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Have a Punk Christmas with Brent Butler's "Brooklyn Christmas Eve"
The LA-based songwriter is the #ZackMorrisofRap.
Popdust Staff
What says Christmas in Brooklyn better than a chorus of, "Light up my Christmas tree like a cigarette / We don't need eggnog / We've got Jameson?"
All I want for Christmas is...a mohawk? In "Brooklyn Christmas Eve" — Brent Butler's punky/power-pop tribute to the holiday season — a mohawk could actually be on someone's wish list. Butler and his pals – judging by the lyrics – aren't expecting much in the line of presents this year, and they're okay with that:
Unemployed, so we got no shopping bags
But we're happy with the little things we have
Radio says this is the best time of the year
But my wish is for summer to appear.
Influenced by the Pogues and Green Day, Butler brings his own millennial-infused, charmingly off-beat sensibility to this chanson pour Noël.
If Butler got you pogo-ing around the Christmas tree, lend an ear to his 2018 debut EP Lilac. It's a genre-bending blend of new wave and hip-hop and is available on any number of platforms.
Find Butler's latest music on Apple Music or Spotify.
Find Brent Butler on SoundCloud | Instagram | Twitter
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brent butler
Interview: Lindsey Stirling On Magic, Mental Health, and Christmas in 2020
Eden Arielle Gordon
Sydney Takeshta
Lindsey Stirling is a rare bird: A virtuosic violinist who managed to use her talents to crack the pop sphere.
The definition of multi-talented, Stirling's extraordinary aptitude for her instrument as well as her collaborations with countless iconic bands and her aptitude for pop culture have created an obsessive cult following for the artist.
Her star shines particularly bright during the holiday season. Three years ago, she released Warmer In The Winter, an album of holiday songs that was the #1 Christmas album of 2017. Every year since then, she's toured the world during this time of year, offering a plethora of magical holiday experiences for her millions of fans.
This year, of course, things look a little different. Stuck at home, Stirling decided not to opt for the typical 2020 livestream performance, and instead has created a special holiday event designed for the screen.
"Lindsey Stirling: Home for the Holidays" airs Saturday, December 12th at 3PM and 8PM EST. (Click here to buy tickets). The show will feature dazzling dancers, plenty of holiday cheer, and the elaborate effects we've all come to expect from Stirling's videos, and is sure to be a burst of warmth in a cold season and at an incredibly bittersweet time.
Stirling plans on returning to the road in 2021, but for now, we spoke about the holiday special, about mental health (or the lack thereof) in 2021, and the magic of creating art and music at a time when all else seems lost.
POPDUST: Warmer In The Winter is such a gorgeous album. What's your favorite track on it, and why?
I have to say I love my version of "I Wonder As I Wander." I've only ever heard it done in a simple minimal style. Mine is grand and epic leaning into some hard EDM elements. Oooh, I love performing this one live. It's a testimony of spirituality with an edge. So, it's very unlike what most people think of when they think "spiritual music."
There's this incredible, grand intensity to many of the songs on Warmer In The Winter; it definitely feels like a maximalist work. What kind of atmosphere or energy did you want to create while you were making the arrangements?
Honestly, I wanted to hit several different feels on the album. I love crooner/big band Christmas so I wanted to pay homage to that for the classics, then I had to do some that felt sweet for some of the more religious tunes, and then I leaned into my Lindsey Stirling-style to flip some iconic tunes on their heads.
Lindsey Stirling - Angels We Have Heard On High (Official Video) www.youtube.com
You're a dancer, singer, comic book artist, and much more as well as a violinist—are these all connected for you in any way? How do your disciplines inform each other?
I feel like it keeps me feeling creative. Maybe this makes me a jack of all trades but I like to continuously learn and challenge myself. It keeps me from getting burned out in one area. All my different ways of expression are connected to the fact that they bring the music to life in new forms.
You have a livestream performance this weekend called Lindsey Stirling: Home for the Holidays, and it sounds like a really wonderfully elaborate production. How and why did you decide to produce the show in this unique format?
All of us artists are trying to figure out how to do what we do. We all miss performing but I personally don't enjoy watching livestreams. It makes me wish I was at the show and in the room. So... I wanted to lean into the strengths of the medium we have which is the ability to film it. We could set up huge props and sets and do costume changes for each number.
Have you always loved the holidays? What's your favorite part about them? Any favorite memories?
I have always loved the holidays. I love that it's a time where you get to refocus on all the most important things in life. Being with family, spiritual connection, service and, of course, eating cookies. From the time I was a child, my parents taught us the importance of service. We didn't have a lot, but we would still adopt a family every year. It taught me that no matter what we do or don't have, we can always lift others.
Lindsey Stirling - Carol of the Bells (Official Video) www.youtube.com
How has quarantine and the general chaos of 2020 been for you? How are you doing?
Whew... ups and downs mate, ups and downs. I've never been so emotionally unstable. Haha. Some days are filled with depression and anxiety and then other days I'm so full of gratitude. It sure has forced me to face my mental health head-on because I couldn't just jump on a tour bus and run from it. Or jump on a stage and hide behind "Lindsey Stirling the performer."
This show is coming at a time when so many people are struggling so much. Is there anything that's helped you get through this year? Do you have any words of advice or solace for everyone? What do you hope your music brings to your fans in the midst of it all?
Two things: I spent the first 3 and a half months of quarantine in Missouri on a farm with my sister and her family and my mom. Spending months of uninterrupted time with my nieces and family was a time that I will cherish forever. As much as I lost with the pandemic, it made me realize I had so much to make me full of joy. It was a reset.
I'm also so grateful that I've had my holiday show to work on. It saved me. Haha. I needed something to pour my heart and creativity into and this show brought me and my team so much creative fulfillment. We got to be performers again. For the week we were working filming, we were all so excited. It felt like tour life and from our corner of the planet, the world felt almost normal. I hope it brings others as much joy as we felt making it.
You're planning on embarking on the Artemis World Tour in 2021—if all goes well and we can go to shows again next year, I think it's going to be a truly unbelievable year for live entertainment. What are you most excited about when it comes to touring again? Do you hope anything will be different after this is all over? What are you most looking forward to about the future in general?
Oh, you better believe that I am aching to tour again. Ah! I cannot wait to step on a stage and share that feeling with my audience. There is no feeling in the world like that. I just hope that we remember to be grateful and keep that gratitude with us. We will all be overjoyed for the first week but then it will feel normal. I hope I don't take things for granted again.
How do you feel when you play the violin? It seems so natural and fluid, and it's easy to hear your focus and passion. What runs through your mind when you're playing?
Haha, I'm glad it appears that way. That is the goal. But when I'm performing my mind is usually racing: "Be in tune. Be in tune. Crap, that was out of tune. Balance... spin kick. Oh shoot, I'm not smiling. SMILE. Is that little girl in the audience asleep?"
But then I get sections of the show where I go into a flow state. It's where the performing and the details all just happen and it's like I am getting to FEEL my way through the experience, not think my way through it. That is when the performance becomes magic. When I look back at those moments, I can't remember the details, I just remember how I felt and it feels peaceful and powerful.
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The Brooklyn-based songwriter is the #ZackMorrisofRap.
Meg Hanson
The punk sound of Brent Butler's Christmas ode captures the vibrant energy of the borough. Butler's feverish guitar riffs, clever melody, and charmingly off-kilter lyrics celebrate youth and independence in the face of holiday drudgery. "Well the magic starts to fade from this TV holiday / Yeah, I guess it ain't the same as when you're young," he croons. "Unemployed, so we got no shopping bags / But we're happy with the little things we have / Radio says this is the best time of the year / But my wish is for summer to appear." The song shifts from anthemic verses about reckless youth to earnest sentiment, "It doesn't matter where you're from / we're at home right now," he sings.
Influenced by the likes of The Pogues and Green Day, Butler is the self-proclaimed "#ZackMorrisofRap." Also called the #DavidBowieofHipHop, his concept album The Cold Press, released in 2015 with Bronx-born rapper Deascent, is considered a "hip hopera" for its narrative quality, weaving a story throughout each song. Butler released his debut EP Lilac in 2018, blending hip-hip, alternative rock, and pop punk in a genre-bending experience as unique as it is ambitious.
Here's How I Survived The Holidays With South Beach
Eggnog couldn't get to me this year.
Popdust
Every year, I would be super healthy in the weeks leading up to Christmas and Thanksgiving, only to have all my hard work undone by my aunt's homemade pies and all the classic trimmings (stuffing is my downfall!).
I've struggled with weight loss for years. I've been on many, many fad diets – low-carb, low calorie, juice cleanses — you name it. I couldn't stick to anything, especially during the holidays.
Every year, I would be super healthy in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, only to have all my hard work undone by my aunt's homemade pies and all the classic trimmings (stuffing is my downfall!).
So in September, I assumed this year would be the same until a friend suggested The South Beach Diet.
The South Beach Diet makes dieting easier to stick with because they deliver keto-friendly fully prepped, pre-portioned meals to your doorstep. A huge reason why I couldn't keep up these prior diets was because I had to prep all the meals myself.
The great thing about South Beach is that you don't have to completely restrict your favorite foods either. Their menu includes items like chocolate shakes and caramel bars—curbing my cravings while keeping me on track with my diet plan.
I chose the Gold Plan, which is a 4-week-plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks daily. It's flexible – each week, you can enjoy DIY meals for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, and two snacks. Plus, you get to choose from 100+ delicious, chef-inspired menu items.
The South Beach Diet helps jumpstarts weight loss with high protein and low carb meals. Their well-rounded and delicious meals are doctor backed and designed to transform your metabolism.
I'm not going to lie, when I started the South Beach Diet, I worried that I couldn't sustain it. Yet, I've been on the South Beach Diet for two months, and it's been amazing because for the first time ever, I'm actually sticking to a diet. I've wanted to try the keto lifestyle for a while, but the South Beach diet is better because it ships me everything I need- no thinking required!
Although I'm so excited about my progress, I'm nervous because the holidays are coming. How am I going to stay South Beach strong despite all those dinner parties and plates of homemade festive treats?
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During past diets, the holidays were always my downfall. But South Beach makes bridging the holidays easy as apple pie. The South Beach Grocery Guide recommends exactly what to buy to stay on track with my weight loss goals.
At lunchtime, I enjoy the South Beach Chicken with Apricot Glaze, and when I go to a dinner party, I make sure to stick to the South Beach lifestyle principles. With all of these tools, South Beach definitely makes staying healthy easier than what I've tried in the past.
Throughout the holidays, I can still treat myself to some holiday foods in moderation. So I ate Thanksgiving turkey - by simply skipping the stuffing.
On Christmas Day, I plan on whipping up my traditional eggnog—but swapping in Stevia instead of loads of sugar, and it's just as yummy as my regular eggnog! I can even enjoy a dry wine with dinner.
By following South Beach's clear instructions and principles, I was able to reach my goal AND maintain it through the holiday celebrations. I can't believe I didn't try it sooner.
I'd recommend The South Beach Diet to anyone who has struggled with dieting, or is thinking about trying keto. They give you the tools needed to reach your goal weight and maintain healthy living long term.
Update: The awesome folks over at the South Beach Diet are offering a special deal for our readers. Follow this link for 40% off the one time rate with your first 4-week auto-delivery order and free shipping as long as you're on the program!
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*In a study, avg. weight loss was 5.8 lbs. in the first 7 days. Thereafter, expect to lose an avg 1-2 lbs per week.
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