I've always regarded Christmas Eve as a natural resting point in the continuing existence of this blog, a time when the search for new sounds must give way to the impending holiday for which they were created. So once again, my annual benediction to you, the readers of this humble music blog.
There doesn't seem to be as many of you as there used to be, probably because the arcane art of search engine optimization has progressed far faster than have my meager web programming abilities, so Mistletunes almost never shows up on the first page of Google anymore like it used to. And it would probably help if I posted more in the off-season, too. Meanwhile, I'm not getting any younger, and it's getting to the point where I have to work to "get it" in regard to some of the stuff that should have a home here.
Still, there are plenty of folks who know we're here, and musicians who've submitted their work to the site to get the word out, so I'll be satisfied with that for now. I hope Mistletunes continues to help folks find their new favorite holiday songs and build their mixtapes, discs, thumb drives and playlists as it always has, not to mention occasionally surprise you with a new discovery or a pertinent insight.
A cursory glance at the news (or your Facebook feeds) will underline the fact that we could all use a happy distraction from the world at large, and I hope you're getting that here as well. Meanwhile, enjoy this 50-year-old blast of creativity from the first psychedelic era of rock 'n roll, and Merry Freakin' Christmas to you all.
Just wanted to say, I've been coming to this site for a decade now. It's a daily check for me during mixtape season, and essential to my holiday season. So thank you, so much, for all your work.
As lots of great Christmas music blogs have come and gone, and it seems few people are as interested in starting up new ones as the hobby migrates to social media (which is understandable, though lamentable), Mistletunes endures. That counts for a lot.
And a double special thank you for The Pagans Had it Right this year. My favorite 2017 Xmas jam and a highlight of this year's mix for me. I never would've got it without Mistletunes.