Local Music Collective Gives Away Holiday Music EP, Creates The Most Adorable Track Ever
By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 16, 2010 9:40PM
Sure, Yeezy may be getting all the attention as of late (as he’s wont to do) for his innuendo-laden holiday jam “Christmas in Harlem.” But that doesn’t other Chicago music acts can’t get in on the free music giveaway. Recently, Chicago/Midwest collective Dogs On Tour gave away an entire EP called Music For Winter Volume 2 for the cost of warm fuzzies and holiday cheer. Which is to say, nothing at all.
The download was made available through the Dogs On Tour web site, which represents an artist collective that includes indie-rockers like The Hudson Branch, Jadiid and All That Noise For Feeling, amongst others. The goal of the collective is to “rethink the house show experience” through artist collaborations and joint touring. Truthfully, Music For Winter Volume 2 often comes off like a self-consciously lo-fi, electro-folk re-imagining of holiday classics like “Jingle Bells” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” (Here, just called “Angels”).
But it’s made with the absolute right spirit in mind. The group also deserves credit for thinking outside the box at a time when tradition-for-tradition’s sake can rule the season. That creative instinct leads to some delightfully charming, oddball moments, like on “I Don’t Know.” It’s a ramshackle, acoustic sing-a-along about a child’s joy for the Christmas season.
This includes, but is not limited to, being able to eat Christmas cookies in the car “sometimes,” “gloves that are different pairs,” sticking earrings in the snow to make a girl snowman, and who at school may or may not know if Santa Claus is for real. Only a Grinch wouldn’t find that adorable. Seriously, get ready for your heart to explode. If nothing else, Music For Winter Volume 2 beats the pants off hearing Amy Grant’s take on the standards for the fiftieth time. Download Music For Winter Volume 2, as well as its predecessor, Volume 1, here and here.
Check out this trailer for the album.
Dogs On Tour play Tuesday, December 21 at Subterranean, 2011 W North, 8 p.m., $10, 17+