Wednesday 21 September 2011

Kitty Questions : LUNO

Sometimes the term Lo-fi doesn't quite cover an artist's approach to making music. Far across the Atlantic Ocean, a man strums a dissonant guitar, and sing-speaks his way through a slice of crackling American pie. Autumnal New England forests, a discarded private Polaroid on the cold ground, the sun is finally setting above the trees, as the city in the distance finally awakens...

He's LUNO!

1. What was the first record you personally bought?
Madonna's Like a Prayer. 20+ years later, the tape still smells of patchouli.
 

2. Which male musician is the most inspirational to you?
Roy Montgomery had a profound impact on me. His singles from the mid-90s are amazing, as well as the instrumental records he did around the same time for Siltbreeze. "Used To" (Wire Cover)
 

3. Which female musician is the most inspirational to you?
Polly Jean Harvey is one. She consistently delivers records that justify her lack of public presence and I think in this day and age that's so rare and confirmation of her brilliance. I don't need or want to know who a musician is with or what they get up to. I just like listening to records and hers have always been worth my time. "Uh Huh Her"...
 

4. Speaking retrospectively, which film do you think you could soundtrack with your music?
I love those American hygiene/decorum films from the 1950s, (i.e. brush your teeth, don't join a street gang, don't get the clap, etc.) I think my songs might work nicely in the scenes where the teens do the things they ought not do.


5. Show us the most recent photograph of yourself.
  
6. Can you sum-up your music with a photograph?
This photograph sums up a key period in my musical history. It was the cover of a record I made in 2007, which was certainly all about showing off how I was beating myself up at the time.

7. Imaginary dream dinner party / night out - who would you invite and why?
Maybe it's the city mouse/country mouse in me but I'd keep the two things separate. I'm a bit of a hermit, really, so a dinner party guestlist would be short, people I really like and find interesting, people who could all learn something from one another.
Ideally, for a night out, I head out alone, grab a coffee on the walk and collect people along the way, strangers, vague acquaintances, etc. (stranger the better...) and see where things go. I've found what can happen in reality on a night out or in, if one is open to the possibilities, can by far exceed imagination.

8. What are your top 3 songs on the theme of SEXUALITY? 
 "Fuck Off" by Wayne County & The Electric Chairs
"Cocoon" by Björk
"When 2 R in Love" by Prince

9. What's the funniest video you can find on Youtube? 
I love this girl:
She's preaching to the choir (or lack thereof) but it's nice to see Kirk Cameron is still around and just as brainwashed as he ever was.

10. Which 2 songs would you like played at your funeral?
"Afraid" by Nico
"Time" by Tom Waits

11. Can we have a photo of your record collection?
I switched over to one of those palm held digital things last year, so there isn't much to show. Instead, here's a photograph I took of a thrift shop window a few years back.

12. If you were a super-hero, what would you be called, what would you look like and most importantly, what would your super power be?
I think if I were a superhero, I'd be called Quiet Unassuming Fellow. I'd look just like I do, (except my trainers would be black instead of purple, more unassuming that way) and my superpowers would entail walking softly but nimbly and not speaking unless spoken to. Oh yes, and playing a mangled acoustic guitar very, very loudly. That's an important one.


13. Draw me a picture of a cat.
I'm such a disappointment in the picture drawing department! All my cat attempts turned out looking like pigs, so here's a photograph I took in my garden last summer.







14. Which song has the most positive and inspirational lyrics you can think of?
"Share the Good" by my friend Purrbot is one of the more genuinely inspirational songs I've heard lately.



Hear more of Luno's tracks here http://soundcloud.com/archivo-de-luno
or add him on twitter @nchaplin__

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Kitty Questions : ROSCOE VACANT

There's something about a Scottish accent that will make your ears prick-up. Whether the Celtic-symphony is poetry, witticism or simply a well-ravelled story, you listen intently. Sometimes, the combination of this bold-brogue and an important message is the perfect cocktail for making the people pay attention. Roscoe Vacant is a true, bona fide bastion of social serenity. His lyrics and musical delivery is as unwavering as the boom-boom of your very own heartbeat, and the purposeful thud of the bass drum.
He's ROSCOE VACANT!

1. What was the first record you personally bought?
I'd love to say it was something really cool, but I'm fairly sure it was "Vagabond Heart" by Rod Stewart when I was 8 or 9. It's a lacklustre album at best, but at the time I thought it was amazing. Someone once said of him, "never has an artist so betrayed their talent" and it's very true.

2. Which male musician is the most inspirational to you?
For years I've been a huge fan of Jandek. He's one artist who for me has consistently failed to disappoint. His music is very experimental and improvised, but for me what has always been most important is the honesty and integrity of the music. A lot of the time when listening to music I feel manipulated, but with Jandek it's always seemed like all he's interested in is exorcising his own emotions and doing music for the right reasons.

3. Which female musician is the most inspirational to you?
I'd say Ella Logan. She was a Scottish singer who emigrated to the US in the 1930s. Her voice has such beauty to it and the first time I heard "How are things in Glocca Morra?" I couldn't believe a song like that even existed. It's almost perfect. I've heard lots of great people doing that song, but they never come close to that version.

Ella Logan - How Are Things In Glocca Morra? by Kittylickscd

4. Speaking retrospectively, which film do you think you could soundtrack with your music?
Again, I'd love to say something like "Orphans" but the reality is it would probably be more likely to be "Gregory's Girl"! I know my station in life! Our band (Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin' Screichs) is named after the band in an episode of the mid-90s Scottish sitcom 'The High Life', so soundtracking anything with Alan Cumming, Siobhan Redmond or Forbes Masson would be our dream.

 5. Show us the most recent photograph of yourself.
This is a picture of me playing a solo set at a punk gig in Cumnock last weekend. Oh dear.

6. Can you sum-up your music with a photograph?
I don't think I can! I am quite a visual person with my music though, and when I'm writing a song, I always have a particular image, location and memory or group of memories in my mind that the song tries to address. It's not a deliberate thing, I suppose for me music is so tightly tied up with how I'm feeling or memories of particular experiences, the images tied up with those memories just stick.

7. Imaginary dream dinner party / night out - who would you invite and why?
I'm not very good company, so I would invite people who would be able to keep things moving. James Keir Hardie and Alexander Peden would be at the top of the table, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Kaufman and Krzysztof Kieślowski would be in the middle and Kurt Cobain, Alex Chilton and Bob Dylan would be at the end of the table. I realise there may be some issues in assembling this cast.


8. What are your top 3 songs on the theme of NATURE?
"In Bloom" by Nirvana
"Point Judith" by Jandek
"This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie
9. What's the funniest video you can find on Youtube? 
I love this video, mainly because the song is so catchy...

10. Which 2 songs would you like played at your funeral?
"Take care" from Big Star's "Third" because it's one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I've also always loved Robert Burns' "Ye banks and braes o' Bonnie Doon", so that one would be fairly high up there too.

11. Can we have a photo of your record collection?
I don't have a picture of my record collection to hand, but here's a picture of some rarities I recently acquired by one of my very favourite bands, Nyah Fearties. They're from Kilmarnock which is near where I grew up, and they toured all over the world in the 1980s and 1990s. The music they made is so different from what's passed off as folk punk today. They made something completely unique and incredible, and I would recommend them to anyone.


12. If you were a super-hero, what would you be called, what would you look like and most importantly, what would your super power be?
I'd be The Man of A Thousand Faces, a dapper turn of the century Scottish scholar by day and a crimefighting master of disguise by night. Each week I would use a different guise (mostly copies of Lon Chaney characters) to bring down wrongdoers, mobsters and ne'er-do-wells.
13. Draw me a picture of a cat.
I can't draw, so please find enclosed a picture of my beautiful cat, William. He's six years old and his previous owner died, so now he lives with us. He's a really good natured cat who's sporadically very grumpy. He's a really loving cat, but likes his own space and wants to just do his own thing most of the time, so me and him get on a treat.


14. Which song has the most positive and inspirational lyrics you can think of?
"Light and Day" by the Polyphonic Spree. Unfortunately these days it mainly inspires me to shop at Sainsbury's. Aside from that I'd say "Keep on Keepin' on" by the Redskins - one band who never fail to inspire.

Visit Roscoe at www.vacantonline.co.uk

Monday 27 June 2011

Kitty Questions : STE McCABE

Vibrant pop-punk politics glitter your ears, the candy-pink haze of a flailing Stratocaster catches the corner of your eye. Who could it be? He's the pro-feminist, cat-loving bubblegum-"queer" that you always dreamt existed.
He's STE McCABE!

1. What was the first record you personally bought?
Goodness, it was the debut album by Sinitta! I got it on tape when I was 8 and loved it for many years. I wish I'd have waited a few years to start buying music as answering this question is shameful.



2. Which male musician is the most inspirational to you?
Well despite the fact that Morrissey is slowly turning out to be a total wanker these days (did you hear those comments he made about Chinese people?), more or less everything he did with The Smiths and with his solo material I found to be the most beautiful inspiring pop music ever. Not many lyricists come close to his honesty and humour...and for that I have to continue to give him kudos for his past records. I just think in a personal sense he's let it all go to his head way too much and lots of his fans won't forgive that. Sadly I don't think I'll be supporting his new record.


3. Which female musician is the most inspirational to you?
Kathleen Hannah.  She made feminism something you can dance to, and her passion and rage is so inspiring to me. I have a lot of respect for her and give 10/10 for every single one of her bands and projects.

4. Speaking retrospectively, which film do you think you could soundtrack with your music?
I think 80's film "Who's That Girl" featuring Madonna. Fast paced, ridiculous and trashy. Despite my politics, musically that's a pretty good description of what I do.


5. Show us the most recent photograph of yourself.
This is me, my partner Lukasz and our friend Candy at Edinburgh Slutwalk last week.
6. Can you sum-up your music with a photograph?
Oh yes, this one was the cover of my last EP - sums it up perfectly I think!

7. Imaginary dream dinner party / night out - who would you invite and why?
I'd invite the girls (although I think women would be a more appropriate description now) from Shampoo, David Attenborough because I like his superior animal knowledge, Amanda Palmer because she seems like a laugh and Peter Tatchell to talk queer politics with when I inevitably got drunk (I have a habit of boring people with this last topic after 6 beers). I'm not sure they'd all get on but it'd be better than any Celebrity Big Brother ever was.

8. What is your top song on the theme of FOOD?
"Know Your Chicken" by Cibo Matto ("I know my chicken, you've got to know your chicken")


9. What's the funniest video you can find on Youtube?
This is surely the most ridiculous news story ever, and come to think of it, the news reporter is someone I'd like to add to the list of people I'm taking out on my dream dinner party/night out (see question 7)


10. Which 2 songs would you like played at your funeral?
 Well I've always said "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper is a must-have for any funeral, but I also think something depressing to make people wallow in their misery would be cruel but fun also, so I refer to an old Echobelly track about death called "Worms and Angels" here!


11. Can we have a photo of your record collection?
This is the bulk of my CD collection, although I have some vinyl and more CD's tucked away in another corner of the room.

12. If you were a super-hero, what would you be called, what would you look like and most importantly, what would your super power be?
Oh blimey, what a question! I'd be a great big fat swine called SuperPig, and I'd chase people down the road on my trotters, defecating pig poo at the speed of light at my enemies.

13. Draw me a picture of a cat.
My scanner is broke at the moment, so will this cute picture of our cats, Fox and Kathy, do instead?












14. Which song has the most positive and inspirational lyrics you can think of?
"Riot ladies, queers, let's fight. We won't judge but we might bite. Find a space with us tonight, find a space where we're alike"
(Faux Feminism by Manchester's best ever underground band, Vile Vile Creatures)

Monday 20 June 2011

ARTIST BIO - Nicholas Ginbey

Known for his playful melodies and insightful lyrics about life and love, Nicholas is a true Austin artist whose proudest moment was performing with Daniel Johnston at the Parish.
Growing up in a home surrounded by art and music, Nicholas has been writing songs for as long as he can remember. As a solo artist and lead singer, Nicholas has written and performed with many of Austin’s finest musicians.
The consistent quality of his work has secured Nicholas’s reputation as one of Austin’s finest writers. His catalog contains over 100 songs that he has written from Americana to punk, each authentic and unique. Nicholas is currently the lead singer of the up-and-coming noise pop band, the Washed Away Stars.

Thursday 16 June 2011

ARTIST BIO - Your Yellow Dress

New project of OC’s The Paper Orchestra founder Alex Poska, Your Yellow Dress’s latest full-length, “Orange County, We’re Nothing At All Like The Shows,” was released May 2009.

Your Yellow Dress is currently embarking on a project to record some sort of release about every county in California similar to Sufjan Steven’s 50 States project. The releases will vary from full length albums to EPs to singles, and as of now there are only 56 counties left to write about.

ARTIST BIO - Schwervon!

Schwervon! is a two piece rock band. Nan Turner (originally from Washington state) and Matt Roth (originally from Kansas) met at the Sidewalk Cafe in downtown Manhattan in the late 90’s. At the time Nan was playing in Post Riot Grrl band Bionic Finger and Matt was performing as Antifolk acoustic troubadour Major Matt Mason USA. After a series of “Jam Dates” at the now defunct Context Studios a handful of lofi rock sketches formed based around such banal topics as arguing couples on the street and food. The music of Schwervon! grew to represent the celebration of imperfect love through jagged rock minimalism. They were DIY long before it was a marketing strategy, mixing and recording the bulk of their music in their apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan where they live with their cat Gummo. They call it Olive Juice Music where Matt also produces music for other bands and operates an online indie music distribution center. Both of them continue to play and release music with other solo projects and collaborations: (Pantsuit, Kansas State Flower, Nan Turner, Major Matt Mason USA)

Together, Schwervon! has produced 4 full length albums and 2 seven inch vinyl only singles

ARTIST BIO - Evan Gumz



Amateur musician dabbling with noise rock and electronic music, and generally trying to make a good impression on the internet. Based in Philadelphia.

ARTIST BIO - R. Stevie Moore

Robert Steven Moore (born January 18, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. In addition to having numerous albums released on labels around the world, Moore has self-released over 400 cassette and CD-R albums, as well as dozens of home videos, mostly through the R. Stevie Moore Cassette Club, a home-based label. Moore lives and records in his home/studio in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is the son of Bob Moore, veteran Nashville A-Team bassist, producer, and orchestra leader, as well as a longtime sideman for Elvis Presley.

In February 2005, newspaper writer Tammy LaGorce described Moore as a “lo-fi legend” in the New York Times.

Moore, born in Nashville, Tennessee, made his commercial recording debut at age seven, singing a duet with Jim Reeves entitled “But You Love Me, Daddy” on the RCA Victor album Songs to warm the heart.

Moore was gifted with intuitive proficiency for guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, and songwriting. In 1966, he began pursuing what would become his lifelong passion, home recording, using a reel-to-reel tape deck set up in his basement. In 1967, he formed his first band, The Marlborough (a rock combo). He also began working for his father as a studio musician, and as an assistant at Mimosa Music, his father’s music publishing company.

After dropping out of Vanderbilt University in 1971 to pursue a career as a professional artist, performer and entertainer Moore issued his home-recorded 1976 debut album Phonography on his uncle Harry “H.P.” Palmer’s HP Music label. The initial run was limited to 100 copies. Trouser Press gave the album rave reviews, calling it “an outrageous collection of musical brain spewage” and “a true slash of genius”. Moore moved from Nashville to New Jersey shortly afterwards, his uncle releasing two further collections, The Stance EP, and Delicate Tension in 1978 (Moore’s home tape releases continuing at the same time).

In 1996, in a gesture far overdue, “Phonography” was listed among “the fifty most significant indie records” in Rolling Stone’s Alt-Rock-A-Rama.

1980 saw an important tape release, Clack!, this time recorded professionally. In 1981, Moore set up the RSM Cassette Club as an outlet for his home-recorded work, making available all tapes recorded by Moore stretching back to 1968, each listed with a ‘listenability quotient’ rating from 1 to 10.

The next LP release was 1984’s What’s The Point?!! and in the same year Paris’ New Rose Records issued a double album compilation, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About R Stevie Moore But Were Afraid To Ask. The label described Moore as “one of the best songwriters of all time”.Everything proved particularly popular in France, with a single “Chantilly Lace” from the album becoming a minor sleeper hit there, and prompting Moore to undertake a promotional visit to the country, where he was welcomed with not insignificant adulation and press-buzz. Further albums followed in the 80s, including Verve, Glad Music (this time recorded in a professional studio), (1952-19??), and Teenage Spectacular (described by Moore then as “the most enjoyable project of my career”.)

During the 1980s Moore appeared sporadically on the Uncle Floyd TV show, a tongue-in-cheek, public-access style clown, puppet and variety show that broadcast out of New Jersey.

Moore was an early on-air personality at WFMU, an independent free-form radio station out of New Jersey.

Around 1988, Moore started working in home video, and he is now active on YouTube and MySpace.

The advent of CD-R as a medium for self-issued music brought Moore and his fans new enthusiasm for his home recording, and in 1999 the cassette club became the “R. Stevie Moore CDR Club” (CDRSMCLUB).

In 2002 Moore recorded an album with Half Japanese frontman Jad Fair, titled FairMoore, described as “a lovely, heartfelt effort that shows both in top form” by Dave Mandl, who stated that it “brings together two fiercely original figures in the American music underground”, the album consisting of Fair reciting his poetry over Moore’s instrumental backing.

Throughout the 2000s Moore, has continued to issue more official CD’s released on various independent labels around the world. He also worked on several mail collaborations with Terry Burrows (aka Yukio Yung), Ariel Pink, Lane Steinberg and others.

Moore contributed a track to the 2007 Worried Noodles compilation on Tomlab, alongside David Byrne, Deerhoof and Liars, compiled by British artist David Shrigley. Shrigley also interviewed Moore for BOMB Magazine magazine that year.

ARTIST BIO - Major Matt Mason

Major Matt Mason USA is the stage name for NYC based songwriter / producer Matt Roth’s solo projects. Inspired by the homemade tapes of Daniel Johnston, MMM’s first recordings appeared in cassette format around 1994. He as since released 5 full length albums (on CD and CDR) and two 7” singles on his own label Olive Juice Music and Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis MacDonald’s Glasgow based label Shoeshine Records. The music is riddled with influences that range from the paired down songwriting of early Bob Dylan to the more noisy elements of The Velvet Underground or Yo La Tengo. Matt is also a member of the bands Schwervon! and Kansas State Flower. The DIY spirit is a big part of MMM’s art and lifestyle as he continues to carve a niche for himself and others in the ever evolving stew of Modern American Folk music.

ARTIST BIO - Tinyfolk

Tinyfolk was the solo project of Russ W first in Bloomington, IN and then Chicago, IL from 2005 to 2011. Occasionally other people (Meghan L of iron like nylon, Jim L of Garden On A Trampoline) contributed as well. He currently performs in the band Pretty Swans.

ARTIST BIO - Keyboard Cathy

It’s funny how a single movie can inspire us to pursue our dreams. “Keyboard Cathy” Wiegand wandered into the 2005 film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and walked out not itching to travel through space, but humming “So Long & Thanks for All the Fish,” the whimsical end credits song by Irish singer Neil Hannon—who just so happens to be the frontman of one of her favorite groups, The Divine Comedy.

The versatile singer/songwriter had performed at live benefits for years and had amassed a large catalog of instrumentals in her Roland E-600, but that fish song—and her lifelong love of sushi—led “Keyboard Cathy” to dust off her dreams and record her clever, quirky, sublimely melodic debut indie album Inspiration in 2006. Her irresistible new seven song EP Sushi Lover features “So Long & Thanks For All The Fish” (in case you missed it the first time!), revamped takes of “Eternity” and “Give a Little More,” the brand new “Miracle Worker” (an incisive satire about her former life in the corporate world) and two versions of her trademark “Sushi Lover”—the original and a high spirited, “extra spicy” house remix by the San Antonio band Hyperbubble.

When “Keyboard Cathy” initially put together her often visited myspace page, she picked the categories of “pop,” “showtunes” and “other”; all of them apply to some degree, but none truly capture the magical mix of heartfelt songwriting and witty observational storytelling that defines the New Jersey based performer’s diverse repertoire.

ARTIST BIO - Elastic No-No Band

Elastic No-No Band is an Anti-folk group based in New York City. Started in the mid-2000s, the band’s name was initially just a pseudonym for its current leader and main songwriter, Justin Remer. Since 2005, Elastic No-No Band has also included pianist Herb Scher and multi-instrumentalist Preston Spurlock. In 2005 and 2006, the band would perform sporadically with Clint Scheibner, who would play a bass drum attached to his chest, as though he were in a marching band. Since 2007, the band has included drummer Doug Johnson, who plays a standard drum kit.

Remer did a solo US tour as Elastic No-No Band during spring of 2008.

Remer initially used the name Elastic No-No Band as a personal pseudonym when he wrote and performed songs and film scores for some of his short films. These films include In Defense of Lemmings (2004) and Loved and/or Laid (2006).[3] Remer also contributed songs to the Troma films Tales from the Crapper (2004)[4] and Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2007)[5] as Elastic No-No Band.

ARTIST BIO - Last Days



Last Days (a.k.a. Graham Richardson’s) music explores personal themes of stasis and flux, escape and acceptance, security and upheaval. Drawing his moniker and ethos from the bittersweet emotions that often accompany periods of transition and loss, Last Days contrasts the intimacy of lonely field recordings and elementary instruments (a child’s accordion, a single repeated piano note) with cinematic shoegaze swells and complex, interlocking melodies created by the latest in digital technology. The resulting mixes are often melancholy, but ultimately hopeful, acting as musical elegies to the places we can no longer go.

Growing up in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Richardson pursued music sporadically, playing drums for local bands before shifting his focus and detouring south to study graphic design. Completing his degree in 1997, he applied his trade in the mental health field but, after four rewarding, yet creatively stifling, years, decided to pack up his recently acquired PC, mic and guitar, and head north to Scotland. While the mood certainly preceded the move, Edinburgh’s darker, colder climate and close proximity to nature proved influential in developing Last Days signature blend of brooding synths and pastoral neo-folk. Inspired by the likes of Eluvium, Sigur Rós and Jasper TX, Richardson continued writing and revising in relative obscurity until February 2006 when he was discovered in Port-Royal’s Myspace friends list by Mike Cadoo (a.k.a. Bitcrush) of the Oakland-based n5MD Records. With nine tracks already in the can, the timing could not have been better, resulting in the release of Last Days full-length debut “Sea” just seven months later.

Noting his penchant for writing soundtracks to lonely, isolated places, Richardson devised a unifying narrative for “Sea”, which chronicles the hapless travels of a disillusioned man who, leaving his family behind, sets sail to find a new home. Through a combination of eerie, abstract set pieces, signpost song titles, and bleak cover art by Liam Frankland (another Myspace find), “Sea” captures the anxiety, confusion and yearning of a man lost at sea with only his ill-defined desires to guide him. Released to near-unanimous praise, Sea cemented Last Days reputation as a member to watch within the UK’s burgeoning electro-acoustic ambient scene.

Just months after the release of “Sea”, Richardson began writing material for its follow-up, a meditation on the inconstancy of “home.” Released on n5MD in early 2007, “These Places Are Now Ruins” finds Richardson in far more personal territory, tracing a semi-autobiographical trip through the resonant locales and experiences of his adolescence. Book-ended (save the closing epilogue “Traveling Hearts”) by “Stations” part 1 and 2, TPANR’s main body mourns the diminishing comforts afforded by fading memories and the lonely detachment that comes with discovering your “home” is no longer tethered to a tangible place. Opting for a warmer, more “realistic” approach, Richardson cuts back on the aimless synth washes of “Sea”, anchoring the majority of these musical snapshots (like the memories they’re exorcising) in the familiar realm of live instrumentation, intimate field recordings, and emotional post-rock builds.

For his third full length, “The Safety of the North” (2009, n5MD), Richardson has fully embraced his cinematic tendencies, expanding his creative palette to include spoken excerpts, a vocal collaboration with Fabiola Sanchez of Familiar Trees, and a “script-based” compositional approach. Drawing on a theme first explored in “Sea“‘s “Arrival at Jan Mayen” (in which its sailor is first excited by the prospect of a distant island home, then disappointed by its barren terrain), TSOTN tells the story of Alice, a young girl who leaves the city with her family to settle in the rural north. With a strict script in mind, Richardson divided the album into 15 “scenes”, scoring each with a new focus on the emotional states of his characters and the settings they inhabit. Using the same tools he employs on “Sea” (i.e. field recordings, song titles, and album art), along with snippets of dialogue, monologue and new instrumentation, Richardson guides the listener through Alice’s initial departure, hopeful beginnings and eventual tragedy.

With an approach both abstract and melodic, lo-fi and hi-tech, yearning and content, Last Days has consistently yielded music that, despite its largely digital origins, is all-together human.

ARTIST BIO - Vapourboat

Vapourboat Chile is the project of Nico Carcavilla, but when you first hear it, hard to think that somewhere in Chile could be born like this music.
In late 2007, on a sunny day, Nico Carcavilla (15 years) began to take shape this project Scotland, in which he plays all the instruments, and takes over full of letters. After recording several tracks and also win the Super 45 competition “New Sounds “, Nico is preparing to record their first album…

Note from Chief Kitty Amrick - I'd like to note that the adorable Nico was only 14 years old when he started recording these songs! Absolutely fantastic musician!

ARTIST BIO - The Night Song

THE SONIC EQUIVALENT OF APOLLO VS. DIONYSUS.

Formed in late 2006, THE NIGHT SONG consist of two individuals who share a love of melancholic music, dystopic visions of the future, and late night city walks through post-regen Manchester.

Sounds Like:

“Topshop day-glo punk”, “gloomy as all-hell”, “the soundtrack to an apocalypse”, European futurism, Joy Division Mark II, Goth Rock without a baritone singer, punk-as-fuck-you vs. classicist restraint, the gestalt mentality.

ARTIST BIO - Final Boss

Studio / Recording band, mostly instrumentals, mostly guitars. Somewhat lo-fi. Formed 2001 in Pittsburgh. Now sort of in Montreal, Canada.

Primary influences are Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, Sonic Youth, New Order.

Has a small following developed mostly through internet networking.

Looking to release lots of material, mostly online, with intermittent CD compilations. Also on the lookout for help - web designers/programmers, film-makers, visual artists, musicians, etc.

See About Final Boss at the main website for more info.

ARTIST BIO - The Blasted Mohab











The Blasted Mohab is Brandon Lindsey. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and writes/ records songs on a cheap four-track tape recorder whenever.

ARTIST BIO - Ste McCabe

Ste McCabe is Manchester’s pop-punk, DIY, one-man-band, blending punk guitars, retro beats and a sarcastic view of the world with radical, queer, feminist lyrics. Ste’s been playing at various punk, indiepop, riot grrrl and DIY events in the UK since summer 2006 and his releases “Pink Bomb”, “Hate Mail” and “Murder Music” on super-cool Cherryade Records have wowed or annoyed musos and audiences around the country, full to the brim with powerpop disco-punk tunes whilst coming across somewhat like Pete Shelley and Billy Bragg disco-dancing with Le Tigre and Sleater-Kinney.

Become a Facebook fan of Ste McCabe here - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ste-McCabe/115830628431

ARTIST BIO - Mayor Byrne

Mayor Byrne is the recording project of Kevin Moritz, a singer/songwriter born and raised in the suburbs of chicago. He played bass in the indie rock band geisert 8 (Peoria, IL) for 8 years, a barrage of beards, vans, floors, and general tomfoolery, before moving shop to his current residence in the rolling hills of Goodlettsville, TN. Often bearded, flanneled, sportcoated, and mocassined.

ARTIST BIO - The Paraffins

The Paraffins are a band from Scotland making scary but catchy primitive pop you can attempt to dance to with a rusty stringed acoustic guitar, an ancient beatbox, caveman drums, a melodica containing various waterborne diseases and god knows what else. Influenced by Wall Of Voodoo, Ariel Pink, Suicide and Kid Creole & The Coconuts among others. Members are Billy and whoever else.

ARTIST BIO - Dressed Like Wolves

In the third month of 2009, Rick found himself alone with lots of songs. He only knew four chords. A week later, he met Matt, who happened to have lots of instruments and a tape recorder. They bought some microphones, recorded a lot of songs, and then played some good and some not very good shows.

Rick continues to embark on his adventure of storytelling from picture books, daydreams and apparent religious menace (yeah don’t ask me either) while Matt continues to push the record button.
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Rick - bassy acoustic/words/voice/chord organ/glockenspiel/casiotone 403/yamaha portasound/melodica

Matt - tapes/microphones/trebly acoustic/drums/accordion

ARTIST BIO - Roscoe Vacant

Roscoe Vacant is an alt.punk writer and performer from Cumnock in Ayrshire.

His music draws from a variety of influences, from punk rock and the avant garde through to traditional music, poetry and literature.

Since 2007, he has appeared as a solo performer, with guest musicians occasionally appearing on recordings and at live performances, including the respected Scottish blues musician Dave Arcari, one of Glasgow’s original 1978 punk bands - The Zips, as well as members of The Media Whores, Coco Bryce, Hateful and more.

From November 2010, Roscoe Vacant will be joined by David Burns (bass and backing vocals), Ross Gilchrist (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Norman Wilson (drums and backing vocals).

For more information and free, full length album downloads go to www.vacantonline.co.uk

ARTIST BIO - Vincent Nifigance

Vincent Nifigance is the recording name of an unknown independent musician based in Manchester, England, recording somewhat abstract and whimsical songs with a sometimes scatological, but undeniably melodic-bent on low grade instruments and recording equipment. His earliest output surfaced in 2006 and was received warmly, featuring on now defunct Internet Radio Show The DIY Chart Show broadcast from Brno in the Czech Republic, and also on Largehearted Boy. His debut release The Shambolic Fuzz-Pop ExtraOrdinary was released via the distribution arm of New York’s ’Olive Juice Music’ record label in May of 2007.

Working primarily in and around his home he is seen to be most active on his blog. He was initially associated with Manchester’s underground/alternative gay scene, playing his first, and at the time of writing, only performance, at one of the Kaffequeeria collective’s monthly events supporting transgender country singer Rae Spoon, at ‘The Basement’ in Manchester City Centre, England, in October of 2006.

He was then linked with New York’s continuing ‘Anti-Folk’ movement (perhaps owing solely to his association with Olive Juice Music , who boast output from artists such as Dufus, Prewar Yardsale, and founder Major Matt Mason USA ), although he himself seems loathe to pledge allegiance to any particular scene.

During 2008 he was rumoured to be working on a potentially grander scale than previously, on an ironic concept album entitled: The So-F*%king Sophoclean Sophomoronic Pretension The follow-up finally appeared in January ‘09, with its delay explained by its new title: The Self Fulfilling Secondary Stumbling Prophecy, and described by Major Matt Mason USA as having “A slightly more cinematic, whispery, rock opera slant.

KITTY LICKS VOL. #5

Kitty Licks Vol. #5 brings us right up-to-date!
There was a huge gap between the previous 2 releases of Kitty Licks, and this was due to my being pregnant / having to raise a baby!
However, I wanted to make the comeback volume of Kitty Licks something really special - and I think you'll really love every musical-morsel Kitty Licks Vol. #5 has to offer!

Below is a short sample of all the tracks available on Kitty Licks Vol. #5 - but of course it is only available to hear in full when you make an order at Kittynation.com!

But don't forget - KITTY LICKS VOL. #5 is absolutely FREE with any item/s purchased at Kittynation.com - no strings attached! Visit the store today to peruse our extensive selection of vintage goodies, and to nab your free copy of the Kitty Licks Vol. #5 CD!

Kitty Licks Vol. #5 Sampler by Kittylickscd

(released May 2011)
1. Wavlngth - Headless Horseman   
2. In with Stars - Mike Downey    
3. Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Ste McCabe (with Maria & the Gay)
4. Little Crunchy Surprises -
The Paraffins    
5. All in the Reel of the Summer - Roscoe Vacant    
6. 45 RPM -
Lamb On Sunday    
7. Telephone Lines - Jake Lazovick   
8. Let You Go - Mayor Byrne    
9. Dog (Perspective) - Luno    
10. Everglow - Dressed Like Wolves 
11. Song for Holly - Eef Barzelay   
12. Hug, Hug (Bleuch) - Vincent Nifigance