Optical Atlas

I probably couldn’t be more late getting to this (to my credit, I have posted at least one of these before), but I just realized that Dressy Bessy have released a bucketload of videos for their album HOLLERandSTOMP.  Here is the complete series for your enjoyment, as posted on their website:

Merge Records has made available for download Julian Koster’s performance of ”White Christmas” from last year’s Singing Saw at Christmastime:

MP3: Julian Koster – White Christmas

And courtesy the Merge Records blog, here is Julian performing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”:

Not personal enough? Not enough about you? Invite Julian and the singing saw to your home for Christmas caroling! Details here, and projected dates below:

December 7th, 8th, 9th: Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana & Lower Half of Illinois
December 10th, 11th, 12th: Chicago, Illinois, Michigan
December 13th, 14th, 15th: Ohio, Pittsburgh, Western NY
December 16th, 17th, 18th: Upstate NY, New England (CT, RI, VT etc)
December 19th, 20th, 21st: Philadelphia, NYC, Baltimore, DC, Chapel Hill

The podcast Phoning It In has just posted an exclusive performance from Nesey Gallons recorded in September.  You can download or stream the podcast here.  Thanks to Nadav for the link.

Here is the first official video from Thee American Revolution, “Grit Magazine,” taken from their new album Buddha Electrostorm.  Writes American Revolution mentor William Shears: “While the band has apparently upped the ante here for professionalism, I would like to note that to my eyes and ears they are still the roughly-hewn group I began to coach some years ago now in the art of heavily rocking. It is only due to the directing prowess of young Jas Osborne and to my own newfound skill editing footage on an electronic computer, that the band appears so cinematically polished in this short film, which Garden Gate Records has posted to YouTube just this morning, in advance of the band’s Lexington concert tonight with the stellar art-pop band Big Fresh and those young purveyors of psychedelia, Laminated Cat, at Al’s Bar for the Garden Gate Records Party.”

As Mr. Shears stated, if you’re in Lexington, KY, tonight, head down to Al’s Bar for the Garden Gate Records showcase. (Also note that The High Water Marks are playing there November 28th.) Buddha Electrostorm is available now from the Garden Gate Records website.

Supercluster’s psychedelic new single, “I Got the Answer b/w Sunflower Clock,” is available now in a limited edition of 300 copies. The songs, from the band’s debut full-length Waves, are pressed on handsome colored vinyl with a hand-screened poster by Amanda Burke, individually numbered and signed by the artist.   Order your copy from AthensMusic.net.

My review of Waves can be read here.

The Ladybug Transistor is playing a show in New York at the end of the month, and then it’s off to Spain again for a series of dates:

29 NOV 2009 Cake Shop New York, NY, USA w/with Marky Monnone (Lucksmiths) El May and Darren Hanlon
05 DEC 2009 Easy Pop Weekend Festival Andorra, Spain
07 DEC 2009 Teatre Lloseta Mallorca, Spain
09 DEC 2009 Primavera Club Festival Madrid, Spain
10 DEC 2009 Primavera Club Festival Madrid, Spain
11 DEC 2009 Primavera Club Festival Barcelona , Spain
12 DEC 2009 Primavera Club Festival Barcelona, Spain

Attention local Madisonians (hometown of this blog) – Nana Grizol will be in town tomorrow night, Wednesday Nov. 18, performing at the east side Glass Nickel Pizza Co. (2916 Atwood Ave).  Opening are Plumtuckered and Coney Island.  It’s $5 at the door, and the show starts at 10pm – plus the best pizza in town, bar none.

Last year saw one of the coolest little events in Elephant 6 history, as Julian Koster of The Music Tapes took Badger the Singing Saw (and his dog, and a friend) on a cross-country trip Christmas caroling from house to house. 

December 2009 will see round two. 

A tentative schedule has been posted at OrbitingHumanCircus.com.  Details as to how to get Julian to come to your home are posted therein as well.  (Thanks to David for the link.) Tour organizer Grant adds, “As a side note to everyone, if you would like to attend a caroling but cannot host yourself, still write in to musictapescaroling@gmail.com so that you’ll be informed of caroling houses in your town!”

If you’re not in this vicinity – or outside the U.S. – then I can only suggest picking up his holiday album, The Singing Saw at Christmastime, released last year on Merge Records and which inspired this rather wonderful event…