After this week, most of us are feeling a little burnt out and in need of a good long hike, run, or reading session. Here's what we're spending time with.听
Music
Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells
罢丑辞耻驳丑听some听of our听staff听would have you believe that we're all anti-music evangelists, a few of us at听翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听still indulge in the听running playlist, and we were听happy to hear that we get new music from Sleigh Bells this week. The duo's听bombastic noise pop听has听provided many an energy boost on long runs听(we love 鈥淏orn to Lose鈥 from 2012's听Reign of Terror). Even better,听singer Alexis Krauss loves the outdoors鈥攕he听climbs the听Gunks, kayaks with her English bull terrier, Rizla,听and was recently certified as a New York State hiking guide, working with . We asked Krauss about her 国产吃瓜黑料 life and the group's听new album,听Jessica Rabbit,听out November 11.听
OUTSIDE: Your 听suggests听you're pretty obsessed with climbing. How did you get into it?
KRAUSS:听I didn鈥檛 get into climbing until about four years ago. My friends who live on the west coast started climbing outdoors all the time, and one day they听brought me with them to a crag outside of Oakland. The first time I climbed outside, I finished the route and burst into tears鈥擨 knew it would be an extremely important part of my life. I can鈥檛 explain how it makes me feel. It鈥檚 something about the singular focus and meditation. It clears my mind. It鈥檚 empowering and makes me feel really strong.
Do you have any climbing goals?听
I started leading about six months ago, so I still have a ways to go, but I'm working on keeping that calm that you need with trad climbing. I love gear鈥擨'm learning how to build the best anchors. And I have a fantasy of climbing Yosemite鈥擨 don't know when that would happen. I have to get a lot fucking stronger! But you have to dream big.
How do you fit nature time in while you're touring?
I always bring my climbing gear with me, but climbing is harder because no one on my crew climbs, so I have to be in a city where I have friends, which isn鈥檛 uncommon. In听Colorado or California or Vegas, we find time to climb. I always have my hiking stuff with me too. I do research on adventures I can take, especially on days off. It鈥檚 a huge part of my touring life.听You just commit to doing it and figure out a way to make it happen.听
Do you ever bring music with you or do you keep that separate?
I like the quiet. I never bring headphones. I love immersing myself in the world of music so I don鈥檛 want to say it鈥檚 an escape, but it鈥檚 a different sensory experience. Our shows are really loud and in your face, and when I鈥檓 outside it鈥檚 about listening, feeling, and听immersing myself in nature.听
About the album鈥攁ny influences while making it? Any favorite songs?
I look at artists who make bold choices with their music and aren鈥檛 influenced by other people鈥檚 opinions and current trends. Whether that's the Beatles' white album or Beyonce鈥檚 尝别尘辞苍补诲别,听I鈥檓 really attracted to artists who are stepping听out of people鈥檚 expectations of them, or albums that took that left turn and committed to it.
Of course, those are people I听have tremendous respect for, but they听didn't directly influence the sound of our album.听It鈥檚 going to be a strange album, but it鈥檚 not a first listen kind of thing, you鈥檒l have to go back and listen to it again.听I think my favorite song is probably听鈥淭orn Clean.鈥澨齀t鈥檚 a little quieter, while still sounding very much how Sleigh Bells normally does. It鈥檚 a pretty unassuming song that means a lot to me.听
Book
鈥楬ound of the Sea鈥 by Garrett McNamara with Karen Karbo
The big wave surfer has courted his share of controversy and records. His 听addresses his side of the former and the thrills of the latter. Skip if you couldn't care less about surfing鈥攊t's a pretty straightforward chronology of McNamara's life鈥攂ut it's worth a look for the stories about his less-than-traditional childhood and his clear obsession with chasing oceanic monsters.
Weirdly, I was also held accountable for the awkwardness of the mainstream media people who covered the story. CNN sportscasters don鈥檛 generally report on surfing, and I think they can be forgiven for sounding dorky when they say 鈥淭hat was completely gnarly!鈥, but many in the surf world found this to be heinous. By surfing my big, strange, off-the-beaten path wave I鈥檇 drawn the attention of kooks and outsiders. The surfing media made their feelings known about the whole thing by ignoring both the wave and my ride.听
Also on Our Reading List: the 12-Words-or-Less听Summary
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听by Lee van der Voo: Surprise! Sustainable seafood isn't boring; not always fair, either.听
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听by David Biello: Welcome to the Anthropocene. It's not all bad news.听
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by Frederic and Alexis Berg:听Just want to look at pretty pictures of trails and athletes? Enjoy. 听
Long Read from '国产吃瓜黑料'
The Mysterious Case of the Pacific Northwest's Vengeful Owls
Need we say more?
We鈥檇 just finished dinner and a few beers, and Lance was hardly out of my gravel driveway when he felt a hard push, like a hand against his shoulder. He turned around but saw nothing.
A few seconds later, something landed on Lance鈥檚 head and began digging its sharp talons into his scalp. Warm blood flowed through his hair. As he flailed his arms in agony, a pair of feathered wings descended over his face, covering his eyes.