MUSIC | If you’re into progressive indie pop-rock like Ra Ra Riot, Passion Pit and Young the Giant, chances are high you’ll dig Pacific Air, a brother duo that just released its debut album, Stop Talking. The 11-track record is full of peppy, upbeat songs with lots of whistling, finger snaps and smooth vocals. If you still need convincing, consider the brothers behind the project, Ryan and Taylor Lawhon, who released three songs on Bandcamp and a week later were signing a record deal with Republic Records. They’re on tour right now, and if you make the trek to Portland’s MusicFestNW in early September, you can catch them live along with loads of other awesome groups.
APP | Texting and driving is dangerous. Talking on the phone and driving is illegal (though we all know people are still doing it). Also inconvenient is when you’re in the middle of something and feel forced to answer a text message or voicemail. Guess what? There’s an app for that! Voxer is a push-to-talk voice messaging system that lets you send live voice recordings to other users. In other words, it’s like a walkie-talkie for your phone. We’re not saying you should do this, but using Voxer is a lot safer than texting and driving. It’s a free app for both iPhone and Android platforms.
BLOG | Pictures of kittens can make just about any bad day less awful. A recent study in Japan even found that looking at pictures of cute animals can increase productivity. We’re not joking. For a daily source of squee-worthy kitten pictures and stories, start following The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, a blog chronicling the adventures of kittens fostered for the Tacoma/Pierce County Humane Society. Blog creator Laurie Cinotto started posting about the kittens she fosters to find them good homes, and in the process has gained thousands of followers around the world. Not only are the blog’s kitten photos impeccably cute, but Cinotto’s writing style is just so charming you’ll be hooked.
