DM STITH COLLABORATES WITH IMAGINING MOZAMBIQUE
August 17th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
"Imagining Mozambique", a traveling art show collective, premiers from August 27 to September 10 at the Maxalot Gallery in Amsterdam. The show is a fundraiser for ASEM, a non-profit organization that helps the children and orphans of Mazambique. Over the last 25 years, the country has been plagued by civil war, natural disasters, colonization, and economic instability, all of which has led to widespread uncertainty for tomorrow’s youth. For 17 years, ASEM has offered Mozambican children an alternative to living life in the streets, abandonment, and rejection from society by establishing various centers to provide shelter, education, and food to thousands. ASEM also seeks psychological, emotional, and physical rehabilitation of the children through organized cultural and athletic activities.
"Imagining Mozambique" is a thought-provoking collection of photography, illustration, painting, and design inspired by the Mozambican children’s day-to-day plight for survival and change. The prints can be purchased on Imagining Mozambique’s website by clicking here. The website is an interactive and educational portal to the afflictions of the country set to the premonitory sounds of our own DM Stith. A special feature of the site lets visitors create their own wish with which they can express a personalized message of optimism and hope to the children. All money raised through the sale of the artwork goes directly to ASEM.
#WTDTW (WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND)
August 14th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Via our twitter account: #WTDTW :: Fri: Jookabox in Melody Inn #Indy, Fol Chen at Echo LA, :: Sun: Half-handed Cloud at Hemlock #SanFran.
FOL CHEN BRIEFLY EMERGES, DISTRIBUTES FREE MUSIC, TOURS [FREE ALBUM]
August 12th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
The pyramid was built, the plans set in motion, necessary parties were contacted and contracted. Now Samuel Bing, Melissa Thorne and the gang are preparing for their next assignment. Is it geodesic in nature? Urt-like? Subterranean? We can’t make out the cryptic scrawling they left on the post-its here at AK HQ.
Fortunately, they also left behind an EP that they have asked us to propagate to the masses, you, free of charge. It is an interlude, collecting the residual remixes, both by and for Fol Chen, and features the likes of Liars, Simone White, Epstein AKA Roberto Lange, Rafter and more! Download it (for free!) here.
And before Fol Chen leave and begin their second phase of gestation, they will give their live musical presentation in the City of Angels this Friday at the Echo as part of LA Weekly and Aquarium Drunkard’s ROCK N ROLL SUMMER CIRCUS. Then Fol Chen will head over to Europe for a string of dates. You can check out their tour dates here.
PREORDER SHANNON STEPHENS, SEE HER LIVE
August 11th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Shannon Stephens’ long-awaited second album, The Breadwinner, is almost here. You can preorder it now by clicking here, or wait and purchase it when it hits your local record store on September 8th. To celebrate the release and her triumphant return to musicdom after a 10 year hiatus, Shannon will play at a CD release party on August 29th at Shadowland Restaurant and Bar in West Seattle, WA. The party is free and starts at 8pm. Special guest The Marrying Type will also be performing.
The Breadwinner will also be available to purchase at the show, a whole week and a half before its official release. If you can’t make it out, the show will be streamed live on Shadowland’s website right here. And speaking of streaming, two days prior to the release party, Shannon will be featured live on Seattle’s KBCS’ "Lunch With Folks" at 1pm (91.3 FM). Listen live on their website here!
SUFJAN TO TOUR WITH CRYPTACIZE IN FALL
August 10th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
One of our favorite things around here is seeing our artists meander around the country spreading great music, so you can imagine our giddiness when two of our artists decided to pal up and tagteam an east-of-Lake-Minnetonka tour. The team? Sufjan Stevens and Cryptacize. Click more to read details.
We wanted to make this as equitable for all of the fans so there are a few things to read carefully here. Due to the sizes of the venues, tickets will be limited. With that in mind, we wanted to avoid ticket scalpers and ensure that as many fans as possible could attend these shows. Tickets must be picked up at will-call the night of the show (not mailed), tickets are non-transferable and purchaser must present a government-issued photo ID. Also, there is a two ticket limit per purchaser. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
!!UPDATE – AUGUST 17th!!
This tour is sold-out.
09-21: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s (SOLD OUT)
09-22: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s (SOLD OUT)
09-23: Ithaca, NY – Castaways (SOLD OUT)
09-24: Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
09-25: Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
09-26: Champaign, IL – The High Dive (SOLD OUT)
09-27: Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar (SOLD OUT)
09-28: Madison, WI – The Majestic (SOLD OUT)
09-29: Bloomington, IN – Buskirk Chumley (SOLD OUT)
10-01: Toronto, ON – Lee’s Place (SOLD OUT)
10-02: Montreal, QC – Cabaret (SOLD OUT)
10-03: Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
10-04: New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
10-05: New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
10-06: Brooklyn, NY – Hall at Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
10-07: Brooklyn, NY – Hall at Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)
#WTDTT (WHAT TO DO THIS TUESDAY)
August 6th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
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.
TRIPLE FEATURE: OSSO TOUR, BQE SCREENINGS, DM STITH
August 4th, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
This October, the newly regrouped Osso will tour North America in support of their debut record Run Rabbit Run, a re-arrangement of Sufjan Stevens’ Enjoy Your Rabbit. But around here we like to do lots of things at once, so the tour will also feature screenings of Stevens’ The BQE, and select dates with DM Stith, whom the New York Daily News called a “ghostly cascade of noise like no other.” The show – nay, extravaganza – will weave its way from NYC to the Midwest, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s newly christened and very classy Toby Theater, through the Rust Belt (Pittsburgh’s Warhol Museum!), and then into New England.
You can read about Osso here, and the album Run Rabbit Run (due October 6) here. There’s a trailer for The BQE here (out October 20). You can hear an excellent acoustic session from DM Stith thanks to WYNC’s Spinning on Air by clicking right here. And specifics and times and details for this triple-shot tour are here.
HELADO NEGRO TOURS ALL FIVE BOROUGHS, THEN REST OF U.S.
August 3rd, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
In celebration of the release of Awe Owe on August 4th, Helado Negro will take a week long tour of the five boroughs of New York. Yes. You read that correctly. Go back and reread if necessary. All. Five. Boroughs. As far as we know, this tremendous feat has only been accomplished by 50 Cent. Until now.
Starting off in Queens, Helado Negro will bring their perfectly-timed-to-late-summer sounds to each of the City’s boroughs, concluding the tour with a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to play on the mysteriously floating borough itself. Helado Negro will consist of Roberto C. Lange (voice, guitars, etc.), Jason Ajemian (percussion), Isaac Lekach (guitar, voice and vibes), Jason Trammell (drums), Oliver Chapoy (guitar), Jon Philpot (voice and percusion) and Shannon Fields (guitars, etc.). The motley crew will then Escape from New York (sans Chapoy and Philpot) and take their music to the southeastern portion of the United States. This powerhouse band includes members of Savath & Savalas, Yeasayer, Stars Like Fleas, Guy Fantastico, and Born Heller. Details are here.
While on tour, Roberto Lange will meet up with painter/kinetic sculptor David Ellis in Charlottesville at the Bridge to score a new sculpture by Ellis. Learn more about the opening night for this exhibition here. For trivia nerds (hey that’s us too!) Ellis helped out on an amazing new music video for the vastly bearded Helado Negro, which you can see here.
While we have your attention focused on Helado Negro, download the new remix by Leb Laze of Helado Negro’s "I Wish". Leb-Laze sublets the original and does a little redecorating while his walkman jams So So Def deep cuts and his dog Atomic starts pulling things out of the cupboards.
#WTDTW (WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND)
July 31st, 2009 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Via our twitter account: #WTDTW :: Fri: Castanets @ Hemlock-San Fran :: Sat: Castanets @ The Crepe Place – Santa Cruz.