A quiet week here at the 'Nac nears its end. Dad time and work-related chaos combined to keep me too busy to share up a new live show (Film School's on deck), but I do want to mention a few things now that I've got a little spare weekend time...


I'll be spinning a set of songs to kick off the 2007 Bazaar Bizarre tomorrow (Sunday the 9th) at the Cyclorama in the Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont Street. Fellow DJs include Mission of Burma/Consonant guy Clint Conley, mixmaster Mark E. Moon, organizer/Critiquess Stacie Slotnick, musician and TT's soundguy Elio Deluca, and WMBR DJ/documentary filmmaker Generoso Fierro, along with theremin-specialist Jonnie Spaceman, who will be doing his thing throughout. Needless to say, I'm honored to be in such company, and I've decided to play some of my favorite songs of 2007, so show up at Noon tomorrow to listen while you browse and buy.


Tickets for a couple of potential sell-out Boston-area shows went on sale this morning, so heads up: Editors are playing the Orpheum with Hot Hot Heat & Louis XIV on Saturday, January 19th, and Band of Horses will be at the Paradise on Wednesday, January 23rd. Head here for Editors tix, and here BoH.


Even though I've already bought my own copy of the beautiful new Sigur Ros documentary/concert film Heima, I'm glad to learn that we're finally getting our own big-screen showing here in the Boston area. Kendall Square Cinema will be screening the film on Wednesday night, December 19th, at 8pm. It's truly a film that deserves projection and surround sound, and tickets can be purchased here (thanks for the heads up, Mike).


Putting my audience recording of their TT's debut to shame, The Soft Drugs' TW Walsh has made some soundboard Mp3s available from the band's recent set at the Middle East Upstairs (with the One AM Radio and Maritime). Download all 8 songs here. There's a link to a full .zip file at the bottom of that list.


Another excellent full live set: nycTaper has downloadable Ted Leo and his Pharmacists at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn just a few days ago. (updated: nyctaper now has the third night of Yo La Tengo's Hannukah shows up for grabs. Guests include Jim James of MMJ and members of the dBs, who opened up. Nice.)


Alright, as long as I'm on the subject of live music, a Santa Cruz-area music fan named Nicholas Taplin is making his concert recordings available for streaming online, and they include a Shins show from way back in March of 2001. There are a ton more sets available, although admittedly I've only heard of a couple of the bands listed. But if you were in Santa Cruz between 1999 and 2004, it's probably a goldmine. (via oldmancrews)


The DVD for the highly-praised, music-infused film Once (trailer) arrives on December 18th, and while I've yet to see it, it's up in my Netflix queue. I've heard enough good things from people I trust that I'm sufficiently curious. Co-stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performed many shows this year as the Swell Season, playing songs from the film as well as a Pixies cover. Here's an Mp3 of their version of "Cactus", which was broadcast from Washington, DC's 9:30 club back in July courtesy of NPR Music...


Head here for the rest of the NPR set, and check out a video for the song "Falling Slowly" here.


Snowden's Jordan Jeffares lets us know that he's working on new stuff (while hibernating in Chicago), and directs us to some excellent Snowden Christmas songs that the band recorded a few years back.


More holiday action: Boston's Aberdeen City has shared up the Christmas single (which includes a cover of "Just Like Christmas" and a mellow version of their "God Is Gonna Get Sick Of Me") that they released last year for free over here. And their label, Dovecote Records, has posted a special free downloable EP featuring J. Gale Kilgore covering songs by five other Dovecote artists, including the aforementioned Aberdeen City, Tim Williams, Mason Proper, Bad Veins, and Don the Reader.

That reminds me, I should have mentioned that A.C. posted a new songs on their MySpace page while back. Go stream or download Aberdeen City's "Whose Blood Is It?" here.


The Village Voice's Sound of the City blog featured Tara Jane O'Neil last week as part of their Possibly 4th Street series. Head over there for two Mp3s and a video of TJO performing live behind Manhattan bar Max Fish: "Sunday Song" and Michael Hurley's "New River Blues".


More new stuff: Travels has another new demo called "Bones" shared on their MySpace page.


TT the Bears' bartender extraordinaire Jeanne was recently diagnosed with cancer, and the club is hosting some benefit shows this month to help out with her accumulating expenses. Y'know all those times that the singer on stage said "tip your bartenders generously", and you didn't? Now's your chance to make up for it in the best way, so bring a little extra cash to these shows in addition to the ticket price. The first show happened a couple days ago, and here are the lineups for the rest....

Friday, December 21st: The Shods, The Pills, Ad Frank, the Downbeat 5, Joyce & Chick of Scarce, the Auto Interiors, and Jonny Pape

Friday, December 28th: The Gravel Pit, Francine, Baker, the Douglas Fir, and Jules Verdone

Saturday, December 29th: Buffalo Tom, Thalia Zedek, Meghan Toohey, and Keys to the Streets of Fear

It's been a long while since a couple of those bands have played shows, and a little while since Buffalo Tom was on a stage that small. Good times for a good cause. Tix for each of these benefits, and for all upcoming TTs shows, are available here.


Last week I mentioned that someone had taped and shared a recording of the House of Love playing the entirety of their debut album in London a few months back, and the kind taper gave his ok for me to post one of the tracks as an Mp3 here. After the band ran through the tracks on the full-length, they tacked on a few old faves and closed out the show with a song written during the same time period, but never recorded. Here's the relative rarity...



I have no idea how the public radio show Fair Game had fallen under my radar for so long, but no longer. The wonderful Faith Sallie hosts the program, and their music archive plays host to many mp3s from in-studio guests including Andrew Bird, Kevin Drew & Brendan Canning, and Maritime. Drew & Canning's recent appearance even included a New Order cover...


Head here for much, much more.


Going to wrap this one up with a few visual-medium related tidbits...


I've just been informed that a movie called "The Lonely Maiden" has been filming just around the corner from my house. Who's in it? Only Filliam H. Muffman William H. Macy, Morgan Freeman, and Christopher freakin' Walken. Around the corner.


Picked up the just-released box set of The Wire Season 4 on the cheap this week, even though every detail from that most recent storyline is still burned deeply into my brain. But I must own it, as I do the other brilliant three seasons. And I was mightily impressed, but not terribly surprised, to see that Barack Obama named it as one of his favorite television programs of all time. If he didn't already have my vote, he might have it for that alone. No surprise: Hillary's choices look like they were picked by a focus group, straight from the top of the Nielsen ratings.


Joss Whedon and Jaime Paglia are coming to town on Friday, December 14th. Town being Cambridge, Mass. Now, you likely know who Joss Whedon is, and Paglia is the executive producer/co-creator of the Sci-Fi Channel's underrated but utterly charming series Eureka. The two writers will be here as part of a Harvard Square rally for their striking Writer's Guild of America, where they'll be joined by fellow members (including the Daily Show's Rob Kutner and some of his crew), and they're encouraging fans and supporters to show up and add to the cause. That's noon on Friday the 14th at the First Parish Church at the intersection of Mass. Ave and Church Street in Cambridge. Harvard Square's Pandemonium Books & Games in has offered space for people to make their own picket signs for the event. More details on the gathering here.


Since it's the gift-giving season, and as my brain is firmly focused on baby-centric presents (thanks to the little B and nephew J), I thought I'd throw in a little plug for some perfect young-kid-appropriate items. Two children's books have warmed up our boy's world: Kristin Hersh's story of lil' Toby Snax, and James Kochalka's Squirrelly Gray. And for the soundtrack? Any of Liz Mitchell's (of Ida) sweet and charming "You Are My..." collections of children's songs. You can also get kid-sized t-shirts and onesies for both Toby Snax and Liz's stuff. And to any friends with youngsters reading this, try to act surprised when you open them on your little one's behalf.


In closing: Sunday. Noon. Bazaar Bizarre. You. Me. Music. Gifts. Go.