Stocking Stuffers

This holiday season Pedro the Lion, by way of Suicide Squeeze, is putting out a third Christmas 7" single. It won't do most of us much good, seeing as how record players are owned and operated by only slightly more people than laser disc players. But the songs will leak and I won't feel bad about illegally downloading a couple of limited edition songs released in an obsolete format that are limited to only 2000 copies. And if I do, I can always hand frontman David Bazan $6 the next time he plays in town. Anyways, this year Bazan is putting his own spin on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" and “Silent Night," even going so far as to contribute additional lyrics to the songs. For Over the Rhine fans, the band is taking pre-orders for a collectible, signed full-length CD featuring highlights from the band's 17 December homecoming concert at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio. And while you're at it, the band's Christmas album, The Darkest Night of the Year, is only $10 at the moment. And, no, I wasn't paid for that endorsement.