Illinois To Release ‘The Adventures Of Kid Catastrophe’ on +1 Records…
Six Months of EPs, Short Films and Residencies
Chapter 1 Slated for Digital Release On November 4th
Release Shows Kick Off November 3rd



After hearing for years about the ‘decline of the traditional album format,’ and how ‘the music industry needs to reinvent itself,’ there has been a growing sense that our beloved industry is stuck in its own version of the Hamlet complex: all self-assessment, and no action. Meanwhile, waiting in the weeds was a band called Illinois, from small-town Bucks County, PA. When asked to record a debut album, they handed us a hard drive containing 114 (yes, one hundred and fourteen) songs – a manic mix of banjo-laced saloon anthems, hip hop beats, rip-roaring electric guitar riffs, and tender acoustic soul-searching – traversing fresh genre terrain seemingly with every passing track.

Armed with their staggering productivity, a sense of reckless abandon, and nothing really to lose, Illinois was unlike any artist we’d ever met or worked with. They were just crazy (and prolific) enough to go all-in with us, placing a bet on the future. We threw caution to the wind and tailored a plan to befit a band of their boundless breadth and scope.

Starting on November 4th, Illinois will embark on a multi-platform project that includes releasing an EP and a chapter from a short film every month for six months (release dates below). Each month, three songs and a chapter of the short film will be released as a bundle. With iTunes’ and YouTube’s digital outlets leading the charge, Illinois’ ‘The Adventures Of Kid Catastrophe’ will put to the test the true power of the subatomic stratosphere we know as the World Wide Web.

North American Release Dates
Chapter 1 || November 4, 2008
Chapter 2 || December 2, 2008
Chapter 3 || Jan. 13, 2009
Chapter 4 || Feb. 3, 2009
Chapter 5 || Mar. 3, 2009
Chapter 6 || Apr. 7, 2009



(photo credit: Jason McDonald / www.JasonMcDonaldPhotography.com)

THE 114-SONG DEMO

Over the past 2 years, Illinois has garnered a reputation as a lovably ramshackle live act. Having toured with acts such as The Hold Steady, The Kooks, and Menomena, most are surprised to find that they have released only one EP to date, entitled ‘What The Hell Do I Know?,’ which was released on Ace Fu Records in March of ‘07. Lead singer Chris Archibald (aka Arch) never stopped writing, however. Quite the contrary: he had spearheaded a torrential songwriting barrage, to the tune of over 100 songs. We concluded that Arch had a bit of the savant in him.

The songs, all written and recorded by Arch, were done in his basement on Garage Band. For microphones, he drew from his day job as an electrician and fixed up a busted ’58 he found on a scrap heap. A Styrofoam cup glued to the mic head served as a pop filter. He also hot-wired a secondary mic using only a mic cable and a telephone receiver. Needless to say, the recordings were a bit raw, but raw is often just another word for honest.

The songs profile a character named Kid Catastrophe, who can aptly be described as Arch’s disillusioned alter ego. T-shirts ripped, bedroom slippers on his feet – when Kid Catastrophe goes looking for room to roam, he finds only hell and high water. What does one do, for instance, when that gold skinned girl gets old, your soul empties for good, you’ve got one foot shakin’ in the grave, and they’re serving your blood in a goddamn saloon? Imbued with humor, calamity, and heartbreak, Arch often finds redemption in the most basic of elements: a forlorn “la la la,” a comfortable pair of headphones, and a bottle of whiskey.

SHORT FILM SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEOPLE-FOOD



We sent Arch to Los Angeles to team up with People-Food (an underground art collective that has gained notoriety for their subversive high-concept videos). They were given the challenge of writing, producing, and directing a series of episodic shorts inspired by Kid Catastrophe, which would then be released chapter by chapter over the lifespan of the project. The shorts would ultimately culminate in a 20 minute film. Arch arrived in LA with very little idea of what they would come up with, and even less acting experience. We had blind faith in our savant. On the day filming was supposed to begin, however, Kid Catastrophe struck again: he woke up to find himself laying in the grass in front of a hamburger stand with no wallet or cell phone, his car (a rental, thank you very much) nowhere to be found, not to mention the mysterious bruise on his head. The stage was set for art to imitate life…

True to form, Kid Catastrophe and People-Food have completely subverted the conventional sing-along/live performance music video – opting instead to create an allegorical world that plays hopscotch on the threshold between dream and reality, yet brings Kid Catastrophe’s visual incarnation wholly to life.

MONTHLY RESIDENCIES
Finally, Illinois is planning to bring ‘The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe’ to various markets every month, starting with New York, Washington DC, Boston, and Philadelphia. Then they will circle the country in the early part of 2009 with stops in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Austin and more (stay tuned) while spreading the gospel to every down-on-his-luck Kid Catastrophe out there looking for a champion.

So expand those hard drives folks, because Illinois is about to bombard them with hella-bytes worth of entertainment.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Novevember 3 || Rock & Roll Hotel (Chapter 1 Release Party) || Washington, DC || TIX
November 5 || Mercury Lounge (Chapter 1 Release Party) || New York, NY || TIX
November 6 || Great Scott (Chapter 1 Release Party) || Boston, MA || TIX
November 7 || The Fire (Chapter 1 Release Party) || Philadelphia, PA || TIX
December 2 || Rock & Roll Hotel (Chapter 2 Release Party) || Washington, DC
December 3 || Rehab (Chapter 2 Release Party) || New York, NY
December 4 || Great Scott (Chapter 2 Release Party) || Boston, MA
December 5 || The Fire (Chapter 2 Release Party) || Philadelphia, PA
January 13 || Rock & Roll Hotel (Chapter 3 Release Party) || Washington, DC
January 14 || Rehab (Chapter 3 Release Party) || New York, NY
January 15 || Great Scott (Chapter 3 Release Party) || Boston, MA
January 16 || The Fire (Chapter 3 Release Party) || Philadelphia, PA

Illinois is:

Chris 'Arch' Archibald
guitar, keys, banjo, lead vocals

Martin Hoeger
bass, vocals

Dan Pawlovich
guitar, keys, vocals

JohnPaul Kuyper
drums

For more info on Illinois and to get an early listen of Chapter 1, check the brand new steez:
http://www.myspace.com/Illinois

For more info on People-Food:
http://people-food.com

For more info on +1:
http://plusonemusic.net

For Any and All Inquiries, Please Contact +1:
JonnyKaps@plusonemusic.net
NatHays@plusonemusic.net
Ashley@plusonemusic.net
718.599.3740



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