As this is the debut issue of In-Flux, my weekly newsletter showcasing what inspires and motivates me creatively, I thought it would be appropriate to start at the beginning. This week, I’ll be focusing on the first decade of my life. Although the memories are hazy, there are a few that still stand out in my mind.
Album of the week:
Thankfully, the first album of the week is a relatively easy choice, as it’s the first CD I remember buying at eight or nine years old. At the time, I was a sheltered child living in a church-going household, so the christian-friendly, alt-rock/punk stylings of Relient K’s 2003 release Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…but Three Do were just about the edgiest music I could get away with. I remember buying the CD simply because I liked the crashed limo cover art, not knowing the band, but I soon became an obsessive fan. At one time, I owned every one of their studio albums up to their 2006 release Five Score and Seven Years Ago, after which I moved on to other musical interests. Though it’s been years since I’d last listened to it, two decades on, the album still holds up, which is more than I can say for most of the music I was listening to in that era.
“‘Cause I just can’t believe the way that this continues to go on. I say, “I wish you didn’t always think I’m wrong.” So tell me. Tell me, what will it take to get this through your head? And tell me, what will it take until you see things through from end to end?” - From End To End, Relient K.
Visit the band’s website, stream the album on YouTube, or get a physical copy on Discogs.
Vehicle of the week:
While I remember always being obsessed with cars and racing, I don’t remember the specific moment or car that first lured me into car culture. However, I do remember the first supercar I became obsessed with; The Koenigsegg CC8S. The first gaming console in my house was an Xbox original, and one of the first games I had was Midtown Madness 3, again from 2003. The Koenigsegg was the fastest car in the game, and I spent countless hours flinging it through the open-world maps of Paris and Washington D.C. at top speed, destroying every body panel in the process. With only six cars produced between 2002 and 2003, you’d be lucky to see one in real life, let alone damage it. The good news is that Koenigsegg still has a factory page for the car, so I can ogle to my heart’s content.
Photo credit: autoevolution.com
Book of the week:
As a kid, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading, though the one collection I did read cover-to-cover was Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series. I can confidently say that I read Stormbreaker, Point Blanc, Skeleton Key, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, Ark Angel, and Snakehead, but it seems the newer books came out after my time. As these books are written for and about teens, I don’t know that I would try to re-read them as an adult, but I would absolutely recommend them to younger readers.
Photo credit: anothonyhorowitz.com
Gear of the week:
As much as it pains me to list a $199 instrument as the gear of the week, I have to honor my musical beginnings with the Squier Sonic Stratocaster Hardtail. This is the modern equivalent of the Squier Bullet Stratocaster I started with at seven or eight years old. It appears that the guitar has been largely unchanged, aside from the name, still utilizing a top-loading bridge and traditional 4-bolt neck joint. Over the course of the ~15 years I had that Bullet Strat, I ended up repainting it with a black-on-white ‘Union Jack’ design, and swapped in an HSS preloaded pickguard, so it was more of a parts-caster by the time it left my possession. It was a great starter guitar, and I’d love to have it back for sentimental reasons, but I’m grateful to have moved on to higher-quality instruments.
Photo credit: fender.com
That’s all for this installment of In-Flux. Hopefully, you’ve found something inspiring or thought-provoking to take with you throughout the coming week. If you’d like to stay up-to-date with Stoops Worldwide, and have my posts delivered directly to your inbox, click the subscribe button below. If you’re already subscribed, thank you!
Create without compromise.
-Kurtis