Walk the Moon – Anna Sun

I HATE CHRISTMAS MUSIC

Why do I hate it? Well, in recent years it has just become a platform for crappy pop stars to keep re-covering the same christmas songs over and over. I don’t need to hear Carrie Underwood sing White Christmas, or Wynonna singing Silent Night, or any big shot artist covering a christmas classic to get me into the spirit.

I think I should stop being such a grinch, and just let the infographic do that talking. So here are some of my favorite original Christmas songs:

1. Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland by Grandaddy
2. Another Christmas Song by Stephen Colbert
3. Christmas Time Is Here by Vince Guaraldi Trio
4. Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day (Well, You Deserved It!) by Sufjan Stevens
5. Don’t Shoot Me Santa by The Killers
6. I Hate Christmas Parties – by Relient K
7. Love Came Down At Christmas by Jars of Clay
8. When I Get Home for Christmas by Snow Patrol
9. Xmas Party by Middle Distance Runner

I love Grandaddy‘s rendition of “Walking In a Winter Wonderland,” but that may also be because I’m a fan of The Alan Parson Project. The song features some subtle humor about Parsons, but knowing a thing about him is not required to enjoy the track. Stephen Colbert is getting exactly what he wants with the next song, he has become part of my holiday listening tradition, and it is hilarious. Fans of Arrested Development, Peanuts Cartoons, and The Royal Tennenbaums will recognize the next little gem by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.  Sufjan Stevens put out his giant box set of Christmas music a few years ago, and song #4 is probably my favorite from that whole collection. The Killers’s song about a guy potentially getting murdered by Santa is interesting to say the least, watching the music video is a must. If Christmas time just gets you down, then be sure to listen to the track by Relient K. I love the next song by Jars of Clay, who took an awesome beat and made an enjoyable new Christmas classic. Snow Patrol fans should not be without song #8. I’m a huge fan, and that song is just awesome. And finally, song #9 is by Middle Distance Runner. If you’ve never checked them out, I hope this song drives you to do so.

Okay. I was a bit of a Grinch earlier, but if you examine the chart you will see that there does exist a small sliver of well done covers. So here’s three Christmas covers I do enjoy, and are part of my holiday canon:

1. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Death Cab for Cutie
2. Holly Jolly Christmas covered by The Format
3. O Come, O Come Emmanuel covered by Belle & Sebastian

These songs may not be original compositions, but I much prefer these to the originals. Death Cab’s version of “Baby Please Come Home” is just great. And a classic from Belle & Sebastian.

I hope you’ve found some new additions to your holiday listening list, and we here at IHYEB wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I’m not saying this is a bad remix… but it’s… not the best remix.

There’s a lot of distortion layed onto the vocals, and the whole thing feels super repetitive. The only way I would have known it was Fischerspooner was the title. It doesn’t feel like Fischerspooner at all.

The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It (Fischerspooner Remix)

Hope you ears find something good about it. Ω

Conor Oberst posted a new song from his forthcoming album, Outer South, on his web-site to be streamed.  Click here to listen to “Slowly (Oh So Slowly).” Sounds like he is going to continue one with The Mystical Valley Band for at least one more record, which is great news for us.

New Leonard Cohen Album

If you head on over to NPR you can stream in its entirety the double disc collection Live in London by Leonard Cohen.  This is a great introduction for anyone who’s only interraction with Cohen’s music is the Rufus Wainwright cover of his epic “Hallelujah” found on the Shrek soundtrack.

The Killers Cover Bright Eyes

The Killers will relaese their song Spaceman off of their new record Day & Age as a single on April 14th.   Which wouldn’t be noteworthy at all, but for the cover of the very country Bright Eyes song, ” Four Winds” that was recorded for the B-side.

Where The Wild Things Are

The trailer for the new Spike Jonze interpretation of possibly the greatest children’s book ever, Where the Wild Things Are was released last week, and it looks awesome.  That partly due to how awesome Wild Thing looks, and then also because of the sweet version of The Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” that is playing in the background.

Arcade Fire – Wake Up (ft. David Bowie)

New Death Cab For Cutie Record

Stereogum premiered a new Death Cab For Cutie record, The Open Door EP. Each day last week they would post one of the five tracks that were recorded during the Narrow Stairs process, but are definitely not outcasts.  My favorite might be the last track, which is the only unoriginal track of the bunch, a stripped down demo of “Talking Bird.”

1) Kings of Leon – Manhatten

I thought I had listened to all of the latest Kings of Leon album, Only By the Night.  But apparently I hadn’t, cause I don’t know how I could’ve heard this song and not been completely entranced right away. For that is what happened when I heard this track a couple of weeks ago while listening to an end of the year podcast on NPR’s All Songs Considered.  I don’t care who you are, I think everyone can groove to this tune.  The drum beat and little guitar riff that proceeds throughout just make you wanna just chill and dance at the same time, if that were possible.  And there is a passion in Caleb’s voice like never before.

2) Of Montreal – An Eluardian Instance

I’ve really been into pop tunes that you can dance to lately, and this one has found its way to the top of my playlists again and again this past month.  I am in love with the horn intro.  It is just a fun and danceable.   And as always, Kevin Barnes knows how to use his words to reach your heart.  Again I have no idea how I overlooked this gem of a song.

3) The Killers – I Can’t Stay

Now this song I did not accidentally overlook.   I just ignored it.  In fact I hated this track when I first listened to Day & Age.  But it came up again when I was listening to my library on shuffle a couple weeks ago, and something in the chorus just struck me.  I think it is just an absolutely lovely melody and I have not been able to stop listening to it.

Albert and Katy Sitting In a Tree (Albert Hammond Jr. “GFC” vs. Katy Perry “I Kissed A Girl”)

Killer Mirror (The Killers “Human” vs. The Arcade Fire “Black Mirror”)

I also want to draw your attention to a new series of stripped down studio sessions called Decomposed.  They invite both well-known and up-and-coming artists to drop by and record stripped down, acoustic versions of a couple of their songs.  They have only featured two artists so far, but I am already a big fan. Check out this awesome performance by The Uglysuit.  You’ll gain an even greater appreciation for these guys after hearing this fantastic perfromance of “Chicago.”

The Uglysuit – Chicago

The Killers – Day & Age

The Killers have decided to jump the gun, but releasing their third studio album tomorrow instead of sticking with the traditional Tuesday release.  Maybe they are just as excited for us to hear the album as we are to get to listen to it.  Expect nothing but pure yet slightly ridiculous 80′s influenced synth-pop fun from these guys.  Flowers has yet to write a song I didn’t enjoy.   But don’t look to these guys to be inspired, rather just let them help you throw a killer dance party.  No pun intended.

The Killers – Human (removed 2/13/09)

Death Cab For Cutie – Somthing About Airplanes Deluxe Edition

Also coming out this week is the deluxe reissue of Death Cab For Cutie’s debut studio album, Something About Airplanes.  This double-disc is being released by Barsuk to celebreat the 10th anniversary of the original album’s release.  The first disc will contain the original album in its entirety.  And then the second disc has seven songs from the bands first ever seattle show.  It is a great buy for any Death Cab fan at only $12.  By the way if the only album you own by DCFC is Plans, you’re not considered a fan.

Death Cab For Cutie – Champagne From a Paper Cup (removed 2/13/09)

‘Dub’ has become a term for almost any musical piece that “Utilizes the remixing of prerecorded sound as a mode of artistic expression.” Taking the separate entities of a musical track and remixing them into a completely new selection has become a popular process, and can be found in a variety of genres ranging anywhere from hip-hop remixes and mash-ups to metal. [Wikipedia]

In a nutshell, dub is an artistic remix. I found some dub mixes of some Killers songs a few months ago, and well they are a great introduction into what Dub is, as far as electropop goes. You’ll find that one main hook of lyrics is constantly repeated as the remixer is trying to get you to focus on those specific lyrics.

The Killers – When You Were Young (Jacques Lu Cont’s Thin White Mix [Duke Dub]) (removed 2/13/09)

The Killers – When You Were Young (The Lindbergh Palace Dub) (removed 2/13/09)

I hope your ears sit in the nosebleed section, and then bleed because of it. Ω