"Jingle Bell Samba" didn't grab me until the vocals kicked in. The Synth Pop beat was a tad overwhelming. But I dig the laidback vocal harmonies from Chris and Kate. All told, I get that nice Indie Pop feel. And, if you like The Space Cranes on "Jingle Bell Samba", you might also enjoy "Christmas Robots"--an EP Chris and Kate did back in 2011. "Winter Wonderland" is done in a similar style as "Jingle Bell Samba", but they explore different sounds on the rest. "Good King Wenceslas" rocks, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a Blues, "Jingle Bells" is Folk Pop, and so on.
"Christmas" is the fourth in a series of almost annual holiday EPs from California singer/songwriter Loren Radis. An acoustic performer--ostensibly Indie Folk--Loren's Christmas sets are always offered free (donations gratefully accepted).
Loren's got a great voice--reminds me a bit of Bob Lind. And here's the thing: Loren's a hell of a songwriter, as you can hear on his non-holiday albums. So its a bit of a bummer that most of the Christmas songs on the four albums are the ones we all know. There's one song on his 2011 EP, "It's Christmas Time", that I don't know (so I'm thinking original)--the title track--and it just shines above and beyond the rest. On that same set, he covers the Smiths "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" and he does so superbly. I'd like to hear more lesser-known or original songs. Of course, if he spent all his time writing new Christmas songs, he'd probably have little time to write anything else. Then he'd have to start charging for the Christmas sets and....you know. It's a thing. That said, he does well with the old carols and pop Christmas songs. There's some variety in the textures of the albums, themselves. For example, on 2012's "Because It's Christmas", we get more backing vocals, which gives us a fuller, richer sound. He does layer in some vocals on "Christmas", but I miss a female tone a bit. Overall, "Christmas" is a nice stand alone. "Last Christmas" gives the EP some Pop energy, while Loren really does an exquisite job on the slower numbers. "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is my personal favorite on "Christmas" (your mileage may vary). And my favorite from all four was "The Christmas Song" from "Because It's Christmas"--beautiful arrangement and execution on that one. Download one or download all four, Loren Radis has the holiday spirit and his Christmas music is there for you to be had.  Indie Rockers WhiteMoor know how to make a Christmas song. There are no quickie Mariah Carey covers, no throwaway holiday cliche lyrics. You can tell they put a lot of thought and care into it. Ordinarily, the UK band is a lot more rockin' and they make greater use of the synth. But, for "The North Wind", they strip back all those layers for a more intimate sound. For "The North Wind", they recorded with a real live string section (you won't see them in the video, but we're assured its not synthed) and a cello. If you're recording a seasonal song, you really need a cello, I think. We mentioned lyrics. WhiteMoor is known for their songwriting and "The North Wind" is a brilliant example. Not a word wasted. This is one of those songs that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. You can download "The North Wind" free from WhiteMoor's official website. But wait, there's more. A few years back, WhiteMoor recorded another Christmas song, "Three Words At Christmas". "Three Words" is one of WhiteMoor's better known songs. But, again, for the Christmas version, they didn't just use the backing track from the original. They, again, stripped back the layers and reworked the song into something completely new. And, wouldn't you know it, "Three Words At Christmas" is still available as a free download from Soundcloud. I love it when a plan comes together.
 1. East of Tennessee (From Colony of Bees) 2. The Song the Season Brings (From The Songs the Season Brings: Vol 1) 3. Winter Eclipse (From The Songs the Season Brings: Vol 2) 4. Either Way (From Seven Sisters Deluxe Edition) 5. O Holy Night (From The Songs the Season Brings: Vol 1) 6. Once This Year (From The Songs the Season Brings: Vol 3) 7. Brother, Sister (From Seven Sisters Deluxe Edition) 8. On the Frame (From Colony of Bees) "I know this time of year can be heavy on the heart To make you wish the winter didn't bring with it the dark"  Saw this one in the Christmas Underground Twitter feed and they said they might not have time to do a full write-up. So, sure, I'll pick that up for you. 100 Mile House is a Canadian Alt Folk group featuring husband and wife Peter Stone and Denise MacKay and multi-instrumentalist Scott Zubot. The band takes their name from a small town in British Columbia. Folk music can deliver a truth quicker and sharper than just about any other kind of music. It lures you in with its beauty and simplicity and then cuts straight through you like a knife. And the truth is Christmas comes at the darkest and coldest time of year. And the memories the season evokes are both the best and the worst of us. "Once Christmas Starts" is so sweet and beautiful as it brings that truth to the fore. "I know this time of year can be heavy on the heart I will stand by you once Christmas starts" The 100 Mile House Christmas single comes complete with a virtual B-side. "Back To Me" is much more upbeat--in tempo--and sounds like a groove the Byrds could have recorded. The storyline of "Back To Me", whether as metaphor for something other than a person or not, is kind of a "Same Time Next Year" thing. A couple gets together every Christmas but, by the end of December, the love seemingly vanishes and, before January's end, so does the lady. "Once Christmas Starts" is a name-your-price download on Bandcamp. So you can get it free. But any money raised will go to The Support Network and The Sexual Assault Center of Edmonton. So consider tossing a coin in the pot. I did.  Good people that they are, 100 Mile House releases a Christmas single for charity almost every year. Last year's excellent "We'll Count All The Days" is an Americana song while the virtual flip, here, is the most fun of these four songs. "I Don't Trust Santa" is a rocked up Western "Rawhide"-flavored tale of a kid who finds the whole Santa thing a little suspicious. "Now all of this kerfuffle wasn't sittin' right with me You're telling me this fella's gonna fit down my chimney Well I've seen pictures of him and the numbers don't add up I don't trust Santa. Enough's enough" Extra points for using the word "kerfuffle". And I'm not giving you any spoilers about the "surprise" ending.
You might as well grab the 2011 Christmas single from 100 Mile House, too--"New Year" / "Christmas Is Killing Me". And then we'll...thank God for miracles, Flaherty. Miracles and Canadian Alt Folk groups who love Christmas. |
The FREE ListHere we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations. Archives2010 FREE List Categories
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