Category: A O R

Stubbys House of Christmas

JOE BONAMASSA - SANTA CLAUS IS BACK IN TOWN

12/24/2014

Not content with just one free Christmas single this year, Blues Rocker Joe Bonamassa has just gifted out a second. According to the web page, you're supposed to share it on Facebook or join his mailing list or something. I don't know. Honestly, I just kept clicking on pages until it started downloading. Seemed to work alright. "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" was a song Elvis made famous, though Joe's delivery is much more Stevie Ray Vaughn than Elvis. Anyway, free Blues isn't something to dismiss lightly, so go and get it.

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD - WHAT'S A CREEP

12/23/2014

Nashville based Psych/Grunge band JEFF The Brotherhood think Santa's just a creep. I mean, what kind of perv watches you while you sleep? Really? This hard rockin' number might just land the guys on Santa's naughty list. But they don't seem too worried about it. And, come on Santa, the dueling guitar solo was awesome. I think, at the end of the day, if you can rock this hard, you're on somebody's Nice list. If not Santa's, then Sump'n Claus ("Everybody gettin' sump'n"). "What's A Creep" from JEFF The Brotherhood is available for free in exchange for your email address and zip. Head here to get your download.

WOODROCK'S HALF BAKED CHRISTMAS BAND - MILE HIGH SANTA

12/18/2014

Now, if you are going to do a Novelty record (see below), make it a Blues. Making use of what seems to be a common theme this year, Santa is wasted, yo. Not his fault. All he did was eat the cookies they left for him. He should have checked his GPS, though, as he was in Colorado at the time. I don't care; I just dig hearing any Christmas Blues.

"Mile High Santa" was recorded in New Jersey's Woodrock Studios and here's the lineup of Woodrock's Half Baked Christmas Band:
C. Verderosa - Bass
Pat "Slydell" Ruh - Rhythm Guitar & Slide Guitar
John "JB" Bergen - Lead Guitar
Jenny "Cat" Ketrow - Lyrics, Wurli & Hammond organ
Mike "The Snake" Wojik - Drums
Carlos "C'Dawg" - Vocals
Charlie "Turkey Leg" Saraceno - Piano

I don't know if other recording studios release an annual Christmas song but, apparently, Woodrock does. Here's last year's Hard Rock version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Pat Ruh, who plays on "Mile High Santa" as well, provides the lead guitar here. The other players are uncredited.

Use the widget thingys or visit Woodrock Studios' Soundcloud Feed for the free download(s).

JAMES OAKWOOD - MINUTES AFTER MIDNIGHT

12/16/2014

It ain't always easy to find good Christmas Jazz that's also free. But there's, for sure, some out there. James Oakwood makes a lot of music in a lot of different styles, but I dig this Jazzy Bluesy Funky holiday groove from the Oak Man. "Minutes After Midnight" is all the more remarkable when you realize that that's all him, all the instruments and vocals. Ah, the marvels of modern technology.

Technically, "Minutes After Midnight" was last year's James Oakwood Christmas single. This year's track is "Xmas Hamper", much more a Progressive Rock deal, but also plenty good.

Its Christmas. So remember to feed your head. And James Oakwood's Christmas songs are a nice way to do that. "Minutes After Midnight" is free on Soundcloud. "Xmas Hamper" is free on ReverbNation.

Upload your music for free at ReverbNation.com

KOELINGEIST - MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING

12/11/2014

I'm in a weird mood, tonight, and that may mean that some music is appealing to me that I might not otherwise bother with.

Here's a good example. I have no idea who Koelingeist is or if that's even the artist. Or is the artist Reiner Wahnsinn? Or is Reiner a DJ? Or are both names DJs? I don't know, its all in German and I'm getting a headache.

And there's nothing especially Christmasy about the track. Just some really nice (and sad) guitar. And yet "Merry Christmas Darling" is appealing to me, tonight, and not much else is.

So there.

THEOCRACY - NIGHT OF SILENCE

12/7/2014

The Melodic Metal band from Georgia (and not the short-lived Christian band of the same name), Theocracy, has been doing the annual Christmas single thing for nearly a decade. The band started out as a one-man project in 2003, Matt Smith playing every instrument and providing every voice on the eponymous album debut. A drummer and guitarist were added and, in 2005, Theocracy released their first official Christmas song, "Little Drummer Boy". Now a five piece, they've released a Christmas song every year since except last year. The Christmas singles exhibit a great deal of diversity--some rocking Heavy and some less so. This year's track, "Night Of Silence", is a bit of a throwback to the days of the "power ballad". "Night Of Silence" is absolutely gorgeous. Beginning acoustic, gradually the voices come in. Then the drums. Then "Silent Night" becomes the counterpoint running underneath. All building to a crescendo before the closing piano notes. Really, for fans of Classic Rock bands like Journey and Poison, this is the Christmas song you've waited your whole life for. And I think it might be the best thing Theocracy's ever recorded. And that's saying something. Brilliant arrangement. Gorgeous song. And.... you can get it free (along with all the band's previous Christmas songs). Just register for the Theocracy Club of Souls. Registration is free. They expect to have a new album out in 2015 and it sounds like they're in top form so I can't wait.

VITNE - WINTER LOVE SONG

12/5/2014

Not sure how long this one's going to be free, so get it while it is. Vitne Eveille is an Indie Rocker from Norway. Usually, Indie Rock--especially from Scandanavia--is something you can't imagine being on mainstream Rock radio. But, while "Winter Love Song" has all the earmarks of an Indie Rock track, it also embraces Eighties Rock. College radio, commercial radio, heck, Top 40 even--"Winter Love Song" sounds as though it would fit right in. I'd play it. I think I just did. Head to Bandcamp and see if its still free by the end of the day.

SPECTATORS - A SPECTATORS CHRISTMAS EP

12/3/2014

Spectators are an Experimental Electro Alt Rock group from Chicago. Their originals are very well conceived and written and the vocalist has a bit of Bono in him. And the group's takes on classic carols "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "The Holy And The Ivy" are nice (and a little more acoustic). "Washed White As Snow (Start It Over)" is likely the most interesting song, here, and my personal favorite is "Melt Me Down Slowly" which is a sweet winter love song. Check out Spectators at Bandcamp and get to know the group via their website and Facebook.

A LION NAMED ROAR - LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON

12/1/2014

Of all the towns I've ever visited, my favorite was probably Louisville. Among other things, Louisville is overflowing with top quality artists in any imaginable genre. And, IIRC, there's a strip of bars and you could go up and down the street dropping in and out of a dozen or more different musical worlds. I enjoyed that very much.

Anyway, A Lion Named Roar is a Louisville band, and they make a righteous sound. They call it Western Pop. But, whatever you call it, its nearly irresistible. Its the kind of a sound that would fit either hit or album oriented formats. A Lion Named Roar grabs you immediately and doesn't let go.

I gather the Christmas celebration in Louisville is called Light Up Louisville and "Leave The Lights On" was a holiday anthem A Lion Named Roar created for last year's celebration. You can find "Leave The Lights On" at Noisetrade. And you can stream their 2012 EP "Foreign Land" on the band's website and buy it on Amazon. It's a really stellar outing guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

ONCE - FORLORN IN THE DARK

11/21/2014

Maybe it's me. The new Christmas tracks that seem to be most appealing to me this year are the darker tunes, the anti-Christmas tunes, tunes with words like "forlorn" in the title.

Of the latter, we have this new song from the German Metal/Symphonic Rock band Once. "Forlorn In The Dark" is the group's submission to the 2014 Musikhaus Thomann Christmas Contest, about which I know nothing but it seems to be a good way to track down more Christmas songs, so...cool.

I'm not sure if this song is heavy enough for most Metal fans, but it should appeal to fans of acts as diverse as Trans Siberian Orchestra and Celtic Woman. You can grab this on Bandcamp for the low, low price of whatever you want. But it might be nice if you dropped by Facebook and gave Once a "Like".