Fat Mike, he of NOFX and urine-shot fame, has abandoned his tinkle-soaked shenanigans to focus on his ever-expanding belly. Fat Mike has partnered with a pupu platter of restaurateurs (David Massoni and Chef Rebecca Weitzman of ‘inoteca, plus John Bush of Niagara Bar) to open Thistle Hill, a bar-restaurant with surprisingly grown up aspirations in Yuppie HQ, Park Slope.

Has he sold out? According to the chatter at Punknews, yes, but then again, who hasn’t sold out according to the chatter at Punknews?

Thistle Hill has begun to garner accolades for its salt-and-pepper French fries, mussels flecked with currants, leg of lamb with salty feta, local pours of whisky and beer, and a menu of sustainable and environmentally feel-good delicious treats.

Brace yourself for the upscale shininess of Fat Mike’s new MO with this surprisingly honest interview of him playing golf and rationalizing his chardonnay-sipping, delicious existence (warning: part of the video is en Français).

Fat Mike NOFX Golf Interview by lilalilaloum

Grouplove hits the road in September for a two-month U.S. tour alongside The Belle Brigade, Young Man and Two Door Cinema Club on select dates.

The Los Angeles-based band also have a new single, “Close Your Eyes And Count To Ten,” from their upcoming full-length Never Trust a Happy Song, out September 13. Head to their website to preview the new track and grab tickets to upcoming shows.

In the meantime, check the awesome beginnings of the band, dead cat stories and all.

The word sommelier is enough to send most of us into a discombobulated “uh-oh” zone of self-doubt and shame over not knowing the difference between critter wines and ultra-extracted Garagiste juice.

That’s why Belinda Chang is such a breath of fresh air. The James Beard-Award toting sommelier has transformed super fancy dining rooms like The Modern into not-at-all intimidating beehives of curiosity and learning.

Wine, in Belinda Chang’s mind, is “for everyone, every place and every time.” In her hands, fermented grape juice becomes accessible, understandable and laid-back again, while managing to maintain its wonky, intellectual appeal.

Chang recently took the reins as GM and wine director at the fun, buzzy Monkey Bar. She’s getting into the swing of things, and has picked something out for Lady Gaga, should she stop by. As she told Food & Wine, “For Lady Gaga, I’ll serve her some crazy Italian spumante. Maybe an older Erbaluce, which is nutty and voluptuous and decadent. I think she’d love it.”

She is also, intriguingly, teaming up with Justin Warner for a wine and rap seminar on September 3 in LA. Judging from this video of Chang battling Paul Grieco in a Riesling vs. Châteauneuf-du-Pape rapping smackdown, it should be a good time.

Surfer Blood will release a four-track EP, Tarot Classics, October 25 (Kanine Records), their first release since last year’s Astro Coast. There are also bonus remixes from Totally Sincere, Speculator, School of Seven Bells and Allen Blickle.

The band also hits the road as support for The Pixies this fall, and wrap things up this December at ATP in Somerset, U.K. Details on their website.

Let’s hope the guys don’t run into any of the same tour troubles they’ve had in the past.

Talk about a “Kitchen Nightmare“: Kanye West has hired Gordon Ramsay to teach him to cook.

A man who casually spends $7,000 a night on hotels and is unafraid to claim a teddy bear as his mascot is perhaps not someone who is psychologically and temperamentally suited to stand over a hot pot of bubble and squeak.

Gordon Ramsay was an interesting choice of tutors. West could probably have had his pick from the ranks of celebre-chefs, so why choose the ill-tempered Brit with bad hair?

Perhaps after his Chicago flagship outpost of Fatburger was shuttered, Kanye felt he better get schooled on what’s goin’ on in the kitchen. Or maybe the tumblr devoted to Kanye West lyrics rewritten to be about food whet his appetite for culinary chaos.

Whatever the case may be, Gordon is used to dealing with kitchen dramatics:

With just a few notes on his trumpet, Miles Davis could tease the soul out of nearly anything.

The jazz man has inspired many things, from multiple music sub-genres and new departments at universities to music festivals and beer.

And now, a mini-chili cook-off, courtesy of Jonathan Dixon, a writer, cook and Davis enthusiast who stumbled upon his recipe in “So What.”

The recipe included a half-jar of mustard, a half a shot of vinegar and was meant to be eaten over pasta. (Delicious isn’t the first word that springs to mind).

Dixon reasons that Davis, extemporaneous innovator, would have “wanted” Dixon to improvise on his eccentric recipe; check out his version of the recipe, then check out Davis’ version and come up with your own riff, preferably while listening to “So What.”

Or just catch this old video of Davis and John Coltrane, and remember all over again why this man spawned so much with just a few toots of his horn.

Das Racist are set to release their new album, Relax, September 13 on their very own Greedhead label. The album features guest appearances from Diplo, Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Yeasayer’s Anand Wilder. Check their new single “Michael Jackson” here.

The Brooklyn group plays some of the best remaining summer festivals–Mad Decent Block Party, Afropunk and Bumbershoot–before hitting the road on a tour of their own starting in September. They’ll be bringing along Danny Brown and Despot, who they shout out when describing the New York music scene.