Category: Blues

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.

PONY BOY - (PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ON) CHRISTMAS EVE

12/20/2014

Pony Boy is actually a woman--singer/songwriter Marchelle Bradanini. She calls her music "Junkyard Country", but it's a very raw and rootsy blend of Country, Blues and Rock. There's certainly more to it than that, even, but let's not get bogged down on the labels.

Earlier this year, Marchelle released the EP "The Devil In Me", which met with tremendous critical praise and is showing up on lots of end-of-the-year Best lists.

"(Please Don't Leave On) Christmas Eve" is the tonic for those weary of Holly Jolly Christmas songs. Marchelle says she was somewhat inspired by the Phil Spector album, and there's definitely a Wall-of-Sound aspect to this holiday tearjerker. There are guitars twanging, bells jingling, and soulful background singers. But what makes this one of the supreme Christmas tracks of 2014 is Marchelle--channeling Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, and The Chantels simultaneously (and, yes, Elvis is in the mix somewhere, too).

I've already said it. "(Please Don't Leave On) Christmas Eve" is one of the best you'll hear this year. I'm sorry I can't embed this one for you. But, if you act fast (as I would advise you to do), you can download the song free from Elmore Magazine (just look for the arrow thingy, upper right on the player). Move too slow and you'll have to get it from Amazon or iTunes. But get it.

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).

HIGHER HANDS - CHRISTMAS ON HUDSON ST.

12/18/2014

See, the reason I'm actively trying to not post music that some of my Festive Friends are posting is because I want you to visit them as often as you visit here. More so, even. I love what these folks do. Be it Brigitte at Lie In The Sound, Jim at Christmas Underground, Guuz and friends at Christmas A-Go-Go, "Rudolph" (Francis) at Mistletunes or any of my other favorite holiday haunts, they've got unique tastes and insights and they each find plenty of stuff I would never find without them. It's not a "credit" thing; its about rewarding the effort. Trust me, there's a lot of effort involved. And there's plenty of stuff out there (and an infinite supply of ear destroying garbage) that we could all go our separate ways and never duplicate. Now, as Jim has pointed out, there's nothing inherently bad about overlap. Sometimes, its a very good thing. But I also think its cool that we push each other to dig deeper (I am never getting to bed before daylight again until after Christmas, am I?). All that said.....

There is just some stuff I need over here for my own head. And this find from Guuz over at Christmas A-Go-Go is one of them. Jazzy Funk and Deep Hip Hoppy Soul from Higher Hands, a Maryland group. "Christmas On Hudson St." has five tracks, including what I believe is the first cover of Sharon Jones' great "Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects". I love these dudes. And I don't think "I Saw Three Ships" has ever been so funked up. Dig it! An instant download at Bandcamp.

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.

SACRED CITY - GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

12/10/2014

Sacred City is a Blues/Roots sibling duo from Atlanta. Phil Rogers is the guitar. Alyson Rogers is the voice. I don't think I've ever heard "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" done this way. But I like it. It's free at Noisetrade.

SWING REPUBLIC - MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY

12/4/2014

Aarrrrgh! Can't believe my friends at Lie In The Sound found this one and I didn't. Swing Republic is an Electro Swing outfit from Denmark (west of Sweden...hey, that sounds like a great band name...West of Sweden) and, here, they've created a cool sound, re-imagining the Blues classic "Merry Christmas Baby" in their own unique style. And, the best part, they've done so while keeping Charles Brown's vocals. This track is sweet! It's Swing Jazz, it's Bkues, it's Electro Pop Indie, it's everything you'd want it to be. But do not dawdle. Swing Republic's label, Freshly Squeezed, has posted this as a "Limited Edition" Free Download, which probably means the downloads are capped. Use the widget above or head to Soundcloud.

BOOKEY WOODS - MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY

12/4/2014

This one's sort of a mystery to me. Given that there is nothing (and I mean nothing) online about "The Lewis Family", their digital album "Happy Holidays" or Bookey Woods, I'm going to say this was the project, overall, of a family that enjoys Christmas music and are not without ability. Good for them. It'll be something for your kids and grandkids to look back on proudly. Perhaps someone from the family will read this and read me in. But the two songs from this collection that stand above are the two songs by Carter "Bookey" Woods. Bookey's "Yesterday" is a Gospel infused Soul ballad. But "Merry Christmas Baby", a cover of the Charles Brown classic, is just solid Blues, expertly played and sung. And I luvs me some Blues. Bookey is apparently joined on this track by Scott Woods and Calvin "Royce" Stevenson. Hmm. Google's got nothin'. Download "Merry Christmas Baby" on Soundcloud. (I don't care where the Blues comes from...as long as it comes.)

JD McPHERSON - TWINKLE (LITTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS)

11/20/2014

Roots rocker JD McPherson has a new album coming in 2015, "Let The Good Times Roll". In advance of that release (and because its the holiday season), he's released a free 4 track sampler through Noisetrade.

Of interest to us, here, of course, is the Christmas single, "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)". "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)" was pretty much the new Christmas song of the year back in 2012. It's a rock 'em, sock 'em holiday treat that sounds like the Christmas music made when rock 'n' roll was young. If you haven't already gotten the song--and I don't know how that's possible--now is your chance to get it free (for a limited time only).

Even if you have already gotten JD McPherson's Christmas track, there's still likely something on "The Rounder Records Collection" for you. My personal fave, here, is JD's cover of Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" (from "The Warm Covers" EP and also released on 7" vinyl earlier this year). There's the popular favorite "North Side Gal" from JD's "Signs & Signifiers". And a track from the coming album, "Bossy".

Get 'em while the gettin's good. Free at Noisetrade.