Mouth Off

Merry Christmas! Arrangement Spotlight Dave is keen on the Swingle Singers’ “The Christmas Song” from their 2006 holiday album Unwrapped. Song Suggestion Christopher has some holiday song suggestions. Head2Head: Classical Corner Edition Dave compares the King’s Singers, Cantus, and Aquabella and their takes on the french Christmas carol “Noel Nouvelet.” Album Review Cadence’s Cool Yule album is quite cool indeed. Correction: On this week’s episode, we mistakenly identified the song “Cool Yule” as a Cadence original, when in fact it was written by Steve Allen.

Around the Horn Christmas with Eclipse. Mo5aic is giving away golden eggs on Facebook.  Fan them. You should buy Catherine Papworth‘s new EP Merry Christmas, Dear. Rajaton has a new Christmas album out! Submissions forms are due Friday for the 2012 Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards. HOWARD. STERN.  Really? CASA.org’s home page has great articles right now (and always). Project Philly is happening January 21. Newest group in Philadelphia is the mixed, semi-pro KeyStone. The Blenders release Christmas Light. Jim Diego: The Whitney Project. Student proposes at Brown University arch sing. New album by Chapter 6, Color By Number, expected out any day now… Cluster on Italian TV this week. Tickets are going fast for the Los Angeles A cappella Festival.  Grab yours just very soonly. Cool Chord of the Week Back in 1987, First Call was doing some of the coolest chords around. Music from the Future The Rescues are rad, but Russell Kamp and Side Project are even radder on the forthcoming “Follow Me Back Into The Sun.” Album Review The Sing-Off: Songs of the Season is the only playlist you need this Christmas season.

Listener Mailbag With a Sing Off double finale, there’s plenty to talk about. We share some of what you’ve had to say via email, FB, Twitter and the likes. AcaTube Christopher thinks that Pete Hollens,  a Sing-Off superstar freestyle, and discovery of the new Club for Five album make for a pretty good YouTube party. Girl Power Dave shares a Christmas gem from the talented ladies of UGA Noteworthy. Album Review The guys of Redline give us something thoughtful, fun, and very cool in their newest album, Inbound.

Around the Horn Loads of news from around the acaverse. Music from the Future The JMU Bluestones’ forthcoming album is going to be delightful. 5 Minutes with… EXCLUSIVE: Christopher spends a few minutes backstage with Urban Method, Pentatonix, and the Dartmouth Aires, who share their last thoughts before tomorrow’s winner is announced! Album Review The Backbeats’ debut record proves they’re what everyone else is trying to be.

Report: SoJam 2011 Christopher and Dave share their first-hand experiences at SoJam 2011, including interviews with Pitch Slapped and the AcaBelles, plus loads of stories and audio clips.  Enjoy! And… Happy Thanksgiving!

Sounds of SoJam SoJam was a blast!  So great to meet so many of you, and see old friends too!  While we try to recover our sanity after a weekend of amazing-ness-ocity, please enjoy this fine selection of face-melting songs from groups that performed at SoJam, both this year and in years past.  We hope you dig it. “Jericho (Break These Walls)” Naturally 7 Vocal Play “Ghosts ‘n Stuff” NCSU Acappology Aftershock “I Am Woman” Musae “Breakeven” Berklee Pitch Slapped Pitch Slapped – EP “No More Running Away” Duke Pitchforks All In “Monster” FSU AcaBelles Just Got Real “Eleanor Rigby” Overboard Help! “Say (All I Need)” UNCG Sapphires Tempest “Say My Name” Univ. South Carolina Cocktails Happy Hour “Mamahouse” Duwende Collective “Owner of a Lonely Heart” Eclipse Think Twice “Hattie” The Boxettes the boxettes “My Sin” Fork Helsinki “Light of Stars” The House Jacks Fitchy & Grikko

Around the Horn Jake Moulton and Roopak Ahuja have joined MO5AIC, The Backbeats debut album out next week, DU Idiosingcrasies win Mile High Vocal Jam competition, new resource @SingAcaOhio, Straight No Chaser announces Six Pack: Volume 2, The Sing-Off judge Shawn Stockman on the power of a cappella, Whiffs perform on The Daily Show, UNH raising funds for ACAllective Sound, get the latest Pitch Perfect movie updates at pitchperfectfan.wordpress.com, SoJam is on Friday, Yellowjackets went home, new holiday record The Sing-Off: Songs of the Season, LsArrangements open for business, Oxygen Network’s GLEE Project now casting for season 2, new single from Perpetuum Jazzile, Florian Städtler making 1001 acafriends, Postyr Project has new free track coming out, track list announced for Sing 8: Too Cubed. I Just Gotta Say An email from a listener reminds us of the true impact of a cappella festivals. acaTube Erato’s tabletop take on “Call Your Girlfriend” is simple yet beautiful. Album Review Eclipse’s new record It’s Christmas Time ushers in the holiday season.

This Is Not An Instrument Listener Jeston Lewis highlights the vocal trumpet skills of the Mills Brothers on “Georgia On My Mind.” Music From The Future Christopher shares a couple tracks from Boston-based Contemporary A cappella League group Redline’s forthcoming album, Inbound, expected out 11/11/11. Listener Mailbag An email from listener Adam Topper invites further discussion of Mind the Gap’s album and the whole of college a cappella. Album Review Dave and Christopher agree that The Idea Of North’s newest record Extraordinary Tale is a breath of fresh air.

In Your Earbuds Lately Christopher has been loving music by Pentatonix, Sonos, St Vincent, and Little Green. AcaTube Thanks to some listener tips, Dave is enjoying a funny “Halo” parody video by Australian female quartet Ginger and Tonic, and some videos by Danny Fong (“Hit That Jive, Jack” and “Poison Tree”). Listener Mailbag Sing-Off chatter from the U.S., France, and Holland. Album Review BATTLE, the latest record from the Tufts University Beelzebubs, may not break a lot of new ground, but Christopher and Dave agree it’s a standout record from a legendary group.

Around the Horn Loads of news from around the a cappella universe. Spit Loud… Revisited m-pact co-founder Matt Selby is even cooler than you thought. Good Ol’ Days Christopher is in love with the (now since graduated) ladies of Terpsichore. Album Review Dave and Christopher review Strugglebus, the latest record from University of Oregon mixed group Mind the Gap. More corrections: Tony Huerta was in the 17th Avenue All-stars, not the Fifth Avenue All-Stars.  But we think he’d look slick in a suit from Saks. fwiw.

In Your Earbuds Dave shares some clips from recent favorites The Climbing, Perpetuum Jazzile, Committed, and Street Corner Symphony. acaTube Christopher shares rarely heard recordings from erstwhile Sing-Off competitors The Fannin Family and Kinfolk 9. Young and Original Marissa Bargman’s original song “* * *” (a bonus track on Duke Out of the Blue’s album Still Point) proves both lovely and expressive. Album Review Christopher and Dave agree that what Swedish sextet Vocado’s debut record Northern Lights lacks in ambition, it certainly makes up for in listenability and heart.

Musical Mouthful Mosaic gets funky with Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around Comes Around.” This Is Not An Instrument Christopher is mesmerized by the electrodubstep action from NCSU Acappology on “Ghosts ‘n Stuff.” Listener Mailbag Letters from Germany, Australia, Delaware, and beyond. Album Review The trendsetting ladies from Out of the Blue at Duke University score a big hit with their latest record, Still Point.

The Sing-Off: Episode 2 The Sing-Off Dave and Christopher offer commentary and analysis on the second episode of season 3 of NBC’s The Sing-Off. Mouth Off (Yes, turns out there is a segment called Mouth Off) Some online chitter chatter this week prompts a discussion of TV’s focus on the young and “attractive,” along with the role of The Sing-Off in the community as a whole. Album Review Christopher leads a review of Extrem Nah Dran, the latest record from award-winning German quirky quartet Maybebop.

The Sing-Off: Episode 1 Around the Horn Acappella 101 post all about a cappella competitions, Peter Hollens new cover video of Adele’s “Turning Tables/Someone Like You,” UPenn Off the Beat is having a song suggestion contest, Richmond Octaves FREE single of Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On,” NCSU Acappology soon to release cover of deadmau5′s “Ghosts ‘n Stuff,” Mister Tim and Plumbers of Rome ARR who they ARR, Mister Tim’s new vid “Tango,” Musae be gettin’ busy, Detroit Michigan new vocal band The Seekers, Committed releases self-titled debut album, Streetcorner Symphony set to release debut record, new web series Sex Drugs and A cappella, Memery’s gettin’ hitched, CASA blog: How the U.S. Caught Swingle Fever, new online a cappella community SIN3G, Acappellabloginterview of Maxx Factor and review of The Sing-Off season premiere episode, The House Jacks open Monday Night Football, Postyr Project signs with tour booking agency. The Sing-Off Christopher and Dave offer thoughts and reactions to episode 1 of The Sing-Off, from competitors to judges to behind-the-scenes info and more.

Guest host: Tom Anderson In Your Earbuds Dave is rocking along with Vocalocity, the Coats, Sonos, T-Minus 5, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the USC Trojan Men. Spit Loud Guest host Tom Anderson shows how m-pact‘s Matthew Selby helped pioneer the lip buzz on their iconic song “Without Your Love.” And as Tom promised, here is the link to a live improv with Jake Moulton, Trist Curless, Matthew Selby, and Blake Lewis, at the Mile High Vocal Jam. My New Girlfriend Dave is giddy that Clockwork’s Angie Doctor will be joining the Bobs. Album Review Dave and Tom highlight the great success of Hands Off the Mannequin!, the latest record from the the Tufts University Amalgamates. Final Thought Catherine Papworth brings it home with a Patriotic Acoustic Version of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”