In case you haven’t heard there’s a new Radiohead/Fourtet/Burial collab that dropped last week, piggy-backing on the new Radiohead album. I wasn’t immediately gripped with The Kind of Limbs, but not so with this song, it’s an earworm for sure.
 

Ruckzuck by Kraftwerk is one of those songs I’ve known almost my whole life but never actually knew what it was until last week. Apparently I’ve been a Kraftwerk fan since childhood, because this was the theme song from 1980′s Twin Cities Public TV show Newton’s Apple. (Ira Flatow anyone?) Got me started early on science learning & electronic tunes long before Bill Nye the Science Guy cornered the market on wacky science tv shows for kids!

 

And now for a completely different sound, Fleet Foxes new single, Helplessness Blues. It’s off their new album launching May 6th. Oh man, if the rest of the album is anything like this…hot damn, I’m excited! This one’s from Visual Armory.

+ This is the part of winter starts to get reaaaaaally tedious, March is such a tease. So I figured a little reminder of a warm memory from last summer’s Art Camp wouldn’t hurt. Just me, the swing and the sun, taken by famed photographer Bob Coscarellii. You can read more about our adventures last summer here on Outpost.

+ Wilkie Birdsall is the 2-person shop responsible for the branding & web design of Makr Carry Goods (brand new website!) & food-blog Honest Fare. All three are equally, stunningly gorgeous. Thanks to Andy for telling me about this!

+ All Things Considered covers the curious increases in vinyl sales; Slow & Steady, Vinyl Survives.

+ My friend Andy Luce is a brilliant painter & calligrapher and he’s got new work on display tonight at the COOP.

+ A darn thorough list of tax deductions for freelancers.

+ The 99% does us all another awesome favor with this mixtape, designed to have just enough bounce for maximum creativity.

+ 10 mindful ways to use social media. This has made the rounds, but it’s necessary general know-how.

+ Recyclable Or Not? Very handy indeed.

Barn by Maya Hayuk, via her flickr

+ I’ve been clicking around on the Times’ Costa Rica travel guide a lot this week. Man, researching for vacations (first real one we’ve taken in three years) might be one of the most fun things ever. There’s just so many exciting options! Where did you stay? What did you eat? Any must-dos?

+ Two books I’m adding to my library: CSS3 for Web Designers and Ordering Disorder, Grid Principles for Web Design
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+ New Lykke Li single found on the Hairpin.
Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers by dynmk

+ Listen, read or watch Robert Krulwich muse about why humans can’t walk in a straight line when blindfolded. Fascinating as usual!

It was a particular shock yesterday to hear reports of Minneapolis MC Eyedea’s death of unknown causes at only 28 years old; it’s a devastating blow to the MN Hip-Hop scene and the genre as a whole. Aside from attending a couple of his shows over the years, I’ll remember Eyedea as the starry-eyed talent of my high school’s graduating class. Instead of doing school work he used to just sit and read a Thesaurus in class, but he was already so clearly devoted to music that the teachers didn’t make too much of a hassle over it. He was even voted “Most Likely to be a Superstar” which just seems ironic now.

Eyedea’s mom has set up a facebook memorial page and a paypal account to help cover the funeral costs.

Rest in peace buddy.

Let me backup for a second. In the past two weeks, I’ve been to two out of town weddings, a two day conference, gave a lecture at Columbia College Chicago, letterpressed 200 business cards and assembled 75 wedding programs (also letterpress) AND I’m also helping organize Post 27′s street festival that’s happening this weekend, October 2–3rd. What I haven’t been doing, obviously, is much blogging. Or sleeping, really. You’d think I’d be a complete zombie, but miraculously I am still plugging away!

But back to this festival, Design Harvest. Pretty much every neighborhood in Chicago has their own craft and music festivals, there’s usually at least one happening every weekend. But, in the whole city, there’s never been a street festival that’s centered on interior design. Until now. This weekend over 50 vendors are camping out on Grand Avenue & Damen peddling vintage, modern, antiques, accessories, and handmade furniture for the home. And there’s more too: hay rides, pumpkin ale, a petting zoo, and a SQUARE DANCE. Music is being provided by The Hideout.

And who’s the brainchild of this awe-inspiring event? Angela Finney-Hoffman with help from Renegade Handmade and the West Town Chamber of Commerce. Other sponsors/vendors include Intelligentsia Coffee, Lulu B. Wines, Unison Home, Morlen Sinoway, Grand Street Gardens, the Onion, RedEye and Yelp.

It’s free, 11-7pm. Break out the scarf and mittens, grab a hot drink, and hang out while you rethink your living space, your life. And stop by Post 27 and say hello while you’re at it, there’s even more incredible display happening in-store that is not to be missed.