wampus multimedia signs amateur god

Wampus Multimedia has signed Amateur God, an ambient-techno artist from Slovenia.

Imagine if David Lynch directed a postmodern remake of the classic film Frankenstein. Then imagine the sort of soundtrack he might choose -- ominous Transylvanian atmospherics designed to fill viewers with a deep and joyful sense of dread. With the soon-to-be-released Near Life Experience, Amateur God crosses the Atlantic with a collection so firmly rooted in the past that it becomes disturbingly relevant in the uncertain present. Near Life Experience hits store shelves in October.

Wampus is seeking not only to sign and produce new artists, but to market and distribute the existing work of artists seeking broader exposure. Wampus offers two programs to help artists reach their audience -- signature and affiliate.

Dedicated to the support and promotion of independent music, Wampus is home to Arms of Kismet, Kowtow Popof, Wampeters, and a growing roster of indie artists. Wampus recently purchased LocalMusicStore.com, a dominant online retailer in the indie CD market. The acquisition gives Wampus access to a targeted database of indie music enthusiasts -- the fans who care the most about independent music.

Interested in becoming a Wampus artist? Find out how.

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WAMPUS NARROWING THE FIELD FOR LOU REED TRIBUTE

Wampus Multimedia is reviewing the more than 50 submissions received from the U.S. and around the world for its CD tribute to Lou Reed. Following the success of Wampus' first tribute CD, 'IF I WERE A RICHMAN: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman,' this compilation will feature selections from Reed's solo career as well as from his Velvet Underground catalog.

Whether you see Reed as the Godfather of Punk, a Dylan refractor, a cross-dressing provocateur, or an earnest missionary for the cause of literate rock music, you can't deny his influence. Reed's career as one of the most influential songwriters in rock spans more than 35 years, from his seminal role in the Velvet Underground through his reinventions as glam jester, hardcore pre-punk, lovestruck Romeo, and, finally, acerbic rock 'n' roll survivor. Through it all, Reed has towered over most of his contemporaries, redefining the boundaries and potential of rock composition.

The Reed tribute is scheduled for a spring 2003 release.

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ARMS OF KISMET ROLLS OUT PAEAN TO KURT VONNEGUT

Arms of Kismet, purveyors of postmodern rock for the savvy, ironic streetcrawler, have launched "Cuckold of Titan," a rollicking paean to novelist Kurt Vonnegut. Drenched in the literately rootsy anti-pop of Cracker and Semisonic, "Cuckold" evokes The Band in a rare moment of ear-candied playfulness. Says Arms of Kismet's Mark Doyon, "Vonnegut did something no one else thought to do. People appreciated it, and then they forgot about it. Tastes change." The song traces Vonnegut's rise and fall as a lion of 20th century American letters, and rues the fickle, fast-fading affections of a public more interested in MTV than in cool books.

Check out "Cuckold of Titan" now.

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WAMPUS RELEASES NEW INDIE TITLES

Various Artists / If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman

IF I WERE A RICHMAN is a wildly entertaining ride through the repertoire of one of rock's most original and eclectic songwriters. Delivering a broad overview of Richman's career, it features selections from Jojo's '70s, '80s, and '90s songbooks.

Richman's career as singer, songwriter, and all-around mischief-maker spans more than thirty years. Like Lou Reed & the Velvet Underground before him, Richman's deceptively straightforward music defies easy categorization. From his Velvet-inflected early days with the original Modern Lovers, through numerous iterations of the Lovers, to his latter-day solo career, Richman's work has mixed an arresting sense of innocence with a deep sensitivity to human emotion.

Wampeters / Murder Your Darlings

D.C. post-modernists reinvent the contrarian rock sensibility. Smoldering chamber rock descended from the Band, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys. "A great narrative album." --Heidi Drockelman, IndieMusic.com

Kowtow Popof / Eat My Dust

Tenacious tunesmith serves up explosive pop 'n' roll. Unparalleled lyrics, unforgettable hooks. Graham Parker as T-Rex. "Preternaturally surrealist post-pop." --Eve Zibart, The Washington Post

Arms of Kismet / 8-01

This limited edition peeks at songs in progress for the self-titled Arms of Kismet debut CD (fall 2003 release).

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Coming in 2002-03

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Wampus Multimedia values you as a supporter of independent music and will never share your contact information with anyone.  We welcome your ideas and suggestions with regard to promoting the work of indie artists.  Contact us anytime at records@wampus.com.