AN UNUSUAL THIRD VOLUME
April 27th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
HURRY, WATCH HALF-HANDED BROADCAST LIVE (HURRAY!)
April 23rd, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Half-handed Cloud is playing, live and right now at Huckleberry’s Pizza Parlor in Rock Island, Illinois, and through the wonders of modern Internet Technology, Daytrotter is kind enough to post the live video! Click here to watch (and if you’re reading this later, you can browse Daytrotter’s extensive vault and read a terrific piece on Castanets here).
FROM VINES TO TENDRILS
April 19th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
In the lifespan of almost every album, there comes a time when artist and label must plan out a music video. But when that time came for Castanets’ most recent release, In The Vines, the conversation went very differently. Raposa’s belief that the recorded version of the song should never be the definitive take meant that to create a standard fare music video was counter-intuitive to spirit of the album. Instead, Tendrils was born.
Directed by longtime friend of the band Mia Ferm, Tendrils is an exploration of the the complicated community and culture that sinew and contextualize Castanets. Sans pretension but with an expert eye, Ferm captures artists from bands like Osso, Dirty Projectors, Phosphorescent, Marla Hansen, and Vanishing Voice covering songs from In The Vines. It is one quarter documentary, one quarter home video, and half of something else altogether.
Click more to see the trailer, edited by Zack Bent, or here to preorder it for $14 (+SH).
Castanets: Tendrils [Trailer] from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.
ONE DONATION, 45 SONGS
April 18th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Last year, Daniel Hansson, one of the founders of music machine company Elektron, died in a tragic car accident. Soon after, someone on the message board Elektron-users proposed a tribute album. Now, almost a year later, that idea has become a reality, thanks to dozens of dedicated musicians and music lovers, included Ryan Faubion (aka Actuel).
45 Tribute is a 30 song album dedicated to the memory of Daniel Hannson, and includes tracks from a vast array of terrific musicians including Sea and Cake, Dntel, Autechre, Boom Bip, and John Starlight. All it takes to obtain this significant contribution is a $5 donation to the World Wildlife Fund, one of Daniel’s favorite causes. You can do that here, as well as download 15 other songs to compliment the 30. 30+15=45!
Actuel, "Sleeping Nagoya" (Download)
RECORD STORE DAY, APRIL 19
April 15th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Though Montreal’s new record shop Phonopolis might appear to be just a hole in the wall, it is in fact a cleverly disguised quantum portal to the farthest reaches of sound and space. And who better to serve as your guide in these audio adventures than fearless captain and store owner Nathan Gage, who we know and love as one-fourth of Shapes and Sizes.
In honor of Record Store Day (April 19th), we want to pay tribute to all the mom and pops out there and encourage our readers to continue your support of independent businesses, record stores or otherwise. We will save you the speech about the crucial nature of localized independent economies and cultures and the threat of the big box business mentalities. So for now, here is a shout-out to our favorite independent record shop.
Phonopolis has been open for only five months and has already been nominated by CBC radio 3 as one of the best records stores in Canada. Nathan has stocked the store with a galaxy of indie rock, international music, classic jazz and blues, and experimental music of all genres and sub-genres. The store also hosts instore performances in the basement; so far Julie Doiron, Bryan and Steve from the Constantines, Elfin Saddle, Graham van Pelt from Miracle Fortress, Cryptacize and Shapes and Sizes have all played at the store. So if you ever find yourself in Montreal, be sure to stop in on Nathan and Phonopolis. And if you are there this Saturday you catch The Born Ruffians, The Luyas and Adam Waito & the Amethysts from 3 to 5:30pm.
RAFTER: BIG SOUND, MINI-TOUR
April 11th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Rafter’s latest work, Sex Death Cassette, made its own tour around the magazines, nearly all of whom absolutely loved the jaunt of this jingle-producer-cum rockstar. His shows are parties in stage size, and boy can Rafter funk it good. Short and sweet is his moniker, so he’ll be touring like a bee in spring with sweet, sweet honey to get from here to there, from San Fran to Portland and a few places along the way, then back again. He’s touring with the fantastic Dirty Projectors and No Kids for a few of the shows.
If all of us here at AK lived on the West Coast here at Asthmatic Kitty, we’d be at every show of Rafter’s. Not to be missed!
Surprise Bonus Time Surprise!! Rafter has compiled a list of his favorite riffs, and Rhapsody is kind enough to host them. Click here to listen.
LOUISVILLE HOSTS A HERD OF UNUSUAL ANIMALS SATURDAY
April 4th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
In or near Kentucky’s cultural capital this weekend? Then, after a few swigs of Ale-8 for pep, perhaps you ought wander to the 930 Art Center, where you will find yourself surrounded by creatures of disparate origin but sharing the same space and time. Culled from a call for submissions that emphasized local Louisville artists but reached nationally and globally, the show is a perfect encapsulation of a zoo; a temporary holding area for creatures that normally have nothing to do with each other.
Shedding, The Town Criers, Squeeze-bot, and Ultra Pulverize plan to properly inaugurate the show with music. Doors open at 6:30pm, admission is free and all-ages. You can read a succinct essay on the spirit of this series of shows by Unusual Animals zookeeper Michael Kaufmann here, and more about the bands and art here.
HULA HOOP AT HOME
April 2nd, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Last year, Sufjan Stevens composed and performed an orchestral piece inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) at the Brooklyn Academy for Music. If you went, you surely remember the Hula Hoopers. (If you didn’t go, you might have read Sufjan’s essay on the relationship between the BQE and hula hoops, available here.)
Well, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that someone designed the hula hoops employed by the dancers. That someone was Elaine Tian of Circle Candy. Sufjan commissioned Elaine to custom-design the hoops, and custom design she did. These are not only cheery and colorful, but versatile and sturdy. Perfect for hula-ing!
And they’re now for sale in Elaine’s store on Etsy, in a limited edition set of 50, for just $30(+S&H) each. As of right now only 10 are left! There is some cursory scientific evidence suggesting that frequent use of well-designed hula hoops such as these, in multiple locations at once, can in fact modify the trade winds and beckon spring sooner than usual. You can purchase a hoop and look at more detailed photographs here.
HALF-HANDED HITS THE ROAD, VINYL
March 29th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Ok, sure, it’s been a while since Half-handed Cloud released a full-length album. But in this age of alternative distribution methods and so-called "new media," HHC is bravely eschewing the Ringtone n’ MP3 for Vinyl n’ Live.
Via vinyl, HHC just finished up the third in our Unusual Animals vinyl series, taking up one flip of the wax with piano, silvertone guitar, pump organ, trombone, plus snare-drum and floor-tom in a concise two-and-half minute track titled, "Sewing Wind to Fabric." His friends Bert Hiscock and Nedelle Torrisi (Cryptacize) assisted with this song on cello and violin. On the other side of the record are grooves that, when played against a specially designed needle, emanate the addictive and confusing Lite FM pop of Ariel Pink, with "Before Today." We are unveiling this little gem in −CH=CH2 form (aka vinyl), complete with cover by illustrator Jared Chapman, here on our website on or around May 20.
As for live: Half-handed Cloud will be touring from home base in California to Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and then back up to New York. They’re traveling this time around with the Olympia-based musical entourage, Lake. Check out Lake’s MySpace page here, and click here to see the complete HHC/Lake tour. Half-handed Cloud has developed quite a following after years of touring, so make sure you show up early! "Higher than Merry," Lake
TASTE TEST
March 25th, 2008 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Our DVD has been out for a few weeks now, and we’re just as proud of it as the day it left our doors. With animated menus and packaging meticulously designed by artists Gala and Zack Bent, and videos from most of our artists on our roster, this little piece of digital video in circular shiny form manages to fully encapsulate the spirit of Asthmatic Kitty.
If you don’t believe us, try watching this heaping portion stream of the DVD on video clearinghouse website imeem.com, as presented by our good friends, Microcinema International DVD. The video is only viewable for five days, so throw the popcorn on the stove/microwave/airpopper and click here.
When you’re ready for the TV-ready version, click here to purchase the DVD for $14 (+S&H).