better than flag day

Did you know that the holiday we now observe as Veterans' Day was originally called "Armistace Day," from 1927 through 1954?

Yeah, who gives a fuck, really?
The good news is, I had the day off work. I did some painting, cleaned the apartment, caught up on bills and also listened to a lot of music. Good times. Here are some highlights.

The McGarrigle Christmas Hour
Kate & Anna McGarrigle
My parade of holiday sounds continues, thanks largely to Lady Miss Heather, who sent me a big box of Xmas Cheer that included this keeper. Rufus and Martha Wainwright team up with their mom and aunt (and Emmylou Harris!) to sing the hell outta some obscure hymns.

Confessions on a Dancefloor
Madonna
OK, no more Madge after this post, I promise. But thanks to Taylor (who rocks my life), I got a preview of her latest. It's fun. Not as disco-licious as I'd thought, but still quite peppy. Honestly, I hear a lot of hints of earlier songs. Isn't "Isaac" sort of like "Sky Fits Heaven"? And "Push" makes me think of "Like a Prayer." Discuss.

Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State
Sufjan Stevens
I absolutely adore his Illinois album, which was my first exposure to Sufjan's uniquely melodic sound. This disc from 2003 started the states series, and has much in common with Illinois. No favorites yet, but I'm sure that my iPod will be camping out in Michigan for a few weeks.

Nashville
Josh Rouse
God bless the iTunes Music Store. I was searching for a different song and happened upon Josh Rouse, who I'd never heard of. Nashville, released this February, may be the most inaccurately named album of the year. It's not country at all, but a moody collection of hooks and guitars, very '70s radio, I think. "Winter in the Hamptons" makes me wish I still owned a car, so I could drive really fast with the windows rolled down and cold air hitting my face while singing along at top volume.