Category: Novelty

NEW RELEASE - BARNES & BARNES - "HOLIDAZE IN LUMANIA"

11/18/2018

Danger Will Robinson! Danger, danger! Barnes & Barnes are back. Yes, those fine and festive "Fish Heads" fellows have recorded their first album in nearly a decade, and--Happy Happy, Joy Joy--it's a Christmas album!

1. It's Christmas in Lumania
2. Down by Candy Cane Lane
3. Horny at the Holidays
4. Hanukkah at Our House
5. Kwanzaa's Here Again
6. Why Mommy, Why Do You Cry?
7. Santa's Gone on Strike
8 It's Christmas Time and I Am Not with You
9. Jesus Is Groovy
10. I've Got Some Presents for Santa
11. The Angel of Death Is Near
12. I Am a Flying Reindeer
13. Christmas Is Coming Better Start Running
14. Silent Night Holy Newt

PURCHASE AT CD BABY
PURCHASE AT ITUNES

ART & ARTIE BARNES

You know them, you love (or hate) them, their music makes you smile and cringe. Barnes & Barnes are back. Twin brothers Art and Artie Barnes from their home in Lumania wish you the most demented holidaze ever.

Actually, I suspect you all know that Barnes & Barnes are actually Bill Mumy ("Lost In Space") and childhood friend Robert Haimer. For years, they made their goofy little recordings with no intention of sharing them with the world. But Bill was a fan of Doctor Demento and convinced Robert to pick out a few favorites to see if the Doctor would be amused. He was and from that first group of tunes, "Fish Heads" became a demented standard. That was in 1978. So it's only taken them 40 years to get around to doing a Christmas album.

Either Barnes & Barnes are losing their touch or I'm losing my mind, but I found "Holidaze In Lumania" to be very listenable and enjoyable. And you know I'm not big on the goof. Mind you, "Holidaze In Lumania" is perfectly demented. In it's way, it's one of the sickest records you'll ever hear. But the thing about most "sick" records is that it always seems like someone is trying too hard. Barnes & Barnes achieve socially unacceptable mental illness with the ease of recliner aerobics. Crankin' out 14 carols of depravity is just another day at the rubber room for that pair. They take on all musical styles and leave no holiday unscathed.

I can't pick out highlights or even songs I hate because it's all remarkably good (I am losing my mind). There's the brilliant Gospel parody, "Jesus Is Groovy" ("Jesus is not only groovy, he's bitchin' and fab. Yeah."). I'm taking "Down By Candy Cane Lane" as a shot at all those sing-songy Pop Christmas songs (I'm looking at you, Hillary Duff) with inane lyrics that do little more than rhyme...inanely ("My girlfriend's quite the looker/That's why she is a hooker/Seven people took her/Down by Candy Cane Lane"). "I Am A Flying Reindeer" sounds to me like a poke at Eric Clapton and other Classic Rockers. "Horny At The Holidays" is a direct attack on bad Christmas Hip Hop. "Santa's Gone On Strike" is like a twisted retro Uke Pop parody of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" ("He's tired and he's cranky/He wants to lose some weight/He's been shot at, he's been tasered/Most the elves he hates"). They even take a shot at Mumy's own "I've Got Some Presents For Santa"; sung by Sarah Taylor, it's a sexy single-entendre Jazz number but, with the male vocals, here, it's just perverted and awful...yet, somehow, awfully funny.

Barnes & Barnes do a Hanukkah tune the way no one else would dare and they do the Kwanzaa song you always secretly wished someone would ("Let loose, don't hold back/You don't have to be black/Kwanzaa's here again"). And, of course, what would Christmas in Lumania be without a heartfelt rendition of "Silent Night, Holy Newt" ("Round yon fish heads, pizza faced child")?

As I said, "Holidaze In Lumania" is remarkably listenable. Let me put it to you this way. I listened to Bill Shatner's record once, then found a cut or two I could listen to more than the once. I've listened to "Holidaze In Lumania" twice through, now, and can't wait to spin it again. No offense, Mr. Shatner; we'll always have Star Trek. So far, Barnes & Barnes' Christmas album isn't on Amazon...just iTunes and CD Baby, and it's digital only (so far). Additionally, you'll see a release date of October 29 on it, but all signs say this was actually released November 17 (not a big deal, but I feel better knowing it didn't slip by me for over 2 weeks). If you like a little crazy in your Christmas, some heterodox for your holiday, a spot of weird in your winter, the unusual for your Yuletide, celebrate "Holidaze In Lumania" with Barnes & Barnes. Available for girls and boys, both good and bad. Mental health not required, psychiatric therapy not included.

6 Comments

NEW RELEASE - MARCEL KAPTEIJN - "DING DONG DAYS"

11/13/2018

1 Comment

It was tough to pick a song to lead off this post because every song on "Ding Dong Days" by Marcel Kapteijn has it's own texture and they're all great. While, overall, you would classify "Ding Dong Days" as Contemporary Pop, the songs range from classic Crooner to bizarre novelty.

Stateside, Marcel Kapteijn might be an unfamiliar name, but he's been turning out hit records in the Netherlands since the 80s. Back then, he was the lead vocalist for the Synth-Pop duo Ten Sharp. If you were a fan of groups like Tears For Fears, Simple Minds, and similar groups of the era, you should really check out Ten Sharp's back catalog. Great stuff. Ten Sharp had one huge international hit, "You", which made the upper reaches of the charts across Europe but, sadly, never made it to American shores. When Synth-Pop faded as a genre, Marcel met up with songwriter Peter de Wijn who was writing songs for a "Crooner" project which he expected to feature multiple singers. The two found they worked well together and one song led to another and another and another. Under the name Luckyfella, Marcel Kapteijn collaborated with Peter de Wijn on 4 albums over the next several years. In more recent times, Marcel has been recording and performing under his own name.

1. The One I Want For Christmas
2. December Me
3. River Of Snow
4. Ding Dong Days
5. Rain Turns To Snow
6. Colours Of Christmas
7. Snow On The Roses
8. A Very Foggy Christmas

MARCEL KAPTEIJN ON FACEBOOK
YAYA MUSIC WEB SITE
PURCHASE FROM AMAZON
PURCHASE FROM iTUNES
PURCHASE FROM GOOGLE PLAY

The first thing you notice about Marcel Kapteijn is that voice. There's a term used for a voice such as his..."Timeless." In any context, "timeless" implies something that never goes out of style. In the context of music, it is a shorthand way of saying that, whatever the musical trends of the day, a "timeless" voice will always--always--command attention and admiration. A timeless voice is a voice that could sing the phonebook and be absolutely captivating. Marcel Kapteijn has such a voice. Listen to Marcel's early work with Ten Sharp, his work as Luckyfella, or the songs on his most recent albums--spanning a period 33 years so far--listen to any of it...and the first thought that's going to stick with you is, "Man...that voice." His voice is as strong today as it ever was and one imagines it will be every bit as strong 30 years from now.

There are no tired old chestnuts on "Ding Dong Days", no "White Christmas", no "Baby It's Cold Outside". If any of these songs are covers, I've yet to hear the originals. While I have no writing credits to go by, I'd guess that most, if not all, were written by de Wijn and Marcel. The album opens with the festive Pop Rocker "The One I Want For Christmas", the kind of tune that sounds great blasting out of your car radio in the middle of December and, these days, the kind that Europeans seem better at doing than we Yanks. It's got a bit of a slightly restrained Phil Spector sound to it and, naturally, there are bells. Ultimately, "The One I Want For Christmas" is a song that will sound as good on the 100th listen as the first.

"December Me" feels like a song lifted from Synth-Pop's New Romantic movement (think Spandau Ballet). "River of Snow" is a beautifully done a capella number. The lyrics, full of evocative imagery, speak to a vivid memory and a longing to "turn back the clock." "River of Snow" was originally included on an entire EP of such music Marcel released last year, "A Capella River Songs".

The EP's title track, "Ding Dong Days", was originally recorded and released in 2004 during Marcel's early Luckyfella days. It's an upbeat crooner that seems very theatrical--the kind of show-stopper you could imagine closing a night on Broadway or in Vegas with a full orchestra and dancing girls. It's also evidence of Marcel's long held desire to do a full Christmas record. It would just take a few more years.

"Rain Turns To Snow" is a very pretty song in its own right, and another one that would sound great on the radio. It puts me in mind of some of my favorite early Soft Rock hits ("Can't Find The Time" by Orpheus, "Precious and Few" by Climax, etc.).

Every great album should have a twist. Just when you think you've figured Marcel Kapteijn, he goes all Frank Sinatra on you. This is where you truly begin to understand what a "timeless" artist Marcel is. "Colours of Christmas" is a theme John Rutter explored in a similarly titled song several years back, but Rutter's song, as I recall, was Victorian in its imagery and hewed to the birth of Christ. Marcel's "Colours of Christmas" is a gentle Waltz that would sound at home on a 1954 Christmas album and features the symbols of a warm and cozy home at Christmas time.

While I can see "Colours of Christmas" as a tune ready for inclusion on hundreds of Christmas albums in the years to come--it has that "standard" feel about it--the real Christmas miracle on "Ding Dong Days" is "Snow On The Roses". Let me put it this way. The first time I heard "Send In The Clowns" was when Judy Collins sang it. Now, I like Judy Collins well enough, but the song didn't really move me until Frank Sinatra sang it. For me, Sinatra's will always be the definitive version of that song and nobody else will ever touch his mastery of it. "Snow On The Roses" is the kind of song you could imagine Frank singing and Marcel knocks it out of the park with a performance worthy of Ol' Blue Eyes, himself. Some will no doubt try, but I don't see anyone touching Marcel's rendition. And what a magnificent song. "When I look at you while you're sleepin'/all wrapped up in Christmas wishes/with a smile that knows no sorrow". Great lyrics, great music, great performance.

Ah, but then comes the second twist. Marcel closes "Ding Dong Days" with a fun little (somehow very British) Christmas novelty track, "A Very Foggy Christmas", about a family of ghosts sharing a holiday toast. I know it's a song a lot of my readers are going to like (so here's the video). And it turns out to be the perfect ending to a very original and satisfying Yuletide EP.

"Ding Dong Days" by Marcel Kapteijn has a little something for everyone, with every track shinning like the star on the top of the tree. The songwriting is masterful and Marcel's vocals are mesmerizing. "Ding Dong Days" is one of those little gems that an awful lot of people are going to overlook and miss out on. Don't be one of them.

1 Comment

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

SINGLES! (NOW WITH MORE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR)

10/19/2018

1 Comment

"Navidad" by Frank Johnson is one of my favorite Christmas singles of the, as yet, young season. The sound is as fresh as any modern Indie Rock, yet a throwback to the Psych sounds of the late 60s. I wish I could tell you more about Frank Johnson. I spent a good deal of time looking and a good deal of time typing into google translate and, still, I know next to nothing. We do know that Frank Johnson is from Spain. We are told that Frank Johnson has played in other bands and that this is Frank Johnson's solo debut...the lead track from the album "Garman" (and that either the single or the album or both will eventually be available on vinyl, or so Frank Johnson says). And we know that Frank Johnson was influenced by the group Love and by the guitars of Eddy Hazel. And I keep repeating the name in full because I don't even know if Frank Johnson is a man or a woman. Several of the pronouns in a less than helpful PR piece translate as "she" and "her" (and, in at least one picture on Facebook, the beard being worn by Frank Johnson appears to be fake). But the vocals sound masculine, so let's go with that.

I did translate the lyrics, though. So here's what the song is about. Basically, "Navidad" is about how the year is long and December is dark and cold. But, if you find that you're getting down, Christmas is the reward at the end of it all. And it isn't because of expensive presents...spending money and getting presents is not going to make you happy. Don't look down, look up. That's where you'll find the peace and happiness that will sustain you through the next year. What the video of two people in reindeer suits running towards each other has to do with that, I have no idea. But I love the song, whoever Frank Johnson turns out to be. You can find "Navidad" at Amazon or Bandcamp or CD Baby or wherever you get your downloads.

One of the people on my personal holiday disc-swapping list has confessed to me, in the past, that he is fascinated by sea shanties and will seek, high and low, for any song that connects the sea shanty with Christmas. As he lives in Canada, and as the group Celtic Rant is also from Canada, he likely spotted this one before I did and already added it to his collection. But, just in case... and, of course, for the rest of us...

As noted, Celtic Rant is from Nova Scotia in Canada. And, as the band name would suggest, they play a folksy blend of Irish and Scottish tunes, sea shanties, and original tunes, and have done since 2006. This year, Celtic Rant recorded a Christmas album, "Ornaments". "Ornaments" has been nominated for Best Traditional/Roots Recording of the Year by Music Nova Scotia (the winners to be announced in a couple of weeks). As yet, I haven't been able to find a purchase link for "Ornaments". It's possible it hasn't been officially released yet (maybe the CDs are still pressing or whatever), but you can stream it on Soundcloud.

"Christmas Day Back Home" is the latest of three holiday singles from "Ornaments", joining "Christmas In The Trenches" and "Auld Lang Syne". Rob Wigle, the vocalist for Celtic Rant, was curious about a tradition he'd read about where sailors reportedly would collect their Christmas gifts, port to port, throughout the year. He looked for a sea shanty that told the tale but, finding none, he wrote his own. You can get your copy of Celtic Rant's "Christmas Day Back Home" from CD Baby.

How many times have you heard someone say, "They just don't make 'em like that anymore." Well, truth be told, some do. You just have to know where to look.

"I'm Gettin' Into The Swing of Christmas" may sound like a song from the classic crooner age of Frank and Bing and Mel Torme, but it's brand new (just releasing today, in fact) written and sung by Todd Murray. Say all you want about the modern artists who try to recreate the old magic, Todd Murray is the real deal and the authenticity shows. First of all, there's that amazing voice; you really can't do crooner right without a voice like that. And Todd's done the work, singing a wide variety of music in a wide variety of settings since he was a child--Gospel, Pop, Country, Jazz, Folk, and Cabaret in churches, at fairs, at VA hospitals, in concerts, on cruise lines, and in musical theater. Even before he was in college, he was doing 300 shows a year. And of course you need a full, live orchestra to back you up. Let's face it, Todd's an expert baker with the perfect recipe for a show-stopping Christmas cookie. "I'm Gettin' Into The Swing of Christmas" is complimented by Todd's other new Christmas song, "Let's Hear It For Santa Claus". The latter enchanted me as it comes from the child mind we're always trying to recapture as we grow older. And "Let's Hear It For Santa Claus" sounds to me like a tune that will invite covers in other genres down the line as it so readily appeals to children of all ages. Todd has three full albums under his belt, worth checking out if you're into the old standards. It only seems a shame he waited so long to try his hand at Christmas music. You'll find "I'm Gettin' Into The Swing of Christmas" at Amazon and iTunes and the other usual digital platforms, "Let's Hear It For Santa Claus" here and here and likewise. You'll also find both songs and his albums at Todd Murray's web site.

They love Christmas and Christmas music in the Philippines. Every year, when I go searching for new and forthcoming Christmas music, I always come across a bunch from the Philippines. I don't often go chasing those down, but sometimes I do. I loved discovering The Bloomfields, for example, whose regular sound is more Beatles-like but whose Christmas album is pure Beach Boys.

TJ Monterde is relatively new on the Filipino music scene, but he's dominated their charts in the last few years. TJ left his job as a radio announcer back around the turn of the decade looking for a label to sign him, but, after knocking on a lot of doors, found no takers. So he began uploading his music to YouTube in 2011 and generated the kind of following we associate with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes. He currently has over a million and a half followers on social media and over 56,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel. Needless to say, a record label did eventually sign him and, at one point in 2017, he had four songs in the Philippine Top 20.

A balladeer with a soulful voice, TJ Monterde's Christmas single is "Litrato Ngayong Pasko" ("This Christmas Photograph"). I don't have lyrics to plug into google translate, but I believe it's a song about missing someone who is far away. Maybe it's because I've always loved the holiday songs from faraway lands, but it sounds like Christmas to me and I wouldn't hesitate to include it in my Yuletide playlist, not even a little bit. If you're game for the foreign language stuff, you'll find "Litrato Ngayong Pasko" at Amazon.

There's something undeniably fun about Cajun Christmas music...whether it comes from the Blues side of the gumbo or the Country side. "Louisiana Christmas" from Trevor Bohannon is one of the latter. I can still remember the first time I saw Doug Kershaw on the TV and, while this isn't Doug, neither did Doug give us a true Doug Kershaw Christmas song either (the best we got was a non-fiddling "Dominic The Donkey" from late in his career).

Trevor Bohannon is a Louisiana Country artist who, already a musician, started writing songs in 1997. He was hoping to have others sing his songs (and still hopes for that, I'm sure). But, at some point, it became one of those, "If you want something done, best do it yourself" kinda situations. Aside from the festive feel and fiddle, I thought the description of Santa doing his work as "in and out like a hurricane" was both original and evocative (neither he nor I intending any disrespect to victims of Florence and Michael). "Louisiana Christmas" by Trevor Bohannon is available at Amazon and CD Baby.

Born Roland Yearwood, RemBunction is no music newcomer. He was winning talent contests in Trinidad and Tobago at the age of 11. In high school, he toured the world as part of Trinity College's Steel Drum ensemble. As an adult, Roland has found success as an actor, director, playwright, videographer, cartoonist, animator, singer and songwriter.

Among RemBunction's musical work, he seems to have a particular affinity for Christmas songs, including the ever popular "Mr. Santa Claus (Socks And Drawz)". That and many other classics appear on his 2013 album , "A Merry Remy Christmas".

RemBunction's 2018 Christmas single is a Groovy Soca original, "The Christmas Spirit", something Remy brings every year. Pick it up from Amazon.

I suppose you've been looking for this one..."We All Need Christmas" by Def Leppard. It's fine, nice even. Gonna sound great on the radio. I just don't have anything to say about it, really. I'm sure others do. Plus, I'm really, really tired right now. That's the problem with these singles posts. By the time I get through 5 or 6 singles, these days, I run out of gas. Bad luck that Def Leppard was number 7. Written by Rick Savage. You can grab it at Amazon.

We get a ton of goofy records every Christmas and, you know me, I'm not a big fan of the goof. But there are a few reasons why I'm including "Fly Possum Fly" on our singles rundown. For one thing, there's a Bluegrass version (though the Country version appears to be more popular). But another is that, no matter what Christmas search terms you might employ, you likely would never find it on your own. Nothing about "Fly Possum Fly" is going to trigger a result if you're searching for "Christmas" or "Holiday" or anything else (anything but "possum" anyway).

The tale isn't all that different from a hundred other novelty records. Rudolph gets a cold or the flu (get your shots, everybody) and can't complete his holiday duties. The song doesn't really explain why the other 8 reindeer can't manage without him, but whatever. Being as Santa is in Appalachia when Rudolph collapses, the good mountain folk tell the fat man that the local possum passel can git-r-done. I do think they could have come up with better names for the possums than Jack, Jill and Joey, but, again, whatever.

The other interesting thing about "Fly Possum Fly" is the female vocalist. Grant Maloy Smith gets top billing as he appears to be the writer of the song (it's also a children's book, yo), but the star is clearly EmiSunshine. This is the first time I've encountered EmiSunshine, but she's quite the sensation in the Country music world. A bit of an Old School (Mountain Music) Country artist, Emi released her first full-length album in 2014...at the age of 9. Do I have to talk about my macaroni art again? She has four full albums to her name, now, at the advanced age of 14. Yeesh. "Fly Possum Fly" is a goofy Christmas novelty record. But listen to some of EmiSunshine's other records and you'll be mighty impressed (and not just because she's as young as she is). And she doesn't just sing, she writes songs and plays the uke and the guitar. Of course, we're about the Christmas stuff here. You can get "Fly Possum Fly" at Amazon.

Maybe it's much too early in the game, but we have a New Year's single already. "Happy New Year" is the lead single from O.S.L.U.'s forthcoming sophomore effort "Chasing The Kings" (tentatively expected in January). O.S.L.U. is shorthand for Our Secret Little Underground, a project led by Andy Lewis from the North West of England. The group and it's label, Best Side Records, offer the mission statement that they exist to keep the Blues alive...even if that be through modern interpretation. O.S.L.U.'s debut effort, "Stone Broke: Five New Sessions For Robert Johnson", certainly fit the bill. And the other songs previewed from "Chasing The Kings" (including a really cool Blues cover of Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something") do as well. But the original "Happy New Year" seems a bit of an anomaly. They describe it as an "offshoot" of the Blues and, to my ears at least, it sounds like a 50s Rock record hop tune. "Albert", the virtual flip, by the way, is a nice instrumental piano Boogie Woogie number. We'll leave it you you to decide if "Happy New Year" by O.S.L.U. fits your personal holiday playlist. You can pick it up at Amazon. And, what the heck, even though there's nothing holiday about it, we'll leave you today with "Albert".

1 Comment

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

SHAT & THAT

9/22/2018

0 Comments

First, a quick note, in case you saw The Monkees piece on the Previews page before it was updated. There is going to be a Target Exclusive version of "Christmas Party" (street date 10/19) which will include two bonus tracks--"Riu Chiu" and "Christmas Is My Time of Year". The former of those, of course, is from The Monkees TV show and is the only full Christmas song recorded by The Monkees during their chart-topping days. Hardcore fans of the group had long said that no Christmas album by The Monkees could be considered complete without it. The latter is the single that the group (minus Mike Nesmith) released in 1976 (a remixed version released in 1986). Not sure which version of "Christmas Is My Time of Year" will be released (or if, perhaps, they've remixed it again). But I fully anticipate that the a capella "Riu Chiu" will be the original. Anyway...link included in the updated post. Now...

If you haven't already heard it, here's our first taste of William Shatner's "Shatner Claus". Here's "Jingle Bells" (featuring Henry Rollins).

This, of course, is the regular "Jingle Bells", not the Punk Rock single version. Didn't know what to expect from this album and....still don't, really. But that was fun. And kinda the approach I was hoping for. I didn't at all care for the recent Country album. That was more like a Jeff Cook album with a drunk heckler miked up in the audience. Sorry, just honestly saying what I thought about it. Hey, what does he care; he could already buy and sell me a million times over and he's gonna sell a ton. But, if the rest of "Shatner Claus" is like this, yeah, I could like that.

I feel for the Old 97's...coming in after both The Monkees and William Shatner in this post. But, hey, the Shat had available audio. What was I supposed to do?

1. Love The Holidays
2. I Believe in Santa Claus
3. Gotta Love Being A Kid (Merry Christmas)
4. Snow Angels
5. Christmas Is Coming
6. Wintertime In The City
7. Rudolph Was Blue
8. Here It Is Christmastime
9. Hobo Christmas Song
10. Auld Lang Syne
Bonus tracks:
11. Angels We Have Heard On High
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
13. Up On The Housetop
14. Blue Christmas

PRE-ORDER FROM ATO RECORDS

Formed in 1993, the Texas Alt Country Old 97's have never done a Christmas album before, though they've released a track, here and there, now and again. And, according to frontman Rhett Miller, the rest of the band was reluctant to do so now. But Miller felt the band needed a "palate cleanser" before they embarked on their next non-holiday album, and he eventually sold the band on the idea by writing "I Believe In Santa Claus" on the fly in the dressing room.

"Love The Holidays" includes 9 original songs and "Auld Lang Syne". The title track was co-written with Kevin Russell (The Gourds, Shinyribs), “Gotta Love Being A Kid (Merry Christmas)” and “Snow Angels" were both co-written with Ben Greenman, and the guy with the nose that glows gets another tale in “Rudolph Was Blue," co-written by Old 97’s and Dan Bern. Though the album is considered complete at 10 tracks, the band also recorded some holiday favorites--4 of them--which appear on the CD and digital formats. Though the "bonus tracks" do not appear on the vinyl LPs, purchase of the LPs through ATO Records (and possibly everywhere, though I don't have confirmation of that, yet) includes a download of the full album and the bonus tracks.

There are a few different options, here. There's the CD of course. But the vinyl comes in two varieties. The standard vinyl is Red & Green Holiday Splatter. There is also a Candy Cane pinwheel color version, limited to 1500 units and, for the moment anyway, exclusively available through ATO Records. And then there's the Blue Christmas bundle, which includes your choice of CD or LP plus a 7" blue vinyl 45rpm single featuring "Blue Christmas" on the A-side and "Up On The Housetop" on the flip. The Blue Christmas bundle is limited to just 400 units. "Love The Holidays" officially drops November 16.

This isn't my personal wheelhouse but, from what I can gather, Central Live is sort of the Worship & Praise version of Mannheim Steamroller (though with vocals). Everything they do is very big, very dramatic, very orchestral, lots of special effects, lights, smoke, the whole shootin' match. You go see a Central Live show, you're likely going to get your money's worth.

Central Live represents from Central Church in Las Vegas and their stated mission is crating a "Wow" experience to introduce people to Jesus Christ. They do have a bunch of albums under their belts, but "Thrill of Hope" is their first Christmas album. They have certainly done Christmas live shows before and "Thrill of Hope" is a very popular number at those shows. And, even though it's a bit over the top (OK, it's a lot over the top), I do like that one. I was a little less impressed with their other "O Holy Night" take off, "This Moment". Most of the album, though is pretty straight forward and very well done. Given a choice between Central Live and Clapton, I'm taking Clapton (or The Monkees, for that matter), but then again I lost my taste for Mannheim Steamroller after their first record (which was brilliant) and certainly after their second. And who says you have to choose? There's absolutely a place for "Thrill of Hope" in your holiday library, especially if you like your holiday music big (like the old orchestral Christmas albums) yet contemporary.

And the good news is that "Thrill of Hope" by Central Live is out now (release date September 21). No waiting on a pre-order necessary. Well, that's my idea of "the good news"; I'm sure Central Live would have a different definition. But be aware that quantities are limited.

1. Joy to the World
2. Go Tell It on the Mountain
3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. O Come All Ye Faithful
6. This Moment (O Holy Night)
7. Thrill of Hope
8. Do You Hear What I Hear
9. Angels We Have Heard on High
10. The First Noel
11. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
12. Hope for All (O Come Let Us Adore Him)
13. I Lift My Eyes (Noel)
14. Silent Night

CENTRAL LIVE WEB SITE
PURCHASE FROM CENTRAL LIVE
DIGITAL AT AMAZON

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Carrie Underwood
2. There’s A New Kid In Town – Chris Young (feat. Alan Jackson)
3. Do Not Be Afraid – John Berry
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Kelsea Ballerini
5. Little Drummer Boy – Hank Williams Jr.
6. What Child Is This – Phil Vassar
7. Mary, Did You Know? – Dylan Scott
8. Do You Hear What I Hear? – Liddy Clark
9. Let’s Make A Baby King – Wynonna
10. A Soldier’s King – Kenny Rogers
11. Christmas Eve In Bethlehem – Hannah Kerr
12. I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Rodney Atkins
13. What God Wants For Christmas – Darius Rucker
14. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
15. Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year – The Bellamy Brothers
16. The Christmas Story From The Book Of Luke (Luke 2:1-11) – Charlie Daniels

I always enjoy finding out what the season's "exclusives" are gonna be. Cuz, you know, they're exclusive. And this year's exclusive from Cracker Barrel is "Country Faith Christmas, Vol. 2". The album collects up 16 songs of the season, most focused on the religious aspects of the holiday. Not exactly sure what Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" is doing on there, but alright. That is the album's oldest track. The Rodney Atkins video above represents one of the newest. But THE newest is actually Liddy Clark's "Do You Hear What I Hear?" It's new this year and it's exclusive to this exclusive release. Barely 20 years old, Liddy's a rising star in the modern Country landscape. And yet she's a veteran, having written songs and opened for artists like Scotty McCreery and Joe Nichols since her mid-teens. She built a considerable fanbase over the last 3 years or so via Radio Disney and iHeart Radio. And you know I love Radio Disney. Liddy's new EP, "Testing The Waters," was released this past July.

"Country Faith Christmas, Vol. 2" releases September 28. Not sure if it will be offered through their online store, but you look like you could use a good meal anyway (go on, eat, eat, have a cookie). So pick one up at your local Cracker Barrel the next time you're there.

You know, back when I heard Bill Shatner was making a Christmas album, I knew better but I kinda hoped this would be on it. Hmm. Maybe Bill could do a Target exclusive version and this could be the bonus track. It's still Shat at his Christmas best.

0 Comments

NEW RELEASE - BARNES & BARNES - "HOLIDAZE IN LUMANIA"

NEW RELEASE - MARCEL KAPTEIJN - "DING DONG DAYS"

SINGLES OF EARLY NOVEMBER

SINGLES! (NOW WITH MORE INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR)

JUANITA MEETS DR JOHN AND THEY DO THE MASH

SHAT & THAT

About us

FestiveFriends

The Twitters

Archives

Categories