Day: March 15, 2023

New album release: I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying – Whitehorse

Whitehorse’s new album is available now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Award-winning Canadian duo Whitehorse—Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet—just released their eighth LP, I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying, leaving no emotional, personal, fantastical, or political stone unturned. The new album finds the pair venturing deeper into classic country music touchstones than ever before; a move that is both a homecoming and an evolution of their sound. A twist on the ever-present “pandemic album,” Whitehorse distilled and transcended the gloom and uncertainty of the time with a collection about heartbreak and loyalty; shaking things up and hunkering down. The resulting twelve-song collection is playful yet profound; masterfully simple and timeless—and is out on Six Shooter Records, surprising and charming critics and fans alike. (Whitehorse, 2023)

Stream or purchase I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying, where you can listen to fan favorites like “Division 5,” “If The Loneliness Don’t Kill Me,” and new tracks like “Bet The Farm,” which is a chapel-ready ode to loving love.

I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying track list:
If The Loneliness Don’t Kill Me
I Might Get Over This (But I Won’t Stop Loving You)
The Road
Division 5
Manitoba Bound
Bet The Farm
Leave Me as You Found Me
6 Feet Away
I Miss The City
Sanity, TN
Lock It Down
Scared of Each Other

Catch Whitehorse on tour:
May 18 – Sarnia, ON – Imperial Theatre
May 19 – Highgate, ON – Mary Webb Centre
May 24 – Meaford, ON – Meaford Hall Arts and Cultural Centre
May 25 – London, ON – Aeolian Hall Performing Arts Centre
May 26 – Guelph, ON – Royal City Evangelical Missionary Church
May 28 – Peterborough, ON – Market Hall Performing Arts Centre
May 31 – Ridgeway, ON – The Sanctuary Centre for the Arts
June 1 – Paris, ON – DT Concerts Series
June 2 – Kingston, ON – BLU Martini
June 3 – Ottawa, ON – National Arts Centre
June 4 – Parry Sound, ON – Charles W. Stockey Centre

Whitehorse is the prolific partnership of Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet. Uninhibited by expectation, boldly adventurous, and categorically talented, Whitehorse’s signature sound is always guitar-heavy, harmony-plentiful, and lyrically deft. With an expansive run of records that freely and thrillingly dip in psychedelic country, pop noir, squalling blues rock, and celestial folk, Whitehorse has pushed their musical identity into new realms and sounds for over a decade and has received five consecutive JUNO Award nominations in many different genre categories.

New book release: ‘Liquid Shades of Blue’ by James Polkinghorn

‘Liquid Shades of Blue’ will be released May 16, 2023. Photo: Amazon

James Polkinghorn is a lawyer and partner in a national law firm specializing in labor and employment law. He has extensive trial and litigation experience accumulated in multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. A Pittsburgh native, Polkinghorn moved with his family to Florida in high school, where he has since stayed. He has a degree in political science as well as a law degree from the University of Florida. In “Liquid Shades of Blue,” his debut novel, Jack Girard searches for the truth behind his family’s tragedies – first his brother, now his mother. It will be released May 16 and is available for pre-order from Amazon. (James Polkinghorn, 2023)

“Liquid Shades of Blue” – When hungover ex-lawyer and Key West bar owner Jack Girard groggily wakes up one morning, he is greeted by a beautiful woman lying next to him and a shrill, ringing telephone. Seeing the call is from his father, Claude “The Duke” Girard, Jack answers. Within seconds, he learns that his mother is dead in an apparent suicide, and Jack hits the road, heading back to his childhood home in Miami to face his tyrannical father. His mother’s death brings up haunting memories from Jack’s past—memories of his brother Bobby’s suicide when they were in college together. Being back in Miami only continues to dredge up his family traumas, but things grow more complicated when The Duke suggests that his estranged wife’s alleged suicide may have been a murder.

As Jack begins to uncover the truth about his mother’s death, including the secret she had revealed to only two people—the same secret Bobby had taken with him to his grave—he finds himself in imminent danger. Can Jack reveal the true story before it is too late? He has to act quickly, or he fears he may be the victim of the next Girard family tragedy.

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New book release: ‘Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War’ by Ram Khatri

‘Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War’ will be released April 15, 2023. Photo: Ram Khatri, used with permission.

Ram Khatri is the translator of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis’ in Nepali and has worked as the managing editor and publishing manager for academic and commercial publishers in the United States. Originally from the Himalayan country of Nepal, he holds an M.S. in publishing from Pace University, New York, and an M.A. in English literature from Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu. Ram is always fascinated by truly diverse, unrepresented, and heartwarming stories that touch lives. When he is not working, Ram loves interacting with interesting people from different cultures and backgrounds. His new book “Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War (The Graphic Novel Book #1)” is the story of a young girl’s brave journey to reclaim the life she left behind during the unforgiving conflict of the Nepali Civil War. The graphic novel is the first book of its planned three-book series and will be released on April 15, 2023. It is available for pre-order through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major book sellers. (Ram Khatri, 2023)

“Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War” – In this heartwarming story of family connection, recollection, and survival, the author has revived the memories of the people affected by the Maoist-government war through the displaced to the working farmers.

“It was a simple life; a peaceful life,” narrator Tara muses in Ram Khatri’s pained, humane graphic novel. “At least that’s what I thought in my childhood innocence.” Justice chronicles, from young Tara’s perspective, the end of that innocence, which comes to her Nepali family farm in the form of war. 

First, in the early 2000s, her nation is torn between Maoist revolutionaries and government forces, with her father increasingly pressured to take a side. As neighbors turn on each other, and young people are hauled away to fight, Tara’s parents attempt to persevere without involving themselves. But soon soldiers are searching their home as the children hide in the barn, and when the worst happens Tara blames herself. With its sublime settings, diverse characters, and riveting narrative, the girl learns the truth about the life that she left behind. 

“Justice: A Tale of the Nepali Civil War” has two sections. The first section was illustrated in color by Sandipan Santra while the second was illustrated in black and white by Ingrid Lilamani. The purpose is to show how different artists from diverse backgrounds visualize the diverse Nepali settings, characters, and its historical events. While the people and places mentioned in Justice are fiction, the story is based on events that occurred during and after the Civil War era in Nepal.

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Mexican made hard aguas frescas now available at H-E-B

Picadas is the first Mexican made hard aguas frescas and is available in over 200 H-E-B locations throughout Texas. Photo: Picadas, used with permission.

Picadas, the first Mexican hard agua fresca, is now available in 200 H-E-B stores across Texas. Made from a family recipe, Picadas combines real fruit juice with alcohol from cane sugar to create a hard agua fresca that embodies the bold, authentic flavors of Mexico. (Picadas, 2023)

Picadas was founded in Monterrey, Mexico in 2021 by Hugo Martinez, a local who –– like everyone in Mexico –– grew up enjoying homemade aguas frescas with his family. Martinez was pursuing an MBA at Stanford when he became captivated by the ready-to-drink cocktail craze.

“The popularity of hard seltzers was skyrocketing, but I quickly realized that they didn’t have the same flavors I was used to. I craved the agua fresca flavors I grew up with – limonada, guava, and mango – that none of the American ready-to-drink options really captured. I realized there was a gap in the market that only a Mexican-made hard agua fresca could fill, because Mexicans never sacrifice flavor. The idea for Picadas was born.” – Hugo Martinez, founder of Picadas.

Following graduation, Martinez returned to his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico and got to work brewing his first batch using a recipe he learned from his grandmother. Martinez spent several weeks recreating the recipe with different Mexican fruits, fruit juices, and types of alcohol. He shared his creations with friends and family, tweaking his ingredients, and methods to incorporate their feedback and indulge their taste buds. The overwhelming response was “más sabor” and “escarcharlo,” — more flavor, and a spicy chile rim to create contrast and depth. In November of 2021, he launched the first batch of Picadas in Monterrey.

The brand’s creative name comes from the term “con piquete,” colloquial Mexican slang meaning “spiked” or “with alcohol.” Hence, aguas frescas with “piquete” would then be called aguas “Picadas” and while it is not a term often used, Martinez hopes that soon “aguas picadas” will be commonly used in the U.S. when referencing hard agua frescas.

Martinez began selling Picadas at mercados and local farmers markets in Monterrey. As the drink gained popularity and word of it began to spread around the country, Martinez formed strategic partnerships that got Picadas into stores like Vinoteca, H-E-B, Soriana, Chedraui, and other Mexican chains. Now, Martinez has partnered with Austin-based Redbud Brands to expand Picadas to its first US market, Texas.

Picadas is available in three flavors — limonada, mango, and guava — and all are made with a base of real fruit juice (unlike hard seltzers, which use a base of water). Martinez insisted on using tart key limes for the limonada because “that’s how Mexican limonadas are prepared,” sweet yellow mangos “because those are the mangos we eat in Mexico and floral Mexican guavas to set Picadas apart in the RTD category.

Picadas blends its juice in small batches, allowing it to retain a bold, fruit-forward flavor, with no need for artificial additives. The mixture is then sweetened with agave, and cane sugar alcohol is added to make it “piquete.” Every 12-ounce can contains 130 calories and 4.5% alc/vol. Each can is accompanied by an individually portioned packet of spicy chili salt to place on the rim and enjoy with each sip. Six-packs retail for $10.99 at H-E-Bs throughout the Lone Star State. As the first hard agua fresca to be distributed in Texas, Picadas is positioned to lead the ready-to-drink market in a new direction.

Picadas loves to have fun, and this belief is made apparent by the brand’s unique packaging. Cartoon-style artwork in eye-catching colors is featured on the boxes and cans, making Picadas an attractive addition to store shelves. The packaging design is also meant to encourage consumers to enjoy every sip, and not take things too seriously.