSRP of only $89.95 (although I found them at various online retailers for about half that) everyone with a portable MP3 player can now enjoy great sounding earphones that are comfortable to wear without breaking the bank.

Although I like the Sennheiser CX300 earphones, there are a few things that I can still gripe about. The cabling on the earphones is asymmetric (the left earphone cable is shorter than the right) and I find that a little annoying. They also don’t come with a carrying case. Yeah, I know that these are just little complaints (and maybe you won’t mind) but they both sorta bother me.

Overall, I think that the sound quality and fit of the earphones make them worth recommending. While these are by no means professional high-end earphones, they are a huge step up from the iconic little iPod earbuds. And at their price point the Sennheiser CX300 earphones are definitely a great value.

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Yackety Vakaadoo yack

Posted on 16 April 2007 | No Comments

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If your iPod looks anything like mine, there are dings and other surface scratches all over the screen and the scratch-prone plastic body. And while it may be too late for me to undo all the wear and tear, I can certainly protect it from future damage thanks to the awesome cases from Vakaadoo. If it isn’t already, their slogan should be “Strange name, great cases.”

Basically Vakaadoo makes durable and shock-resistant hard plastic cases that will fit just about any model of iPod from Nano to the biggest 5G model. They are sleek, good-looking, and because of their unique snap-locking method the cases add very little bulk to your iPod while offering maximum protection because of their clear plastic screen covers. The iVak cases come in a wide array of colors and finishes from the glossy black and white Domino to the multi-colored Soft Feel cases with a scratch-free liquid rubber finish.

The only negatives that we’ve found with these cases are the absence of any click wheel protection (to some this may not be an issue) and that the headphone jack is too small for just about any earphones other than Apple’s standard iPod earbuds. Aside from those minor issues Vakaadoo’s iVak cases are among the best hard-plastic iPod cases we have seen and now I’m not afraid of the kid dropping my iPod anymore.

The iVak cases have a normal price of about $30 a piece, but Vakaadoo always some special deals of some sort (from buy-one-get-one deals to 25% off). You can (and should) get them here.

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Ultimate Ears earphone giveaway

Posted on 12 April 2007 | 77 Comments

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Okay. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of you that are reading this right now own some type of portable MP3 player. How many of you are still listening through the standard issue earphones that came with your device? Most of you? All of you? Well, you are doing yourself a disservice and you need to get some new earphones. I’m even willing to help you out and give one lucky reader some killer new earphones. Just keep reading.

I recently got some of the new Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio earphones and the what I hear from them is huge improvement over what I hear using the iconic white iPod earbuds. The Super.fi 3 Studio earphones are in-ear canalphones that deliver punchy midrange, crisp highs, and (while it probably won’t satisfy serious bassheads) smooth bass while also providing 26 dB of noise isolation to block out unwanted background noises.

The Super.fi 3 Studio earphones are also hella comfortable even for extended lengths of time. The flexible ear loops and in-ear design ensure a sung fit. And because they come with a universal fit kit that comes three different sized sets of silicone ear tips and a set of foam tips, the earphones a perfect secure fit for just about any ears. The Super.fi 3 Studio earphones also come with a gold-plated 1/8” minijack and a nifty little crush-resistant aluminum case.

Basically the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio earphones provide great sound which is much improved over standard earbuds, they are comfortable, and (at a list of $99.99) are reasonably priced as well. If you are interested in getting a free pair of Super.fi 3 Studio earphones courtesy of Can You See The Sunset From The Southside? then simply leave a comment to this post with your email address and one song that you would use to test out and size up new audio equipment. One winner will be picked at random a week from today. Below are a few of my suggestions.

MP3 | Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock Siamese Dream
MP3 | Beach Boys – God Only Knows (Stereo Mix) Pet Sounds
MP3 | George Winston – Longing/Love Autumn
MP3 | Jimmy Eat World – For Me This Is Heaven Clarity
MP3 | Eric Johnson – Cliffs Of Dover Ah Via Musicom
MP3 | The Dismemberment Plan – What Do You Want Me To Say? Emergency & I

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You should be wearing Housewrecker

Posted on 7 April 2007 | 2 Comments

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So last night our good friend Joey was in town so we met him downtown for some killer Thai food from Vong’s and some Goose Island’s. In addition to being another representative of Straub Country USA (just like Amy), he also has his own clothing line called Housewrecker.

All his designs are hand screened in small batches (some on American Apparel tees) by an old school skate punk and feature everything from boom boxes to crunk juice to moustached child predators. To get your hands on some fine Housewrecker apparel, click here.

Heck, why not get yourself a sweet camo trucker cap with the Houswrecker keystone H logo right here. And tell Joey that Eric and Amy said you get the special CYSTSFTS discount.

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A review of the Altec Lansing iM7

Posted on 31 March 2007 | No Comments

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For the last month or so we’ve had the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 sitting in the kitchen playing steady shuffle of songs from my iPod as well as Amy’s iPod and I can’t heap enough praise on this product. It is an iPod dock and sound system whit a modern tubular design that looks almost as good as it sounds. And while not tiny and portable how you might think of it, the iM7 is easy to move and will function just about anywhere.

Over the weekend, we took it outside to enjoy on the deck and it performed just as well. It was (however) the sound quality of the iM7 that sold me. The unit sounds great at both low and high volumes and pumps out awesome bass for a unit its size thanks to a powerful subwoofer. The iM7’s bass is (IMHO) much more powerful than the Bose SoundDock’s and it is adjustable via the remote. Sound clarity is great and the bass is not muddy even at high volumes because of two pairs of woofers and tweeters which give the iM7 a sound that is comparable to that of many home stereo systems.

Other features on Altec Lansing’s iM7 portable iPod “sound-dock-boom-box” include a wireless remote, a plethora of inputs and outputs on the rear of the unit that include video output for iPod (S-Video), and optional battery mode which provides up to 10 hours of operation time. Because it is a docking station, you iPod charges as you listen too!

Even though the iM7 weighs in at 10 pounds (without iPod or batteries) it has a soft rubber grip on the back of the unit that makes it very easy to carry around (and I know it will be going a lot of places with us this summer). The iM7’s video outputs on the back also allow it to function as a video pass through and provides direct output of photo slide shows. In addition, the back of the iM7 also has a nifty nook to store its remote so you don’t have to worry about losing it. The power cord isn’t all that long, but if you plan on taking the unit outside to supply jams for your party, suck it up and just use an extension cord.

Overall, we love the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 iPod speaker system and dock. It’s sleek and simple design, killer sound, ease of use, and affordable price (it lists for $50 less than the Bose SoundDock) make it a winner in our book.

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The singular Cingular music

Posted on 6 March 2007 | 2 Comments

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Don’t you ever just want to slow things down and stop to catch your breath once in awhile? Things are so fast-paced and people (myself included) don’t seem to have the time to get everything done that needs to be done. Multitasking and mobile devices are now a necessity for most. Heck, I can actually remember a time before the Internet and before 85% of people had a mobile phone. These days (however) I too wouldn’t be able to function with my mobile phone or my iPod. And as companies start combining the two (Apple’s iPhone, the Moto KRZR, etc…) things begin to get interesting.

One such marriage of mobile music and phones comes in the form of the new Cingular Music service. Now I’m currently running many of the Cingular Music applications though my new Samsung SYNC phone and I must say that many of the features of both are pretty awesome.

The phone itself is unassuming at first, but when bundled with a 1 gigabyte mini SD card, USB cable, software, and earbuds, it becomes a pretty cool alternative to carrying two mobile devices. When playing music on my Samsung SYNC phone, I was most impressed by the quality of the music that came from the tiny speakers on the phone. While not as loud simply because of their size, the quality rivaled that of the speakers integrated into my laptop. The phone also has a 2 megapixel camera that is the best I’ve seen on any mobile phone.

A phone that plays music? I know you are thinking, “Big deal.” Well, Cingular Music offers many really cool features. Users can subscribe to streaming radio stations of every genre imaginable, order music through Napster, and even connect to any of 25 XM Radio stations. The first song I heard through Cingular’s streaming Mobi Radio was a Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song. Not too shabby. You can also get weather and even stuff from NPR. Another ridiculously cool feature that Cingular Music offers is something they call Music ID.

Cingular’s Music ID is essentially an application on the phone that will name any song you are listening to. Start up the Music ID application, hold the phone up to whatever song you are trying to identify and 15 seconds later the name of the song and the artist pops up on your phone. Seriously. I tried it out with three songs. Lily Allen’s “Smile,” “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, and Braid’s “Please Drive Faster.” All three were identified without a hitch.

The only snag that I’ve run into is that my Samsung SYNC phone’s memory card doesn’t read about 90% of the time. It’s a tiny little memory card that fits in a tiny little slot and you gotta jam it in there just right or else it doesn’t read, and even then… Even so, if you are a Cingular subscriber, I’d totally recommend getting the music package.

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Win a kenpo iPod jacket

Posted on 10 February 2007 | 40 Comments

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By far the coolest iPod accessory I have is the Kenpo iPod jacket. It allows an iPod (once connected) to remain safely tucked away in a special inside pocket while iPod controls on the left sleeve let you change songs, volume, etc… without having to open your jacket. It is awesome.

Do you want a chance to win one of these jackets? Keep reading to find out how.

Kenpo is a Los Angeles based fashion company and they make a bunch of different iPod jackets in both mens and womens styles that include fleece jackets, ski/snowboard jackets, and lightweight mesh jackets. It might sound gimmicky, but (believe me) its not. I’ve been testing the jacket for over a month now and it works flawlessly. The jacket’s touch pad controls are integrated into the fabric of the left sleeve and requires no batteries or wires. (Yes smartass) there is a wire to connect your iPod to the jacket, but it is small and remains inside the the special interior pocket. The jacket worked seamlessly with my iPod photo.

The jackets themselves are very high quality garments that are warm, weather-resistant, and stylish. Is is fashion and function elegantly integrated together. I must admit that they look way better in real life than they did in the photos or on the website.

These Kenpo jackets are a perfect (and practical) solution for snowboarders or other people that want to listen to their iPods without pulling them out of their jackets all the time. The control pad works perfectly in the cold and even with gloves on. Only something this cool can keep your digits warm when you want to change songs during your long chairlift ride up the mountain.

Basically, I love my Kenpo iPod jacket and think it is a great looking product that integrates technology and fashion to make a product that is practical but also looks good. You can shop for Kenpo jackets here, but you can have a chance to win a Kenpo iPod jacket by leaving a comment with your name and email address. One winner will be randomly selected next Saturday, February 17th.

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