2.Winter's Feat
3.I'm Not Really In The Christmas Mood This Year
4.Slowly Melting Silent Snowmen
5.Unfairness Awareness
6.Blues #525,600
7.Saturdays Gone
8.Lost in an Endless Dream
9.Afterglow (Abridged)
10.Ferguson's Theme
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Foxtails Brigade was formed in 2006 by classically trained Laura Weinbach and her friend, violinist Sivan Sadeh (Laura's current partner is Anton Patzner). Their sound is as much Neo-Classical as it is Indie Pop. Foxtails Brigade seems to embrace the depressing (which is almost antithetical to Indie Pop). The lyrics are poetic, the sparse accompaniment affecting, and Laura's vocals are starkly beautiful. Altogether, it makes for very interesting music.
When it comes to "Time Is Passed"--a Christmas-ish collection--the sadcore Chamber Pop approach to the jolliest time of the year is a juxtaposition that works extremely well. I've often sad that some of the best songs of Christmas are the ones that intertwine sad longing with hopeful joy. Foxtails Brigade dispenses with the hopeful joy completely, distilling the sadness of the season to its purest form and, in so doing, they get us to what, in many ways, is the true heart of Christmas. It's worth remembering that the origins of the holiday--and certainly many of its traditions--trace back to ancient times long before the birth of Christ. The celebration of the solstice had far more to do with the long, dark, and cold of winter. Christianity grafted their celebration on top of the pagan celebration that already existed.
There's no question that the album's highlight is "I'm Not Really In The Christmas Mood This Year", which sounds like a standard (and has the best chance of becoming one of any anti-Christmas song I've ever heard). There are 30 second mood instrumentals interspaced among the fuller songs. Some of this music comes from the soundtrack Foxtails Brigade did for an Independent film, but I couldn't possibly tell you which as "Time Is Passed" holds together well as an entire piece.
You can use "Time Is Passed" as a soundtrack for your own bummed out holidays, or as something to keep you grounded should your seasonal exuberance climb too high. In the end, it strikes me that Christmas depression would be a whole lot more bearable with the voice of Laura Weinbach and the music of Foxtails Brigade to keep you company.
If you're planning to purchase "Time Is Passed" (available both in digital and hard copy CD formats), I would suggest you do so through the Foxtails Brigade web store, where it is currently on sale.