RAFTER A STAR IN AUSTRIA, PICKED UP BY FREE AGENCY
February 16th, 2007 , by John Beeler
What a week for Rafter! Just when you thought things were slowing up, Rafter has been invited to play the Vienna Festival in Austria on May 25, 2007. He will be playing at Radiokulturhaus with fork&knives and Baby Zithers.
Also, we are happy to announce that Rafter has been picked up by the Free Agency Booking. He joins an incredible roster of artists including Slim Moon, BARR, Wooden Wand, Excepter, Jana Hunter and labelmates Castanets.
RAFTER VIDEO CONTEST QUANTITY PRIZE RUNNER-UP
February 15th, 2007 , by John Beeler
With an impressive 8591 views (at last count), we would like to honor this video as the Quantity Award runner-up. These two energetic young woman know the true meaning of rocking out, viral marketing, and tagging with integrity! Hurray for kitty8joe.
MONEY FOR TOTAL CONTEST WINNERS
February 14th, 2007 , by John Beeler
Back in November of last year, we announced our official Music For Total Chickens video contest. We offered two $500 prizes; a Quality Award, and a Quantity Award for the most YouTube views. Over 40 entrants picked one of four offered mp3s and created a music video. They submitted those to a YouTube video group. Meanwhile, we enlisted the help of seven highly qualified celebrity judges. They critiqued each video with the keen eyes of experience and talent, and have found a quality winner.
Well, it’s The Half-Week of Rafter Love, and that’s as good a time as any to announce our two winners. But first, we’d like to thank everyone who contributed. We were overwhelmed with the quality – and quantity! – of responses. We’re also a little sad that there couldn’t be more than two winners. These videos were really good. Throughout this half-week, we’ll be featuring our own favorites. Until then, the winners:
Sporting an action-packed forest chase set, the Quality Award goes to the video above created by whaun of WilliamHaun.com. Thankfully, William has generously provided higher quality versions of the video here.
With over 25,000 views and several blended eggs, the Quantity Award goes to pigetstuck:
Thanks to all, and congratulations our two winners! Our highly trained Prize Distributary Committee will be in contact with you shortly! Click "more" to see the two runners up for the Quality Award.
GUIDE TO BUYING MUSIC FOR TOTAL CHICKENS FOR CHICKENS
January 23rd, 2007 , by John Beeler
Today, Tuesday January the 23rd, Rafter releases Music for Total Chickens, his second album on Asthmatic Kitty Records. The long journey from not buying Music for Total Chickens to buying Music for Total Chickens is not an easy one for chickens. Barriers, such as social contact, possibly driving or ordering from Internet, can all hinder […]
Read the Rest...NOTE TO VIDEO PROCRASTINATORS: ONE WEEK LEFT!
January 16th, 2007 , by John Beeler
Rafter’s new Music for Total Chickens drops next Tuesday, January 23. Shortly thereafter, while thousands savor the sweet quirkpop of this new album in the cozy comfort of their homes, a panel of celebrity judges will tirelessly evaluate the submissions in the Official Rafter Music for Total Chickens Video Contest.
Two winners will then receive one $500 prize each, one for receiving the most YouTube views, and the other for creating a video that the judges deem QUALITY. That leaves a mere seven (7) days for completion and submission, of either a high quality, high creative, high energy visual entry, or one that draws a large amount of views from YouTubers.
Rafter, whose newest album is a directed self-help musical treatment, might suggest to hyper-procrastinators that they assign a psuedo-due-date of tomorrow, so as to get the video done before Tuesday!
No exceptions will be made. Get cracking!
[Official Contest Page on YouTube]
[Rafter invites you to contest]
[Contest visual propoganda]
[List of Celebrity Judges]
CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR RAFTER CONTEST
December 16th, 2006 , by John Beeler
After an exhaustive search far and wide (celebrities are hard to find when you need them!), we have found judges for Rafter’s Music For Total Chickens Video Contest. The contest, which will award two $500 cash prizes to winners, has provided four songs from Rafter’s upcoming Music for Total Chickens, due for release on January 23, 2007. You (as in, you the people!) will determine the winner of the Quantity Award, which is based solely on YouTube views.
But for the Quality Award, we needed some very special people to determine quality-ness, people – nay, celebrities – attuned to the ebb and flow of quality-ness. And so, with that in mind, we based our selection on two very important criteria: the person’s celebrity-ness and visual know-how.
And the judges are…
- Singer songwriter Kristin Hersh, formerly of Throwing Muses and currently fronting 50 Foot Wave. Hersh’s visual lyricism made her an obvious choice for the panel.
- Tim Kingsbury, bassist for the Arcade Fire, was chosen for his love of looking at various things.
- Scouts selected former videogame columnist and science fiction writer Jim Munroe for his D.I.Y. spirit, corporate combatting, and complicated relationship with the future.
- Because Arto Lindsay was one of Rafter’s inspirations to enter the musical world, Asthmatic Kitty thought it befitting to employ his extensive experience on the panel.
- Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were chosen for their collection of MTV Music Video Awards (that, and their writing and directing of a film entitled Little Miss Sunshine).
- Peaches was chosen for her keen eye for costuming.
Together, the team will bring each of their own unique perspectives to the judging table and sift through the inevitable hundreds of video entries for a definitive winner. As of today, there are eight entries to the YouTube Contest Group – that means chances are a keen 2 in 8 of winning $500!
And the earlier entrants submit videos, the more views it can garner for the slightly dirtier but just as cashy Quantity Award. The word is viral, folk!
MUSIC FOR TOTAL CHICKENS CONTEST
November 15th, 2006 , by John Beeler
Perhaps we are jumping on the YouTube shameless self-promotion bandwagon, but why the heck not when we’re promoting something that is both pop and lovingly off-kilter as Rafter’s Music for Total Chickens (release date: January 23, 2007).
Contestants will be offered four mp3s to choose from off of Rafter’s upcoming release, Music for Total Chickens. These mp3s will be posted on various blogs and the Asthmatic Kitty website, contestants will choose one of these mp3s to make a video. Contestants will create and upload their videos to the Rafter Contest Group on YouTube. They will have two months to create and post the video. The contest will run to January 23 and the winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2007. No submissions will be taken after January 23, 2007.
Two $500 cash prizes will be given.
THE QUALITY PRIZE: The first prize will go to the video selected by a panel of "celebrity" judges.
THE QUANTITY PRIZE: The second prize will go to whichever video is the most viewed according to YouTube’s statistics.
the MP3s:
http://www.asthmatickitty.com
http://www.asthmatickitty.com
http://www.asthmatickitty.com
http://www.asthmatickitty.com