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The Empty Hearts Christmas single arrives on Black Friday. The A-side, "It's Christmastime", sounds good enough in the :30 second clip at Amazon--a good classic Pop Rock tune, nice harmonies, and Bangles. The B-side, on the other hand, "Joyful Noise", that one sounds like a killer featuring a really aggressive Rock take on the Bo Diddley beat. Wish we had a YouTube clip or Soundcloud stream, but we don't. Not yet. |
I'm shocked--shocked I tell you--that I haven't seen this one on the Christmas blogs. Usually that retro Motown-esque sound is an immediate hook that draws we Christmas music obsessives quicker than a tornado to a trailer park. And no one does retro Motown-esque Christmas music better than...the British? WTF? Yeah, we Americans invent these great sounds and then just throw them aside like the kid who gets tired of his Christmas toys in a matter of hours. "Well, that's enough of that, then." No. No. That was not enough of that. It will never be enough of that. What is wrong with you people?
The Faithettes, if you weren't aware, are Paloma Faith's live show backing band. Paloma Faith has long been enamored of classic Soul and, if you're gonna do it right, you need a high caliber backing band. But, if your gig is backing Paloma Faith when she's on tour, what do you do when she's not? Well, obviously, you make your own music. And that's what they do.
"Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)" is the group's Christmas single for 2016 and its as fresh as it is retro. Just a splendid high energy holiday song that could well have come straight off a Motown Christmas album. One thing of note. The Dead Mint label web site appears to be out of commission. At least I couldn't get there. So ignore all those prompts in the video to "download" the song there. It's not as if it was a free download anyway. So, to download the Faithettes' "Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)", head to the usual spots, like Amazon and iTunes. They'll hook you right up.
The Faithettes, if you weren't aware, are Paloma Faith's live show backing band. Paloma Faith has long been enamored of classic Soul and, if you're gonna do it right, you need a high caliber backing band. But, if your gig is backing Paloma Faith when she's on tour, what do you do when she's not? Well, obviously, you make your own music. And that's what they do.
"Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)" is the group's Christmas single for 2016 and its as fresh as it is retro. Just a splendid high energy holiday song that could well have come straight off a Motown Christmas album. One thing of note. The Dead Mint label web site appears to be out of commission. At least I couldn't get there. So ignore all those prompts in the video to "download" the song there. It's not as if it was a free download anyway. So, to download the Faithettes' "Me And My Baby (Spend Christmas With Me)", head to the usual spots, like Amazon and iTunes. They'll hook you right up.
If you've got a smart radio programmer in your neck of the woods, you might have already heard "Christmas Without You" by Daisy Hicks. What am I saying? OK, let me amend that. If you've got a smart radio programmer in Europe or Australia, you might have already heard "Christmas Without You" by Daisy Hicks. In this country, you've probably been listening to the same 15 songs over and over and over again. And the ones who go all Christmas music this time of year? They tend to be the least imaginative of all. (Obviously I'm not looking for another radio job anytime soon).
Daisy Hicks was born in England and raised in Australia. She began her musical career in Jazz. And her albums to date have been more Pop oriented, with some Dance remixes along the way. But she's taking a turn, now, to bring in some of her Jazz influences. And let me add real quick that I've been privileged to hear a bit of her album coming in 2017 and its a stunner. But back to the Christmas song.
"Christmas Without You" is a gorgeous ballad which Daisy wrote. If there's a moral involved, it's to recognize and admit to your mistakes rather than stubbornly maintaining you didn't make any. "Christmas Without You" made me think about a couple of things. The music reminded me of a time when beautiful love songs were always part of the chart action. "It Must Be Him", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "The Look Of Love"... there were always songs like that on the charts in the 60s, right along side the R&B and Rock N Roll. Not so much anymore. Lyrically, the song put me in mind of the movie "Family Man". That's the one where Nicholas Cage (I know; he's in everything) is shown the life he could have had, had he made a different decision years earlier. It's actually one of my favorite Christmas related movies and I'm not going to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. But Daisy's Christmas song is about much the same thing. Decisions have consequences.
"Christmas Without You" is scheduled for release on December 2. It will be at all the usual spots, including Amazon and iTunes. 10% of all digital sales of "Christmas WIthout You" this year will be donated to BBC's Children In Need. And, while I don't have any sound to embed for you, you can listen to it over at Daisy's web site. And I strongly suggest you do so.
Daisy Hicks was born in England and raised in Australia. She began her musical career in Jazz. And her albums to date have been more Pop oriented, with some Dance remixes along the way. But she's taking a turn, now, to bring in some of her Jazz influences. And let me add real quick that I've been privileged to hear a bit of her album coming in 2017 and its a stunner. But back to the Christmas song.
"Christmas Without You" is a gorgeous ballad which Daisy wrote. If there's a moral involved, it's to recognize and admit to your mistakes rather than stubbornly maintaining you didn't make any. "Christmas Without You" made me think about a couple of things. The music reminded me of a time when beautiful love songs were always part of the chart action. "It Must Be Him", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "The Look Of Love"... there were always songs like that on the charts in the 60s, right along side the R&B and Rock N Roll. Not so much anymore. Lyrically, the song put me in mind of the movie "Family Man". That's the one where Nicholas Cage (I know; he's in everything) is shown the life he could have had, had he made a different decision years earlier. It's actually one of my favorite Christmas related movies and I'm not going to spoil it for you if you haven't seen it. But Daisy's Christmas song is about much the same thing. Decisions have consequences.
"Christmas Without You" is scheduled for release on December 2. It will be at all the usual spots, including Amazon and iTunes. 10% of all digital sales of "Christmas WIthout You" this year will be donated to BBC's Children In Need. And, while I don't have any sound to embed for you, you can listen to it over at Daisy's web site. And I strongly suggest you do so.
And now for something completely different. How often do we get original Christmas music from South Africa? Donovan Copley and his band Hot Water have been bringing a modern Indie Folk Rock vibe to the sounds of South Africa (or vice-versa) for over a decade. If you were enchanted by Paul Simon's work with Ladysmith Black Mambazo 30 years ago, you probably didn't know where to turn to continue the journey. A little Hot Water might do the trick. As always, this is the first I'm hearing of the group (in spite of their inclusion on some movie soundtracks) because this is the first time they've released a Christmas song. And it's an original that's filled to overflowing with the joy of the season, South African style. Released Monday, "Mama Xmas" can be found at iTunes and Amazon. Learn more about the group at the Hot Water web site.
A lot of the best singles this year--so far--are coming from Canada and the UK (Americans tend to procrastinate). This one from Isaac & The Beekeepers might be a one-joke record were it not for the fact that its so high energy and fun. "I Folking Like Christmas" sounds like it would be equally at home in a Folk, Pop or Punk playlist. Isaac Birchall is the group's songwriter and vocalist. He's based in Wales. Not particularly well known (or important), but my heritage is Welsh. Before this tune, about all the heritage I could claim was Tom Jones, coal mining and sin eaters (oh, and some godawful cookies I always had to make when the schools held their International festivals). Now I've got Isaac & The Beekeepers and "I Folking Love Christmas". So that's a step up in my book. The song should now be available wherever you get your downloads, but I'd go with Bandcamp for the extra sound quality options.
Tim Gill is an old school crooner--songwriter, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, etc., etc. He's a showman, a throwback to the days when Vegas and the stars who played there were larger than life. His Jazz and Swing shows are high energy and he's certainly not above having fun. "Twas The Night Before Christmas" is Tim's reading of the famous poem, but its a bit more than that. He opens with a bit of a Dragnet, then some Pop Noir/Beatnik riffs. But Tim's not content to approach the poem in just one musical styling. This journey is going to have lots of twists and turns--cartoons, 70s funk, and more. And not only does the music have multiple personalities, so does Tim. At one point, he's sounding very much like Captain Kirk, and if that closing isn't Bobcat Goldthwait, I'm not sure who else it could be. I don't know how helpful this track will be in your holiday mixology, but it's decidedly unique. It's different...and you know how much we like different around here. Officially, the track arrives on Black Friday. Tim Gill's "Twas The Night Before Christmas" is available via Amazon and Bandcamp. And, if you use the latter, you might even find a Big Band Swing arrangement of "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm/Jingle Bells" that you can grab for free. Just sayin'.
Always love it when old friends stop by. Carly Jamison has been jingling our bells and rocking around our Christmas trees for a few years, now (check the body of holiday work at Bandcamp). Her latest holiday extravaganza is "Keeping Christmas". The song officially launches on Friday, at which point I'm assuming you'll find it on Bandcamp and in other digital playgrounds. At the moment, we have a :30 preview at Amazon and, to my ears, "Keeping Christmas" sounds positively T-Rex. I don't think there's a higher compliment I could pay a Rock Christmas song than that. Mark your calendars. Friday's the day.
Y'all know I can't resist a good Pop song. And I know its a good Pop song when I listen to it all the way through every time. It's like part of me wants to lift that virtual needle for the sake of saving time....and....I....just....can't....do it. But I tell myself, "Self, you already know the song. You already heard it all the way through...several times. And there's still so much to listen to." Can't help it. If it's a good song, I just can't hear it enough.
Which brings us to Dear Stella's "My Favorite Kind of Gift". There's no re-inventing of the wheel, here. We're not breaking new musical ground. Nothing deep and ponderous about the lyrics. It's just a good, snappy, joyful, feel-good Christmas Pop song. And I like that.
Dear Stella (Stefanie Drexler) hails from Austria (that makes at least two this year), she's a singer/songwriter, and "My Favorite Kind of Gift" is her first original Christmas song. You'll find the single on Amazon and iTunes and probably a bunch of other places.
You know what else I like? I like videos that show people in the recording studio. I do. Always have. I think I'm going to watch this one again, right now...
Which brings us to Dear Stella's "My Favorite Kind of Gift". There's no re-inventing of the wheel, here. We're not breaking new musical ground. Nothing deep and ponderous about the lyrics. It's just a good, snappy, joyful, feel-good Christmas Pop song. And I like that.
Dear Stella (Stefanie Drexler) hails from Austria (that makes at least two this year), she's a singer/songwriter, and "My Favorite Kind of Gift" is her first original Christmas song. You'll find the single on Amazon and iTunes and probably a bunch of other places.
You know what else I like? I like videos that show people in the recording studio. I do. Always have. I think I'm going to watch this one again, right now...
Paste magazine debuted this one a couple of days ago. But, if you haven't heard it yet, you should. And, even if you have, you should again. Leah Nobel is an Alt Folk/Alt Pop and Americana artist. Well, based on this tune, anyway. She reminds me a bit of Aimee Mann, to tell you the truth, and that's very high praise.
Leah has an album due out in the new year ("Running In Borrowed Shoes") which is a concept thing. She interviewed 100 people--as diverse a group as she could find--and then wrote songs based upon the stories she heard and the themes she noticed.
Now this is the part where I tell you that "Christmas In My Mind" is NOT a Christmas song. Or so says Leah. The song, she says, was inspired by two themes that were fairly common ones among her diverse interviewees. One) regret at having witnessed parental conflict as a child and Two) the comfort and solace of the holiday season. Yeah, I'm two-for-two there, myself. So Leah's point is that "Christmas In My Mind" is that place you go for peace when bad stuff overwhelms you. Leah can say this isn't a Christmas song (and I get that, I do), but I think it's not only a Christmas song...it's a very powerful one. In fact, as frequent readers know, I've always said the best Christmas songs are the ones that simultaneously celebrate the happy and sad. "Christmas In My Mind" does that. It's also just a gorgeous tune. Pick it up at Amazon or any of the usual download spots.
Leah has an album due out in the new year ("Running In Borrowed Shoes") which is a concept thing. She interviewed 100 people--as diverse a group as she could find--and then wrote songs based upon the stories she heard and the themes she noticed.
Now this is the part where I tell you that "Christmas In My Mind" is NOT a Christmas song. Or so says Leah. The song, she says, was inspired by two themes that were fairly common ones among her diverse interviewees. One) regret at having witnessed parental conflict as a child and Two) the comfort and solace of the holiday season. Yeah, I'm two-for-two there, myself. So Leah's point is that "Christmas In My Mind" is that place you go for peace when bad stuff overwhelms you. Leah can say this isn't a Christmas song (and I get that, I do), but I think it's not only a Christmas song...it's a very powerful one. In fact, as frequent readers know, I've always said the best Christmas songs are the ones that simultaneously celebrate the happy and sad. "Christmas In My Mind" does that. It's also just a gorgeous tune. Pick it up at Amazon or any of the usual download spots.
ELSEE (Lauren Campbell) comes to us from Ontario (the one in Canada). She's trained in Classical, Jazz, Pop, Soul and Rock. For her own music, she paints with all those colors for a sound that is uniquely her's, yet accessible to pretty much anyone. I tell you what, there are some songs and arrangements with so much going on that a lot of people don't notice. But, if you do notice, it's amazing and delightful. "Every December" is one of those songs where I can't help but notice the pieces all doing their own thing but all coming together. The funky bass line, especially, because its mixed to be subtle. The keyboards and guitar each have their own parts, their own riffs, that do not meet. I can't explain it real well. Let's just say there's more here than meets the ear.
"Every December" is only the second song ELSEE (all caps) has released, though she's got something coming in the New Year. You can find it at Amazon or CD Baby. And 100% of the proceeds from the sales of "Every December" will go to Hamilton's CityKidz foundation.
"Every December" is only the second song ELSEE (all caps) has released, though she's got something coming in the New Year. You can find it at Amazon or CD Baby. And 100% of the proceeds from the sales of "Every December" will go to Hamilton's CityKidz foundation.
Dear lord, I've gotta wrap this thing up. We'll close with one that, technically isn't a single and technically is from last year (although it isn't). But its Blues, so...
Val Starr and The Blues Rocket recorded "Spending Christmas With The Blues" late last year and managed to get it out to a few radio stations before Christmas. But the track wasn't commercially available until 2016 (my computer tells me I bought it in February). It was included as a bonus track on Val's latest, "Woman On A Mission". The album is available both on CD and digitally. But, if you just want the Christmas tune, you'll find it at Amazon and wherever fine downloads are sold.
Val Starr and The Blues Rocket recorded "Spending Christmas With The Blues" late last year and managed to get it out to a few radio stations before Christmas. But the track wasn't commercially available until 2016 (my computer tells me I bought it in February). It was included as a bonus track on Val's latest, "Woman On A Mission". The album is available both on CD and digitally. But, if you just want the Christmas tune, you'll find it at Amazon and wherever fine downloads are sold.
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