Asthmatic Kitty's Comic "Critic-Based Pricing Structure"

With the rise of digital dissimenation lessening the perceived value of recorded music, indie labels are coming up with new and inventive ways to shill their wares. But few have done so as comically as Asthmatic Kitty, who this week performed a high-comedy publicity-stunt upon the release of Ropechain, the second LP for bearded Hoosier bluesman Grampall Jookabox.

After the record received a solidly-mediocre 5.4 score from boy's-own indie-rock behemoth Pitchfork Media, Asthmatic Kitty announced that, for the 54 hours after the review was published, that Ropechain would be sold for $5.40.

"I know that it has been a long and difficult road for music critics everywhere," offered GJ frontman Moose, in a press-release statement that smacked of Onion-styled satire. "Until now their point systems had absolutely no effect on the value of music. Today, they rightly take their place as determiners of the value of music."

Thus, Asthmatic Kitty —whose sweet roster of acts're hand-picked by a certain songsmith named Sufjan Stevens— did, in all seriousness, for the first 54 hours following 9AM Monday, put up Ropechain for sale, at $5.40.

No news, yet, if Capitol Records will begin selling Jet's retro-rockin' sophomore set, Shine On, for the $0.00 its was valued at in Pitchfork's infamous video review of the record.

Photo © [Aimee Brown]