oRSo celebrates with Contraphonic

Contraphonic eagerly welcomes oRSo to its roster, a band whose presence has hung around Contra HQ for some time. The project of ex-rex member and oft-time HIM & Loftus contributor Phil Spirito, oRSo has teamed up with Contraphonic in this year of their decatennial celebration. After a series of releases for Perishable Records, multiple national and Italian tours alongside mates such as Califone, oRSo joins Contraphonic in anticipation for their soon-to-be-released Ask Your Neighbor. While finishing touches are being placed on the upcoming full-length, Contraphonic and oRSo have mined the Spirito/Binto Family archives and will be releasing a series of digital-only lps highlighting some of the lost works of oRSo. In honor of our oRSo unveiling, Contraphonic is proud to issue two digital-only lps available now in the ContraStore, as well as iTunes or your preferred digital-outlet. Check out Alterations One and Alterations Two available now. And stay tuned for more information on upcoming oRSo releases. [posted TUES. 05/13/08]

Joshua Marcus' Reverse the Charges Officially Out NOW

Contraphonic has teamed up with Philadephia's High Two Recordings to release Philadelphia folk balladeer Joshua Marcus' latest release, Reverse the Charges. The follow-up release to last year's lauded make/believe, Reverse the Charges is a record steeped in Appalachian tradition and pre-AAA folk innovation, flush with lilting banjos, heartbreaking harmonies, sly lyrical phrasing, and a multitude of guests brought into the mix by Marcus' traveling recording process. Reverse the Charges is already lighting up the blogosphere with folks taking note of Marcus' enhanced musical palette and reach. Joshua Marcus is also just back from his initial tour for Reverse the Charges, so get in touch with him now to request him to bring his banjo to your town. In the meantime, bring a bit of him there right now, Reverse the Charges is now available everywhere fine records are sold, as well as in the ContraStore and through iTunes. [posted TUES. 05/13/08]

CHICAGO SOUND SERIES' LITTLE HELL LAUNCHES WITH FRANK ROSALY

Contraphonic is pleased to announce the launch of Little Hell - phase two of our Chicago Sound Series. Little Hell, the companion component to the Sound Series' "A Lot You Got to Holler" section, brings together Chicago-based musicians and artists to create works that focus on a particular place, event, neighborhood, or moment across Chicago's broad history. The end result is a portrait of Chicago through the medium of sound.

For the first Little Hell release, Contraphonic presents Apathy of a Cow: Chicago's Little Hell: a musical meditation on the historic Little Hell neighborhood by Chicago-based drummer and composer Frank Rosaly. A stalwart on the Chicago Free Music and Free Jazz scenes, Rosaly has performed with the likes of Peter Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, Jeff Parker, Von Freeman, Tobin Summerfield, Mantana Roberts, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and a multitude of who's who of the modern avant-music scene.

For Apathy of a Cow, Rosaly presents electroacoustic sounds and manipulated field recordings that evoke the simmering intensity of what was once known as Little Hell - Chicago's roughest late 19th-early 20th century tenement. Available as a digital-only release, and for sale now in the ContraStore (iTunes coming soon), Apathy of a Cow comes with a free downloadable booklet with an accompanying history of the neighborhood and exclusive photos. Read, listen and learn why this neighborhood was feared as the "the plague spot of North Division." [posted TUES. 04/29/08]

JOSHUA MARCUS READIES REVERSE THE CHARGES; OPENS UP MAP

Coming this May, Contraphonic will team up with Philadephia's High Two Recordings to release Philadelphia folk balladeer Joshua Marcus' latest release, Reverse the Charges. The follow-up release to last year's lauded make/believe, Reverse the Charges is a record steeped in Appalachian tradition and pre-AAA folk innovation, flush with lilting banjos, heartbreaking harmonies, sly lyrical phrasing, and a multitude of guests brought into the mix by Marcus' traveling recording process. Recorded in various locales in East Coast and Midwest states, Marcus employs the services of just the right artists, for just the right sound on each song on Reverse the Charges. The end result is a beautiful enhancing of his musical palette and reach, while still retaining the musical elements that make him unique.

Reverse the Charges is out officially this May, but Joshua will be heading out on tour beforehand to preview the record, and will have copies for you to buy at shows. Check out his tour page for the latest dates, and for a taste, listen to "So Long So Low So Love" in ContraRadio.

NEVER ENOUGH HOPE, ROCKET NUMBER NINE ZOOM ZOOM UP AVAILABLE ON CONTRAPHONIC SITE NOW

Coming off a weekend of highly successful Chicago shows, Chicago improviser/composer Tobin Summerfield's 20-piece ensemble, Never Enough Hope, is receiving accolades from all corners of the music world for The Gift Economy. Noted as a "truly unorthodox and fascinating album" (WNUR Radio Jazz Pick of the Week) and pinpointed as a "...jazz-centric collection of players into a concise and magnificently rude rock band" (Time Out Chicago), The Gift Economy, with its scores of saxophones, vibraphones, and violins, mingling with guitar, bass, trumpets, and dual drum kits, is indeed "... an impressive feat, a kind of super-magnified orchestration of the terse vocabulary of no-wave..." (Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader)

Take a peek by listening to "Grant Park" at ContraRadio and then head to the ContraStore to pick up your copy today.

Rocket Number Nine Zoom Zoom Up are the first artist south of the Mason-Dixon line Contraphonic is lucky enough to be teaming up with. The South Carolina, Sun Ra-inspired trio, make their debut with a self-titled full length limited edition vinyl pressing that is also available as a digital download. With the help of Chicago producer John McEntire (Tortoise, Stereolab, The Sea and Cake, Chicago Underground) fleshing out the production, the record stands as a progressive, funk-tinged, experimental-leaning journey set atop mountains of melody and billowing rhythms.

Open your ears to "Mello" and get the limited edition vinyl of Rocket Number Nine Zoom Zoom Up now. [posted TUES. 03/11/08]

ENTER THE CREMATORIUM AVAILABLE NOW

Contraphonic is ecstatic to make available through its new direct digital-download service the first official release from those broken late-night crooners, Calibrated Crematorium. Enter the Crematorium, the first in a series of releases for Contraphonic from the 4-track sister side project of the Mannequin Men, is an 11-song volume of lo-fi pop musings, imbued with the impetuousness of stoned wonder. Get your download (or download with ltd. edition homemade cassette!) now, right here at the ContraStore, before the release is available on iTunes or any of those other digital big-boxes.

As well, if you're in Chicagoland, come and celebrate this release with us at the Calibrated Crematorium release party this Thursday, 2/28 in Chicago @ Black Beetle. [posted TUES. 02/26/08]

Pro.Con Records Joins the Fray

Contraphonic has teamed up with Oakland-based Pro.Con Records --short for Prophecy Connection-- to distribute select releases from their catalog. Starting today, certain Pro.Con titles will be available online via iTunes, eMusic, (plug in your preferred digital purveyor here), as well as the physical goods over in the ContraStore. Take a gander at the Pro.Con offerings from Chicago based Sweet Dude, as well as The Light Microphone (yes, an actual light microphone!) series. Also, be sure to download the latest mp3 and video from Pro.Con artist Mardu, right here on the site. [posted TUES. 01/22/08]

The Lesser Birds of Paradise's SPACE BETWEEN VINYL AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

Available in stores today and in the ContraStore now, the limited edition VINYL version of The Lesser Birds of Paradise's Space Between is letting folks be thankful a bit early this season. Preserving the "small psych-folk gem" (All Music) into grooves and wax, the limited edition Space Between will come equipped with a free mp3 download of the record as well, and is being pressed in an extremely limited edition. A perfect pre-Holiday treat from Chicago's favorite folk bullshitters... [posted TUES. 11/06/07]