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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Ah, now that's what I'm talking about. Some fine holiday Indie Rock from London's My Tiger My Timing. Led by siblings Anna and James Vincent, My Tiger My Timing have their feet firmly planted on the ladder of stardom, now, and have to be considered "one to watch" in 2012. Get the free single "See You On New Year's Day" using the Soundcloud widget above or from the band's web site. The Indie label Filthy Little Angels used to do the most awesome free download Christmas compilations every year (at least from 2005-2009). There was nothing from them last year and no label activity at all this year. DOWNLOAD AT FILTHY LITTLE ANGELS Out of the blue, and in honor of the label's 100th release, they've collected up all of their Christmas selections into one massive zip file. 96 festive favorites together for the first (and last) time, plus some bonus tracks. Just in case you were playing along all those years, each of the Christmas tunes (though not the bonus tracks) links up to its own mp3. If you're trying to figure the keepers here, my favorites were from SAY, Helen Love, And What Will Be Left Of Them, The Vichy Government, Hilary & the Democrats, Das Wunderlust, and Meg. I'd thought the Long Blondes were on one, too, but I'm not seeing them here (if you see them, grab em). Essentials are anything from SAY and "Have Yourself A Filthy Little Christmas" from And What Will Be Left Of Them. Might as well add The Vichy Government's cover of The Long Blondes "Christmas Is Cancelled" as well. And never let it be said that we left you with nothing to do after Christmas. Shock And Awe - DontchaLuvXmas
FromMars - Last Christmas Hyperbubble - Christmas Riff The Birthday Girl vs Alexander's Festival Hall - Hey Santa! (Black Snow At Christmas) The Fountain - Shout For Trout At Christmas Dinner Fridge Noises - Silent Night The Star fighter Pilot - Mark Snow At Christmas The New Royal family - A New Hope (Thank Christ It's Christmas) Meg - Another Merry Christmas Listen Lisse - Wake Me Up When Christmas Is Over Glasgow Glam Bangers - Lonely This Christmas Postcode - I'll Be Shoegazing For Christmas The International Karate Plus - Black Christmas Captain Polaroid - Until Boxing Day Ich Bin Chimp - Mary's Boy Child Beacons - Driving Home For Christmas The Vatican Cellars - Christmas Island The Vichy Government - Stop The Cavalry Scunner - Bearing Gifts J'Adore - Thank God It's Christmas ShiSho - Christmas Time In Paris France No Aloha - Plastic Christmas Tree SAY - Make It Snow Osni - Père Noël ShiSho - Get Behind Me Santa (Sufjan Stevens Cover) My-T-Hi - Christmas Time SAY - Christmas 1954 Geese - Lonely This Christmas Later - December Song Beki Bullet - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Goop - Nuclear Christmas Billy Ruffian with Mike Chavez Dawson - Feliz Navidad The Kill Raimi's - Ho Ho The Sexual Hot Bitches - Christmas With The Sexual Hot Bitches Akira - White Christmas (Entropy Refix) Ivan Dirtblonde- Christmas Bells Shock And Awe - Dontcha Luv Xmas (Filthy Spector Version) The Housewives - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus SAY - Another Christmas Day Ant - Home SAY - Stille Nacht Hyperbubble - Away In A Manger Captain Polaroid - River Wojtek Godzisz - December Will Be Magic Again Hefner - The Little Baby Hefner's Xmas Song For Holland ShiSho - Get Behind Me Santa Alex Kidd - Stop The Cavalry ShiSho - Merry Christmas, Now Leave! Sunset Gun and Jay - In The Bleak Midwinter Helen Love - Merry Christmas I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight Awful Sparks and Jake Eliot - Do They Know It's Christmas? Vinnie Santino - A Sleighing On 34th Street Ant - Let It Snow Mertle - Christmas With Derek Das Wanderlust - Santa Claus Is Coming To Get You! The Vichy Government - (One More Widow) One Less White Christmas And What Will Be Left of Them? - Have Yourself A Filthy Little Christmas The Swear - All I Want For Christmas Captain Polaroid - If You Came on Christmas Day The Vichy Government - Christmas is Cancelled Postcode - Black And White Christmas Shock And Awe - XMS PRTY Billy Ruffian - It’s A Long Lonely Christmas Without Jimmy Greenhoff S Punk 7 - White (Trash) Christmas The Rocks - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Hillary And The Democrats - Do You Remember Snow? The Housewives - Blue Christmas ShiSho - Stranger In The Manger Hyperbubble - Christmas With The Bee Gees (Barry Gentlemen Mix) Paris Street - A Marshmallow World Eddie Argos & Keith Totp - Mistletoe And Wine Later - Long Winter Gone Captain Polaroid - You’ll Never See Christmas Again Rod Jones - Christmas Fire Lonely Ghosts - Christmas Time Is Here Lost Summer Kitten - Jullåten The Black Tulips - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas The Favours - Last Christmas ShiSho - Christmas Red Paris Street - Candy Cane Withdrawal Micropenis - Happy Christmas Stalin Billy Ruffian - All I Want For Christmas Is A Ting Ting 23 Shock And Awe - XMS PRTY (Filthy Spector Version) Psychotic Reaction - Goodwill To All Beings S Punk 7 - The Fault Of YouThe Lovely Eggs - I'm Going To Build My Snowman Better Than Yours ShiSho - Christmas Bells Ginger Tom - Christmas Day Alone Ivan Dirtblonde - Christmas Time Micropenis - Christmas In The Midlands Mascot Fight - Christmas Dinner For One Captain Polaroid - When The Advent Calendar Comes Down SideFields - Christmas In China Das Wanderlust - Someone To Pull Crackers With PLUS BONUS TRACKS: The Vichy Government - Winter Forever (from the White Elephant LP) Captain Polaroid - You'll Never See Xmas Again (unreleased version) Micropenis - Secretarial Elite (The Vichy Government cover) Later - A Dream Is A Dream Is A Dream Is A Lie (Captain Polaroid cover) Hyperbubble - I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Two (The Lovely Eggs cover) Hot Beds - Pass Over (Plastic Passion cover) Lewis Costello - Kulcha Vulture (Lewis Campbell cover) 1. God Jul Jesus - Honningbarna 2. Pretty Veil - Hanne Kolsto 3. Santa Baby - Sassy Kraimspri 4. O Helga Natt - Postiljonen 5. December - Out Of His Hands 6. Padre Santa, Puta Madre - Manheads 7. Stay The Night - Sgrow 8. Driving Home For Christmas - Honeytraps 9. Lik I Peisan - First Class Sudan 10. Follow Me (To The Shore) - Guro Von Germeten (ft. Andrea) 11. Winterlove - Supermale 12. In A Warm Place - Sunturns 13. Boots Man Fireplace - Therese Aune 14. Julepop - The Beards 15. Na Slukkes Tusen Menneskeliv - Sandra Kolstad (ft. Oslo Radhus) 16. Merry Christmas Baby - Deathcrush (ft. Harald Male) ALTERNATIV JULEKALENDAR SITE 17. The Angels Sing With Crosby - Magnus SOUNDCLOUD SITE 18. Sno - Anana 19. What You Gave Me - Leif & The Future 20. Death Through A Kiss - CCTV 21. Christmas In Space - Gin & Tonic Youth 22. The Sun Praising Party - Phaedra 23. Somewhere In My Memory - Drape 24. Det Er Hvidt Herude - Scarlet Chives 25. Christmas Song - Nive Nielsen & The Deer Children 26. When You Wish Upon A Star - Arne, Jonny & Stian Allstars The wrap of of this Norwegian Advent Calendar gives us lots of treats and a few tricks. This is very forward leaning stuff--some of it quite heavy. So, you know, not all of it is easily accessible to broad tastes. I tend to be drawn to pretty pop music, myself, so I can recommend The Sunturns, The Beards and The Honeytraps right off the top. I also really dug Nive Nielsen (we had them on Boxing Day) and was quite intrigued by Scarlet Chives (even if I didn't understand a word of it). Magnus was quite good with their electronic mashup. I'd like to listen to Therese Aune and Phaedra when more relaxed; Phaedra, in particular, seemed very pretty in a Pop Folk vein. And I loved Sassy Kraimspri's Rocked up "Santa Baby". That said, you can keep Deathcrush and their rendition of "Merry Christmas Baby", if that's what it was. Learn more about the bands, if you can read Norwegian, at the Alternativ Julekalendar website. Otherwise, you might be best off downloading your tracks from their Soundcloud platform.
Here's one to watch in the year ahead. Tatiana Kochkareva has a very unique sound, combining elements of Rock and Jazz and, on this holiday single, tossing in a bit of Ska just because. Usually, when there's an artist working a Jazz/Rock cross platform, they tend to do the whisper thing, but not Tatiana. Tatiana's a Brooklyn girl, so she's got that Brooklyn brash thing going for her, which I love. Tatiana's new album is due out on April 19 and, now that I think she's fully realizing her potential, I'll definitely be looking for it. Not that there was anything wrong with her first two releases--the EPs "Dreamers" and "Roses"--but I think she's hitting on all cylinders now, if "Christmas At Home" and the lead single from the upcoming "Infinity" set, "Winter" (also a free Bandcamp download), are any indication. Get you some Tatiana "Christmas At Home" free at Bandcamp. Do it now, before she runs out of free download credits. And if you want to hear a kick-ass mostly Jazz version of "Jingle Bells", check out an early track from Tatiana on the 2006 album "Universidad Navidena". Napolean IIIrd is James Mabbett, formerly of Little Japanese Toy. Mabbett records his experimental music for London DIY label Brainlove. Since coming to Brainlove, Mabbett's music has been an interesting, and seemingly contradictory, confluence of Lo-Fi and extremely complex layering of sounds. It's all DIY--stuff he cooks up in his own studio, often with a 40 year old reel-to-reel player. Napolean IIIrd, who won't be finished with his next album until 2013, has given a techno dance beat to "Deck The Halls" and combined that with a vocal performance that's vaguely punk. It's really a pretty cool vision--one that has very little in common with the FaLaLaLaFolderol we usually associate with the song. You can download "Deck The Halls" using the widget above, and vistit Napolean IIIrd on Facebook. I can't help but think it's really cool that Stubby's gets visitors from all around the globe (might even be getting more if I paid a little more attention to the International page). One of the sites that sends us a lot of traffic is the German site, Lie In The Sound. Brigitte Kloiber does a heck of a job there. And, from time to time, they've credited us with finding a song or two. Long past time to repay the favor. Lie In The Sound has been doing an Advent Calendar (or "Adventskalender", with commentary provided in both German and English...how cool is that?). And, very recently, they featured this terrific song from Annette Berlin. Her voice is a bit like Zee Avi's with a touch of Macy Gray. and the song has the feel of a standard done modern. You'll see what I mean. The backing vocals really make the whole think work, in my opinion. Lie In The Sound cautions that "Christmas In Berlin" may not be the winter wonderland or the marshmallow word the song would have you believe. Pick up the song on Bandcamp. And pay a visit to Lie In The Sound to get a whole bunch of other great stuff we've missed around here. I guess there's something about San Francisco that makes your music just sound sunny and bright. Ratherbright tagged this tune with Indie Pop and Pop Punk. The first one fits "It Never Snows In San Francisco", the second one not so much. This has got a bouncy pop 60s feel to it, which I really like. Ratherbright is essentially James Wenzel and whatever friends he can gather up at any given time. For "It Never Snows In San Francisco", Takumi Nakagawa provided the vocals while Brendy Hale was on keys. This was recorded last year, but it sounds as fresh as the first time I heard it. Oh, wait, that was just now. Seriously, though, I liked the song a whole lot. I suppose it would be bad form to say, "Young man, your future is Ratherbright." Yeah, let's just forget that I did that, 'K? Bandcamp. Away with ye. 1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Andrew Belle DOWNLOAD FREE AT BRITE REVOLUTION 2. O Holy Night - Tyler Ward 3. Merry Christmas Everybody - He's My Brother, She's My Sister 4. A Moon Song - David Berkeley 5. You Make The Cold Disappear - Amy Stroup 6. The Season Sends Us Home - Humming House 7. Our Remedy (Live) - Kopecky Family Band 8. The Smile Of Rachel Ray - David Mead 9. The Winter's Chill - SPELLS 10. See Amid The Winter's Snow - Jessica Campbell 11. River Carol - Concerning Lions 12. Christmas Time - Andy Davis 13. This Year - The Young International 14. Happy Xmas - Gabe Dixon 15. Santa Clause Is Coming To The USA - The Kicks I'm not familiar with Brite Revolution, but it appears they're a magazine, no they're a free music download site, no they're a magazine--they're two mints in one! I don't think you have to sign up to download these particular songs, but, if nothing else, signing up ensures that they'll notify you when new music arrives. "The Winter Warm-Up Mixtape" is pretty cool--15 songs with a winter or Christmas theme. Outside of The Kopecky Family's "Our Remedy", I've not come across any of these elsewhere. The music ranges from Electro Pop to Indie Pop to good old Rock n Roll. The one bummer is that there doesn't seem to be any way to download all of the songs at once. I hate when that happens. So let me direct you to a couple that I think you should grab, whether or not you download the rest. Amy Stroup's "You Make The Cold Disappear" is a wonderful slice of Indie Pop. Jessica Campbell delivers a countrified "See Amid The Winter's Snow". I'm not entirely sure how I'd label Concerning Lions--Alt Rock? Folk Rock?--but whatever they're doing is mesmerizing. "River Carol" is the one song here that I simply cannot stop listening to. And, finally, you simply have to grab the rocker from The Kicks, "Santa Clause Is Coming To The USA". Everything else here is wonderful, too, but that's the cream that rose to the top of my coffee. Get a few or get em all at Brite Revolution.
1. Cinnamon & Chocolate - Butterfly Boucher 2. O Holy Night - Griffin House 3. Santa's Lost His Mojo - Jeremy Lister 4. Raise The Tree - Trent Dabbs 5. Silent Night - Katie Herzig 6. Why Are Mommy And Daddy Fighting Over Christmas? - k.s. Rhoads 7. Little Drummer Boy - Erin McCarley 8. Christmas Time - Andy Davis 9. Sentimental Christmas - Tyler James 10. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Matthew Perryman DOWNLOAD FREE THROUGH NOISETRADE Collectively, they call themselves Ten Out Of Tenn, but it's really a group of ten Indie singer/songwriters from the Music City who discovered strength in numbers. Their styles range from straight up pop to straight up country. Ten Out Of Tenn still works and tours as a unit, I believe, and it's component parts work and tour separately. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the lineup has even changed since they released "Ten Out Of Tenn Christmas" back in 2008. The entire album is now available as a free download through Noisetrade. And, I'll tell you this, it's worth downloading for the Butterfly Boucher song alone. But this was really a pretty solid effort throughout. Don't know how long these Noisetrade deals last, so get it while you can. |
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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