For the title alone, I was going to like this one. Sisters is a three piece Indie Rock band from across the pond. Ireland to be precise. "Hold Me Closer Tiny Christmas" isn't really indicative of their usual sound, but it has an hypnotic Indie Pop flavor. More often, Sisters Rock it. NME spoke glowingly of their "bratty riffs and snarky vocals" and they're definitely gaining a following. So check out "Hold Me Closer Tiny Christmas"--it's free to download--and then check out more from the band on Soundcloud. There's always room for one more on the bandwagon.
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1. Holiday Hold It (Remix) 2. Fake Blood For Christmas 3. Christmas Makes Me Want To Die 4. Christmas Is In December 5. Kitty Don’t Eat That Tinsel 6. Peppermint In Everything 7. Holiday Hold It 8. Peppermint In Everything (Karaoke) 9. Kitty Don’t Eat That Tinsel (Karaoke) 10. Kitty Don’t Eat That Tinsel (Bonus Beats) DOWNLOAD AT BANDCAMP DOWNLOAD VIA FACEBOOK I've never been a big fan of Christmas novelty records. The very word "novelty" implies that the goof factor is going to wear off right quick. But I know others embrace the genre with both arms. So don't say I never gave you nothin'.
"Regifted" is a collection of the assorted Christmas novelty tunes issued from 2008-2013 by Peroxide Mocha, a Synth Pop duo (Rachel Picard and Pete Ellison) from Washington state. Here you'll find Christmas songs about fake blood and peppermint everything and the fear of peeing on Santa's lap (it's a long line, yo). Doctor Demento fodder for sure. While I'm not a fan of the goof record, I do have to admit that "Kitty Don't Eat That Tinsel" had me laughing out loud. Mrs. Katz (not her real name), however, was not amused. "Regifted" is a free instant download on Bandcamp. Or you can grab a handy zip file at the Peroxide Mocha Facebook site.
"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. Theoretical Girl (not to be confused with Theoretical Girls or Parenthetical Girls) is Amy Turnnidge, an Indie singer/songwriter from London. She describes her sound in numerous ways, but, at her Facebook site, she calls it Porcelain Pop. And I kind of like that. She combines Electro Pop with Classical, Folk and Punk and the result is delicate beauty (thus Porcelain Pop). For the last few years, Amy has run her own Advent Calendar in which she records cover songs suggested by her fans and then posts them as free downloads. She'll throw a few originals in along the way. Interestingly, she doesn't get too many Christmas song requests (apparently). But, when she does, she records some of the sweetest Christmas music this side of Heaven. Her 2013 Advent Calendar included "Little Drummer Boy" and John Lennon's "War Is Over" (well, that's how she titled it). On her 2012 Advent Calendar, she covered "Stop The Calvary". And, in 2011, she offered her versions of "2000 Miles", "Last Christmas" and "Let It Snow". And all of her Advent songs are still available for free download. For this years' Theoretical Girl Advent Calendar, Chris Rea's "Driving Home For Christmas" is the only holiday song I see. Then again, she's still got a bit more than a week to spring a new one on us. In any case, there is just a ton of beautiful tracks that Amy has given her fans and the rest of us. And it's worth hearing her interpretations of non-holiday material as well. Better get to it. A Power Pop guy from way back, Cliff Hillis has also scattered the occasional Christmas song hither and yon. So Cliff is now giving us a "Merry Cliffmas" EP featuring 4 of his holiday specials. "A Day Like Christmas" I know goes way back--a decade or more. "Christmas Wish" (an NRBQ cover) was his Christmas single from last year. I can't say, right now, whether the other two are new or old. But "Christmas Songs Tonight" is the most Power Pop of the selections, here, if that's what you're looking for. The last track, "Honey Badger Christmas" is Pop Novelty. Good stuff, though, all of it. "A Day Like Christmas" has been a favorite of mine for years. I have it on an obscure album, "It's About Christmas", but I think its made an appearance on another comp or two over the years. Check out more of Cliff's music on Soundcloud.
Sleep Thieves are a Dublin based Electro Pop group who venture a bit into Dark Wave Dreampop on this Christmas song, "November Christmas". The trio's summer release, "You Want The Night" has been turning up on a lot of Best Album of the Year lists. So it was nice to see "November Christmas" available as an instant download on Bandcamp. The atmospheric vocals belong to Sorcha Brennan. The soundscapes, which call to mind the best of the New Wave Synth Pop bands from the 80s, are created by Keith Byrne and Wayne Fahy. This is a band you should get to know and I can think of no better place to start than with "November Christmas". We're big, big fans of Kissing Party at Stubby's. The Denver band could sing the phonebook and I'd be fascinated by HOW they sang the phonebook. And that phonebook song would immediately go into heavy rotation at Chez Stub. I don't know why, but the music of Kissing Party almost always has me smiling. It seems as though Kissing Party releases a free song every December. They aren't always Christmas/Winter tunes, yet they always fit into the holiday mixes like the missing puzzle piece. It just ain't Christmas at my house without them. This year's free single from the group is "My Only One", an energetic Alt Rock/Indie Pop outing that closes with some bells of various types knocking out the familiar notes of "Auld Lang Syne". Even the scratchy record sounds and the needle lift come off as pure genius. Kissing Party, you done done it again. "My Only One" is free via Bandcamp. And, if you don't already have it, make sure to get the "Winter In The Pub" collection of Kissing Party Christmas songs. It's legendary (well, as legendary as a year old digital collection can be). Hey, look at that; they've already added "My Only One" to the collection. Cool. UK Indie Rock newcomers Pauma have generated plenty of buzz on both sides of the Atlantic since the release of their debut single (and subsequent EP) "Sink Or Swim" just weeks ago. And it's easy to see (or hear) why. Pauma has a Classic Indie Rock sound (is Indie Rock old enough to have a "classic" sound yet?), full of fuzzy guitars, reverb drenched vocals, and an irresistible groove. They also feature smartly written lyrics pulling it all together. Pauma's music is what happens when the problems of today meet up with optimism for the future. The Christmas single, "Oh, It's Christmas", doesn't rock quite as hard as "Sink Or Swim", but its got that early 60s Spector beat and Wall of Sound style (which Indie Rock has favored from its inception), and choruses that nearly sound sarcastic in their sincerity. Best listened to at high volume. "Oh, It's Christmas" is a free download via Soundcloud.
When you're talking Christmas Indie Folk, they don't come any better than the "Merry Christmas, Good Night" series. The fourth in the series is, as are the earlier collections, available as a free download on Noisetrade.
All 8 songs on "Merry Christmas, Good Night 4" are original. And they're all great. Ny favorites include JackRabbit's "Might Feel Like Christmas" and "Love Is Here" from Elizabeth Hunnicutt. But my absolute favorite by miles is the instrumental "Kaire" by Inman. Without the benefit of vocals, "Kaire" conveys the spiritual side of Christmas completely. I can't really explain it well but, as the track goes through its many changes, I felt completely uplifted in the wonder and awe of the season. Your mileage may vary, of course. But, to me, this was yet another triumphant collection from the Morning and Night people. |
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