(MERRY) CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

December 24th, 2008 , by

Today is Christmas Eve, and several of our artists have musical presents for everyone!

Three show up on the second volume of A Familyre Christmas from sister-label Sounds Familyre. Half-handed Cloud packed "Home for Christmas" into the volume (see if you can pick out the voices of Nedelle and Chris from Cryptacize!), Liz Janes carefully wrapped "Mary’s Song," and Sufjan Stevens must have found some of Manheim Steamroller’s gear on ebay to record "Good King Wenceslas." You can listen to all these songs, plus several more from friends like Danielson, Lenny Smith, Soul-junk, The Singing Mechanic, and Innocence Mission right here.

Chris Schlarb (also of I Heart Lung) started a new tradition this year and gathered his family to record a Christmas album. "The high-concept, two part Christmastime in… series is sure to please the closet prog-heads out there," writes Chris. You can download the four-song album (complete with amazing cover art!) here.

DM Stith also recorded "Ecstatic Only Static Peace (Peace to Me)," which showed up this morning on Stereogum’s cyber-doorstep, right here. Stith comments, "I imagined a cartoon Christmas special like the ones I grew up watching, and in this one, there’s a musical number featuring a dilapidated old house who is singing about a dream of being dressed in Christmas lights. For him it’s like the ultimate act of honor. So I imagine this old house watching the other houses on the street get all decked up for Christmas and he’s left without, no glory in the winter weather. I think David Bowie is playing the voice of the old house."

And then of course, there’s the full, free stream of Sufjan’s 5-CD Christmas boxset, a video game simulation of Christmas, a specially designed Christmas eCard generator, some last-minute ornaments from Laura Park, and some cute videos all right here.

Thanks AK artists, for the great year and for this wonderful Christmas music. And thanks to you! From all of us at Asthmatic Kitty Records, we hope everyone reading this has a bright, shiny, warm, snowy Christmas.

OSSO PLAYS AT LE POISSON ROUGE

December 21st, 2008 , by

Photo by Mayumi Ando

Osso is playing at NYC’s art cabaret, Le Poisson Rouge this Monday night. According to our extensive records, this is only the second official time Osso has played this year, thus making it a rare occasion (and just in time for Christmas no less)! They are playing with pianist Gloria Cheng. File as do-not-miss!

You can buy tickets online for $17.50 here, or at the door for $15 (with a two-item minimum). The show is 18 ages or older.

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND ON DAYTROTTER

December 20th, 2008 , by

Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

My Brightest Diamond is no stranger to Daytrotter. That said, we are always happy when Shara Worden of MBD shows up to the Rock Island, Illinois music writehouse. She did, just last week, and as always Daytrotter does what only they can: go deep. In this case, they plumb out the spirit of epic myth and sad pragmatism that infuses MBD’s music. MBD also drops four songs for Daytrotter, including a b-side here and there.

WELCOME WAGON BACK IN STOCK!

December 19th, 2008 , by

Good news everybody: The Welcome Wagon’s Welcome to the Welcome Wagon is back in stock. You can order the CD for $10 (+S&H) by clicking here.

Also, if you missed their record release party in Brooklyn last week, photographer Stephanie F. Black managed to capture a few shots here.

WELCOME WAGON OUT OF STOCK!

December 15th, 2008 , by

Sorry everyone, but The Welcome Wagon’s Welcome to the Welcome Wagon is currently out of stock. We hope to have some more in soon, and apologize for the inconvenience.

FOL CHEN BELIEVES IN VIDEO

December 12th, 2008 , by

There’s four related pieces of information you should know about Fol Chen. Kelly Sears (click more for information) has made a video of "The Believers" for Fol Chen. We have released this song as a free download. Meanwhile, Clifford Lidell remixed the very same song (see below). Finally, on December 14th, Fol Chen is playing at the Christmas party for the Los Angeles Dodgeball Society at 2:30pm. Somehow, it’s all coming together.

  "The Believers" (Clifford Lidell Remix) (Download)

  "The Believers" (Download)
Kelly Sears is an animator and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Her work has been shown at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Hammer Museum, Sundance Film Festival, and in galleries and film festivals internationally. She makes collage animations from collected and discarded periodicals, books, and encyclopedias.  She is often found in the book section of thrift stores.  More of her work can be seen at www.kellysears.com.

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND ON BENEFIT CHRISTMAS COMPILATION

December 11th, 2008 , by

It’s Christmas! That means it’s time for Christmas music! And giving!

I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas combines both into one sublime, snowy Christmas compilation. Released by Animal World Recordings and compiled by Daniel Gill, the album includes a My Brightest Diamond cover of David Bowie’s "Nature Boy." The comp benefits Amnesty International. It’s also packed full of music perfect for snowy, chilly evenings curled up with headphones, hot chocolate, and a thick blanket. You can buy it digitally via iTunes here, or Amazon MP3 here.

SIX OUT OF TEN CRITICS AGREE: CRITIC-BASED PRICING

December 10th, 2008 , by

The great experiment has failed. Music critics universally panned our new Critic-Based Pricing Method. In response, we have abandoned the entire experiment, and will proceed for the foreseeable future with the traditional method of agreeing upon a fair market price with our artists for their work. We know it seems archaic, but it’s all we have to go on this point. Our in-house scientists are currently researching weather-based pricing, however.

Thank you for participating in our experiment. Perhaps the greatest lesson learned here is that irony and html make strange bedfellows.

Michael Kaufmann, our A&R, and frontman for Grampall Jookabox, Moose, re-entered into the studio today to shoot a music video that is as much commentary on the music industry as it is a guy dressed in a dollar bill dancing beside a guy standing on his head:

RAFTER VIDEO CONTEST RUNNERS-UP

December 9th, 2008 , by

Last week we announced the winners of the Rafter video contest. Above is "Juicy" from PranxMultimedia. Click more for the other two runners-up.
From sundaestories


From Valencia Productions.

CHRISTMAS GOODIES FROM AK AND FRIENDS

December 9th, 2008 , by

We here at Asthmatic Kitty Records hope that your holiday season is warm, cheery, and full of family and friends. To help a little, we’ve put together a package of fun goodies on our special Christmas section of Asthmatic Kitty. Click here to visit the site. But in case you don’t want to take the time to unwrap, here’s a descriptive list:

Thanks to the hard work of iAppeal Media you can now send your friend or family a wonderful eCard, heralded by your very own decorated Sufjan-elf! Thanks iAppeal!

Game designer Tom DesLongchamp put together a terrific little game based on music from Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas. Light candles! Call Grandma! Shovel the sidewalk! It’s Christmas wrapped into a tiny video game! Thanks Tom!

Chiptune artist Leeni scored Tom’s game, but she has also converted the soundtrack into downloadable ringtones. Thanks Leeni!

Of course, the kids need something to color while you’re sneaking someone that mistletoe kiss. Laura Park comes bearing coloring book ornamnets. Thanks Laura!

Someone down in the Christmas dumps? Give them the one-two Christmas video punch with an animated "Put the Lights on the Tree" from Tom Eaton, and then followup with the cutest live rendition ever from the International Class Grade Four. Thanks Tom! Thanks International Class Grade Four!

And finally, throw some logs on the fire, snuggle up to loved ones, put your laptop on the other side of the room (so it doesn’t overheat and catch on fire), and load up the complete, free stream of Sufjan’s Songs for Christmas, as well as the winners of last year’s Christmas contest. Thanks Sufjan! Thanks musicians from all over the world!

Click here to visit our Christmas site, or here to order Sufjan’s 5-CD boxset, Songs for Christmas ($19+S&H).

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