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Christmas time is upon us and to harness the festive cheer, Rack & Ruin are proud to join in the festivities, with their very own offering.

Bobby Aherne, aka Dublin Duck Dispensary was the man behind this compilation. Mustering up some Christmas spirit from fellow labelmates, and coming up with the goods in next to no time at all.

It only seems right that he should open proceedings with a typical singalong hit, whose uplifting charm resonates throughout the song and sets the album off to a flyer!

Following that was always going to be difficult, but the Gnouli Monsters return (from what seems an age) with a song that contains a lyric asking for a new "G.I. Joe", it can hardly fail can it?

Other artists include Jason the Swamp, Light Aircraft on Fire, and The Macadamia Brothers with their own take on the classic "Let it Snow", and an exciting debut from A Series of Dark Caves, whose debut release will be coming in the New Year.

The final two tracks are from the raucous Slothbear, who surely are heading for a superb 2009, and Minor Constellations (aka Lil' Dean) who ends with the eternal classic "Silent Night". Happy Christmas to one and all, and may 2009 be a great year!

"This Year In A Nutshell" is the first record by "A Series Of Dark Caves" (a.k.a. David Ferguson). It features four tracks which were all recorded with a small four-track recorder on the floor of his bedroom.

The songs on the EP are personal, and they cover a number events which sum up 2008 for A Series of Dark Caves, which is also where the EP's name comes from.

Some people who have already listened to "This Year In A Nutshell" have likened it's sound to that of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox's solo material as Panda Bear, and also to that of John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats.

Moving on from the shameless name-dropping, A Series Of Dark Caves was originally a solo project, but with the live show aspect lacking fluidity, David is currently recruiting musicians that share a similar musical outlook to play live with.

It's been a while since Dr. Mercy & The Acronyms of Disaster featured around these parts, but William Delaney (and his somewhat longwinded name for his solo project) are back on Rack & Ruin, with a release which Bill feels is his best work to date.

This ...Are Dead release expands on his previous effort, and mainly revolves around his guitar work, acoustic and electric working in unison, and melting together with some beautiful riff work.

That being said, this release does contain great usage of ambient swells, and organic textures that merge sweetly into the overlaying chords. It's also worth mentioning that this release uses some new drum software, Hydrogen, which has helped Dr. Mercy's sound progress away from the repetitive thuds that may have hampered his sound develop in the past.

With solid tracks like "The Fire Department Conversation", and "It Gets Fucked", this is a great step forward. As someone once wrote about Dr. Mercy, "This is good late-summer nights backporch music", I can see where they are coming from, but it does work in the winter too!

It is always nice for a Rack & Ruin artist to introduce new talent to us all, especially when the said group produce such delicate, pretty sounds as tiny feathers. dessktop has already received acclaim from various blogs for his unique sound, seemingly making music from anything and everything that can make a sound. This minimal approach has won him many fans, and from this split, I expect the same praise will follow tiny feathers.

This eleven track EP makes Andy's Airport of Love seem to be prog rock, with the longest track weighing in at under a minute. Bravely the artists switch from track to track, and yet effortlessly gel together in a beautiful unison.

With that said, there are clear differences between the two sounds. dessktop seemingly more concrete, more metalic, more industrial, whereas tiny feathers deliver their sounds in a more childlike, and playful manner.

This release will certainly whet the appetite for the new dessktop album which should be with us in the next month or two, and hopefully this will not be the last we hear of tiny feathers.

Gorgeous album art was created by Chandler Corallo.

Copenhagen! Home of Helena Christensen, Peter Schmeichel, and Metallica drummer, Lars Urlrich. Surprisingly, not the home of Bolgna, Italy's. Copenhagen!

This three track EP from these Italian indie kids, cultivates their listening habits, and regurgitates a delectable debut release.

EP opener, "Shine the lights out", utilises laddish chorus repetition, with jagged guitars, and heavy bass. It has an air of late Britpop, which further adds confusion to the locality of this four piece!

"Brighton calls", is a lush little number with Albarn-like vocals breaking through the blissful mellow mood that the music sets in the background.

The final track, entitled "Surfers" sees Copenhagen! break out a heart-beat drum pattern, an occasional cowbell, a catchy rhythm, and a track that will leave you wanting more.

Copenhagen, Brighton, Bologna.... whatever the location, this first release should be well received.

Whereas many other Rack & Ruin artists seem to gather the hype, Yorkshire, Englands Gnomefoam has quietly been gathering his own following who will be delighted to hear the latest release from the cut and paste specialist.

Like fellow electronic experimentalists on the label, Gnomefoam has never been short of ambition, spontaneity and invention. This, his second full length, is perhaps his most coherent and experimental release to date. Mixing triphop, drum 'n bass, and electro pop with breathtaking ease. Gelling the styles together with a unique raw energy that is bound to win him new fans.

The heavy bass, the pounding drums, and the voice samples are still staple in Gnomefoams music palette, but it is perhaps the 'extras' that will warm the listener more. The unexpected classical twist on "Maximum Chuffage" will render you with a bemused smile, only to be left mouth gaping when the track dissolves into a drum hungry dance anthem.

It is the unexpected that has always been key to Gnomefoams continuous growth, and yet, two albums and a handful of EPs in, the twists will continue to shock and surprise.

Gnomefoam has managed to deliver yet another imaginative, vivid release, and if justice is to be served, then it should escalate him from his small cult following, to an army of willing ears.

Before we start, let us get the lazy references out of the way, let us throw aside the John Darnielle with a ukulele references, or the Jens Lekman craftmanship of the songs, and let us focus on what is important - the glorious song structure, the acoustic bliss, the joyful tone, and what may be even more important, the truly beautiful lyrical content.

Dean Engle sings about life, he sings about his life, incidents, and yet he is not one to rhyme "like" with "bike", or "phone" with "home", Dean Engle re-works his lyrics dozens of times to ensure that there is exactly the right syllable pattern, adjectives, allusions and alliteration. It is a craft that he has honed in such a short space of time which has to be admired.

What also has to be admired is the fact that these recordings were initially low quality, and mono. Engle's perfectionism meant only one thing, going back to stage one, to recreate his earlier recordings and release them with the clarity and beauty that they deserve.

The Yunes EP is a mini-album, and the first Picayunes release in almost 2 years. His previous Rack & Ruin release was a collection of older songs, however this new release picks up from where the 2008 America Del Sur album left off.

This 'follow up' also explains the album artwork somewhat. The America Del Sur album was a summer release, and the artwork showed the green leaves basking in the sun. Whereas this fall/winter effort sees the leaves brown, falling away for the season.

Now on to the important stuff.... the music. Unlike a lot of solo efforts, Picayunes has not nullified his past, dismissing it, discarding it, and moving on. Instead, this release is proud in displaying its roots. The Malkmus like delivery of the lyrics, alongside the surf, jazz(and sometimes lounge) like delivery of the guitars, which is somewhat reminiscent of the America Del Sur album that has since become a Rack & Ruin favourite.

dessktops beauty and originality stems from his intriguing take on minimalism. Often described as a genre which relies heavily on steady pulses and slow transforming tracks, dessktop warmly adopts these ideals and adds his own unique touch. His childlike experimentation and calming tones resonate through this album.

The opening track "staring into the quilt" is a slow starter, but it develops into a real mood setter. All that is missing is a broad English accent over the top, and you may be lead to believe that this is a lost recording from The Shadow Ring, circa "Tiny Creatures".

Whilst many artists seem to avoid the calm, the silence, the long drones, and the timely strums, dessktop is one that never shies away from these important elements in his choices of song structure and development.

I do not expect to hear dessktop as background music for a wild party, nor would I expect to hear his ideas blasted around from your local FM station, in between adverts from local businesses. However, for quiet contemplative moments, and for considered thinking, then this album is one that should feature heavily during those times.

Woodland Heights' debut full-length album, Separation Anxieties was recorded throughout 2008 and 2009 in singer-songwriter Evan Benoit's basement. Culling inspiration from all across the musical landscape, Separation Anxieties infuses pop, rock and folk sensibilities with hints of experimental sounds lurking from out of the shadows.

Unlike Benoit's acoustic downer self-titled debut EP, Separation Anxieties moves with ease through an entire spectrum of emotions using a broader palette of sound and instrumentation. Although fans of his earlier EP will still be able to lap this up with ease. The beauty in tracks like "L'avenue (des morts)", and the extremely catchy "Death of a salesman" shine through for all to see.

This is another solid release from the New Hampshire native.