It’s a tradition in the Bloggins home to celebrate DMXmas (wherein we enjoy our favorite introspective canticles from DMX over some hard cider or nog) in tandem with the more traditional interpretation of this most magical holiday. I’ve curated two fine mixers to mark both distinct occasions. From our family to yours, we wish you nothing but the best yuletime tidings. Merry fucking Christmas, dorks. Hope none of you all find the xx album in your stocking. That would be barftastic.

DMXmas Mixer
MP3 :::
DMX – One More Road to Cross
DMX – Love That Bitch
DMX – Bring Your Whole Crew
DMX – Lord Give Me a Sign

Xmas Mixer
MP3 :::
Cocteau Twins – Winter Wonderland
The Flaming Lips – Christmas at the Zoo
The Sonics – Santa Claus
Banjo or Freakout – White Christmas
Wooden Shjips – O Tannenbaum
Mogwai – Christmas Song
Low – Little Drummer Boy
Can – Silent Night
Esquivel – White Christmas
Lee Scratch Perry – Santa Claus
Sonic Youth – Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope

This will rule.

X-mas is one week away.  I guess that rules.  Wal-Mart employees getting pancaked for some plasma TVs, the industrial-sized carbon footprint of the copious holiday-induced traffic, a general feeling of malaise, and not to mention the cliched but nonetheless important observations of the Santa Calus’ pervasive creepiness.  Christmas is weird, and I don’t know if I like it.

So instead, I celebrate DMX-mas, which adopts traditions such as enjoying “‘X Gon’ Give It to Ya,” watching some of his excellent films, and drankin’ malt liquor.  But since most of you don’t celebrate DMX-mas like Lana and I do, I’ll put together a poignant mix fit for the most “wonderful” time of the year.  Have yourself a brain burnin’ Christmas with these whispy sleigh-worn canticles that don’t make me want to stab someone in the face with a morning star.  Speaking of sleighs, remember that part in Citizen Kane when you find out that “Rosebud” was actually the name of Kane’s beloved sled as a child?  This mix fits that mood sorta perfect… 

The holidazed Super Swingin’ Mix kicks off with a muy bueno weed-hazed Christmas miracle. As expected (and totally refreshing), WFMU does ChRiStMaS correctly, with loads of weird photos and a yule-time gem from Wooden Shijps.  Do not listen whilst decorating the tree.  It’ll never get done.  Too baked, dood.

Next we move to shoegazing’s response to Enya, Cocteau Twins, offering a gorgeous, reverberated version of “Winter Wonderland.”  A less traditional version of the previous song comes to us from the much missed and consistently awesome Grandaddy.  The rest of the choices should be self-evident as to why they’re included on this mix, even a little crazy coked-up space age bachelor pad Esquivel was mixed in for good measure.  The Sonic Youth song is absolutely amazing.  Wanna bum out your holiday party guests?  Break this glass in case of emergency.

Finally, my favorite traditional Christmas song of all time… actually, the only traditional X-mas song I really like, is “Little Drummer Boy.”  And nobody, absolutely no one, is more poised to exalt this song on high with majesty and prowess than Low.  This version sleighs me… get it?  Sleigh?  Slay?

If anyone wants to get me a Christmas gift, b t dubs, I want Hootie’s country album and this ornament with Darth Vader treating the Death Star like a lady:

MP3 :::
Wooden Shjips – O Tannenbaum
Cocteau Twins – Winter Wonderland
Grandaddy – Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland
Sonic Youth – Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope
The Sonics – Santa Claus
Daniel Johnston – Rock Around the Christmas Tree
Esquivel – White Christmas
Mogwai – Christmas Song
Low – Little Drummer Boy

Awwww, holy fuck buttons. Martin Bulloch, Mogwai’s rhythmic force, was rushed to the hospital shortly after their ATP performance this weekend due to complications from a recent pacemaker surgery. As Mogwai tends to air on the cheeky side of life, the band recently auctioned off Bulloch’s old pacemaker (it has since been removed from eBay). Unfortunately, the new one isn’t working as planned, and was alluded to as the catalyst for Martin’s trip to the hospital. Read more after the jump, or head over to my story at Tiny Mix Tapes.

The official statement from Martin, via Mogwai’s site:

I was taken into hospital last night almost immediately after the show at ATP. I’ve been having some problems with my pacemaker for the duration of the tour and it unfortunately culminated in me being sent to the emergency room. The doctors there initially thought i would have to have corrective surgery at a larger hospital nearer NYC but i have been given the all clear to travel home on the understanding that i go straight to my cardiologist on arrival back in Scotland.

Consequently, Mogwai has had to pack it up and return to Scotland, with all North American dates canceled. The European tour next month is still up in the air. Especially considering Martin and the rest of the band’s warm and jolly nature, I hate to hear news like this, and wish Martin a speedy recovery.

In the meantime, The Hawk is Howling drops tomorrow, and will provide the proper scalp-scalding tide-me-over until Mogwai can return to fuck up a town near you.

MP3 :::
Mogwai – Devil Rides (ft. Roky Erickson)

This is cross-posted from my Tiny Mix Tapes news article. Oh yeah, forgot to mention… I’m a contributor to TMT now. Look for Kenny Bloggins, FTW:

The latest chapter in the saga of the internet’s leaky faucet and Thunderdome of publicity stunts features a rather unusual, rather awesome story from Mogwai.

Our favorite stalwart purveyors of doom are not deterred by several tracks of the triumphantly-titled The Hawk is Howling racing through the blogosphere, but rather a ‘leaked,’ unfavorable Pitchfork review. The band posted on their official site: “Dear dear me, it seems that there has been a second unfortunate Mogwai related leak this week. This was forwarded to us by an anonymous source, it is the unedited Pitchfork.com review of The Hawk Is Howling.”

However, akin to Mogwai’s technicolor shroud of mystery, it seems entirely probable that Mogwai wrote the review themselves, insofar as most of the writing is not in the typical dissertation-esque format. For example, the supposed Pitchfork writer dives into album epilogue “The Precipice” by lamenting how “guitars curlicue around the pounding of mannish tom-toms like the garland of graying pubic hair around your uncle’s boner… [they] offer you a lollipop and the promise of videogames, the ghost of Slint dulling your senses into a glassy-eyed hypnosis, until you realize that Mogwai are fucking you, fucking you, fucking you.” In “Thank You Space Expert,” Mogwai “absently strike their guitars, glockenspiels and who-diddly-dang-bangles.”

Moreover, sarcastic jabs alluding to common criticisms of Pitchfork reviews are peppered throughout (“I should note here that I will simply use the term ‘music’ in this review… no time for useless genre struggles”). The most compelling evidence, however, is that none of the credited authors in this particular review are listed on Pitchfork’s staff masthead.

If it is real, Pitchfork should up their QA standards. However, since Mogwai has often demonstrated their sense of humor throughout their discography, I’ll put my money on saying that this is a pretty hilarious prank from our favorite cheeky Scots. It appears as Pitchfork might be on the same shitlist as Blur, especially considering the hate brought in its review of Mr. Beast.

Look for the new “Pitchfork is Shite” shirts at the merch booth as they kick tires, light fires, et al. across North America with Fuck Buttons:

09.03.08 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
09.04.08 – Seattle, WA – Showbox
09.05.08 – Victoria, BC – Element
09.06.08 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore
09.08.08 – San Francisco, CA – Grand Ballroom
09.09.08 – Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern
09.10.08 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto
09.12.08 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s BBQ
09.13.08 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
09.15.08 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
09.16.08 – Richmond, VA – The National
09.17.08 – Washington, DC – 9:0 Club
09.18.08 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
09.19.08 – Philadelphia, PA – Starlight Ballroom
09.21.08 – Monticello, NY – Kutshers Country Club (ATP)
09.22.08 – Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
09.23.08 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
09.25.08 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot
09.26.08 – Chicago, IL – Congress Theatre
09.27.08 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue

MP3 :::
Mogwai – Devil Rides (ft. Roky Erikson)

Whereas Mr. Beast was good, but not as remarkable as their earlier efforts, Mogwai is shaping up to release something really special next month if “Batcat” and “Devil Rides” are any indication.

I was totally psyched when I heard that the the mighty Roky Erickson, legendary psychedelic cult hero, was going to appear on the new Mogwai jam hive The Hawk is Howling, already notorious for its most triumphant track listing and flea market-worthy cover art. It’s quite amazing that Roky is not only still alive, but making music today (though most of it is only a shadow of the 13th Floor Elevators’ reach). I mean, how many languages can you say “fuck yeah” in? I can only say it in one, and that’s English, so I will commence into cheering a loud “fuck yeah” for (probably) the most important duet since Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy’s “Whatzupwitu.”

At first, I wasn’t too sure of “Devil Rides,” a somber, spacey four-minute forlorn canticle. I felt it suffered from the same issue as their collaboration with Gruff Rhys on “Dail: Revenge” from Rock Action, in that Mogwai is such a musically complex group that any vocal contribution becomes more distracting than interesting. The composition itself is actually kinda similar to “Dial: Revenge” – slow, syrupy, packed with strings swells, absolutely gorgeous. Upon repeated listens, however, I’ve grown to be quite affected by “Devil Rides,” if for no other reason than tangential associations. Though Roky seems to have lost a little melodic quality to his voice, hearing this LSD-casualty (named “the man who got too high” by The Guardian) sing with such a pained demeanor, thinking about how this man has been through hell and back as documented by You’re Gonna Miss Me, really provokes an immense, beautiful sadness. I really love the sense of paranoia “Devil Rides” exudes as well, like you’re hangin’ out in the Panopticon. Needless to say, the Mogwai-Roky collaboration will probably not be a #1 summer jam.

Not much to say about the another new Mogwai song I have, “Batcat,” other than it’s another excellent stoner metal nickel in the jar, continuing Mogwai’s new economical, compact, harmonics-saturated, unapologetically sinister direction in the vein Mr. Beast’s “Glasgow Mega Snake.” This cut is heavier than most naval ships.

If you pre-order the album directly the Matador, you receive $1 plus a free poster. I appreciate how Matador consistently tries to hook you up. It’s good for business.

While we’re on this subject, it’s as good of time as any to express my love for the Elevators and post a jam or two. The 13th Floor Elevators continue to be one of my favorite groups, and I feel I get a new listening experience each time I pump them on the ol’ ghetto blaster. As with the often-fabled Alexander Skip Spence and Syd Barrett, Erickson’s batshit-craziness (including his writing of a notarized document proclaiming his secession from Earth, legally declaring himself an extraterrestrial – see below) adds a certain mystique to their repertoire that many of their contemporaries just can’t reproduce.

“Till Then” is one of my favorites, and also one of the last songs Roky recorded with the group before he was arrested in 1969 on trumped-up drug charges, then later institutionalized. “May the Circle Remain Unbroken,” so very very different from “Till Then,” is the 13th Floor Elevators at their most haunting. “Batcat” actually makes a rather astounding companion to “Circle,” being similar in its unsettling, elegiac mood – bridging a 40 year gap of music from a troubled yet revolutionary songwriter.

MP3 :::
Mogwai – Devil Rides
Mogwai – Batcat
13th Floor Elevators – Till Then
13th Floor Elevators – May the Circle Remain Unbroken