News

1. The Great Society Mind Destroyers, the sweet psychedelic garage band we played with at Zebulon early in August, have released their live tracks as an album on Commune Records. They just opened for Dead Meadow in their hometown, Chicago, and are playing some more shows with other folks we love aka Plastic Crimewave Sound this fall. Check the live album, as well as their split with Rabble Rabble (who we played with that night as well, who are awesome and are playing with Screaming Females next week):

Live at The Zebulon, New York 2009 (Commune Records)
Recorded live at The Zebulon in Brooklyn, NY on August 9th 2009.

2. We just played a great show at Goodbye Blue Monday with Jonathan Byerley and His Plates of Cake and Englishman, who were on tour from Lexington, Kentucky. Englishman's folk music is the product of two minds, Andrew English (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Matthew Duncan (vocals, piano), along with others, though only Andrew and Matthew were on tour.

"Taxidermy", Englishman's debut EP, is on iTunes and Amazon, as well as at CD Central in Lexington, KY and Shake It Records in Cincinnati, OH. Physical copies appear at live shows and come complete with hand-drawn/cut/pasted album art and very compact packaging. If you love to hold things with your hands and use all five senses, this EP can serve that purpose. Just mail a request for a hard copy to: englishman.sounds@gmail.com.

3. We're playing a bunch of shows in the upcoming weeks:

October 1st @ Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn, NY, w/ Drew and The Medicinal Pen, Morgan Orion, Parade Parade
October 2nd @ The Coliseum (rooftop show!), Ridgewood, Queens, w/ Sacred Harp, Morgan Orion, more special guests
October 24th @ King Street Manor, Northampton, MA, w/ Orion Rigel Domisse, Tongue Oven

SON CATS @ ZACC BSMT

Some SON CATS photos from the Abiku/Knot Knocked Up/Fag Rag/SON CATS/Abe Coley show at the ZACC BSMT back in May. Alex's friend Justin took 'em. Enjoy. -X







http://www.flickr.com/photos/forarborsforsatellites

Northampawesome

We (cabinet) played at The Sierra Grille in Northampton last night, with D.C. band The Andalusians and a concept-Boston-bar band called The Steamrollers. Not only was it awesome, but they also fed us dinner, but not just any dinner, fancy entree food. Jasmine and I ended up getting Salmon with mashed potatoes and all these grilled veggies... it was amazing. Thanks to Mark for setting up the show, and thanks to The Andalusians for coming. If you've not heard of them you should check them out, they are so damn solid.

But, yeah, thanks again all, I hope we get to go back there real soon.

-Alex Wowlex

BLACK RABBITS CASSETTE COMPILATION

...it's finally here!

BLACK RABBITS CASSETTE COMPILATION

Our summer mixtape, for driving with the windows down. Featuring tracks by Twin Cats, Ladybird, The Black Perfect, Manipulator Alligator, Lonesome Architects, June Madrona, Morgan Orion, Turner Capehart Canty, Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Polka Dot Dot Dot, Fort King, Fletcher Poor Boy Johnson, & Johanna Kunin

Tapes are $3 PPD

Send checks or carefully hidden cash to:

FOR ARBORS / FOR SATELLITES
PO BOX 2651
STUYVESANT STATION
NEW YORK, NY 10009

yay bloggy blog and a slice of thanks

Hi! it's Mr. Alex R. Wilson, adding my thanks to the list of all those folks who let us play/ gave us a place to sleep on tour. It was a long time, longest tour I've taken yet, but we made it and we saw some crazy awesome stuff. Thanks again to Purl (I hope like crazy I spelled your name right) for taking me skating at that little park in Virginia, and to all again. Big no thanks to toll booths and that dude who gave me a parking ticket in Chicago while I was standing right next to my car (though besides that, Chicago kicks a lot of ass, great city that I'd never been to). Either way, thanks again, and enjoy the bloggness.

Cabinet of Natural Curiosities & SON CATS Summer Tour!

Hey there,

We (Cabinet and SON CATS) just got back from an almost-5-week tour around the middle of the country, the northeast, the Atlantic coast, and the south, which was pretty intense. More intense than swimming and sleeping, which is what we've been doing a lot of since getting back to New England and resting up. Thanks a million to everyone to helped us out with a show, who gave us a place to sleep, and so much more!

So many thank you's--

May 20th -- Irfit's Hookah Lounge -- Rapid City, SD
w/ Point Juncture, WA
...thanks Spearfish and all the folks in Point Juncture.

May 21st -- Washington Arts Center -- Vermillion, SD
w/ Cloud Dog
...thanks Sheridan, and all your awesome housemates and friends, for the zines, the music, and the pizza.

May 22nd -- Bear Claw Mountain -- Minneapolis, MN
...thanks Kaily, Brittany, and Jamie -- and big thanks to Max and Deanna AKA Unicorn Basement for the food and kitties and sleep.

May 23rd -- Ames Progressive -- Ames, IA
w/ Agent Ribbons
Thanks Kai Tanaka, and to your sister, too!

May 24th -- Bernie's Bar -- Ft. Madison, IA
...there is a video online somewhere of SON CATS covering TNT at this legendary haunt on Highway 61. Inquire within...

May 25th -- Monks Kaffee -- Dubuque, IA
...such an awesome coffee shop & cool people.

May 26th -- Ronny's Bar -- Chicago, IL
w/ Royal Osprey and Distractions
...as always, Joey Murphy and his wonderful gang of friends and roomates AKA the Orchid Collective were amazing to see again. And Drew (formerly of the Radish Patch) and Maribelle!

May 27th -- Ottoman Empire -- Chicago, IL
w/ Angel Olson, Meander, and Moonrises
...Thanks, Sabrina at the Ottoman Empire & Ryanne and Erin Hoyt (formerly of The Radish Patch.) Mr. Steve Plastic Crimewave's new band with Libby and Sam were too sweet for words.

May 28th -- Dayton Dirt Collective -- Dayton, OH
...the day after, we spent some time at the Rob Drydek Skate Park and the Kettering water park just around the corner for it. Lap swimming and the sauna never felt so good.

May 29th -- Sheridan House -- Columbus, OH
w/ Old Worlds
...thanks Heather and all your awesome housemates.

May 30th -- Trumbullplex -- Detroit, MI
w/ Oatmeal, Joshua Allen, This Shipwreck
...thanks Jhon and everyone in the community for the hospitality and poems. Seeing Detroit was incredible.

May 31st -- Duck Island -- Cleveland, OH
w/ Theodore Vril and Matt Valarino's band of all-stars
...Ted Vril makes his own reverb, his own pedals, and his own PA and microphones. He also writes some of the most haunting creeped-out murder ballads and blues, and plays in the legendary Scarcity of Tanks. Also, thanks to Lauren for letting us sleep on her floor and for the ceramic strawberry jar. We ate at Sokolowski's, so good.

June 1st -- Bela Dubby -- Cleveland, OH
...we played after the weekly stand-up comedy night, it was a time. Someone told a hilarious joke about going to Big Lots. I loved the place, though, and found a cool blue cowgirl hat outside.

June 2nd -- Boulder Coffee Co. -- Rochester, NY
...Big thanks to BC Likes You!

June 3rd -- 51 3rd -- Troy, NY
w/ C. Ryder Cooley AKA Fall Harbor
...thanks much to Nathan for everything, including the awesome sleeping loft and telling us where the good pizza is! And Ryder's spooky bird songs were wonderful.

June 6th -- The Elevens -- Northampton, MA
w/ School for the Dead, De Osos, Whistlejacket, and The Fauns

June 7th -- HILLSTOCK! -- Brooklyn, NY
w/ Good Night & Good Morning, Royal Osprey (formerly Twin Cats), Drew and the Medicinal Pen, Vultures, Hanz Bronze, Peace, Loving, ACLU Benefit, Elizabeth Butters, Those Galloping Hordes, A.W. Feldt, Shai Erlichman, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, Emilyn Brodsky, Phoebe Kreutz, Don Lennon, and Archipelago
...hung out with old friend BJ Rubin at this amazing rooftop afternoon...Impose Magazine has a great series of photos on their website.

June 7th -- Bruar Falls -- Brooklyn, NY
w/ The Binary Marketing Show, Little Gold, and Lonesome Architects
...one of my favorite shows in a long time! Thanks, Andy Bodor and BJ Rubin!

June 8th -- PA's Lounge -- Somerville, MA
w/ Eric Carbonara and The Paper Hats
...saw old friends Steff and Ian Brady, ate Indian food, Love. Thanks to Jen Strickland and the nice lady running sound.

June 9th -- AS220 -- Providence, RI
w/ Tallahassee

June 10th -- Green Line Cafe -- Philadelphia, PA
w/ Lillie Ruth Bussey and Emily Bate
...thanks Rich for having us and Emily for giving us a place to sleep! This was a time.

June 11th -- Cider Haus -- Baltimore, MD
w/ Pocket Circus and Bethany Dinsick
...thanks Abiku for the awesome house show and incredible BBQ tofu stuff.

June 12th -- Big Bear Cafe -- Washington, DC
w/ The Andalusians and Petworth
...A huge thank you to Basla and The Andalusians, can't wait to see you guys again in Northampton!

June 13th -- Nightlight -- Chapel Hill, NC
...Canon Pence! Thanks for the burritos and the decade of friendship. :)

June 14th -- My Favorite Things Record Store -- Greensboro, NC
w/ Adam Thorn
...the sweetest record store I have been to in a while. This show was a good time. Thanks Jackson, Adam, Josh, and everyone else.

June 15th -- Acoustic Coffeehouse -- Johnson City, TN
...The folks at the Acoustic Coffeehouse gave us a ton of food, broadcast the show online, let us sleep in the theater next door. Thanks, Curt, Jim, and everyone working there.

June 16th -- Bobo Gallery -- Asheville, NC
w/ Sparrow of Old Horsey Slideshow and The Legacy of Kathleen Kennedy

June 17th -- Day off, drove to Nashville in a huge storm, the sky covered with strands of purple lightning.

June 18th -- Kelli's House -- Nashville, TN
w/ Arclyte and Mass at Dawn
...Big thanks to Kelli for the show, and for showing us around the archives and behind-the-scenes at the Country Music Hall of Fame. This was one of our favorite days on tour. And thanks to Kyle and Adrian for housing us and letting us watch a movie while the storm calmed down.

June 19th -- The Brick House --> The Lounge -- Louisville, KY

June 20th -- CPR --> Chaosome -- Lexington, KY
w/ Sound and Vision
...thanks Darin and your wonderful family for the hospitality and trampoline!

June 21st -- Gary's House -- Blacksburg, VA
w/ Dear Olive and Little Quick Heart
...thanks Gary and your family for the organic greens, the venison, and the music!

June 22nd -- Twin Oaks Community -- Louisa, VA
...Thank you so much, Kayde, for having us visit this amazing community, for sharing its gorgeous gardens, communal spaces, food, cheese!, and music. We can't wait to come back.

...and back home.

Cabinet of Natural Curiosities - Searchlight Needles - More Reviews

We're proud to share some reviews of "Searchlight Needles," Cabinet of Natural Curiosities' debut full-length album we released this spring. Jasmine and Alex just finished up a 5 week tour and are currently finishing mixing a brand-new acoustic Cabinet of Natural Curiosities EP they recorded on their 4-track machines back in April. Mr. Wilson is in the midst of writing new SON CATS songs out on the back porch. In the meantime, we're proud to share a few words writers had to say about Cabinet's "Searchlight Needles."

1. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Love Shack, Baby!:

"The album is not dead. Searchlight Needles is more than proof of that; it is perhaps a shrine to the essence of the album by a gifted and exquisitely articulate singer-songwriter/poet, Jasmine Dreame Wagner. Based in Missoula, MT and Brooklyn, NY, she makes music that is “psychedelic-tinged Americana with elements of electronica and ambient sound.” I honestly could not describe it better than her agent has there. And don’t find that bewildering or off-putting, it’s beautiful and haunting and I haven’t stopped listening to it for five days now. In fact I’m so attached to this CD that I really had to kick myself to write this review. Somehow it felt like I was letting it go, out into the world and out of my grasp… and that had a certain sadness about it because it’s such a tender, intimate collection of songs,… I wanted it to remain mine, all mine..." (READ MORE)

2. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on BLASTITUDE.COM:

"I'll admit, at first glance I didn't take Jasmine Dreame Wagner and her band, the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, too seriously. The whole presentation kinda struck me as the Next Freak-Folk Buzz-Bin Chanteuse In Waiting. I mean she looks the part, and her name is Jasmine Dreame, and so on, but then she sent along a couple CDRs (Vineland and Glass vs. Grass) and the packaging was excellent (envelopes, hand-made paper designs, delicate) so I played 'em and not only was the singing/songwriting/playing not bad at all, the Glass vs. Grass disc featured some real extended, jammy and spacey tracks that were mostly instrumental except for her semi-wordless space coos.... not your typical singer/songwriter fare. Now this disc comes along and it's a little more completely song-oriented, a little more typical, though there is one 7-minute jam that fits the ego-dissolution bill nicely, and like I said her songs aren't bad at all, and the band is good too (love the sparse organ accompaniment on "For Sparrow," for example). Ms. Teare also sent along a book of poetry called Charcoal, and it's a real pro job (on For Arbors Press), rather thick with a good 60 or 70 poems, and damn, she's a serious poet as well. So, not to worry, there's plenty of substance here to go with the style." (READ MORE)

3. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Milk Milk Lemonade:

"We have one of the sweetest songs in recent memory from Missoula, Montana (and/or Brooklyn, NY) musician Jasmine Dreame Wagner. Her music project is Cabinet of Natural Curiosities and the song featured today belongs to the latest full-length album, titled Searchlight Needles, which was recently released through Missoula label For Arbors / For Satellites. The next live performance will take place May 12 at local venue The Laboratory as Jasmine kicks off a string of summer dates that will bring her through the Great Lakes (midwest to us) region and beyond. For a list of tour stops along the way and to get an earful of what has us completely smitten, stop in for a visit to the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities myspace page. Yeah, it really is that good." (READ MORE)

4. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Laughing Evergreens:

"As another week draws to its inevitable conclusion, I find myself increasingly withdrawing from some of my former life's highlights. Perhaps it is the constant haze caused by lack of sleep or the transmutation of long partially dormant feelings, but I just want to get out of here, my reality. To aid me in this and help me imagine myself curled amid the branches of a huge green tree, just feeling the smooth bark, smelling the leaves and watching a green and golden world from above, requires a dream. And not just any kind of a dream: Jasmine Dreame Wagner, also known as Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. As her moniker implies, her works reveal a trove of natural curiosities and wonders, mainly of the folk-psychedelics kind, but not limited to it." (READ MORE)

5. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Delicious Scopitone:

"Nous sommes loin du vacarme et de l’expérimentale quand Jasmine Dreame Wagner vient poser sa voix avec autant de délicatesse sur les mélopées composées par Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. Pourquoi vouloir choisir un ailleurs quand il y a tant à recevoir de l’instant?" (READ MORE)

6. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Das Klienicum:

"cabinet of natural curiosities, einmal schreib ich es noch. blöder name. manchmal verfolge ich dann solche hinweise gar nicht mehr. aber man muss sich ja auch nicht so mädchenhaft haben. apropos mädchen. hinter dem pseudonym versteckt sich jasmine dreame wagner und weiß mit ganz anmutiger geste zu gefallen. es sind einige verstellte tunes dabei, aber durchhören, freunde, die meisten cuts sind überaus anschmiegsam, gut verdaulich. aber nicht gänzlich ohne wahrnehmbare allüren, schwächen und absacker. ganz mein wetter, wie sie da jungmädchenhaft und doch wissend über all die dinge singt, von denen man meint schon zu wissen. hier ein schweißband überm bauch, dort die sonnenflecken auf der stirn. wie die fotos, die ich von ihr sah. auf manchen meinte man eine schönheit zu sehen, wie sie allenfalls für new soul sängerinnen gelten könnte, auf anderen aber diese trügerische hässlichkeit, das verbiesterte, arme, die trübsal aus brooklyn. die wahrheit klemmt dazwischen. "valentine" und damit einer der ersten ausblicke auf ein neues album, nach mindestens sechs veröffentlichungen, gefällt mir mit am besten. ein shuffle sound auf dem schlagwerk, ein ruheloses klavier und die wundersame stimme wagners. in ferne mäandert eine gitarre. das unverbindliche grapscht nach dir. "for sparrow" kommt noch ein ecke gediegener, anschmiegsamer daher. gut." (READ MORE)

7. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Someone To Love More Than Music:

"I'd first heard of Cabinet of Natural Curiosities after downloading a live set someone recorded at some coffee shop or small venue or something. When I got her album I was instantly struck by the unique artwork and packaging. A simple grey/brown CD sized envelope in plastic with a black tree and a moon printed on the front. Simple, but darling. I could say the same about most of the songs on her album. At their base, they are acoustic guitar singer/songwriter songs. Each song has their own little touches, like strange sound effects and unnerving doubling of the vocals, giving the album a sort of somber feeling to it. Her vocals are unconventional, but only just so, which is a bit unnerving as well. The combination of all these elements leaves me a little confused each time I hear the album. There are parts that I really dig a lot, and then, during some of the more peculiar parts of the album, such as the times when the track disolves into a six minute soundscape type thing, I lose a little interest. I liked the album, but I certainly enjoyed some parts more than others. I hope the project continues to be experimental, however, because there were a lot of things that I feel really worked." (READ MORE)

8. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on WFMU!

Check out Irene Trudel's show (and past podcasts) Mondays on WFMU!

Playlist for May 11, 2009
Playlist for May 18, 2009

9. And Cabinet of Natural Curiosities' "St. James Infirmary" on Cover Lay Down's Songs From The Waiting Room.

Cabinet of Natural Curiosities - Searchlight Needles - Reviews

More strong reviews of Cabinet of Natural Curiosities' "Searchlight Needles" record rolling in. Many thanks to the writers and editorial staff at Impose Magazine, Wears The Trousers (twice!), Homemade Lo-Fi Psych (twice!), Olive Music, Tome To The Weather Machine, The Dotted Line, and I Heart Noise. Also in the category of good news, "Searchlight Needles" is now available for order online at Insound.com, one of our favorite and most reliable online distributors of excellent music. Cabinet will be playing a slew of shows in New England this fall, specifically, in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. Montreal and New Hampshire are in the works, as well as an upcoming 7" record and a show at Goodbye Blue Monday with Morgan Orion, Drew and The Medicinal Pen, and Parade Parade (Josh Fu from Lonesome Architects solo.)

1. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Impose Magazine:

"Cabinet of Natural Curiosities is the brainchild of songwriter and visual artist Jasmine Dreame Wagner. The Cabinet is also full of other artists contributing the flesh to her sparse, wistful, psychedelia-tinged Americana. A Brooklynite, Wagner’s Searchlight Needles dropped in June on For Arbors. The record is a long-playing lullaby that detours into night tremor noise interludes. It recently inspired an exceptional afternoon nap, not because it’s boring, but because it’s soothing and sparse, with those more chaotic tremors less like dream catchers, more like nightmare bear traps." (READ MORE)

2. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Wears The Trousers (1):

"Jasmine Dreame Wagner is a pretty awesome name, combining natural, illusory and classical associations, so it’s perhaps a given that a person who inherits such a unique handle would go on to create the totally immersive art of the kind that Cabinet Of Natural Curiosities indulges in. Released on June 9th through For Arbors Records, Searchlight Needles is Jasmine’s first official full-length album (her fifth release overall) under this Albertus Seba referencing epithet, and is rather more song-based than some of her previous releases. The field recordings are very much still a part of the equation, as ‘Grass’ demonstrates with wind chimes, the distant rumble of a train, and a constant backdrop of bird calls and chirrups." (READ MORE)

3. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Wears The Trousers (2):

"While most tracks on the album are subtle explorations of a complex psyche, making excellent use of field recordings and Wagner’s soft, double-tracked vocals, it’s the emotionally simpler songs that invoke a real feeling of contentment. Album highlight ‘Cities’, for example, is a calm and poetic ode to nature: “Come and run in the grass with me / until the grasslands are gold with the lights of the ones they hold,” Wagner coos sedately, accompanied only by guitar and distant keyboards – just enough to keep the momentum going. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon on the sofa." (READ MORE)

4. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Homemade Lo-Fi Psych:

"Gentle, intimate folk songs played on acoustic guitar with added ambient, sometimes electronic, sounds; at times quite disturbing, often there's something menacing underneath the peaceful atmosphere - excellent music! Reminds me slightly of late 60ies UK Folk Jazz band THE PENTANGLE in places (e.g. vocals on 'Black Water')" (READ MORE HERE for "Searchlight Needles") and (HERE for "Vineland")

5. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Olive Music:

"Describing Cabinet of Natural Curiosities' new album Searchlight Needles is just as difficult as fighting a huge grizzly bear. NO--make that two grizzly bears! That's why it's taken me five days to write this. It's a confusing listen, very confusing. There's just so much going on that I really didn't expect to hear. Like Hella's (or Zach Hill's) Church Gone Wild; there are so many things you can hear all coming towards you, like a stampede... OF GRIZZLY BEARS! But in this case, Searchlight Needles does have a lot going on, don't get me wrong, but everything is very subtle...This is probably one of the most focused albums of the year, and I just might mention this in December. It's totally worth listening to and I bet it'll hypnotize you and make you sell every single Iron & Wine LP that you own." (READ MORE)

6. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on Tome To The Weather Machine:

"I know you are probably sick of reading what else I was doing when I hear an album for the first time. But it was eerily uncanny how fitting this passage by D. H Lawrence was when I sat down for my first listen of Searchlight Needles. Searchlight Needles by Brooklynite by the way of Missoula, MT chanteuse Jasmine Dreame Wagner a.k.a Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. Searchlight Needles is a quietly epic ode to the great expanse of nature. It says a lot about an album that can physically move you to another location, with CONC, such auditory hallucinations take me to the woods, the ferns, and a windswept hillside in the middle of the night." (READ MORE)

7. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on The Dotted Line:

"I’m always impressed when artists are able to transform their instruments from necessary compliments to actual voices themselves. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities does this remarkably well; they bring the guitar, as well as a determined glockenspiel, and ever present synth, into the limelight. Instead of chords to mark vocal progression, the instruments themselves have their own melodies, their own harmonies, their own solos. Not that Jasmine Dreame Wagner needs overshadowing; the vocals are dark and delectable and her voice seems to teeter on a distinctly sharp edge, yet remarkably self assured. Fantastic." (READ MORE)

8. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities on I Heart Noise:

"Whenever you get a CD that’s look like a work of art in itself, there’s always a fear that the contents will not match the artwork. Thankfully, this is not the case with Cabinet of Natural Curiosities “Searchlight Needles” CD... “Searchlight Needles” initially appears to be a fairly simplistic record, but the simplicity proves to be deceptive. Gradually it unfolds into a sonic gallery of ambient textures, female vocals (both treated and untreated) and spacey atmospherics. Reminds me of Marissa Nadler’s work, minus the morbid angle of lyrics, but the songs are still haunting, plus they’re fairly short and on point. Song titles (“Sun”, “Cities”, “Moon”) and lyrics are like delicate snapshots of various landscapes with images of satellites, smokestacks, factories and piers floating by." (READ MORE)