DIAMOND GIRL SHINES ON HIP-HOP COLLABORATION
September 24th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Babygrande Records announced the September 19th release of Jedi Mind Tricks’ fifth album, Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell. Jedi’s renowned status as one of the most revered and reviled groups in independent music is a testament to their unwavering commitment to a unique aesthetic. The album marks the return of indie hip-hop favorites with guest appearances by ILL Bill, Sean Price, R.A. The Rugged Man and more as well as pioneering indie rock collaborative efforts including two tracks with Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, as well as a reworking of Sufjan’s "Dumb I Sound" off of his debut record, A Sun Came.
Asthmatic Kitty and underground hip-hop? Surprised? Well, if you are, be prepared for many more surprises to come in the new year.
LISTEN: Jedi Mind Tricks featuring Shara Worden – Razorblade Salvation
BUNKY IS BACK! AND HEADED TO SPAIN
September 18th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Our favorite party band is back in town and rocking fiercely. They sway, they stagger, they sweat and they get the dance floor moving. Most importantly, they are now an Asthmatic Kitty export and they will be on their way to Spain where they are quickly becoming first class citizens of nuevo funk. Rumor also has it that a new record is in the works. Check the [tour dates] if you are within driving distance of Spain.
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND DESIGNS FOR CHARITY
September 10th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Yellow Bird Project asked Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond to draw a t-shirt design for the charity of her choice. Shara chose the Road Recovery charity, which is comprised of entertainment industry professionals whose lives have been touched by addiction and other adversities and now wish to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Shara has known members of the executive board of Road Recovery for many years and believes in their work, so she felt great about supporting them! You can support them too by purchasing a tee shirt.
The tees are $25 and are available through the [Yellow Bird Project Website].
SUFJAN TO RELEASE 5-DISC CHRISTMAS BOX SET
September 4th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Forget the 50 States. Christmas is a bigger concept. As some of you may or may not know, for the past few years, as a holiday tradition, Sufjan has embarked on an extraordinary experiment to record an annual Christmas EP. It started in 2001, the year of Epiphanies, and continued onward (skipping only 2004), culminating into an odd and idiosyncratic catalog of music that has only existed in the Asthmatic Kitty archives (and on a number of file sharing sites). The recording process took place every December, for one week, usually at home, provoking collaborations with friends, roommates, and musical peers. Armed with a Reader’s Digest Christmas Songbook (and a mug of hot cider) Sufjan & friends concocted a musical fruit cake year after year, implementing every musical instrument they could find lying around the house: banjo, oboe, Casiotone, wood flute, a buzzy guitar, hand claps, sleigh bells, Hammond organ, and some tree tinsel. Did we mention sleigh bells?
RESHAPE CONTEST, ITALY TAKES THE GOLD
September 1st, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Our panel of celebrity bloggers have reached a verdict and we are pleased to announce the winners of the Offiical "Reshape & Resize Shapes & Sizes" Contest. We would like to thank all of you who submitted covers and remixes and we would also like to thank our [judges] for their listening time. And the winners are…
GOLD – Davide Loi – [LISTEN]
SILVER – Josh Boles – [LISTEN]
BRONZE – "number 1, i love you" – [LISTEN]
Runner-up
Sebastian Saint – [LISTEN]
Aleric – [LISTEN]
(sorry John Devon, we messed up)
We will be posting all the tracks next week for your listening pleasure.
WE ENDORSE PYGMALION MUSIC FESTIVAL
August 31st, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Even though there are not any Asthmatic Kitty artists on the Pygmalion Music Festival line-up, we are still pleased to be an official sponsor of the festival. Why? Well for one it is run in part by the Nicodemus Agency who just so happens to be the new Shapes and Sizes and Liz Janes booking agent. It also features some of our good friends (Danielson, David Bazan, Weird Weeds, Unwed Sailor) and some bands we really like (Man Man, Elanors, Of Montreal, Elf Power, Metal Hearts, etc.) And, it is in the Mid-West, and we like the Mid-West. So we highly recommend you go!
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND RECORD RELEASE SHOW
August 17th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
On August 24th My Brightest Diamond and Asthmatic Kitty Records celebrate the release of Bring Me the Workhorse (in stores August 22nd) with a record release show in the famous Spiegel Tent. Currently at South Street Seaport at Pier 17 in New York City this touring 1920’s venue is a tent of a 1000 mirrors, velvet and stained glass. A magical context for a magical artist.
THE CURTAINS PROVIDE SNEAK PEEK ON TOUR
August 7th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
The Curtains new album won’t be out until end of October, but in the meantime you can catch them live on tour with Final Fantasy and then Beirut. They will be touring as four-piece and debuting their new material. Be sure to catch them in your home town, or a neighboring home town, or a further away town. Tour dates [here].
CASTANETS STOWAWAY WITH JANA HUNTER, PETER AND THE WOLF
August 1st, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Multi-folk songstress and moonlighting Castanets participant, Jana Hunter was drinking and playing pool with bones and dust slinger Red Hunter (Peter & the Wolf; no relation) when they happened upon a magical vision for a new way to tour; boat. Troubadors in the 15th century were explorers and didn’t just follow some convention.
A few days later, Jana was catching up with her friend, OCDJ (Dan Gaeta). He’d been away for a few months and turned out he’d been sailing. Turned out he was about to buy his own boat, leave his job at WFMU in NJ, and sail indefinitely. He wears a real eyepatch, and his life is a mythology of strange, epic tales, so the decision on a skipper was logical. Jana easily convinced him to guide and called Red to confirm that it was on. Soon Ray Raposa (Castanets) heard and was on board.
The tour/boat launches August 19th in New York and will be traveling the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway for three weeks to Norfolk, VA.
Sat AUG 19 Brooklyn, NY – Empty Vesssel Project – early show! more
info TBA
Sat AUG 19 Brooklyn, NY – Northsix
Tue AUG 22 – Atlantic City, NJ
Wed AUG 23 Cape May, NJ – TBA
Fri AUG 25 Philadelphia, PA – Nexus Gallery
Sat AUG 26 Philadelphia, PA – Green Line Cafe
Mon AUG 28 – Wilmington, DE
Tue AUG 29 Baltimore, MD – Talking Head
Wed AUG 30 – Annapolis, MD
Fri SEP 2 Washington, DC – Georgetown University
Sun SEP 4 – Norfolk, VA – Relative Theory (early show)
More Dates TBA
SHAPES AND SIZES DEBUT AVAILABLE NOW!
July 19th, 2006 , by Asthmatic Kitty
Dear Asthmatic Kittyists,
Your favorite record label has asked me, Nick Hennies of The Weird Weeds, to tell you about an exciting new opportunity available to you. Our politically neutral neighbor to the north has delivered the U.S. – by way of Asthmatic Kitty – their finest musical export, Shapes & Sizes. In early 2006 the men and women of this remarkable band trudged their way all across our great nation, bringing their music to the American masses and subsequently snapping each and every audience out of their American Idol-induced trance with their rousing and joyous rock ‘n roll music. They played in southwestern tiki lounges, Michigan puppet theaters, dive bars, and ramshackle DIY venues all over our great nation giving Asthmatic Kitty honchos the opportunity to witness this Canadian maelstrom. With their righteous live show still fresh in their collective memory, Asthmatic Kitty is pleased as punch to give you the debut album from Shapes & Sizes!
Featuring some of the finest male/female vocal harmonies this writer can recall hearing in some time and some truly elegant feats of orchestration rarely found on a rock record, Shapes & Sizes will charm the pants off all ears this music may fall upon. The band says "kisses are our friends"; I say Shapes & Sizes are our friends! To sum up…
Shapes & Sizes: lovely as house guests, even better as a rock band. Now what are you waiting for? [Click here] to hear this record, post haste! Also be sure to catch them [ON TOUR NOW].
Love,
Nick Hennies – Austin, TX
[Shapes and Sizes Remix/Mash-up/Cover Contest] – Individiual tracks available now!