ANNOUNCING NEW ARTIST, ALBUM: HELADO NEGRO WITH AWE OWE [FREE MP3]

April 30th, 2009 , by

Photo by Kristi Sword

Roberto C. Lange is one of those guys who is inherently and instinctively prolific; to list everything he’s done in the last few years would just make create a lot of extra work for bullet points. Instead, suffice it to say that we here at Asthmatic Kitty are lucky enough, and proud, to be home for Lange’s latest project: Helado Negro.

Formed since he moved to NYC in 2006, Helado Negro is the culmination of years of musical experimentation and experience synthesized with the vibrancy of the Brooklyn musical and art culture. Musicians and bands like Prefuse 73, Feathers, and Stars Like Fleas (among others) all contribute members in some form or other. Inspirations for sound are as diverse as they are numerous. This album is steeped in DJ, art, and multiculturalism.

We have had the fortune to hear the first produce of Helado Negro, a remarkable full-length album Lange has titled Awe Owe – "ah!" for realization, "oh?" for the never-ending pursuit of learning. It is an absolutely terrific and compelling listen.

We will release Awe Owe August 4, 2009. That’s good timing, because this album of latin experiment and exploration is the perfect music for sitting in a saggy lawnchair in the swelter of summer, watching everything pass by from the comfort of your porch while Awe Owe weaves its way from your boombox to your ears. You can read about Helado Negro here, and Awe Owe here.

"Deja" (Download)

SHARA WORDEN OF MBD WITH DECEMBERISTS ON COLBERT REPORT

April 29th, 2009 , by

You can see this in real life somewhere near you. See The Decemberists’ dates here.

DM STITH TO RELEASE NEW EP [FREE MP3]

April 28th, 2009 , by

Photo by Ben Wilkerton Tousley

Heavy Ghost, the full-length debut from newcomer DM Stith, astounded. "This is the music of your life," wrote Bryan Sanchez of Adequacy.net. "Post-modern tribal folk" genre-fied Urb. And Q Magazine called the work "extraordinary." We are usually modest, but we here at AK completely agree. The album has been on rotation here at the offices for some time.

So when Stith approached us with a trilogy of EP’s, we couldn’t help but say yes, yes, yes. His first is BMB, a robust seven song exploration in and around the sixth track from Heavy Ghost. In addition to a demo version of "BMB" and remixes by Roberto Carlos Lange and Son Lux, the EP includes two cover songs semi-related to "BMB." Stith covers Randy Newman’s "Suzanne" and the Ronettes "Be My Baby." We get to release the album on July 1, 2009.

In the meantime, enjoy a free mp3 from the album, or pick up Heavy Ghost here ($10/CD; $12/LP).

CRYPTACIZE: A COMMERCIAL FOR MYTHOMANIA

April 28th, 2009 , by


Buy the CD for $10, or the LP for $12 here.

LIZETH-RAFTER ENGAGEMENT PARTY-FEST-SHOW!

April 27th, 2009 , by


Get this: Rafter is engaged! And to photographer Lizeth Santos no less, the girl who did the cover art on Rafter’s last album, Sweaty Magic, and has repeatedly inspired Rafter to do such things as the art project a day!

To celebrate the engagement, Lizeth and Rafter are throwing an an engagement party/art show/music show/jamboree. Lizeth has made a whole series of heart-themed photos, and Rafter and friends, playing as "smile now, cry later," will play some covers of their favorite love jams.

And seeing as how you’re a friend, you should go to congratulate them in person! The lovejamfestparty is on Thursday April 30th, 9pm at the Whistlestop Bar in San Diego (21+).

Click more to see the full promo poster and a tease of Lizeth’s heart-themed photography.

MBD SETS FREE “THE HONEY BEE” TO BENEFIT INVISIBLE CHILDREN

April 25th, 2009 , by

Inspired by the honey bees housed on Detroit’s urban farms, Shara wrote a song, “The Honey Bee." It’s available for free download on The Biggest Label Ever right here (registration required).

Why all the hubbabaloo?  On April 25th, the non-profit Invisible Children will be staging a global event in an effort to rescue the 3,000 child soldiers in Uganda.  Many other artists in addition to MBD are donating music for the cause. Visit the main page of The Biggest Label Ever here.

SUFJAN STEVENS TALKS SM57s, C100s, AKG K 240 DFs, AND TOP ENDS

April 24th, 2009 , by

If you understood any of the words in that title, and you enjoy the music of Sufjan Stevens, then you will thoroughly enjoy Tape Op‘s interview with Sufjan. Our very own Rafter is interviewer, and he diligently mines out all the gnarly details of Sufjan’s recording process and finally solves the Great 32kHz Michigan Mystery. NYC recording studio The Buddy Project has it partially posted right here. For the complete interview, buy a shiny copy at your favorite newstand, or better yet – subscribe already!

For those wishing a less numerical Sujfan read, you may instead peruse his new post on the Sidebar, which tackles topics wholly unrelated to sound engineering. Read here.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND (WTDTW)

April 24th, 2009 , by

Via our Twitter account, some stuff to do this weekend. Fri- MBD in Holland, MI @ Dewitt Studio Theater, Cryptacize in SanFran @ Cafe du Nord; Sat- Jookabox in Bristol @ Start the Bus.

Details here.

FOL CHEN INVADE THE BRITISH, BEFORE THEY INVADE FOL CHEN

April 23rd, 2009 , by

London: beware. If you are harboring the lecherous fugitive John Shade, Fol Chen is bound to smoke the weasel out ala Scotland Yard. Their 6-day, 7-gig blitz tour of London will leave no stone, rolling or otherwise, unturned. They will be bringing their electro-art-pop goodness to you this June. See dates here.

THE MYTHOMANIA OF CRYPTACIZE IS NOW REAL

April 21st, 2009 , by

Mythomania, the second full-length from Cryptacize, is out right now. You should be able to walk into any independent record store and find it waiting for you on the shelf, as if each moment of Tuesday April the 21st guided you to the decision to pick it up, carry it to the counter, purchase it, and listen to it on the way home. 
Or maybe destiny guided you to this very World Wide Web page, where you may now proceed to buy the CD for $10 or LP for $12 by clicking this link right here.
Or maybe destiny has squat to do with it and you just want to hear a really terrific record with hooks that will sink in your skin. Regardless, we think you’ll really, really enjoy this album. And for a limited time you can listen to it all, for free, on muxtape right here or on our site here.
« Previous Page — Next Page »