THE CONNECTION - A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR...

1.  Money Honey Baby
2.  I Feel Fine (Its Christmas Time)
3.  Christmas Bells Are Ringing
4.  West Coast
5.  Better Late Than Never
6.  Christmas Time Again
7.  Rock N Roll Christmas
8.  Poor Boy
9.  Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

THE CONNECTION WEB SITE
PURCHASE ON BANDCAMP
PURCHASE ON AMAZON
PURCHASE ON AMAZON MP3

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If you're a long time visitor to Stubbys (and aren't otherwise from New England), its likely you first met The Connection in 2011 when the group released "Rock N Roll Christmas" which, at the time, was a free download.   That was paired with a faithful cover of the Ramones' "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)".  Last year, they were back with an even better Christmas tune (IMHO), "Christmas Time Again".  This year, they're going all out with an entire album, "A Christmas Gift For...".  Nine songs in all, including their previous holiday tracks and five all new tinsel tunes.  And this group just keeps getting better and better.  Ain't just me saying that.  Little Steven (Springsteen's E-Street Band) loves these guys and the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame hired The Connection to do 90 minute show at their annual Spring Benefit earlier this year.

You could call The Connection a Pop Punk band, or a Power Pop band.  They're really a nice natural collision of 60s Garage Rock and Ramones era Punk.  I say natural because its a sound that would seem a natural evolution (or, depending on your point of view, devolution) of where Pop Rock music would have naturally gone, post Punk.  But there are very few bands out there successfully combining that Garage rawness, Pop sweetness, and Punk aggressiveness as The Connection does.  I think "Money Honey Baby" is about as good an example of this as any.  That's a hit in any era.  "West Coast" layers Ramones styled vocals over a Springsteen-esque riff.  And the band digs deep for an early Blues flavored aggressive Rock N Roll sound with "Better Late Than Never".  There's a bit of Byrds-like jangly Country Rock on "Christmas Bells Are Ringing".  And a bit of Ragtime Folk on "Poor Boy".  And, though recorded years back, "Merry Christmas" sounds all the more a poignant tribute given the loss of Tommy Ramone (last of the original Ramones) earlier this year.

A thoroughly enjoyable record from start to finish, The Connection's "A Christmas Gift For..." officially releases October 31 on CD and in digital formats.  Order your CD direct from the band via Bandcamp.