I'm still in my 20s, but nothing turns me into an old man faster than electronica music. When riding in the cars of my raver friends I have often been know to yell “This is noise, not music!” and shake my cane disapprovingly. Something I am a fan of, however, is crazy-go-nuts animation. If an electronica track is accompanied by an elaborate, trippy animated sequence, I am willing to cut the song some slack and go along for the ride.

Today my electronica-animation exception has served me well because it has led me to both this fantastic video from animator Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir and the delightful accompanying song They Made Frogs Smoke ‘til They Exploded by the band Múm. The animation in this video is an accomplishment in its own right, but is made all the more impressive by the fact that, in this age of cgi and flash animation, Frogs appears to be good, old-fashioned ink, paint, and stop-motion. It warms the cockles of my old man’s heart to know that these antiquated, but ever charming, techniques have yet to be abandoned completely.

Equally impressive is the song itself. Apparently, Múm has been around since 1998 and has released three full-length albums and a whole mess of EPs. They Made Frogs Smoke ‘til They Exploded is the first single from their upcoming forth album Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy. I suppose my punishment for being such a close-minded old fogey is that occasionally I do miss out on gems like this. On this track Múm has managed to combine real instruments, drum machines, 8-bit bloop loops, and vocal harmonies into a sublime cacophony that gives Frogs a warmth and playfulness that’s often lacking in the genre. It’s worth noting that Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir has also done the album art for both the Frogs single, and the Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy album, which will be released September 25th on Fatcat Records. I, for one, already have my calendar marked. Noise never sounded so good.

Take a peek into the demented minds of Fred and Adam, two members of Taking Back Sunday, as they call out the senselessness of bird-gifting. This video is brilliantly animated and features giant blue elves, an ugly holiday sweater, and Donnie Bonaduce.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" is one of those songs that became a classic not because it has any music merit, but because it's obnoxiously long and easy to spoof. Taking Back Sunday’s unique rendition of the holiday carol is perfect example of how outrageous holiday songs can become.

In all my years of hearing "The 12 Days...", I never realized that the original Christmas carol was so dead set on giving poultry as gifts. Partridges, turtledoves, French hens -- who would ever give a bird to someone, really? A bird is by far the most obnoxious pet imaginable; it's painful to see the feathered little guy perched in the living room as a centerpiece, alone, in a cage.

Moral of this holiday story? No one want wants geese-a-laying for Christamas. Except maybe Danny Bonaduce.

I don't mean to get all hyperbolic on you, but Sufjan Stevens is the closest thing this generation has to a Brian Wilson. His ambition knows no bounds, his compositions are both esoteric and universal, his instrumentation is chaotic yet graceful, his attitude both incredibly optimistic and hopelessly heartbroken, and his influences are almost strictly Americana. Hopefully his relatively recent yet prolific career will continue to produce more masterpieces; he has yet to misstep. If you haven't seen him live, keep an eye out for him. His highly theatrical performances have been known to turn non-fans into true believers.

For now though, help him celebrate the holidays by watching this adorable animation by Tom Eaton for the song "Put the Lights on the Christmas Tree," made to accompany his 5 disc box-set, "Songs for Christmas." In a holiday known for its commercial excess it's nice to see that someone still knows what it's all about...spending time with Grandma.

Haunted by the howling of backup vocals and the repetitive pulse of the piano, this new track from the UK band Polytechnic has been named NME’s track of the week. The popular UK music mag NME describes Man Overboard as “a hypnotic marching anthem for dreamers on woozy prescription pills.”

With their album dropping in UK stores today, the Polytechnics' new track sounds a bit like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah with a raging hangover. According to Stockard Channing of Stereogum, “the first time we bumped into Manchester's Polytechnic, we just couldn't get over just how much Clap Your Hands Say Yeah came through in the band's sound. It wasn't just in the nasal, Alec affectations; it was in the use of bass as melody mover, the simple, snare and closed-hat indie beats.”

Regardless of the song's inspiration, this video is beautifully traumatic and we love the dapper sparrow. With the urban sprawl devastating the half-man-half-bird's very being, the ink-on-paper animation style is as gritty as it is mesmerizing.