Sure, there may be glitz and glam to be had at New York Fashion Week events, but for us, the only gem to be concerned with this week is Nick Diamonds (aka Nick Thorburn). The Canadian musician is in town to play two shows amid a North American tour in support of his second solo album City of Quartz.

City of Quartz, which dropped in June via his Manque Music label, is a 13-track odyssey that hits all sorts of chords, ranging from dark and moody to playful and upbeat. Among the LP’s stand outs are “Witch Window” and “Bohemian Groove”. You can listen to the entire album now at Spotify or purchase it digitally via iTunes & eMusic.

In honor of the current tour, Thorburn released a new track, “Specimen Days”. Left off City of Quartz, the haunting, spacey song is about loss and the pain of moving on. You can listen to it below.

Thorburn’s talents aren’t confined to music. In addition to a mountain of sonic pursuits, including bands Islands, The Unicorns, and Mister Heavenly, among others, Thorburn is a cartoonist and he’s also a filmmaker. His debut short film That Dog, featuring Michael Cera, Tim Heidecker and Natasha Leggero, had its premiere last week at the Toronto International Film Festival. It screens again, along with films by Caroline Monnet and Laura Vandewynckel, on Friday, September 18 in Short Cuts Programme 1. You can check out the trailer below.

And, if all that weren’t enough, in his spare time Thorburn is a sexting expert. Below you can find him appearing as a guest on Nedelle Torrisi’s Advice From Paradise offering up his two cents about the rules and risks involved with sharing suggestive pics in the digital age.

Thorburn hits Rough Trade tonight with Stockholm’s Small Feet, who are on the road in support of From Far Enough Away Everything Sounds Like the Ocean, which is out now on Barsuk Records. Tomorrow, Thorburn plays a late show at Mercury Lounge with Canadian quartet Hollerado opening. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. His complete North American tour schedule is below.

Nick Diamonds Tour Schedule
9/15: Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
9/16: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
9/17: Philadelphia, PA @ The Boot & Saddle*
9/18: Hudson, NY @ The Half Moon*
9/19: Montreal, QC @ Rialto Hall (POP Montreal)*
9/20: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club Theater*
9/22: Detroit, MI @ Majestic Cafe*
9/23: Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail*
9/24: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*
9/25: Cincinnati, OH @ MidPoint Music Festival
9/26: Champaign, IL @ Mike and Molly’s (Pygmalion Festival)
9/27: Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose Tap
9/29: Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
9/30: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/1: Boise, ID @ The Watercooler
10/2: Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/3: Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
10/4: Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
10/6: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
10/7: Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
10/9: Los Angeles, CA @ Culture Collide
10/10: San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink

*Small Feet opening