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This Fourth of July weekend, Rob Thomas would likely say, “Man, it’s a hot one,” just another indicator that summertime is officially here. And no matter what you have planned for the coming months, Rock Music Menu has dug up some items that are guaranteed to make your dog days that much cooler; both literally and figuratively.

We’ve been spotlighting necessities for the road, home and everywhere in between to think about picking up for the long hours under the sun – or in the air conditioning. This week’s theme is getting outside, be it on a long vacation or the woods for the day – and looking good doing it with the best organizer packs for your suitcase, pack for your back and what you’ll need to smell better no matter what.

Let’s have a look at the second part of our “Summer Essentials” series for 2022.

Whether you’re doing a fun day at Ridley Creek State Park or going large up in Jim Thorpe for quick night under the stars, you need to have the right pack for the hike. We’ve long been a fan of Osprey, closing in on 50 years, and their expertly made packs for mountain biking, alpine climbing, travel, everyday use and, of course, hiking, which is the focus here.

The Talon/Tempest Family is a versatile technical pack series with the former geared toward men and Tempest for women – there’s also a kid size for each – that promotes dynamic body movement. Sustainably designed with recycled, high-tenacity nylon, the lightweight packs are available in different sizes, multiple colors and capacities from six liters up to 40L for women and 44L for men.

The packs feature a BioStretch harness, continuous-wrap hip belt and an injection-molded, die-cut foam AirScape back panel suspension that moves with you when navigating the roughest, most technical terrain. Perfect for adventurous full-day pursuits and even a streamlined overnight, they range from lightweight to mid-volume packs with selling points like a hydration reservoir sleeve and trekking pole and ice axe attachment points. Trek on over to osprey.com to see the full range of packs.

If your vacation time from home needs is taking you further than the local forestry, there’s a way to avoid the clothes explosion when you open up the suitcase upon reaching your destination. Like any good luggage company, Away offers everything from suitcases to duffle bags to totes. But one of their most widely praised products is their simplest, which also happens to save a brilliant amount of time.

Away’s packing cubes compress and organize everything inside your suitcase, from socks to shirts to even the bulkiest items. Made from water-resistant nylon that protects your clothes, they are designed with a mesh panel to make it easy to find what you need without fully unpacking. Available in sets of four and six, there’s even a “shoe cube.” Not having to empty a suitcase trying to find that one t-shirt changes the whole travel game…or at least provides some more time to lather up. Take a flight to awaytravel.com to see the brand’s full line.

Speaking to guys everywhere, we know that when the weather is like this, and endorphins have been high on the hiking trail or mowing the lawn, there’s a good chance we’re not going to bring the most welcome aroma back home. Noses are gonna burn. We’ll stink.

Thankfully, Dr. Squatch, whose slogan is “Feel like a man, smell like a champion” and has a Bigfoot smoking a pipe as its mascot, is more than willing to offer some help. In fact, the men’s personal care company has just released a limited edition “Freedom Fresh” soap and deodorant line right in time for the holiday weekend. There’s an option to pick up an assortment, either the “Bundle of the Free” or “Bundle of the Brave” to sample each. Both are scented “Boardwalk Breeze,” with the soap containing the nurturing power of red root tea, which was used as a replacement for black tea during the Revolutionary War. The deodorant runs on natural deodorizers like probiotics, charcoal and arrowroot powder.

The Squatch doc boasts being all natural with no harmful ingredients. It started off as an inspired-by-nature niche without being too crunchy in 2013 and has since risen to the level of Super Bowl ads and getting carried in a big box retailer like Walmart. Not too shabby – but not incredibly surprising – with a host of not just great smelling soaps with names like “Coconut Castaway” and “Grapefruit IPA,” but a full line featuring toothpaste, deodorant, shampoos and conditioners – all which have crazy positive online ratings. Get out of those dirty clothes, put on a towel and head over to drsquatch.com for more information.

Keep an eye on this spot as each week we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a re-pressing of a landmark recording, special edition or new collection from a legendary act. This week, it’s the final two studio albums in a reissue campaign for a group of 70s art rock influencers.

ROXY MUSIC: ‘FLESH + BLOOD’ and ‘AVALON’

The year 2022 is indisputably one of celebration for Roxy Music. Not only are the art rock legends embarking on their first tour in more than a decade – one stopping at the Wells Fargo Center in September – they’re also reissuing their entire studio catalog. This week marks the final two of eight LPs which have been roundly heralded as modern classics getting the anniversary edition treatment.

‘Flesh + Blood’ originally came out in 1980 and spent 60 weeks on the UK albums chart, 17 weeks in the Top 10, four weeks at No. 1 and spawned three UK Top 20 singles, representing Roxy Music’s commercial peak to date. Always evolving, frontman and keyboardist Bryan Ferry, saxophonist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera, along with producer Rhett Davis, alchemized an entirely complete and new atmosphere, moving from the angular, more frenetic moments of their previous LP, ‘Manifesto,’ in favor of a kind of fusion of soul and future-facing classic pop.

All three of the hit singles, “Over You”, “Oh Yeah (On the Radio)” and “Same Old Scene,” represented high water marks in the Roxy cannon while the album’s takes on Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” and the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” utterly transform them into something new.

Released in 1982, ‘Avalon’ is filled with Ferry’s sparkling keyboards and punctuated by Manzanera’s sparing, chiming guitar work and Mackay’s poetic saxophone bursts, conjuring an enigmatic ambience all its own. Named after King Arthur’s final resting place of legend – described by Ferry as “the ultimate romantic fantasy” – there’s a kind of poetic justice to the fact that the last Roxy Music studio album became their most successful to date.

Conceptualized to be seen as a whole work as opposed to a collection of songs, ‘Avalon’s’ individual pieces nevertheless stand up, no more so than on its melancholic title track, the dreamlike “While My Heart Is Still Beating” and “More Than This,” which has arguably come to be the band’s most popular song of all.

Both ‘Flesh + Blood’ and ‘Avalon’ have been given a fresh half-speed cut on 180gram vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios in London. To reflect the enhanced audio, the artwork has been similarly revised with lyrics and a deluxe gloss laminated finish, making the pair of albums almost pieces of modern art.

‘Flesh + Blood’ and ‘Avalon,’ as well as the previous six Roxy Music reissues, can be found online and in stores from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.

To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his blog at www.thechroniclesofmc.com.

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