By the way, in spite of my proclamation yesterday that I might drop off the face of the earth for a while, I should have added that I have every intention of continuing to post to the Free Page. 'Tis the season when there's all kinds of Free stuff, and I want you should get at least some of it. When I'll get to it is anybody's guess.
But I came across a couple of new releases I haven't seen mentioned among our Festive Friends, one of which I know no one will cover if I don't.
But I came across a couple of new releases I haven't seen mentioned among our Festive Friends, one of which I know no one will cover if I don't.
| 1. Linus and Lucy 2. Santa's Got A Brand New Bag 3. Christmas Time in Bossier City 4. Don't Go Chasing Santa Claus 5. Santa Comes to Atlanta 6. Xmas on the Isthmus 7. Please Come Home for Christmas 8. Last Month of the Year 9. Back Door Santa 10. Blue Christmas |  |
One of the best new records of the season that too few are talking about is the Blues/Funk/Soul/Americana Roots music of Shinyribs. "Kringle Tingle" is just an awesome trip to the North Pole and back. This is the kind of Christmas album I ask Santa for every year and, this year, he delivered. Just Funky Funky Soul Jams from start to end. From covers of "Linus and Lucy", "Back Door Santa" and "Santa's Got A Brand New Bag" to originals like "Christmas Time In Bossier City", Shinyribs just cooks (and they got the recipe precisely right). They go fully Gospel on "Last Month of the Year" and Tex-Mex on "Xmas on the Isthmus". Not one bad stop on this road trip. CDs of "Kringle Tingle" are available from the group while digital is up on Amazon.
I haven't picked out a favorite, yet, but I have to say I'm quite fond of "Don't Go Chasing Santa Claus" which is a makeover of TLC's "Waterfalls".
I haven't picked out a favorite, yet, but I have to say I'm quite fond of "Don't Go Chasing Santa Claus" which is a makeover of TLC's "Waterfalls".
We've spoken about Beach Music here, once or twice. I don't know how deeply we've gone into it. Basically, Beach Music is largely a Carolina phenomenon. Back in the 40s and 50s, so called "race" records were banned from the airwaves in the South. But, somehow, they would find their way into the jukeboxes at the beach. So Carolina Beach Music is founded upon Rhythm & Blues. But a whole culture grew up around that and there are tons of local groups plying the trade. Modern Beach Music is soulful Pop, usually with horns, and is characterized by a shagging beat (shagging being a kind of dance you can do in the sand).
 | 1. I Love Christmas Music 2. This Time of Year 3. I Always Cry At Christmas 4. Blue Christmas 5. This Christmas 6. Mary Did You Know 7. Please Come Home for Christmas 8. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 10. Someday at Christmas (Craig Woolard & Jackie Gore) |
Likely the #1 Beach Music band 'round these parts are The Embers. The Embers started out in 1958 and are still going strong, though personnel has shuffled through the years. Every year, The Embers put on an amazing Christmas show and, every year for some time now, they've released a new Christmas CD. They started out just being available at the shows, but demand was so great that they now sell them. But you won't find them at Amazon or CD Baby. No, no. You can only get them at shows or from buybeachmusic.com.
This year's Christmas CD, "I Love Christmas Music", looks like it may be a collection of past highlights (it's the group's 60th anniversary after all). But it does include one track I know is new. The current vocalist for The Embers is Craig Woolard. The original vocalist for the group was Jackie Gore. These are two of the biggest names in Carolina Beach Music (Jackie is known as the Father of Beach Music). "I Love Christmas Music" features a duet between Craig and Jackie on "Someday At Christmas". That's a pretty big deal around these parts. The album also features one of my favorites of their's -- the title track, which is a Christmas-ized version of their signature hit, "I Love Beach Music".
This year's Christmas CD, "I Love Christmas Music", looks like it may be a collection of past highlights (it's the group's 60th anniversary after all). But it does include one track I know is new. The current vocalist for The Embers is Craig Woolard. The original vocalist for the group was Jackie Gore. These are two of the biggest names in Carolina Beach Music (Jackie is known as the Father of Beach Music). "I Love Christmas Music" features a duet between Craig and Jackie on "Someday At Christmas". That's a pretty big deal around these parts. The album also features one of my favorites of their's -- the title track, which is a Christmas-ized version of their signature hit, "I Love Beach Music".
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