SOUNDTRACK: POLYPHONIC SPREE-Tiny Desk Concert #259 (December 21, 2012).
I really enjoyed Polyphonic Spree’s first album (and their strange robes and cult-like following (apparently even within the band).
They put out a Christmas album some time ago, and since we have a big pile of Christmas albums, I grabbed that one. I didn’t love it, but it was a fun addition to our collection.
This Tiny Desk Concert is notable for just how many members of the band are behind (and on the side of) the Tiny Desk (perhaps 18?).
And the band is suitably musical–trombone, trumpet, keys, drums, bass, cello, violin and a ten (or so) piece choir.
Interestingly, I find that the weak link in this whole thing is leader Chris DeLaughter. It’s just that his voice is really not that interesting. It’s especially notable on “The Christmas Song” where he sings some high notes unaccompanied. When the choir comes in (and they change the melody) it sounds really cool. I especially love the way they make “reindeer really know how to fly” into a high note.
The first song is “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” which I feel is the Christmas song they might be best known for. It’s pretty traditional to the original, with the choir filling in for the kids. The addition of horns really adds a lot to it.
“Silver Bells” gets a pretty rocking treatment–the buildup at the beginning is pretty cool. They change the main melody to an almost circus-like waltz. I love the way it sounds when everyone joins in–and when the choir is singing along to the rocking end (with a very different melody) it sounds great. But once again DeLaughter’s voice doesn’t seem up to the task of leading this larger group.
But it’s festive and fun, especially with everyone in red robes (and DeLaughters green one).
[READ: December 2016] Christmas Stories (1854-1864)
Last year, I started reading some Charles Dickens Christmas Stories in December. I imagined that I’d finish the whole book this season (all 750 pages of it), but I didn’t come close. I enjoy these stories but they are not quick reads by any standard.
The fascinating thing with a lot of these stories is that they appeared in All the Year Round, a Victorian periodical founded and owned by Dickens and published between 1859 and 1895 throughout the United Kingdom. But just because these stories came out for the Christmas issue doesn’t mean they have anything to do with Christmas directly.
I thought I’d be reading a whole chunk of the book in a row, but I wound up skipping around a bit. Maybe next year I’ll finish the remaining stories. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 