Big Bend National Park

All photos © Joel Thomason

New Tunes

© Joel Thomason

A pair of relatively new songs that caught my ear lately.

- Joel

Purity Ring - "Ungirthed"
Source: Wild Honey Pie

Grizzly Bear - "Yet Again"
Source: chromewaves

Mount Elbert

© Joel Thomason

Yesterday I hiked Mount Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado.  Here are a few photos.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Kansas City

© Joel Thomason

Last week my brother and I spent a day visiting some of the great spots around Kansas City.  Here are a few photos.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Songs of the Day

Lake Austin © Joel Thomason

MVSCLES - "sweet n sour"
Infantree - "Here Goes Nothing"
Source: earmilk

Song of the Day

© Joel Thomason

Lykke Li - "Silver Springs (Fleetwood Mac cover)"
Source: earmilk

Vacation Part 2

© Joel Thomason

I'm back in Austin gearing up to start what you could call my first day of my legal career tomorrow.  It's sad that the adventurous portion of my summer is over.  But all things must come to an end.  Here are a few more photos from my time in Colorado.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Colorado

My summer essentially ends on Monday when I go to work at a law firm in Austin.  But I'm ending my summer with 10 days in Colorado - backpacking with some friends and vacationing with my extended family.  Here are some photos of the trip so far as documented by my phone.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Instagrid

© Joel Thomason

Ever wish you could share your Instagram photos over the web without going through Twitter?  I have and I just heard about a way to do it.  Check out www.instagrid.me.  You can publish your Instagram feed on the web.  Big time photographers may not like it because people can download your photos from your feed.  But for someone like me who doesn't have much skill, it's a great way to get them to the web.  Check out my feed here.  And then create your own.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

A few tracks I've been listening to lately.

- Joel

Tomas Barfod feat. Nina Kinert - "November Skies"
Source: Friday Mixtape
AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It (Bondax Remix)"
Source: Handsome Clothing

© Joel Thomason

I'm enjoying a few days of down time in Kansas City before the final push towards law school finals begins on Monday. Watching the Masters gives me a rare opportunity to check out new music. Listen to a few new tunes below. Thanks to my friend Jonathan for the heads up on the jj track.

- Joel

John Maus - "No Title (Molly)"

jj - "beautiful life"

Dive - "How Long Have You Known?"

Spring

© Joel Thomason

Spring has sprung here in Austin.

- Joel

West Texas

© Joel Thomason

I went camping on a friend's land near Brownwood, Texas over the weekend. The day was spent rope swinging into the creek. The night was spent around a campfire. And in the morning, the sunrise over a foggy creek was incredible.

- Joel

Nicolas Jaar - "And I Say"

I haven't found much new music to my liking lately. I'm sure part of the reason is I don't have as much time to devote to musical exploration. Here's an interesting song I heard last week. The female vocals are from Scout LaRue, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

Also, I took the picture above on a trip to Fredericksburg, Texas this weekend - a fun hill-country destination in Texas.

- Joel

Nicolas Jaar - "And I Say (feat. Scout LaRue and Will Epstein)

Maps

© Joel Thomason

I'm a sucker for maps. I took this in a gas station on the drive from Austin to Kansas City. Speaking of maps, I should have asked for the map below, from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co., for Christmas.

- Joel

Gauntlet Hair

© Joel Thomason

Gauntlet Hair has a strange band name. Their music isn't necessarily that accessible. But there's something about the way they groove that I really like. Here's a new one from them, and in addition a track I've posted in the past. The picture above of the Texas state capital is unrelated to the music, in case you were wondering.

- Joel

Gauntlet Hair - "Keep Time"
Gauntlet Hair - "Top Bunk"

The Main Building

© Joel Thomason

I'm slowly getting settled in Austin and familiar with the UT campus. The building above, known as the Main Building, is the campus' most notable landmark. It is aesthetically appealing but not so creatively named.

- Joel

Top Bunk

© Joel Thomason

I spent the weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks. Though we weren't staying in the cabin my family frequented when I was young, I couldn't help but reminisce on childhood fun: unlimited Cokes, koozies, whiffle ball games, wasps by the shed, the spare key hidden on the tree, a tubing accident, the Zip Sled, the old fishing boat, losing hubcaps on the gravel road, the bat room, bunk beds, and family. I move to Austin this week, so I'll be soaking up family for the next four days.

Here's a new song I heard this evening. It's by Gauntlet Hair - a dumb name for a band but I like their cavernous sound.

- Joel

Gauntlet Hair - "Top Bunk"

Bike Across Kansas

Welcome to Colorado © Joel Thomason

I completed my first ever Bike Across Kansas today. All in all, I rode 497 miles in 8 days across my favorite state in the Union. The trek took me through the towns of Tribune, Scott City, Ness City, Hoisington, McPherson, Cottonwood Falls, Burlington, Garnett and La Cygne. Along the way I saw a small tornado (while on my bike), started a huge game of knock out (basketball) with some local junior high kids, rode into 35 mph headwinds, heard the worst comedian in history, broke 3 spokes on my rear wheel, watched someone hot-wire a bus, tried to flirt with a girl and failed, and soaked in a state so central to my heritage. I didn't have a camera, but I did have my handy iPhone. Here are a few pictures.

- Joel

Hoisington, KS © Joel Thomason

Ness City, KS © Joel Thomason

Lane County, KS © Joel Thomason

Christ Pilot Me © Joel Thomason