The New Standards Holiday Show

Twin Cities music vets Chan Poling (the Suburbs), John Munson (Semisonic) and Steve Roehm (vibes player extraordinaire) began reinventing themselves and their favorite songs as the jazz-pop vehicle the New Standards in 2005, and their star-studded holiday concerts became an instantaneous hit. For the sixth annual installment, they are dropping a new album that’s a jewel of a stocking stuffer. As hinted at by Alec Soth’s bleak cover photo of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home and the Kris Kristofferson-penned title track, “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is not as cheery as the Standards’ typical show, but its touching odes to lost loved ones are well-timed to the season. Among the highlights are a Dan Wilson-produced version of Beck’s “The Golden Age,” a snow-fluttery take on Tom Waits’ “You’re Innocent When You Dream” and escapist-vibed covers of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place” and Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go.” There are a few fun ones, too, especially the gender-flipped Robyn remake, “Call Your Boyfriend.” Chris Riemenschneider