Do I know who Cait Black is? Haven't got a clue. But what I do know is that this is one of the prettiest new Indie Pop/Indie Folk versions of "Auld Lang Syne" you're likely to hear this year. Get it through Bandcamp. Too bad it's a mere minute and a half. Amazing what you can do with just a ukulele and a few human voices, isn't it?
Do I know who Cait Black is? Haven't got a clue. But what I do know is that this is one of the prettiest new Indie Pop/Indie Folk versions of "Auld Lang Syne" you're likely to hear this year. Get it through Bandcamp. Too bad it's a mere minute and a half. Amazing what you can do with just a ukulele and a few human voices, isn't it?
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1. Oh Holy Night 2. The Songs The Season Brings 3. Auld Lang Syne 4. The First Noel DOWNLOAD FREE THROUGH NOISETRADE DOWNLOAD FREE THROUGH BANDCAMP Somehow, I seem to have missed Beta Radio on Boxing Day. Works out alright, though, as it gives me another "Auld Lang Syne" to point you to. Most of the covers of "Auld Lang Syne" are really short, but Beta Radio gives us nearly 3 and a half minutes worth. Really, though, the best tunes on this Indie Folk EP are "Oh Holy Night" and the title track, "The Songs The Season Brings". Download it for them and consider "Auld Lang Syne" a nice bonus.
Radio station KDHX in St. Louis brought in a lot of artists in a wide range of genres to perform live in their studios. This Holiday Sampler is the result. Half the tracks can be downloaded free, the other half are streamable. Pressed as we are this late, I've not had a fair chance to listen, but I sampled a bit and highly recommend Scarlet Tanager's "Ring Ring Ring" and "Jingle Bells" by The Civil Tones--both downloadable. And I'm a big fan of anything from Brave Combo...especially "Must Be Santa" (sadly, not downloadable). Use the widget below or head to the KDHX website. Cover art is here. Matthew Mayfield is one of those artists you hear a lot on television shows. He's got that moody angst thing going and he's usually acoustic. Since he's gone solo, Matthew's taken a special shine to Christmas. Believe me, I'm not complaining. Matthew's "Maybe Next Christmas" EP was awesome. "It's Chistmastime Again" is even better. The use of sounds and instruments is incredible--he really paints a masterpiece that you can see and feel. The download also includes a surprise cover song--not a Christmas song, but a real treat nonetheless. And, no, I'm not going to be the one to spoil that surprise. Head to Matthew's web site or just submit your email using the widget above. 01. Dennis, Jim, Evan and Bryan - Enter, stage left 02. Dennis, Jim, Evan and Bryan - Best Christmas Gift Ever 03. Jim Page - Going to Boston 04. Evan Purcell - Christmas Heart and Soul 05. Bryan Bowers - Good King Wenceslas 06. Bryan Bowers and Jim Page - Change From Within/Brandy 07. Jim Page - Interlude 08. Bryan Bowers - Angel on a Christmas Tree 09. Jim Page - Pretty Boy Floyd 10. Evan Purcell - Mistletoe 11. Jim Page - A Reindeer Man 12. Bryan Bowers - Hot Buttered Rum 13. Evan Purcell - Two Angels 14. Jim Page - Great Calamity 15. Jim Page - Jesus and the Laughing Deity 16. Bryan Bowers - Joy to the World 17. Jim Page - And I Never Learned to Sing the Blues 18. Bryan Bowers - Mance Lipscomb DOWNLOAD FROM WFMU'S BEWARE OF THE BLOG 19. Evan Purcell - I'm on My Way Back Home 20. Dennis, Jim, Evan and Bryan - Exit, stage right 21. Ellen Norton with the Evan Purcell band - Christmas Heart and Soul As long as we're on the subject of WFMU's Beware Of The Blog (see below), now might be a good time to bring this diamond in the rough to your attention. One of the many people I've come to know a little bit through this Christmas music obsession of mine is Dennis Flannigan. One December night in 2007, Dennis asked some musician friends to come into a recording studio for a night of song and story. But not just any old group of musicians. These three are legendary folk artists. Jim Page has been writing music since the late 60s and recording albums since at least 1975. You might be familiar with his songs "On The Street Again" or "Time Enough For Questions When The Killing's Done". Bryan Bowers is one of the world's best and best known autoharp players. He's probably best known for his 1980 cover of Mike Cross' "The Scotsman", which got a lot of play on The Dr. Demento Show. As a long time Mike Cross fan, that's basically how I first came to hear Bryan. I admit to being less familiar with Evan Purcell, though he's been a major force in the Pacific Northwest for nearly 30 years. Chuck Pennington did the graphics for the set, Tim (no last name given) was the recording engineer at ContactCreate studios, and Don Chapman and Videoland in Olympia, WA produced the discs which were only distributed to a handful of other obsessed Christmas music collectors. But a special thanks to Dennis for arranging and producing this evening of fun and festive frivolity, and for sharing it with the world as part of the 365 Day project--a Beware Of The Blog sub-project if you will (and even if you won't). There's plenty more holiday music to be plumbed from the archives of WFMU's Beware Of The Blog, but "Previously Unreleased" is one that you simply should not miss. And you can catch Dennis Flannigan on the Internet simulcast of his weekly radio show on KBRD at Noon (Pacific Standard Time) every Sunday. The Minor Planets are renowned Bluegrass musician Eric Christopher and renowned Americana vocalist Dana Thompson (plus a rotating assortment of Bluegrass, Country and Jazz musicians). Eric and Dana have worked together, off and on, for many years, though they each have other projects that keep them plenty busy. Together, their music has a sound that they describe as "soulful bluegrass...more inspired by the Walker Brothers than the Louvin Brothers." The Minor Planets are warming up to the release of the first Minor Planets album in more than 10 years; "Shadow In The Water" is slated for a January release. To chum the waters a bit, The Minor Planets have a two track holiday single that you can download for free through Bandcamp. They won't even ask you for an email address. Track one is "In The Bleak Midwinter", which sounds truly wonderful, and track two is "Holy, Holy, Holy". 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? 1.Marksmen - O Holy Night 2.Rebekah Pulley and David Russell - Baby, It's Cold Outside 3.Geri X - I'll Be Home So Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 4.The Vodkanauts - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch 5.November Rush (featuring Javie) - Last Christmas 6.The Ditchflowers - I'm Feelin' Christmas 7.Carl von dem Bussche - Seventh Avenue 8.Ronnie Dee - O' Come All Ye Faithful / We Three Kings 9.Crash Mitchell - St. Nick Boogie 10.Jonathan Sinclair - One Fine Day 11.Dan Bakst - Christmas Day 12.Jeremy Gloff - Christmas Alone 13.Barely Pink - Mr. Heatmiser 14.Rebekah Pulley - December 25th 15.Bite Size (with Mike O'Neill) - Brains Not Included DOWNLOAD FREE FROM BANDCAMP A little late to the party on this one, but well worth bringing to your attention--or reminding you, if you've heard of it already. As a general rule, it takes me awhile to get with a collection with a lot of tracks; singles are quicker. There's a little bit of something for everyone on this Indie collection of Tampa's finest. There's folk, rock, pop, even a nice little ambient number from Jonathan Sinclair. My personal faves here are The Vodkanauts "Grinch" (catch that guitar solo at the end), November Rush's really nice interpretation of the otherwise overdone "Last Christmas", Crash Mitchell's completely irreverent "St. Nick Boogie", and "Brains Not Included", an excellent psych rock track from Bite Size. But there aren't many misses in this 15 song collection--just solid hits. Fly to Bandcamp to download this one before they run out of free downloads. Should you choose to drop a coin or two in the pot, you should know that all proceeds go to benefit The Children's Home in Tampa.
Not sure if anybody here watched The Voice, NBC's answer to American Idol. I watched the audition portion and was really taken with the Americana duet couple Elenowen. The competition didn't seem set up to accommodate a duet pairing and Elenowen were eliminated rather quickly. But they're still out there singing and plugging away. They have a new single on iTunes, "No Such Thing As Time", and they have a nice, kinda sad but still deliciously beautiful and haunting version of "White Christmas" that's yours if you'll but add your name to their mailing list (you can always unsubscribe later). Head to Elenowen's Fan Bridge page to sign up. 1. Glory In The Heights - Ryan Flanigan 2. Hope For Everyone (Merry Christmas) - Dunn & Witt 3. Joy To The (Entire) World -The Rendition 4. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Garrett Viggers 5. Hear Oh Hear - Kris MacQueen 6. Repeat The Wondrous Story - Sean Carter MERRY CHRISTMAS, GOOD NIGHT WEB SITE Dunn & Wilt live in Tennessee, Ryan Flanigan lives in Indiana, Garrett Viggers lives in California, and so on. How the six of these acts came together on one free Christmas compilation may be a mystery to me, but the resulting digital EP is cohesive and delightful. "Merry Christmas, Good Night" is a reverent but joyous set of Indie Pop, Folk and Americana. Standouts include Garrett Viggers' hammered dulcimer rendition of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and The Rendition's "Joy To The (Entire) World". But, truly, this is a nice Christmas listen from beginning to end.
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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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