Countdown to Christmas #9 (December 14th)

Back in the Olden Days when the Earth was new and there were no such things as animals or ducks and ghosts and demons populated the dark places of the world I wrote a wee little review of a peculiar and wonderful album released last Spring. The review was always supposed to grace the digital pages of Jack Black's Body. Sadly, that never came to pass. It was entirely my fault, and I take sole responsibility for JBB's subsequent slide into hibernation (pray, tell me it isn't a coma or death!).

The band's name is Menomena and their album Friend or Foe was fucking terrific. My sprawling (and somewhat terrible review, sorry editor ladies) won't be repeated here for it was promised to JBB and shall stay his/hers/theirs forever more. Just know that it kept me nice and happy during those bleak Spring months that have more to do with February than they do with May. And oh, the Oline. I just went back through my email box and searched for the key word Menomena only to find countless pleading entreaties to just submit the damn review, and it breaks my heart. Forgiveness?

Countdown to Christmas #4 (December 7th)

Holy Fuck. Yes, that is their name. Oline and I first met their acquaintance via a large marquee. It is a terrible name for a band, as many have suggested, but it does catch your eye and stick in your craw like, er, spinach or something. And like Spinach, Holy Fuck is good for you.

I'll admit, when i first bought the dinged used album after seeing their incredible live performance, i was a bit underwhelmed. I even shelved it for several months before dabbling with it here and there. Now its crept back into my increasingly lyric-less rotation, helped no doubt by other current favorites like Battles, Pelican and !!!. (boy does that period look silly after that band name) Anyhow, I am now a Holy Fuck convert, having listened to their self-titled album many times, finding tracks that were 'boring' before interesting now. 'Cause there are a bunch of layers and a density that is quickly dismissed as an impenetrable wall of music at first listen. Granted, my co-workers don't always qualify this sort of thing as music, especially the 60+ year old Accounts payable Manager that sits immediately behind me. But fuck them! Gimme Noise rock!

This will be the first in a series of album articles as I countdown toward Christmas paying homage to the music that was important to me this year. Rather than do a year's end mega-list, I figure I will just do it this way. Of course it will likely spill over into the new year, but meh.