Welcome back to another edition of Birch’s Music Monday series! Here’s what we have been listening to this week…

First, we love the head-bobbing and hip-shaking new track from soul crooner Coultrain. “She’s A Hustler” was produced by Waajeed, check it out…

…don’t miss NPR’s stream of the hypnotic folk music from Mount Eerie’s Clear Moon before it’s released May 22nd…

…lastly, have the first listen of Garbage’s first new album in seven years Not Your Kind of People exclusively on Spin before it’s released on May 22nd.

Has anyone noticed anything different in Madison Square Park? Well then you need to stop walking while texting and take a look around! May 2 launched the art installation titled “Pet Sounds” in the middle of the park from California based artist, Charles Long. If you haven’t had a chance to take a stroll through this lovely park in while, don’t worry the sculptures will be there until September 9th.

Also, while your in the area, check out Madison Square Eats in Worth Square and stop by our booth and say hello. We’ll be there everyday until June 1st from 11am til 9pm, we hope to see you there!

Welcome back to another edition of Birch’s Music Monday.  There’s  a lot of great music coming out this week and we’re so excited to share it with you!

First, Best Coast is releasing the follow up to their 2010 summer album, “Crazy for You,” called “The Only Place” and we’re so happy that the album holds the same breezy, indie-pop, summer feel that the first album did.  Listen for yourself on NPR…

….without leaving NPR, take a listen to “Bloom” the new, and absolutely fantastic, new album from Beach House.  Between the beautiful lyrics and the airy synths, this album will easily become a go-to summer album…

…lastly, don’t miss the new single from Passion Pit.  ”Take a Walk” will be on the bands’ anticipated album which will be out July 24th. Get a taste of what is to come now!

This month, we’ll be featuring the work of photographer Alex Pergament on our walls. Alex is an attorney and photographer based out of DC. He has been awarded the Young Artists Program Grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and his work has been displayed at Reagan International Airport, and in a juried competition at the Montpelier Arts Center.

We’ll be celebrating his work on Tuesday, May 8th from 7-9pm in the shop. Come on in and check it out or visit his site, www.alexpergament.com/

Happy Monday! It’s the last day in April which means you need amazing new music to start of the new month.

To start, we’re very excited for Sigur Rós’s new album Valtari to come out May 29th, thankfully we don’t have to wait til then for a taste of an album. Listen to their beautiful new track now…

….next, we have an adorable video “How Do I Know” from Here We Go Magic off their upcoming album A Different Ship in stores May 8th…

…lastly, make sure to listen to the new album, Look Out Mama, by Hurray for the Riff Raff streaming this week on Spinner.

Hello! Welcome back to another edition of Music Monday. We’ve rounded up some tunes to cure the rainy monday blues for you…

First, here is the first song in seven years from the beautiful Fiona Apple. The track is called “Every Single Night” from her upcoming album The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do…

…next, take the first listen of the sophomore album Nootropics from Lower Dens over on NPR…

…lastly, watch this amusing video from Electric Guest for their single “This Head I Hold.”

Earth Week is a great reminder of the little (and big) changes that make a HUGE impact! We want to end the week by giving you some tips on how to stay green everyday…

- try riding your bike or walking to work/places you need to go

- start recycling and composting, and challenge others to do the same

- take colder, shorter showers

- drink filtered water rather than buying water bottles

- reduce, reuse, recycle

We hope your having a wonderful Earth Week! All over the world people are making strives to treat Mother Nature right by reducing waste, eating locally, using less water, and being conscious of their carbon footprint (see the Earth Week Challenge from Huffington Post!)
All weekend long NYC is celebrating Earth Week with events all over. There will be a participatory art exhibit at the High Line, exhibits and performances at Times Square and Grand Central , a Green Festival in the Javits Center, and a Spring Planting event with MillionTrees. With so many great things to see and do, we hope you have a great Earth Week!

A carbon footprint has historically been defined as “the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.” So when you go to a store and buy an orange that was transported from Florida, you’re carbon footprint is going to grow. There are many sites that help you calculate your carbon footprint as well as ways to help offset your carbon footprint!

One great (and deliciously, fresh) way to offset your carbon footprints is to visit local farmer’s markets! These farmers are in the area and grow beautiful delicious fruits and vegetables. You can also grow your own vegetables and herbs. Here are some beautiful, yet small, gardens in apartments in NYC to help inspire you.

When people think of “green” today, most think of the environment and what impacts, whether it be positive or negative, are being made on it. Being “green” is no longer a trend. It’s a way of living.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, home composting can divert about 700 pounds of waste per household back into the soil every year. Most of what you throw in the garbage ends up in one of two places: landfills, where it takes ages to break down, or incinerators, which can cause air pollution. However, there’s an easy way to help eliminate up to 24% waste each year: composting.  It may seem overwhelming or intimidating at first but keep reading, we’re going to show you how simple it can be.

There are some products to create a compost in your own home! You can use the compost to fertilize a beautiful garden (for free!) Or there are so many compost sites within the city. Find out more about where your local composting sites are located and what happens to your compost by visiting NYC.gov.