Orange Alert's Music Minute

Ann Arbors's Wild Years recently released a new ep called Where'd You Go?, and they are selling them for $3 each on their myspace page. The three song contained on the ep are dark melodic folk tunes that remind me of Page France or perhaps Bowerbirds. They are songs that will make you wish you could do as the cover depicts and lay in a field of grass. When you visit their site you can also find their first ep, A Million Songs, available for free download.



One of the hottest albums right now is the latest from Animal Collective so it is only fitting that the boys from Mexicans With Guns take a stab at it. The song chose to mess with in "My Girl" and they take it too the streets of San Antonio and completely tear it up!

Listen to: Animal Collective - My Girl (Mexicans with Guns Remix) (mp3)




On February 3, 1959 a plane carrying Buddy Holly, J.P. "Big Bopper"Richardson and Ritchie Valens crashed changing the history of rock n' roll. To celebrate and commemorate the way Buddy Holly changed rock n' roll, The Poison Control Center were asked by the Des Moines Register were asked to cover a couple Buddy Holly tunes.

Listen to: Well All Right (mp3)



With a mixture of circus freak instrumentation, booming bass and a mixed bag of samples, Bizzart is an exciting young musician. With his first release for Joyful Noise, "Future Stars And Small Wonders", Arthur Arellanes III (A.K.A Bizzart) combines his spiritual past with his love for beat construction and sound art. "Future Stars..." hits stores on Feb 10, 2009.

Listen to: Android Hearts (mp3)



I am still blown away every time I receive a new update on the colossal rise of Plushgun. Pins & Panzers is their debut full-length album for Tommy Boy Records due on Feb. 17th. Pins & Panzers features cover art by Patrick Smith (http://www.blendfilms.com/), and is the third Plushgun release to feature original credited work by an innovative Brooklyn artist; the other two were done by Yoko Furusho (single for “Dancing in a Minefield,”(http://yokofurusho.com/) and Beth Newell (http://www.bethnewell.net/) who did the self-titled EP art. He has three record release parties in the next few weeks and here are the details.

Plushgun Fanatics 2009 Revelers Agenda:

1/26 New York, NY @ Union Hall w/Kiss Kiss & The Gay Blades
2/18 New York, NY @ Fontana’s – Record Release Party
2/19 Boston, MA @ Harper’s Ferry – Record Release Party



Husband and wife duos have a certain stigma attached to them, but when the husbands name is Frank Black the possibilities seem a little brighter. Tuesday, April 14th, sees the release of 'Petits Fours', the debut album from Grand Duchy, aka Violet Clark and Frank Black (aka Black Francis). Featuring 9 tracks,'Petits Fours' is the joint venture between Clark and Francis, rather than a solo Francis project, and contains driving baselines, a healthy dose of synths and some excellent vocals from Clark,alongside Francis’s trademark guitar squalls.

Petits Fours (Cooking Vinyl Records)
1. Come On Over To My House
2. Lovesick
3. Fort Wayne
4. Seeing Stars
5. Black Suit
6. The Long Song
7. Break The Angels
8. Ermesinde
9. Volcano!



Reigns has always been a mysterious band from the UK, but I was excited to receive word this week about their latest album, their first on Monotreme Records, The House On The Causeway. A blend of hazy and dark atmospherics, they have recorded a nightmare in an abandoned old house. They tell the stories that they found hidden in walls and behind closet doors. The album will be released on March 17th, but we now have an ominous preview of what we can expect.

Listen to: Everything Beyond These Walls Has Been Razed (mp3)



A band that I thought might have been permanently gone has just announced it's return. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names have finished their first new release in over three years time. The glorious return comes in the shape of a four track EP named "#4" that will be released on February 4.

Listen to: 1999 (mp3)


Cadence Weapon is back and he continues to firmly establish his legacy as a pioneer in a passionate crusade to push the rap and electronic music envelope. Separation Anxiety is a new collection of exclusive tracks, remixes, and collaborations available only at his website for whatever price you deem worthy.

The 20 tracks brought together in a 70-minute collection include the Mixmag exclusive Hervé/A-Trak/Cadence Weapon collaboration “Roll With The Winners” and remixes of label-mates The Cansecos and Roots Manuva, and arguably the show-stopper; a remix of Kid Sister's "Damn Girl".

Annuals are on tour again and have teamed up with museum across the country for the "Such Fun" Tour with What Laura Says and Jessica Lee Mayfield. You can check out their tour date and museums involved here, but in the meantime enjoy redesigning their cover art.

Listen to: Confessor (mp3)

Orange Alert's Music Minute

Created for the Element Skateboards film, This Is My Element, the T.I.M.E. Soundtrack is the first of its kind: an original, artist-composed score crafted to the beat of polyurethane pounding pavement. Here, Anticon's veteran producer and beatsmith Odd Nosdam conceives an album where each song is tailored to fit the style and cadence of the Element rider it accompanies. And on its own, quite simply, this album is a banger.

01) ZONE COASTER
02) T.I.M.E. IN
03) COP CRUSH
04) WE BAD APPLES
05) TRUNK BOMB
06) TOP RANK
07) FLY MODE (mp3)
08) ETHEREAL SLAP
09) ROOT BARK
10) ONE FOR DALLAS
11) ROOT LOOP
12) WIG SMASHER
13) T.I.M.E. OUT



Born in South Korea but raised in Minnesota, Mayda may only be 4'11" but she can pack a punch. I had no expectations as played her debut ep Stereotype, but my gut reaction was to make a connection to Cibo Matto. Not for the obvious reason, but for her creative use of beats. However, as you listen closely you hear and edge and anger that wasn't always present in Cibo Matto. Already featured nationally on The Rachel Ray Show and Good Morning America. 2009 is bound to be a big year with the release of her Stereotype EP and a follow-up full-length on the way. Leaving her excited to bring her fresh, unapologetic voice onto the scene.

Listen t0: Stereotype (mp3)


It's been a little while since I mentioned the work of Evan Voytas. He is the 25 year-old guitar player from LA who has a ghostly way of spinning a melody. You can check out my interview with him here. This week he released two new songs through RCRD LBL, "What Would I Do For That" and "I Live This Live Here For You".



It has been six years since The Bran Flakes released their last full-length album. Now with the resurgence of sample-based music they are returning next month with the release of I Have Hands on Illegal Art (Girl Talk, Steinski). Otis Fodder and Mildred Pittare came together in 1992 amidst tape and zine trading scenes, The Bran Flakes already have seven releases of zany mashups and poppy audio collages that are more likely to cop a riff from Evel Knievel than anything on the current radio dial. Their combinations are fun, light-hearted and always original.

Listen to: Stumble Out Of Bed (mp3) and What It’s All About (mp3)


Ben Kweller is gearing up for the release of his remarkable new album, "Changing Horses," on ATO Records on Feb. 3, 2009. The album is now available for pre-order and Ben is hosting a really cool contest via his official Web site for his fans. Check out the video Ben personally made for the contest and the album where he shows off the record's gorgeous physical qualities (as well as snippets of his spacious backyard)! Ben also appeared on Daytrotter this week.


Dark Was The Night will be released on February 17th, 2009 on 4ad. It's comprised of 31 exclusive tracks and it will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download and will benefit the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. They are the people responsible for albums including No Alternative, Red Hot and Blue and many more, and this is their 20th year, and this is the 20th release! The album also features tracks from Arcade Fire, Spoon, The National, Sufjan Stevens, Feist, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, The Decemberists, The Books & Hose Gonzalez, Iron and Wine, My Morning Jacket, Beirut, Cat Power, The New Pornographers, Yo La Tengo and more!

Listen to: Dirty Projectors & David Byrne - Knotty Pine (mp3)

Orange Alert's Music Minute

Ryland Bouchard is probably better known as The Robot Ate Me, but for his latest release Seeds he returns to using his given name. He actually retired the name in 2007 when he began working the ambitious project that Seeds has become. This album was written and recorded by Ryland Bouchard and Kevin Michael Mayfield between October 2007 and August 2008 on a 1971 Stephens Electronics 2416 console and an Otari MX80 2" 16 track at his home in Portland, Oregon. This is clearly his most honest and personal work to date, and with a total of 52 tracks over two albums, he also had a lot to express. Next month Ryland will hit the road with Orange Alert favorites Emperor X and Drew Danbury for a set of exciting shows.



Our friends from New York, Murder Mystery are shopping around a new track called "The World". They prefaced it by saying it may or may not be a departure for them, and who is really to say if it is. Sure, it sounds different then their work on Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes, but this track shows growth. It is really quite remarkable and I would love for you to have a listen.

Listen to: The World (mp3)


One of my favorite releases of 2007 was Jason Quiver's (aka Papercuts) Can't Go Back. It was nostalgic and inventive all at the time, it a simple and heart-felt, and above all else it was beautiful. This past week Gnomonsong announced that Papercut's next album You Can Have What You Want will be released in April. On this album Jason has stripped down his sound even more using mostly vintage organs, pulsing bass & Kraut-via-Ringo-inspired drum rhythms.

You Can Have What You Want
01 Once We Walked In The Sunlight
02 A Dictator's Lament
03 The Machine Will Tell Us So
04 A Peculiar Hallelujah
05 Jet Plane
06 Dead Love
07 Future Primitive
08 You Can Have What You Want
09 The Void
10 The Wolf

Listen to: John Brown (mp3) (from Can't Go Back)



I've know singer/songwriter Brooke Healy since high school, and she has always been fascinated by the process and sound of music. Now she has gone from covering The Murmurs in Midwest living rooms to finally releasing her debut album with her sister Angela as Sister Solace. The self-titled, self-released album is a collection of songs ranging from electronic tones to graceful folk. Yet, what stands out on the album are the harmonies that only sisters could achieve.



If I had to pick one song to represent all of 2008 it would have to be Sleepyhead by Boston's Passion Pit. I can't tell if it is the driving bass line or the swirling electronic, but I cannot get enough of this song. Apparently producers out there feel the same way and remixes have been flooding the inbox. Here are a few of my favorites.

Listen to: Sleepyhead (The Knocks Remix) (mp3) Sleepyhead (Wallpaper. Dio Remix) (mp3) Sleepyhead (Bo Flex Giantess Remix) (mp3) The Mummers vs Passion Pit (mp3) Sleepyhead (original version) (mp3)



I know I mention Minneapolis a lot, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share with you the music of Lookbook. The combination of Grant Cutler and Maggie Morrision, Lookbook is a sonic adventure through the darkest after hours club to the glowing snowbanks of the Midwest Sunday afternoons. Their self-released, handmade debut ep, I Fear You, My Darkness is now available through their myspace page. This is a completely different sound coming from the music drenched streets on Minneapolis, don't miss this!

Listen to: Believe the Hype (mp3)


Perhaps one of the most anticipated releases of 2009 is Dan Deacon's "Bromst", and this week he offered up a sneak peak at what is in store. Unlike the completely electronic Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark, 2007), the instrumentation on Bromst is a mixture of acoustic instruments, mechanical instruments, samples and electronics. The player piano, marimba, glockenspiel, vibraphone, live drums, winds and brass give Bromst a much richer tone than his previous work. The intricate and complex parts, skillfully executed by the performers, are woven together into a rich, dense, noisy dance pop that has become Dan Deacon's signature sound. Bromst is an attempt to blend the intense energy of Deacon's live performance with electronic madness he creates in the studio, and from the sound of the first single "Get Older" he has succeeded.

It is no secret that I am currently in Chicago, and this weekend we got what seemed like 100ft of snow. I thought about digging my car out of the side of a snow drift, but instead I decided to share a few tracks from the most wintry band I know, Gävle's Twiggy Frostbite. Don't forget that their debut album, Through Fire, will be released digitally worldwide in April.

Listen to: Heroes (acoustic version) (mp3) Heroes (original version) (mp3) Messy Star (acoustic version) (mp3)

Orange Alert's Music Minute

I am going to be upfront on this one, and tell you I found out about this band at my family's Christmas. The lead singer, Rachael Petit just happens to be my cousin, but that doesn't change the fact that this Atlanta band is on the rise. The Soundtrack will be releasing their debut ep, Rumor Has It, this month, and they are currently participating in a local battle of the bands contest (vote here). Their sound is pure power pop, but the strength and depth in Rachael's lyrics give them the added element that will take them to the top.

Here is a new year's wish from Sweden's Klumpfisk. "Klumpfisk celebrates the coming of 2009 by travelling through time, in an ambitious effort to finally put 'too late' and 'too soon' out of their misery. Perhaps you have been waiting, perhaps you have not. In any event, the inevitable question put by this exquisite moment is whether waiting should ever be considered a reasonable activity again. Happy new year!"

Listen to: Peter, Bjorn, & John - Young Folks (Klumpfisk Remix) (mp3)


Los Angeles' Killola is so confident that you will enjoy their new album that they are giving it away for free. I Am Messenger highlights prefectly the raw energy contained with lead singer Lisa Rieffel. As she screams "You ain't seen the best of me yet!", I fall convinced, and I look forward to see what Killola can do. There is a centain level of glam, and a little '80's hair metal mixed in, but their is an independant heart that beats loudly. Like I said the album is free and can be found here, but below is a small sample.

Listen to: This is How The World Ends (mp3)


The two newest additions to one of my favorite electronic labels, Exponential Records, are refreshing and working well together. Diego Bernal does not create electronic music, he has found the soul of all music and placed it on wax. He has managed to merge the freedom jazz with rhythm of r&b, and the flavor and sensation of latin sounds. His first release on Exponential is a free ep entitled "Bring It Home", and you can download it here. What is even better is that the ep features a remix from the other new artist Mexican with Guns.

Ok, we have covered power pop and we have covered electronic gems, but what if you came looking for something else? Last week I received an album that I put in and was so shocked that I had to take it out immediatly. I later went back and found the right groove, but this is all out in your face punk rock! Nashville's Cactus's are releasing their Tropical Terror EP this Tuesday, and their is no sugar coating the fury of this band. Cactus's are an intense 3 piece group with the self proclaimed style of tropical thrash rock. Drummer (jru frazier) had been from a screamo grindcore band in Korea and met guitarist (asher rogers) when he moved to the states. After months of no luck finding a bassist, they convinced Asher's brother (sam rogers) to learn to play.


To complete the week in pop, you have to check out Arizona's Peachcake. Their sound is as colorful as their outfits, and their third album What Year Will You Have The World? will be released on Jan. 13th. The boys will be here in Chicago on Feb. 2nd at Subt. You can watch the video for 'Souls Have No Drum Machine' here.

Orange Alert's Music Minute

Morrissey will release “Years of Refusal” in the US February 17, 2009 on Attack/Lost Highway. “Years of Refusal” will be Morrissey’s first studio album since 2006’s UK #1 “Ringleader of the Tormentors”. In February, Morrissey will begin the US leg of his world tour that includes rare intimate club dates. For this album, Morrissey returns to Jerry Finn who previsouly produced the hit You Are the Quarry.

Years of Refusal Tracklist
1. Something Is Squeezing My Skull
2. Mama Lay Softly On The Riverbed
3. Black Cloud
4. I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
5. All You Need Is Me
6. When Last I Spoke to Carol
7. That’s How People Grow Up
8. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
9. It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore
10. You Were Good In Your Time
11. Sorry Doesn’t Help
12. I’m OK By Myself

Formed from the ashes of Troubled Hubble, Geneva's Kid You'll Move Mountains has been moving a few lately, and are primed for a big surge. Playing together since 2006, the band is now ready to release their debut album, Loomings. With a healthy mixture of standard indie pop and a slight tinge of midwestern country charm, KYMM is kicking of 2009 with energy and excitment. With a cover designed by MidwestLove Art & Design, the record release celebration will be held on January 2nd at Metro with The Sapiens, Picture Books, and Pool of Frogs.

Listen to: Volts (mp3)

The Present is the new project from Rusty Santos who just happens to be producer for Animal Collective, Panda Bear, and Gang Gang. Their first album was called World I See, and it was released back in October. The band is currently working the follow-up due out in the Spring.

Listen to: Love Melody (mp3)

Elizabeth Willis is a child-prodigy turned soulful grown woman. Willis, now 21-years-old, began playing violin and piano when she was only 4-years-old. Clearly evidenced by her lush, meticulously structured self-produced album, Willis’ lifetime of training and discipline adds particular sheen to each song’s heartfelt delivery. Her self-titled album was released back in September, and has recieved praise from NPR, Newsweek, URB, and more.

Listen to: One (mp3)

On December 23, Wallpaper.'s T REX ep will be re-released in new form, as T REX RMXd (eanie meanie records). Enlisting the help of friends Andrew Maury of The Remix Artist Collective, Bomarr of Restiform Bodies (Anticon), and Gavin Castleton (Five One, Inc.) to remix the ep, Wallpaper. breathes new life into the songs that earned them the SF Weekly Music Award in the Dance/Electro category. This EP will rock any party you have coming up, and recently they flexed their remix muscle and won Passion Pit's remix contest.

Listen to: Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Wallpaper. Dio Remix) (mp3) and Wallpaper. - Evrytm We Do It (RAC Maury Remix) (mp3)

Don't miss out on the Thrill Jockey Musical Advent Calander. You get a free song everyday! Here is my favorite, The Cocktails - First Snowfall (mp3)

Haven't you always wondered what an album inspired by Mars would sound like? Well, Spain's Malaventura may have the answer. They are releasing a 26 minutes journey of electronics beats and pads, analogs drums and basses, noises and crashes, quiets and louds ambients inspired by and called Mars. Listen it and drawn into your mind the lowell’s canals or chat with Helene Smith and his martians friends. Take a journey through the Cydonia region and be careful in the Laestrygon area.

Listen to: Cydonia (mp3)

This is quite possibly the most honest Christmas song ever written, and it comes from our friends at Death to Anders.

Listen to: Our Manager Says That Writing A Christmas Song Is a Good Business Decision (because blogger will eat that sh*t up) (mp3)

The Peel Back: Pigface Washingmachine Mouth (Invisible Records, April 1993)

I always wanted to understand industrial music, but I never quite did. I was always more into the electronic aspects of the music, and only appreciated remixes or songs with a abstract dance beat. So it would make sense that the only Pigface album I ever owned was the remix ep Washingmachine Mouth. I bought it because (at the time) I thought it would be cool to own a Pigface album, but I enjoyed every inch of that tape. From ambient chopped up spoken word to club feel of "Satan on the Inside Looking In" to post punk of "Cuting Face". It may not be their traditional sound, but it is now what I think of when I hear the name Pigface.

Flowers Are Evil/Cutting Face/Satan On The Inside Looking In (Red Around The Eye)/Satan On The Inside Looking In (The Calm Before The Storm) (mp3)/Satan On The Inside Looking In (The Return of Wet Brain 2000)/Cutting Face-Gas Mask Mix/Satellite-Needle In The Groove No Damage Done/Prepare To Die Go! Go! Go!/The Last Word

Orange Alert's Music Minute

If music notes were colors, Dim Dim would be the brightest rainbow imaginable. Dim Dim is back with its sixth full-length album, Whip (Audio Dregs) and an obsession for all forms of sonic pop culture. Tossing fistfuls of guitar, ukulele, programmed beats, twisted synth and toy instruments into a blender, Dim Dim hits "liquefy”, and surfs the sonic mixture as it spills across his musical universe. Deconstructing all things known and leaving a trail of brightly colored debris, Dim Dim has turned his back to the norm and rip-shredded a technicolored path to a genre unknown.

Check out this video preview!

Is there already a genre for slacker surf rock? A lazy, drunk, San Diego Punk who blogs about classic hop, Wavves has recorded another album filled with hazy and distorted melodies. The first album was called "Wavves", and the forthcoming album, due in February on De Stijl is called "Wavvves". It subtle, but still a little disturbing. In fact the two albums have similar covers. Maybe one day Nathan Williams move beyond fuzzy basement rock and blurry skate tricks, but in February we can once again revel in the boredom and the simpleness of youth. Beside any album that features three songs with the word "goth" in the title has to be worth a listen, right?

Listen to: So Bored (mp3)

Early Warning! Lady Sov is back! Lady Sovereign is releasing a new record called "Jigsaw" out April 7, 2009 on Midget Records which is her new independent label that has a global partnership with EMI. She is giving away her new song "I Got You Dancing" on her website and myspace.

Listen to: I Got You Dancing (Link)

From sloppy slacker punks to well constructed and thoughtful indie folk ballads. Or, The Whales have managed to combine the mainstream country pop of Counting Crows with the epic storytelling of the Decemberists. The band's debut album Light Poles and Pines (Seany, Jan 20th) can be omnipotent and epic ("Life and Death at Sea"), painfully reflective ("Rope Don't Break"), or both ("Fight Song"). On "Life and Death at Sea," defeated, raspy lead vocals sink under a whining pedal steel until pulled up by rousing harmonies. In contrast, "Call and Response", the CD's lead single, is a whiskey-soaked energetic anthem with a raucous and contagious rhythm that belies a reflective commentary. And really, that's the secret behind Or, the Whale's draw: their songs are honest, intelligent, and offer a refreshing modern connection to traditional American music.

Listen to: Call and Response (mp3)

Can you imagine a co-ed boy band assembled to create teen pop experimental on a label run by Negativland? Well, you don't have to imagine anymore, meet Poptastic. The basic concept is accessible and humorous, yet buried in the layers of sound is a complex web of mixing, remixing, editing, re-editing, arranging, and de-arranging that continues to reveal something new with each listen. What is interesting is that Poptastic creates music with the purpose of sampling their own music and rearranging it to create a new pop sound.

Listen to: Are You Happy? (mp3)

Erran Baron Cohen (brother of Sacha Baron Cohen and composer of the original music for Borat and Da Ali G Show) released a Hanukkah CD on November 18 called Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah (New Line Records.) On the record, Baron Cohen updates, remixes and expands the music associated with Hanukkah. Based on the work of Erran's brother I fully expected this album to be a joke, but this is seriously an entertaining, sincere, and diverse collection of songs. With everything from hip hop to latin tinged to reggae to r&b ballads, Erran uses all forms of music to his respects to this Jewish Holiday.

Listen to: Dreidel (mp3)

The latest album on the Joyful Noise label is the debut album from The Delicious. It was back in October that I first heard about The Delicious on Daytrotter, and I was captivated by their strong pop sensibilities. If you are looking for good, clean, joyful pop melodies then check out The Delicious' self-titled debut album on January 20th. Also, if you are a fan of Joyful Noise then you need to check out their 2009 Digital Sampler and get a sneak peak at all their upcoming releases.

Listen to: Suspended in Air (mp3)

Orange Alert's Music Minute

Releasing a digital maxi-ep, Austin's Masonic has charmed their way into my headphones and they should be in yours as well. When you add in the vicious red faced tiger on the cover of The Human Blade (released Dec. 5th) you have a gorgeous collection of indie pop driven by the voice of Eryn Gettys.

Listen to: Everytime This Happens (mp3)

One of my favorite band at the moment is Massachusetts' Passion Pit, but when I received a cover of their big single "Sleepyhead" from a band called The Mummers (no, not the Murmurs) I wasn't too sure. Then I clicked on their myspace page and was completely stunned. From the beauty of their arrangements to the fascinating range in the voice of Raissa, there was a very pleasurable quality to their music. This past week they offered up their latest single "March of The Dawn" for free here. This song appears on the album they release back in August, "To Tell the Tale (Part One)". Part is scheduled to be released in the new year.

The Faunts are a band that I have been meaning to write about for a while now, and it is mainly because I have become addicted to their remixed album that was released last months. The Faunts themselves are a group of Canadian-electro-spacerockers, but in the gentle (and sometimes rough) hands of friends like Cadence Weapon, Saxon Shore, San Serac and more they begin to take on a whole other quality. It pulsing and strange, but always moving.

Listen to: Memories of Places We've Never Been (TH White Remix) (mp3)

Geek pop from London that grim and sugary and all together catchy and depressing at the same time. A Block of Yellow began when the dual dueling Vox & Guitar boys, Alex Whalley and Anthony Nastasi, wanted to get their crafty song-craft beat-powered and basified in truly beautiful fashion. Recruitment of Dan Tomas on bass line creating bass and Rich Baker on beat creating drums followed and rounded out the quartet. Shows in their home base London, Ontario, Canada and further environs followed. This music is fun, but still there is this looming feeling that there is just something not right.

Listen to: You Shook My Head (mp3)

I am all for the Holiday spirit and I love how a local station here goes to an all Christmas format for an entire month, but if you have heard the Trans-Siberian Orchestra or Rockin' Around the Christmas tree one too many times then here are a couple solutions.

One of my favorite female vocalists of the moment, Elin Lindfors has recorded a Christmas song with both of her bands The Deer Tracks and Twiggy Frostbite and they are both fine added to you holiday rotation.

Listen to: The Deer Tracks - Christmas Fire (mp3) and Twiggy Frostbite - Bells & Chimes (mp3)

Another solution and an annual tradition in my house are the series of Santastic Remix albums. Volume 4 was officially released on December 1st, but currently all four albums can be downloaded at this site. This year's album features mashes by Dj BC, Go Home Productions, Voicedude, Voicedude, and more.

Listen to: DJ Schmolli - Pumping Up Christmas (M/A/R/R/S vs Destiny's Child) (mp3)

Finally, while you are fully in the Christmas spirit check out this digital-only Christmas benefit album for Amnesty International. Featuring exclusive tracks from My Brightest Diamond, Au Revoir Simone, No Kids, Figurine, Papercuts, Au and more this album would serve any indie kid or indie parent proud this holiday season. I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas is a homespun affair if there ever was one - the idea for the album came from a recent tradition that Gill and his wife Reda Rountree have had for the past several years where they would make a compilation CD of Christmas music to give out as a gift to friends and family - and, since the two are friends with plenty of musicians, they decided to compile an original Christmas album to share with the masses. The album cover was also designed by Rountree and the photo on the cover was taken by Gill's younger brother, Andrew.

Listen to: Le Loup -"Shenandoah" (mp3)