Tag Archives: sufjan stevens

Califone’s Tim Rutili Lends Support to Song+Stories Project, You Should Too

Independent radio artists Elizabeth Meister and Dan Collison are working with acclaimed Califone songwriter Tim Rutili on a documentary called Journey of the Asian Carp.

For the uninitiated, the Asian carp is a destructive non-native fish that has wreaked havoc on Midwestern waterways by crowding out native fish and uprooting plants. Notorious for their jumping ability, they also pose a physical danger to fishermen and their feeding habits make them hard to capture.

Meister and Collison hope to weave the documentary with Rutili’s music to create something that is more than the sum of its parts. Rutili’s music will supplement the documentary’s narrative as it follows the invasive carp’s slow migration from the American south “to the brink of Lake Michigan, focusing specifically on communities along the Illinois River that already have been invaded.”

If all goes well (more on that later), Meister and Collison will visit some of the small American communities that depend on their waterways and native fish but have been devastated by the Asian carp’s invasion.
Click here to learn how you can help…

Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Bear In Heaven, and Freelance Whales; March 23, 2010; Casbah

Photo credit: MySpace

Three hot bands, two large mammals, and one cannibalistic instrument converged at the Casbah last Tuesday night, when Freelance Whales, Bear in Heaven, and Cymbals Eat Guitars swung through to represent New York City. Continue reading…

Factory 25 to Release Films/Vinyls Featuring No Age, Sufjan, Rosie Thomas, Others (Video)

Factory 25
Factory 25, a new independent film and vinyl label based in Brooklyn, specializes in packaging indie DVDs with limited edition vinyl, posters and other goodies.

They’re about to release a slew of new stuff on October 27, including the films High School Record, All The Way From Michigan Not Mars, and You Weren’t There. The latter two releases come with special edition vinyls.

Out already (September 29) is Damon and Naomi’s 1001 Nights, a comprehensive anthology of videos and live performances from 2001 through 2009.

The folks at Factory 25 are rightly excited about these films, some of which feature indie music luminaries like No Age, Minutemen, Rosie Thomas, and Sufjan Stevens. More info and trailers after the jump. Continue reading

Poetic Memory: Local Natives (List)

local-natives

Silver Lake-based Local Natives just completed a U.S. tour with Ben Kweller, then went to London, then stormed barns across the midwest. They even blog. Needless to say, these guys (and occasionally girl) are both creative and busy. They’re also great musicians who put on a rewarding and fun show. They have a new album called Gorilla Manor coming out soon.

Recently, the band recorded an acoustic version of their song “Camera Talk” (MP3) for the website Aurgasm, who pretty aptly summed up our feelings for the band:

The quintet’s unique brand of indie folk highlights their tight vocal harmonies without sacrificing on rolling guitars, keys and percussion or sharp lyrics. Their laid-back and layered folk is a perfect way to wind down the rest of summer.

Local Natives are also currently touring extensively in the west through late September, with a stop Thursday (9/3) at San Diego’s Casbah, and then they’re moving on to Europe for six weeks. Complete list of tourdates is below.

Meanwhile, we caught up Ryan Hahn, Taylor Rice, and Kelcey Ayer to talk Poetic Memory. Check it out. Continue reading