It's been over two years since Multiply dropped and helped to make Jamie Lidell one of the most interesting neo-soul men of this decade (his absolutely bananas live shows added even more to his lusty luster). He's been touring like a madman the last few years and consequently hasn't released any new material since Multiply. However, it seems he's settled down for a bit and started cutting new songs.

Lidell's website has a video of a hot one in progress (more videos can be found here). It bodes well for his next album. But as great as his recordings are, Lidell really excels in live settings. He's blown my mind five times in the last couple of years. Here's a live review I wrote after witnessing Lidell in Seattle in 2005. I mean it—don't ever pass up a chance to see this guy.

Music Editor Dave Segal is somehow able to mentally catalogue every CD that he comes across. I know this because on a regular basis I wheel my chair across massive distance of four feet to his desk, throw several adjectives at him and delight at whatever he suggests I listen to.

Heart-wrenching blues? Bettye Lavette.

Groovy, downtempo lounge? Wax Tailor. Never fails.

Yesterday it was more of a dire necessity than usual. I was at my wits end and needed something good. Something soulful and elegant.

He hands over Bitter:Sweet- The Remix Game.

A new version of the band’s divine album The Mating Game, this disc brings together spin doctors like Thievery Corporation, Skeewiff and Yes King to add new and imaginative spins, hooks and beats.

But! The song is not lost or mangled in some disc-jockey’s inflated vision. Remixing at its finest.

So immediately infatuated with The Remix Game, I felt the need to share.
Both Calendar Editor Vickie Chang and Le Receptionist Leslie Agan had the same response: “Hey, I’ve heard this before!”

You’ve heard Bitter:Sweet before too, I’m willing to bet.

To name a few, their music has been in The Devil Wears Prada, Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy, some Victoria's Secret commercial, blah blah, you’ve heard them.

But not like this.

Now you must.

Jeff Shaw at our sister paper City Pages goes off the beaten sleigh path to bring his readership 10 songs for the season. Ever generous, Jeff's allowed us to share 'em with you:

10 and 9: Two from Tom Lehrer
My uncle would never forgive me if I didn't mention Tom Lehrer's scathing, brilliant "Christmas Carol.." Unfortunately, only the lyrics are available on-line, and the only performance of the song is a dreadful reading performed by the even more dreadful Christopher Hitchens. Do Not Want. On the brighter side, we can do a different-denominational holiday Lehrer experience with the peppy "Hannukah in Santa Monica."

8. Harvey Danger, "Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas."
In a nod to my current personal activities at this time of year, I must mention this track from Seattle's Harvey Danger.

7. Of Montreal, "Christmas Isn't Safe For Animals"
Kevin Barnes has a penchant for odd Christmas songs. Besides this preciously weird, violin-backed indie tune, his band has also produced two goofy Christmas-themed songs on their early record "The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit's Flower." But this is the most accessible of the three, and features a bizarre radio montage in the middle. Excelsior! Get the lyrics and the MP3 download here.

6. Dean Martin, "Jingle Bells (Dan the Automator remix)"
Lounge never felt so cool as it does in this gentle remix that is (gasp!) true to the original. The beatmaker behind Del and Handsome Boy Modeling School does the Rat Pack proud, and I bet even your mom will dig. Download it here.

A Daft Punk and DJ Legit make a bunch of grown-ups in get-ups sweat.

As promised in my review of the last Busywork, Will Tee Yang's pictorial handiwork of this ludicrously fun gala event can be found here. Better late than never, and now you have almost a year to plan next year's costume, playas.

Jennifer Maerz has fine, inspirational piece about the imminent return of Los Angeles-based Arthur magazine in this week's issue of SF Weekly. More than “merely” a great (free) music publication, Arthur was one of the few widely distributed media organs to give substantial coverage to esoteric/occult topics and unconventionally liberal viewpoints. Think of it as Punk Planet on better drugs and with a freakier soundtrack or early-era Rolling Stone updated for the 21st century.

Arthur published 24 issues in its four-year history before temporarily folding in February due to a dispute regarding finances between its publisher Laris Kreslins and editor Jay Babcock. Maerz outlines the Arthur saga and gets some good quotes from Babcock, including this one: “Culture is devolving week by week at this point . There's a basic banalification that's happening. We're an antibanalification device.”

Until the next issue of Arthur materializes, you can check out Babcock's Arthur blog on Yahoo here.

This cover of “Immigrant Song” by Heart vocalist Ann Wilson is better than I expected it to be (it will appear on her debut solo album, Hope & Glory, out Sept. 11). Her rendition isn't as bombastic as the original (nothing could be, really), but it's an interesting interpretation of a classic-rock chestnut that retains some of the latent Eastern mystery of Led Zeppelin's version while lending it a subtler edginess. And while she may be 57, Ann is still in lusty vocal form here.

Wilson explains her approach to “Immigrant Song: "[Producer] Ben Mink said, 'Why don't we just start you out like Yma Sumac and take the song way, way North African?' Our version starts a little like a little dot on the horizon, but by the time it's done you've been overrun by all the barbarians."

In case you're not a fan of what Greg Stacy or Chris Ziegler had to say about gift-giving this week, then here's a quick note to let you know about some nifty holiday gifts for those loved ones of yours. First up? Couch guitar straps.

New Fidelity man Dan Perkins designs the straps, and currently they've got a great-looking line of silkscreened straps for not-too-much: $34.99 gets you the one pictured, and also? They're vegan. Nice.

Up next are a set of magnets designed by our very on listings gal (and really really awesome artist) Miss Courtney Oquist. Each set is a surprise and wrapped with extra special TLC. Only $15 for that special gal or guy in your life.

Also? I'd be remiss if I didn't mention these cute cuddle buddies, designed by lil' Z's buddy Brittney. $30, and your gal'll love you forever.

And finally, there's this. Just kidding. As Vickie notes: $35 can't buy you street cred. : (