Julian Koster's "The Singing Saw at Christmastime"

It’s nearly Thanksgiving which means it’s nearly the Christmas season.  The holiday lights are already up in downtown Athens, and the Christmas music inundation should be starting next week.

So why not embrace the ever-earlier Christmas season by signing up to have carolers come to your house? This isn’t just any group of bundled-up wandering singers, but Julian Koster and his singing saw.

A seasoned Athens musician, Koster is a member of Elephant 6, frontman of The Music Tapes and a former member of Neutral Milk Hotel so you can expect some top-notch caroling.

Koster’s 2009 Holiday Cheer caroling dates are up, and he’ll be in Georgia (and Tenn., Ind. and Ill.) Dec. 7-9. If you want to be serenaded by a singing saw, all you have to do is e-mail  musictapescaroling@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include a contact e-mail and phone number, and let the carolers know if you’re willing to host them for a night or have other guests over to enjoy the music, because Koster and his band of merry-makers probably won’t be able to visit every home.

-Kristen Callihan

currently listening to “The Upper Peninsula” by Sufjan Stevens