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CHARLOTTE CARPENTER - ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

1/24/2015

I'm on the hunt for Christmas music year round (usually) and we'll hopefully be active on the Free Page as the year progresses. But there's some clean-up work to be done and you'll have to update your RSS feeds when we start that page fresh for 2015. So, what the heck? It's January. Waitin' on the Super Bowl and Spring Training. We'll drop this freebie on the front page.

And it's a goodun, too.

No doubt, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" succeeded as well as it did because of its big retro Phil Spector kitchen sink sound. Great...the first 450 times you heard it. Now, its just kind of annoying.

UK Indie artist Charlotte Carpenter has a more low key, modern Indie take on the song that, son of a gun, makes it enjoyable again.

And who can argue with free Christmas music in January anyway? Am I right or am I right (or am I right)? Yeah, OK, we missed it when she posted it last month. But it's still free via Mediafire, so grab it while you can. You might also want to check out "Siren Song"--also free--and, before you know it, you'll be happily trapped in Charlotte's web (ouch). Pay the lady a visit on Facebook or her web site.

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LATE SEASON SINGLES

1/8/2015

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I swear, Christmas music comes out all year round, now. But, really, its just that we miss so much because there IS so much. Especially towards the end of the season when things get completely off the hook. So at least let me catch you up with a few I missed--some major artists, too. Hopefully, you found them, even if I didn't. But, if not, here's your chance to pick up a couple of fresh ones for next year.

It's not my favorite post-season find, but I've got to lead with....

Vanilla Fudge is back, in case you didn't know, with three-quarters of the original line-up...Carmen Appice, Vince Martell and Mark Stein. Now 70 years old with health issues, Tim Bogert has retired from touring. Pete Bremy (of Cactus) takes the bass. The group's take on "Silent Night" was released in October and we missed it because no one was talking about it at all (plus it doesn't have any of the Christmasy words in the title that we use in our otherwise random searches). It's alright. The vocals are top notch and the organ is always funky. But they didn't really make it a Vanilla Fudge song for me. I mean, you know, The Fudge was heavy Psych--the kind of thing you'd trip to for days. And when they close it out with some kind of Gospel revival (my guess is it was recorded live), well, they lose me. Might have been awesome live, less so on an mp3. Grab it at iTunes or Amazon.

And let that be a lesson to you kids out there. Make sure I know about your singles before Christmas, because I'm much less forgiving after. Sort of the Bizarro World Scrooge.

Like Vanilla Fudge, Popa Chubby's "There For Christmas" was a Cleopatra release, though this one didn't arrive until December.

A Roots Blues Rocker, Popa Chubby is generally a lot more aggressive than this song portends. "There On Christmas" does have a nostalgic rock flavor, but its rather a sweet track by Chubby standards. It works a lot better for me than the Vanilla Fudge outing. Though it also makes me want to go back and listen to Popa's "Blue Christmas" from "King Family Christmas" (about the only version I can truly tolerate of that godawful "Blue Christmas" thing). As with the other Cleopatra release, you can find this on iTunes or Amazon. The Fudge wins the cover art battle; what's with Chubbs looking like Larry the Cable Guy?

Now here's the reason for this post. And its not even new.

Mary Margaret O'Hara is simply amazing. She's one of a kind with a unique gift of conveying so much more with her singing than just the words and music. And yet she seldom records anything. Outside of soundtracks, we haven't had anything new from her since the Christmas EP, recorded in 1991. And that was disappointing only in its brevity and in the exclusion of such great original Christmas songs as this one, written with her sisters (one of whom you may know as an SCTV alum and the "Home Alone" mom, Catherine O'Hara). (I count "Apartment Hunting", her 2001 release, as a soundtrack...since it was.)

Labels and producers don't like her much, because she is such a unique talent, and that may be why we don't hear more records from her. But that's no excuse. Mary Margaret O'Hara still performs live frequently. So just record her live, if you can't figure out how to package her into those little boxes you like so much.

Mary Margaret manages to sing a lot of Christmas music, even if little makes it to record. This clip of "This Is What I Want" was uploaded to YouTube in 2009. It's from a 2008 Bravo TV program "Christmas At The Concert Hall" (and featured other Canadian musical luminaries such as Holly Cole and Hawksley Workman) We do know that "This Is What I Want" was officially released in 2011....sort of. It was contained on an eBook of Christmas stories, And To All A Good Night (can't say whether the version still offered on Amazon contains the song or not; it was included on the "enhanced" version, though).

All irrelevant now as this mp3 version snuck out on December 20. Go get it now, while you can, or you'll regret it. Now if we could only get "Santa, Old Man, You're Mine" released.

Next up, an Alt Rock/ Shoegaze Christmas song from Tears, a California act not to be confused with the short-lived British supergroup from the early aughts, The Tears.

Of all the Christmas singles I checked out after Christmas, this was the one that most held my attention over repeated listens. We've talked before about sad lyrics being put to happy music (e.g. "Last Christmas"). And I kept thinking, listening to "Merry Christmas", that the opposite could also be true--put some happy happy joy joy lyrics to a Shoegaze beat and you might have something. I don't think that's the case, here. I didn't find the lyrics particularly happy or sad--just a pleading expression of emotional addiction--but still...

Anyway, one of my tests of Christmas music is repeated listens. If you're still drawn in after listening to the same song over and over and over again, then it's one worth hanging on to (or putting on a mix or whatever). Tears' "Merry Christmas" passed that test. Still digging it. This one shows a release date of December 25 (I'll never understand why an unknown band would release a Christmas song on Christmas day, but whatever) and you can buy it from Amazon or CD Baby.

A combination of many of the things I love most in holiday music--a "lost" classic from a Local Artist CD with a sound that's very different from most of what you hear. Unfortunately, I can't swear to the veracity of the story in all its facets; all I can do is tell you what my incessant web surfing has revealed.

Tom Fay is a collector of vintage fruit crate labels (which, in and of itself, is pretty cool) and he also fronted a California band known as the Rhythm Kings for many years in the nineties and aughts (possibly the eighties as well and, for all I know, they're still doing their thing though, if they are, they're not making use of the social media). The Rhythm Kings were a ten piece Swing/Nostalgia outfit loosely inspired by the music and style of Louis Prima (and, as it would have been the dawn of the Neo Swing movement, the pieces fit).

Back in 1994, Tom got the notion to do a Local Artist Christmas CD for charity featuring bands in and around Sacramento. "Believe...A Holiday Wish" featured 16 tracks (allegedly). Dang, now I've got to add that to my list of Christmas music to track down (and you just know its never going to turn up). Among them was "Santa Rhumba (Santa's In The Bag)" by Tom Fay & The Rhythm Kings.

Thanks to the magic of the Internets, we can all now partake of Tom's heady brewski; it's twenty years later but, like a fine wine, age has only enhanced the flavor. We can always hope for at least a digital release of the entire 1994 CD. But "Santa Rhumba" is a pretty good start. You'll find Tom Fay & The Rhythm Kings lost Christmas classic at Amazon.

Another December 25 single release, this one comes from the Netherlands and Indie Alt Rock band Peregrin, an experimental project from Simon van Genderen. Seems as though its something he's looking to continue, at least until he gets a negative review. And that won't be coming from me.

"Christmas Song (25th of December)" sounds to me like twinkle lights reflecting on tinsel. Wha? Available at Bandcamp and Amazon. And lots of free non-holiday mp3s at Facebook.

Wasn't much of a year for Blues Christmas. I know that Ironing Board Sam Christmas album is recorded, but Sam had enough relatively new product out that Music Makers held back on the Christmas release. It happens. At least Joe Bonamassa did his best to give us a Blues Christmas.

This big and bluesy good time anthem was recorded December 8 and released a few days later by The Gold Coast All-Stars and the Chicago Players. Gold Coast is an "entertainment" group--some very talented musicians and vocalists for hire (in Chicago and surrounding areas) to play weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthdays, company parties, etc. Usually, such groups (even the best of them, like Gold Coast) primarily trade in covers. But they wrote and recorded this holiday original, "Santa Rolled Thru Chicago", as a Christmas present for themselves (and, let's be honest, it'll be a show-stopper at any future holiday gigs they have).

There are hundreds of Christmas-in-New-York songs, so it's good to see the Second City get its due. If you know Chicago, you'll likely recognize the highlighted hot spots from this city tour. If you've never been to the Windy City, well, now you know the places you have to hit when you go there. "Santa Rolled Thru Chicago" is available from Amazon, if you're up for it...or down with it...or...you know, whatever.

Oh, joy. Another band with the same name as a dozen other bands. Kids, before you name your band, use the google and make sure its yours and yours alone. Please.

This Dark Horizon is the symphonic Metal band from Italy. And "Christmas Hallelujah" is not just a Power Ballad (just like the ones we used to know), its a Christmas Power Ballad and there haven't been as many of those as you might think. It's also a place holder, to remind Dark Horizon fans that a new full-length album is coming in 2015.

One of the guest vocalists on "Christmas Hallelujah", Mario Percudani, can also be seen on YouTube jamming with his band on a six and a half minute funky "Jingle Bells". Wouldn't mind seeing that as a single either. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing a whole Christmas comp from this Italian label. Just sayin'. For now, though, you can buy "Christmas Hallelujah" from Amazon.

As much as anything else, the holiday season is about putting a big bow on the year gone by (good, bad or indifferent) and starting with a fresh slate. Especially so when coming off a bad year.

Its possible you missed this gorgeous Scottish tune (I think its Scottish) when Alison Krauss recorded it with Natalie MacMaster back around 1999.

The Outside Track is a Celtic Folk group on the come and "Get Me Through December" was their holiday single closing out the year. They've already pulled it down from Bandcamp, so get it from Amazon or iTunes while you can.

Two minute warning, y'all.

I don't know if we ever got around to mentioning the Christmas single from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, though we did say we were hoping for one. "Winter Wonderland" might not have been my first choice, but lovers of that Big Band Jazz style should not have been disappointed. Lady Gaga definitely has the chops to do Jazz, though its hard not to be overshadowed by a legend like Bennett.

Haven't been able to settle on how to classify "Here Comes Santa" by These And The Other Guy. I guess I'd call it Loungey Pop Jazz. Basically, it's a twist on the "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" theme, the twist being Santa's a she. I like it better musically than lyrically. Kay Martin's twists were much more clever. Just sayin'.

John Lodge of the Moody Blues recorded and released an acoustic version of "The Spirit Of Christmas" for the Wounded Warrior Project. The song, which I believe John wrote, appears on the Moody Blues "December" album. This was kind of an impromptu moment from Lodge and some are going to like it better than others. But the charity is certainly worth dropping a dollar, so pick it up from iTunes or Amazon.

For straight Power Pop Christmas fans, there was a late single release from 4lgernon (I think it's just a cute way of writing out "Algernon"--broken "A" kind of thing). The song's pretty cool, but doesn't quite live up to the coolness of its title--"Dude, It's Christmas!" But cool nonetheless and Power Pop Christmas songs wear well on repeated listens, so it's got that going for it. Which is nice.

We didn't mention it here, but you must have seen it elsewhere. Best Christmas single of the year is "Dear Santa" from Norway's Mr Little Jeans. You can stream it on Soundcloud. But just trust me on this one and buy it immediately at Amazon or wherever you get your digital singles.

And, as far as late season novelty records go, this one's hilarious. It's the kind of song that, finding it this time of year, I'd usually keep to myself...and then never use it anyway because I'm not big on novelty records. So why should I cheat you? "How Not To Make Gravy" starts out Folk Rock earnest enough--a man in prison on December 21st writing a letter home, asking that his kids be kissed on Christmas Day, "please.... don't let 'em cry". With good behavior, he figures he'll be home by July. Then he gives his recipe for Christmas gravy...which just happens to include "a dollop of poison for that sweetness and extra tang". Then he remembers that's how he ended up in prison in the first place. This guy is obsessed with poison and, by the end of the song, he realizes he ain't never going home (Good behavior? The prison just made him the head chef!). Kudos to Benny Davis and Mark Sutton on this one. Surprised me and made me laugh. A lot. "How Not To Make Gravy" is destined to be somebody's holiday mixtape hero next year. Count on it.

I always try to find a song that would make an appropriate closer for these singles posts. And this one is just perfect, considering this is also (almost certainly) the last singles post of this particular holiday season. It comes to us from multi-genre singer/songwriter Kris Acklen of Memphis, TN. It's a real sweet Indie jam that would sound great in most any format; but I was remembering my days in Adult Contemporary radio and I'd have had it in heavy rotation there, I promise you. "(I Got) What I Wanted For Christmas" is available on Bandcamp, at Amazon, and I'm sure everywhere else. And, fortunately for us, the local TV station (WREG) seems rather fond of it as well. Until the next time.....

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WELCOME TO 2015

1/2/2015

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Welcome to the New Year! Ordinarily, I'd still be posting up a storm, but I'm a bit beat, yo, so I may hibernate with the rest of the Christmas bloggers for a while. You can always subscribe to the RSS feeds to be on the safe side. At some point, my Weeping Willows CD will arrive and I may want to write that one up. Also recently got a new compilation from Japan that I should probably write up for the International page. And we're always scouring the web for new (and old) free stuff. But not today. Probably not tomorrow, either.

A reminder that you've only got a few days left to download "A Stubby's House Christmas 2014". On January 7th, it disappears forever. Click on the cover art to the right to get to the original post with the download links. You know you want to.

My most sincere thanks to my Festive Friends for all their contributions to a musically marvelous Christmas and, of course, to all of you who stopped by and made Stubbys a part of your holiday season.

Since the inventors of the fictional "War On Christmas" were too embarrassed to admit they made the whole thing up, they've declared victory. So let's bid these phony warriors and their phony war a fond adieu (whoops, that's French; that'll tick 'em off) with the 2012 single from the Mockers that features the cover art message "War On Xmas Is Over If You Want It", "There's No War On Christmas When Christmas Is In Your Heart". You can find it on Bandcamp.

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CHARLOTTE CARPENTER - ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

LATE SEASON SINGLES

WELCOME TO 2015

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