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I’m not sure what’s weirder: the fact that I love Christmas music or the near-insane procedure I go through to dig up and compile new Christmas music each Christmas season. This year, I drew heavily from a plethora of “indie,” digital-only EPs and compilations. Indie … yeah, I know. But there’s plenty of good music under the umbrella, so we’ll just run with it for now.
Here are six essential EPs and compilations that are sure to dub your holiday mix, “The Now That’s What I Call Christmas Killer.”
1. Slow Club – Christmas, Thanks For Nothing (2010)
Since Slow Club stormed stateside earlier this year, its label, Moshi Moshi, has done a fine job of importing more than just the 2009 debut, Yeah So. At least digitally. Count this charming and at times eerie Christmas EP as one of those gifts to U.S. fans. Originally released last year, the six-track EP is as good an introduction to the duo as anything they’ve released thus far. Playful, acoustic folk (“It’s Christmas and You’re Boring Me”); dreamy, minimalist pop (“All Alone on Christmas”); catchy, rough-around-the-edges rock (“Christmas [Baby Please Come Home]“)–it has everything you need to know about where Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson are coming from. Did I mention it also includes the lovely, snowed-in duet “Christmas TV”? Yeah, they threw that one on there, too. This brief collection of music nicely sums up holiday desolation better than most anything out there.
Preview/download here.
2. Various Artists – A Christmas Gift For You From Moshi Moshi (2010)
Going along with the above release and taking a cue from the man who practically invented the pop-rock Christmas compilation, we have A Christmas Gift For You From Moshi Moshi. Although it’s no A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector, the short, seven-song compilation has some bright lights, including Slow Club’s take on the Spector standard “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and an over-before-you-know-it “White Christmas,” courtesy of Idiot Glee. Also, if you’re a fan of the Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” (I for one am not), check out Summer Camp’s spacier rendition of the classic ’80s tune.
Preview/download here.
3. Various Artists – The Christmas Gig (2010)
One last compilation and we’ll move on to more bands. This one is a freebie, though, so don’t complain. From Target comes 14 new, original tracks from indie favorites like Best Coast (w/ Wavves) and Coconut Records (actor Jason Schwartzman). Other contributing artists include Darker My Love and Crystal Antlers.
Preview/download for free here.
4. Bears – Snowman (2009)
It was a bright, sunny spring day when I first encountered Bears. My friend Doug, who for a time was responsible for some of Kent State University’s live music, cheerfully walked up beside me with a pink plume of cotton candy. And from that moment on, this band on stage/duo on tape would in my mind forever be associated with sunshine and sweet treats, qualities the sugary harmonies and pop sensibilities within lent themselves to. Last year, Charlie McArthur and Craig Ramsey embraced their Cleveland, Ohio, roots and entered a winter wonderland with a six-track EP (four songs on the 7″ with two extra included with the digital download). “I’m a Snowman,” “Merry Christmas Have a Happy New Year,” “Let Me See You Again” and “Holidays” (free download) make the transition from clear skies to flurries seem almost delightful.
Preview/download here.
5. Weezer – Christmas With Weezer (2008)
There’s not much you can say about this straightforward batch of traditional Christmas songs. Simply think back to when you were a kid when Christmas carols were more … accessible? With direct reference to the holiday all but officially banned from the public arena, the songs here hark back to simpler times. And Rivers & Co. keep it simple. Nothing flashy. All but one of the songs clock in under two and a half minutes. So close your eyes and imagine “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” or “O Holy Night” with that Weezer crunch, and you’re probably not far off to grasping this unabashedly seasonal EP.
Preview/download here.
6. The Raveonettes – Wishing You a Rave Christmas
Even with all the great music in their eight-year existence, when all is said and done, The Raveonettes for better or for worse may best be known for “The Christmas Song.” Not the that “The Christmas Song.” The original b-side to the “Heartbreak Stroll” single that would go on to be featured everywhere from movie and television soundtracks to mall playlists across America. It has remained a modern holiday classic since 2004. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that the duo revisited Christmas with a digital-only EP in late-2008. While their previous holiday hit is warm and full, the selections on the EP are chillier and more sparse. Sune Rose Wagner liberally used electronic beats and keyboards, and the overall tone is much sadder with nostalgic originals like “Christmas Ghosts” and “Christmas in Cleveland.”
Preview/download here.
It’s difficult to imagine Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor ever having a bad day upon first hearing the carefree and lovable folk-pop of Slow Club. A couple weeks after their debut album, Yeah So (McCarthy’s Media Menace’s #2 album of 2009), hit the States, the two Sheffield, England, natives offer yet another treat to make your day that much better: a free download of their Let’s Fall Back in Love EP. Its five tracks–the title song, a couple B-sides and two earlier takes of album selections–offer a nice little smattering of what you’ve been missing if you’re, dare I say, a little slow to joining the club.
Here’s the track list:
1. Let’s Fall Back in Love
2. Come on Youth
3. Dance ‘Til the Morning Light
4. Summer Shakedown
5. Trick Question
Click here to download.
I know it’s been a while (like three and a half months), but I’m planning on updating this page soon, as in a day or two. Particularly with content related to artists who played at this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas.
So for instance, an interview with singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins, a review of Slow Club’s North American debut, maybe a couple other band profiles such as Best Coast, Magic Wands and/or Codeine Velvet Club.
Stay tuned for a post-SXSW extravaganza…
I had high hopes for 2009. What can I say? Each year since 2006 simply outdid the previous year. And it’s been exciting. You know, you’ve had all these young artists, most of whom don’t fall into any of the retro cliches that defined the earlier part of the decade, finally using their influences of the past to create something refreshingly original and timeless all at the same time: Nicole Atkins, Vampire Weekend, The Raveonettes, The Kills, The Pierces, The Fratellis, The Pipettes, The Virgins (notice all the “The” bands?). Even mainstream artists like Outkast, Gnarls Barkley and, dare I say, Christina Aguilera were getting it done.
So what’s the verdict in 2009? Not so good–and that’s not to take anything away from any of the artists who made my list. It’s just that last year, I had to strive to whittle it down to 10 albums. And then there were 10 honorable mentions. To be fair, I came home from Paste magazine with about 300 CDs, most of which I haven’t listened to, so there may be a few hidden gems I’ve yet to discover. Perhaps I missed something; feel free to call me out.
The rules: no compilations, reissues or EPs. Had to be an original full-length album released this calendar year, either in the U.S. or overseas.
So here’s what I scrounged up, with a few honorable mentions:
10. Hotel St. George – City Boy Lemon
I feel bad because I’ve been following this San Diego quartet the past year and a half. They weren’t eligible for my 2008 albums because they’d only released a couple EPs, but this year, they actually had an album… and I almost forgot about them while compiling this list! Enough prologue. On the surface, it’s in-your-face power-pop fueled by frontman Matt Binder’s snotty vocals. But listen closer and you quickly discover these guys actually have great discipline when it comes to musical ability and song structure while never compromising the immediacy the modern music-listener demands. (Read my full review at Saw*Kick here.)
9. The Felice Brothers – Yonder is the Clock
The legendary Doug Hite calls them carpetbaggers. And yeah, they were definitely upstaged by opener Justin Townes Earle at the 2008 Kent State Folk Festival. But on tape, the boys from the Catskill Mountains rarely hit a bad note. It’s tough to say if Yonder is the Clock tops the 2008 self-titled record, but some of these songs are more distinguishable and rowdy, at times borderlining all-out rock more than the folky vagabond image they’ve created for themselves. (See my video review at Paste here.)
The Felice Brothers on MySpace
8. Paleface – The Show is on the Road
Once a troubled anti-folk pioneer of the early ’90s mentored by famed Ramones manager Danny Fields, Paleface has come a long way from his alcohol-related problems that nearly killed him a decade ago. Relocated from NYC to N.C. and reformed as a duo with his lovely girlfriend, Mo Samalot, the singer/songwriter has created a stripped-down yet atmospheric collection of songs. In his own words to me: “It’s a nice little record, and we had fun making it. It’s not gonna tear down the walls and make a million dollars and whatever.” No, but it sure does get stuck in your head. (Read my full interview with the duo at Paste here.)
7. The Von Bondies – Love Hate and Then There’s You
All I can say is FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for this album since 2004′s Pawn Shoppe Heart. And while a five-year wait couldn’t yield something better than that record or 2001′s Lack of Communication, I got over that really quick when I could blast tracks like “Pale Bride” and the boppin’ “Accidents Will Happen” (not a cover of the brilliant Elvis Costello song) out my car window. It’s not groundbreaking. I probably won’t like it 10 years from now. But it provided me a burst of enjoyment when I needed some loud music. So kill me.
6. The Peekers – Life in the Air
Ever hear a band you really enjoy but have trouble describing them in a conversation? I’m having that problem right now, and I have the luxury of sitting here, thinking through each word I type. Words that come to me while listening to The Peekers: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, soulful, carefree, cabaret… cute? I don’t know, I took a stab at it earlier this year when I volunteered to write a blurb for the album at Paste. I think that came out a lot better. Read it here.
5. The Raveonettes – In and Out of Control
What a difference a year makes. Indisputably my #1 artist of 2008 with a perfect album in Lust Lust Lust, the Danish duo barely cracks my top five of 2009. But there’s something to be said about Sune Rose Wagner’s sense of urgency and tenacity to craft the perfect pop album. After the noise machine that was Lust, Wagner set out to create something more hurried, more polished, more mainstream. He succeeded–without sacrificing the fuzzed-out guitars, I might add. It’s an interesting effort, kind of summing up the dilemma with which the Raveonettes are continually faced: mainstream success or obscurity? When they’re putting out music this good this often, the better question is, “Who cares?”
4. Weezer – Raditude
Again, what a difference a year makes. While I enjoyed 2008′s Red Album, I felt somewhat slighted that one of my favorite all-time bands couldn’t deliver one of my favorite albums of the year. Needless to say Raditude‘s cover art had me thinking nothing would change in 2009. Boy, was I wrong. Not only is it a more cohesive effort, “(If You’re Wondering if I Want You to) I Want You to” easily joins the Weezer classics catalog. (For me, it almost perfectly described my first real relationship junior year of high school.) A couple of re-recorded tracks from Rivers Cuomo’s last Alone compilation make it to the disc, most notably the heartstrings-pulling album closer, “I Don’t Want to Let You Go.”
3. Gliss – Devotion Implosion
When your team is on the verge of going to the World Series and you can’t watch the gateway game because you’re stuck in some club watching some unknown band switch instruments in between songs, your patience wears thin. That was two years ago. But let me state for the record just how wrong I was that night. I love these guys (and girl). Their sophomore album is a bleak noisy blast of sex and vanity, but underneath all the blankets of reverb, guitars and harmonies is something not heard on their 2007 debut: hope? A deeper emotion? It’s almost like they decided crack open the blinds on a bright sunny day with songs like “Morning Light” and “Beauty.” Yeah, it’s still pretty dark, but a few golden rays have found their way inside. (Read my interview with the trio at Paste here.)
2. Slow Club – Yeah So
A few months ago I saw something interesting on one of the music websites. Either the NME or Blender, I think, but I can’t seem to figure it out. That’s not important. What matters is the cool little video for a simple catchy song called “Trophy Club.” I quickly MySpace friended the British boy-girl duo behind the track and forgot about them–until I saw they were releasing a Christmas EP. Again, I was drawn to the folky popsters playful back-and-forth vocals. The setup is so simple that it gives Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor (my new crush) plenty of room to breathe and build on each others energy. Finally, I ordered the album from Amazon UK, received it this past Saturday and, perhaps unfairly, rushed it to my #2 album of the year. Yeah, it’s that good. Just watch the “It Doesn’t Have to Be Beautiful” video and tell me you’re not in love:
1. Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies
There’s very little I can say about Justin Townes Earle that I haven’t already said a million times. He’s absolutely electric–electric in the way that he doesn’t even need electricity. In fact, the fewer distractions around him the better. People ask me to describe his sound. “Well, he’s kind of old-school country. Some honky tonk, bop, blues, folk, a little rockabilly…” But no matter how hard I try, my summations never do him justice in conversation. The truth is, he’s simply a great performer. When you see him live, he’s in complete control of every nuance. The audience is his. It doesn’t matter if you went in skeptical. If you walk into a Justin Townes Earle show, you are coming out a fan. It’s that simple. Running just 32 minutes over 12 tracks, this album in particular captures the stripped-down intensity of the live set better than The Good Life with tracks like “They Killed John Henry” and “Halfway to Jackson.” But the true excitement comes in the moment–the being there. The albums are there just to tide you over. (Read my full review at Paste here.)
Justin Townes Earle on MySpace
The Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
Annabel – Each and Everyone
William Elliott Whitmore – Animals in the Dark
Rancid – Let the Dominoes Fall
Placebo – Battle For the Sun
Cut Off Your Hands – You and I
My Favorite Reissues
Buddy Holly – The Memorial Collection
Buddy Holly – Down the Line: Rarities
The Kills – Keep on Your Mean Side
Albums I Meant to Pick Up But Haven’t… Yet
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head
The Riverdales – Invasion USA
The Kabeedies – Rumpus
AFI – Crash Love
Albums I’m Looking Forward to in 2010
Both of the new Nicole Atkins records
Magic Wands
…and a slew of other stuff I can’t think of.
Best Find
The Prissteens – Scandal, Controversy & Romance (1998)(took a $1 chance at Criminal Records in Atlanta. Paid off big time. Booya!)
