MERRY MIXMAS Revamp!


The holidays are soon approaching and we here at Modern Mystery have just the right thing to get you into the Christmas spirit! Holiday music is one of the best things about the season and we hope you enjoy this little, well, er, big mix. It’s our second Mixmas and we went all out with 38 songs this year. Everyone from Matt Pond PA to Of Montreal, you have to check it out below to believe your little eyes. This is the one gift you can peek at this Christmas!

Dressy Bessy- All the Right Reasons
The Sixth Great Lake- Always After Christmas Boring
Asobi Seksu- Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
Belle and Sebastian- O Little Town of Bethlehem
Blitzen Trapper- Christmas is Coming Soon
Bright Eyes- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Casper and the Cookies- Kiss Me Beneath the Christmas Tree
Ladybug Transistor- Christmas Extravangza
My First Keyboard- Christmas is Only Good If You’re a Girl (Boy)
Of Montreal- Christmas Isn’t Safe for Animals
Essex Green- Deck the Halls
Denison Winter- A Christmas Song
Drive-By Truckers-Mrs. Claus’ Kimono
The Features- Christmas Wish Book
Felice Brothers- Murder by Mistletoe
The Music Tapes- Freeing Song for Reigndeer
Frightened Rabbit- It’s Xmas So We’ll Stop
Fun.- Believe in Me
Gentlemen Auction House- Don’t Want Another Christmas Like Last Christmas
Marbles- Gift for You
Fabulous Bird with Bill Doss-It’s Christmas Time Again
Long Winters- Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas
Low-Just Like Christmas
Matt Pond PA- Holiday Road
My Morning Jacket- Christmas Time is Here
Of Montreal- My Favorite Christmas (In a Hundred Words or Less)
Reigning Sound- If Christmas Can’t Bring You Home
Rilo Kiley- Xmas Cake
Robbers on High Street- Seasons Greetings
Ryan Adams- Hey Parker, It’s Christmas
Summer Hymns- Santa Couldn’t Fit You Under My Tree
Slow Club- Christmas TV
Sufjan Stevens- That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!
The Wedding Present- White Christmas
The Raveonettes- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
The Wombats- This is Christmas
The Damnwells- Xmas Eve
The Knife- Christmas Reindeer

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Secondhand Sunday: Sufjan Stevens “Put the Lights on the Tree”

We’re kicking the holiday week off with a charming secondhand Sunday with Sufjan Stevens! One of my favorite Christmas albums is Songs for Christmas, as it captures the holiday spirit without being cheesy or too off beat. Sufjan can make anything sound good, can’t he? Today’s video is for “Put the Lights on the Tree,” with a little cartoon band and Sufjan in tow. You got to love it. Also check out our Mixmas mix below! There’s more Sufjan there for you!

A Very Merry MIXMAS!

The holidays are soon approaching and we here at Modern Mystery have just the right thing to get you into the Christmas spirit! Holiday music is one of the best things about the season and we hope you enjoy this little, well, er, big mix. It’s our second Mixmas and we went all out with 38 songs this year. Everyone from Matt Pond PA to Of Montreal, you have to check it out below to believe your little eyes. This is the one gift you can peek at this Christmas!

Dressy Bessy- All the Right Reasons
The Sixth Great Lake- Always After Christmas Boring
Asobi Seksu- Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)
Belle and Sebastian– O Little Town of Bethlehem
Blitzen Trapper- Christmas is Coming Soon
Bright Eyes- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Casper and the Cookies- Kiss Me Beneath the Christmas Tree
Ladybug Transistor- Christmas Extravangza
My First Keyboard- Christmas is Only Good If You’re a Girl (Boy)
Of Montreal- Christmas Isn’t Safe for Animals
Essex Green- Deck the Halls
Denison Winter- A Christmas Song
Drive-By Truckers-Mrs. Claus’ Kimono
The Features- Christmas Wish Book
Felice Brothers- Murder by Mistletoe
The Music Tapes- Freeing Song for Reigndeer
Frightened Rabbit- It’s Xmas So We’ll Stop
Fun.- Believe in Me
Gentlemen Auction House- Don’t Want Another Christmas Like Last Christmas
Marbles- Gift for You
Fabulous Bird with Bill Doss-It’s Christmas Time Again
Long Winters- Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas
Low-Just Like Christmas
Matt Pond PA- Holiday Road
My Morning Jacket- Christmas Time is Here
Of Montreal- My Favorite Christmas (In a Hundred Words or Less)
Reigning Sound- If Christmas Can’t Bring You Home
Rilo Kiley- Xmas Cake
Robbers on High Street- Seasons Greetings
Ryan Adams- Hey Parker, It’s Christmas
Summer Hymns- Santa Couldn’t Fit You Under My Tree
Slow Club- Christmas TV
Sufjan Stevens- That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!
The Wedding Present- White Christmas
The Raveonettes- Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
The Wombats- This is Christmas
The Damnwells- Xmas Eve
The Knife- Christmas Reindeer

Modern Mystery’s Top 50 Albums of 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Its been a big 2008 for Modern Mystery. We’ve meet some really amazing bands, seen some incredible shows, and made a lot of great friends. We know 2009 will bring even more and we’re very excited!

We have compiled our list of our Top 50 Albums of 2008. Though this was by no means easy, we think we’ve included our all of certain favorites of the year. Below our list you’ll see a few more Top Lists of 2008, so check that out as well.  Hope you like our Top 50 Albums as much as we do!

1. of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
2. Morning Benders- Talking Through Tin Cans
3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin-Pershing
4. Miniature Tigers- Tell it to the Volcano
5. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Cardinalogy
6. Sloan- Parallel Play
7. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
8. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band- Self Titled
9. The Spinto Band- Moonwink
10. Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
11. Chairlift- Does You Inspire You?
12. We Are Scientists- Brain Thrust Mastery
13. Tokyo Police Club- Elephant Shell
14. Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line
15. Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s- Animal and Not Animal
16.  Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Real Emotional Trash
17. The French Kicks- Swimming
18. The Stills- Oceans Will Rise
19. The Walkmen- You and Me
20. Vampire Weekend- Self Titled
21. Wyldlife- Self Titled
22. Jenny Lewis- Acid Tongue
23. Annuals- Such Fun
24. Ratatat- Lp3
25. The Headlights- Some Racing, Some Stopping
26.  Department of Eagles- In Ear Park
27. Dr. Dog- Fate
28. Born Ruffians- Red Yellow and Blue
29. Los Campesinos- Hold On Now, Youngster
30. The Little Ones- Morning Tide
31. Mason Proper- Olly Oxen Free
32. She & Him- Volume 1
33. Albert  Hammond Jr.- Como te Llama?
34. Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs
35. Joan of Arc- Boo Human
36. Deerhoof- Offend Maggie
37. Sam Roberts Band- Love at the End of the World
38. Fleet Foxes- Self Titled
39. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
40. Atlas Sound- Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
41. Kings of Leon- Only By the Night
42. M83- Saturdays= Youth
43. Helio Sequence- Keep Your Eyes Ahead
44. Man Man- Rabbit Habits
45. Flight of the Conchords- Self Titled
46. Cold War Kids- Loyalty to Loyalty
47. The Mae Shi- Hlllyh
48. Secret Machines- Selt Titled
49. Santogold- Self Titled
50. Tim Fite- Fair Ain’t Fair

BEST EP OF 2008:
Matt Pond PA- The Freeep

BEST REISSUE OF 2008-
Pavement- Brighten The Corners- Nicence Creedence Edition

BEST LIVE SHOW OF 2008:
Of Montreal at Roseland, NYC. Kevin Barnes on a live white horse? Try to beat that!

TOP 5 NEW BANDS OF 2008:
1. The Morning Benders
2. Miniature Tigers
3. Chairlift
4. MGMT
5. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band

Modern Mystery’s Top 25 Songs of the Year

Finally here it is.  Modern Mystery’s Top 25 Songs of the Year! Yes this was super hard to compile, and yes we left some stuff out, but here is what we consider our personal Top 25. Our Number 1 Spot truly deserves it.

Tomorrow we reveal our Top Records. Oh what fun!

1. Miniature Tigers- Last Night’s Fake Blood
2. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin- Heers
3. Morning Benders- Damnit Anna
4. Chairlift-Bruises
5. MGMT- Kids
6.  Matt Pond PA- First Light
7. Of Montreal- For Our Elegant Caste
8. Casper and the Cookies- Little King
9. Sloan- Cheap Champagne
10. Ryan Adams-Fix It
11. Conor Oberst- Souled Out!!!
12. Sam Roberts Band- Them Kids
13. Okkervil River- Lost Coastlines
14. Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma
15. Spinto Band-Summer Grof
16. Franz Ferdinand- Ulysees
17. We Are Scientists- Impatience
18. Mason Proper-Lock and Key
19. Ra Ra Riot- Dying is Fine20. Toyko Police Club- Graves
21. She & Him- Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
22. Hollerado-Americanarama
23. Annuals- Confessor
24. Santogold/NERD/Julian Casablancas- My Drivethru
25. Mae Shi- Run to Your Grave

A Modern Mystery Holiday Party with Matt Pond

Welcome back to another installment of a Modern Mystery Holiday Party. We are nearing towards the end of our celebration, and we are glad to have with us Matt Pond, from the brilliant band, Matt Pond PA.  This year the band treated their fans to a free Ep titled ‘The Freeep’ which you can download at their site, www.mattpondpa.com. You would be a fool not to snag a copy.

I’m not sure what Matt Pond PA’s final plans are for 2009, but I hope it involves a tour and a new full length. I think we have a good chance of seeing this happen. Matt was nice enough to share with us his Top Albums of the year and other words. Let’s raise our glass for more Matt Pond PA in the coming year!

Matt Pond’s Top 10 Albums of the Year

Darker My Love 2
Lykke Li Youth Novels
Portishead Third
She Keeps Bees Nests
The Walkmen You and Me
Higgins Z’s
Spiritualized Songs in A&E
Black Mountain In the Future
The Kills Midnight Boom
Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ Fight

The Best Thing that Happened to Me this Year

Going to Spain was the best thing that happened to me. I now have an unquenchable hankering to reconstruct that feeling in New York City.

The Strangest Thing that Happened to Me This Year’

Listening to the critters scratching at the roof of a cabin in Bearsville, NY this summer. It went on for weeks. So it was more of a prolonged strange thing than a specific happening. But I never got used to it. And no matter how much I can withstand in the wild, the seconds became hours while I imagined a million different creatures trying to get in and steal my guitars.

My Favorite Holiday Memory

Holidays and me do not always get along. I accept them as long as they can accept me.