Clearly, Black Friday has come to be New Christmas Rock Day as well. Austin's The Forty-Eight threw their contribution to the holiday season into the ring Friday. It's a Pop Punk cover of "White Christmas" and it's available as an instant download on Bandcamp. Given that Irving Berlin hated the doo-wop versions from The Ravens and The Drifters, I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate this one, either. But you will. Some might have preferred that the Alisson Beyer led outfit had gone full-tilt through the entire record, but I enjoyed the rollercoaster treatment.
Clearly, Black Friday has come to be New Christmas Rock Day as well. Austin's The Forty-Eight threw their contribution to the holiday season into the ring Friday. It's a Pop Punk cover of "White Christmas" and it's available as an instant download on Bandcamp. Given that Irving Berlin hated the doo-wop versions from The Ravens and The Drifters, I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate this one, either. But you will. Some might have preferred that the Alisson Beyer led outfit had gone full-tilt through the entire record, but I enjoyed the rollercoaster treatment.
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I love Christmas music from other countries. I mean, you know, some people dig Scandinavian Pop and some people like the Pop music out of Japan. But I've just always been fascinated by sounds and rhythms that come out of different cultures. Christmas music has a universal appeal. I don't speak a word of any other language, really, but I know Christmas. Chile's Anibal Bravo has given us a new Christmas piece that's undoubtedly Indie Pop, but Indie Pop that has a South American flavor. "Navidad 2014" doesn't have any lyrics to speak of, just some "Ahhhh"-ing, so that's out of the way. And the sleigh bells are kept low in the background. Still, I find "Navidad 2014" undeniably Christmasy. I listen to it and I can feel myself in a horse drawn sleigh with snow gently falling all around me. I'm sure the visuals would be different to someone from Chile, but would no less speak to the Christmas images and custom they're familiar with. I think the song translates very well across borders. And that's not always an easy thing to pull off. Recommended if you like those contemplative quiet pieces I'm obviously so fond of. And the hits just keep on comin'. Here, for your downloading pleasure, is a three song EP of Christmas garage rock from Kris Rodgers and the Dirty Gems from Portland, Maine. Its cold up there, so they rock extra hard to stay warm in the winter months. If you didn't know, "Fingers" Rodgers is the keyboard man on the Connection's latest Christmas record (which, if you haven't picked up yet, you need to) and a favorite of Little Steven's Underground Garage. It's "Can't Spend Another Christmas (Without You)" that rocks the paint off the ceiling for sure. The EP also includes covers of Stevie Wonder's "What Christmas Means To Me" and Elton John's holiday B-side "Ho Ho Ho (Who'd Be A Turkey At Christmas)". Kris is offering the EP as a "name-your-price" download through Bandcamp as a special "holiday sale". But he doesn't really say which holiday. So don't sleep on this one or it might no longer be free come Monday. Just sayin'. What could be better on the day after Thanksgiving than Power Pop from the Netherlands? Nothing, that's what. And its a FLAC! In fact, I should probably pull the Seinfeld-Costanza "high note" move and close up shop right now. "Alright. That's it for me. Goodnight everybody." And I'd tell you more about "At Christmas Time", but I couldn't say it any better than WJLP, themselves, did: THAT'S IT! We're not going to let them shove another version of Do They Know It's Bloody Christmas down our throats. This year we're not going to listen to Mariah Scarey screaming about who she wants to hump for Christmas again! We're going to let Chris Rea drive straight to hell and we're going to listen to some fresh new Christmas sounds by WJLP and ECvB! Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas! Roots rocker JD McPherson has a new album coming in 2015, "Let The Good Times Roll". In advance of that release (and because its the holiday season), he's released a free 4 track sampler through Noisetrade. Of interest to us, here, of course, is the Christmas single, "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)". "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)" was pretty much the new Christmas song of the year back in 2012. It's a rock 'em, sock 'em holiday treat that sounds like the Christmas music made when rock 'n' roll was young. If you haven't already gotten the song--and I don't know how that's possible--now is your chance to get it free (for a limited time only). Even if you have already gotten JD McPherson's Christmas track, there's still likely something on "The Rounder Records Collection" for you. My personal fave, here, is JD's cover of Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" (from "The Warm Covers" EP and also released on 7" vinyl earlier this year). There's the popular favorite "North Side Gal" from JD's "Signs & Signifiers". And a track from the coming album, "Bossy". Get 'em while the gettin's good. Free at Noisetrade. |
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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