Pitchfork

"Top of the Pops" may be off the air, but that clearly hasn't quashed the ambitions of Art Brut's Eddie Argos one bit. If this year is anything like last year, there will be a "TOTP" Christmas special, and Argos hopes to crash it with a bona fide Christmas number one.

To do so, Eddie has teamed with another UK act fond of the speak-singing, lovable cynics Black Box Recorder, and a pal who goes by the name of Keith Top of the Pops. Together as the Black Arts, this upstanding bunch has recorded a holiday heatseeker, conveniently titled "Christmas Number One", about-- get this-- a Christmas single that takes on a life of its own. This "One" has it all: jingle bells, children singing, some tacky rhymes, a bridge in waltz time, the delirious barks of Argos, and the authoritative coo of BBR's Sarah Nixey.

Meanwhile, B-side "Glam Casual" has Argos reminding us that "the internet is full of mean and evil people." Errr...

Fantastic Plastic offers up "Christmas Number One" as a limited edition (1,000 copies) slab of green 7" vinyl on December 10, and as a digital download on December 3. But it's up to you, the record-buying public, to take it to number one. And if you don't, THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR. (Haha, kidding, but Christmas won't be nearly as funny.)

This isn't the first time Argos has comingled with the Black Box Recorder camp. BBR's John Moore and Luke Haines joined Eddie and Keith to form the English Travelling Wilburys (nevermind that George Harrison and Jeff Lynne are English, and the original spells it "Traveling"), who recorded a BBC radio session, while Moore played on both Art Brut records. World, watch out: the crew may try its hand at a Eurovision entry next.

Black Box Recorder have no immediate plans for the moment, while Argos and Art Brut are on the road now.

"Christmas Number One":

01 Christmas Number One (edit)
02 Christmas Number One
03 Glam Casual

Art Brut:

11-12 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre *
11-13 Lawrence, KS - Granada *
11-14 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom *#
11-15 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa *#
11-17 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree Annex *#
11-18 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *#
11-19 Richmond, VA - Toad's Place *#
11-20 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *#
11-21 New York, NY - Terminal 5 *#
11-30 Athens, Greece - Gagarin 205
12-15 Meredith, Australia - Meredith Music Festival
12-16 Sydney, Australia - The Factory
12-18 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
12-19 Melbourne, Australia - The Corner
02-05 London, England - ULU
02-06 London, England - ULU

* with the Hold Steady
# with 1990s