The Mixtape: Petrichor

Petrichor

[ ˈpeˌtrīkôr ]

noun

     a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm weather.

-Oxford Dictionaries

       If your life has been anything like ours, you've been inundated with rainy day after rainy day. If so, maybe you're braving it for a day out about in the city or you're curled up in bed with your cat/dog or maybe you're sitting in a coffee shop with a good book. Whatever the case is, the music you're listening to becomes a kind of soundtrack to your life, so you might as well make it a good one (you know, the kind they'd have in a Sofia Coppola or a Woody Allen movie). We've made you the ultimate mixtape to set the mood for the perfect rainy day!

1. The Wolves (Act I and II) - Bon Iver

2. Anna, Please Don't Go - Life in Film

3. Brothers on a Hotel Bed - Death Cab For Cutie

4. A Walk - Tycho

5. Asleep - The Smiths

6. Honey, It's Alright - Gregory Alan Isakov

7. Telegraph Ave - Childish Gambino (ft. Llyod "Oakland")

8. Seventeen - Youth Lagoon

9. Animals - Baths

10. Creep - Radiohead

11. Perfect Day - Lou Reed

12. Baby Blue - King Krule

13. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

14. Between The Bars - Elliott Smith

15. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

16. A Case of You - Joni Mitchell

-Hayley-Quinn and Mel

The Indie Girl's Guide to City Living

      

   
       As a born and bred city girl, I've picked up one or two tricks to living that "Instagram-worthy" life that everybody seems to be after. Between my job, my studies, and my social life, I basically live in the heart of downtown Montreal. This bilingual metropolis is home to a myriad of cultural experiences just waiting to be posted--no filter necessary, which is why I've made the Indie Girls' Guide to City Living to help all of you make the most of your urban hub...

       First off, public transportation is your golden ticket to making your way around in good time (check out Mel's previous post on tips for surviving the subway). Between the bus and underground metro systems, there isn't a place in the city that's off-limits. Get yourself a pass and then get going! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes (I live in my Nike Air Force 1 low-tops) because city-connoisseurs know that after a few kilometers of walking, a pair of heels becomes your worst enemy.

       Secondly, divide and conquer. Most cities are divided into boroughs. Pick one and explore! Montreal is so diverse; we have the old port (a taste of Europe), Downtown (our very own Manhattan), Quartiers des Spectacles (our arts district), the Plateau (did someone say Brooklyn?), Mont-Royal (a little green space to hike), Verdun (coffee, thrift shops, and the St. Laurence river), just to name a few. Each one has its own distinct vibe which makes you feel like you've traveled out of the city, even if you're only 10 minutes away. The street art, street musicians, art installations and coffee shops will have you digging for your camera.

       Thirdly, culture shock. If your city is anything like mine, there's a wealth of museums to visit, so you're bound to find something to love. The Fine Arts Museum varies from Van Gogh to Kandinsky to Andy Warhol with a permanent collection that you can view for free, including the works of local artists. The MAC is our contemporary museum for you abstract and new-age fans. It's located in the heart of Quartier des Spectacles which is booming with art and creativity (musical swings anyone?). That's not to mention our Science museum, which is currently exhibiting a history of gaming (any vintage video game fans?) and the History museums for our more culturally concerned readers.

       Lastly, power up. A city girl knows that a day can run from 5 am to 2am the next day so coffee is a necessary poison (and this girl loves her latte shots as much as the next girl). Whether its an indie café or a chain (I see you Starbucks), this Barista knows her coffee. To name a few favourites: Café Myriad, Kafein, Bagel St. Lo, St. Henri MicroBrasserie, Café Olimpico, Café Neve, Café Parvis, etc...Pick a street, chances are you'll find a hidden gem with espresso that's to die for. Just don't forget your "s'il vous plait" and "merci"!

       So, whether you're a lifer or a weekend-warrior, you can live that indie lifestyle, no sweat!

-Hayley-Quinn

In a Station of the Metro

THE apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough. - Ezra Pound

       Public transportation is a way of life. It is also an appropriate means of getting from one end of the city to the next (especially when you do not drive). It can also be exhausting, tedious and long. But when you have to head to work, school or probably anywhere that is worth being (unless you live in a really cool studio apartment in the heart of the city), the STM will likely be your best friend (or enemy in all the glory of its unreliable schedules). It sometimes feels like I live in a metro cart (I don't, I swear). To prevent it from draining my soul, I always try to bring a good book with me. It helps pass the time and is a great way to commit to that novel lingering by my bedside that I can never quite get through. If you are not that big on reading, I recommend filling your phone or iPod with music. Public transportation can be a great way to catch up on your favourite bands' new releases. Right now, I've been listening to In Colour by Jamie xx and How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by Florence and the Machine. A comfortable pair of headphones are key to drowning out the bustle of every day life and escaping into the world of your favourite tunes!

       If you like to write and if the concept of public transportation inspires you, I recommend carrying a pen and notebook in your bag. There was something about early metro rides, icy bus stops and moving vehicles that I found particularly stimulating in my Cegep days. It was on buses and metro carts that I got most of my writing done. And thinking. Public transportation can inspire a lot of thought. Maybe too much. In a solitary space of music provided to you by your trusty headphones, it is not uncommon for the mind to wander to far off places. Dangerous ones, maybe, but creatives ones nonetheless. Music, combined with a set of unusual and eclectic looking people before you, can entice the mind to create, spin and entangle beautiful words and ideas together.

       I often found myself (and still sometimes do) wondering what the person beside me was feeling as he casually rode the early bus in the morning, making his way to work, school, maybe even home. I wondered what occupied his mind. Did he, too, feel the stillness of the moment, the melancholy nature of the very act of sitting or standing? Did he feel happy, or was he sad and worn-out? Most of all, did these feelings belong to a routine? Did he ride the 6:54 am bus every morning and feel too much at once? Too little?

       You might not have any of these thoughts. You might be able to zone out for 30 minutes or an hour. In that case, relax, read, listen to music, stare into space, scroll through your social media accounts or get lost in a book and you'll arrive at your destination in no time!

-Mel

An Intro to the Blog Followed by Bagels, Coffee and Thrifting

       Hey there friends, lovers, companions, foes. It's Mel and Hayley-Quinn. In our love and appreciation for all things involving art, writing, culture, city living, coffee and fashion, we decided to get together and begin a blog. We do not take ourselves too seriously, but we do have a lot of ideas swirling around in our brains that we wish to share. 

       We officially launched this blog today, June 7! Our morning began at a quaint breakfast shop that recently opened up on Verdun Avenue called Bagel St-Lo. The place is furnished with eclectic furniture and art pieces that had our hearts soaring from the moment we walked in. It was the perfect setting to begin the kind of creative work we want to share with you. The café is infused with creativity, eccentricity, opulence, minimalism and cluttered chaos all at once. It is a true paradox, indeed. But, that is what we are about after all. This blog is fuelled by our desire to be and to do everything, to express contradictory views, to exhibit eccentricity and to resist conventionality, but then subvert these ideals again and again.

       After breakfast, we made our way down Wellington for some thrift shopping and then powered up on coffee at Café St-Henri. Here are a couple of shots from the day. Hope you enjoy!

-Hayley-Quinn and Mel