Christmas #1! Fantastic plastic - The Black Arts

Ahhhh, the holidays bring out the crazy collaborations. Here we have something just emailed out yesterday. Art Brut and Black Box recorder are teamed up as Black Arts for this Christmas 7". Entitled Christmas Number One, I don't know what the tracks might be like, but this is sure to be gone fast. It's very reasonably priced at 2 pounds 50.
I keep checking Suicide Squeeze site to see if there will still be an annual Pedro the lion Christmas 7" of some kind, but I'm about to give up hope. I'll be sure to pst if I hear about anything.
I have a Walkmen Christmas 7", the White Stripes Christmas one (best present ever), most of the pedro ones, except the latest, and a deerhoof tomlab xmas picture disc. That's all I can think of at the moment.
I'm still trying to come up with something for that Sufjan Stevens Xmas song exchange contest, but it's hard...I try to go funny, then think , no this should be serious, and hate them both. I'm not giving up, it's just hard. Damn I want that song to release as a 7".

You can preorder this bad boy at Fantastic Plastic.

"Top of the Pops" may be off the air, but that clearly hasn't quashed the ambitions of Art Brut's Eddie Argos one bit. If this year is anything like last year, there will be a "TOTP" Christmas special, and Argos hopes to crash it with a bona fide Christmas number one.

To do so, Eddie has teamed with another UK act fond of the speak-singing, lovable cynics Black Box Recorder, and a pal who goes by the name of Keith Top of the Pops. Together as the Black Arts, this upstanding bunch has recorded a holiday heatseeker, conveniently titled "Christmas Number One", about-- get this-- a Christmas single that takes on a life of its own. This "One" has it all: jingle bells, children singing, some tacky rhymes, a bridge in waltz time, the delirious barks of Argos, and the authoritative coo of BBR's Sarah Nixey.

Meanwhile, B-side "Glam Casual" has Argos reminding us that "the internet is full of mean and evil people." Errr...

Fantastic Plastic offers up "Christmas Number One" as a limited edition (1,000 copies) slab of green 7" vinyl on December 10, and as a digital download on December 3. But it's up to you, the record-buying public, to take it to number one. And if you don't, THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR. (Haha, kidding, but Christmas won't be nearly as funny.)

ART BRUT - Direct Hit

Sometimes I want a tune, something I can sing along to, something honest and funny and maybe a little goofy so I can feel better about myself and my serious world of 'art'. There's enough crap out there, I need cheering up. I'm glad someone who isn't taking it all so seriously is successful. I think it takes a lot more to be sincerely having a good time, than being an angsty, goth mess sitting in the corner. If anything it's harder to keep his act up, of having a good time, we can so easily tell if you've gotten so fucking jaded your dialing it in.
I have seen them live enough now to honestly get behind them 100%.
I'm well on my way to getting all of these singles, especially from the first album...from what I've heard of this new one, they haven't changed a thing. Perfect.

ART BRUT - DIRECT HIT They formed a band, released a string of brilliant singles and a brilliant debut album, then packed all their worldly possessions into a suitcase and set off to conquer the world. Now London-based five piece Art Brut return with a new single, 'Direct Hit'. The lead single from the 2 second album, 'It's A Bit Complicated', 'Direct Hit' sees Art Brut exchanging spiky post punk for a blistering hair metal riff and Weezer-esque harmonies, while lead singer Eddie Argos treats us to the kind of insanely catchy pop chorus that reminds us why we all fell in love with Art Brut in the first place. track listing 1. Direct Hit 2. TBC

From the BRUT:

Right then, you loverly lot, we have a busy few weeks coming up, with a UK tour, our brand new single, DIRECT HIT, er, HITting the shelves (and those virtual shelves of iTunes) and then our second album, IT'S A BIT COMPLICATED.

First things first, the single, DIRECT HIT, will be available to download from iTunes this Monday, 11th June. It will also be available from MUTEBANK.

The 7", CD and download EP are out the following week on Monday 18th June. The releases feature some brand new b-sides...

You can pre-order the 7" (B-side: I WANT TO BE DOUBLE-A-SIDED) at these
shops...

MUTEBANK | PUREGROOVE