Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Banksy's water tank, Alessi in love, coffee on demand and more in our weekly look at the web

1. The Science of Champagne That effervescence that defines the most celebratory drink in alcohol’s repertoire happens to be one giant happy accident. As physicist Gerard Liger-Belair explains in his new book, “Uncorked: The Science of Champagne,” those hundreds of bubbles bursting per second are vehicles for flavor and scent. It was considered a product of poor wine-making, and Catholic monk Dom Pierre Pérignon was …

Washed Out: Don’t Give Up

Fiona Apple's "Hot Knife," ARP's "High-Heeled Clouds," Tiki Disco and more in this week's music recap

Interweaving vocals anxiously writhe on top of clean percussion and a well-placed piano progression—and that’s just the start of “Hot Knife,” Fiona Apple’s latest single from her critically acclaimed 2012 album The Idler Wheel…. The song meets its match with a potent music video from famed filmmaker and former flame, Paul Thomas Anderson. The visuals are simple and direct, drawing upon the gravity of Apple’s …

Fiona Apple: Hot Knife

Fiona Apple's "Hot Knife," ARP's "High-Heeled Clouds," Tiki Disco and more in this week's music recap

Also known as Alexis Georgopoulos, ARP has been making music for years under the monikers Q&A, the Alps and Tussle. Considering his extensive background in analog synthesizers and stringed instruments, ARP’s newest single “High-Heeled Clouds” is a stark antithesis to previous experimental works such as “Raga For Moog & Violin.” The repeating chord pattern is reminiscent of classic ’60s Motown ballads (The Marvelettes’ “Darling Forever” …