Monthly Archives: October 2023

Teacher of the Year

People

Crystal McDowell of Greenbrier High SchoolCrystal McDowell of Greenbrier High School has been named the 2023-24 Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year. She teaches biology and anatomy to students in grades nine through 12.

Her winnings include the opportunity to drive a 2023 BMW X1 on a one-year lease that is donated by Taylor BMW at no cost to the teacher.

In addition, ACHS Insurance donates insurance coverage at no cost and Affordable Auto Insurance donates a $1,000 gas voucher.

Baked Sea Scallops

Food
  • Great Seafood Appetizers12-16 jumbo sea scallops
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and cracked pepper, to taste
  • 2 limes, halved

Wakame seaweed, for garnish (or you can substitute fresh dill, parsley or tarragon)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place shells on sheets and add scallops (or place scallops directly on sheets). In a small glass bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Spoon over scallops and bake 20 minutes (do not overcook or they will be tough). Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle with lime juice. Garnish with seaweed or fresh herbs. Makes 12-16 appetizers.

Family, Friends & Fellowship

In The Home

Photography by Sally Kolar

While this Champions Retreat couple hosts their extended family for Thanksgiving every year, their house is filled with people year-round.

When Catherine and Emmanuel “Manny” Ngoh started making plans to build their custom home in Champions Retreat, where they have lived since 2015, they had three items atop their wish list.

“We wanted a media room. We wanted something Mediterranean, and we wanted an outdoor kitchen where we could entertain family and friends,” says Catherine.

Although the Ngohs originally are from Cameroon, they have lived in the United States for about 26 years. “He came here for school, and I came here to join him,” Catherine says.

Manny, an endodontist, attended college in Atlanta and the Medical College of Georgia, and most of their relatives now live in the Atlanta area.

While the parents of three grown sons are empty nesters, their home is hardly empty. Just about any occasion calls for filling it with people they love, and Thanksgiving is no exception. Typically, they host about 25 people for the holiday.

A Matter of Scale

With 16-foot ceilings, windows that stretch from floor to ceiling and oversized accessories, their home is a reflection of their generous spirit and big-hearted personalities.

“Everything had to be big to match the height of the ceilings,” says Catherine. “Otherwise, it would get lost.”

Two tall white columns with a marble look separate the two-story foyer from the living room, which is accented by a coffered ceiling and a raised hearth marble fireplace.

The wall behind the fireplace has a stone look, and a TV with a curved screen is situated above it. A trio of large blue pillar candlesticks, which hold white candles, rest on the hearth.

Furnishings include a pair of white octagonal tables, a striped couch, an ottoman and an oval-shaped glass coffee table. Three velvet pillows from Italy line the couch, and they have different fabric on each side.

A pair of blue chairs sits in front of the two-story bay windows that are accented with custom-made, fire-retardant, gold-colored silk window treatments. Catherine got the silk fabric from Scalamandré, a New York company that develops custom textiles.

Founded in 1929, the company has been commissioned to weave fabrics for some of America’s most famous homes including San Simeon, Monticello and the White House.

Catherine likes to change the décor, switching out pillows and changing curtains to match. While Scalamandré is one of her favorites, so is the view from the living room.

“I really love the glass windows,” she says. “Sometimes we see golfers on the course.”

The living room overlooks the ninth hole of the Creek Course at Champions Retreat, where this family of avid golfers spends lots of time.

Oversized vases and planters in the living room are filled with flowers and greenery, and an arched pass-through opening above built-ins in the space connects it with the dining area.

Conversation Area

The dining area features an octagonal trey ceiling, hardwood flooring that extends throughout the first story, built-in cabinets with an old world finish, four studded upholstered chairs at a round table and a chandelier above the table.

“We use this area when we entertain,” Catherine says. “It’s a conversation area when I’m in the kitchen.”

She loves to cook, so naturally, the kitchen is one of her favorite spots in the house.

“I like the kitchen because I get to cook my favorite meals for my family,” Catherine says. “That’s the area where we can sit down together.”

The spacious kitchen includes two islands. A chandelier hangs from a six-sided trey ceiling inset that matches the shape of one island.

“If we had done a square island, it would have looked smaller,” Catherine says. “This gives us more space and more storage. It has a unique shape.”

A farmhouse sink is nestled in the other island, where five studded leather stools offer extra seating.

Other kitchen features include a wine cellar with a glass door, granite countertops, tile backsplash, diamond-shaped tiles in the backsplash inset above the stove, pot filler, wood stove hood with a stone-look finish, appliance garage and lots of drawers and cabinets for storage.

The Ngohs also spend a lot of time in the adjoining keeping room, which features leather furnishings, a six-sided trey ceiling, a TV and sliding glass doors to the covered back porch.

In the formal dining room, rust-colored walls and window treatments offer a warm contrast to the cream-colored wainscoting. Studded, upholstered chairs surround the table.

The dining room also features a two-story coffered ceiling and a built-in sideboard beneath an arched mirror. Two oversized vases anchor each end of the sideboard, and four African pictures hang on the opposite wall.

Casual Entertaining

While the Ngohs have plenty of space for formal entertaining, they also have ample room for casual get-togethers.

For instance, their media room features two rows of leather seats, skylights in the black ceiling and a golf simulator.

“Manny did most of the design for the media room, where he likes to read or work on his golf game,” says Catherine. “I did most of the rest of the house.”

The upstairs billiards room overlooks the living room. While there’s no pool table in the room, they use the space, which features a curved, wrought-iron balcony railing, as a sitting area.

For their overnight – or longer – company, the guest bedroom features a king-size, four-poster bed. Although the bed and bedside tables are made of mahogany, the Ngohs updated them with a coat of white paint for a more modern look.

Double doors lead to another guest room, which features a built-in desk with bookshelves and a trey ceiling. Designed as a study, the space was converted into a spare bedroom.

The master suite is another one of Catherine’s favorite spots in the house. The room features an octagonal trey ceiling, bay window in the sitting area, custom-made silk window treatments, built-in drawers with a TV nook and shelves, a small refrigerator, a leather bench with carved wood legs at the foot of the bed and a door to the outside porch.

They often eat dinner on the porch at the tile table with wicker chairs and take advantage of the outdoor kitchen amenities. They include an Evo grill, Big Green Egg, refrigerator, granite countertops and cooktop with lid.

The porch also features a TV, ceiling fans, Edison lights, recessed lighting, heaters and tile flooring.

A stone fire pit and palm trees outside the wrought iron fencing around the pool, which features a stone waterfall and diving board, add to the ambiance of the outdoor living space.

“We like to use the pool in the summer, and we like to have friends use it as well,” Catherine says.

Whether the Ngohs are hosting family get-togethers, Christmas parties, Bible studies or other faith-based gatherings, they’re most content when they’re entertaining company.

“We just like having people here,” Catherine says. “We like it when people are happy. Fellowship is a good thing.”

By Betsy Gilliland

Pour, Plate & Paint

People

Photography by Sally Kolar

French wine, Southern-inspired cuisine and a brush of art gave these party guests a taste of the unexpected.

Nothing helps people bond quite like sharing good food, fine wine and a chance to indulge in their creative sides.

Just ask the guests who attended “A Parisian Night Meets Charleston” at the Appling home of retired veterans Cynthia Stein and her husband, Troy Rader.

wine partyThe party, where French wine culture merged with upscale Southern-inspired cuisine, was the pilot project for Cynthia’s new business, Hope Enterprises: Life Interactive. As an experience coordinator, she puts together immersive activities to help people enrich their lives and broaden their horizons.

“Being in the military, I have traveled a lot in my life,” said Cynthia. “In Europe, you can hop on a train and have an immersive experience in a different country in a day or two. I wanted to bring that same concept here.”

For the inaugural venture, she collaborated with sommelier and certified specialist of wine Hailey Etzel, who owns Etzel Consulting, and local artist Anne Luckey of ArtsAnneCrafts.

While Hailey educated the guests about the particulars of pairing food and wine, her husband Brian manned the grill to prepare food for the five-course meal. Anne led a hands-on art project in which each guest painted a Charleston-inspired, laser-cut wood ornament.

‘What’s Next?’

As dinner jazz music played in the background, the guests mingled together in the house, outside on the patio and by the pool. The leisurely pace of the party allowed everyone to get to know each other as they savored the food and wine.

“Wine and food can complement or contrast with each other,” said Hailey. “They both have so many different properties. They fill in the gaps with each other and enhance each other.”

The first two courses were served inside. Featuring brie in puff pastry with blackberry preserves, the amuse bouche was paired with the bubbly Cave de Bissey Cremant de Bourgogne.

“The amuse bouche is a palate teaser to awaken the senses,” Hailey said. “We paired the rich, creamy, buttery brie with a dry, acidic bubbly. Life is too short to eat mediocre food.”

For the appetizer, Brian grilled Cajun shrimp in the fully equipped outdoor kitchen and served it over maple sweet potato hash with bacon and pecans. Hailey paired the appetizer with a contrasting 2021 Hugel Gentil Alsace.

“The food was amazing, and it’s fun to learn how to pair it with wine,” said guest Jannene Olson, who attended culinary school with her husband, Craig. “We have a lot of parties and people over for dinner at our house. People love food, but a lot of people feel like they can’t cook or don’t have the time to cook.”

Cari and Anthony Osborne, who have lived in the area for two years, agreed.

“I feel like we’ve done a lot different things here,” Cari said. “So, what’s next? It’s nice that we don’t have to travel to do something like this.”

Outside Their Comfort Zone

Following the appetizer, the guests settled down at one of two tables to paint an ornament that featured a scene from the Battery or Rainbow Row in Charleston.

“If you can color in a coloring book, then you can paint the ornaments,” said Anne. “There is no wrong way.”

Concentrating on the task at hand, no one shied away from the art portion of the evening.

“If I had told my husband we were going to do an art project tonight, he would have stayed home,” Jannene says.

Instead, he appreciated the novel activity.

“When we entertain, we play a lot of games,” Craig said. “I like the art component of the party.”

Another guest, Kaitlyn McGinnis, said she usually doesn’t “do art” unless her son makes her.

However, the group enjoyed revisiting their younger days.

“We’ve had the chance to develop some other talents or explore ones we haven’t used for a while,” said Anthony. “I haven’t painted since high school, so that was fun.”

With paintbrush in hand, John-Michael Brady admitted, “I’m out of my comfort zone a little bit.” However, he added, “I’m in an environment where I feel comfortable.”

Anne tied a bow on the finished products, and Cynthia and Troy hung their ornaments on a small lighted tree in their living room.

Complement and Contrast

After putting the finishing touches on their ornaments, the guests took their salad plates outside under a full moon in the night sky.

Paired with a 2020 Clair Chante Beaujolais Villages, the salad included a spring mix, strawberries, chèvre, almonds and raspberry vinaigrette.

While the food and wine flavors contrasted with each other in the amuse bouche and appetizer, the flavors in the salad and wine complemented each other.

“All of the flavors in the wine are sweeter than the flavors in the salad,” said Hailey.

For the main course, Brian treated the guests to grilled ribeye over whipped potatoes, haricot verts and compound butter. A 2018 Chateau L’Hospital, Graves, Bordeaux, accompanied the entrée, and Hailey stressed one of her favorite tips for pairing food and wine – serve “cab with a slab.”

“This wine is a big, bold red with lots of dark fruit flavors,” she said.

Dessert featured New York cheesecake with Fruitland Augusta peach vodka compote and brown sugar bacon streusel, and it was paired with a 2016 Sablette Sauternes.

For the party, Hailey selected wines that typically would not be found on a restaurant menu.

“I love teaching people about wine,” she said. “I want them to know that it doesn’t take a lot of money or knowledge to elevate the food and wine experience. Wine is a glass of a certain place during a certain time.”

The Etzels love the memories that wine evokes.

“We remember things based on the wine we were drinking at the time,” said Brian.

Touching All the Senses

To Cynthia, creating memories is a large part of her business concept.

“You have to give people something to walk away with and talk about,” Troy said.

That’s just what Cynthia had in mind.

“I wanted people to leave feeling like, ‘Wow! That was amazing. All of my senses were touched,’” she said.

Mission accomplished.

By Leigh Howard

Get the Party Started

People

Entertain like a pro with these tips from a local caterer.

Food is meant to be shared with family and friends, and longtime local caterer Bill Coxwell believes there is no better way to make others feel special than by throwing them an unforgettable party with fabulous cuisine.

“The meal should crescendo from a good appetizer to an outstanding entrée to a showstopping dessert,” says Bill, the owner of Sweet Azalea Gourmet Shop, Café and Catering in Augusta.

While the food is the centerpiece of any special occasion, the cookbook author and Johnson & Wales University culinary alum says people often make a couple of common mistakes when planning a party. Hosts underestimate the amount of time it takes to get everything done and forget to make a good checklist.

However, from making a guest list to budgeting, planning a menu to creating a beautiful tablescape, carrying out a theme to selecting a caterer, Bill shares some of his best tips for stress-free entertaining.

The Guest List

• Invite a mix of people to a party, including “the” person who can talk to anybody about anything. “If everybody at a dinner party works at the library, then you’re going to have only one topic of conversation,” says Bill. “You need to have a mix of people so they can make new acquaintances and find things in common.”

• Decide if you want to have an indoor or outdoor party, or if you want to rent a venue to accommodate more guests. If planning an outdoor party, however, consider the season and whether or not it’s feasible to leave the doors open.

• Start small by entertaining two or three couples if you haven’t hosted a lot of parties. “I like smaller parties because you can be a little more intimate with the food and put more into the presentation,” Bill says.

• Expand the guest list if you have a nice patio that can serve as an overflow area.

The Budget

• Watch for sales and freeze foods up to two or three months in advance.

• Serve dips and spreads rather than items that are served as individual bites.

• Take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables such as cranberries and fresh sweet potatoes during the holidays.

• Remember than you can put down a deposit for a party such as a wedding reception and pay the balance later.

• Don’t pay someone else to do something you can do yourself.

The Menu

• Think about the foods that guests would like to eat. In other words, hosts can serve something they don’t like. “It’s about the guests,” Bill says. “It’s not about you.”

• Consider the time of year when planning a menu. For instance, don’t serve chili in July.

• Vary the color and texture of the food.

• For an engagement party, try to serve favorites of the couple.

• For a wedding reception, serve food that appeals to all ages.

• Choose universally accepted, well-received entrees. If you’re on a budget, serve pork tenderloin instead of beef tenderloin or shrimp dip instead of pickled shrimp.

• Decide how creative you want to be. “I always try to do one dish that’s a little different,” says Bill.

• Serve signature items and foods that you prepare well.

• Outsource foods you’re not comfortable preparing.

• Serve people something they don’t get at home. Let the guests experience the food rather than taste it.

• Don’t skimp on beverages. Top brands let guests know you value their company.

The Portions

• Learn by doing. Practice making a casserole dish and spoon it into six-ounce portions to determine how much food you need to feed your number of guests.

• Consider the demographics of the party. While Bill says he learned at culinary school to offer two to three hors d’oeuvres per person, he doesn’t stick to that rule. For instance, men will eat more of an hors d’oeuvre that includes meat.

• Have too much food rather than not enough. “I’d rather look at it than look for it,” says Bill. However, he notes, some people don’t mind running out of food because it signals that the party is over.

The Serving Pieces

• Plan on 1.5 plates per person.

• Have at least two napkins per person for a cocktail party.

• Use disposal plates and glasses for a large or informal gathering.

• Use glassware for smaller groups, especially at night, to make the gathering feel more intimate and formal.

• Save the fine china for a group that will appreciate it.

• Let the dishes and crystal complement each other.

• Look for unusual serving pieces at flea markets. “You might not use them more than once a year, but it makes the guests feel like the host took the time to set the table to make them feel special,” says Bill.

• Take inventory of your serving pieces and make sure you have the items you need. Do you have toothpick holders? Are your trays large enough so that they don’t need to be replenished constantly?

• Take out serving pieces a week before the party to polish and clean them. Put a sticky note on each piece with the name of the dish that will be served from it.

The Tablescape

• Don’t underestimate the power of presentation.

• Elevate some items on risers for a buffet, but make sure the base is sturdy.

• At large parties, set up stations to eliminate a traffic jam at the main table. They can include iced tea, desserts or a farmers’ market spread with fruits, vegetables and cheeses.

• Use fabrics that complement the serving pieces, whether you use silver and fine china or pottery and baskets.

• Line the table with mint julep cups that are filled with flowers or greenery instead of putting one massive floral arrangement in the middle of the table.

• Arrange charcuterie boards tastefully and artfully.

• Remember that simplicity is elegance.

The Theme

• Name the food to match the theme. For instance, baked corn dip can become Mexican Street Corn Dip for a Cinco de Mayo party. For a Mardi Gras party, call sliced pork tenderloin Gator Tail or crab dip Cajun Crab Dip. “The food itself can carry out a theme most easily,” Bill says.

• Serve a signature beverage with a fun name such as Swamp Water Punch for a Halloween party or Bog Bayou for a Mardi Gras party.

• Write the food and beverage names on place cards or chalkboards to put next to the dishes.

• Fill gift bags with theme-related favors such as a corkscrew for a wine tasting party.

The Caterer

• Ask people for references when selecting a caterer.

• Get menus from several different caterers before hiring one for your party.

• Meet with the caterer ahead of time to plan and discuss the party.

• Invite the caterer to your home or venue in advance so they can see the space where they will be working.

• Know the charges up front. Are delivery, cleanup, plates, forks or cake cutting included in the price, or do these services involve extra fees? Does the price include the caterer’s staff?

“Catering is much more than food,” Bill says. “Caterers are an extension of the host or hostess. They should make the host look good and the guests feel good. When guests leave, they should think, ‘That was a great party.’”

Professional Polo

Sports

AFM Give Me Wings Polo MatchFor the first time in nearly 20 years, high-goal, professional polo is returning to the Aiken area with the AFM Give Me Wings Polo Match. Featuring a $30,000 prize, the match begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, October 21 at La Bourgogne Club de Polo in Wagener, South Carolina.

Individual tickets will offer food for purchase from upscale food trucks, beer and wine and access to the pavilion lawn.

Pavilion tables for eight people include a buffet lunch provided by The Willcox, an open bar and access to the pavilion before and after the match.

Field side tailgate boxes will have space for six people and one car. These spectators can bring their own tailgate or order a picnic lunch.

Proceeds will benefit the AFM Give Me Wings Foundation, which was founded in memory of Anthony Francois Meunier after he passed away last year at age 22 in a single-car accident. The foundation supports families who have lost a child with in-person grief therapy services and offers clinics for young motorists to learn how to navigate out of dangerous driving situations.

The clinics will be conducted by two of the most accomplished racing drivers in the world, Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and former F1 driver Sébastien Bourdais.

For more information, visit afmgivemewings.com.

Chilled Apple Cider Mocktails

Beverages
  • FALL MOCK TAIL2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
  • 12 ounces chilled spiced apple cider
  • 4 ounces chilled ginger ale
  • Ice cubes
  • Rosemary or cinnamon sticks for garnish

On a small plate or saucer, combine sugar and cinnamon. Use apple slice to wet the rims of glasses and then dip rims evenly into sugar mixture; set aside. In a small pitcher or carafe, combine chilled apple cider and ginger ale. Pour into prepared glasses up to 2/3 full and add 2-3 ice cubes. Garnish with apple slices and rosemary or cinnamon sticks. Makes 2 servings.

Cabin Fever

Travel

Photography by Caleb Jones and Cadence CapturesThis A-frame Airbnb gets an A-plus for its cozy mountain vibe.

Evans residents Lizeidy Nieves and her husband, Juan Jimenez, are all about fun – not just for themselves, but for others as well. After all, they have made it part of their life work.

Avid travelers and engineers by training, they recently bought a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and turned it into an Airbnb.

“Before the pandemic, we traveled outside the United States. During the pandemic we started going to Gatlinburg and fell in love with the area,” says Lizeidy, who also owns Lizeidy’s Balloons & Events. “We first went for our wedding anniversary, and we drove around trying to see bears.”

Moody, Mountain Ambiance

After repeat visits to the area, the couple, who likes to travel with their 7-year-old and 5-year-old sons, started looking for a cabin of their own. They bought the A-frame, which was built in 1959, in November 2022.

“We wanted one with an antique look, but modern amenities,” Juan says.

They spent six weeks renovating the cabin, living there along with their contractors throughout the construction process.

Green was the predominate color inside when they bought the A-frame. For the remodel, however, they chose a black and brown color scheme to give the cabin a moody, mountain ambiance.

“We kept the historic appearance of it, but we modernized the colors,” say Juan.

Renovations included enlarging the porch, expanding the kitchen, adding a coffee station, installing LVP flooring throughout the cabin and converting an existing space into a spa room.

Photography by Caleb Jones and Cadence CapturesWhile the spa room originally was open, they enclosed it for privacy and added a shower and a Jacuzzi.

The three-bedroom, three-bath cabin also features tongue and groove ceilings and walls, exposed beams, a gas fireplace, fire pit, hot tub and outdoor lighting to add to the “moody vibe.”

They even hung two swings in the main living area inside so people can use them year-round.

“We put the swings in the cabin for our kids, but we love them, too,” Lizeidy says.

While the first floor includes a bedroom and the spa room, the second floor houses another bedroom, the living room, a fully equipped kitchen, dining area and access to the large outdoor porch. The third floor has a sitting area, loft/game room, bedroom and access to a small porch.

“Most A-frames are small,” Lizeidy says, “but ours is big enough to have different living areas.”

They named the cabin “Ohana,” a Hawaiian word for “family,” after they stayed at an Airbnb with the same name in New Zealand.

“We love to travel. We’ve been to Iceland, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand and the Caribbean,” says Lizeidy. “We love to create family bonds and memories and teach our children about different cultures. After traveling to so many places and trying different Airbnbs, we wanted to have one of our own.”

Entertainment for All

The cabin offers plenty to see and do whether guests visit for entertainment or for R&R.

“It’s cozy. It’s family-oriented,” says Lizeidy. “It’s close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but at the same time, you have privacy to enjoy the Smoky Mountains and to unplug and connect with your family.”

Those who are content to hang out at Ohana can savor the seclusion.

“We have a lot of throws and comfortable furniture and beds,” says Lizeidy. “We want to make sure people feel cozy in every spot of the cabin.”

They even have hard and soft pillows in each bedroom to satisfy their guests’ preferences, and all of the bedrooms have TVs and Roku.

The loft includes an arcade machine with retro games like Pac-Man and Super Mario, foosball table, giant Connect 4 game on the wall, Legos and board games. The cabin also features three work stations for visitors who can’t completely unplug.

With three outdoor sitting areas, the A-frame is the perfect place to start the day. “We love to go outside with our coffee and see the sunrise,” Juan says.

The outdoor porch also is a good vantage point to spot bears along the mountain trails. In fact, Lizeidy and Juan saw a bear lumber past their cabin the first time they stayed there. (Just don’t leave food on the porch or in your car. If you do, you might have a bear sighting that’s a little too close for comfort.)

“The whole Airbnb experience has been a learning process,” Juan says. “The way that you treat people and communicate with them is important.”

For instance, they were greeted with snack-filled welcome baskets at Airbnbs in New Zealand and Italy, so they do the same for their guests.

The cabin can accommodate eight to 10 people, and guests have included families, couples, honeymooners, friend groups and college students on spring break.

“October is a good time to visit and see the fall leaves,” says Juan.

When Lizeidy and Juan travel, they prefer to stay at Airbnbs because everyone has their own room and they can cook their own meals.

“You have more space in an Airbnb, and you experience more in the community than you do in a hotel,” says Lizeidy. “You get to know the locals when you stay in an Airbnb.”

They try to create an experience that makes their guests want to return.

“We want people to feel at home there, but at the same time, we want them to feel like they’re getting away from everything,” says Juan.

Clearly, Lizeidy and Juan, rated as Airbnb super hosts, are succeeding. In one of Ohana’s many positive reviews, a guest writes, “This luxe cabin was a great blend of vacation and the feelings of home.”

By Betsy Gilliland

Visiting The Skeleton in the Closet — Messer Chups

Listen To This

Messer Chups skeletons in the closetAs we carve our way into shorter days and longer sleeves, the smells and thrills of October officially kick off the holiday-packed B-side of the year.

Pumpkin madness is in full tilt, and the candy stash and monster mash are slowly building a creepy sweet crescendo. Sights and sounds are all the rage this time of year, and when the night of tricks and treats arrive, ambience is the black cat’s pajamas.

Thanks to the California sound of the 1964 cult-classic TV theme of The Munsters, retro twanging guitar riffs have become synonymous with setting the tone for creepy-crawly shindigs and front porch foolery.

, the mystifying Russian rock duo, has been delivering vintage vibes since the mid-90s with a thrilling and chilling musical ride through the eerie and eccentric world of retro surf-rock.

Their latest album, Visiting the Skeleton in the Closet, immediately opens a creaky door to a mysterious realm where surf guitars collide with B-movie soundscapes and horror film samples.

With catchy melodies, driving rhythm and quirky, radioactive licks, it is a hauntingly beautiful homage to the old while crafting a killer vibe entirely their own.

Chups weaves a web of intrigue through every track as they mash up a mad-laboratory concoction of vintage, surf, garage and psychedelic rock into a kaleidoscope that blasts a bite-sized phonic howl of a time.

For a ghoulish thrill ride of surf rock that delivers a delicious and electrifying journey through the weird and wonderful world of surf, skeletons and spooky surprises, Messer Chups delivers the full-sized candy bar of tasty tunes. Direct side effects do not include cavities, stomach aches or sugar rushes. Spin at your own risk.

– Chris Rucker