Bowndling Hiking Apparel and Backpacks

A new quality-focused outdoors brand for women, by women

“We believe hiking deserves better clothing,” says the all-women team from young, UK-based label Bowndling, which launched November of 2014. The outdoors industry seems reluctant to merge function with fashion for fear of detracting from tech specs—and as a result, women customers are often stuck with choosing the lesser of two evils: hyper-feminine pieces in shades of neon and hot pink, or shapeless silhouettes that …

Wilco: Star Wars

Wilco unexpectedly released a new album Star Wars on Thursday night, surprising many by offering the 11 original tracks for free download—with vinyl and CD versions available later this year. More rock-influenced and less concerned with being polished, Star Wars is also available on pretty much every streaming platform out there (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Rdio, etc)—pretty savvy for a band that’s 20 years …

The Sonar System

An illustrated book that introduces kids to the world of sound system culture

Free of typical children’s books motifs, “The Sonar System” is a new illustrated tome that introduces kids to a not-so-typical subject: sound system culture. Set in a fictitious “sonar system” where planets revolve around a “gigantic, pulsating speaker,” the book zooms in an Earth-like planet where music is a central part of the everyone’s lives. It comes a year after the same London-based publishing company …