Lots going on. Too much to properly keep track of, I'm afraid. But we're gonna try. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Amazon's "All Is Bright", though. "All Is Bright" is Amazon's 43 song playlist designed to entice folks to sign up for Amazon Prime (where the streaming is free). I can't knock them for that; it makes sense, business-wise as, if anything was going to get me to go there, a 43 song Christmas playlist might do it. But its a bit of a mess for those of us who don't really want to do the Prime thing. There's no button to purchase the entire collection (which would be close to $50, if you buy all the tracks individually) and, for somebody like me, it's too much to sift through. Some of the music is brand spanking new and some of it has been kicking around for a while. I'll just recommend Liz Phair's "Ho Ho Ho" and leave you to check out the rest. Now....
"Black Santa Claus" is my absolute favorite new Christmas song of the year. Performed by Inner Circle and featuring Mikey Spice, "Black Santa Claus" has everything. It's got an easy going Reggae beat, a sweet and soulful delivery, and a perfect message. "Take your bag, fill it full of hope, and give it to the poor and the needy. Take your bag, fill it with love, and give it to the youth in the streets" You have to listen to it. Then I think you'll love it like I do. I've had it on repeat all night. The song'll pretty much speak for itself (and win your heart, I'm sure), so I'll let it do so. Official release date for "Black Santa Claus" is November 25 (this Tuesday). You can get it from Amazon.
The John Lindberg Trio has been making great Roots Rock for years, including the too often overlooked Christmas album "Rock This Christmas" (2012). They've got a new Christmas single, this year, and it's pretty awesome. Sounds like Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly got together with Jay & The Americans and an early 70s rock band (haven't been able to pinpoint exactly who). A song like "Merry Christmas (I've Been Waiting So Long)" would make a rousing open or close to your holiday mix. Stream it on Spotify (I don't do Spotify, but I did for this one) and get it at Amazon.
I keep waiting for Rotten Christmas to start up again. They started their long post-Christmas nap in January after a post about Osaka Popstar's "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" from several years back. Osaka Popstar is back and I say that means Rotten Christmas should be too.
Osaka Popstar was the brain child of several Punk superstars. The members represent some of the finest bands of the genre--The Misfits, The Ramones, Black Flag and The Voidoids. One day, they decided to create a band devoted, primarily, to singing about characters from Japanese anime. Like Astro Boy and Sailor Moon. I'm not sure what they were smoking when they conceived Osaka Popstar, but I sure would like some. [Note: Kids, don't do drugs. Why do you think they call it dope?]
For Christmas 2014, Osaka Popstar has released their vision of "O Holy Night", giving the classic tender carol the kind of a makeover The Dickies gave "Silent Night". It's pretty good, too, though I'd still go with the version from The New Royalty if I was looking for a rockin' version. It's at Amazon and everyplace else, but only as a digital single (although the band will happily sell you an ornament to go with your download). I do dig the cover art.
Osaka Popstar was the brain child of several Punk superstars. The members represent some of the finest bands of the genre--The Misfits, The Ramones, Black Flag and The Voidoids. One day, they decided to create a band devoted, primarily, to singing about characters from Japanese anime. Like Astro Boy and Sailor Moon. I'm not sure what they were smoking when they conceived Osaka Popstar, but I sure would like some. [Note: Kids, don't do drugs. Why do you think they call it dope?]
For Christmas 2014, Osaka Popstar has released their vision of "O Holy Night", giving the classic tender carol the kind of a makeover The Dickies gave "Silent Night". It's pretty good, too, though I'd still go with the version from The New Royalty if I was looking for a rockin' version. It's at Amazon and everyplace else, but only as a digital single (although the band will happily sell you an ornament to go with your download). I do dig the cover art.
If you're looking for something with a little more wonder and awe, Canadian Folk Pop singer Anna Vandas has got an absolutely beautiful tune out (complete with haunting cello, violin and some really well done synth). "Wonderous Wild" is perfect for that quiet, snowy December night. Truly gorgeous. I guess you'd call it Folk Pop, but I think this one has enough going for it, it would fit pretty much any playlist. Amazon's got this one.
Over on the Free page, not long ago, we featured a collection that included an amazing funk slice from the band Roxy Roca. We've noted that the band was working on a Christmas single and they were kind enough to mention, in the comments, that, although they didn't have time to get a vinyl 45 pressed, they were offering a CD of their Christmas tunes. CD-Singles are pretty rare. You hardly ever see them anymore. And you never see them with this much funk and soul contained in two tracks. On the "Nice Side", you get "It Ain't Christmas Without You" and, representing the "Naughty Side", a gritty cover of the Clarence Carter classic "Back Door Santa". Of course, being a CD, both sides are actually just on the one side. The CD-Single even comes with a Christmas card. Get down wid yer bad self and boogie on over to Roxy Roca's web store and get a copy of this fantabulous funky Christmas single overflowing with Texas Soul.
And, just when we thought this holiday season couldn't get any funkier, Christmas A-Go-Go finds the most awesome of instrumental R&B singles from Harris & His Christmas Avengers. "Get Down Auld Lang Syne" is guaranteed to breathe new life into any seasonal celebration. We're still waiting for Funk Night Records to hang the "For Sale" sign on this magic piece of vinyl funk. But the sounds on the vid should have lines longer than Apple's last rollout waiting and drooling to get it. Check it out.
I had forgotten that I bought this one until our friends at Lie In The Sound posted it a few days ago.
Dallon Weekes is the bass player (and backing vocalist) for Panic! At The Disco. He also has his own group, the Brobecks. But he's issued "Sickly Sweet Christmas" under his own name. As the title might imply, this is not a "Go Christmas! Its your birthday!" kind of anthem. If anything, its openly mocking the jollier songs of the season. But, when you're taking on something so ingrained in human consciousness as happy Christmas songs, the blade stings all the more when you use their own devices. In this case the self-described "who gives a crap indie" track is upbeat and bouncy and appropriately Spector-esque that it'll delight everyone who gets it and go straight over the heads of those who don't (and they'll delight because its so bright and bouncy). Right down to the little "Jingle Bells" riff at the end. "Sickly Sweet Christmas" is available on Bandcamp, but you'll get it cheaper from Amazon. Just sayin'.
Dallon Weekes is the bass player (and backing vocalist) for Panic! At The Disco. He also has his own group, the Brobecks. But he's issued "Sickly Sweet Christmas" under his own name. As the title might imply, this is not a "Go Christmas! Its your birthday!" kind of anthem. If anything, its openly mocking the jollier songs of the season. But, when you're taking on something so ingrained in human consciousness as happy Christmas songs, the blade stings all the more when you use their own devices. In this case the self-described "who gives a crap indie" track is upbeat and bouncy and appropriately Spector-esque that it'll delight everyone who gets it and go straight over the heads of those who don't (and they'll delight because its so bright and bouncy). Right down to the little "Jingle Bells" riff at the end. "Sickly Sweet Christmas" is available on Bandcamp, but you'll get it cheaper from Amazon. Just sayin'.
Hey, guess who's back? Back in 1968, a Welsh born singer named Mary Hopkin signed to the Beatles new Apple label. Her debut single knocked the Beatles out of the number one spot. Ah, "Those Were The Days". Mary had the voice of a songbird--fragile, yet strong--as she practically created (or at least defined) the genre of Folk Pop. She recorded some more between 1968 and 1971, including the underrated Lennon and McCartney penned "Goodbye", and then she seemingly disappeared from sight.
Mary did not stop recording--not completely--but she'd had her fill of "the business" and spent most of her time and energy raising a family. A few years back, she started her own label, releasing some previously unreleased recordings as well as some newly recorded material. Among the material Mary has released under her own imprint are a trio of Christmas songs--all previously released, but they sure got by me. Two traditional folk songs--"Cherry Tree Carol" and "Mary Had A Baby" were released post-Apple in 1972. "Snowed Under" was recorded and released as a download in 2006. The Christmas songs were released on a CD in 2008, but you can download the mp3s at Amazon.
Now 64, Mary Hopkin went back to the recording studio this year and cut a Christmas single which releases December 1. Talk about returning to your roots, "Iesu Faban" is an old Welsh folk carol, beautifully done and featuring her children as the angelic choir.
Mary did not stop recording--not completely--but she'd had her fill of "the business" and spent most of her time and energy raising a family. A few years back, she started her own label, releasing some previously unreleased recordings as well as some newly recorded material. Among the material Mary has released under her own imprint are a trio of Christmas songs--all previously released, but they sure got by me. Two traditional folk songs--"Cherry Tree Carol" and "Mary Had A Baby" were released post-Apple in 1972. "Snowed Under" was recorded and released as a download in 2006. The Christmas songs were released on a CD in 2008, but you can download the mp3s at Amazon.
Now 64, Mary Hopkin went back to the recording studio this year and cut a Christmas single which releases December 1. Talk about returning to your roots, "Iesu Faban" is an old Welsh folk carol, beautifully done and featuring her children as the angelic choir.
Singer/songwriter/multi-instumentalist Lisa Brigantino was once a member of Lez Zeppelin, the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band. And, seriously, check out that band's debut album. They rocked! Still, there's only so much you can do with a Led Zeppelin tribute band and Lisa's musical pallet had a lot more colors she longed to paint with. So Lisa embarked on a solo career in 2009. Her most recent album, "Wonder Wheel", featured a diverse menu of Blues, Folk, Americana, Rock, and Old Timey music; I'm exhausted just writing all that.
With a new album expected in the coming months, Lisa has just released a Christmas single. "It's Christmastime" is a piano-centric Folk Pop tune that would be at home on most traditional holiday mixes as well. Its available at Amazon and on iTunes.
With a new album expected in the coming months, Lisa has just released a Christmas single. "It's Christmastime" is a piano-centric Folk Pop tune that would be at home on most traditional holiday mixes as well. Its available at Amazon and on iTunes.
Did somebody say Blues? You know I love the Blues. Thankfully, some people who make music like the Blues, too.
Jill Taylor is one such artist. She and her husband were doing pretty well with assorted bands in the eighties and nineties. But just when they thought they'd found the right chemistry with a pair of brothers, the brothers spit for bigger things and, bandless, Jill and her husband John settled down to live their lives, Jill teaching school and directing the church choir.
In 2008, Jill began writing songs, again. They just kept coming. And, of course, once you've written a whole bunch of songs, you've got to sing 'em, right? 2013 saw the release of "Song Of My Heart" and, this year, Jill's got a Christmas single. "Christmas Blues" is now available from CD Baby and will hit Amazon and other outlets by the end of the week. Head to Jill's website and get four songs free just for signing on to her mailing list. And you gotta know...if it's Christmas Blues and there's a video, I'm showing it.
Jill Taylor is one such artist. She and her husband were doing pretty well with assorted bands in the eighties and nineties. But just when they thought they'd found the right chemistry with a pair of brothers, the brothers spit for bigger things and, bandless, Jill and her husband John settled down to live their lives, Jill teaching school and directing the church choir.
In 2008, Jill began writing songs, again. They just kept coming. And, of course, once you've written a whole bunch of songs, you've got to sing 'em, right? 2013 saw the release of "Song Of My Heart" and, this year, Jill's got a Christmas single. "Christmas Blues" is now available from CD Baby and will hit Amazon and other outlets by the end of the week. Head to Jill's website and get four songs free just for signing on to her mailing list. And you gotta know...if it's Christmas Blues and there's a video, I'm showing it.
Oooh. More Blues. Two tracks from the DC area group known as The Hard Swimmin' Fish. They've got a pair of tracks out and, although they're listed on separate pages on CD Baby, they're only 65 cents each, so it just adds up to $1.30 for two tracks (you pay that much for one, these days). First up is a cover of the Carey Bell holiday song "Christmas Train". Then there's the cover of the Louis Armstrong chestnut "Zat You Santa Claus?" Hey, you put a Blues harp on just about any Christmas song and I'm buying. Way to go, Hard Swimmin' Fish.
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If you remember the early years of rock 'n' roll...well, then you're even older than I am. But, in the early days, Rock was essentially the melding of R&B and Country. Think Bill Hayley & The Comets. This new single from the Martini Bros. has that kind of feel to it. For "Christmas Won't Be The Same", the Martini Bros. are joined by Donna Jean Foster. The Martini Bros. have been rocking Pennsylvania and beyond for twenty years, now. I'm not sure if this is their first brush with the holidays, but I do suspect that Bill Haley, himself, wouldn't mind this one hitting the turntable. If you want to hear the band really rock out, check out their 1997 debut, "Portable". That album is "Smokin'". As for the Christmas single, you can find that one on Amazon.
I don't think I've ever heard an Alt Rock version of "Walking In The Air". Ragsy, aka Gary Ryland, was a contestant on the UK's version of The Voice last year. He didn't win, but he surely gained a following. Ragsy's voice sounds as though it would fit right in a classic rock band like Kansas. I do kind of wish Ragsy and the band would have gone heavy halfway through the song. But you have to consider that Brits revere the song. Still, pretty good take on what is most often presented as quasi-classical or AC vocal. Amazon's got it.
Steve Drewett is a bonafide Punk Legend, having led the Newtown Neurotics and written the anthem "Kick Out The Tories" back when Punk was the cutting edge of rock and politics. Now 60, Steve sees nothing incongruous about making a Christmas single. "I can write anything I damn well please to do," says Steve, "because I can."
"It's Christmas Time! (Oh Yeah, NaNaNa)" has a Phil Spector meets the Ramones feel, so I don't think anyone is going to be too upset, but then again some fans are bound to see it as selling out. The song's about a broken relationship and Steve says it took him three years to get the sound he wanted. "It's Christmas Time! (Oh Yeah, NaNaNa)" is available as a CD-Single in the UK. In the states, we're going to have to settle for digital.
"It's Christmas Time! (Oh Yeah, NaNaNa)" has a Phil Spector meets the Ramones feel, so I don't think anyone is going to be too upset, but then again some fans are bound to see it as selling out. The song's about a broken relationship and Steve says it took him three years to get the sound he wanted. "It's Christmas Time! (Oh Yeah, NaNaNa)" is available as a CD-Single in the UK. In the states, we're going to have to settle for digital.
If you like your Punkish music to have an attitude that's a bit more aggressive, the ladies of Jackknife Stiletto have just the thing. "Dear Santa" reminds me of those mid-late 80s Indie Punk Rock songs that you'd stumble across if you were lucky. In fact, I think it might be a cover of just such a record, but its 4 in the morning and my records are in the other house, so... "I still didn't get that bicycle I wanted. I wrote you 500 letters and you still haven't answered me." Worth grabbing in any case. Get it at Amazon or CD Baby. "PS--I took an elf".
OK. I admit it. I'm a nearly 60 year old man who loves "Girl Meets World". Sure, part of it is that I used to have a crush on Danielle Fishel of "Boy Meets World" (you do the math; I was pretty old then, too). And, OK, maybe I still do. But I actually like the new cast and show, too.
Sabrina Carpenter plays Maya on "Girl Meets World", the best friend of Cory and Topanga's offspring Riley. Sabrina's clearly very talented (and only 15!) and here she shows off her singing. "Silver Nights" doesn't even have that full on Radio Disney vibe (which I actually kind of like, by the way--"bubblegum child" and all that--though I know a lot of people can't stand it). If anything, it leans a little bit Country. Disney Pop Country, sure. "Silver Nights" is available through Amazon and iTunes.
Sabrina Carpenter plays Maya on "Girl Meets World", the best friend of Cory and Topanga's offspring Riley. Sabrina's clearly very talented (and only 15!) and here she shows off her singing. "Silver Nights" doesn't even have that full on Radio Disney vibe (which I actually kind of like, by the way--"bubblegum child" and all that--though I know a lot of people can't stand it). If anything, it leans a little bit Country. Disney Pop Country, sure. "Silver Nights" is available through Amazon and iTunes.
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