Category: Dream Pop

CHELSEA TERRACE - CHRISTMAS SKY (MIDNIGHT EDITION)

12/24/2015

I honestly don't know a thing about music (oh...you knew that already), but I do know what I like. And this sweet little instrumental from the Japanese brother and sister Indie Dream Pop/Toy Pop duo Chelsea Terrace is something I like. It's a more or less Ambient piece, partially inspired by the film The Polar Express and featuring strains of "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night". And, if Google translate is to be trusted, it's part of an album the group is working on for next year--"The Electrical 7 Suite". And it's free via Soundcloud.

Now, as if that wasn't cool and Christmasy enough (or, for that matter, Japanese enough), Chelsea Terrace released a Christmas song last year, as well. "Goodbye Christmas" is a vocal tune that appeared on the group's "Telescope Future" CD (which is sold out, so don't bother looking for it). Some people are enchanted by the way French ladies sing (I get it; very sexy), but I love the sound of Christmas music sung by Japanese women. Don't know why, don't understand a word; it just strikes me as so delicate and beautiful. "Goodbye Christmas (Shooting Star Mix)" --with vocals and guitar by Mayumi, I believe--is also a free download from Chelsea Terrace on Soundcloud.

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DENMARK + WINTER - AND IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN

12/18/2015

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I give up. Denmark + Winter is a ghost. There is not one useful piece of information about them on the Internet. Nothing. They might be from Denmark, or at least they post a lot of pictures of Denmark on Facebook. Or perhaps their names are Denmark and Winter. For all I can tell, they could be Abbott & Costello from Patterson, New Jersey. They've had a lot of songs--usually re-imagined versions of popular hits--placed in television shows. Facebook tells you nothing. Soundcloud tells you nothing. Their official website doesn't have any information of any kind. Their label has even less information about them, as if that could be possible. And any review appearing anywhere begins, "I can't find out a single thing about this band, but...." I could swear that we'd featured them here before, but I can't find that either. I give up. I want to go hang myself, now, for an entire day wasted.

Ah, but then I hear the beautiful music and I can't step away. Truly, if there is something worth living for, it must be this glorious sound. It's rich and lush, with vocals that are of the angels. All is forgiven, whoever you are.

Denmark + Winter has an entire Christmas album out, which completely escaped my attention until I came across this free download on Souncloud tonight. "The Holiday Collection" is 13 tracks long, with re-imaginings of your holiday favorites and a few new songs (I highly recommend their version of Have Yourself A "Merry Little Christmas"). "And It's Christmas Time Again" is another song about missing loved ones who are gone. Either its a popular theme this year or its just kinda close to home for me these days. You can download "And It's Christmas Time Again" on Soundcloud. But, let's be honest. You really are going to need this whole album in your arsenal. Find it at Amazon and iTunes.

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TUMULTO - RIVER

12/18/2015

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Hey, we get to stick another pin in the Christmas travels map. Although Tumulto is originally from Italy, the DJ/musician and visual artist recorded this for the Greek Fytini label last year. Tumulto has done some work here and there and produced the records of other artists. He's now believed to be working on his debut album.

In the midst of recent economic turmoil in Greece, Fytini issued a 44 track long Christmas concept album last year, "XMAX". I have a few Greek Christmas records in my collection (mostly stuff that was done at one time or another in the Eurovision competitions, then released commercially)--good stuff. So I rushed to download the collection without previewing it first. Let me potentially save you some time. Unless you're into the farthest of the far out--recordings of coughs, sneezing and flushing toilets, and spoken word pieces delivered over the most discordant sounds, there's not much to be done with the bulk of "XMAX". The periodic narrations are actually quite interesting but there isn't as much music as you'd think on a 44 track album and not much of it makes me feel like Christmas. Buried in "XMAX", however, is Tumulto's cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" and that one should be welcome in any holiday collection. Tumulto's Electro Pop rendition retains all of Joni's intended sadness and beauty, and may even add a level or two more.

Tumulto's "River" is included in Fytini's "XMAX", which is free for the taking on Bandcamp. Grab the song (track 34) or the whole album (but preview first...just sayin').

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CLARISSE PICO - MODERN CHRISTMAS NIGHT

12/17/2015

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I downloaded this one a while ago and didn't think about it much further. But, as I was going through my downloads recently, it stuck out as a really nice Christmas Techno Pop instrumental. Made me feel kinda Christmassy, which means I probably should have shared it with you earlier.

"Modern Christmas Night" is composed and performed by Clarisse Pico, who bills herself (on Soundcloud, at least) as 1122Music. She's a young German artist whose music is generally more Club/Dance oriented. Her single "I Need You" appears to have brought some visibility to her talents. I've never been a Club guy (and you really don't want to see me dance), but she got the mood just perfect on "Modern Christmas Night". It's very sweet and sentimental (in a Techno Pop kind of way). Some of her other tracks on Soundcloud are pretty compelling in their own right (even for a non-Club non-dancer like me). You can download "Modern Christmas Night" free at Soundcloud. And keep up on the latest from Clarisse via Facebook or her web site.

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VARIOUS - A POLAROID FOR CHRISTMAS 2015

12/15/2015

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01) Alice Bisi (Oh, Alice) - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
02) Hund - I'll Be Stoned For Christmas (Dent May cover)
03) Naughty Betsy - All I Want For Christmas (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
04) Barbados - Just For A Place In Your Heart
05) Elizabeth Morris (Allo Darlin) - The Season (Padda remix)
06) OAK - Holiday (The Get Up Kids cover)
07) Husky Loops - Shy Guy
08) Baseball Gregg - Cyber Monday
09) Steven Lipsticks And His Magic Band - Christmas Thieves
10) Boys Age - Hey Oooh
11) X-Ray Picnic - Northern Exposure
12) Flood Regions - Leprechaun On The Moon
13) Yellow Yonder - The Runner
14) mesic - A Long December (Counting Crows cover)
15) RACE - Jesus Was A Communist (Reagan Youth cover)
16) Iron Only - Airplanes
17) SMASH - Switching Light
18) Qlowski - I Do not Wanna Be Capitalized
19) Wolther Rabbitt - Then there are secrets between us (demo)
20) Homelette - Song For U
21) Le Man Avec Les Lunettes - 15 Dollars For A Sandwich
22) Dj Bitterness - I Get Drunk Like Pizzul Because It's Xmas Without You

Isn't that one of the best things you've ever heard? I don't even know if its a Christmas song. And I don't even care. And they're from Japan, believe it or not. Just wow. Mind blown.

A lot of our annual gifties have gone away. No Santastic this year. No Suburban Sprawl. No Alternate Root. No Cigar Box Nation. And this will be the last year for our annual present from Beta Radio.

On the bright side, we still have Sofia Talvik's annual Christmas song, our stocking stuffer from Joe Algeri (the JAC), and the always superb collection from XO Publicity.

My all-time favorite, though has to be "A Polaroid For Christmas". And they're back again this year with one of their biggest and best. Polaroid is an Italian music blog and, every year, the host of the blog asks bands and artists from all over the world if they might like to do a Christmas song--cover or original (or at least a song to keep one company whilst trimming the tree). And from that simple request comes some of the absolutely, hands down, no question BEST Indie Christmas music you will ever hear anywhere. Every year! It's unbelievable how good this stuff is. Some will make it into the circuit via Bandcamp or Soundcloud, but many/most will not. And it's free to download. Every year! We are truly living in blessed times (well, as far as free Indie Christmas music goes). There's always a little something for everyone--nice little Indie Pop tunes, Shoegaze, Electronica, LoFi Indie Rock, Alt Folk, Dream Pop, Punk Country...seriously, they'll run the gamut.

Now...it's getting a bit late and, normally, I'd just go later and break it down for you. But Mrs. Katz (not her real name) has another doctor's appointment tomorrow (Shhh. I didn't tell her this time), so I need to get to bed. And, to tell you the truth, I listened to this whole thing and, if I were to list my favorites, I'd be listing about 20 of the 22 tracks. So I'm going to let you find your own favorites (it's all free, after all). I will mention my very, very favorites real quick--tracks 1, 5, 10, 11, 20 and 21. Go get the whole shootin' match from Polaroid. And should you find yourself wanting to dig deeper into the artists and their music (like Boys Age up there), Polaroid has everything all linked up for you.

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VARIOUS - POP A NOEL

12/12/2015

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1. KISSAMILÉ Let It Snow (Cover)
2. MANUEL ÉTIENNE – All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey Cover)
3. HOBOKEN DIVISION – Cookies & Milk
4. ORWELL The Man With All – The Toys (Beach Boys Cover)
5. EDDY LA GOOYATSH – Rise Up Shepherd And Follow (Traditional)
6. RICH DELUXE – The Clarinet That Roared
7. JULIEN BOUCHARD – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)
8. POPANOËL – Interlude I
9. DIRTY WORK OF SOUL BROTHERS & RODGER N FURTER – Rougail Dinde
10. ESSIA ESCH – What Christmas Means To Me (Stevie Wonder Cover)
11. THE WISE DUDE’S REVOLVER – More Snow, Please…
12. ROMAIN THOMAS (LULLABIES) – A Cold Snow
13. TEQUILASAVATE Y SU HIJO BASTARDO – Noches En Posadas
14. TWIN PRICKS – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)
15. KING AUTOMATIC & RICH DELUXE – Stay Drunk At Christmas
16. RÉMI SANTA AND FRIENDS – I ♥ X-Mas (Je Coeur Noël)
17. POPANOËL – Interlude II

A tip o' the hat to Lie In The Sound for bringing this collection of Indie Pop and Indie Rock to light.

Since I speak neither French nor German, I can tell you that "Pop A Noel" was put together by Europop, Emission Electrophone, and Nancy(?). Who and what they are, I haven't got a clue. Looks like Nancy might be a town. But I can tell you that this is the first such collection AND that there is an intention to do more.

Several of these tracks sound, to me, like opportunities unfulfilled. An artist has a great concept for reworking a seasonal standard but then just doesn't go anywhere with it. As a whole, I suppose I'd give "Pop A Noel" a "B". But there are some tunes that rise above the rest and would be welcome on any holiday mix or in any holiday library. And, hey, it's free and (so far) every track here is exclusive to this collection. So why quibble?

My personal favorite on a first run through was Hoboken Division's "Cookies & Milk" ("You can keep your cookies and milk/I'm drinking whiskey now"). It just sounds like the most fully realized Christmas song in the lot. Other tracks I liked a lot include Tequilasavante's "Noches En Posadas" (there's something winning about a punkish one-man-band singing a Christmas song in Spanish on a French compilation that is otherwise sung in English), King Automatic & Rich Deluxe singing "Stay Drunk At Christmas" (with its double-oh-seven Surf guitar), Rich Deluxe again on "The Clarinet That Roared" (with its relentless circus rhythm), and "Je Coeur Noel" by Remi Santa and Friends, which has the sweetest Indie sound and likely the most staying power for that. "Rise Up Shepherd And Follow" was pretty good, too. The one that got away, as it were--the one I so wanted more from-- was Essia Esch's cover of Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means To Me". She found a totally new groove for the song and it could have turned into something super special, but it needed something more--a second gear, or, I dunno-- and it never got there and just kind of gave up. Too bad, she's got a sweet sound. And its still better than 95% of the covers of that song.

Anyway, "Pop A Noel" is free for the taking on the Europop website, available in either MP3 or FLAC. Go get it.

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THE PAPERBACK THRONE - ALL BEST INTENTIONS

12/12/2015

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Not to over think it, but you could see Scandinavian Dream Pop as one branch of the evolutionary tree that grew from the Beatles. Or you could see them as entirely different things. On their holiday EP "All Best Intentions", The Paperback Throne seem to draw equally from those two sources. Yet they label their own music Alt Folk and Folktronica. Now, me, I just like the music. Call it whatever you want. And, although I will usually sample an artist's non-holiday catalog, I didn't do that here. For one thing, I'm tired (hey, just being straight with you). For another, the music on "All Best Intentions" speaks for itself. And it speaks quite well.

The EP opens with a rocking "Resolution", but its track two that I've fallen in love with. "No Mean Christmas" is just a perfect Christmas song. I believe it's actually at least a few years old, but its new to me. The song features an insistent rhythm lying beneath vocals as soft and airy as a dandelion's white floaties. The chorus and instrumental breaks get downright Grunge and Psych, but the vocals remain pretty much on the softer side of Sears. The tune is perfect, just perfect. So I have to wonder how I missed it for two years. And I have to wonder why there wasn't more chatter about it.

"One Simple Kiss" is a ballad, a beautiful composition that sounds almost like it came out of a Lennon-McCartney ballad songbook. And "Killin to Killearn" reminds me a bit of George Harrison's "Within You Without You", without the sitars and Indian influence.

The Paperback Throne hail from Glasgow, Scotland, and you could just as easily compare their music to that of Indie favorites Low. The group seems to have been fairly quiet in 2015, not posting much to their Facebook or Twitter pages. But they do have a gig later this month (at Bloc in Glasgow so, no, I won't be there). I suspect they just found social media a bit of a drag (as I do--so maybe that's just projection). Grab "All Best Intentions" at Bandcamp and pray the group has some more Christmas music in them.

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FEATHERFIN - WINTERSONGS

12/9/2015

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Why is it we get so much great music from Scandinavia?

I do not know the answer to that question, but I get that, for a certain kind of sound, that's where you'll go to find the best of it. Specifically Indie Pop and Dream Pop.

Featherfin is from Norway. In addition to being a musician (whose experience ranges from Synth Pop to Industrial), and an artist (of the physical kind--paintings and the like), he's also been a blogger. He gave up blogging for a while because he would get so many emails from bands and musicians hoping to get a hearing, that he could never hope to answer them all, let alone review all their music. And that made him feel guilty and a little bit helpless. I hear you, dude. Featherfin returned to blogging when it dawned on him that being able to do even a little bit to promote a few artists was a greater contribution to the music than doing nothing.

Musically, Featherfin (real name Knut Lindbjør) is currently in an experimental phase where the music is as much art as is the...well, art. There are elements of Electronica, Psych Pop, Indie Folk, Ambient, Post Punk and Dream Pop in the songs Featherfin writes. One of his best, "If You Were Coming In The Fall", is actually an Emily Dickinson poem put to music. He's not strictly electronic; there are organic elements and instruments used as well, which is part of what makes Featherfin's music alive and unique.

"Wintersongs" features three tracks, two of which are instrumentals. And those are pleasant enough, but the vocal track--"When The Snow Was Whiter"--is the one that takes my breath away. And you should get the idea straight off. As we grow older, we look back on the days and years past with an idealized view, which was never the reality. I guess it's a bit of a survival mechanism. On the other hand, it's neither true nor healthy nor productive to strive to get back to an era in time that never existed in the way we like to remember it. Living through it as an adult, I never though anyone would be nostalgic for the eighties. But, today, people are. So when Featherfin sings that the snow used to be whiter, what he's actually saying is that we used to be so much more innocent when we were young. When we were young, all we could see was the whiteness of the snow. Now, no matter how hard we look, all we see is the soot. It's the same snow, basically; it's a matter of how our minds and hearts process the information.

The entire "Wintersongs" EP is available as a name-your-price download at Bandcamp. But, if you feel like tossing a coin in the pot, you could be entered into a drawing for a signed and numbered Giclee print of his original artwork for "Butterfly Girl". Just throwing that out there (details at Bandcamp).

I can at least prove that not ALL of the great music comes from Scandinavia. Eardrums Music (Featherfin's label) also counts the L.A. band Winter on their roster. It's not a Christmas song, but go listen to Winter's most recent single "All The Things You Do". You'll thank me later.

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VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

12/7/2015

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1. Hides A Well - Decorations
2. Sally - Christmas Isn't Over
3. Young Legs - First Day
4. Borrasca - Snowed In
5. Please Exist - Bleed Christmas Dry
6. We Have Ghosts - I Wish it was Christmas Today
7. Zack Frank - Winter Weekend
8. Nicole Grogan - Christmas Present
9. Deja Gravy - Yule
10. Joe Egan - I'll Be Home For Christmas
11. straight creep. - All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone
12. John Fisher & Molly Farrell - Black Christmas
13. Murph - Memory Lights
14. We Use To Love - 12-31-????
15. The McCarthyists - Merry Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Whatever You Like to Call It
16. Tabitha Booth (feat. Jesse Hardy) - Winter Blues
17. Joe Egan - Play Your Flute For Grandma
18. Ezra Lowry - True North
19. Awjita - Linus & Lucy
20. Eric K - It's Time To Go

NotRock is a New Jersey DIY label and this their SEVENTH holiday compilation. They just put out the call--to anyone, really, and artists submit their Christmas songs. Hey, its DIY; that's how its done. So you get a little bit of almost everything, here--from Indie Folk to Punk. Twenty songs is a bit much for me to digest this time of year (I don't even want to think about the other six volumes), and there's actually plenty, here, that doesn't work for my head. There are a bunch I really kinda like. And there are TWO tracks from this collection I am in love with.

One of my two faves is the one represented in video (it does kind of bug me that Bandcamp comp players will just keep going, not stopping after the one song you want to feature; there must be a way to fix that, but I haven't figured it out yet). Awjita proves nothing less than the genius of Vince Guaraldi, as his "Linus & Lucy" sounds absolutely brilliant in this Psych Jazz cover. In general terms, it reminds me of the great jamming bands of the late 60s (Greatful Dead were the kings of it, but everyone was doing the free form thing at the time). Awjita, here, does remind me of a specific band, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyway Free Form Psych Jazz is about as different as you're going to find anywhere. And I like different.

My other fave is Nicole Grogan's "Christmas Present", a Lo-Fi Indie tune with a cool melody, some great guitar work, wonderful lyrics, and miles and miles of attitude. And, from that, you might think I was describing some raucous Metal or something. But, no, the song's genius is in its laid back self assurance. It reminds me a lot of the early days of Indie on the Internets, when some very talented people were making beautiful sounds that, at the same time, were simple, low tech and Lo-Fi.

Some others (the ones I "really kinda like") are Sally's Indie Pop "Christmas Isn't Over", Borrasca's "Snowed In" (also Indie Pop), "All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone" (Pop Punk from straight creep), the atmospheric Alt Rock/Pop Punk New Year's tune from We Used To Love ("12-31-????"), Tabitha Booth's "Winter Blues" (still working out how to categorize that one--sort of a Bluesy Dream Pop...or maybe Shoegaze...or maybe all of the above), the Indie Folk of Zach Frank's "Winter Weekend", and Joe Egan's Alt Jazz/Ambient Electronica "Play Your Flute For Grandma". So that's not bad. I liked half of it. You might find yourself drawn to some of the others. But the two that (IMO) make venturing to Bandcamp for the free download are the tracks from Awjita and Nicole Grogan.

There were hard copy CDs of "A NotRock Holiday Compilation, Volume 7", but they were for the artists and the release show. If any are left over, I'd assume they'll turn up at NotRock's online shop where it looks like they still have copies of the first three at stupid low prices ($3 for a 22 song CD? C'mon, that's like stealing). The download versions are all loaded at Bandcamp and "name-your-price".

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ポム - NON-DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL

12/4/2015

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If those letters/characters are Japanese, the translation is Pomme. And, frankly, that's no clearer to me. Pomme can be a lot of things. And the band isn't Japanese (they're American). Given the dog that seems to be their mascot, I'm going to guess those characters are a cute abbreviation for "pomeranian". Frankly, the latest round of freebies is making me feel very old and unhip. I hope you're all pleased with yourselves. Moving on....

Pomme (or Pom, Pomu)--whatever (you know, even Prince gave up that schtick)--combines a lot of different styles and sounds and the end result, I'm sorry to say, is magnificent. I love this stuff. And I hate myself for loving it. Who will I tell people to look for? Take some New Age, mix in some old school Soul, a dash of Disco for flavor, some Synth Pop for color, and season generously with Japanese Anime and you've got Pomme, or Pom, or Pomu. Whatever.

If there's a complaint, it's that these beautiful little soundscapes are all bonsai sized. It's music for people with short attention spans, I guess.

Damn, they make me feel so old.

Take a gorgeous riff like "Christmas Miracle". You want that song to go on for hours. But, no, it's just over 1 minute long. "Snowblind", which is basically a take-off on one riff of "Sleigh Ride", at least lasts 3 minutes (it's the longest track on the EP). And there's "Last Chance", which is almost certainly a take-off on 10cc's "I'm Not In Love". Somehow, it all sounds great, though. Damn them.

"Non-Denominational Holiday Special" is free (via Bandcamp). Not sure what to call the group ("I am not a glyph; I am a free man!"), but they do have a Facebook page.

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<<Previous

CHELSEA TERRACE - CHRISTMAS SKY (MIDNIGHT EDITION)

DENMARK + WINTER - AND IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN

TUMULTO - RIVER

CLARISSE PICO - MODERN CHRISTMAS NIGHT

VARIOUS - A POLAROID FOR CHRISTMAS 2015

VARIOUS - POP A NOEL

THE PAPERBACK THRONE - ALL BEST INTENTIONS

FEATHERFIN - WINTERSONGS

VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

ポム - NON-DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL

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