this week I’d like to get to know your favourite Italian. It works similar to last time. Find your favourite Italian restaurant on my website, give it five stars, post a comment and – ideally – add a picture. Those who post something by next Tuesday will automatically take part in the draw for one of three cult Knäppa Digital Cameras by Ikea. If you don’t find your favourite venue on my website, send me an e-mail.
Give my love to the city, Ron 

A couple of years ago, Two Door Cinema Club released their debut album of electro-pop gems. All the songs were very shiny but nothing to pierce the heart. They’re now back with their second album, and in the meantime it seems they’ve been flirting with New Order’s drum machines, spent a few nights on the wrong side of town and generally hardened up their sound. They still look more like indie librarians than rockstars to me, but if you want infectious beats and earworm melodies this Irish trio have the goods to offer at X-tra tonight. I have 2 x 2 tickets to give away. E-mail me.

Thursday 8 pm, X-tra

Having wandered around the party corners of Zurich like a neon hobo, dance party label Do What Ya Like, have finally found a place to call home. From this Friday onwards they will be dishing out the party vibes at Amboss rampe. As usual they’ll be doing things a little different. Starting at 7 pm you can play some funky Ping-Pong. With a bat in one hand and a beer in the other what could possibly go wrong? Then at 10 pm the party starts. Djs Jewl, KengBang and DWYL favourites Lobi Rodio and Kelstroem will be celebrating the homecoming.
Friday 7 pm, Amboss rampe

What’s missing in the Langstrasse district? An original Irish pub, thought the team from Schweizerhof in Wetzikon. And after seven months of hard work and refurbishment Dublin City will open its doors to the public on Friday; with live music – traditionally Irish of course. They plan to host concerts regularly, screen football games and of course they have Guinness on tap.
Friday 8 pm, Dublin City, Dienerstrasse 28

In the mid-Noughties, Bloc Party shone like post-punk shooting stars full of heat and light but quickly dimmed and faded into just another indie guitar band. But their front man, Kele, was always moonlighting as a dj, and over the years has developed an outstanding reputation. Ditching the guitars in favour of an eclectic mix of electronic dance music he’ll be playing at Plaza on Saturday. In support will be djs Mannequine, Ryan Riot and Tony Smash FX. 

Saturday 11 pm, Plaza

Popup has been a centre for culture and creativity in Zurich for the last year and a half but will finally be closing its doors soon. As a big farewell and a last hooray, they will be having a multi-media party this Saturday that promises Popup will not soon be forgotten. The evening will be hosted by Dr Vanillje, and a huge selection of the finest djs and live acts will be performing across two floors, some of which will be streamed live online. The Zurich art collective Blackout Visuals will ensure the whole place is a swirling mass of colours and shapes. If you’ve never been to Popup before, the phrase ‘now or never’ springs to mind.

Saturday 10 pm, Popup, Höggerstrasse 51, 8037

If you like your music to be matched with poetic, lyrical imagery then you should go see Villagers at Mascotte on Monday. Despite the name, Villagers is basically Conor O’Brien, a young Irishman whose previous albums had marked him out to be something of a folk-rock wizard, winning a multitude of awards for his first single Becoming a Jackel. Since then he’s kept the folk aura but added a whole new layer of electronica to his sound. As ever, the spell he casts with the lyrics will take you to places unknown.

Monday 7 pm, Mascotte

Fours friends went on the hunt to find the best burgers in town, always ordering a standard burger with bacon and cheese. I don’t know how many meat buns they tasted to compile their list of twenty venues with the best, most interesting and most dramatic burgers in Zurich, but I’m curious to try their top three – Imagine, Movie and N-68. If you want to find out more about the recommended venues you can visit their website or order their book. En Guete!

In my first shared flat we had a smallish container on the window sill for biodegradable waste. It was one of the rotating chores to empty it regularly (there was a garden nearby with a composter) and - as it goes in shared flats - one of the neglected chores. I’ll never forget the slimy contents whenever I braced myself to do the job. Yuck! Nonetheless, I’ve been wishing to find a solution for the fruits, vegetables, etc. that I throw away each week. The city must have heard my prayers and answered in the form of proper waste containers in green – like you have for your garbage outside in grey. They come in three sizes and you can fill them whenever you like – so no slimy content indoors. The city will drive by and empty them once a week to generate energy from it. All you have to do is to ask your landlord to organise such a green container and your garbage bin at home won’t smell this summer. Happy times!

I read an interesting article by Tony Schwartz, the founder of the Energy Project. He explains in the New York Times how breaks, sleeping, holidays and other non-work-related activities increase our output massively. It’s an article that every employer should read – so print it out and put it on the desk of your boss.