I quit smoking five years ago, but when I first heard Mac DeMarco’s “Ode to Viceroy”— an exquisite song about the budget Canadian cigarette manufacturer — I was so stricken by its charms that I started to feel the itch again. DeMarco is just that good. Hailing from western Canada and now living in Brooklyn, […]

Peter Holslin plays jazz flute on the side Most people know San Diego for its chill vibes and nice beaches. Also, Ron Burgundy. What they might not realize is that this lovely Southern California city also has a long tradition of fostering incredibly weird, noisy music. This mix features some of my favorite tracks from […]

Peter Holslin sunk your battleship Nearly twenty years ago, reports surfaced that a mysterious society of highly advanced mutant humanoids was waging war on the high seas of the Atlantic. They were called Drexciyans, and according to legend, they were descended from pregnant slaves thrown overboard during the transatlantic slave trade. Using the Bermuda Triangle […]

Peter Holslin smashed a dude’s oud once. I haven’t done drugs in years, but if somebody offered me some qat right now, I’d chew on that shit in a heartbeat. A plant indigenous to the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula, qat (also spelled khat) has been a cornerstone to certain circles of African and […]

Photo: Aaron Eudaley Peter Holslin re-watched Dr. Giggles in research for this post. In the world of Marvel Comics, the Infinity Gauntlet is perhaps the most powerful weapon a bad guy could wield. A golden glove festooned with six shining “Infinity Gems”—representing power, space, time, mind, soul and reality—it gives the person wearing it complete […]

Peter Holslin gives bruises as hard as he gets ’em Flying Lotus goes great with ice cream. The unearthly beats and creamy flavors mix perfectly, conjuring a vibe of pure wonder. I know this because I work at an ice cream shop (well, we sell gelato if you want to be technical), and I play […]

It never rains in San Diego. I guess some people think that’s a good thing, but I think it sucks. I love the fresh smell that comes with rain, the warmth of staying inside, and the sound of cars streaking by. I like the grey skies and gloom: Staying indoors and wallowing in a bed […]

Peter Holslin is the seventh member of New Edition. I was two years old when Don’t Be Cruel came out. Bobby Brown was not a name I recognized. I knew nothing of this New Jack Swing classic. My only experience with New Jack Swing would come a few years later, with Vanilla Ice’s cameo on […]