We here at Fig & Mint would like to join with Thrill Jockey, one of our many favorite labels, to help make this holiday season (you know Christmas, Festivus, or whatever seasonal reason you find to celebrate) that much better.  In the spirit of the season(s) Thrill Jockey will provide a free download each day of Advent (which counts down to Christmas each day in December for those unfamiliar with the tradition).  Head over to their website and check out the Advent Calendar for yourself.

The material available will be drawn from not only Thrill Jockey's label, but from labels with which they are affiliated for distribution purposes.  Among these are Sonig, Mosz, Load, Numero Group, Fat Cat, Arts & Crafts, Ecstatic Peace, Rune Grammofon, Smalltown Supersound, Young God, Touch, Holy Mountain, Editions Mego, Siltbreeze, Bloodshot and Apestaartje, just to name a few.  The entire list of labels that they distribute can be found here.

This year there have been a number of excellent releases from Thrill Jockey, including The Sea and Cake's ethereal pop wonder Car Alarm, Pit Er Pat's experimental noise orchestration High Times, and Fiery Furnace's live panorama Remember.  Check out the label's MP3 distribution system FINA and maybe you'll find a present for yourself or someone else to share between the airing of grievances and the feats of strength.

Jay BennettSo, in the interest of posting, well, interesting news, let's turn our attention to former Wilco guitarist & multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett, who is dropping a new album for free at Rock Proper called Whatever Happened I Apologize.  It's a brief, lo-fi collection of acoustic songs that he opted to release prior to the album that has been in the work for some time called Kicking at the Perfumed Air.   Here's what Jay himself has said about the album:

It is stark, stripped down, and acoustic based—more so than any other record I have made. I really wanted to capture the simpler and more emotional nature of the songwriting, and I knew that the only way I could do this was to put it together quickly, with no second-guessing, and no heavy deliberating about minor details. Consequently I would have to learn to embrace the resultant imperfections—and I have. All of the vocals are done live to my own acoustic guitar accompaniment, so it has some “warts,” but, in my effort to not forsake integrity for technical perfection, the album ended up feeling more honest, immediate, naked, and cohesive to me. I am very proud of presenting myself without my typical voluminous bells and whistles. I am left wondering why I haven’t done this more often in the past.

That attitude certainly sounds different than the nitpickiness that contributed to his dismissal from Wilco, as evidenced in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, but I've listened to the album through and it's actually quite good, particularly his cover of Daniel Johnston's "Wicked World" and the final song "Little Blue Pills."  Wilco certainly hasn't suffered after his departure from the band, but I always valued Bennett's contributions, particularly the lush arrangement of Summerteeth, much of which is to his credit.  Perhaps a victim of the Dickey Betts syndrome (an underappreciated talent who subsequently gets too big for his britches), it's nice to know that Jay Bennett is back making good music again. 

Download the album here.

Frightened Rabbit

Yum. Tasty. More Frightened Rabbit, complete with "sad, sad, sex". Does it get better than that? We thinks not. Seriously though, apparently the Australian zine The Lifted Brow got their hands on a new Frightened Rabbit Track "Last Tango In Brooklyn", and Pitchfork was kind enough to dig up an mp3.

The track is a quick acoustic lament of love lost, and melodically reminds us a fair bit of "The Twist" from the band's last record. Although production wise, it's far simpler then the stuff on Midnight Organ Fight. All in all, we're not totally shocked that the track ended up as a giveaway, since it seems a little less compositionally complete then the band's album material. That being said, we're pretty much suckers for these guys at the moment, so anything they put out there, we're gonna gobble up.

Well, the song sounds awesome, so enjoy!

Well, all of this aside, there is one thing that has made me break my rule of not doing anything Christmas-related until after Thanksgiving.  It was Julian Koster's (The Music Tapes, Elephant 6 Collective, Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel) new Merge Records release The Singing Saw at Christmastime.

This is an album unlike any other Christmas album you have ever heard.  It is filled with lo-fi and sometimes eerie instrumental versions of old Christmas favorites such as "The First Noel", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and "Silver Bells".  Truth be told, it sounds something like only Tom Waits could get away with.  However, this album does work for Koster.  I mean, granted, you can't put this album on at an office party or family dinner when people are expecting Bobby Darin, but it does have its place.

The aforementioned idiophonic creepiness that defines much of the album is actually a plus in this case.  Aside from "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman", the weird whine of Koster's saws perfectly accents some of these age-old tunes that have turned, in the last century, from songs of praise and celebration into a marketing soudtrack for corporate and retail America.  You definitely have to be patient to get past all that; but if you spend enough time with this fantastic little album, you might just find yourself thinking about what Christmas used to mean to you, or what it can mean for you in the future.  You might even find that you are not so averted to those old holiday tunes as you once thought that you were once you listen to them Bobby Darrin-less and through the ears of Koster and his saws.  You might be able to just sit down and really appreciate, for the first time in a long time, a different take on these songs while you let yourself be filled with Christmas cheer.  And it might all happen before Thanksgiving; in which case, that is okay, too.

Now, here is what is really cool.  If you want, The Music Tapes will actually come by your house (that's right, the place you live) and play a few of these tunes for you.  All you have to do is check their tour schedule below and email them at musictapescaroling@gmail.com with an invitation no later than the day before they are to appear in your city.

Here are the tour dates and cities:

11-21 Austin, TX
11-22 Denton, TX
11-24 Lawrence, KS
11-26 Minneapolis, MN
11-27 Madison, WI
11-28 Chicago, IL
11-29 Grand Rapids/Lansing, MI
11-30 Ann Arbor, MI
12-01 Toronto, Ontario
12-03 Buffalo, NY
12-04 Geneseo, NY
12-05 Oswego, NY
12-06 Bennington, VT
12-07 New London, NH
12-08 Boston/Cambridge, MA
12-12 Philadelphia, PA
12-13 New York, NY
12-14 New York, NY

Tracklisting for the Album:

1.    "The First Noel" - 2:26
2.    "Frosty the Snowman" - 1:36
3.    "Silent Night" - 2:18
4.    "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - 1:48
5.    "Jingle Bells" - 2:41
6.    "White Christmas" - 2:44
7.    "Silver Bells" - 3:17
8.    "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" - 2:51
9.    "O Come All Ye Faithful" - 1:25
10.  "O Holy Night" - 4:16
11.  "O Little Town of Bethlehem" - 1:44
12.  "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" - 2:07

Umphrey's McGee’s one-of-a-kind pre-order campaign for their highly anticipated new studio release, Mantis (January 20, 2009 / SCI Fidelity Records) is already being recognized as a brilliant and innovative use of digital technology. The power of this new pre-order concept is in the hands of the fans. Umphrey’s offers fans more free bonus content the more Mantis pre-orders they receive; the fans “unlock” levels of content by getting more of their friends to pre-order the album. The idea is to give the fans incentive to help spread the word about the album, and to offer a totally unique music experience.

Here at FM, we're doing our part to get all the available material for Mantis, and you can keep up with what other Umphrey's fans are saying with the chat widget below.  Also, be sure to preorder your copy and get more news by clicking here.

Photo courtesty of Sadie Thibodeaux

This entry is by Guest Contributor Lizz Gardner

Last night, I trekked out into the Chicago chill to see David Wroblewski, author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, interviewed for Writers on the Record with Victoria Lautman at the stunning Harold Washington Library downtown.

It was an interesting interview (also a quiet one, because the microphones were not working) with Wroblewski, a software designer who took ten years to produce his first novel -- a 600-page monster. On the length of the book, Wroblewski commented, “You don’t get a choice in these things. Your story is your story. You don’t know how long it’s going to be.”

The book is set in rural Wisconsin, Wroblewski’s old stomping ground, and revolves around Edgar, a fourteen year old mute (but not deaf) boy, whose family breeds and trains Sawtelle dogs. Wroblewski admitted this is a fictitious breed and wishes the reader to envision their own interpretation, allowing them to make the story as personal as it is to the author.

Wroblewski, who had a brief stint with theater, chose to skip over Lautman’s question of the Shakespearian allusions in the novel. It was obvious to me that the novel had the loose skeleton of Hamlet (dead father, evil brother, lots of portentous ghosts, five "acts"). I was surprised, though, that he ignored the topic all together. It’s quite an accomplishment to have your own successful story develop as the ever-so-intimidating Bill Shakespeare rolls around in the back of your head.

The interview lasted for one hour with a brief break. In the last few minutes, the audience was allowed to ask questions. A middle-aged blonde asked, “How did you know you’re a writer?” Wroblewski sighed, and sat quietly for a moment. He confessed he won an award in tenth grade for a short story about wolves, but quickly gave up the craft because he didn’t meet any girls. The audience giggled. Finally Wroblewski told all: “Writing became the creative outlet I needed.” In a way, he never knew he was a writer, he discovered how he needed to be one.

To hear the entire interview, tune into the WFMT broadcast on Sunday, September 23 at noon.          

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You can find hardback copies as well as collector's editions of Wroblewski's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by clicking on the picture below.

In light of this, I found Pitchfork's article on the upcoming second volume of Guilt by Association particularly intriguing.  Rather than talk about it, I'll let you read and decide for yourself. 

The Guilt by Association record does promise to be something that I'll patently enjoy, as my musical partner and I have been known to spring covers of "Jessie's Girl," "Summer of '69" and "Hit Me Baby One More Time" on our unsuspecting Sunday morning church group.  Currently in the works: John Michael Montgomery, "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)."  My favorite so far is My Brightest Diamond's cover of Soft Cell's (left) "Tainted Love" and Jukebox the Ghost's "It's a Beautiful Life."  Wow...I don't even think I've given Ace of Base a thought since jamming out to them at the skating rink in 6th grade...

Anathallo - Canopy Glow

My favorite new record this week is Canopy Glow from art-pop ensemble Anathallo.  After rehearsing for months in the Chicago church where they were living and performing at Coachella, the septet was ready to make a new record.  And it could be the best work the accomplished group (the lineup has rotated quite a bit through the years) has produced.  Streaming audio or downloadable tracks for Canopy Glow are, as far as I know, restricted, but if I get something from Anticon I'll add it to the post.  For the time being, you can preview the album here.

Update: I received a link from Anticon with an embeddable player.  Enjoy!

Phish - At the Roxy

This is a great set, even for someone like me who has an overlarge, overstuffed folder devoted solely to Phish shows, meticulously arranged and labeled.  1994-1998 is generally considered to be the golden age of the Vermont quartet's exploration into dynamic musical invention and live presentation, sometimes causing early or late periods of the band's development to be overlooked.  This set, a complete reproduction of their famous 3 show run in Atlanta, February 19-21, 1993,  is showcased in its entirety (like the Hampton Comes Alive or Island Tour releases), leading to a total playing time in excess of 8 hours.  For any fellow Phish-philes that may be reading this post, it's interesting to note that a "Hold Your Head Up" jam appears each night, sandwiching "Love You," "Terrapin Station" and Neil Diamond's "Cracklin' Rosie," respectively, and the "Reba" that drops out of "Wilson" on the 20th is my personal favorite, making it near the top of the list for greatest ever (I'm a Phish nerd...trust me, I know).  Preview here.

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke

Pip Brown, a New Zealander now living in London, drops her debut album of danceable synth grooves toady.  This will be one for fans of MGMT, Empire of the Sun and Prince.  Synthy dance stuff is not usually my favorite, but this is a good album and Brown is a talented multi-instrumentalist (keys, guitar, drums).  Plus, another kiwi-Londoner put out one of my favorite albums of the year (Liam Finn).  Preview several tracks from this one here.

Belle & Sebastian - BBC Sessions

Though not as numerous or aromatically fetid as Phishheads, never underestimate the rabidity of Belle & Sebastian geeks.  I like Belle & Sebastian quite alot, but as I'm not as fluent in their musical history as I am with, say, Dylan or the Dead or Uncle Tupelo and subsequent groups, so I'm not especially qualified to discuss the nuances of these performances.  From what I understand, though, these sessions were vitally important in the development of B & S and the spread of their music.  And to the ears of the uninitiated, the tracks sound great.  I can detect the subtle differences in these early versions of some of my favorite tracks like "The State that I Am In" or "Slow Graffitti," and the historical value of the second disc, the final session with founding member Isobell Campbell, makes this two-disc set good enough for me. Preview here.

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Other items of note:

Femi Kuti - Day by Day

Dido - Safe Trip Home

Word has it that Auerbach chose to record all of the tracks himself as sole musician and producer.  This seems to be a fairly ambitious undertaking for the Akron, Ohio blues-rocker especially since the more responsibility he takes on the more it reflects on him if the album is a flop.  Fortunately for Auerbach, he has yet to make a bad album with the Keys and I doubt that he will anytime soon.  As of yet, there is no cover for this album, but we will keep you posted.

Tarantino will finish shooting the film in February and has to deliver it by the end of April in time for Cannes," said Morricone. "That doesn't leave me enough time to do the music. Either I start working on it before he stops shooting--after we discuss it together--or I just can't do it.

Morricone is best known for his remarkable work on the soundtracks for classic Spaghetti Westerns.  Among his most famous are those in which he collaborated with former schoolmate and producer Sergio Leone: A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West. 

Film buffs and music nerds will recall that Tarantino did a fantastic job of borrowing from Morricone's catalogue for some of the material from the not inglorious Kill Bill juggernauts as well as the recent Grindhouse thrill-ride Death Proof.  This, however, marks the first time that Morricone will actually compose new music for Tarantino (or Tarantino have original music scored for a film of his), since "il Maestro" turned Quentin down for Pulp Fiction supposedly because he didn't feel his music would work for what Tarantino envisioned.  Morricone would add to an already stacked deck, as Tarantino secured Samuel L. Jackson as a narrator, to go alongside on screen actors including Brad Pitt, Mike Meyers (don't worry, just a cameo), Mélanie Laurent, and others.

Also, if you see Morricone today, wish him happy birthday, as he turned 80.