CEE LO GREEN CHRISTMAS? 05/11/2012
 Photo by Mark Ashman We've got quite a little backlog of artists working on Christmas albums to tell you about, but this one just "came across the wire", as they say, and it's unexpected enough to merit an immediate mention. This season's The Voice has wrapped for the year and one of the contestants who didn't win, Anthony Evans, Jr., let slip that he is currently recording background vocals for a Cee Lo Green Christmas album. Cee Lo, who serves as one of the judges on NBC's The Voice, has written and recorded several iconic smash tunes already--most notably "Crazy" with Gnarls Barkley and the solo track "Forget You". He also performed Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas" last season as part of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade television special and also for "Christmas In Washington". Additionally, you might have caught Cee Lo on Christmas In Rockefeller Center singing the traditional "Silent Night". So, apparently, he's been bursting with holiday spirit for the last half year or more. It'd be nice to see Cee Lo write an original holiday tune that's as universally true and relatable as "Crazy" and "Forget You", but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Cee? Add Comment THE FIRST DROP OF CHRISTMAS 2012 05/04/2012
 We're about ten days away from the first new Christmas release of 2012. At least I think it's a new release. In this country certainly. I sh#t you not. The digital EP "Merry Jazzup Christmas!" hits American and International outlets May 14, including Amazon MP3. This appears to be a Korean jazz effort featuring the vocals of Hyungmi Kim on a pair of Christmas classics with the swinging and swaying holiday playing of Ebony Hill, Gunmin Lee, and Wonsuk Choi on all four. Near as I can tell, this was released December 1 in the Korean market, but even my favorite Asian music haunts don't show it bouncing in before the May 14 date. "The Christmas Song" is done up very nice and I truly dig the bass player, but it's more Smooth than Jazz and that's not what I'm in the mood for at present. I blame Kenny G. You're mileage, as always, may vary.    Actually, there have been a few other very early releases--as there are every year--mostly holdovers from late last year (often initially available from the artist web site). But I can't say as I've run across anything of significance. We'll shortly be telling you about some of the releases you can look forward to this coming Christmas, but let's tackle a tiny bit of housekeeping right now. Our "List" of 2011 releases will soon move to the archives and we'll start building a new one. Thing about doing that list is that--come December--it's awfully hard to find the time to update it properly. So you might be interested to know that the Irish Rovers Christmas set, "Merry Merry Time Of Year" (originally only available if you caught the boys on tour), can now be had in mp3 form via Amazon or any of the usual hot spots. Hard copies are available from the band and will run you $20. Also from our 2011 TBA list, Canadian Country singer Carole Champagne did, at some point, release her holiday CD "Christmas Carole" and you can purchase that direct from Carole for $15 (postage included). Stop by her web site for details. Likewise, the Weaver Believer Survival Revival issued their Christmas album "Sunday Singin' Round The Tree Again" in December. If Bluegrass Gospel is your thing, WBSR might just have the album you're looking for. The hard copy CD sells for $15 (plus $3 for shipping). Don't see a digital version anywhere as yet. I don't have any idea what became of the possible releases from Ty Herndon, Milkshake or Classical crossover artist William Joseph; maybe this year. And it looks as though Monica's holiday set was pushed off to this year, as were the Christmas albums from Gord Bamford and Judy Pancoast. That single from Leona Lewis and Jessie J.? Well, I know for a fact they recorded it. When they will release it is anybody's guess. I guess I'll just have to keep it in the TBA column until they do. And, in case you missed it, we did manage to link up "Hi Fi Christmas Party, Vol. 3" before Christmas. You'll find the link to Jam at the very top of our 2011 TBA section. That highly anticipated release is now also available through Amazon and CD Baby. And remember, proceeds benefit the Blood Center in Milwaukee as they raise awareness of and fund research on Von Willebrands disease.  For my part, I just made what I presume will be my final Christmas purchase of the 2011 holiday season. "Christmas Memories" from the Lima Symphony Orchestra and Shannon O'Neil was released December 10. It was one of the earlier projects to take up residence on our List last year. I'm not generally a Symphony Orchestra kind of guy, but I love local music and this one kind of intrigued me. And, anyway, I'm a sucker for the pretty ladies. So I sprung for it. Unless you happen to live in or near Lima, Ohio, the only place you're likely to find this one is on Amazon where Shannon herself is the private vendor selling it ($10 plus postage). No song samples to steer you to, I'm afraid. I'll Be Home For Christmas Little Drummer Boy Home Alone Christmas Waltz First Noel Joy To The World It Came Upon A Midnight Clear White Christmas We Three Kings O Come All Ye Faithful Can You Hear What I Hear? OPENING DAY 04/04/2012
 One of my favorite non-Christmas "holidays" is tomorrow--Opening Day of the baseball season. Yes, I know there's a game tonight. And I don't know what that mess with the Mariners was last week. It isn't Opening Day until the Reds play. I'm a Mets fan, so that's not being a homer--that's just tradition. Bud Selig hates tradition, for some reason, which makes him a mighty odd fit as commissioner of a sport that's all about tradition. There's no shortage of music celebrating the magic and mythology of baseball. There are the obvious choices--"Centerfield" by John Fogerty, "Glory Days" from Bruce, Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball". And there are some slightly less obvious choices that have become staples of my own baseball soundtrack--like Rupert Holmes' "Our National Pastime", "The Cheap Seats" from Alabama, Tom Paxton's "My Favorite Spring" and Orchestra Luna's surrealistic version of "Heart" (from "Damn Yankees"). But there are always new and unexplored fountains of Springtime hope and joy. Peter Cooper is a Nashville based singer/songwriter who also writes and teaches music. He's played with superstars like Emmy Lou Harris and Bobby Bare, appeared on Jay Leno and David Letterman, and been nominated for a Grammy. And he wrote and recorded a baseball song called "Opening Day" which you can download free from Red Beet Records. It's a sweet slice of Americana (with Apple Pie on the side) for the American Pastime, so run on over to Red Beet and give it a go.  You can also get Peter's "Opening Day" (and a few other tracks) from the wonderful Hungry For Music people, in exchange for a small donation. Hungry For Music is a charitable organization that puts out some great music (specializing in Christmas music and Baseball Music) and invests the proceeds into instruments for kids who otherwise wouldn't have access to instruments or music programs. The cause is wonderful, of course, but the music is some of the best you'll find anywhere and easily stands on its own. Check HFM's 9 Christmas and 2 Chanukah discs here and their dozen Diamond Cuts collections here.  Scattered throughout the Diamond Cuts collections are some great tunes from modern day troubadour and folk singer Chuck Brodsky. Brodsky's songs can also be had in the standalone album "The Baseball Ballads"--top to bottom one of the finest baseball themed albums you're likely to come across. Chuck is a brilliant lyricist and the players and stories he's written about on this collection explore some of the sport's lesser known legends and terrain. My personal favorite on "The Baseball Ballads" is "Dock Ellis' No No" (Dock reportedly pitched a no-hitter while on LSD), but there's not a weak track in the set.  If you're a baseball fan, you've probably read Jim Bouton's Ball Four (and, if you haven't, you should). Ball Four was Bouton's baseball diary and one of the first baseball books to paint a realistic picture of life in the big leagues. By today's standards, the book is a tame tell-all. But, at the time, it was an earth shaker. Bouton was on the downside of his career in 1969 and playing for the expansion Seattle Pilots--a team that only existed for one year before going bankrupt and becoming the Milwaukee Brewers. Expansion teams are always filled with colorful characters--career minor leaguers getting a shot at The Show, fringe major leaguers getting a chance to play full time, one year wonders, and aging stars taking their last bite of the apple. Many a player has experienced being a one year phenom, only to disappear suddenly into obscurity, but never had it happened to an entire team. The Pilots had a theme song, of course--"Go Go You Pilots"--which you can catch as part of the collection on the blog Stuff Nobody Cares About. A more contemporary tribute--a real rockin' tribute--was provided by The Young Fresh Fellows for "The Homerun EP". "Go Pilots Go" is easily worth 99 cents to anyone with even a minor fascination for the team that only lasted a year, and should be worth as much to anyone who values good old Ramones styled rock n roll.  The Baseball Project has two songs on "The Homerun EP". And they have three brilliant albums of their own--"Frozen Ropes & Dying Quails", "The Broadside Ballads" and last year's "High And Inside". The Yep Roc recording unit was founded by Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and Scott McCaughey (The Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5). Toss in Linda Pitmon (The Miracle 3) and REM's Peter Buck and you have a supergroup dedicated to preserving in song the wonderful characters and stories that make baseball the great game it is. The cast of characters deserving of such loving tributes with an Indie twist includes everyone from Satchel Paige to Tony Conigliaro to the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval. Did we mention Ed Delahanty, Harvey Haddix, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych and Bill Buckner? Or how bout Nationals "Phenom" Stephen Strasburg? For "High And Inside" (digital download just $5 this month at Amazon), The Baseball Project even drafted a few of their friends. Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gribbard lends a hand (and a voice) to "Ichiro Goes To The Moon". Hold Steady's Chris Finn wrote the lyrics and provides lead vocals on "Please Don't Call Them Twinkies". Other guests on the set include Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, The Decemberists’ Chris Funk and John Moen, and Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan. We'll leave you with the Baseball Project's latest video, "All Future And No Past" (from "The Broadside Ballads"). Be sure to visit the group at their web site or label. And, though we've barely scratched the surface of baseball music... PLAY BALL! GOOD MORNING, HAPPY EASTER 03/27/2012
 Christ The Lord Is Risen Today (Crown Him Lord) - Dunn & Wilt Passion Song - Sean Carter Alive In Christ - Jess Strantz In Devil's Dungeon - Ryan Flanigan Brendan (Saint) - Garrett Viggers & A Thin Places Band Waiting (For Pentecost) - Wilson & MacQueen DOWNLOAD FREE FROM NOISETRADE I've told anyone who has asked that my interest in Christmas music has nothing to do with religion or faith or Christianity. I'm a spiritual person, I'd say, but not particularly religious. To me, it is 99.99% about the music. So the idea that I'd be interested in music for Easter would ordinarily seem...let's just say "unlikely". But music is music, whatever the subject matter or purpose. And people who have piqued my pleasure centers in the past will always get a hearing--and a fair one--from me when they have something new (whether or not I then blog about it is an entirely separate question). This past Christmas, we featured a delightful collaborative Christmas compilation on our Free page called "Merry Christmas, Good Night" (still available and still free, it appears). And so I was more than a little interested when I got an email announcing another holiday specific free collection from--essentially--the same folks. "Good Morning, Happy Easter" is even more reverent than it's predecessor (imo), but there's no doubt that these artists have, individually and collectively, found the sweet spot in my appreciation of Indie Folk Rock and Indie Folk Pop music. I gather the songs are intended to run in the order listed above, based on how they fell out in my iTunes player. But the first song in the folder was Garrett Viggers' "Brendan (Saint)" and, from it's first note, I found it irresistible. Given that Garrett also performed one of my favorite tracks on "Merry Christmas, Good Night", it's clear I'm going to have to spend some time listening to the rest of his catalog. Here's his website, if you feel like doing the same.  And, actually, I should have done it sooner because Garrett has a Christmas CD that I was completely unaware of--"Emmanuel"--available in his on-line store. You can sample the tracks in the player on the left-hand side of his home page. "Emmanuel" appears to be an instrumental album (excepting "We Three Kings", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "What Child Is This") of traditional carols featuring a lot of hammered dulcimer and some other "exotic" instruments. And, from the samples, it sounds very rich, organic, heart-felt, and original. Kind of reminds me of the Celtic music Mike Cross used to include on his brilliant albums, such as "The Bounty Hunter"--which means it's the kind of music that will challenge your expectations and preconceptions in very delightful ways. Back to "Good Morning, Happy Easter", I was also entranced by "Alive In Christ" by Jess Strantz. And nothing I say or don't say should detract from the other moving and musically wonderful tracks on this nice little Easter egg. Well worth a brief stop at Noisetrade. Dunn & Wilt, who hosted the Christmas EP and lead the Easter set with "Christ The Lord Has Risen Today", have their own Easter thing going on their web site. "A Well Worn Path" is a free devotional album featuring meditations on the Resurrection. Dunn and Wilt are hoping you'll connect with them in the days leading up to Easter and share that journey. That's a bit too...religious?...for my taste. But, if you're interested, you can check in with them on Facebook and download "A Well Worn Path" (complete with an instructional PDF) at the Dunn & Wilt web site. Random thought: I hate the new Facebook setup. Just UGH.  Now. We mentioned Mike Cross earlier and, even though it's not related to any holiday--past, present or future--Mike Cross has a new album out! And, since Mike hasn't released a new album in years, the very fact of "Crossin' Carolina" is a cause for celebration. When I think of the artists and music that have had the greatest impact on my life, Mike Cross is right near the top of that list. Mike's first three albums--"Child Prodigy", "Born In The Country" and "The Bounty Hunter"--opened my ears to new worlds and possibilities. Released today, you might tag it Indie or Americana. But, back in the 70s when those albums were released, there were no such "genres" (and don't tell me Indie isn't a genre--I know that offends some people; it is. Deal with it.). Mike always had an ease of putting things into words and music--be they old mountain wisdom, silly stories, or timeless tales of the heart. The music--certainly on "The Bounty Hunter"--combines Appalachia, Folk, Country and Bluegrass with Rock and Pop, Blues and Jazz, older and ancient sounds like Celtic, and more...and all sounding like they naturally belong together--not as individual tracks, but all intertwined within each song. Mike, for me, was the personification and validation of the principle that music is music and good music is good music. And I wouldn't think it over the top to describe him as an Appalachian Bruce Springsteen. By that I mean that Mike's music gives voice to the people and the soul of the Appalachia in as poignant and powerful a way as Bruce's does for the working class people of the industrial northeast. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I do think that highly of Mike. You'll probably get the best price on "Crossin' Carolina" ordering direct from the man himself. But I believe Mike does things the old fashioned way--printing up an order form and mailing it in with your payment. So, if you're attached to Internet ordering, I'd recommend CD Baby (Amazon's asking price is insane). But, if you don't know Mike Cross (and, let's face it, most of you don't), I'd suggest you first check out "The Bounty Hunter". We didn't do anything, here, for St. Patrick's Day, but I can't think of a Celtic track that I'd rather listen to than "Bonnie Prince Charlie/Road To Lisdunvarna/Lark In The Morning" (forget the samples--pay the 99 cents for a download). The track starts up as soft as a sunrise and builds to a dynamic dramatic thunderous climax. Really indescribably awesome. There are few songs more fun than "Liquor In The Well" and "Scratchy Fiddle Boogie Blues", few songs more poignant than "Best Drunk In Town", and few songs more beautiful than "Wake Up My Love". I've always loved the ironies of "Old Paint Peeling" and it's music, "The Lord'll Provide" is one of Mike's slightly warped and patented musical retellings of old mountain proverbs, and I still get chills listening to the title track. Every groove on "The Bounty Hunter" is sublime and its definitely one of my top "Desert Island Disc" choices. It looks as though you can only get "Born In The Country" (only recently issued on CD) from Mike's web site, but it's one of his finest...in some ways reminding me of Jim Croce's best recordings. From one of the best Country songs you've never heard--"Blue Skies And Teardrops"--through the rocking honky tonk of "Big City Woman", and the down home humor of "Mountain Mean", all the way through the hypnotic 6 minute title track that closes the album. My two favorites on this one are the bluesy "Nobby" and "Uncle Josh", which gave me a philosophy I try hard to live by: Livin'--at it's longest--is just a short trek to the grave So you might as well go ahead and enjoy what you can along the way Cause if a doctor said you were goin' to die Wouldn't you do as you please? Listen here brother Life's just another Terminal disease.  Mike's brilliant 1976 debut "Child Prodigy" is coming to CD for the first time ever later this year. On this one, you'll find Mike's original version of "The Scotsman" and the mountain humor of "Emma Turl" (both of which are available on "Creme de la Cross") and another of my personal Cross favorites, "Leon McDuff", plus the touching and soulful "Lord Let Me Die". Mike's later albums certainly contain many more great tracks, but these three (and "Rock N Rye"--the one Cross LP that will remain unissued on CD once "Child Prodigy" gets the treatment) are so much a part of me that I know every note and every line by heart. More recent treasures that you can look for on Amazon or wherever include "Granny's Milk Cartons", "The Old Man's Bouquet", "Don't Need Another Hit", "Not For The Love I Can Take", "Every Line On My Face", "Fare Thee Well, Marianne", and "Michael's Magic Music Box" is one of the best children's albums I've ever laid ears on. Now maybe Mike Cross won't be your particular cup of tea, and that's fine. But I know there are at least some folks out there whose eyes will grow wide with the magic of discovery, whose lives will be enriched by this music, who will smile at the musical joke telling and tear up at tales like "The Old Man's Bouquet". And introducing this music to even one person like that...well, I like to think that's a lot of why I'm here. LEX LAND-ING 03/10/2012
 It's no secret that I can't stand American Idol. Or most any reality show, for that matter. But I do find myself digging NBC's The Voice. It's far less pretentious than AI, in my humble opinion (though, admittedly, that's a rather low bar). Anyway, I was quite surprised to see Lex Land on the show a few weeks ago, remembering her Christmas single from this past December (a freebie, at the time, that we included in one of our Boxing Day posts). Lex is preparing for the Battle Rounds (she's scheduled to go head-to-head with Charlotte Sometimes this Monday night in a battle of the two best names in the competition) and she's giving folks a chance to get a selection of her music free through her web site. Lex's 5 song Sampler should be available for most of this month. Lex was plenty nervous auditioning on The Voice and still got three judges to fight for her. But, if you'd like to hear Ms. Land without the nerves, the Sampler is a good (and free) place to start.  Lex Land's Christmas single is no longer a freebie, but it's well worth picking up on iTunes or through Lex's site. Extra points for covering "This Year's Santa Baby" rather than its overdone predecessor. But the real gem, here, is Lex's take on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" where her sultry voice combines wonderfully with the after hours lounge arrangement. You can listen to them both all the way through via Soundcloud. And, should you want to get the song Lex sang for her audition--Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me"--just click on the cover art above or head here.  Now it's only fair to point out that Charlotte Sometimes also has a Christmas song you can buy through either Amazon or iTunes. Charlotte's cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" was included on the 2010 collection "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 4". That collection also includes our old friend Casey Shea, so there's a pedigree to compel further investigation. Good luck to both Lex Land and Charlotte Sometimes as they battle Monday night (check your local listings) and, as well, in all their future musical endeavors. I admit I'm rooting for Lex this time around, but both women are artists to watch in the coming years. HEARTS AND FLOWERS 02/14/2012
 1. Dear Sweetheart 2. I Pretend 3. Surprise Me 4. I'm An Actor, Baby 5. Baby Don't Go I've no doubt others have followed her longer, but I've kept an ear out for Priscilla Ahn ever since I heard her sing "Silent Night" on the "Hotel Cafe" Christmas collection back in 2008. Priscilla has now teamed up with Charlie Wadhams and they've written a few love songs which they've recorded and released as a free download. Priscilla and Charlie sound great together, in that Indie Pop meets Americana vein, and the songs are truly terrific. "Dear Sweetheart" appears to be the plug track, but I fell in love with "Surprise Me". And Priscilla and Charlie close out the set with a cover of my favorite Sonny & Cher duet, "Baby Don't Go". If you love She & Him, I think you're going to love Sweet Hearts even more. Get it free here, then (as Priscilla says) "share it with your friends, loved ones, people you can't stand, people you don't know very well, your friend who's birthday you forgot, share it, burn it, rip it, blog it."  Trying hard not to be outdone by Alternate Root, NoiseTrade has a 25 song set of love songs that you can download free in exchange for "Liking" their Facebook page. This one dropped really recently, so I haven't had a chance to tip-toe through it's tulips just yet. But everyone should already recognize the names of Rosie Thomas, Matt Wertz, and Cary Brothers, if not more of these folks. Since NoiseTrade didn't post a playlist as such, I'm going to have to presume the artists and songs match up properly (they are properly tagged, though). And, again, a proper cover jpeg in the file would be nice. But there's some great stuff here, so grab "25 Love Songs" from NoiseTrade while you can. 1. Don't Forget - DAVID MEAD 2. Won't Let You Down Again - MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES 3. Sugar - PAPER ROUTE 4. Over The Moon - ROSIE THOMAS 5. The Temptation of Adam - JOSH RITTER 6. Idaho - DOWN LIKE SILVER 7. Baby Shake-em - BROOKE WAGGONER 8. Ever Could - WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS 9. Song For Lovers - STEPHEN KELLOGG AND THE SIXERS 10. I Will Not Take My Love Away - MATT WERTZ 11. See It For Yourself - SUGAR & THE HI-LOWS 12. Safety - LEAGUES 13. All I Got - TYLER JAMES 14. Last Fool Standing - DEREK WEBB & SANDRA McCRACKEN 15. In My Veins - ANDREW BELLE 16. Hots Full Of Love - JOSH ROUSE AND THE LONG VACATIONS 17. Going Home - MARC BROUSSARD 18. As Long As Our Hearts Are Beating - JENNY & TYLER 19. Element - MATTHEW MAYFIELD 20. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - CARY BROTHERS 21. Beautifully - JAY BRANNAN 22. Lucky One - JESS PENNER 23. Lions And Dragons - ZACH WILLIAMS 24. Wings Of Desire - MARKETA IRGLOVA 25. Indiscriminate Acts Of Kindness - FOY VANCE  Speaking of NoiseTrade, Amy Ray (one half of the fabulous Indigo Girls) has a free sampler set available there. Amy's new album "Lung of Love" is due at the end of the month so this is her way of giving you a chance to catch up--by offering up some super selections from her back catalogue free of charge. Amy's solo work is more rock oriented than the music of the Indigo Girls, which makes it a tasty surprise for those of us who haven't been paying attention. This isn't a Valentine's Day oriented set, though I can certainly see how "Black Heart Today" (my favorite from the sampler) could work its way into a hearts and flowers mixtape, but hey...it's Amy Ray. Pick up "The Noisetrade Sampler" free at NoiseTrade.  The mystery band Oh, Hush! has become a reliable source of free music, including and especially their annual Christmas treats. For Valentine's Day, the band has recorded the all new Pop/Dance number "I Think I Can Love You". Hopefully, you can download the track here. If that doesn't work for you, you may have to sign on to the Oh, Hush! mailing list (which you should really do anyway, so that you can be notified immediately of all the band's music and plans) and you can do that here. And, if all else fails, you can check out the song on YouTube. So you got that going for you. Which is nice.  On a final note, it t'ain't free magee, but Paul McCartney's latest album, "Kisses On The Bottom", makes for excellent Valentine's Day listening. Paul's latest is largely a collection of standards intimately performed. As good as the standards are, Paul proves once again that he's a master composer as the two best tracks here are his originals, "Only Our Hearts" and "My Valentine". Fans who only want to rock and roll may want to steer clear, but romantics and lovers of love shouldn't hesitate to rush in where those others may fear to tread. You can get "Kisses On The Bottom" at Amazon and wherever fine albums are sold. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody! Alternate Root's 2012 Valentine's Day Sampler has finally made it's debut--greatly delayed by server problems which I'm sure frustrated AR as much as (if not more than) their readers. There are 36 tracks (over two hours worth), here, but only 35 functional ones (for whatever reason Joel Henderson's "One Kiss At A Time" will not play in any of my programs). The Sampler will only be available for download through this Sunday (2/19/12) according to Alternate Root, so don't sleep on it. I'd love a proper full-sized cover jpeg, but that's a nit-pik. It's ultimately about the music and the music is stunning. Starting off with Jackie DeShannon and an Americana rendition of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart". I'd like to point you to the best of what's here, but it's really all pretty amazing. Like the retro roots rock of Mark Robinson, "I Like Em All". But, OK, on a quick first run through, I really dug Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion's "Target On Your Heart", D.L. Marble's "Not The One", and "Save Me For Later" from Suzie Vinnick. KK Miller's "Walk With Me" has a nice and bluesy 50's "slow dance at the prom" feel to it. "It's Worth Consideration" from Stuart Markus is gonna sound great on somebody's "mixtape for a girl I love". "Valentine's Day" from The Fallen Stars is very pretty and has the additional "virtue" of being holiday specific. "I Do" from Debra Lynne is a ready made wedding song. It's impossible not to like a song titled "Deep Fried Twinkie", brought to us here by Pure Grain. I'm not sure "The Universe Began" from Girls Guns Glory is supposed to be included--it's not on AR's playlist--but I was happy to find it in my downloaded folder and hope it'll be in yours (very pretty). And, when the voting was open (and when I could remember to vote), my votes went to "Inside Of Me" from Too Slim & The Taildraggers and The Boxcar Lilies' "Thinkin' Bout You", so I obviously liked those a whole lot. I would've voted for Jackie DeShannon, of course, but she had reserved seating at Cupid's table. Didn't narrow it down much, did I? Go download "The Alternate Root 2012 Valentine's Day Sampler" at Alternate Root. Discover your own favorites. And don't forget to stop back here tomorrow as Stubby's will have some last minute hearts and flowers from the likes of Priscilla Ahn and Oh, Hush!.  1. JACKIE DeSHANNON - Put A Little Love In Your Heart 2. SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION - Target On Your Heart 3. OMAR & THE HOWLERS - Girls Got Rhythm 4. ELLIS PAUL - Rose Tatoo 5. BLAME SALLY - Big Big Bed 6. D.L. MARBLE - Not The One 7. THE WILD RUMPUS - For Peanut 8. BRIAN ASHLEY JONES - A Song To Move Me 9. PEYTON TOCHTERMAN - Smile 10. ADAM EZRA GROUP - OK By You 11. MARK ROBINSON - I Like Em All 12. PURE GRAIN - Deep Fried Twinkie 13. JAMES LEE STANLEY - Let's Get Out Of Here 14. SUZIE VINNICK - Save Me For Later 15. MARK WAYNE GLASMIRE - I Like You 16. KK MILLER - Walk With Me 17. KIM KONDRASHOFF - Let The Madness Again 18. STUART MARKUS - It's Worth Consideration DOWNLOAD FREE AT ALTERNATE ROOT 19. TOO SLIM & THE TAILDRAGGERS - Inside Of Me 20. MARCI GELLER - Gotta Love That Man 21. JAMES MADDOCK - Beautiful Now 22. SCOTT WOLFSON & OTHER HEROES - Brooklyn Mermaids 23. CHRIS CASTLE - All Kinds Of Time 24. DAVID ALLEN SLATER - Who's Gonna Catch My Heart 25. THE BOXCAR LILIES - Thinkin' Bout You 26. LISA REDFORD - Carolina Rain 27. STEVE PERRY - Gum On Your Shoe 28. WIND ON THE WATER - Ten Thousand Suns 29. KATHY BOYD & PHOENIX RISING - Am I A Fool For You, Baby, Or What? 30. DEEANN DOMINY - Love A Good Love Song 31. THE FALLEN STARS - Valentine's Day 32. JT BURROUGHS - I Will 33. MARCIA HAYDEN HENDRICK - Lucky Girl 34. DEBRA LYNNE - I Do 35. JOEL HENDERSON - One Kiss At A Time 36. GIRLS GUNS GLORY - The Universe Began WHITNEY HOUSTON - DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? 02/11/2012
Still worried about Mrs. Katz, so I'm still not in an obit writing mood. However, it can not go without mention that Whitney Houston has reportedly passed away at the incredibly young age of 48. Such an incredible talent who, like far too many, tragically fell prey to alcohol and substance abuse. Musically, Whitney was already considered beyond her prime when she released "One Wish (The Holiday Album)" in 2003. "Do You Hear What I Hear?", however, was recorded and released when Whitney was at her very peak in 1987 as part of the original "Very Special Christmas" album. This performance of the song comes from an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. MORE VALENTINE'S DAY MUSIC 02/10/2012
 The Alternate Root Valentine's compilation was due several days ago and I've been holding off on posting anything else in anticipation because, as you know, the Alternate Root collections are some of the finest free collections around and this one was only going to be available for a very short time. But Alternate Root's server is down and shows no sign of being resurrected anytime soon. Frankly, if it were me, I think I'd just post it to their Facebook page in the interim, but I'm sure they have their reasons for not doing that. So, anyway, I'm tired of waiting and time's a-wastin' so I figured we'd best feed the beast with a few interesting freebies I've found here and there (well, mostly there) that could be interesting additions to your Valentine's playlist. They're free, afterall, so they've at least earned an audition. My personal favorite of this batch--for some reason--is "You Are The One" from hopeful Singapore Hip Hop artist Atoikio. Can't really learn too much more about him than that--his Facebook page is members only--but "You Are The One" has some nice lyrics and a mid-tempo Hip Hop sway that kind of reminds me of Biz Markie's "Just A Friend"...with a bit of a far Eastern accent. I just dig it and, as luck would have it, "You Are The One" appears on Atoikio's 2011 album "On My Own" (the song itself is from 2010), all of which is free. And "On My Own" also includes the song "Will You Be My Valentine" (which I didn't like as much...but, hey....free). So head to Bandcamp and pick the songs you like or just download the whole collection. It's an instant download, too. So you won't need your email address or nothin'. Parental Advisory on some of the tracks, but not on "You Are The One".  There's little question that most of the best songs for romance are still the standards--the classics. And you don't get too much more classic than Hoagy Carmichael. Hoagy's "The Nearness Of You" got a fresh and fetching cover last year from New York Indie chanteuse Jeanne Marie Boes. Jeanne Marie covers a lot of stylistic ground on her official releases "A Seasoned Heart" and "Promising Girl", but I think this type of song is her forte (for another example, check "If It's Goodbye" from "Promising Girl"--great stuff). You can download "The Nearness Of You" free using the Soundcloud thingee above or by visiting Jeanne Marie's Bandcamp page. And stay in touch via Facebook or Jeanne Marie's official website. (She's pretty too--not to be too sexist about it--great Valentine's Day lips. Just sayin'.). Hope she'll give us a Christmas song later this year.  Without the Alternate Root comp, you might be longing for some Americana, Alt Folk or Alt Country. We've got something to scratch that itch. Step in to the world of Austin's D.B. Rouse and lend an ear to "Valentine's Day At The Pawn Shop" (because where else you gonna go to celebrate Valentine's Day?). This one's new for 2012 and included on the free digital album "Meal-Ticket" (which is the name D.B.'s given his guitar). You'll find "Meal-Ticket" on Bandcamp (another instant download, by the way) and, much as I like "Valentine's Day At The Pawn Shop", you should definitely check out "Full Time Job". Trust me. Might as well download the even more recent "Ants On An Atlas", too. It's there for you to be had. Or, if you feel like actually buying some of D.B.'s music, there's a complete menu available at Amazon. Visit D.B. at home, when you get the chance, and remember to say Thank You for the music.  More to come (promise), but time to wrap up this set with something a bit different...a song that isn't free. But it's definitely worth it. And, if you have any interest at all in a Valentine's Day playlist or mixtape, it's awful hard to resist a song entitled "I Hate Valentines Day". Sarah Sommers' view on the Hallmark of Holidays should be instantly relatable--especially to the ladies--and should put a smile on the faces of both the ladies and the men. Great lyrics and an almost ska flavored pop rhythm make this song a bit like the old Rupert Holmes hit "Pina Colada Song" in that it's instantly fun and catchy. Unlike "Pina Colada", this one's unlikely to be played to death so it should retain its freshness for years and years. Check out the whole EP "XOXO" on Bandcamp, but we'll make checking out "I Hate Valentines Day" easy for you and just drop it here for your sampling pleasure. JULIAN HERTZ - LOST SONGS OF LOVE 02/05/2012
 Always nice to give some space to a young artist on the come. Especially cool when that artist is from a "distant land". Julian Hertz--all of about 24 years old--is from the Netherlands. Not too long ago, Julian was bitten hard by the love bug and the result of what seems to have been a wondrous, confusing, and ultimately ended life episode was a handful of songs which he released on Valentines Day 2010. The best love songs are the love songs that come from real experience and Julian's "Lost Songs Of Love" EP is nothing if not real. Musically, Julian's a pretty straight forward Folk Pop artist. In perfect honesty, "In My Dreams" doesn't work for me at all, but I found the other four tracks to be very nice indeed--kinda beautiful in a Folk Pop awesomey kinda way. It's unlikely any of these songs is going to replace "My Funny Valentine" in the holiday canon, and, sure, Julian looks a bit goofy rocking the Russian trooper hat. But anyone who has ever experienced the simultaneous rush and insecurity of young love--and who hasn't--should be able to relate instantly. "Lost Songs Of Love" is a "name your price" download through Bandcamp. And you can find out what Julian Hertz is up to these days via his web site and Facebook page. From time to time, you may find some tracks on SoundCloud, as well. | About usI love Christmas, music, and cats. What more do you need to know? FestiveFriendsFaLaLaLaLa ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll  |
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