The Swimmers released a pretty darn good MP3 EP back in August. It’s a fun piano pop romp, and I probably should have posted about it back then. But I’m glad I waited because now I have even more praise to heap on these kids from the Illadelph. As some of you know, I”m a complete nut for Christmas music — especially fresh, new Christmas compositions that capture the magic of the season, rather than the uninspired covers that bombard me everywhere I go these days. And that’s just what The Swimmers have created with “The Christmas Sound”: a buoyant Christmas hit replete with sleigh bells, drum trills, and a sing-along chorus. As we all learn in the movie Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” Word to Buddy…
The Swimmers’ next present to the world will be their debut album, due out in March.
Somehow, this holiday season snuck up on me. No more pigs in blankets! No more cheap red wine! I revolt. I can’t listen to DJ’s play the greatest hits of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s anymore! I revolt! I am deeply desirous of a comfortable pair of pajamas, a cup of tea, some only-me-and-no-one-else time and the piece de resistance… new Dead Meadow playing on repeat. Shan called it way back in ’05—“blissful rock and roll melancholyâ€. I couldn’t agree more. What better place to escape to in the midst of small talk, velvet dresses, candles and fake snow? These guys had it right when they took their fifth-album making selves to rural Indiana to create these tunes—there is something deliciously escapist about them.
Greg is having a good day. He won a debate on global warming, wasting his opponent, and will soon gorge himself on all-you-can-eat Chinese. Furthermore, he’s got the chance to tell the whole Internet about Albert Hammond, Jr.: “This is so much pressure… You actually typed that? Well, for lack of better words, Albert Hammond, Jr. is like The Strokes in caffeine-free form. Which makes sense, considering that Albert Hammond, Jr. is, in fact, the lead guitarist for the band mentioned prior. And, you know what, I’m gonna get Guitar Hero for my mom for Christmas.” Thanks, Greg. You rock. Thanks also to 
Magnus Larsson, as Pet Politics, is the Swedish Jeff Mangum. Fortunately for us, Magnus is presently recording music, unlike the reclusive founder of Elephant 6’s Neutral Milk Hotel. I don’t mean to say that Pet Politics is a copycat, but while Magnus’s songs stand on their own, they also share the best traits of NMH, as in haunted, bizarre lyrics, pleasantly-driven pop, and that sturdy, powerful lead vocal with a unique cadence. The song below is a b-side to a limited 7 inch pressing on the London label the Great Pop Supplement. More songs available for download on the myspace page.
I run the risk of dating myself, my better half specifically, when I report that upon hearing “Second, Minute Or Hour” she promptly compared Peñate to The Housemartins. An apt comparison. It’s the frantic, breathless delivery, the quick, jangly guitars, they heavy accent, and the playful lyrics, although Peñate lacks the acerbic subtext of many Housemartins’ songs, a fact Peñate is more than comfortable with. In his bio he says, “I like stuff that’s soulful, happy and intelligent—and I don’t like music ironically.” I should mention Ted Leo in an effort to bring a more recent artist to bear on the comparison. Another recent artist (and XL labelmate), RJD2 contributed to the song “Learning Lines.” A fine pairing when you’re working towards a soulful and intelligent sound. Jack Peñate’s making quite a stir in the UK, with the press and the young ladies in particular, but when the masses here in the U. S. of A. consider American Idol to be soulful and intelligent, Jack Peñate may fly undeservedly low, avoiding the radar, when his album touches down here next month.
Orchestral pop is nothing new, but Madison, Wisconsin’s Pale Young Gentlemen manage to have fun with the genre by adding some theatrics and wit without overdosing on irony (though their cellist is, despite the fairly band’s descriptive name, a woman). That’s about all I have to say, as every other reputable music blog has already 
We just got this e-mail from Jared and Stacey Schwartz, and they’re doing this neat thing with a new website, 
Truth be told, I don’t know any more about The Mammals than what I read on their website. (It tells us that they’re a folk-rock quintet, a string band offering up traditional music sometimes, political rants at other times, and generally having fun traveling around in a van.) There are other downloads available on their website, too, but there’s something in their cover of Richard Thompson’s song about the Vincent that just works for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been listening to a lot of Woody Guthrie over the last few days, using “Pretty Boy Floyd” to teach about the Great Depression in my U.S. History class, and letting the disc run on with “Jesus Christ,” “Pastures of Plenty,” and “Blowin’ Down the Road.” This take on “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” (Google says Thompson’s version is the most-requested song on NPR) fits perfectly in this series — the overwhelming narrative strength, the focus on the human condition, the crooning and the picking… Maybe later on this week I’ll plug in again, but for now I’m adjusting my audio-carbon footprint and going straight acoustic.
Michael Brook fits my mood to a T these days. Melancholic, introspective, thoughtful, and downright chill. I first discovered Brook via his work with