Category: Charity

COMING ATTRACTION - IT'S BRIIIIIIXMAAAAAAS!

12/2/2018

Brixton is in the southern part of London and home to Brixton Hill Studios. It's also the home of the Brixton Soup Kitchen. “Considering this is becoming one of the richest boroughs in the world,” says Stephen Gilchrist, owner of Brixton Hill Studios, “it’s very upsetting to think that we still need soup kitchens and food banks." So Gilchrist had an idea to give back to the community and support the Soup Kitchen in his community. He recruited several top Indie and Alt bands who use the Brixton Hill Studios to write and record Christmas songs for a compilation. "It's Briiiiiixmaaaaaas" contains 6 tracks of Alternative goodness and will be available digitally, on CD, and on a vinyl 10" on December 7. Every penny raised will go to Brixton Soup Kitchen. But Gilchrist says the project is as much about raising awareness as it is about raising money. "There are people genuinely struggling to put food on the table to feed their loved ones, not just at Christmas, but all year around. We should be ashamed that we live in a country allegedly ruled by a government made up of 78% millionaires who do not seem to be making this travesty their top priority."

"It's Briiiiiixmaaaaaas" opens with a collaboration between Black Midi and Jerskin Fendrix. Fendrix says that "Ice Cream" is a song that grew out of the New York blizzard of 2017. I confess "Ice Cream" didn't win me over right away, but it grew on me with each successive listen. The combination of the electronics and the organics is fascinating and this Christmas love song grows from late night piano ballad to alternative underground anthem before your ears. "It's always Christmas time when I'm with you."

1. Ice Cream - Black Fendrix Jersk Midi
2. Winter's Grace - Alessi's Ark
3. We'd Better Start Dinner - Ham Legion
4. Christmas Present - Bad Parents
5. Christmas Crime - Scud FM
6. Christmas In Prison - Hot Sauce Pony

BRIXTON HILL STUDIOS ON FACEBOOK

PURCHASE CD FROM THE GENEPOOL

PURCHASE 10" VINYL FROM THE GENEPOOL

PURCHASE DIGITAL FROM BANDCAMP

Alessi's Ark was the name that initially caught my attention, as I remember the Indie Folk Pop singer's appearance on the 2013 "For Folk's Sake It's Christmas" collection. On the surface, "Winter's Grace" seems a simple love song, but there are hints that it's about more than that. It's about supporting friends in hard times and the support you get in return. It's about perseverance against the darkness. In the first half of the song, all manner of things are keeping them apart, some of which ("four cold walls", for example) suggest depression. But, by the end, they come through it together. "Oh, now I can see the snow kiss your face/We're keeping warm by Winter's grace/Oh, now I can see the sun melt the ice/and nothing's stopping me from being by your side." By "Winter's Grace", and mutual support, they prevail. Of course, Alessi's Ark is so enchantingly captivating, she could be singing the sales from a Target flyer and I'd be enraptured.

Ham Legion's "We'd Better Start Dinner" might be the most bizarre number here. There's a freakish kind of Queen meets The Darkness meets Death Metal meets Children of the Corn in Hell vibe to the song. Starts simple enough...with the family preparing for dinner. But it ends with gasoline and cinders dancing in the snow. The insanity is strong in this one.

In welcome contrast, Bad Parents provide a bouncy Indie Blues Rock Surf Punky "Christmas Present". The song is about being apart from the one you love at Christmas. Common enough theme, sure. But, rather than just pining away (and, of course, buying the Christmas present of the title), she figures out how to deal with Christmas day. "It's just another day in December to stay in bed and watch YouTube." Musically, and I mean this is a good way, the song is a little like being drunk--euphoria mixed with distortion. In any case, it's completely irresistible.

Oddly, Scud FM's "Christmas Crime" comes off as festive. "Oddly" because "Christmas Crime" is about having your home robbed on Christmas Eve. "They even took the dog/the only friend I knew". Dude, they stole your dog? On Christmas? I dunno, maybe it's the horns or maybe it's the beat. But, somehow, "Christmas Crime" felt...Christmassy. To me, anyway. Your mileage may vary.

The set closes with Hot Sauce Pony's "Christmas In Prison". This is not the John Prine song, but an original down tempo Alt Rock tune about isolation during the holidays (in this case, feeling isolated at a holiday party), which is it's own kind of prison. "A kiss under the mistletoe/I laugh out loud, inside I choke/My stocking's hung above the fire/No one can fill my heart's desire/I'm searching for an antidote/Despite the drink, my sorrows float/The nails into my coffin driven/Another Christmas spent in prison." Hot Sauce Pony is Stephen Gilchrist's band and he says the song has a positive ending as the protagonist seems to have figured a way out of her prison by the finish.

In 6 songs, "It's Briiiiiixmaaaaaas" covers at least as many moods of the season. It's quite a concentrated Christmas tonic containing sad songs, happy songs and in between, soft sounds and hard sounds (and in between). But there's not a bad song in the bunch and the EP flows remarkably well. You certainly will not find six more original and compelling Christmas songs this year. And who can resist 10" vinyl? Remember, every penny goes to the Brixton Soup Kitchen. "It's Briiiiiixmaaaaaas" will be released this Friday on Brixton Hillbilly Records. CDs and 10" vinyl may be pre-ordered now.

0 Comments

SINGLES SPECIAL - SPECIAL SINGLES

11/9/2018

0 Comments

Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5 knows a good thing when he hears it. So it's hard to figure why others seemed to have missed an opportunity. And, once again, we have to go back to The Monkees.

The Monkees Christmas album has been in the works for a few years, now. And, as we know, some of today's finest songwriters were approached to write for the project. Among them Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5. He and REM's Peter Buck did pen the title track for "Christmas Party". And, being in the Christmas mood, The Minus 5 gave us one of the best Alt Rock albums of 2017, "Dear December".

"Christmas In Antarctica" was written for The Monkees' Christmas album, and was "on hold" until the final song selection was determined. It did not make the cut. I think they made a mistake, but whatever. Not one to let a good song go to waste, McCaughey grabbed Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and cut the record himself. He took it to Yep Roc and suggested they do a vinyl single for Record Store Day. Yep Roc opted against it, deciding to just issue the song as a digital single. Again, I think that was a mistake. But at least "Christmas In Antarctica" has been released. It's new today at Amazon and other digital outlets.

Back in 2007, Sufjan Stevens held a songwriting contest as part of the promotion for the 5-disc collection that is "Songs for Christmas". I remember it well as it was the coolest concept for a contest ever. Sufjan wrote and recorded an original Christmas song, "Lonely Man of Winter", and would trade all rights to the song and performance to the winner of the contest in exchange for the rights to his or her song. The winning entry was "Every Day Is Christmas" by Alec Duffy.

Now, honestly, if you had your hands on that kind of instant gold, you most likely would have released it and made a mint. But, instead, Alec Duffy traversed the country holding listening parties. At least 75 such parties were held. Alec used his new found notoriety to found JACK, a Brooklyn venue dedicated to experimentation in art and activism. JACK is tax exempt and currently hosting some 200 performances a year. With no more time for listening parties, Duffy approached Asthmatic Kitty (Sufjan's label) about releasing the song, with proceeds going to benefit JACK.

And so here it is, at long last. Coinciding with the release of "Songs for Christmas" on vinyl, a rare Sufjan Stevens Christmas recording that, up until now, only a select few have been able to listen to. Releasing today in digital format, the single includes the original version plus a new recording of "Lonely Man of Winter" by Sufjan Stevens and Melissa Mary Ahern, plus Alec Duffy's original song entry of "Every Day Is Christmas". A vinyl 7", limited to 1000, is also being pressed. The label sold out of their own allotment in hours, but retailers are expected to have the remainder come December 7. You can purchase the digital version at Bandcamp. And you can listen to it right here and now.

The Indie Pop band Lucius got their start in Brooklyn in the mid-aughts but have since relocated to the West Coast. Their sound can be eclectic, but thoroughly enchanting. Lucius are to songwriting what George Martin was to producing the Beatles. Which is to say they seem to take their songs, which would be perfectly mainstream on their own, strip them down, tear them into little pieces, and put them back together in new and exciting ways...that are still incredibly accessible and, well, totally mainstream (without being at all mainstream). (George Martin, on more than one occasion, would literally cut a tape up into little bits, virtually toss them in the air, and piece them back together in the order they fell...and still come out with a great Pop song.) You really need to listen to Lucius to understand what I'm trying to say.

Anyway, I don't have a real cool story about the Lucius Christmas single--a Dream Poppy cover of "Christmas Time Is Here" (although, as their second album was titled "Good Grief", I'm thinking there may be a story there). It's just that, well, how often do I have the chance to beat Christmas Underground to a song of this sort (not that its a competition)?

"Christmas Time Is Here" (backed by a cover of the old Motown number "You Keep Me Hangin' On") arrives on 7" vinyl on December 7 (pre-order at Fug Yep or at Amazon), but the digital A-side went on sale yesterday (also at Amazon). Proceeds from the single will go to MusiCares and Music Support UK, in memory of Richard Swift, to raise awareness about addiction and help those suffering from its effects.

0 Comments

SINGLES OF EARLY NOVEMBER

11/5/2018

0 Comments

Funny story. I knew I'd be leading this singles post with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, so I parked the video and told myself I'd get back to it. And, now that I've finished the rest of the post, my ass is beat. These singles posts are a lot of work, yo. Used to be one of our most popular features but, if you've had your fill of them and no longer find them useful, let me know. Cuz they iz a lot of work, yo. Anyway, let's see if I can keep this bit brief.

The Squirrel Nut Zippers originated as an eclectic Jazz band here in North Carolina. And because they combined all kinds of sounds--from Gypsy Jazz to Klezmer--they caught the wave of the Neo-Swing movement of the 90s (which, itself, was sort of an offshoot of New Wave, a sort of rebellion against the popular music of the day). The Squirrel Nut Zippers holiday album, "Christmas Caravan", was released in 1998. Remember how excited you were when you heard that for the first time? I do. It was like....Punk Jazz or something. Totally retro, yet totally original.

The Neo-Swing movement sort of faded (though a few top acts continued to do well) and so did the Zippers. They split up around 2000, going on to solo careers and other projects. They re-united (mostly) for some shows around 2007 and released a new album in 2008. But that wasn't ever going to be permanent. Jimbo Mathus, one of the founders, assembled a new cast of Squirrel Nut Zippers and they began the revival in 2016. Jimbo and Chris Philips are the only original members in the new Squirrel Nut Zippers. But the sound and approach is the same as it ever was (though I do miss the sharp writing of Tom Maxwell).

The new Christmas single features "Mardi Gras for Christmas" on the A-side, combining elements of Gypsy Jazz and New Orleans Second Line, while the virtual flip is "Alone At Christmas" --mostly a pre-war crooner (though other influences are apparent as well). I think they're both classic Squirrel Nut Zippers tunes, but I tend to favor the B-side which, while lacking some of the group's trademark frenzy, is just a really nice song you can imagine future torch singers covering. Look for the single at Amazon and iTunes.

A long, long time ago, we told you that The McCrary Sisters were working on a Christmas album. As the end of the year approaches more quickly than ever, it's beginning to look a lot like next Christmas before we see the full fruits of those labors. Not that I've given up hope entirely, but the McCrarys do work so hard, you wonder when they find time to go into the studio at all. And now they're with Rounder Records, who do go good work...but v e r y s l o w l y. So we might just have to settle for The McCrary Sisters' Christmas single in 2018.

We all have our favorite Christmas songs and I have a friend who "collects" different versions of "Go Tell It On The Mountain"...but only if the arrangement is something different. I guess he'll be needing to add The McCrary Sisters' version to his collection. The McCrary Sisters give "Go Tell It On The Mountain" a Staple Singers feel. Which is interesting because, when The Staple Singers recording the song for "The 25th Day of December", they went old Spiritual (albeit with some funky electric guitar accents from Pops). You can practically hear the Staples shouting "Respect yourself" in appropriate spots on The McCrary Sisters' recording. Of course, you've got to be really good to pull this sort of thing off and The McCrary Sisters are about as good as it gets. Damn, I want a full Christmas album from them so bad.

For the virtual flip, "No Room At The Inn", the McCrarys go it a capella and give a spirited Gospel-soloist-with-choir-type-backing. On that one, I think I'd side with the Staples whose version, though in a slower tempo, had a bluesier feel (and you know me and Blues). You can pick up The McCrary Sisters' Christmas single from Amazon.

As good a Christmas music season as it's been so far, it's not necessarily a good thing when you have to count of Country artists to deliver a swinging Blues-infused tune like "The Not So Silent Night". But at least someone is delivering such a song. "The Not So Silent Night" teams up Phil Vassar with the group Lonestar (both Vassar and Lonestar have released their own Christmas music in the past). They even have a go at Queen-styled rock with "the operatic section". Best of all, 100% of the proceeds from "The Not So Silent Night" will go to the Salvation Army. I've seen my share of disaster relief efforts over the years and, let me tell you, you can't count on a lot of help from a lot of groups that raise money for disaster relief, but the Salvation Army is always there and eager to help. So, if you're a little shy about putting some money in the pot, here's a chance to do so and get a pretty great song in return. You'll find "The Not So Silent Night" at Amazon, iTunes and GooglePlay. I'd really like to see a vinyl 45 of this one. And, on the B-side, I want to hear it played by a Salvation Army Band. Now that would be cool.

"I'd Be Jolly, Too" was written by Wynn Varble several years back. But Jim Brown may be the first to officially record it. Wynn has written #1 Country hits for others (notably "Waitin' On A Woman" for Brad Paisley), but has had less chart success as an artist. Jim Brown is still relatively new on the Country scene, his debut album dropping in 2014. He's a solid songwriter in his own right, and he's definitely got the Country sound. The "joke" of "I'd Be Jolly, Too" is fairly obvious--succinctly summed up in the line "If I knew where all the bad girls lived, I'd be jolly, too"--but no less fun for that. You know me, I'm not big on the goof. But, somehow, fun little Country records like this are exempt from that rule of mine. You can't really do an hour or an hour and a half of Country Christmas music without at least a couple songs like this And Jim Brown turns out to be a good match for Wayne Varble's song. I think the song has legs--meaning I anticipate covers for years to come--but I've been wrong before. My nightmare scenario is that "Fly Possum Fly" becomes a perennial instead. "I'd Be Jolly, Too" is available at Amazon. The song runs a minute longer than this video, but how can you turn down a Christmas video with a pretty girl in a bikini? Well, maybe you can, but I can't.

I'm getting old and, unfortunately, that means I frequently find myself too easily drawn to familiar sounds. But I ain't dead, yet, and I do love coming across something that's fresh and new that connects with me and makes me feel almost relevant again. And so we give you Ahmari Lia's new Christmas single "Do You Believe?". Ahmari Lia is from Florida, she's 17 (crap, another talented kid), and her music is a combination of Electro Pop and Future Bass. "Do You Believe?" is thoroughly fresh and totally different from most, if not all, of the Christmas music I usually listen to. And yet, it makes me feel all Christmassy, and that's what counts. "The snow is fallin' and the time has come for you to grow up, but no way". I like that. And I guess I'm not alone; the video's been up a couple of days and has over 50,000 views so far. "Do You Believe?" by Ahmari Lia is available at CD Baby and iTunes.

Dang it all, it's another talented kid. Crap. Don't I feel old enough already without all you talented kids piling on? Get off my lawn, dagnabit! And it's Country, too. But it's good Country, Indie Country, and I don't want this one to slip through the cracks. Bailey James is her name. She's Nashville based and she's all of 15. Crap. She hit the Top 40 Country charts last year with "Run Girl" (and, again, any time you chart that high with an independently released single, you're doing something right). I'm not going to torture myself by listening to her other music (I don't want to have to contemplate just how good she might actually be), but it's hard to listen to "But If It Snows" and not hear echoes of Patsy Cline. There's a lot of Soul in that thar Country song and singer. "But If It Snows" has that genuine palpable Christmas longing that I haven't felt this deeply since Lisa Layne and Vince Vance first gave us "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (still one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs and so much better than Mariah's song of the same name). Give a listen to young Bailey James' heart-breaker "But If It Snows", have a good cry in your eggnog, and then go get it from Amazon and iTunes.

Buckner & Garcia are best known for the 80s hit "Pac Man Fever". Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia got together in 1972 and it took a decade to score with "Pac Man Fever". The group continued writing and performing through the years, but never scored another hit. In the midst of something of a comeback, Garcia passed away in 2011. The Buckner & Garcia single, "I'm Gonna See Santa Claus", currently up at CD Baby, is billed as "the only Christmas song Buckner & Garcia recorded", but that's not entirely accurate. A year before "Pac Man Fever", the duo scored some airplay and sales with "Merry Christmas In The N.F.L." (credited to Willis The Guard & Vigorish). Even less well known is the album the pair put out when they were running the Waffle House restaurants. I've yet to be able to score a copy of "It's A Waffle House Christmas", but much of the album is performed by the Buckner & Garcia band (with guests including Eddie Floyd and Angela Adams). The album was released in 2001 and the one song on the set actually credited to Buckner & Garcia is "I'm Gonna See Santa Claus". As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now you know.... the rest of the story" behind this "new" holiday single.

Dionne Warwick is a living legend, an icon, and still young enough to make good records. In recent years, she's taken to tossing out the occasional Christmas single.

"Mele Kalikimaka" is a collaborative single, featuring Dionne, Hawaiian Reggae artist Fiji, and Nomad (whom I'm assuming is Damon Elliott, a Hip Hop producer who also happens to be Dionne's son). It's OK, with a nice Reggae beat and a spot of horns that momentarily breath some life into it, but, overall, I'd rate it completely superfluous. If you're looking for good Dionne Christmas music, almost anything else she's done in the genre would be preferable. I'm really quite fond of her 2014 single, "This Christmas", personally. If you're looking at it from a Fiji prospective, well...it's still superfluous. But, if it interests you, you can grab "Mele Kalikimaka" at Amazon.

A couple of instrumentals to close us out. There are two instruments I'm an absolute sucker for, for some reason....cello and flute. So, while I'm not usually a Classical music guy, you give me a cover of my absolute favorite Christmas song "O Holy Night" done on the cello, and I'm all in. In this case...one guy, eight cellos. You might know Cremaine Booker by his other name...That Cello Guy. The principal cellist for The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, Cremaine has played with just about everyone you can think of...Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Lindsey Stirling, Jewel, Michael McDonald, Carrie Underwood, Nelly, Yo Yo Ma, Black Violin, and on and on and on. But what he's best known for are his YouTube split panel videos where he basically accompanies and overdubs himself. That Cello Guy, Cremaine Booker is pretty amazing. And, on "O Holy Night", he does the old hymn proud and beautiful on 8 separate cello parts. He's getting ready to drop an entire Christmas album, "Love On Christmas", and "O Holy Night" is the lead single. You can purchase it just about anywhere you get your downloads (including Amazon), but, for a very very limited time, you can download it free from Grey Duck Records on Bandcamp. And, if you're looking for the split panel video, that's coming. Look for it November 7.

What do you get when you pair a Classical British composer and pianist with an experimental Lo-Fi Hip-Hop concept producer of unknown origin? Apparently, you get a Chill Hop atmospheric take on a classic Christmas song...with a beat. Ben Laver is the British composer and pianist and there's plenty online about him. The Lo-Fi Hip-Hop producer is Micah Von, whose experimental concept "band" name is POLR. Micah doesn't like to say too much about himself, but his concept is about capturing moments in pictures (taken all over the world) and fashioning music to go along with the visual. Now POLR takes the "band" name and implies that it's music "straight from the arctic", but I'm personally of the opinion that POLR is derived from "polaroid"...wherever the heck Micah is actually from (Patterson, New Jersey? Sorry, Abbott & Costello joke again). Everything else aside, "Merry Little Christmas" is Funky and Cool. I love instrumentals like this. I wish there were more of them. "Merry Little Christmas" is gonna sound groovy as hell on a Christmas mix-disc. Anyway, I think so. You can pick it up at Amazon and pretty much everywhere else, including sites most of us don't know a thing about, like Traxsource and JunoDownload. Just sayin'.

0 Comments

JUANITA MEETS DR JOHN AND THEY DO THE MASH

10/13/2018

2 Comments

You got your William Shatner and your Monkees. But "Winter With Juanita" by The Kens might be as fun an album as you're likely to hear this year.

1. Navidad en Columbia
2. Delito Navideno
3. Sexy Santa
4. Winter With Juanita
5. Waltz Para Carolina
6. Kilos y Galletas the Merry Christmas Song
7. Hora de Navidad
8. Jingle Bossa
9. Peruvian Flakes
10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

For what does it profit a man's mixtape to have all the big name artist Christmas releases and lose the whole soul of doing the thing in the first place? A lot of big name artists this year. Clapton's "Happy Xmas" is fantastic. And it's only October. But albums like "Winter With Juanita" are the kinds of records that make a Christmas mixtape sing (pardon the expression, as this is largely an instrumental album).

"Winter With Juanita" is just one of those digital selections buried in a sea of seasonal releases that no one ever finds and no one else is going to tell you about. That's why we're here. The music is clearly created digitally. Much of it sounds as though it were produced using one of those Lowrey home organs like my Dad used to have, some of it sounds like it was created on a vintage moog machine. But those sounds combined with the feel and sound of a Mexicali Spaghetti Western, and both Indie and Hip Hop sensibilities make this the kind of record that will set a mixtape apart. People will sit up and take notice. They'll say, "Now that was cool."

"Winter With Juanita" is credited to The Kens. After extensive searching, and many dead ends, I can't say definitively who The Kens are (or is). The leading candidate is the gentleman to the right. He is from South Africa, creates his music electronically, had a single ("Baphi") earlier this year, and goes by The Kens. But I can't say it's actually him with even moderate certainty. Don't even have a verifiable name for the dude. Heck, it could just be production music with The Kens name slapped on (though that wouldn't really explain "Sexy Santa").

That mystery aside, what I can tell you is this. I listened to "Winter With Juanita" straight through, multiple times, never once feeling the urge to lift the virtual needle. There's not a track on here I don't love. And it's the kind of record I would gleefully listen to in August, just for my own head. Bossa Nova fans will dig "Jingle Bossa". If you need something instantly recognizable, but still super cool, there's the one cover, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". The song with the most speaking is "Sexy Santa".(which includes a shout out postal workers everywhere will enjoy). And, for those requiring some sleigh bells, there's always the very festive "Hora de Navidad". Give "Winter With Juanita" by The Kens a chance and I think you'll dig it as much as I do. Pick it up from Amazon.

Not long ago, we gave you a heads-up about the British label devoted to unsigned bands (mostly, but not exclusively, of the Metal variety) and their hopes of issuing a charity Christmas CD this year featuring such bands. Dr Johns Surgery Records has announced that the record has officially been compiled and is ready to rock and roll...to the manufacturer, anyway. They settled on a single CD (after toying with the idea of a double disc release). "Dr Johns Ultimate Rock Christmas Album" officially drops November 2. All profits will go to Exeter Hospiscare. Pre-orders are currently being accepted via Paypal to [email protected]; make sure your address is included and mark it "Christmas album"). The CDs, themselves, are £8.00 each (that's about $10.50 US), but I'm not clear on the postage outside of the UK, so you might want to email to ask, first. Postage within the UK is £2.00 per CD. They give a £3.50 postage as well, but don't really say where that's good for (that's about $4.60 US, fwiw). As I say, best ask first. Send an email to the same address or leave a comment on their Facebook page. UPDATE: It's been clarified. £3.50 postage per CD should get it to the states.

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Conspires To
2. Christmas Blues - Uncle Illmo's Band
3. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Paid In Spades
4. Why Don't Christmas Go Away - Dean Farnell
5. Oh Holy Night - Four Skulls
6. Christmas In Dixie - Southern Raiders Band
7. The Silver Wheel - Tyranny of Hours
8. Merry Christmas Collage - Joe Feloni
9. Another Lonely Christmas Song - Stillroom
10. Windy Christmas - Sacred Wind
11. Silent Night - Strawkites
12. Empty Festivities - Blackwater Band UK
13. Sykko Christmas - Sykko Dollz
14. We Three Kings - Conspires To

Some of these tunes are brand new, some are not (though most date to 2017), but all are making their hard copy debut. "Dr Johns Ultimate Rock Christmas" figures to be worth the cost of admission, though--especially for Headbangers--for such brilliant tracks as "The Silver Wheel" by Tyranny of Hours, Conspires To's "We Three Kings", and Joe Feloni's "Merry Christmas Collage". But there's also Country Rock from The Southern Raiders Band, Ambient Rock from Strawkites, and Indie Rock from Stillroom. "Christmas Blues" by Uncle Illmo's Band makes an appearance, today, on our Free page. And we previously played the Dean Farnell track for you. But I know some of you will want the most outrageous track included and that is probably this one. Heavy Metal Flatulence Rock from Sacred Wind, "Windy Christmas".

Since there's some fun to be had in this post, The Dollyrots would seem to be a fitting close. Luvz me some Dollyrots. The LA Pop Punk band is always good for a free Christmas single and often good for a free single for other holidays. And, Friday, they dropped a tune for Halloween. Busy little worker bees that they are, The Dollyrots have also just released an EP, "Resting Happy Face", that's the beginning of their next full length record and exclusively available to their Patreon supporters. And, back to Halloween, they've got an upcoming live streaming StageIt show on October 27, where they'll be performing a bunch of their spookiest fare. Now back to the free Halloween single. You know it rocks, you know it's fun. So hands up, fangs out, and head straight to Bandcamp to download The Dollyrots take on "The Monster Mash". No trick, it's a treat for sure.

2 Comments

STILL MORE SINGLES

12/20/2016

0 Comments

As you can see from some (not all) of the posts, the formatting monster is back at work--throwing in extra spaces wherever the heck it feels like it. I haven't been able to figure out how to stop it (since it may or may not do it to any given post). I've been up going on 36 hours, so I surrender.

And you might wanna know that the "2016 Cigar Box Nation Christmas" collection is out. Details on the Free page.

In advance, I want to say that I don't control the rhythm of the season. And mid - late December, Rock singles usually dominate. But here's one you're going to want to run out and get. Power Pop at its finest from Somerdale.

Somerdale are veterans of the Power Pop scene and "Merry Christmas Time" is a perfect Power Pop Christmas original. Imagine this coming on the radio? Man, I'd love to hear music like this on the radio (do we really need to hear "The Christmas Shoes" again? Who wants to hear that crap?). The trio that is Somerdale hails from the Garden State (South Central New Jersey). Among others, they once recorded for Kool Kat Musik, a label I've always liked. They have 3 albums to their credit so far, releasing "Shake It Maggie" on FDR earlier this year. The band just signed to JEM Records and plan to have a new album out this spring. Something to look forward to during these cold winter nights.

Speaking of cold winter nights, "Merry Christmas Time" is just the thing to warm you up. Get it from Amazon and iTunes.

EDIT: I feel like an idiot. I've just been reminded that "Merry Christmas Time" by Somerdale is included on this year's "Arbor Christmas", which is presently a free download. Apologies for my short memory.

Ace Enders of The Early November and Nik Bruzzese of Man Overboard got together for this slice of awesome Indie Rock pie -- "Jacob Marley". There are lots of Christmas song themes, but not enough, in my opinion, about the centuries old tale that there's always time to change. Songs about Scrooge and the Grinch abound, but most focus on those charcters when they're bad and not many about the transformation. I suppose its considered implied, but is it? In the dark days of 2016, I've seen far more evidence of those who aspire to be the Grinch or Scrooge before they change. And that is nothing to aspire to. What kind of world have we become where so many people want to be the bad guy and identify with the villain? Me, I love stories of redemption. One of my favorite shows was "Dexter", but I watched it in the hopes that it was a journey of redemption. In the end, I suppose you could make the argument, but it would be mighty thin. And, in that, I think the writers of that show missed the better story line.

Enough sermonizing. Let's just say there is good in everyone. But its a choice you have to affirmatively make. Or, as all the great philosophers have argued, and to quote Ghandi directly, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Ace Enders, by the way, put together one of our favorite releases in 2015, the Indie excellent "Silver & Gold". "Jacob Marley" is waiting for you at Amazon ...or in your nightmares, if you don't change your ways.

I'd say this new song from Dashboard Confessional is along the same thematic lines as "Jacob Marley". And, OK, it's not a Christmas song. Not remotely. But it's pretty great. And "Heart.Beat.Here." is a free download via Soundcloud. I'll take free music from Dashboard Confessional any day. And they do mention "winter" once, so that's all the excuse I need. Heck, I don't even need that much of an excuse. I love sticking non-Christmas songs in a Christmas mix. I do.

With a reminder that, this year, Hanukkah and Christmas are sharing the same space (Hanukkah begins at sundown on Christmas Eve and ends on the evening of January 1....which is kinda scary, if you think too much, like I do...I mean Hanukkah and Christmas at precisely the same time.....and with all the deaths this year....Prince, Bowie, Sharon Jones, Ali, Arnold Palmer, Florence Henderson, Alan Thicke, Choo Choo Coleman....I mean what better time for the world to end, right?), we haven't shared out much Hanukkah music this year. And I do feel a little guilty about that (even if you're not Jewish, there's a Jewish mother inside of us all).

Alright, so are you familiar with The Macaroons? The Macaroons are a group that does Indie Alt Pop music that sounds like it's for kids--which it certaonly could be--but is also pretty awesome if you're all growed up. Think Kids music meets Brave Combo. If it helps you any, they're actually a spin-off group of the LeeVees. They've done Hanukkah songs before, but they've got a new one out now. Since EIGHT days of Hanukkah are so cool, they're campaigning for TEN. Oy! Sounds like there's either a theramin or a musical saw in the mix, too. What more could you want already? Get yer "10 Days of Hanukkah" from the Macaroons on over at Amazon.

One more Hanukkah song we'll mention, here, though this one won't be released until December 24. The artist is Kyra Goldman and her coming single "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" isn't a tune about latkes or dreidles. "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" (A Great Miracle Happened There) is the story behind the celebration. A Folk Pop artist who has drawn inspiration from and comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Kyra grew up in a mixed household, both Christian and Jewish; and, although apparently considered a Christian artist, has tried to use her music to bridge divisions between faiths and between the faithful and the secular. Four songs from Kyra's debut record, "By The Light", were translated to Hebrew by an Israeli for Kyra and the resulting EP is available through Amazon. Kyra is working on a video for "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" and, though I'd think it has to be close to completed if the plan is to get it out this year, you can donate to the project if the spirit moves you (Kyra figures the cost at around $5000). Donations, she says, are tax deductable through Shema Music. We don't have audio of "Nes Gadol Haya Sham" to embed, but the 30 second clip at Amazon sounds tremendous.

Back in 2010, we had the exclusive free download of "No Better Time" by Natalie Prass for a very hot minute. Since then, she doesn't call, she doesn't write.... What am I, chopped liver? Now I have to learn about her new music out in the streets. *sigh* I thought we had something.

We still love Natalie, here, even if it's unrequited. While "No Better Time" had a bit of a throwback sound (somewhere between the era of "Baby It's Cold Outside" and 70s Folk Pop), her new Christmas song--"Everybody's Having Fun (It's Christmas Time)"--has more of an 80s Synth Pop meets 90s Indie feel. And look at that cover art. It almost looks like she stepped right out of a Devo album cover. She just needs one of those stupid hats.

Natalie says she has had trouble connecting with the spirit of the season, this year. But, if you fall into a funk like that, you can either sink into the quicksand or get up and fight. Says Natalie:
"This holiday season is, for many of us, a confusing and frustrating one. This Christmas video is a statement on all of that. To try your hardest to be a self contained vessel of joy. To fight against what seems like a decaying wasteland of the world around you.... I'm hoping this video makes you want to dance and feel free to be who you are - no matter how alone you feel or how different you are than your family or community. There's a place in this country for everyone."

To those ends, Natalie wrote "Everybody's Having Fun (It's Christmas Time)" with Kyle Ryan, made the video, and, to further be a positive force fighting the descending darkness, 100% of the proceeds of her Christmas single will go to the School of Performing Arts in the Richmond [VA] Community. That's a school that's open to all children and which was founded on the principle that no child should be turned away simply because they can't afford the tuition. You can find "Everybody's Having Fun (It's Christmas Time)" at Bandcamp. And, if you can afford it, consider paying in a little bit more than the sticker price. Remember, 'tis better to light a single candle--or purchase a single Christmas song--than to curse the darkness.

We get lots of bands from Austin, Seattle, NY & NJ, Kansas City, LA, Cleveland, and even a fair amount from Florida. You don't see too many bands from Arkansas.

Knox Hamilton got a little bit of help getting their name out there when, earlier this year, Katy Perry took to Twitter to praise the group's "Washed Up Together" video. The praise was well deserved but, hopefully, the video didn't distract from how cool the song was. As big as this year was for Knox Hamilton, next year figures to be even bigger as the Indie Pop Rockers will be releasing their first full-length album ("The Heights") AND appearing at SXSW.

A few days ago, Conan O'Brien's Team Coco debuted the group's update on the Beach Boys classic "The Man With All The Toys", which you can now get at iTunes and Amazon. The band's Boots Copeland said they felt the Beach Boys Christmas album doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Really? I don't know, man. Maybe in Arkansas. But, on the east coast at least, it gets plenty. Only Spector and Guaraldi get more. Just sayin'. Of course, none of that takes away from the super sound treatment Knox Hamilton brings to the table in their super cool cover of the Christmas classic "The Man With All The Toys".

Still waiting for the first snow of the season in Eastern Carolina, but I'm guessing folks in Doreen Taylor's hometown of Alden, New York, have already seen enough to last them 5 winters.

A versatile singer and actress, Doreen Taylor got plenty of praise for her Country Pop album "Magic" in 2012. Her Christmas single, "My Christmas Wish", which Doreen wrote, is more of a "standard" which should be playing well with Adult Contemporary audiences (Josh Groban is currently #1...again).

And, while you can certainly find "My Christmas Wish" digitally at iTunes and Amazon, you can get a signed CD-single from Doreen (and, I know I'm a dinosaur, but hard copy still matters to me). Not only that, but $1 from every sale of a signed CD-single of "My Christmas Wish" will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, one of the many charitable foundations Doreen supports (and I think those are some of the kids in the video).

Blues Traveler have weighed in with a new version of "Go Tell It On The Mountain". I don't have any audio to embed, but you know those guys, right? And you gotta love the cover art. Best of all 100% of the proceeds go to The Salvation Army. And, let me tell you, The Salvation Army is always there even when no one else is. I've seen disaster situations where The Salvation Army are the only ones who will help you out. Everyone else seems content to just count their money. Love The Salvation Army, I do (oh, dear lord, I'm starting to talk like Yoda). You can pick up the single just about anywhere, including Amazon and iTunes. And, though I'd rather not, here is (allegedly) the link to listen to Blues Traveler's Christmas song on Spotify. Can't swear to it. I can't do Spotify. It won't load and usually crashes the computer. My college roommate always says to me, "Stubby, these are things that only ever happen to you." And that may well be, but it doesn't change the fact that they do happen to me.

I'm gonna give you a couple of singles that owe some heritage to T-Rex. Here's a new one from BLAHA! (I know just how he feels).

BLAHA! is Mike Blaha of The Blind Shake and there's a lot of stuff in the mix, here. He's calling it "Freak-Roots", but there's Blues, Psych, Punk, Garage. Tell me you don't hear T-Rex in there, too. (Marc Bolan, man, the world misses you). "It's Christmas Time (And I Have Nothing Left To Lose)" might be the best Christmas song title of the year. Fortunately, it's also a great sounding record. Get your download at Bandcamp or Amazon.

Now the other new tune borrowing a page from the T-Rex playbook is one we told you about before it was released and, thus, we had no audio to share (oh, yeah, that formatting monster has been busy screwing up the whole website). Carly Jamison's "Keeping Christmas" is a good enough song for us to remind you to pick it up before the season's over. And, now, we've got sound!

You can find Carly's "Keeping Christmas" on Bandcamp, Amazon and wherever fine downloads are sold. Be sure to check out her other Christmas singles from Christmas Past, if you don't already have them.
By the way, have you seen Carly's blog? It's like she sees all. She knows when I'm posting about her practically before I do. Hey, you don't suppose she's.....Santa?

No audio available for this next one (as yet), but it's an old favorite of ours, Tristen, with a new Christmas song (or, more accurately, a new seasonal song). Nashville based Indie singer/songwriter Tristen has swum (swam?) in Christmas waters before. Back in 2011, I think it was, she released a 3-song EP on vinyl. Then, a few years back, she recorded "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" with Battlepod 8. There's at least one big difference between those earlier Christmas outings and "In Winter Blues". The others were covers and this one she wrote. Tristen has such a sense of melody, it had to be her's.

There's another big difference, too. This one counts. Tristen is donating all proceeds from "In Winter Blues" to the International Rescue Commission. The IRC was founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein. The IRC has, for 83 years, provided aid to those forced to flee their homes and their countries because of conflict or natural disasters. And, if you've seen the news at all, recently, you know about the slaughter in Aleppo and the ongoing turmoil in Syria. So the IRC needs all of the financial support they can get right, now. The crisis abroad is worse than any since WWII. So, though the cost of "In Winter Blues" is one dollar, Tristen asks you to please give more if you can.

As for the song, itself, it's gorgeous. The 3-song EP she released in 2011 was a little raw and hewed closer to Indie Rock. "In Winter Blues" qualifies as Indie Folk Pop, but, to me, it sounds very much like an early 60s Pop ballad. Except, there's some beautiful layering and the lyrics aren't about boys and dating (although you could read them that way, if you were of a mind to; I'm reading them more as the passing of a season and the year...but then I'm pretty literal).

Buried my sorrow in a sad song
Cried behind the evergreen
Real friends make a toast to remind me
they never like you anyway
in Winter Blues

With Tristen on "In Winter Blues" are Erin Rae McKaskle, Austin Hoke, Jim Hoke & Diederik van Wassenaer. The song is being offered at Bandcamp and every penny helps.

Of late, the off genre singles have really sucked. So I'm going to close with another album cut, just to get a bit of variety in here.
As it happens, I only just discovered Kerry Patrick Clark's wonderful Americana/Folk Pop album, "The Heart of Christmas", which is a 2016 release. Rushed it to our List (though you've got to drift back to, like, October 28). Hard copy CDs available from the artist.

For some reason, Fruitcake songs are always a big hit, so here's another one, "Fruitcake Round", trading off the pros and cons of the thing. Pros about fruitcake? I didn't think there were any (although that College of the Ozarks fruitcake is actually delish...and I'm not being paid to say that).

And I see our friends at Lie In The Sound have found the new "Ho Ho Ho Canada" release (and I was just over there yesterday). Ah, well, I try to be first with Polaroid and Brigitte is always first with "Ho Ho Ho Canada". There is balance in the universe. You'll have to wait at least a day for my thoughts.

0 Comments

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: GMR XMAS VII (REVIEW)

12/8/2016

0 Comments

GREEN MONKEY RECORDS WEBSITE
PURCHASE FROM GREEN MONKEY
PURCHASE ON BANDCAMP

1. Free Creature - Youse A Humbug
2. Uncle Tiki - The Potato Song
3. The Tom & Jim Yuletide Contraption - (All I Want For Christmas Is A) Big Black Eye
4. The Fresh Prince of Brain Wizard - Christmas In This Modern Age
5. The Green Pajamas - El Rorro
6. The Dyer Spawn - Wild Christmas
7. Three Ninjas - Black Dog Family
8. The Fastbacks - Oh Come All Ye Faithful
9. Cain Morehead and The Elves Bells - All Those Christmas Songs
10. Zelda Starfire - I Hate Christmas
11. Captain Christmas and the Winter Solstice Singers - Christmas Boogie Woogie
12. Steve Martinelli - Pretty Cute Christmas Kitty
13. Ed Portnow - (Peace Can Happen) On Christmas
14. Tom Dyer - Joy To The World
15. Pleasure Island - Winter Wonderland
16. Guns of Nevada - Liquor In My Stocking
17. The Write Brothers Sonic Soul Consortium featuring Stefanie Lee Knowlton - A Misspent Mercury Tear and A Cold Obsidian Heart
18. Eric Padget - 12 Drummers Drumming

I think we've learned an important lesson this year. I didn't get it at first but, after listening to "All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII", it's becoming clear to me.

The Matrix is broken. I mean, there is a way Christmas records are made. There are months, possibly years of planning. Song selection is critical. Arrangements are meticulous. The proper studio is booked, the proper musicians hired. And, with all that, the vast majority of holiday releases in any given year are insipid and instantly forgettable. And I know you look at this blog and say, "But, but, but, Stubby, you like everything." And I do legitimately like and love the music I talk about and review. But you have to know that, for every album I rave about, there are hundreds that I consider a detriment--nay, an insult--to the seasonal canon. Let me give you an example. There's a record out there this year called "A Chrisley Christmas". This is the first (and last) time I'll ever mention it. I won't even put it on our chronological listing. Yes, I'm familiar with the TV show. No, you couldn't pay me enough to watch it. Now I'm sure there's someone out there who likes the record. Probably a bunch of people. To which I say, get your own damn blog. That record is nothing short of air pollution (IMHO). And, while I realize we're about to enter into an upsidedown world where air pollution is celebrated (welcome to Trumpland), I, personally, don't want to breathe it.

Geez, I always get sidetracked. Here's the point. Green Monkey Records doesn't waste any time with planning. Tom Dyer, who runs the label, sends out an email to a bunch of artists in the Pacific Northwest (primarily) that he knows or knows of, saying, "Hey, anybody want to do a Christmas song this year?" Green Monkey spends zero time on song selection. Whatever comes in comes in. Arrangements? We don't need no stinking arrangements. We just play and that's that. Hell, we don't even need every song cut in a professional studio. That Wollensak in the bedroom is fine. And yet, somehow, every GD year, Green Monkey puts out one of the best Christmas albums of the year. How? The Matrix is broken. In fairness, I'm sure the artists involved put in more time and effort than I'm suggesting. And they're pros. They know what they're doing. Although, kids, this is one time where you can go ahead and try this at home. Not saying you'll find the same kind of magic, but it could happen.

Green Monkey Records has been around since 1983 (like a 45 record, there's a hole in the middle where the label took a bit of a siesta while they waited for the rest of the world to catch up to where they'd already been for a decade). They are all about Rock And Roll--Alt Rock, Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Underground Rock, Old School Rock, New Old School Rock, Experimental Rock, Experimental Indie Alt Underground Garage New Old School Rock. Rock.

I say it every year, but "All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII" might be Green Monkey's best yet.

You couldn't start the festivities any better than with Free Creature's "Youse A Humbug", an updated Christmatized version of the Snuff Smith classic "You're A Viper". Remember how excited you were the first time you heard Squirrel Nut Zippers? This is so much better than that. I'd call it Punk Swing but, as Free Creature themselves say, "Who needs a genre when you can make people dance?" And that bit of "Dreidle, Dreidle" in the middle? Genius.

That's followed by "The Potato Song" by Uncle Tiki--perhaps the only song ever that could match "Christ Was Born On Christmas Morn" for sheer exuberance. Except, this song gets down to the true meaning of Christmas...the food. Then its on to the tune which gives the collection it's title "(All I Want For Christmas Is A) Big Black Eye" from Tom & Jim's Yuletide Contraption which combines "Hit The Road Jack" "walking" rhythms with New York Dolls attitude, and production choices worthy of Sir George Martin (another light we lost in 2016). Really, you're going to want to listen to this one a lot, if only to figure out everything that's going on back there.

The Fresh Prince of Brain Wizard grace us with a superbly Dream Poppy "Christmas In The Modern Age". Tom's hoping to get a full Brain Wizard album out in 2017. One listen to their Christmas song and you'll be anxiously waiting for that. The Green Pajamas, who have long been a favorite of mine, surprise and delight with an original arrangement of a traditional Mexican carol that's as haunting as Marley's Ghost and as beautiful as a perfect sunset. The Dyer Spawn bring a bit of Indie Folk Rock (with some Blues overtones--subtle, but its there) on "Wild Christmas".

"Black Dog Christmas", by GMR regular Three Ninjas, is what you'd get if Bob Dylan wrote a song with Billy Joel and then handed it to a one-man band to record. Amazingly, it works. Parental Advisory on this one and, thematically, its about how you can't pick your family, but you can sure pick your dogs. And your dogs will love you unconditionally and never pass judgement on you. A solid and important Christmas message. And, like pretty much the whole album, I like it more with every listen.

The Fastbacks live up to their name with a Garage Punk take on "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". It's said to be from an obscure 1984 cassette compilation, "He Knows When You've Been Sleeping". Awesome! Just when you're thinking, well, they can't possibly surprise me anymore, along come Cain Morehead and the Elves Bells with a juicy Garage Psych original, "All Those Christmas Songs".

Zelda Starfire is back from last year's set with some more Indie Uke Pop. This year's is an anti-Christmas tune, "I Hate Christmas". The weirdness flows on "Christmas Boogie Woogie" from Captain Christmas & The Winter Solstice Singers. Attributed to an old 78, the sure to be Dr. Demento favorite even ends in a skip. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea but, if your mixtape comes up a minute short, "Christmas Boogie Woogie" will likely get better reception at your Christmas party than any other one minute track I can think of (and I do know a few).

Steven Martelli's "Pretty Cute Christmas Kitty" is....I guess you'd call it Alt Lounge. Musically, it's fascinating. But the vocals don't do it for me. I did go check out some of Steven's other stuff and his vocals are great elsewhere. But the song's about a kitty (I think...unless it's a metaphor...................nah!), so I'll give him a pass.

Ed Portnow's "(Peace Can Happen) On Christmas" is another amazing and unforgettable original. Ed provides all the vocals and plays all the instruments on a song that plays out its verses over OPM--other people's music. Even the Rocky Horror Show "contributes". And, of course, the title is a nod to John Lennon.

Not that his fingerprints aren't all over this record to begin with, but Tom Dyer steps up to the mic solo (more or less) on "Joy To The World". Tom plays it straight and the organ is what makes it work. We get Garage Surf on "Winter Wonderland" by Pleasure Island. Guns of Nevada shows us how Roots Rock is done, son, with "Liquor In My Stocking". The Write Brothers Sonic Soul Consortium featuring Stefanie Lee Knowlton contribute possibly the most beautiful song on the album. "A Misspent Mercury Tear and A Cold Obsidian Heart" is one part Indie Rock one part Classic Rock. And it has to be said: combining the name of the band and the name of the song, you'd get in just under the wire on Twitter. Might have enough characters left to say "is great" or "is awesome", but that's about it. I suspect, though, the song is destined for a long life on Internet Christmas playlists.

And what do we get when we get to the last track on "All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII"?

Sorry. I couldn't resist. No. What you get is a Tour de Force of Experimental Avant Garde, eh, I'm not really sure what it is (but the meaningless French words come closest). What it is is nearly 12 minutes of "12 Drummers Drumming" from Eric Padget. This one's going to require some patience--and I know most folks are gonna bail early on. But those who stick with it and listen to it a few times are going to discover that there's a method to this madness. Yeah, I know. You're gonna bail. So just take my word for it.

I'm sure I probably missed a Parental Advisory along the way although, let's be honest, your kids probably already have those words in their vocabulary. My personal faves from the album? "Youse A Humbug", "All Those Christmas Songs", and "(Peace Can Happen) On Christmas". Close behind are "Christmas In The Modern Age", "The Potato Song" and "Black Dog Christmas". You'll find your own favorites, I'm sure.

"All I Want For Christmas: GMR Xmas VII" is, as the title suggests, the 7th Green Monkey Christmas compilation. It is vital and alive and one of the best Christmas records you'll hear this year. Tom describes the process as "a minimum of planning and a maximum of chaos". Well, whatever they're doing, it's working. Those of you who have been addicted to Christmas music as long as I have know...we would have killed to have an album like this in the early days. Can you imagine the joy we'd have felt if we found a Green Monkey Christmas compilation in the record bins in those days...before the Internet as we know it? Though, recognizing its a digital release, we might be pretty stoked to find it in the record bins today, too. And, as if the music weren't enough reward, all proceeds raised will go to charity--specifically MusiCares. Scroll back to the top for purchase links or to visit Green Monkey Records.

0 Comments

MERRY CHRISTMAS PROVO, VOLUME 3

12/4/2016

0 Comments

PURCHASE MERRY CHRISTMAS PROVO, VOL. 3

1. JamesTheMormon – Joy To The World (feat. The National Parks)
2. LaFrantz – Hark The Herald Angels Sing
3. Belle Jewel – O Come O Come Emmanuel
4. Peach Dream – Up On The Housetop
5. Officer Jenny – O, How Wondrous The Love
6. Emily Brown – Solstice
7. Haley Hendrickson – It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
8. Quiet House – The Cherry Tree Carol
9. Yahosh, Lydia Afualo, and Mizz Hix (of The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir) – Christmas Wish
10. Junior Maile – Away In A Manger (feat. Pati)
11. O/B/A – Is It Really Christmas?
12. Chance Lewis – Twelve Days of Christmas (feat. Officer Jenny, Quiet House, Karl Strange, Book On Tape Worm, New Shack, Coral Bones, Joshua James, Mindy Gledhill, Jamesthemormon, Brandon Taft Robbins, and Ryan Innes)

Hmm. Santa looks a bit like Jerry Garcia. I've wondered about this since, oh, August, because I hadn't heard anything. And I hadn't heard anything, still, until today.

Yes, we get a new volume of "Merry Christmas Provo" this year. Sing hallelujah! Over the past couple of years, I've really come to enjoy these. I've always been a fan of local artist comps, as you know. But Provo has a certain formula and they've got it down. Their compilations have a very traditional feel, while still possessing a contemporary sound and enough variety to keep me happy. I find the "Merry Christmas Provo" collections to be perfect listening for almost any seasonal occasion (except for those times when you want to drive the neighbors crazy with Hardcore and Metal...and there are those times). Mostly, they're very good at the end of a long day of fighting traffic and shopping mall crowds. They're a lot like a spa for a tired mind.

Volume 3 features some true delights. There's a very uplifting version of "Joy To The World", with a Hip-Hop call to be our better selves and love one another, from James The Mormon. LaFrantz put an Electro Pop spin on "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". Junior Maile gently massages your temples with a too gorgeous for words "Away In A Manger". And Belle Jewel provides a fetching "O Come O Come Emmanuel". We get some modern Soul from O/B/A on "Is It Really Christmas?". And my two favorites are the Soulful as Stevie Wonder with Gospel Choir "Christmas Wish" and (and, I'll be honest, it surprised me that I liked this one so much) the Chamber Pop Officer Jenny's "O, How Wonderous The Joy". Speaking of Officer Jenny, he's got a little EP he's been building on Bandcamp--"A Virgin Did Come" (worth checking out).

"Merry Christmas Provo" is always reasonably priced ($10 plus shipping) with all of the proceeds (100%) going to United Way programs that help children, the elderly, and the disabled during the holiday season. What's more, while they still have a few copies of each available, you can add Volumes 1 and/or 2 to your order at half price (just $5 each). And your CD purchase comes with an instant download, so you can begin enjoying it immediately. You can learn more on the website of Provo's Mayor (more videos there, too) and head over here to purchase.

0 Comments

BRING ME SINGLES

12/2/2016

1 Comment

One of the most important bands in modern Christmas music is the band Low. Their 1999 Christmas album is, of course, legendary and brilliant. And it was that record that established Indie Christmas music as "legitimate". By which I mean that Indie music was being written off by the industry en masse as sub-par and disposable. It was just a fad and was never going to last. Especially when it came to Christmas music. Ah, those Indie people...they just give that stuff away...no one would actually pay for that. But Low's "Christmas" demanded respect and attention. Even though its ascent to legendary status was a bit of a slow burn, no one could dismiss it. As far as I'm concerned, "Just Like Christmas" has already established itself as a seasonal standard which will exist in perpetuity as "White Christmas" has done.

It is a bit of a double edged sword, of course. It's kinda cool to have a kind of music that belongs to just you and your friends--dismissed by everyone else. It's intimate and personal and, yeah, a lot of Inde bands built their names by giving music away. Once you gain acceptance from whomever it is who is in charge of such things, the genre belongs to everyone and it becomes commercial. It no longer feels special, no longer feels like it belongs to you and you alone. It's a bit like when your parents got Facebook pages. It isn't the cool thing anymore. But the truth of it is that all new music goes through this. Either that or it dies. Aren't we happy they still make Rock and Roll Christmas records? I am. I mean, for all the crap Rock out there, there are still some true works of genius.

So, anyway, when Low puts out a new Christmas song, you sort of have to sit up and pay attention. Their last Christmas single was a bit of a bore, in all honesty. But, this time, they done good. Only available digitally, so far as I can tell, "Some Hearts (At Christmas Time)" is vintage Low. It's as stark as winter and honest as the midnight moon. It has the simultaneous warmth and cold of a walk alone through the woods in the pre-dawn hours, with the occasional bite of the wicked wind. "Some hearts will break at Christmas Time. Some hearts are made too hard to find." Let's be honest, here. 2016 has been a miserable year and some of our brightest and best have been called home. Survival of the human heart requires finding hope is desolation. (I still can't believe these guys are an American band) Low is touring the UK and Ireland this month. They'll be singing all the old Christmas favorites. And this new one. "Some Hearts (At Christmas Time)" is available through Amazon and Sub Pop Records.

Some songs are just required listening. I know there are some out there who will think this is merely a novelty record and, with my well known scorn for the goof, will argue that I'm being a hypocrite. But, if anyone was really that up for an arguement over a Christmas song, I'd pull out a Venn diagram and point out that there is an overlap of some songs that may register as novelty records, but are nonetheless also tunes that simply must be in your arsenal. You may not need it every day or every year. But the day will come when you will absolutely need to have this one available. We've just been waiting for someone to write and record it. And now someone has.

"Christmas In The Asylum" from Big Top Heartbreak officially releases as a single December 16. But there's no need to wait as the track is included on the album "Deadbeat Ballads", which was released in October. The album can even be had in limited edition vinyl. Dare we hope for a vinyl 7"? Are you ready for this?

This one just came out yesterday and its already one of my favorites this year. It's from UK Indie Rockers The Twang. "On the 24th" finds a young man spending Christmas Eve in the local pub, downing a drink while the Christmas lights reflect off the ice cubes in his glass. He looks around to see all the familiar faces--not friends, mind you, but the same people he sees every night he sits at the pub...probably all thinking about what's lacking in their lives just as he is. All of which leads to the question, "Do we still believe?" And, if we do, do we still believe always or just on one day a year? I don't know what it is about the Brits. They can write the most depressing song ever and still make it sound like a good time. Maybe that's why Punk was bigger overseas. They had that sarcastic snear that said the whole thing was a put on, while a lot of American Punk bands just sounded angry.

I wish I could embed some audio or a YouTube video, but I can't. But lots of the bigger music sites did get the embed, so you can stream the tune here. And you'll find "On The 24th" by The Twang available for purchase at iTunes and Amazon. It's a good one.

OK, time to mix things up a bit. Here's some Reggae Christmas music from Long Island. The group is Bete Noire and they tell the tale of Rudy, that red-nosed reindeer, with Jamaican rhythms (Hmm. I always thought Jamaica was in Queens). I like the video better than the song, to be honest, but "A Message To Rudolph" is not such a bad little Christmas song. It just needs a little love is all. And its good to have some new Reggae on your mix and we don't get that much. And Bete Noire, they do know how to bring the fun in. Grab the tune at Bandcamp or via Amazon.

One nice thing about writing in these godforsaken hours is I get to be one of the first to see what Guuzbourg is up to over at Christmas A Go Go (I assume these are more normal hours for him). Anyway, today he's got the single from the Sleigh Shakers, "Jingle Hell". Which is awesome. The A-side from this Dutch band, "Jingle Hell", may be rocked up and rough, but that's a Muddy Waters riff they're doing. No doubt. And you know me and Blues (Blues Rock qualifies). The B-side, "Christmas Chicken Blues" is fun, but more Little Feat than Chess. Guuzbourg says there is going to be vinyl on this one, too. I hope I can gets me a copy. Once again, I can't embed any audio (I can't do Spotify and the Soundcloud stream is "private"). But you can hear "Jingle Hell" at Christmas A Go Go and you can hear "Christmas Chicken Blues" at PressParty. While we wait for vinyl, the digital version released today on Amazon.

Part of me wishes they'd chosen anything other than "Little Drummer Boy" and part of me is glad they chose "Little Drummer Boy", but piKziL's version of the well worn chestnut is our favorite genre...different. Indeed, piKziL basically describes their music as coming from an alternate universe. It's a blend of modern Lounge or Chill with Electro Cool Ambient. The style was very popular from the late 90s to about 2010 and has receded back to more of a sub-genre of various sub-genres in the last few years. It does have the virtue of bringing together fans of certain kinds of New Age Jazz and fans of House. Anyway, enough with the lecture.

I still like "Little Drummer Boy" as a song, but I recognize that a lot of people don't. So I wish they'd covered a different song so that more people would be open to it. But I'm happy they chose the song because, presented differently, it's possible more people might be open to it. If it sounds like I'm conflicted, you're right. But I have hope in that I don't think piKziL is finished covering Christmas songs.

piKzil is the collaboration of music veterans Liza Oxnard and Kip Kuepper. If you can't quite get there with "Little Drummer Boy", take a chance on their September release "Songs From My 3rd Life" which shows a much stronger Jazz influence. And, if you like their take on "Little Drummer Boy", you'll find it on iTunes and at Amazon.

I always feel bad for kid singers. You know, you're like 10 years old and everybody gives you extra points just for being so young. And then you grow up and your just another singer. I mean, its gotta be tough. Personally, I've always felt they should just let kids have a childhood. But what do I know? And we've had a couple of well known kid singers grow up to be absolutely wonderful adult artists. I've really been enjoying the grown up Jackie Evancho more than I thought I would (when she was a kid singing Classical, I was just bored). And, now, here's Hollie Steel after what seems like a long absence.

Hollie Steel, who I don't think had the same kind of classical training as Jackie Evancho, was on Britain's Got Talent at the age of ten back in 2009. She got a lot of publicity that even reached American shores when she forgot the words to a song and broke down on stage in the second round. They gave her another chance and she recovered, eventually finishing 6th. And, for a few years, there were Hollie Steel records, including a lot of Christmas singles. Haven't heard much of anything from Hollie since, oh, 2012. I hear she's still big on social media and YouTube. She has a new Christmas single out, "Patched & Sewn". And I really like it, though I think I'm just amazed at how young she still is (for the record, she's 18, now). So there's this kind of vicarious youth transfer that comes through the song and video. It's like that Twilight Zone episode, "Kick The Can". And if I ever needed that, its this year. If you're looking for a youth potion on record, "Patched & Sewn" is available on Amazon.

I read about this one a long, long time ago and I've been waiting for a purchase link and some audio to turn up. But "Shadows" is now available. This is Christmas music for your head and your soul, if not the kind of thing you'd put on your mixtape. Trevor Sewell is at least a bigger name in this country than his native UK, but mostly for his songwriting and not nearly as big as he should be. "Shadows" is a song he wrote and has tried to record for a little while (he's actually recorded it a few times, but never released it). He could not find a comfortable vibe for the tune. Janis Ian sits down at the piano and, immediately, everybody knew it was right. They did it in a single take. You can't improve on perfection. "Shadows" is a song about unconditional love--and you can take it as something spiritual or something earthbound. Either way, it's just a beautiful song that will reach inside you and pull out the darkness.

Trevor's been working on a new album and I'll be looking for it as another one of the guest performers is Tracy Nelson (God, remember Tracy Nelson? One of the greatest natural Blues voices I've ever heard.). In the meantime, go get "Shadows" at Amazon or wherever fine downloads are sold. A portion of the proceeds from the single are going to Janis Ian's Pearl Foundation, assisting with education ans scholarship programs.

This is one of those weird years where Hanukkah and Christmas coincide. I mean really coincide. Hanukkah 2016 begins at sundown Christmas Eve and ends January 1. In a way, its cool, but as a Christmas music blogger who likes to feature Hanukkah music when he can, not so much. I've barely looked for new Hanukkah music this year and then this one falls into my lap. It turned up on Soundcloud and I didn't even realize it was Melissa Manchester when I pressed the "play" button. Man, there was a time in my life where Melissa Manchester was The Bomb. Might be hard for you younger folks to relate, but I listened to a lot of Melissa Manchester. And I'm happy to say I was listening to her before she'd charted a single record. The title cut of "Bright Eyes" was my jam ("O my heart, I cry"). What a voice on her. Damn. Now I've gotta pull out "Bright Eyes" again. Love that tune. Nope, I don't think that makes me at all uncool (kids, don't ever feel uncool just for liking the music you like, no matter what anybody says; crank that sucker). And Melissa's still a mighty fine looking woman. I don't mean to be sexist or anything; I just always had a crush on her (well, I had a crush on a lot of women, but Melissa was right up there with Carly Simon).

So, anyway, Melissa did a full Christmas album back in 1997, followed up with a Christmas single in 2006, but she'd never done a Hanukkah song before. Melissa says she wrote "Let There Be More Light" in 2008 following a bombing in Mumbai that killed many including a young rabbi. Gatherig at a synagogue in this country to mourn, another young rabbi asked the congregation, “How do we carry on? Do we meet such darkness as this with more darkness? No. God commands us to bring more light into the world. More light!”. If you're looking for a new Hanukkah song this year, at least we've got Melissa Manchester and "Let There Be More Light". Grab it from Amazon or iTunes.

Let's pick up the pace a little bit with the Lady Luck Combo, a Rockabilly trio from Sweden. Oh, yeah, Rockabilly is huge in Scandanavia. No idea why. Their new holiday single is "Welcome Mr. Santa", but you may have come across the tune before. The video above was posted in 2012. Still, it's some mighty fine Rockabilly. And, anyway, I needed a buffer between Melissa and our closer. "Welcome Mr. Santa" is available domestically from Amazon.

What do you get when you combine two of your favorite things, or two of your least favorite things, or one of each (taste being relative)? You get Darth Elvis & The Imperials, an erzatz Elvis act that sings songs about "Star Wars". Yes, Darth Elvis is real. And, for the second year in a row, they're releasing a Christmas single. This one is "Rockin' Rebel Christmas" and it drops on December 16. All proceeds from the sales of the single will be donated to ASSERT (Angelman Syndrome Support Education & Research Trust). Angelman Syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes severe learning difficulties and the Trust helps to support families and carers of people living with the disorder. We don't have audio as yet (nor a purchase link, but we'd expect it to be at all the usual spots), but we do have last year's single, "Sithmas on Hoth". You didn't ask for it, but you're getting it anyway. And, if you get a spare minute and want a good laugh, check out "I Want Chewbacca" (available to download free).

1 Comment

CHRISTMAS ROCKS

11/26/2016

0 Comments

I think I need to unionize. It's Thanksgiving weekend and everybody gets time off except the Christmas music bloggers. So much Christmas music, so little time.

First up, I wanted to tell those who aren't aware that our friends over at Merry & Bright are doing a giveaway (maybe more coming from them as well). The CDs they're giving away right now are "Christmastime In New Orleans" by the NOLA Players. Y'all remember how much I loved that one, right? There is a little "skill" test required, but its real real easy. Evan an idiot like me could do it. So head on over to Merry & Bright for the full skinny and maybe win yourself a free CD. I think you have until December 4 (since the winner will be announced on the 5th). Just take care of it today and you won't have to worry about when it ends. It'll only take you a couple of minutes, I swear.

If you've stopped by the Free List recently, you might have noticed I was lamenting the lack of Rock freebies. Well, no sooner said than... And the two we'll be pointing you to, right now, are so good that I've got to front page them. (This is not to say you shouldn't also visit the Free page. Plenty of activity back there lately). First up is the new collection from InVogue Records, "Happy Holidays, I Miss You".

1. In Her Own Words – Yule Shoot Your Eye Out
2. Chase Huglin – Christmas Eve / Pierceton Queen
3. Hotel Books – Christmas Eve Until I Leave
4. JT Woodruff – Down Patton Hill (Christmas ’85)
5. Woven In Hiatus – Joy
6. Mark Rose – It Won’t Be Long Now
7. Convictions – Memories In The Attic
8. Mirror Eyes – Of All The Charlie Browns In The World, I’m The Charlie Browniest
9. Punchline – I Always See You In December
10. September Stories – Christmas ’12
11. Courage My Love – Last Christmas

DOWNLOAD AT BANDCAMP
PURCHASE CD (of 100) AT INVOGUE RECORDS

COURAGE MY LOVE

InVogue Records specializes in Alt Rock, Hardcore and Pop Punk and they've got 11 tracks from their roster of artists that are both diverse and damn good. A Parental Advisory is in play for some of these songs. Just sayin'. For a number of years in the aughts, Pop Punk has been one of the more dominant of Rock styles. Which makes a certain kind of sense when you think about the kind of music a lot of younger folks would want to play. Pop Punk was this generation's Garage Rock. The thing is when you listen to that many Pop Punk Christmas tunes, you start to notice that a lot of them sound alike and there isn't that much depth to the lyrics. Again, just sayin'. You get the occasional absolutely brilliant, sure to be a staple of the season for decades to come tune (like Fall Out Boy's "Yule Shoot Your Eye Out"), but most of it is like cotton candy--looks pretty, tastes sweet, but there's not much more to it than air and sugar. "Happy Holidays, I Miss You" is not restricted to just Pop Punk, but the Pop Punk that's there, for the most part, has real substance to it...in both the musical structure and lyrics.

"Happy Holidays, I Miss You" is bookended with well known covers (In Her Own Words do Fall Out Boy's classic and Courage My Love has a stab at "Last Christmas". I won't swear that the rest are originals, but they sounded fresh and new to me. They run the gamut between festive joy and somber disillusionment. The two tracks that most stand out are likely Convictions' Hardcore "Memories In The Attic" (a Christian band, they describe their sound as "Aggressive Worship") and "Christmas Eve Until I Leave" from Hotel Books which is Slam Poetry that is entrancing and irresistible. In the latter, we get ruminations on where Christmas all went wrong...and I can't disagree that "we've missed the point." "Maybe every night deserves a little silence, not just the one weekend of the year." Bravo. Well said. The group Punchline is a veteran of the annual Christmas song thing and they bring their "A" game. And how can you not love a tune with the title, "Of All The Charlie Browns In The World, "I'm The Charlie Browniest"?

Best of all, "Happy Holidays, I Miss You" can be yours as a name-your-price download via Bandcamp. The label seems aware that people will take advantage of a free download, but they are also trying to raise money for charity. The brother of the vocalist for In Her Own Words died of a rare form of liver cancer several years back and money raised through Bandcamp until New Years Day will be donated to the scholarship fund that was begun in Jason Wilhelm's honor.

Now...you say you want hard copy? The label is selling precisely 100 CDs of "Happy Holidays, I Miss You". As the album was on pre-sale for awhile (it officially released on Friday), I wouldn't waste any time hustling over to the InVogue web store.

1. Christmas Snowflakes on the Autobahn — Steven Drozd
2. Kissmas — Munch
3. Holiday Party — Chelsey Cope
4. Christmas Spirits — Brinka
5. Back for Christmas — Andrew Belle
6. Ave Maria — Boondice
7. All I Want For Christmas — Prettyboy
8. The Holidays Have Changed — Boondice
9. Behold — Brinka
10. Holiday — Labrys
11. Ice Icicles — Boondice

DOWNLOAD AT BANDCAMP

One of the annual Christmas presents we very much look forward to is the Blackwatch Christmas collection. Blackwatch is a recording studio in Oklahoma and, in cooperation with Fowler VW, they put together the collection which is always free to download and, if you happen to be in Oklahoma, you can even pick up the vinyl (limited to 500 copies) FREE, (yeah, you heard right--at least that's what NewsOK says) at Fowler VW. Nonetheless, they do raise money from the collection and from the live show (December 9 this year, I think) and 100% of the money raised goes to help fund music programs in the Norman, Oklahoma Public Schools.

This is year 6 of the tradition and so, therefore, we are celebrating "A Blackwatch Christmas, Volume VI". Kicking the album off in style is Steven Drozd, the multi-instrumentalist from the Flaming Lips. I was really taken with "Kissmas" by Munch and prematurely labeled it the best track on the album. Then I heard Chelsey Cope's "Holiday Party" and it was "Munch who now?" Always good to see free Christmas music from Andrew Belle and this one, "Back For Christmas", is one of his best. Prettyboy brings the high energy of a six-pack of Red Bull to his version of Mariah's "All I Want For Christmas Is You". And, for my pal Jim of Christmas Underground, Labrys delivers a Dream Pop "Holiday". Additionally, there's some Electronica, a bit of Ambient, and Boondice's Synth Pop "Ice Icicles" sounds like perfect soundtrack music for a "Beverly Hills Cop" movie.

If you can't make it to Oklahoma to grab a free piece of vinyl, you can certainly make it as far as Bandcamp to download the set. And, if you missed any of the earlier volumes in the series, they're still there on Bandcamp and they're still free. So just do it.

1 Martin Cilia - Christmas In July
2 Los Straitjackets - Groovy Old St Nick
3 The Beagles - Snoopy’s Christmas
4 Meshugga Beach Party - Hot Rod Hannukah
5 Black Flamingos - How The Gurch Stole Christmas
6 The Barbary Coasters - Lump Of Coal
7 Twang-O-Matics - Staffan var en stalledräng
8 Urban Surf Kings - I Saw Three Ships (Mr. Rebel Version)
9 Fronkensteen - Nutty Sweet
10 Aqualads - Angels We Have Heard On High
11 The Ogres - Xmas Is A Bust
12 The TakeOffs - Santa Claus Is Coming To Surf
13 The Other Timelines - Public Access Christmas Special
14 The Kanaloas - X-Mas Palm Tree
15 The Falcons - Ye Merry Gentlemen
16 Crazy Aces - Crazy AceMas
17 The TomorrowMen with E-Rock - Friends (At Christmas Time) PURCHASE FROM DOUBLE CROWN
18 Travelers Of Tyme - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
19 Tiki Joe’s Ocean - Jingle Bells
20 Whoa Nellie! Vera & Johnny - Little Johnny Got a Japanese Guitar for Christmas

Our friends at Double Crown Records are back with their fourth platter of Christmas delights, "Seasonal Favorites, Vol. 4". Double Crown specialize in Surf but they've been known to dabble in other retro styles. Take Tiki Joe's Ocean. They're one of the best Lounge/Exotica bands currently in circulation. As with the other "Seasonal Favorites" albums, some of these tracks are old favorites and some are newly recorded specifically for this release. In the former category, we've got some blasts from the past from The Barbary Coasters, Los Straitjackets, The Falcons and Meshugga Beach Party (Hanukkah alert!). Some of the bands providing fresh waves are The Beagles, The Other Timelines, The Ogres, Twang-O-Matics and the Black Flamingos (if you didn't catch their "How The Gurch Stole Christmas" when we featured it earlier, go have a listen).

You should purchase "Seasonal Favorites, Vol. 4" direct from Double Crown and, while you're over there, be aware that their Black Friday sale runs through Monday. We're talking 35% off orders of $20 or more. (I'd make a Crazy Eddie joke in here, but who even remembers him?) And many of their releases are already on sale, so toss 35% more on top of that and, hello, Merry Christmas. So big big savings can be yours and you won't even have to trample your fellow man or woman to death in the mosh pit of holiday shopping at the brick and mortar stores. Details are right there on Double Crowns' home page (pst-the secret woid is BLACKFRI).

One last brief bit of business before we call it a night. The Christmas single from The Empty Hearts is not only out and brilliant, it's available on hard copy CD from the band, though it won't ship until mid-December. I do like my hard copy. You can get it regular or you can get it signed. Different prices. Your choice.

I really like the "B" side.

0 Comments

ELEVEN SINGLES SINGLING

11/22/2016

0 Comments

The Empty Hearts Christmas single arrives on Black Friday. The A-side, "It's Christmastime", sounds good enough in the :30 second clip at Amazon--a good classic Pop Rock tune, nice harmonies, and Bangles. The B-side, on the other hand, "Joyful Noise", that one sounds like a killer featuring a really aggressive Rock take on the Bo Diddley beat. Wish we had a YouTube clip or Soundcloud stream, but we don't. Not yet.

I'm shocked--shocked I tell you--that I haven't seen this one on the Christmas blogs. Usually that retro Motown-esque sound is an immediate hook that draws we Christmas music obsessives quicker than a tornado to a trailer park. And no one does retro Motown-esque Christmas music better than...the British? WTF? Yeah, we Americans invent these great sounds and then just throw them aside like the kid who gets tired of his Christmas toys in a matter of hours. "Well, that's enough of that, then." No. No. That was not enough of that. It will never be enough of that. What is wrong with you people?

The Faithettes, if you weren't aware, are Paloma Faith's live show backing band. Paloma Faith has long been enamored of classic Soul and, if you're gonna do it right, you need a high caliber backing band. But, if your gig is backing Paloma Faith when she's on tour, what do you do when she's not? Well, obviously, you make your own music. And that's what they do.

"Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)" is the group's Christmas single for 2016 and its as fresh as it is retro. Just a splendid high energy holiday song that could well have come straight off a Motown Christmas album. One thing of note. The Dead Mint label web site appears to be out of commission. At least I couldn't get there. So ignore all those prompts in the video to "download" the song there. It's not as if it was a free download anyway. So, to download the Faithettes' "Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)", head to the usual spots, like Amazon and iTunes. They'll hook you right up.

If you've got a smart radio programmer in your neck of the woods, you might have already heard "Christmas Without You" by Daisy Hicks. What am I saying? OK, let me amend that. If you've got a smart radio programmer in Europe or Australia, you might have already heard "Christmas Without You" by Daisy Hicks. In this country, you've probably been listening to the same 15 songs over and over and over again. And the ones who go all Christmas music this time of year? They tend to be the least imaginative of all. (Obviously I'm not looking for another radio job anytime soon).

Daisy Hicks was born in England and raised in Australia. She began her musical career in Jazz. And her albums to date have been more Pop oriented, with some Dance remixes along the way. But she's taking a turn, now, to bring in some of her Jazz influences. And let me add real quick that I've been privileged to hear a bit of her album coming in 2017 and its a stunner. But back to the Christmas song.

"Christmas Without You" is a gorgeous ballad which Daisy wrote. If there's a moral involved, it's to recognize and admit to your mistakes rather than stubbornly maintaining you didn't make any. "Christmas Without You" made me think about a couple of things. The music reminded me of a time when beautiful love songs were always part of the chart action. "It Must Be Him", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "The Look Of Love"... there were always songs like that on the charts in the 60s, right along side the R&B and Rock N Roll. Not so much anymore. Lyrically, the song put me in mind of the movie "Family Man". That's the one where Nicholas Cage (I know; he's in everything) is shown the life he could have had, had he made a different decision years earlier. It's actually one of my favorite Christmas related movies and I'm not going to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. But Daisy's Christmas song is about much the same thing. Decisions have consequences.

"Christmas Without You" is scheduled for release on December 2. It will be at all the usual spots, including Amazon and iTunes. 10% of all digital sales of "Christmas WIthout You" this year will be donated to BBC's Children In Need. And, while I don't have any sound to embed for you, you can listen to it over at Daisy's web site. And I strongly suggest you do so.

And now for something completely different. How often do we get original Christmas music from South Africa? Donovan Copley and his band Hot Water have been bringing a modern Indie Folk Rock vibe to the sounds of South Africa (or vice-versa) for over a decade. If you were enchanted by Paul Simon's work with Ladysmith Black Mambazo 30 years ago, you probably didn't know where to turn to continue the journey. A little Hot Water might do the trick. As always, this is the first I'm hearing of the group (in spite of their inclusion on some movie soundtracks) because this is the first time they've released a Christmas song. And it's an original that's filled to overflowing with the joy of the season, South African style. Released Monday, "Mama Xmas" can be found at iTunes and Amazon. Learn more about the group at the Hot Water web site.

A lot of the best singles this year--so far--are coming from Canada and the UK (Americans tend to procrastinate). This one from Isaac & The Beekeepers might be a one-joke record were it not for the fact that its so high energy and fun. "I Folking Like Christmas" sounds like it would be equally at home in a Folk, Pop or Punk playlist. Isaac Birchall is the group's songwriter and vocalist. He's based in Wales. Not particularly well known (or important), but my heritage is Welsh. Before this tune, about all the heritage I could claim was Tom Jones, coal mining and sin eaters (oh, and some godawful cookies I always had to make when the schools held their International festivals). Now I've got Isaac & The Beekeepers and "I Folking Love Christmas". So that's a step up in my book. The song should now be available wherever you get your downloads, but I'd go with Bandcamp for the extra sound quality options.

Tim Gill is an old school crooner--songwriter, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, etc., etc. He's a showman, a throwback to the days when Vegas and the stars who played there were larger than life. His Jazz and Swing shows are high energy and he's certainly not above having fun. "Twas The Night Before Christmas" is Tim's reading of the famous poem, but its a bit more than that. He opens with a bit of a Dragnet, then some Pop Noir/Beatnik riffs. But Tim's not content to approach the poem in just one musical styling. This journey is going to have lots of twists and turns--cartoons, 70s funk, and more. And not only does the music have multiple personalities, so does Tim. At one point, he's sounding very much like Captain Kirk, and if that closing isn't Bobcat Goldthwait, I'm not sure who else it could be. I don't know how helpful this track will be in your holiday mixology, but it's decidedly unique. It's different...and you know how much we like different around here. Officially, the track arrives on Black Friday. Tim Gill's "Twas The Night Before Christmas" is available via Amazon and Bandcamp. And, if you use the latter, you might even find a Big Band Swing arrangement of "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm/Jingle Bells" that you can grab for free. Just sayin'.

Always love it when old friends stop by. Carly Jamison has been jingling our bells and rocking around our Christmas trees for a few years, now (check the body of holiday work at Bandcamp). Her latest holiday extravaganza is "Keeping Christmas". The song officially launches on Friday, at which point I'm assuming you'll find it on Bandcamp and in other digital playgrounds. At the moment, we have a :30 preview at Amazon and, to my ears, "Keeping Christmas" sounds positively T-Rex. I don't think there's a higher compliment I could pay a Rock Christmas song than that. Mark your calendars. Friday's the day.

Y'all know I can't resist a good Pop song. And I know its a good Pop song when I listen to it all the way through every time. It's like part of me wants to lift that virtual needle for the sake of saving time....and....I....just....can't....do it. But I tell myself, "Self, you already know the song. You already heard it all the way through...several times. And there's still so much to listen to." Can't help it. If it's a good song, I just can't hear it enough.

Which brings us to Dear Stella's "My Favorite Kind of Gift". There's no re-inventing of the wheel, here. We're not breaking new musical ground. Nothing deep and ponderous about the lyrics. It's just a good, snappy, joyful, feel-good Christmas Pop song. And I like that.

Dear Stella (Stefanie Drexler) hails from Austria (that makes at least two this year), she's a singer/songwriter, and "My Favorite Kind of Gift" is her first original Christmas song. You'll find the single on Amazon and iTunes and probably a bunch of other places.

You know what else I like? I like videos that show people in the recording studio. I do. Always have. I think I'm going to watch this one again, right now...

Paste magazine debuted this one a couple of days ago. But, if you haven't heard it yet, you should. And, even if you have, you should again. Leah Nobel is an Alt Folk/Alt Pop and Americana artist. Well, based on this tune, anyway. She reminds me a bit of Aimee Mann, to tell you the truth, and that's very high praise.

Leah has an album due out in the new year ("Running In Borrowed Shoes") which is a concept thing. She interviewed 100 people--as diverse a group as she could find--and then wrote songs based upon the stories she heard and the themes she noticed.

Now this is the part where I tell you that "Christmas In My Mind" is NOT a Christmas song. Or so says Leah. The song, she says, was inspired by two themes that were fairly common ones among her diverse interviewees. One) regret at having witnessed parental conflict as a child and Two) the comfort and solace of the holiday season. Yeah, I'm two-for-two there, myself. So Leah's point is that "Christmas In My Mind" is that place you go for peace when bad stuff overwhelms you. Leah can say this isn't a Christmas song (and I get that, I do), but I think it's not only a Christmas song...it's a very powerful one. In fact, as frequent readers know, I've always said the best Christmas songs are the ones that simultaneously celebrate the happy and sad. "Christmas In My Mind" does that. It's also just a gorgeous tune. Pick it up at Amazon or any of the usual download spots.

ELSEE (Lauren Campbell) comes to us from Ontario (the one in Canada). She's trained in Classical, Jazz, Pop, Soul and Rock. For her own music, she paints with all those colors for a sound that is uniquely her's, yet accessible to pretty much anyone. I tell you what, there are some songs and arrangements with so much going on that a lot of people don't notice. But, if you do notice, it's amazing and delightful. "Every December" is one of those songs where I can't help but notice the pieces all doing their own thing but all coming together. The funky bass line, especially, because its mixed to be subtle. The keyboards and guitar each have their own parts, their own riffs, that do not meet. I can't explain it real well. Let's just say there's more here than meets the ear.

"Every December" is only the second song ELSEE (all caps) has released, though she's got something coming in the New Year. You can find it at Amazon or CD Baby. And 100% of the proceeds from the sales of "Every December" will go to Hamilton's CityKidz foundation.

Dear lord, I've gotta wrap this thing up. We'll close with one that, technically isn't a single and technically is from last year (although it isn't). But its Blues, so...

Val Starr and The Blues Rocket recorded "Spending Christmas With The Blues" late last year and managed to get it out to a few radio stations before Christmas. But the track wasn't commercially available until 2016 (my computer tells me I bought it in February). It was included as a bonus track on Val's latest, "Woman On A Mission". The album is available both on CD and digitally. But, if you just want the Christmas tune, you'll find it at Amazon and wherever fine downloads are sold.

0 Comments

<<Previous

COMING ATTRACTION - IT'S BRIIIIIIXMAAAAAAS!

SINGLES SPECIAL - SPECIAL SINGLES

SINGLES OF EARLY NOVEMBER

JUANITA MEETS DR JOHN AND THEY DO THE MASH

STILL MORE SINGLES

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: GMR XMAS VII (REVIEW)

MERRY CHRISTMAS PROVO, VOLUME 3

BRING ME SINGLES

CHRISTMAS ROCKS

ELEVEN SINGLES SINGLING

About us

FestiveFriends

The Twitters

Archives

Categories