Yule rules, Strive Roots and Audience of One

by Chris Aaland

I’ve always been a Grinch. As of press time, I’m 0-for-4 attending Christmas parties. My wife, Shelly, single-handedly strung lights around the garage door and front porch. Yes, I helped decorate the $20 bargain-bin tree she salvaged from Hell-Mart but bitched incessantly about how dried out, misshaped and tilted it was. My preference is a 2-foot plastic tree I’ve owned for 15 years that remains decorated year ‘round. When Shelly starts dropping pine needles all over the carpet and hauls out the boxes of decorations, I take my little friend out of the closet, set it on a speaker in the sports den, plug it in and grab another cold one from the fridge.

The fact that nearly everyone in my family is broke, unemployed or watching their retirements shrivel up means we won’t be doing our part to shore up the national economy this year. Presents for babies only, that’s our Yule rule for 2008. No doubt the folks at Bank of America and Citibank are cringing like we just drilled them in their faces with snowballs at close range.

New Year’s Eve isn’t much better. I usually forgo parties and clubs, watch a bowl game on TV and wind up in bed before the ball drops in Times Square. Amateur night requires a cab ride or staying sober – neither of which appeals to me.

Thus, the real meaning of the season: more than a week off from work. The Fort shuts its doors for working staff from Baby Jesus Day through Jan. 4. This means nightly bowl games, sleeping in, and the chance to drink beer without remorse.

Don’t take my lead, though. Rejoice!

Welcome 2009 with Los Lonely Boys at the Sky Ute Casino Resort on New Year’s Eve. These guys made a splash with their chart-topping hit “Heaven” a few years back, but they’re much more than a one-hit wonder. Heavyweights like Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana and Alejandro Escovedo are fans of the brothers Garza. Their music lies at the intersection of rock, R&B, blues, country and Conjunto, the Mexican genre popular in the Texas border country.

In what’s become an annual rite of the season, “The Nutcracker” returns to FLC’s Community Concert Hall this weekend. The acclaimed State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara offers its traditional version of the Tchaikovsky masterpiece complete with new sets from Mother Russia. Forty-nine local dancers, ages 5-13, perform alongside the professionals as bon-bons, mice, soldiers and angels. Evening performances are slated for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19-20; 2 p.m. matinees are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Tonight (Thurs., Dec. 18) finds Strive Roots at the Summit. Their promo says it all: “Playing a trademarked genre called roots-infused power groove, the trio blends metalesque guitar riffs, upbeat rhythms and sub-sonic bass lines that appeal to young and old, metal and hip-hop, punkers and Rastas, and even jam-band hippies.” They’ve performed with the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead, John Popper, the North Mississippi All-Stars and De La Soul.

Hip-hop fans won’t want to miss C Ray Walz at the Summit on Sun., Dec. 21. Walz was an original member of Stronghold, has beaten top battle emcees, is a fixture in the New York rap scene and consistently places singles onto the charts.

Burn off those Christmas cookies at the Summit on Fri., Dec. 26 with the Sons of the Addicted, a new rock band that fuses Zappa, Joe Satriani, Jean-Luc Ponty and Primus.

The Assortment plays original music plus rock, blues, folk and country covers at the Durango Brewing Co. tonight.

A mix of bands from the Stillwater Foundation performs at Steamworks at 9 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 19. The following night, check out Wasabi, a classic rock/Southern rock/psychedelic band voted Denver’s best jam/improv group in 2007.

Local ambient/metal/progressive band The Formless returns to the Summit on Fri., Dec. 19. Another local outfit, Megaphon, brings its acid jazz fused with loops and samples to the Summit the following night.

Strive Roots play the Summit on Dec. 18

A dub rock band plays reggae on Tues., Dec. 23, at Moe’s Starlight Lounge. The night also features cheap drinks and no cover.

Larry Carver and Kirk James do blues at the Diamond Belle Saloon at 5:30 p.m. on Fri., Dec. 26. Carver returns to the Belle to play rock, folk and blues with Nina Sasaki at 5:30 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 27.

Two local DJs can cure your New Year’s Eve blues. Jonezy spins records for New Year’s shenanigans at the Irish Embassy Pub; he requests you wear festive costumes. Ring in the New Year at Steamworks with DJ Wreck and his hip-hop, mash-up and dance tunes.

The final Top Shelf list of the year is provided by Jon Lynch, as music director at KDUR and host of “Audience of One” each Monday from 1-3 p.m. … which, for the next month, airs from 1-4 p.m. Mondays. Here are Lynch’s best albums of 2008:

10. Department of Eagles, “In Ear Park.” Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus release their second full-length of dream-haze pop songs.

9. Drive-By Truckers, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark.” Making many local Top 10 lists for excellent reasons.

8. Mogwai, “The Hawk is Howling.” Scotland post-rockers deliver more sweeping, cinematic greatness that is oft imitated but never replicated.

7. Ladyhawk, “Shots.” The band says it best: “For those of you who enjoy your rock ‘n’ roll soaked in alcohol.”

6. Atlas Sound, “Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot.” This allows Bradford Cox freedom to expound on a music identity that can’t work with a five-piece rock band.

5. Murder by Death, “Red of Tooth and Claw.” For fans of the new indie rock/crossover country popular over the last few years.

4. Fleet Foxes, self-titled. Wanted to hate it, didn’t want to believe the hype, couldn’t shake it for the life of me.

3. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, self-titled. From the opening track, this album had me completely hooked, garnering listen after listen. Just ask my coworkers at Ye Olde Schoolhouse.

2. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, “Cipher.” As a contemporary of mine wrote last week, “Punk, metal, country and gospel that inspires you to sin and beg for redemption over and over.”

1. James Jackson Toth, “Waiting in Vain.” Layered harmonies, touches of blues, country and soul, and the occasional punk swagger. •

Your brain is full of spiders? E-mail me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.