Tag: 2013

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Skiing – Holly (2013)

Skiiing "Holly"

Self-Released/Späti Palace
Buy: Bandcamp

On day two of my Skiing trip, we visit 2013’s Holly. Upon initial discovery, I nearly flipped out and thought the entire record was Christmas… but alas, I’m only going to point to two… two stellar tracks on this overall fantastic release. Let’s begin with “Skiing,” the eponymous second track on the album. Here, skiing is used as a metaphor for life, blazing paths and picking up (and staying with) friends. While this is not explicitly a Christmas or winter song, the imagery and the nostalgia evoked by looking to the past and relying on your friends certainly brings out the spirit. Similarly, the title track “Holly” is another metaphor song, this time for a false friend. However, the dressing of this song in this Ilex opens the door to a seasonal attachment – to use this particular metaphor (to me) grounds the time period the song takes place in as the holiday season. I know, I know… maybe a bit of a stretch on these two… but I’m flexible. I just like this band too damn much to talk myself out of this post.

If you are interested in picking up any of these Skiing releases, they are often only print runs of 100 or so… so if you are like me and like a physical copy of a disc/cassette, you’ll grab them sooner than later. Of note… Holly appears to be gone, gone, gone.

Bottom Line: Did you enjoy my attempts at Christmas-mix gymnastics? If you did or didn’t, I hope you join me in just enjoying the hell out of this band.

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Skiing – Generous Fire E.P. (2013)

Skiing Generous Fire E.P.

Self-Released
Buy: Free!

Skiing have just popped onto my radar… in an absolutely massive way. This will be the first, of a few, posts about this superb band from Berlin. Frankly, I’ve only held out posting about this band until I could pick up a few releases that I knew would be hard to get after the massive interest generated by this powerful, taste-making blog. Comprised of “Everett Darling and his current, future, and ex-friends, family, and lovers,” Skiing have been releasing superb “post-adult contemporary” indiepop/rock since 2012, and how I do love those descriptors. They exude this wonderful, sophisticated sense of humor, which is one of many reasons why Skiing is such a pleasure. The Generous Fire E.P., released in 2013 as a Christmas present to the fans, is a hot 3-track E.P. with a loose connection to the Christmas holiday. While only one specifically name checks-Christmas, I see all the songs as taking place during the season.  From the aggressive DIY decorating of “Interior Design,” to a clever play on words and the disposability of Christmas presents in “26th December,” and finally the dark side of generosity in “On Me,” Skiing has created a wickedly short and concise piece of consumerism criticism that belongs at any slightly grumpy (me!) Christmas table.

Bottom Line: With each song coming in under 2:00, this fun-sized E.P. will start your anti-holiday season off with a bang! And what do you know… it’s free (obviously!).

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Mont “Snow in the New Year” (2013)

Mont - Snow in the New Year

Self Released
Buy: Soundcloud

Bath, UK’s Mont have been on my radar ever since randomly searching the term “snow” in the Hype Machine many moons ago. There, I discovered the brilliant, etherial, musical collage that is “Snow in the New Year.” The vocals float in on a breeze of warm beats, leading up to a cacophony of sound that, given the right mood, can give you goosebumps. It is truly a beautiful song. Of particular note, Mont also has a new EP out November 4th, If You Got it Wrong, and after checking out that first track… damn… I love this band.

Bottom Line: “Snow in the New Year” was certainly a highlight from my 2014 mix, Jolly Snow Sculptor Santa, and remains one of my favorite winter-season/new years songs. They just flipped the switch to allow downloads too – so grab it while you can (and buy their new EP too!)

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Applennium “Just This Christmas” (2013) / “Is It Christmas” (2014)

Self Released
Buy: Stream/Free

Buffalo’s Applennium have now released wonderful Christmas songs for two years in a row, and we can only hope there’s another coming in 2015. I’m getting antsy to write about the tracks… so here we go.

2013’s release, “Just this Christmas,” begins as the kind of song that my wife would roll her eyes at, as I have an affinity for a Christmas dirge, and she does not. “Santa, don’t bring me some silly toys / unless I can stomp on them. / No child could imagine the emptiness / of lack optimism.” Dark! But really beautiful. The music is a blend of indie rock, folk and alt country, pretty much hitting three favorites in 3:30. The song is not all dark clouds, though: “This holiday just made me believe / that there’s still hope in me.” Melancholy with a glimmer of hope? I’m hooked. (And its a free download on Soundcloud!)

2014’s effort, “Is It Christmas,” is nearly the polar opposite to “Just this Christmas.” “Tonight, begin to trust / begin to take less than you must / let go of sorrow / let in the good.” The music is soaring, echoing through the night and shimmering out of the speakers. As the track builds, the mandolin flutters into the background and the layered vocals float over the music, and you think, “Low would kill to have written this song.” Such wonderful production to a tremendous song. Loving it.

Bottom Line: These songs have grown on me over the past weeks or so, which is the mark of a winner. Everything about these songs, from the writing, to the music, to the production – truly exceptional. Check out their non-seasonal songs too – you won’t be disappointed. 5/5 (You readers seem to like the rating system.)

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Frontier Folk Nebraska – Drop the Ball, Waste Another Year 7″ (2013)

Frontier Folk Nebraska - Drop the Ball, Waste Another Year 7"

No Chaser Records
Buy: Bandcamp

I know, I’ve been doing some housecleaning, posting some songs that did not come out this year. Well… that’s ok, because this site is as much about what’s coming out this year, as it is about the great stuff that has been hidden in the past. Frontier Folk Nebraska are not a folk band and are not from Nebraska. So who the fuck are they? They are, simply said, a badass rock band from Kentucky. Some of the influences they point to are Sleepy Jackson, the Replacements, Uncle Tupelo and Guided By Voices amongst others… and I would have to agree (to a point). I mean… Sleepy Jackson? I haven’t listened to that first Sleepy Jackson record (Lovers) in a good while, and while I don’t hear a drop of that influence on this 7″, I’m psyched that they like them enough to be mentioned. I loved that record! Those other bands… much more in line with the sound of FFN.

Now to the record: Both tracks on this 7″ are fantastic – the hearty singalong “Ho Ho Ho & Away We Go,” with drinking, theft and lighthearted debauchery mixing together to wish us all a merry fucking Christmas. You can’t help but want to be there. The flip side find FFN at New Years, and “Happy New Year” takes it’s Replacements meets GBV vibe and tears through a rough New Years morning. Love the music, especially the guitar interplay. These songs are all wonderfully conceived and executed – truly stellar tracks from front to back.

Bottom Line: How this band has not sold out of their 275 copies of random, multicolored 7-inch vinyl records is an absolute mystery to me. 5/5

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Couples Skate Only “First Christmas” (2013)

Couples Skate Only 7"

Gotta Groove Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Gotta Groove Records is a fantastic pressing plant/boutique label in Cleveland, OH… and these fine purveyors of the little vinyl discs we all know and love also send out a Christmas 7″ to some friends and clients each year. 2013’s release had a whole mess of tracks! What a little, vinyl bundle of joy to celebrate the holiday with… wait a tic… did I use that turn of phrase because this song is about being a new parent? You bet I did. Couples Skate Only and myself obviously must become best friends (Hi Tim!), as we both: 1. Enjoy indiepop Christmas music and; 2. have at least one tiny child. Their contribution to the 7″ captures parenthood wonderfully in 2 minutes, while in the warm embrace of a driving indiepop electro beat. Love it.

If you’re interested in vinyl – they have 5 left (as of this posting), on random colored vinyl. Looks like you all liked the track as much as I did. They appear to be ALL SOLD OUT!

Bottom Line: Fantastic indiepop that I personally can relate to… but not quite sure about those without kids… but hey, I’m the one giving the number. 4.6/5

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HomeMade X​-​Mess : Compilation 2013 (2013)

HomeMade X​-​Mess : Compilation : 2013

HomeMade Records
Buy: Bandcamp

This cassette (and download) release from 2013 somehow snuck by me. Its a small release with largely originals… exactly what I’m normally clawing through the internet to find.

“Wyoming County”, the Scott Rankie song that leads off the release is quite nice – sparse, with a solid, pained vocal. If this was an example of things to come, I would have been very pleased. However, like any Christmas compilation, this release ends up all over the board. The following track, Kevin Marlis’ “Saturday Slay” is a noisy, psych mess (though, in a good way), and I can’t quite hear the Christmas connection whatsoever. Other tracks are lo-fi indiepop (Songs by Thom’s “The Colours of Christmas”), 50’s pop-inspired profanity (“Jeffzilla’s “Christmas Song”), and what appears to be fuzzed-out karaoke (White Widow’s “When Santa Clause Gets Your Letter”), to name a few. It kept my interest, which I don’t say for a lot of Christmas comps… but I can’t say I really loved it.

Bottom Line: I found this comp to be unique, and at times, quite interesting. I have a feeling like some of you might find something else in these songs – that and the name-your-own-price on Bandcamp is encouraging. 3/5

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Crying Day Care Choir – Christmas Day Care Choir (2013)

Crying Day Care Choir - Christmas Day Care Choir

Self-Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Last year the wonderful German blog Lie in the Sound pointed me toward this beautiful folk EP by Sweden’s Crying Day Care Choir. The two best tracks, “Christmas Day Care Choir (Falala)” and “First Christmas” bookend the release, and led to a very tough decision when considering which one to include on this year’s mix. I finally decided to add “First Christmas,” which surprised me. Sweet Christmas songs have never really been my forte, and this is most certainly the sweetest to make a mix. The song is grounded in a reality that I found beautiful, and try as I might, I was unable to talk myself out of adding it. It was just too good.

Bottom Line: Simple, beautiful folk music and harmonies from Sweden. 4.8/5

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The Garlands – Christmas Song / I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You 7″ (2013)

SNOWFLAKE 2 The Garlands front cover 600px

Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club
Buy: 7″ Vinyl | 7″ Vinyl Bandcamp | 7Digital MP3 (US) | Amazon UK MP3

The Garlands‘ contribution to last year’s inaugural Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club is a perfect indie pop Christmas single. For the uninitiated, the SCSC format is 7″ records with an original A-side, and a cover B-side. The Garlands A-side, “Christmas Song,” is as beautiful as anything they’ve ever done. These Swedes can do English-indie pop better than most native speakers. I find myself liking it more with every listen – there is this part where the tone takes a somber dip, and damn I love it. The B-side cover of Claudine Longet classic is equally pretty, as they somehow found a way to pour more sugar on an already sweet song. Claudine would be proud.

You can still pick up this release, but there are only 500, so I’d get it sooner than later.

Bottom Line: Indiepop Christmas at its finest. 4.6/5

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The Explorers Club “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (2013)

The Explorers Club - Christmas Must Be Tonight

EC Records / Burger Records
Buy: Free!

Philadelphia’s The Explorers Club released a gem of a cover last year, picked up by a number of my fell0w bloggers-in-Christmas, but worth highlighting once more for its general level of excellence. This is a faithful cover of The Band’s original, so nothing much has changed. However, this version does differ in subtle ways, best experienced during the chorus where they inject just enough energy to fill that gap I (personally) feel in the original.

Bottom Line: The Explorers Club took a great song, and upped the ante. 5/5

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