The best Lemonade is in Brooklyn. The San Franciscan transplants blend multi-faceted experimental arrangements, wafting vocals and tribal elements into meaty disco-influenced tracks intended to rock the dance floor.

Produced by Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Architecture in Helsinki, Beach House), the trio released their eponymous debut album in 2008 via True Panther Sounds. Tropical cuts like “Big Weekend” and “Blissout” barely manage to contain their own percussion and build into big bursts of energy.

Their sophomore record, Pure Moods, followed earlier this year, mixing in more dub and soca influences, and found the band zeroing in on their sound.

(VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP)

The Dears will play a series of residencies in Montreal, Toronto and Brooklyn this fall to preview their new as-yet-unnamed album, out next year via Dangerbird Records.

Starting in September the band will be performing the new material live, and all profits made from merch sales at the shows will be donated to Montreal City Mission and War Child. Tickets for shows are on sale starting today.

The Dears also have a new lineup that features some new faces as well as returning players. Keyboardist/vocalist Natalia told us each album has a rotating cast of characters, and this one is no exception.

You know what I want? A place where I can check out under-the-radar, high-quality indie art while paying my phone bill. How about it, science?

Fresh Fanatic, one of my favorite sources of natural and organic food (sans the ‘tude and the appetite-quelling price tag that usually accompanies vendors of high-quality, ethically pristine dairy and meat products) has one-upped my pedestrian fantasy of a one-stop source for culture.

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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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So many foodie/charity events, so little time (and cash)! It’s hard to know which ones will actually have dishes and a cause worth dishing out the green stuff for.

Here’s one that’s worth your shekels: This Wednesday, you have an opportunity to bite into some of the city’s best desserts, slug back some kick-ass tipples, ogle food bloggers and…wait for it…benefit underprivileged kids, all for $20 online or $25 at the door.

The LAMP and Alejandro Ramos of Always Order Dessert master-minded the project, which will be held at The Double Windsor in Prospect Park, Brooklyn (known for their unusually well-edited juke box and a cast of reasonably priced drafts and bottled beer selection created for the uber beer and music wonk in all of us).

The participants (so far): Rachel of O Magazine, Katy at Sugarlaws, Anna at Very Small Anna, Jen from Local Appetite, author Giulia Melucci from I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, James Briscione from Food Network’s Chopped, Rebecca from Working Class Foodies and Esther of Ambitious Delicious(ness).

The LAMP was created for media-savvy youth (do you know any youths who aren’t these days?), more involved parents (ditto) and innovative and modern educators (ah, definitely an area that could use some work–and funding).

Unlike many media initiatives, the LAMP aims to target underserved urban kids who generally get ignored in the mad rush to get McWhitey RichParentson over in the burbs access to the latest technology –the better to charge up Mommy and Daddy’s AmEx with.

Register here.

College students, rock stars, artists, yipsters and ne’er do wells are expected, if not encouraged, to consistently indulge in a bit of the wacky tobacky. However, most cogent beings would bridle at the thought of dentists, surgeons or cab drivers sucking down bong hits before sashaying off to the office.

So what about cooks, who have, rather controversially, been dubbed the new rock stars of the 21^st century? Is it kewl for them to sneak a puff or two between creating rafts for consommé and cranking out puff pastries?

According to Anthony Bourdain, getting stoned in the kitchen is par for the course(s), and the entire comfort/slow food “trend” that we’re currently witnessing may be a direct result of toking toques.

“There has been an entire strata of restaurants created by chefs to feed other chefs,” Mr. Bourdain told the New York Times. “These are restaurants created specially for the tastes of the slightly stoned, slightly drunk chef after work.”

According to Bourdain and others, haute stoneries (and stoners) include all David Chang vehicles; all Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo outlets; all Ken Friedman joints (especially the Rusty Knot); Roberta’s; Animal and hot dog vending trucks (with an emphasis on “mutant” creations like deep-fried cheese steak hot dogs).

Where would be without brilliant contributions like the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. (which, most likely would never have emerged without some of mother’s helpers)? Perhaps Momofuku’s Milk Bar also needed a lil something to whip up that cinnamon-bun cereal milk soft-serve with chocolate fudge.

If Rachael Ray has her way (and she generally does), Brooklyn will be ground zero for a half-baked cooking/music fusion experience hosted by none other than the inimitable Ray of sunshine herself.

Mark your calendars for June 19th, when Brooklynites will be graced with Ray’s food and her hubby’s band (aptly named the Cringe); the festivities are set to commence at The Bell Jar in Gowanus. The substandard chow-o-rama is sponsored by Snapple and will be free to enter for any and all unwitting members of the public who happen to suffer the misfortune of stumbling upon the culinary and cacophonous catastrophe.

In addition to the Cringe, Justin Townes Earle, Freelance Whales and J-Roddy Walston and the Business will be cranking up the tunes as Ray dishes out her, er, signature creations. Somehow Pizza Moto, Daisy May’s BBQ, gelato purveyor G.S. and Aaron Sanchez got roped into providing sustenance to the sweating, traumatized masses as well.

(THE RAY INVADES BK)