More Free Christmas music

---

I know it's late, but here are a few more legal freebies for streaming or downloading:

• A free compilation from Sounds Familyre with the following tracklist:
  1: ‘Christmas Eve Nite’ - Danielson
  2: ‘For There Is Born A Child’ - Lenny Smith
  3: ‘Plant A Little Fir Tree’ - Half-handed Cloud
  4: ‘Dayspring From On High’ - Soul-Junk
  5: ‘Pat-A-Pan’ - Leopulde
  6: ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ - Dan Zimmerman
  7: ‘Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming’ - The Singing Mechanic
  8: ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ - Sufjan Stevens (new 11/2007 recording with other Sounds Familyre artists)
  9: ‘What Child Is This’ - Rachel
  10: ‘I Wonder As I Wander’ - Woven Hand
  11. ‘Christmas Is A Holiday’ - Ben + Vesper
  12. ‘Immanuel’ - Joshua Stamper
  13. ‘O Holy Night’ - Elin
• Over the Rhine's special St. Elizabeth's show has surfaced on the Internet Archive. The setlist features a few classic tunes ("Poughkeepsie", "Jack's Valentine"), one Christmas song ("White Horse"), their famous Gillian Welch cover ("Orphan Girl"), a highlight from The Trumpet Child ("Don't Wait For Tom"), Drunkard's Prayer's "I Want You To Be My Love", and one new song ("Angel Band") - they made a point to focus on material that they did not play at the Taft show. There's also a generous amount of dialogue between the band and the crowd.

---

News: Rilo Kiley New Album Stream

---

I just got a hot tip about another new album that's up for streaming - the new Rilo Kiley record. You may recall that their last album proper was 2004's "More Adventurous", a clever set that was half-brilliant and half love-it-or-hate-it. Personally, I think I prefer Jenny's solo record, which we linked to downloads of earlier this year over any of her regular band's stuff. The new album - Under the Blacklight - has been a bit controversial because it sheds most of the band's folk and country leanings in favor of more danceable influences. I'm giving it a first full listen now - so far it doesn't sound quite as jarring as the lead single made me think it might be. You can give this one a listen (legally and free, of course) at myspace.com/rilokiley .

---

News: New Album Streams

---

A few fairly exciting new albums can be streamed in full online (legally and fore free, of course) right now. They all have Flash players, but most of the hip kids seem to not mind too much. Here's a few that have graced my speakers lately, and some brief thoughts on them:

• The New Pornographers - Challengers
  I'll be honest - I haven't given this one too much time yet. It seems like an enjoyable little disc, though. The New Pornographers tend to be a band I have to listen to a few times to really "get" though - so I won't so much else about this one for a while. You can hear their new album in its entirety at myspace.com/thenewpornographers
  


• Eisley - Combinations
  I'm not too much of a fan of Eisley - which is strange considering how often people compare them to bands that I love (Sixpence None the Richer seems to be an all-too-common reference point). Their new album is an interesting ride though - there are a few interesting musical turns, some decent rockers, and even some moments when those harmonies sound less creepy and more heavenly. It's a bit short at 30 someodd minutes, but it's an enjoyable listen. You can check it out at myspace.com/eisley


• Over the Rhine - The Trumpet Child
  This is a very solid album - my #1 pick for the year so far, actually (although, to be fair, in the time that the 'Bloom has been dormant, I have substantially cut back my new music intake). You can listen to it entirely at http://www.overtherhine.com/recordplayer/recordplayer.html or find out more about it at OverTheRhine.com . This is quite unlike any of their other discs - it's a very jazzy affair. Lots of very organic and retro-feeling horns on this one. The songwriting is up to Karin and Linford's usual excellent standard as well. It's actually very hard to pick highlights here - it's uniformly good and spread out across a variety of styles. One standout is "Don't Wait For Tom" - a clever tribute to Tom Waits. The album is worth hearing at least a few times the whole way through, though, if you get the chance.
  

---