Category: Rock

Stubbys House of Christmas

VARIOUS - NO SLEEP TILL CHRISTMAS 6

12/21/2014

1. Alcoa - Blue Christmas
2. Daisyhead - Silent Night
3. Kill Wealthy Dowager - Christmas at Ground Zero
4. Lee Corey Oswald - A Chill Time to All and to All a Chill Time
5. Seasons Change - Holidays

NO SLEEP WEBSITE
DOWNLOAD FROM BANDCAMP

Indie Alternative label No Sleep Records don't release a new Christmas set every year, but, when they do, it's choice. "No Sleep Till Christmas 6" is their sixth holiday offering (duh) and features artists from their stable and a few friends. The highlight for most is likely going to be Kill Wealthy Dowager's cover of Weird Al's "Christmas At Ground Zero". In addition, you get Alcoa with an Americana "Blue Christmas" (which was good enough that I didn't automatically hate it just because its "Blue Christmas", which I hate). Daisyhead offers up a highly enjoyable Electronica rendition of "Silent Night". Lee Corey Oswald performs an excellent Indie Rock original that might give Kill Wealthy Dowager's track a run for its money, "A Chill Time To All And To All A Chill Time". And the EP closes with Pop Punkers Seasons Change performing "Holidays". Only 6 songs, but every one a killer. You can get the set direct from No Sleep or theough Bandcamp.

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.

THEE FINE LINES - SEASONAL SONGS

12/20/2014

Was a time when I used to be very keen at picking up the annual Christmas songs from Garage Rockers Thee Fine Lines. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.... And then I kind of lost track of them. I couldn't find anymore Christmas songs from Thee Fine Lines. So I just kind of figured they'd split up or maybe got tired of doing Christmas songs. Nope. They were still doing a Christmas song a year, apparently. And, last year, they put them all together in one handy dandy Bandcamp download called "Seasonal Songs". So somebody may have covered it last year, but I wasn't here.

Now, if my math is correct, they've got a Christmas song up there for every year from 2004 - 2013. None for this year. Yet. They do say they tend to record their annual Christmas song right before Christmas. So there is still time.

Doesn't much matter to me right now because there are six songs here I haven't yet heard. And it's always a blast to hear "Nothin' But Tears Under My Christmas Tree" again. So go help yourself to some of the finest raw Rock Christmas music you'll ever hear. As Bluto from "Animal House" would say, "don't cost nothin'."

EAT ME - I FORGOT IT WAS CHRISTMAS

12/19/2014

Santa, I've been a good boy all year (mostly) and I want hard rock with fuzz guitars for Christmas. Here ya go. From Britain's Eat Me, "I Forgot It Was Christmas". Incidentally, once again google would have been useful before naming the group since "Eat Me" seems to be a very popular band name.

Like a lot of folks, especially in the UK, Eat Me has about had enough of Simon Cowell's idea of Christmas music. Says Jamie Warnes, “We want to show that whilst rock music might be unfashionable right now, there’s nothing more fun than getting together with your best buddies and rocking out – especially at Christmas time, with The X Factor and its bland warblers all over everyone’s telly sets."

The song is free on Bandcamp and comes with a virtual flip..."Stay Another Day". "Stay Another Day" is one of those songs folks in the UK insist on calling a Christmas song, even though it has nothing to do with the season, simply because it charted around Christmas time decades ago.

THE RED PILLS - WALKING IN THE AIR

12/19/2014

I love the unexpected. For some reason, the Brits love "Walking In The Air". I suppose it's not unlike our love of the songs from Charlie Brown's Christmas, since "Walking In The Air" made its debut in an animated holiday special. I'd like to say that the difference is that the Vince Guarldi songs were better. But the problem I have with "Walking In The Air" is how its done. It's always presented with that high boys choir tenor voice that sounds like someone's been sucking down too much helium or something. When I have enjoyed the song is when its done differently. The Red Pills (after poking fun at the original) Rock the crap out of "Walking In The Air", making the song genuinely enjoyable for me. You can download this one and The Red Pills' 2010 Pink cover of "White Christmas" free at Bandcamp.

SISTERS - HOLD ME CLOSER TINY CHRISTMAS

12/19/2014

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.

WINTER WONDERLAND - NAT LYON

12/19/2014

Once again, I have to point out that there's no logic to why I like what I like. I will say I do like different. So I'm not sure anyone else will like this, but it hit me at a good moment. Nat Lyon was originally a Connecticut yankee who had a fairly conventional life and then chucked it all to renovate a farmhouse, herd Newfoundlands, and make music. His influences appear to be Punk and so his original music comes out as Folk Punk or Anti Folk. Lyon's "Winter Wonderland" is virtually unrecognizable, musically. That's why I like it. It's raw, rough, and droning, and yet still kinda sounds like an Indie Pop Rock tune at the end of the day. Cool beans (not magic beans, just cool ones). Free at Bandcamp.

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).

WHITEMOOR - THE NORTH WIND

12/17/2014

Indie Rockers WhiteMoor know how to make a Christmas song. There are no quickie Mariah Carey covers, no throwaway holiday cliche lyrics. You can tell they put a lot of thought and care into it. Ordinarily, the UK band is a lot more rockin' and they make greater use of the synth. But, for "The North Wind", they strip back all those layers for a more intimate sound. For "The North Wind", they recorded with a real live string section (you won't see them in the video, but we're assured its not synthed) and a cello. If you're recording a seasonal song, you really need a cello, I think. We mentioned lyrics. WhiteMoor is known for their songwriting and "The North Wind" is a brilliant example. Not a word wasted. This is one of those songs that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

You can download "The North Wind" free from WhiteMoor's official website.

But wait, there's more. A few years back, WhiteMoor recorded another Christmas song, "Three Words At Christmas". "Three Words" is one of WhiteMoor's better known songs. But, again, for the Christmas version, they didn't just use the backing track from the original. They, again, stripped back the layers and reworked the song into something completely new. And, wouldn't you know it, "Three Words At Christmas" is still available as a free download from Soundcloud. I love it when a plan comes together.

DEEP SEA DIVER - O HOLY NIGHT

12/17/2014

Deep Sea Diver is a popular Indie Rock band from Seattle. But, really, this track is performed by just one member of the group. Jessica Dobson plays the guitar and sings "O Holy Night"--recording to an old 8-track recorder in the basement, so the info says.

"O Holy Night", as I may have told you, is pretty much my all-time favorite traditional carol, so you've got to really bring it to impress me. Jessica's version starts a little slow but, as the song goes on, she surely brings it. There's real passion, here, which is only amplified by the Lo-Fi rawness of the recording. The track is free at Bandcamp.