Announcing Flying Scroll Flight Control from Half-handed Cloud
April 1st, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Photo by Carolyn Pickell
Lately, Half-handed Cloud’s John Ringhofer has been paying close attention to Robert Rauschenberg, to Joseph Beuys, to artists and filmmakers and musicians who turn the stuff and debris of everyday life into high art–and it shows. Ringhofer is set to release Flying Scroll Flight Control, his sixth LP as Half-handed Cloud, on Asthmatic Kitty Records in June of this year, and it positively bristles with contradictions like these, of discerning the absolute truths concealed within chaos and ephemera.
The tunes on Flying Scroll Flight Control are pure pop–they were mixed and polished to a shine with Sufjan Stevens in his Brooklyn studio during the first week of September last year. At times the album’s buzzing trunkful of unlikely instruments suggest a rough-hewn, ramshackle aesthetic, recalling Flight Control‘s roots in the bedroom demos that Oakland-based Ringhofer made during a few months abroad, recording with whatever was at hand.
But nothing is disposable in the musical world of Half-handed Cloud: the dizzy arrangements envince the sophistication of Ringhofer’s musical thinking, while the lyrics dig deep into theological mysteries by way of Paul the Apostle.
With Flying Scroll Flight Control, Half-handed Cloud aims to marry the humblest sound-sources and the highest artistic aspirations, the giddiest aural pleasures and the most reverential jubilation, to be at once a confection for the ears and nourishment for the soul.
See the trailer below. You can pre-orders for the pop-bottle-clear vinyl, and CD, here.
Sisyphus Out Now
March 18th, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
The three S’s of Sisyphus constitute the three talents essential to any hip-hop track: the pugilistic flow of rapper Serengeti, the gently crooned come-ons of singer Sufjan Stevens’ hooks, and the heavy beats of producer Son Lux, all interwoven into an intimate collaboration.
But they each bring something unexpected to their self-titled full-length record, out today. Serengeti’s vulnerability isn’t far at all beneath the wit and bluster on the surface, and no amount of autotune will smooth out the ambivalence of Stevens’ seduction. Son Lux’s beats are raw and help extend the architecture of the songs into strange new shapes.
Commissioned by the Walker Art Center and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra / Liquid Music Series, Sisyphus boasts cover art by Jim Hodges, whose work helped inspire the album, and layout by David J. Woodruff.
The album is available now on CD, digital download, and a gatefold two-LP set made available by Joyful Noise Recordings, who are co-releasing Sisyphus with Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Get the album here.
Linda Perhac’s “The Soul of All Natural Things” Out Now
March 4th, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
The wait is over.
Linda Perhacs’ second album, The Soul of All Natural Things, is out today, over four decades after the release of her cult debut. Coaxed back into the studio the generations of fans that rediscovered her first disc, Parallelograms, she has created a sophomore album that once again summons that LP’s youthful spirit, without compromising its forward-looking experimental streak.
The intervening years have done little to dampen the idealism of that debut, says The New York Times, praising the “aura of mystical innocence” Perhacs radiates on her sophomore effort, as well as her music’s “craft and innovation.” Produced by Fernando Perdomo and Chris Price and featuring guest appearances by post-Perhacs singer/songwriters Julia Holter and Ramona “Nite Jewel” Gonzalez, The Soul of All Natural Things is now available for purchase as a CD, vinyl LP, or digital download.
Alcohol, Devotion: New Music From Sisyphus
February 17th, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Sisyphus, a collaboration of Serengeti, Son Lux, and Sufjan Stevens, is now available for preorder here. When you preorder, you get immediate downloads of the two new singles.
“Rhythm of Devotion” is out on Soundcloud. A lyrics video for “Alcohol,” another new single, is up for listening on Soundcloud.
Sisyphus will be on on March 19th, 2014.
Linda Perhacs On Tour
February 17th, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Otherworldly and ahead of its time, Linda Perhacs’ 1970 debut, Parallelograms is a window into the time and place of its creation: sun-soaked Los Angeles at the dawn of the ’70s. So it’s fitting that she should christen her second album, The Soul of All Natural Things, with a tour that brings her brand-new music to her fans up and down the Pacific Coast.
Her new record comes out on March 4, and on March 22, she’s celebrating with a concert at Seattle’s Fremont Abbey Arts Center, followed by a pair of dates in Oregon. March 23 will see her perform in Portland, at The Old Church, and on the 25, she’ll be singing at Eugene, Oregon’s Cozmic Pizza. In California the next night, Perhacs will play The Chapel on March 26, followed by a date at Hollywood’s Masonic Lodge on March 27. Finally, she’ll head inland for a March 29 date at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace in Pioneertown, CA. See the details of her tour here.
Championed by fans ranging from Daft Punk to Devendra Banhart, Linda Perhacs has only grown in stature in the four decades since the start of her musical career. Her return to recording is less a “comeback” than the next step in her long-awaited arrival.
Hear “Freely,” the latest single, here:
Lily & Madeleine Touring West, East Coasts of U.S.
January 15th, 2014 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Photo © Pascal Amoyel.
“Their music,” says NPR’s Robin Hilton—”a restrained, homespun mix of folk and pop with undeniably sweet harmonies—certainly ranks among the loveliest to grace the NPR Music offices.”
Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz, better known as the singing duo Lily & Madeleine, had a huge year in 2013 with the release of their first EP, The Weight of the Globe, and a self-titled LP last fall, and now they’re gearing up for another. They’ve just kicked it off with a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR, with a rendition of three songs from that LP that are now available to stream or download here at NPR.org.
The two sisters, Hilton adds, “aren’t the youngest musicians ever to play the Tiny Desk, but,” at 16 and 18, respectively, “they come pretty close.”
Their youth scarcely comes across in their tight, confident musical performances, but it does mean that those performances have been relatively rare. That’s changing this year, with a generous string of tour dates in North America and the UK in the first half of 2014.
After a pair of dates in their native Midwest including playing with at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Hour (and in Chicago and Indianapolis on Jan 25 and 31, respectively), Lily & Madeleine are heading to Scotland and England from Feb 10-15, followed by concerts across the US from April 16 to June 20 plus a June 21 show in Vancouver.
A full schedule of Lily & Madeleine’s upcoming shows is available on their website.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
December 23rd, 2013 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, from our family to you and yours! Whatever you might celebrating this season, and however you might be celebrating it, we hope you’ll enjoy some seasonal tunes our friends have put together for you.
Half-handed Cloud, Liz Janes, Danielson, and a heavenly host of other terrific artists have covered movements from the first part of Handel’s Messiah—that’s the Christmas part—to Familyre’s Messiah – Part 1, a charity compilation on Sounds Familyre Records. It only costs $4 to download the whole album here or send it as an instant gift, and all proceeds go to the Red Cross to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
Another project featuring Half-handed Cloud’s John Ringhofer, The Season’s Glreekins, is also offering their very rare, self-titled 1998 tape as a present to you. Only 150 copies of the original issue were ever dubbed by the Glreekins, a seasonal band from Cattanooga, but the Glreekins are giving it away again here on bandcamp to celebrate its 15th anniversary.
My Brightest Diamond just released a cover of Bob Dylan and Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love,” which you can hear here.
And finally, as a way to say thanks to you for a great year, we’ve put together a free sampler compilation, with some great cover art by animator Tom DesLongchamp. Download it on Noisetrade here.
So get someplace warm, and treat your ears to a little Christmas cheer. Here’s wishing you peace, joy and beautiful music this holiday season.
New Linda Perhacs Album in March
December 3rd, 2013 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Linda Perhacs’ Parallelogram is the stuff of legend. Released quietly in 1970, the LP remained for years that rare example of a recording career consisting of a lone, largely forgotten, masterpiece of an album. Rediscovered, re-released and recognized years later, it inspired a new generation of musicians with its pure, guileless vocals, mystical lyrics, and visionary production.
But now, the Linda Perhacs story is finally entering its its second chapter, as the admiration of fans ranging from Devendra Banhart to Daft Punk has persuaded her to follow up her classic debut with a new release on Asthmatic Kitty Records. With her sophomore album, The Soul of All Natural Things, Perhacs is picking up where she left off.
It helps that her first record’s precocious lyrics and prescient sonics made that album sound as if it could have been released yesterday—but Perhacs’ voice remains so ageless, and her message so timeless, that her sophomore effort sounds almost as if it could have come out four decades ago. Whatever the case, it’s like she never went away.
On The Soul of All Natural Things, producers Fernando Perdomo and Chris Price have captured the spirit of that first album’s dreamy Canyon ambience, without favoring easy nostalgia over a direct and modern approach to the material. Fellow Perhacs devotees Ramona Gonzalez (Nite Jewel) and Julia Holter contribute their own talents to the CD, which will be also available for preorder in a hand-numbered limited edition on white vinyl, for an anticipated release on March 4, 2014.
You can preorder it here.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n-nWy6fB00[/youtube]
Sufjan’s Silver & Gold Vinyl Boxset Available (Again)
November 29th, 2013 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Sufjan Stevens’ Silver & Gold vinyl boxset is available for sale. Two hundred copies of the the original 2,000 limited edition remain. Though AKR will keep the vinyl in print, it is unlikely that we’ll “repress” all the goodies inside.
The vinyl boxset includes:
1. One of only 2000 Limited Edition Boxsets, including five EPs on 6 vinyl discs
2. Christmas stickers
3. Temporary tattoos (non-toxic & safe for children)
4. Paper ornament (self-assembly with directions)
5. 40-page Christmas songbook with vocal and piano reductions
6. Christmas coloring book
7. Hallucinogenic photographs and psychedelic graphic design (by Sufjan Stevens, drug-free since 1975)
8. Extensive liner notes (introductory salutations and an essay on the Christmas tree by Sufjan Stevens, and a few theological words on the End Times by Pastor Vito Aiuto)
9. Download card.
10. Extra surprise stuff???
It is available for $120 (plus hefty 6lbs worth of shipping & handling). You can order the vinyl (and the CD boxset as well) by clicking here.
Limited Edition Illinois Vinyl at Newbury
November 21st, 2013 , by Asthmatic Kitty
New England area record and comic book store is taking pre-orders for a limited edition of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 Illinois, with exclusive red and green colored vinyl that matches the award-winning artwork from Divya Srinivasan. The limited edition of 1,000 is out December 10. You can preorder it from Newbury here.