Christmas Songs From The Luck And The JAC

The tradition of rock bands giving us their take on this festive season lives on, as numerous artists are releasing special holiday recordings. Here are two recent examples.

Noel And Other Holiday Classics, which is currently available as a name-your-price download on The Luck Of Eden Hall’s Bandcamp page, appears to be a mix of old and new material. Their garage rock version of the classic hymn, “Noel” was first released on a cassette decades ago, but hasn’t lost a bit of its psychedelic allure. The high-speed song takes some twists and turns, and includes angelic backup vocals.

On “The Little Drummer Boy,”the band kicks off a head trip to Bethlehem with church organ music before moving on to a slow-moving, dreamy arrangement. The digital album includes a pair of original tunes as well. The melodic snippet “Lucky Christmas Time” could be a carol for gamblers, with the line, “enjoy your wealth” mixed in with words of holiday cheer. The nostalgic “Wonderful Red Stockings” is fun look at a family gathering on Christmas morning, and adroitly blends rock and classical music. 

Australian singer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Algeri has a history of releasing pop-oriented Christmas music. A few years back, he recorded “Chris Hillman Christmas” with The Britannicas, an international trio that includes himself, Swede Mangus Karlsson and American Herb Eimerman. The chiming, heavily 1960s influenced song was a combination tribute to The Byrds’ guitarist and a fun celebration of the season. In 2012, performing under the name The JAC, he put out a full-length CD of off-kilter holiday songs titled I See Things Differently.

The recently released “I Dont Want Your Christmas Presents” once again reflects Algeri’s fascination with The Byrds. The signature ringing guitars are in place, and Algeri creates some tight harmonies with Eimerman and other guests. As with most of his material—seasonal or otherwise—the lyrics are clever and a bit unconventional. “I Dont Want Your Christmas Presents,” which is followed in the song with the line, “I just want your presence,” depicts a guy who’s not sure if he and his globetrotting girlfriend will still be together on Christmas day. Using the holiday season as a backdrop for heartache goes back at least as far as “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley, but The JAC puts his own spin on the situation. “I Don't Want Your Christmas Presents” is available as a free download on Algeri’s Bandcamp page.    

CD Review: Agony Aunts - Big Cinnamon

The Corner Laughers take a more out-there approach on their neo-psychedelic side project, Agony Aunts. The California-based indie rockers craft more elaborate arrangements on Big Cinnamon than they did on their 2012 Laughers release, Poppy Seeds. There’s still an emphasis on lush harmony vocals, although bassist-keyboards player Khoi Huynh, drummer Charlie Crabtree, and guitarist-keyboards player KC Bowman are more prominently featured, along with lead singer Karla Kane.

  

The 12 songs on Big Cinnamon feature rapid-fire rhymes within nonsensical lyrics that could have sprung from the mind of Dr. Seuss. If he had live in Haight-Ashbury in the late 1960s. The childlike and impossibly catchy “Twenty-four Mergansers” sets lines like, “Chapel of the Chimes, you’re the apple, the orange, the lime/Disturbing me inside the badger’s lair” to energetic guitars. Drawing inspiration from a 1950s TV Western’s theme, Agony Aunts combine imagery of The Lone Ranger and William Tell in “Back To Back Bill.” “Uranium My Love” remains engaging even while delving into a world of beakers and isotopes, and “You’re So Vague” lampoons some of the cheesier rock of the 1970s.

“Cool Fresh Nights,” “Family Drugs,” and the title track come across as power pop with singing that evokes The Hollies, while the more sinister “We Got That Jeckyl” could have been recorded by The Beatles in their Abbey Road era. The easy-going “Laughing At The World” is an immediate charmer, and like most of Big Cinnamon, its meaning is unclear. Those discovering Huynh, Crabtree, Bowman, and Kane via Agony Aunts are likely to check out these musicians’ regular band for more fun. They won’t be disappointed.

CD Review: Various Artists - ONXRT Live From The Archives Volume 15

Serena Ryder Brings a Stark “Stompa” to the Archives. Photo from her Facebook page.

WXRT’s Live From The Archives series is kind of like Record Store Day. It’s an opportunity to acquire rare music; it’s only available for a limited time, and it has become an annual tradition. The ONXRT tracks are always live and they’re on a CD, but there was a vinyl edition of Volume 14 available on Record Store Day this past April. Another difference is that the Live From The Archives releases help benefit charities. This year, OXFAM America and Cure Violence are getting a helping hand from WXRT, in conjunction with BlueCross BlueShield Of Illinois.

Some of the best moments from past Archives releases have been the XTC “Senses Working Overtime/Grass/Love On A Farmboy’s Wages” acoustic medley; Cheap Trick’s “On The Radio” with XRT DJ Lin Brehmer doing a cameo; and The Smithereens and Patti Smith doing riveting versions of “Blood & Roses” and “Dancing Barefoot,” respectively. Volume 15 doesn’t have anything that quite reaches that mark, but it’s an eclectic and fun collection. Most of the 15 tracks were recorded in recent years, with the exceptions of “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” performed by Jimmy Cliff in 1978, and “Heart Of Glass” performed by Blondie in 1999. 

For those still eager to hear The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” (count me out), the version here has quite a bit of audience participation. Jim James of My Morning Jacket opens “A New Life” a little too slowly before moving on to its hula rhythms. And while it was a great idea to include Cheap Trick again, it would have been fun to hear something more off-the-beaten-track than one of their most popular songs, “I Want You To Want Me.” 

Volume 15’s major coup may be nabbing “Such Great Heights” from The Postal Service’s Lollapalooza Aftershow this past summer, and Karl Wallinger’s stripped-down take on his World Party tune, “Put The Message In The Box” is another treasure. Passion Pit impresses with a poignant, acoustic performance of “Take A Walk,” while Serena Ryder gives “Stompa” a stark arrangement. Other highlights include “Ain’t Gonna Be Your Tattoo,” Shemekia Copeland’s raw portrayal of domestic violence, the vibrant “1901” by Phoenix; the smooth neo-soul of Mayer Hawthorne’s “The Walk,” and atmospheric techno rock of The National’s “Don’t Swallow The Gap.”

ONXRT Live From The Archives Volume 15 is available at Target stores throughout the Chicago area.     

Slumgullion

Graham Nash would like to tell you about a right jolly old elf.  Photo from Graham Nash Facebook page.

Couture Cupcake Cafe is having a grand opening celebration for its new location in Palatine tonight from 5:00 to 9:00PM. In addition to a variety of regular, gluten-free, vegan, organic and low-sugar cupcakes, the cafe will offer smoothies, wedding cakes, coffee, espresso, teas, and assorted cold beverages. Part of Couture Cupcake Cafe’s mission is to donate to local churches and charities. It’s currently raising funds to provide cupcakes to young patients in hospitals. It looks like Couture Cupcake Cafe’s Palatine location will be sharing space with the Rock n’ Roll Ala Mode ice cream parlor at 45 N. Bothwell. There’s another new location opening soon in Wilmette, and the original Couture Cupcake Cafe can be found in Kildeer.

Now that he’s covered his career with The Hollies and Crosby, Stills And Nash in his recent Wild Tales autobiography, Graham Nash is ready to tell us about Santa Claus. He joins Emma Thompson, Jamie Oliver, and some successful Penguin Books UK authors in reading Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas as part of the publishing company’s holiday promotional film. 

Speaking of Christmas, here are a few more gift ideas:

The official Fender website has some fun gift ideas for musicians or people who enjoy music. One of my favorites is the Fender Custom Shop lunchbox. I saw one through the window at The Music Room in Palatine, and immediately knew it had to be on my wish list this year. You can also buy a guitar shaped cutting board at The Music Room, or find it and other instrument-related accessories and trinkets online at Fender.

The Hard Rock Cafe Shop on Michigan Avenue has a new limited edition t-shirt that honors John Lennon with its “Imagine There’s No Hunger” slogan, and will help fight child hunger around the world through the Grassroots Solutions organization. It was made with permission from Yoko Ono. The design on the dark chocolate colored t-shirt also features a hand flashing the peace sign and the Hard Rock Cafe logo. 

Singer-guitarist Madeline Adams will be performing original songs, including tracks from her 2006 album, The Slow Bang, at Café Mustache on Thursday, December 12th. Originally from Athens, GA, Adams is also a graphic artist, and is currently offering a special package deal combining a vinyl edition (with download code) of The Slow Bang, her long-out-of-print ’zine What The Devil Don’t Know, and a custom-designed pillowcase for $25. The Slow Bang is also available by itself in CD or LP format for $12. Bill Tucker  and blues rock singer-songwriter Shaina Hoffman will also be on next Thursday's bill at Cafe Mustache.

Kim Shattuck may have been pushed out of The Pixies, but she’s rebounded nicely with her original band, The Muffs. The trio has a gig at The Satellite in Los Angeles on December 21st. Peach Kelli Pop and honeychain are also on the bill.

Know Your Zombies

This post was intended for yesterday, but I was out making rather merry last night, and it got delayed.

I joked in last week’s Slumgullion that Chicago-based singer-guitarist Phil Angotti’s tribute to The Zombies at Martyrs’ Pub might be a deciding factor in the British Invasion band’s being one of the nominees chosen to be 2014 Inductees into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Even if Angotti doesn’t wield that kind of influence, his performance of the entire Odessey And Oracle LP, backed by bassist Casey McDonough, singer-guitarist John Aselin, keyboards player Dick Schmidt, and drummer Kriss Bataille, served as a lesson in how much more The Zombies had to offer beyond a few hit singles.

It was an ambitious undertaking, and as Angotti good-naturedly conceded onstage, not all of it went smoothly. The intricate vocal interplay of “Changes,” for example, seemed a bit off-kilter. But Angotti and friends succeeded nicely in demonstrating that Odessey And Oracle is an underrated treasure box of British pop tunes. In addition to the hit single, “Time Of The Season,” the LP had ornate gems like “Hung Up On A Dream” and “Care Of Cell 44,” along with the jazz-influenced “Misty Roses” and the optimistic “This Will Be Our Year.”

After a short break, Angotti and his back-up band returned for a set of hit singles, B-Sides, and rarities. He led off with The Zombies’ biggest hits, “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No,” and proceeded to the less-successful “Leave Me Be.” Other highlights include “Summertime,” a song The Zombies had covered from the musical, Porgy & Bess, and “You Make Me Feel Good.” 

We should know in a few weeks, if The Zombies will be inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In the meantime, there’s a new import four-CD boxed set titled The Zombies In Stereo coming out on December 17th, and the band will be part of the Ultimate Rhythm And Blues - 50th Anniversary Tour,  along with The Animals & Friends; The Yardbirds; Spencer Davis; and Maggie Bell.

CD Review: Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs - Under The Covers Vol. 3

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs climb another rung on the ladder of decades with Under The Covers Vol. 3. This time, the power pop singer-songwriter and Bangles singer-guitarist take on the 1980s, which means they’re simultaneously tapping into nostalgia and paying tribute to their contemporaries. Most of the artists covered here are still currently performing, although the members of R.E.M. have moved on to separate projects. As they did with the 1960s and 1970s, Sweet and Hoffs don’t stray too far from the original arrangements of their well-chosen songs.

Backed by bass player-guitarist Dennis Taylor and drummer Ric Menck throughout the 14 tracks, they put a definite emphasis on energetic, guitar-driven songs with indelible melodies. Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” is as slow as the material gets, and Roxy Music’s seductive “More Than This” is the only track where keyboards play a dominant role. Sweet and Hoffs take turns on lead vocals, and their harmonies, usually coming together on the chorus, are first rate. There’s a mix of well-known songs like The Go-Go’s’ “Our Lips Are Sealed,” The Pretenders’ “Kid,” and Elvis Costello’s “Girls Talk,” as well as more obscure fare like The Bongos’ “The Bulrushes,” The dB’s’ “Big Brown Eyes,” and XTC’s “Towers Of London.” A take on Echo And The Bunnymen’s mysterious “Killing Moon” gives the CD a darker edge and Sweet And Hoffs also nail The Smiths’ angst-ridden masterpiece, “How Soon Is Now.” 

CD Review: Jupiter in Velvet - Shut Off Your Mind

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

When a singer-songwriter elects to go by the name Jupiter in Velvet, it’s like a calling card. You just know this London-based artist is totally into glam rock. The brash vocals on his second effort, Shut Off Your Mind, are tailor-made for the genre, and he creates layers of guitars to back his streetwise observations. The obvious role model here is David Bowie, so when Jupiter in Velvet covers “Starman” toward the end of Shut Off Your Mind, it makes perfect sense.

Jupiter in Velvet finds imaginative and often blunt ways to express his need for affection or to escape the ignorance he finds running rampant in modern society. “I’m just so bored with the scene these days,” he complains above the steady beat of “The Deeper Side,” and on the high energy “Drops Of Love” he sings, “I know you think I’m strange and demure/Yea I’m a different cup of tea that’s for sure.” Shut Off Your Mind is a raucous party from start to finish, and Jupiter in Velvet wraps things up with his own off-kilter version of national pride, “All The Way With The UK.”