Category: Folk Rock

THE NEW LIGHTS - CHRISTMAS ALONE WITH YOU

12/21/2014

1.   Jesus Christ
2.   I Can't Feel Christmas Anymore
3.   I'm Not Coming Home (It's Christmas)
4.   Haven't Seen You Since The Summer
5.   Cold Weather Man
6.   Christmas Love Songs
7.   Holiday Road
8.   Everyone's Asleep
9.   To Know You Waited (At Christmas)
10. The Snow Speaks
11. Ain't No Star (On My Christmas Tree)
12. (It's Not Christmas) 'Til It Snows In Boston
13. Silent Night

SOUL SHOP RECORDING STUDIO
DOWNLOAD FROM BANDCAMP

Soul Shop is a Massachusetts recording studio--all analog. For the second year in a row, Soul Shop gathered up as much of the local talent as they could to cut a holiday album. The New Lights are the Soul Shop house band, and they're joined on the album by a long long list of musicians and vocalists from area bands (if you want to see who is playing/singing on each track, click the "info" buttons). "Christmas Alone With You", unlike its predecessor, contains mostly original material. And the songs range from Americana to Soulful shuffles, to straight up Rock. You'll have to seek out your own favorites, but mine were "Haven't Seen You Since The Summer", which sounds like a 70s soul number, and the Bluesy "Cold Weather Man". Having lived in Massachu for a bit, it was also cool listening to "(It's Not Christmas) 'Til It Snows In Boston" (with Jeremy Lee Given on vocals and keys). And the cover songs, "Jesus Christ" and "Holiday Road" are both excellent. "Christmas Alone With You" is a free Bandcamp download. Once you've checked that, you might want to have a listen to 2013's "Last Month Of The Year". They made 30 hard copy CDs of that one. Though I can't say if any of the CDs remain, the digital download of "Last Month Of The Year" is also free.

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DAVI REY & FRIENDS - A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

12/16/2014

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Davi Rey & friends won me over with their lightly Jazz/Blues seasoned "Away In A Manger", Erica Stephens taking the vocals, and cinched it with the sweet and spiritual a cappella closer--"Go Tell It On The Mountain" featuring the Merimanders. Anything else is gravy.

Davi Rey and his friends all hail from the Lewiston/Auburn Maine area. Though you can certainly choose to download "A Very Merry Christmas" free, keep in mind that all proceeds from the set will go to The Root Cellar, a Community outreach organization in Lewiston. 25% of the residents of Lewiston live below the poverty line. The Root Cellar offers food and other services, all while working to lift them up emotionally and spiritually. Just sayin'.

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VARIOUS - A POLAROID FOR CHRISTMAS (2014)

12/14/2014

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01) Flying Vaginas - Santa Bring Me A Dinosaur
02) Baseball Gregg - Rebel Without A Claus
03) Burnt Palms - You
04) New Adventures In Lo-Fi - Temptation
05) Slow Shot - Shining All Night
06) The Mumble Jackson - Darling
07) Barbados - The Fall
08) Machweo - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
09) Setti - Crauti
10) Skelets On Me - Love
11) Le Man Avec Les Lunettes - I'll Be Home for Christmas
12) Neverending Mojitos - Cooking Up Something Good
13) Osc2x - Dreaming Of A Wild Christmas
14) Winter Dies In June - Winter Dies In June
15) Neverwhere - Christmas Eve Lonesome Bitterness Blues

One of my favorite presents every Christmas is the one with a big musical bow on it from the Italian blog Polaroid. Every year, their humble blog host invites bands to submit a song for the holiday season. It could be a Christmas or seasonal song or just a song to keep you company while you trim the tree. It's always a glistening, sparkling collection of Indie Pop and Rock, most of which you won't find anywhere else.

Every year, at least a few of these songs will captivate me and become among my favorites for the year. For me, this year's highlights are mostly on the back half. Though not properly a Christmas song, I loved Skelets On Me's cover of John Lennon's "Love". Le Man Avec Les Lunettes sound almost Lennon like on "I'll Be Home For Christmas". Machweo's spacey Ambient Psych "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (which is actually "Let It Snow") is plenty amazing and entrancing (listen to it while staring at the cover art for full effect). And the two numbers closing the set, "Winter Dies In June" and "Christmas Eve Lonesome Bitterness Blues" are my favorites of all (if not the cheeriest). Head to the Polaroid web site for the full download. Poke around a bit and find the earlier volumes, which (if nothing's changed since last year) should all still be available.

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DAVID LEE ROTH - TALKIN' CHRISTMAS BLUES

12/13/2014

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In the style of Woody Guthrie's talking blues, a style which many an artist has found creative license, Diamond David Lee Roth does the holidays in just over two minutes flat. It may not be the star of your holiday party today. But its odd enough that, five years from now, people are going to ask about it. So you might as well download it, now, so you'll have it then. And, right now, "Talkin' Christmas Blues" is free on Soundcloud.

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PADDY NASH & THE HAPPY ENCHILADAS - IT BEING CHRISTMAS / A PLACE AT THE TABLE

12/9/2014

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Well, I've found a Christmas song (2 actually), from an Irish band, that hasn't been featured on Ceol Collective (formerly 2 U I Bestow) yet. That's nigh on impossible to do.

Paddy Nash & The Happy Enchiladas are from Derry, to be specific, and they'll happily flavor their Folk with whatever other genre a song may call for. "It Being Christmas And All" has a great Folk Rock flavor and there's even a really nice crying guitar break and what sounds like a bit of synth brass. The song tells the tale of a (supposedly) reformed miserable sod trying to beg his way back into the life of the lady he lost.

"I've done all my gambling, I've done all my drinking
I don't even smoke anymore.
Would you take me back, take me back
It being Christmas and all."

The virtual flip is a Folk-ish ballad, "A Place At The Table". And it sounds like the other half of the story. She sings of the heartache and tears her man has caused her. And, while she's not really ready to forgive and forget, she misses him...and more so at Christmas. She hates that she misses him...but she does. So, "if you find the courage...there'll be a place at the table for you". Great stuff. Grab these two Christmas songs from Paddy Nash & The Happy Enchiladas. Use the widgets above or head on over to Soundcloud. And don't forget to stop by Facebook and let Paddy and the band know we're listening over here.

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VARIOUS - HAM FOR DAYS

12/4/2014

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You gotta love it when a small Indie label puts together a Christmas album. Especially their first. Its chaos out front and chaos in the back. But, in the end, you get amazingly original music. Air Punch is a Melbourne based collective and they're preparing to "release" their first holiday set featuring most of the artists in the collective and then some. Official release of the digital set "Ham For Days" is December 11 (if they finish by then; if not, hey, whatever). In the meantime, they've been posting some of the songs on Soundcloud. When it's complete, it should still be free, but you're forgiven if you want to wait until they've got it organized as a playlist.

Of what's been posted so far, there were four songs I was especially fond of. "Stood Up On Christmas" by Lucas Heenan was probably the one I listened to the most. His offering is Indie Rock a bit reminiscent of some seventies Pop ("Crackerbox Palace" is what is now stuck in my head, but that may be because of last week's vintage SNL airing). Helena Plazzer is both retro chic and thoroughly modern Indie on "Christmas Truce". Either of those songs would delight and sparkle on a holiday mix.

But the two I'm featuring here were the best and brightest (in my opinion and no pun intended). Peter Joseph Head offers a super fun Indie Alt Pop visit to "The Streets Where The Lights Are On" ("The stuff should all be up by now but it won't be there for long"). Peter believes pop music can be both accessible and adventurous and he proves it here.

And, just below, you'll find "Secret Santa" from Lehmann B. Smith. Lehmann is said to be a virtual encyclopedia of musical sounds and influences from which he creates his unique brand of "oddball pop". "Secret Santa" has got quite a bit rolled into it. Altogether, it sounds like a funkified spaghetti western. It's super cool; I just wish it were longer. All this and more on "Ham For Days: An Airpunch Christmas Album". Hit the Air Punch Soundcloud feed to check it out (with, again, the proviso that it probably isn't finished yet).

UPDATE: Don't know why Air Punch took the "free" off this download of "Secret Santa". I just wish artists would wait more than a couple of hours after I post them to do so. You're making us all look bad.

UPDATE UPDATE: Oh, hey, look! The download arrow's back! I guess somebody reads this stuff, afterall. And they've got it up in playlist form, now, too. Also available on Bandcamp.

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100 MILE HOUSE - ONCE CHRISTMAS STARTS

12/3/2014

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"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.

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THE JAC - SWEET TOOTH ACHE

12/1/2014

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Everybody claims to be the Fifth Beatle, but Joe Algeri was the 7th and three-quarters Beatle. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Though I don't have quite the history with Joe's annual Christmas songs that I do with Sofia Talvik's (it would be rude to link to that piece, here), he's been making them for many years, now, and I do look forward to them quite a bit. You see, Joe's annual Christmas songs are the surprise present under the tree. Sure, you got socks and underwear over there, that one's going to be a sweater, and I'm pretty sure this one over here is a board game. But, with Joe Algeri's presents, you never know what the hell its going to be. Might be your very own personal remote controlled drone. Or it might be fruitcake. You never know until you open it.

Recording as (with?) The JAC (and featuring The Christmas Crew), Joe's song this year is "Sweet Tooth Ache". Picking up where he and the rest of the Beatles left off (they can't sue me for that, can they?), Joe shows he was paying attention and knows exactly how to use sitars and tamburas in Power Pop. Pretty awesome stuff. It's Joe's best Christmas song since the last one (which was pretty damned awesome, too). And as an extra special bonus, Joe gives you some insights into the recording process which makes my sad attempt at humor, here, seem no better than a pathetic Bazooka Joe comic wrapped around some stale gum. Let's just make this easy: Joe's a genius. And he's done done it again. Grab "Sweet Tooth Ache" by The Jac at Bandcamp.

Two additional notes here which, I mean, I can't believe our good luck here--it's like finding a $50 gold piece lying at your front door. In recent years, Joe's Christmas treats have been included in the compilations from "Rock Against Bulls#@t" (yeah, that's really a thing). And "Merry Rock Against Bulls#@t, Vol. 9" has just hit the virtual streets, as well. If I get time, later, I'll do a write-up for that. But don't wait for me (I'm notoriously unreliable); its there for you to be had--right now and free--on Bandcamp.

But wait, there's more. As I told you, Joe's been crankin' out the Christmas hits for quite some time. And, in 2012, he put them all together in a Bandcamp comp, "I See Things Differently". Here, you'll find such should be underground classics as "Santa All I Want (Is Cindy Brady)" and (a personal favorite...fer realz) "Yuletide Heroine Blues". And he's practically giving it away. No, wait. He IS giving it away. It's the whole kit (and at least half a kaboodle). It's even got color virtual cover art (in case the earlier cover art had you thinking that black and white were the only ones he knows). Grab it like its hot, cats and kittens. Grab it all.

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NOAH - CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)

6/26/2014

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Noah Guthrie has one of those unique slightly off kilter raspy voices that is nonetheless rich and full of emotion. It's the kind of voice you'd expect to hear on....well, The Voice. But I don't think he's done that venue. His debut album release, near as I can tell--"Among The Wildest Things"--turned up on Amazon last summer, but Noah has a number of tracks available on Noisetrade including this cover of the Darlene Love classic that he dropped last December. The South Carolina native, on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" at least, has an Indie Folk Rock vibe going.

As Laurie Cameron did before him, Noah slows the track down, the better to feel and express the real longing in the lyrics. Laurie Cameron's version is still my fave, next to the original, but Noah's ain't bad. It's pretty good, in fact. And, as you can get it free from Noisetrade, its well worth the trip. If you're in the neighborhood, you should also stop by Noah's home site and give him a "like" on Facebook.

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THE NEW LIGHTS - CHRISTMAS ALONE WITH YOU

DAVI REY & FRIENDS - A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

VARIOUS - A POLAROID FOR CHRISTMAS (2014)

DAVID LEE ROTH - TALKIN' CHRISTMAS BLUES

PADDY NASH & THE HAPPY ENCHILADAS - IT BEING CHRISTMAS / A PLACE AT THE TABLE

VARIOUS - HAM FOR DAYS

100 MILE HOUSE - ONCE CHRISTMAS STARTS

THE JAC - SWEET TOOTH ACHE

NOAH - CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME)

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