The Tillers, an Old-Timey/Bluegrass band from Cincinnati, Ohio, turned out this cover of "Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over", a classic fiddle tune, back in 2012 and have reposted it for this holiday season. You can find it and download it free at ReverbNation. You don't see too much free Bluegrass Christmas music (it ain't easy finding Christmas Bluegrass even when it isn't free), so its worth tossing up here, I think.
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The retro sound is obviously in.
Svetlana Shmulyian has an obvious affinity for the old "Speakeasy" style of Jazz. Her tone and phrasing, the clarity of her voice, all lend themselves to precisely the style of music she's making. So the only "trick" is finding musicians with a similar feel for the genre. And she found them. The Delancey Five play the style of Jazz so well, you'll feel they jumped into a time machine back in the thirties and magically appeared in the present. This three-song EP, "Baby It's Cold Outside", dates from 2012 and, as good and authentic as it is, you still get the feeling they hadn't yet found that additional ingredient to make their sound completely their own. The reason that I'm featuring them now is because I'm thrilled to report that they've found it. Svetlana & The Delancey Five have a full-length coming this January on Origin/OA2 Records. In addition to the all-stars who are The Delancey Five, "Night At The Speakeasy" also features the magnificent Wycliffe Gordon. I've heard a couple of tracks from the new album and they are sensational. And original songs written by Svetlana, herself, feature prominently, as well they should. I'm going to put this nugget in your noggin for future reference. "All I Want". It's killer. It's not a Christmas song, of course (otherwise they'd release the record in December rather than January), but it is winter themed enough that you could definitely include it in your seasonal soundtrack without anyone batting an eye. Hold the thought and look for "Night At The Speakeasy" come January 15.
In the meantime, Svetlana's three-song EP, free on Bandcamp, will help keep you warm through the holidays. The two holiday tracks are "Let It Snow" and "Baby It's Cold Outside". Yes, I know. The latter song has developed a reputation as being stalkery. For some reason--perhaps because the style takes you back to a simpler time decades ago--"Baby It's Cold Outside" sounds a lot more innocent when Svetlana sings it. And Adrian Cunningham's velvety vocals in duet offer just the right counterpoint. The EP rounds out with "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"--just a way of letting you know that Svetlana & The Delancey Five are as much a dance band as anything else. You know, we have lost something valuable with the modern emphasis on large venue concerts. Years ago, a singer I knew--an old-timer--asked me, "How can you tell if they like the music if the people can't get up and dance?" The man had a point.
You can also get the "Baby It's Cold Outside" EP on a physical CD, if you prefer your music on hard copy. That's not free, of course, but look at the cool packaging--like an old time 78 rpm record (kids, ask your parents about 78s, or, um, maybe you should ask your grandparents). You'll find the music and details on Bandcamp.
I don't know how this group has escaped me for all these years (and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure that they did...lacking a proper site search engine and all). But, man, am I ever glad I finally found them.
Lorna is a UK Dream Pop group who have been together since the late 90's. The six-piece outfit are fiercely independent, recording their songs "live" in their own home studio and playing out seldom. As the musical trendiness of the industry as a whole blows better known acts to and fro--trying to keep up and somehow always a step behind--Lorna just keeps doing what they do...turning out little masterpieces and hypnotic slices of heaven. Vocals are provided by the husband and wife team of Marc Rolfe and Sharon Cohen-Rolfe. And instrumentation includes flute and viola, as required (I'm a sucker for that sort of thing). Their most recent full album release is just out--"London's Leaving Me"--and that's another gorgeous set. The song "Like Alistair Sim" from that album was last year's contribution to a Christmas charity effort, "Christmas In Slab Square" (another great album we missed last year and available for streaming on Soundcloud). The band draws comparisons to Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub and even the Cocteau Twins. But Lorna is in a class all their own. If those others are painting masters, Lorna is Rembrandt. This really is the most freaking beautiful stuff you've ever heard. The songs on this collection were recorded in 2005, 2010 and 2012. When Lorna records their Christmas music, its always a charity effort. But, being as the newest songs here are from three years ago, they're currently available as straight-up free downloads. The last two songs on the Soundcloud playlist can be downloaded free via Bandcamp. Lorna doesn't need to go the obvious route--sleigh bells and kitchen sink production--to make you think "Christmas"; the songs just feel like Christmas...a bit of sadness, a dash of hope. This is what Christmas Dream Pop should sound like. It's like watching individual snowflakes fall to the ground in perfect slow motion. I give credit to any band willing to offer up a song for Hanukkah, as Lorna does with "Shalom Chaverim". But my personal favorites are "The First Person To Arrive" and "Building Beautiful Buildings". Try those two and tell me you haven't just discovered new levels of joy (and possibly sadness) in your Christmas soul. |
The FREE ListHere we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations. Archives2010 FREE List Categories
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