SUFJAN TRIBUTARIES TO JONI MITCHELL
January 6th, 2007 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Nonesuch Records has invited Sufjan Stevens to open the new Joni Mitchell tribute album. Sufjan will be sharing space on the record with Björk, Prince, Evis Costello, and James Taylor. The album, appropriately entitled A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, will be released this spring.
Track listing follows."Free Man in Paris," Sufjan Stevens
"Boho Dance," Björk
"Dreamland," Caetano Veloso
"Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow," Brad Mehldau
"For the Roses," Cassandra Wilson
"A Case of U," Prince
"Blue," Sarah McLachlan
"Ladies of the Canyon," Annie Lennox
"Magdalena Laundries," Emmylou Harris
"Edith and the Kingpin," Elvis Costello
"Help Me," k.d. lang
"River," James Taylor
THE CURTAINS SPIN WAX, TIRES, T-SHIRT
January 1st, 2007 , by Asthmatic Kitty
In October, The Curtains released Calamity, and lots of people have since enjoyed its quirky experia-pop. The online music mag Daytrotter called it "smart pop that absolutely satisfies." But it’s now January, a New Year, and those reviews are so 2006. Yawn. What is an enterprising band like The Curtains to do?
Well, spurred by the holiday season, The Curtains have refueled on happiness left over from Oh-Six and are spreading their musical joy in three forms over the next month. On January 4, The Curtains begin their whirlwind tour of the United S. beginning in Brooklyn and ending in San Francisco on January 19 (see here for complete tour information). Then, on January 23, The Curtains will release Calamity to the anxiously awaiting vinyl world. The sonic clarity of this finely crafted (and round!) LP will astound the ears of even the most discriminating music listener. And finally, The Curtains have created a cotton representation of this flurry of energy in the form of a brand new t-shirt, featuring a stylish but quickly moving green top backdropped by pure white energy. Wearing it will cause your friends and co-workers to wonder how you fit so much into so little time. You know, like that one band, The Curtains.
TICKET INFO FOR SUFJAN KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE
December 21st, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
The Millennium Stage 10th Anniversary Celebration is a free, ticketed event. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis with a LIMIT OF TWO TICKETS PER PERSON on SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2007.
9 am-10 am, tickets for SUFJAN STEVENS (members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra) will be distributed in the HALL OF NATIONS (line forms to left of entrance). 10-11 a.m., tickets for the NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA will be distributed in the HALL OF STATES (line forms to right of entrance). 11 a.m.-noon, tickets for the ALVIN AILEY will be distributed in the HALL OF NATIONS (line forms to right of entrance).
Any tickets not distributed will be available at the Box Office beginning at 12 noon.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be no late seating for performances. There will be a live broadcast in the Grand Foyer of each performance for patrons who are unable to be here on the day of the ticket give-away, for those who arrive late, or for those who don’t have a ticket.
Please visit the Millennium Stage 10th Anniversary web page.
CASTANETS PLAY HOUSE OF HEARTS BENEFIT SHOW
December 17th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
On December 20th at Club Europa Brooklyn New York, Castanets will be playing the House of Hearts Benefit Show that will be held on the 19th and 20th. The two nights of experimental music is presented by Frontporch Productions in collaboration with Gigi Chew and the artistic community of Booklyn and New York City. Proceeds will be donated to The Fathers Heart Ministries: a soup kitchen and food pantry in the East Village & The Friendship House: a community mental health and homeless center in Knoxville, TN. The musicians performing include current and former members of Black Dice, No Neck Blues Band, Grizzly Bear, and Rhys Chatham’s Essentialist.
Tuesday December 19th
Mountains
Paul Duncan
Stars Like Fleas
Bear in Heaven (members of Rhys Chatham’s Essentialist & Jonathan Kane’s
February)
Soft Circle
Midnight Motion (members of Grizzly Bear)
Queens
Ateleia
DJs Tres (of Psychic Ills) & Andreas Knutsen
Wednesday December 20th
Corridors
D Charles Speer (members of No Neck Blues Band)
Mouthus
Zachary Cale
Uncle Woody
Matta Llama
Electroputas
Castantets
DJ Root Hog or Die
The Father’s Heart Ministries is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization located in the East Village on the Lower East Side in Manhattan—where countless individuals struggle to make ends meet in the face of an increasingly expensive and gentrified atmosphere. The Father’s Heart Ministries is dedicated to restoring dignity and an improved quality of life to the many low-income (working poor), homeless, and immigrant individuals in our community. In our efforts to support those in need and to reduce hunger, we run a food pantry and soup kitchen where hundreds of children and adults are fed hot meals on a weekly basis. In addition, we provide free ESL and Parenting classes, job opportunities for neighborhood youth at our ice cream store, and referrals to appropriate social services in hopes of enabling individuals to move towards self-sufficiency.
December 19th and 20th
$10 donation
Club Europa
98-104 Meserole Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
(between Manhattan Ave. and Lorimer St.)
718-383-5723
CELEBRITY JUDGES FOR RAFTER CONTEST
December 16th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
After an exhaustive search far and wide (celebrities are hard to find when you need them!), we have found judges for Rafter’s Music For Total Chickens Video Contest. The contest, which will award two $500 cash prizes to winners, has provided four songs from Rafter’s upcoming Music for Total Chickens, due for release on January 23, 2007. You (as in, you the people!) will determine the winner of the Quantity Award, which is based solely on YouTube views.
But for the Quality Award, we needed some very special people to determine quality-ness, people – nay, celebrities – attuned to the ebb and flow of quality-ness. And so, with that in mind, we based our selection on two very important criteria: the person’s celebrity-ness and visual know-how.
And the judges are…
- Singer songwriter Kristin Hersh, formerly of Throwing Muses and currently fronting 50 Foot Wave. Hersh’s visual lyricism made her an obvious choice for the panel.
- Tim Kingsbury, bassist for the Arcade Fire, was chosen for his love of looking at various things.
- Scouts selected former videogame columnist and science fiction writer Jim Munroe for his D.I.Y. spirit, corporate combatting, and complicated relationship with the future.
- Because Arto Lindsay was one of Rafter’s inspirations to enter the musical world, Asthmatic Kitty thought it befitting to employ his extensive experience on the panel.
- Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were chosen for their collection of MTV Music Video Awards (that, and their writing and directing of a film entitled Little Miss Sunshine).
- Peaches was chosen for her keen eye for costuming.
Together, the team will bring each of their own unique perspectives to the judging table and sift through the inevitable hundreds of video entries for a definitive winner. As of today, there are eight entries to the YouTube Contest Group – that means chances are a keen 2 in 8 of winning $500!
And the earlier entrants submit videos, the more views it can garner for the slightly dirtier but just as cashy Quantity Award. The word is viral, folk!
BELLTOWER FORMS A BAND
December 11th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Bridgit DeCook, Illinoisemaker and Castanets alum, has formed a band and will be playing shows in support of her project, belltower. While the band is still forming it currently consists of fellow San Franciscans Joel Murach and Travis Harris (of Poor Bailey). For those of you in the Bay Area be sure to catch her at the Edinburgh Castle (950 Geary St.) on December 15th.
BOXSET BACK IN STOCK, OTHER CHRISTMAS GOODIES
December 10th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
We have Songs for Christmas back in stock and are shipping back orders for the album and new orders will ship within three or four days of receipt. We also have Sufjan’s Avalanche t-shirts, The Curtains t-shirts, and a beautiful Holiday poster designed by the lovely Laura Park featuring the Asthmatic Kitty roster. Visit our shop to order these items. Thanks!
LIZ JANES TO PERFORM WITH JANDEK
December 8th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Jandek will perform his 7th US concert in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 9, 2006, at the Harrison Center for the Arts (1505 N. Delaware Street, Indianapolis, Indiana). The evening’s performance will feature an instrumental texture unprecedented in the Jandek catalogue, Jazz bass and drums alongside flute and viola. Performers include Lester "Lammy" Johnson of Indianapolis cult soul/funk pioneers Ebony Rhythm Band, local improviser George "Sparky" Smith, Liz Janes (Asthmatic Kitty) and Nathan Vollmar (Vollmar, Half-Handed Cloud). Show time is 7 pm sharp.Tickets available in advance of the door at Luna Music, Indianapolis, and Landlocked Music, Bloomington, or online at www.digispine.com/tickets .