Chocolat Chapon

by Evan Orensten

Patrice Chapon trained and worked as a pastry chef and as an ice cream maker (to Queen Elizabeth nonetheless) before finding his true calling as a master chocolatier, which he has been doing for the last twenty years from his workshop in Paris.

A sampling of some of his dark chocolate bars demonstrates his skill. The chocolate is dark but not too bitter. The added elements are not too big or too small and balance the flavors and textures of the chocolate. The Noir Mendiants (mixed nuts) and the Noir aux Éclats de Café (crushed coffee beans) bars get top marks from the CH team.

Available online from Patrice Chapon for €3.50, at his shops in Paris, and hopefully at a gourmet store near you. In NYC, try the chocolate shop at Bergdorf Goodman.

Simon Joyner: Beautiful Losers

by Ami Kealoha

You know that weird musician friend of yours that would be huge if he wasn’t such an asshole and didn’t smoke so much pot? Simon Joyner strikes me as that kind of guy, only he got a few breaks along the way and achieved a small celebrity among a group of artists who shun the limelight (a patch that includes Mountain Goats and Will Oldham).

Beautiful Losers, is a mix of singles and compilation tracks from between 1994 and 1999, and the album title isn't the only thing borrowed from Leonard Cohen here (it’s also the title of Cohen’s totally insane 1966 novel). Joyner’s nylon string acoustic guitar take a beating while his voice reaches for notes it can’t quite grab, underscoring his themes of disillusionment, loneliness, and the beauty of the imperfect.

At his best, Joyner channels Woody Guthrie. He's also an obvious influence on fellow Nebraskan Conor Oberst, sans the trademark warble.

While the more experimental tracks like “Jeff Engel Rules” would have been better off left on the four track, the more traditional folk songs like “Love is Worth Suffering For” and “Sorrow Floats” play to Joyner’s strengths. The best track here, however, is the closer, “One for the Catholic Girls."

Pick it up from Jagjaguwar, Amazon, or iTunes

by Rory Carroll

Third Drawer Down Limited Edition Dish Towels

by Evan Orensten

Bringing art and style into the everyday doesn't have to be out of reach or precious. Companies like Ikea and Target are helping drive that point home.

Third Drawer Down, an Australian company, makes limited edition dish towels, aprons, napkins and runners using silkscreens and embroidery. Abigail Compton has taken work by artists/designers including Royal Art Lodge from Canada, Tobias Rottger from Germany, Frederique Daubal from France, Margaret Morgan from the U.S., Zara Wood from the U.K., And Andrew Nicholls from Australia (Allegory 2005, shown above) and put them on kitchen products that get used every day.

After the jump: Win a towel! More photos and ordering information.

SXSW Highlights

by Ami Kealoha

SXSW is:

...Southern sui generis, like this sign reminding people not to forget their cowboy hats or oil boom-era cell phones in their rental car.

...finding the way out of a labyrinth movie theater with help from Rachel McIntosh, who won an award at SXSW for her charming pop-up book-based music video called Don't Fuck With Love by The Sad Little Stars. Turns out the video was in production for over a year, was made with a $500 budget, and McIntosh is one-half of the band herself.

...the ritualistic frenzy that is Animal Collective (one of the most hyped bands of 2005) working themselves into an art-rock trance over the course of 45 minutes that culminated in a performance of their lauded song "The Purple Bottle."

...eating at El Chile, a restaurant that's reinventing Tex-Mex and is housed in a space designed by Austin-based firm Zocalo.

...leaving the house at 3:30 am to drink Crown Royal with the Brazilian Girls in a college dorm room.

...attending the panel Secret Sex Lives of Video Games that covered teledildonics, detachable genitalia, and a game called Second Life that involves buying genitals to have sex with other characters. "We didn't know what they were saying, but it was awesome," said one attendee.

...and Belle and Sebastian's flawless set, the eclectic rock of Britain's Noisettes, the fierce antics of the two Japanese girls that make up Afrirampo, Art Brut's punk-meets-Oscar Wilde show, and so much more...

Doh Boy

by Evan Orensten

Can a toy change the way we eat? That's the question the UK based socially responsible apparel line Howies is asking with their new chunky friend, Doh Boy. His strategy is educational—teach people how to make and eat healthy bread. He comes packaged in a bread pan with a simple, natural recipe for making the perfect loaf. Doh Boy also tells us that there's the same amount of fat in 3 slices of most bread as there is in an average candy bar. Howies is following the lead of various initiatives, including Jamie Oliver's School Lunches, to improve the quality of food for UK youth—something long overdue.

Designed by Wilfrid Wood and available here for £50.00

Eugene Tan

by Lost At E Minor

Not just content with just putting out a daily email newsletter, Aquabumps, featuring his photos of the early morning Bondi surf and those intrepid folk in it, Sydney-based photographer Eugene Tan this week opens up a gallery in North Bondi dedicated exclusively to showcasing his work. His surf inspired photos have provided a much welcomed escape from the work day for the legion of subscribers to Aquabumps, so the Bondi Beach gallery—named in honour of his daily offering—is an extension of his obvious passion for the surfing culture.