Music from the Midwest

Today I'd like to share some regional finds. Starting in the north, from Minneapolis, MN we have Mercurial Rage. This is a Christmas song they shared on their My Space page, so I don't believe it has been released on a CD. Their influences range from Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Psychedelic Furs, A Flock of Seagulls, and among others. It adds up to a very nice sound, and great original Christmas tune.

Mercurial Rage-It's Christmas

Going right down I-35, we pull off into Maquoketa, Iowa, where we find the folk song husband-wife duo of Scott and Michelle Dalziel. They are found on the Hudson Harding record label, and this song comes from the label's 2006 Christmas sampler. (They also have a new compilation out this year, so check it out as well!)

This track is a complete polar opposite of what we found in the Mercurial Rage track. But it is a wonderful song, and it exemplifies what I love about Christmas music so much and it goes to show you that great original Christmas music is still being made. I credit it only to Michelle here because she is the only vocalist.

Michelle Dalziel-The Only Gift

A few hours south we find ourselves in my stomping grounds: Kansas City. The first band I'd like to feature is The Ottomen, which got their start in 1996 at the Kansas City Art Institute. This track is credited on their My Space page as being from 1997, but it is not on their 1997 CD release, Adventures at The Shore, so I am not sure if it's been released on CD or not.

The Ottomen-Christmas No. 3

Finally, I'd like to share a bit of a novelty song from an unsigned Kansas City artist by the name of John Mitchell. He's a folk/comedy singer who is shopping around for a record deal, and this is a demo song. He's got a handful of Christmas themed demos on his My Space page, but this was the best of the lot, IMHO. It really, and I mean REALLY, captures the TRUE meaning of this time of year better than any song I have found.

John Mitchell-The Reason For the Season

And Todd MacEwen of SPUD 102 wrapped up our segments today. It was great fun, and if you're up to do it again next year Todd, just let me know!

Today's segment features a track I recorded myself, so just be warned!

SPUD 102 12-21-2007