Category: Chanukah

REN GEISICK - REN'S WINTER WONDERLAND 2018

12/21/2018

Another old friend, and this one a Jazz vocalist. We checked in with Ren Geisick back in 2016 and the occasion was much the same, in that Ren has made a tradition of performing an annual Winter Wonderland show. But, in a few short years, the California singer has clearly grown as an artist and there's a "genre be damned" feel to this current live set as she weaves from Jazz to Soul to a bit of Americana and back again, getting downright bluesy on "Santa Claus Is Back In Town". It's worth noting that her 2016 "Feels Like Christmas" was free back when we spoke about it, but is no longer. Therefore, I'd advise moving quickly on "Ren's Winter Wonderland 2018", if you hear something you like. And this one has twice the music, too.

Highlights on a quick listen include the previously mentioned "Santa Claus Is Back In Town", "That's What I Want For Christmas", "The Christmas Song", and the originals--"Coming' Down Christmas" (written by Jon Dryden) and Ren's own "Feels Like Christmas" and "I'm With You And It's Christmas Too". Kudos for the lack of "Baby It's Cold Outside". And, to top it all off, Ren includes TWO songs for Hanukkah, adding a cover of Sharon Jones' "8 Days of Hanukkah" to the repertoire (the show was recorded on December 2, the first night of Hanukkah this year). There's all the passion and twice the confidence in Ren's performance this year vs. two years ago, and the band is better than ever.

All in all, a very nice surprise and an enjoyable listen this close to Christmas. "Ren's Winter Wonderland 2018" from Ren Geisick is currently name-your-price at Bandcamp.

0 Comments

VARIOUS - LOUDSPEAKER'S HOLIDAY GRAB BAG

12/11/2018

2 Comments

Any radio geeks out there? Radio call signs are 4 letters long. In the east, they start with "W", in the west it's "K". But out San Diego way is a radio station whose call sign is XETRA. 91X is an Alternative Rock station and on Sunday Nights they host the Loudspeaker program. Loudspeaker has put together a yuuuge collection of the kinds of Christmas songs they like to play. Some old, some new. All with attitude. MC Flow's "Pot In The Latkes"? It's in here. How about "It's A Tom Waits Christmas" from Pony Death Ride? Yep, got that too. You got yer Punk, you got yer Rap, you got yer Alt Country. And, of course, you've got all manner of Alt Rock. I'm rather partial to "This Christmas" by Louis XIV. And for a truly retro feel, take Dave Scott's "Christmas With You". 26 tracks in all. It's a "Holiday Grab Bag" and everybody's comin'. On Bandcamp.

1.   MC Flow - Pot In The Latkes
2.   Safety Orange - Frosty The Snowman
3.   Pony Death Ride - Hobby Lobby
4.   The Frights - I Want Christmas Everyday
5.   Dave Scott - Christmas With You
6.   A Scribe Amidst The Lions - Evil Santa
7.   Bad Credit - Two Fat Beats
8.   Jason Lee and the Riptides - Coronado Christmas
9.   Louis XIV - This Christmas
10. Pony Death Ride - It's A Tom Waits Christmas
11. The Tighten Ups - Christmas Eve Booty Call
12. Red Flag - Xmas Tree Graveyard
13. Get Back Loretta - Poor Folks Christmas
14. The Nervous Wreckords - All I Want For Chri$tma$ Is $$$
15. Joel Piper - Joy To The World
16. Cathryn Beeks - This Time Next Year
17. The Sugar Plum Punks - Oi To The World
18. Bart Mendoza - Warm This Winter
19. Action Andy - Drunk Every Day For Christmas
20. Red Flag - Black Xmas
21. Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates - A Sled Ride Tonight
22. Marie Haddad - Holiday Cheer!
23. MDRN HSTRY - Merry Mash-Up
24. Hocus - It's Christmas Time
25. Hocus - Ugh, Christmas
26. Tim Pyles - The Night Before Christmas

2 Comments

THE MAPLE STREET PROJECT - CHANUKAH ON MAPLE STREET

10/29/2018

0 Comments

First, as a public service announcement, we remind you that Hanukkah begins at sundown December 2, this year--so it's just over a month away.

Back when Hanukkah music hunting was young (for me, anyway), choices were slim. There were a small handful of Jazz tunes, a small handful of Alt Rock tunes, a couple of Novelty records, fewer Folk songs than you'd think, and Adam Sandler. And a lot of what was out there were variations on "Dreidel", "Hanukkah O Hannukah", and "Ma'oz Tzur". So, when "Chanukah On Maple Street" by Boston's The Maple Street Project was released in 2003, I jumped on it.

"Chanukah On Maple Street" wasn't just a Folk Chanukah record. The members of the group challenged themselves to each write original songs for the record, and 4 of them did so. So that's four original Hanukkah Folk tunes, rounded out with traditional songs "Ma'oz Tzur", "Rockin' Dreydle", and "Donna Donna" (the original CD also included the traditional "Chanukah Nigun", which only ran 1:25, and a cover of Peter Yarrow's "Light One Candle"). The CDs sold out quick and the album drifted into non-existence for any who didn't snag it. And The Maple Street Project also ceased to be, at some point, after playing from the 80's through the aughts--3 of its members going on to form the group Side Street and guitarist Mel Green embarking on a solo career. But last year, the former members of The Maple Street Project posted "Chanukah On Maple Street" to Bandcamp as a "name-your-price" download.

Maybe I'm the only Christmas music collector who gives a hoot about Hanukkah music, but I'd recommend taking advantage of this "name-your-price" download anyway. It's not on Amazon or itunes and it won't be available forever. It's all fun, but the highlights include the original "Light On The Hill" (written by Mel Green) and the traditional "Donna Donna", both of which sound a bit like Kingston Trio tracks. But the clear "winner"--and it was from the start--is Bob Littman's "Jelly Roll". It's a fun song, suitable for young and old, that showcases Judah Maccabee, latkes AND jelly donuts...and how many songs can you say that about?

1. Light On The Hill
2. Chanukah All Over The World
3. Night Of 8 Candles
4. Jelly Roll
5. Rockin' Dreydle
6. Donna Donna
7. Ma Oz Tzur

NAME-YOUR-PRICE AT BANDCAMP

0 Comments

THE HOLIDAY SCENE - EIGHT DATES A WEEK

12/24/2016

0 Comments

This is a nice sounding bit of Hanukkah Twee from The Holiday Scene, which is made up of some folks from the New York band Pale Lights and a few other folks. "Eight Dates A Week" is a holiday romance that starts, blooms, withers and dies over the eight nights of Hanukkah. And they said it wouldn't last. Well, I guess they were right. Neither of them sound too broken up about it. Still, nice song. Something non-traditional for the celebration. I mean, how much Hanukkah Twee have you heard? Catch it totally free on Bandcamp. But, if you're feeling charitable, they ask that you donate to Planned Parenthood.

0 Comments

NEW YORK BOYS CHOIR - LIGHT UP

12/22/2016

0 Comments

Last year, The New York Boys Choir were a Hanukkah hit with a Rock version of "Nes Gadol". This year, they've gone EDM on "Light Up". Not sure how that's gonna play out for them, but the download is free from Soundcloud.

0 Comments

LENNY BEIGE - (I WANNA DO) CHANUKAH WIT' JEW

12/19/2016

0 Comments

Hey, look, we found a song for Hanukkah. We've been looking high and low and we found one. And it's free; no gelt required.

You may not know the name Lenny Beige (aka Steven Furst) but, boy, they know him in England. A comedian, actor, writer, and founder of magazines and comedy and night clubs in the UK, Beige has starred on the stage, the radio, and the telly. The man gets more laughs with his toupee than many comedians can get with their best material. He's been called "Britain's one-man Rat Pack" and "the greatest entertainer working in the country today" (of course they could have been kidding). And Lenny's comedic turn on Vegas-era Anthony Newley won the praise of no less a potential critic than Newley's daughter, Tara.

"(I Wanna Do) Chanukah Wit' Jew" was a streaming track last Christmas (though I didn't see it then anyway), but, this year, you can download it free from Soundcloud. As Hanukkah songs go, this one is funky, fresh, funny and free. Dig in.

0 Comments

REN GEISICK - FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS (LIVE)

12/16/2016

1 Comment

1. Baby It's Cold Outside
2. Comin' Down Christmas
3. Light One Candle
4. Santa Claus is Back in Town
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
6. Feels Like Christmas
7. That's What I Want for Christmas
8. Winter Wonderland

REN GEISICK WEBSITE
REN GEISICK ON FACEBOOK
DOWNLOAD FROM BANDCAMP

Our friends at Santapalooza thought "Stubby would like this" and sent the link our way. And we thank them.

Ren Geisick is a young Jazz singer from California. She's currently finishing up her debut album which is expected to be released early in the new year. While Ren absorbed a lot listening to Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald growing up, she was also blown away by the music of Eva Cassidy, and some of Eva's style, primarily her emotional honesty, has inspired Ren's approach as well.

For the second year in a row, Ren took center stage at City Lights for a Christmas and seasonal program, "Ren's Winter Wonderland", and the the tracks on "Feels Like Christmas" were culled from the December 6 performance.

On the downside, I simply can't listen to "Baby It's Cold Outside" anymore. Forget the creepy aspects, it's just played out (you've had it with "Little Drummer Boy"? I'm done with "Baby It's Cold Outside"). They clearly have fun with it, but it doesn't help (for me). And "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" just comes off as a bit too Cabaret Jazz for my taste. But the band is solid throughout, Ren soars when she cuts loose (as on the Bluesy "Santa Claus Is Back In Town"), the two originals are fantastic (especially "Comin' Down Christmas", written by keyboard man Jon Dryden), and Ren and company shine on "That's What I Want For Christmas" (though I still maintain Dave's True Story did it best). And, if there needed to be any more here to recommend it, Ren included a Hanukkah song, Peter Yarrow's "Light One Candle". You can always impress me by remembering that there's a large group of folks who celebrate Hanukkah.

As a free (or name-your-price) download from Bandcamp, there's no reason not to recommend "Feels Like Christmas". But, for the affirmative case, tracks 2 through 4 alone are more exceptional than anything an awful lot of Jazz albums I've purchased can muster. I'm looking forward to hearing Ren Geisick's debut album next year.

1 Comment

VARIOUS - NOISETRADE HOLIDAY MIXTAPE 2016

12/14/2016

0 Comments

1. Sloan - Kids Come Back Again at Christmas
2. Saintseneca - All The Best
3. Sleeping At Last - I Heard The Bells
4. Andrew Belle - Back For Christmas
5. Brooke Annibale - This Holiday
6. Sugar & The Hi-Lows - Silent Night
7. Old Sea Brigade - Christmas Dream
8. Caroline Pennell - This Year (featuring Aaron Espe)
9. Miranda Dodson - Christmas Glow
10. Zaac Pick - Finding Christmas
11. Trella (featuring Corey Kilgannon & Jillian Edwards) - Christmas Eve, I'm Yours
12. The Walla Recovery - Go Tell It On The Moutain
13. Benjamin James - Do You Hear What I Hear
14. Jessica Martindale - Angels We Have Heard
15. Citizen Shade - What Child Is This
16. Katey Laurel - Deck The Halls
17. The Leevees - How Do You Spell Channukkahh
18. Charlie Christenson - Mistletoe

DOWNLOAD FROM NOISETRADE

So you say you're feeling down because the new Sloan Christmas single sold out before you could get one? Is that what's troubling you, bunky? Well lift your head up high and know that you can get a digital download of at least one side of the single for free.

"The Noisetrade 2016 Holiday Mixtape" has arrived and, right off the bat, they hit a home run by having Sloan's "Kids Come Home At Christmas". The collection has lots of other good Christmas music, too. Old favorites like Sleeping At Last, Andrew Belle and Sugar & The Hi-Lows are joined by artists you may be less familiar with like Saintsenaca, Old Sea Brigade, and Trelia. There's even a nod to the Festival of Lights as the LeeVees classic "How Do You Spell Channukkahh" is included. Sure, the star, here, is Sloan. But there are no loser tracks and it's all free. After a quick sample, I'd say it's well worth your while to check out Trelia and Benjamin James. One thing of note. The collection does not appear to be streamable, so you're going to have to download it to hear it. But that's not a great inconvenience, being as it is a free gifty.

0 Comments

The FREE List

Here 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.

REN GEISICK - REN'S WINTER WONDERLAND 2018

VARIOUS - LOUDSPEAKER'S HOLIDAY GRAB BAG

THE MAPLE STREET PROJECT - CHANUKAH ON MAPLE STREET

THE HOLIDAY SCENE - EIGHT DATES A WEEK

NEW YORK BOYS CHOIR - LIGHT UP

LENNY BEIGE - (I WANNA DO) CHANUKAH WIT' JEW

REN GEISICK - FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS (LIVE)

VARIOUS - NOISETRADE HOLIDAY MIXTAPE 2016

The FREE List

Archives

Categories