Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Music




Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon, as performed by The Polyphonic Spree.


Meanwhile, with their 20th anniversary fast approaching, Minnesota's Low, quite possibly the most awesome Mormons in the world and the performers of my favorite Christmas song, are set to release their new album The Invisible Way on March 19.  The album was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and recorded at Wilco’s Chicago studio, the Loft. 

Low at Bumbershoot, September 2012, Seattle


Low has also released a free EP titled Plays Nice Places, recorded while touring with Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.  I'm not sure for how long this widget will work but you can download Plays Nice Places below (feliz navidad, y'all!) as well as check out a trailer for the Tweedy-produced The Invisible Way.




Finally, Seattle's Damien Jurado passed through Atlanta earlier this year and told the audience during a triumphant show that his days of being a gloomy singer-songwriter were over, and that from now on, he will be all about joy and happiness.  Well, he's issued a Christmas song about being old and lonely and dying on Christmas day, so it looks like that's it for the earlier vow.  It's really a lovely piece of music, though, with great use of strings.




Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas In Sweden



Nothing says "Christmas in Sweden" quite like the Bert Kaempfert Orchestra.  If you have a vague feeling of nostalgia from hearing this, you probably are "of a certain age," lived in or near New York City in the 1960s, and remember the Sandy Becker children's television show (featuring the character Norton Nork).  

Thanks to London's Fanfarlo for reminding us of this clip by posting it to Facebook.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

New Twin Sister Song


Twin Sister, the pride of Patchogue, Long Island (a little town I once lived in), debuted a new song the other night at Glasslands in New York for a Hurricane Sandy relief effort.  The song's a jazzy little jam with some cool tape loops thrown in the mix, and the chameleon-like Andrea Estella is almost unrecognizable in her I-don't-know-what get up.

Part of the fun of watching Twin Sister is seeing what look Andrea will bring to the stage on that particular night.  Here she is at The Earl in August 2010 as a dressed-in-black femme fatale:


Here she is at the 529 in June 2011 looking like a Mormon Stevie Nicks:


Back at The Earl in January 2012, she had a decidedly preppy look:


There's no telling what she's going to pull off next.


Thursday, December 20, 2012

Lonesome Leash

Walt McClements with Dark Dark Dark at 529, Oct. 17, 2012

Walt McClements of the band Dark Dark Dark now has his solo thing going called Lonesome Leash, and he's bringing it to Atlanta on January 10 at a venue to be named later.  We last saw McClements and Dark Dark Dark at the 529 back during Rocktober, with Christ, Lord and Emily Wells opening.  Based on the sound of his new material - listen to Ghosts, below - it would be fitting for Christ, Lord to open for him again, as they sound as it they're both cut from the same gypsy soul.



I'm not so sure that the face tattoo is such a good idea, though (rarely is).


In any event, January 10 may be the first concert night of the new year, and the first break in the great Winter Doldrums since Of Monsters and Men back on November 29 (which itself was the only break since Lost In the Trees back on November 3).  


A few more shots of McClements from back in October and another Lonesome Leash song:



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Ramona Falls


Okay, so it's not the end of the Winter Doldrums, but it's something at least.  Portland's Ramona Falls, the project of ex-Menomena member Brent Knopf, will be coming February 15 to the godforsaken Masquerade, playing the miniscule room, Purgatory.  The room may be small, but at least you don't have the bands playing upstairs in Heaven thundering over your heads.

So the path out of the Winter Doldrums looks like this, if I can make it another month:  

1/17 - Purity Ring (Variety Playhouse)
1/19 - Helio Sequence (Terminal West)
2/2 - The xx (The Tabernacle)
2/9 - Jonathan Richman (The Goat Farm)
2/15 - Ramona Falls (The Masquerade)
2/17 - Cancun, Mexico (olé!)
2/13 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra (529)

And then March Madness, when, absurdly, there's a show almost every night of the month.