Reader, be you good friend, valued client, or random passer-by, you may or may not already know that Katie + I are moving to California for a little while. With us will come our design studio and what we’re hoping will be a very cooperative cat + dog in the back seat of our Volvo 240 as we trek 3000 miles across this fine nation.

Though we were undeniably enchanted by our trip West this past April, we had only lightly batted around the idea of spending a more significant amount of time in the Golden State. But an opportunity’s recently come up that we think is too good to let pass by, so we’ll be living + working in Los Angeles from August to the end of November or so.

And, though we’re excited to be transitioning ourselves to a new place—geographically, mentally, and professionally—we’re also starting to get a little nostalgic as our push-off date grows near.

Just last night, walking out along the piers in South Brooklyn, seeing the city across the water and inevitably running into friends + neighbors along the way in this tight-knit community, it struck me how much I’m going to miss this place. Even if we’re just leaving for one third of one year, that’s one third of one year away from a place we’ve lovingly called home for almost a decade now. Which, I just realized, is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place in my entire life.

Clearly, there are many things to be missed about living in New York—the style; the existence of seasons; the classic architecture; the cozy days of overcast rain or snow; the ability to get anywhere with a healthy combination of walking + public transportation; the practical, down-to-earth, no-nonsense default attitudes of New Yorkers; the fact that you can say, with the utmost confidence, that you live in the coolest city in the world—the thing we’ll miss the most, without a doubt, are our very much loved friends. From the people we’ve known since college and moved from city to city with for years to the neighbors we met only a few years ago but have grown closer to than ever before, none of you are replaceable and it honestly pains us to leave you.

But, change you choose is always good, right? And we feel the need for change right now, even if only for a few months.If you’re a client, as we’ve likely already mentioned, nothing should change work-wise—we’re taking on our usual workload with us, continuing to serve our East Coast clients and exploring a few news ones out West. We only anticipate that our work days may be filled with a little more sunshine + avocados.If you’re a friend—come visit! For real!

And as for the blog here, we’ll likely be taking some time off while we’re on the road, maybe documenting a little along the way live via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and then after the fact on these pages.We’ll take lots of photos. Wish us luck! Cats + dogs love hanging out in the back seat of a car for 46 hours, right?

Right?

Hello?

If you missed it, we had a week dedicated to our last trip to LA on the blog a while back full of interviews, restaurant reviews, and all that good stuff. Check it out and see why we loved the place so much.

Bee tee dubs—Awesome california pendant above by our friend Chris of Yellow Owl Studio.

raven + crow studio have been dedicated vegans for a long time now. So long that I feel fairly confident in saying that we’ve fielded the gamut of questions that people tend to ask those who chose to avoid animal products: Where do you get your protein? Don’t you miss cheese/bacon/steak/eggs/all that stuff? Would you drink milk if you raised your own cow and were totally besties and nice to it? If we’re not supposed to eat meat, why do we have these two semi-sharp teeth? How’s it cruel to shave sheep—they get hot, man? Do you have bird-like bones that break under the weight of our planet’s harsh gravity? What are vegan shoes—can you eat those? Can you still lift things? Don’t plants have feelings too?

And one key question addressed by Peace Advocacy Network Co-Founder, Ed Coffin over at the Huffington Post this week: “Why Do Vegans Eat ‘Fake’ Meat?” Coffin’s answer seems obvious to us this far down the road but may not be obvious to everyone, that being, essentially, because it tastes good + doesn’t result in animals unnecessarily dying and/or living a life of pain + servitude. Easy.

Ethical off-roads aside,  we’ve drastically decreased the amount of “fake” meat we personally consume (and, by “fake” meat, we just mean processed vegetable-based protein—soy, seitan, et cetera—meant to resemble animal protein). It’s been less of a pre-meditated, planned-out thing for us and more an effect of the larger cultural movement of late toward whole foods and us simply realizing that we feel healthier the fewer overly processed foods we consume.

That said, this writer does get the occasional/frequent craving for some faux wings or a crazy loaded vegan sausage, so I’m happy to have more easily accessible options on that front than ever before.

A recent, much-anticipated offering in that realm are the vegan chicken-like protein strips from California-based company, Beyond Meat. Part of the reason the company’s products were so hyped well in advance of their actual release is the “mainstream” backing of Twitter co-founders, Evan Williams + Biz Stone. But the more significant reason for all the excitement  is the company’s savvy marketing approach akin that of vegan cheese company, Daiya. Like Daiya, Beyond Meat smartly put a lot of effort into social media + audience-building prior to release. They also focused not only on the individual consumer market, but also on the restaurant market and on a strong partnership with Whole Foods, both of which have strengthened their overall presence + impact cross-market.

But, beyond showing some good business sense, how’s the company’s actual product?

First off, as designers, we have to say—we abhor the chicken-made-up-of-vegetables imagery on the packaging. That’s just weird, man. And not very appetizing. It for real pained us to put that photo on this blog.

But that’s beside the main point, which is—yes, Beyond Meat has succeeded in creating a very chicken-like chicken alternative. The texture, in my opinion, is spot-on. Raw it’s not great, but I don’t remember eating a whole lot of raw chicken in my meat-eating days. Sauté it with a little oil though, and it’s gives a great, basic ‘protein-y’ taste that, like chicken, provides a fairly neutral palette to build from.

We opted to go with the least pre-seasoned version—”Grilled” as opposed to “Lightly Season” or “Southwest”—so we could control the end product better, sautéing lighting in olive oil with a little salt, and then setting half aside for later use. The other half we mixed with some sliced onions + a nice vegan mole sauce for tacos as part of a vegetable-based Mexican meal. The strips held up well, worked great as part of the larger flavor, and retained their texture like champs. Overall, thumbs-up! We stored the other pre-cooked half of the strips and then, later in the week, worked them up in a food processor with chopped up apple, some Vegenaise, and some fresh herbs + spices to make a great chicken-like salad.

In the end, we think this is a great meat alternative, especially for those working to slowly introduce animal-freindly proteins into their diet or give the whole vegan thing a try. And any product that makes it easier for us all to lessen the impact we make on animal’s lives, the environment, and our larger societal health, we’re 100% behind, especially when it seems to be from a company that’s so well-run. You know. Minus that whole packaging thing.

Below, our Beyond Meat chicken-less salad wrap and a packaging choice the company made that we can support.

Reader, if you’re up on the ins + outs of the New York vegan scene and/or follow us on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or your preferred social media outlet du jour, you may already know that NYC-based artisan ice cream purveyors + ever-misspelled pusher of caffeine, Van Leeuwen, now offers small batch vegan ice cream.

What you may not know, however, is that it’s fucking awesome. Like, really fucking awesome. Really really fucking awesome.

The two mainstay flavors—which you can find at three brick-and-mortars (see above) + on their truck—are the bio-dynamic, single-estate Michel Cluizel French chocolate + the oak-barrel-aged bourbon + Tahitian vanilla. And yes—they are just as fancily amazing as they sound. Honestly, the vanilla is the best vegan vanilla this writer has ever had. And, mind you, I have had a LOT of vegan ice cream.

Co-Founder Laura O’Neill informs us they’re hard at work on new flavors too. One of which, according to a recent poster on Instagram, is vegan black sesame. Right—WHAAAAAAAT‽ Also, according to VL’s Facebook page a couple weeks back—”Whats next on the vegan menu??? Mint chip, made with organic housemade cashew nut milk.” Again, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT‽

Accuse us of hyperbolation if you like, Reader, but we encourage you to try for yourself + see what you think. Fight this heat wave with vegan ice cream!

Brooklyn-based Kodacrome is made up of Elissa (vocals/synth) + Ryan (synth/electronics) and, together, the pair craft melody-driven electronic-based music that veers toward the pulsing atmospheric. Their 2012 EP, Perla, was good, but their brand new, just-released track “Strike the Gold” is superb and has us excited for what’s to come from the band.

We sat down with Elissa + Ryan over the holiday weekend—and by “sat down”, I mean “emailed with”—to find out what else is the horizon for the duo, why not every electronic band needs to sound like a rave, and why otters should be able to play chess. It’d just be a useful skill for them, okay?

raven + crow: Alright, lame start to the interview, but how would you describe Kodacrome to anyone who hasn’t heard you all?

Elissa: Not lame! I guess dark synth-driven pop.

Oh, I always feel bad asking bands to describe themselves. It’s akin to being asked to describe your strengths + weaknesses in a job interview. “Kodacrome just works too hard some days….” Where does the band name come from, by the way, and what’s with the anti-Kodak/-Paul-Simon spelling?

Elissa: We chose the name for its percussive qualities. We just loved the sound of the word—it’s so crisp and defined. I wasn’t exposed to any of the classic American singer-songwriters growing up, and I never heard the Paul Simon song. But now everyone likes to play it for us!

Ryan: it just sounds and looks good. I’ve shot on Super8mm Kodachrome film and liked the reference, although neither of us actually considered the Paul Simon song at time. Hopefully Google search figures it out soon.

Oh, I have every faith in Google’s algorithms and their commutative might. I read that you relocated to Brooklyn from San Francisco to pursue the band more seriously, Elissa. That seems like quite a leap. Was that a difficult decision to make?

Elissa: Ryan made it easy for me, because he never wastes time questioning the nature of his career path. I guess I had some moments of trepidation, since I was leaving a kind of golden-handcuff job at the time, but I’m so glad to be done making that choice and having that conversation.

Forunte favors the bold, right‽ And how are you liking Brooklyn so far? I know we don’t have the crazy hills + lovely weather, but it ain’t bad digs.

Elissa: Oh, it’s great! I truly love the grit and the non-relaxed nature of it.

We pride ourselves on our dirty edginess. Did you all find it difficult to collaborate creatively long-distance before the move?

Elissa: No, it was pretty easy! We actually use the same workflow now—taking turns and giving each other space. The only time it’s tough to work remotely is when Ryan’s touring with other bands, because then he just doesn’t have all the tools or the wifi at his disposal.

Ryan: Yeah, working long distance went very well. At times things moved a bit slowly, especially when it came to finishing tracks and polishing mixes, but creatively it was smooth. We are both pretty tech savvy with sharing projects and file transfers and such.

What do you two do in your non-music-making lives?

Elissa: I mostly DJ for bread and butter. And I do the occasional freelance writing job. Between that and Kodacrome, I’ve got my hands tied. I guess I like to try to cook when I can. It takes some sensory pressure off of my ears.

Ryan: My ears don’t get much of a break. I produce and mix for other bands in NY, and I’m on the road a lot as a front of house engineer, often mixing 7 shows a week. I’m happy when I’m working on music though, in any capacity. I also work as a freelance set designer and graphic designer whenever I can fit it in. We are both super-busy.

You’re telling me. So, your new track, “Strike the Gold”, is awesome. I assume there’s some more new music in the works for the coming LP. How do you think it differs from the songs that make up your 2012 10″ EP, Perla?

Elissa: In this batch, I haven’t been forcing myself to stick to as many traditional song structures as before, which is really freeing. I’m making it a point to give Ryan a lot of space to express himself from a production standpoint.

Ryan: Oh boy, that sounds like a lot of pressure on me doesn’t it? It’s true though, this record has less traditional song structure. I think on Perla we wanted to showcase our diversity and on this record we’re honing in on a more consistent sound and texture.

Well, for what it’s worth, I’m excited to hear more new tracks. The independent electronic music scene is such a crowded field. It’s one of our absolute favorite musical genres but, at the same time, there can be a lot of creative overlap in it too. Have you made any deliberate moves to stand out among the crowd…or is it all more organic than that for you all?

Elissa: The standards we set for ourselves are pretty insular, and I think that’s ultimately going to be enough…at least I hope so, because we’re pretty hard on ourselves! The density of the scene here comes more into play because of the sheer ambition we are exposed to on a daily basis. It’s so refreshing to be around motivated creative people who believe in themselves!

Ryan: We definitely let things happen naturally. If anything, what sets us apart is that we don’t pay much attention to what everything else sounds like. Which is not to say that I don’t enjoy much of the electronic music coming out right now because I do!

Well-put, both of you. We’ve found that another pitfall of electronically based pop can be a less deep live show, especially if everything’s keyboard-/computer-/sequencer-sourced or doesn’t employ any live drums. Do you all build the band out at all for live shows?

Elissa: We have in the past, and we’d like to do it more eventually. We’ve pretty much phased out the laptop all together, which makes the set a lot more athletic for us to execute. I don’t know if anyone can tell. But we’re definitely really busy up there!

Ryan: That’s always a tough battle but—and bear with me here—I think it comes down to dynamics and expectations. When an electronic band is playing a set, does that always have to equate to a loud dance party? Can an electronic pop act like us play dynamic music with slow builds and soft ambience on a drum machine? Brian Eno can do it, right? What interests me is how this kind of music can potentially transfer to a listening room or a theatre. I’d hate to resort to spectacle—I believe our music can ultimately stand on its own. I hope that’s not lofty or pretentious.

No, no—totally makes sense. And very good point on expectations. I think my main gripe with some live electronic acts is getting the feeling that I’m just watching karaoke over original material, but it sounds like you all have the dynamics of the live experience down. Alright on to more serious matters—quick fire time: Favorite bar in Brooklyn?

Elissa: Moto or Project Parlor.

Band you can’t stop listening to lately?

Ryan: Atoms For Peace.

I think I’ve heard of that little indie band. Best thing about NYC in the summer?

Elissa: Back patios at 8PM.

Worst?

Ryan: Garbage-melting, sticky, blazing heat.

Amen to that, brother. Spirit animal?

Ryan: A ram.

Elissa: Yes. I was attacked by a ram back in the day when we lived in the trees. They’re way more powerful than they look!

Ryan: Also, an otter that can play chess and ride a bicycle.

Wait, simultaneously? That otter would definitely need his own YouTube channel.

Listen to Kodacrome’s new song, “Strike the Gold”, below. And be sure to catch them Wednesday night as they open for Clementine + The Galaxy and Vandana Jain at the Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory.
 
You can visit Kodacrome’s site to listen to + purchase their previous EP, Perla. Join their mailing list and get a free track from the EP.

Coming off of Pride Week, and given the exciting developments for same-sex couples in recent days, we feel the need to celebrate musically. Who better to help us do so than NYC’s AVAN LAVA, an accurately self-described “Super-Pop act” that blends poppy dance-centric music with high-energy live shows + is fronted by Tom ‘TC’ Hennes (center above).

Hennes penned an article for Huffington Post last year entitled “AVAN LAVA Helped Me Open Up About My Sexuality, But Am I a ‘Gay Artist’?”. The thrilling conclusion—Fuck it; let’s dance.

As Hennes writes:

“Our show and our music are truly intended to be an inclusive experience. This shit is for everyone, and we’re happy to see it become contagious! We spend a lot of energy enhancing our live show. I think we’ve created a stadium-ready production — synchronized LED lights, fog, lasers, choreography, surprises — so now all we need is the stadium status! People always walk away saying, “I danced my ass off!” That’s really our goal: dance, get drunk, let yourself go, make out with a stranger, and wake up sore… from the dancing…” (you can read the full piece over at HuffPo).

We have yet to attend an AVAN LAVA show—they play Bowery Ballroom August 1 with the superb Body Language + one of this writer’s favorite local artists, Computer Magic (who we first wrote up in 2011)—but their recordings just sound like a really, really awesome dance party.

Give their track “Feels Good” a listen below and see if you can keep your foot from tapping, Reader. You can listen to the rest of their EP, Flex Fantasy, on the band’s SoundCloud page (check out “It’s Never Over” for an even bigger dance floor hit).

Bonus—check out their VRY HT (that means ‘very hot’) and beautifully shot video for their more tame yet still frightfully addictive track “Sisters” below. The band is expected to release their debut full-length later this year.

And way to go, America.

AVAN LAVA – “Sisters” (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from Alexander Hammer :: EDITOR on Vimeo.

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you may be aware that we visited a lovely little hamlet on the West Coast of the United States called “Los Angeles.” You may have heard of it—it’s a magical place where it’s always sunny, the rest of the world’s work day is at least halfway done by the time you wake up, and everyone’s weirdly nice—’tis a magical land.We’ve written in this space previously about how very vegan-friendly we found the city when we were there (you can read the rest of our LA Week posts if you need to catch up), but one of our culinary highlights was an early trip to the new, luxurious, small plate Mediterranean-style restaurant, Crossroads. Founded by celebrated chef and author of The Conscious Cook, Tal Ronnen, the space boasts an impressive, dark-wood-laden dining room, hand-crafted chandeliers, a wine room with a retractable roof for open air dining, and, in case visitors weren’t already impressed, an original Toulouse-Lautrec. So, yeah.

Needless to say, we enjoyed our experience at Crossroads. We partook in some superbly done botanically inspired libations; we lost ourselves in conversation as we took in the truly enchanting space; we even caught a glimpse of Ellen Degeneres + Portia de Rossi on their way from the private dining room in the back. Above all though, the food was rightfully the star of the night.

There’s no denying that we’re spoiled with a wealth of options as vegans in New York City. Trust us, we know—we just got back from western Pennsylvania, where every salad comes with pepperoni for some reason + one place we visited served a burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Really. But one thing we often find with our local vegan fine dining in NYC is that these establishments, while wonderful, get comfortably set in their ways with their menus + overall approaches to dining and food in general. Visiting Crossroads, this fact was thrown into stark contrast by a series of inventive, delectable courses—a salad consisting of local arugula, roasted wild mushroom chickpea flour pancake, and sun-dried tomato pesto; crispy oyster mushroom with artichoke purée; heart of palm “crab cakes” with basil aioli; all of it was exciting and, more importantly, delicious.

We got a chance recently—after settling back into New York life—to speak with Co-Owner/Chef, Tal Ronnen (below, right), and Executive Chef, Scot Jones (below, left) about the idea behind the restaurant, how the food scenes differ between LA + NYC, and Tal’s new vegan cheese line.

raven + crow: So, first off, we had a really wonderful experience when we visited Crossroads—excellently designed space + creative, delectable food. It really struck us as deliberately different, in a wonderful way. Was it important to you all in planning the restaurant to venture off onto a path less traveled when it comes to the vegan restaurant scene?

Chef Scot: Thank you so much, we really appreciate your kind words. Yes, it was important to focus on a great, sexy space that our guests enjoy coming to, not just because it’s plant-based. 

Well-done then—we loved it. For those who haven’t yet been, how would you sum up the idea behind Crossroads?

Chef Scot: We are Mediterranean small plates that happen to be plant-based.

Being in the branding business, we have to ask—is there a story behind the name?

Chef Tal: The name has different meanings to different partners. For me it speaks to the variety of guests that we have, from vegans to carnivores and everyone in between. 

Makes sense. The overall gestalt of the food at Crossroads could easily be paired with so many larger issues—animal rights, personal health, support of local produce + farms; do you all work with any organizations in those realms to either promote their causes or just ensure the integrity of the food sources at the restaurant?

Chef Tal: Chef Scot works with chefs to end hunger, and I like to work with animal protection groups. All of these groups are near and dear to our hearts though.

Obviously people come to vegetarianism + veganism in different ways—some do it for health reasons, others for ethical reasons, maybe some just because it’s the diet du jour—but what personally brought you to a plant-based diet?

Chef Scot: Chef Tal turned the light on for me, and I believe that all chefs should gear their menu towards a lifestyle that is necessary. 

Do you feel like it’s helpful to have been an enthusiastic non-vegan eater + chef in terms of bringing those ideas + memories of taste to your vegan cooking?

Chef Scot: Yes, that is why my version of plant-based cooking is delicious, and appeals to non-vegans as well. 

In terms of food trends, is there anything that’s got you particularly excited right now? What’s, say, the ‘new tofu’ for you?

Chef Scot: Right now we are going back to traditional basics—ancient grains.

Tal, Can you talk a little about Kite Hill, your new nut-milk-based cheese line (pictured right, photo by Liza Gershman)? What makes it different from the other various nut-based cheeses out there?

Chef Tal: Our cheeses are made like traditional cheese. We make the milk, form a curd, press the cheese and age them. Most other nut cheeses are ground up nuts then pressed to look like cheese. 

Yeah, we have yet to try it ourselves (you all were debuting it at Whole Foods the night we were at the restaurant), but it looks amazing. I know you used to be at Candle 79 here in New York. Having spent so much time working in both NYC + LA, what strikes you about how the two food scenes differ most?

Chef Tal: The West Coast has broader access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but I miss the intimate vibe at New York restaurants that you don’t see in LA. 

We are packed in tight. Do you feel like there are aspects of the New York scene, as it were, that you intentionally brought to bear at Crossroads?

Chef Tal: Yes, the dining room. It’s very cozy with amazing chandeliers, booths, and banquettes. There is no lime green in the decor. 

Lime green is pretty mid-century. I hear it’s making a comeback though. What do you like about LA, either in a foods sense or a more general sense?

Chef Tal: Waking up to sunshine every day and the farmers’ markets. 

Finally, I know it’s like choosing a favorite child, but what would you recommend most at the restaurant?

Chef Scot: Our pasta program…all of them. The Tortelloni and the Pappardelle Bolognese.

Crossroads is located at 8284 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and, if you’re in the area or live nearby, we highly recommend a visit, be you vegan or not. Reservations are highly encouraged.

Below, Cassoulet with du puy lentils, wild mushrooms, English peas, carrots, leeks + grilled spring onions; Kale Spanakopita; Farinatta Salad; and Risotto Del Giorno. Kite Hill cheese photo, Liza Gershman; all others, courtesy of the restaurant.

Reader, our most sincere apologies for the radio silence of late. We’ll spare you the details of the many real world obligations that kept us from you in a virtual sense; just know that we missed you. Virtually.

Since we believe in action over words; show over tell; awesome high-fives over detailed plans to one day give an awesome high-five, today we give you not one, but SIX songs to mark our regular weekly music write-up.

For those of you not blessed with mathematically inclined minds, that’s FIVE MORE SONGS THAN USUAL and SIX TIMES the quantity of music you’ve come to expect from us on a regular basis, making you six times as lucky, we’d venture to say.

So, unless you’ve been leading a wildly hermitic life for the past month, you’re likely well-aware that old-school French electro super-duo, Daft Punk, marked their first proper release in years last month. Whether you’ve heard the album from start-to-finish or not, simply by virtue of having ears + being human, chances are you have heard their ever-present single, “Get Lucky”. With it’s universally catchy melody + indisputably disco sound, it’s one of those songs that just gets mercilessly lodged in your head. So far, this early in the game, we don’t mind it. In fact, we love it. But we’re pretty sure that, by, say, late August, it’s going to be about as welcome as “Call Me Maybe” or “Gangnam Style” was that time last year.

In the meantime though, it’s enjoying nearly ubiquitous world-wide acceptance á la “Hey Ya!” circa 2003; so much so that it’s spurred some notable cover versions, two of which have inspired us to share them with you, Reader, along with a few other favorite cover songs from the past few months.

Our first “Get Lucky” is performed by one of our favorite local bands—Brooklyn’s own freaky-clockwork-space-string group, Miracles of Modern Science. They’ve dressed the track up with their own brand of buoyant, energetic pop making it nearly more addictive than the original. Watch their video above and then download the track below. Miracles of Modern Science just released a six-song EP which you can listen to, order + download on their bandcamp page (We interviewed MOMS back in late 2011, if you care to give it a listen, by the by).

In stark contrast to both the original song + MOMS’ upbeat version of it, we have a stripped-down, smoothed-out “Get Lucky” from London minimalists Daughter. We actually heard this take on the song soon after hearing Daft Punk’s and found it to be a refreshing alternative to the somewhat heavy-handed disco-y original, revealing the bones of the song itself + allowing us to appreciate it sans all the stylistic glitz. You can buy Daughter’s just-released debut LP, If You Leave, from iTunes + their label, 4AD.

Then, just for good measure + to make sure you’re not sore at us over our prolonged absence, Reader, we’re showering you with riches in the form of four other favorite cover tracks—Ellie Goulding‘s take on “High For This” from the superb Toronto-based hip hip artist The Weekend (AKA Abel Tesfaye); Oxford’s Foals with their version of the all-too-oft-forgotton early Police gem, “Bed’s Too Big Without You”; Canadians, Arkells with their stripped down version of Frank Ocean‘s R+B standout, “Thinkin Bout You”; and Austin’s Shearwater featuring stellar Brooklynite, Sharon Van Etten as they bless the Onion’s AV Club with a frighteningly accurate, undeniably rocking live version of Tom Petty + Stevie Nick’s “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” 

I know. We’re a ball of insecurity. All we want is to be loved by you, Reader.

It’s all we want. 

Apologies, Reader, for a noticeable lack of posts in recent times. We’ve been a little overly engaged of late in both exciting work + exciting non-work.

On that latter note, a very happy birthday to the better half of the company, Ms. Katie Frichtel—designer extraordinaire + all-around amazing woman. You make each of this writer’s days better than the last.

We’ll catch you on the flip side, as they say, with a return to bringing you the finest in independent music, cruelty-free delectable foods + goods, and all things pleasant next week. In the meantime, don’t forget to vote in the photo contest we’re doing with MooShoes. You have until 5PM Wednesday. Vote on their Facebook page.

There’s one thing you need to know here, Reader—this week’s Song is fucking excellent.

True, true—everything we bring you is fucking excellent, but this gem, from Rhode Island band, Magic Man, has got us hopping up and down on one foot. Which is what we do when we’re excited about something. We’re not sure why. We’re seeing someone about it.

We actually wrote up Magic Man way back in 2011, when they were a duo + we couldn’t quite figure out from where the band hailed. Fully acknowledging the risk of straying into the dense, unnavigable territory of wild pretentiousness, we boldly quote ourselves:

“I know little to nothing about the band, Magic Man. They seem to be from Boston, though there’s a good bit on their bandcamp page about recording in the French countryside, so I guess they’re fancy Boston. And, though the name is singular, there appear to be two primary Magic Men, if you will—Sam Lee + Alex Caplow. But despite our severe lack of knowledge on the subject of Magic Man, we’ve got the one insight needed to write up a band…we really like their music. Indisputable fact. Prove me wrong.”

Though they’ve clearly expanded beyond a two-piece, the latter sentiment remains true. And that actual expansion—both in terms of the size of the band + the development of their sound—is what has us so excited about this week’s Song, “Texas”, and the other two tracks that make up the EP they released last month, The Fox Den Demos.

We feel like we’re witnessing one of those significant steps in a band’s career when they build out from a solo or duo project into something much more complex, compelling, and complete. The result is a fuller sound that still resides within solid, creative song-writing while benefiting from the dynamic creativity of a larger group.

We “really liked” Magic Man before; now we fucking love them.

Listen to “Texas” to see what we mean. We’ve also embedded the The Fox Den Demos below so you can hear the other two tracks, also stellar. Finally, we re-posted their track, “Darling”, which we originally posted in 2011, so you can hear a little bit that evolution from ‘awesome’ to ‘aaaaaaaaaaaaaawesooooooooooooooome’.

The band will be playing Terminal 5 with Cincinnati’s Walk the Moon this September—not our favorite venue, but maybe worth the hardship given that lineup.Album art by Ted Wiggin.

 

The Fox Den Demos by Magic Man