1. JD McPherson - Bad Kid 2. Lucious - Christmas Time Is Here 3. Rodney Crowell - Christmas Everywhere 4. The Gregory Brothers - I Don't Want Anything For Christmas 5. Aloe Blacc - The Mrs. Saved Christmas 6. Lola Kirke - Cross You Off My List 7. The Mavericks - I Have Wanted You For Christmas 8. Say Sue Me - Christmas It's Not A Biggie 9. The Squirrel Nut Zippers - Mardi Gras For Christmas 10. P.J. Morton - This Christmas 11. Caroline Jones - The First Noel 12. Old 97's - Love The Holidays 13. Taken By Trees - Holiday |
The first of, hopefully, many holiday samplers has arrived--this one from Paste Magazine. As Lie In The Sound correctly notes, the Paste Holiday Samplers had lost a little luster in recent years, but they've put together a solid package for 2018. Yes, I fully expected to see selections from the excellent albums from JD McPherson and Rodney Crowell as they've been everywhere this year (and the great thing for them is that, even if they gave away every track for free, you'd STILL want to buy the CDs...they're that good). Other major acts pitching in include The Mavericks and Old 97's. But we also get selections from the Soulful dishes being served up this year by P.J. Morton and Aloe Blacc. And, for Indie fans, there's great music here from Say Sue Me, Lola Kirke and Taken By Trees. And let's not minimize the selections from Lucious, The Gregory Brothers, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Caroline Jones. Gee, I think that's everybody. Not a throwaway in the bunch, though some tracks will appeal more to one audience and others to another. But very nice balance on that score. Well done, Paste! Keep up the good work.
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When you talk about seldom covered Christmas songs, "Donde Esta Santa Claus?" (originally done by Augie Rios in 1958) ranks right up there. And, even when it's covered, it's covered as a Kids song (which, let's face it, it is) or as a Rock parody. Rarely, if ever, is "Donde Esta Santa Claus?" covered with the sweetness Stacey Randol brings to the song.
Stacey is an Indie Folk Pop artist whose debut record arrived in 2011. She's originally from Nashville and she's flown under the radar of most (including me) for far too long. Now "Donde Esta Santa Claus?" is the oldest of THREE Stacey Randol Christmas songs (dating back to 2012, I think, or thereabouts) that you can pick up free at Noisetrade. You can also get a very Americana "Winter Wonderland" (2014) and her latest, "That Spirit of Christmas" (2017), which is also quite nice. But, as I said up top, you just don't hear sweet Indie Folk Pop covers of "Donde Esta Santa Claus?" very often, so that's the one I'm going with. But you don't have to choose. You'll find all three at Noisetrade.
After losing what, from my perspective, was better than two days to computer issues or whatever they were, I'm way behind on everything and got a lot of catching up to do. But the first thing I saw this morning was this lovely Synth Pop version of Greg Lake's "I Believe In Father Christmas" from Curxes. You may or may not recall that we used their 2012 Christmas single "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" on our Christmas In July collection.
To my ears, Curxes was always a little bit sad and a little bit Punk...which makes for an interesting mix (though, to be fair, that could just be me). So "I Believe In Father Christmas", which was always a bit...wistful, now sounds (to me) completely full of a kind of post-apocalyptic regret. Like, hey, remember Christmas before we dropped the bomb? Yeah, I might be in need of some therapy. The good news is that this Curxes Christmas present is name-your-price at Bandcamp.
Remember when the world was young and Indie was, too? I'm far from an expert, but I've always pinned the Golden Age of Indie as being between 1995 and 2005 (that's probably because that's the time, in my life, when the internet truly became the internet). The sounds were fresh and vital, raw and full of energy (in a different way than the Punk years). There was a sense that you could do anything, musically. And, hey, odds were long you'd ever be famous, but that was always the case.
In the midst of that time and scene, there was, in the southwest part of England, the legendary Moles Club. Moles hosted a live music and club night called Purr on Thursday nights. It was where bands like The Long Blondes ("Christmas Is Cancelled") got their start. Purr also spawned a record label of the same name. In 2001 and 2002, Purr created a couple of Christmas CDs...a 4-song EP "Here Comes Santa Paws" in 2001 and a full 14 song collection in 2002, "Gold, Frankincense and Purr". The curator of these discs was none other than Gareth Jones who, these days, helps to put the Cherryade collections together. And Gareth has decided that the time has come for the Purr collections to see the light of day once again. Not only that, but they're available as a FREE download on Bandcamp.
Most of the bands are no longer together, but you may recognize a few names if you followed the music at all in those days. I know I have the Velodrome 2000 track somewhere...I think. But most of these will likely be as fresh as the new fallen snow to most of you. So download, listen, and remember when the world was young. Well....younger at any rate.
1. Motel - Father Sean
2. The Abrahams - He Was The Boy 3. Summerteeth - Who Stole Christmas From The Kids 4. Vic Twenty - Christmas In Korea 5. James Kochalka Superstar - Christmas Wishes 6. Ex-Rental - December (Dubious End-Of-Term Disco Mix) 7. Velodrome 2000 - Christmas Sucks 8. The Seven Inches - Christmas Things 9. Bucky - (I'm A) Little Snowflake 10. People With Eyes - Santa Claus' Daughter 11. The Electroluvs - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence 12. Motormark - This Is Christmas Day 13. James Kochalka Superstar - Sleighride To Heck 14. Slayed - Merry Xmas Everybody 15. The Blue Minkies - Lonely This Christmas 16. [Keyop] - (I'll Be) Dead By Christmas 17. Ricky Spontane - Sleighbells, Glitter And Glue 18. The Lollies - (You Could Make) An Angel Sigh Ancient carols done up in Synth Pop style? Count me in. Eric C. Powell is no newcomer to Synth Pop, having led the 90s band Turning Key, who opened for such acts as Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons and Depeche Mode. Now living in Austin, Texas (where, it turns out, there's a thriving synthwave community) Eric is turning out solo albums like "Back To Life". His new Christmas single "O Come Emmanuel" featuring wife Andrea Powell, is currently a name-your-price download at Bandcamp, as is the 1987 (pre-Turning Key) demo recording of "A Wonderful Christmas". (To get the songs for free, click on "buy track" for each song.)
Missed her in 2014, caught up with her in 2015, remembered in 2016, and 2017 you know about. Ah, but it's 2018. And that means it's time to check in with Miranda Dodson and her "living" Christmas collection, "It's Merry Christmas Time".
This year Miranda has added two songs to the collection that now numbers 10. Miranda gives "White Christmas" an Indie Alt Country spin, but I was especially taken by her rendition of "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear". I mean, first of all, there's just something about the banjo and old carols. But if you don't absolutely lose it when the choir of angels join in, I think there's something wrong with you. Miranda says she grew up a choir nerd and it kinda shows, here. And that's a good thing.
Most of all, though, it's that voice. Miranda Dodson has a voice that could melt the hardest heart.
And it's also nice to be reminded of how good all of her earlier Christmas recordings are. "O Holy Night" still gets me every time. And her originals, "It's Merry Christmas Time" and "Christmas Glow" should be standards by now. Pick up the entire "It's Merry Christmas Time" collection from Bandcamp, or just add the songs you need to keep you up to date. By the way, any proceeds raised will go to VELA, a non-profit that empowers families with special needs children. So it wouldn't hurt to drop a dollar in the pot. Just sayin'. Might even get you off Santa's "Naughty List". Look for Miranda's next full-length album, expected in May 2019. And, hey, since I was out of commission last year, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is new to me, too.
The Royal Oui are an Indie Alt Folk duo from Seattle. And you know that nobody does "Alternative" better than Seattle. But here's a twist. The songs on The Royal Oui's "Holiday Sampler" were recorded for Hallmark movies. So they might be a little Indie Poppier than their usual fare. But that's cool. I dig a good Pop song. Always have, always will.
Of late I find myself addicted to Hallmark Christmas movies. Don't know why. It's all just one plot, really. But they seem a heck of a lot better at home than they were from a hospital bed. One thing does trouble me. Have you ever noticed that there are no unattractive people in Hallmark movies? Not even the extras. C'mon Hallmark. Ugly people need Christmas, too. Anyway, I believe "Up On The Housetop" was done for the fans in 2014. But the other songs appear in Trading Christmas (2011), Hitched For The Holidays (2012), and Murder She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery (2015). So watch and listen for them. Or just download The Royal Oui's "Holiday Sampler" free from Noisetrade.
I'm a cat person, but lately songs about dogs have been touching my soft chewy center. So let others tell you about the A-side of this free holiday single from Milwaukee's Nathan Honore, I want to shine a spotlight on the virtual flip, "Song For A Dog In December". It's a sweet little ode to life from a dog's point of view...which is mostly waiting.
And there really isn't much more to the song than that. But for "December" in the title and some bright and shiny "ding" sounds in the song, you wouldn't think it a Christmas song at all. But I totally get it. Missy Katz still shows signs of the trauma from the month I spent in the hospital. Imagine that sun going up and down for 30 days and waiting...and waiting...and waiting. She physically can't stand to be alone, anymore. She sleeps on my chest, which isn't always comfortable for me. But it's like she's holding on to me with all her might. And, no, she wasn't at all like this before my month in the hospital. She used to be all "You're going somewhere? Whatever." I feel so bad for her. Heck, I feel guilty when I go to the mailbox to get the mail. So, please, remember your pets. Not just at Christmas, but every day. They're people, too.
The A-side? That would be "Christmas Eve", which is a really nice song in it's own right. But it's no "Song For A Dog In December". But that's just the opinion of me and Missy Katz. Next Paperback Hero's Christmas single is name-your-price at Bandcamp, with any proceeds raised going to the Hunger Task Force.
When our friends at Christmas Underground were reviewing a track on a 2013 collection from Illinois' Brown Bear Records, recently, they sent me a link to this charming little shuffle from Dustin Zell. Although it took me a few days to write it up, how could I resist a song called "Stubby Christmas"? Of course I couldn't.
Dustin Zell is a ghost online. Other than assorted Brown Bear collections, I couldn't find out anything about him. So be it. "Stubby Christmas" is about a Christmas gift. As innocent and sweet as the music is, the lyrics are a bit...um...concerning. His gift goes "stab, stab, stab". Then it's a baseball bat that goes "swing, swing, swing". Sounds like one of those dolls from the Chuckie franchise. I mean, you know, the intent here seems violent. But maybe I'm just reading too much into it. Maybe the person receiving these gifts needed a knife to carve the turkey and and and loves to play softball. Still, it's a fun little tune, even if the word "Stubby" never appears in the actual lyrics. Feel free to check out all three Brown Bear Christmas collections--2013, 2014, 2015--or just download "Stubby Christmas" by Dustin Zell. It's all free at Bandcamp.
Here's some sweet Indie Pop from Italy. In fact, this sounds like the kind of tune that would be included on the annual Polaroid collection I love so much (Polaroid being an Italian music blog). But, being as it was released Christmas Day last year, it wasn't.
Other than the fact that they're from Italy, I've been unable to learn anything about The Chilly Willies. But that doesn't at all mean we can't enjoy the delightful "Xmas Holidays (I Just Pretend Some Snow)". Near as I can figure out, the protagonist is on holiday at one of the moderate beach areas on Italy's west coast (in the central or southern portions where winters are relatively warm with temperatures in the fifties). And, Christmas being such a magical time, he can't help but feel it would be easier to approach a girl if it felt more like Christmas. So he pretends some snow. See? Don't fall for the false ending and download the song free at Bandcamp. |
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