COLOR ME IN

Dear Readers -- I have been checked to the out for the past couple of weeks. There are many reasons for this.

For one, I am living out of boxes.

I have some pretty great news that some of you may not know about -- I am moving back to my homeland (Los Angeles) after three glorious winters here in Minneapolis. Though it was never our intention to become permanently rooted here, it still feels sad and unexpected to leave many people here who have become some of my very best friends. Lifers, if you will.

But, alas, I will be partially comforted by the terminal sunshine bliss that awaits us. You can expect this blog to get real sunny soon, but don't worry, I won't pull a Clientele and lose my moroseness.

Moving away from California just taught me to truly appreciate its golden groundhog days and best of all, it truly taught me the importance of having amazing family and friends. I have never missed anything so much.

This train departs Sunday.

Tropic Of Cancer / Blackest Ever Black

I am pleased to announce our latest EP on the amazing London-based label Blackest Ever Black will release in a few weeks. It will be available in both digital and vinyl formats.

Tropic of Cancer - A Color [Blackest Ever Black, 2011] by Blackest Ever Black

Tropic Of Cancer / The Sorrow Of Two Blooms

A1 A Color

A2 Temporal Vessels

B1 Dive (Wheel Of The Law)

Altered Zones offers its take on the record here.

CAT'S EYES

This Cat's Eyes video inspired me to come up with two new life goals.

• Playing the organ at the Vatican.

• Playing the organ at the Vatican in my socks.

Cat's Eyes is a British duo composed of the classically trained opera soprano, Rachel Zeffira, and Faris Badwan of The Horrors. It's like Phil Spector girl groups meets minimal Electrelane harmonies inside the rich acoustics of an Edward Scissorhands ice castle. (That seriously makes sense to me.)

It appears they have two shows here on U.S. soil in May -- one at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and another at The Independent in SF. I'm seriously contemplating driving up there from LA just for the cause. Let me know if you wanna tag along.

Thanks at my fraulein Claude in Berlin for sending this to me.

*Go here for a free download of their song, "Not A Friend".