Tag: Bandcamp

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Nelson Can “On Christmas Night” (2017)

Nelson Can "On Christmas Night"

Alcopop! Records
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Bandcamp

Copenhagen’s incredible, all-female indie rock trio, Nelson Can, snuck a ridiculously fantastic Scandinavian Christmas anthem onto Soundcloud today. How it snuck on, I have no clue. They have over 8,000 followers on Facebook, far more than most bands that make it onto these digital pages. Yet somehow, I’m listener 40-43. Go figure! I am honestly feeling way too lazy to do much more than say, “It’s fucking great.” I’ll leave most of the exposition to them, and perhaps add more in the morning. You shouldn’t expect high levels of professionalism from a blog who, during most days of the year, gets about 20-25 views in a world of BILLIONS.

“The song is about Christmas from a Scandinavian point of view. The further up north you go, the darker the days are during Christmas and the increasing hours of sunlight after Winter Solstice (December 21st or 22nd) still plays a very central role in the Christmas celebrations here. Hence the chorus “Solstice in sight! We don’t have to wait anymore. We will be bathed in light on Christmas night. We wanted to make a Christmas song that combined the Christmas we know from modern day western culture with the old hedonistic celebration of the return of the sun.”

Update: This song gets better with every listen. When I said “anthem,” I meant it. The song starts off simple, with this gentle rocking beat framing Selena’s voice, but hit that chorus and they go big! The hooks are huge – there is even the perfect amount of whistling… yeah, you heard me. Truly a stellar song with an interesting point-of-view (ANOTHER SOLSTICE MENTION TOO!) and most certainly worth multiple listens.

Bottom Line: Nelson Can scored a winner, pretty much hitting all fronts: Scandinavian + indie rock + original song + short + great production + wonderful voice + great chorus + fantastic finish = Weeeeee!

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Couples Skate Only feat. Zebra Zebra “Absentees & Invites (The Solstice Show)” (2017)

Couples Skate Only feat. Zebra Zebra

Gotta Groove Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Gotta Groove Records has been sending 7″ records to their customers (they are primarily an indie vinyl pressing plant – check them out!) for the past seven years, and thankfully, Tim Thorton (half of Couples Skate Only and an employee at Gotta Groove Records) has posted a few copies on their Bandcamp for the past few years. Back in 2015, when I discovered this wonderful little tradition through the Couples Skate Only Bandcamp, they still had copies left of their 2013 release, featuring a track by Tim and his wife Cari, who together are known as Couples Skate Only (a wonderful band name, IMHO). This track, “First Christmas,” is absolutely fantastic, and when I saw that 2017 features Couples Skate Only again, I was psyched. I purchased it, song unheard, and sit here ready to plug what I thought, and confirmed, would be a damn fun song. “Absentees & Invites (The Solstice Show)” follows “First Christmas'” wall-of-synths production, and once again features Cari’s lovely indiepop vocal stylings. The song involves a couple trying to find their way to a winter solstice party, which is of particular note as I’ve been making a mix for 13 years now and this my be the first solstice song I can remember. Please know, I’m sure there are many more, but I can’t honestly peg any at this moment, which makes this song even more interesting. As for Zebra Zebra’s contribution, I’m guessing that the sampled shouts were either Laura and Eileen Thorton, AKA Zebra Zebra. I know that Laura is a toddler/big girl (I have a 4 year old “big boy”), so perhaps Eileen is a baby? This is indeed a family affair, which makes it all the more adorable.

Bottom Line: A synth-drenched indiepop treat indeed. Couples Skate Only have the potential to be one of the indiepop Christmas greats, alongside Christmas Aguilera, Charlies’s Hand Movements, etc, etc.

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Forest Creatures – Was That Christmas? (2017)

Forest Creatures - Was That Christmas?

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

I don’t have much time, as I have to work this Saturday, and I’ve just got a few minutes to get this down. Forest Creatures are a Vancouver band of folkies who have put together two (yes, TWO) whole records of RIYL Sufjan Stevens Christmas folk music. When I say “RIYL Sufjan Stevens,” it is both a compliment to the taste level, as well as a hint that this record is going to have a dash of Jesus for sure, but not heavy-handedly so. The production is outstanding, warm and layered. They mix it up with covers (“I Heard the Bells”) and excellent originals (“Christmas Like I’ve Never Felt”), each one done beautifully. This is a cohesive, beautiful record that you could put on and enjoy all the way through, which can be VERY hard for a Christmas album to achieve.

Bottom Line: Forest Creatures have come in from the cold, Canadian winter to warm our hearts with lush, indie folk.

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Wyvern Lingo “Snow II” (2017), “Snow” (2014)

Wyvern Lingo - Snow II

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Well hot damn. This was too good to keep me from writing. Bray, Ireland’s Wyvern Lingo, a trio of singer/instrumentalists has just dropped an indie R&B jam “Snow II,” that is totally worth your attention. Their voices are beautiful, as are the minimal electronic beats and flourishes of color that support them. However, if that groove is not your bag, how about an acoustic version, with no percussion, mainly guitars and keyboards to provide the bassline? (Stubby found this one back in the day, of course) Then their 2014 version, “Snow” is your jam. Either way you slice it, this is a pretty beautiful song, and I think you might dig it too.

Bottom Line: Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Both taste great!

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Cold Fins “It’s Christmas Time” (2017)

Cold Fins "It's Christmas Time"

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

London’s Cold Fins specialize in reverb/organ pop, and while they are short on social media presence, they are long on musical taste. The classic, yet contemporary feel of “It’s Christmas Time” takes some basic “it won’t be Christmas without you” tropes and dresses them up in some interesting, fashionably worn new clothes. Cold Fins feel like a kind of band that could play Christmas hits at your favorite bar, and you would suddenly look up from your drink and realize you are at the fucking hippest Christmas party ever. Their organ, the guitar licks, and the steady beat will keep your head bobbing and feet tapping for many seasons to come.

Bottom Line: Soundcloud feeds you a winner every so often, and thankfully tonight, they were serving Cold Fins.

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Jean-Pierre Masseria “Bonne année 1969” (1968/2017)

Bonne Annee by Jean-Pierre Masseria

Finders Keepers Records
Buy: Bandcamp

I can’t even begin to explain who Argentinian-born, France-recorded, UK-reissued Jean-Pierre Bernard Massiera is, but I can say that this track from 1968, recently digitally reissued by London’s Finders Keepers Records, is pretty badass. The release, Bonne Année, technically contains two tracks, “Bonne année” and “Bonne année 1969,” but the first is so much slower and less interesting, and I really just wanted to yell about how much damn fun “Bonne année 1969” is. It is funky, it is trippy, it has off-mic screaming, a driving beat, one hell of a brass section, cackling and ho ho hos – so pretty much everything. It is, simply said, FUN.

Bottom Line: Would you drink water from the kitchen sink? Well no, but this kitchen sink, why yes I would.

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Lab Coast “Yule See” (2016/2017)

Lab Coast "Yule See"

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Originally released last year on Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada VII, Calgary’s Lab Coast have generously re-released this killer track on Bandcamp for our FLAC-downloading fun! This is one of the most interesting approaches to a Christmas song I’ve heard in the past few years. There are no cliches, no “baby, please come home,” rather, the narrator is wondering why they are still loved. Many of you have likely felt inadequate, when faced with someone who loves you more than you think you deserve. “How did I become the apple of your eye? / I don’t know now.” So he walks around, thinking, “Would you still love me as I am / It’s not 1993 / I’m so broke I might as well / wrap myself under your tree.” It’s a powerful song, wrapped up in 2:06 of RIYL Real Estate-indie rock. This is pretty much written for my sensibilities, and thus, here we are. Enjoy.

Bottom Line: This is short enough, interesting enough, and rocking enough to (spoiler alert) make my mix. Maybe yours too! Now with extra FLAC-goodness!

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Color TV “This Christmas” (2016)

Color TV - This Christmas

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp | Vinyl

The other day while checking out what my fellow Bandcamp enthusiasts are buying… I came across this powerpop gem from LA’s Color TV. The production is great, the lyrics are clever, but it’s the attitude that really sells this song. This band has a polite snarl (yeah, wrap your head around that description) that just works so well. This song could get WAY more eyes, had it only had the “christmas” tag in Bandcamp! Quick side note… BANDCAMP, get your act together and give us a better keyword search! OK, got that out of my system – but THERE IS MORE TO THIS SONG THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. This track is part of a new, vinyl (or digital download card) compilation on Gearhead Records, Rodney On the Rock Presents: Santa’s Got a GTO Vol. 2 LP, which is available (with no additional track list) at the Gearhead Records website. So, throw some money at them – either $1 at Bandcamp, or $22 if you’ve got money to burn and collect Christmas vinyl! I know there are some crazy folks out there… go now, it has got to be pretty limited.

Bottom Line: Power-pop with attitude that bleeds through the speakers. Brilliant.

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Girl Ray “(I Wish I Were Giving You A Gift) This Christmas” (2017)

Girl Ray Christmas 7"

Moshi Moshi
Buy: 7″ Vinyl + MP3/AIFF | Bandcamp

The wonderful London band Girl Ray has lined up yet another Christmas song for our ear-holes. Last year’s “Christmas Wrapping” was a solid, very faithful cover of the original. This year has them throwing an original our way – “(I Wish I Were Giving You a Gift) This Christmas” is a solid piece of twee longing. Throw in some bonus saxophone, which I’m a sucker for when used tastefully, and the song comes together nicely. The B-side of the limited edition 7″ looks to be a cover of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” which is a nice song, but certainly not one of my favorites. When it’s Girl Ray, who put out a great record earlier this year (which I own), I’ll certainly take anything they want to dish out.

Bottom Line: Solid, longing indiepop for those who dig that kind of stuff (like me).

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matt pond PA “In Winter” (feat. Laura Burhenn and Steady Holiday) (2017)

Matt Pond PA More Winter Lives

131 Records
Buy: Bandcamp

While not exactly Christmas tunes, matt pond PA‘s More Winter Lives continues the winter themes of 2016’s Winter Lives. The warm textures of mpPA’s orchestration keep us cozy, as Matt sings about the season that no doubt dominates his upstate New York life. The song I would like to particularly highlight on this 5-track EP is the beautiful “In Winter,” which features Laura Burhenn (of the Mynabirds) and LA’s Steady Holiday on background vocals. This is classic mpPA, featuring their expert use of strings and beautifully layered orchestration. Reminds me of my days in college obsessing about The Green Fury…

There are also some beautiful instrumentals on More Winter Lives, along with the excellent “The Moon Rose.” Worth checking out for sure.

Bottom Line: Matt Pond PA often uses the seasons as his muse, and with “In Winter”, beautifully so.

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