It's just a title. It doesn't mean anything.
First a wee bit of housekeeping. The Los Straitjackets VINYL has been delayed to December 7, apparently. So far as I know, the CD is still releasing October 19. So much vinyl, so few vinyl pressing plants. Don't be surprised if there are other vinyl delays. And I was going to tell you that the Target pre-orders of The Monkees exclusive had sold out. But, by the time I had a moment to tell you (it's been several days), they restocked it seems. It has no effect on copies of the CD showing up at your local Target store on October 19. But, if you were planning to go the mail-order route, just keep in mind that they must have been selling pretty fast. I don't think I've ever seen "sold out" on a Target pre-order before. As I say, it shows as available now. I don't know how it'll show tomorrow or next week. Finally, if you missed it yesterday, we've added Putumayo's 2018 album, "Joy To The World" to the Previews page. Y'all know Putumayo, right? Worth a look. Now...
First a wee bit of housekeeping. The Los Straitjackets VINYL has been delayed to December 7, apparently. So far as I know, the CD is still releasing October 19. So much vinyl, so few vinyl pressing plants. Don't be surprised if there are other vinyl delays. And I was going to tell you that the Target pre-orders of The Monkees exclusive had sold out. But, by the time I had a moment to tell you (it's been several days), they restocked it seems. It has no effect on copies of the CD showing up at your local Target store on October 19. But, if you were planning to go the mail-order route, just keep in mind that they must have been selling pretty fast. I don't think I've ever seen "sold out" on a Target pre-order before. As I say, it shows as available now. I don't know how it'll show tomorrow or next week. Finally, if you missed it yesterday, we've added Putumayo's 2018 album, "Joy To The World" to the Previews page. Y'all know Putumayo, right? Worth a look. Now...
While the rest of the world was obsessing over Jessie J's Christmas album announcement, today, you might have missed that Gwen Stefani will be releasing a "Deluxe" version of last year's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas". Quite often I grimace at these "Deluxe" albums. An artist adds one or two new songs and I'm supposed to buy it again like it's a whole new album. But I'll say this for Gwen: she did not skimp. There are FIVE new songs on this version of "You Make It Feel Like Christmas". FIVE. The original album was 12 tracks, so that's pretty much an album and a half. I'm personally curious about the song "Cheer For The Elves". Gotta be an original, right? Sounds interesting. Amazon briefly had a listing for this (which didn't mention "Deluxe", which is why I hadn't listed it previously). It's been pulled since (they seem to do a lot of that lately). But, in theory, this is due October 26.
 | 1. Jingle Bells 2. Let It Snow 3. My Gift Is You 4. Silent Night 5. When I Was A Little Girl 6. Last Christmas 7. You Make It Feel Like Christmas (with Blake Shelton) 8. Under The Christmas Lights 9. Santa Baby 10. White Christmas 11. Never Kissed Anyone With Blue Eyes Before You 12. Christmas Eve 13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 14. Cheer For The Elves 15. Secret Santa 16. Winter Wonderland 17. Feliz Navidad |
Here's what I know about Jessie J. Not much. An English singer/songwriter, Jessie J had a hit in the UK in 2010 and then burst forth on the American charts with "Price Tag" in 2011 (yes, even I know that one). That same year, it was reported (repeatedly) that she and Leona Lewis had recorded a Christmas single. But we never heard it (and, apparently, won't on the coming album, either...one more lost in the vaults). She had a couple more US hits, a lot more in the UK, turned up on Mary J. Blige's Christmas album in 2013 (on "Do You Hear What I Hear?"). And, in 2015, she released her Christmas single, "Man With The Bag", which is, of course, a shortened title for the Kay Starr classic. As I've told you, I'm not aware of much beyond Christmas music in recent years.
And I know that Jessie is about to embark upon a US tour this Monday. And, while it isn't specifically to promote her Christmas album, "This Christmas Day", due out October 26, I'd expect you'll get some Christmas music at those shows. I'd call Jessie J a Dance Pop artist, which is a much more popular genre in Europe than here--not that there isn't a large market for it in the US. Others attach the R&B label to her (and, certainly "Price Tag" fits that bill). The program on "This Christmas Day" looks like it starts very up-tempo and gradually slows down, ending with "Silent Night". That would make the title cut a ballad (or, at most, mid-tempo), but we'll have to wait and see. We can see that the record includes collaborations with Boyz II Men and Babyface. And David Foster is the producer, which bodes well. "This Christmas Day" is available now for pre-order at Amazon.
And I know that Jessie is about to embark upon a US tour this Monday. And, while it isn't specifically to promote her Christmas album, "This Christmas Day", due out October 26, I'd expect you'll get some Christmas music at those shows. I'd call Jessie J a Dance Pop artist, which is a much more popular genre in Europe than here--not that there isn't a large market for it in the US. Others attach the R&B label to her (and, certainly "Price Tag" fits that bill). The program on "This Christmas Day" looks like it starts very up-tempo and gradually slows down, ending with "Silent Night". That would make the title cut a ballad (or, at most, mid-tempo), but we'll have to wait and see. We can see that the record includes collaborations with Boyz II Men and Babyface. And David Foster is the producer, which bodes well. "This Christmas Day" is available now for pre-order at Amazon.
| 1. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town 2. Man With The Bag 3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree 4. Jingle Bell Rock 5. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer/Jingle Bells 6. Let It Snow 7. Winter Wonderland feat. Boyz II Men 8. The Christmas Song feat. Babyface 9. This Christmas Day 10. White Christmas 11. Silent Night |  |
And here's the cover for the upcoming Pentatonix Christmas album, "Christmas Is Here", also due October 26. Oh, wow, let me get my shades on for that one. I like it. It's colorful, it's funky, it's fun. "Christmas Is Here" is the fourth Christmas album from the a capella group. Amazon doesn't have a listing for it, yet, but the single from the album is available as of today. "Making Christmas" is the Pentatonix cover of a tune from "A Nightmare Before Christmas". I know I pretty much stand alone on this, but I never liked "A Nightmare Before Christmas" and I especially didn't care for the music in it.
Now that's all I know about the album, so far. But I did want to get this story off my chest. When I was in the hospital--all of last December--I was essentially cut off from Christmas. All I had were the movies on the Hallmark channel (which all seem to have the same plot...boy or girl has lost the spirit of the season, meets boy or girl, falls in love, finds the true meaning of Christmas, the end). So, one night, I see that there's a Pentatonix Christmas special. I was excited. Finally, some Christmas music! But the TV set-up in the hospital? Only one channel of sound. For God's sake, man, how hard is it to set it up for mono? I didn't need stereo, but, let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating--torturous even--than watching a Pentatonix Christmas special getting only one channel of the stereo sound. ARRRGGG!!!! I'd rather get another bunch of needles shoved in me (oh, is that time again, already?). I'd rather watch another Hallmark movie. Seriously, it was literally torture.
Now that's all I know about the album, so far. But I did want to get this story off my chest. When I was in the hospital--all of last December--I was essentially cut off from Christmas. All I had were the movies on the Hallmark channel (which all seem to have the same plot...boy or girl has lost the spirit of the season, meets boy or girl, falls in love, finds the true meaning of Christmas, the end). So, one night, I see that there's a Pentatonix Christmas special. I was excited. Finally, some Christmas music! But the TV set-up in the hospital? Only one channel of sound. For God's sake, man, how hard is it to set it up for mono? I didn't need stereo, but, let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating--torturous even--than watching a Pentatonix Christmas special getting only one channel of the stereo sound. ARRRGGG!!!! I'd rather get another bunch of needles shoved in me (oh, is that time again, already?). I'd rather watch another Hallmark movie. Seriously, it was literally torture.
In his own way, Brian Setzer appears to be the Mannheim Steamroller of Rock n' Swing Christmas music. Seriously, is there a year he doesn't release something for the season? This year, Brian has a new blu-ray coming on November 9, "Christmas Rocks! Live" No corresponding DVD as yet. "Christmas Rocks" is Brian's annual Christmas live show and this year is the 15th anniversary of same. We don't have any further details, yet, but I do love the cover art (which is last year's poster art). In fact, I always love Brian's Christmas cover and poster art.
Eh. I've got a crapload (yes, a crapload) of stuff I want to write about. Had a real good Jazz "In Case You Missed It". But I can't find any audio for any of it to share with you. And it really bugs me. And so I'm gonna wait and hope some audio shows up. And, if it doesn't, I guess I won't write about it at all. So there.
Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!
The good news is I've got an ample selection of freebies backed-up. My complaint, there, is they're pretty much all Rock and Pop. I wanna write about Jazz. I wanna write about Folk. I wanna write about Blues. I wanna write about....whatever the hell that thing is that those guys are doing. But the only stuff I can find that's worth your time is what we used to call "Category 3". So we'll have to make do with that until something different comes along.
But we'll close with some new audio just posted from the Bluegrass album by Dailey & Vincent, "The Sounds of Christmas", coming October 12. This is their collaboration with Dolly Parton (who says she'll have a new Christmas album next year), "The Road To Bethlehem".
Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!
The good news is I've got an ample selection of freebies backed-up. My complaint, there, is they're pretty much all Rock and Pop. I wanna write about Jazz. I wanna write about Folk. I wanna write about Blues. I wanna write about....whatever the hell that thing is that those guys are doing. But the only stuff I can find that's worth your time is what we used to call "Category 3". So we'll have to make do with that until something different comes along.
But we'll close with some new audio just posted from the Bluegrass album by Dailey & Vincent, "The Sounds of Christmas", coming October 12. This is their collaboration with Dolly Parton (who says she'll have a new Christmas album next year), "The Road To Bethlehem".
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