Finally, some scientific backing to the funk most feel around this time of year:

“If you woke up Monday morning feeling like your life was particularly in the toilet, you may have validated the formula that claims that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year.

Cliff Arnall, a psychology professor at Cardiff University in Wales, came up with the following formula to determine Blue Monday for 2009:

• 1/8W+(D-d) 3/8xTQ MxNA

The variables relate to things like weather, debt, Christmas bills coming due, failure of New Year’s resolutions, and the need to take action versus general motivational levels.”  (source: CTV.ca)

Here are some songs to help lift you out of the funk and a few to help you dig deeper in (in case you’re a masochist or just happen to enjoy a sad song or three):

Depressing:

J. Tillman, the drummer extraordinaire for the Fleet Foxes, has released 3 solo albums and the most recent, Vacilando Territory Blues, is named appropriately.  It is dark, expansive and solemn as all hell.

From Pitchfork:

“Tillman’s stories sound as elliptical as his music, as if the lyrics demand such sparse arrangements. “Everything moves so fast,” he sings on “Steel on Steel”, “leave no time to ask, does nothing last? Do all things pass, just ash to ash?” These songs whisper loudly to slow the world down, to preserve a moment and all its emotions, whether they’re pleasant or– more likely– painful.”

J. Tillman
“Steel on Steel” (mp3)
from “Vacilando Territory Blues”
(Western Vinyl)

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The album that topped many Best Of lists in ’07 (even some Best Of lists in’08) features warped vocals, described by the artist as “angelic and haunting”, set against crackling waves of echoes and ambience:

Burial
“Ghost Hardware” (mp3)
from “Untrue”
(Hyperdub)

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Uplifting:

Blue Giant might have the word “Blue” in their band name and this song title, but this is a bright, shiny and anthemic Southern rock tune:
Blue Giant
“Blue Sunshine” (mp3)
from “Target Heart EP”
(Amore!Phonics)

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Record label Ghostly International and modern cult classic programmers, Adult Swim, have paired up for a compilation of new music and art.  One tune on the comp, “Light Powered” by Deastro, has a crunchy, marching beat that’ll kick your ass out of bed.  Take a listen and tell us you don’t feel reinvigorated:

Deastro
“Light Powered” (mp3)
from “Ghostly Swim”
(Ghostly International)

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Kevin and Anita Robinson–better known as Portland, OR indie-pop darlings Viva Voce–named their new band Blue Giant, after the brightest star in the galaxy. No longer content to pour all their energy into just one project (the two have toured and recorded together for years), they cherry-picked the finest musicians they knew for some sonic experimentation. The band’s inception began with long, exuberant jam sessions lasting until dawn, and as the rain poured down outside the couple’s handbuilt recording studio, getting the music onto tape proved nothing short of cosmic. The songs were recorded amidst meteor showers and a lunar eclipse, and Kevin and Anita knew they were on to something.

Features members from The Decemberists, Viva Voce, Swords, and The Golden Bears. Also includes a charming duet with Sleater Kinney’s Corin Tucker.

Blue Giant
“Target Heart” (mp3)
“Blue Sunshine” (mp3)

from “Target Heart EP”
(Amore!Phonics)

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You may have noticed the holidays are nearly upon us, which of course means now would be a good time start rocking some seasonal holiday jams. But you know, maybe that old Bing Crosby LP is getting a little tired isn’t it? And as amazing (truly, immortal) as Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas” is, even it gets old after the 500th repeat listen (take it from me). So how about something new? Well my friend, I’ve got just the thing. That would be this comp, curated by the charming and talented Daniel Gill. It’s got selections from a bunch of great indie and electronic bands, and what’s more, ALL OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. How great is that? Here’s Daniel’s description of the record:

“Unless you happen to belong to one of those rare, perfect, Norman Rockwell families, spending the holidays with your loved ones can have its ups and downs, its highs and lows – this Christmas album which benefits Amnesty International serves as a soundtrack to such an experience, documenting and representing the entire spectrum of emotions and feelings you might face during the most wonderful time of the year.

Wanting to avoid an overly cheery tone, and instead provide a more realistic, somewhat somber feel, I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas compiler Daniel Gill chose artists for this album who would paint an audio portrait not of present day Christmas celebrations, but rather hazy memories of childhood Christmas experiences and the often bittersweet emotions that accompany them.

Appropriately enough, Au Revoir Simone opens the album with a perfect cover of the Vince Guaraldi classic “Christmastime is Here” and Le Loup follows with a dark and haunting take on the traditional “Shenandoah.” Jimmy Tamborello’s pre-Postal Service group Figurine offers up “The Holidays Behind Us,” a break-up song about a couple that calls it quits just as the holiday season is beginning. Other stand out tracks are My Brightest Diamond’s “Nature Boy,” No Kids take on “Another Winter in a Summer Town” which is taken from the musical Grey Gardens, Blitzen Trapper’s “Christmas is Coming Soon” and Au’s bizarre take on “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” The album also includes tracks from Arthur & Yu, Parenthetical Girls, Radar Bros., Man of Arms (the new solo project of Kevin Robinson of Viva Voce and Blue Giant), The Papercuts, Bosque Brown and Turk Dietrich of Belong.

I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas is a homespun affair if there ever was one – the idea for the album came from a recent tradition that Gill and his wife Reda Rountree have had for the past several years where they would make a compilation CD of Christmas music to give out as a gift to friends and family – and, since the two are friends with plenty of musicians, they decided to compile an original Christmas album to share with the masses. The album cover was also designed by Rountree and the photo on the cover was taken by Gill’s younger brother, Andrew.”

You can find some more info here. And here are a couple sample tracks for you. Yule love ‘em! (knee slap)

Blitzen Trapper
“Christmas Is Coming Soon” (mp3)
Le Loup
“Shenandoah” (mp3)

from “I’ll Stay ‘Til After Christmas”
(Animal World)

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