Relix Gift Guide 2013 (Part Two)

December 20, 2013

Still scrambling to find a perfect present for that Relix reader in your life? Well, fear not. We’re here to help you out. Beyond a subscription renewal, we have a variety of worthy options that should make your life a bit easier this holiday season. Here’s part two of our Annual Holiday Gift Guide. Click here for part one, which focuses on music and books.


● Little Hippie® is an official Grateful Dead licensee, featuring the art of Taylor Swope. For 10 years now, Taylor and her team have offered a full line of creative imprinted apparel and woven art blankets for the whole family. While Little Hippie® offers clothing for everyone in sizes 6 months to 3X, it may be best known for its children’s wear, with adorable onesies, cozy hoodies, tons of tees and a lot of other styles. www.littlehippie.com

● Whether you’re out on a family picnic or hitting the road on tour, you’ll want to enjoy some sweet sounds. The Packable Wireless System from Grain Audio reimagines the portable Bluetooth® wireless speaker. The walnut enclosure, combined with Waves MaxxAudioTM suite, ensures studio quality
sound out of a single super portable speaker. It features crystal-clear highs, booming lows and eight hours of battery life, making it perfect for both pre-game and post-show action. www.grainaudio.com/products/pws

● Duvin Design Company, also known in Florida as the Filthy Flamingo Surf Gang, is a quality-driven lifestyle brand. Duvin applies unique aspects to each product, whether it’s pockets on the right side or sunglasses holders on their tank tops. Duvin Design Company feeds off the vibe of the psychedelic summer festival vibe all year-round. www.duvindesign.com

● If you’re in the mood to play some music, then why not tear it up on a uke? Lanikai Ukuleles’ new TunaUkes (4) uses adjustable bridge technology to keep you in tune when playing with friends, singing your favorite song or rockin’ your favorite uke solo! www.lanikaiukes.com

● If guitar is more your thing, then the all new Paul Reed Smith S2Series (6) brings classic PRS playability and reliability to a new price point. With a simple, straightforward design, these USA-made guitars have serious style and expressive tone. www.prsguitars.com

● In 2011, Freddy Rose, a musician and computer recording engineer, commissioned a luthier to build a guitar for his own personal use. Fellow players checked out the results and began asking for guitars of their own, resulting in Phred Instruments, which aims to provide boutique and vintageinspired
guitars at affordable prices. www.phredinstruments.com

● Still developing your signature musical style? Music Masters Camps at Full Moon Resort offer a highly interactive, in-depth musical experience, bridging the gap between world-class recording artists and their audience. The camps provide a unique opportunity for guests and artists to meet and collaborate at this pastoral, vacationlike, one-hundred-acre mountain resort. The 2014 lineup of participating musicians is available at the Full Moon Resort website. www.musicmasterscamps.com



● If you (or someone you love) want to be up close and personal with artists in a gorgeous setting, then destination festivals may be just the ticket. The String Cheese Incident will travel to the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico for an International Incident on Feb. 19-23, 2014. The event will feature three two-set shows from The String Cheese Incident, SCIde Projects and special guests. www.stringcheeseincident.tropicalnightslive.com

● Jungle Jam IV will bring Slightly Stoopid, G. Love, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Max Creek, Oteil Burbridge, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and many others to the scenic jungle resort DoceLunas in Jaco, Costa Rica on January 16-19. www.junglejam.com

● The aptly named Cloud 9 Adventures offers a rich variety of destination festival experiences, both in resort settings and on the high seas. Jam Cruise and Holy Ship! both set sail in early January, while later that month, Paradise Waits will offer four nights of Furthur at the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico (January 20-24). My Morning Jacket’s One Big Holiday will take place at the same resort on January 26-30. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is the site of Panic en la Playa Tres on March 17-21. Two other Cloud 9 events which took place this very month are expected to return in 2014, and will take place this year at the Now Sapphire in Puerto Morelos, Mexico: Strings & Sol 2013 (December 11-15) and Mayan Holidaze (December 16-20). www.cloud9adventures.com

● Back to picnics (and lot food), if you know someone who won’t hit the road unless accompanied by some fresh, organic fruits or vegetables, then be sure to visit 58Hydro. The company offers most anything that a committed gardener could need, including nutrients, ballasts, grow lights, fans—the works! www.58hydro.com

● Speaking of organics, American Juice Company creates gourmet mixers using seasonal fruit, fresh spices and other all-natural ingredients. You can then add the liquor of your choice to create delicious cocktails. Or in the AJC’s own words: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Juice is not created equal, that this beverage is endowed by its Creator with certain transferable delights, that among these are Refreshment, Revelry and the perchance of Happiness.” www.americanjuicecompany.com

● Since we’re talking cocktails, let’s segue to beer. Lately, it seems that many of our, favorite artists have been involved in craft brewing. The String Cheese Incident’smKyle Hollingsworth is at the forefront. His Hoopla Pale Ale, produced by Boulder Beer is dry-hopped with generous amounts of Glacier hops for a fruity, floral hop aroma and flavor that will set your taste buds in motion. www.boulderbeer.com/beers/hoopla-pale-ale

● Mofro’s JJ Grey has teamed up with Rock Brothers Brewery to create NarenSugar Brown. Grey partnered with the Florida brewery for this ale, which derives its name from the way that Grey’s grandfather liked to drinknmhis coffee. www.facebook.com/naresugarbrown

● The Dogfish Head Brewery solicited Grateful Dead fans for ingredient suggestions to create American Beauty, an imperial pale ale. Organic granola won out, so a blend of oats, almonds and orange-blossom honey adds sweetness to the hops. www.dogfish.com




● After all that beer, how about some coffee? Chef Ray Sewell, once the Grateful Dead’s touring chef, has produced a variety of organic coffee options. His current offerings include: the Grateful Dead’s Drop Dead Dark, Morning Brew, Load Out and Turn on Your Love Light Roasts. www.chefchezray.com

● Ready to burn off some calories with style? Corpse Corps Boards thrives on the explorative and creative nature shared by all skaters and artists. Collaboration with illustrators, screen-printers, graffiti artists, rockers and tattoo artists has allowed Corpse Corps to develop their own aesthetic. Corpse Corps Boards has perfected their unique dual-tailed coffin-shaped molds with two of America’s best skateboard manufacturers to ensure the highest quality American maple and production standards, paired with illustration-heavy graphics. www.corpsecorpsboards.com

● If a vaporizer seems suitable, then we have some suggestions as well. The discreet INDICA vaporizer is a fantastic gift for any smoker. The new INDICA vape differs from other vaporizers because it can hold .31g of loose leaf tobacco and has ultimate vapor control, which means less packing, longer-lasting tobacco and more fun! www.indica2.com

● Ploom’s Pax vaporizer is top-notch. Pocketable, easy to use and easy on the eyes, this luxury loose-leaf vaporizer has everything you would want in a tidy, little package. Perfect for your favorite techobsessed tobacco lover to enjoy with pride. www.paxvapor.com

After all that, why not kick back with a film? Two recent DVDs that remain on play here at Relix are Sunshine Daydream and Move Me Brightly.
● Sunshine Daydream (8) presents the Grateful Dead’s reunion with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters at a benefit for the Springfield Creamery on Aug. 27, 1972 in Veneta, Ore. (And don’t worry, Naked Pole Guy eventually finds some shorts.) www.dead.net/sunshine-daydream

● Move Me Brightly is a documentary and concert film based around the Aug. 3, 2012 musical gathering at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios, commemorating Jerry Garcia’s 70th birthday. Guests include Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Donna Jean Godchaux, Carlos Santana, Mike Gordon, Sammy Hagar, Mike Campbell, Neal Casal, Joe Russo, Jeff Chimenti, Chris Tomson, Sam Cohen, Adam MacDougall and Craig Finn (available online and in retail stores).