have a merry sufjalylaslicious christmas!

Tired of listening to the same old Christmas songs over and over again? Broke your granny hips rockin' round the christmas tree? Traci did (pix soon!)

Here's some newer Christmas songs for you to load up onto the old iPod. Merry Christmas to you all, and a happy new year if we don't get you before then.

Sufjan Stevens - Christmas in July
Sufjan Stevens - Get Behind Me, Santa!
Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!
Lylas - Sara Wear your Sleigh Bells Home
Lylas - Swing Low, Sweet Misletoe

The Man....sigh.

Subpop-approved Shins song from Wincing the Night Away:

The Shins - Phantom Limb

ex-Verbena night at BottleTree

I remember--several years ago--editing a concert review for Tinymixtapes.com about a band named Verbena. As I read the review, I became interested when I learned that the band originated in Alabama, though this particular show was in Chicago. Since then, I have had several conversations with Duquette (Daniel) Johnston and have stuffed my mouth full of chocolate cupcakes alongside Les Nuby, yet only recently have I realized the connection. Small world, they say, small world.

Now, Verbena's ex-lead singer, A.A. Bondy (I think he used to go by "Scott") is getting his material back out there, and all that I've heard of it is lyric-driven and mostly stripped down to acoustic guitar and vocals, a far cry from the Verbena music I was able to track down. Folkies will love these songs for their pretty melodies, and folks in Birmingham can catch Bondy sing some of them live tonight.

Bondy and Johnston will be performing (separately) tonight at Bottletree, along with Red Blondehead favorite Stone Jack Jones from Nashville. The show starts at 9:00 p.m. with the dark, Appalachia-Americana flavored and trippy songs of SJJ, so don't be late!

Here's a preview of A.A. Bondy; these are mixes from his yet-to-be-released record Witness Blues:

Out with the Tide
American Hearts
Some Summer

And here's an older track from Stone Jack Jones' Narcotic Lollipop:

Gloria in Excess

If you haven't yet, check out some of the songs we posted from Duquette Johnston's Etowah a couple of months back.

BottleTree podcast 7: the merry hanakwanzaachristmas edition

Hiya folksies!

Traci and Leah here! Red Blondehead's most recent podcast for BottleTree, podcast 7 for 12.7.06 - 12.23.06, is now available here for any of you who may be impatient. For those of you with an iTunes subscription, it should be up there later today.

Please listen and pick some shows to come out to; we'd love to see you at all of them!

Bands featured on this podcast:

AA Bondy
Duquette Johnston
Stone Jack Jones
Pearls and Brass
The Appleseed Cast
Red Harp
Centromatic
Dexateens
Pacific Stereo
Colour Revolt
The Ackleys
Teen Getaway
Glossary

and new, exclusive tracks from:
Through the Sparks
Ferocious Bubbles

Thanks for listening. Oh, and--have a Merry Hanakwanzaachristmas!

Every music blog needs a mascot...

Those of you who listened to our last Bottletree podcast were introduced to Red Blondehead's recently named mascot/office pet/substitute sound engineer, Jackson. Those of you that didn't listen to our last podcast, meet Jackson.

5 important facts about Jackson to learn and share with your friends:
1. Jackson is a grizzly bear. (What, you thought Red Blondehead would have a fluffy bunny for a mascot?) He was willing to pose for a few photos after a filling lunch of honey and small unruly children. This is him re-enacting his favorite scene from Borat:



2. He has made it known that his preferred full title is Jackson, the Fantastic Bear.
3. Recording podcasts in his bear cave makes Jackson hungry.
4. Jackson, the Fantastic Bear's favorite snack is people who don't listen to RB podcasts.
5. We have recently taught Jackson how to type with his cute little bear claws and today he makes his debut as a guest blogger.

So without further adieu, Red Blondehead proudly presents The Musical Musings of Jackson, the Fantastic Bear!

Benoit Pioulard's debut LP, Précis, has had a hard time escaping the scary confines of my record player lately. It’s barely gotten a break since its mid-October release on the influential Kranky Records.

Précis consists mainly of short and sweet folk-pop gems (a la Elliot Smith or Bert Jansch) beneath layers of haze, echo, and found sound. The effect is unique, enticing, and surprisingly effective. The atmosphere of the music lends it an autumnal feel - explaining why I’ve had such an obsession over it for the last month. But, I don’t think it’ll have a problem holding up during any other season of the year.

To sum it up, I would file this one under lo-fi electro-ambient-shoegazerrific folk-pop.

Some songs for the listening:

Benoit Pioulard - Triggering Back
Benoit Pioulard - Palimend
Benoit Pioulard - Ash into Sky

Hopefully you find the songs pleasant enough to excuse his faux-French pseudonym.