I HEART LUNG COUGHS UP FREE ALBUM
August 27th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
We’ve given away a few digital albums before, namely Works in Progress and Music for Videogames. But this week we are going free album crazy. A few days ago, we released Grampall Jookabox’s Rill Bruh EP (available on our own site here and through Virb.com here) and now we are giving you an eight song album of I Heart Lung remixes, which are available here. The remix album includes remixes by Greg Davis (Akron/Family), Jel, Omid, Strategy (Kranky label), and appearances by Awol One, Serengeti, Bizzart and other fine and talented hiphop MCs.
We are also taking preorders now for I Heart Lung’s phenomenal ambient jazz drone masterpiece, Interoceans which will ship on or around September 1. Want to see them live? You’re in luck if you’re in the Santa Fe area in September 19th and attending the High Mayhem Festival.
HEAR GRAMPALL JOOKABOX ON VIRB, OR IN REAL LIFE
August 20th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Grampall Jookabox recently joined us here at Asthmatic Kitty, and his second album, Ropechain, is due in early November.
But if you’re anxious to get a sampling of what we think is one of the most unique combinations of styles we’ve heard in a long time, you can check out a web-only, totally free EP exclusively at Virb.com. Rill Bruh is the halfway point between Jookabox’s debut album Scientific Cricket and Ropechain and is a nice, free way to check out some of the experiments in Rill Bruh that make Ropechain so distinct and progressive. Click here to listen and download for free.
If you like what you hear, you’ll want to catch his engaging act live as well. Grampall also embarks on tour next week with PWRFL Power starting in his hometown of Indianapolis, then circling around the Midwest and Northeast and back home again. Click here for details.
CRYPTACIZE DEFENDS STEELY DAN WITH INTERVIEW, 7 INCH
August 12th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Our Unusual Animals vinyl series of 7inch vinyls is now four deep. The latest installation, which came out a few weeks ago and sports a Jared Chapman drawn manatee on its cover, features our own Cryptacize on the A-side reframing a Steely Dan hit, sans super-studio million dollars. (Sometimes an autoharp is all you need.) And on the B-side of the record, Why? expertly manages to anthemize Bob Dylan’s "As I Went Out One Morning." Click here to read more about the 7inch, or here to buy it for $6.
Cryptacize recently sat down with HexEd Journal and found themselves defending Steely Dan, as much as anyone can: "The beauty of Steely Dan is that you can ‘get it’ or ‘not get it’ on so many different levels." Read the interview here.
PS. Cryptacize is playing in Atlanta, Athens (at Popfest), Nashville, and Charlotte over the next couple of weeks. Click here for details.
ANNOUNCING THE NOISEMAKERS!
August 11th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Every once in a while we get an email from someone wanting to help us promote our artists or just help out. We’re always humbled and thankful when we get this kind of email, but never really quite sure how to answer.
Well, we think we figured it out.
As of today we are announcing The Noisemakers. We envision this volunteer but selective group of people as those who are not just fans of our label, but also friends.
The Noisemakers will have several levels of involvement for its members, from casually putting up posters at businesses already frequented, to managing label and artist profiles across the web. Some of you may be doing this already. This will just make the deal legit.
For the next few weeks we are opening up the application process for this deputized, inner circle of Asthmatic Kitty fans. You can apply by clicking here.
DIAMOND ON TOP OF THE WORLD WITH NEW EP, TOUR
August 9th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Not long ago (June, actually), My Brightest Diamond released A Thousand Shark’s Teeth, a full-length album that charmed as much as challenged us.
The band could have sat on their proverbial, diamond-laden laurels. But they are most certainly not. Instead, led by their intrepid frontwoman Shara Worden, Diamond has returned to the studio to record three new songs for the From the Top of the World single; a love letter to 1930s French music in the form of a an EP. iTunes will have this exclusively, starting on September 23. Click here to read more about the release.
This digital-only release will be not so digital when My Brightest Diamond takes to the air in September from Brooklyn and only hours later lands in Europe. She’ll be no doubt playing these songs, as well as selections from Sharks Teeth, when she passes through the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, and France. Click here to see more details.
SUFJAN ON AUSTIN CITY LIMITS SATURDAY
August 7th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
This Saturday night, August 9th, Austin City Limits is encoring Sufjan Stevens’ live performance alongside the extensive and talented Band of Butterflies. Calexico (who has a new album due this September 9th!) follows. Check your local listings for times.
WE LIKE HYMN CALIFORNIA BY ADAM GNADE
August 4th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
At Asthmatic Kitty we believe that music and literature go hand in hand. Our good friend Adam Gnade (a frequent contributor to ye old side bar) thinks so too! That’s why we wanted to let you know about his book, Hymn California. Adam’s first book, which is being released via Rhode Island’s Dutchmoney Books, is a novel that has just as much to do with music as it does prose. “The only way I could pull off doing both was to integrate them as much as possible; immerse the songs in the books and the books in the songs.”
Hymn California is not for the weak of heart. It is an intense ride through death, drugs, depression and the sweaty underbelly of this beast America. Yet despite this darkness, there are glimmers of hope and beauty. It’s pages voyage through childhood’s innocence and safety to the freedom of living on the most ragged edges of our culture. It’s simultaneously full of truths and fairy tales, strange cities, suppressing suburbs, and all of the spaces and places between, with the songs to carry you.
Adam’s music will continue as well. Gnade is currently working on his full-length record, Trailerpark, which will be released with Try Harder Records in Late 2008. His past works include the Collaborative EP with Youthmovies, “Honey Slides,” and the limited edition 60-page novella Seasons Loving Nothing. Adam’s next tour will be in the UK and Europe in November with Youthmovies.
You can buy Hymn California here for $16.
MBD PLAYS AMONG BALLOONS
August 1st, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
When French indie music website Les Inrocks asked Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond to sit down and perform a session, Shara found the nearest sea of balloons she could. See her perform "Padam Padam" and "The Gentlest Gentleman" here.
SHANNON STEPHENS PERFORMS IN SEATTLE
July 23rd, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
This is a rare event! The last time Shannon Stephens played in front of a live audience was seven years ago!
But if you live in Seattle, you can catch her this rare event on Friday night (the 25th) at the Shafer-Baillie Mansion at 7:30pm as she opens for Jason Herrod. Admission is Radiohead-style; pay what you can at the door (aka "strongly suggested donations").
LAURA PARK ILLUSTRATES FOOD CARRYING DEVICE!
July 23rd, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Even though we signed her to our roster a few months ago, Laura Park has been at home here at Asthmatic Kitty for some time. In addition to drawing up some tour posters and advertisements, Laura has also designed several Asthmatic Kitty shirts and hoodies.
Now, Laura Park has outdone herself with a subtle and wonderful illustrated grocery tote bag. And right in time for the best of the farmers markets: harvest!
The bag is 100% organic cotton, large enough for everything you’d need for a delicious and complete dinner, and sturdy enough to carry milk and sugar (or even non-food items)!
And while supplies last, we are stuffing these bags with two lovingly created recipe zines, printed on 100% recycled paper. The first is an 22 page vegan zine from Adam Gnade, friend of Asthmatic Kitty, recent author of the superb Hymn California, and storyteller. The zine includes delicious recipes and helpful health advice from Adam and his broad and wide circle of friends.
The second 28-page zine gathers recipes from roster and non-Adam-Gnade friends, including My Brightest Diamond, the Schlarbs, Chris Eley of Indianapolis’ Goose the Market (who recently made the #1 sandwich in America!), David Sankey, Sara Billups, Jonathon Dueck, and of course Laura Park herself.
You can see all of Laura’s work for Asthmatic Kitty here (including a terrific mini comic for just $3), details and pictures of the bag here, or buy it right now for $22(+S&H) by clicking here.