Carla Kihlstedt

Carla Kihlstedt (born 1971)

She is a founding member of Tin Hat Trio (1997, renamed Tin Hat), Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, The Book of Knots, Causing a Tiger, and Rabbit Rabbit Radio. Other musical projects include 2 Foot Yard, Charming Hostess and Minamo (Carla Kihlstedt & Satoko Fujii). She is a recognized classical composer who has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), has worked occasionally on projects with Tom Waits, John Zorn, and Fred Frith, and recorded numerous albums as a guest or session musician. Kihlstedt has studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

In February 2012 she founded Rabbit Rabbit Radio with her husband (and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum drummer) Matthias Bossi. Rabbit Rabbit Radio released their debut album, Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 1 in 2013. The band revolves around a song-a-month subscription through their Bandcamp profile.

Personal life She is the sister of American actress Rya Kihlstedt.

Discography

Collaborations and bands Phil Gelb, Carla Kihlstedt, John Shiurba, Matthew Sperry 1998–99 – Smoking Balance: The Complete Recordings (Limited Sedition, 2011)

Charming Hostess 1999 – Eat (Vaccination) 2004 – Punch (RēR) 2004 – Sarajevo Blues (Tzadik)

Tin Hat 1999 – Memory Is an Elephant (Angel) 2000 – Helium (Angel) 2002 – The Rodeo Eroded (Ropeadope/Rykodisc) 2004 – Book of Silk (Ropeadope/Rykodisc) 2007 – The Sad Machinery of Spring (Hannibal) 2007 – La giusta distanza (OST, Radiofandango) 2010 – Foreign Legion (BAG) 2012 – The Rain Is a Handsome Animal (New Amsterdam)

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum 2001 – Grand Opening and Closing (Seeland/Belle Antique/Chaosophy) 2003 – Live (Sickroom) 2004 – Of Natural History (Web of Mimicry) 2005 – The Face with Shinichi "Momo" Koga (DVD, not on label) 2007 – In Glorious Times (The End) 2024 – of the Last Human Being (Avant Night)

2 Foot Yard 2003 – 2 Foot Yard (Tzadik) 2008 – Borrowed Arms (Yard Work/CD Baby)

Lesli Dalaba, Fred Frith, Eric Glick Rieman & Carla Kihlstedt 2003 – Dalaba Frith Glick Rieman Kihlstedt (Accretions)

The Book of Knots 2004 – The Book of Knots (Arclight) 2007 – Traineater (ANTI-) 2011 – Garden of Fainting Stars (Ipecac)

Carla Kihlstedt & Shahzad Ismaily 2004 – Flying Low (Holy Night in the Outhouse)

Carla Kihlstedt, Fred Frith & Stevie Wishart 2006 – The Compass, Log and Lead (Intakt)

Carla Kihlstedt & Satoko Fujii 2007 – Minamo (Henceforth) 2009 – Kuroi Kawa ~ Black River (Tzadik)

Cosa Brava 2010 – Ragged Atlas (Intakt) 2012 – The Letter (Intakt) 2024 – Z Sides (Klanggalerie)

Causing a Tiger 2010 – Causing a Tiger (Les Disques Victo) 2011 – How We Held Our Post (Twelve Cups)

Carla Kihlstedt & Matthias Bossi 2008 – Ravish (And Other Tales for the Stage) with Dan Rathbun (Twelve Cups) 2011 – Still You Lay Dreaming: Tales for the Stage, II (self-released) 2012 – Niagara Falling: Tales for the Stage, III (self-released) 2016 – Grace and Delia Are Gone: Tales for the Stage, IV (self-released)

Rabbit Rabbit Radio 2013 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 1 (self-released) 2014 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 2: Swallow Me Whole (self-released) 2015 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 3: Year of the Wooden Horse (self-released) 2018 – Black Inscription (self-released) 2019 – Music from "Life On Wheels" (self-released) 2021 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 4: The Animal I Am (self-released) 2022 – Rabbit Rabbit Radio – Vol. 5: Love is Code (self-released)

Carla Kihlstedt & Rafael Osés 2021 – Necessary Monsters (self-released)

Carla Kihlstedt/Present Music 2025 – 26 Little Deaths (Cantaloupe Music)

As a guest or session musician 1994 – Carnival Skin – Dreamchair Music 1998 – Twelve Minor – Ben Goldberg 1998 – III – The Grassy Knoll 1998 – What Is the Difference Between Stripping & Playing the Violin? – Masaoka Orchestra 1998 – Buddy Systems – Selected Duos and Trios – Gino Robair 1998 – Sonarchy 1998 – Sonarchy Trio: Kihlstedt, Gino Robair, Matthew Sperry (released 2008) 1999 – Beauty and the Bloodsucker – Eugene Chadbourne and the Insect and Western Party 1999 – Half-wit Anthems – Deadweight 1999 – Bryant Street – Dubtribe Sound System 1999 – California – Mr. Bungle 1999 – Blue – Third Eye Blind 1999 – Pokey in the Bobo – Baby Snufkin 2000 – Revolver (A New Spin) – Ann Dyer 2000 – Shuffle Play: Elegies for the Recording Angel – John Schott 2000 – American Pi – Austin Willacy 2001 – This Ungodly Hour – Mumble & Peg 2002 – Alice – Tom Waits 2002 – Trilectic – Jewlia Eisenberg 2003 – Rybi Tuk – Už Jsme Doma 2003 – Ghost Taxi – Eesk 2004 – I'm Gonna Stop Killing – Carla Bozulich 2004 – Timelines – Lesli Dalaba 2004 – To Each According... – Redressers 2004 – An Alligator in Your Wallet – Rova::Orkestrova 2005 – Tommyland: The Ride – Tommy Lee 2005 – Love Songs – Peter Garland 2005 – Motel – PAK 2005 – Electric Ascension – Rova::Orkestrova 2005 – Thin Pillow – Thin Pillow 2006 – There Be Squabbles Ahead – Stolen Babies 2006 – The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact – Ben Goldberg 2006 – Half the Perfect World – Madeleine Peyroux 2006 – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards – Tom Waits 2006 – Dreaming Through the Noise – Vienna Teng 2006 – The Happy End Problem – Fred Frith 2007 – A Distant Youth – Wu Fei 2007 – A Handful of World; Kafka Songs – Lisa Bielawa 2007 – Two Rooms of Uranium Inside 83 Markers – Moe! Staiano's Moe!kestra! 2008 – Unsquare – Maybe Monday 2008 – Our Bright Future – Tracy Chapman 2008 – Diana and James – Greg Copeland 2009 – Sugar – Mary Bragg 2009 – Fear Draws Misfortune – Cheer-Accident 2009 – Nowhere, Sideshow, Thin Air – Fred Frith 2009 – Bare Bones – Madeleine Peyroux 2010 – Eye to Ear III – Fred Frith 2012 – Secrets of Secrets – Aaron Novik 2015 – Orphic Machine – Ben Goldberg 2020 – Super Meat Boy Forever - RIDICULON 2021 – The Binding of Isaac: Repentance – RIDICULON 2022 – Séances – Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre 2026 – Mewgenics – RIDICULON