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So, this is the second of what will be four installments of my favorites from this year. The others will be up sometime midweek. Have a fun and safe New Year’s!

artist - song - album :: extra info

Loney, Dear - I am John - Loney, Noir
(website | myspace | @ Sub Pop | live @ NPR | I am John video)

Air - Mer du Japon - Pocket Symphony
(website | myspace | Mer Du Japon video)

Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks - Writer’s Block :: with Victoria Bergsman on vocals
(website | myspace | Young Folks video)

Blonde Redhead - 23 - 23
(website | myspace | 23 video)

Feist - 1 2 3 4 - The Reminder
(website | myspace | 1 2 3 4 video)

The Apples in Stereo - Energy - New Magnetic Wonder
(website | myspace | Energy video)

Camera Obscura - Alaska - If Looks Could Kill single
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Apostle of Hustle - My Sword Hand’s Anger - The National Anthem of Nowhere
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Underwater (You And Me) - Some Loud Thunder
(website | myspace)

Of Montreal - Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
(website | myspace)

Arcade Fire - No Cars Go - Neon Bible
(website | myspace | Neon Bible site | be oNline B)

Maria Taylor - A Good Start - Lynn Teeter Flower
(website | myspace | A Good Start video)

Art In Manila - The Abomination - Set the Woods on Fire
(myspace | @ Saddle Creek)

The Broken West - Down in the Valley - I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
(website | myspace)

Palomar - Our Haunt - All Things, Forests
(website | myspace)
mp3s:

Loney, Dear - I Am John
Blonde Redhead - 23
Apostle of Hustle - My Sword Hand’s Anger
Apostle of Hustle - Underwater (You and Me)
Maria Taylor - A Good Start
Art in Manila - The Abomination
Palomar - Our Haunt

 

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Just a few of the gems to be recorded by Portland musicians in 2007. I’ll be putting my best of non-Portland locales on here REAL soon!

artist - song - album :: extra info

The High Violets - Fa (Echostar Mix) - Satellite Remixes
(website | myspace)

Au - Sum - self-titled
(website | myspace | Boute live video)

The Shins - Turn on Me - Wincing the Night Away
(website | myspace)

Laura Veirs - Cast a Hook - Saltbreakers
(website | myspace | youtube)

Spoon - You Got Yr Cherry Bomb - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
(website | myspace | archive.org live recordings | The Underdog video)

Boy Eats Drum Machine - From An Oregon Shore - Two Ghosts
(website | myspace | haystack.com | in-studio on my show)

Menomena - Wet and Rusting - Friend and Foe
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Climber - Walking Tents - I Dream in Autoplay
(website | myspace)

The Fast Computers - Sweden Hasn’t Changed - Heart Geometry
(website | myspace)

The Shaky Hands - Why and How Come - self-titled
(website | myspace | @ Holocene Music | Why and How Come video)

Derby - Streetlight - self-titled EP
(website | myspace)

The Dimes - Paul Kern Can’t Sleep - The Silent Generation
(website | myspace)

The Battle of Land and Sea - Saltwater Queen - self-titled EP
(website | myspace | last.fm | @ SPIN.com)

Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation - Wild Mountain Nation
(myspace | website | last.fm | OPB in-studio)

Small Sails - No Spirit Animal - Similar Anniversaries
(website | myspace | youtube)

Alex Arrowsmith - Nuke Song (live on KPSU)
(website | myspace | Nuke Song video)

 While I really enjoy Christmas–the food, the music, the time with family, the food, the presents, it seems that we’re always chasing some unattainable ideal. Maybe we remember that overwhelming giddy feeling that we had a few Christmas mornings during our early childhood, and spend every year trying to recreate that by spreading our time and money too thin.

For years, we’ve talked about how odd it is that we celebrate God arriving as a vulnerable, tiny child, sleeping not in a crib, but a feeding trough, by spending money we don’t really have, often out of obligation, thus putting not only our families in a bad position, but our economy as well (unless you’re a big box retailer). But we don’t really know how or why we’ve gotten to this point as a culture, or a way out of it.

Here’s a couple things you might be interested in if you’ve been thinking about this:

Episode 148 of This American Life is dedicated to the subject of Santa Claus. The first 8 minutes of the show, Ira Glass investigates the origins of Saint Nick and his connection with modern Christmas celebrations. You can listen by going to this page here.

Morgan Spurlock, who made the documentary “Super-Size Me,” has a new film out, called “What Would Jesus Buy?”. He came to Portland a month ago and spoke at Cinema 21 before screening the film. He also stopped by the Imago Dei church to talk with Rick McKinley about the film. Rick is involved with a movement called The Advent Conspiracy, which aims to celebrate the birth of Jesus by giving of ourselves the way that Christ gave of himself, and giving in a relational way, rather than in a consumerist way.

Morgan Spurlock interview with Rick McKinley (about 15 minutes in)
What Would Jesus Buy? movie site

I don’t, by any means, have all of this figured out yet, and I love celebrating Christmas. But I’m hoping that by next year, I’ll have figured out an even more awesome way to celebrate it. I’m feeling a lot in my life lately that I want to “be the change I would like to see in the world.” Whether it’s giving people great music to listen to, figuring out how to be more environmentally responsible, or being a good parent. So I guess I’m hoping that next year, one of my gifts I give away is a really great way to celebrate Christmas.

 

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EVEN MORE Christmas music for you! If you still can’t get enough, check at the bottom of this post for links to my Christmas specials from previous years, as well as other blogs with great Christmas music.

artist - song - album :: extra info

The Swimmers - The Christmas Sound
(website | myspace | The Christmas Sound video)

Eskimo and Sons - Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown - LocalCut Presents: Another Grey Christmas
(website | myspace)

Celestial - Saving Up Her Wishes (For Another Christmas)
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Fireflies - X-mas Song - Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Daniel Johnson - Cold Hands Warm Heart - Suburban Sprawl Music Xmas 2007
(website | myspace)

French Skeletons - Just Like Christmas - Suburban Sprawl Music Xmas 2007

Keren Ann - Silent Night - Keren Ann (special Christmas edition)
(website | myspace)

Remington Super 60 - Here Comes Christmas - Merry Christmas EP
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Romantica - Home For Christmas - Electric Fantastic Sound Christmas
(myspace)

Tiger Baby - This Christmas - Electric Fantastic Sound Christmas
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas (Piano Mix)
(website | myspace | last.fm)

The Details - Strings and Ribbons
(myspace | last.fm)

Soul Junk - Dayspring From On High - A Familyre Christmas Vol. 1
(website | myspace)

The Singing Mechanic - Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming - A Familyre Christmas Vol. 1
(website)

Woven Hand - I Wonder As I Wander - A Familyre Christmas Vol. 1
(website | myspace)

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Peace on Earth: A Charity Holiday Album
(website | myspace | @ Daytrotter)

Corporate Solace - Last Christmas
(website)
mp3s:

The Swimmers - The Christmas Sound
Eskimo and Sons - Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
Celestial - Saving Up Her Wishes (for Another Christmas)
Fireflies - X-mas Song
Daniel Johnson - Cold Hands, Warm Heart
French Skeletons - Just Like Christmas
Remington Super 60 - Here Comes Christmas
Romantica - Home for Christmas
Tiger Baby - This Christmas
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas (Piano Mix)
Soul Junk - Dayspring from on High
The Singing Mechanic - Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
Woven Hand - I Wonder as I Wander
Corporate Solace - Last Christmas
Corporal Blossom - White Christmas
More Christmas music:

My 2006 Special
My 2005 Special (…a “lost episode” thanks, Juan! This show was lost, but now is found!)
My 2004 Special (one of my absolute favorite shows ever. I was driving while I did it!)

My show this week is indebted to the following blogs:

Hits In The Car: It’s (almost) Christmas…
Christmas A Go Go!
Swedesplease: Swedish Christmas Mix
Hype Machine MP3 Blog Search: Christmas

Also check out: FaLaLaLaLa.com

These albums are available in their entirety for free:

Suburban Sprawl Music Xmas 2007 (.zip file)
Remington Super 60 - Merry Christmas EP (.rar file)
Electric Fantastic Sound Christmas (individual files or one .zip)
A Familyre Christmas Vol. 1
Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums streaming free (plus other music people sent him)

Have you found any awesome Christmas music? Comment about it!