3some: Xmas 2009

Photograph by Chris Ziebarth

Merry Christmas! Here's our last installation of holiday cheer for the year. First up, a faithful rendition of The Three Wise Men's (aka XTC) "Thanks for Christmas" by Ireland's Pugwash. Led by Thomas Walsh, his band has a revolving cast of characters (Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory (XTC), Michael Penn, and Jason Faulkner. Watch for their U.S. debut next year. Next up, a song to remind everyone to keep their cool during the holidays by The Crookes. Cheerful on the surface with the ringing guitars and tambourines, but blue on the inside, relating the tale of a poor soul who gets the cold shoulder. Then a more traditional Christmas song from a band awfully generous to call themselves The Crookes. Check their 12 Days of Crookesmas for more holiday music. Hurricane Bells stuffs your stocking with a brief gem that I wish played through at least one more time. Songwriter Steve Schiltz, the former frontman for Longwave, has a new record out through Vagrant called Tonight is the Ghost. Last, but not least, London producer LJ Kruzer (Stephen Fiske) cranks out a bumping version of "We Three Kings" awash in heavy doses of synthesizer. Alrighty then, I'm off to celebrate Christmas Eve with sushi and the family. Peace and joy to you and yours!

Thanks for Christmas [MP3]
by Pugwash

Chorus of Fools [MP3] and
Oh Come All Ye Faithful [MP3]
by The Crookes

Christmas Don't Be Late [MP3]
by Hurricane Bells

We Three Kings [MP3]
by LJ Kruzer

12.18.09
Today's Christmas songs come courtesy of Hometapes. For the last eight days the Portland-based label has released a free Christmas song from a different artist. Stop by and listen around to all their other fine acts and see what they've been doing and digging this year.

Little Drummer Boy [MP3]
by Slaraffenland

It's Christmas (But I Don't Care) [MP3]
by Brad Laner

I Saw Three Ships [MP3]
by Megafaun

12.9.09
I'm really digging the next line up of Christmas tracks. Brand new to me are The Keys from Wales. Their soft-psychedelic sound warms the soul like hot cocoa and bobbing marshmallow. More rifling through their songs are in order. Speaking of getting warm, you'll want to snuggle up with a special somebody somebody while listening to Findlay Brown's cozy version of Wham's "Last Christmas." Not only do Boston's The Hush Now drop a soaring Christmas ditty, decked with lots of fa la las, they also get into the spirit of the holiday with an accompanying video that shows the band rocking out in a local liquor store. Watch for their new album, Constellations in February.

Queuing Up for Christmas [MP3]
by The Keys
Available now on See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings

Last Christmas [MP3]
by Findlay Brown

Wishing You a Happy Christmas [MP3]
by The Hush Now

And to top if off, a pair of soulful holiday songs. The label's want to do a gift exchange, so you'll have to give them your email. Wrapping paper not required.

J.D. McDonald - Boogaloo Santa Claus [Strut Records]

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - "Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects" b/w "Holiday Breakdown"

password: pw: dapholiday09

12.4.09
As promised, more more or less Christmas songs. We begin with a general holiday song from Sheffield, England's Standard Fare: "Tinsel Politics." The song anticipates the family politics Christmas time brings and the singer asks why it's even on her mind because she's "not even a Christian/and Hanukkah comes early this time and we'll still be in school." Wormburner's 2006 debut, A Hero's Welcome, was produced by David Lowrey (Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven). The band performs their annual holiday show at the Mercury Lounge (NYC) on December 12. Watch for their new album early next year. Lastly, long time 3hivers The Layaways added seven new Christmas songs to their EP, which makes...a Christmas album! They infect a lovely version of "Away in a Manger" with backwards guitar which adds a bit of psychedelia to carol.

Tinsel Politics [MP3]
by Standard Fare
Available now on Indiecator Records

(Christmas) Bells of St. Ignacious [MP3]
by Wormburner

Away In a Manger [MP3]
by The Layaways
Available now on Mystery Farm Records

12.3.09
'Tis the season to crank up the holiday tunes. Our digital stocking's getting stuffed full of Christmas music already and it's time to start giving the gift of sharing. Keep checking back to this post as we'll be adding new songs in groups of three. For our first round we've quite the motley crew. From St. Louis, MO, Rough Shop offer up a solid indie pop track. It's an original from their 11-song Christmas album. The Rondo Brothers are our cream-cheesy center with their playful and irreverent version of "Jingle Bells." Then from Brooklyn, New York come Bobtown with their gentle waltz, a mother-to-child lullaby called "The Boy King." Please email us with any festive songs that are buried underneath your tree and we'll keep piling them up. We're not respecter of holiday traditions, so all holiday songs are welcome. Speaking of which, hit that Rondo Brothers link to stream the hilarious "Dreidel Playa" featuring MC Lars.

Just Because it was Christmas [MP3]
by Rough Shop
Available now on "Just Because it was Christmas"

Jinglebells on Crack [MP3]
by Rondo Brothers
Available now on "This is Your Brain on Xmas"

The Boy King [MP3]
by Bobtown

Miles Tilmann

I first encountered Miles Tilmann on the compilation "Six Records Breaks Your Heart Again" (in truth it was the first and last time the label would break your heart, because it was their first release and they haven't released anything since) and a recent revisit to the album sent me searching around for facts and tunes from some of the artists. Miles Tilmann, pleasantly surprised me by offering up close to 100 MP3s on his site. Tilmann produces a variety of ambient tracks, but the ones I chose to highlight here are more beat driven. Tilmann's music is awash in fluid synths, deep kick drum pulsations, and well, plenty of ambient sounds. You'll discover similarities to Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin. Tilmann has been steadily releasing music since 1999 on labels like Sub:marine, Consumers Research & Development, and Toytronic. For his latest effort Departures (2008) he collaborates with drummer Steven Hess for an album of unpredictable rhythms and soundscapes. Extreme chill factor ahead.

From Underland (Sub:marine 2001):
Mother-Father [MP3]
Derail [MP3]

from Xenon (Consumers Research & Development 2006):
Wrong Move [MP3]

From 3D Concepts (Toytronic 2003):
Particle 3 [MP3]

From various comps:
Tek [MP3]
Circles Everywhere [MP3]

webhole.com