Record stores are suffering from illegal downloads and digital retailers like Amazon and itunes. The tangible form isn’t as respected or preferred any longer. Licensing, merchandising, and touring have become the main revenue generator for many bands. So what’s an independent record store to do in these dark times? Rally for support by working with bands and labels. Record Store Day is an event held on the third Saturday of every April, releasing exclusive vinyl, cds, and merchandise to independent record stores across the country. This year’s event is set for April 18 with an amazing list of participating artists releasing rarities, live performances, and b sides. Have a look at the list of releases and participating stores on Record Store Day’s site.

The Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York is following the lead of Falling Water and the Glass-House: Funding preservation efforts by encouraging tourism and generating buzz. Where Falling Water has gone the route of unobtrusive—and uninspired—wooden tourist center and the glass-house has an off-site welcoming center, the folks at the Martin House Restoration Corporation are being far more ambitious: they’ve built a $5m pavilion by New York architect Toshiko Mori within the complex. Perhaps inspired by the multi-building nature of Wright’s sprawling five-structure homestead, the move challenges preservationists and titillates archi-tourists.

Last night’s Choice Eats wasn’t your usual tasting event. Tickets didn’t cost $100 and upscale restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Café Boulud and Telepan weren’t present. No, this was the Village Voice’s second annual food tasting, bringing together more than 50 restaurants representing 37 different cuisines – everything from Cuban sandwiches to mac and cheese to Indian street snacks – in the cavernous Lexington Avenue Armory. Rows of tables and endless trays of food were set up, with dozens of chefs doling out delicious bites of international fare as fast as hungry ticketholders were grabbing them. Tickets were a mere $35 – a relief in these cash-strapped times – and bought three hours of unlimited snacks and drinks.

Many people people may recognize Jean-Philippe Delhomme’s work from Glen O’ Brien’s GQ column, “The Style Guy.” With his career spanning over 20 years, Delhomme’s output has mainly been through magazines and books though he’s ventured outside of the publishing industry and entered the broadcast world. Tonight, Partners & Spade will celebrate the illustrator with an opening, showcasing Jean-Philippe’s new work. Opening will be from 6-8.

Kim Gordon has always been a force. She was critical to the downtown New York scene that spawned the No Wave anti-movement during the early 80’s, and has been influencing pop culture ever since. Her throaty voice and raw guitar for Sonic Youth brought her to iconic indie status. Following the success of the band, Gordon established the street label X-Girl in 1994 as her first foray into fashion, recruiting Mike Mills and Geoff McFetridge for their design talents during their early careers.

Alexander Girard has been a design hero of ours for some time. Avoiding the cold and sometimes austere aesthetic of modernism, Girard incorporated color into everything he produced, from textiles and toys to graphic design and furniture. This past winter House Industries released some amazing products to coincide with the launch of their Alexander Girard font collection. The entire line took about four years to produce, taking the team into the archives of Vitra, Herman Miller, and maXimo, as well as family and friends including the Neuharts. Grain Edit has more as they interview House Industries’s founder and art director Andy Cruz about the process leading up to the development of collection.