British singer-songwriter Alexis Taylor is best known as the frontman of the Mercury-nominated synth-pop band Hot Chip, formed while he was at secondary school with Joe Goddard in the 1990s. He is also a highly versatile solo musician and has just released his seventh solo album, Paris in the Spring, featuring Lola Kirke, the Avalanches and Air’s Nicolas Godin. He lives in London and tours the UK from 17 April.

I enjoy the format of this podcast, and the choice of guests, and listening to Bella Freud’s amazing, soothing voice as she presents each episode. Guests are invited to talk about their fashion choices but also about their personal lives and experiences – a lot is uncovered about their upbringings or their life stories, in a way that feels both natural and a deep dive into the unconscious and family life. It’s really fascinating every time. Particularly interesting episodes are with actor and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg and with the artist Arthur Jafa.

This has unfortunately finished now, but it opened in October last year, ran until early February and was my favourite exhibition I have been to in years. Visitors were encouraged to sit and look at many truly amazing Peter Doig paintings (some of Trinidad scenes, others of guitar players, lions, rollerskaters) while listening to music selections (usually on vinyl) by an array of people with far-reaching taste. Huge and beautiful 1928 cinema speakers (previously belonging to Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk) took up the wing galleries on either side of the main space, flanking a large central room with yet more speakers and audio gear. A calm and immersive environment to take in the music and the paintings, which went very well together whenever I visited. Also, I did get to play tunes too.

Brian is a friend, but I am a fan of his music-making (in Gang Gang Dance, as a solo artist and as a soundtrack composer – he has soundtracked films by Chloe Sevigny recently, out on cassette on the Deeper Into Movies label). I’m also a huge admirer of his paintings and drawings. He once drew a portrait of me entitled Hayward Fan – a fan of the musician Charles Hayward (from bands including This Heat, Camberwell Now and Abstract Concrete). His latest painting show in New York is really wonderful and definitely a highlight if you want to see some contemporary art in that part of the world. His paintings are figurative and abstract in equal degrees, very emotional and vibrant, calm and beautiful all at once. Also see his cover art for the last Hot Chip album, Freakout/Release: the original painting now lives at the Nightmoves club in New York.

At 222 Bowery in New York lives the Giorno Poetry Systems venue, which hosts artists in many disciplines recommending or shining a light on other artists or makers. I recently visited to hear artist Matt Connors, who runs the label Pre-Echo Press, introduce the prepared improvisations of the late virtuosic jazz pianist Jessica Williams. It was a unique listening experience, featuring vinyl playback of Jessica’s posthumously released album Blue Abstraction with the backstory of finding these tapes and Jessica’s life and works, plus new interjections in the form of improvised and prepared piano performances by modern composers. Inside the same space, off to the side, a modest room is preserved, left exactly as it was after William Burroughs, its former occupant, left the planet. An amazing room to visit in its own right, and truly fascinating.

(Lobby of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 28 Liberty Street, New York)

The strange and unbelievable history of Kim’s Video is told well in the documentary of the same name. The former music and film chain that I used to frequent in the early 2000s is now resurrected as a VHS and DVD rental shop in the lobby of a cinema, offering five-day rentals for free and featuring very rare and unique film selections, some of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.

Paris in the Spring is out now on Night Time Stories. Alexis Taylor plays the following live UK dates: Todmorden - 17 April, Manchester - 24 April, Stockton-on-Tees 25 April and London - 27 April