claire

cj has spent the last year writing and recording this album, and somehow managed to make a record that sounds distinctly new while also feeling like it fell out of somebody’s cd binder in 2001. there’s 90s alt-rock all over it, a little goo goo dolls, a little elliott smith, some psychy haze around the edges, guitars that actually sound like guitars. it’s earnest without becoming embarrassing about it, which is harder to pull off than people think. the whole thing is just five songs:...

you can finally subscribe to the diving horse. people have been asking since issue 1 and it's real now. yearly subscriptions, starting at $20. pickup at tony's or mailed straight to your door, and every issue gets set aside with your name on it before the stack hits the bars. no more racing the sellout (rip everyone still looking for issue 7). and for the diehards: the whole horse. everything we make for a year. all 4 issues mailed, digital editions, a full year of the paid substack, a tote,...

picture taken at wonder bar. not mentioned in this article but i thought the pic still worked. wonder bar is a great option day or night, it is just overpriced and the food is just mid. i personally wouldnt include it on my perfect load and eat good list because it just doesn't belong. if you can sit out ont he bay, that is a real win. lots of cool ppls work there. great after hours spot tho and great to go for sunset lol. you can drive your boat there, too. anyway/ how to eat an entire...

preface hello and welcome to the diving horse’s first substack takeover. this week, amanda auble, local artist, writer, and teacher, has the floor. i’ll let her take it away: Press-on nails. I recently complimented a fellow artist for her nails and she admitted to me that they were press ons. I always admire this. It’s the same enthusiasm I share when a dress has pockets, when a thrift store skirt only cost five dollars. Some people I know say this is admitting that what you wear is cheap— it...

hi, soon, in just 24 hours, mercury retrograde will end. though we’ll still sit in her mighty shadow until august 17th. they say now is not really the best time to sign contracts or make hasty decisions. miscommunications are to be expected during a retrograde, with this one specifically emphasizing interpersonal stuff. they say it’s important to just weather through this one lol, or at least according to all of the astrologers. i’ve def been feeling weird this merc retro but i feel like that...

From Acclaimed Session Guitarist to a Psychedelic Indie Folk Spellbinder: CJ SOOY Steps into His Own Light with His Debut Solo EP, ‘Is Anything Real’ New Jersey-born, ventnor-based artist CJ Sooy has spent a decade sharpening his subversive sonic signature from behind the fretboard and songs of others, and is fully stepping into his own light with his debut EP, Is Anything Real. After penning, recording and producing three studio albums, playing across countless projects, working alongside...

As a representative of Dugans Hoyst I have a freewillmaxxing hot take… can we all like stfu and just play the damn songs??? I don't wanna hear about your sister's cousins aunts grandmothers nephew twice removed and how they inspired the song! (I'm targeting myself by the way this is me just staring at myself in the mirror.) Also we all need to group together for this coalition of just doing original music all throughout Jersey because let's be honest aren't we sick of hearing the same covers...

so you're coming to atlantic city. maybe it's for the weekend, maybe you're here for the fifa world cup matches up north and someone told you the hotels are cheaper "down the shore", maybe you just typed "is atlantic city worth visiting" into google at 1am. whatever brought you here, welcome. this is the only guide you need, written by someone who actually grew up here, moved away for a long time over it, and now lives here again on purpose and loves it on purpose. blessed bc this is my walk...

How do you freewill-maxx? i've become really good about being more of a "yes man". i'm trying to do more things out of my comfort zone, whether that's doing something fun on the weekdays, traveling to a new city, or even reading a book that wouldn't typically be a genre i would normally read. to me, it's all about removing the same old boring activities/tasks that don't bring me joy or help me grow as a person What's something about atlantic city that still surprises you? even when there's...

if tony hawk ever decided to make a pro skater video game in atlantic city, this would be the album. you'd spawn @ kennedy plaza right where all the cop cars usually sit next to bw hall with good times playing) good times is the ultimate song of the summer for me. listening to it just puts you in a good mood. it's great to listen to on a walk, at home when you're getting ready to pregame, when you're feeling really sad and need a song to cry to, when you're feeling really happy and need a...

What's your biggest piece of advice for someone who wants to make new friends as an adult but doesn't know where to start, especially in a town like AC where the third places keep disappearing? FIND A HOBBY!!! It's so important to keep your mind fresh, learn new skills, push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Stagnant energy creates a depressive reality. If you're having a hard time finding out what adult you likes, think of something that genuinely brought you joy when you were younger....

"Simulation" feels like it's poking at the same stuff this issue is poking at, the haze, the empty space, time passing weird. What were you actually writing about? Do you think the haze is something we can step out of or is it just the air now? Truthfully, "Simulation" is about someone who is no longer a part of my life. The "haze" is here to stay. We just have to not let it consume our worlds. Go outside and talk to a stranger, buy a slice of pizza, go to a show, call that friend you haven't...

em white is a local creative, artist, and mother. when she's not being a sweetie pie to literally anybody (truly, her kindness and compassion can light up a room), she is getting the room involved in interactive art. her talent is immeasurable, now read below for some wisdom. What are your favorite ways to freewillmaxxx? I love talking to strangers, can't help myself. Those people have since become my friends or simply memories I hold onto. Their stories open my worldview and appreciation for...

What's something about Atlantic City you didn't expect, good or bad, that's stuck with you? I didn't expect it's revival. A long time dream of mine was to see an Atlantic City renaissance and transformation, and I really did not expect it to actually occur. Now I feel like it is, slowly but surely, and it's stuck with me. Regrow AC. What does Ocean City teach you about Atlantic City and vice versa? They're 10 miles apart and feel like different countries. Born, raised, and still in OC, there...

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