New music (and new directions) from Asthmatic Kitty

Julianna Barwick + Helado Negro – Glasslands – May 10th

I used to have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the label Asthmatic Kitty. The music was a bit zany, largely upbeat, and maybe even slightly religious. (Sufjan Stevens of course has a large roll in the label.) So artists like Fol Chen, DM Stith, Half-handed Cloud, Shapes and Sizes, and The Curtains made sense.

But when I found out that Julianna Barwick was on Asthmatic Kitty, I confess I was a bit surprised. Here was a Brooklyn-based artist who specialized in creating complex layers of haunting vocals and sparse instrumentation. There’s nothing really funny about the music. Nothing totally weird. And as far as I can tell, no religious undertones.

That’s about the time when I saw that Helado Negro was also signed to the label. Wow. Spanish vocals? I thought to myself. Interesting. I was definitely curious to learn more. It looks like Asthmatic Kitty is finally taking a step out of its comfort zone. Now, I’m curious to hear more.

Tuesday night’s show at Glasslands marked the record releases for both Helado Negro and Julianna Barwick – two artists who don’t seem to necessarily have a lot in common other than their ties to Asthmatic Kitty.

Helado Negro (photo Eve Sussman)

First up was Helado Negro (“Black Ice Cream”), whose music I had never heard. As a student, I listened to a lot of international music to prevent myself from becoming distracted by the lyrics while writing papers, but in a live setting, it can be difficult for me (former English major) to get a grasp on an artist without knowing the subject matter of the songs. That said, Helado Negro definitely grew on me over the course of the 40-minute set.

Take a listen to “Regresa” from Helado Negro:

Then. Julianna Barwick. I was almost jealous of the people in the crowd who were totally unfamiliar with Barwick’s music. Just imagine if this was your introduction:

What would be going through your head?

Julianna Barwick (photo Jody Rogac)

To me, the thing that’s striking about Barwick’s music is that each layer of vox seems to carry a different emotion, so that by the time she’s done assembling a song, it’s simultaneously mournful, content, hopeful, and full of yearning.

Apart from its technical aspects, describing Barwick’s music poses a challenge. It is something that is best experienced. I  wish I could have seen her perform in Central Presbyterian Church at SXSW. I can only imagine the setting complimented her music perfectly.

In closing, take a look at this video of Barwick making music in her bedroom, courtesy of WNYC.

Speaking of cover songs…

DM Stith just released a double disc on Asthmatic Kitty today that includes remixes and extras from last year’s moody masterpiece Heavy Ghost… in addition to some (odd) cover songs.

Heavy Ghost Appendices (Cover artwork DM Stith)

Take a listen to “Be My Baby” (originally done by The Ronnettes):

Heavy Ghost Appendices also includes covers of songs by Randy Newman, David Byrne, and Diane Cluck.

DM Stith kicks off his month-and-a-half-long summer tour with a  show at 92 Y Tribeca on June 12th (which happens to be my birthday in case you’re keeping track).