Best Christmas Song mp3 blog posts of 2007

As we all prepare for our office parties, some of us are thinking about the Xmas-holiday playlist for those miserable couple hours of small talk. Have no fear the Review Stalker is here!
To start out with this list of lists. The Flamming Lips always have the best attitude toward this time of year. If you have seen them live before you know what I mean(there has never been a show of their's where I didn't walk away all fuzzy inside), where they wish it were Christmas all year around. Get their track from the is/yes blog "Christmas at the Zoo and A Change at Christmas (Say it Isn't So)". See them live. buy a record.


Next up: You should visit: Bag of Songs who is posting a track a day until the grand day. I say just do it all at once but here are a few highlights so far. Elvis Presley - "Merry Christmas Baby" day 10,Ryan Adams - "Hey Parker, It's Christmas" Day 9,
and John Lennon's - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Day 8.

For indie prog rockers check out The Dismemberment Plan - This Christmas. it's not very jingly but Alas a cool track posted on can you see the sunset. If you dig the older rock, RockSellout.com posted Redd Kross's - “Super Sunny Christmas”,Ramones - “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight)” and Rufus Wainwright - “Spotlight On Christmas”. If you dig these you are now in the AAA market. (Adult Alternative)

There is a Excellent 2 zip 45 song set here staergetaleht.blogspot.com featuring, Yo La Tengo ~ "Rock N Roll Santa", Jamaica All Stars ~ "Here Comes Santa Claus", Neko Case ~ "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis" and Mogwai ~ "Christmas Song" and a whole vatte full of other nuggets. Finally to add to your holiday misery office party
dig these highlights: john denver - please daddy (don't get drunk this christmas), the staple singers - who took the merry out of christmas?
or steve martin - five wishes on christmas . go to site and down the leather canary xmas mix #3.zip.



LAST YEARS POST BEST CHRISTMAS MP3s BLOG POSTS

Review: Joe Strummer The Future is Unwritten by Julian Temple

It is very easy to put Joe Strummer up there in the top 10 most influential list of Rock History. Julian Temple's movie The Future is Unwritten, really captures Strummer's enigma and beginings from a hippy squater, to his punk, to world traveler. The one thing that lasted, besides the band is his Punk Icon status up there with the like of Che, the Man in Black, Elvis, John Lennon and dare i say Bono. Temple uses a campfire for all the people in his past to talk about him and people he influenced or knew (Flea, Johnny Depp), which was one of Strummer's things near the end of his life where he was inspired to put the Mescaleros together and perform. Bono's sentiment said it best "...there is no reason why The Clash are still not a band today, they were victims of some classic mistakes", he and the Edge obviously learned. One of the reasons I love The Clash still today was completely illustrated in the movie in the way they completely embraced all kinds of music(disco, Rega, Rap, etc) and also how relevant his words are still today even with their mega hit that put them on the global map and ironically destroyed them in the end.

Rock the Casbah

.
Now the king told the boogie men

You have to let that raga drop

The oil down the desert way

Has been shakin to the top

The sheik he drove his cadillac

He went a cruisnin down the ville

The muezzin was a standing

On the radiator grille




The shareef dont like it

Rockin the casbah

Rock the casbah

The shareef dont like it

Rockin the casbah

Rock the casbah




By order of the prophet

We ban that boogie soundv
Degenerate the faithful

With that crazy casbah sound

But the bedouin they brought out

The electric camel drum

The local guitar picker

Got his guitar picking thumb

As soon as the shareef

Had cleared the square

They began to wail

Thanksgiving Music from Arlo Guthrie, Wilco and true love

I always think about a few things during thanks giving. One of them is obviously Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. Try snagging a mp3 to annoy your co-workers here and from time has told me. i also think about the song true love will find you in the end, there are some free versions of said song by Jad fair/Kramer, Daniel Johnston, Wilco, Beck and Spiritualized from the product shop blog. The third thing is Egg Nog.

Psychic Fair - Psychotic Reactions FREEBIE album from the punk archives

Before the un-official Westfield Highschool 87 reunion (showing my age here badly) Headphone Music recordings has posted a bunch of Free MP3 you can download off a double album for one of its early bands Psychic Fair on last.fm called Mo'Wine and Psychotic Reactions, which includes studio tracks recorded in the New Hope area in some backwoods 16 track and live tracks from shows at the First Unitarian Church of Plainfield. If you are the type that loves raw punk with a little polish towards the Decendents, weirdos, bauhous guitars and what would be political nods to saying no to drugs (Viva! Nancy Reagan!) or references to NJ with a tracked called "Cancer Alley". Then you should quite enjoy this released cassette only release on mp3.

Review: Black Francis Bluefinger here to comfort your anxiety

Call it alternative roots rock, call it heart, call it a lack of confidence, call it whatever but Frank Black is back on/in his game once haunted by The Pixies. Sure his stolen telecasters are lost to thieves or aliens but you can't steal the heart that was put into this record. Bluefinger is easily in this years top ten. Part of what makes it secretly edgey is the FEM back-up singing by Violet Clark which adds that little bit of special honey.

Greatest American band? WTF are they thinking?

FOX marketing Dollar signs is the Answer to TV's latest reality show. I have a new found respect of the many ways the judges(John Rzeznick from the goo goo dolls, Sheila E and Dickie) on the Greatest American band show are saying you suck to bands but you should keep trying. My first beef, after the first round which was mildly entertaining with the dude playing bass with his toe, and then it all started to unravel and be so base (SIMPLE) in their choices it's almost laughable. I am glad Hatch is gone they were terrible and I wish the singer from Rocket would learn to catch her breath singing, Dickie gave her some good advise, regarding some of the best punks can't sing worth a crap (AKA joe strummer) but their delivery is what sold them. The kid band is arguably the real deal although cliche in every aspect of what is Metal, in fact all of bands are a return to the same old genres its almost emabarrasing there is nothing truly original. i suppose that has always been general problem with things that make it to television. The train wreck though is the way the backlash that johnny rzeznick is getting. The boos are hilarious but to be true you can't like everybody and these bands are no exception he just says what he hears. The mop heads Tre Bien! are my faves song wise and they sound exactly like the yardbyrds and the strokes but with more retro chops than the later. Not original in the whee bit but alas; Dot dot dot just urks the crap out me, and hooks are so thin it makes you wonder wha else they got. The band is good though. I hate to say it but there should almost be two shows. One for the Alt country/blue grass bands and one for the rock experiments gone bad. Lets Discuss and i'll keep watching from a distance on dvr. good luck to tres bien and the Clark brothers

Best Scary Ghoul Halloween music blog posts

I love this spooky time of year. Some people are into it and others are a bunch of grinches. Although, I didn't have the time to costume up although I am the man in black today, my daughter is going to be butterfly. Damn cute one although she cried during the photo op. Here are some of the best festive bloggers with some spooky halloween music for the taking and sharing.
Ear Farm has three halloween posts promoting his show tonight
Brooklyn vegan gets down with some costume pics of people spoofing Amy Winehouse and some monster tracks including Torme!
Heart on a sticks Halloween mash
Creative Tech shows off some Album Halloween Art
Monster Mash Mash-ups by Culture bully for you mix-o-holics
More really scary old stuff here.

James Blunt saves face on Seasame Street

Ok, finally Seasame street is bringing pop stars back and using the internet to promote. I think the dream sequence part is hilarious. Interestingly enough, a couple weeks ago I found myself at the JIM HENSEN exhibit in Little Rock, Arkansas and met Kermit, and the Fraggles. That guy was a genius. Fraggle rock lives. A Christmas Together, w/ John Denver was one of my favorites full of all that great muppet chemistry.




you tube | John Denver Muppet Album

Superdrag roots reunion drinking bender session

Ah, the unearthing of demos. Always a cool thing for hardcore fans. Sometimes such things should remain in the ground but in the case of Knoxville Tenessee 90's alterative pioneers, SUPERDRAG, some of their songs are pure indie greatness that they would not surpass until their single "Keep it Close to me" at least in my humble opinion. Check out the six-bender post by Heather on Fuelfriends. My buddy Walter is heading to the show this weekend for a roadtrip to TN with his brother and I'm extremely jealous, allas a lot of stuff out there if you dig in the right spot. I'll have to settle for getting home safe this weekend and having a beer bender of my own.
HYPEM SUPERDRAG FREE MP3 SEARCH | MYSPACE OFFICIAL PAGE

Lucky Nada Surf tune out in the wild

Like all good nada Surf Songs, they are full of great pop-layers and not so moldy love themes. "See these bones" is no exception, as it's harmonies weave and lift the spirit, this suckers got basketball legs down the court. I'll put it up there with something off of Weight is a gift or Let Go. I'm sure I can't wait till Feb 08 for the release of LUCKY but we'll have to see what additional music stalking will net in the coming months. Catch them on tour this month. Barsuk record | mp3 on fuelfriends

QUI harmonies and prog rock bullshit VV review

i love sarcasm but not till I actually heard LA based band [download freeze mp3 I ROCK CLEVELAND's blog] QUI now featuring David Yow on drunking prog yapping did this review in the Village Voice restraining the lizard By Shaun McCormack makes any fuckin' sense. Harmonies dude? Come-on retard they were yanking your chain. They are rockin' tonight at the Mercury and in mid-tour (SEE MAP ABOVE). So if your expecting a bunch up twisty COWs inspired syn-capated guitar and big narly BUTHOLE SURFER style drums go check'em out. The church of the sub-yow makes no promises for old 73 year old punk ex-jesus lizard singer's nakedness. QUI's track Freeze kicks butt eventhough their myspace page is practically unviewable in ie7 but whatever. And now for old video of THEfuckingJesusLizard at CB's

Eastern Anchors Maxwells Thomas Dolby 5.1

Fight Fire with Fire covered by Jersey' Eastern Anchors

I thought I would drop a treat for all the jersey metal noise lovers, so go ahead and check out a cover version of Metallica's "fight fire with fire" by the Eastern Anchors on mog.com. Lars please don't sue the band. they know it's a classic -- so go be their friend and download some more music on myspace and such.

Check'em out live:

SAT Aug 4th,2007 9pm

Maxwells, hoboken, nj

w/ The Shondes & The Groucho Marxist(ex-doc hopper/ boss jim gettys)

thanks

Live Guided By Voice, Clash, Sex Pistols and Bob Mould

When in doubt a summer day can be spent lurking around various mp3 blogs and finding a bunch of live jems and forgotten b-sides. To kick it off, with the little Zoester at my side or lap is: Ex-Husker Du maestro Bob Mould live in Santa Monica,CA at McCabes Guitar Shop. His life took a strange turn when he wrote scripts for the WWF. Strange world of rock indeed but allas forgotten disc friday's blog comes through. Mr. Mould does a nice sprinkling of Black Sheets of Rain and cuts from Workbook.

Next up: one can never get enough live Guided By Voices, here they are live @ Austin City Limits from their last tour from the Aquarium drunkard. Check out his podcast when you get chance.



For whatever reason a few bloggers have been going nuts posting studio and live Clash covers. Both Berkeley Place and Can you see the sunset put up complimenting tracks.
Stands outs are Social distortion doing "Death or Glory", and anytime Ben Folds does a cover it's always
with class. Check out his version Of "Lost in the Supermarket".


And while we're going down this old punk road, Licorice-pizza posted the set from the last Sex Pistols show in San Francisco, where you can hear the famous
one liner, "Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated" by Johnny Rotten.
http://licorice-pizza.blogspot.com/2007/06/ever-get-feeling-youve-been-cheated.html

Bonus: Bandit B-sides posted "A Chain of Flowers" by The Cure.

Sir Indie Paul McCartney Memory Almost Full Review

Here is an Artist in full, making an ernest record that lost all that polish, and if he had to go in his twilight years this is a nice way to step out. He layers and steps up the production in all the right places catching up with the best alternative tricks but then again, whom taught whom? As force of habit I don't read press releases, I may glance at the top level of an AMG review in some cases but in this case I just gave it a listen as I am NO where near the type of would buy something mainstream like this. Pretending i don't know who the Beatles are would totally silly but ignoring this summer release even more preposterous. Hard to do but this record has some of the things we don't like to admit we like about the 70's. The bass playing is awesome on "See your sunshine" in a very lenny kravitz sort of way so easy to feel the connection of a roots sound that has come back for McCartney. Guys in his years would sound like Bacherach(spelln'?), but not in his case. The kick-off track almost sounds like bloc party with it's minimalist and fair play with acoustic instruments. Tasty bits of smooth prog rear their head from time to time but extremely solid surprise to find this on Emusic! So try and avoid picking it up at Starbucks if you can help it eventhough we all know they have the 30-40-50-60 something's number. This will open a whole new world for you kids. Thanks. Find tracks on The Hype Machine | Paul McCartney on Mog

00 Rock Records: The Ponys vs. The Comas

Hi Folks,
It has been awhile do to new baby on board for me. Needless to my days have been turing into night and night into day where I've found some great new bands.

From Matador you should check Turn the Lights out by The Ponys if you dig guitar pedals, a little echo and a nod to yet another a new Chicago sound, that is as much garage sounding as it is about the blues. They smashing pumpkins like without being affraid of volume knob.

Spells by The Comas, has been on infinite repeat. The lead off track "Red Microphones" is a college hit like when you heard the Pixies and you've gone to heaven. They give a nod to doom bands of the 80's like The Cure/echo/smiths and manage to be smooth like Keef Richards 70's era Let it Bleed. If you are completist like yours truly, you will pick-up the previous release called Conductor which is just as genious.

Court Tavern mini short video

sThis is a pretty well done montage of New Jersey's infamouse roadhouse biker bar known as The Court Tavern. Tons of local like prosolar mechanics and regional bands [like superchunk, butthole surfers, moistboyz, faith no more] missing that have played the Court but none the less a good job.

You should check out one of them which features Walter from Aviso'Hara, who has just released a FREE online album of the month with The Fireside Chats called FCII: We Will Bring You Champions. The best track is "You Call This a Comeback?". Walt is also playing tonight, Sat 3/24, with other band Eastern Anchors @ The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ with The Groucho Marxists which features Chris Pierce from Doc Hopper. Later.

Review: The Frames, The Cost of traveling all the time

Live Glen Hansard and The Frames kick ass soft loud and everything in between. They probably can be considered world ambassadors because they tour so much, and maybe even to a fault. Dance the Devil and for the birds were such strong albums that I felt a little disappointed with burn the maps when it went full on song alternative, and I thought of a letter I should send Glen that he should stay home for a little while to re-tool and investigate what motivates him best. The problem was he would never get it unless I handed it to him directly at show. The Cost is evidence of this maturation, perhaps a metaphor for the artistic sacrifice of being a touring musician. It does seem to look back musically at the over all tones and subtle difference that made his band such a personable experience in the first place; like the type of feeling you get when you run into a friend you have not seen in awhile. These familiar faces are the stand-out tracks, "People get ready" which reaches radiohead heights while still keeping that back porch feel, might be a little self concious but with his Irish charm they can get away with anything, "True" is dance the devil redux which is all good for me as it has the dynamics that will probably be a show stopper and "Falling Slowly" raises a nod back to their pub days. Check them out for cheap on emusic and use your extra bucks for a pint.

Hot Snakes Thunder Down Under

I don't know where his record was hiding from me in 2006. I've heard stories but for the un-initiated Thunder Down Under is a great Hot Snakes starter kit; temporary proof that the golden age of 'indie roc' died with their break-up. It's guitar tightness and ear bleeding volume speaks to the fact that their live performance puts the fear in cancer. They shook the ground from 1999-2005 or so, and it easily can be said that this music is not safe for folkies, disco fans or the notion of tough guy rock. The first spin will hurt your sensibility of many things, this is pure rock control put out by Swami Records. The rock energy and speed of the Supersucker's La Mano Cornuda can be compared as the evidence I submit to you (you have your homework), Thunder Down Under is on the same level demon seed level. They crush all the strokey, bloc party want to be's on go. Where have all the loud, tight and fast bands gone?

Dj Spork Show #16 is live and some nuggets of love

I have a lot of catching up to do but right now you should be listening to the most recent dj spork show #16 Stereophonic Valentine Massacre that I recently posted(playa' to your right). If it weren't for Heather from fuel friends posting some awesome stuff and classic lost police tracks, elliot smith track listing from up comingnew moon lost archive album from Kill Rock Stars, and some Valentine love from some of her pals Some velvet blog and Duke from The Late Greats, i would not have any new music to mix up my lame daily commute to work. 1) because I am lazy, 2) because I do not have the time.
This week she also turned me onto streetlab, which I'll probably spin on an upcoming show, they do some weird shit to classic's like "gimme shelter", Not much else to report but enjoy the show, subcribe to dj spork review stalker rss, etc, and have a nice week.

Moistboyz 1.0 and SuperSoaker

and early on w/ Claude Coleman on drums at thecourt tavern.

I remember seeing the Moistboyz just about every time they played, which about 5 times, in this later video seems that Guy's got some ink going on.

New DJ Spork podcast and Tris McCall 2006 poll

If you are hitting this page and wondering why it has not been updated as frequently and why my 25 list is incomplete it is because I have been spending quality blog time hanging out and posting on the mog. I did find time to squeeze in a podcast show recently so you should be listening too the results right now. You can subscribe via rss to it or view descriptions of some of the other djspork shows here.

OTHER NEWS STUFF:The circle of trust for critics choice poll is smallish but the first set of results in. Tris McCall’s put a lot of effort into the editorialization is quite good about describing the state of music:

Top 2006 Album

1. Belle & Sebastian > The Life Pursuit

2. Camera Obscura > Let’s Get Out Of This Country

3. Ghostface Killah > Fishscale

4. The Hold Steady > Boys And Girls In America

5. Neko Case > Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Read the full top 2006 album report here. I’m not disgruntled too much that my number one album didn’t get on the radar with this bunch in the top 20 but at least The Hold Steady made the top 5 and Tom Waits—Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards number 29. I’m looking forward to the smart ass question results personally as it is more telling of our times. [ read my mog write-up here on all the juicy questions in the poll ]

In other sad, sad news rbally has turned down his awesome bootleg site and is currently just displaying an empty shell.

and you will know me by the size of my post: Chavez, Starlight mints, Portastatic, the Walkmen

When you reach out to a friend he/she doesn't answer. Insulated in their little world so you figure you'll make a post for those that are listening. I have honestly been neglecting you bloggy and spending a lot more time on your mog pages but here is a little something for your belly. Of course post is duplicated on mog but whatever...

Your three pointer for the week:

1) There is a free single called "Another one goes by: from The Walkmen off of one of their older releases on emusic, Another One goes by. Very good stuff if you ever wondered what Dylan would do w/ alternative music and a different slant on VU interpretations.

2) In a 3 band twist-up, there are some nice nuggets by the starlight mints, The Winks and Portastatic on i guess I'm floating's mp3 site as part of his Reach Around postings.

3) And my final offering from a electrical boards posting and for the few guitar indie snobs around here:
chavez their whole Warsaw set from their recent brooklyn show. I asked Rbally to take the mv4 files and give them a little more gain, so lets see if he does. I posted a review of said Dec 2006 show before, but in case you missed it, and in recap, it reminded me why so many bands are week in scope and you should really just break up your band if there is no sort of hit, greatness or if the chicks don't dig it. Chavez have always been 2/3 in this band qualifications in that respect. The wreckage is filled with some incredible guitar and drum work, with a zero tolerence nod to prog and is the place where the quick math rock geek might have reared itself first in me (don cab and shellac aside). They enable the type of guitarscapes where sonic tone actually speaks to me, in way that lets say mission of burma, gang of four or even jimmy page's studio work. There is a certain way players handle a piece of wood and carve out music by the very way they touch it, bend strings, set-up the knobs, and well you just say, F it I could never do that. [start english accent here] "Do you know what i mean?"

"Anybody can turn up to 11." [end]
- Enjoy.