2. Snow Up To My Window - The Weather Station
3. When The Snow Starts To Fall - Great Lake Swimmers
4. Happy Hanukkah - The Burning Hell
5. Pretty Little Baby - Old Man Luedecke
6. The 40 - Mike O'Neill
7. Grey Cup Sunday - Jim Bryson
8. Kingston Blues - Paul Linklater
9. Snowfort -Egger
10. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Al Tuck
ZUNIOR SITE
PURCHASE THROUGH ZUNIOR
This is a digital only release from Zunior. And what, you may ask, is Zunior? Zunior.com is Canada's leading source for independent digital music since 2004, that's what. Believe me, if I wasn't so tired right now, I'd be exploring every nook and cranny of the place. Because this is the kind of thing I'm looking for. There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of rock and pop Christmas releases every year. How many country blues Christmas records do you suppose there are each year? Not many, that's for sure. As it happens, 2010 has been a great year for Americana. And we got an awesome CD from roots blues rising star Matt Andersen (also Canadian) and I'm still waiting for what could be a great effort from Guy Forsyth and Carolyn Wonderland. Even so, when you find a release like this one, the blood starts pumping.
It's likely important that I tell you that 100% of the retail price of this collection will be donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. And if I haven't already said so, you can't get this download anywhere except Zunior. But never mind all that. What about the music? Well, from the samples offered, it's pretty much as advertised. Sometimes a bit more country than blues. But, really, I suspect this is what a get together of Woody Guthrie and Huddie Ledbetter might sound like. Hands down, again from the samples, The Great Lake Swimmers deliver the killer cut here, "When The Snow Starts To Fall". "Kingston Blues" and "Pretty Little Baby" make the grade. "Emmanuel" sounds as country blues as I've ever heard it. Jim Guthrie's "I'm Coming Home" sounds a bit Indie Alt Folk, but very nice for that. I give the set a 9 out of 10 on the authenticity scale. Well, anyway, there are samples. If this is the kind of thing that excites you like it excites me, judge for yourself. Me, I'm sold. Two formats available with the FLAC lossless format costing a bit more. Oh, cool, look at this: in 2009 Zunior did a Peanuts' themed Christmas album. And here's a free sampler (no Christmas music, but still) and it says they have a new free sampler every two weeks. Coo-ehl! I love these people!