The last run-in I had with Simian Mobile Disco was kind of strange. I was in bed on the early side when my door suddenly burst open and the Klaxons enter along with James Ford (of Simian Mobile Disco) and my roommate Cat (she'll kill me for saying this, but she was the "white girl" in the band Fannypack). The Klaxons had performed on Dave Letterman that day, and seeing as I was the only one in my apartment that had a TV (and the fact they were just around the corner), they wanted to see themselves in action. This was almost two years ago, and the boys are still insane as ever—in a good way. James had mentioned something about working on a new album, and lo and behold, they promoted it last night at Santos'. Simian Mobile Disco (James Ford and James Shaw) is no stranger to NYC, and could actually work as ambassadors for our lovely city. So pay attention to their five things not to do in the Big Apple.

Carrie Ellen Phillips (right) was in need of a German translator for an event she was planning in 1999. As luck would have it, she found Vanessa von Bismarck, a new intern and native Deutschlander, sitting in the office of her public relations firm. After a few months of working together, von Bismarck proposed that they go into PR together. “Vanessa would call and ask me what name I wanted on my business cards,” Phillips says. “I was like, Business cards? I’m not starting a company with you!” Phillips eventually gave in, and Bismarck Phillips Communications & Media was born. Now heavy hitters in the fashion industry, they started with only one client, contemporary artist Jeff Carpenter. Fashion designer Derek Lam came on board shortly after. “We had our first meeting with Derek at his apartment and all he had were sketches,” says Bismarck. Both self-described “strong personalities,” Bismarck and Phillips have been partners for 11 years and counting. “We always joke that we own more things together than we do with her husband or my partner,” says Phillips. “We’re on more leases together, and we have more bank accounts and credit cards.” More on these dynamic personalities after the jump.

A while back, New York magazine profiled the Greenpoint Coffee House with the backhanded compliment that it "remains the best place to get a decent cup of coffee in Greenpoint, but it falls short of being a dining destination." We're here to tell you that's no longer accurate. With a renewed commitment to quality eats, the GPCH has elevated itself to destination dining status, its rebirth the work of one man. Earlier this summer, we profiled local chef Jonathan Meyer (he lives across the street) whose experimentation behind the grill turned t.b.d.'s beer garden into the perfect getaway on a balmy Brooklyn night. It turns out Meyer is a man of all seasons, transforming GPCH into a cozy hub for winter comfort food to go along with its steaming pots of coffee.

Alan Linn created a home for the art world by hand picking every piece inside Norwood, his West Village private members-only club. An artist himself, Linn got his B.A. and M.A. at Royal College of Art in London and started his career working at local bars, but fell in love with New York. Lucky for him, a group of New Yorkers have since fallen in love with Norwood. Once a month, Linn selects random members to sit for dinner and hopes that Norwood's legacy will be the projects that are inspired there. Everything from movie screenings to band performances occur under Norwood's roof and spontaneous jam sessions take place regularly. (You might also be surprised to see which rock star comes in to play the piano every now and then). A chat with Linn after the jump.

● Le P'tit Paris Bistro (Windsor Terrace) - Windsor Terrace gets down with L.P.P. ● The Union Square Lounge (Union Square) - Relaunch of the lounge under Coffee Shop. Good for young'uns not yet out of the habit of partying in basements. ● Roman's (Fort Greene) - Marlow and Diner peeps bring the white tile and marble to Ft. Greene.

A PhD rockin' dancerocker.

Let's face it: summer in New York is over. There's technically a month left, but if it goes by as quickly as the rest of them did, then August will be over by the time you're done reading this. Looking back on the season that was, the two dominant commodities are obvious - -beer gardens and banh mi. Until now, a harmonious partnership of the two has been non-existent, but an enterprising Brooklyn-based chef has changed all that, and it's too bad you're only just now finding out about it.

The Brooklyn-based via University of Colorado band Chairlift (recently featured in BlackBook) has been getting some buzz lately, not the least of it due to their song “Bruises,” which was featured in an upbeat iPod nano commercial last year (lyric: “I tried to do handstands for you”). But this ditty is somewhat of an outlier on the electro-pop band’s complex album Does You Inspire You, which starts off right away with dreamy, haunting soundscapes, easing you in to a moody journey. The remastered album is being re-released on Columbia Records tomorrow, with an additional two new songs “Dixie Gypsy” and “Le Flying Saucer.” This week they’ll also be hitting the road with Peter Bjorn and John, swinging through New York on April 29 and 30. But first, guitarist and vocalist Aaron Pfenning explains to us about his astrological sign and his great affinity for Star Wars and the restaurant Diner in our quixotic (and now hungry) Pop Quiz.

“It was like a really strange day at school.” Chairlift guitarist Aaron Pfenning is squinting, pulling back as he recalls the band’s defining moment: the day the iPod commercial came out. Their song “Bruises” -- a blissed-out pop love letter, akin to Bryan Eno deconstructing the Cure, replete with an insanely catchy chorus about headstands -- was set to a bunch of brightly colored flying iPods. “It’s the kind of thing every band dreams of,” says Pfenning. “It’s like everyone’s giving you valentines, and you have no idea where they’re coming from.”

Martha Wainwright's big brother Rufus already divulged his favorite New York restos, so it's only fair she follow suit. While big bro chose some classy Manhattan spots, Martha, a Williamsburg resident, is keeping it local. "A place we really like to go -- it's really popular and overcrowded, but the food is remarkably good -- is Diner. Yeah, Diner in Williamsburg. We live around the corner from there. It's on Berry and Broadway, under the Williamsburg Bridge. It's a hipster nightmare, but the food is very well done. It's all a lot of local produce, local game, and it's done up good. It's American comfort food or things that are in season. It's not really expensive, but it could be, because the ingredients are very high quality. But it's not $28 a plate, it's more like $19."