ANTONY & A JOHNSON

LIVE IT UP

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "You Are My Sister" [live]/Antony & the Johnsons [Late Show with David Letterman]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "In the Sun" [live]/Michael Stipe with Coldplay [Joseph Arthur cover/Austin City Limits]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Nightswimming" [live]/Michael Stipe with Coldplay [R.E.M. song/Austin City Limits]

JOHN MICHAEL & CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY JOHN

WAKE UP, CHRISTIANS: JESUS WAS A JEW & HIS DEATH WAS A SUICIDE

I hate religion. All of it. All of them. Doesn't matter how long they've been around or how many members they claim to have; they're all cults based on utter nonsense. I'd just as soon believe in ghosts (oh, wait a minute, there are whole RELIGIONS that believe in ghosts), UFOs, Big Foot, or the possibility of the United States electing Hillary Clinton president in 2008.

Yet, something like 90% of Americans believe in some sort of deity. Talk about mass delusion.... Makes me want to tear my skin off and set my eyes on fire.

All of this is to say that I have rather bitter feelings toward Christmas. But then, this is supposed to be a place for the sharing of music - nothing more - and all are welcome here. Just please leave your faith at the door; it'll be waiting for you when you leave.

End of rant (till this same time next year) (or, maybe, Easter).

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] Jeff Buckley/"Corpus Christi Carol"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] Ben Folds/"Jesusland"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] Morrissey/"I Have Forgiven Jesus"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] Treble Charger/"Christ is on the Lawn"

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] The Whitlams/"Jesus Has Got an Erection (And I'm in the Mood for Romance)" [live]

BRIAN'S SONG

IF RADIOHEAD CAN TAKE THEIR NAME FROM A TALKING HEADS SONG, THESE GUYS CAN TAKE THEIRS FROM R.E.M.

WORLD LEADER PRETEND

Some good news out of New Orleans in this year of Katrina comes from the young band World Leader Pretend. They released their second album and reinforced themselves as promising upstarts in the indie-pop world.

Though named for an R.E.M. song (from 1988's Green), their sound seems to swing a bit more toward post-Radiohead Britpop. Muse comes to mind, as a comparison, especially on the title track to their 2005 LP.

These guys are still in their early-20s, apparently, so they should be well worth tracking over the next few years.

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Punches" [from the LP Punches, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Lovey Dovey" [from the LP Punches, 2005]

[MP3] [right-click/"save as"] "Fit for Faded" [from the LP Fit for Faded, 2003]