Did someone put in a call for ukelele/kazoo Christmas music? I know you did. Cynthia Lin is a San Francisco Folk and Jazz singer (and uke player) with three independent albums under her belt. For 2012, she cut a 5-song Christmas EP, "A Very Merry Christmas", which is available at Amazon, Bandcamp and the usual spots. To whet your appetite, she's posted the song "Mele Kalikimaka" as a "Name-Your-Price" download at Bandcamp. The combo of uke and kazoo always works for me, so I'm in. And you might also want to grab her "Name-Your-Price" Halloween download, "Zombie Heart". Wish I'd had that one when I was putting together this year's "Night Of The Living Mixtape". Anyway, go introduce yourself to Cynthia Lin. It's worth the trip.
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1. Angels We Have Heard On High 2. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 3. I'll Be Home For Christmas 4. I Don't Want A Lot 5. O Come All Ye Faithful 6. Away In A Manger 7. Rest In The Light 8. Silent Night 9. Some Children 10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 11. Go Tell It On The Mountain Good things do, sometimes, come to those who wait. And, if you waited on buying Anna Gilbert's brilliant 2010 release "Christmas", your reward has come. Now through Christmas, Anna is offering the entire album as a free download from Noisetrade. How cool is that? I won't waste a lot of words, here, since we reviewed the album back in 2010. So, if you're looking for more info on the set, read our review. Then head to Noisetrade and grab your reward.
Pop Punk band Last Call from Las Vegas has an original acoustic Christmas song they're offering up as a Name-Your-Price Bandcamp download. It's a very affecting wish for friends to lose their fears and be who they are. It might work electric, but making it acoustic adds a certain sincerity to the track. A little bit emo but, as original Christmas songs go, "The Duke's Real Name Was Marion Morrison" has got a real nice vibe to it. 1. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm 2. Fireplace 3. Deck The Halls 4. White Christmas 5. Letters To Jamie 6. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 7. Un Flambeau Jeanette Isabelle 8. Christmas With You NAME YOUR PRICE AT BANDCAMP DOWNLOAD AT NOISETRADE Last year, Apres Pompeii ended up in our Boxing Day dump because there's never enough time to do all of these Christmas freebies justice. Didn't want that to happen two years in a row, so here they (he) are (is). Apres Pompeii is the performance name of Zack Taylor Weiss, out of western PA. And Zack is a perfect example of why the Indie genre has legs. From time to time, the music churned out by the industry machine becomes so over-produced, so slick, that listeners and artists alike find themselves hungering for something genuine. The industry music, far too often, is the junk food of music. Yeah, it fills you up, but yet you still feel empty and unsatisfied. Your heart physically aches for honest musical expressions--music that is so stripped down, all that is left is raw emotion. This is especially true of Christmas music. After all, whether the music is secular or spiritual, if there's no genuine emotion behind it, what's the point? Though "Makeshift Christmas III" contains both covers and originals, it's the originals that sparkle with genuine emotion. Sure, "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" exhibits a kind of impressionistic irony. And, while I very much like the interpretations of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" and "Un Flambeau Jeanette Isabelle", I wouldn't be recommending this set without "Fireplace", "Letters To Jamie", and "Christmas With You" which offer a truer window into the soul of Zack Taylor Weiss. That's real and honest emotion you can feel. And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. As you might have gathered from the title, this is the third holiday release from Apres Pompeii. The original "Makeshift Christmas" would seem to be unavailable at the moment (though I'm sure you could contact Zack and ask). But "Makeshift Christmas II" is still a Name-Your-Price download at Bandcamp. And, to be honest, that one might be even better than "Makeshift Christmas III". But you don't have to choose. Get them both, if you're not scared off by DIY Lo-Fi...if you're not scared off by genuine emotion in your holiday music. While we're still in a Hanukkah frame of mind, here's a free set from Los Angeles Techno DJ and producer Diwon. All three Hip Hop takes on Hanukkah favorites have their points of light, but I, personally, loved Diwon's remix of "Al Hanism". Available via Soundcloud or Bandcamp. In addition to the three tracks on "Chanukah Instrumentals", there are links to two other freebies...2011's "Gonna Light" (featuring Y-Love and Sarah Aroeste) and "Sivivon (The Dreidel Song)" (featuring Cobe and Yehuda Solomon). And, if you look to the right on Bandcamp, you'll also find a nice acoustic take on "Maoz Tzur" from Arik Gordon. It's all free or "name-your-price". I don't know why, but there's some awesome music that gets made in Sheffield, England. I missed this one last year, I think, but don't waste another minute reading my words. Head on over to Bandcamp and get your download of these two gorgeous tracks from Captives On The Carousel. The Captives are Sarah Morrey and Ben Eckersley and their stripped down acoustic folk is just what a cold winter's night calls for. Or a happy autumn afternoon for that matter. The pair's take on "In The Bleak Midwinter" is sweet and fine with some haunting cello play, but it's the original "Turn Off The Sun" that has me so completely enchanted. After you've had your fill of these delicious tracks, head on over to the Captives On The Carousel home site to learn even more about Sarah and Ben and their music. (Psst. There's a couple more free tracks in it for ya.) |
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. ArchivesCategories
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