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A Smooth Soul Hip Hop holiday tune from Japan? Free? In Japanese? Oh, yeah, it don't get no better than that. Take a listen to Louvre's "New Year's Eve (With You)" and get the song free from Soundcloud. (Come on, you know you love it.) |
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 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.  It seems I nearly always forget about Mr. Boyd's annual Christmas treat until well after the holidays. And then I just don't feel like blogging it (though I download them faithfully). Well, not this year, by God.
Ballard C. Boyd is a writer and director (currently working for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, I hear). In his spare time, he likes to do a little Uke Pop (who doesn't). This is another case of someone who really enjoys making Christmas tunes and that joy comes through the speakers and takes up residence in your heart and head. Sometimes we get an original Ballard C. Boyd Christmas tune and sometimes not. On this year's joy filled platter, "There's Noel In Christmas". we get two tunes we know from the Spector Christmas album and what may well be the first recorded cover of JD McPherson's "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)". If Ballard is indeed working on The Late Show, now, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" seems especially appropriate. Darlene Love used to give us an annual appearance on the show while Letterman was hosting--welcoming in the holiday with her seminal Christmas song. I hear tell Mr. Boyd may have recorded that one in The Ed Sullivan Theater. Good for him. The third song is a whistling version of "Marshmallow World". Three great songs that go great together. All of Mr. Boyd's previous Christmas EPs remain available and free. And you'll find them all at his website. 
The BBC's Shaun Keaveny, who hosts the breakfast show, wrote a Christmas song. Because, you know, that's something on just about everyone's bucket list, right? Of course, when I write a Christmas song, I get to entertain Mrs. Katz (not her real name)--if I'm lucky (because she really hates my music). But, if you're Shaun Keaveny, you know people. People like former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, Level 42's bass player Mark King, and former Menswear drummer Matt Everitt, And, oh yeah, Rod Stewart. He sings a bit, you know. "Please Don't Get Me Anything For Christmas"--with its all-star cast--was then produced by Grammy winner Steve Levine, who has previously worked with the Beach Boys and Culture Club. Considering the talent involved, it should come as no surprise that the song is really, really good. Not quite "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", but a very hook laden Christmas song with a big sound, like they do in the UK. And the BBC has made the song available as a free download. Keep in mind that BBC freebies don't usually last too long, so waste no time and fly over to the BBC's website and read all about it.
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. 
London based singer/songwriter Sasha Brown is known for producing delicious Electro Pop that is not just candy to the ears and fuel for dancing feet, but also has some emotional depth via generally excellent lyrics. Last year, Sasha gave us a video of "Santa Baby" which was't all that different or memorable. Of course, covering "Santa Baby" these days is a bad idea from the outset. Just sayin'. This year, Sasha delivers her own "Christmas Morning" and what a difference a year makes. This is the kind of Christmas tune you can live with for a while--the kind of tune that says we'll be hearing from Sasha for many years to come. The song's original title was "Sunday Morning", but Sasha decided to re-title and rework it and that turned out to be a great move. There's a video coming soon, but the free download is already here via Soundcloud.
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.  If there's a thing as an Indie Pop superstar, that would be Ellie Goulding. She's topped the British charts and gotten as high as #2 on the US charts more than once and she's sold millions upon millions of records. The British magazine, The Fly, praised Ellie in 2010 for her "sparkling pop with a folky heart and an electronic edge". So when Ellie offers up a free Christmas tune, I sit up and take notice. There's nothing particularly folky or electronic about "O Holy Night"--it's just a beautiful traditional rendition. To get the free download of "O Holy Night", you will have to register here, but that basically means you surrender your email address which we Christmas Music hounds do all the time anyway.
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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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