We just received some very sad news from our good friends at Red Cat Records in Vancouver, BC.

Buddy, their beloved big red store cat, died this afternoon from complications arising from his recent surgery.

Here’s Buddy’s story, as told by Amy and Andrew via e-mail:

Buddy was a wonderful cat, and had many, many friends and admirers in the neighbourhood. 10 years old at the time of his passing, Buddy lived a full and exciting life (even if he appeared to be sleeping most of the…

Yes the 11-track debut album Kiss the World from Catlow is now in stores across Canada. Don’t feel like leaving your house? Well no problem, check out any of the following to hear some tracks:

- myspace.com/catlow

… well, more like 2 years ago today, really.

Two years ago that Boompa Productions first flung open its door!

And now we must sing and dance, much like the pigeons on our windowsill…

“Happy Birthday to us!”

“Happy Birthday to us!”

“Happy Birthday to Boompa,”

“Happy Birthday to us!”

“Aaaanddd maaaany mooooooorrre!”

If you insist on giving us a present, signing up for our monthly newsletter is really all we ask.

But most important of all: we want to thank you, dear reader, for helping us get here. We couldn’t have done it without you.

…

Natasha Thirsk, former lead singer for indie-rock darlings The Dirtmitts, re-emerges as Catlow.

Having toured North America and Europe, performing alongside of R.E.M., Modest Mouse and Idlewild, Natasha earned a reputation as a truly multi-faceted artist - singer, songwriter and musician. While the efforts of The Dirtmitts kept Natasha busy, somehow she remarkable found time to develop her own solo project, now named Catlow.

The debut album, Kiss the World was born out of three years of creativity centered around Studio 9 in Los Angeles…

The second season soundtrack from the hit TV show dramedy The L Word has now hit stores! The Tommy Boy Records release features a track from Boompa recording artist Natasha Thirsk’s former band The Dirtmitts, as well as tracks from Dusty Springfield, Iron & Wine, Shirley Bassey, and others. You can check out the complete listing and even sample some tracks here.

Natasha Thirsk is adding the finishing touches to her latest project Catlow whose debut album Kiss the World will be released really, really soon.

…

For the month of December we’re offering all Boompa titles for sale through the Booteek for only $5! And not just $5 US but $5 Canadian!

Just $5 for releases from Matt Sharp (ex-Weezer, The Rentals), Run Chico Run, Billy + the Lost Boys, Sekiden, The Lucksmiths and The Salteens! Even Boompa Volume 1 is available now for only $5. There is no better stocking stuffer than good music.

The November !Earshot Chart Top 200 has begun and Boompa Records has broken through the Top 50!

#39: Boompa Volume 1
#76: Billy + The Lost Boys Breaking Down the Barriers…
#166: Run Chico Run Shashbo

!Earshot runs every month in Exclaim magazine or you can follow the charts on-line here.

!Earshot is published by the National Campus and Community Radio Association. All charts reflect actual airplay on Canadian campus/community radio stations during the previous month.

“Sometimes, when I start to look back on a year’s worth of good music, as I usually begin to do around this time, I think of what record labels have put out the best music over the year. In 2004, folks like Ipecac, Relapse, and Century Media have put out plenty of music of extremely high quality, but while those labels’ artists will probably feature prominently on my year-end list, the one record label that has been the most fun…

Boompa’s CMW showcase was a huge success. Thanks to everyone who came out to the show! We’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to sign up for the CMW Prize Pack Contest! And the winners are…

PRIZE PACK #1

1. Meghan Behr - Calgary, AB, Canada
SALTEENS custom made t-shirt, “Let Go Of Your Bad Days” CD, stickers, poster
SEKIDEN t-shirt, “Junior Fiction” CD, “1+1=Heartache” EP, poster, buttons
GIRL NOBODY t-shirt, “The Future Isn’t what It Used To Be” CD, stickers, poster
BILLY AND THE…

Hey, we’re sending out a bunch of bands to play in Toronto for Canadian Music Week so we decided to give everything away. Click here and sign up for Boompa Fan Central today for your chance to win one of the following prizes:

FIRST PLACE PRIZE PACK:
Salteens custom made t-shirt, “Let Go Of Your Bad Days” CD, stickers, poster
Sekiden t-shirt, “Junior Fiction” CD, “1+1=Heartache” EP, poster, buttons
Girl Nobody t-shirt, “The Future Isn’t what It Used To Be” CD, stickers, poster
Billy and the Lost Boys “Breaking Down the Barriers…”…