In anticipation of the release of her fourth full-length album—Phantom—later this month, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Madi Diaz put out a free/name your price sampler over the weekend. The collection, not-so-meekly titled Stripped Chopped + Screwed, was released via NoiseTrade and features four stripped-down acoustic version of tracks from the coming album and a remix.

We’re long-time Diaz fans—she’s got a sharp ear, quick wit, and knows how to craft a catchy, substantive pop song. We can only assume the new album will build off that skill set and continue to wow us. You can pre-order Phantom via the usual suspects (Madi’s got them all listed on her site); the sampler’s available for download at noisetrade.com.

Hear more from Madi Diaz and get her thoughts on the changing music industry, how this album differs from past work, and how break-ups suck…but are good fodder for song-writing in our April interview with Madi.

Below, a dance-y, hook-filled single from the coming album, “Tomorrow”.

The answer, sadly, seems to be no.

Related note—this is going to be awesome. See you there!

When we picked up roots and moved our studio from its home in Brooklyn, New York to the relative wilds of Beachwood Canyon in Los Angeles, California, we had a pretty high bar set in terms of expectations. Our studio space in Brooklyn was great—a third floor walkup in a historic, former pre-prohibition brewery with tall ceilings, gigantic northeastern-facing windows, and excellent light for photo shoots and general good moods (you can see pictures of the space throughout  older posts in this journal, like this one on the desks we made with Katie’s dad back in 2010).

But, even if we hadn’t moved to the west coast, that area—Boerum Hill—was rapidly changing and rents were starting to skyrocket, so we likely would have moved even if we had remained a Brooklyn-based company.

So when we finally made the decision to head westward, we sought out a different work atmosphere that reflected our desired change in lifestyle, but still met certain requirements, awesome light included.

Making the choice to combine home + office (at least initially), we situated ourselves in Beachwood Canyon, just up the street from where we originally staged our four month trial period last fall. For anyone not already familiar with the area, Beachwood’s the canyon directly below the Hollywood sign where the original Hollywoodland development was built (read more about this history of the area at beachwoodcanyon.org). Though it’s technically part of Hollywood, the neighborhood feels a million miles aways from the Times-Square-esque tourist hub down the hill and abuts Griffith Park, the nation’s largest urban park and a big draw for us. Our home + office is nestled at the foot of a woodsy hill with (no joke) a pack of coyotes living at its peak and the whole neighborhood gives off a surprisingly small town feel, with a small strip of businesses just up the street from us.

Every morning except for those two or three it rains (I wish that were less of a hyperbole), we set up our design studio on our the patio right next to our house. There are a few negatives to doing this—on some days, our wi-fi signal can get a little weak and, yes, we are sometimes startled by falling tree debris—but, most days, it’s akin to working in the midst of a tranquil little forest.

We ordered one of the few solid wood outdoor tables we can find to serve as our daytime work table/nighttime dining and hang-out area. The table’s topped slotted pieces of wood that make it easy to run our power adaptor and a FireWire cable to connect our two computers for a faster tie-in than wi-fi would provide. We moved from two large desktop screens to two 15″ MacBook Pros, which took a little adjusting and can be somewhat limiting with large publication work, but we have a backup gigantic iMac in our indoor office + guest room to use as needed.

In Brooklyn, we employed a realtively large, 1 terabyte (one trillion bytes) G-Drive to house all of our design projects externally, but, when we moved to the more mobile, outdoor office, we purchased a much smaller G-Drive Mobile with a dual USB data + power connector so we could both transport the drive more easily and wouldn’t require a totally separate power source, as with the previous drive.

In terms of overall power source for the laptops, we ran a series of lines of outdoor lights from the utility outlet, through the tree in our yard, across the dividing fence and under the table.

At the end of the day, we pack up shop and return the patio to recreational mode.

Who knows if we’ll keep this setup in the longterm or move to separate home + office again down the road, but, for the time being, we’re enjoying designing in the wilds of Hollywood.

Below, power + data connections to our computers and G-Drive; our decorative-meets-utilitarian power source; straight-up decorative semaphore flag (F for Farmer AND Frichtel, bike-planter, and HAPPY pennants to remind us why we do all this (partial hold-over from Katie’s birthday); nothing says ‘happy’ like fresh flowers from the farmers market!; ditto that for homemade cold brew coffee most days; Allister + Owen posing regally; and Katie, looking cutely studious, along with Owen, in his usual stop directly below my chair.

Pretty excited about this design collaboration we’re working on with MooShoes. More on that later when we open the store out here in Los Angeles, just wanted to give a quick glimpse of the work, which we’re hoping to apply to a few different projects.

Go vegan, ya’ll!

Denver-based duo Tennis seem to have a chronic inability to release music that’s not lovely, hook-filled, and toe-tappingly addictive. I know—terribly confusing sentence, but it’s a compliment. The husband-and-wife band can do no wrong in my mind in terms of crafting beautiful indie pop gems.

Case in point, the recently released second single from their forthcoming third full-length, Ritual in Repeat (out next week), entitled “I’m Callin'”. Seems a great song to play us out the summer…in a city where summer never ends. Give it a listen and keep your eye out for the band as they tour to support the album.

Fellow nerds—check out the band’s site (after the initial splash page). Ah, old-school computer tech. It’s like a comforting, dorky hug for some of us.

Band photo by Luca Venter.

Happy Labor Day, all.

Back in the 90s—and this is no great exaggeration—much of my personal visual creative energy went into the art of mix tape covers, either ones made for friends or ones made for myself. I spent hours not only on curating the perfect content for these tapes, but also logged a significant amount of time on bedroom floors and Kinko’s color copiers creating complex collages of whatever I was into that week.

This was always one of my favorites, from the period of time when I was slightly obsessed with taking photos of the ocean at night. I finished it off with a blurry, underwater-like Polaroid of our old college cat, Pants (below).

Eclectic track listing for your enjoyment below. Note the third to last song on the second side. That bass player can make some mean raw vegan food….

Side One
1. Superchunk – “Her Royal Fisticuffs”
2. That Dog – “Long Island”
3. Sunny Day Real Estate – “8”
4. Elastica – “Stutter”
5. Discount – “Malarie’s Mission”
6. Slant 6 – “G.F.S.”
7. Lois – “Flamer”
8. Pavement – “Date with Ikea”
9. Sleater-Kinney – “Dance Song ’97”
10. Moped – “Stephaen Hero”
11. Built to Spill – “I Would Hurt a Fly”
12. Skeleton Key – “The World’s Most Famous Underkeeper”
13. Blonde Redhead – “Symphony of Treble”
14. June of 44 – “Rivers and Plains”
15. Retsin – “Foul”
16. Elliot Smith (ft. Rebecca Gates) – “St. Ides Heaven”

Side Two
1. Jawbox – “Mirrorful”
2. The Promise Ring – “Everywhere in Denver”
3. Pixies – “Debaser”
4. The Spinanes – “Uneasy”
5. Huggybear – “Shaved Pussy Poetry”
6. Liz Phair – “Carnivore”
7. Team Dresch – “Deattached”
8. Seven Storey Mountain – “Last Time”
9. Fugazi – “Bed for the Scraping”
10. Tattle Tale – “Arrows”
11. Sparkle – “Her Way”
12. Ruby Falls – “Steal”
13. Kaia – “Peyton Versus Your Boyfriend”
14. Nikki McClure – “Omnivore”
15. Texas is the Reason – “Antique”
16. Karate – “What is Sleep?”
17. Bikini Kill – “Statement of Vindication”

Earlier this week, we brought friend + MooShoes Brand Manager over to the west side for what we thought would be a pretty standard dinner before dropping her off at LAX for her return trip to NYC. Instead, what we got was mind-blowing culinary experience consisting of thirteen courses of raw, vegan delights (if you count every dish brought to the table).

I know what most of you are thinking—”Ew. Raw AND vegan? Count me out, man.” And I hear you. That’s my usual response to most standard raw food. But I honestly think that the way Chef Scott Winegard of Matthew Kenney’s M.A.K.E restaurant prepares his food could sway even the staunchest disbelievers.

For anyone not already familiar with raw veganism, it essentially means preparing relatively unprocessed plant-based foods that have not been heated above 104-120°F (depending on who you ask). The theory being that overheating or over processing plants robs them (and you, the consumer) of valuable enzymes and can even add toxins to the plant that weren’t present before cooking.

Whether you buy that or not, I can tell you that, whatever they’re doing the food at M.A.K.E., it’s working. And it’s fucking tasty—honestly, that dinner was one of the best I’ve ever had.

We thought we’d share some photos we took at dinner and took a few minutes to talk with Scot Winegard, who chose our menu that night and acts as Director of Culinary Operations for Matthew Kenney. Side note—he’s also the bassist of seminal second wave emo band, Texas is the Reason. Read on to hear Scott’s favorite dishes at the restaurant, his thoughts on raw veganisn in general, and what you get when you mix kimchi and cashews.

raven + crow: Alright, I know there was a decent amount of time between things, but tell me—how does one go from bassist in NYC-based Texas is the Reason to Executive Chef of a raw, vegan restaurant in Santa Monica?

Scott Winegard: The whole time I was in TITR, I was working at Angelica Kitchen. I’ve been involved in restaurants since I was 15 years old. At AK, I did everything from delivery to waiting tables to managing the floor and then the kitchen. I worked there on and off for about 10 years. I learned so much about respect, community, seasonality, and the importance of organic and sustainable farming during that time. This was in the early 90’s as well, way before “farm to table” was on every restaurants mission statement.

Yeah, the scene had to be so different back then. Happy Angelica’s still staying true to their roots though. Texas is the Reason did some reunion shows last year too, right? How were those?

The shows were incredible. The others in TITR are my best friends in the whole world—I feel incredibly lucky and honored to have that opportunity to do that again.

So, starting in at 15 years old—guess it’s safe to say that cooking + food have been passions of yours for a while, yeah?

I always have been interested in food. I didn’t know how or what I was going to do, but I knew that it was either going to be music or food. Turning vegetarian at a young age made me look at food differently and I always enjoyed cooking as a kid with my family. My dad and Grandfather always had an amazing garden and that definitely influenced my future.

What is it about raw food in particular that interests you beyond the vegan realm?

I think we have to challenge ourselves to rethink how we put together dishes. I never feel that I am missing out on anything and the challenge actually drives me.

I love that it’s super clean and fresh and we don’t rely on trying to replicate cooked dishes as much as we used to, although it is a challenge to write a menu for a restaurant like MAKE without using words like lasagna or tacos. That’s why we offer the tasting menu so we can showcase some new techniques and flavor profiles that might not be something that anyone has had before as a vegan.

Yeah, that tasting menu blew everyone’s minds, man. Dish after dish kept just kept coming and each and every one was something totally new and totally delectable. You guys try to source from the Santa Monica Farmers Market whenever possible, correct?

We visit the SMFM every Wednesday and Saturday, the Venice Market on Friday, and Mar Vista on Sunday if we have to. Our Purveyors also source from a lot of local farms as well.

How does that impact the evolution of the menus over time?

I always say that the farmers write our menus as they harvest the next seasons vegetables. I use the time at the market to take a mental inventory, talk to the farmers, and find out how long something may be available or what else is coming up next. We also do some foraging and we just met a cool local urban gardener who we hope to partner with in the near future.

Any seasonal favorites coming up that you’re excited about?

Right now we are loving the lobster and chanterelle mushrooms; tomatoes are incredible too right now. The fact that I can get citrus and avocados that are so great completely spoils me as a chef.

Totally. What are some go-to’s as far as vegan raw food that you like to whip out to impress even the most dismissive of the food?

We always suggest the lasagna, the kimchi dumplings, and the black pepper kelp noodles—those always seem to change everyones mind right away.

Love the dumplings + kelp noodles. Favorite current dish at MAKE and rough idea of what goes into it in terms of prep + ingredients?

We have been doing a dish on the tasting menu with lobster or chanterelle Mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, harissa, and a smoked cashew cream. The mushrooms are cooked sous vide at 115 degrees for 4 hours. The tomatoes and corn are tossed with some herbs, really great California olive oils, and they are lightly “cooked” in the dehydrator for an hour. (pictured above)

Loved that dish with the lobster mushrooms. Such a great texture. And the filling in that kimchi-cashew dumpling you did the other night totally reminded me of the taste + texture of deviled ham from my childhood…which might sound off but was totally awesome. Was that replication intended at all?

It’s funny—everyone always has a reference point, but I would have to ask Mathhew where the inspiration came from. When I came on to the company it was on the menu at our restaurant in Oklahoma. I really liked it instantly, but I did change it a bit to lighten it up and I was inspired by another chef friend who was putting a kimchi puree with a dish he had on his menu, so we started using red cabbage to make the kimchi to get that awesome purple color.

Well it’s superb. One thing I’ve never gotten a good answer on—why are beans + legumes generally shunned as a protein source in raw foods?

I don’t eat 100% raw. Most beans and grains, in my opinion, have to be cooked to enjoy.

We have tried some sprouting that we have had some mild success with but, for me, I don’t digest it well and I wouldn’t want to put anyone else through that. I have a huge problem serving something to someone that I don’t enjoy 100%.

There is tons of protein in nuts and other vegetables—we probably shouldn’t even be worrying about it anyway.

All music to my ears. I had a trainer who follows a Paleo diet recently tell me that the reason they don’t advocate ingesting grains is that the casing on the grains themselves isn’t easily digestible and can actually trigger disorders for some people. Does that thinking go into raw foods as well?

There is some truth to that, but we don’t boil water in our raw food restaurants so that’s why you don’t see it on out menus. We serve beans and grains at Tamazul (Oklahoma) and The Gothic (Maine) that have cooked items on our menus there.

Got it. So, what brought you out to LA originally?

I started working as the Chef for Matthew Kenney Culinary about 3 years ago. At first, my plan was to stay in NY and work from my test kitchen at my apartment there and at PlantLab in Maine (I developed most of the opening menu for MAKE there). I came out to Santa Monica and I never really wanted to go back, so after about 9 months of Air BNB rentals, I found my own space and, honestly, I love it. It’s different from Brooklyn, but I am super happy to be out here, especially doing the work I am doing. It’s perfect.

Was it tough leaving New York after so long though?

I grew up there. I will always love it. I have been back and forth a lot and it’s not that far and isn’t very hard to get back. I miss some of the conveniences of being able to meet up with anyone at any time but I don’t really need that at this point of my life either.

Assuming you spend most of your time around Santa Monica, what do you like about the west side over the rest of LA?

I love being by the Beach. I grew up in Oceanside on Long Island and I always had some connection to the water, whether it was surfing or skateboarding. I always wanted to move to California as a kid because of what I followed in the skate magazines I poured through. I haven’t been in the ocean with a surfboard yet and I don’t skate other than to get around but it feels super good to be out here. I love being in Venice now, but I have no issues with the east side at all. I just recently got a car so everywhere is available and I don’t mind the traffic that much yet either.

Well we hope to see you east-side some time, but, after that dinner, I’m guessing we’ll see you on your turf sooner. Thanks so much for talking with us, man.

You can (and very much should) visit Scott at M.A.K.E.—395 Santa Monica Place, Suite 333 (third floor), Santa Monica.

Below, our tasting menu, in order—California olives with grapefruit + herbs; a vegan cheese board, with cheeses made from cashew + macadamia nuts and served with a nut-based flatbread, lightly pickled carrots, pickled asparagus, and a house-made mustard; an amuse bouche of local fig with grapefruit caviar and puréed fennel; sweet peach + heirloom tomato gazpacho; a cucumber salad with thinly sliced fresh cucumber, spiralized cucumbers, cucumber cream, cucumber powder, and black sesame tahini; a watermelon radish + avocado salad with puréed avocado; a kimchi-cashew-filled dumpling made of dehydrated coconut and cilantro; black pepper kelp noodles with pea tendrils; which was followed by the aforementioned lobster mushroom and tomato dish (pictured above); then a palette-cleanser of fresh strawberry sorbet; fresh white + yellow peaches and a pistachio tart on a sweet mascarpone-style nut cream; a coconut-cashew-based coffee ice cream with aerated chocolate chunks and fresh raspberries; and, finally, a cute little box of vegan, raw cookies and macaroons.

What are we, the queen?

Photo of Scott courtesy Matthew Kenney.

Two days ago, British pop singer-songwriter Charlie XCX debuted her video for “Break the Rules”, the lead single for her forthcoming full-length, SUCKER, and what I can only assume will become this generation’s “School’s Out”.

Today, longtime studio favorite, Brooklyn-based string pop outfit, Miracles of Modern Science announced an attempt to “try to set the world record for fastest cover video!”

Whether they set any world records or not, as usual, they’ve hit the mark with an awesomely catchy cover song.

Check out their video below and then the original from Charlie XCX under that.

You can download a free MP3 of MoMS’ version via their bandcamp page.

Also, is that a Shining reference at the end of their video?

I first heard Danish electronic band, Future 3, as they opened the 2002 Morr Music compilation, Blue Skied An’ Clear, a tribute to seminal shoegazers, Slowdive. That record featured an impressive patchwork of glitchy, ethereal electronic takes on the music of Slowdive and served to accelerate my personal exploration and love of indie electronic music and—specifically—Plinkerpop.

As it turns out, their contributions to Blue Skiedwere their last official releases as a band.

Now, twelve years later, Future 3 is back with a characteristically sparsely beautiful record, With and Without. The album presents a consistently icy, musically frigid world. At the risk of coming off as overly pretentious, With and Without gives us the aural equivalent of a field of snow that’s so simple and clean, it’s perfectly beautiful. Quickly trilling harmonies are sketched out in chiming, churning electronics and rounded out with gently whirring keyboard chords and vocals that often meld together in tone and range.

With and Without is Future 3’s first proper album in 13 years as members Anders Remmer (aka Dub Tractor), Thomas Knak (aka Opiate), and Jesper Skaaning (aka Acustic) return from working on other long-term musical projects. The album title refers to the the two halves of the record: the first, With, featuring the band’s more vocal-forward collaborations with album guests Thomas Meluch (better known as Benoît Pioulard) + Anja T. Lahrmann (Ice Cream Cathedral); the second, Without, shows the band looking inward with more ambient, airy work written and recorded without guest contributions.

We’re a sucker for vocal-driven work, but, at the same time, it seems a shame not to feature a song from the album titled “August” in the waning days of that month.

So, courtesy of Future 3 and the band’s label, Morr Music, we’re happy to be premiering “August” by Future 3, a heady, glitchy, fun instrumental that provides a quick glimpse into the band’s musical aesthetic.

The album itself will be available stateside October 14 via Morr Music + iTunes and you can currently purchase “August” on iTunes. Head to Morr to listen to 90 second snippets of other songs on the album.