Yes, we have more Coming Attractions coming. I'm just trying to gather more information. Back when we started, the Distribution catalogs would offer up many of their holiday selections in June or July (with cover art and even the occasional tracklist). The distributors are, by and large, gone and I'm down to one on-line catalog--and they put out last year's holiday selection in September. In the meantime, don't forget the Stubby's House Christmas mix. And, today, we offer up a few Yuletide freebies I've only just come across. Pay attention. These will be on the test.
That's the winner, right there. Some funky beats from Bonus Points. Bonus Points is Missouri's Chris Burkart. He began producing DubStep music in 2013 while attending college. A couple of years of that was enough and Chris moved on to more catchy electronic music dripping in groovy Funk and Hip Hop. "Drunk At The Office Christmas Party" is a prime example of his sonic success. It's instrumental, so there's no "Christmas" in the lyrics. Does it sound like Christmas? Are there sleigh bells? No, and who cares, Charlie Brown? It sounds awesome and you can listen to it year round without any Christmas song guilt. My only complaint is that it's too damn short. You can grab a free download of "Drunk At The Office Christmas Party" by Bonus Points at Bandcamp or Soundcloud. And, for whatever our opinion is worth, we think you darn well should.
When I came across "The Bordellos Do Christmas", a 2017 release, on Bandcamp, they sounded awfully familiar. I could have sworn I'd heard "Another Hate Filled Christmas"--loud and cynical Post Punk--at Lie In The Sound or Christmas Underground or Christmas A Go Go. And I might have...back in 2015. But this track, "A Snowflake Fell", is the one that caught my ear and wouldn't let go.
"This time round, I'll really change". OK, so it's a bit of a holiday cliche about that dance dysfunctional couples do at Christmas, "One day a year when we can just pretend". And, OK, this one's from 2012. But context is everything. And, in the context of this collection, "A Snowflake Fell" stands out because you can easily hear how some Pop or Rock group can kitchen sink the hell out of the song and come up with a Christmas hit.
As you might have guessed by now, "The Bordellos Do Christmas" is (mostly) a collection of past Christmas efforts. You see, The Bordellos are one of the top acts of Small Bear Records, who have been putting out excellent free digital Christmas comps for the better part of a decade, now, with clever titles like "Enter Snowman" and "Never Mind The Baubles". This collection includes 4 songs from previous Small Bear Xmas comps, one track recorded for Dandelion radio in 2016, and one new song for 2017, "Honeyfuzztinsle". In addition to "Another Hate Filled Christmas", you might well remember "Happy Christmas (Alan McGee Is An Arse)" with it's unforgettable mocking Gregorian chant opening. Those two were very popular on the webs. But I still hear a hidden gem in "A Snowflake Fell". The music, otherwise, is the epitome of the deconstructive Post Punk movement. But, for that, "A Snowflake Fell" is fairly well constructed. Pick it up gratis via Bandcamp.
And speaking of Small Bear Records....
As you might have guessed by now, "The Bordellos Do Christmas" is (mostly) a collection of past Christmas efforts. You see, The Bordellos are one of the top acts of Small Bear Records, who have been putting out excellent free digital Christmas comps for the better part of a decade, now, with clever titles like "Enter Snowman" and "Never Mind The Baubles". This collection includes 4 songs from previous Small Bear Xmas comps, one track recorded for Dandelion radio in 2016, and one new song for 2017, "Honeyfuzztinsle". In addition to "Another Hate Filled Christmas", you might well remember "Happy Christmas (Alan McGee Is An Arse)" with it's unforgettable mocking Gregorian chant opening. Those two were very popular on the webs. But I still hear a hidden gem in "A Snowflake Fell". The music, otherwise, is the epitome of the deconstructive Post Punk movement. But, for that, "A Snowflake Fell" is fairly well constructed. Pick it up gratis via Bandcamp.
And speaking of Small Bear Records....
Ah, some sweet garage Psych Rock there. I love the way it builds. This Heel's "Married To The Winter Blues" is just one of many standout tracks on the 2017 Small Bear holiday comp, "Unknown Presents".
The Small Bear Christmas comps remind me of what I think of as the Golden Age of Internet Christmas freebies--roughly 1999 - 2005 (your mileage may vary), when the 'nets were filled to overflowing with remarkable and free Lo-Fi, DIY and Indie music. I didn't have to hunt for free Christmas music; heck, you couldn't avoid it. Most of those artists were never going to get a record deal (and it was just before the age where it became so relatively easy to just press your own CDs and have them look and be thoroughly "professional"), but there was real gold in them thar downloads.
If you missed "Unknown Presents" in 2017 (cuz I didn't see any mention of it in my quick scan of our Festive Friends), it's definitely worth the name-your-price download at Bandcamp. Among my favorites on the set are the rockin' "Celebration" from Harmony Dischord, Phil Reynolds' throwback to 80s Pop "Stupid Little Things", the two tracks from Matt Kelly ("there's money in those Christmas trees, my boy"), and Forty Foot Pipe's Ambient Electronica "Christmas In The Fens". Yeah, The Bordellos put in an appearance. There's even something from The Yons that I'm tempted to call Punk Country. Here's that one.
The Small Bear Christmas comps remind me of what I think of as the Golden Age of Internet Christmas freebies--roughly 1999 - 2005 (your mileage may vary), when the 'nets were filled to overflowing with remarkable and free Lo-Fi, DIY and Indie music. I didn't have to hunt for free Christmas music; heck, you couldn't avoid it. Most of those artists were never going to get a record deal (and it was just before the age where it became so relatively easy to just press your own CDs and have them look and be thoroughly "professional"), but there was real gold in them thar downloads.
If you missed "Unknown Presents" in 2017 (cuz I didn't see any mention of it in my quick scan of our Festive Friends), it's definitely worth the name-your-price download at Bandcamp. Among my favorites on the set are the rockin' "Celebration" from Harmony Dischord, Phil Reynolds' throwback to 80s Pop "Stupid Little Things", the two tracks from Matt Kelly ("there's money in those Christmas trees, my boy"), and Forty Foot Pipe's Ambient Electronica "Christmas In The Fens". Yeah, The Bordellos put in an appearance. There's even something from The Yons that I'm tempted to call Punk Country. Here's that one.
When it comes to free Christmas music on the Internets, Cool Jazz is hard to find. Or good Jazz is cool to find. Or what a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is. OK, that last part is Dan Quayle (remember him?). But the point is I don't find free Christmas Jazz online nearly as often as I'd like to. I'd rank free Christmas Bluegrass the toughest get, but Jazz is right up there.
The Johnny Hollar Trio is a Pittsburgh based Jazz group and their 2017 "Christmas card" is "Cadillac Jazz Christmas". If you're wondering where the name "Cadillac Jazz" comes from, that's the name of the full group, which includes one additional piece--a saxophone. Because paying the bills requires playing a lot of wedding receptions and the like, the "group" can range from the 4-piece Cadillac Jazz all the way down to solo piano. But, for the Christmas album, they went with the trio (drums, bass and keys). The result is cool and elegant.
The most elegant of the 6 tracks on "Cadillac Jazz Christmas" is "Away In A Silent Night", performed with the delicacy of a DeBussy ballet or a Brahms lullaby. This isn't Coltrane or Monk, but you'll hear the influence of Vince Guaraldi on the record and you'll even hear an arrangement or two where the trumpet of Miles Davis would be right at home. Half of the songs are Jazz mashups of the old familiar carols. In addition to "Away In A Silent Night", there's "Joy To The Faithful" and (the best song title on the album) "We Three Kings Saw Three Ships". "Cadillac Jazz Christmas" by the Johnny Hollar Trio makes for excellent background music for a holiday dinner party and also makes for a great late night listen by the fireside while the snow gently falls outside. And, hey, you can get it free atCD Baby. Who knew?
The most elegant of the 6 tracks on "Cadillac Jazz Christmas" is "Away In A Silent Night", performed with the delicacy of a DeBussy ballet or a Brahms lullaby. This isn't Coltrane or Monk, but you'll hear the influence of Vince Guaraldi on the record and you'll even hear an arrangement or two where the trumpet of Miles Davis would be right at home. Half of the songs are Jazz mashups of the old familiar carols. In addition to "Away In A Silent Night", there's "Joy To The Faithful" and (the best song title on the album) "We Three Kings Saw Three Ships". "Cadillac Jazz Christmas" by the Johnny Hollar Trio makes for excellent background music for a holiday dinner party and also makes for a great late night listen by the fireside while the snow gently falls outside. And, hey, you can get it free atCD Baby. Who knew?
If you happen to like your Jazz a bit more adventurous, might I suggest The Creole Gentlemen, whose 2014 release "The 13 Days of Christmas" is also free at CD Baby. The Creole Gentlemen are, primarily, Isaac Morris and Ted LaRocca and, as the name might suggest, the music on this album is a tasty gumbo of Jazz, Blues, and other sounds seasoned strategically with Zatarains. And all this Crescent City joy isn't coming from New Orleans. No. That would be too expected. This project was Utah based. Is that cool or what?
My personal favorites from "The 13 Days of Christmas" are the instrumentals "We 3 in 5/4" and "God Rest Ye", as well as the vocal title track...all 9 minutes and 12 seconds of it. But I can see "Xmas Hoki Poki" being a popular favorite of others, so that's what we'll close with today. Merry Christmas in July, y'all.
My personal favorites from "The 13 Days of Christmas" are the instrumentals "We 3 in 5/4" and "God Rest Ye", as well as the vocal title track...all 9 minutes and 12 seconds of it. But I can see "Xmas Hoki Poki" being a popular favorite of others, so that's what we'll close with today. Merry Christmas in July, y'all.
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