Mistletunes: November 2018 Archives

Another Merry Christmas With Phil and the Osophers, Phil and the Osophers (self-issued)

By Rudolph on November 30, 2018 9:25 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This Brooklyn trio is out for Christmas 2018 with the third of their series of Christmas EPs. Although the band's origin story seems kind of slapdash, this EP is four sides of solid and well-orchestrated pop-rock music. It almost crosses into the kids' music realm, but the performances are subtle even if the melodies are catchy. "First Thing Christmas Morning" is nicely upbeat and well accented with solo horns in the background, "Playing Santa" is a sweet ballad about giving and receiving featuring a warm clarinet solo, "The Smell of a Christmas Tree" paints a nice sound picture with the help of a flute, and "Santa Pajamas" are what the kids wear so that Santa will come. In roughly 2011 they released an eight-song album, It's Christmas Time, and they also have out an EP, It's Christmas Time Again, from 2015.

"Lonely Man of Winter," Sufjan Stevens (Asthmatic Kitty)

By Rudolph on November 30, 2018 9:18 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

One might assume that a guy who released two completely different five-disc collections of Christmas music might have exhausted his supply of holiday verities by now. Well, Sufjan Stevens still had something up his sleeve. This song was written in response to a submission by Alec Duffy, "Every Day Is Christmas," made to his Xmas Song Xchange Contest in 2007. Stevens recorded both songs but didn't release them, only playing them at listening events. Now, for 2018, he's released both songs as a single to benefit the nonprofit performance space JACK that is run by Duffy. The third song is a newly recorded version of Stevens' song, performed as a duet with Melissa Mary Ahern, and this new recording is the pick of the three songs, though Duffy's tune is a nice earnest expression of holiday verities.

"Bohemian Chanukah," Six13 (Six13)

By Rudolph on November 28, 2018 10:03 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This just dropped on iTunes, haven't seen it on Amazon, but I'm guessing you won't need much explanation of what this is. Hanukkah Alert, folks! Apparently these guys do this kind of thing a lot, see here. UPDATE: OK, Amazon has this song now.

Christmas Everywhere, Rodney Crowell (New West)

By Rudolph on November 28, 2018 8:58 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Although I'm comfortable with promoting Americana music here, some of the artists that fit in there are more often identified with country music, and that's the dividing line I usually don't cross. In the past, every time I've encountered Rodney Crowell it's been when he's been performing straight-up country music. But it's also true that he's crossed back across that line enough times that he hasn't exactly been embraced by country radio, and on this 2018 Christmas album, though there's a fair amount of country influence, overall the scales are tipped back toward the kind of music we prefer here at Mistletunes. Besides, he wrote or co-wrote every song here, so attention must be paid. The album is bracketed with a female a capella vocal, "Clement's Lament (We'll See You in the Mall)," which takes a poke at early celebrations ("The season starts in August now/We'll see you in the mall), and the nearly mandatory kid vocal, "All For Little Girls and Boys." "Christmas Everywhere" is a fast shuffle with a slow digression in the middle sung by Lera Lynn that's a tribute to John Lennon, "Let's Skip Christmas This Year" is a bouncy bid to escape the usual holiday rituals, melancholy and lack of love is addressed in the mid-tempo "Christmas Makes Me Sad" and the piano ballad "Merry Christmas From an Empty Bed." The horn-led boogie "Very Merry Christmas" is just a straight-up dance number, "Christmas in Vidor" is a rocked-up talk-sing with a cynical take, duetted with Mary Karr, the country comes out in "Christmas for the Blues" while pop-folk gets its due in "Come Christmas" and "Christmas in New York," and my favorite tune on the album is the Memphis soul number "When the Fat Guy Tries the Chimney On For Size." Great songs and performances, another of those albums you can listen to all the way through.

"TV Christmas," Frode Fivel (Cafe Superstar)

By Rudolph on November 28, 2018 8:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This Norwegian singer-songwriter is asserting that he's written "the year's gloomiest Christmas song," and while he may not be correct in absolute terms, this grungy downtempo tune about kids taking comfort in watching television while waiting for a father who won't be arriving for Christmas is probably in the top 10 for 2018 (or the bottom 10, depending on how you choose to count). Some of the folks playing on this single have also worked with Remington Super 60, who have some history on the Christmas beat. Doesn't seem to be up at Amazon just yet, but here it is on Soundcloud.

"Warmest Winter," Linnea Ellis (Signe Victorine)

By Rudolph on November 28, 2018 8:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Another Scandinavian take on the holiday from this Swedish songwriter and DJ, this breathy little meditation on finding love in the cold will make you pine for the fjords. From 2018.

A Sunshine Christmas, KC and the Sunshine Band (Sunshine Sounds)

By Rudolph on November 27, 2018 10:43 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

I had somehow not noticed this came out in 2015, but it's been reissued for 2018 with one new song, a medley of "Silent Night/Away in a Manger" that could have been done by anybody. If you're going to spend good money on Christmas music featuring a classic 70s disco act, then you're going to want something that carries something of the sound of that particular act. Keep in mind that KC and the Sunshine Band, in its original incarnation, was something of an art concept in that its best known tunes, like "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way I Like It," "Shake Your Booty" and others, were stripped-down and repetitive dance-floor anthems, which was a reaction to the earnestness of classic and progressive rock of the early 70s. So the tunes you really want to hear from this collection are the ones that hearken back to their original era, like the title song, "Let's Go Dancing With Santa," "Jingle Bell Boogie," and "After Christmas Song." The version of "Carol of the Bells" also manages to have some of that 70s flair, but the other songs, all classic tunes like "Last Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Little Drummer Boy," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "Go Tell It On the Mountain," are pretty much professional cover band renditions.

"Crazy For Christmas," The Cooter Boys (self-issued)

By Rudolph on November 27, 2018 10:33 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Well, these guys describe themselves as country, and that normally earns folks a rain check for the day when somebody starts that all-country version of Mistletunes I've often said is needed. But they begged me to throw out the rules and give them a shot, so I did, and I've decided this high-energy stomp hews closer to Americana than pure country, so Cooters, here's your shot. Listen at Soundcloud or buy from Amazon.

All I Got For Christmas Is the Blues, Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers (Pretty Good For a Girl)

By Rudolph on November 26, 2018 11:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Mindi's been around for awhile as a jazz and session saxophonist and she's played on late night TV, plus she had an appearance on "American Idol" in which Steven Tyler yelled out to the contestant she was accompanying, "Forget you, who's your sax player?" In recent years she swung into the blues scene when she formed her current backup band, and for 2018 she put out this Christmas album, which you'll find is nicely energetic all the way through, from the stomping title tune through to some imaginative takes on "Run Run Rudolph" and "Merry Christmas Baby," eschewing the typical arrangements you hear on those songs. She revived an original from a 2003 single, "I Can't Wait For Christmas," though I'm guessing this version is a re-recording, and other originals include the title tune, the ballad "The Best Part of Christmas" and the updated field holler "Christmas Fool," written and sung by Mindi's bandmate Randy Jacobs. She also lets her saxophone carry "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," sings a swingy "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and performs a typical arrangement of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." This gives Eric Clapton's blues Christmas a run for its money this season. Completists will note she was co-billed on a Peter White Christmas album from the mid 2000s, though that was more of a smooth jazz excursion.

Reason For the Season, Mike Love (Meleco/BMG)

By Rudolph on November 26, 2018 10:58 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Beach Boys were one of the earliest modern-era rock acts to provide its audience with original Christmas songs, so Mike Love was right there at the start, and still there later when they made a second attempt in the 1970s that was only released a couple decades later. Love had previously done holiday singles, but 2018 is the first time he went for a whole Christmas album. The best things here are opening track "Celestial Celebration," the Hanson track "Finally It's Christmas" with Hanson on board, a new version of the unreleased Beach Boys song "Alone on Christmas Day," and a faithful remake of "Little St. Nick." The title song, "Must Be Christmas" and the version of "Jingle Bell Rock" are just OK, and the remaining versions of "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Away in a Manger," "Bring a Torch," "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "O Holy Night" are mainly filler featuring Love's family members taking vocal turns.

"Peace," Ruth Acuff (GLG)

By Rudolph on November 26, 2018 10:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This Missouri-based singer-songwriter has fronted bands and has several EPs and an album as a solo artist. Oh, and her main axe is harp. This 2018 holiday effort is a nice spacey ballad with a message to overcome the gloominess of the wintertime and seek serenity. For country fans, she's related to classic country icon Roy Acuff, by the way.

Love the Holidays, Old 97's (ATO)

By Rudolph on November 25, 2018 9:36 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Boy, the Americana sector of the music business has turned out strongly for Christmas 2018, what with JD McPherson, the Mavericks, Rodney Crowell and these guys all out with new original holiday albums. Nine originals, including the 2007 single "Here It Is Christmastime," join five classics on this album. Things kick off with the title song, a fast shuffle with nostalgic lyrics, and swing into the bluesy "I Believe in Santa Claus," the driving "Gotta Love Being a Kid (Merry Christmas)," the ballad "Snow Angels," and the countrified "Hobo Christmas Song." Horns kick off a rocking variation of the reindeer story, "Rudolph Was Blue," "Wintertime in the City" is another reflective ballad, and "Christmas Is Coming" is a remake of Rhett Miller's solo single from a couple years ago. There's a version of "Auld Lang Syne," too. The 97's also knock out a driving "Angels We Have Heard On High," a syncopated "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," a rootsy "Up On the Housetop," and a straightforward take on "Blue Christmas." These last four songs are identified as bonus tracks; apparently, they're not included on the physical media versions of this album, but they can be downloaded separately. Before we go, I should call out their song "Lonely Holiday" from 1999's Fight Songs, which doesn't mention Christmas but its story of being dumped on the holiday might just resonate on a mix or two.

Xmas Gold, Nicholas Burgess (self-issued)

By Rudolph on November 25, 2018 9:33 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Nick's a Boston indie musician with several albums posted on Bandcamp, and for 2018 he knocked out an EP of holiday tunes. His predominant sound, at least on this collection, is indie pop-rock with synths. He deconstructs "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" on the tune "Sugar Plum," adding lyrics and rearranging the melody to fit the narrative, offers an ode to a "Greedy Little Boy," and throws open the dance floor on the opener "Love Love Love (On Xmas)." Holiday seduction is the topic on "Red Lingerie With White Fuzzy Trim," a whole world dedicated to Christmas is imagined on "Santa Planet," really vivid dreams are depicted in "Crystal Crystmas Sky," and things get really hallucinogenic on "The Great Christmas Airship Sails Toward Death." This won't be out until November 30, but you can check it out at least in part at his Bandcamp page.

"This Season (In This World Together)," John Torres (Vialex)

By Rudolph on November 25, 2018 9:29 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This new original mid-tempo Christmas song from Torres is a rock/pop call for comfort, hope, and universal understanding during the holiday season. Torres has several albums out and his music has been placed on numerous TV shows, and he won the John Lennon Songwriting Award, and he's also performed as a stage actor in musicals. More poppy than rock, but still worth your attention. From 2018.

A Very Cherry Christmas 13, various artists (Cherryade)

By Rudolph on November 24, 2018 4:42 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

British indie label Cherryade has stuck doggedly to its long-running tradition of an annual Christmas compilation, although they've been hindered a bit in recent years with the transition to downloading and streaming. Seems they don't have permission to distribute more than a couple tunes electronically, so the main distribution point is the physical CD, of which there are only 200 this year. With 25 songs on board, I'm going to point you to the highlights of this 2018 compilation. The Flatmates kick things off nicely with the pop-rocker "Come On Santa," Cassidy & Gamble warn kids to be good with the folky talk-sing "Take Another One Out the Bag Santa," Building Rockets declare that "Tonight Santa's Gonna Rock Out," The Raptors push the concept further with "It's Christmas (Have a Rock 'n Roll Time)," and Final Clearance embed a commercial for this collection (unintentionally) with "Let's Have an Indie Rock Christmas." Gang Clouds address the common holiday crisis of illness with "Let's Spend Christmas In Our Beds," Godammit Jeremiah steal Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" and replace the lyrics with "Office Christmas Party," while Lach addresses the same cultural readymade with "The Office Christmas Party (We All Fall Down)," and the Happy Somethings steal a B-52s riff to propel their strummy lament "It's Christmastime (We're As Miserable As Sin)." Pomegranate gather around the living room piano to extol "The Greatest Day," Les Bicyclettes de Belsize appropriate King Wenceslas to tell their own Christmas story on "The Old Bohemian," The Applepie take an imaginitive power-pop approach to "Angels We Have Heard On High," The Sunbathers lament the passing of "The Man Who Loved Christmas," Trust No One breaks out the synths for "Walking In the Air," as do Spray with their story song "The Ballad of Xmas '99 (Oh Cliff)," and the Yellow Melodies rock out hard with "Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad." Lorna sneaks a little "Telstar" into her Spector-esque "Broken Stars," the band 365 seem to be channeling Flight of the Concords with "December," Entre-Knobs channels Modern English with "Christmas Is Over," and the Milton and Jones song "This Life (This Christmas)" appears here as well. Preorders are being taken at Bandcamp.

"This Life (This Christmas)," Milton and Jones (Too Many Fireworks)

By Rudolph on November 24, 2018 4:39 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This single comes to us from a Scottish record label that's now based in Warsaw, Poland, featuring Scotland's Neil Milton and Seattle's Jules Jones, and it's a nicely doomy-sounding midtempo lament about lost love on the holiday. Sound-wise, it features the reverb-heavy approach common to Phil Spector and Jesus and Mary Chain, and it straddles that divide nicely. Flip side, "Love Actually," is about snuggling in and watching the movie of the same name. UPDATE: Provided Amazon link with cover art.

"The Dollyrots Do Christmas," The Dollyrots (self-issued)

By Rudolph on November 24, 2018 4:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Indie pop-punkers The Dollyrots keep sneaking Christmas tunes out to their fanbase every year, and for 2018 they push an amped-up medley of familiar holiday tunes out to folks. Within three minutes they romp through "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Silent Night," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." If you haven't surrendered an email address to them, you should, especially if you like this kind of happy thrash.

Hey! Merry Christmas!, The Mavericks (Mondo Mundo)

By Rudolph on November 23, 2018 2:42 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Last year, this long-running Americana band with the period 50s-60s sound dropped a single of "Christmas Time (Is Coming Round Again)" backed with "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and for 2018 the single has sprouted an album featuring mainly original tunes. Along with the already-reviewed single A-side, we get the mid-tempo ballad "I Have Wanted You (For Christmas)," the Spector-esque "Santa Does," the love song "Christmas For Me (Is You)," the bluesy "Santa Wants to Take You For a Ride," a 50s pop take on lost love in "It's Christmas Without You," the swing-dancy "One More Christmas," and the rocking rave-up that is the title song. Besides the above-mentioned B-side, the only other cover on the album is the Irving Berlin easy-listening set-closer "Happy Holiday." This is working roughly the same side of the street as the JD McPherson album, and while I like that one better, this is a fine outing as well. Should remind everyone that lead singer Raul Malo was on the Christmas tip last decade with a solo holiday album, although that one was less rootsy and more Vegas-y in thrust.

Miscellaneous ramblings

By Rudolph on November 23, 2018 2:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Michael McDonald's 2018 Season of Peace is a repackaging of 2001's In the Spirit with eight additional songs, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Wexford Carol" featuring Amy Holland, "Christmas On the Bayou," "Through the Many Winters," "O Holy Night," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" with Jake Shimabukuro on ukelele, and a funky rearrangement of "That's What Christmas Means to Me." It also deletes four songs, "Angels We Have Heard on High," "One Gift," "On this Night," and "House Full of Love," so you adult contemporary fans will probably want both.
Rhino grabbed the recently deceased Aretha Franklin's version of "Silent Night" and repurposed it so that she's accompanied by solo piano, the better to enjoy her sublime vocals one more time.

"Hanging Like the Mistletoe," Dan Berk (Extra Special Good)

By Rudolph on November 23, 2018 2:28 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I've never encountered Dan Berk before, but this is a bouncy new original for 2018, and the first half of the title line is "Baby don't leave me hanging..." Hat tip for sending this to me goes to Jon Tattum, who identified himself as the writer of the song. Dan also has a version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to his credit as well.

"Next Year Will Be Mine," Whyte Horses (CRC)

By Rudolph on November 23, 2018 2:07 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

British psych-pop outfit the Whyte Horses (no relation to Wyld Stallyns, are they?) are popping out this double A-side single as of December 1, 2018. It's lovely, a nice upbeat tune with upbeat lyrics that sounds like a garage band getting the Phil Spector treatment. The other A-side is "Coldest Night of the Year," the Vashti Bunyan tune, a little slower but a similar sound with a bit more girl-group to it. A limited vinyl issue is planned but won't be out until December 21. Haven't tracked down any pre-order sites but it should be available from the usual suspects once it drops. UPDATE: Click cover for Amazon link. Should note these folks did a song in 2014 called "Snowfalls."

"We All Need Christmas," Def Leppard (UMC)

By Rudolph on November 23, 2018 2:03 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The progenitors of 80s hard rock and "hair metal" pop out this smooth holiday ballad for 2018, nothing like their usual sound but definitely recognizable as them. I've never been a fan of these guys, but I like this a lot.

Planet Christmas, Leilani and the Distractions (Smart Nut)

By Rudolph on November 22, 2018 11:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

There's not a heck of a lot out there to help me suss out what's going on with these folks. Best I can figure out is that this is a working Southern California band and that this 2018 holiday collection is their first actual album. They appear to be led by songwriter Leilani Villamor, and the members of this group have played with everyone from the Grateful Dead to Sublime. Soundwise, this is a preposterously eclectic album, encompassing everything from blues to reggae to jazz to Eastern European folk sounds -- in other words, something an old-school record company would rather slash its collective wrists over than release. Fortunately, actual music listeners are more open-minded. I'll grant up front most folks don't come to Mistletunes for the semi-classical takes on "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella" or "O Little Town of Bethlehem" on offer here, the folk-jazz "Patapan," or the solo piano "Lully Lullay." And definitely not the straight pop reading of the non-Christmas tune "Somewhere Out There." But I'm all on board with the Latin syncopation of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," the world beat of "Noel," better known as the first such song, the white-guy reggae of "We Three Kings," the bluesy ballad takes of "Midnight Clear" and "Holy Night," and the minor-key fiddle rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Things wrap up with a droning synth-orchestrated version of "Emmanuel," which isn't immediately catchy but is growing on me. Clearly these folks don't spend much time worrying about target audiences and chart placements, but I can imagine springing this on an unaware gathering and having them warm to it.

A Rock By the Sea Christmas, Volume Nine (Rock By the Sea)

By Rudolph on November 22, 2018 11:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This long-running holiday charity centered in northern Florida and southern Georgia does much of its money raising and community outreach through producing these holiday compilations and local concerts featuring mostly local artists playing in various Americana-related styles. For 2018 they give us a shortened playlist featuring an acoustic "Jingle Bell Rock" by Jes Marie, a New Orleans march version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by John Driscoll Hopkins, a vocal-group original "Peace and Harmony" by Indianapolis Jones, the country tune "Hearts Come Home For Christmas" by Honey River, a jazzy "Feliz Navidad" by Roman Street, a folky take on "Silent Night" by Andrea Nardello, Lizanne Knott's sweet original "The Giving Time," and Dave Philip of the Automatics donates the same version of "It's Almost Christmas Time" that was on the Automatics' Christmas album, allowing this collection to go out on a rocked-out note. Check it out on Bandcamp or Amazon and help a good cause.

"Cozy Little Christmas," Katy Perry (Amazon Original)

By Rudolph on November 22, 2018 11:41 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Haven't heard if Amazon has any other new originals in 2018, but they definitely have this, from the second "I Kissed a Girl" girl (the first being Jill Sobule), a nicely updated take on the girl group sound in which she rhymes "whisky" with "frisky," and I'm definitely interested in following that line of thought. Downloadable or listen on Amazon Prime or Amazon Music.

"Christmas Down Under," Phosphorescent (Dead Oceans)

By Rudolph on November 21, 2018 9:53 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

From the 2018 album C'est La Vie, this is a slow spacey number, almost Pink Floydian, with impressionistic lyrics that may or may not fit the holiday. It definitely has a tropical sensibility, so you might be able to sneak it in alongside that We the Kings album we mentioned earlier.

Amero Little Christmas, Don Amero (Indiependent)

By Rudolph on November 21, 2018 9:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Don's a country artist based in Canada, but he's not one of today's bro-country types. He's more of a mellow Americana artist, based on the fact that most of the songs on this 2018 album are smooth ballads with very little in the way of fiddles or steel guitar to make the overt tip toward Nashville. But you'll hear the country touches often enough. He's been doing Christmas shows for a few years now and this album is the souvenir for a Canadian midwest tour. He kicks things off with a pensive version of "Silent Night," he does fairly laid-back versions of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and "Please Come Home For Christmas," and he amps things up just a tad with his versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Even Santa Gets the Blues." Don gets out his songwriter's pen for the Eagles-adjacent "All I Need," the warm "Christmas Time," the piano-led "Sometimes a Whisper," and set-closer "Don't Let Christmas Pass You By." A little smooth and sedate for my taste, but you can make that call for yourself.

"Christmas in Antarctica," The Minus 5 (Yep Roc)

By Rudolph on November 20, 2018 10:54 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

These guys put out a whole Christmas album last year, but this 2018 single wasn't on it. This time, Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck and the gang brought along Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie to perform this bouncy little power-popper with a whimsical storyline about observing the holiday from what is arguably the loneliest land-mass in the world. Nice, and I think it'll grow on you.

Christmas With the Fizz, The Fizz (MPG)

By Rudolph on November 20, 2018 10:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

OK, buckle up. There was a pop vocal group called Bucks Fizz in England, two guys and two girls, and they won the 1981 Eurovision song contest with their signature hit, "Making Your Mind Up." Over time, they had more hits, but they also had a slow parade of personnel changes; today's Bucks Fizz has one original member left. A few years ago, the other three original members decided to reform, and after a legal battle, the new group dubbed itself The Fizz. For 2018, they've recorded a Christmas album. Soundwise, well, if you'll recall there was another vocal group of two men and two women that won Eurovision in the mid-1970s who were even bigger than Bucks Fizz. That group was ABBA, and when you hear album opener "Don't Start Without Me," you'll be forgiven if you mistake it for the sons and daughters of Sweden. For that matter, even if the rest of the album isn't an exact auditory match, the vibe is quite similar throughout. They offer excessively well-scrubbed versions of "Let It Snow," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," "River," and "I Believe in Father Christmas," they do "Wonderful Christmastime" by imitating the echoed synths on the original with their voices, and they bring back one of Bucks Fizz's signature hits, "The Land of Make Believe," in a "Christmas version." There are several tunes here that aren't really Christmas tunes, like "Home For My Heart," which features Rick Wakeman, "Mull of Kintyre," "Keeping the Dream Alive," and "What a Wonderful World," though the themes aren't really incompatible with the holiday season. Wrapping things up are "So Christmas" and an extended mix of "Don't Start Without Me." A little too calculated for my taste, but you can make a gift of this to your moms and aunts.

"Don't Feel Like Christmas," Tyler Hilton (Hooptie Tune)

By Rudolph on November 20, 2018 10:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This actor/musician from long-gone TV show "One Tree Hill," who has several albums to his credit, rolled out this blues ballad for the 2018 holiday. It's been placed in a Lifetime movie, "The Christmas Contract," but I'm sure you don't need that sort of affirmation to decide whether you like it or not. It has a similar progression and rhythm to the Charles Brown classic "Please Come Home For Christmas," so it's not essential, but I like it well enough.

Season's Greetings From the Sandbar, We the Kings (S-Curve)

By Rudolph on November 19, 2018 10:16 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This Bradenton, FL band has been around since 2007 as one of the modern breed of pop-punk acts, with their hyper-produced, relentlessly upbeat rock sound. As we've had this kind of sound represented at Mistletunes before, like the Punk Goes Christmas collection, I thought I knew what was coming from these guys. Well, I was wrong. They apparently prepped for this disc by gorging on their Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett records. Almost everything here is reggae and calypso influenced, with steel drums and ukelele widely featured. Anna Marie Island is featured on a bouncy "Silent Night," Elena Coats duets on a slow-reggae treatment of "Baby It's Cold Outside," and it's more of the same through covers of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)," "Jingle Bells," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," O Holy Night," and "Little Drummer Boy." The band pitches in two originals by singer Travis Clark, the piano ballad "There is a Light" in which the tropical sounds are shelved in favor of piano and strings to support a child's anticipation of Santa's arrival, and the reggae "One People," a sort of successor to Marley's "One Love" in its call for unity and understanding, with a few pointed references to today's disadvantaged groups. Don't know if their fans will react to this as an attempt to pander to the "dad rock" demographic, but I'm always open to tropical Christmas music myself, especially since I just experienced a three-hour commute in five inches of snow right before I wrote this review. Currently only on iTunes or streaming services, but I'll link to Amazon if it turns up there. UPDATE: Now on Amazon, click the album cover.

"The Grateful Song (Thanksgiving)," Jonah Tolchin (Yep Roc)

By Rudolph on November 19, 2018 10:12 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Tolchin, a songwriter originally from Trenton, NJ, worked up this folk-rock tune for 2018 that is written as a holiday song, though the title gives away that it's more a Thanksgiving sentiment. No matter, the emotions described are part of many a Christmas song as well, and with Facebook crammed full of people declaring their Christmas season begins not long after school starts, those folks can probably find room in their playlists for this.

Socks, JD McPherson (New West)

By Rudolph on November 18, 2018 10:34 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This is the best new Christmas entry of 2018 so far. McPherson is an original singer and songwriter who's made his bones on the Americana/adult alternative scene with his heavily 50s-early 60s influenced rock 'n roll sound. His new album is 11 completely original songs for the holidays that will liven up any holiday party. (On CD and vinyl, that is; if you download it from Amazon or iTunes you don't get the previously released "Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights).") The title song is a bluesy lament about not getting what you want: "All I got for Christmas was a lousy pair of socks." "Bad Kid" superimposes the old Larry Williams hit "Bad Boy" on the holiday and asserts the singer isn't misunderstood, he's "just a bad bad kid." On "Hey Skinny Santa," the singer is trying to get Santa fattened up for the holiday, "All the Gifts I Need" is a nice upbeat ode to holiday togetherness, "Every Single Christmas" is a jumpy love song, "What's That Sound" is a swinging narration of the holiday's audio cues, McPherson gets sentimental on the ballad "Ugly Sweater Blues," and "Santa's Got a Mean Machine" is a car-type song that owes a debt to the Beach Boys' "Little St. Nick." Girl-watching at the holiday gets its due on "Holly, Carol, Candy & Joy," and Lucie Silvas duets with JD on "Claus Vs. Claus," in which the Mr. and Mrs. of the title hold an argument that has a happy ending.

"Poem at Year's End," Sofia Talvik (self-issued)

By Rudolph on November 18, 2018 10:26 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

It's hard to remember a year in which we didn't have a Christmas song from this Swedish singer/songwriter; indeed, we got a whole holiday album from her last year. This 2018 song is a slow folky ballad backed with guitar, cellos and horns on a song that is equally about Christmas and the end of the year, as you might gather from the title. UPDATE: Added Amazon link.

Christmas Party, the Monkees (Rhino)

By Rudolph on November 17, 2018 12:35 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Longtime fans of the Prefab Four will recall their 1967 rendition of "Riu Chiu" and the 1976 single "Christmas Is My Time of Year," which are the two bonus cuts on this otherwise freshly produced album from 2018 if you buy the CD from Target. Following on from Good Times, the Adam Schlesinger-produced reunion album from 2017, this album was put together in much the same way with the same producer, with only one actual Monkee per track. Most of the new recordings are solid power pop featuring Micky Dolenz with Schlesinger and other musicians, and these include Andy Partridge's "Unwrap You at Christmas" and Rivers Cuomo's "What Would Santa Do," the shambling title song written by Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, "House of Broken Gingerbread" written by novelist Michael Chabon and Schlesinger, and covers of Big Star's "Jesus Christ," Roy Wood's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," Sir Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime," and a swampy version of "Merry Christmas Baby." The late Davy Jones is brought into the proceedings via unreleased performances he recorded in 1991 that were punched up by the producers, "Mele Kalikimaka" and "Silver Bells." Mike Nesmith flew in performances of "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)" and "Snowfall" that were largely produced by his sons Jonathan and Christian, and Peter Tork makes a single appearance on banjo and vocals for "Angels We Have Heard on High." If the descriptions make you think this album was patched together with Scotch tape and baling wire, don't let that put you off sampling at least some of it, particularly the four freshly written songs.

"A Lovers Christmas," On Ember featuring Blend (Mosaic Rain)

By Rudolph on November 17, 2018 12:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I don't know much about these folks, except that Blend is a female vocal group working with On Ember, and this 2018 tune is your basic adult contemporary romantic love song set against the holiday. The blurb says it was written by a songwriter of "deep faith," but that no religious faith is necessary to enjoy it, which is accurate to my ears anyway.

Happy Xmas, Eric Clapton (Surfdog)

By Rudolph on November 16, 2018 9:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Not many of the classic rock titans of the 1960s have done much more with the holiday than a stray single or two, so it was a mild surprise that Clapton announced this album for 2018, although we should remember he featured prominently on the Special Olympics compilation A Very Special Christmas Live. Fans of the modern solo Clapton will recognize what they're hearing, possibly with the exception of "Jingle Bells (In Memory of Avicii)," which is loosely based on the popular carol with a sort-of EDM backing to Clapton's blues-based guitar work in tribute to the late DJ. There's one new original song on this album written by Clapton's keyboardist Simon Clymie and Nick Ingman, the soul ballad "For Love on Christmas Day." The mildly Cajun-influenced "Chrismas in My Hometown" is a Sonny James tune, the uptempo "It's Christmas" and the mid-tempo "Home For the Holidays" originated with Anthony Hamilton, the slow acoustic number "Sentimental Moments" comes from an old Humphrey Bogart movie, and the blues shuffle "Lonesome Christmas" is the Lowell Fulsom song. Among the more familiar numbers are a faintly reggae treatment of "Silent Night," a classic Clapton-style blues kickoff on "White Christmas," a semi-funky slow treatment of "Away in a Manger (Once In Royal David's City)," a faithful cover of "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday," Freddy King's blues workout "Christmas Tears," the Charles Brown classic "Merry Christmas Baby," and Clapton puts his personal stamp on an otherwise familiar cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with the original third verse. Overall, it's the bluesy numbers that mark this as a Clapton recording, and they're the ones I'd put in the holiday playlist. There's a lush box set with a flexidisc, Christmas ornaments and a flash drive with the album on it for you determined collectors out there. UPDATE: Songwriting credits I obtained online indicated there were five original songs written by Eric's bandmates, but I should have caught at least the "Lonesome Christmas" credit as spurious. Thanks to Stubby for straightening me out.

Shatner Claus, William Shatner (Cleopatra)

By Rudolph on November 15, 2018 8:18 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I've noted previously that social media seems to have dissipated whatever market there was for novelty Christmas music. Why buy albums when you can hear all kinds of stuff in your Facebook feed, after all. So for a record label to make this investment in 2018, there needs to be an angle, like celebrities, and that brings us to Capt. Kirk/TJ Hooker/Denny Crane/The Big Giant Head himself, accompanied by everybody from Judy Collins to Henry Rollins. Unfortunately, Shatner's been doing this talk-sing acting-school-demo riff for 50 years, and the Rhino compilation Golden Throats that threw a belated and ironic spotlight on his horrific version of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was 40 years ago. Of course, Shatner has a long-standing fan base going back to "Star Trek," making this a fairly safe commercial bet, but Trekkers are an aging demographic, and this is an era in which mentions of Elvis Presley to anyone under 50 are about as relevant as mentions of Rudy Vallée. For those of you who haven't been exposed to this sort of tuneless hammy overacting before, you might get some laughs out of this, particularly as he plays off Iggy Pop on "Silent Night," Billy Gibbons on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Rick Wakeman on "O Come O Come Emmanuel," Brad Paisley on "Blue Christmas," Joe Louis Walker on "Little Drummer Boy," Judy Collins on "White Christmas," Dani Bander on "Feliz Navidad," Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) on "Silver Bells," Todd Rundgren and Artimus Pyle on "Winter Wonderland," and Henry Rollins on two versions of "Jingle Bells," one dubbed the "punk" version. But if you know Shatner's cover of "Lucy," well, this is more of the same.

Acid Santa, Teflon Beast (Teflon Beast)

By Rudolph on November 15, 2018 8:13 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The folks at Teflon Beast have produced Christmas songs before, see here, here and here, and for 2018 they plopped this EP on their Bandcamp site for everyone to check out. Unlike previous outings, which featured a lot more in the way of vocals and lyrics, this is, as the title hints, a collection of acid house-styled instrumentals with holiday-type festive titles like "Rudolph," "Yuletide," "Fancy Ornament," "St. Nik," "Jack Frost's Nuts," and the title track. As often happens with original instrumental music, it's not immediately apparent that this music is intended for the Christmas season if you're not squinting at the playlist while you're listening. But if you're in the mood for some synthesized sweeps, bleeps and bloops set to heavy rhythm, these guys have your number.

Christmas With PJ Morton, PJ Morton (Morton)

By Rudolph on November 14, 2018 10:03 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

PJ's a modern R'nB and gospel singer and keyboardist who might be best known as a member of Maroon 5, and he's got several solo albums to his credit along with work alongside Stevie Wonder, Jermaine Dupri and India.arie. Based in New Orleans, where he digs into the bounce scene, he's also the proprietor of his self-named record label. For 2018 he steps up to the holidays with this eight-song album of mostly familiar material from the classic carols as well as past R'nB holiday tunes and a pair of originals, the gospel duet "Do You Believe" featuring Yolanda Adams and the string-laden ballad "Peyton's Lullaby (Right Away)" with Stokley. Also on offer are faithful renditions of "This Christmas" and Smokey's "Give Love on Christmas Day," a less-faithful but still enjoyable take on Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," a soulful "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and he brings a little reggae and bounce to "Winter Wonderland" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)." A fine addition to the Christmas soul music repertoire.

Christmas (Take a Ride), Mitch Ryder (Goldenlane)

By Rudolph on November 14, 2018 7:49 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I probably don't have to explain to a lot of readers just who Mitch Ryder is, due to him and his Detroit Wheels blazing a path across the mid-60s record charts with "Jenny Take a Ride," "Little Latin Lupe Lu," "Devil With a Blue Dress," "Sock It To Me Baby," and "Too Many Fish in the Sea." He's continued to perform and record sporadically over the years, and he remains well liked in Europe, so this 2018 holiday album isn't really a bolt out of the blue. Unfortunately, this album ends up being a paint-by-numbers exercise in which he lends his voice to a couple of Stevie Wonder classics ("What Christmas Means to Me" and "Someday at Christmas"), fairly routine versions of "Blue Christmas," "Put a Little Love In Your Heart," "Let It Snow," and "Jingle Bell Rock," and retreads of Phil Spector's arrangements of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," and "Sleigh Ride." Whoever convinced him to drag "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" out of the old kit bag ought to be sent to bed with a copy of William Hung's Christmas album. That leaves us with a fresh and lively version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and a solid cover of the Sonics' "Santa Claus" that are worth hearing from this album.

A Legendary Christmas, John Legend (Columbia)

By Rudolph on November 13, 2018 9:50 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Arguably one of the leading soul singers of the current musical era, John Legend pulls out all the stops for this 2018 Christmas album, which he's also supporting with live holiday-themed concerts this year. No doubt that's why this album has 14 tracks, in an era where many artists are constraining new albums to 30-40 minute lengths, the better to squeeze them onto a single vinyl disc. (The vinyl version of this one is a double-disc set.) Raphael Saadiq produces and contributes songwriting to several of the new songs composed for this album. Of the originals, "Bring Me Love" is an obvious single with its classic Motown style, "No Place Like Home" offers a jazzy feel in this ode to staying in for the holiday, "Waiting For Christmas" and "By Christmas Eve" are piano ballads of the kind Legend is known for, "Wrap Me Up in Your Love" has the sound of a 70s funk ballad, and "Merry Merry Christmas" has a fun New Orleans-influenced rhythm. The album kicks off with assistance from Stevie Wonder on his "What Christmas Means to Me," and Esperanza Spaulding duets on a jazzed-up "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Legend gives a full-orchestra funk backing to his version of "Silver Bells," and there's a touch of New Orleans on the "Peanuts" classic "Christmas Time Is Here." "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)" gets a straight Mel Torme-style reading, and Legend pulls two Charles Brown classics, "Merry Christmas Baby" medleyed with "Give Love on Christmas Day," and "Please Come Home For Christmas." There's also a version of Marvin Gaye's seldom-covered "Purple Snowflakes." I like this, although I have a sense of it being just a little too calculated to please, but that's always a factor when you're dealing with the most popular artists.

Here's where we are

By Rudolph on November 12, 2018 1:21 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I'm punting on Ingrid Michaelson's Songs For the Season because, rather than the indie-pop music I was expecting, this is a straight-up 50s orchestral workout of mostly classic carols. There is a version of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" rendered in that very same style, which is fine for the folks who needed such a version but who likely are not our readers here.
There's not much to be said about the soundtrack to the 2018 version of "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch," as it's mainly a compilation of familiar carols from Brian Setzer, Jackie Wilson, Run-DMC, Pentatonix, Nat King Cole, and the Supremes' version of "My Favorite Things." But it does have two originals from Tyler, the Creator, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," and "I Am the Grinch." They're OK hip-hop workouts, but I'm not finding them to be essential myself.
For those of you nursing a serious PVC jones, the Christmas albums being reissued on vinyl for the first time this year are Hanson's Snowed In, New Kids on the Block's Merry Christmas, and Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas, the 2006 five-disc set. Green River's "Away in a Manger" and U-Men's "Blue Christmas" are being paired on a 45 for Record Store Day, and Eric Clapton has a die-cut vinyl single of "A Little Bit of Christmas Love," a song not included on his new Christmas album, also for Record Store Day.
Still on vinyl, there's also a Los Straitjackets box set, Complete Christmas Collection, that brings together their two past Christmas albums and singles.

"Snow," Mary Morris (YouTube)

By Rudolph on November 10, 2018 2:20 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This was put up on YouTube in approximately 2016. Mary's a teacher who does this kind of thing a lot, and she also did an album of jazz Christmas vocals that's on Amazon if you're interested.

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