Not much to say about this one except that Appleme is a Moscow based band (yes, the one in Russia), A little Alt Rock, a little Electronica. And their slightly broken English is charming. But, really, what it comes down to is that it's new, it's free, and it's not really bad EDM...which is mostly what you're going to find on Soundcloud this week. So lend an ear to Appleme's new New Year's tune, "Meet The Happy Year" and download it free at Soundcloud. But be warned...you've just been Appled.
Not much to say about this one except that Appleme is a Moscow based band (yes, the one in Russia), A little Alt Rock, a little Electronica. And their slightly broken English is charming. But, really, what it comes down to is that it's new, it's free, and it's not really bad EDM...which is mostly what you're going to find on Soundcloud this week. So lend an ear to Appleme's new New Year's tune, "Meet The Happy Year" and download it free at Soundcloud. But be warned...you've just been Appled.
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We were doing Blues on the front page today, so I stumbled across "New Years Blues" by Brooke D, a native of the California coast currently based in Portland, Oregon (I think). Oddly enough, this tune isn't (strictly speaking) Blues. It's a cappella Folk Jazz. What it is is interesting and different. And you know that "different" is one of my favorite words. "New Years Blues" is from Brooke's 2011 EP "A Kinder Winter" and you can download all three tunes free from Bandcamp. Dig around and you'll find a live version that's also free. Brooke is currently working on a real honest to goodness album which hopefully sees the light of day in 2016.
Kat Jade was a contestant on The Voice in 2014. What? You don't remember her? Well, you probably wouldn't unless you lived in Australia. Yes, 2014 was season three of Australia's The Voice. They had some cool judges. Kylie Minogue, will.i.am, Ricky Martin and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. I wouldn't mind seeing them judge a season in this country (well, I don't really need to see Ricky Martin). Anyway, Kat made it to the Live shows but didn't win. Of late, she's been pumping out Christmas videos on her Facebook page like M&Ms, but most aren't available for purchase or download in this country (yet). However, her original tune, "With You On Christmas Eve" is available as a free download on Soundcloud. So that's pretty cool, right? "With You On Christmas Eve" is a sweet romantic ballad which Kat actually posted last year....on December 28. So she figured she's try it again this year...but actually on Christmas Eve. Kat says she wrote the song for her family and never intended on sharing it with anyone else, which is kinda sweet, if you think about it. Thankfully, someone must have convinced her to let us all have a listen. Head to Soundcloud for Kat Jade's "With You On Christmas Eve". It's a much shorter trip than going to Australia.
I've had this discussion before. For the generation before mine, the Christmas movie was "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim. For my generation, it was "It's A Wonderful Life". For the generation after mine, it's "Christmas Story". So what is it for the next generation? Some will answer "Christmas Vacation" or "Home Alone" or "Elf". "Elf" is too recent anyway, so you can rule that one out. The correct answer is "Die Hard". And, with this just released Christmas tribute to the 1988 action thriller, I now have proof. Don't give me polls that say that nearly two-thirds of Americans don't think "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie at all. How bout you just ask the specific generation that's making the choice? The generation that has chosen "Die Hard" as their Christmas movie doesn't care what the rest of us think about it.
"It's Christmas Time, Mr. Falcon!" is ten tracks of retro Synth Pop goodness that take you right back to movies from the eighties. Truthfully, as often as not, these songs more recall "Beverly Hills Cop" than "Die Hard" (no surprise, since the Retro Promenade label also released a comp paying tribute to Harold Faltermeyer, the man who scored those Eddie Murphy flicks, earlier this month). But the two tracks from Who Ha--the only vocals on the collection--clearly come from the "Die Hard" generation and likely inspired the set's theme. They're also easily the best tracks on the set. "It's Snowin" sounds like a cross between Tears For Fears, Men Without Hats, and Simple Minds. Though it's essentially a one-line song that lasts over six minutes, it works. But "Merry Christmas To Me" is the song that lays out all the love for John McClane and the "Die Hard" franchise, while specifically dissing all the other Christmas movie pretenders ("Jingle All The Way", "The Santa Clause", "Home Alone"). "John McClane became a hero on my TV screen. That was Christmas to me." That's all they needed to say. Kondrath's "Solemn Holiday" is also excellent. "Yuletide" by Jurgen Desmet fits the "Die Hard" theme and also sounds sufficiently Christmasy. The one fly in the ointment for me was Dress 2 Kill's "Slopestyle" which gave me a headache. "It's Christmas Time, Mr. Falcon" is free from Retro Promenade on Bandcamp. And, if you look around a bit, you'll find 2013's "It's Christmas Time!" and last year's "It's Christmas Time Again!"--also free. Although I would advise them to stop using the exclamation point as I think JEB! has ruined that forever.
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. Here's a nice three-song Christmas EP from South Carolina's Shiny Pines. You could call their sound Americana or Alt Rock, but they call themselves a Southern Rock band and that works. "I'm Dying or This Must Be Christmas" finds our protagonist waiting for a terrible shoe to drop because "Life ain't never this good." That's a double negative, dude. Just roll with it. "It's Supposed to Be Christmas" might be the same dude on a regular Christmas--"It's supposed to be Christmas, but it feels more like hell." But the star of the Shiny Pines "Christmas EP" has to be the rockin' "Go Tell It On The Mountain", which you can hear in the video above. You can grab this set on Noisetrade.
Wait. Did I know these folks were from the UK? I don't know if I did. I'm an idiot.
Golau Glau is an anonymous collective of artists, musicians and photographers and they can usually be counted upon to release a Christmas EP of fascinating experimental Electronica. This year, we get a single tune, bit one that remains "free and festive". "Adam Lay Ybounden" is an Olde English (technically macaronic English) poem from around 1400 AD. It was discovered centuries later among the poems and songs of a wandering minstrel. Since a wandering minstrel's "job" was to "entertain" (thereby earning tips and whatnot), the songs and poems they carried with them would cover a wide range--everything from deeply religious to depraved and bawdy. Most of their pieces, regardless of their subject matter, were delivered as satire and humor. Macaronic English was sort of a mongrel mix of various languages, including Latin. The term, itself, means "dumpling", a food considered "peasant fare". "Adam Lay Ybounden" is the minstrel's song of Adam following the fall of the Garden of Eden. Adam was condemned to spend "4000 winters" bound in Limbo from his banishment from the Garden until the crucifixion of Christ. "And all this for an apple", the song relates somewhat disdainfully, with the final verse expressing thanks to Jesus for eventually freeing Adam from bondage. At a time when the world was ruled by Kings who did pretty much as they pleased when they pleased--usually at the expense of the serfs and peasants--the tone of the piece was intended for them to relate...in essence: "look how unfair the punishment for the mere theft of a mere apple; praise Jesus for freeing him." And now that you are asleep from this dissertation of mine, enjoy "Adam Lay Ybounden" from Golau Glau. It's free on Bandcamp.
Mount Tyrant are based in Dallas Texas. They call what they do Dark Pop--which I'm guessing means lots of minor chords and terrible happenings. "My Baby Left Me On Christmas" is certainly not a happy song. And the lyrics reflect the chill. But its also some damn fine Rock N Roll. So lend the Mount Tyrant an ear for a well written, well produced, well played, damn fine bit of Rock N Roll and try to forget the depressing mood...if you can. Download "My Baby Left Me On Christmas" free from Soundcloud.
So I got an email from Monika Bullette a few days back, alerting me to her new Christmas song, "Christmas Lights (I Only Light Up When You're Around)". And I'm thinking, "I know that name."
Way, way, waaaayyy back....when the Internets were young.....in the dark ages.......you know, like around 2004, Monika had a free Christmas song on her site that she'd done with Hangnail Phillips. The song was "The Finest Gifts" and I thought it was just about the most beautiful and perfect Christmas song I'd ever heard. I didn't really start trolling the Internet for free downloads until 2005, so Monika was one of, if not my very first. You always remember your first. Thereafter, Monika Bullette's site was one of my first destinations in the annual Christmas music hunt. And she usually had something new to offer for the season. After that, she hooked up with the Sky Drops. And the Sky Drops dropped "Christmas Feels Like Halloween" in 2010 or 2011 and "Christmas Time Is Here" in 2012 (both still free on the Sky Drops web site, btw). And then my Mom got sick and I didn't hear anything about or from Monika until that email the other day. Monika Bullette's new Christmas song for 2015 is a demo, so it's got a bit of a raw feel to it. Nothing wrong with that; I dig raw. But Monika was also kind enough to post several other Christmas songs--all available to download free on Soundcloud--filling in those missing years for me. AND she posted "The Finest Gifts" again. Ah, Monika, you remembered. That was our song (sorry, was that too stalkerish?). And, if you never have before, cats and kittens, you have to hear this one. |
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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