The Queen of Soul has passed.
 At the time of the British Invasion, America's counter was frequently considered....The Beach Boys? Nothing against the genius of Brian Wilson, but c'mon. If you wanted to Rock, and Rock hard, few did it better than Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. Ryder combined all the best sounds the Motor City had to offer--Garage Rock, Soul and Blues--and his group racked up iconic hit after iconic hit..."Devil With The Blue Dress On", "Jenny Take A Ride", "CC Rider", "Sock It To Me Baby" and "Too Many Fish In The Sea". They were like the Stones on high octane rocket fuel and espresso spiked with home brewed whiskey. Though Mitch Ryder and the Wheels' charting years were brief (just 1965 - 1968), their impact was sufficient that Ryder has never had to worry about being forgotten and Mitch has worked steadily and been in high demand in all the decades that have followed. Ryder was also a major influence on artists like Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen. Inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame last year, Mitch Ryder was in an Austin, Texas, studio earlier this month laying down tracks for his first ever Christmas Album. While details on the new record are, as yet, scarce, Ryder is not entirely without representation in the already existing holiday canon.  "Hey Hey Santa"--credited to Mitch Ryder & The Garfield Blues Band--originally appeared on the 1994 local artist CD "Christmas In Detroit Too", the second in a trilogy of holiday sets brought together by author Mitch Albom to raise money for S.A.Y. Detroit, a non-profit dedicated to rebuilding the inner city one life at a time by funding homeless programs in the area. "Christmas In Detroit" (the original) was released on cassette in 1992. "Christmas In Detroit 3" was released in 2009 and was only available as part of a 3-CD set that included the first two volumes as well. As we're a decade removed from the latest release, and as they were local Detroit compilations, you'll have to seek them out on the secondary market and they might be pricey. But you can stream the tunes at ReverbNation, if you're curious.
Though the mostly exceptional material on these three Christmas comps has remained largely unavailable anywhere else, "Hey Hey Santa" did appear on another local artist Detroit charity comp in 1996. "A Little Holiday Spark" is available for relatively cheap through Amazon vendors. Make no mistake, the "Christmas In Detroit" comps are far far superior. But "A Little Holiday Spark" does include worthwhile tracks from The Sun Messengers and Marshall Crenshaw in addition to Mitch Ryder's track (assuming that's the one you're after). Still rockin' at age 73 (though he now lives in Tennessee), it's gonna be interesting to hear what Mitch Ryder does with a full Christmas album.  TOM CAUFIELD As we mentioned a few days ago, activity on the Christmas music front is warming up. First. You know 'em, you love 'em, you don't wanna do Christmas without 'em. Pentatonix revealed Thursday that there will be a new Christmas album from the group later this year. This is getting to be a habit for the a cappella group, winners of the third season of NBC's The Sing Off. In 2012, they released the EP "PTXmas". The Deluxe Edition followed in 2013 with a couple of additional tracks. 2014 saw the release of the holiday full-length "That's Christmas To Me". And, last year, a Deluxe Edition of that one. No details yet, but its coming. By my count, Pentatonix still has a ways to go to catch up to Elizabeth Chan who announced Monday that her fifth annual Christmas set will be titled "Five Gold Rings" and will be released September 30. Liz also announced she has a single in the offing--her first (and quite possibly her last) non-Christmas song. A native New Yorker, she was approached to write a song to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. The song is called "Concrete Tears" and you can find a brief sample on her website. I haven't gotten around to correcting it yet, but our listing for Tom Caufield's "I Heard It Was Christmas Day" shows a November release date and I'm not sure just yet if the date was changed or it's just me being old and confused, but the digital edition of that album will go live on Amazon on September 6. It's one you should really check out. So far, I've only heard the 30 second samples, but I'm sold. I'm really excited to hear this one all the way through. Tom's music could be called a lot of things--New Age, Ambient, Alt Folk... But my guess is most people are just going to call it perfect. Neat story goes along with it, but we'll save that for the review. I do expect there will be CDs of this one.  Frankie Valli's new Christmas album has a title, a release date, AND a track list...but no cover art yet. :^( "Tis The Seasons" (yeah, I know The Hit Men already played that word game) arrives October 21. Most of the tunes are standards of the season, but "Merry Christmas, Girl" looks like something new. Frankie will also be playing some Broadway dates later this year. Hmm. You think maybe the success of "The Jersey Boys" got Frankie thinking? I mean, why have people portraying Valli when the original item is still available? Just sayin'. Anyway, here's the track list for "Tis The Seasons". 1. Joy to the World/Do You Hear What I Hear (medley) 2. The Christmas Song 3. Winter Wonderland 4. Merry Christmas, Girl 5. Frosty the Snowman 6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 7. Toyland (Medley) 8. Jingle Bell Rock 9. Blue Christmas 10. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve 11. Let It Snow 12. White Christmas 13. O Come All Ye Faithful/Angels We Have Heard on High (medley)  Do you remember we told you about the Essential Media compilation of relatively obscure sides, "A Strange But Merry Christmas"? Well, you can get hard copy of that one, after all (if you're so inclined). Amazon has it as a CD-R, but CD-R's aren't the crappy home-brew kind of thing they used to be. I mean, for the longest time, I wouldn't even mention CD-Rs, here. And I'm still among the resistant. While they're certainly "no frills", though, I have to admit that CD-Rs have come around a bit. Its also worth noting that, sometimes, when Amazon offers a CD-R, other outlets might have actual CDs (I don't want to get into the weeds too much, but Amazon generally takes a larger cut than some other outlets. For independent artists, that can shrink their margins enough to where it isn't worth it). Anyway, the weird thing is the CD-R is available now (allegedly), but the digital version won't be available until September. Sara McLachlan says she'll have a new Christmas album coming out this fall. Hard to believe "Wintersong" is a decade old already. I keep skipping this one because some part of me just can't believe it. And I've been reading these interviews pretty much since last December. Tony Hadley, the former lead singer of Spandau Ballet, says he's got a new Christmas album coming out this year. Yes, another one. Not a misprint. Not an old interview piece that I mistook for a new one (though, yeah, I've done that before). ?????................ Yeah, I know. I mean, damn, dude, you've released solo albums at a rate of one every ten years and then you release new Christmas albums two years in a row? Gotta say, I kind of liked last year's "The Christmas Album". So I guess I'm willing to lend an ear. And, finally, CCM artist Christy Nockles is planning on releasing her first Christmas album after 20 years of making records. She's going the crowd funding route for the album, although she's not going with Kickstarter or IndieGoGo or GoFundMe or any of the well known platforms. Nope, she's doing this one through her own web site. Smart. Very smart. As with all those other platforms, there are plenty of "incentives" or other items you can buy to help make the record. Well, let's let the lady speak for herself.  Megan Hilty Ouch. Worst pun ever. My apologies The Rolling Stones were right, you know...."what a drag it is gettin' old." You know how I like to put together a whole bunch of "coming attractions" in one post. And I'd lined up a few for you--some you already know about and others you don't. Frankie Valli's working on a Christmas album. Had I told you that already? I passed on mentioning Megan Hilty before because, well, Broadway folks do that "Carols For A Cure" album every year and I just assumed she was recording for that. But, no, it looks like she's doing a full Christmas album. Look, she's got her Christmas sweater on and everything. And thank goodness the Lord gave us ears because Jason & Denise do not look like an act I'd be interested in but, man, they make some sweet music (Kickstarter drive with just about 2 weeks left, so get over there). But my butt is draggin', yo. And I've been having some dizzy spells lately...which is a little weird, a little funky, and all kinds of scary. So I'm just going to focus on one coming attraction and then crawl off to bed.  If you're a fan of Celtic Thunder, you already know the name Keith Harkin (that's Keith above, with Celtic Thunder, taking the lead on Mariah's classic). Harkin has been writing, recording and touring with Celtic Thunder for the past decade. But, before that, he was a solo artist (he began performing professionally at the age of 4). Even while with Celtic Thunder, Keith released 2 solo albums, including his latest "On Mercy Street".
Keith is taking a bit of a breather from Celtic Thunder to see how well he can do if he devotes his full attention to music that's entirely his own. And, yep, one of the first things on his agenda is a Christmas album which will be released this fall. Keith describes it as "an acoustic orchestral Christmas album". Naturally, there will be a tour to go along with the album, although we don't have the full line-up of cities as yet (we do know he'll be in Kansas City for the Irish Fest at the beginning of September). Born in Ireland, Keith's solo music is pop oriented (think Kenny Loggins, Dan Fogelberg or Jack Johnson), but he seems quite adept at shifting between multiple music styles, he can definitely rock out when he wants to, and there's always that Emerald Isle seasoning shining through. And, as Keith just got married on Saturday (July 2), you can expect his Christmas album to be filled to overflowing with genuine joy. Keep an eye on Facebook and/or Keith's official web site for future updates on the project. 
Doing some Christmas recon (which is a fancy way of saying, "Look at all the music I missed").
If you made the rounds of all the Christmas music sites, then you're likely ahead of me on this one. "Winter Stories" received plenty of well deserved praise on sites I only get around to on rare occasion (like My Festive Fizzy Pop). Only so many hours in the day, you know. Harriet is a relatively new U.K. artist--apparently first getting notice and airplay in 2014. She closed that year with this original Christmas track, "Maybe This Christmas". In November 2015, she followed up with the full Christmas album, "Winter Stories". The most common comparison you'll hear is Karen Carpenter. And, while its hard to imagine a voice as lovely as Karen's perfect alto, its impossible not to hear echoes of her in Harriet. Part of that is technique and part of it is style. You know, Christmas music is a tricky business. A great Christmas song needs to be both new and old. Some of the most successful Christmas music will harken back to an earlier time, stimulating the strong memories we carry, and yet steering too close to the classics can render a song little more than a novelty. You'll hear tons of artists trying to craft a Christmas song in a style that recalls Bing Crosby or Phil Spector. But the Carpenters sound was unique and so of its time (though also timeless) that I can't think of any Christmas efforts that even attempted to go there...let alone successfully. Harriet's voice is in a slightly higher register than Karen's and Karen had an innate combination of strength and vulnerability that simply radiated from inside that made her a perfect Christmas music vessel. But "Maybe This Christmas" is very reminiscent of a Carpenter's composition in its construction. So much so that you can't help but wonder what might come of a Richard Carpenter and Harriet collaboration. On the covers, you may hear echoes of Karen on "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Christmas Time Is Here", a little less so on the two George Michael Christmas songs ("Last Christmas" and "December Song") and "All I Want For Christmas Is You", and not at all on "Silent Night". The tricky thing is going to be putting away the comparisons and appreciating Harriet for herself. But, if you've longed for more Christmas music of the kind the Carpenters gave the world, I highly recommend Harriet's "Winter Stories". Now the bad news. Hard copy Harriet CDs are exclusively sold through her website, are pressed in limited numbers, and are entirely sold out. As a hard copy collector myself, that's a bummer of great magnitude. Especially as there's one track that was only included on the CD. So you'll just have to hope Harriet becomes popular enough that her CDs will be re-issued while keeping an eye on the eBay (but be prepared to wade through pages of "Harriet Tubman" and Harriet The Spy soundtracks). Dropping a letter to Santa probably wouldn't hurt, either. But don't deny yourself the music that you can purchase in digital format. "Winter Dreams" (digital) is available at both Amazon and iTunes. And keep an eye on Facebook and Soundcloud for current and upcoming releases from Harriet. Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you with that ominous title. It just happens to be the title of the song. Check it.  They're from Canada, eh.
So I've had about two months off (give or take). Time to get back to work. I was doing a bit of Christmas recon, which I used to do a lot earlier, but my ears were beat, yo. Anyway, I found a couple of things that I'll write up one of these days (and there's a heck of a lot of cleaning up I have to do around here--moving stuff like reviews to where there should be, getting the new LIST up and running, and what-not). But this was today's joyful discovery. "There Will Be No Christmas" was originally done by Crown The Empire and was included on the 2013 Fearless collection "Punk Goes Christmas". And, sure, Punk it ain't, but who cares? We're in the business of finding Christmas music that doesn't suck...whatever it is. And this one's a free download. More on that in a sec. These young ladies providing the cover are Yuuwii & Weiwen, which is very musical, itself. On Facebook, they go by Barbie, Make A Scene! (which is less musical). And, for my money, the cover is better than the original. Those delicate voices just convey the heartache so much better. It feels like the first wee gust of winter would just pick these young women up and fly them away...like snowflakes. So sad. So beautiful. Yuuwii & Weiwen, at this point, sing covers. And, on their Soundcloud feed, you'll find everything from "Bennie & The Jets" to "Royals" to Paramore to Usher. A lot of their earlier covers (including a couple of Christmas songs) are free downloads, too, but they're also Lo-Fi. Sometimes, Lo-Fi can be a cool thing, but Yuuwii & Weiwen sound incredible when properly recorded (as on "There Will Be No Christmas"). So I said this was a free download and that it is. But Soundcloud is getting increasingly weird. So, now, apparently, they would like you to "sign in please" (which isn't really onerous...just kinda weird after all this time), or sign in with Facebook (which, personally, I don't think you should ever do as Facebook will share far more of your info than anybody really has any business knowing--including Facebook) or you can get the download link mailed to you (a la Bandcamp and Noisetrade), which will cost you your email (but, hey, what doesn't these days). With that in mind, head to Soundcloud if you'd like to get "There Will Be No Christmas" by Yuuwii & Weiwen as a free download. Or feel free to support independent music by purchasing the track from Amazon or iTunes.
PARENTAL ADVISORY: contains one instance of the "S" word.
One nice thing about having a Christmas music blog is that some folks loop you in when they find something really, really good. So, not long ago, Robert Voogt dropped me a line about a couple of vinyl Christmas tunes he'd only found after Christmas. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Robert is the man behind the Snowflakes singles that we here at Stubby's have absolutely loved to death for the past three years. In years past, I've found some of the best stuff after Christmas, but I was worn down by the end of 2015 and, frankly, I didn't want to listen to music of any kind for awhile. In fact, I approached Robert's finds determined to hate them (I know, its really sad that I would take out my personal issues on someone's Christmas music). But I loved them instantly. And I suspect you will, too, if you hadn't already learned of them elsewhere (which you very well may have).
First up, the Pink Tiles. Up above is the "A" side of the 7"--"Alone Again At Christmas Time". The Pink Tiles are an Australian band that reviewers have attached the term "Bubblegum" to. Me, personally, I love Bubblegum music but, in this case, I think that's overly simplistic and a tad dismissive. This song in particular is an homage to a bunch of vintage styles. Yeah, it's got a taste of Bubblegum, but it's also classic Girl Group and Garage Rock, all seasoned nicely with a dash of Psych. It's a great song that combines the best of 60s Pop Rock with the best of early Indie. As good as "Alone Again At Christmas Time" is, I think the flip is even better. I'd call "Independence Days" Pop Punk Psych and I'd say it combines the best of sixties Psych with the best of pre-Egyptian Bangles, layered with the sweet delicious frosting of a driving Ramones type beat. Thematically, both tunes are squarely in the anti-Christmas category with the protagonist dealing with the "Christmas really sucks when you're alone" syndrome. If you want the limited edition vinyl 7", it's gonna be a little more than you'd like. The record, itself, isn't bad (once you've done the conversion), but the postage from Australia to the U.S. is more than I'd like. Personally, I think it's well worth it. After conversion, the total came to $16.11 with shipping. But you can always get the digital download and that won't set you back. Either way, do your ordering through Bandcamp. 
There are four songs on the Broken Circles "sampler" split 7", "Everything Melts Eventually, Vol. 1". And I can say that they instantly took me back to 1986 when I was groovin' on the New Wave sounds of Black and O-Positive, to name just two. These are winter themed tracks and, once again, in the anti-Christmas category. I found "Flake" by Bandit to be my personal favorite, but all four songs are superb. Bandit is a three piece Indie Rock band from Nashville and "Flake" is very atmospheric and lyrically delicious. "You fall like failure. You fall like failure. Christmas is the hardest time of year." Love it!
Georgia Dream Pop band Triathalon, another three piece, picks up where Bandit left off, with snow falling on the ground. "On The Sofa" gets as deep as the snow (if the snow gets deep), attempting to chide the apathetic into motion. For God's sake, man, get up off the damn couch and do something. "Dog Days" comes from South Carolina's Ivadell and it's a bit of a post-punk, post-rock, post-Indie, post-apocalypse, post everything, very nearly post-Jazz track. Very popular among some reviewers I've since read. Slow & Steady close the record with what might be the most radio friendly song, here. The Nashville based Indie Rock band originated in Austin, Texas, apparently (so I'm going to ask again: is there anyone in Austin whose "job" isn't making music?). "Your Cold Heart" is an appropriate year ender of a song. This 7" from the New York based label is limited to 500 copies of "randomly colored" vinyl (which strikes me as very cool) and it'll run you $6 plus $3 shipping--or at least that's what it cost me. You can find the digital version on Bandcamp and you can get either the digital or 7" vinyl direct from Broken Circles.  Jaclyn Guillou has become one of my favorite Jazz singers over the past year. I don't think I was terribly familiar with her until last year's "Winter For Beginners" album. It's not a Christmas record by any stretch, though it's certainly winter themed, with songs like "Land of the Silver Birch", and "Summer Where?". Her version of "Poetry Man" is gorgeous. And the title track is just lovely beyond lovely.
As I tend to do, I looked further into Ms. Guillou's catalog and she does have a few Christmas performance videos on the YouTubes, though not available for purchase or download so far as I could tell. And, over the last few weeks of the year, she was tossing up videos and streams of Christmas songs like she was Santa pulling presents from a big old bag. Jaclyn described these (mostly) as home-brewed demos. I'm not sure she understands that demos, by their nature, are supposed to sound like crap; if she released these tomorrow--as is--I would not only buy them, but rush to recommend everyone else do so as well. You can still listen to Jaclyn's "demos" for "The Christmas Song", "Jingle Bells", "O Holy Night", and "Nothing Out There But Snow" at her Facebook site or via Soundcloud. And it does have me looking forward to a Jaclyn Guillou Christmas album, if such a thing ever comes to be, like a kid looking forward to Christmas morning. But I, like many of you, am a "collector". To me, streams are torture. It's like looking at those big ticket toys in the store window that you'll never be able to afford. So here's a Jaclyn Guillou song that you can purchase (Amazon, iTunes, wherever). And, where most songs about the New Year tend to be optimistic odes to the year ahead, "Goodbye December" is a nod to the ending of the old--both the good and the bad of it. Just talk amongst yourselves or whatever. I just don't have the energy and it's already late.  What can I say? I dig the tune. Another Ideaman is another of those "band names for one guy" things, like Owl City, etc. And "The Christmas Of Our Lives" is his first release ever. You gotta respect the artists that kick off their careers with a Christmas song.
There's a bit of a Reggae beat to "The Christmas Of Our Lives" and it wouldn't be out of place in an Indie Pop playlist, but--at the core--it's just a real nice Pop song. As a child of Top 40 radio in the 60s and early 70s, I could see this on the radio then. Easy. Across several formats. Now that might not be what you're looking for in your Christmas soundtrack, but I always feel that, if there's one thing the world can never have too much of, its good Pop songs. Good Pop songs make you smile and think good thoughts. Somehow, the world just doesn't seem quite as dark when you've just listened to a good Pop song. OK, sure, the world is actually pretty dark these days, but do we have to dwell on it all the time? Its not as though all that fretting and worrying is going to make the world any less dark. But a good Pop song can. "The Christmas Of Our Lives" is available at iTunes and Amazon and wherever fine digital downloads are sold. And, if you get the chance, drop by Another Ideaman's Facebook page and say "hi". |
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