Category: Acoustic

Stubbys House of Christmas

SUGARDRUM - LAST CHRISTMAS

12/24/2014

Sugardrum is the performance name for the Britain's Indie Acoustic performer Nigel Bunner. Bunner is a multi-instrumentalist but, for his annual Christmas gifts, he tends to go solo guitar. On his Soundcloud feed, you'll find a few of his past Christmas efforts--"Winter Wonderland", "Silent Night", "Let It Snow"--but here's the thing. All played together, you kind of drown in that mellowness. Some times, that's a good thing. But, for mixtapers, you're likely going to want to use just one song. And Nigel's approach and sound worked best for me on this year's free download "Last Christmas" (a slightly different mix is also further down the Soundcloud feed). Anyway, that's my opinion, for what it's worth. And slowing the song down, as Sugardrum does, is much more in keeping with the subject matter of the lyrics.

VARIOUS - THE 2014 PASTE HOLIDAY SAMPLER

12/24/2014

1. Swear and Shake – Santa, My First Love
2. Sinclair – This Christmas
3. River Whyless – Jingle Bells
4. Powerkompany – I’m Sorry About Last Christmas
5. Over the Rhine – Blood Oranges In the Snow
6. The Oh Hellos – Every Bell on Earth Will Ring
7. Odessa – Silent Night
8. Dwayne Shivers – Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
9. James Apollo – Trim Another Tree
10. Field Report – On Christmas Eve

READ ABOUT IT AT PASTE MAGAZINE
DOWNLOAD AT NOISETRADE

So Paste decided to put out a Christmas collection this year after all. Normally, the "Paste Holiday Sampler" comes out the tail end of November. And it's normally got a lot more music on it. But I can't complain. It's free. How can you complain about free?

Let's see. I already bought the excellent Swear and Shake single, "Santa, My First Love". If you didn't, get it here because it's excellent. Over The Rhine has a sampler of their own on Noisetrade (and I'd already bought the CD). You should have read about that one on Lie In The Sound. They also filled you in on The Oh Hellos and James Apollo, as did Christmas A-Go-Go (and we were going to mention Apollo ourselves and likely still will). Mistletunes featured Field Report recently, although, at the time, it was only a stream. And Sinclair's "This Christmas" was part of that mammoth Amazon "All Is Bright" playlist.

That leaves four that I haven't seen written about. "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" is a devout Indie acoustic hymn from Dwayne Shivers. River Whyless pretties up "Jingle Bells" about as much as anyone can. Odessa's "Silent Night" is pretty straight forward Indie Folk/Americana. And Powerkompany's Indie Pop Rock "I'm Sorry About Last Christmas" sounds sincere enough but is full of snarky lyrics.

I'm tired, so I'm not really giving this my best effort. But, make no mistake, this is all good stuff. My highlights would be the tracks from Swear and Shake, Sinclair, James Apollo and Powerkompany, if that means anything to you.

ACCENTS - AN ACCENTS FAMILY CHRISTMAS

12/21/2014

1) Baby, Please Come Home
2) How the Grinch Folked Christmas
3) Mele Kalikimaka
4) One More Sleep 'Til Christmas
5) Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
6) Snowmiser/Heatmiser
7) Christmas Tree
8) Mistletoe
9) Up On the Rooftop
10) All Alone on Christmas

A Philly based Indie Rock/Indie Folk band, the Accents have been together since 2010 and they've done quite a few Christmas songs over that time, though not always as the Accents. As soon as I heard their cover version of Lady Gaga's "Christmas Tree", I recognized it as something we shared in 2010 (I even had it on the inaugural "Stubbys House Christmas"). That song (as well as "How The Grinch Folked Christmas") were on a free digital EP and billed as being by Cast Before The Break. Loved it then, love it now. "An Accents Family Christmas" is one of those "growing collections" of Christmas songs, where they just keep adding to the set. The newly recorded song for 2014 is "Mele Kalikimaka", which is mighty fine. But its even cooler hearing Folk Pop versions of Justin Bieber and Darlene Love that I hadn't heard before. And covering Kermit The Frog is pretty cool, too. Grab this fine collection from the Accents, free from Noisetrade.

MARK GIACOBBE - CHRISTMASES LIKE THESE

12/21/2014

I was talking with a close friend earlier who lost a friend of hers not long ago. About my age. She said that we've reached an age where the loved ones we are losing are our peers. It's not just the older crowd anymore; we are the older crowd. I lost my mother earlier this year. Another friend lost his father. Christmas can, for many, be a difficult period of adjusting and coping with loss of friends and family members. Day to day can be tough enough, but Christmas can be doubly so.

Philadelphia Christian Folk singer / songwriter Mark Giacobbe admits his new song might not be for everyone. But, for those who have recently suffered a loss, he hopes "Christmases Like These" brings them comfort.

THE HOLLOW SEASON - THE CHRISTMAS SESSIONS

12/20/2014

A lot of the music on Noisetrade, this year, just hasn't connected with me, for some reason. But this one hit me straight in the heart. It just felt and sounded great. The Hollow Season are an Indie Alt Folk trio from New Jersey. And Sarah Woods and Jesse and Joel Dill make some sweet sweet music together. I don't know how long they've been at it but their debut single, "Wild Flowers", was just released in June and it looks like their first longer form--EP or full album--won't arrive until next year. So it was nice of them to drop this free "Christmas Sessions" EP on us.

Of the five songs, one is "Blue Christmas", which you know I hate. And "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas", though sweetly done Uke Pop, is too faithful to the original for my tastes. But the other three tracks have me high as a kite. First of all, Sarah's voice is irresistible. And the arrangements on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Wonderful Christmastime" give those songs the slight kick to the left they require. "Winter Song"--a cover of the Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson ballad--is just 4 minutes of gorgeous.

Grab The Hollow Season's "Christmas Sessions" free from Noisetrade.

THE HOLLOW SEASON ON FACEBOOK

THE PARMESANS - LINUS & LUCY

12/18/2014

Technically, The Parmesans are a Folk Pop trio from San Francisco, but this mix of tunes from a Charlie Brown Christmas has more than a little Jazz in it. I suppose that's nearly unavoidable if you really like Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack. It starts as "Linus & Lucy" (always my favorite from the special anyway), but they'll get to "Christmas Time Is Here" if you hang in for a bit. Nice sound whatever you call it.

LOREN RADIS - ...CHRISTMAS

12/18/2014

1. White Christmas
2. Blue Christmas
3. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
4. Last Christmas
5. The First Noel

DOWNLOAD FROM LOREN'S WEBSITE
VISIT LOREN RADIS ON FACEBOOK

"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.

JEFFREY PHILLIP NELSON - CHRISTMAS PLEASE

12/16/2014

1. Joy To The World
2. We Three Kings
3. Oh Christmas Tree
4. Oh Holy Night
5. Go Tell It On The Mountain
6. The First Noel
7. Auld Lang Syne
8. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10. Holy Holy Holy
11. Angels We Have Heard On High
12. Away In A Manger
13. What Child Is This
14. Silent Night

When your ears get tired of the seasonal bombast--Walls of Sound, Big Bands, echo drenched Indie Rock, and more sleigh bells than one should really have to endure in a lifetime of Decembers--"Christmas Please" from Jeffrey Phillip Nelson makes for a nice change of pace. Keeping it simple and acoustic, Nelson reels off 14 holiday favorites done up in an easygoing Folk style. On the uptempo numbers, he sometimes sounds like Nick Lowe unplugged. On the slower numbers, it's more like Jimmy Rodgers stripped down. My favorite from this collection is "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" which, after the first verse, gets a bit of a Spaghetti Western makeover. He gets extra points for pausing where the comma is between Merry and Gentleman. They aren't Merry Gentlemen, kids, and never were. They are Gentleman whom the singer wishes to Rest Merry. Glad we could clear that up for you.

JESS MORGAN - CHRISTMAS EVE

12/13/2014

A rising star on the British Indie Folk scene, Jess Morgan's full-length "Langa Langa" was released this year and, by all accounts, was very well received. I gather her Christmas song, "Christmas Eve", was around last year. But, if so, its fair to bring it back around because she's got a lot of fresh ears listening now. Some people are just born with a gift and its clear Jess has it. I mean, just take one line from the song: "You shouldn't count your French hens, you shouldn't count 'em yet." Gorgeous. And so is the whole song (well, I'm not sure about whoever is playing the harmonica, but...). Anyway, it's free at Bandcamp and Soundcloud and, if you have any affinity for Folk music, I think Jess Morgan is a name you're going to want to remember.

BRIDE & GROOM - A VERY MERRY BRIDE & GROOM CHRISTMAS

12/10/2014

Those of us who contributed to the Indiegogo campaign will be getting hard copy CDs shortly. But you needn't feel left out. "A Very Merry Bride & Groom Christmas" can be yours for the low low price of whatever the heck you want to pay at Bandcamp.

Bride & Groom are Jesse Daniel Smith and Kaitlyn Raitz, an Indie Folk duo from Montreal. There's an honest simplicity to their sound and, on this Christmas EP, there are definitely sounds of resounding joy. And I do love a good cello. My personal favorite from the set is the medley of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" / "Jingle Bells". But feel free to find a favorite of your own.

And, by all means, explore the other recordings of Bride & Groom on Bandcamp...all free. You're welcome.