"You sing along at home. There's no reason why you shouldn't do it here, all right?" said a slightly marble-mouthed Jeff Mangum Friday night as he introduced "Holland, 1945," one of the most fondly remembered eccentricities of his cult band, Neutral Milk Hotel. But it took the crowd at the Lincoln Theatre a few moments [...]
Think of all the truly awesome things that Merge Records has accomplished in its 20-year existence. Not only has the label—founded in the late ’80s by Superchunk members Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan—released countless 7" singles, LPs, and at least one boxed-set by myriad worthy artists, but they've pulled off a few truly improbable feats. [...]
What it is: Multi-instrumentalist Julian Koster, of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Music Tapes fame, performs traditional Christmas songs arranged entirely for singing saw–an instrument which produces a sound that is not unlike a slowly deflating balloon.
The bike under the tree: As a devout fan of The Muppets, the guest-Sleigher finds some pleasure in hearing [...]
