Category: Christmas Music On Tv

COMING ATTRACTION -- LEANN RIMES

8/9/2018

A couple of months back, I read that Country Pop star LeAnn Rimes would be appearing in her first Hallmark Channel movie later this year--a Christmas movie for which she wrote some all new Christmas songs. I thought that was kinda neat, thought wouldn't it be a waste if those new songs didn't see at least a digital release this year, and wrote up a paragraph for one of those long-ass 9 item pieces I used to post here (never wrote any other paragraphs for that and the one just sat there in queue forever). Well, turns out we WILL be getting an album after all. The movie is entitled "It's Christmas, Eve" (as is the album) and LeAnn plays Eve Morgan, the daughter of a recently deceased Jazz musician, tasked with trying to save the music program at a local school. Here's the pretty much worthless trailer for the film; don't blink or you'll miss it.

We've got no shortage of holiday music from LeAnn. In addition to her 2004 CD, "What A Wonderful World", she went on that whole Christmas music binge a few years back, ultimately resulting in 2014's "One Christmas" and 2015's "Today Is Christmas". Ah, but my favorite LeAnn Rimes Yuletide tune is still her first, the 1997 single "Put A Little Holiday In Your Heart".

Wasn't she just the cutest thing back then?

So, anyway, the upshot of this whole thing is that, yes, we will be getting a new Christmas CD from LeAnn Rimes this year featuring her new songs written for her Hallmark movie, "It's Christmas, Eve". In all, she wrote three new songs for the film, two of which (the title song and "You And Me And Christmas") she performs on screen. The third all new song is "The Gift of Your Love". Essentially a soundtrack for the movie, the album "It's Christmas, Eve" also includes some re-worked songs from the rest of LeAnn's holiday catalog (full track list below). The album drops October 12 while the film debuts November 10. And, of course, LeAnn will embark upon her sixth holiday tour as well (though it appears to be limited to the western states this year). Tickets are on sale now. For more details, keep up with LeAnn via her web site and on Facebook.

You know, uh, Kelly Pickler's doing a Hallmark movie this year, too. I don't suppose there's any chance of a Christmas album from that one? Hmm? Just sayin'.

1. You And Me And Christmas
  2. Joy (The Jolly Mix)
  3. The Gift Of Your Love
  4. I Still Believe In Santa Claus (North Pole Mix)
  5. Carol Of The Bells (Rung Out Mix)
  6. It's Christmas Eve
  7. Christmas Jam On Snow (Medley)
  8. White Christmas
  9. Suite from It's Christmas Eve

NOT THE ACTUAL ALBUM COVER ART

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GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE (A BAND IN SEATTLE CHRISTMAS REDUX)

1/21/2017

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Yeah, I'm bringing this back around. And I'm doing so because I still think back to those years when I was watching the Christmas music video show on cable in New Jersey. And, even though there's a VHS tape somewhere in my closet with some of those videos, I still think back and say, "Gosh, I wish I could watch those videos now." You're talking 25 years ago, when MTV was, at best, still in diapers. So you can imagine local artist music videos were fairly "no frills". But add in the fact that most of those tunes were never released on any medium--not vinyl, not cassette, not digital audio, and certainly not on CD.

So "A Band In Seattle Christmas" is out there for you to be had so that you needn't have those regrets 30 years from now. There's the digital record, obviously, but "A Band In Seattle" has also released a DVD featuring the 21 performances--mostly originals--from the Christmas special. Most were shot in front of a green screen with holiday images projected in later, but that gives it a kind of throwback cheesiness that appeals to me. And, if you haven't tired of limited edition Christmas vinyl, there's a package that includes a collectors grade 180 gram vinyl 12" single of the Staxx Brothers' "Slow Jams For Christmas" and an earlier recording of theirs "Cornrows For Christmas".

Not every song is going to appeal to every listener, but some of this stuff is really good and ought to be saved, lest it be forgotten. I like Whitney Monge, up top, who reminds me a bit of Tracy Chapman. And here's one a lot of other folks spoke highly of this year, The Furniture Girls with "Yule Tide".

If you haven't already surmised, pretty much every video from "A Band In Seattle Christmas" is available on YouTube a la carte, or you can watch the entire show here (or here). But the day will likely come when it isn't anymore. So, me, I wanted the DVD. It's not like its super expensive ($9.95 plus shipping) and, as it was taking a little while to get them pressed, I waited until mine arrived to post this. It arrived today and I dug it. I wish there was a lot more stuff like this out there. I realized we've entered an era when MTV doesn't show music videos anymore, and I think that's sad, frankly. I'd love me a nice DVD with all the Christmas music videos from back in the day. Wouldn't you? I've tried making them (and I know others have, too) and the old familiar issue of widely divergent volume levels keep such attempts from being watchable.

And making the point further, here is a song from those old cable shows I used to watch in New Jersey. It was called "Meadowlands Showcase" and this 1988 video from Hungry Dutchmen, "Lookin' For Santa", is one of the few that was released on CD.

Those "Meadowlands Showcase" Christmas shows are now available on Amazon video for cheap. I'll warn you in advance that, if you didn't watch them at the time, they probably aren't going to mean all that much to you. But if you did see them then.... ah, memories. Amateurish? Sure. It's like something you made for your college AV class on a budget of $1.50 with cardboard and duct tape. But so was Uncle Floyd, really. And who doesn't love Uncle Floyd? For the time being, you can also watch them on YouTube. 1988, 1989, and 1990. And here's another one from the 1988 "Meadowlands Showcase Happy Holidays" show.

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A BAND IN SEATTLE CHRISTMAS

12/15/2016

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I don't usually run commercials here, but.... Let's talk about it after these words (from not our sponsor).

Band In Seattle Xmas 15 REEL - 3 Spots from THE CW 11 KSTW on Vimeo.

OK, so I'm checking the upcoming digital Christmas releases at Amazon. This late in the season, there's a lot of House and Chill and EDM comps on the schedule. Not my bag. They usually have nothing to do with Christmas anyway. A few Indie singles (if a "name" artist drops a single this close to Christmas, it usually just drops without advance notice). Then I see "A Band In Seattle Christmas". As Steve Martin once said, "What the hell is that?" I gotz ta know.

"A Band In Seattle" is a local television program (in Seattle, duh). It runs all year, apparently, on the CW outlet up there, KSTW. They film area bands playing in the local clubs--a small set, whatever. The show runs for a half hour, weekly. There may or may not be competition aspects. Don't know, don't really care. The bands are diverse--Country, Jazz, Soul, Rock. And you'll get brand new bands that are trying to get their name out there, area veterans that are popular locally but virtually unknown elsewhere, and some who are truly legendary (even if that's small "L" legendary). In the latter caregory, some of the names who have been on the show are Brent Amaker & The Rodeo, Clinton Fearon, and Hounds Of The Wild Hunt.

I mean, this is the kind of show that should be on all over the country. Not necessarily "A Band In Seattle", but why not "A Band In New York", "A Band In LA (Patterson, New Jersey)", "A Band In The Carolinas". I don't know the cost of producing such programming. Could it really be more than what local channels paid for re-runs of "Roseanne" or "The Cosby Show"? And the truth is that shows like this USED TO exist all over back when cable was younger. We had local video shows and concert shows in New Jersey in the 80s. I remember them well. They had Christmas specials you'd hope to catch (because they weren't in the local listings and you knew, if you missed them, you'd probably never see them again).

Heck, for what it's worth, I remember video music programs from nearly a decade before MTV (and I'm not talking about hosted shows like "Something Else" which, come to think of it, was like a decade before the shows I'm talking about). I've been telling people about the music video show I watched in the 70s for years. And everybody's all like, "Yeah, yeah, sure, right." Well, I can now put a name to the program I'm remembering, since they're restoring the videos. It was "The Now Explosion" and New York ran 5 hours of it on Saturdays and Sundays (or when they otherwise needed to fill time). I may not have been the only one watching, but I seem to be the only one who remembers. It was MTV a decade before MTV. The video that always stuck with me, for some reason, was "Little Green Bag". And you can go back even farther. From the 40s to the 60s, artists made videos known as Scopitones (not for TV, but for video jukeboxes, which were more popular in Europe than here). MTV didn't invent anything.

I do get sidetracked, don't I? Well, anyway, while there aren't these shows all over the country as their should be, there is "A Band In Seattle". Their Christmas special is airing this Saturday and next. And you shouldn't have to be in Seattle to see it as "A Band In Seattle" is pretty good about posting videos of their shows to their website. Keep your eyes on "A Band In Seattle" website and Facebook page to see when the video drops. And then, once you've seen and heard some of their Christmas songs, check out the "A Band In Seattle Christmas" album (which officially releases tomorrow) to see which songs you might want to download (or, with any luck, you'll want the whole thing).

And, hey, check it. "A Band In Seattle" has dropped one of the Christmas vids early, so here's a taste from the Staxx Brothers. "Slow Jam For Christmas". Hell, I want a DVD of this thing. Somebody call Seattle!

1. All I Want for Christmas Is You to Stop Being a Psycho by Bread & Butter
2. I Saw Three Ships by Jupe Jupe
3. Around Christmas Time by Whitney Monge
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Blake Lewis
5. Long Nights (Yule Log) by Charlie and the Rays
6. Silent Night by Star Anna
7. Don't Touch the Christmas Tree by The Crying Shame
8. Dear Santa Won't You Bring Me a Ring? by Sundae + Mr Geossl
9. Santa's Got Bad Intentions by SweetKiss Momma
10. Spice the Eggnog by Vaudeville Etiquette
11. Oh Holy Night by Whitney Lyman
12. Wassail, Wassail by The Bend
13. Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel by Jake Hemming & the Bereaved
14. Kimchi for Christmas by Champagne Honeybee
15. Good King Wenceslas by Good Company
16. Yule Tied by Furniture Girls
17. Yuletide in My Doublewide by Jessica Lynne & the Cousins
18. I Remember That December by The Malady of Sevendials
19. Slow Jam for Christmas by The Staxx Brothers

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COMING ATTRACTION -- LEANN RIMES

GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE (A BAND IN SEATTLE CHRISTMAS REDUX)

A BAND IN SEATTLE CHRISTMAS

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