I hope everyone has a great night tonight. Be safe out there and have fun. Thanks for all your readership in 2008. I can’t wait to get going on 2009.

In case you missed them, our favorites from 2008:

Muzzle of Bees :: Best Albums of 2008
Muzzle of Bees :: Songs of 2008
Muzzle of Bees :: Best Concerts of 2008

The Online Romance is the next gem to emerge from the bustling Portland music scene. They are a six-piece group whose sound would be welcoming to any fans of Belle & Sebastian or Peter Bjorn & John. They’re offering up a preview of their upcoming (and still in progress) 12-song record with the free and legal download of “Ladybug Don’t Smile” below. Follow through to their myspace for my favorite track, “Twitch.”

Myspace: The Online Romance
MP3: The Online Romance – “Ladybug Don’t Smile”

I feel rather blessed to be part of a website where readers and fellow contributors have great tastes in music. Hence, I figure I should share a new band I just recently found out about from London called Mumford & Sons.

The simplest way I can describe their sound would be perhaps a much more rustic-sounding early Coldplay, influenced by The Pogues and classic folk instead of U2. Singer/guitarist Marcus Johnstone has a vaguely similar voice to Chris Martin, sans the falsetto wails, with maybe a dash of Damien Rice, too. The band have shared the stage with other neo-folk UK acts like Laura Marling and I feel like fans of American acts like Fleet Foxes, Dr. Dog, and The Avett Brothers may also enjoy these guys.

Mumford and Sons are not signed to a record label, but they do have a pair of EPs, a self-titled one and another: Love Your Ground EP that have grown on me in just a short period of time.

Myspace: Mumford & Sons
MP3: Mumford & Sons – “Roll Away Your Stone”

Set: At Dawn / It Beats 4 U / Evil Urges / I’m Amazed / Gideon / Wonderful Man / Golden / I Will Sing You Songs / Lowdown / Sooner / Thank You Too / Anytime / Remnants / Lay Low / Highly Suspicious / Off the Record / I Think I’m Going To Hell / Smokin From Shootin / Touch Me Pt 2 / Run Thru

Encore: Look at You (Jim James solo) / Nashville to Kentucky / Steam Engine / Cobra / Wordless Chorus / One Big Holiday

After seeing My Morning Jacket destroy the Riverside Theater a few months ago, it was an easy decision to make the trek to Chicago to catch one of the best live bands on the planet once more before the curtain goes down on 2008. No regrets. The set was packed with live standards and surprises, all within the beautiful confines of the Chicago Theatre. This one will be added to our favorite concerts of 2008, until then, check out our highlights…

11 Highlights/Reflections/Remembrances of night two with My Morning Jacket in Chicago

1. Bye Bye Beard – As the above photo depicts, Jim James is rocking the clean shaven look. Took a little while to even recognize him.

2. Red Tape – Jim James fell off the stage in Iowa City in October forcing cancellations, including the two Chicago shows. The stage is now adorned with massive amounts of bright red/orange electrical tape where the stage ends and the crowd begins. Despite its warning, Jim toes the line the entire night in Chicago, getting up close and personal to those in the first row.

3. “At Dawn” – One of my all-time favorite tunes by MMJ starts the night out. It was a surprise as I was really expecting the standard “Evil Urges” opener on this tour. Hearing this, I knew I was in for an unforgettable evening.

4. “Sooner” – With Jim James on Omnicord, I was expecting to hear Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2. Instead, we got this 2002 gem from the Chocolate and Ice EP.

5. “Highly Suspicious” – The dog of the new record, or so it seems from all the complaining. It’s an absolute monster from the very beginning when the bass so deep it rattles your ribcage.

6. “Carl Broemel” – Each time I see them, my appreciation for Carl grows. He’s a ferocious guitar player and his saxophone solo during “Nashville to Kentucky” was both a surprise and a highlight.

7. Banter – On two occasions Jim James took the opportunity to discuss the architecture of the Chicago Theatre. To paraphrase, he mentioned that today’s buildings are too many straight lines and that the creators of old theaters were in touch with a higher power. He twice referenced the connection to the human brain and the interior of the building.

8. “I Think I’m Going To Hell” – Going in this was the one song that my friend really wanted to hear. So it was nice to have it appear in the set. A throwback from The Tennessee Fire, which sounded absolutely gorgeous.

9. “Run Thru” – Probably the hardest hitting song of the night. Tons of energy, everyone in the crowd going mad, and the band simply giving all the energy back.

10. “Steam Engine” – Ever since this video surfaced, “Steam Engine” has become one of my absolute favorite songs in the My Morning Jacket catalog.

11. “One Big Holiday” – This one really needs no explanation. If you’ve seen the band live you know this one soars pretty high and last night was no different.

Discuss: Drop your thoughts/reviews of the show in the comments. Did you see both nights?

Here are the Wisconsin and Chicago shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list.

Upcoming Wisconsin Shows:

12/29 – Rusted Root/Backyard Tire Fire – The Rave, Milwaukee
12/31 – Cake – Riverside Theater, Milwaukee
12/31 – Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons/Blueheels – Cranky Pat’s, Neenah
1/2 – Jerry Seinfeld – Overture Hall, Madison

Upcoming Chicago Shows:

12/30 – The Sea & Cake – Schubas
12/31 – Hum – Double Door
12/31 – Justice (DJ Set) – Congress Theater
12/31 – Jay Reatard – Empty Bottle
12/31 – The Sea & Cake – Schuba’s
12/31 – The Lawrence Arms – Reggie’s Live
1/1 – Hum – Double Door
1/3 – Dale Watson – Martyrs’

+Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

This winter I’ve had the Cowboy Junkies Trinity Revisited on heavy rotation. Recorded at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto (2006), the album features a healthy dose of Cowboy Junkies with additional support from the likes of Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant, and Vic Chesnutt.

It’s essential listening as far as I’m concerned. Watch the video above, and grab a taste of the album below. You won’t be disappointed.

Download:
MP3: Cowboy Junkies + Ryan Adams – “200 More Miles”

Find MP3′s at The Hype Machine or buy from Amazon