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:

Check our homepage for SXSW survival tips from artists like Andrew W.K. and Matt & Kim, and for the best foodie recommendations in Austin, Eat to the Beat will be delivering the goods. For those skipping the festival this year, don’t fret–plenty of radio stations and big corporations hoping to get in on the act will be streaming performances all week.

Chances are your must-see bands will be playing several times throughout SXSW, and Matt & Kim share a little advice about keeping up.

Information on festival passes, camping and surviving the desert can all be found on Coachella’s website. And of all the music festivals, Metric tells us why Coachella is the most fun for artists.

Most popular is columnist Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” video campaign, created after several LGBT teenagers committed suicide across the U.S. Despite the seemingly insurmountable troubles we face, there’s life–and a good one–after the challenging teenage years.

Many musicians have shared their own stories of coming out or their friend’s struggles with sexual identity, including Sia, Eve and Scissor Sisters. Since forming, the campaign reports a 50 percent increase of calls to the crisis intervention hotline, The Trevor Project.

Notice an increase of mustachioed friends lately? That’s because it’s Movember, an annual effort to increase prostate cancer awareness. Participants grow their mustaches, the furriest raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG. There’s also the Mustaches VS. Cancer campaign, benefitting pediatric cancer care and research.

Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and others recently contributed to “Art of the Song,” a U.K. campaign raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Their songwriting contributions will be auctioned in December. Even Kanye West is taking a little time from gazing in the mirror to donate artwork to Whatever It Takes, a non-profit that’s raised over $4 million for several charities.

So enough turkey talk–find a local opportunity near you.

Pixtape is our roundup of the best new downloads from the month of November. Enjoy!

1. Sybiann “Monsoon Breath”
The Italian band deliver a thoughtful, well-paced noise-rock song with plenty of twists to keep things interesting. They just need to crank the vocals up.
Download track via Eardrums

2. The Phantom’s Revenge “Charlie”
The French producer spells out feel-good in this disco gem from his new EP Charlie, perhaps inspired by a character from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (check the samples halfway through).
Download track via Chemical Jump

3. Young Galaxy “Peripheral Visionaries”
The Montreal duo employs a simple, perennial bass line and layered vocals toward the end for a hook that will get stuck in your head.
Download track via Gorilla vs Bear

4. Mogwai “Rano Piano”
From their upcoming album Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will (Sub Pop), the Scottish band piles on the distorted guitar and layers in a couple melodies for another promising release.
Download track via Stereogum

5. Jay Electronica featuring Jay-Z, The-Dream and Charlotte Gainsbourg “Shiny Suit Theory”
Not the highest quality from the recent Roc Nation signee so it’s probably not the album version, but worth it for lines like “fuck the underground, you need to win a Grammy.”
Download track via 2 Dope Boyz

6. The Vaccines “Blow it Up”
Easy to see this becoming an anthem screamed at full volume when you’re absolutely wasted but don’t know it just yet.
Download track via Pretty Much Amazing

7. Girl Talk All Day
The DJ’s entire new album is free. Download now and start guessing those samples.
Download track via Girl Talk

8. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon “Kush”
With a title like “Kush,” Dre isn’t venturing far from oft-traveled territory, but it’s freakin’ Dr. Dre. You have to listen to it once.
Download track via Dr. Dre

9. Peter Wolf Crier “Place to Be” (Nick Drake cover)
The Minneapolis group pick up the pace and increase the fuzz on this Nick Drake classic.
Download track via MBV Music

10. Kanye West featuring Consequence and Talib Kweli “Chain Heavy”
Produced by Q-Tip, this track is a bonus to the rapper’s My Dark Twisted Fantasy album. If you like either of their verses, Consequence and Kweli both have forthcoming albums too.
Download track via Pretty Much Amazing

Pixtape is our roundup of the best new downloads from the month of September.

1. Lower Dens “Silver and Blue”
This is actually older material from singer Jana Hunter, but she’s formally reintroduced it as a Lower Dens song. On the surface it doesn’t seem to be a love song, but there’s something hopeful and loving in it, which is a pretty refreshing realization.
Download track via The 405

2. The Pass “Trap of Mirrors”
Catchy, energetic pop from the Kentucky band’s aptly-titled debut album BURST. Do people still use the term radio friendly? That’s what this is, and there’s a lot more to come from this band.
Download track via Pretty Much Amazing

3. Burial and Kode9 BBC Radio 1 mix
The opening takes a few minutes to get into anything serious, but this dark mix for Mary Anne Hobb’s final BBC Radio 1 show is rewarding a little deeper in.
Download track via Gorilla vs Bear

4. Dumbo Gets Mad “Electric Prawn”
Like something out of a late 1960s carnival-themed surf movie, this cheeky track from the Italian band has plenty going on to warrant repeat listens.
Download track via The Needle Drop

5. Saroos “Yukoma”
Ambient and uplifting, this is a great electronic track from the German group featuring members of LaliPuna, The Notwist and Iso68.
Download track via XLR8R

6. The Hundred in the Hands “Gigantic Tom Tom”
Earnestly happy and quirky, this track passes in full without a trace of irony, which makes us wonder if it’s a trick question in song form. There’s even a surprising guitar solo.
Download track via Kick Kick Snare

7. Kanye West “G.O.O.D. Friday”
Last month’s “Monster” was probably the best of Kanye’s star-studded weekly releases so far, but this month’s honors go to “G.O.O.D. Friday” featuring Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Common, Big Sean and Charlie Wilson.
Download track via Consequence of Sound

8. British Sea Power “Zeus”
The title track from their upcoming EP, “Zeus” starts out with a hurried tempo followed by some interesting moments that build in intensity. Their next LP is due January 2011.
Download track via One Thirty BPM

9. White Denim “If You’re Changing”
From their EP Last Day of Summer, the band lilts along before a time change and a seemingly abrupt ending–these Austin boys keep listeners guessing. Download the entire EP for free at their website.
Download track via Rollo & Grady

10. The Soft Pack “Gagdad”
Yep, bands still write songs longer than two and a half or three minutes. The San Diego indie rock band doubles that in a track worth listening as long.
Download track via the FADER

Lady Gaga dominated the VMA’s (more on her and that meat-fit tomorrow), though a few indie-ish bands made out with Moonmen, too.

The Black Keys won the Breakthrough Video award for “Tighten Up,” featuring a playground lesson in love (and consequences). Florence + the Machine took home the best Art Direction award for “Dog Days Are Over,” which she also performed. Muse walked with Best Special Effects for “Uprising.”

No noteworthy antics this year, though. Rihanna made a surprise appearance during Eminem’s performance, Nicki Minaj rocked a pink beehive and apparently the crowd wouldn’t let Kanye West forget his outburst last year.

The LA Times has a full wrap-up, completed with graded performances from B.o.B., Hayley Williams, Robyn, Taylor Swift and more.

West debuted the video “painting” for the new song “Power” last week on MTV, directed by artist Marco Brambilla. The Chicago rapper also took to Ustream for a chat with fans, where he dropped names like Thom Yorke, Q-Tip, Trent Reznor and the RZA as either collaborators or influences.

And to prove the man occasionally shares the spotlight, Mayer Hawthorne tells the tale of donating his song “When I Said Goodbye” to the Kanye West/Spike Jonze film “We Were Once a Fairytale.”

In addition to his performance at Madison Square Garden this Friday for Answer the Call, a benefit the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, Jay is launching a tour in support of the new album. Hov kicks things off October 9th in University Park, PA, then makes his way across the U.S. and Canada into November.

No telling who he’ll bring out to the rock the stage, but Dizzee wouldn’t mind joining him again.

Due out September 11, Blueprint 3 will be released via Jay’s own new label, Roc Nation, and distributed by Atlantic. Expect a performance of one of the songs at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13, and tune in to see Kanye and Rihanna join him for “Run This Town” on the premiere of Jay Leno’s new late night show.

In light of his much-discussed rant against Auto-Tune, “D.O.A,” one musician Jigga should have considered for a guest appearance still does it the good old fashioned way.