Gyozamonsta’s 4th Annual Free Holiday Music Roundup

Merry 2010 Christmas & Happy Holidays, ponies.

Enjoy the round up-updated daily, sort of.  (all two of you)

And as always, don’t forget 77 Santas, ErnieNotBert, Falalalalala & all their friends.

1.  BBQChickenRobot’s back with vol. 5 ici the cover art this year is zazzy.

2.  Target’s got a little something for everyone here

3.  The good folks at NME have a few recommendations here worth checking out.

4.  Canadian?  we’ve got something for you too-People magazine’s Country Christmas Playlist from itunes.

4a.  American?  here’s the link for you.  i may have mixed them up.

5-updated.  The Burning Ear has posted this year’s mix and still has last year’s mixes up as well (si, dos).

6.  VagueSpace’s lengthy mix here.

7.  Songs:Illinois got an early start here…and updates the post as new tunes roll in.  check his page often-always good stuff.

8.  CanYouSeeTheSunsetFromTheSouthSide-counting down to Christmas here.

9.  Some good stuff, as always, from  Aquarium Drunkard here & here (Beatles Singles Club-yup an entire album) &  here

10.  Hopefully gorillavsbear will post more.

11.  Addicted To Vinyl’s offering is rated R and not for the kiddies.

12.  Brooklyn Vegan’s got a few things here.

13. the kicking horse of scope creep posted a mix here.

14.  a little christmas music repository courtesy of Tom Lewis aqui.  (he composes roughly 100% of this roundup’s readership.  thanks man.)

15.  AudioMuffin’s 2010 & 2009 mixes

16.  Fuel Friends back this year with another mix of awesomeness by heather.

17.  Steaming Pile of Vinyl’s got some posts happening here & here.

18.  Big Rock Candy Mountain’s got a lengthy mix  here.  actually all over site, just head over and check it out.

19.  Los Campesinos! free Christmas track-kindle a flame in her heart-at we all want someone to shout for.

20.  down player has 10 free tracks a day here.

21.  Music Snobbery is offering up a few choice tracks here.

22.  Mark has an r & b sampler to recommend (links to amazon).

23.  Garritan’s link here to this year’s mix as well as previous years, the explanation here from TVJames-different from any of the above and worth checking out if you’re a fan of trans siberian orchestra (or you’re my mom).

24.  A Kid Friendly mix from Holiday Hullabaloo.

25.  More for Canadians…HMVDigitgal has a track each day for 12 days…

26.  Forgot to post Amazon’s 25 days of free tracks here.

27.  beautiful pigeon has a holiday mixtape here.

28.  Brooklyn Vegan’s posted a link to a full album from Banjo or Freakout.

29.  A link to Vandaveer’s 2nd Holiday EP via Each Note Secure.

30.  Sixeyes has there Christmas Mix 2010 up.  And the downloads work.

31.  A very Standard Christmas Vol. 3-Donate what you can.

32.  Doesn’t look like this has been updated lately, but still a resource..Indie Rock Cafe’s indie christmas mixes.

33.  A Christmas Yuleblog has posted the 2010 sampler…full of rareties and gems.

34.  anjibee has this year’s holiday chillcast here.

35.  The Music Slut links to The Kopecky Family Band giving away an album here.

Gyozamonsta’s 3rd Annual Free Holiday Music Roundup

Hola, Monkeys! 12 days til Chrismas (Eve) and the Free Holiday Music Roundup returns.  New this year, Declan (pictured above) offers you nefarious snowballs.  Beware.

My favorites are back:

Ernie (Not Bert) continues with posts to please both the eyes and ears

as does 77 Santas with some holiday surprises.

Falalalala has quite a nice site and tons of old holiday gems waiting to be uncovered.

And then there’s……

1.  Jason Lytle is giving you a free Christmas Album here. (12/12)

2.  Aquarium Drunkard’s got Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas. (12/12)

3.  iTunes as a free Holiday Sampler here.  (12/12)

4.  Amazon has a sampler as well along with 25 days of free holiday tunes advent calendar of sorts.  (12/12)

5.  Jim Brickman wants you to download his free holiday stuff here.  (12/12)

6.  Media, Darling has a Christmas Mix here.

7.  Chris Read & Mark Hype Present…The World’s Greatest Christmas Mixtape.  Ever!  (12/12)

8.  Fuel Friends has an admirably curated post here (and I’ll probably steal the santa Nighthawks for next year’s free music post).  (12/12)

9.  Vanguard Records has a full on album to give away here. (12/12)

10.  3hive’s chosen some xmas tracks here.  (12/12)

11.  Can you see the Sunset has a mini mix each day with a different theme here. (12/12)

12.  Largehearted Boy’s several Holiday tracks here. (12/13)

13.  Brooklyn Vegan’s got some stuff here and here.  (12/13)

14.  And an indie Xmas Mix from the archives of Stereogum.

15.  I was saving a spot for BBQChickenRobot next to 77Santas but damn if they were just as behind as I was this year.  Here’s this year’s much anticipated mix–and trust them when they say your party will suck without it. (12/13)

16.  Plastic Punk Records has a fantastic Punk Advent Calendar aqui. (12/13)

17.  Radomizeme links to a few free tracks.  (12/13)

18.  Standard Recording Co. has released A Very Standard Christmas Vol 2–don’t miss the download ici.  (12/13)

19.  Swedesplease has their annual mix up here.  Another good one.  (12/13)

20.  And Songs:Illinois mix here.  (12/13)

21.  Guilt Free Pleasure’s got another series up here.  (12/13)

22. Hearsay has this year’s December Mix up too.  (12/13)

23.  Indie Rock Cafe has a veritable treasure trove here.  (12/13)

24.  Electric Fantastic Sound’s 2009 tracks are up here.  (12/13)

25.  Ain’t Superstitious 2009 mix up here (and in two parts–that’s tons of holiday goodness)  (12/13)

26.  Bag of Songs has the daily xmas tune up and running again this year.  (12/13)

27.  Sixeyes has a number of mixes up for 2009–click around the site or subscribe to make sure you don’t miss any of them.

28.  DJRiko still has the mixmas library up with mixes through 2008 (we can still hope for a 2009).  (12/13)

29.  Therealbigrockcandymountain has 12 days of christmas tunes up for you here. (12/13)

30.  Sounds Familyre has both volumes 1 and 2 up here. (12/13)

31.  Christmas Yuleblog has a plethora of stuff to check out here.  (12/13)

32.  As does Christmas A Go Go here.  (12/13)

33.  Addicted to vinyl has a black and white  monday morning mix up here.  (12/14)

34.  Matthew Africa has a rap/hip hop mix posted here.  (12/14)

35.  some pretty amusing stuff from TunaMelt here. (12/14)

36.   a deeper groover offers you christmas seasoning here. (12/14)

37.  Audio Muffin has a merry muffin mix here.  (12/14)

38.  heavy soul brutha has a mix here (streaming, but worth a listen).  (12/14)

39.  A Little Night Music has a lovely downloadable mix up here.  (12/15)

40.  little black star has an amusing ‘greetings from the lower 48′ christmas mix up here.  (12/15)

41.  Out the other has a plethora of good stuff here.  (12/15)

42.  A fantastic duo of mixes from The Burning Ear-Christmas Mix of the Classics and the Covers.  (12/15)

43.  JoanieDearest has a mix up here.  (12/15)

44.  C-notes has a mix here. (12/19)

45.  Chillcast has a download available here.  (12/19)

46.  A huge archive of holiday mixes from the good people at Suburban Sprawl Music going back to 2002.  (12/19)

47.  Moneypenny gift you the SpandexxxMas Mixtape here.  (and other downloadable mixes available too…scroll down that page.)  (12/19)

48.  Click UMM Specials! and you’ll be treated with a free download with track listings here.  (12/19)

49.  Ear Farm has a charity compilation up here-please consider donating to benefit needy children & families.  (12/19)

50.  Poptartssucktoasted has a mix up here.  (12/19)

51.  check out butter Brian’s mix here.  (12/19)

52.  low budget free christmas EP here via Vinyl Meltdown.  (12/19)

53.  Another link to the moneypenny mix with two additional tracks via hardcandy.  (12/19)

54.  Speed of dark has a mix of old and new here.  (12/19)

55.  The Sky Drops thinks Christmas Feels Like Halloween. (12/19)

As in years past, I will (probably?) be updating the list daily.  Stay tuned!

Declan, behave!

Gyozamonsta’s 2nd annual free holiday music roundup

It’s 2008′s free holiday music roundup year 2!  Gyozamonsta clearly can’t commit to daily blogkeeping but yearly…maybe.

And once again we kick off the queue with what will become perennial favorites over at ErnienotBert, 77Santas, and BBQCHICKENROBOT (sup).  If you check out nothing else on this list, ErnienotBert and 77Santas are a must.

1.  BBQCHICKENROBOT wants to know Do You Hear What I Hear? I think I do–and it’s barackariffic. (11/29)

2.  Consequence of Sound has a Black Friday Mixtape up for download (11/30)

3.  ZeroHeartMusic has a multipart dance-y kind of christmas mix up and another one here with 20 more traditional tunes from bing to the platters  (11/30)

4.  Can you see santa from the south side returns with a volume 2 (11/30) and a jazzy christmas here.  (12/5)

5.  aint superstitious promised not to do it again, but he’s back with another one (down the chimney tonight) and it looks good enough to download. (11/30)

6.  a sweet and sappy mix here will appeal to some–loosely themed around christmas (11/30)

7.  and courtesy of amazon.com by way of GB (gracias)-a free holiday mix to you from Vice.  (12/2)

8.  also from amazon…a 5 song sampler of classics (12/2)

9.  25 days til christmas = 25 free songs at surviving the golden age, one for each day. (12/2)

10.  check out a free  christmas single from glam chops here.  (12/2)

11.  another couple of freebies by the raveonettes here and another one here (bottom of page).  (12/2)

12.  Swedesplease once again has a fantastic christmas mix up here. (12/2)

13.  And another at songs:illinois up here. (12/2)

14.  several solid xmassy singles here courtesy of eardrumsmusic. (12/2)

15.  here’s a little something from the nkotb.  if you feel you must download it.  do so here.  (12/2)

16.  INXS’s did a christmas song?  (12/2)

17.  17 seconds has a countdown to christmas here.  check the archives for the previous posts. (12/6)

18. more free samplers from amazon by way of  makelovereal.  (not all holiday)  (12/6)

19.  sensory overload has a christmas mix here (12/6)

20.  don’t burn the day away has a piratey christmas here.  aaaaarggghhhhhh.

21.  eachnotesecure has a freebee from le loup.  (12/6)

22.  drivebymedia has a free download of always christmas.  (12/6)

23.  have a punk rock christmas with the punk rock advent calendar! just click and download.  (12/6)

24.  the devil has the best tuna has a couple of free christmas songs for download here.  (12/6)

25.  WFMU has a wonderful and rare track collection here.  (12/6)

26.  falalalala is simply a treasure trove of good stuff.  I rank it right up there with 77santas and ErnieNotBert(12/6)

27.  backseat writer posted a link to jeremy cowart, who has a repository of mixes he’s put together over the last few years with 2008′s coming out soon.  (12/6)

28.  disappointed that brooklynvegan hasn’t done a 2008 mix, but has reposted the 2007 mix instead.  (12/6)

29.  yoshi has posted a download center for his xmas rox mixes going back 3 years.  (12/6)

30.  electricfantasticsound has free christmas samplers also going back the last 3 years. (12/6)

31.  Dr. Forrest’s Cheeze Factory has a mix up here as well.  (12/6)

32.  condemned to rock n roll has a rather solid mix here.  (12/6)

33.  guilt free pleasures has a holiday hash parts one, two, three, and four with the possibility of more on the way?  (12/6)

34.  the pitch has a couple of songs up here–bodies of water and raveonettes. (12/6)

35.  she’ll grow back has posted an eclectic mix here.  (12/6)

36.  a december mix 2008 from hearsay (12/6)

37.  fiona apple sings frosty the snowman.  (12/6)

38.  a mix from a blog with a name so long i can’t type it here.  (12/6)

39.  shepizzle is doing a 12 days of christmas post.  (12/6)

40.  personasauna has Lady Gaga ft Space Cowboy on the christmas tree track.

Check back tomorrow (o beloved readership of .7) for more links to free holiday tunes.

new elbow single–grounds for divorce

…and the 1st single off their 4 full length album-seldom seen kid–grounds for divorce courtesy of so much silence.

download the radio rip here (debuted last week by zane lowe).

few bands do it for me like these guys do. if this first single is any indication of the strength of the new album, then i’m seriously excited. (and still keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll announce a stop at this years so far rather lame coachella.)

in other news:

portishead–the new album, titled THIRD, releases april 14th in the uk.

vineland has pushed out a year to summer ’09. not shocking.

slightly off topic

downloading by students overstated at insidehighered.com

and the mpaa admits mistake on downloading study–assholes.

more.

in interesting recent news:

1. an interview at starpulse with mike patton, chock full of info including a possible lovage follow up in 2009. sounds like patton and dan the automator just need to coordinate schedules next yr.

2. and at artisan news service, word that a faith no more reunion is not entirely out of the question.

at any rate, the supposed summer ’08 release of mondo cane should be worth the wait. (summer o8….early 09…whatever)

here’s to hoping for some live lovage appearances in ’09. dudes like the american answer to damon albarn.

random thought–a mike patton/luke vibert collaboration would be most interesting.  to my knowledge they’ve never worked together.  could produce something most pleasing to the ear.

see you there.

it’s official. announced the same day as last year, the official coachella 2008 lineup. notably missing several acts “confirmed” for the festival…like..mbv.

FRIDAY, APRIL 25: Jack Johnson, The Verve, Raconteurs, The Breeders, Fatboy Slim, Tegan and Sara, Madness, The Swell Season, The National, Animal Collective, Slightly Stoopid, Mum, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Stars, Battles, Aesop Rock, Midnight Juggernauts, Does it Offend you, Yeah?, Minus the Bear, Spank Rock, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Diplo, Adam Freeland, Santo Gold, Jens Lekman, John Butler Trio, Vampire Weekend, Dan Deacon, Architecture in Helsinki, Sandra Collins, Busy P, Cut Copy, Black Lips, Datarock, Professor Murder, Reverend and the Makers, The Bees, Porter, Rogue Wave, Modeselektor, American Bang, Lucky I Am.

SATURDAY, APRIL 26: Portishead, Kraftwerk, Death Cab for Cutie, Cafe Tacuba, Sasha & Digweed, Rilo Kiley, Dwight Yoakam, M.I.A., Hot Chip, Cold War Kids, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, DeVotchKa, Flogging Molly, Mark Ronson, Turbonegro, Scars on Broadway, Islands, Enter Shikari, Calvin Harris, Boyz Noize, Junkie XL, Cinematic Orchestra, Jamie T, The Teenagers, VHS or Beta, Carbon/silicon, Erol Alkan, Yo Majesty!, Little Brother, Bonde Do Role, St. Vincent, Akron Family, MGMT, Institubes DJs (Surkin, Para One and Orgasmic), James Zabiela, Sebastian, Kavinsky, Dredg, The Bird and the Bee, Grand Ole Party, New Young Pony Club, 120 Days, Yoav, Electric Touch, Uffie

SUNDAY, APRIL 27: Roger Waters (“Dark Side of the Moon”), Love & Rockets, My Morning Jacket, Spiritualized, Justice, Gogol Bordello, Chromeo, The Streets, Metric, Danny Tenaglia, Simian Mobile Disco, Booka Shade, Murs, Dmitri from Paris, Autolux, The Field, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Les Savy Fav, The Cool Kids, Sons & Daughters, Sia, Holy Fuck, Black Kids, Black Mountain, The Annuals, Kid Sister w/A-Trak, Man Man, Duffy, I’m from Barcelona, Manchester Orchestra, Deadmau5, The Horrors, Austin TV, Shout Out Louds, Plastiscines, Brett Dennen

can’t say i’m particularly excited by anyone other than portishead, the verve, the breeders, and a few others. hopefully the updates in the coming weeks will add some interest. confirmation of the rumored deltron 3030 appearance would go a long way to piquing some more excitement on my part.

and we’ll see what the all points west festival will pull in–in direct competition with vineland. personally, i’d rather hit vineland by car than go to apw by ferry.

sunday nite spotlight & a helping of self loathing.

after an unexpected hiatus…the posts are back.

this week’s episode of gossip girl sat in the dvr til sunday evening cleaning. so the ridiculous tidbits that came to light between vacuuming and dishes:

1. ed westwick, aka chuck bass, is actually british (no doubt this isn’t news to anyone who’s in middle school) and fronts a band, the filthy youth, whose music was featured in this weeks episode. The songs used–orange and come flash all your ladies.

2. the song in the last scene that supposedly puts an end to the parents’ adult love triangle (which to my surprise turned out to be a particularly riveting piece of the episode)–come home by one republic.

3.  and…the blair pregnancy scare episode?  the last one produced before the writers strike.  holy cliffhanger batman.  for more on when your favorite tv show goes dark…see tv guide.

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2007′s last gasp–new years eve smorgasbord.

1. having failed miserably to beat the year into submission, i offer you free tunes with which to celebrate its passing:

bag of songs
dj keiroz and here
phuture frequency
big stereo
am then fm
the pop cop
echoes in the wind (scroll all the way down)
a cup of coffey (scroll to the friday mixtape post)
music of the moment (scroll to best of 2007)
ain’t superstitious (some kula shaker)

2. a final 2007 album that flew under the radar–johnette napolitano’s scarred. formerly of dream 6 (remember?), concrete blonde, pretty & twisted, and the heads, scarred is her 3rd solo release & it definitely deserved more attention that it got (although it snuck its way onto a few less prominent best of lists the last few weeks). as far as the woman w/voice and instrument formula goes, i far prefer her raw vocal and guitar stylings to, say, the dainty monotony churned out by the pop larvae of the day ie sarah bareilles, colbie caillat (yes they deserve to be lumped together goddammit). and now a few selections from scarred:

scarred
amazing
the scientist (coldplay cover)

3. and in just under the wire, what will become an annual tradition here–gb’s much anticipated (by the 0.73 readers of this blog) best of the year list has finally arrived. gyozamonsta thanks gb for the guest post.

Top 10 Albums

1. M.I.A. – Kala

People generally love or hate Sri Lankan UK rapper M.I.A., but that’s merely because her music is so different from everything else currently out there. It’s innovative and fresh, forward thinking, and never boring. (Guess that means I’m in the former camp…) A true world artist making music for the masses, M.I.A. solidified her reputation this year with a wildly eclectic second record that hits home for Africans, Indians, Jamaicans, and yes, even American indie hipsters. It’s a marvelous album that gets better with each listen.

2. Bat For Lashes – Fur and Gold

It’s hard being the latest quirky UK female singer on the block – you’re bound to face comparisons to the great Kate Bush. Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, certainly draws some similarities to Bush, but with other influences ranging from Bjork and PJ Harvey to Tori Amos and Joanna Newsom, she successfully fashions a new sound and sensibility. Her debut record is ethereal and haunting, magical and experimental. From the opening harpsichord of “Horse and I” listeners are transported into another world full of elegance and mystery. Where she’ll go as a follow-up is anyone’s guess, but I can’t wait to find out where her rabbit hole will lead.

3. Klaxons – Myths of the Near Future

From the ashes of the Brit-pop movement of the mid-90s have come a long list of generic, if not terrible, UK bands. I enjoy listening to bands like Keane, Travis, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, etc. as much as anyone, but let’s face it – there’s a rather studied lack of passion and experimentation in their music and lyrics. Thankfully a newer vanguard is emerging with the Klaxons one of the more intriguing acts to emerge. The Klaxons (Greek for “to shriek”) have re-energized the stagnant UK indie scene over the last year and a half with a string of brilliantly psychedelic singles that have put the fun back in music. “Atlantic to Interzone” is probably the best example of their “new rave” style, but deeper singles like the riveting “Magick” show they’re also a serious band interested in cultivating a long-term future. The Mercury prize winning “Myths of the Near Future” is an assured and self-confident debut album.

4. Radiohead – In Rainbows
5. Bjork – Volta
6. Editors – An End Has A Start
7. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
8. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
9. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
10. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

Honorable Mentions:
Battles – Mirrored
Chemical Brothers – We Are The Night
The Cinematics – A Strange Education
The Good, the Bad, & the Queen – The Good, the Bad, & the Queen
Interpol – Our Love To Admire
The National – Boxer
Mark Ronson – Version
Kanye West – Graduation

Flop Of The Year:
PJ Harvey – White Chalk
I’ve been obsessed with Polly Jean since I first heard a low-fi copy of “Dry” in the early 90′s. This album is the first big misstep of her career, a thoroughly boring and mundane record that shows PJ eschewing her deep vocal growl and guitar work for insipid piano and fairie-like vocals.

Top 20 Songs:

1. Battles – Atlas
2. The National – Mistaken For Strangers
3. Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
4. Rihanna – Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z)
5. Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
6. Bjork – Declare Independence
7. Bat For Lashes – Horse and I
8. Editors – Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
9. Klaxons – Magick (2006)
10. M.I.A. – Come Around (featuring Timbaland)
11. Bat For Lashes – What’s A Girl To Do?
12. Bloc Party – Hunting For Witches
13. Travis – Big Chair
14. Interpol – The Heinrich Maneuver
15. Klaxons – Atlantis To Interzone (2006)
16. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
17. Arcade Fire – Black Mirror
18. The Thrills – Nothing Changes Round Here
19. Calvin Harris – Merrymaking At My Place
20. Tracey Thorn – It’s All True

Honorable Mentions:
Kanye West – Stronger
Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah
Britney Spears – Gimme More (just for “It’s Britney, Bitch” – which makes me laugh *every* time)
Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
Radiohead – 15 Step
Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.) – The Way I Are
Travis – Closer

And the rest:
Alex Gaudino (featuring Crystal Waters) – Destination Calabria
Arcade Fire – Keep the Car Running
Ash – I Started A Fire
Bjork – Wanderlust
Bjork – Earth Intruders
Bloc Party – The Prayer
Bloc Party – I Still Remember
Brett Anderson – Love Is Dead
The Chemical Brothers – Do It Again
Chris Brown (featuring T-Pain) – Kiss Kiss
The Cinematics – Keep Forgetting
Editors – An End Has A Start
Foo Fighters – The Pretender
The Good, The Bad, & the Queen – Herculean
Interpol – No I In Threesome
Klaxons – Golden Skans
Modest Mouse – Dashboard
Nine Inch Nails – Survivalism
Queens of the Stone Age – Sick Sick Sick
Seal – Amazing
Timbaland (featuring One Republic) – Apologize
Tori Amos – Big Wheel
Travis – Selfish Jean

stunned i am by gb’s inclusion of bat for lashes.

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i lied–but i come bearing gifts.

i’m happy like a leetal gerl. stereogum’s posted its ’08 album forecast. although nothing can really compare to a new portishead album sometime in april. (well…unless both blur and massive attack pull their shit together and actually release albums next year.) (and it’s looking like blur is an even longer shot that massive.)

also…
keith over at the sho ’nuff has posted an ass load of unredeemed itunes codes that expire on the 31st. head on over and see if there’s anything you’d like to take home with you. if you use any, make sure you leave your redeemed codes in the comments. don’t be a punk.

Merry Christmas.

the gyozamonsta will be back sometime after Christmas but before New Year’s.

here’s to a nation gorging itself on useless crap that’ll eventually end up in landfill.  consume or die.

merry christmas.

massive love. multiples of teardrop.

massive’s been on the brain the last few days…as I was scraping around the internet trying to find Newton Faulkner’s cover, i stumbled upon a few guys who beat me to the teardrop cover punch. enjoy them anyway.

Teardrop:

Newton Faulkner‘s cover

Jose Gonzalez’s cover

Elbow‘s cover

Teardrop (scream team remix)

and a massive bonus:

4hero morning child (daddy g remix) which i have to say, is far superior to the original album version (from play with the changes).
4hero’s morning child ep will release (very) early 2008.

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the deep dive. multiples of morcheeba & friends (or enemies).

A few things have been announced the past several months:

1. Morcheeba, having decided to ditch the idea of keeping a permanent lead vocalist in residence, will release their sixth album, Dive Deep, in early 2008, with different guests contributing to nearly every track. Paul Godfrey gives a detailed commentary & a rundown of each track here.

Blue Chair ft Judy Tzuke is a pleasingly variant take on the morcheeba signature sound…actually an interesting listen, if initially a counterintuitive combination of music and vocals (or at least for me it was).

Gained the World ft Manda (a french vocalist who comes to the group via myspace) again, an element of their vintage sound freshened by the addition of the new vocalist.

One Love Karma ft Calm Cool Pete-heh. really enjoyable track.

2. The brothers have posted a capella tracks from the upcoming album here.

3. Tour dates in 2008 will be forthcoming–throwing in another candidate for coachella? they always have the errant downtempo crew who’s given a nighttime slot at one of the smaller stages easily overpowered by whatever’s going on at the adjacent venue.

4. Skye, of course, having parted ways with the brothers after Charango, released a solo album in 2006 & has teamed with Marc Collin (nouvelle vague) to contribute a few tracks to his latest project, also due out in 2008.

I could post her ‘What’s wrong with me (nouvelle vague remix)’ but instead i’ll post this…her cover of Feel Good Inc. even more addictive than the Editors cover of the same song.

5. Daisy Martey…having released a fourth album with Noonday Underground in late ’06, is currently working on a project called Sexual Terrorist, and starting her own ‘teeny tiny label’. Looking forward to hearing more from her.  12/22–it appears that Daisy Martey sings backing vocals on Kevin Ayers 2007 release-the unfairground.

(need a soundtrack for your next holiday party–check out the free holiday mix roundup)

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portishead redux

courtesy of Deaf Indie Elephants via dimeadozen…the entire portishead set from the second night of ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas. with 5 new tracks (Wicca, Hunter, Mystic, Machine Gun, and Peaches).  yes.

download here.

you’re welcome.

Looking for a soundtrack to your holiday party? See our Holiday Mix Roundup.

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i’ll be holding my breath.

more tidbits that have flown completely under my radar:

a new track called 16 seeter that massive attack played at shows in september.

from last month–a bit in uncut magazine–announcing that stephanie dosen is working with massive on their 5th album (which was due out feb of this year). The article claims a release planned for summer of next year. Which could very well mean that when all’s said and done, 3-d and daddy g will have enough material to release two separate solo albums in 2011. (would anyone actually be surprised)

all skepticism aside, i’ll still be looking forward to the 5th album with great anticipation, as few works can rival the perfection of mezzanine. and honestly in the current sea of adolescent angst ridden indie pop rock, the darkly brooding cloud of paranoia that is massive attack would be a most welcome breath of fresh air. i can’t wait.

(all courtesy of the folks over at the massive attack forum)

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