Well, that was fun. Cheap Trick linked to our piece via Facebook (lots of other folks did, too) and we hit an all-time high in fresh eyeballs last Wednesday. In July, no less. I'm a little embarrassed I misspelled the name of the bassist (Tom Petersson...2 "s"es), but, as I mentioned earlier, my eyesight is fading away. It's a bit ironic. When we were young and stupid, my friends and I used to play all those "would you rather" games. One of the Q's was "Which of your senses would you least want to lose?" Most everyone says they'd least want to lose their sight. Idiot me, I said I'd least want to lose my hearing because music has been such a huge part of my life. Yeah, I actually said that. Be careful how you answer such questions, kids, even if you're just messing around...because God has a wicked sense of humor.
Anyway, the winds of summer have brought us notice of a couple Christmas music projects heading our way this year. Probably nothing that's going to bring the traffic of a Cheap Trick announcement, but new Christmas music is new Christmas music and we dig it all, here.
Anyway, the winds of summer have brought us notice of a couple Christmas music projects heading our way this year. Probably nothing that's going to bring the traffic of a Cheap Trick announcement, but new Christmas music is new Christmas music and we dig it all, here.
Katie Garibaldi is a San Francisco based Folk singer and songwriter. Well, I'm calling it Folk, but there's more going on with her "sound". Americana is probably the best shorthand, as she'll dance nimbly from Country to Folk to delightful hybrids of Old Timey, Soul, and Modern Pop. But, for me, she immediately called to mind a young Joan Baez (without the political angst). As much as she's a singer, songwriter is very high on her list of priorities. And well it should be. It's obvious that fresh lyrics and entrancing melodies are hers to command.
Last year, Katie graced us with the single above, "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". Her holiday encore, "Home Sweet Christmas", is a full-length effort of all original music. No worries about a cloying "Santa Baby" cover or the millioneth version of "White Christmas" on this one. "Home Sweet Christmas" is set to drop December 1 and pre-orders (CD or digital) are being accepted right now (which is cool because, if you order it now, you won't have to worry about it in the end of the season crush when you're reduced to counting your pennies).
Also of interest to we Christmas music addicts.... sign up for Katie's mailing list (at least for the rest of July) and you'll get a free download of "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". Ah, a mid-summer holiday music fix. Refreshing as the first snow. Ahhh.
Stop by Katie Garibaldi's web site to read more about Katie and "Home Sweet Christmas", to listen to some of her music, and to sign on to her mailing list for the free download of "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". She's also on Soundcloud, Reverbnation, and, well, isn't everybody on Facebook at this point?
Last year, Katie graced us with the single above, "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". Her holiday encore, "Home Sweet Christmas", is a full-length effort of all original music. No worries about a cloying "Santa Baby" cover or the millioneth version of "White Christmas" on this one. "Home Sweet Christmas" is set to drop December 1 and pre-orders (CD or digital) are being accepted right now (which is cool because, if you order it now, you won't have to worry about it in the end of the season crush when you're reduced to counting your pennies).
Also of interest to we Christmas music addicts.... sign up for Katie's mailing list (at least for the rest of July) and you'll get a free download of "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". Ah, a mid-summer holiday music fix. Refreshing as the first snow. Ahhh.
Stop by Katie Garibaldi's web site to read more about Katie and "Home Sweet Christmas", to listen to some of her music, and to sign on to her mailing list for the free download of "Tomorrow Is Christmas Morning". She's also on Soundcloud, Reverbnation, and, well, isn't everybody on Facebook at this point?
Here's something you seldom hear an artist admit. "I guess you know you've been in this business too dang long when you're working on your third Christmas album." That's Teddy Gentry from one of Country Music's greatest gifts of the last 40 years or so, Alabama, in an interview with the Calgary Sun. Alabama's first Christmas album, released way back in 1985, is an essential for any Christmas record collection. The group gave us a second helping of holiday cheer a decade later with the release of "Christmas II". But they hung up their jingle bells--seemingly for good--in 2003. They reunited for some benefit concerts in 2011 and decided they'd been on break long enough. Alabama's most recent studio effort, "Southern Drawl", was released in 2015 and the band has spent much of this sweltering July recording a third Christmas album (it's been 20 years since the last one, so they were certainly due).
Teddy says finding really good songs for a Christmas album is the hard part. "I think we looked for about three months to find the songs.... There's probably 10 other [Christmas] songs written for every country [Christmas] song. Maybe 100 to one, I don't know. I just know really good ones are hard to find." One way you deal with a problem like that is to write a few of your own, which the band has done for the upcoming Christmas release. And you'll likely hear Alabama breathe fresh life into a few old chestnuts, as was done on "Christmas II". But Gentry also promises that the search paid off and they found some really good Country Christmas songs from outside the band, as well.
No word on a release date, as yet. But, with Alabama, you can bet it'll be worth the wait.
Teddy says finding really good songs for a Christmas album is the hard part. "I think we looked for about three months to find the songs.... There's probably 10 other [Christmas] songs written for every country [Christmas] song. Maybe 100 to one, I don't know. I just know really good ones are hard to find." One way you deal with a problem like that is to write a few of your own, which the band has done for the upcoming Christmas release. And you'll likely hear Alabama breathe fresh life into a few old chestnuts, as was done on "Christmas II". But Gentry also promises that the search paid off and they found some really good Country Christmas songs from outside the band, as well.
No word on a release date, as yet. But, with Alabama, you can bet it'll be worth the wait.
If Teddy Gentry of Alabama thinks a third Christmas album might mean you've been in the business too long, what are we to make of Kate Rusby, who is readying her FOURTH? Honest to God, I've seen all these articles about Kate Rusby's new Christmas album and I've ignored them because I just assume they're talking about the last one. They're not, but I'm pretty much going to keep ignoring them until I have some concrete information to pass along.
The Boy Band 98 Degrees has also been putting together a Christmas album for release this year. Again, I have no actual information to pass along other than that, at the moment. 98 Degrees had a one-off reunion in 2012. But the one-off turned into a full-scale revival complete with tours and new recordings.
Jason Truby, former guitarist and songwriter for POD (Payable On Death) is planning a solo guitar Christmas album for release later this year. A finger-style guitarist, Truby's released several solo guitar sets including last year's "Hymns", which includes a few tracks you could easily slip into your holiday sets. Truby also released a Christmas album in 2010, "The Greatest Love/Songs of Christmas", which is currently out of print (unless you want to go the CD-R route).
The Boy Band 98 Degrees has also been putting together a Christmas album for release this year. Again, I have no actual information to pass along other than that, at the moment. 98 Degrees had a one-off reunion in 2012. But the one-off turned into a full-scale revival complete with tours and new recordings.
Jason Truby, former guitarist and songwriter for POD (Payable On Death) is planning a solo guitar Christmas album for release later this year. A finger-style guitarist, Truby's released several solo guitar sets including last year's "Hymns", which includes a few tracks you could easily slip into your holiday sets. Truby also released a Christmas album in 2010, "The Greatest Love/Songs of Christmas", which is currently out of print (unless you want to go the CD-R route).
And last but so very far from least... I got an email last week from the reigning Queen of Christmas, Elizabeth Chan. Liz likes to keep up on the Christmas music world, so she's a reader of Stubby's and many of the other Christmas music sites. And she just wanted to assure me (and, I, you) that she will be back with more Christmas music this fall. This'll be, what, her SIXTH Christmas record? In six years, right? (That girl cray-cray.) She's been back at it since at least March. Lots to do, you know. Making the list, checking it twice. And she has fresh inspiration and perspective, which I'll leave for you to wonder what the heck I'm talking about. Anyway, it gives me an excuse to close with one of her songs. So many good choices (I still really like "Red & Green", personally). But I think the appropriate choice, here, is this one. Because it "Wouldn't Be A Merry Christmas" without new Christmas music from Liz. And, if someone wants to point Teddy Gentry in this direction, I think Alabama could do a kick-ass job covering it. Just sayin'.
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