And Now For Some Christmas Music

We've officially entered the Christmas season and for the next month Christmas music will be as ubiquitous as those garish inflatable/plastic lawn ornaments. Generally I enjoy the music, until I've heard so much of it that when Christmas morning rolls around I'm ready to punch the first person to make a move towards the radio. There are songs that I wished were played more, like the Drifters version of "White Christmas" and some songs I pray won't come on, like "Last Christmas" by whomever.

In the past couple years though, I made two discoveries that I though were pretty great. The first is this jazzed up version of The Night Before Christmas called "Be Bop Santa Claus." In this story, Santa is a cool cat who drives a red Cadillac and leaves Dizzy Gilespie albums under the tree. It was originally out in 1955 by Babs Gonzalez, but the better version is more recent by one Sweet Daddy Lowe. It's the very definition of "cool." Unfortunately iTunes only has the one from '55.

The other find is perhaps not as edgy, but: Attention Children of the 90s-- you might just like this. There's an a cappella group called the Blenders (clever ain't it?) who got started around 1992 and over the years got into releasing Christmas albums. They've made at least four. The one I have is Most Wonderful Time and it was sent free as some sort of promotion. I let that thing lay around for a while but when I played it, it was surprisingly fun to listen to-- a cappella with a dash of boy band. Normally I hate boy bands, but these guys actually have some ability to harmonize seamlessly. It's slick stuff and I play it often. A favorite of mine is "I Bought You a Plastic Star (for your aluminum tree)." All the rest are old familiars.

So, if you've had it with Burl Ives and the lot give these a try and to quote my dear Be Bop Santa, "have a crazy cool Christmas."

Coldplay is Back-- Missed that Memo

It drives me crazy when I think I hear something or catch the very tail end of something that I no doubt would have loved to have heard. Allow me to explain. I caught a snatch of DJ blabber the other day and it sounded a whole lot like "Coldplay...new album...almost finished." Huh? I thought they were tucking themselves away for a while, or at least I remember specifically a conversation in which a friend told me that I was right and it was true what I read in a magazine. Yeah. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the fact that Coldplay was going to be gone for a while but I have to say-- I guess it's been a quick two years. After some internet surfing I confirmed that I did in fact hear the correct mix of words, but going back to that whole "what drives me crazy" thing is that Coldplay announced back in March that they were back in the studio. Not only that but they were already hyping one particular song as the greatest song in the history of their career. Hearing artists talk up their stuff too much gets old and is flat out disappointing from these guys.

And where was I in March that this got by me? I really wish I had a good excuse for that. In fact, I seem to remember March as being fantastically boring. In any case various articles claim that they are making progress and some track titles are available. There's no release date yet and no title. Great marketing strategy. What's a bit worrisome though is that they're talking so much about their new sound and their new direction, experimentation with some latin influence. I don't know folks. A lot of people like Coldplay because they sound like Coldlay. I'm all for adventure but really it feels like they're dabbling into that potentially obnoxious self-searching, so frequently found in bands with multi-platinum egos. These guys have been cool and successful, bordering on faceless at times and it works for their music which has got that ethereal touch to it. We'll see. I best I can relay is the early part of 2008.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Out of Exile

I firmly believe that we live in what I like to call, a "fast world." Technology being what it is, we are all residents of Mecca for the fickle. That's usually why when I hear about some band that faded out a few years back all of a sudden reinventing themselves, all I can say is "good luck." Yahoo news posted an article this morning about how Matchbox Twenty is hitting the road for the first time in four years this coming January. Four years can be a long time and funnily enough I saw them on their last tour. In the mean time I've been curious and perhaps a few years ago I would have been a little more excited, but it's hard to muster up enthusiasm for something that feels like its time has passed.

MB 20 was really and truly a creation of the 90s. Music that wasn't exactly rock because it wasn't raw or tough enough and it wasn't pop because Nsync and the Backstreet Boys had that definition cornered. Their albums got progressively more glossed and finally it seemed as though they fizzled, Rob Thomas's solo career aside. I don't mean to sound negative. There was some quality, though I'm not sure what it was that was appealing to me and inescapable-- so I called myself a fan, but these days after seeing multiple 90s acts resurrected, I wonder if they matter at all and if this is not one last gasp for air.

I groaned upon news that they were releasing a "greatest hits" album and was confused why there were six new tracks. Why not get four more and call it brand new? I don't know, but I flashed back to Sugar Ray's "greatest hits" album and the sad, sad sight it was seeing them on Leno one night. Ironically they opened for MB 20 four years ago, and that night I stayed up to catch them. It was the musical equivalent to a death rattle. Depressing.

Well, I guess we'll see. Exile on Mainstream hit #3 on Billboard and "How far We've Come hit #11 on hot 100 singles chart, Yahoo tells me. I'm not hearing much buzz but then again, I don't remember ever really hearing any buzz. Maybe it's a sign. Maybe we'll find out exactly how far we've come.

Tranquilized Until 2008

The Killers are definitely a favorite here at The Musically Inclined and the eminent release is much anticipated. I've already soap-boxed on the album, but I wanted to go back and take a look at "Tranquilize," the only brand new song on the album. The Vegas band teamed up with Lou Reed from the legendary Velvet Underground and the product is pretty interesting. There's a darker quality to it, the same darker quality that was perhaps a bit underdeveloped on "Bones" off Sam's Town, but nevertheless present. It still definitely sounds like the Killers, which is a relief because it feels like they are taking a natural path when it comes to the stylistic progress of their music. There's even a small strain of "Read My Mind" in the chorus.

My initial reaction was that "Tranquilize" feels like that half step between Sam's Town and where ever they're headed with their 2008 scheduled release. That's a good sign.
Based on this song I'd say that they are going to hang on to a bit of the western influence but polish it with that sleekness that was so prevalent in Hot Fuss. Plus, if they are working with Lou Reed, there's probably going to be some other element thrown in there like a twist of punk, or whatever genre The Velvet Underground could be most accurately placed under. It seems to fit initial Killers tracks along the lines of "Jenny Was A Friend of Mine," at least in my mind.

The other cool feature of "Tranquilize" is the use of a children's choir. On one hand it sounds like these youths don't belong because of that afore mentioned darker side but oddly it makes for an intriguing sound. And I can't help but imagine that those kids are going to be able to claim someday that they sang on a Killer's album. Pretty cool.

Let's hope 2008 doesn't take too long to get here.

Radiohead: Where's the love? (And by love I mean money).

Probably by this time, most are aware of that "crazy" thing Radiohead did, releasing their own album and allowing people to name their own price. I was intrigued by the idea. It sounded risky to me, people can be unpredictable and perhaps odd, but surely loyalty to a favorite band would count for something, right?

Guess not. According to an article I saw on the BBC news website, 62%of people who "bought," and I use the term loosely, paid absolutely nothing. 38% paid on average $6. Really? Seriously? I don't don't even really listen to the group but I'd feel so guilty for taking the culmination of hours of work for nothing. One could argue that hey, no one said anyone had to pay anything, but in my mind it's the honors system and if it was a band I liked especially-- the last thing I'd want to do would be take advantage of them.

Don't get me wrong either-- I'm under no illusion that Radiohead is depending on sales to feed their starving, malnourished families. It's the principle.

I don't want to sound too idealistic here, but the fact that a person would normally pay $14 should be a sign that they'd be willing to pay something. And if they've been willing to fork out in the past, because they like the band enough, wouldn't they feel some sense of good will toward them that they would want to pay? It's scary. Where did decency go? Or was it never here and its absence hasn't been as obvious?

Paste Magazine is having a similar promotion, letting people name their price for year-long subscription. Again-- too risky for my taste but at least they have set a minimum $1 per issue. Maybe it's better. I don't know.

Here's to hoping the Golden Rule experiences a resurgence in popularity.