Tracklisting: 1. The Rifle's Spiral 2. Simple Song 3. It's Only Life 4. No Way Down 5. September 6. Bait and Switch 7. Fall of '82 8. For A Fool 9. 40 Mark Strasse 10. Port of Morrow
Before I dive into the annual year-end lists, I offer up a Christmas mix. Here you'll find a mix of traditional and contemporary; religious and secular. Some are classics you've heard a million times, and others are slightly more obscure. Hopefully there's something here that helps you appreciate the silent majesty of a winter's morn, the clean cool chill of the holiday air, and an asshole in his bathrobe emptying a chemical toilet into my sewer.
1. Sufjan Stevens - Hey Guys! It's Christmastime!
2. The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
3. A Fine Frenzy - Christmastime Is Here
4. John Williams - O Holy Night (Home Alone Soundtrack)
5. Dean Martin - Silver Bells
6. The Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song (Christmas, Don't Be Late)
7. Joni Mitchell - River
8. John Denver & The Muppets - The 12 Days Of Christmas
9. Mavis Staples - Christmas Vacation
10. She & Him - Baby It's Cold Outside
11. Sufjan Stevens - Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing
12. Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Every guy from our generation remembers the feeling of uncontrollable anticipation coursing through our boring human veins when we found out that our favorite animated heroes were being brought to the big screen. I won't go into the significance of the movie in this post, as I am known to ramble about things close to my heart. However, I will take this moment to revisit the song that blared from the theater speakers as the credits rolled.
Until a recent search told me so, I did not realize that Midlake is comprised of former members of the now defunct Cornbread All-Stars. I distinctly remember seeing that kooky band name on a flyer that had been plastered almost apologetically among a sea of other brightly colored papers on a bulletin board post that looked as if it would crumble at any minute under the weight of the hopes and ambitions of hundreds of talented bands in Denton, Texas at the turn of the millennium. Much like many of the budding young musicians at the University of North Texas, jazz was the influential art form of choice for the All-Stars in the beginning. And as the transformation took place to the more traditionally titled Midlake (named for the geography of Denton County), the sounds of Herbie Hancock gave way to the sounds of Thom Yorke.
The stunning Trials of Van Occupanther sounds like a more straightforward Jethro Tull, minus the moments of medieval monotony. Don't let the conceptually heavy-handed videos fool you, this stuff is great. It's perfect for a brisk autumn jog; or even more appropriately, a chilly morning drive. It's like guitar driven Radiohead sewn into the sounds of leaves crunching underfoot. It's not overly immediate, mind you. But with repeated listens, the rewards unfold exponentially.
As the garage door lifted this morning, I was treated to something I hadn't felt in quite a while: cool, brisk air. With temperatures finally hovering in the mid 50's, it's time to revisit some of my favorite albums for this awesome time of year. First up, Belle & Sebastian's masterpiece If You're Feeling Sinister.
This was my first exposure to the beloved Scottish band, and it still tops their consistently impressive catalog to this day. The subject matter here is fairly typical at times, but the tunes drift by effortlessly. A relatively modern showcase of Smiths and Nick Drake inspired song craft, Sinister does not venture too far from its main path of mid-tempo harmonized pop that endeared so many to the group from the beginning. The vocals fit perfectly for this style and have spawned quite the series of imitators. At least the accents here are legitimate!
