Projection Room, their sophomore album, dropped last January, and their single “Don’t You Start” is a shimmering pop gem that showcases Brubeck’s sweet-on-the-ears vocal prowess. Lucky for us, Sleepy Kitty has a show tomorrow night! Be sure to snag some tickets and then check out what these two get down to.
1. Fuji Instax 210 Camera.
I love shooting film and I especially love instant film. I like to bring this out on tour and make collages with the photos.
2. Jean-Luc Godard
We’re big fans of Godard. We have a song inspired by a few of his films and the cover image of “Projection Room” is a Godard reference as well. Bande à part(Band of Outsiders) was the first one I saw and I fell in love with it. Masculin Féminin and Le Mépris (Contempt) have also become favorites.
3. The Chicago Diner
Sleepy Kitty is two vegetarians, so we always seek out places with a lot of delicious and intentional vegetarian dishes. We love it when we find a great place where the entire menu is vegetarian/vegan and Chicago Diner is one of those fantastic places. I’d recommend starting with the Radical Reuben if it’s your first time there, or the Monte Cristo for brunch/breakfast. Also, save room for a vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter shake. (For the record, vegetarian doesn’t mean that you hate food or that you’re obsessed with squash. We like potatoes as much as omnivores.)
4. Stamps and the US Postal Service
Just because we have access to text and instagram and twitter and whatnot doesn’t mean it’s not fun to receive or send some good old-fashioned snail mail every now and then. We love to send postcards to our friends back home when we’re on the road, and to new friends that we meet and stay with on tour. I love stamps because they’re like tiny posters and currency at the same time — how cool is that?! I’ve been feelin’ the Barnum and Bailey stamps lately, and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the new Janis Joplin ones. I don’t save/collect sheets of stamps though; I love actually using them and getting them out into the mail so they become activated as little pieces of functional art.
5. Cover Girl Outlast Lip Color
I have ultra brand loyalty on this. If I’m in a hurry and only have time to put on one cosmetic (excluding sunscreen of course) I go with lipstick. I’ve been wearing the same shade of Outlast since I was 15.
6. John Stezaker
I first saw this artist’s work at a show in St. Louis a couple years ago. Often collaging just two images together with one simple cut or just placing a photo on top of another results in a spooky, elegant, completely new image.
7. Showtime!
I don’t live in New York, but we spend a lot of time there, and one of my favorite things is when I hear “IT’S SHOWTIME!” on the L train between Manhattan and Brooklyn. I know some commuters feel differently, but this is one of those magic little things that makes New York New York. It’s the kind of thing that, as the authorities crack down on it and it disappears, people will look back with a sense of nostalgia, and be like “You should have seen the L then!” It shows art can happen anywhere and we should enjoy it while it’s in its open run.
8. Kim Deitch
We love comics and graphic novels and Kim Deitch’s The Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Alias the Cat are not only two of my favorite graphic novels, but also two of my favorite books in general. I was even Alias the Cat for Halloween a few years ago.
9. Kalen Hollomon
Kalen Hollomon makes delightful live action collages often with pieces cut from high fashion ads placed in front of people on the subway or in the grocery store. They’re funny and sexy and definitely creative. Follow @kalen_hollomon on instagram and be thoroughly entertained.
10. City Museum
Don’t be fooled by the name (though once you see it, it’s oddly perfect): City Museum in St. Louis is a wonderland for people of all ages, where every cranny and crevasse is potentially available for exploration. There are human-sized bird nests, caves, and old airplanes welded to bridges that lead to church bell towers. You can even wind your way to the bar in the center of the building and get a beer and an ice cream cone if you so choose. It’s a gem of America and a major accomplishment of interactive art.
