"You Are The Blood" - Sufjan Stevens covers Castanets for AIDS awareness Compilation

February 16th, 4AD releases Dark Was The Night, a compilation of covers in support of HIV/AIDS awareness group Red Hot Organization. It's packed with notable contributors, among them Iron and Wine, Andrew Bird, and Asthmatic Kitty's very own My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens, who covers fellow AK group Castanets' "You Are The Blood." "And," says Asthmatic Kitty, "if you've been listening for a while, you may have heard it ["You Are The Blood"] before: on Cathedral, the 2004 debut of Castanets." It's a haunting, reverb-laden melody, featuring the skillful placement of Belltower's ethereal back-up vocals.

If you've never heard of Belltower, allow me to enlighten you: Belltower is Bridgit DeCook, the soulful chanteuse whose voice and talents can be heard throughout the Asthmatic Kitty catalog. Currently hard at work in San Francisco recording new material, Belltower made a name for herself wearing a number of hats: in 2005 she toured Europe with Stevens as an Illinoisemaker, singing, playing glockenspiel and keys, and continues to record with the indie juggernaut; as part of the prolific San Diego indie scene, recording and performing with Asthmatic Kitty matriarch Liz Janes; and notably here, as an original member of Ray Riposa's Castanets.


Full disclosure: While some Scrimshaw readers may know Bridgit to be my best friend, everything I have said here is honest, true, and real: Belltower is an expressive and enchanting performer, an insightful songwriter, and a true pleasure to know. Lately she's been playing at Edinburgh Castle in San Francisco. Learn more about Belltower here: Official Belltower Myspace Page, and check out her AK profile here: Belltower.