02 A Christmas Alleluia (deluxe version)

This is a cover of Christmastime in the Mountains, a song performed by Will Oldham back on his 1995 album Hope under the name Palace. The song is attributed to Baker and Roy Black, friends of Oldham. It's cool to have permission.

04 Christmastime In The Mountains

F&M pay tribute to the great Leonard Cohen.

Ryan Anderson: vocals
Rebecca Anderson: vocals
Bryan Miot Reichert: guitar

Songwriter: Leonard Cohen; Frederico Garcia Lorca
Publisher Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Original Artwork: Glen Ronald
www.glenronald.com

Cover Layout: Glen Erickson
www.shamelessdesign.ca

Take This Waltz (Leonard Cohen)

F&Mʼs sixth album, Lessons From Losers, is all these and more — a sumptuous blend of dark baroque-pop, erudite lyrics and whimsical arrangements, anchored by the disparate voices of Rebecca and Ryan Anderson.

Lessons From Losers was born from a snow bound winter comforted by red wine and Paul Auster novels. “The title is meant to be thought & conversation provoking rather than a prescriptive statement” suggests Ryan of F&M. Rebecca says, “In our society, winners are often those that pursue their own happiness at any cost. However, we admire the losers; those that risk their happiness for something they believe in or for those they love - even if it seems to make no sense. We want to celebrate the small beauties of our world and encourage a creative spirit.”

Lessons From Losers, co-produced by F&Mʼs longtime collaborator multi-instrumentalist Bryan Reichert, is a warm and inviting album, largely because itʼs not afraid to reveal a few harsh truths — and revel in them. From the eye-opening realities of bottle depots ( Quiet Nobility ) to the joy and despair of the creative process ( Scribbles On A Sheet ) to the toxic struggle with depression ( Council of Misery ), the Andersons teach a master class in resiliency. At a time when music is more disposable than ever and careers seemingly last only a few years, F&M encourage kindred spirits to remain true to their artistry.

Quiet Nobility

Funeral Director

Scribbles On A Sheet

Winter Lifts Me

Council Of Misery

Colmar

You Ravenous Heavenly Monster

Rebecca wishes she was there when Viktor Tsoi wrote this song. A beautiful masterpiece that spoke for many youth in Soviet Russia at the time of glasnost. It still is a powerful song on fate that reaches across culture and time. Learn about Viktor Tsoi, his band Kino, and the awesome soviet rock scene: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Tsoi

You can also find Rebecca's Master's Thesis on Viktor Tsoi and the notion of hero somewhere on the academic data bases...

Многое по отношению к семье Цой и группа ​​"Kино". Much respect to Tsoi's family and former band mates in Kino.

Музыка и слова: Виктор Цой / Music and Words: Viktor Tsoi  (originally samizdat which is like creative commons) All efforts have been made to locate current possible copyright holders, including Moroz Records). 

English translation: Rebecca Anderson

Arranged and performed by F&M

Rebecca aplogizes for some strange pronouciation. It's been a while since Russian class...


Kukushka (Кукушка)
*This is not a word for word translation. I hoped to get across the idea of fate and the emotive power of this song.

Песен еще ненаписанных, сколько?  / How many songs are there still to sing?
Скажи, кукушка, пропой. / Tell me, cuckoo - answer me
В городе мне жить или на выселках, / Am I to live in the city or go
Камнем лежать или гореть звездой? / lying on the ground or burning bright like a star
Звездой.

Солнце мое - взгляни на меня, / My sun look down upon me
Моя ладонь превратилась в кулак, / My hand has turned into a fist
И если есть порох - дай огня. / And if there's (gun)powder - give me fire
Вот так... / Like this

Кто пойдет по следу одинокому? / Who will walk in these lonely steps?
Сильные да смелые / strong and brave
Головы сложили в поле в бою. / Lives are laid in the fields (in the struggle)
Мало кто остался в светлой памяти, / Few remain in our memory with sound mind
В трезвом уме да с твердой рукой в строю, / strong hands in the service
В строю.

Солнце мое - взгляни на меня, / My sun look down upon me
Моя ладонь превратилась в кулак, / My hand has turned into a fist
И если есть порох - дай огня. / And if there's (gun)powder - give me fire
Вот так... / Like this

Где же ты теперь, воля вольная? / Where are you now, Free will?
С кем же ты сейчас / with whom are you meeting already in the morning
Ласковый рассвет встречаешь? Ответь. / (Answer me)
Хорошо с тобой, да плохо без тебя, / It's good with you but it's bad without
Голову да плечи терпеливые под плеть, / my head on my shoulders can't hold out 
Под плеть.  / (under this whip)

Солнце мое - взгляни на меня, / My sun look down upon me
Моя ладонь превратилась в кулак, / My hand has turned into a fist
И если есть порох - дай огня. / And if there's (gun)powder - give me fire
Вот так... / Like this

Kukushka

Чебура́шка!! Check out F&M's tribute video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXohjYpl3cs

Cheburashka came about after watching the beloved soviet animation series that was popular to not only Soviet children growing up in the eighties but with many neighbouring countries and more recently - Japan! It's easy to fall in love with this little do-gooder.
credits

Verses and Music by Ryan C. Anderson and Rebecca Anderson

Chorus words and chorus melody derived from Krokodile Gena's Song by Aleksandr Timofeyevsky (lyric) and Vladimir Shainsky (music)

Cheburashka

F&M is a prolific wine-soaked baroque-noir band from Canada. A 2019 Edmonton Music Awards  winner for "Lessons From Losers."  New EP Dance Danse coming April 7, 2023.

Fandmtheband

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