mp3: Never Gonna Sleep

further info: free kitten factsheet, free kitten at epitonic

For the three people out there who don’t know Free Kitten:

This is what happens when a founding member of a long-established underground, iconic band starts a side project featuring other underground and independent musicians, puts out a few subversive art-rock albums and become the best known secret in independent music since sliced bread.

(Yep, sliced bread was popular with the indie crowd. Very retro-chic that wonder bread be.)

As a Sonic Youth fan, as well as a fan of the Kill Rock Stars label, when I first heard Kim Gordon was putting out some solo stuff, I jumped at the chance to get a hold of that shiny shiny vinyl. Nice Ass wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Typically side projects are somewhat predictable (think Tom Petty). However, not once did I jump up and accuse my record player of regurgitating “Goo” in my face. With this album I was surprised to find something more. It’s loud. It’s punk. It’s disco. It’s art. It was in 1994 what bands in 2006 are trying to be… and that’s just the first album.

Luckily for us Free Kitten is not a one time gig, with six full length albums, dozens of singles, compilations, and much more spanning nine independent record labels.

Free Kitten constantly experiments with raw sounds and electronic beats, on top of drawing upon an illustrious history that includes the Boredoms, Pussy Galore and Pavement. Each new release is consistent in this evolution and doesn’t disappoint, be it a fabulous cover (they’ve recorded such songs as X-Ray Spex “Oh Bondage, Up Yours!” and Serge Gainsbourg’s “Teenie Weenie Boppie”) or a trippy original, dripping with grrl rage.

“Never Gonna Sleep” is what happens when neither side of the pillow is cool.

I hope you like it.

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