London Indie Pop/Dream Pop outfit Night Flowers is out with a name-your-price charity single. Although you can download Night Flowers' cover of the Pretenders' "2000 Miles" for free, any proceeds raised will go to CALM. The Campaign Against Living Miserably is a suicide prevention organization in the UK. Night Flowers does a real nice job on "2000 Miles". One thing I noticed--might even be unrelated--one of Night Flowers' tags is "shoegaze" and, although it never occurred to be before, "2000 Miles" is kinda shoegazey...in'it? In any case, this charity single can be found on Bandcamp. And feel free to donate directly.
This was covered by Christmas Underground, last year. Of course, you may have been around last year, but I wasn't. Anyway, this deserves the extra attention. And, if I do decide to do a Stubby's mix this Christmas, something like this would almost certainly have to be on it.
You know, normally, when I go to listen to Christmas music online, I'm hoping for something really good. I want it to be good. I want to will it to be good. Naturally, I'm disappointed more often than not. And you sometimes wonder about unrealistic expectations. But I desperately wanted to hate this. I dunno. One of the tags is "drone" and I'm not big on "drone". But another tag was "dream pop" and I love "dream pop". Alright, I'll give it a chance. I was determined to hate it. First note, boom, I hate it already. 10 seconds in, I'm scoffing. 30 seconds in, I'm thinking, "interesting." After about a minute and a half, I'm swooning. "Oh my God, this is the best thing I've ever heard! I love this! I want this! I need this!" Husbands is an Oklahoma City band and, as the title might suggest, "Xmas 2" is their second Christmas set (2013's "Xmas" being the first). "Xmas" (which I only listened to after hearing "Xmas 2") shows a band with an idea. "Xmas 2" shows that idea fully realized. The record is meant to be listened to as an entire piece, drifting dreamily from originals to seasonal standards totally re-imagined so that they're completely familiar and completely new at the same time with soundscapes expertly weaved into the fabric such that they seem random and not random at all. My analogies always bug somebody, if not everybody, but the sensation of listening to "Xmas 2" most reminded me of hearing The Beatles' "Abbey Road" for the first time...except it's a Christmas album! And the true test of a record like this is "does it make me feel like Christmas"? And, boy, does it ever! If you visit our Festive Friends, as we always hope you do, then you already grabbed this after Christmas Underground reviewed it last year. If not, nothing I say here matters. Just listen. And then download it. And then listen again. And again and again and ag--hey, it's Christmas already! Husbands, I'm not entirely sure what you guys are up to but, please, never stop.
Rochester Indies The Gifted Children take some 80s Christmas classics out for a spin. I think they're at their best when completely reimagining the songs as on the Shoegazey and Dream Poppy "Wonderful Christmas Time" and "Christmas In Hollis". Their Loungey Chill "Last Christmas" works well, too. Happy to see someone cover Kate Bush's "December Will Be Magic Again," but I would have liked to see them get a little crazier with it. All in all, not a bad little record to name your price for. Poke around a bit and you'll find Volumes 5 & 7.
I guess we're fully international today as Ummagma is a Canadian/Ukranian duo. "Winter Tale" shows the Dream Pop pair are finding their "voice" (so to speak), stripping away some of the devices hey've used on earlier recordings to fully showcase their layering skills and, of course, the ethereal vocals of Shauna McLarnon (she being, presumably, the Canadian half, while Alexander Kretov is the Ukranian half).
"Winter Tale", a name-your-price download from Bandcamp, features a pair of re-mixes from Dream Pop pioneer A.R. Kane who, to my untrained ears, seems to put a little more Shoegaze into one and a little more Ambient into the other. They're all dreamy and fascinating but I have to say it's rare you hear re-mixes that sound so completely different than the original. Very cool stuff. 
We've got a pair of Christmas songs from the Alt Rock/Indie Pop LA band Rat Fancy. I know these songs have gotten plenty of exposure on the other Christmas web sites, but they're far too good for me not to join the chorus. And you know something? These are ready made for a Snowflakes single, as we've got the original "You Stole My Xmas Sweater" and the cover of the Ramones' "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)". You'll have to download each one separately but, hey, they won't even ask for your email address, so I prefer "thank you". Just get 'em while you can. You'll find "You Stole My Xmas Sweater" here and "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)" here. Rat Fancy just signed with Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records and their debut EP "Suck A Lemon" will be coming in 2017. Keep an ear out for it. And stop by the Rat Fancy Facebook page and let the band know how much you like them.
1. Bacio - I Can't Wake Up At Dawn
2. Ages - Kafeklubbin' 3. The Only Ghost In Town - Snowfall 4. The Classic Brown - The City, The Country and Me 5. Joy Riding - Empty Fingers 6. By Surprise - Cult of Seasonality 7. It's A King Thing - Israel and the New Breed 8. Mark Martucci - Maybe It's Still Christmas 9. Aspiga - Momentary Flashes 10. Chainsaw - Good Friend (free) 11. Dave Damm - An Audio Christmas Story Christmas, 2008 12. Endor Endor - The Meek 13. The Not Fur Longs - We Wish You a Marley Christmas 14. The Pizza Carolers - Meet Me In Dilworth Park 15. Only On Weekends - Christmastime In Kingston Falls 16. Somerdale - Merry Christmas Time DOWNLOAD FROM BANDCAMP  The Arbor Christmas Show cast performs at the Audubon Auction House in 2012 | Photo by Mark Martucci | markmartucciphoto.com
It's year 17 for the Arbor Christmas collection and, damn, if this ain't the best one yet. If "I Can't Wake Up At Dawn" from Bacio don't light your Christmas fire, well....what the heck is wrong with you?
The "Arbor Christmas" collections showcase some of the finest Indie music in Southern New Jersey. Like Santa's elves, they work on this project all year long and then there's a live show that's pretty much the biggest celebration of the season and there are actual CDs, there (and nowhere else ever again). This year's show is TONIGHT at the Holy Saviour Gymnasium in Westmont, NJ (generally 7-11). Oh, yeah, this is all for charity, yo (the money goes to The Arbor Foundation, run by The Life Raft Group, in support of those with GIST and their families and survivors, in memory and name of Jon Montague, whose idea the show originally was). Jon passed away of GIST (a cancer that attacks the GI tract) after the first two shows, but everyone had pledged that, for Jon, the show would go on. And go on it has. And when I say show, I mean show. In the early years, bands were confused, thinking they'd play full sets and that it was just music. But, every year, they write a show--an S-H-O-W, show--an original script which usually has something to do with Christmas and the year just passed. Holy Heck, I can only imagine what they'll be doing this year. For the rest of us, we get the benefit of a free collection of great Christmas music, pretty much all of it original (I'd have to check, honestly). If you're late to the party, all 17 volumes are still available, though, beyond the year of release, there is a price for the albums (in the interest of helping to raise money for The Arbor Foundation). As for this year's, I went through real quick and can't say there was anything I didn't like. Seriously, I'd hate to even mention one track, lest I not mention the others. But that opening track is killer. And it's all uphill from there. If I'm not mistaken, track 11 sounds like a bit of one of the earlier shows. Maybe not. Anyway, get this at Bandcamp and name-your-price. Feeling especially charitable? Go buy some of the other volumes of "Arbor Christmas". You really can't go wrong.
The Bartlett is a live music venue in Spokane, Washington. Not a huge place, but not a hole-in-the-wall either. A nice mid-size bar and live music place. It appears they have some appetizers at the bar, but I'm not sure what. I do know they've managed some pretty well known acts...David Bazan, Polyphonic Spree, Bonnie Pribce Billy, The Cave Singers, and more.
They opened in 2014 and, I guess to help get the word out, they put out a little free Christmas EP on Bandcamp at the end of the year. This is year 3 for "Bartlett Christmas" so now it qualifies as a tradition. My mind is telling me that the first year's was fairly folksy (but my mind does lie...a lot). Last year's collection was memorable for a couple of less folksy numbers...Wonder's "Cathedral Pearls" and Loomer's Shoegazy cover of XTC's "Thanks For Christmas". Volume 3 is a nice mix of both the Indie Folk and Indie Rock. I instantly fell in love with Folkinception's "358 Days", which demonstrates that lots of people dread Christmas for lots of different reasons. The kid who has to give up his bed for a week to his Uncle, the man who lost the woman he loved to his brother. It's been 358 days Since this godawful year began All I really want for the very next one Is for Christmas to just go away That's followed by a winning bit of Synth Pop from Lavoy, "Merry Christmas I Miss You". Americana from Prarie War and Jenny Anne Mannan is balanced by the Alt Rock of Violet Catastrophe. Mini Murders offer up a Dream Pop "Under The Ice" and the festivities close with Curran Long's heartfelt Indie spin on "I'll Be Home For Christmas". The balance offered by this year's "Bartlett Christmas" makes it a worthy entry, even if it weren't free...which it is. Grab it from Bandcamp. And pivk up the first two volumes while you're there. 
1. The Diamond Center - Christmas Is Here
2. Soft Science - Marshmallow World 3. Bummer & Lazarus - A World Without Christmas 4. Josh Goodman - Christmas In The Valley 5. Bright Ideas - When You Think About Christmas Time 6. 2014 - You Gotta Love Christmas 7. Dylan Barnes - O Holy Night 8. Red Hot Fire - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm 9. Knock Knock - White Christmas (Fog Version) 10. Charles Albright - White Christmas Minority 11. Gangee - Festivus (For The Rest Of Us) 12. The Strange Party - N(eg)ativity 13. Andy Tate - All I Want 14. Dylan Barnes - White Christmas 15. Danny Offer - The Christmas Party 16. Kittens Having Kittens - It's Warmer When You're Near 17. The Crow Canyon Boys - You Left Me On Christmas 18. The Enlows - Winterman 19. Matt Crap (from The MOANS) - Scary Christmas To All (And To All A Ghoul Night) 20. White Women Love Jazz - Yule Shoot Your Eye Out 21. The Ninja Family Orchestra - Jingle Bells DOMESTIC HONEY BLOG 22. Dylan Barnes - Carol Of The Bells FREE DOWNLOAD FROM BANDCAMP 23. The Croissants - Corn Cob Pipe PURCHASE CASSETTE FROM BANDCAMP 24. Tell el-Armana - First To Arrive 25. Han's Father - Christmas On Tatooine 26. The Caganers - (Poo Poo) Caga Tio 27. The Four Eyes - The Christmas Mash 28. Dylan Barnes - Silent Night
Remember this one? "A Christmas Comp For You From Sacramento" was the subject of a post we did years ago called "Stubby's Holiday Screw-Up". Feel free to look back at laugh, if you have a free moment. Earlier this year, the guy who put this together contacted me (having just learned that we had featured him back then). He had long wondered, he said, how people from all over the place had ever heard about this very, very local project done for fun. Well, he seems to think Stubby's had something to do with it. Maybe, maybe not. But the BIG news is that the comp is FREE TO DOWNLOAD AGAIN! YAY! And they had a new supply of cassettes, but they've been selling well and I see they're down to 3 remaining. If you must buy, run right over. If a free download'll do ya, well, hell, run right over. You never know when I'm going to screw up again. And, rather than write it up new, here's what I originally said about the album before I screwed up.
I have to say this is one of the most fun collections of Christmas music I've heard this year [2014]. Domestic Honey is, according to his profile, "just a dude in Sacramento that tricks his friends into recording stuff he can put out." It was as recently as September that this "dude" (Cody Scott) decided to go for it--get a bunch of local Sacramento musicians and bands to write and record Christmas music. So they definitely made good time. The music covers the Indie waterfront, with most of it tending toward Rock and Pop (but there's lots of variety). With so little time to pull it together, there's a raw sound to the compilation, with a few tracks in the Lo Fi range. And every song has its charm. This reminds me of a lot of early Indie Pop and Indie Rock. The spirit's there. I can't even tell you the highlights. It's easier to tell you the tracks I don't like......there were none. On a collection of 28 tracks, do you know how hard that is to pull off? It's a million to one shot. The songs are mostly short (some clocking in at under a minute) and Dylan Barnes' organ interludes are a special added delight.
Zombie lovers, there's a track for you from Matt Crap of the Moans. Star Wars fans, you're covered. And there's Lo Fi Alt Bluegrass from The Crow Canyon Boys. Or maybe its Punk Bluegrass. Who even knew there was such a thing? Electronica? Yeah, we got that from White Women Love Jazz (and, ok, that was my least favorite). Bummer and Lazarus rework a Peter & Gordon classic into "A World Without Christmas". The Four Eyes give a spritely Alt Rock version of "The Monster Mash". And the "Silent Night" closing is priceless ("Dylan, keep going damn it, I'm not done"). "A Christmas Comp For You" has got something for just about everybody. Now, true enough, I like more things than I don't. But I think even the biggest Grinch is going to find at least 6 or 7 tracks, here, that they absolutely love. And, if you can't find just one--just ONE--song, here, to use on your mixtapes, I dunno; I'd have to guess you're too conventional for my taste. It's free, for crap sake. Just download it and try it on for size. You'll find "A Christmas Comp For You" on Bandcamp.  AS HE SAID
I've been so busy, I haven't had time to check in with any of the Advent Calendars (except for Lie In The Sound, cuz I love those people). One of the longer running and more interesting Advent countdowns is the Alternativ Julekalender, which is "hosted"(?) by Arne, Jonny, and Stian and has been since 2007, I think. They are the people behind the Scandanavian Indie label Riot Factory. From the first of December to the 25th, they post a song a day to Soundcloud that you're free to download. Usually the old calendars remain available, too. It's remembering to check every day that sometimes becomes the issue. And it's fairly typical for me to catch it on day one, catch up right around the middle, and then go back and catch up again around New Years. But you know, if we forget to check, they might stop doing it. And nobody wants that. They post some fascinating stuff, some of it in Norweigian (but lots in English)--from sweet Indie Pop to very Heavy Metal and everything in between and on both sides. It's very cool. Will you like it all? Maybe not. But its one of those things where, if you pay attention, you will come out with a few "this is my new favorite of all time" cuts. And isn't that why we're all here? We'll try to remember to update this post as we get more. Just click on "Advent Calendar" on the categories menu to your right to get back here (or to any others we post). I'll note that a couple of these do not appear to be downloadable at the moment (just Days 6 and 10, right now), so perhaps they're including streams or maybe you only get one day to download those. Hey, I'll take 10 out of 12 any day.
Up top is my favorite so far this year. The group As He Said with an original song about coming home, "Quiet". I liked the song so much, I immediately hit up their other Soundcloud tunes and then headed out to their Facebook page. The group ranges from Indie Pop to Alt Rock to Synth Pop and back to Dream Pop. They say their lyrics are very intimate and vulnerable and the sounds are whatever the four of them come up with. Whatever they're doing, they need to keep doing it. It's trippy and lush and wonderful. As He Said should soon be releasing their first ever EP--hopefully something I can buy from here in the States. Remember the name. As He Said. And, if you want some more beautiful Christmas music from As He Said, check the video on their Facebook page for "Nordnorsk Julesalme", which translates to North Norwegian Christmas Psalm. Too bad I can't embed it here. Really and truly beautiful. 
1. Tre Små Kinesere - Nedsnødd på Julaften [Snowbound On Christmas Eve]
2. Drango - Carrol of the Bells 3. Gourm£t - Bare God Mat (m Harry Mayne) [Just Good Food] 4. Tapewind - Away in a Manger 5. Pom Poko - Lemon 6. FOG (Frukt og Grønt) - Auroras Rolle 7. Dear Esther - Papillon 8. Black Moon Circle - The Sun Is Coming Back 9. As He Said - Quiet 10. Samū - Sundown 11. Herman Wildhagen - All I See 12. Moon Like Bell - We Don't Swim 13. Christoffer Øien - I'll Be Home For Christmas 14. Kristoffer Lo - Alternativ Julekalender 2016 
I may have mentioned once or twice that I've not been listening to the music offerings on some of the other sites, this year, because I'm just so short of time (and very poor at time management, apparently). But, when I do stumble upon them myself, I do feel compelled to share them. So let it be officially recognized that Christmas Underground had this free Christmas single almost a full week ago. I hope you're visiting them (and Christmas A Go Go and Lie In The Sound and Mistletunes) every day. I hope you visit Merry & Bright, too, though they're doing something entirely different (they do it well).
That said, this two song "Christmas" single from London Dream Pop band Night Flowers is too gorgeous to ignore. Although its "name your price", which can mean free, know that proceeds raised will all be going to MIND and Teenage Cancer Trust. So drop a penny in the pot and get a big smile from the man or woman ringing the bell. That way, everybody wins. All that said, it is singles like this one that make the annual hunting worthwhile. They are beautiful, original, and good enough to stand the test of time (whether they will or not, only time will tell). Both songs were recorded on a home 8-track. The A-side is down tempo while the music on the flip is up tempo. Both songs are rooted in the tradition of British Christmas songs without being the least derivative. And both are perfectly accessible to all. If there was true justice in the world, Niight Flowers' "Christmas" would be the UK's "Christmas Number One". Night Flowers has an instinctual feel for music. While their sound is thoroughly now, you can tell they absorbed an awful lot from those who went before them. When they add a dose of Shoegaze, as they do on the B-side "Christmas Eve", it isn't an end unto itself but a way of seasoning the music to make it stand out. Same goes for the Dream Pop on the A-side, "To Rest". "To Rest" is Indie Pop that has Dream Pop hues and "Christmas Eve" is Indie Pop that has Shoegaze coloring. It isn't an original observation of mine, by any means (it was Chad Jewett at The Line of Best Fit; credit where credit's due), but the name Night Flowers suits this band as their songs open up like flowers blooming right before your ears. These two songs have that element I always speak of--they combine the longing of the season with hopefulness. They're wistful and wishful. Amen to that. Go grab this pair of classics-to-be at Bandcamp. |
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