I haven't heard much about AMOS since his release of the "Xxxmas" single in 2009. But then again, I'm sort of overly focused on holiday material, so you can't really read much into that. AMOS is a German artist whose work to date has been a wonderful collision of techno and pop. For his 2009 Christmas single, though, AMOS stuck pretty much with the Pop. The A-side subject matter made "Xxxmas" a natural for mixtapes everywhere, but the B-side "Goodbye Santa" showed uncharacteristic sentimentality and sweetness. You can still get the full single via Amazon as either download or CD-single, or in the latter format from Germany's Sounds of Subterrania label. But, at the moment, you can also download "Goodbye Santa" for free via Soundcloud. To keep up with the latest AMOS news, check his Facebook page. And just for kicks and giggles, here's the video of "Xxxmas" for anyone who hasn't seen it before.
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1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 2. Bethlehem House Of Bread 3. Mary Had A Baby 4. Hark 5. Little Baby 6. Jingle Bells 7. Christmas On Cripple Creek 8. I Dreamed Of Christmas 9. When The Christmas Baby Cries 10. Holy Christmas Day DOWNLOAD FROM NOISETRADE I've been a fan of the Annie Moses Band since I discovered their wonderful Christmas albums a few years back. Ostensibly, they're a Contemporary Christian group, but their instrumentation is sort of Bluegrass meets Rock and their arrangements can sometimes venture into out-and-out Jazz or even Progressive Rock--"fiddle fusion" they call it. Annie (technically not the Annie this family band is named after--that would be her great-grandmother) plays a mean fiddle, too, so you're sure to catch dramatic classical flourishes as well. That kind of creativity deserves applause. One of my Annie Moses Band favorites is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Well, the group has packaged up an entire album's worth of their Christmas music and the set leads off with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". And they're giving it away free through Noisetrade. So here's your chance to sample this awesome band and it won't cost you a cent (unless you choose to Tip the band). I won't speak to the rest of the set--there are a lot of ballads here (the vocals are reminiscent of Alison Krauss by the way)--but you're gonna love "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". "Christmas On Cripple Creek" is kinda fun, too. Head to Noisetrade and get you some Annie. If you like what you hear, head to the Annie Moses Band web site and buy their Christmas special--two Christmas albums, a Christmas DVD and the band's "String Crossings" CD--for the holiday price of just $19.95.
No Sleep Records is a fine Indie label that first issued a free Christmas download compilation in 2008. But I have to thank Man Overboard, here, whose no-action video for their track "Decemberism" led me to their free download which caused me to investigate further, learning then that the "No Sleep Till Christmas" compilations--two of them anyway--remain free for the download. The third will cost you 50 cents (and that gets donated to charity). So, if you missed them on the first go around, this will give you something to do after you tire of turkey and football and shopping. It's just another way to pig out this holiday weekend. Just hit the cover art or the green volume link and, once you get to the page, hit the "buy now" button. Presto! Instant download (the third volume "buy now" takes you to Bandcamp). This is mostly Pop Punk and Indie Punk, some Hardcore, some experimental and some Indie Rock. If any of that interests you--or if you're feeling adventurous, have at it. VOLUME ONE (2008) 01. The Wonder Years - Christmas At 22 (featuring Laura Borucki) 02. Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer - This Briskness (Java) 03. I Am Alaska - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch 04. Matt Brasch - Christmas Means Nothing Without You (featuring Laura Borucki) 05. La Dispute - The Night Before Christmas 06. Into It. Over It. - Jingle Bell Broke 07. Destroy Nate Allen - My Parents Managed Apartments 08. Sophia - Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer 09. Man Overboard - Decemberism 10. Balance and Composure - Weak Man, Weak Boy (Christmas Edition) VOLUME TWO (2009) 01. Into It. Over It. - Westmont, NJ 02. Double Vision - What A Christmas 03. I Am Alaska - Carol of the Bells 04. Kill Wealthy Dowager - Father Christmas 05. Rush Coil - Gloria VOLUME 3 (2010) (50 cents through Bandcamp) 01. La Dispute - First Snow In Grand Rapids 02. Mansions - White Christmas 03. I Call Fives - This Xmas 04. Tumbledown - Run Run Rudolph 05. The Braces - Jewish Guilt 06. Hellogoodbye - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 07. Balance and Composure - Away In A Manger 08. Jarrod Gorbel (The Honorary Title) - Salvation 09. Into It. Over It. - For Agnes 10. The Flatliners - Meanwhile in Hell (Acoustic) 11. KOJI - People In Time 12. Seahaven - Blue Christmas 13. The Swellers - This Is My Everest (Acoustic) 14. Aficionado - Complicated Coffee 15. This Time Next Year - Out On Eastern (Acoustic) 16. Annelids - Christmas Don’t Be Late 1. A Gift For You - Super Fossil Power 2. Spike The Eggnog - Parlovr 3. Pinheirinho - Donzelle 4. A Damn Fine Christmas Tree - The Sunnies 5. As Long As We're Both Present - Roadpops 6. Christmas In Villeray - DigitMissile Command 7. I Never Get What I Want (For Christmas) - Malcolm Sailor 8. Sevivon (Dreidl Song) - Abigail Lapell 9. Santa Suit Tattoo (Xmas 4 Eva) - Amber & Erin 10. Inappropriate Christmas Song - Mixylodian 11. How I Learned To Hate The Snow - Doug Hoyer 12. Get Down To Christmas - Teen Seagull 13. Wikileaks Winter - Banana Lazuli 14. Long Johns - Hamilton Trading Co. 15. I'm Santa - Parlovr 16. So Cold - Super Fossil Power 17. Jinglen Belld - Gambletron & Rumble DOWNLOAD FREE AT BANDCAMP I wish there was a method to my madness, but there isn't. Consequently I just stumble along the Internets until I trip over something and, picking myself up, wonder aloud "How did that thing get there?" Thus it is that I'm at least a year late picking up on the "Feats of Strength Holiday Compilation 2010". Feats of Strength doesn't appear to be an actual "label"--although they might be (a somewhat less than exhaustive search turned up a seemingly abandoned MySpace site and an equally desolate Facebook page, and not much else). Rather it appears to be a collective of unsigned Montreal Indie artists who find that, on occasion, there is strength in numbers; so, every so often, they do a collective show and, every so often, they create downloadable collections to peak the music seeker's curiosity to seek out the actual bands involved (who DO have active web sites...most of them anyway). "Feats of Strength Holiday Compilation 2010" contains mostly music that's well off the beaten path. It's much more Indie Experimental and not so much Indie Pop. But, if you're adventurous (and I know that you are), there are some gems to be mined here--especially for those who like to add a bit of a mindbender to their holiday mixes. For my part, I came across this looking for Hanukkah music, so there's Abegail Lapell's "Sevivon" which had a sort of Psych Folk vibe. Pretty cool. The set's more accessible jams include Amber & Erin's "Santa Suit Tatoo" and Doug Hoyer's Indie Uke workout "How I Learned To Hate The Snow". On the other end of the scale, there's definitely something to be said for the steel drum snyth pop weirdness that is Mixylodian's "Inappropriate Christmas Song". Hamilton Trading Co.'s "Long Johns" could be subtitled "campfire folk music gone wrong". I was with Teen Seagull and their "Get Down To Christmas"--really diggin' it--until it...just ended. "Wikileaks Winter" will make you think you stumbled into a Halloween collection for a bit and "Jinglen Belld" will have you convinced that something--either your mp3 player or your mind--is seriously broken. Parlovr we dealt with last year. Really, the rule of the road, here, is kinda dive in head first and see if something strikes your fancy. But wait! There's more! Feats of Strength's 2009 collection "Holiday Songs" is also free at Bandcamp. Don't miss Mixylodian's "Zombie Girlfriend Christmas" on that one. And, if you still haven't gotten your fill of Indie oddness, I also came across a 2008 collection (though a non-holiday one) from the Feats of Strength folks...free for the downloading at Megaupload. No email address required for any of this...just bring your sense of adventure. 1. There Is No Rose Suicide - Max Henry 2. Happiness Like Christmas Comes And Weirds You Out - Jessie Stein 3. Zombie Girlfriend Christmas - Mixylodian 4. Deck The Halls - Adam Waito 5. Where The Pine Trees Grow - Ava Luna 6. Warm My Heart With Your Sweet Embrace - Johnny Hohner & The Hawaiian Hornets 7. Prison Bells - Fall Horsie 8. Christmastime Is Here - Cody Django 9. First Up In The Morning - Kvetching Month 10. All I Want For Christmas 2012 Is To Get With You - Allen Ramenberg 11. I'm Santa - Louis J. 12. Spike The Eggnog - Tiny Timbit & Lil' Gin 1. White Christmas 2. Christmas Song 3. Away In A Manger 4. Silent Night 5. O Holy Night 6. Let It Snow 7. Winter Wonderland 8. Drummer Boy 9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 10. Better Christmas DOWNLOAD FREE AT BANDCAMP PURCHASE FROM AMAZON MP3 I have no idea who Shana Saint is. None. I'm a googlemaniac and all I could discern for sure is that she's from Dallas. She doesn't seem to have a web site (or, at least, I couldn't find one). Like the title of her album, though, Shana is "Unexpected".
Originally released in 2009 (apparently as a 6 track set), this seems to be a DIY effort. Far from perfect, "Unexpected" suffers from certain ailments that are all too common in DIY releases. Essentially, the backing tracks sound a bit canned and are often far busier than they need to be. Sometimes, too, the young singer lets those tracks lead her and dictate where she goes and the pace she takes when it should be the other way around, and would be with a live band. But this girl can Sing--that's Sing with a capital "S"--and she manages to rise above those issues. A perfect example of the good and the bad can be found on "O Holy Night". The backing track is waayyy too busy and, at times, Shana sounds as though she's being rushed along for a tempo that's at least a half beat too fast. And yet her voice shines above that mess--crystal clear and full of passion. As "Unexpected" seems intended to showcase Shana's talents, there are a number of styles represented here, with most of the tracks featuring an easy urban rhythm. Shana's voice has a natural soul, so she sounds far more credible on the R&B arrangements than a lot of bigger named artists. But she also does a nice job on "The Christmas Song" featuring a jazzy Bossa Nova beat and "Let It Snow", which is stripped down to closely resemble that laid back barefoot California sound typified by Colbie Caillat. The tracks I'd most highly recommend are "Let It Snow", because it is stripped down and dominated by her voice and guitar rather than all that other noise, and "White Christmas", where the soulful backing track actually works with Shana and not against her. Bottom line: If I owned a record label, I would sign this girl immediately and without hesitation. I don't care if she sticks with the R&B groove or starts singing show tunes in Glee, I have no doubt she'll excel. I hear natural talent, natural soul, and just a hint of Nicolette Larson (maybe even a tad of Teena Marie). And it won't be long before the labels that don't sign her are regretting that decision. Since I don't watch any of those reality talent shows, I don't know if Shana Saint has appeared on any of them. But, if she hasn't, they really blew their talent searches big time. "Unexpected" has just been released to iTunes and Amazon MP3, so its possible it's not supposed to be a free download at Bandcamp anymore. But it is. So grab it quick before someone realizes they need to change that Bandcamp price. At the moment, no email address is required. 1. Silent Night 2. Joy to the World 3. Silver Bells (of Destruction) 4. I'll Be Droned for Christmas 5. Holiday Trash Medley 6. The First Noel 7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 8. (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays 9. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 10. O Little Town of Bethlehem 11. This Is What Child This Is 12. Frosty the Psycho Shoegazer Snowman 13. O Come All Ye Faithful 14. O Christmas Tree 15. Away In A Manger Of Dreams 16. Bethlehem (The Unofficial 51st State) DOWNLOAD FREE AT NOISETRADE 17. This Is What Child This Is (Frogs In The Manger Mix) The EleFUNt in the room, by CT Johnston So I did my due downloading diligence on this one, popped it in the player, and started listening at, you know, track one--the beginning. "Well, now," I thought to myself, "that sounds mighty familiar." Strange, sure, but familiar. Contrary to what you may have heard (and I don't know who would be spreading such rumors), I do not remember everything I listen to. So, like Richard Dreyfus playing with his mashed potatoes, I was forced to conclude "this means something". Sure enough, a quickie search of my own web site revealed that Chad Thomas Johnston has graced our pages before. Back in December of last year, I came across the "name your own price" Bandcamp collection "All Is Calm, All Is Bright" and, giving it a two line description (I've got to get back to those) posted it on our Free page in the hope and belief that others would give it a listen or two and mentally apply their own two line description. "Stalking Stuffers" is essentially an expanded edition of "All Is Calm, All Is Bright", so you get the same weirdness as before, only there's more of it! And two of the three new tracks were pretty damn cool, I thought (your mileage may vary). OK, so I didn't get the "Frogs In The Manger Mix", but maybe that's just me. "Away In A Manger Of Dreams", on the other hand, is a dreamy bit of Ambient electronica (or something), at least until the baby noises kick in. And whatever you think of the rest of the collection, you simply must download this for "Bethlehem (The Unofficial 51st State)". "Bethlehem" was written for the 2007 Asthmatic Kitty Sufjan Stevens song writing contest. Sufjan would choose a winning entry, record it and, in exchange, give the song's author the rights to one of his songs...forever. Or something like that. Well, I can't remember what song Sufjan picked, but I think he missed the boat entirely. "Bethlehem" is genius! Genius I tellz ya! Check these lyrics: A Theremin for Tiny Tim, For Scrooge a Fender™ Squire. Frosty belted bari sax and melted by the fire. Rudolph lapped the puddle up and joined in with the choir. And the music is great, too. I know, I know...some folks listening to this will say Chad Thomas Johnston has sold out and gone commercial. Well, that's your hang up. There's still plenty of low-fi weirdness here. But the man has a family and five cats to feed after all. Would one hit Christmas song be such a terrible thing? Anyway, I haven't been able to get the song out of my head and I'm actually thinking that's a good thing. So head on over to Noisetrade or to the official Chad Thomas Johnston website, or, heck, just use the widgety thing right here and download your free collection of "Stalking Stuffers: Coal For The Stocking In Your Soul". Hmmm. I wonder if he does Hanukkah songs? 1. Chanukah Chag Yafeh 2. Light One Candle 3. Be A Light 4. Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah 5. On The Air 6. Maoz Tzur 7. Mi Yimaleil 8. The Great Menorah Debate 9. Al Hanisim 10. S'vivon (Instrumental) 11. Oseh Shalom 12. Maoz Tzur (Instrumental) ARTIST SITE CD BABY I'm always on the lookout for good Chanukah music and "Be A Light" from 2009 certainly qualifies. Neal Katz is a Rabbi and Folk musician and one of his challenges is presenting traditional Jewish music in a manner that is accessible to grown-ups and kids alike. Following in the tradition of artists like Debbie Friedman, Neal's music grows out of his experience with the youth groups and summer camps of the Reform Movement.
On traditional tracks, Neal never strays too far from the original intent--often mixing in klezmer--yet manages to infuse songs like "Maoz Tzur" with a warm living room feel. But it's on the originals Neal's light shines brightest. The title track is a very sweet folk number, given added depth by the inclusion of a cello. "On The Air" offers its message in a more modern arrangement. And Neal hits a nice little groove in "The Great Menorah Debate", his talking blues wonderfully offset by the singers (whom I suspect are Stacy Beyer and Sonia Rutstein) in the breaks. Neal is still perfecting his Folk music craft, but he reached an excellent level on the ladder up with this recording and he should rightly be pleased with the achievement. Perhaps that's why "Be A Light" can be downloaded free from his web site though, for the highest quality (and to support the artist), you should consider purchasing the hard copy CD from CDBaby or Amazon. |
The FREE ListHere we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations. Archives2010 Free List Categories
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