NEW HALF-HANDED CLOUD ALBUM UP FOR PRE-ORDER
September 20th, 2010 , by John Beeler
Photo by Denny Renshaw
Next week on the 28th we get to release Half-handed Cloud's brand new As Stowaways in Cabinets of Surf, We Live-out in Our Members a Kind of Rebirth. Frontman John Ringhofer works as a custodian in a church in Berkeley, California and that is precisely where he recorded the album. We can't say enough great things about this album, so instead we'll just say we think it's his best work yet, and that it's available for preorder now a couple of ways: CD ($10), LP ($14), Bandcamp MP3 ($8).
HHC is also going on a tour of the west coast. Dates here
Or just open your ears:
NEW ALBUM FROM HALF-HANDED CLOUD
June 18th, 2010 , by John Beeler
Those who've been with us since the beginning remember that Half-handed Cloud's debut was reissued by AK in 2001. This was our second release as a record label, preceded only by an album by the label's co-founder. Since then, Half-handed Cloud has released three more full-lengths, plus an EP/singles collection.
Recorded on half-inch reel-to-reel in the sanctuary and custodial quarters of a church in Berkeley, frontman John Ringhofer recorded most of the parts himself, joined occasionally by friends. Daniel Smith (Danielson) mixed the record at his studio in Clarksboro, New Jersey.
Stowaways' tunes splash about in cavernous spaces opened up by irregularly measured rhythms and pocket-orchestra arrangements integrated with creaky pianos, sound-loops, a tugboat of a church organ, guitars, and billowing banjos. In other words, they are real gems.
Stowaways will be out September 28th, 2010 in CD, vinyl, and MP3. More details here.
TO FILL, A HALF-HANDED CLOUD VIDEO
November 16th, 2009 , by John Beeler
From Cut Me Down & Count My Rings. Edited by: Brandon Buckner, original footage: John Ringhofer and friends, animation by John Ringhofer.
HALF-HANDED CLOUD TOURING; NEW CD OUT NOW [FREE MP3]
November 15th, 2009 , by John Beeler
“Once, Twice, Seven Times a Werewolf” Cut Me Down & Count My Rings (Download)
#WTDTW (WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND)
November 13th, 2009 , by John Beeler
Via our Twitter account, what to do this weekend:
Fri: Half-handed Cloud @ Heaven Gallery #Chicago, Cryptacize @ Majestic Theater – Madison, @Jookabox @ Duke Coffeehouse – Durham
Sat: Half-handed Cloud @ Bridgeport Church – Kansas City, @HeladoNegro @ Savannah College of A&D, Cryptacize @ Turf Club – #StPaul, @Jookabox @ Go Bar #Athens
Sun: HHC @ T-House #Denver.
Details here.
HALF-HANDED CLOUD TOURS, ALBUM OUT NEXT WEEK
October 29th, 2009 , by John Beeler
HALF-HANDED CLOUD RELEASES NEW COLLECTION ON CD
August 31st, 2009 , by John Beeler
We’ve all been hankering for some more Half-handed Cloud-ness, and boy are we in luck. Come this November 3rd, we here at Asthmatic Kitty will have the great pleasure of releasing Cut Me Down & Count My Rings. It’s a collection of songs from previously-released EP’s, vinyl singles, CD-R’s, compilation appearances, original versions, download-only tracks, unreleased tunes, a cassingle, and a trio of Christmas songs from the past nine years. Many of these songs are making their very first appearance on compact disc, and none of them are on Half-handed Cloud’s four full-length albums.
#WTDTT (WHAT TO DO THIS TUESDAY)
August 6th, 2009 , by John Beeler
Half-handed Cloud is going mobile. Not mobile as in an iPhone app that makes strange noises, but as in playing music on a moving bus. HHC will board the Larry Bus from Ashby BART Station in Berkeley at 7pm on Tuesday, then make a second pick-up stop an hour later. If you live in the area, don’t miss the bus.
HOW TO SATISFY YOUR HHC HANKERING IN 3 WAYS OR LESS
March 7th, 2009 , by John Beeler
If you been hankering for your Half-handed Cloud fix, you have three golden opportunities this spring. The first is a song contribution to the third issue of The Wizard’s Hat Zine. Half-handed Cloud’s John Ringhofer appears alongside the musical ventures of Jim Stoten (Jim the illustrator) and The Wizard’s Hat’s own Andrew J.Miller. Be sure to keep an eye on their site for more information. The second is in the form of a super limited split 7" vinyl on One Inch Badge Records 7" series. Volume 2 is a collection of leftfiled-pop including songs by Half-handed Cloud, SJ Esau, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names and Kopek.
And finally, for those of you in the Bay Area, there’s a Half-handed Cloud show at the Hemlock Tavern on March 11 with Little Wings and LAKE. Half-handed Cloud will be performing in band formation with LAKE as the backing band. Click here for more details on show.
HALF-HANDED CLOUD ON DAYTROTTER, YOYO
January 15th, 2009 , by John Beeler
Just when you look the other way, Half-handed Cloud floats into periphery. Led by the brave and bold John Ringhofer, HHC entered Daytrotter’s increasingly infamous studio and played four superbly recorded songs (kudos to engineer Patrick Stolley), all of which are downloadable for free. You can also read Sean Moeller’s musings on HHC, which include this little gem of insight: "Ringhofer’s songs are convergences of faith and pop, the likes of which just aren’t out there. It’s hard to tell whom he loves more – the Lord or Brian Wilson – and in all honesty, it just may be a dead heat." Read, listen, look here.
And then of course there’s yo-yo, which seems to have an innate draw to HHC; in 2006 Justin Weber performed his work set to HHC at the National Yo-Yo Championship in Chico, California (see it here). More recently, Sid Seed, a Brazillian yo-yo-er recorded this yoyo magic set to HHC:
(Oh yes: bonus interview!)