KITTY SNACKS #3 KEGGER + AFTERPARTY 3/5/10

Our friends at the North Mississippi literary zine KITTY SNACKS are throwing a party on Friday, March 5th at Oxford's POWERHOUSE to celebrate the release of their third issue. The thing's limited to 200 numbered copies and boasts writings by George Singleton, Deb Olin Unferth, Kevin Wilson, John Brandon, Mary Miller, Rudy Wilson, and more!

Issue #3 also features photography by Jane Rule Burdine, Ward Long, and John Oliver Hodges, all of whom will have images on display at the throwdown, which ties in to the OXFORD CONFERENCE OF THE BOOK weekend honoring our favorite writer of all time BARRY HANNAH.

John Oliver Hodges will perform a musical interpretation of Hannah's cult classic novella RAY, and the Kitty Snacks dudes will raffle off goodies from FAT POSSUM, THE LYRIC theater, and others. Admission is $5 to drink or $10 if you want a copy of the magazine as well. Festivities begin at 9 p.m.

The fun, flirty, and totally free AFTERPARTY will pop off at Ajax Diner, where guest DJs AIR BUD (a.k.a. Flight + Dent May) will be spinning cosmic disco, funky R&B, rare psych grooves, and more!

For more info hit up the PRESS RELEASE straight from the Kitty's mouth.

Ecstatic Eyes *a&b*

Like the previous Cats Purring tape, Ecstatic Eyes also begins with a selection picked from 8 discs of field recordings collected by Art Rosenbaum. In a small group of ten and unaware of his musicological background, I studied the life and work of Jackson Pollock under Dr. Rosenbaum at The University of Georgia in 2003. I was pleasantly surprised when in 2007, Dust-to-Digital went on to release over 50 years of music that he documented throughout the states.

KITTY SNACKS #1 DOWNLOAD + ISSUE #3 INFO

Good news for fans of Oxford, MS literary zine KITTY SNACKS:

With the DIY publication's 3rd release just around the corner, the long out-of-print KITTY SNACKS #1 is now available for free download HERE. Literature by JACK PENDARVIS and SAM PINK! Interviews with KING KHAN and Geologist of ANIMAL COLLECTIVE! Oh, and that ultra cute cover art is by our friend and frequent collaborator WILL BRYANT.

Meanwhile, the greatest lit blog in the land HTML GIANT is hosting a Kitty Snacks "guest post," a conversation between John Brandon and Mary Miller, two of our favorite writers with Mississippi connections. Check that out HERE.

After the jump, take a peek at the line-up for the highly anticipated, sure-to-dazzle KITTY SNACKS #3.

THE TRUE BELIEVERS

Two brothers travel to the Pacific Northwest in search of sasquatch.

"Don't be carryin' those kittens all around town with you..." - Cats Purring's Alex Warren (famed drummer of Dead Gaze)

AIRSHIPS BACK TO SCHOOL DANCE-A-THON @ THE LYRIC 1/29/10

Oxford, MS's most highly respected dance party AIRSHIPS returns this Friday! Join David & Dent at THE LYRIC for a memorable evening of:

-nonstop ecstatic dancing
-hanging out
-sipping on zimas (jolly ranchers optional)
-dressing up in stylish outfits
-noodling to string cheese bootlegs
-discussing exciting & relevant topics w/ colleagues
-making connections to get that dream internship next summer
-gettin blackout wasted
-boogieing til your feet fall off
-loads of gorgeous gals
-MORE!

We hope you guys can make it!

AFTERSCHOOL OXFORD

AFTERSCHOOL OXFORD, a new site for North Mississippi community event listings, has launched. Started by Erin Abbott, founder of the MOTEL ART SHOW SERIES and one of our favorite photographers, this calendar is much needed considering escalating complaints that certain "local" publications only provide listings for advertisers (which is not only a lame policy but also an unethical one).

KITTY SNACKS BOOK KLUB: "THE RED TRUCK" BY RUDY WILSON

Good news for all you book dweebs out there: Our twisted sister literary publication KITTY SNACKS has started a monthly book "klub" and their first selection is a winner. THE RED TRUCK by native Mississippian Rudy Wilson is a bit of a lost classic, released in 1987 by Knopf and edited by the infamous GORDON LISH (whose work with Raymond Carver, Barry Hannah and Amy Hempel has earned him a cult following and a controversial reputation)...

FLIGHT 7" AVAILABLE NOW VIA HOZAC HOOKUP KLUB

The Cats Purring Country Club just got the sickest holiday shipment ever: a big box of these FLIGHT records, "Feels So Good" b/w "In The Morning Light," out via the HOZAC HOOKUP KLUB. If you aren't a member, ordering instructions are HERE. Recorded in the famous TEEN WING of our North Mississippi complex.

THE ROCKWELLS + KING ELEMENTARY 12/25 @ MARTIN'S (JXN, MS)

Jackson, Mississippi! Come revisit the early 2000s with your two favorite teenage bands of yesteryear. THE ROCKWELLS and KING ELEMENTARY, both of which were formed in high school and neither of which have performed in years, will reunite Christmas night at Martin's in downtown Jackson.

THE ROCKWELLS are a power-pop band formed by Dent May, Patrick Addison (formerly of Colour Revolt), Ben Buckner, and Jack Bell. Inspired by The Cars, Squeeze, Cheap Trick, and ELO, they released a self-titled EP before parting ways to go to college and pursue other musical endeavors.

KING ELEMENTARY are a garage rock band who recorded a classic, amazingly underrated album at the famous SWEAT TEA studio and signed to Capitol Records all before graduating high school. Like many young bands, they were chewed up and spit out by the collapsing major label record industry and will be playing for the first time since with their original lineup (Morgan Jones, Will Randolph, Andrew Fox, and Jeremy Upton).

Don't sleep on this historic event, Jacktown. Happy Holidays!

OXFORD MAKER'S MARKET SATURDAY 12/5 @ THE POWERHOUSE

Those seeking amazing and unconventional stocking stuffers for the holidaze, pay attention. The Oxford MAKER'S MARKET is a DIY arts & crafts market that's been taking place every first and third Saturday of the month in various locations across town. Tomorrow (12/4), the market will be held from 11-6 at The POWERHOUSE community arts center (where these cats are joining up with a HOLIDAY ART MARKET sponsored by the Oxford Artist's Guild).

The MAKER'S MARKET website (which is reportedly still a work in progress visually speaking) has the full list of participants. All kinds of kool visual art and homemade goodies like jewelry, buttons, mixtapes, live music DVDs, furniture, and more will be on sale. And if you're broke like us, stop by and hang anyway!

Check out some pix from previous markets after the jump...

CATS PURRING RECOMMENDS... CAMERA OBSCURA + PAPERCUTS @ THE LYRIC 12/2

Hey Oxford, legendary Glaswegian indie pop band CAMERA OBSCURA will be stopping by The Lyric on Wednesday evening to perform the lush, romantic pop gems they've been cranking out for over a decade now. They're often compared to fellow Glasgow sensations BELLE & SEBASTIAN (fittingly, Stuart Merdoch of that band produced their debut album), but it's their fourth and arguably finest record MY MAUDLIN CAREER they'll be promoting tomorrow. In other words, their charming tunes make us feel goooood.

PAPERCUTS of San Francisco, who some of us were lucky to catch back in 2k8 opening for BEACH HOUSE in Memphis, will open the show. Rather than bore you with our own description of this terrific band, here's what the NEW YORK TIMES had to say about them:

"Melding sustained organ chords with slow fingerpicked guitar, the Papercuts’ music merged Velvet Underground ballads with touches of the Byrds, while Jason Quever sang in a high, diffident voice about elusive love."

Count me in! Tickets are available now via THE LYRIC for a mere $12. Hope y'all can make it out tomorrow night.

DEAD ESTATE MIX BY SAMO LANE

In commemoration of the transcendent REAL ESTATE + DEAD GAZE show in Oxford last night, our pal Samo Lane put together this nice little mix, appropriately titled DEAD ESTATE. Those in attendance at the Red Star Bar heard some of these jams pumping from the house speakers between sets. PORCH OF THE MYSTICS (who by now are beginning to feel like a part of the CATS PURRING family, maybe like our weird cousins from over yonder) were nice enough to post the mix.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK THE TUNES (W/ TRACKLIST) AT THE PORCH NOW!

**artwork courtesy of our friend and frequent collaborator WILL BRYANT**