Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

The Flaming Lips’ ringleader Wayne Coyne loves Christmas, though it’s hard to tell from this surreal “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth” video, an homage (sorta) to the famous David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet. The track was recorded live at Coyne’s Pink Floor Studios in Oklahoma City, and arrives as a single 11/29/19.

No more ugly tassels and metal spikes. The embossed-leather Croco golf sneaker goes from the clubhouse to the club. Designed in England and handmade in Italy, Royal Albartross’ golf shoes feature modern style, impeccable stitching, gold details, and a kicky orange sole with rubber cleats for grip on the greens and comfort on the street.

PGA masters and side-betting amateurs are guaranteed an equally serious advantage with Bushnell Golf’s advanced rangefinder. The Pro XE assesses distance for uphill and downhill shots with its Slope technology, factors in temperature and barometric pressure, and provides visual and vibration feedback when it locks onto the flag.

Heavensake sake is a Franco-Japanese marriage made in heaven. Award-winning sparkling wine maker Régis Camus teamed with Japanese brew-masters to artfully blend sake for Western palates with three elegant expressions: Junmai Daiginjo, Junmai Ginjo, and Junmai 12. Like delicious revenge, they’re best served cold.

Winner of the Double Gold, Best of Show at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Guild Gin is just one of the stars in Watershed Distillery’s collection. Made in Ohio from local apples and corn, Guild mellows the usual juniper jolt with infused chamomile, and a botanical mélange of citrus, nutmeg, and rose petal.

The 3400 Autocrat is Benchmade’s first out-the-front knife with composite handles, blending the durability of G10 with a pop of color. The 3.71” double-edge dagger is looking sharp with an ambidextrous blue-anodized release button and blue sapphire titanium oxide PVD-coated hardware. Be sure to check your local knife laws.

Bertoux gives new life to an old spirit from the Golden Age of the cocktail. This Solera-style blend of pot-distilled California fine brandies is aged 3-7 years in French and American oak. Cheers to Bertoux’s master blenders: ace bartender Jeff Bell (P.D.T. and Legacy Records) and NoMad’s sommelier-winemaker Thomas Pastuszak.

Tenacious D documents their off-stage antics on tour in Bogota, Colombia, as they attempt to stowaway on a plane; challenge Foo Fighters and Weezer in anexplosive game of Tejo, Colombia’s national drunken sport; and the heavy heavy-metalheads demonstrate the workout that keeps them “obese instead of morbidly obese.”

Winter gloves are not ideal for texting. Dutch accessories-maker Mujjo changes that with Double-Insulated Touchscreen Gloves, engineered to withstand cold with touch capabilities on all five fingers and the palm. Micro Pique makes the shell wind-resistant, while three layers of Micro Fleece and 3M Thinsulate add warmth.

This permanent “life-sized” replica of Godzilla is coming to Japan’s Nijigen no Mori anime theme park on Awaji Island in 2020. A massive lizard measuring 65′ x 82′ x 180′ will dominate Godzilla Interception Operation, which will feature several “missions” including a shooting game and a zipline that rides into the monster’s mouth.

Think cruises are a snooze? You’ve never ridden Royal Caribbean’s 10-story tubular slide. Billed as the “tallest slide at sea,” the Ultimate Abyss takes thrillseekers on a 13-second, LED-lit ride with a 420-degree corkscrew and 360-degree turns. Free aboard the Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas.

Wear your favorite art icons on your sleeves with the Artist Hoodie by Austin-tacious indie designer Kayci Wheatley. This pop art ode to Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Andy Warhol is a limited-edition microfiber pullover with a drawstring hood, front kangaroo pocket, and elastic waistband and sleeve cuffs.

Nick Offerman — our fave Megan Mullally husband, master woodworker, and deadpan boss from Parks & Rec — gives tips for Scotch appreciation in his series My Tales of Whisky. He toasts Lagavulin’s single malt Islay Scotch whisky, Lagavulin Offerman Edition Aged 11 Years, and shows us how to pronounce the bloody thing.

Beyond Clothing’s softshell, fleece-lined, and hooded K5 Cappa Coat provides cozy comfort in cold weather. Photographers will appreciate the extra-deep pockets for easy access and rugged protection of bulky gear including cameras and lenses. Handy interior pockets are sized for memory cards, batteries, and other essentials.

Norwegian Cruise Line hits the gas with the largest go-kart speedways at sea on its two newest mega-ships, the enormously entertaining Joy, Encore, and Bliss. The Awesomer buckled up for the ultimate wild ride on the Bliss’ bi-level, indoor-outdoor track in a tricked out electric kart with its headrest blasting F1 racing sounds.

Is it time to give your grooming routine a makeover? Leovard’s four-piece shave kit is as handsome as they come. Minimalistic in design and made in America, the set is crafted from surgical steel, acrylic, and zinc oxide alloy. Available for fusion or safety razors, the gift box holds a razor handle, brush, bowl and stand.

This is the droid cookware you’re looking for. The R2-D2 Mini Cocotte casserole is just one of eight licensed Star Wars kitchen pieces cooked up by Le Creuset to precede the December debut of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Priced $20-$450, the collection drops 11/1/2019 in a retail shop, not so far, far away.

Ape gods, and tigers and talking trees, oh my! Even by Vegas standards, this is a little extreme. Bellagio Resort & Casino changes its intricate Conservatory & Botanical Garden displays seasonally, but for Autumn 2019, they’ve fallen for a “Indian Summer” fever-dream fantasy celebrating the colorful world of India.

This cheeky tiki mug is the first collab between famed Polynesian kitsch carver Danny “Tiki Diablo” Gallardo and cocktail historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, proprietor of Latitude 29 in New Orleans, named one of the Top 50 bars the country. The Bora Bora Bum Mug holds 16 ounces and comes in blue, green or orange.

Winter is coming, putting us in the mood to rewatch Game of Thrones with Johnnie Walker’s two GOT-inspired whiskey imports. Song of Ice represents the north’s House Stark with a single malt from Clynelish, one of Scotland’s northernmost distilleries. Song of Fire salutes House Targaryen with peated malts from the Caol Ila distillery.

How do you shoot an action film in a single shot, in real time? That was Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes’ (Skyfall, American Beauty) challenge for 1917, a WWI drama that takes audiences into the trenches alongside two British soldiers on a mission to save a battalion from walking into a deadly trap. In theaters 12/2019.

Paul Long designs rugged and refined treasures from trash. In 2019, his ANIÁN brand recycled 60,000 lb of post-consumer textile waste, then milled it to create the Modern Melton, a timeless, tailored shirt. Traditionally used for sailors’ pea coats, felt-like Melton wool has a luxurious weave so tight it’s wind/water resistant.

Stranger Things haunts Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood this season. The attraction re-stages some of the show’s scariest bits including the Demodogs. It’s a real scream, as season three co-star Priah Ferguson discovered. Watch as Priah faces her fears… and her doppelgänger.