Anthony Shadduck Quartet- Debut (SAA1144)

Debut is the first solo release from Anthony Shadduck who has performed with Joe Biaza, Emily Hay, ellul, I Heart Lung, Create (!) and many others. Shadduck’s singular introduction to the world as a bandleader is an intimate and explosive quartet recording featuring Nels Cline (Wilco), Lynn Johnston (Red Krayola) and Ches Smith (John Zorn, Marc Ribot). Creative corkscrews, harmonic u-turns and rhythmic regurgitation inside!

I Heart Lung- I Heart Christmas (SAA1143)

A timeless collection of holiday cheer. Recorded in one afternoon and mixed in another, this five song EP includes four Christmas standards as well as the I Heart Lung original, “Santa Claus Vs. Dracula.” An album destined to be included in the popular holiday lexicon with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and King Crimson, put this on at your next ornament exchange or Jello-swap and watch eyes, hearts and lungs fill up with the Christmas spirit!

ellul- s/t (SAA1141)

Recorded in vaulted hill top church, an industrial warehouse, a community center and a living room, up and down the California coast, over the course of five months, ellul’s self titled debut is surprisingly established. Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb the group added his electric guitar to contributions from Adam Garcia (Timonium, belltower) on drums and Anthony Shadduck (Nels Cline, I Heart Lung) on bass. Dueling live/programmed drum patterns, shimmering guitar distortions and stunning choral harmonies are unearthed upon repeated listens. ellul have crafted a stunning debut album that reveals heavy doses of progressive electro-acoustic musicianship with each spin.

I Heart Lung- The Kannenberg Sessions (SAA1136)

A long distance run-around recorded in Paris, Long Beach and London. Field recordings by Chicagoan John Kannenberg were provided to I Heart Lung who treated them as another improvisor. Without listening to the recordings the group, joined by bassist Anthony Shadduck, mimiced, goaded and otherwise played with the pre-recorded sounds; somehow changing the static to the fluid. Recorded in Long Beach immediately following the return from their 2005 tour with Castanets and Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice.

Sounds Are Active/Asthmatic Kitty Sampler (AS001)

Sounds Are Active and sister label Asthmatic Kitty have pooled their collective talents to put something beautiful into the world: the 2004 Sampler. Over over 74 minutes of music from these two unceasingly original record labels. The Asthmatic Kitty “Side” features songs from Sufjan Stevens’ first three albums, as well as three tracks from the unrelentingly joyous Half-Handed Cloud. Songs by Liz Janes, Castanets and Viva Voce round out the 11 tracks- 3 heretofore unreleased. The Sounds Are Active “Side” teems with spastic new work from Melk The G6-49, Bizzart and Deneir. New and unreleased tracks from Soul-Junk, Vla Hemia and Create (!). Softer pieces contributed by Xn. (featuring a slick remix from hip-hop producer supreme Omid) and the brooding “Two Planes for Elliott Smith” by the Constantine/Levin/Phillips/Schlarb/Shadduck quintet.