The Flaming Lips - Christmas On Mars (2008)

Oy!

The Flaming Lips have chosen to give us both a sensationally weird film with an equally weird soundtrack for Christmas present this year. If you think that Christmas doesn't make sense at all, you should watch the movie that doesn't make sense at all neither. The film score is really weird - Christmas a la The Flaming Lips, I guess. The twisted Chistmas-soundtrack is right here, although this brilliantly no-sense-making album doesn't sound very much like Christmas.

Wishing you a Christmas that feels like being on acid,
Joachim

Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas

Oy!

If your stereo is running dry of alternative Christmas tunes, here's a refill that'll keep you going for some time. American indie-hero Sufjan Stevens has made 5 mini-albums of cozy (and slightly depressive) Christmas songs, and here they are all packed in one glorious zip-file, for your pleasure. Just check out the definitive shit-Christmas-anthem That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! and you've got an idea of what this album is like. Lyrics that put you down, melodies that get you up again - this one saves the Christmas mood(y) of the whole family.

Wishing you a better Christmas than Sufjan Stevens seems to have every year,
Joachim

Dutch Uncles - Dutch Uncles (2008)

Oy!

Here's the album I requested. Dutch Uncles are a British new wave-indie-band, and this album is absolutely brilliant. Twisted rhytms, amazing melodies and catchyness times a thousand. Just check out Face In or Steadycam and I'm pretty sure they will stick to your brain for a couple af days, if not more. This is so much better than most of the junk that the British music scene likes to throw at our faces. Highly recommended for fans of British indie stuff, new wave or just for fans of a good song.

Cheers,
Joachim

The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Communion (2008)

Oy!

Today's Christmas treat hasn't got anything to do with Christmas. But what a treat! The album cover is absolutely astonishing (although it doesn't make ANY sense) and so is the album. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives are a bunch of Swedish psych-retro-garage rockers, and Communion is their very ambitious 24-track brand new double album. Tunes as the opener Babel On and Lost Prophets In Vain show the greatness of this darn good band. Highly recommended for fans of the early Kings Of Leon, Tom Petty, The White Stripes and maybe even Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

Cheers,
Joachim

Glam Chops - Christmas Tunes (2008)

Oy!

More Christmas-goodies. This time it's the galm rock attempt of doing Christmas songs. Glam Chops are one of Art Brut-frontguy Eddie Argos' thousands of bands - but the only ones that have done Christmas songs this year. As they claim: "With the spiraling interglobal recession showing no signs of improvement, GLAM CHOPS (Glam Rock supergroup featuring Eddie Argos of Art Brut, The Vessel – singer of David Devant & His Spirit Wife) have made a joint decision to give their Christmas single away to their fans for free in a bid to get the nation smiling once again. There's definitely a Glam Rock revival on the cards and Great Britain needs it more than ever. The tracks are so good and we probably would have scored a minor hit with the single, but Glam Chops wanted to react to the current situation of everyone being too broke to afford anything but food and drinks. "

Wishing you a Glam Christmas,
Joachim

Glasvegas - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) (2008)

Oy!

More Christmas-treats for you. Glasvegas are almost more hyped than Santa Claus himself and they deliver 6 new Christmas tunes for you. The style is much like their self-titled debut album - epic poptunes swelled in reverb with a bit of edgy noise added. The whole idea of making a serious Christmas album seems kinda funny to me. Anyway. Put shortly, here's your dose of Scottish-Britpop-Christmas-yummy-yummy.

Wishing you a continuosly symphonic Christmas,
Joachim

The Raveonettes - Wishing You A Rave Christmas (2008)

Oy!

Christmas it is! And what better way to start these 24 days of pure madness than with a brand new Raveonettes Christmas-EP. Wishing You A Rave Christmas contains a depressed cover of Christmas (Baby Come Home) and after that tune, they give us 3 brand new Christmas classics. If you want a rave Christmas, this is definately the right thing for you. And remember: All Christmas, Fries Of Freedom will post all new Christmas-tunes worth listening to! (And some not-very-Christmas albums too).

Cheers,
Joachim