Like your feed scalding hot? This one’s just off the griddle. (“About 1 hour ago,” says Soundcloud.) It’s the ringing and anthemic “Lindsey Woolsey,” by Atom Orr. The ever-wisecracking frontman Christopher Hoffee explains: “A song about during the turn of the 20th Century, a man gets sick and is gonna die with fever because antibiotics are yet available. I have been saved from modern medicine too many times to mention. Thank goodness I wasn’t born 110 years ago.”

Stream it just below. Hopefully this means that a new album is nigh. Hoffee’s This Was Tomorrow album was all over our Best of 2011 lists.

Artist links: twitter|flickr|youtube|linkedin|facebook|vimeo

If any of my close friends or family heard me singing “The Kingdom is near / Christmas is here”, I’d earn more than a few raised eyebrows. Christmas music doesn’t ring from my speakers very often … and never as devotional folkpop. And never ever on repeat. What can I say? Jonas H. Petersens is impressive, and he’d have my support whether singing about Jesus or Captain Crunch. All he has to do is deliver each song with the same sincerity as ”So Mournful the Elegy, So Comforting the Hymn” or with the same joyfulness as “Anywhere with You.”

Petersens (The Hymnboy) is the creator of Hymns from Nineveh, a solo project that has received seemingly endless acclaim in the Denmark indie community lately. If I could read most of the comments, they would probably say “love, love” this, “you’ve changed my life” that. Suffice to say I read enough excited posts in English to convince me that I should spread the word. (And yes, both puns in that paragraph were intended.)

The Hymnboy has released three albums to date, the self-titled LP Hymns from Nineveh on Good Tape Records, and not one, but two Christmas-inspired works. Apparently, these are 5-star worthy because they DON’T sound like Christmas songs. Here’s what you’re in for when you put Endurance in Christmas Time in the player, straight from the horse’s mouth:

When you hear the word “Christmas album”, you might think about jinglebells and santa and elves and so on. I’m afraid this album will disappoint you, if that’s what you expect. These songs are about enduring the christmas time. How to deal with loss, loneliness or despair in the christmas time. But also – the songs discover what christmas is about, and what comfort and joy the christmas time can bring.

All good Sufjan Stevens, Seryn and Anathallo fans will find something to appreciate here. This is folk music that will fill any room – the vocals are pure, the musicianship is flawless and the layers are thick. Listen to the songs, visit the websites, spread the word.

Tracks from Hymns from Nineveh:

Tracks from Endurance in Christmas Time and Uncomplicated Christmassongs:

Co-contributors to the soundtrack are Lorcan Doherty on violin, and Ally Winford on guitar. Look for the mini-album soon. Collings also has a Sketches For Albinos album due out on Loki Recordings, some time in 2012.

Artist links: myspace|soundcloud|bandcamp|facebook

Artist links: home|facebook|twitter

Lia Ices got some much deserved props from us last year for her fantastic album Grown Unknown and was given the designation as “one of the most beautiful and talented artists to break-out this year”. With that album now over a year old it’s nice to see that Ices has found a way to get her name back on the tips of our tongues.

Just releasing a video would have been sufficient but instead Ices also decided to cover one of the most iconic rock songs in history with Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”. The song is nearly unrecognizable for almost half the song and in the end only becomes familiar by the lyrics. It’s an interesting and new take on the song that I don’t think you’ll hear anywhere else.

Lia Ices – “Wish You Were Here” (Pink Floyd Cover)

Lia Ices Official “Little Marriage” Video from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

(From traubeck.com/years)

“Years” from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.

Team Coco has it all here and it’s pretty darn awesome. Release date for “Be The Void” is February 7, 2012 and the band has just begun their spring tour. Will you be at their show at The Granada Theater this March 11?

Normally we reformat video embeds to 600px wide, but the instructions are clear: “Best viewed in small screen mode.” Enjoy. (Except for the formatting.)

Duluth Mn. bluegrass troop Trampled by Turtles is preparing for the release of their sixth studio album titled Star and Satellites and have continued to grow a feisty fan base with their roller coaster live shows that feature Dave Simonett’s ability to switch between slow ballads and high intensity barn burners.

Trampled by Turtles is a 5 piece traditional bluegrass band which epitomizes the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. The band is comprised of Dave Simonett (guitar/vocals), Ryan Young (fiddle), Erik Berry (mandolin/vocals), Dave Carroll (banjo, vocals), and Tim Saxhaug (bass/vocals). Individually each member is a master to their trade but combine them all together and you get something far greater than each could have created on their own.

“Alone” is the first single off the upcoming album and a perfect sample for anyone unfamiliar with the band with a delicate sway built around banjo and ethereal violin, that is until 3:00 in where tempo speeds up, the banjo gets a bit frenetic and the guitar comes in with a fury.

“Alone”

Stars and Satellites is out April 10th via Thirty Tigers.