FLIGHT 7" AVAILABLE NOW VIA HOZAC HOOKUP KLUB

The Cats Purring Country Club just got the sickest holiday shipment ever: a big box of these FLIGHT records, "Feels So Good" b/w "In The Morning Light," out via the HOZAC HOOKUP KLUB. If you aren't a member, ordering instructions are HERE. Recorded in the famous TEEN WING of our North Mississippi complex.

THE ROCKWELLS + KING ELEMENTARY 12/25 @ MARTIN'S (JXN, MS)

Jackson, Mississippi! Come revisit the early 2000s with your two favorite teenage bands of yesteryear. THE ROCKWELLS and KING ELEMENTARY, both of which were formed in high school and neither of which have performed in years, will reunite Christmas night at Martin's in downtown Jackson.

THE ROCKWELLS are a power-pop band formed by Dent May, Patrick Addison (formerly of Colour Revolt), Ben Buckner, and Jack Bell. Inspired by The Cars, Squeeze, Cheap Trick, and ELO, they released a self-titled EP before parting ways to go to college and pursue other musical endeavors.

KING ELEMENTARY are a garage rock band who recorded a classic, amazingly underrated album at the famous SWEAT TEA studio and signed to Capitol Records all before graduating high school. Like many young bands, they were chewed up and spit out by the collapsing major label record industry and will be playing for the first time since with their original lineup (Morgan Jones, Will Randolph, Andrew Fox, and Jeremy Upton).

Don't sleep on this historic event, Jacktown. Happy Holidays!

OXFORD MAKER'S MARKET SATURDAY 12/5 @ THE POWERHOUSE

Those seeking amazing and unconventional stocking stuffers for the holidaze, pay attention. The Oxford MAKER'S MARKET is a DIY arts & crafts market that's been taking place every first and third Saturday of the month in various locations across town. Tomorrow (12/4), the market will be held from 11-6 at The POWERHOUSE community arts center (where these cats are joining up with a HOLIDAY ART MARKET sponsored by the Oxford Artist's Guild).

The MAKER'S MARKET website (which is reportedly still a work in progress visually speaking) has the full list of participants. All kinds of kool visual art and homemade goodies like jewelry, buttons, mixtapes, live music DVDs, furniture, and more will be on sale. And if you're broke like us, stop by and hang anyway!

Check out some pix from previous markets after the jump...

CATS PURRING RECOMMENDS... CAMERA OBSCURA + PAPERCUTS @ THE LYRIC 12/2

Hey Oxford, legendary Glaswegian indie pop band CAMERA OBSCURA will be stopping by The Lyric on Wednesday evening to perform the lush, romantic pop gems they've been cranking out for over a decade now. They're often compared to fellow Glasgow sensations BELLE & SEBASTIAN (fittingly, Stuart Merdoch of that band produced their debut album), but it's their fourth and arguably finest record MY MAUDLIN CAREER they'll be promoting tomorrow. In other words, their charming tunes make us feel goooood.

PAPERCUTS of San Francisco, who some of us were lucky to catch back in 2k8 opening for BEACH HOUSE in Memphis, will open the show. Rather than bore you with our own description of this terrific band, here's what the NEW YORK TIMES had to say about them:

"Melding sustained organ chords with slow fingerpicked guitar, the Papercuts’ music merged Velvet Underground ballads with touches of the Byrds, while Jason Quever sang in a high, diffident voice about elusive love."

Count me in! Tickets are available now via THE LYRIC for a mere $12. Hope y'all can make it out tomorrow night.

DEAD ESTATE MIX BY SAMO LANE

In commemoration of the transcendent REAL ESTATE + DEAD GAZE show in Oxford last night, our pal Samo Lane put together this nice little mix, appropriately titled DEAD ESTATE. Those in attendance at the Red Star Bar heard some of these jams pumping from the house speakers between sets. PORCH OF THE MYSTICS (who by now are beginning to feel like a part of the CATS PURRING family, maybe like our weird cousins from over yonder) were nice enough to post the mix.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE TUNES (W/ TRACKLIST) AT THE PORCH NOW!

**artwork courtesy of our friend and frequent collaborator WILL BRYANT**

REAL ESTATE + DEAD GAZE 11/30 @ RED STAR

The weather in Oxford may be starting to chill, but tropical poppers REAL ESTATE (Ridgewood, New Jersey) will bring their sunny melodies and swirling, reverby guitar hooks to The Lyric's Red Star bar on November 30th. Dudes have a new album out on WOODSIST (home of a seemingly infinite number of awesome bands like Ganglians, Wavves, Vivian Girls, Psychedelic Horseshit, Thee Oh Sees, Kurt Vile, Blank Dogs, & more). They've been touring with the likes of GIRLS and JAPANDROIDS, raking up gushing press items from the likes of the New York Times, Village Voice, and Pitchfork Media. In other words, shit's unmissable.

Openers DEAD GAZE (Jackson, Mississippi) are a band put together by Cole Furlow in the wake of his homemade psychedelic lo-fi pop tracks that have been spreading across the blogosphere at an unprecedented rate. Cole has already posted shitloads of free music on his Myspace page, and he has a forthcoming cassette on the consistently excellent MIRROR UNIVERSE TAPES, a label based in South Carolina with releases from Washed Out and Toro y Moi. Check out this trippy video for Dead Gaze's track "Back & Forth," directed by our pal Alex Warren and featuring shirtless dancing by Cats Purring's official mixtape mastermind Samo Lane:

COLOUR REVOLT + DENT MAY & FRIENDS 10/31 @ Proud Larry's

Cancel any previous Halloween plans. Masters of angular post-grunge gloom COLOUR REVOLT (of Oxford) and self-proclaimed purveyor of good feeling vibes DENT MAY (of Taylor) are joining up for a special All Hallows' Eve throwdown.

Both acts have maintained a busy touring schedule this fall, the former following lineup changes and demo sessions in COMO and the latter in promotion of his debut album released earlier this year on PAW TRACKS. Colour Revolt, of course, are represented by Oxford-via-Water Valley-via-Oxford label FAT POSSUM. If any of y'all were at W.C. Don's on Halloween a few years back, you know this could get very interesting…. Tickets may be purchased HERE.

image via arawa

WAVVES + GANGLIANS @ PROUD LARRY'S TUES 10/6

Hey Oxford, two of our favorite bands are playing at Proud Larry's on Tuesday 10/6. WAVVES (signed to MS label Fat Possum) began as the psyched out bedroom project of San Diegan Nathan Williams, whose hooky thrash-pop was unfortunately overshadowed by overblown gossip (fights, drugs, meltdowns, etc) on music blogs this year. The live show now features the amazing drum stylings of HELLA's Zach Hill (dude shreds), who recently contributed to the excellently epic 6-minute track "Cool Jumper."

Come early to watch openers GANGLIANS from Sacramento roll out the lo-fi psych-pop w/ awesome Beach Boys harmonies. Their album Monster Head Room on Woodsist is one of our 2k9 favorites for sure. Tickets are $7. Show starts at 9 pm.

CATS PURRING "J-TAPE" MIX BY SAMO ON PORCH OF THE MYSTICS

Our friends at PORCH OF THE MYSTICS are hosting a free mix by our friend and collaborator SAMO. They describe the mix (which includes tracks from Mississippians FLIGHT and DEAD GAZE) as "filled with lo-fi jams, hazy memories, haunting reverb, and plenty of fuzz."

After that mix has left you trembling and aching for more, The Porch is also offering yet another track from DEAD GAZE'S forthcoming album "End of Days, Why Not You."

Enjoy!

KITTY SNACKS KEGGER #2 TUES 9/29

The cute dudes over at KITTY SNACKS have announced a party celebrating the release of the literary zine's second issue. On Tuesday 9/29/09, Southside Gallery in Oxford will host readings, short films, some sort of raffle, and of course booze. The $10 admission price gets you a (highly ltd ed) copy of KITTY SNACKS, along with a raffle ticket and FREE alcoholic beverages! Party starts at 8 pm sharp and ends at 10 pm.

The afterparty goes down at AJAX DINER, where country-schmaltz deconstructionists COWBOY MALONEY'S ELECTRIC CITY will provide some tunes. This band features K.S. co-editor Michael Bible, local troubadour Dent May, and former Colour Revolt bassist Patrick Addison among others.

If you aren't in the North Mississippi area, you can still order a copy of the magazine at the KITTY SNACKS BLOG. Limited to 250 copies, issue #2 features writings by Mary Miller, John Brandon and Leni Zumas; interviews with filmmakers Ross McElwee (!) and Matthew Robison; and amazing cover art by Len Clark.

DAVILA 666 + BASS DRUM OF DEATH @ BLIND PIG THURS 9/24

Excellent free show going down in Oxford in just a couple of days. Puerto Rican rock n roll band DAVILA 666 have released records on choice labels like Hozac, Douchemaster, and In The Red, who put out their self-titled LP last year. Needless to say, it slays.

"...one of the best things to emerge out of Puerto Rico since those flags that everyone seems to love wave out of their car windows so much." - Victim of Time

They'll be joined by Oxford/Cats Purring faves BASS DRUM OF DEATH whose "Stain Stick Skin" 7" on FAT POSSUM exploded heads last year on a global level. Check out their beautiful new track, "Spare Room," on their Myspace page.

The show is Thursday 9/26 at Blind Pig in Oxford, MS. Bring donation $$ for the bands plz. Starts at 10.

DENT MAY special solo set @ RED STAR SATURDAY 9/26

Hey Oxford,

Dent May plays a rare solo set this Saturday night at Red Star Bar (small room of The Lyric) in celebration of his return from a lengthy European tour. Expect some ukulele favorites from his debut album on Paw Tracks in addition to some country jams from his newly reformed side project Cowboy Maloney's Electric City, new songs, and hopefully some covers.

This is the night before Ole Miss "bid day," so come take advantage of the refreshing lack of Greek presence on the square (no offense to the frats).

Show starts at 10 pm and is $5 at the door.

See y'all there!

"WRITER COMES TO TOWN," A SERIALIZED SHORT STORY BY OXFORD WRITERS

Oxford, Mississippi's somewhat legendary SQUARE BOOKS recently celebrated its 30th anniversary w/ a champagne toast, a short film on the store's history by Joe York, and a serialized short story written and read by 18 local writers. Truth be told, those unfamiliar with Oxford and Square Books might not find much of interest in the inside-jokey, ultra self-referential "Writer Comes To Town," but contributions by Tom Franklin, Jack Pendarvis (who's got a hilarious new regular column in THE BELIEVER), and especially our hero Barry Hannah, make the project a worthwhile read.

Here's Barry Hannah's short but sweet contribution (12th in the series of 18 brief chapters) in complete:

"Farewell town of towns, and to all of us who loved the other so long one of you became ugly and nobody dared mention it. I note in the bookstore window Bill Eggleston's Paris album. My envy.

Never wanted to write at all but rather to get borne place to place on a raft of kind dogs, saying the unsayable always at least half drunk like Bill. When you got a gem your sober secretary would leap to it."

P.S. Don't miss the Square Books 30th anniversary t-shirt designed by WILL BRYANT (designer of first Kitty Snacks issue, Dent May's debut album, etc):

RETURN OF AIRSHIPS 9/19 AT THE LYRIC OXFORD

Oxford's favorite boozed up psychy dance party AIRSHIPS returns to The Lyric September 19th! (That's the nite after Ole Miss's first home game.) David and Dent will be serving up a steaming hot platter of cosmic disco, 90s pop, dirty south rap, 60s psych/garage, spaced out r&b and everything in between to celebrate dem rebelz victory.

So pop some peezys and bring 20 friends in a glossed out white stretch hummer limo. Cya there!

On the horizon:
Dent May solo set 9/26 @ Red Star
Wavves + Ganglians 10/6 @ Proud Larrys

*image via

WATERFALLS (formerly Dog Magic) AT RED STAR BAR MONDAY 8/31

Here's another excellent Oxford show planned at the last minute. Psych-pop band WATERFALLS (formerly Dog Magic) are an Oxford, MS 3-piece featuring Thomas Cooper and Peyton Houchins of GO FICTION and Jesse Coppenbarger of COLOUR REVOLT.

This shit is so fresh homeboys don't even have a Myspace page yet!

BRIGHTBLACK MORNINGLIGHT @ RED STAR BAR TUESDAY 8/18

LATE NOTICE! CATS PURRING EXCLUSIVE!

Psychedelic Folk duo from New Mexico BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT (Matador Records) play Tuesday August 18th at the RED STAR BAR in Oxford, MS.

Quoth Wikipedia,
"Founded by Naybob Shineywater as he was living in a tent "against babylon system," while rehearsing with Alabama friend and pianist Rachael Hughes, BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT has opened for Os Mutantes, Vashti Bunyan, Laurie Anderson, My Bloody Valentine."

See y'all there!

PRE-ORDER KITTY SNACKS #2

Head over to the KITTY SNACKS blog and pre-order the highly anticipated 2nd issue from N. Mississippi's very own DIY literary/culture/whatever zine. New issue includes literature from Mary Miller, John Brandon, and Leni Zumas. Not to mention interviews with Ross McElwee (director of our favorite movie ever SHERMAN'S MARCH) and Matt Wolf (director of the excellently touching Arthur Russell documentary from last year WILD COMBINATION).

Copies are limited to 250 copies. So GO AHEAD and reserve your copy now!!

WARD LONG PHOTOGRAPHY

Los Angeles native Ward Long recently stopped by Oxford/Taylor on his amazingly epic american road trip, and thankfully he snapped a few pix. Ward has worked at two of our favorite institutions (Family bookstore and Fader magazine) and is a fellow worshipper at the altar of Eggleston. We hope he comes back through soon!

CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE SERIES HERE.

As far as Cats Purring shizz goes, it's been a slow summer (par for the course in any college town) but we are planning some awesome shows and events for the fall. Stay tuned!

Flight - Flowers 7" Out Today

Flowers b/w Johnny's Mixed Up
Buy from Sweet Rot Records

WHEN YOU'RE A KID...

The short tirade that opens Summer Sequence II is from Dan Graham’s abstract video installation/puppet rock opera, DON’T TRUST ANYONE OVER 30. This piece, premiering at the 2007 Whitney Biennial included Brooklyn punks, Japanther, played as part of the show. While none of their songs made the tape, that’s only because Cats Purring is not so hardcore. Those guys are alright though.

- Synching seamlessly is, A Simple Man, the single from THE PRIDE OF CALLING PANTHER LAKE! Self-released earlier this year by Cats Purring’s own Dead Gaze, R Cole Furlow first brandished these stoned garage jamz with this album. He's put together an allstar band to play his songs live.

- Next are the Francophones on Sony, Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle, with Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye. Emmanuelle Seigner sings. The Parisian beauty starred in Le Scaphandre et le Papillon. The Julian Schnabel film includes this song on it's soundtrack. Guitars and static from Sonic Youth’s Goo help make this seemingly illogical transition.

- All of Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘In the Bottle’ didn’t make the tape, but a laugh that begins the track keeps it moving on to The Flaming Lips’ psychedelic folk, Five Stop Mother Superior Rain. Cats Purring recommends their album THE DAY THEY SHOT A HOLE IN THE JESUS EGG... Just raw Flaming Lips. Really, quintessential rock'n'roll.

Don't get me wrong, they got some great concept albums, but this ain't tryin to be no Yoshimi...

- David Shrigley wrote the lyrics for Whatcha Doin. In the song he wrote with P:ano, Nick Krgovich, Phil Elverum sings. Tomlab released several of these songs of Shrigley’s as companion double-discs to a book of his drawings. These were all WORRIED NOODLES. Each of the musicians, including David Byrne, admired Shrigley’s work and wanted to write music for his words. Double thanks to David Shrigley because he also drew the picture I (Samo) use as the tape's art.

- The Green Typewriters Suite, by The Olivia Tremor Control, is included on the second half of their DUSK AT CUBIST CASTLE. Truly, the album is a modern classic. Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal, covered Green Typewriters IV in Dallas a couple of years ago. Following in this Sequence is Olivia’s own Green Typewriter II. The point of these tapes is mainly to play at parties but also to encourage folks to go out and find music. Having only included just a cover of a song followed by the shortest on the record, I have to recommend what I'd call Athens, GA’s finest work… Pick up a copy!

- The odd mate to the psychedelic Georgians’ Typewriter pieces is a song written by Shankar Jaikishan for Merchant-Ivory’s ‘Bombay Talkie’. Wes Anderson also uses the song in The Darjeeling Limited.

- Staying on the soundtrack tip for a bit, the tape goes to David Lynch. Julee Cruise’s sang his ‘Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart’ for Twin Peaks. Thanks to Phil Elverum for motivatinging me to use this song on a mix.

- As it winds down, the tape plays SPIRIT THEY’RE GONE, SPIRIT THEY’RE VANISHED. The album, by Avey Tare & Panda Bear around the same time these guys started Animal Collective. Last year they recorded at Sweet Tea in Oxford, and just after New Years’ released their work, Merriweather Post Pavillion.

- ‘I Know A Girl’ opens SMALL LAVA but closes Summer Sequence II. Cats Purring recently released the new EP from Dead Gaze. It can be found on the blog. If you’re into having a good time, we recommend getting down to Mississippi and sweatin’ it out with us at one of their shows this summer.

Sequence II

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE OXFORD MS LIVE PIX FROM JOEY MILLER

The concert at Oxford's The Library last Saturday was by all accounts a success. Kids were really getting crazy, crowd surfing and the what have you, and it was amazing watching all those faces melt during the spectacular BLACK DICE set. Check out these sweet shots of the ANIMAL COLLECTIVE from Memphis's JOEY MILLER:





Our homie REVEREND GREEN has some nice shots right here of the show and the SWEET TEA studios where AC recorded their excellent new album.

DEAD GAZE - "SMALL LAVA"

Those who remember Cole's last band BOY SCOUT KNIFE might be surprised at the hazy, blissful psychpop of his new project DEAD GAZE. Dude was living in the MS delta crunching out some real filth, moved to the west coast for a hot second and came back with a ying yang tattoo, a sampler, and some weed popsicles. Here are some free jams that swing from dreamy ambience to fuzzy garage pop to heady dub groovez. We're proud to have "SMALL LAVA" as the fourth FREE release from Cats Purring.

TRACK LISTING:
1. I Know A Girl
2. Remember When We First Met?
3. You'll Carry On Real Nice
4. Enz
5. The Holy

DOWNLOAD HERE

RECOMMENDED FOR OXONIANS

Tonight is a momentous occasion for the N. Miss. local muzak thang. DEAD GAZE is the megahyped new project from Cole Furlow (formerly of BOY SCOUT KNIFE). We'll be posting a free digital E.P. from DEAD GAZE any day now (ahem awaiting artwork from Mr. Furlow ahem) called SMALL LAVA. Keep your eyes n ears peeled.

Also playing tonight is DOG MAGIC a.k.a. PENMAN COOPER & COMMITTEE OF STYLE (a new supergroop featuring Thomas Cooper, Je$$e Coppenbarger, and Peyton Houchinz). So fresh they don't even have a Myspace yet!!! The show's at the Red Star bar @ The Lyric. Showtime = showtime. See y'all there!

BIBLE ON HANNAH

It's no secret that we worship at the altar of Hannah. A couple of weeks ago, Michael Bible guest blogged at HTML GIANT about his time w/ Barry. Don't sleep on the scan of Barry Hannah's handwritten notes to Zita and the bonus epic interview sesh mp3 w/ Larry Brown, Brad Watson, and Barry which has been re-upped:

RIGHT HERE.

p.s. Copies of Michael's debut chapbook My Second Best Bear Rug may or may not still be available via ACHILLES CHAPBOOK SERIES or maybe in some gutter somewhere.

DENT MAY & HIS MAGNIFICENT UKULELE - "A BRUSH WITH VELVET"

We're in the process of re-uploading our old releases as well as several new ones over the next few weeks. Here's our first ever release, Dent May's debut E.P. "A Brush With Velvet" from 2007 (whoa).


TRACK LISTING:

1. Howard
2. College Town Boy
3. Meet Me In The Garden
4. Pierce Avenue
5. When You Were Mine
6. I'm An Alcoholic

DOWNLOAD HERE

*Some of these songs appear in re-recorded form on Dent's debut record, "The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele" available now from PAW TRACKS.

JAPANDROIDS at the Blind Pig on Friday, July 3

CATS PURRING COOKOUT

If you're in the North Mississippi area on June 7th, nurse that Sunday morning AC hangover with a slip n slide, a bunch of booze, and free hot dogs. Oh, and some fierce jamz:

WOVEN BONES (Austin TX, shoegazey fizz-punk) + JACUZZI BOYS (Miami FL, golden nuggets) + BASS DRUM OF DEATH (Oxford, MS power-grunge) + TBA

The party's at Colin from Bass Drum of Death's house:
1607 Oxford Place
Oxford, MS
5:00 PM

BYOB + CASH MONEY FOR TOURING BANDS!

We highly recommend the WOVEN BONES/JACUZZI BOYS split 7" recently released on NEEDLESS RECORDS.

KITTY SNACKS ISSUE #2 ARTWORK BY LEN CLARK

Looks like ISSUE #2 of our favorite literary/music/art/culture magazine KITTY SNACKS is just on the horizon. Check out THIS PREVIEW of the issue's interview with seriously our favorite filmmaker of all time ROSS MCELWEE. Also, don't sleep on THIS INTERVIEW with Kitty Snacks editor and occasional Dent May percussionist MICHAEL BIBLE.

RECOMMENDED FOR OXONIANS

These dudes are at The Library (wtf?) in Oxford on Saturday night (June 6th), and we just heard it may or may not be sold out. Kitty Snacks interviewed Animal Collective's Brian/Geologist for its first issue. Check out what he had to say about his time in the Velvet Ditch HERE.

CATS PURRING SUMMER SERIES MIXTAPE!!!

To celebrate the launch of the Cats Purring blog, our friend Sam Lane (Samo) made this free mixtape, the first in a series. So whip out those tankinis, grab a 12 pack of tab, climb up on the roof of your parents' garage and drift away to these sweaty sounds.

GRAB IT HERE

TRACK LIST:

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti- West Coast Calamities
tUnE-yArDs- sunlight
Liars- Army Of Me
The Zombies- It's Alright With Me
Macha- Cat Wants To Be A Dog
Margo Guryan- Someone I Know
Antena- To Climb The Cliff
Animal Collective- Water Curses