Music: The Welcome Wagon

If any of you love the music of Sufjan Stevens, such as I do, I do think you will like The Welcome Wagon.

The Welcome Wagon is comprised of Rev. Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique. You may recognize Vito and Monique through Sufjan Stevens, for not only are they great friends, but they sang on a few of the track on The Sufjan Stevens Songs For Christmas collection. Remember Vito's Ordination Song from the Michigan album?

Sufjan Stevens produced The Welcome Wagon's album, so that is already amazing. I have only heard one song, "Sold To The Nice Rich Man" (which I just realized I already had on my iPod due to the Asthmatic Kitty samplers I have, so you might have it already, too!). If it is any indication of what the album will sound like, then I am loving it already.

Here are some words from Asthmatic Kitty on The Welcome Wagon:

The Rev. Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique make up The Welcome Wagon, a folk-gospel duet borne out of the living-room sing-a-long tradition. The group was unofficially formed in 2001 with their appearance on the Asthmatic Kitty compilation To Spirit Back the Mews (2001), debuting the first song they ever wrote and recorded, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood.” The Welcome Wagon have intermittently played at bars, parties, and seminaries throughout the tri-state area, often joined by friends on upright bass, drums, piano, and banjo. But their most familiar venue is the living room, where husband and wife strum guitar and auto harp, flipping through Methodist hymnals and shape-note songbooks, transcribing sacred songs into family style jingles. Over the past years they have been patiently recording an album of hymns, pop covers, and folksy originals with their friend and Brooklyn neighbor Sufjan Stevens. That record, 'Welcome to the Welcome Wagon', was recently completed and will be released on Asthmatic Kitty Records on December 9, 2008.

So remember, kids; their album comes out December 9th! Just in time for the holiday glory.