...and wants to be free.

An adjunct to Now This Sound Is Brave

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A visual review of music and life as the year ends.

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August Burns Red, Carol of the Bells / O Holy Night

Amped up classics for your holiday needs

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink: Twilight Fauna and Jennifer Christensen

An excellent one,this. From the artists’ own work to their recommendations, it’s all gorgeous. Take a look.

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Video: Bob Dylan, Adeste Fidelis and Little Drummer Boy

‘Bob Dylan released Christmas in the Heart in 2009, and the world’s reaction was somewhere between ” . . .” and “WHAT?”’

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Video: Felice Brothers, Country Ham / Carriage

Of course the Felice Brothers named their Christmas album “Felice Navidad”. I mean, why wouldn’t you?

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Video: Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer, Justin Kennedy -

Everyone has their Christmas traditions. Some people can’t get in the spirit without hot cider and gingerbread. Others genuinely enjoy ugly Christmas sweater season. As for me, well, it isn’t really Christmas until someone starts singing Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer. (Admittedly this year that would mean Advent started in August on Fire Island, when someone in a hen party next to launched into the tune, but – DETAILS, people, DETAILS.) This version of the Elmo and Patsy classic is by Justin Kennedy of Army Navy. It’s at about 3/4 speed and therefore feels like experiencing the holiday in a haze of . . . whatever makes you feel hazy. Really brings the pathos out, too, actually. Never occurred to me before how much of the childish glee of this song depends on being able to slalom through it. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer – Justin Kennedy from Justin Kennedy on Vimeo.

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink: David Majury, Slomatics

Like being run over by a cement mixer... in a good way.

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Heart-Ships, Undress Me To The Bone

Ain’t no party like a Leeds music party ‘cause a Leeds music party don’t stop... even though some of its better bands break up and leave us bereft. 

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Two Songs from: Jimmy & The Revolvers

“[...] so vivid I can almost taste the snakebite and black.”

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Visualizer: PHASES, Betty Blue

JJAMZ reinvent themselves as PHASES and share some TRON-like synth-disco. (All the caps. All of them.)

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A Good Read A Good Listen and a Good Drink: Bahhaj Taherzadeh, We/Or/Me

“Maybe if everyone who reads this tweets about it to Reed’s, they will send me a lifetime supply of the drink for free? Please everyone do this. I’m counting on it.”

Photo credit: Liza Mitchell

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Father John Misty: Live on KEXP -

And now, an NTSIB Thanksgiving tradition: an extended session from one of our favorite artists. This year it is almost a full hour of one of the finest folk balladeers / shit-stirrers / magnificent trolls working today: Father John Misty, recorded live at KEXP in the summer of 2015. The songs are all from his latest, I Love You, Honeybear. Happy Thanksgiving/Thursday, NTSIBberss.

Happy Thanksgiving/Thursday, all.

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tinörks, ODOMYUNICA

“... if a Zen garden had hands and could use a keyboard.”

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Video: Family Force 5, Sweep the Leg

“The thing that really stood out: despite the heat, and the impatience, they had ’em dancing all the way to the back.”

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Los Porcos, Porco Mio

Pig-themed yacht rock. You read that right.

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Video: Dignitary, Demon Beside Me / Destiny’s False Turn

Enter the creepy cinematic aesthetic of punk noir with Dignitary.