2008 being a leap year, we will have one more shopping day before Christmas. If you’re not spending that day spending, I suggest educating yourself a bit on the origins of Christmas: you know, baby Jesus, three wise me, Pagan Rituals that early Christians adopted to make Christianity seem more appealing to would-be converts. Oh, and powerful hallucinogenic drugs and human sacrifice.

God Bless Tradition.

[Continuing Chico’s Christmas Music coverage, today we bring you a band that I’m not actually in (although I’ve sat in with them at a party.)

This episode we bring you Them Steps, a local Chico hip-hop duo who are in the process of relocating to Portland, OR. Gotta give it up to Ripply Snell for not only being a smooth MC, but a pretty damn decent keyboard player as well. Not too many MCs play their instruments live, so due respects. If you’re in Chico, catch Ripply in action tonight at Gorgeous Armada Presents: Sleigh; Sleigh II AGAIN, live at the Chico Cabaret. I’ll also be there, in gold boxers, rocking an Explorer.

[disclosure: I am in this band. I am totally self-promoting. Deal.]

In anticipation of the premiere of soon-to-be Christmas Classic, Sleigh: Sleigh II Again, The Gorgeous Armada invited a few Chico Christmas bands into their Handsome Devils Yacht Club Recording Studio to put down a few tracks. Enjoy this live video of The Yule Logs doing their rendition of “Hey Jake, It’s Christmas.”

Sleigh: Sleight II Again, live at the Chico Cabaret, Friday and Saturday, December 21st and 22nd at Midnight! Advance tickets on sale at Diamond W and Underground.

Pro: Getting to play fun music for 2nd and 3rd graders.
Con: Feeling like I am failing life by showing up to an elementary school stoned

Con: having to get up at 4 AM to play a morning news gig
Pro: getting your band photo taken with local news celebrity Rob Blair and crew

The Yule Logs are here. Hide your Egg Nog.