I’d say, in general, we’re relatively modest, un-sappy, private people when it comes to most things in life. The lion’s share of the people bothering to read this likely know us in real life, but, for the two or three of you who don’t, you should know that Katie and I—the raven and the crow, as it were—are partners in both business and, more importantly, partners in life. I’ve been lucky enough to call Katie my love for the past thirteen years—through spikey hair and bangs, crazy piercings and trying emo bands, oversized t-shirts and zero fashion sense (those last two were just me). Seven years ago today, we took the opportunity to gather as many of our dear friends and family as we could and throw the best party we could muster, all in the name of loving each other. So I hope you don’t fault me for being overly sentimental, dear reader, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of Music Monday falling on our actual wedding date and have, accordingly, posted the song Katie and I first danced to as an officially married couple—Tom Waits’ “Little Trip to Heaven”—and I’d like to take this time to dedicate to her again, seven years later. I love you, Katie. Somehow more than I did that day, though I never thought that possible.

You know how you have those moments where you realize that—despite the fact that you’re paying crippling high rents and dealing with a staggering standard of living to be in New York City—you’re basically spending most of your waking hours in an endless cycle of wake-work-eat-sleep that could take place pretty much anywhere? Yeah, us too. But then…then you have those counter moments where you walk by Janelle Monáe on the way back from cool-ass beach you took the train to, or you step out the door and get fresh bread and locally made whatever within a block of your apartment, or you realize, looking at the Manhattan skyline on the free ferry from Governors Island, how cool this city really is. Or, you look at your imaginary watch and realize, ‘Hey. It’s Fashion Week.’ I know what you’re thinking: ‘Pssh. Over-priced gowns and dead animals draped over anorexic models. Whatevs.’ But you’re overlooking a very important feature of Fashion Week, my friend—Fashion’s Night Out, the night when designers, stores, and…er…even pharmacies offer up to the masses discounted late-night shopping, glammy celebs, DJs, live music from local artists, and, most importantly, a ton of free booze. So suck it, Deluth. I might be able to rent a whole house there for $95 a month, but do Gwen Stefani and (P) Diddy hang out at your cosmetic stores? That’s what I thought.

I check Design*Sponge all day, every day. Seriously. It’s my favorite site for both inspiration and procrastination.
Last week, they posted this recipe for Ming Thompson‘s pistachio olive oil cake with fig compote filling and cream cheese frosting.
Ming’s photos of the cake were gorgeous and I knew immediately that I needed to make it. Alas, the recipe was not vegan, but with a few easy substitutions, I was able to have this cake and eat it too. (zing!)

Here’s the original recipe, and here’s the vegan cheat sheet:honey = agave nectar
milk = almond milk
eggs = Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer
butter = Willow Run vegan margarine (it’s free of palm oil—here’s a very convincing piece on why that’s nice to try and avoid, and more info here)cream cheese = tofu spread/vegan cream cheese

Like careening down a cascading waterfall of sound with a tiny japanese bug in your ear all the while. Were someone to ask, that’s how I’d describe listening to Mice Parade. Brainchild of sometimes-Swirlie and shoegazing aficionado, Adam Pierce (mix those letters up…), the band’s always been one that impressed me immensely at how elegantly they can craft the chaos and constant crashing of intricate instrumentation around Caroline Lufkin’s delicately screeching voice. This single from their forthcoming album, What It Means To Be Left Handed, is no exception. To boot, it’s probably one of their best songs to date. It dips and dives with this wildly epic, choral feel and it totally has me psyched for the September 14th release of the full-length. Especially since it’s also got a cover of the early Lemonheads song, Malo Cup. Nice. So check out this week’s Song of the Week, “In Between Times”, and then listen to the rest of the tracks from the album or pre-order it over at their label, Fat Cat Records. Not to be confused with our cat’s LLC, Fat Cat Imports/Exports. Don’t ask what they import/export…

Our studio’s new door décor.

Kindness of Ravens (KoR)—For anyone familiar with Parades or any of your previous work, Magic Chairs definitely sounds like a departure. To us, it captures Efterklang’s unique sound and song structure and concentrates it into something that’s more likely recognizable to most listeners—more accessible. Was that an intentional move or just the way things were evolving with your writing?

Efterklang US Tour 2010:
September

07.09 – Montreal, CA / La Sala Rossa / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
08.09 – Toronto, CA / Lee’s Palace / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
09.09 – Cleveland, US / Beachland Tavern / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
10.09 – Chicago, US / Empty Bottle / w. Buke And Gass + more / Tickets
11.09 – Minneapolis, US / Walker Arts / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
12.09 – Kansas City, US / Crosstown Station / supp: Buke And Gass
13.09 – Denver, US / Hi Dive / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
14.09 – Salt Lake City, US / Urban Lounge / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
16.09 – Vancouver, CA – Media Club / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
17.09 – Seattle, US / Chop Suey / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
18.09 – Portland, US / Doug Fir / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
20.09 – San Francisco, US / Bottom of The Hill / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
21.09 – Los Angeles, US / Troubadour / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
24.09 – Austin, US / Mohawk / w. Bowerbirds & Buke And Gass / Tickets
25.09 – Frisco, TX / Oysterfest / Tickets
26.09 – Memphis, US / Hi Tone / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
27.09 – Atlanta, US / Earl / w: Field Music & Buke And Gass / Tickets
29.09 – Washington, DC, US / DC9 / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
30.09 – Philadelphia, US / Johnny Brenda’s / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
October
01.10 – New York, Manhattan, US / Santos / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets
02.10 – New York, Brooklyn, US / Glasslands / supp: Buke And Gass / Tickets

Call us lazy (go ahead, I dare you), but we’re deferring to The Washington Post for this week’s Friday Fave Five Frirah.

Blonde Redhead is one of those rare, amazing bands that seems to evolve effortlessly. Since their debut in 1995, they’ve traversed no wave, noise rock, avant-garde, and straight-up indie before settling on something wholly themselves. Upon hearing a Blonde Redhead song, it’s hard to not recognize the band behind it. So I’m understandably excited that they have a follow-up to their sublime 23 (2007) coming out September 14th.

“An evil drow-elf is displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A sanitation worker lures friends into a Sphere of Annihilation. A failed supervillain starts a cable access show involving ninjas, puppets, and a cooking segment. These are the characters, real and imagined, of The Dungeon Masters: Against the backdrop of crumbling middle-class America, two men and one woman devote their lives to Dungeons and Dragons, the storied role-playing game, and its various descendants. As their baroque fantasies clash with mundane real lives, the characters find it increasingly difficult to allay their fear, loneliness, and disappointment with the game’s imaginary triumphs. Soon the true heroic act of each character’s real life emerges, and the film follows each as he or she summons the courage to face it. Along the way, The Dungeon Masters re-imagines the tropes of classic heroic cinema, creating an intimate portrait of minor struggles and triumphs writ large.”

The Dungeon Masters from Dungeon Masters Movie on Vimeo.

Last Tuesday, Katie and I had the honor of being invited to an artists’ reception at the Nu Hotel in downtown Brooklyn. I know, right? What were THEY thinking? We promptly attended, drank all the free wine, and then ate all available vegan hors d’oeuvres, meaning the pile of baby carrots. Then we realized we should probably check out some art. Turns out, our borough produces some right nice pretty-picture-makers.

“Peruvian native Maria Baraybar, came to the United States at the age of 8 with white sand in her shoes and a head full of questions. The youngest of an immigrant family moving around in the US shaped a young Baraybar’s sensitivities. Trying to answer those questions through poetry, she found her self-expression through the Visual Arts. A coping mechanism soon turned into a lifeline. Eschewing conventional art school studies, Baraybar opted for broader education, embracing non-traditional channels to creativity.”

Look! We designed a salad!