Ali Sternberg recorded this Hanukkah original, "Happy Hanukkah", in 2008. The video from the original version is below. But above is the re-recording done this year. I think it's a whole lot better. And it's free, to boot.
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It's Boxing Day here at Stubbys and you know what that means. No, George Foreman is not coming out of retirement. Boxing Day is when we just drop a whole buch of links to free stuff that we haven't gotten around to for one reason or another. Some of these free downloads will disappear soon, so you'd best get a move on. Of course, some will be around for years. But you never know for sure which is which. Last year on Boxing Day, we had--IIRC--38 links. Today, I believe I counted 38 as well. But, this year, 38 links just ain't a-gonna cut it. So we present to you Part 1 of Boxing Day at Stubbys. And I'll be back with Part 2 sometime later this afternoon or this evening. Musician, writer, actress, comedienne Katie Goodman recorded this last year, I believe. I think it's pretty funny. If you agree, you might be interested to know that you can download "I'll Be Jewish For Christmas" free at Katie's web site. FYI, it's not on her new CD.
Mrs. Katz (not her real name) wants to hear this one. Visit Volary at her web site and on Facebook. So here we are again. Christmas Day! Since I never seem to get to bed, I was up when Santa stopped by and he told me to toss together some tunes for the faithful. This is a collection of some of the free stuff we pointed you towards this year. We nearly doubled the number of free Christmas songs we listed over last year and I know some of you were having trouble keeping up. So was I. So this is kind of the Readers Digest version--44 tracks in all. Last year, I thought about making a two-disc set and came up with one. This year, I set out to make a one-disc set and came up with two. Not really a Best Of; for example I didn't find a place for Caitlin & Keegan and I'm kicking myself that I forgot about Jon Lindsay's song until this was already in the can. But there are certainly some good ones here and maybe a few you might have overlooked that shouldn't be. Everything you need is in the zip file, including artwork. I'll again be killing the link shortly after New Years, but I'll leave this up to the 7th or 8th. Once again, thank you for spending a part of your holiday season here. We'll be around, though I might take a day off to recover. Mrs. Katz (not her real name) says "Meow, y'all". And from all of us at Stubby's, Merry Christmas! Go [link killed, as promised] or click on any of the pictures. Here's the playlist (song titles linked to the original posts): Disc 1 1. HEY, IT'S CHRISTMAS - J. CATALA 2. PUMP UP THE HOLIDAYS - MOJOCHRONIC 3. DECK THE HALLS - SOPHIE MICHALITSIAN & HUMAN 4. CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - DUSTIN KENSRUE 5. CHRISTMAS TIME - PINEY GIR 6. WALKING IN THE AIR - SMERINS ANTI-SOCIAL CLUB 7. MANTEAU DE FROID - LES BREASTFEEDERS 8. IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR - THE REVELATIONS featuring TRE WILLIAMS 9. STAY IN - ARMY NAVY 10. IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME - STEEL MAGNOLIA 11. CHRISTMAS IS ALL AROUND - SLEEPING AT LAST 12. ST. NICK - SMALLTOWN POETS 13. CHRISTMAS EVE - CHARLIE BECK 14. PICTURE FRAMES - SOUL CIRCUS 15. MY BLOODY CHRISTMAS - ICON GIRL PISTOLS 16. CHRISTMAS AT HOME - TATIANA KOCHKAREVA 17. A VERY BRENT AMAKER CHRISTMAS - BRENT AMAKER & THE RODEO 18. SHOPPING ON CHRISTMAS EVE - KEB MO 19. DON'T LET IT SNOW - WENDY JANS 20. WINTER LULLABY - MARISELA MUSIK (Yay! Stubby's House Exclusive! Yay!) 21. LAST CHRISTMAS - THE LINEDANCE FEVER 22. MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS - SIMONE DE Disc 2 1. WONDERFUL CHRISTMASTIME - THE BANDANA SPLITS 2. IT'S CHRISTMAS. GO ON AND SAY HELLO - ROMAN CANDLE 3. STOCKING STUFFER - OCEAN IS THEORY 4. RING RING RING - SCARLET TANAGER 5. IT'S CHRISTMAS - GUMMY SOUL 6. WHITE CHRISTMAS - FLORENT 7. CHRISTMAS TIME - THE KRAYOLAS 8. THIS CHRISTMAS TIME - BEN REEL 9. A COLD CHRISTMAS - SLOTTET 10. DANCE OF THE ABANDONED SNOWMAN - POODLEPLAY ARKESTRA 11. RIVER CAROL - CONCERNING LIONS 12. REMEMBER WHEN IT SNOWED - ROSIE THOMAS 13. I HEARD THE BELLS - THE OPIATE MASS 14. REINDEER DIRECTION - THE CAMRYN MANHEIM STEAMROLLER 15. MY NAME IS BLITZEN - RYAN McALLISTER 16. SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO THE USA - THE KICKS 17. SANTA BABY - EXOHXO 18. BETHLEHEM (THE UNOFFICIAL 51st STATE) - CHAD THOMAS JOHNSTON 19. ALL MY DUMB DREAMS - ANDREW DOST & THE HEAPIN' HELPINGS 20. CHRISTMAS SONG (WALK ME HOME) - ATTWATER 21. HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING - DAVID IAN featuring ACACIA 22. IT'S SANTA - NO NINJA AM I I absolutely love this. Last year, I completely forgot about it until Christmas Day. So I thought this year we should get it right. Denys Lord and his rendition of "Twas The Night Before Christmas".
Some easy Hanukkah recipes! Who wouldn't want some puffed pastry & potato dreidels? Or some painted Chanukah cookies (note: do not use real paint). These recipes come to us from Aish.com who also bring us tonight's video--"Chanukah Jewish Rock Of Ages". You can download the mp3 free here in exchange for your email address. It's not my line, but I do think they've been watching a little too much Glee.
Jon Solomon It's officially Christmas Eve Day, and that means it's long past time for me to tell you about Jon Solomon's annual Christmas Eve Marathon, which begins tonight at 6:00pm (Eastern Time) on WPRB and runs through 6:00pm Christmas night. Non-stop Christmas music for 24 hours, and I'm talking about stuff the other stations never play, like Screaming Jay Hawkins and Punks On Eggnog. There will be "live listener chat" and an "in-studio webcam" so you can be fully involved in the festivities. There's even a Facebook event page, if you want to let Jon know you'll be stopping by or put in a request. I should be telling you all about it. Trouble is, I'm spent. Seriously, I've been running on fumes for days. Just head to the WPRB web site come 6:00pm tonight. See that tiny print on the left in red (or is it orange) that says "Listen Now"? Just click on that and you'll be in like Flint (or is that in like Flynn?). I wrote a nice long piece about Jon last year and it's worth reading again. Yeah, I know....I suck. Michael Burns (left) and Stu Fink But this I gotta do. You know that list of "Festive Friends" over to the right? If you scroll all the way down, the next to last link among our "Festive Friends" is "Sunday Morning Country Oldies". I know. You never noticed that before. That's OK. I understand. But now you know it's there, alright? There's a reason why I have a link to "Sunday Morning Country Oldies". "Sunday Morning Country Oldies" is a program that my oldest and dearest friend (and former college roommate) Stu Fink co-hosts with Michael Burns on Boston's WKLB, 102.5 FM. It may have escaped your attention, but Christmas falls on Sunday this year. So, tomorrow from 8:00am to Noon (Eastern Time), Stu and Michael will be presenting an entire program--4 hours--of Country Christmas Oldies (or is that Christmas Country Oldies?). This is something they've never done before (so far as I know) and probably will never do again. It's not that they don't have the material. They've got a ton. And it's not that they don't have the knowledge. These are two of the most knowledgeable people in the industry. It's just that the regular audience for "Sunday Morning Country Oldies" isn't as in love with Christmas music as you and I. So, with Christmas falling on Sunday, they've got the opportunity to do this kind of a program without some of their regular listeners complaining that it's "too soon" to play Christmas music. And, trust me, if Christmas were Monday, some of those folks would still think Sunday was "too soon". Now I don't know what all they'll be playing, but if you're worried that Michael and Stu might not have that rare Del Reeves Christmas album or that seldom heard Johnny Paycheck holiday 45 from the 60s, you can rest your weary head. They've got all that and more. Through the years, I've even supplied Stu with some nuggets from my personal holiday library. So rest assured, they are armed to the teeth with Country Christmas oldies. I know these guys. They'll do a kick ass show. Stu has been a very good friend to me for more years than I can count (I've only got ten fingers and ten toes, so...longer than that). He and his lovely wife Pauline have put up with all my bul--I mean, all my nonsense for many many years (I can be pretty annoying; I'll bet you knew that). Stu has helped me with my vinyl and 78 transfers whenever I've asked, lent me the use of his home studio equipment, and even put in a call to the Boston record stores (really, there's only one that matters--Cheapo Records) whenever I'm desperately seeking a particular record. More than that, whenever I'm in Boston, I stay at Chez Fink. And, amazingly, he's still speaking to me. That's a small miracle (that Pauline is still speaking to me is probably a much bigger one). So if you've enjoyed hanging at Stubby's, please do me a small solid and "tune in" to Michael Burns & Stu Fink as they present their holiday extravaganza, "Sunday Morning CHRISTMAS Country Oldies" on WKLB between 8:00am and Noon (Eastern Time) tomorrow morning. Presented in CinemaScope and Technicolor. I know Christmas morning is busy so I wouldn't ask you to listen to the full four hours. If you could just carve out a half hour somewhere, I'd be most appreciative. Just go to the WKLB web site and click on the "Listen Live" button on the right. I should probably warn you that this is commercial radio, though I don't know what kind of spot load they'll have on a Christmas morning. Anyway, thank you and Merry Christmas. Last year, these B-Boyz did a remix of "Dynamite" that was trumped by the Maccabeats version released a few days later. Hey, kids, that's the music business for you. Ask Joe Jeffrey if he liked having his version of "My Baby Loves Lovin'" trumped by White Plains. This year, The B-Boyz have remixed "Holiday Hearts" by Adam Levine & The Gym Class Heroes, coming up with "Menorah Hearts". Not available in any store.
Last year, I didn't get this list up until December 29, so I figure I'm at least a tad bit ahead of the game. I call this a list of favorites because I'm in no position to say what the "Best" albums are. I'll leave that to people with bigger paychecks (which is to say pretty much everybody). Plus, there are a ton of things I never got the chance to listen to (including the Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler's entry), so I can't fairly put them on the list (or exclude them for that matter). I do not consider compilations or re-issues, nor free albums. I do include digital-only releases. As always, YOU are the final word on whether a release is/was/will be worthy of your purchase dollar. JOHN ZORN - A DREAMERS CHRISTMAS (full review here) I thought John Zorn's Christmas set was absolutely brilliant, with the quality to become an annual favorite. "A Dreamers Christmas" was an instrumental album (except for the final track) and ought to appeal to fans of classic exotica, classic Christmas, and jazz fans of any stripe (traditional, modern, new age, fusion, triple Z, you name it). Pop and Rock fans ought to like it, too, if they give it a chance. The album works as background or foreground and is the kind of a record that, if you're listening as background, it'll draw you into the foreground. After spending a few months with "A Dreamers Christmas", the highlights for me are "Snowfall" and "Magical Sleigh Ride". And now that John Zorn has put a lasting stamp on Christmas, I hope he'll drop a Hanukkah record someday soon. MINDY GLEDHILL - WINTER MOON (preview here) Mindy Gledhill's "Winter Moon" is one of the best contemporary pop Christmas albums I've heard in years. At least going back to Universal Honey's "Can't Stop Thinking About Christmas" (2007) and possibly all the way back to Lisa Mychols' "Lost Winter's Dream" (1991, though I bought it in 2002). Mindy paced the album perfectly, the recording is impeccable. And Mindy's voice is just dreamy. Whether she's delivering a peppy pop tune like "Little Saint Nick", a religious standard like "Silent Night", or turning "The Christmas Song" into a uke driven song from the roaring 20s, Mindy Gledhill brings everything to her performance and leaves you wanting more of the same. The original, "Little Soldier", packs as much seasonal wallop as most any holiday song ever has. And she gets extra points from me for recording the first version of "Patapan" I have ever liked--and I not only liked her version, I loved it. JILLAINE - JAZZY CHRISTMAS TO YOU! (full review here) For the second year in a row, the album I listened to the most turns up in the third position in my listing. This is just such an easy album to listen to. Whenever I couldn't figure out which Christmas album to toss on, Jillaine got the call. Familiar songs, with a few twists and turns, full throated Jazz and Blues, nicely arranged, mixed and paced. Really, just a Christmas delight. It's not a deep album with heavy message overtones, but that doesn't mean it lacks punch. Jillaine's version of "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" still makes me cry. "Jazzy Christmas To You!" may not be on everybody's year end list, but I liked it just fine. THE GRIPWEEDS - UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTMAS (preview here) My favorite new Rock Christmas album of the year, the Power Pop Grip Weeds have, I think, created one for the ages. The song selection was a Rock fan's wet dream--pulling out some of the best and most memorable of the rock holiday tracks of the 70s and 80s. "2000 Miles", "I Believe In Father Christmas", and Jethro Tull's "Christmas Song". Ignoring the over done "Happy Xmas" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You". Peppering with originals like "Santa Make Me Good" and "Christmas Dream". And tossing in the obscure but wonderful "Merry Christmas All". Guest Stars Mark Lindsey of the Raiders and Pat Dinizio and Jim Babjak of the Smithereens add some spice to the punch, but they weren't really needed. "Under The Influence Of Christmas" rocks and still sounds entirely like Christmas to me--a much rarer feat than you might imagine. As a big fan of the Knack back in the day, this is the Christmas album I'd always hoped they'd record...only better. MICHAEL BUBLE - CHRISTMAS (preview here) Well, I have to hand it to him. Michael Buble did release a splendid Christmas album. "Christmas" not only stands well in the company of the classics from Bing and Perry and Andy, it does so without sounding the least bit dated. I never liked the "Let It Snow" EP Buble released at the beginning of his career. I thought it sounded like crap. And cheap crap at that. Michael scored his first points with me this year when he as much as acknowledged that--saying the "Let It Snow" album wasn't him at all, just his voice. With the power to control the song selection, the arrangements and everything else, Buble showed label execs everywhere that they should just stick to their desk jobs and let the creative people do the creative stuff. Buble scored with "Christmas" and he scored big. Sure, Bieber had his moment in the sun, but Buble's album is the one that will live on. GOOD PEOPLE ALL, THIS CHRISTMAS TIME - JOHNSON ROBERTS, LEE ANN ROBERTS, LEE HOLLAND (full review here) As I noted in my review of this album, I listen to Christmas music as music. I'm not looking for a spiritual uplift and, if anything, I'm guarded against it. It's not that I'm not spiritual; I'm just not looking for that from my music. So for an album to reach me on that level is plenty incredible. Musically, I was amazed throughout "Good People All, This Christmas Time" at instruments doing things I did not know they could. Johnson Roberts and Lee Holland were unbelievable--divinely inspired you might say--and Lee Ann Roberts' vocals were soaring when they needed to be and earthy when they needed to be. Just an incredible album, start to finish, so well performed and produced that it stands apart. This one should not be missed. CHRISTMAS WITH KARLING - KARLING ABBEYGATE (preview here) I loved the energy and variety in this album from Karling Abbeygate. The six originals offer a little something for everyone, with the Rockabilly rave "Christmas Party" likely garnering the most positive nods among the rockabilly faithful, and the country ballad "Angel Tears" sure to draw comparisons to Patsy Cline. But I've always liked "Tra La La La La" the best since it seems to be the perfect fusion of rockabilly and Indie pop. Karling does well with the standards of the season, too. This is one girl you want at your holiday party, because there is nothing like "Christmas With Karling". DANNY MITCHELL - SAVIOR ON THE WAY (read here) It takes me too darn long to collect myself for a full review. But I really do mean to review this one and I'm hoping to get that done today or tomorrow. Danny Mitchell knows how to sing and he knows how to play. But, more than that, he knows how to write a song. Danny's originals on "Savior On The Way" stand up well with most any of the traditional standards. The title track has brilliant lyrics that will reach you instantly. And "A Merry Christmas To Me" is by far the best new Christmas song of the season, and likely the best written Christmas song in it's genre of the last 25 years. Danny gives us a secular side and a more religious side and then closes the album with a rousing all-in jazz jam on "Auld Lang Syne". A BEANTOWN CHRISTMAS - BEANTOWN SWING ORCHESTRA (full review here) I have a fondness for all things Boston having lived there for a few years eons ago. I always thought it was the perfect combination of big city and small town. Add the Beantown Swing Orchestra to the many great things the city has to offer. "A Beantown Christmas" is a bit like the city in that it's a perfect combination of the classic music of the season and yet it's got the feel of something fresh and new. With four different vocalists and the occasional addition of strings, the group offers up a variety of sounds and styles along their merry way. The originals are memorable and the traditional favorites come alive. There are too many highlights to recount, but the scat singing on "The Christmas Song" is amazing and the original "Christmas Memories" seems to strike a chord with everyone for whom I've played this. The album flows well and there's definitely a feel of a live performance. Speaking of which, The Beantown Swing Orchestra needs a PBS Christmas special...or, more accurately, we need a PBS Christmas special from them. TIME IS PASSED - FOXTAILS BRIGADE (preview here) I'm a little on the fence about this one. Some albums just hit you in the right frame of mind at the right time. When that happens, there's always the question "Will you still love me tomorrow". So I really can't say this is a lasting favorite for the years to come...not yet. But it's definitely a favorite of mine right now. "Time Is Passed" is the best anti-Christmas album I've ever heard. There's no anger or fury (typical of most anti-Christmas records), just sad resignation. The music is moody, but beautiful, and perfectly delivered by vocalist Laura Weinbach. Foxtails Brigade has provided the best anti-Christmas song ever in "I'm Not Really In The Christmas Mood This Year" (see the video here). If we're being honest, we've all experienced something similar at one time or another. Universal experience offered up in a classic Christmas music package makes for a lasting contribution to the music of the season. THIS CHRISTMAS - CHRIS DAVIS (preview here) Since I only had nine records in last year's list, I figure I'm entitled to eleven this year. If you love Jazz, this is just a very satisfying record to listen to. There's very much a sensation of walking into an after hours club, where the lights are low and the band is hot. Harkening back to the Hard Bop era, the music is solid Jazz with a deep R&B and Blues influence. And Chris Davis doesn't constrain the music; he lets it breathe. The one track I wasn't crazy about was "Angels We Have Heard On High". But that's just me. And every other track, I felt, was a home run. Even "Blue Christmas", and you know I don't like that song. "Winter Wonderland", "Toyland", "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", "Little Drummer Boy"--to name but a few--these are among some of the best jazz arrangements and performances I've heard. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"? Davis out does himself. "This Christmas" is an album I'll be listening to a lot this Christmas, and for many Christmases to come, I'm sure. Well, that's what I really, really, really liked this year. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments.
We've got a couple of Christmas Radio-On-Line shows for you to catch over the weekend. With any luck, we'll be back early tomorrow with the rundown. In the meantime, there's lots of action on the Free Page. |
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