Nebulisers At The Ready It's

Asthmatic Kitty
Genre : Indie / Rock / Experimental
From: Lander, Wyoming, United States

In a slight departure from the norm tonights post on the Devil's blog is devoted to a label rather than a band. The label in question is Asthmatic Kitty probably best known as the home of Sufjan Stevens.

The label, originally established as a vehicle for bringing musical projects by a community of artists from Holland, Michigan, has developed a reputation for high quality indie folk imbued with a unique spirituality but, as the selection of bands below demonstrates, there's more, much more, to Asthmatic Kitty. In a short blog I can't do justice to the excellent Asthmatic Kitty roster but the following selection are typical of the eclectic music you can expect.

So tonight you're getting a weeks worth of the Devil's blog in a night!

Half-Handed Cloud
From: Berkeley, California United States

Half-handed Cloud is an interesting phenomenon. John Ringhofer, the man behind the namesake, is as joyful and frugal as his music. An economical thinker, Ringhofer prefers the subway over a taxicab, is a recycler of plastic, a compulsive note-taker, and a habitual optimist. He doodles in the margins of National Geographic magazines, carries several different colored pens, and continues to use an antiquated CD walkman. When not on tour solo or as the trombonist for Sufjan Stevens' Illinoisemakers, he lives rent-free in Berkeley California in exchange for his services as a custodian in a church. His music encapsulates his struggle to make sense of his life and his passions. In Half-handed Cloud this is expressed as an all-consuming search for God. Like Brother Danielson, Half-handed Cloud is able to ensconce complicated theological concepts into playground song without condescending to his subject or to his listener.

Born in a pink hospital in Hawaii to military parents, Ringhofer's make-the-point-and-move-on songwriting reflects the nomadic, drill sergeant lifestyle of those early years, melodies clocking in as quick and efficient song packages. With a name loosely taken from an occurrence in the Old Testament, the celestial telephone is ringing for Half-handed Cloud with a message of love and hope on the other end.

Unlimited by his status as a solo artist, Half-handed Cloud stages unpredictable multi-instrumental/media performances with the spontaneous gusto of an Electric Company superhero. Full of spirited humor, he dissolves any obstacles standing in the way of his innocent bulldozing, jam-packing a sixties sensibility, the touch of a lullaby, and murmurs of divine redemption into micro-narrative and Casio sound effects. Just as fingers begin to snap in time, the artist wraps it up and crackles to conclusion.

A trombonist since the age of ten, Ringhofer picked up the guitar as a teenager while recovering from toe surgery. This same musical destiny propelled him to ask and answer such musical questions as, "What does an air conditioner sound like backwards?" Watching the artist equip himself with the sounds of a 1960's era Sears particleboard guitar, air organ, chattering dolls, stomping on the kitchen floor, and various sixties-pop influences, one may begin to perceive an invisible pattern in the songster's art deco rug. If such inspired titles such as, "Tanning Beds to Shine Your Love," "Holy Pouch Shoe Guidance," and "If Before We Were Coughing," suggest many questions, the songs themselves take a humble and hilarious stab at providing the answers.

Surely a cause for rejoicing, fans of Half-handed Cloud will make a joyful noise in the style of the artist's songwriting: dazzlingly sweet, and dizzyingly short.

Bunky
Genre: Rock / Indie / Pop
From: San Diego, California, United States

Bunky is Emily Joyce, vocals and drums, Rafter Roberts, vocals and guitars, and a cast of San Diego's finest, including members of Black Heart Procession, Pinback, Rocket From the Crypt, and label-mates Castanets. This all-star aggregation, backing Emily's crazy beats, versatile vocals, and Rafter's wall of guitars, blasts rawking tunes that careen through musical genres.

Known as one of San Diego's premier live bands, Bunky was nominated for Best New Artist on "San Diego's Best of 2003", and Best Pop for the 2003 San Diego Music awards.

Check out the band's myspace site for 'Ouch', one of the strangest yet oddly hypnotic tracks you'll hear this year. It's the musical equivalent of a lava lamp.

The Curtains
Genre: Other
From: Oakland, California
United States

Chris Cohen was given his first drum set at the age of 3. Pictures in the family album also show a plastic mic taped to a floor lamp and connected to nothing? This is when he began in earnest what he is still working on today in The Curtains. Inspired at a young age to form a band, Chris acquired the necessary instruments even though there was no one else around to play with him. It was a lonely time but Chris could pretend, and the discovery of "overdubbing" on a 4-track at the age of 12 gave Chris the impression that he could, by himself, synthesize any band he wanted.

Chris later met Trevor Shimizu in the year 2000 and formed what is now called The Curtains. They played very short songs, like quiet little lists of musical ideas. At this point they were joined by drummer Jamie Peterson and The Curtains recorded their first record, FAST TALKS for the Thin Wrist label. The thought of vocals never occurred to them, as Chris inexplicably saw The Curtains as some sort of a cross-over 'jazz' (?) chamber group that just didn't improvise.

Never content to repeat a formula, the next phase of The Curtains found Chris joined by drummer Andrew Maxwell and synthesizer player Greg Saunier in 2002. At this time, Chris also became a member of the band Deerhoof. Playing with Andrew and Greg, The Curtains' songs now focused on group interaction and the idiosyncratic playing styles of the three members. This period is documented on 2003's FLYBYS, also on the Thin Wrist label. But a penchant for tender melodies always lingered and the next album, VEHICLES OF TRAVEL (Frenetic Records 2004), presented all 3 Curtains singing a strange new kind of hybrid song that could have almost been called 'pop.' A series of whimsical episodic stories were woven together, connecting the music which had as many different moods and styles as there were tracks. After finishing this record, it seemed that the Curtains had done all that the three could do together. This formation of the Curtains disbanded, and Chris and Greg focused on Deerhoof.

But even within the fulfilling and creative atmosphere of Deerhoof, Chris still found himself dreaming about The Curtains, and what it would be like to record alone again, if only there were no deadlines or compromises. So Chris once again opened the Curtains and let his imaginary world back in.

Shapes & Sizes
Genre: Indie / Rock / Blues
From: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Shapes and Sizes melodic pop inhabits a world of beauty, noise, whispers, and elusive, contradictory moods, where the dynamic of a steam piston gives way to elegiac understatement, often within one song. With three of its four members writing for the band, their repertoire is one of constant surprise, often going out on a limb, but never falling off.

From Victoria, BC, Canada, but soon to call Montreal their home, Caila Thompson-Hannant, Rory Seydel, Jon Crellin and Nathan Gage have shared stages with Frog Eyes, Silver Jews, The Thermals, Architecture in Helsinki, The Blow, Apples in Stereo, The Immaculate Machine, Japanther, Chet and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Liz Janes
Genre: Acoustic / Bluegrass / Christian
From: Lonesome Valley, Ohio, United States

Liz Janes is an accidental artist and a late bloomer. While attempting to accomplish four typical academic years of college, she dropped out, went farming, and started drawing. Went back to school kept drawing. Started making noise with instruments while imbibing with friends. Secret love of singing. Quietly began composing songs she knew for sure she’d never share. Three chords on an old Sears guitar. Made loud loud noise with friends. Years later, friend says come over I’ll record you. Liz drops in on friend and records bedroom tunes, proceeds to Mexico. Realizing she’d rather be making babies with the Future Rapper, Liz returns home to good man, and a fully produced record of bedroom tunes that Jenny Lewis would kill a Watson Twin for. Liz says OK, friend puts out record. Liz dares herself to learn how to perform and try to sell the records. Years pass. Two more friends produce two more records with Liz. Friends say we’ll put out the records. Years pass. Liz is still slowly figuring out that recording songs is the thing she does. It may not better society, or make any money, but birds make nests, Liz makes songs. Her friends want to share them. What a gift. What good friends. Another record? She’s working on it….years pass. Etc.

Go Try

MP3 - Half-Handed Cloud - Animals Are Cut In Two
MP3 - Bunky - Chuy
MP3 - The Curtains - Go Lucky
MP3 - Shapes and Sizes - Islands Gone Bad
MP3 - Liz Janes -Wonderkiller
If anyone from the IFPI is reading these tracks are linked direct from the Asthmatic Kitty website and are therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.

Go Visit

Half-Handed Cloud - Myspace
Bunky - Myspace
The Curtains - Myspace
Shapes & Sizes - Myspace
Liz Janes - Myspace