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TOMPKINS SQUARE LABEL ANNOUNCES FIRST SOUTH X SOUTHWEST SHOWCASE
Marathon March 17 Event Will Feature Six Sets, Including Artists from Imaginational Anthem Vols I & II
NEW YORK— The New York-based label Tompkins Square, currently riding a wave of critical acclaim with its debut release Imaginational Anthem Volume I, has announced plans for a first artist showcase at the 20th annual South X Southwest Music & Media Conference. The Tompkins Square event will take place Friday, March 17 beginning at 8:00 p.m. at The Hideout, located at 617 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas.
Founded in 2005 by Josh Rosenthal, Tompkins Square has received increasing attention for the acoustic guitar compilation Imaginational Anthem Volume I. The label's forth-coming releases include The Black Dove, a collaboration between English folk singer Sharron Kraus and Sacramento singer/songwriter Christian Kiefer; and solo piano recordings by jazz giants Charles Gayle and Ran Blake. Tompkins Square is distributed in the US by Fontana Distribution, a division of Universal Music.
Following are the set times and descriptions for Tompkins Square artists performing at the March 17 SXSW showcase:
8:00 PM SEAN SMITH is a 24 year-old resident of Berkeley, CA who issued his self-titled debut album in 2005. Sean will be featured on Imaginational Anthem Volume II, due out June 6, 2006. He also produced and plays on Berkeley Guitar 2006, documenting the fertile present-day Berkeley guitar scene, and this multi-artist set is due out May 2 on Tompkins Square.
9:00 PM BILLY FAIER is a legendary 75 year-old banjo picker and original Greenwich Village folkie who made a couple of records in the late Fifties/early Sixties on Riverside (and one LP for Takoma in 1973). He interviewed Bob Dylan in 1962 on New York radio station WBAI. Billy's even been cited by fellow dazzling banjoist Steve Martin as an influence. Billy Faier will be fea-tured on Imaginational Anthem Volume II, set for June 6 release on Tompkins Square.
10:00 PM BRAD BARR is a member of eclectic combo The Slip, who will also appear at SXSW. His masterful "Bouba's Bounce" is a highlight of Imaginational Anthem Vol. 1 and his solo debut is forthcoming on Tompkins Square.
11:00 PM CHRISTIAN KIEFER & SHARRON KRAUS will release their Tompkins Square album The Black Dove on March 7. Kiefer is a Sacramento-based singer/songwriter, the creator of several acclaimed concept records exploring the history of the American West; he has worked with members of Low, Wilco, and The Band. Kraus is a modern English troubadour in the tradition of Sandy Denny, Linda Thompson, and Anne Briggs. Her most recent album Songs of Love & Loss (released on Australian label Camera Obscura) further strengthened Sharron's profile as one of today's most innovative con-temporary folk artists.
12:00 MIDNIGHT JACK ROSE, a member of experimental group Pelt, is a master of many styles from raga to ragtime, and a leading American Primitive guitarist. His performances are spellbinding: Look no fur-ther than the live version of "White Mule," on Imaginational Anthem Vol. I. Jack will also be featured on IA Vol. 2 (coming June 6, 2006).
1:00 AM SHAWN DAVID MCMILLEN is an Austin native sprung from the latter-day Texas psych-rock scene that brought you Charalambides. Shawn released his solo debut, Catfish, on vinyl in 2005 on the Emperor Jones label. Tompkins Square will re-release this fine album in 2006. "Catfish's foggy otherness," says Wire, "recalls the blasted contents of unraveled private press documents."
What the press is saying about Imaginational Anthem Vol. I:
- "Fed up with the monotony of faux rock and mundane pop? Then dive deep into the eternity of the cosmic keynote." - Jon Savage, MOJO (****)
- "The history and beauty here speak for themselves, at the perfect volume." - David Fricke, Rolling Stone
- "Old and new, the music meditates on blues, Appalachian music, raga and ragtime, and traditions are transfigured by a deep love for the sonority of the acoustic guitar." - Jon Pareles, The New York Times
