#13 on the 2009 Musical Advent Calendar

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band by Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

Yes, their name is trying so hard, it created its own cliché. And some of the antics the band pulls on stage can feel a bit tired as well. But once you get past those bits, listening to Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band is quite a rewarding experience. Because of these facts, hipsters the world over can rejoice in the fact that this band will never get so big that it would be uncool to like them. So, “Yay!” A great band, way over the top, and it’s all yours.

You can get a taste of what makes these guys unique by watching the infomercial-like video above. This is the one album in the whole countdown where I don’t feature a song at the top of the post. But you can forgive me for that, right? The video above just had to be shared.

However, you can get a good taste for what the band sounds like from various places online. Here’s Anchors Dropped, a Sunset Rubdown / Wolf Parade tinged rocker from their eponymous debut album. Or maybe Inuit, a “holiday” song exclusively found at this LA Weekly blog post is more your speed (ha ha — it’s a much slower song).

Either way, if you’re able to get past the ridiculous name and crazy stage antics, I can’t recommend this up-and-coming Seattle band enough. Enjoy.

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14. Horehound by The Dead Weather
15. Promenade by Grand Hallway
16. Grand by Matt & Kim
17. Blood Bank EP by Bon Iver
18. Fever Ray by Fever Ray
19. Tell ’Em What Your Name Is by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
20. Mo Beauty by Alec Ounsworth
21. Here Comes Science by They Might Be Giants
22. Noble Beast by Andrew Bird
23. Hungry Bird by Clem Snide
24. Actor by St. Vincent
25. Elvis Perkins in Dearland by Elvis Perkins in Dearland
26. XX by the XX
27. Grrr… by Bishop Allen
28. Keep It Hid by Dan Auerbach
29. It’s Blitz! by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
30. Beware by Bonnie “Prince” Billie
31. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear