August 06, 2010 |
ally carried on about my love of them and their music. With the release of their sophomore effort, Secret Transit, I'll continue with my fawning. |
July 24, 2010 |
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July 09, 2010 |
This was an email we received from our friend Julie Ghrist who started Art of Conservation. We have written several songs for her to use for teaching conservation and for her fundraising. This is probably the best email we have ever received! |
July 08, 2010 |
Kaiser Cartel has been one of my favorite bands ever since I first saw them at Eddie’s Attic a couple of years ago. I’m a sucker for catchy, minimalist, earnest pop—not to mention male-female vocals—and KC has all of these things in spades. They recently released their second full-length, Secret Transit, which builds on the minimalist, introspective indiepop of their marvelous debut, March Forth. The “Kaiser” portion of the band, Courtney, was kind enough to answer a few questions about the album, the Pledge Music campaign that helped fund its release, and of course, her idea of “pretty.” |
June 15, 2010 |
When I’m truly moved by something special and wonderful, whether it be a passage read, a scene viewed, or a song heard, I am often brought to tears. This is something built deep inside my heart that makes me feel rescued by the beauty that I have witnessed. The honesty and beauty behind the music of Kaiser Cartel has had this effect on me since first hearing their music over a year ago. |
June 08, 2010 |
We are so excited to announce that our second album, Secret Transit, has been released today. We think its our best yet, and thanks to our fans, friends, and family, we have released it on our own. We will be streaming the record all day, so hang out our on our website and take a listen. We hope to see see you in your town while we tour to support the new record. |
May 29, 2010 |
KaiserCartel do it their way with new album Secret Transit |
May 18, 2010 |
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/ |
May 18, 2010 |
http://www.blubrry.com/musicspazz/742996/spazzcast-6-kaiser-cartel-pledge-music-and-fan-based-fundraising/ |
May 13, 2010 |
Kaiser Cartel-The Two of Us by Andrew Duncan Kaiser Cartel has much love for Indianapolis as it holds a long-standing place in Courtney Kaiser’s heart. Kaiser was born in Indianapolis and spent her academic career at the Indiana University in Bloomington studying opera and world music vocals. Kaiser joined up with John Mellencamp to lend backing vocals to the band. Later meeting Benjamin Cartel in New York City, the two took shape and became a mid-2000s Brooklyn fixture. Since then they recorded and released the critically acclaimed March Forth (Megaforce) which some of the songs later received treatment for a few television shows: HBO’s Bored To Death and Private Practice. The two has also been heard in the MTV show Exiled and the Discovery Channel’s Alter-Aco. Later in 2008 after the release of March Forth, they teamed up with other Indiana musical fixture Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s to tour. During the preparation for their upcoming release Secret Transit (Daniel), the duo joined up with Pledge Music, an online resource that raises money directly from fans in order to release albums or fund tours, in order to bypass the label process. The band asked fans to help them release the album, offering gifts to those who pledged. In addition, 15 percent of the pledge money went to support Art Of Conservation, an organization that works with villages in Rwanda and teaches children the importance of conservation. Secret Transit presents a mysterious yet more unified transition for the group, and the opportunity for the two to work more closely together both in composition and song-writing, a feeling that the two further expand on. http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/05/kaiser-cartel-the-two-of-us |
May 11, 2010 |
When I set out to write this feature, 3 months ago, I planned on waiting until about last week to interview since, generally speaking, it's easiest for me to write with the interview fresh in my mind. Instead, Courtney Kaiser called me up immediately. I could tell how excited she was about this record just from our brief pre-interview chat. It's always so pleasant and such a great sign when you don't have to call / email multiple times to get an interview set. It's also a great sign when there's SO much to discuss. Courtney (originally from here in Indy) and her band mate Benjamin Cartel have been through quite a bit to produce this record including the basics...writing, recording, shopping to labels, to the not so basics...using a brand-new industry technique where fans "fund" the record with pledges. Let's face it, producing a record can be emotional. Not only can it take years from the writing phase to actually releasing it, but within that time there are so many emotional peaks and troughs. Hearing the first solid mix of a song you've put so much into from that beat up couch behind the engineer's station is absolutely exhilarating...but then reality sets in..."How are we going to pay for all of this?" That's a complete digression, but just a simple glimpse into the process. Kaiser Cartel's journey with this record, Secret Transit, picked up in June when they traveled to London to record in a 19th century Victorian Church. They were only allowed to record at night, after hours. Once they finished the record, though, the real fun began. They had trouble shopping the album to record labels and found that the industry woes of 2009 / 2010 had really made this next phase of releasing Secret Transit tricky. "Deals are changing pretty dramatically these days, there are no advances, no budgets...the only deals left are 360 deals", Kaiser explains. 360 deals aren't quite new anymore, but offer artists the ability to release their records in exchange for percentages of every revenue stream - touring, merch, licensing, etc.. Not very ideal. It was around this time Kaiser was influenced by the DIY spirit of Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. Palmer created some web-troversy (see what I did there?) in 2008 and 2009 when her major label, Road Runner Records, tried to censor a video that showed her exposed stomach, claiming "she looked fat". Fans got behind her while she fought for emancipation from the label and was eventually released. Seeing how Palmer's fans got so engaged in this controversy spurred Kaiser to find a new way to release their record, a way that gave her control over its destiny but that also gave their fans an opportunity to get involved in the process. The result was a new fan-funding website called Pledge Music - http://www.pledgemusic.com/. Pledge Music gives artists the ability to create exclusive tiers of content that fans can pledge to receive, while ultimately contributing to the release of the album. Kaiser Cartel has some really fun exclusives including posters, signed artwork, underwear, an evening of kareoke with Courtney, write a song with Kaiser Cartel, a private concert for you and 99 friends, etc... These exclusives come with different pledge amounts ranging from $15 to $6000 for a private show anywhere in the world. I signed up and pledged myself to get in on the action, and so far have been very impressed with amount of interaction this strategy provides. So far they're at 148% of their 200% goal. A simple $10 donation also affords you a digital copy of the record. Check out the pledgemusic account here: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/267#project MFT is co-promoting their upcoming release show on Saturday at Radio Radio. Indy will literally be the first city to get dibs on the record. How fitting! Kaiser Cartel / The Academy double CD release! w/ Slothpop Saturday, May 15th Radio Radio 1119 Prospect St. Indianapolis - Fountain Square 8pm / 21+ / $7 Facebook Event http://www.musicalfamilytree.net/profiles/blogs/band-of-the-month-kaiser |
May 10, 2010 |
Kaiser Cartel: conspirators in pop by Wade Coggeshall New York, New York, it's a helluva town. That's something Courtney Kaiser has learned over time. Ironically, the Indianapolis native and Indiana University graduate played on her biggest stage when she still lived in this state, as a backup singer for John Mellencamp. Not that she's resting on her laurels: Since moving to Brooklyn eight years ago, Kaiser has worked with luminaries such as Sean Lennon. But her musical partnership with Benjamin Cartel has dominated her professional life for the last six years. As Kaiser Cartel, they've crisscrossed the country, performing their playful style of elegant, folk-tinged pop. "We're very familial," Kaiser says. "People see it and feel like they're seeing something they haven't seen before – almost like you've gone to someone's family party. It's intimate in a way that gets people drawn to it." The two are in town on a pleasant April day, in between tour dates. A show in Chicago is that night. For now there's time for Kaiser to eat an oversized muffin in a Broad Ripple coffee shop and talk while Cartel makes a run to the post office. For someone who has lived in New York as long as she has, Kaiser still looks modest by that city's standards. A tattoo dominates her right bicep, but otherwise she easily blends in with the Midwest hoi polloi. A not-so-lonely petunia The petite brunette grew up at 71st Street and Dean Road here. She attended Park Tudor High School before finishing at Michigan's Interlochen Arts Academy. Kaiser knew she could sing "pretty much when I started talking. I would sing all the time, in the yard." By age three she was part of a tap-dancing group. One of her favorite songs to perform then was "I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in An Onion Patch and All I Do is Cry All Day." By third grade she was focusing on music and was a member of Butler University's Children's Choir. Kaiser studied opera at IU, but soon became bored with only learning to sing classical music. She used Bloomington's cultural diversity to her advantage, taking lessons in other traditions from fellow students and parlaying her access to international talent as a booking agent at Second Story. "I felt like if I was going to be a voice major, it would be smarter to learn as many vocal styles as I could," says Kaiser, who graduated with a degree in world vocal music performance, a major she created herself. She stayed in Bloomington to attend grad school. Kaiser met Paul Mahern, the former Zero Boy and now-producer, at Second Story. He got her a job working as an assistant for Mellencamp's wife Elaine in the Indy Racing League. Mellencamp asked to hear some of Kaiser's music during the first sessions for his album Cuttin' Heads. Mahern gave him a copy of an EP by Kaiser's band The Prom. One night Mellencamp asked Kaiser how she would feel about singing in front of thousands of people. She replied that it would be great, thinking he was just kidding around. "The next day he called me and said, 'Where are you? You've gotta be here. You're in this band,'" says Kaiser. Working under a kaiser She quit grad school and spent the next three years touring with Mellencamp's band. It was an experience Kaiser calls "pretty amazing." Not just because she performed with Mellencamp — but also people like Pat Peterson, who has been in Mellencamp's band some 25 years and sang on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon tour at age 16. "To be on stage with these people and a part of their team was amazing," says Kaiser. "To have that experience of singing in front of that many people is pretty wild." Not that it was easy to work under a legendary taskmaster like Mellencamp. "John likes everything to be a certain way. Preparing for the first tour was really hard work," says Kaiser, who rehearsed 12 hours a day for three weeks. "It was grueling. I've never experienced rehearsals like that. But because everyone was so tight if anything weird happened you're prepared to just keep going or change at the drop of a pin." Her work with Mellencamp culminated with a private performance for some computer tycoon's birthday party that also featured Robin Williams and The Rolling Stones. At the time Kaiser was preparing to release a solo record. Figuring it was time to move to greener pastures, she narrowed her choices to New York, Chicago or L.A. New York won after Harry Sandler, Mellencamp's tour manager, offered her his apartment there rent-free for a year while he toured with The Eagles. "That was too good to pass up," Kaiser says. "I had to say yes." She wasted little time ensconcing herself in the city's eclectic music scene. "I like to say (it's) because so many people from the Midwest go there," says Kaiser. "I think that's why you end up having so many different kinds of music." She's worked with Yuka Honda, who played in the band Cibo Matto and is Sean Lennon's musical director. That's led to performances with Lennon, including an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" when Lennon was promoting his last record. That collaboration led to meeting Yoko Ono and befriending Tracy Bonham, whom Kaiser Cartel hopes to tour with later this year. "I just love it. I've never left," says Kaiser of her new home. On the road, with glockenspiel But friendships with Lennon and others have mostly spawned one-off gigs. But in Cartel, whom she met at the Knitting Factory, she found a genuine collaborator. "We were both bent on getting on the road and promoting our music that way," Cartel, back from the post office, says about their introduction. "We talked about that the first night we met. And we were both into catchy pop songs – very succinct, memorable songs. We knew we had that in common." It was Kaiser's idea for them to play multiple instruments, thereby giving the two-piece a fuller sound. One of their first gigs was at a place called Pete's Candy Store. There were something like 10 people in the audience. Cartel accidentally hit Kaiser on the head with the neck of his guitar. And yet they use the word "hilarious" when reminiscing about it. "We thought wow, this is really working," says Cartel. "But at the same time we were laughing about it." Soon after they loaded a three-door Saturn with a snare drum, child's glockenspiel and two acoustic guitars and hit the open road. Over time they've amassed funny tour stories — the disturbed child having a verbal confrontation with a stuffed animal in a Madison, Wis., Goodwill store; the comp motel room they refused to stay in because of the giant bloodstain on the mattress. It's a far cry from the tour bus and Four Seasons Kaiser enjoyed while touring with Mellencamp. Nowadays she hopes for a $40 room at a Marriott. "There've been times we've slept in the car in a rest area because we can't pay for a hotel room," says Kaiser. She admits it can sometimes feel ridiculous to play a show at 5 p.m., in some nowhere city, on a summer day with no guarantees of getting paid. "I'm in my 30s and still going for this," she says. "It's crazy. You can feel like, is this Anvil all over again?" Both Kaiser and Cartel had teaching jobs when they started their partnership. Back then it was no big deal to break even on a tour. "If we break even now, though, it's almost like we lost money," says Kaiser. "That's when you can't help but think like, when is dinner going to be more than just pizza from the promoter?" Dodging the plague But then they wouldn't have had the experience they did while recording their second album, Secret Transit. It was in a Victorian church in London, circa 1839. Producer Matt Hales' brother knew the music director there and sought permission to use it as a studio. They were told they could only do so at night. "We would go in at 8 o'clock and record for the whole night, stopping at like 7 or 8 in the morning," says Kaiser. The church rested on a vast, green plain, supposedly where all the victims of the Black Plague were buried. "We didn't find out till after the recording was finished," says Kaiser. "No one's allowed to dig or build there because they're afraid if you dig in the ground the Black Plague will come back. We were really glad not to know this – being in a church at night." The result is a spookier sounding record than their debut, March Forth, though there are still plenty of buoyant harmonies and lilting melodies. Kaiser is especially proud of closing track "The Weight," for which she recorded the vocals for at 6 a.m. one day. She repeated two lines for several minutes because no one told her to stop and she thought maybe they were messing with the sound. While singing Kaiser could hear a plane flying over. Then she heard a bird. Then four birds. Then lots of birds. An amp in another room started spitting out all these phantasmal sounds. "It felt like all of London was waking up, like we had been doing this secret thing in the middle of the night," says Kaiser. "I like that we caught that moment, because it was the end of the process." Instances like that make long car drives, nightly pizza dinners and bloodstained mattresses worth it for Kaiser and Cartel. "We're super lucky only to be doing this every day and not clocking into some corporate job with fluorescent lighting handing in reports," says Kaiser. http://www.nuvo.net/nuvo/kaiser-cartel-conspirators-in-pop/Content?oid=1362345 |
April 08, 2010 |
Kaiser Cartel – Ready to Go Boy/girl duos: they’re the new animal band name. Still, as trends go, this boy/girl thing is a pretty damn good one (The Bird and the Bee, Mates of State, Codeine Velvet Club, Matt & Kim, She & Him, the Ting TIngs), and now that it’s become a movement of its own, perhaps Kaiser Cartel can seize the opportunity to jump to the next level. If “Ready to Go” is any indication, they are poised to pick up a lot more fans when their album Secret Transit drops in June. http://www.esdmusic.com/tag/kaiser-cartel/ |
April 07, 2010 |
Unassuming. That’s the first word that comes to mind when Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel take the stage. One picks up a guitar, the other assumes the position behind their drum kit, and the duo exchange a knowing look before they launch into their performance. With that simple gesture they disarm their audience, create the expectation of a set that is folksy, capable and earnest. And while it’s fair to say that a Kaiser Cartel show delivers on that expectation, what’s even better is how they exceed it. Never content to deliver run-of-the-mill indie rock, this duo keeps things interesting by incorporating xylophones, triangles and even whistling into their soundscape. This results in music that is surprisingly whimsical, a quality readily apparent on their first full-length album, “March Forth.” Based on the strength of this debut, as well as some sample tracks off the forthcoming “Secret Transit,” it’s safe to say that Kaiser Cartel is one to watch. Catch them now while they’re still playing intimate venues, if only to experience them strolling through the crowd, looking directly into the eyes of each audience member for their last number. (Jenny Seay) http://music.newcity.com/2010/04/05/preview-kaiser-cartelschubas/ |
February 22, 2010 |
My Musical Absurdities! We really love this blog. They gave us love the whole month of Jan..and since finding out about it, Courtney reads the blog all the time. There are always good bands and artists on there. Check it out! http://musical-absurdities.blogspot.com/2010/02/march-forth.html?showComment=1266890771428_AIe9_BEJYdD6oJCPFUVoVGORzABXKC_nH9r1y4vzEGMYoDyIu6aC4m1PhCN-DQkPUO2Wq4AUWOH3yBNtzvjWApie3q_pkQPY-70t_6YsalX6BDvRBVlLHG95QoB_ZBegNUP94Dbk_uYnBV6M-hUXJhoAyy9UEPNCS6oVBdLBeiN7i7w_-ip8ioM44VzToNr6f5SUrmh1NediouHyUEJv-eDlwIvlAzpT5RqHUEdcl_fhWcYPzk6_jbE#c1955632304093893789 |
February 13, 2010 |
We are super excited to announce that our song 'Dog Stars' will be used in the ABC TV show Private Practice, this coming Thurs. Feb 18th at 10pm EST, 9pm central. For more info: http://abc.go.com/shows/private-practice Thanks for your support. love, Kaiser Cartel PS. If you haven't done so yet, pledge your support for our upcoming album SECRET TRANSIT http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/267 |
February 10, 2010 |
You guys are rocking the pledge! We have added some new incentives for your pleasure. Have a look around and see what you want.. -the new record? -a tshirt? -for us to sing to you on your birthday -or the exlusive pledgers only record Philanthropy You choose Thank you! http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/267 |
February 09, 2010 |
We are at 86% everybody on our Pledge Music Campaign. A big thank you to everyone who has pledged so far. We are so happy that so many of you are willing to buy your merch early. We are super excited about having this new music out there in the world, and it is all because of you! Thank you again, for your continued support! http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/267 |
January 27, 2010 |
We are so excited to tell you that we are going to put out our second album 'Secret Transit' out ourselves. We know its going to be a lot of work, but we are ready. The main thing behind putting it out on our own besides paying close attention to detail is the funding. Thats the big reason bands go to labels, they act as a bank. And in return, most artists give the label their rights to publishing, and half the money they make. Lucky for us, there are some new and exciting ways to get the money we need. After a lot of searching and emailing some of these organizations who have put together ways of doing this, we chose to team up with Pledge Music. Why? Well, Pledge is made up of music folks, musicians, former label owners, you name it, they have done it. Therefore their entire focus is music. How does it work? For a $10 pledge, you receive a download of an EP we are making exclusively for you called Philanthropy. It has some songs that were recorded for both March Forth and Secret Transit that were never used. Everyone gets this whether you pledge $10 or $1000. Now, if you can give us more than $10, there are all kinds of gifts you get for your generous donation. You pick! You want us to play your wedding, we can. You want us to call you on your birthday, we will. You want to skype talk to us and ask us how to make lasagna? You can! Just find what incentive you are interested and buy it! The other piece that is great about Pledge is that artists donate money to a charity in return too. We will be giving 15% of all money made after we have reached our target to Art of Conservation. Art of Conservation is a group promoting peace and conservation through art and music in Rwanda. We chose this organization because we believe in peace and conservation but because we have been writing music for them to use in both English and Kinyarwanda. So, here's the Nitty Gritty. We have made our target amount lower than what we actually need to put out a record. We need money to manufacture, market, tour, publicize, and eat in order to continue to play as much as we want. Why did we make it lower than we need? Because if we don't make the target, we don't get anything. After 100% of the target has been raised, we want you to keep spreading the word, because ideally, we would sell everything off the site and have no incentives left which would put us around 200% above our target and then we could write a nice check to Art of Conversation. We are hoping that you will spread the word to your family, your friends, even your dentist! We can use all the help you can give. Please help us stay out there, doing what we love...If there is anytime to show your support, it is NOW!!! Copy and Paste the link below, Deepest Gratitude, Courtney and Ben http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/267 |
January 12, 2010 |
I love when I wake up and see the sun, the only problem is that I think it might be warmer outside than it is...But, Im not complaining. I am glad we have the seasons...we humans haven't completely destroyed the planet yet.... So, totally excited to give you guys a link to a trailer of an indie movie that was made out on the west coast. It's called Me and Her and they used our song 'Dog Stars'. Check it out http://www.nbkhuu.com/streams/MEANDhER_HD.mov More exciting news to come......(we are gearing for a take over-if you saw my twitter post-you have an extra bit of info) |
January 01, 2010 |
So, it is really 2010...We have 2 more years until the Mayan calendar runs out..so we better are kick it into high gear in case there really is only 2 years of life left..Who knows? Kaiser Cartel is getting back into the writing world this week. We are very excited to announce that we are working again with our friend Julie Ghrist, founder of Art of Conservation. If you dont know about the organization, it is a group in Rwanda that helps bring understanding of conservation to the people of Rwanda. We all know there is quite a history there on many fronts, which requires a lot of healing. We will be writing another song for the organization to use and hope to be going to Rwanda in this new year to actually hear the people in the village singing the songs. It will be an incredible moment in our lives to song share with people who do not speak the same language as we do. What a way to really rest out whether music is the bridge that we have always claimed it to be...more soon. Happy New Year! Set intentions, we intend to make a difference to as many people possible in a peaceful and positive way... |
December 30, 2009 |
And here it is... the ranking of all 100+ performances witnessed in the year 2009. 1. Bon Iver 2. Wilco 3. Greg Laswell (Wow Hall) 4. Michael Franti & Spearhead 5. Akron/Family 6. Cold Play 7. Amos Lee 8. Loney Dear 9. Alexi Murdoch 10. Old Believers 11. Ra Ra Riot 12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 13. Blind Pilot (Wonder Ballroom) 14. Norfolk & Western 15. Eric Hutchinson 16. Metric 17. KaiserCartel 18. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head 19. Miike Snow 20. The Long Winters 21. Okkervil River 22. Animal Collective 23. Jason Mraz 24. Jack Penate 25. Loch Lomond 26. Ugly Purple Sweater 27. Cold War Kids 28. Red Elvises 29. Deer Tick 30. Erin Cole-Baker (Liberty Theatre) 31. The Decemberists 32. Soul Savers featuring Mark Lanegon 33. Greg Laswell (Doug Fir Lounge) 34. The XX 35. Blind Pilot (Aladdin Theater) 36. Carrie Rodriguez (Doug Fir Lounge) 37. United State Of Electronica 38. Friendly Fires 39. Grand Hallway 40. Chris Chabot 41. Point Juncture, WA 42. Mutlu 43. Stitchcraft 44. Pete & J 45. Devotchka 46. M. Ward 47. Passion Pit 48. Kings Of Leon 49. The Ascetic Junkies 50. Amber Rubarth 51. Blind Pilot (Sasquatch) 52. The Erins 53. The Golden Bears 54. Samantha Crain 55. Anna Ternheim 56. Erin Cole-Baker (Les Schwab Amphitheater) 57. Vetiver 58. Asobi Seksu 59. Oren Lavie 60. Emma Hill 61. Jackie Greene 62. Mos Def 63. Kousefly (Old Stone Church) 64. Holly Miranda 65. Reed Thomas Lawrence 66. Everest 67. Low vs. Diamond 68. Say Hi 69. Owl City 70. Doves 71. Ryan Shaw 72. Stephanie Schneiderman 73.Trace Bundy 74. Uh Huh Her 75. Chris Pierce 76. Laura Veirs 77. Visqueen 78. Sera Cahoone 79. Matt & Kim 80. Jesca Hoop 81. Eric Tollefson (Athletic Club Of Bend) 82. Anderson 83. Crystal Castles 84. Carbon Leaf 85. The Honey Brothers 86. The Portland Cello Project 87. Culver City Dub Collective 88. Need To Breathe 89. Massy Ferguson 90. The Minus 5 91. Amadou & Mariam 92. The Soft Tags 93. Southerly 94. Breanna Paletta 95. Vieux Farka Toure 96. Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears 97. The Misty River Band 98. Death Vessel 99. Themes 100. Jeff Bortz Band 101. Kim Fields & The Mighty Titans Of Tone 102. Eric Tollefson (Silver Moon Brewery) 103. Mai 104.Goodbye Dyna 105. The Dirty Words http://ethos83radio.blogspot.com/2009/12/and-here-it-is.html |
December 21, 2009 |
So, we are on Daytrotter.com You can download the new EP..and we love our drawing http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/kaisercartel-concert/20030810-3738120.html?utm_source=DT&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS We both wish you all a happy and healthy new year. We are looking forward to releasing a new full length record this spring! |
December 15, 2009 |
So, I am doing a show in Brooklyn Heights this thursday. It has turned into an annual show that I am a part of every year. A group of Indie rock, jazz, and soul singers step out of their usual performance voice, and sing in a chorus to benefit a particular cause. This year, the money goes to WomenforWomen.org who I am already a sponsor of. The concert is Thurs. Dec 17th, doors are at 7:30 and the music begins at 8pm. The address is 50 Monroe St (corner of Pierrepont and Monroe) in Brooklyn Heights at the First Unitarian Church. Tickets are available via Ticketweb for $15, just search the name 'Sirens of Brooklyn' or $20 at the door. Why did I head this Free Parking For Everyone? Because I just moved out of Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights and let me tell you....a nightmare for parking...so, I think the next benefit I am going to hold after this one will be to build some large parking structures...LOL |
December 10, 2009 |
ear Friends, TONIGHT is the last show of year for Kaiser Cartel, and an amazing night of music with all our favorite Brooklyn artist rallied around a great cause! Buy Tix @: http://www.thebellhouseny.com/calendar.php BROOKLYN SINGS FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM Scheduled performances by APRIL SMITH / TRACY BONHAM / DAYNA KURTZ / KAISER CARTEL / MASCOTT / LUCINDA BLACK BEAR / CAT MARTINO / MILTON / KEVIN McGINNIS / GRETA GERTLER / special surprise guests. David Bennett of Billionaires for Bush will be emceeing the event! http://billionairesforbush.com @ The Bell House 149 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 / 718-643-6510 In addition to all the great musicians involved, a handful of local Brooklyn and Manhattan businesses have generously contributed gift certificates valued up to $200 for raffle ticket prizes. The show will benefit Campaign For A National Health Plan (CNHPUSA) to promote single-payer health plan, raise awareness, and recruit more people to work towards making single-payer health care a reality. *Kids accompanied by parents are welcome @ this show. All are welcome. See you all TONIGHT! |
November 22, 2009 |
We are super excited about the upcoming dates and of course they are the last dates of 2009! We kick off the Dec tour in Chicago on Dec 2nd with our good friend Richard Edwards. Next we drive to Minneapolis and play with Jeremy Messersmith on Dec 3rd at 7th STreet Entry. Then we drive a bit outside Minneapolis to Maple Lake, MN to play two nights Dec 4 and 5th at Old Towne Creamery. The last show of the year is a show we are curating called Brooklyn Sings for Healthcare Reform! All the proceeds go to Campaign for a National Plan and the evening is jam packed full of incredible solo artists, duos, and bands....It is night not to be missed! The show is at the Bell House, so go to www.bellhouseny.com for details! |
November 17, 2009 |
We are very sad today...Ivan was put to sleep. He was my companion for the last 17 years. I realized that I have never been alone in my house without him for the last 17 years. My friend Mario sent this poem to me, so I thought I would share. And we have a request, please play "Dog Stars" today, as it is his song.. I LOVED YOU BEST by Jim Willis So this is where we part, My Friend, and you'll run on, around the bend, gone from sight, but not from mind, new pleasures there you'll surely find. I will go on, I'll find the strength, life measures quality, not its length. One long embrace before you leave, share one last look, before I grieve. There are others, that much is true, but they be they, and they aren't you. And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought, will remember well all you've taught. Your place I'll hold, you will be missed, the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this...I loved you best. |
October 27, 2009 |
Hey Fans, More than 1 month ago, in September, Kaiser Cartel had 2 songs featured on the new HBO show, 'Bored to Death'. 'Favorite Song' from March Forth, on episode #1 and 'Inside Out' ( also from March Forth ) on episode #2 You can view both episodes @ the two links below: http://www.hbo.com/boredtodeath/music/episode01.html http://www.hbo.com/boredtodeath/music/episode02.html Since the airing of these episodes, a very low- key, youtube video of 'Favorite Song' - from a show @ Bell House, in Brooklyn has gained hundreds of views!!! Observe the power of HBO and 'Bored to Death'... Thanks in advance for viewing this Youtube.com classic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evF1PTNuHz4 Thanks again to all our fans! WE LOVE YOU!!! -Kaiser Cartel |
October 19, 2009 |
If you push through the sea of buildings, concrete, and hustle-bustle lifestyle that make up the New York City landscape, you will find many organic gems to make the blood inside your veins warm and comfortable. In the borough of Brooklyn there are two individuals who work together in life, love and music, to give us their beautiful, pure visions of music. Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel of Kaiser Cartel have mastered the art of touching souls through music as few, with as little as a guitar, voice and simple drum, have accomplished before. Since the debut release of March Forth in 2005, they have delivered a raw sense of perfection through numerous songs, performances and EP’s. Now, their gifts are again captured for all the world to hear. Five songs which, as I’ve read, were quickly recorded to quarter inch tape after a long road journey. These songs became their next short but soulful masterpiece, The Rock Island EP, which takes your heart prisoner at every listen. “Carroll Street Station” starts the recording with a wonderfully simplistic and hooky shuffle with great spirit and harmonies. The depth, texture and warmth of this recording remind me of the wonderful songs of days passed when a needle-touching-vinyl created magic. A raw, bouncy tune with the grit and emotion of a classic Nashville 45RPM record, they start the EP off in the right direction. The heartwarmingly sad and melancholy “Stella” was written about their relationship with a friend’s family, especially their young daughter. “And you know I’m gonna leave the light on…just in case you come back late” brings a tear to my eye each time I hear the line. The lazy grit of every strum makes you picture the tenderness of every moment they felt with those children and that family. A warm water color painted with strokes of loving vocal and guitar. A sweet and perfect tribute to family memories was never documented so kindly. The brilliant cover of Lucinda Williams' "Something About What Happens When We Talk," is soft, sad and staggering. The combination of voices is brilliant in this tune with an overall mood of beauty and love. The line “the only regret is that I never kissed your mouth” is delivered by Kaiser with such desperation, Williams herself would cry for Courtney’s own heartache. The tone and texture of “Memphis” is reminiscent of older traditional classics. It’s Mr Bojangles-quality comes through in it’s underlying swing. It’s another beauty which adds a different level of depth and warmth to this record. It will go on to be a classic for them in the future. The layers they create with their voices are heavenly and charming. The release ends with “Shira”, a less spirited song driven by the vocals of Benjamin Cartel. His voice is less enriching as Kaiser’s purity and emotion, but he holds steady and keeps his individuality above all things. The song is less infectious as the others, but it’s authentic, heartfelt emotions weep openly to the listener, which makes it and their other compositions consistently masterful. The pure vocal compatibility of Kaiser Cartel is a gift that we only hear rarely. When two can vocalize, compliment each other’s subtle inflections, and feed off their companions’s emotional texture, we are witnessing something higher than ourselves. A recording such as this should be held to the light to exhibit the brilliance of music captured in a pure form. There is no doubt that the genius of song is alive in Brooklyn. Thank you for sharing your gifts and soul with us. http://www.justpressplay.net/music-reviews/38-reviews/6054-rock-island-ep.html |
October 17, 2009 |
We had a fun time out on the road with Eric Wilson. He is such a great song writer! I have to admit, it is really nice to be at home. Ivan is much happier. We are playing CMJ this week at the Living Room and we are now offering a holiday special to buy our record March Forth along with all three EP's for a cheap price. We encourage you to give the gift of music to your loved ones this year! Our upcoming shows are in NYC, MN and IL..so please check the tour page for more info. Oh, we have been writing too...and working on the artwork for the new record due out in 2010....can't wait for you to see it.... stay warm, CK |
October 05, 2009 |
We have just started our short Oct tour. Played Youngstown last night which was pretty cool. Everyone was super nice. Didn't quite have enough time there in order to get a feel for the town, but I am sure we will be back. We drove after the show to our hotel in Pittsburgh and spent the day here today. I really love this city. Its really pretty, looking at the houses up on the mountains, overlooking the river. Not to mention, great vintage shopping! I found my dress and Ben's tie for our cd release party (which doesn't happen until Feb or March 2010) at a great placed called 'Hey Betty.' The only sad thing is we haven't had any food with french fries inside. Last time we were here, I had a salad with everything on it which meant cheesy french fries on top! Sounds gross, but it was amazing! I kept asking Ben today, why are they so into fries in Pittsburgh...and then I saw it...Heinz ketchup! Its here...no wonder. Next time we will have fries for sure. Off to soundcheck! |
October 02, 2009 |
http://blogs.denverpost.com/reverb/2009/09/03/interview-courtney-kaiser-and-benjamin-cartel-of-kaisercartel/ |
October 02, 2009 |
by: Kristin Houser | category: Review One I’ve never liked playing the game musical chairs when I was in elementary school. Even though it incorporated listening to music and sitting, two of my favorite pastimes, I always ended up feeling bad for that one person who didn’t get to a seat in time, especially when that kid was me. The music would stop, and if you were left standing, you’d have to do the kindergarten version of the walk of shame past all your seated classmates. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you then had to watch them keep playing. Even back then, I couldn’t help thinking that grabbing enough chairs for everyone and playing the record all the way through sounded like such a better idea. More music, fewer elbows being thrown. During their performance at the Hotel Café, Kaiser Cartel took my idea one step further and played the game with more chairs than people, and I have to say, I’ve never enjoyed watching from the sideline quite as much. The two multi-instrumentalists who comprise the group, Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel, went through so many configurations during their set that I lost count. The music would stop, and these two would find a new seat, but the gorgeous harmonies and unexpectedly huge sound was always present regardless of the arrangement. When the set began, Kaiser was on guitar and Cartel was at the drums. “Cool,” I thought, “Kind of like the White Stripes but Meg sings back-up…and is a dude.” Then Cartel was playing guitar while still kicking at the bass and Kaiser was playing some cool accordion-like instrument that I’ve never seen before (seems they incorporate things like milk frothers into their sets so I’m sure I’m not the first audience member to be at a loss). Then Kaiser was behind the drums and Cartel was singing lead up front with his guitar. These two never stopped moving or impressing me with their musical prowess. When they left the stage altogether to play their last song while walking through the audience, I was ready to give up my seat to either member of the duo as long as they would agree to keep the music playing…no need to throw any elbows. http://lamusicblog.com/2009/09/24/kaiser-cartel-the-hotel-cafe/ |
September 27, 2009 |
**** (four stars) in The Sunday Times (UK) – album review August 9, 2009 **** (four stars) in Revolver Magazine (Holland) – album review “…an album to be cherished.” |
August 30, 2009 |
We have had a great start to our tour! The tour started by playing on the square of downtown Kirksville, MO. When we arrived in Kirksville, Royce and his wife Devon hosted a meal for us made up of vegetables cooked in their garden and we spent time meting their son Henry and their new daughter Fern. It was really nice. The crowd was a mixed bag of people from Kirksville from corn farmers to college professors. How cool is it that the Kirksville Arts puts on a summer concert series and people of all ages and walks of life come to the square to check it out. We will be sure to make this a stop again on the road..... The next show was in Indianapolis at a new venue called The Vollrath. There were a lot of people that I hadn't seen since I was about 14 years old at the show. The power of finding people through facebook! Everyone loved the new songs and were so enthusiastic about us being there. It is a beautiful thing to be embraced by your hometown. Everyone is family for me. We really appreciate the support from all of you! We feel so lucky to be able to constantly see old friends and meet new ones in our travels. Off to Chicago tomorrow to play Millenium Park and see the Suhars (the stars of our song Stella off of the new EP "Rock Island." Don't forget to preorder yours! |
August 27, 2009 |
Hello out there in cyber world! We are so happy to announce that the "Rock Island" EP (new songs) is available now for pre-sale. We are doing a very limited run as it is a little taste of the new record which is not out until Feb. Order yours now by clicking on the "MERCH" section of the site. Also, we had a coloring contest with our first EP "Double Standard" a few years back where the best colorist won having their cover printed. There are also limited quantities of this, so pre-order yours now as well. You know we had to give you something as you wait for the new record. We will be finishing it up at the end of the month...very excited! Also, be sure to check the tour page as we are on tour now of the midwest and on the west coast. Love o you all! |
August 20, 2009 |
We have been at home in Red Hook Brooklyn for most of the summer. It is the first time that I have ever been in NYC during the month of August. Hot hot hot! Even though it has been super humid and hot, it has been nice to be home and not moving around for a bit. We have been writing a lot and are really excited about the new songs. We also recorded some of the overdubs for our new record with my friend Yuka Honda. We did a little celeste, mellotron, and some weird 60's keyboard. It was fun. I love to work with Yuka and am lucky to have her willing to help me make music. We leave Brooklyn on Aug 26th. It will be sad to leave I think. But, this time we head to the west coast and are touring with Anni Rossi who is an incredible musician. We are excited to have her in the Prius. It is only the drive through the state of Kansas that makes my stomach tighten....ugh! We end our tour with Anni Rossi in San Diego but drive back up to LA so that we can finish recording the new record with Matt Hales (aka Aqualung). Why do we always do it there you ask? Well, this time, Matt is moving there with his family for the year. But we also find it helpful to be out of our element... Please look at the tour dates and come see us out there. It's not always easy traveling from place to place, so when we see the same people coming back, its like we get to pretend for a minute that every city is our home. |
June 23, 2009 |
We are having a great time on the road. Its a nice group of people to be in the tour van with. We have been making up our own words to the famous "Sounds of Music" songs. You can only imagine what we are making up! So far, our favorite city has been Edinborough..but it has been the only one we have been able to spend time in. It is refreshing to play to a completely new audience. Thank you to all of you so far that have helped us find housing. We are currently in Nottingham, staying with our friends in The Mysteries of Life. Nice to see a couple familiar faces in the audience last night. We will be happy to come home and play for our fans and friends in the midwest in July. Hope to see you all very soon! |
June 10, 2009 |
We are so happy to be in Europe right now. We played two shows last night in Dublin. The first show was at Whelan's supporting our good friend Carrie Rodriguez. It was a bit crazy as we didn't know anything about soundcheck etc, so we couldn't use drums. We played a funny set with percussion, acoustic guitar (sounding a bit distorted) and bass. Our friend Fran King joined us on bass so that was a treat. Carrie and the rest of her band, Javier and Hans were incredible as usual. Special thanks to Liam the sound man at Whelan's, "You're a star!" Then we played The Ruby Sessions at Doyle's. This was a blast. We learned that we can substitute the F word for Fek. Thats what they say in Ireland and its not even a cuss word. Isn't that great? Can't wait to come back to Dublin. Hopefully in the later fall. Maybe Halloween in Ireland? Special special thanks to the entire King family for having us. French toast casserole for breakfast, ravioli for dinner, playing with Eve and her stickers....nice to be able to spend time with you all! |
June 01, 2009 |
Im in LA right now seeing my brothers new little baby and Benjamin is holding down the fort in Brooklyn with little Ivan and our two great room mates Nadia and Sashamani. We are so excited to make the next record. Matt Hales (aka Aqualung) and I sat on the beach in Santa Monica and discussed some ideas. We're going to talk more on the phone this week...We have a whole bunch of new stuff and we are excited to start recording it in London. We will also be playing our new material for the people of Ireland, England, and Scotland. We are both over the moon about it. Still fine tuning some of the words and getting ideas for sounds etc, but I think you all will enjoy where this record is heading. Hope you are all well out there. Hope to see you across the pond, or back here in the US in July or August..... |
April 29, 2009 |
Hmm, trawling through the last of recent backed-up emails yielded very little in the way of new music to raise spirits here, but did lead indirectly to a Brooklyn based duo - KaiserCartel who were a pleasure to belatedly discover. Courtney Kaiser & Benjamin Cartel are the couple who make up the twosome (and the name, obviously) & between them use vocals, guitars, baby xylophone, drums & some keyboards to turn out a sound that puts plenty of four-piece bands to shame - and they can do it live too, by all accounts, and also to judge from the 'Live from Breakthru Radio EP', which was recorded live,as you might expect. Which maybe goes to show that it's what you do, and who you do it with, rather than how many instruments & players you can cram on a recording or stage - there's nothing wasted here, no needless noodling around - just enough to frame some tremendously moving songs & lovely two-part harmonies. Sweet as can be... & made for sharing with someone. http://howmarvellous.blogspot.com/2009/04/kaisercartel.html |
April 01, 2009 |
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/03/sxsw_the_best_o.php |
April 01, 2009 |
Nice blog love from MNPLS as a result of our SXSW show. Thank you Decider! http://twincities.decider.com/articles/postcard-from-sxsw-march-19-part-3,25516/ |
March 29, 2009 |
Enter Kaiser Cartel. A recent discovery through LOGO Television’s New Now Next programming, their video for Okay has been one of the few musical highlights of 2009 for me (I’d also like to give a shout out to LOGO for the playing the music MTV should be playing but doesn’t!). The boy/girl set up of the band would be a cliche (think Ting Tings, Subarmines, Mates of State, The Spinanes, Judd & Maggie, etc…) if their songs weren’t so intimate and fully formed. And to hear them live, I was totally floored by their performances. The instrumentation was varied, the notes on key, and the tunes instantly affecting. Of course for me the highlight of the show was Okay, partly because the song builds from a whisper into a soaring paen to a relationship beginning to sour. It’s bittersweet with gorgeous boy/girl harmonies intertwining and Courtney Kaiser repeating “It’s okay if you want to move on”. Of all their songs, this really plays up the strengths of the pair; while some duo’s voices just don’t match up (Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan), or they can’t play different instruments in a way that varies their sound (Submarines). Kaiser Cartel’s voices are completely suited for one another and reflect off each other so perfectly the audience can’t help but be charmed. Other high points included Courtney’s use of a battery powered beverage frother on a xylophone as part of the instrumentation for Favorite Song that still has me smirking and Ben Cartel’s attempt to get the audience to clap along to Season Song (something that was not necessarily in sync with the song…). And while titles weren’t given for the new songs, they sounded quite promising and have me looking forward to the next LP. The last song of the night, Shira, was played completely unplugged, as the duo stepped off stage to serenade the audience. It was a quiet ending from a band best known for mining the quieter moments of life and weaving them into memorable, affecting songs. Looking back, you really can’t blame a venue for the way a live act is presented to an audience. After seeing Kaiser Cartel dominate their set, I find it funny that, in comparison to a nationally recognized entertainer who ended up on many best of ‘08 lists, that two teachers from Brooklyn walked on stage and blew her away. Highly recommended! http://iheartpop.com/2009/03/28/march-25-2009-kaisercartel-at-eddies-attic-decatur-georgia/ |
March 09, 2009 |
Hey everyone! So we are now sending out monthly newsletters instead of sending emails to each city about shows and news. We think this will be more convenient for you all. Check the upcoming show list for a show near you:) Also, we had a great blogger give us a nice interview. Check it out! http://www.snobsmusic.net/2009/03/cmw-q-kaisercartel.html |
February 23, 2009 |
We are really excited by the new Blue Sky video. Grizlet has yet again, done a beautiful job. Also, Paste Magazine will have it on their DVD of videos which comes out in March. Check it out:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNJhIi3VZM |
February 19, 2009 |
Hello everyone. We are enjoying our home stretch. We have some shows this weekend in Philly at Tin Angel and are playing the Iron Horse with The Dig in Northampton. We have been finishing some new songs that we started back in Dec. and will be playing them at the next couple of shows. When we get back we will start on a new batch. Ive broken out my cello again (scary!). It is not easy picking up a stringed instrumentn. I am hoping either the great Nina (Brentano Quartet) or our friend Chad (Lucinda Black Bear) will give me a couple of lessons while I am home. I still have to break out my musical saw which was a Christmas present from Benjamin. (I gave him the Rhythm Ace for Xmas, and of course regretting it, he wants to use it every show during okay), but that's OKAY:) ha ha Going to an artist/musician potluck in our wonderful neighborhood of RED HOOK. I made a nice midwest style casserole, all veggies with cheese, cream of celery soup, and smashed up RITZ crackers. Sounds gross, but it is really GOOD. That's all for now, Ivan says hello to you all:) OH, Check out the new BLUE SKY video!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNJhIi3VZM |
February 19, 2009 |
By zeharper • February 13, 2009 “Music is about congregation; music is a lot of people’s religion.” So ended the conversation I was given the opportunity to have with Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel, the dashing duo from Kaisercartel. Benjamin’s ending words seemed so fitting a closure – they wrapped up in a small little box all the praise they had for our small little city, and showed the immense joy they gain from what they do, and the people who help them in their travels. For a time before the interview, they had disappeared to explore our fair city, eat out at local eatery Centro, and pay a visit to Java Joes next door. I caught up with them in between the two shows they had crunched together, giving them the opportunity to meet a handful of our local acts. They had been playing a few shows with other touring bands, but thought it “better to play all local shows, sandwiched in between local bands.” Meeting them, it is quick to see why – the pair easily befriend anyone who takes the time to chat, saying “you have to develop a family in different cities” if you want to tour. For the majority of the show they sat at a table with friends they had met on the last swing through town, the first of the Des Moines family they were busy accruing. It was this that our discussion really focused around. Rarely in the past have I seen bands enjoy themselves so much, and with such a relatively small crowd compared to what they can pull elsewhere. “The 80/35 festival was really incredible. I got out of the car, and immediately someone asked ‘Are you thirsty?’ Everyone was so kind. It didn’t feel like this machine, like a factory.” Seldom have they come across such a smoothly run, yet tensely excited festival as ours, and they were quite grateful to Amedeo, the owner of the Mews. “The Vaudeville Mews is a hot club; it is up to everyone in here, this community, to patronize this place once, twice a month, even if you don’t know the bands.” When asked, neither member could think of a comparable city to Des Moines in terms of holistic scene. Most places seem to be either pulse-less, or pumping band after band through their veins; we are the average outlier in a field of extremes. Benjamin mentioned playing to a non-existent crowd here years before Kaisercartel had started, in the pre-Mews era, and what a shock it had been to see the changes in so short of time. “We haven’t been in a city where the community is on such an upswing after such a downswing.” And it is definitely the communities they praise in the cities they love. Their home town of Brooklyn is always in their hearts pocket, of course, although they had plenty of adoration to pass out to Minneapolis and Indianapolis, both which have a large fan base. They told us the story of Pete’s Candy Store in New York, where they began playing their first shows. “We would bring in bands we loved from out of town, and trade them shows. They would play at Pete’s Candy Store, and we would play wherever they were from.” Both members were adamant that you must be devoted to the people in order for the music to spread; it requires mutual support from an entire community, an entire congregation, for the scene to really stand on its feet. Courtney put it in a lovingly blunt way - “Think of the bands you like and support them. Once you know a band, you are an asshole if you don’t go to their show.” Arts and music were also a required combination in their eyes. They live in a building in Red Hook, a tiny area with no connecting subways, and the building they lived in swarmed with artists and musicians. The community was transient, but they constantly supported anyone who wanted in, spending time and money to ensure everyone felt the communal devotion. Benjamin even talked of an infant comedy scene in the area which solicited some of his support. Courtney, again with her bludgeoning tongue – “It is five dollars. Just go.” The intimacy they demand is apparent even in their live show – at the end of the night, they turned up the lights, unplugged, and walked from boy to girl, staring in their eyes and singing, in the softest of voices, a goodnight lullaby. It was possibly the cutest occurrence since puppies learned to fly. Yet they were even particular about this, demanding the attention of the audience before they honored them with such close contact. While the crowd listened intently and quietly at this show, yielding the respect the band deserved, Benjamin joked that it isn’t always the case. You get great shows, meditative crowds, and open ears one night, “and then you play Lawrence, Kansas on a Monday.” Note to self, don’t play pinball while at a Kaisercartel show. Courtney may defenestrate you and your insolence. We ended our talk with Benjamin’s comparison of music with religion, or more appropriately, a religious congregation with an artistic community. “You have to be vigilant,” they said. “Music scenes are what people create… It is hard to tell if you are in a scene or not until after it happened.” The support they have for their friends and co-artists is, indeed, religious. The mutual sustainment and encouragement is certainly difficult on a large scale, but they definitely see the signs in our promising state. And, like religion, the dedication can’t be a once-a-week affair; vigilance and dedication to the congregation is the only road to walk. Of course, having friends like Kaisercartel makes it a cake-walk. They were a joy both to watch and needle with questions, an opportunity I hope comes flying back to our shoulders. When I asked them what they thought makes a great show, and what hopefully makes them return to us soon, they both agreed they wanted for “people to feel something changed, something different.” Amen to that. http://www.rockiowa.com/blog/2009/02/kaisercartel-talks-on-des-moines/ |
February 16, 2009 |
So, we are home finally after a great tour. It is nice to be back. I really missed Ivan. We have two shows next weekend, one in Philadelphia and one in Northampton. Then we have the time off until March 6th. We had a lot of highlights on the tour, but one of my favorite was having the Watson Twins sing "Okay" with us. It was beautiful. I love those ladies. Then to top it off, we ended the tour in Brooklyn by playing Pete's Candy Store which is the first place we ever played, and our producer Matt Hales (aka Aqualung) happened to be in NYC and played with us. It sounded amazing. We had a weird sustain pedal borrowed from a friend, so he couldn't play any of his own songs. I was bummed about that, because his voice is magic. Now it is Presidents Day and I am basically cleaning the house and will most likely do a little needle felting. Im into making these birds lately. At least this year, on President's Day, we have something to celebrate! That we actually have a good President in office. We love you Obama. Lastly, thank you to all of you out there who went to all of our shows on our west coast/ midwest tour as well as the home shows. We are very grateful to all of you for your continued support. Much love, C and B |
February 08, 2009 |
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/06/vocal-valentines/ KaiserCartel, the Submarines find musical and romantic connection Andrew Leahey Friday, February 6, 2009 Comment Print Font Size Share Got a Question? You Report Buzz up! As Valentine's Day approaches, the musicians of KaiserCartel look forward to their homecoming show in Brooklyn - at Pete's Candy Store, the first place they ever played in New York. "Our first show at the venue was great," says Benjamin Cartel, who is half of the endearing duo. "We had only been together for a few months and were still learning each other's songs. We kept going back there month after month. Eventually, it became so packed that they had to open up the doors so people could watch us from the other room." Pete's Candy Store enabled KaiserCartel's music to flourish, but it also provided a setting in which Mr. Cartel and vocalist Courtney Kaiser quickly fell in love. Although both had initially pursued solo careers, they later crossed paths at a Manhattan venue and began performing together, forging a romantic bond in the process. With Miss Kaiser's gorgeous, woozy voice and Mr. Cartel's inventive musicianship (a multitasker, he often plays drums and xylophone at the same time) the band found a loyal audience in New York. A full-length album, "March Forth," followed in June 2008, and subsequent tours across the country helped expand their New York fan club into a national following. There's plenty of love to be found on "March Forth," whose title alludes both to the inaugural date of the musicians' relationship and their "onward and upward" mentality. Unlike many couple bands, however, KaiserCartel takes a universal approach to the emotion, emphasizing its effect on the public as well as the songwriters. "Okay" pledges trust and acceptance of a partner's faults, while "Season Song" sings the praises of summertime with hand claps and whistled accompaniment. In keeping with the album's communal appeal, KaiserCartel concludes most performances with an acoustic serenade. The members unplug their instruments and walk into the audience, armed with a guitar and their bare voices. Then they sing directly to members of the audience, many of whom are genuinely touched by the unexpected move. "Starting with our second or third show, we used to do this thing where we'd process into the venue and out of the venue," Miss Kaiser explains. "We'd make eye contact with people, but it would just be us walking down the middle of the crowd. Eventually, we started weaving in and out of the audience and really trying to interact with people. It came out of this idea to share ourselves to the fullest extent possible with the audience." Mr. Cartel admits that some attendees become uncomfortable with the prospect of standing face to face with a singing musician. "We'll pass by people if they obviously don't want that kind of attention," he explains, "but the majority of people have been very into it. It makes them lifelong fans." • KaiserCartel will bring the love to the Black Cat on Tuesday. Local musician Andy Zipf headlines the show, which begins at 9 p.m. to the tune of $10. |
January 18, 2009 |
Check out this blog/website by our new friend Travis in Seattle...what a sweetie! Not to mention, great photographs! http://www.indierockreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=63&Itemid=126 |
January 18, 2009 |
The first concert of 2009 for me featured in the second slot, this wonderful duo from Brooklyn NY. Genuine personality and sound that can best be described as "pure". Other then utilizing a guitarist from the main act of the night to play some tambourine on "Okay", all singing and instrumentation for their performance at the Doug Fir Lounge last night came from Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel. Courtney's voice rang out strong in the small and terrific basement of the Doug Fir. We were treated to a very intimate performance of virtually every song on their debut album "March Forth". Benjamin is a true master of the percussion. By himself he was able to simulate an entire group of performers and change the dynamics of a song by lowering or raising his energy level while playing. A true sweetheart, Courtney was very pleasant to talk with after the show and I could tell she was thoroughly enjoying the praise from all of us that she got a chance to talk to. Yet she remained humble and had a child like twinkle in her eyes. The set was capped off with the duo hushing the audience and leaving the stage to come out to us. Courtney's sang a beautiful song and Benjamin backed her up while playing acoustic guitar. Courtney made eye contact with nearly each of us as they did this. And for a second or two... she was singing to each of us individually. A truly unique finish to a wonderful show. http://ethos83.blogspot.com/2009/01/kaisercartel-in-review.html |
January 03, 2009 |
We want to thank all of you for your support in 2008. On top of ringing in the excitement of our elected president Obama, we look forward to seeing you on tour in 2009 and sharing with you our new music! Also, we are finally set up to sell Merch on our website. It is always nice to directly support the artist when you can. We have "March Forth" available on vinyl and CD format, as the EP "Okay,and other things we feel", tshirts, and tote bags. All our love, KC |
January 03, 2009 |
Indiana native, Courtney Kaiser’s piercing blue eyes are not to be missed in this episode of The Laundromatinee. More important than the superficial though, KaiserCartel’s warm, inviting vocals will start your day (or afternoon. or night.) off on the right foot. http://www.laundromatinee.com/ |
November 23, 2008 |
With hoodie-in-hand, we staked our claim to the center of the floor (though we unfortunately couldn't get to the front of the stage) to watch the first band, KaiserCartel, perform their wonderful set filled with endearing folksy tunes. Comprised of boyfriend and girlfriend Benjamin Cartel and Courtney Kaiser, these two multi-instrumentalists demonstrated sheer talent and amazement at their warm reaction they got from the packed crowd. Though the Pike Room only holds roughly 250 people, it was jam-packed and the crowd was into it from the start, clapping along, playfully conversing with the band between songs, and cheering loudly at the end of each one. The genuinely friendly duo couldn't have seemed any more appreciative of the response they got as they performed songs from their album March Forth. The two alternated between lead vocals, guitars, and drums, with Benjamin displaying incredible concentration during one particular song playing a guitar, bass drum, and high hat all at the same time. Courtney also showed off her skills on the harmonium and a small xylophone. It must be said that both musicians are fantastic vocalists as well. Despite her diminutive stature, Kaiser's vocals never waver and floated through the room as freely as air. Cartel, who towers over his partner, can also belt out notes with ease. As good as their set was, it was their interaction and rapport with the crowd that really helped people connect with them. At one point, Courtney began searching for Casey Tennis, Margot's percussionist, to join them for a song. Unable to find him, she invited an audience member who had brought a tamborine with her on stage. Her and a friend, both of whom I distinctly recall seeing at Margot's St. Andrew's appearance (thanks to one's bright blonde hair and upper lip piercing), climbed up on stage and played a song with the band, receiving many cheers from the audience. As cool as that was, easily one of my favorite moments of the entire night came at the end of their set however. After asking the crowd to be as quiet as they could, Cartel unplugged his guitar and together he and Kaiser walked through the crowd, serenading them with a beautiful love song while they looked upon their audience up close and personal. It was one of the most unique moments I've ever exerpienced at a concert, and it was the type of intimacy that can only be granted in a small venue. As cool as it was to watch Coldplay perform in the stands during their show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, they were still surrounded by floor security. Here, these two excellent musicians were face to face with the crowd, giving the whole show a more personal touch than you could ever achieve in a giant arena. After their terrific opening set, I knew the night was going to be something special. KaiserCartel were the wild card, the one band of the three performing whom I wasn't familiar with ahead of time and potentially could have been the downer that stood out amongst two other great performances. As luck would have it, their set got the night off on the right foot and they definitely earned themselves some new fans last night - myself included. It was a wildly entertaining set that ended up putting the night over the top as a result of it being such an unexpected pleasant surprise. http://p1start.typepad.com/media_junkie/2008/11/triple-threat-margot-the-nuclear-so-and-sos-live-in-pontiac-mi-21-november-2008-at-the-pike-room.html |
November 19, 2008 |
Greg Blanco, from Boston Music Examiner, has just written one of the BEST EVER, reviews of a KaiserCartel live show. Thanks Greg! http://www. examiner. com/x-1274-Boston-Music-Examiner |
November 17, 2008 |
By NAILA FRANCIS Burlington County Times It's a moment that can be as unsettling for some as it is uplifting for others. And for Courtney Kaiser, it never gets old. For some time now, at the end of every show, Kaiser and boyfriend Benjamin Cartel (otherwise collectively known as KaiserCartel) have been leaving the stage to wander through the audience, Cartel toting his guitar, as Kaiser intertwines her warm, clarion vocals with his balmy tenor, for a roving rendition of their affecting ballad “Shira.” But rather than staging a finale of calculated familiarity, this kind of communion has a definite purpose. “We literally serenade everyone,” said Kaiser. “I'll get up right in somebody's face, and it's a really intense exchange with strangers ... because you're leaping over years and years of not knowing anything about someone to all of a sudden knowing everything about them just by looking into their eyes. Some people get tears in their eyes; they're enjoying it but it is also an extreme emotional thing for them. They're having the sensation of actually being sung to like a mother sings to a child or a father sings to a child ... and some are so uncomfortable, they can't lift their eyes. “It's very interesting and very touching and I love it. ... In that moment, whether (people) like us or not or are still deciding about the music, we reach that common ground and common level of human connection and people respond to it. It's my favorite part of the show.” The guilelessness and quaint charm of that moment is also what has been winnings over fans since the duo took to the road four years ago doling out crayons with copies of their first EP, “Double Standard,” so listeners could color in the black-and-white line drawing on the cover. From the start, a sense of intimacy and playfulness, earnestness and generosity has infused their music — fetching acoustic folk-rock crafted with a deliberate homespun feel. That Kaiser, 33, and Cartel, 37, relish collaborating together is obvious. Even when they were performing as separate musical entities, embarking on their first joint tour shortly after they began dating, it seemed only natural that they would sing harmony and play on each other's songs. “Being in the creative mode, inventing different ideas for sounds, that's a natural thing for us,” said Cartel. “I think we're both fans of each other's talents. We have a lot of faith in each other's talents and it helps us enjoy working together.” For Kaiser, that magic translates to the stage. “We really enjoy performing for other people and bringing joy into their lives through music and I think that keeps us going,” she said. “When we play together on stage and connect with each other, we feel like we're doing something in service to other people.” Sometimes, with the jangling, whistle-charged perkiness of tunes like “Season Song,” from their full-length debut “March Forth,” released earlier this summer, it seems that mission is simply to infect others with their sunny disposition. At other times, the two offer up thoughtful reflections on relationships, singing about love and acceptance, honesty and even disappointment with a grace and equanimity that stand as a testament to their commitment. And while many of the songs are delivered in an admittedly “simple, catchy pop-style,” a few heft contemplative weight, the ominously moody “The Flood” inspired by the film “An Incon-venient Truth” and the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, while the dreamy, strings-draped “Free Will Zone” echoes the theme of Barbara Marciniak's controversial book, “Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians,” and its call for a more cooperative existence free from the media's influence. “A lot of the stuff that we're singing about, even including reacting to art work, films and stuff like that, it really is about our lives; it's about what we've experienced and what we've lived,” said Cartel, noting that many of their songs are written as messages from one person to another, though not always to each other. Most also are penned separately though the final product always bears the influence of both partners, who come to the First Unitarian Church Tuesday night in Philadelphia. “You look at some duos and you see that there's one person clearly driving most of the music and another person kind of supplying some personality or something to it,” said Cartel. “That's sort of required for KaiserCartel. We have to be able to collaborate in that way.” Kaiser, who prefers writing when she's alone in their Brooklyn home, similarly will bring her songs, recorded on GarageBand, to Cartel for his special touch. “It's a nice way to be individualized about it but also democratic,” she said. “Everyone has their time to figure out what their part will be, and a nice amount of time is spent making sure the song is crafted in the best way possible.” Naila Francis can be reached at (215) 345-3149 or nfrancis@phillyBurbs.com. http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/81-11142008-1621336.html |
November 17, 2008 |
After myriad failed attempts, last night I caught a splendid performance from Brooklyn based duo, KaiserCartel. Their gentle yet intriguing indie poppin’ debut LP, March Forth, has held a warm place in my heart for the better part of the last six months. With a certain charm and an undeniable flair, their set was everything I was hoping for it to be plus more. Enjoy their recent TV guide performances of ‘Okay’ & ‘Season Song’ here. Visit KC on MySpace. http://themusicslut.com/2008/11/kaisercartel-union-hall-i-think-i-love-you/ |
November 16, 2008 |
March Forth is the debut album from Brooklyn, NY duo KaiserCartel. The group is comprised of the real life couple Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel (hence the clever nomenclature). Unlike other two-person outfits, Kaiser and Cartel don't feel the need to make lots of clatter to make their point. Don't expect anything like The White Stripes, The Kills, or heaven forbid Death From Above 1979. Think more She & Him. What we do get from KaiserCartel are 12 tracks worth of inviting, charming pop ditties that would make Evan Dando jealous. Simple, warm vocals lend a homespun feel to the record. They in turn are perfectly backed by a musical soundtrack in which no note is superfluous. Every cello bow, xylophone beat, and mellotron whir have a purpose. Songs like "Oh No", "Okay", and the whistle-infused "Season Song" are as good as any indie pop song you will hear this summer. http://www.snobsmusic.net/2008/07/album-review-kaiser-cartel-march-forth.html |
November 16, 2008 |
Venus Zine by LIz Schroeter Across town in the basement of the terribly named bar Rehab, the Brooklyn duo KaiserCartel was playing. The band’s boy-girl harmonies are some of the best I’ve heard in a long time, more folksy than Mates of States-y. Courtney Kaiser’s subtle vibrato and ability to effortlessly hit well placed high notes could give Feist a run for her money. Benjamin Cartel’s harmonies are the perfect match for their bittersweet melodies. The pair took turns on lead vocals and traded off guitars, drums, and xylophones. For their last song abandoned the stage all together and walked around the room while singing a sort of lullaby to the audience. KaiserCartel was both playful and sincere, which made the duo one of the most lovable live bands you may see at CMJ. http://venuszine.com/articles/music/live_reviews/4535/CMJ_2008_Day_3_Voices_strong_sweet_shouting_and_speaking_for_themselves__ |
November 06, 2008 |
St. Paul, Minn. — Don't let Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel hear you say that you can't have a duo with just drums and guitar...because they'll prove you wrong. The two formed a duo - both musically and romantically - after meeting several times at different gigs. Now they live and perform as KaiserCartel. "March Forth" is the title of their debut EP and they stopped into the Morning Show studio to perform a few songs for Dale and Jim Ed. Songs performed: "Oh No" and "Season Song" http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/11/05/kaisercartel/?refid=0 |
November 05, 2008 |
It is the strangest feeling ever, to have the person you actually voted for, win the election. At first, we were in shock..changing news stations checking to see if it was real. We have been told lies before. Then McCain gave his concession. Then Barack spoke. His words at the beginning of his speech really hit me. He said "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in democracy, tonight is your answer". It is incredibly sad to feel ashamed of your own country. To feel that democracy is a lie and could never work. To feel that we will never see beyond the differences. I believe Obama knows this and recognizes that this is what has happened as a result of the last 8 years. It is wonderful to have faith, to trust, and put every ounce of energy into a new President. I have never put these aspects of myself into a candidate. Benjamin and I are so happy we contributed money, that we shared literature while on the road throughout this campaign, and especially that we were a part of that PA win. Without all the volunteers and ground work, we wouldn't have won. In gratitude for everyone believing from the beginning and everyone's hard work. Everyone has won this election! |
November 04, 2008 |
We are headed down to Bethlehem, PA to help keep people in line to vote. The lines get so long down there that it can take hours, and historically, people get frustrated and leave. We were in touch with the Obama campaign, and chose to stand out there on main st. from 10am to 2pm to entertain people while they are waiting. Please go out and vote. This is a very important election as you already know, and every vote really does count. Don't forget, whistle while you vote...and get your free download! Go OBAMA! |
October 29, 2008 |
It is time for a change of season in the White House and in America!
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October 26, 2008 |
The greatest treat, in terms of musical pals, was actually the opening act, Brooklyn-based duoKaiserCartel. We listened to some tracks from their MySpace page (music starts automatically) before heading over to the Horse, so we were kind of psyched going in, but what was truly astounding about these two, is that they managed to bring their full studio sound on to the stage. They started out simply enough, Courtney Kaiser playing guitar and singing the main vocals, and Benjamin Cartel playing drums and singing backup. (Courtney Kaiser is my kind of guitarist, I have to say–keeps her guitar in an open tuning so that she can just move her hand up and down the frets and concentrate on singing instead.) After a couple of songs, though, things started to get crazy. Everyone was moving around, switching instruments, using a drink frother to play a xylophone, and omg that guy is playing the guitar and the drums at the same time. It was kick-ass. Both of the duo have terrific voices, and they are so perfectly in-synch with each other it is a wonder to behold. Their first album, March Forth, produced by Matt Hales (Aqualung), was released in June, and I think they have (or will soon have) an EP as well, though for the life of me I can’t find anything on their website about how to buy these things. Catch them on tour in November with Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s (*love*), and check out their tunes and videos at MySpace! http://eyeballman.com/blog/2008/10/26/im-still-trying-to-stop-your-heart/ |
September 11, 2008 |
We are so happy to announce that we are going to be playing with our good friend and producer, Matt Hales (aka Aqualung). He is putting out a new record, and we are really looking forward to hearing it on record as well as live. Please check out the tour dates for show information. |
September 04, 2008 |
We wil be on KEXP radio on John in the Morning on KEXP today at 11am (est), 8am (pst). 90.3FM in Seattle, 91.5FM (KEXP) in NYC (WNYE Radio New York and www.kexp.org worldwide. We are so thankful to the station as well as John in the Morning for showing us love right away when we released the record. If you don't know the station, they are originally from Seattle but are also now syndicated via NYC. They are definitly one of the coolest radio stations in the US. And KEXP is a radio station full of real music lovers! Thank you for the love Jon and KEXP!! |
August 26, 2008 |
KAISERCARTEL: Paging Dr. KaiserCartel Jul 30, 2008 By Jennifer Monteagudo I like to think of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel as the two unknown characters on Captain Planet. They fist bump their power rings and magically form KaiserCartel, the sweetest, most genuine indie rock band to come out of Brooklyn in a long while. Their debut full-length, March Forth (Bluhammock), features soft instruments, gentle melodies and powerful vocals, especially on the part of Ms. Kaiser. The two are doing extensive touring this summer in support of March Forth, but we caught up with them via phone as they were droving through Arkansas. Courtney and Benjamin clued us in on why they think of themselves as musical doctors, and more. I noticed you're conducting a pretty epic tour. Are gas prices making it difficult? Kaiser: Yeah gas prices are the highest we've seen yet. The plus side is that there're two of us, so we can drive in a car. The car we're driving is a Prius and it's better for the environment and it's better for our wallets for gas. We're still doing well but we're not making as much money as we could on the road. Are less fans coming to shows because of gas prices? Cartel: Actually, we're attracting more fans than we ever have before because of lots of radio play, and we've been out in some areas at least two or three times already. Are you surprised by the attention March Forth has gathered? Kaiser: We're just excited that other people are excited about the music we make. We're really happy that the CMJ charts are doing well, that college radio enjoys it, that people are requesting the music. We're glad to have a team behind us that is helping us instead of us just doing everything by ourselves. We're just grateful for the love. How long did it take to record March Forth? Kaiser: It took eight days with Matt Hales, our producer, and we did it in L.A. We spent some time before that working in Minneapolis and Chapel Hill. We [spent] a lot of time playing the songs in New York and throughout last year, so we knew the songs really well. That made going to the studio a lot easier. How do you get the inspiration to write songs? Kaiser: We can be inspired by movies, by people telling us stories, by our own experiences, but I think it varies. I think on that record it's a good hodge-podge of things like that. I think we can be inspired by just about anything. Cartel: I'm always into a good story, if it's someone else's story or my own. I always look for the story aspect when I'm talking to people and listening. My favorite song from March Forth is "The Flood." Was that in any way inspired by Hurricane Katrina? Kaiser: "The Flood" was definitely inspired by Katrina as well as An Inconvenient Truth. That movie came out, and it was also raining tons in New York. Just raining and raining and raining. I love that song too, I think it's really powerful. It could be scary. Ben has a cousin and a friend [who] both live down [in New Orleans], and they had nowhere to go. The house was destroyed. My friend's mom was going down to New Orleans. She'd go every other two weeks to volunteer and even months later she said it was just the same thing—still no help, still people just devastated. What are the challenges of being a couple in a band? Kaiser: I think it's about the same as being with band members. The difference is that we don't have the separation of space. A lot of couples just go to their jobs and you have that separation. But with us we're together all the time. The only challenge is giving the other person time to themselves. The advantage is being together all the time. When people tour with their band and they're away from their significant other, it's really challenging to the person who is at home, because they're at home doing the chores, doing [everything] by themselves while their partner is out on the road having a good time. What's your favorite band that's also a couple? Kaiser: (giggling) Ben likes Dean And Britta. Cartel: Another one—Sonic Youth. Kaiser: I agree with that. Also we have a band that we were introduced to via a promoter is a band from Northampton [Massachusetts] called the Winter Pills. I really dig that band. What do you want people to take away from your music? Kaiser: I like to see music as... like we're a doctor or something. And people can listen to us play and it soothes them and heals them in whatever ways they need. Cartel: I think it is kind of a spiritual thing. Kaiser: We like to have an effect on people. At the end of our shows we sing the song "Shira," which is at the end of our record. We try to recreate the experience of an audio recording by, at the end of the show, walking around, serenading the crowd. [I] sing to each and every person and I'll be really, really close. There's always a different response. Some people start tearing up, some people are really freaked out about someone being that close. People always love it in the end, even if it made them uncomfortable, having someone so close and being soothed by music that lively. On the recording we try to do that by leaving one room and moving into another room and having the microphone set up and moving back so you can feel this type of movement idea. And I think when we do that, getting that close, we really do feel that kind of emotional grasp of people. It's a really intimate and amazing moment. So you try to make every person feel closer to the music? Kaiser: Absolutely. Not everybody was sung to as children, and you don't get sung to as an adult. People don't actually soothe you or get to you that way, and I think it's really affective. People really feel like it's something they're intimate with, now they've crossed the line of watching and observing and now they're sort of included. Are you working on new material? Kaiser: We've started playing some new songs on the road. [There's] a sound check song we're writing as we're sound-checking each city so by the end of the tour, we'll have a new song. Are your new songs a departure? Cartel: They're not extreme departures, but I'm starting to feel that the conversation in March Forth was between Courtney and I. Now it's a conversation between us and our audience. http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=70047708 |
August 26, 2008 |
Posted by Matt Cuthbert August 25, 2008 12:44 PM Categories: Music KaiserCartel Performing 8/26 at Bottletree. John P. Strohm opens. Tickets $7. Once upon a time, Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel were living cushy lifestyles as elementary educators. But their lofty schoolteachers' salaries weren't enough for them. Overcome by corporate greed, they decided to ditch their careers, pack their stuff up in a car, and drive around the country playing wispy folk-pop songs late at night in dimly-lit music clubs under the moniker of KaiserCartel. Seriously though, can you imagine what kind of devotion to music that sort of move takes (for any band)? To make their story even sweeter though, the two also became a couple. Their love for their craft and for one another is evident in the songs put forth on their debut album March Forth (a nod to the date they met). In particular, their song "Good Ones" has been on heavy rotation in my MP3 player lately (you can hear it on the duo's MySpace page). Their sound falls somewhere along the lines of Mates of State or The Weepies (coincidentally, two other boy-girl indie-pop couples). KaiserCartel are bringing their sweet melodies to Bottletree tomorrow night (Aug. 26) at 9 p.m. Check them out, and you just may fall in love with them too. The connection between the couple is brought to life when they play live, surrounded by...stuffed animals. It sounds silly because it is, and in the wrong hands could come off as precious, but somehow KaiserCartel makes their army of toys work like magic on the audience, bringing out their inner kids with infectious indie lullabies. And if that wasn't enough to make you sigh, "Awww..." The band's reps say that by the end of a show, the duo makes it a priority to walk through the audience and serenade onlookers. Their concert is a late addition to Bottletree's calendar, and that could leave them with an unfortunately sparse audience. Do your part to make them feel welcomed in Birmingham. Tickets are only $7, and John P. Strohm is opening (two more reasons to attend). |
August 23, 2008 |
Monolith Interview - Kaiser Cartel by Adam Schragin August 22, 2008 - 8:00am Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel had individual careers as singer-songwriters before fate fused them together, both as the cooperative musical troupe KaiserCartel, and, as romance would have it, a couple. Now Cartel and Kaiser live together in Brooklyn, teach children when they aren’t playing music, and debuted with their album March Forth just this past June. ML: As a couple/band, what is it like touring and working together constantly? Benjamin Cartel: It is challenging as a couple and as a band, as well as rewarding. Courtney Kaiser: The plus side is that we're together rather than one person at home paying bills, doing house chores while the other is playing shows and meeting new people. ML: Courtney, you were a back-up singer for John Mellencamp some time ago. What was that experience like? C.K.: It was amazing. The band members are all incredible musicians and I learned a lot from them. John gave me the opportunity to sing in front of thousands of people - which I had not done - and in a way he showed me that it was something I could do. I put my solo record out after doing two tours and really think he helped me to open my eyes and show me what I was capable of. I loved the tour bus, and will always think of that time period in my life as challenging as well as fun. I look forward to having a veggie-powered bus for KaiserCartel in the future ;) ML: How did your styles, as Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel, differ? Do you find that your direction changes when you combine forces? B.C.: We come to a musical middle ground, which sounds different than what we sounded like as individuals. C.K.: I think also in our coming together and in our newer experiences with life and our surroundings, our blend has been a natural progression, not a premeditated idea. We have never said, "Oh, for a KaiserCartel song, Ben's song needs to have this instrumentation" or anything like that. B.C.: Part of what brings our sound together is the lo-fi ethic that we started out with… C.K.: …which came out of necessity because we were touring in a small car, but have kept it because we like the minimalist quality. ML: I was going to ask if you minded the adjective “cute” in regard to your music when I learned you decorate your stage with stuffed animals. I’m taking it that “cute” is something you’re not only comfortable with, but wholly embrace? C.K.: The stuffed animals started with a cat puppet. People started giving them to us, and we would find them. Each animal seemed to be telling a story of their past or their owners past, and we just kept them with us on stage. We don't mind people thinking we're cute, but we don't want people to not take us seriously. We work really hard at our song writing and putting together the right harmonies and instrumentation. ML: What other couple-y bands do you admire? Do you get a constant stream of Mates of State comparisons? C.K.: I have been hearing that I sound like whatever singer is popular at the time. That started when I was sixteen. I think people have to relate musicians to other musicians because it makes them more comfortable with their description. As far as couple-y things, I like the Winterpills from Northampton. B.C.: We like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Peaches and Herb, and Roy and Dale;) ML: March Forth is your debut record as KaiserCartel. Could you talk about what it was like making it, and your thoughts on the finished project? B.C.: We had worked on the album for a long time, but then recorded it in eight days. It was a big contrast, and only took a short time because we knew the songs so well. C.K.: We really like how it turned out. Matt Hales was a great producer and the label worked really hard at pulling the studio and gear in L.A. together for us. All the choices were made seventy-two hours before we left NYC to visit my parents for Christmas. ML: Is Brooklyn a good place to be in an indie-folk-pop band? C.K.: We live in Red Hook, Brooklyn and it's the best. We have great, supportive neighbors who are also creative types either in music or art. There's a lot of space to breathe in while you are also in the mix of crazy multitasking maniacs. We love it. B.C.: Brooklyn is a great place to be for any kind of band. There's lots of diversity and cultural influence. It's an exciting and vital place to be right now. ML: Both of you are teachers, correct? Is there one teacher, in music or otherwise, who inspired you growing up? B.C.: I was lucky to have a lot of great teachers growing up in the suburbs of NYC. I was very inspired by Peter Kanyack, who was my elementary band teacher. He made music a lot of fun for me. Also, John Murray, who was my high school art teacher, gave me a second home in high school in his classroom. C.K.: My music teacher Mrs. Bartalomeo gave me the leading role of Annie in the first grade. That was a big deal. I remember my friend Megan being really mad about it…but really, all my music teachers were amazing. My vocal teacher Camilla Williams at IU was a pretty hard-to-forget teacher. ML: What are your thoughts on playing Monolith? Is this the biggest festival you’ve played so far? C.K.: We are really excited to play Monolith. I have played Red Rocks before with Mellencamp so I know how beautiful it is. ML: Who else are you looking forward to seeing during the fest? C.K.: We are looking forward to seeing our friends play and hoping to see something new. Kaiser Cartel performs at Monolith at 2:45 pm on Saturday, September 13th. - Adam Schragin http://www.madeloud.com/article/812 |
August 13, 2008 |
http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2008/08/13/song-of-the-day-kaisercartel-oh-no/ Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Oh No by KaiserCartel from the 2008 album March Forth on Bluhammock Records. KaiserCartel - Oh No (MP3) Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel started playing together on March 4th as a way of expressing musical sensibilities that didn’t fit in their previous, separate projects. Their cleverly titled debut, March Forth, proves their new project was worth investing in. The Brooklyn duo worked as elementary school teachers before deciding at the end of this last school year to devote themselves full time to their latest endeavor. Recorded in LA with producer Matt Hales (aka Aqualung) and mixed by Hales and Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros), March Forth is brimming with simple, fun pop melodies reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian or even Seattle’s own Arthur & Yu. Everything about this pair exudes simplicity. They’re not concerned with pushing limits but rather using the things they know well to create an accessible, blissful listening experience. Their spare harmonies ring softly above conversational, storytelling lyrics that speak of day-to-day life without ever sounding mundane. KaiserCartel is currently on a full US tour that reaches its zenith September 13th at Colorado’s Monolith Festival. Check their MySpace page as they just might have a date near you, and we, of course, have the official video for Oh No: |
July 15, 2008 |
By Jim Walsh Courtney Kaiser has been a student and teacher of music for so long that even if she didn’t have a couple degrees and indie-rock street cred going for her, the confidence in her voice when the subject of unrequited artistic dreams comes up is enough to make any would-be singer sit up and listen. Or, croon. “There’s very few tone-deaf people in the world, scientifically speaking,” says Kaiser, one-half of the Brooklyn-based pop-art duo KaiserCartel, who perform tonight (9 p.m. at Macy’s Day Of Music) and Sunday (3 p.m, 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl). “That’s how adults always describe it when they say they can’t sing. But if you ask, there’s always a story that happened at some point from early childhood or in school where they were in a choir or in some sort of performance, and the teacher was like, `You should sing a lot quieter.’ Or hush them. Or told them to lip-synch. “I think singing is a lot of a psychological thing. You have people who think they can’t sing high. But if you get them standing on a table and you pull on their arms, and they’re trying to resist you, and you get them to sing higher and higher as you’re trying to pull them off the table, people always sing way higher than they think they can.” “Torture,” deadpans Kaiser’s partner Benjamin Cartel, “can be a very effective tool when it comes to singing.” To read the rest click here |
July 10, 2008 |
We are excited to announce a new Chicago, (technically Lisle, IL) date. We will be opening for Paula Cole at the beautiful Morton Arboretum on July 12! For more info and to buy tickets, please go to the website: www.mortonarb.org |
July 10, 2008 |
A 4 star review for KaiserCartel!! AcedMagazine.com |
July 10, 2008 |
"Oh No" Video Premiered online at AOL's Spinner. |
July 10, 2008 |
Brooklyn-based band KaiserCartel recorded their debut album, March Forth, in only eight days, but we promise that you'll be listening to this album way longer than that....Read More |
July 10, 2008 |
July 10, 2008 |
July 10, 2008 |
July 10, 2008 |
Kaiser + Cartel = Tru Luv 4Eva Two elementary school teachers from Brooklyn fell in love and became a band. How cute is that? Read Article |
July 10, 2008 |
July 10, 2008 |
They live in Brooklyn, the part of Brooklyn where melody reigns, whistling is compulsory and anything (like a milk frother) could be considered an instrument. Read More |
July 09, 2008 |
"Oh No" video love from MusicRemedy.com. |
July 09, 2008 |
"Okay" video love from MusicRemedy.com. |
July 09, 2008 |
Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel have logged thousands of miles, lost continents, parted ways with rock stars, formed and broken up bands -- all for you to hear March Forth, the debut from the duo. They live in Brooklyn, the part of Brooklyn where melody reigns, whistling is compulsory and anything (like a milk frother) could be considered an instrument. Rather than conjure the twee miasma that those ingredients could create, KaiserCartel have constructed a gorgeous album of songs about living and loving, something they know about, as their musical and romantic lives are so entangled, it's difficult to say where one starts and the other begins. Read More. |
July 09, 2008 |
Our new video "Oh No" was posted in the "Recently Uploaded Videos Section" on the MySpace Music Videos page. Click here see the page. Check out our MySpace Page |
July 02, 2008 |
he lounging dewdrops and mellow sounds of Belle & Sebastian found a new home in the music of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel. Together, they form KaiserCartel and they have recently released their second record March Forth, named after the date that the two decided to make music together, March 4th. Produced by Matt Hales of Aqualung and mixed by Hales and Ken Thomas of Sigur Ros, March Forth is a wholesome dose of fresh air. There is a purity in KaiserCartel’s music that makes the melodic phrases seem ungarnished but diligently finished and the vocals of Kaiser and Cartel are beautifully bare. By the first bars of the opening track “Oh No,” you may feel like KaiserCartel are a repeat performance of Belle & Sebastian, but in fact as the album unfolds, more about the duo is revealed and it all makes an indelible impression on listeners as Courtney’s pitch is reminiscent of Nicole Atkins...read more and make us really happy, vote! |
June 24, 2008 |
We sat down with uncensored interview waayy back at SXSW. We had many "indie" thooughts. Here is one that is just now surfacing: |
June 04, 2008 |
Check out KaiserCartel at SXSW on
Blender.com |
June 04, 2008 |
June 04, 2008 |
PasteMagazine.com chose KaiserCartel's "Okay" Video as the video of the day. |
June 04, 2008 |
KaiserCartel and their upcoming album March Forth was featured in the Summer 2008 issue of Zink Magazine. |
June 04, 2008 |
KaiserCartel's "Oh No" video was accepted at VH1.com today! |
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