The Key » Cat Martino

Tonight’s Concert Picks: XPN Welcomes Work Drugs to Kung Fu Necktie, Office of Future Plans at The Fire, Night Beds with Cat Martino at Johnny Brenda’s

Julie Miller — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:26:45 +0000

XPN welcomes prolific Philly smooth-fi outfit Work Drugs to Kung Fu Necktie tonight. Operating behind a mission to create make “music specifically for dancing, boating, yachting, sexting and living,” Work Drugs have a steady streak of releasing one song each month since December of 2011 in addition to 2012′s full-length Absolute Bearing and the retrospective / rarities vinyl Delta (released last November). Tonight’s event with Night Panther, Cruiser and DJ Young Mariah Carey kicks off a spring tour for Work Drugs, their first since 2011. Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here. Below, watch the video for “Delta.”

Office of Future Plans play The Fire tonight. The Baltimore-based band was accidentally formed after its members left their previous DC area punk bands to open for The Bomb in 2009. Keeping the ball rolling since that night, Plans released their most recent self-titled full-length in 2011 via Dischord Records and are putting the finishing touches on a split with French indie band and showmates Daria right now. Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Daria and Kepone can be found here. Stream “Salamander” from Office of Future Plans below.

Winston Yellen’s project Night Beds headlines Johnny Brenda’s tonight. The Nashville-via-Colorado musician released his debut LP Country Sleep through Dead Oceans last month, an album that moves effortlessly from poppy-twang (“Ramona”) to downcast, reflective tracks (“22″) with a Jim James-esque crescendo of arrangements. Shaking Through alum Cat Martino just released her first music video ever, an artistic clip for “Yr Not Alone” (watch here via NPR). Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Indians can be found here. Below, watch Night Beds perform “Ramona” live in Nashville’s Ocean Way Studio.

Stream Night Beds’ Country Sleep (playing Johnny Brenda’s on 3/9)

Julie Miller — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:10:01 +0000

Before its official release via Dead Oceans on February 5th, Pitchfork is streaming Night Beds‘ debut LP Country Sleep. Though the album has an overall tone of sad alt-Americana with a Jim James energy and delicate reverb, there is an audible, pained history in Winston Yellis’ voice that hints at deeper forces at work underneath polished tracks like “Ramona” and “Lost Springs.” Stream the full record over at Pitchfork; tickets and information for Night Beds’ 21+ show at Johnny Brenda’s with Indians and Cat Martino on March 9th can be found here. Below, listen to “Ramona.”

Night Beds share new track “Ramona” (playing Johnny Brenda’s on 3/9)

Julie Miller — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:40:48 +0000

SPIN premiered a new song from the upcoming Night Beds record Country Sleep earlier today, dubbing the Americana-pop track a “moonlit charmer.” “Ramona” is a brooding, melodic plea from front-man Winston Yellen, a Colorado native who rented out a home that once belonged to June Carter and Johnny Cash after moving to Nashville. Night Beds play Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday, March 9th with Indians and Cat Martino. Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here. Stream “Ramona” below and keep your eye out for Country Sleep to be released on February 5th via Dead Oceans.

Watch the April episode of Shaking Through, featuring Cat Martino

The Key — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:25 +0000

This month’s episode of Shaking Through—the online audio and video collaboration between Weathervane Music and WXPN—features a song by Cat Martino called “I Promise.” Martino wrote and recorded the song with help from Sufjan Stevens and drummer Chris Powell from Man Man. This month’s episode was recorded in mid-March at Miner Street Recordings, produced by Brian McTear and Peter English, and engineered by John Low.

From the folks at Shaking Through:

Ever since meeting Cat Martino during our first Shaking Through session with Sharon Van Etten, we’ve known she’s a woman with a powerful voice. Since then, we’ve watched her collaborate with an incredible repertoire of artists (Sufjan Stevens, The Shins) as she’s developed her solo career. Now, two years later, we were thrilled to bring her back to Philadelphia for another go in the studio—this time, with her work as the focus.

While many wrapped up their SXSW trips, Martino visited us from Brooklyn for a weekend in the middle of March. Enlisting the help of frequent collaborator Sufjan Stevens and Philly drummer Chris Powell (Man Man), she set to work on “I Promise,” an electronic-influenced slow jam about letting go of past relationships.

You can listen to the track and watch the video below; visit Shaking Through’s website to see photos, interviews, and more from the session.

Shaking Through: Cat Martino from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

Preview the next episode of Shaking Through with Cat Martino featuring Sufjan Stevens and Chris Powell of Man Man

Bruce Warren — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 23:28:05 +0000

This coming week will see the release of the next episode of Shaking Through, the “birth of a song” online music initiative from Weathervane Music and WXPN. Last month featured Boston’s Faces On Film that was curated by Marissa Nadler. Over two days, Faces On Film recorded “Waiting For GA.” The entire process was recorded and documented here. Next week’s episode featured singer-songwriter Cat Martino. She recorded her song “I Promise” with help from Sufjan Stevens and drummer Chris Powell from Man Man. The session was recorded at Miner Street Recordings on March 17-18th and was produced by Brian McTear. Below, watch a preview of the session.