I appreciate everyone who replied to last week’s newsletter or messaged me on Instagram or Twitter. As I said before, Outermood will be a collage of who I am and what I’m into when I hit send. There won’t be a central focus, at least not anytime soon. I want it to be a newsletter you can read or scan, with something that might catch your eye or spark a thought. I’ll also include occasional reflections and interviews with people I find interesting.
Here are some things I’ve been into lately.
Analog Reader turns your digital reading into a weekly newspaper-style edition. You pick the sources you want (Substack newsletters, saved articles, etc.), and the service gathers that content overnight, typesets it in a newspaper layout, and delivers it once a week to your inbox or Kindle, with a PDF you can print. Great way to escape the infinite scroll, and I personally love the idea of a printed copy.
Hotel Lucile in Silver Lake was once a church and is now a 25-room boutique hotel. I worked in historic restoration years ago, so the idea of taking a 1931 building that had sat empty for the past decade and turning it into a beautiful hotel is incredible to me. Electric Bowery handled the architecture and interiors and did a fantastic job of preserving the building’s core features. There’s a rooftop deck and a courtyard with a pool. It’s truly something else.
Corded headphones are everywhere these days. They signal being offline without quite being offline. And the nostalgia aesthetic has most everyone in its grip. I went back to the corded Apple headphones in 2023 after a couple of sets of AirPods. The only time I miss AirPods is when working out. I’m sure I’ll pick up another pair at some point. This AIAIAI x JJJJound collab is fun. They also come in yellow, which reminds me of the yellow Sony Walkmans. If you’re not into these, there’s always the chrome buds.
After seeing very few, and I mean very few, movies in the last couple of years, I’ve caught a few lately. I went into The Sun Never Sets with no idea what it was about. I didn’t see a preview or read a synopsis. I just saw Jake Johnson’s name attached to it and thought that was good enough. It’s a movie that makes you think about the paths you can take, especially in relationships. It shows two people wrestling with the gap between loving someone and wanting the same life as them. It’s a slower movie, but I enjoyed it.
I don’t know much about this one, but I’m a sucker for cars in coffee shops or men’s clothing stores. Alloy Autohaus and Second Wind Coffee Co. just held their soft opening, and the space looks great, with a relaxing hi-fi listening lounge. I’ll check it out next time I’m in Austin. It’s been way too long.
Dos Santos Collective, based in San Diego, creates unique concrete objects for your home or office. I’m especially a fan of the Togo set and the Dune tray shown in the photo. Piedra Studios is another option for concrete objects, including this Porsche 911.
My friend Gabriella Valladares took the photos you see above. She’s an incredible photographer who does a lot of work in hospitality. Recente is a new coastal Italian restaurant in the East Village. I hope to make it back to NYC by the end of the year, and this place may make the list. Early reviews are positive.
I’ve long been a fan of Medium Build and of Nick Carpenter in general. With this album out last week, he seems to be everywhere right now. He’s put out a lot of music over the years, but some of these songs are his most polished. “In My Gut” is my favorite on this album. My personal music taste is broad and spans many genres. This album fills the indie-rock void and has hints of folk and pop, too.
Hit reply and let me know if there’s something you’re into or if you've been to any of the places mentioned. Or just to say hey.
loved this one!