CASH Music is a nonprofit organization building open-source tools and services to benefit artists and music organizations. It’s their belief that the need for technology should never get in the way of promotion, distribution, or support of great music. These tools include utilities like download codes, list managers, music streamers, and interface elements, but also larger tools like asset and content management systems. Together they will form an open front-end and back-end platform that add up to a larger vision. And being open source, all tools will be freely available to the public as full releases roll out. We here at Asthmatic Kitty like the sound of that and are excited to support CASH Music in their fundraising efforts.

With the help of numerous artists, labels, managers and an assorted group of committed music people, they’ve put together some exciting packages that will inspire you to help CASH at a crucial time of their development. There will be an online raffle at cashmusic.org for great/rare items and opportunities from the likes of Kristin Hersh, Deerhoof, Mission of Burma, MGMT, Xiu Xiu, Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, and Portugal The Man to name a few. The list of items and offerings in this raffle range from vinyl test pressings to homemade cookies to an in-studio performance for 10 people. Throughout October new items will be added until winners are announced on November 1. Along with the raffle the CASH Music fundraiser will be featuring limited signed art prints by our own DM Stith, Rob Fisk (Common Eider King Eider, ex-Deerhoof), and Charlie Salas-Humara (Panther).

"Pigs (feat. Jefferson St. Band)" (Download)

"Imagining Mozambique", a traveling art show collective, premiers from August 27 to September 10 at the Maxalot Gallery in Amsterdam.  The show is a fundraiser for ASEM, a non-profit organization that helps the children and orphans of Mazambique.  Over the last 25 years, the country has been plagued by civil war, natural disasters, colonization, and economic instability, all of which has led to widespread uncertainty for tomorrow’s youth.  For 17 years, ASEM has offered Mozambican children an alternative to living life in the streets, abandonment, and rejection from society by establishing various centers to provide shelter, education, and food to thousands.  ASEM also seeks psychological, emotional, and physical rehabilitation of the children through organized cultural and athletic activities. 

"Imagining Mozambique" is a thought-provoking collection of photography, illustration, painting, and design inspired by the Mozambican children’s day-to-day plight for survival and change.  The prints can be purchased on Imagining Mozambique’s website by clicking here. The website is an interactive and educational portal to the afflictions of the country set to the premonitory sounds of our own DM Stith.  A special feature of the site lets visitors create their own wish with which they can express a personalized message of optimism and hope to the children.  All money raised through the sale of the artwork goes directly to ASEM.

Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes personally asked DM Stith to support her at the upcoming sold out show in London at the prestigious Somerset House on July 16th. So, if you don’t already have tickets, we’re sorry, good luck getting in.

Speaking of Paris, director Armel Hostiou directed Stith’s latest music video, "BMB." This is in conjunction with the release of Stith’s now second EP, appropriately titled BMB, which we release next Tuesday. You can read about BMB the EP it here, and watch "BMB" the video above, or here.

Heavy Ghost, the full-length debut from newcomer DM Stith, astounded. "This is the music of your life," wrote Bryan Sanchez of Adequacy.net. "Post-modern tribal folk" genre-fied Urb. And Q Magazine called the work "extraordinary." We are usually modest, but we here at AK completely agree. The album has been on rotation here at the offices for some time.

So when Stith approached us with a trilogy of EP’s, we couldn’t help but say yes, yes, yes. His first is BMB, a robust seven song exploration in and around the sixth track from Heavy Ghost. In addition to a demo version of "BMB" and remixes by Roberto Carlos Lange and Son Lux, the EP includes two cover songs semi-related to "BMB." Stith covers Randy Newman’s "Suzanne" and the Ronettes "Be My Baby." We get to release the album on July 1, 2009.

In the meantime, enjoy a free mp3 from the album, or pick up Heavy Ghost here ($10/CD; $12/LP).

Due to illness, DM Stith will not be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago tonight. I Heart Lung will be there though, so the show is still a go (and well worth going too)! Nate Chinen of the New York Times reviewed a recent IHL show and he seemed to like it. Read the review here.

Today: a very welcome barrage of DM Stith content. Immediately above you will see a video of "Pity Dance," from Stith’s forthcoming Heavy Ghost, directed by the accomplished Ryan Jeffrey. Though an installation artist by trade, Jeffrey is no stranger to video, especially having won Microcinema’s Independent Exposure 08. Try watching it in crisp HD right here.

On December 9th, we will proudly unveil the very first release from DM Stith: the EP, Curtain Speech.

We signed David Stith after listening to just two demo songs. Yes, they were that good. And then, after a year of careful recording and revising, Stith finished Curtain Speech. It is an EP that – we admit – is little more than a tease for the upcoming 2009 full length, Heavy Ghost. Still, Curtain Speech is exquisite; a complex, atmospheric set of whispered songs. This EP gives us something to savor while we wait. Read more about it here.