But, really, what we're concerned with here is "Auld Lang Syne". And that one's free.
Canadian Karen Fowlie gives us one more free version of "Auld Lang Syne". Even at just over a minute, this is a sweet Alt Country toast to the old year. You can pick it up on Bandcamp. Karen also has a Christmas song, "Christmas Is Tomorrow", but that one's not free. It's also a bit more Indie Pop than Alt Country. "Christmas Is Tomorrow" can be purchased for $1 through Bandcamp. Or you can buy the four songs that make up "Single Releases" for $1.
But, really, what we're concerned with here is "Auld Lang Syne". And that one's free.
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Ever wish every day could be Hanukkah? (Just go with me on this, OK?) Well now it can be, thanks to Michael J. Epstein & Sophia Cacciola. This is a bit of an Alt Rock/Alt Folk tune with a Polka beat...and a dream. Think of the practicality. For every day to be Christmas would require 365 Christmases. BUT for every day to be Hanukkah, there only have to be 46--and that even covers leap years and there's enough days left over to celebrate double Hanukkah for a few. It's genius, I tellz ya! Genius! Everybody: "8 More Days of Hanukkah!" Catch this one on Bandcamp or use the Soundcloud widget above. More music from Seattle, here. Who knew there was such a thing as "electro country"? It's possible Brent Amaker & The Rodeo invented it. Regardless, this has got a terrific and unique sound and it's very likely to find a home on someone's mixtape next year, maybe nestled snuggly next to some of that spaghetti western holiday music moe was putting out a few years back. The band has a very cinematic sound and quality--bigger than life--and, not too long ago, they gained national notice for covering Kraftwerk's music. But "A Very Brent Amaker Christmas" is all theirs and you can download it free over at My Old Kentucky Blog. With Christmas almost upon us, I'd giddy up on over there. That dude with the Red Nose gets all the press, but he's not even one of the original 8. What about the rest of Santa's Reindeer? What's their story? Canadian singer-songwriter Ryan McAllister gives us the "true" story of Blitzen. And it's a much more interesting story than a young doe or buck being teased about a red nose. Blitzen, we're told, was rescued from a blizzard and near starvation. But he got his day in the end. This is really a very nice tune, extremely well done, and I'm happy to see Blitzen get his own backstory and tribute, rather than having another invented reindeer that "you don't know". "My Name Is Blitzen" is free at Bandcamp, as is "Whiteout Christmas" and both songs appear on Ryan's holiday EP, "Whiteout Christmas", available on iTunes. This is another song we owe to the German site Lie In The Sound, and we (and Blitzen) are very thankful to them, indeed. The Linedance Fever is a Swedish band that plays Country music from a Swedish perspective. TLF recently held a fan vote to determine which Christmas song they should cover and, after some spirited voting and a pretty decent horserace among four solid contenders, the fans picked Wham's "Last Christmas". When you think about it, "Last Christmas" became a popular Christmas "standard" because of the upbeat sway of the music featured on the original. And, when you think about, virtually every cover version (of the ten million versions) follows George Michael's lead. Slow it down or speed it up, it still has that happy dance floor sway. But it really is a sad song. Or should be. The Linedance Fever deliver the song with all the tears-in-your-beer pathos the lyrics would suggest. At least to start. They do manage to finish up in full hoedown style. The Linedance Fever is a band I'm inclined to hear more from. And this might be the best version (of the ten million versions) of "Last Christmas" that's ever been recorded. Yeah, I really believe that. Today, anyway. Ask me again tomorrow (when there will have been eleven million versions). Anyway, download this using the widget above or pay the band a visit at their web site. 1. All I Want For Christmas Is You 2. O Holy Night 3. Christmas Song (Walk Me Home) 4. It Won't Seem Like Christmas 5. Little Drummer Boy I'm glad Attwater decided to make their entire Christmas EP free through Noisetrade, because I like their sound and I think more people should take a listen. Call them Country or call them Americana, Attwater is all about Erika Attwater's voice and the songs she and Jonathan Richards write together. It doesn't hurt that their producer is Charlie Peacock (Civil Wars) who has helped give the band a fresh, cutting edge sound. My favorite on the Christmas EP is probably Attwater's version of The Raveonette's "Christmas Song". It's awesome! I love the sound on "It Won't Seem Like Christmas". And Erika's voice takes to "O Holy Night" like she was born to sing it. I did feel "Little Drummer Boy" was a bit superfluous, but I'm not complaining. And neither should you. It's free through Noisetrade. And, while you're listening to your free download, stop by Attwater's web site and read all about them. Maybe even pick up some more free downloads. You'd like that, wouldn't you? When I first heard "Judas Kiss" on the radio in 1988, I was convinced The Del-Lords were going to be huge. When I heard the rest of that album, I was certain of it. Here was a group that, to my ears, combined the best aspects of the Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Kinks, and The Clash. What I did not know at the time was that "Based On A True Story" was the third in what was to be a run of just 4 studio albums. After that, The Del-Lords were gone--doomed by label mismanagement as much as anything. At least I wasn't alone. Time magazine thought they were the next big thing, too. A few years back, The Del-Lords reunited, re-released their back catalog with bonus tracks and started work on new material. To set the proper mood, one of the first things the band did was to post an unreleased Christmas track from 1986 as a free download. "Merry Christmas Baby" was written by Scott Kempner, the guitarist and vocalist who founded The Del-Lords after his run with New York punk band The Dictators. The Del-Lords recorded Kempner's "Merry Christmas Baby", ran off 200 copies on cassette, and sent them off to family and friends in lieu of Christmas presents. Kempner later recorded the track again--this time for his solo album, 1992's "Tenement Angels", but few took notice of the album or the song at the time (definitely worth checking out now that you know about it). The band's new Work-In-Progress is called "Under Construction" and you'll find that on Bandcamp. The original 1986 "Merry Christmas Baby" is available as a free download on The Del-Lords web site (scroll all the way down). It's well worth the trip. |
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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