About Damn Time: Wham City Starts a Label

Noise

By Raven Baker | Posted 2/27/2008

Noise caught up with the ever-touring Dan Deacon, currently warping young minds in Australia, and psychotronic DJ/video artist Mark Brown for the scoop on Wham City's latest venture. The collective's brand-new, more-than-just-music label debuted earlier this month with Wham City Box #1, a multimedia compilation featuring a CD and DVD, along with hawt-couture goodies such as a T-shirt, slap bracelets, and handmade buttons featuring phone numbers from ex-Wham City members. This limited, 100-run edition highlights the extended Wham fam, including works from musician Lizz King, illustrator/comics artist Dina Kelberman, comedic playwright Adam Endres, and Santa Dads' Connor Kizer, among others.

The CD was curated by collective member Jason Paolini and the DVD by Brown, while Deacon handled design matters. Though held up by a few months, the compilation is the first in an annual series. Future volumes are slated for December release--just in time for the holidays--though good luck stuffing one of these meticulously screened cardboard beast into Grandma's support-hose stocking.

Currently only available at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where Deacon performed earlier this month, Brown says the box set should be available locally, and through the Wham City site, in early March.

Upcoming releases include LPs from Deacon, Girl Talk, and Bird Names along with a CD from straight-to-YouTube talk-show sensation (and City Paper contributer) Ed Schrader.