POSTS TAGGED : Christmas

Eoin Dolan – ‘Quiet Christmas’

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Anytime Eoin Dolan pops up with new material, it is a good day and a short four months since the release of the superb, sci-fi-tinged Superior Fiction EP, the Galway musician / singer-songwriter is back a brilliant festive flavoured single, ‘Quiet Christmas’;

With ‘Quiet Christmas’ we find Dolan in his usual fine form. It is a bouncy wee tune that sees Dolan’s knack for crafting sci-fi-tinged surf pop that finds a space where sadness and beauty can coexist simultaneously. Melodic and catchy, ‘Quiet Christmas’ blends a jolly, jaunty and heady indie-pop energy with woozy, sinuous melodies and twinkling effects with sleigh bells and festive feels. And as per usual, it is a marvellous tune, a Christmas cracker if you will…..

Get acquainted with ‘Quiet Christmas’ below:

The Hannah Barberas – ‘Oh Santa Claus!’

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Self-proclaimed “DIY pop partisans”, The Hannah Barberas – Damien, Lucy, Doug & Matthew – an indie-pop foursome from New Cross, London who’ve a knack for charming effervescent indie-pop gems; a rep confirmed by a slew of irresistible singles and EPs throughout the year.

The foursome have returned to see off 2018 with a new and festive minded EP called Christmas Bandwagon with all proceeds donated to Shelter; a charity working to combat homelessness and bad housing in the UK. The latest effort is fronted by ‘Oh Santa Claus!’ which is in keeping with their own tradition of catchy indie-pop jams. ‘Oh Santa Claus!’ sees their dreamy ’60s inspired jangle, met with a wee bit of Christmas sparkle and draped in tinsel. The festive theme is wrapped up in all woozy and breezy vibes and dripping with melody, and those harmonies, they are just a delight. An enchanting and addicting parcel of perfect pop-craft harmony,

You can listen to the cheerful ‘Oh Santa Claus!’ below and if that is to your liking, the EP is available from their Bandcamp, with all proceeds going to UK charity Shelter.

Alternative Christmas Playlist

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Every celebration is in need of a good soundtrack and of all the public holidays, Christmas has no shortage in this department.

However, if you a bit worn out from the incessant playing of ‘classics’, we’ve got you covered with this Alternative Christmas Playlist on Spotify. There’s a nice two hour mix of alternative Christmas cuts from Julian Casblancas, Slow Club, Sweet Baboo, We Cut Corners, Spectrals, Jinx Lennon, Half Man Half Biscuit & more. All in all it’s a pretty nice spread of tunes, and one that’ll hopefully serve you well.

Right, time for me to leave you to it – enjoy!

Eoin Dolan – ‘Rockerfeller Christmas Address’

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We are now well into December so it is safe to mention Christmas, right?

Whatever your feelings surrounding the commencement of Christmas, Galway-based singer-songwriter Eoin Dolan, has released a suitably festive new single, which will go a long way to getting you in the mood. Entitled ‘Rockerfeller Christmas Address’, it is a Christmas pop song wrapped in, as Dolan calls it “the political madness of the modern world. Global anxiety mixed with holiday convention”. Dolan’s recognisable charming, surfy psych-pop is treated with a sprinkle of festive magic – in sound at least – as a blend of woozy, soothing sounds, sinuous melodies, a gentle strum and splotches of synth evoke feelings of warm nostalgia. As well as festivities, nostalgia, friends and family this stage of the year is a time for reflection – and there is a lot to reflect on – and lyrically, Dolan offers his assessment on 2016. ‘Rockerfeller Christmas Address’ is Dolan at his dazzlingly brilliant best, capping of an great year for Galwegian, which saw him release his wonderful self-titled debut LP (you can find it here).

‘Rockerfeller Christmas Address’ is below for your listening pleasure and you can download it for free here.

 

Sweet Baboo – ‘Don’t Be Alone (This Christmas)’

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After releasing his third album The Boombox Ballads earlier this year, Sweet Baboo will release new EP Dennis, alongside a UK tour for 2016.

Out on February 26th, it shall feature three covers – of Daniel Johnston, The Exciters, The Beach Boys – and two previously unreleased tracks from his The Boombox Ballads’ album sessions, and a newly recorded Christmas song, ‘Don’t Be Alone (This Christmas)’. The latter is out now, which is only appropriate give the time of year, no? This new festive fayre is an absolute gem, and classic Sweet Baboo (aka Stephen Black). It’s a charming, easy on the ear,  mid paced, piano led, festive ditty. Blissfully melodic, it is adorned with some marvelous sleigh bells, saxophones, and an anti austerity message. Yes, you read the last piece correctly. Written in the height of summer, like all good Christmas songs, according to Black, the song was conceived around the time of the Labour leadership debate, and he imagined with Jeremy Corbyn as Father Christmas, so it has a vaguely political message. ‘Don’t Be Alone (This Christmas)’ is a joy-filled little beauty and caps off a very good year for all things Sweet Baboo, with one foot firmly forward into the next. Everyone needs someone to love.

You can check out ‘Don’t Be Alone (This Christmas)’ below, or, for a limited time, download the track for free from Bandcamp.

Live Dates:

2nd Feb – The Musician, Leicester
3rd Feb – Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate
4th Feb – Moth Club, London
5th Feb – Night and Day Café, Manchester
6th Feb – Picture House Special, Sheffield
7th Feb – The Fulford Arms, York
12th Feb – Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
13th Feb – Moles Club, Bath

 

We Cut Corners – ‘Stop The Cavalry’

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Covering a classic can be a tricky affair and covering the greatest Christmas song of all time is trickier work still but We Cut Corners have done both, and passed with flying colours.

The Dublin duo have covered Jona Lewie’s Christmas classic ‘Stop The Cavalry’ in aid of First Fortnight, a mental health festival which is happening in the first two weeks of January. There’s is a beautiful and gentle rendition of the brass filled classic, attributing their supreme ability to create intimacy in their music, We Cut Corners have broadened the song’s wishful, reflective and heartfelt narrative. Swells of lush strings meet soft harmonies and delicately performed vocals as the duo have pay tribute to the classic in the best way possible, and for a good cause too.

‘Stop The Cavalry’ is out now as a digital download from iTunes. We Cut Corners will also headline the First Fortnight festival on January 10 in the Button Factory. Click here for more info.

The Lost Brothers – ‘Little Angel’

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Having already released their wonderful fourth album New Songs Of Dawn and Dust this year, The Lost Brothers are seeing out 2014 in quite some style, with the release of a rather fetching charity Christmas single, ‘Little Angel’.

Beginning life as a rough demo recorded in Portland seven years ago, it remained in The Lost Brothers’ locker until inspiration hit earlier this year while crossing the Irish Sea during a rocky winter storm. Out came the guitars and the remaining verses and choruses were written in one sitting. It was recorded with Sean Coleman at Gavin Glass’s Orphan Studios in Dublin with The Frames’ Graham Hopkins recruited on drums, Michael Buckley and Ronan Dooney on brass, and Keith Farrell on bass, with The Lost Brothers taking care of vocals and guitars. The results of which are ever so good. A gentle number, adorned with a rather fuzzy festive feel, ‘Little Angel’ is filled with a glowing goodness and features the Irish duo’s distinct harmony vocals, sweet acoustic picking, pedal steel and some sumptuous brass. The B-side ‘St. Christopher’, penned on a cold night train home to Liverpool, is equally festive and all proceeds from the sale go towards UNICEF or you can donate directly.

You can check out the simply splendid ‘Little Angel’ below.