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taste-in-music · 5 years

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My Top 10 Favorite Hit Songs of 2018

I’m going to say it. This year’s popular music SUCKED. As I attempted to keep in touch with the US Billboard charts, the music I saw getting big every week only assisted in my losing faith in humanity. Pop music just wasn’t popular this year. And that’s not to say that pop music is dead or that there isn’t any good pop music being made, (just look at my entire page,) but it certainly wasn’t getting as much success in the mainstream as usual. I get it. Music trends come and go, and what’s big in at one point in time might not be in another Just think about how much R&B there was in the 2000s, and how club/EDM anthems were giant in the early 2010s. This year was dominated by hip hop, which I have nothing against in theory, but at least have it be GOOD hip hop music. I know there’s amazing hip hop out there, but that’s not what I saw getting popular. The bad stuff this year was really bad, at best bland and forgettable and at worst unlistenable garbage music made by garbage people. But rather than focus on the bad, I think that it’ll be better for my sanity to focus on the good, just to assure myself that even when the charts are dominated by shit there might a diamond hidden somewhere. This is the chart I will be using. So, without further ado, here are my best hit songs of 2018.

10) One Kiss by Calvin Harris ft. Dua Lipa This isn’t my favorite Dua Lipa song by far, (or Calvin Harris song,) but this is still a ton of fun. The production is simple, but tropical and uptempo, with a glossy, shuffling background beat and synthy horn riffs, and Dua Lipa’s performance helps elevate it all. This song radiates summer, it’s like having a tall glass of orange juice on the beach. My only problem with the song is the drop, with the pitch-lowered vocals and continuation of the background track. It feels a bit lazy and is too short to really build up steam. Otherwise, this song is pretty good. It was certainly refreshing to hear on the radio every so often.

9) Eastside by Benny Blanco ft. Khalid & Halsey This song is so relaxing and smooth. The production is simple, with a mid-tempo beat and a couple fluttering notes her and there, but it suits the subject matter of the song, which is very nostalgic and bittersweet. As always, I love the sound of Khalid’s voice, (though his pronunciation on this song is kind of garbled, it’s hard to tell what he’s saying,) and Halsey’s performance is good too, never dipping into grating territory like it does sometimes.The two of them have great chemistry. Also, the music video for this song is both funny and heartbreaking. It low key made me cry? I never heard this on the radio where I live, and only listening to it recently when making this list, but it’s certainly one of the best hit songs of the year.

8) LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar ft. Zacari Kendrick Lamar made a… pop song? Kind of? Okay, I wouldn’t call it pop, it’s definitely still hip hop, but it’s got some R&B and pop elements to it. It’s his version of a pop song. While it may not Kendrick Lamar’s best song, it’s still Kendrick Lamar. Him not at his “not best” is a whole lot better than other artists at their peak. The production is bold but at the same time chill, with a smoky kind of atmosphere. I’ve never listened to Zaraci, but his voice is wonderful here, cutting through the background music and Kendrick Lamar’s rapping like a ray of sunlight. I’m going to be honest, I mostly love this song because the CHVRCHES version is so good (listen to that here.)

7) Love Lies by Khalid ft. Normani This is one of the only pop songs that got consistent radio play where I live, and while the overplay did wear this track out a bit, I still like it. I never changed the station when it came on. Khalid and Normani have great chemistry, (what is it about Khalid that makes him so good at duets? With Eastside, this, lovely with Billie Eilish…) I love their harmonies on the chorus. Normani is a very promising vocalist, I’m excited to see what she comes out with in the future. The production is solid, with that low (I think guitar? synths? IDK) riff, snap percussion, and vocal layering in the backgrounds.

6) IDGAF by Dua Lipa The. Tell. Off. Anthem. Of. The. Year. This is a guilty pleasure of mine, I can’t say that this song is particularly good, but I’m literally in love Dua Lipa, so I don’t care. She’s sassy as hell on this song. The production is so catchy, especially with that plucky guitar melody and those pianos that come in as the song progresses. I love the bridge, where it goes back to just her and guitar, and it slowly builds back up to the final chorus. My only problem with hearing this on the radio is that it always had to be the censored version! I mean, I get why, but listening to the censored version of this song is like eating an unsalted Saltine cracker. It’s completely against the point.

5) Delicate by Taylor Swift I haven’t heard the entirety of Reputation. I don’t think I’ll ever go out of my way to listen to it. Look What You Made Me Do and ...Ready For It? were pretty awful, but Delicate? Delicate I really love. I didn’t like LWYMMD or ...RFI? because they were grating, lacked subtlety in their lyrics, and the production was all over the place. But this song takes the lyrical themes in those songs and presents them in a more vulnerable light, which works a lot better. And the production is very nice too. Everything flows together so smoothly. I like how the chorus is just her voice with the snaps in the background, and then melodies rush back in for the “drop.” This song washes over you and it’s perfect for a late night drive.

4) Boo’d Up by Ella Mai Praise the heavens for this song’s success. I remember when I first head it, it was so pants-shittingly good that it blew my mind. Ella Mai’s vocals are gorgeous, going through the melodies with such ease and grace and using vibrato in just the right places. The production on this song is lush as hell. I love the blocky percussion, light cymbals, and twinkling pianos. My only problem with this song is the extended spoken word outro, which gets a bit tiring. Otherwise, this is an amazing song.

3) when the party’s over by Billie Eilish I’m cheating here. This song didn’t make it onto the year end list, but I just had to include it. This song is heart-wrenching in all the right ways. Billie Eilish’s vocals are quiet and reserved, dipping into her higher register, they’re just so vulnerable and sad. She emits so much emotion on this song. The production on this song is simple, with just a piano, some distortion, background vocals, and not much else, but that’s what makes it work so perfectly. Anything else, and this song would become too cluttered. I’m so happy that this has hit the charts and is picking up steam, because god knows we need more promising, unique, and talented voices like Billie Eilish’s in the mainstream.

2) Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B Sometimes, you just need a song that’s downright fun. That’s how to describe this song. FUN! It’s so energetic and fucking catchy, everything about it clicks into just the right place. I don’t like Cardi B, but she’s pretty great here. Bruno Mars is great here. The production is slick as hell, with the bells and the drums and the sound effects. That little doh-pah sound in the chorus? Amazing, low key my favorite part of this song. You can’t not dance to this song. It’s perfect for a party playlist, or even when you just want to feel happy. This was such a relief to hear on the radio in between all the forgettable mush, like a rainbow pouring through the clouds.

Should Have Been Hits

Strangers by Sigrid This song had a ton of chart success in Europe, but didn’t cross over to the U.S. I guess we weren’t interested in listening to a bubbly, sunny BOP AND A HALF.

Paradise by George Ezra George Ezra, you know, the “Budapest” guy? That song was pretty good, wasn’t it? Another hit in the UK, this song features an electric, rushing beat, sick guitars, and George Ezra’s wonderful deep voice. I only have one issue with this song, and that’s that the line “running though your bloody veins” makes my skin crawl. Otherwise, this song is a total jam.

Answerphone by Banx & Ranx & Ella Eyre featuring Yxng Bane Slaps to the gods. Holy lord. This is the summer smash we deserved. Listen to it NOW.

Sun In Our Eyes by MØ ft. Diplo C’mon, we can give MØ another hit, can’t we? One where she isn’t sidelined into a feature slot? No? Our loss, then. This song isn’t my favorite off Forever Neverland, but had the most potential to become a hit, (I even heard it in a Starbucks one time,) and it deserved to.

Honorable Mentions/Guilty Pleasures

Wait by Maroon 5 I’m willing to admit that this song isn’t that good. Adam Levine’s falsetto is grating, the beat staggers all over the place like it’s drunk, and the production turns everything into soup. But something about this song keeps me from hating it like I know I should. Maybe it’s the fact that I find it kind of relaxing, maybe it’s because Alexandra Daddario is in the music video and she’s really pretty... I don’t know.

Friends by Marshmello ft. Anne-Marie Okay, this song straight up SUCKS and I kind of like it a lot? The production is a mish mash of random noises that sound like a robot having a seizure, Anne-Marie’s voice get annoying, and the lyrics are reprehensible. Still low key love it though. It’s like drinking Mountain Dew: you know it tastes cruddy and is bad for you, but there’s a spark to it that keeps you coming back.

Nice for What by Drake In a year where Drake absolutely DOMINATED the charts, this is the song by him that I liked the most. It’s got a groove to it with that Ms. Lauryn Hill sample and some decent lyrics.

Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD It’s just fucking catchy, man I don’t know what else to say. (It’s not even his melody, really. It’s a Sting sample.) This song is the epitome of whiny sad boi emo rap, and the positively dreadful lyrics reflect that. I’m not going to say this song is even remotely good, (it’s probably one of the worst songs of the yeah, tbh,) and I’m not going to defend it. I’m ashamed enough as it is.

Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer Who would’ve thought that the band that came up with “you look so perfect standing there in my American Apparel underwear,” one of the dumbest lyrics ever put to music, could come up with something good? This song has a propulsive feel, like you could go on a run to it. I like the “ooooh” that come in during the chorus too. Count this in as my number 11 pick.

All the shitty schlock music that got big this year was starting to weigh me down. I was in a state of mind, if you will. But then, something happened. I heard a song, a pop song, a good pop song. A great pop song. A song with an angelic opening, a surprising yet amazing switch-up, and uplifting lyrics. And then, in that moment, I knew that something wonderful had happened, that a god has returned from the heavens, and that I, now, had no tears left to cry.

1) no tears left to cry by Ariana Grande This song is awesome, okay? The production is catchy, the lyrics and fun, the chorus soars like a goddamn eagle, and the vocals? Do I even have to tell you? It’s Ariana Grande. This powerhouse performance puts all those mushy mouthed vocal deliveries that ruled the charts this year to shame. And in the midst of all the slower tempoed songs, I remember hearing this song and thinking: “by god, you can dance to this.” All of these elements come together and form something special, something damn near perfect. no tears left to cry by Ariana Grande. My favorite hit song of 2018.

Do you agree with this list? What were your favorite hit songs of 2018? Leave a comment and let me know!

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ginnyzero · 3 years

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Completely Harmless Ch. 43

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Forty-Three The Harp.... Lyre of Aideen. Shibby?

Linda woke Lily early. Long before the sun was up. “Come on, we have to go.” She whispered and shoved cocoa and toast into Lily’s hands. Lily groaned. It’d been a late night. Didn’t Linda remember that?

Lily’s horse whuffed and huffed as she got him ready. She patted his nose. “I’m sorry, boy. It has to be done.”

He nuzzled her in understanding. She gave him an extra carrot for putting up with this nonsense.

She and Linda rode to Firgrove. The hooves of their horses clopping dully in the early morning air. They didn’t go into the village proper, which was impossible since the gates were closed for the night still. Instead, they turned up a path that went towards a mountain pass. But they didn’t stay on the zig zagging track for long. Instead, Linda urged Meteor past a large pine tree and onto the grass where there was no path. But if Lily tilted her head and squinted her eye, she could see that there was a flat section that could be a path. No one used it, so it wasn’t worn down.

They had to turn around another copse of firs and continued upwards. There was a pass and around them in large piles were sleeping wolves. The horses lifted their hooves and gently set them back down very carefully. They turned into a shallow basin and inside was the primeval tree that Lily had seen during the trail ride.

“Almost there,” Linda whispered.

Lily reached up to try and touch one of the lights. It slipped through her fingers, brighter in the darkness of the early morning.

Another path led over the bowl again though it wasn’t easy to get over it. They had to walk the horses. And a path led out to a jut in the mountain that overlooked the Silversong River and the Hollow Woods. In the distance, the castle was nothing but a big blue shadow like the mountains.

They stood on the edge of the jut.

“This faces west,” Lily hissed.

“She rode from West to East,” Linda murmured.

“Talk about an opposite,” Lily mumbled.

“Shhh,” Linda gestured.

The sun broke over the mountain behind them and touched the mountains in the distance.

Lily strained her ears and almost didn’t hear it. She hit record on her phone just in case. But she shut her eyes to listen more over the sounds of the wind, the sounds of the early morning birds, as if they were delivered directly to her ears and no one else’s, the sound of harp notes. She hummed along as the same refrain repeated over and over.

The notes died.

Lily opened her eyes to find Linda staring at her.

“Perfect pitch,” Lily explained and turned her phone off. “Maybe it got my humming. Did you hear it?”

“Yes, it was beautiful.”

“The beat seems off though,” Lily murmured. She shrugged. They’d have to figure it out later. Her stomach growled.

So did Meteor’s.

Linda laughed. “By the time we get down Ma Anna’s shop should be open.”

“Good, we can have something more than toast!” Lily half-smiled. “Isn’t that right, Meteor?”

Meteor nodded rapidly in agreement.

They turned off going back down. Lily took a picture of the tree as they did.

Ma Anna’s pastry shop was open and they both got thick slices of Zebra Cake and more Cocoa to wash it down. By the time they were done with that, the transports were up and running so they were able to take a ride to Fort Pinta and hop a bus to Jorvik City.

“Um, can we stop at the party supply store before the museum,” Lily asked Linda with a wince. “Rainbow Week almost ended up a pastel pink disaster thanks to Loretta.”

Linda widened her eyes. “You guys pulled out all the stops. I don’t even want to know where you got the money.”

“Ask us no questions and we’ll tell you no lies,” Lily intoned. “I think you underestimate how much we were able to toss into a pot to get it going. Especially after we covered the Bulldogz share. The event paid for itself and gave us a kitty for this one.”

Linda blinked. “You all tossed money into a single pot.”

“Yeah, part of Club dues. You are paying us to help around the stable and the gardens. So, we take part of that money and put into the Club pot as dues. Then out of those dues we can contribute towards oh, group trail rides, or doing events like Rainbow Week.” Lily shrugged. “We haven’t had a lot of time to do trail rides or train the horses because we’ve been so busy.”

“Well, once we get things settled down, hopefully after the Midsummer, what is it you’re calling it, Midsummer Beach Party?”

“Right, it’s the Midsummer Festival over in Moorland, and the Fort Pinta Beach Party. But we’re going to expand it to make the Beach Party county wide and let Moorland keep the Midsummer aspects of it.”

“Have you talked to Tim about this?”

“Tim?”

“Tim Hooper, he runs the Beach Party as part of the Fort Beach Association.”

“Oh, him, I forgot about him.” Lily rubbed her forehead. “We were going to talk to him about Rainbow Week but then it slipped our minds. No. I haven’t talked to him.”

“He lives here in Jorvik City.”

“And he runs the Fort Pinta Beach Party because why?”

Linda shrugged.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Well, store first so I can see what’s available in ‘beach’ themes. Then I guess we can pound down his door to invite him to this afternoon’s meeting and then the museum. If it’s not too much of a bother.”

“You’re not a bother, Lily.” Linda grinned. “This is exciting. I’ll be documenting it for Jorvikgram.”

Lily groaned.

“You’re going to be a celebrity.”

The store had plenty of decoration types and Linda got plenty of pictures, even insisting that Lily pose among some flowers. “It’s trending.”

Lily did it to make Linda happy. She got her own pictures of the decorations that might fit the ‘beach’ theme.

They found a place to have a snack, and then went and knocked on Tim Hooper’s door. (Phone directories were wonderful things.)

Tim ran his hand through his long hair as he yanked it open. “Yes?”

It was obvious he was not expecting company, and college age.

“Tim Hooper?” Lily asked, just to make sure.

He grinned. “Shibby, that’s me.”

“Right,” Lily breathed. “Um, Tim, so, I’m Lily and I run a riding club in South New Jorvik County and the presidents of the other riding clubs and I are having a meeting this afternoon about the Midsummer Beach Party. As you’re part of the Fort Pinta Beach Association and do the Beach Party there. We’d like to invite you to this afternoon’s planning session.”

“Swag as, that sounds dope,” Tim said. “I’ll be there.”

“Right, the Silverglade Council House. Um be there, or be square?” Lily said tentatively.

“You’re a total tall tree, I’ll be there. Shibby!”

Lily nodded, eyes wide and a smile pasted on her face. “See you then.” She turned around and gave Linda the widest eyes she could. What the hell was Tim on?

Linda shrugged.

The door closed and Lily glanced over her shoulder. Tim was back inside.

“Okay, what drugs is he on? Is this just another Jorvik thing?”

“Tim is in a class of his own.”

“Just wow,” Lily breathed. “Wow.”

Linda giggled and they got on the tram to go to the Museum.

The Museum coordinator wasn’t precisely convinced that it was for a good cause. Linda had to bring up the Baroness’ name several times for him to let them take the harp out of storage. They had to find it among the boxes and medieval saddles and pottery. It had its own specially shaped case. He admonished that it was fragile.

Lily double checked the case over and satisfied it was sturdy, she saluted the museum coordinator with it. “We’ll take good care of it.”

But by the time they got to the bus, Lily was fuming.

Linda gave her an odd look.

“This isn’t a harp, it’s a lyre,” Lily hissed at her.

“It’s a type of harp.”

Lily sighed. “Well, you can’t keep the strings taut all the time. It will warp it. And gut strings depend on tension and thickness to make different sounds.”

Linda stared blankly at her.

Lily muttered under her breath. “And it doesn’t have any pins. This is going to have to be done string by string, by hand, presuming the gut is any good at all.”

Linda blinked.

“This is precisely why I never went into music,” Lily continued to mutter. “All the tuning and retuning.”

Linda ventured a question. “You were into music.”

“I was,” Lily said. “Music and travel most of the time don’t mix when you’re learning.”

Linda nodded not at all understanding.

“Too many teachers. Too many different styles of teaching. It gets too frustrating.” Lily wrapped her arm around the case.

“So, you’ve played string instruments.”

“Guitar, mandolin, um, viola, the idea is the same but in modern instruments, the length of the string also determines the tone of the note.”

“Lisa plays a guitar.”

“It’s not a one to one curve you know,” Lily said. “I’m going to have to play with it and,” she shrugged. “The Weeping Widow might not get her waking up right away.”

“Once you have the hang of it, and I know you’ll get the hang of it. We’ll be able to help the Weeping Widow and she can help us find out more about Lisa and Anne.” Linda nodded her head. “I have faith in you, Lily.”

“Any reason she wants me to do it, and not you. You’re the Soul Rider.”

“I don’t know. Healing is more Lisa’s thing. She was the first Soul Rider to awaken in this generation and bond to her horse.”

“Starshine. How is he doing?”

“Better. He misses Lisa. He’s annoyed that Elizabeth doesn’t want to believe him. I think he’s going to kick down her door.”

“I’d um, pay to see that.”

“Maybe Melissa will catch it on video,” Linda grinned.

“So, who awakened next?”

“I did,” Linda said. “The Moon circle is always second according to my reading. While the Stars have the power to Heal, the Moon has the power to see the past and the present. You don’t need still waters, but the mirror fountain at the garden will help. My visions have been clouded of late. I wonder if it’s Garnok interfering.”

“Or the future isn’t as set as they’d like you to believe. We all make choices. Our choices make us who we are and the intent of those choices matter too.”

Linda nodded. “That’s wise.”

“Harry Potter.”

Linda laughed. “You and your group have all this knowledge from the oddest places.”

“Okay, so Lightning is what? Defense.”

“Defense and offense. Alex has an ability called Soul Strike and she can make wards and shields.”

“And then Anne can travel to and from Pandoria, I think that’s what Alex said.”

“Yes, she can open and close the gates of Pandoria. We all manipulate Pandoria’s energy in different ways you see and for different purposes.”

“And too much Pandorian energy in the mundane world is bad.”

“It’s what changed the Jorvik Warmblood Sports and the Jorvik Starter Ponies to be what they are today.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever gotten really wild to see them.”

“They also can hide themselves if they want,” Linda said and sighed. “They don’t have to change to their true forms if they don’t want to do so. They only reveal themselves to those they trust most. It can take time to form that bond.”

The bus rumbled to a halt outside Fort Pinta.

“It is way past my lunch time,” Lily said.

Linda agreed. So, they made a bee line for the Fort Pinta café. Pia waved at them.

They both had lunch and Linda took a transport back to the winery taking the precious lyre with her with promises of research into the care and tuning of it for when Lily returned.

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

#star stable #star stable online #sso #fan fic #jorvik reimagined #star stable salt #completely harmless #silverglade reimagined #oh boy the shibby dude #many nods to ruth westside

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sentrava · 7 years

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5 Ways to Get Out and About in New Orleans

The problem with New Orleans, in my opinion, is that all you’re going to want to do while you’re there is eat … and drink … then eat and drink some more. I totally endorse this method of travel, by the way, especially when visiting the South’s most delicious city.

But as you might guess, there’s more to the Big Easy than a sophisticated cocktail scene and extensive culinary playground—it would be a shame to vacation at such a cultural hotbed and not try all the other things to do in New Orleans. So next time you’re visiting, put these activities on your itinerary as a means to get your heart pumping (or simply to stave off a food hangover and prepare room in your stomach for the next meal).

Take a Walking Tour of the Garden District

We touched down in New Orleans on a Monday morning and right off the bat headed to the Garden District—a historic neighborhood formed shortly after the Louisiana Purchase for the new Americans who didn’t want to live in the French Quarter—for lunch and a walking tour with Sheila Ferran. I recommend doing this on your first day in town as it will allow you to get your bearings and learn more about the city’s storied past.

Sheila started us off like all good NOLA tours begin: in a cemetery. I was having flashbacks to Ashley Judd being locked in a tomb in Double Jeopardy and told Sheila as much—to which she said, “well funny, they actually filmed that scene in this very cemetery.” (Parts of Interview with the Vampire were also shot there.)

New Orleans may be known for vampires and voodoo, but you don’t get that creepy feeling while going on a walking tour during daylight. Sheila showed us several notable tombs and gravestones in Lafayette Cemetery, and I learned that much like in Tennessee, yellow fever claimed the lives of many of NOLA’s early inhabitants.

From there, we wandered down Coliseum Street and wove in and out of the district, as Sheila pointed out who lived where: Sandra Bullock, there; John Goodman, over there; and Anne Rice, here and there and there (it seems that at one point or another, Anne Rice lived in every stately home in New Orleans!). One highlight was when Sheila pointed out the house where Archie Manning still lives today (and which Eli and Peyton once resided in, as well).

We also got a crash course in New Orleans architecture, from the old-school shotgun houses to the ornate-style Italianate homes, and we even saw a house that could almost be a doppelgänger for my own 1800s beauty: a mash-up of a Queen Anne and Greek Revival.

Overall, this tour is ideal for any lovers of history or architecture or the visitor who wants to get the lay of the land. (price: $35)

Pro tip: Come for the history; stay for the three-martini lunch at Commander’s Palace, a Garden District icon. After walking around in the Southern humidity, you’ve earned it. You can save your feet and take the St. Charles streetcar back to your hotel.

Mix Up a Hurricane with New Orleans Drink Lab

Who doesn’t want to learn to shake it up like a pro? I confess that while I consume a lot of cocktails, I don’t do much mixology at home other than adding a bit of tonic to my gin or ginger beer to my bourbon, so it was interesting to learn how to make New Orleans’ signature cocktail—the Hurricane, of course—the way the pros do it. Enter: Drink Lab.

Situated above Victory, New Orleans Drink Lab explores the cocktail culture that fuels the city, as well as how many of its iconic drinks came to be. We had a crash course in cocktail culture while sipping on a glass of champs and manning our own bartending stations as we prepared our drinks for consumption. Newsflash: I actually like Hurricanes when made properly (with real, homemade passionfruit simple syrup). Who knew?

Keep your eyes peeled for Drink Lab’s monthly prohibition parties; they also offer two-hour classes several days a week, as well as cater to groups like birthday parties or bachelorettes. (price: $65 per person)

Bust a Move with Bounce Ya Brass

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to take Bounce Ya Brass class when I showed up. It was the end of a long day, I hadn’t been sleeping well, and I’d consumed a particularly gluttonous lunch so was feeling rather lethargic. But as Alex, Angie and I walked up to Crescent Park where Shanda, one of the teachers at Move Ya Brass, had already started her class, I heard her whoops and her “love yas!” and I immediately dropped my belongings and jumped right in to join the fun.

Shanda’s energy and positivity are infectious, and even if you’ve never danced a day in your life, it doesn’t matter—no one cares, no one is going to laugh at you, heck, no one will even be looking your way as they’re all paying attention to the teacher anyway and trying not to trip over their own two feet. While Move Ya Brass founder Robin Barnes’ classes may be based on NOLA dance moves backed by recorded tunes from a brass band, they’re mixed with aerobics and rather formulaic—after a couple measures, you’ll find your groove. In the summer New Orleans humidity, I was sweating hard by the third song; it helped to justify that second dessert for the day I’d have later that night.

There are free Bounce Ya Brass classes beneath the Mandeville Shed at Crescent Park every Tuesday from 5:45 to 6:45. Move Ya Brass also offers other classes like hip hop and stretching throughout the week. (price: free)

Pro tip: After you’re nice and sweaty, stick close to the Bywater neighborhood where you can have a drink at the Country Club and cool off in the pool before moving onto St. Roch Market for a casual dinner in a food hall environment.

Bowl a Strike at Fulton Alley

On my last day in town, we had a few hours of downtime to rest, during which Alex texted me, “wanna go bowling?” And while all I really wanted to do was take a nap (a lot of late nights and cocktailing led me to this point), I wanted to throw a strike a lot more than I did snooze. So off to go bowling we did!

And Fulton Alley was the cutest boutique bowling alley we ever did see, too. We booked a lane for half an hour (they’re available to rent in 30-minute increments), which was just long enough for us to bowl two games and order a round of cocktails before dinner.

I love this trend of swanky lounge-meets-bowling alley that’s been popping up across the United States. In addition to its 12 lanes—and full food and drinks menu—Fulton Alley also has Bocce ball, shuffleboard, foosball and other games, but we only had an hour to spare (no pun intended) and stuck to bowling this time around. (price: $30/hour per lane)

Paddle Bayou St. John with Kayak-iti-yat

Does it seem like everywhere you go now has a kayaking tour as an option? I must say, I love this shift to fitness-based travel. Still, whether you’ve done one kayak tour or a dozen, I guarantee you’ve never been on one like what Sonny and Sara offer at Kayak-iti-yat.

Kayak-iti-yat’s tours tackle New Orleans from both a historical and ecological perspective, exploring the placid waters of Bayou St. John. Located just outside of City Park, Bayou St. John is the oldest part of New Orleans’ with many buildings dating back to the late 1700s and early 1800s on this formerly bustling trade route.

A trained marine biologist, Sonny led our three-hour tour through the bayou—which started in a district that was part commercial, part residential, and wound its way through a waterfront community where we saw mansions and bungalows galore—during which he also gave us the backstories on the first settlers in the area and Louisiana’s fragile eco-system. And yes, we even spied one lazy alligator bobbing in the water, but no fear—he was more afraid of us than we were of him as he drifted out of our path.

Kayak-iti-yat offers tours every day of the year provided there are at least two kayakers signed up. (price: $65 per person)

Pro tip: Head to Parkway Bakery for lunch or dinner after your paddle. There, you’ll find the best po-boys in town and a plethora of local brews on tap to sample, too.

Now, tell me: What’s your favorite way to get out and enjoy New Orleans?

This post was sponsored by the New Orleans CVB. All opinions are my own.

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sentrava · 7 years

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5 Ways to Get Out and About in New Orleans

Take a Walking Tour of the Garden District

Overall, this tour is ideal for any lovers of history or architecture or the visitor who wants to get the lay of the land. (price: $35)

Mix Up a Hurricane with New Orleans Drink Lab

Bust a Move with Bounce Ya Brass

Bowl a Strike at Fulton Alley

Paddle Bayou St. John with Kayak-iti-yat

Kayak-iti-yat offers tours every day of the year provided there are at least two kayakers signed up. (price: $65 per person)

Pro tip: Head to Parkway Bakery for lunch or dinner after your paddle. There, you’ll find the best po-boys in town and a plethora of local brews on tap to sample, too.

Now, tell me: What’s your favorite way to get out and enjoy New Orleans?

This post was sponsored by the New Orleans CVB. All opinions are my own.

PIN IT HERE

5 Ways to Get Out and About in New Orleans published first on http://ift.tt/2gOZF1v

0 notes