There are few people for whom I hold complicated, uncomfortable feelings of vague horror, disdain and even disgust while simultaneously thinking of them as an essential, integral, wonderful part of how I got to be where I am now. A few exes and a sprinkling of roommates fall into this category.

So does the late, great Jimmy Dean. (He died June 13 at age 81).

The country singer/TV personality/sausage-maker churned out products that seared my ears (“Bumming Around,” “Big Bad John”) and left a pool of wet, musty tasting, questionably-sourced griddle grease on my palate (Jimmy Dean Formed Breakfast Sausage Patty, No MSG; Jimmy Dean Super Stuff Sausage ‘N Gravy Filled Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich).

Yet the spot in my heart for ol’ J.D. is as soft, large and unmanageable as a sweaty fistful of uncooked Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage Gravy Chub. And I’m not alone.

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The L Magazine’s second annual Northside Festival kicks off tomorrow with a couple hundred bands, gallery exhibits and film screenings taking place at various venues across Brooklyn and Greenpoint through the weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday Titus Andronicus, Liars, Male Bonding, Fucked Up, Les Savy Fav, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and others will play the outdoor stage at Barge Park in Greenpoint (all ages). Daily lineups, ticket information and select shows after the jump.

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“Hard work makes you hungry.”

A perennial eating enthusiast, music publicist Andrew Steinthal recently launched Immaculate Infatuation, a blog that impeccably blends his love of music and food into a zany, surprisingly versatile aesthetic emulsion.

Steinthal cannily recruited punk-rapper/ass-kicking guitar maestro P.O.S. to raw/vegan dining gem Pure Food and Wine in New York City to see what would happen if sweet, unassuming vegan chefs and a badass rock star got together and gave each other pointers on how to execute their glorious–and quite different–crafts.

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Nicole Atkins will release a new album, Mondo Amore, early next year via Razor & Tie. The follow up to her full-length major debut, Neptune City, Atkins went through a “divorce” from previous label Columbia Records and hints that the material is a bit darker. The Jersey/Brooklyn musician tells us it’s a relationship record–the good, the bad and the fugly.

Atkins is currently recording with producer Phil Palazzolo (The New Pornographers) and announced via her Twitter page a single will be released this September. Atkins will also play U.K. shows with Regina Spektor and is set to tour with The Black Keys.

We sat down with Atkins earlier this year, who told us where she got the title Mondo Amore from.

If you long for the days when shows got a little physical, Matt and Kim are giving you plenty of chances this fall. The duo will play a couple festivals this summer, including Siren Fest, Lollapalooza and Pukkelpop, then launch a three-month U.S. tour. Stops along the way include everywhere from Syracus to Seattle and St. Petersburg–see dates here.

Matt & Kim have also teamed up with producer Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley) for their next album, and told Wired.com about Erykah Badu’s homage to them in her video “Window Seat.”

Check out which bands Matt & Kim like to see live, and what makes a great show (standing still not encouraged).

When summer rears her sunny, lazy little head, the devil on one shoulder and the angel on my other generally launch an all-out jihad over what I should put in my mouth.

Beelzebub encourages me to run amok, to ditch my fetters and grab whatever looks delicious and happens to be handy (usually over-packaged products saturated with preservatives, partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, naughty cancer-causing hormones and chemicals that I can’t pronounce).

But my prim little Seraphim wants me to herald the glories of the farmer’s market, the wonders of stopping and smelling the rhubarb, the hedonistic glory of relishing every last fleeting moment with spring onions, nettles and sunchokes–and the heirloom tomatoes.

The Green Music Group wants you to eat and prepare just one local, organic food once a day. Think you can do it?

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Suckers have a fuzzy new video out for “Black Sheep” from their debut album Wild Smile, released earlier this month via Frenchkiss. The song on its own is a trippy nod to Animal Collective, and the video has a few elements of psychedelia sprinkled in too.

The Brooklyn band is also on the road this summer with Menomena, and play select dates alongside Mates of State, Todd Barry, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club and The Dodos.

Hear the boys discuss what psychedelic means these days, and check out the video for “Black Sheep” after the jump.

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