I grew up with a strict “No Christmas Music before Thanksgiving” rule in our house. My husband also lives by this rule, less because he wants to give each holiday it’s due respect, and more because he hates Christmas music. (He’s a nice guy, I promise!) So a few days before Thanksgiving I was “sneaking” my Holiday tunes while driving alone in the car or shut up working in my office. Now that Turkey Day has come and gone, the Iron Music Curtain has been lifted and I am PUMPING the Christmas music 24/7.  All of my favorites are on rotation, but I thought I’d share one of my new favorite christmas albums, which also happens to be FREE on Amazon MP3 right now.  This short 5 song sampler includes a surprising variety of genres (pop, rock, choral) and is definitely worth adding to your Christmas music playlist.  It includes songs from Sixpence None the Richer, fun., and others.  Download it for free here and enjoy!

I don’t know if there’s every been an album discussed here on the blog that fit the “Music to Create to” bill quite as well as “Feedback”.  An instrumental concept album based on The Lord’s Prayer, it is oozing with creativity and life in every note and beat.  Composed by singer/songwriter Derek Webb this album is a departure from his previous albums where regardless of genre, the emphasis always seemed to be on the lyrics.  I’ve been listening to “Feedback” for the past few days and enjoy it more and more with each listen.   I’ve found it particularly enjoyable when writing or doing things that require a certain amount of focus and attention as well as for meditating.  The album is accompanied by visual art also inspired by The Lord’s Prayer including paintings by Scott Erickson and photography by Jeremy Cowart.  If you are a creative person or one that appreciates art in all of its forms, you will be inspired by “Feedback” regardless of your spiritual background.  Download it exclusively on Derek Webb’s website.

I’ve been listening to the much hyped, debated, loved and hated “Age of Adz” a lot recently. I imagine a few of you have been as well since it’s been one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. It took me a long time to jump on the Sufjan band wagon, and because of that I think I’m not as turned off by the new sounds on this album like many of his diehard fans have been.  There are a million reviews of this album you can read online ( I like Pitchfork’s) so I’ll spare you the generalities and tell you what I love.  I love all the electronic noise. I love the moodiness and introspection.  I love the floating vocal melodies that don’t seem like they should work with the quirky instrumentation, but somehow, they do.  I love that you can tell this is still Sufjan Stevens. And I really love the honesty. If you’re new to Sufjan Steven’s music I think “Age of Adz” is a great starting point.  And if you’re a person that believes it’s never too early for Christmas music, make sure to get his Christmas album.  It.  Is.  Amazing.

It’s been a while since my last MTCT post, but I’ve been listening to “Flags” non-stop and couldn’t help but share it with you all.  There’s a couple of other albums that have snuck into a regular iTunes rotation, so maybe there are a few more posts to come.

There are a few albums for me that have been favorites from the first listen. The “ONCE” Soundtrack, MGMT – “Oracular Spectacular”, Damien Rice – “O”, Mumford & Sons – “Sigh No More”, and now Brooke Fraser’s “Flags” is being added to that list.  The album kicks off with the upbeat, love inspired, Sara Bareilles-ish ”Something in the Water” which is a little bit misleading since the meat of the album centers on darker songs that deal with injustice in the world, a marriage on the brink, and the grieving that comes with the loss of a loved one.  But the lighter moments are woven in as well.  I still giggle a bit at the line in “Cochella”, “I am bright as the sun / You are high as a kite”.  Though I’ve never been, I’ve heard that’s a pretty accurate description of the music festival which the song recounts.  If you’re a fan of female led folk/pop and thought provoking lyrics download Flags pronto.  Also check Brooke’s extensive North America tour schedule (Sans Phoenix. Not bitter.).  I’ve seen her in concert once and she is even better live.

Holy cow, do I love me some Mumford and Sons. I was a bit late to jump on the band wagon, but my iTunes has basically had “Sigh No More” and “The Suburbs” on repeat for weeks so what I lacked in promptness I think I’ve made up for in repetition.   Hailing from the UK this band has a rich “new folk” sound but I can hear a lot of influences in their music ranging from bluegrass to traditional Irish music to straight up rock.   Just as striking as the music are Mumford and Sons’ lyrics which are sung with refreshing clarity and wrestle with heavy issues of faith, love, failure, and all the space in between.  If I had to pick one track as a favorite (and for sake of brevity I’ll force myself to) it would have to be “Awake My Soul”.  The lyrics are mad deep and when the chorus really gets hoppin’ late in the song, the harmonies and rhythm will awaken your soul no matter how asleep it’s been for how long.  Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, as creative people, we constantly need to awaken our soul and creativity to keep our craft fresh and alive.  A little bit of Mumford and Sons will do just the trick.  Grab “Sigh No More” for only $5 before the end of August on Amazon MP3.

I know, I know, I know. Everyone is talking about Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs.  And I wasn’t ever going to bring it up in a MTCT post because it just seemed too obvious and cliché.  But…I can’t stop listening to this album.  I think I’ve listened to it at least once every day (and usually multiple times a day) since it was released a couple weeks ago.  Every track is solid, I love the fullness of the musical arrangements and the irony of the lyrics winding through out the album.  For a girl that was raised in the suburbs, tried desperately to escape the suburbs by globe trotting, but found herself sucked back into the sprawl, some of these songs feel like snippets of my own story.  The two opening phrases of “Suburban War” pretty much sum it up:

Let’s go for a drive
See the town tonight
There’s nothing to do but I’ll unwind when I’m with you

This town’s so strange
They built it to change
And while we’re sleeping all the streets, they rearrange

Regardless of all the hype (and criticism) surrounding “The Suburbs”, if you’re an Arcade Fire fan, or a music fan, or a recovering/reluctant suburbanite, there is something on this album you’ll enjoy.

One half of me is upset that I’m just now discovering Miike Snow, but the other half of me is falling in love with them so fast that it feels like we’ve been friends forever.  ”Animal” was my first introduction to the band via a free download on Amazon Mp3 and immediately made it’s way onto one of my workout playlists.  I loved the song so much I assumed the rest of the album just couldn’t live up to it, and I’m so glad I was wrong.  Every song on this debut album is solid and I think some of the slower, moodier songs (“Burial”, “Sylvia”) are my favorites even though I was pulled in through the upbeat “Animal”.  But don’t worry there are plenty of dance beats and synth to go around.  If you are a fan of MGMT (before they sucked), Passion Pit, or Animal Collective and you’re a late comer to the Miike Snow party like myself, download their album immediately, then come back here and thank me later.

I feel like it’s a bit insulting to tag an album as “great background music”.  No musician creates with that in mind.  They are passionate about they’re craft, and want the listener to be passionate as well.  But as a person who constantly has music playing, I appreciate an album that can be sonically pleasing, but doesn’t insist on having all of my attention.  That being said, I don’t think Greg Laswell’s latest album “Take a Bow” should only be sequestered to the background music playlist on your iTunes.  The songs on “Take a Bow” would probably fall into an “adult pop/rock” genre, and some of the moodier tracks, like piano driven “My Fight (For You)” sound as if they were written with Grey’s Anatomy in mind.  I picked up “Take a Bow” this month on Amazon Mp3 for $5 bucks and you can snag the same deal too, but only until tomorrow (along with 99 other titles including Broken Bells, Passion Pit, Brandi Carlile, and the classic Dirty Dancing soundtrack).

Today as I attempt to focus on work, I’ll be listening to the new Hillsong album, “A Beautiful Exchange” on repeat.  The songs on this album are ripe with messages of hope, peace, love, comfort and a life beyond this one. Things I especially need reminders of today. You will be missed dearly, Rick but those who knew you look forward to the day when we’ll meet again.