Clare And The Reasons and Body Language Plot A Not-So-Blue Christmas

Throughout the month, The Alternate Side has been asking some of our favorite bands about their own holiday traditions, music or concert picks of 2009, and their giddy hopes for the new year ... and decade.

Clare and the Reasons have developed a strong local following over the last few years; the New York-based band released their romantic, gentle debut The Movie in 2007, which featured contributions from Sufjan Steven and Van Dyke Parks.

Clare Manchon and her Parisian-born husband Olivier Manchon (who played with Stevens) recruited an array of "Reasons" collaborators when recording their second album Arrow, including members of Beirut, My Brightest Diamond and The National. In late October, Clare and the Reasons released the album on Frog Stand Records in the States. The CD, which is available in selected countries, will infiltrate most of Europe on January 23. A U.S. tour with longtime friend Parks is planned for February, but the band is officially on vacation for the balance of the year; their last 2009 gig was on Monday night at the Knitting Factory.

Happily, it seems that a not-so-blue Christmas is in store for Olivier and Clare (who happens to be the daughter of folk luminary Geoff Muldaur):

Do you have any personal, very festive traditions that you always observe?

Clare: We ALWAYS have a galette des Rois [on] the first Sunday of January. It's a French tradition, but many countries have it in different forms. A fève or little statue, is hidden in the almond cake and whoever gets the piece of cake with the statue in it is king for the day (or until the next galette is eaten). Olivier is usually king because he cheats! Other than that, we just have one show in New York in December; the rest is museum hopping, writing some songs (recording a Christmas song), reading, going to acupuncture, you know, the norm.

Favorite carol or seasonal song?

Clare: My favorite Christmas song right now is Elvis' "Blue Christmas" because, well, it's Elvis. We're doing our own outlandish version currently, a home recording.

Much holiday feasting ahead?

Clare: We like to eat fish on Christmas, none of that sweet ham stuff.

What were some other records or concerts in 2009 that you admired?

Clare: Josh Mease's album Wilderness. He is brilliant. I loved seeing David Byrne two times this year. Saw the great Liam Finn live; he rocks. Musée Mécanique live, astonishingly beautiful. Kazakhstan Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, mixing traditional instruments with a full orchestra. Finally got to see Brain Wilson live.

What is either the worst or most meaningful holiday gift you ever received?

Clare: When I was eight, I got a horse trailer, a really crappy, rusty banged-up one. I loved it so. I remember I jumped in the back of it and hung out in it most of the day. It was so I could put my very naughty pony named CP (Clare's pony) in it to bring him to horse shows with my mom. I bought that pony for $50 and sold him for $1,500.

As we pass from one decade to the next - what's the best lesson you learned from the last ten years?

Clare: Quiet the mind.. quiet the mind.

What do you think were the most outstanding albums of the last decade and why?

Clare: Loney Dear's Loney, Noir, because every song on it is insanely perfect. Grizzly Bear has done a nice job of creating their own world over the years.

If you could have one wish that could come true for 2010, what would it be?

Clare: For all people to have health insurance and not live in fear of getting sick, losing their home etc.

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Brooklyn's sleek electrodance outfit Body Language, whose exuberant EP Speaks is out now on the Ghostly International's imprint Moodgadget, has had a mighty fine year. The quartet - Matt Young, Grant Wheeler, Ian Chang and Angelica Bess - just wrapped a national tour opening for Zero 7. They collaborated and toured with Passion Pit, working with the Boston band on their debut Manners. And Body Language have earned solid opening slots with La Roux, School of Seven Bells and rapper Theophilus London, often stepping in as the latter's backing band.

Body Language's tight, smart set at Terminal 5 last month, stirring up the crowd before Zero 7 played, was a joyride. Stockinged footed whilst shimmying and bobbing to the beats, glockenspiel-playing chanteuse Bess sassily traded vocals with fellow singer/keyboardists Young and Wheeler on drums 'n' synth-propelled grooves like "Work This City," "New Day" and a cover of Detroit Grand Pubah's "Sandwiches." Drummer Chang added a spiky, propulsive vigor to the sweaty mix. In fact, the little-quartet-that-could confidently coaxed more fans to dance than the headliner.

The uninitiated can catch Body Language playing tonight, December 16, at Glasslands in Brooklyn.

In the meantime, we caught up with Young, Wheeler and Bess, who gave us their thoughts on this season of mistletoe, credit card debt and not-so-fond farewells to the year gone by.

What's your favorite Christmas carol and would you ever dare cover it?

Body Language: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Definitely wouldn't cover it though - it's a holiday song. We already have our own "Holiday" song.

Looking back on 2009, what were some of the standouts for you, either concerts your saw or albums you bought?

BL: Broadcast was amazing live. Grizzly Bear's last album, Machine Drum's Want To 1 2', Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3.

What's the worst Christmas gift you ever got?

Matt: I received wine stoppers, meat thermometers. Ha!

Grant: But we don't cook pork roasts. We like it raw.

Any big wishes for the decade ahead?

Matt: I'd personally like to go to the moon, Mars, or to the rings of Saturn.

Angelica: To go on tour

Matt: Yeah.