Search Results for: merry music monday

“Yes! Yes I do! I like Christmas! I LOVE Christmas!” – Ebenezer Scrooge 

It’s that time of the year again – freakinChristmasmusicallday time! Last year I gave you four volumes of Merry Music Monday: five songs every Monday, and if it didn’t make your life, I’m not sure you have a heart. I’m picking up where I left off. Annnnnnd go!

1. Stream: Green River Ordinance “Silent Night”
01_silent_night
…on both A Green River Ordinance Christmas EP (iTunes) and on The Music Bed‘s Fireplace Songs holiday sampler (free on NoiseTrade). One of the best versions of “Silent Night” I’ve ever heard.

2. Stream: Sugar & The Hi-Lows “Shake That Gift”
02 Shake That Gift
…on Snow Angel (iTunes). Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup, the duo behind Sugar & The Hi-Lows, turn everything to gold. This is one of my favorites from their six song Christmas EP…probably because it’s a tad scandalous.

3. Stream: Fiction Family “I Don’t Need No Santa Claus”
01_i_dont_need_no_santa_claus
…on Fiction Family’s Holiday EP (free on NoiseTrade). Will Hodge describes this one perfectly as “landing somewhere between a jaunty bluegrass number and a nostalgic classic Christmas song of the 40s and 50s.”

4. Stream: Old 97’s “Here It Is Christmastime”
01 Here It Is Christmas Time
…on iTunes. It’s Old 97’s singing about Christmas. What else is there to say?

“Hear the baby Jesus crying ‘Ho Ho Ho!'” – Stephen Colbert

Damien Rice “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. First off, if you don’t have Lennon’s original version, grab it now. Released in 1971, supposedly as a protest song about the Vietnam War, it’s become a Christmas standard. In a poll by VH1, it was voted the ninth favorite Christmas song, and it’s definitely in my personal top ten. Damien Rice is hands down my favorite singer/songwriter, so when I heard this version I naturally loved it. Everything the Irishman touches is gold to me. It was a free download last year on Downplayer and I’ve yet to see it anywhere else, so click the down arrow on the track to have it for yourself.
Folk Angel “O Come Emmanuel” from Christmas Songs, Vol 2. Yes, I did share a Folk Angel song on my Vol 3 post, but I couldn’t help but share another. They’re all so solid.

Willie Nelson “Please Come Home for Christmas” from A Very Special Acoustic Christmas. It’s Willie Nelson singing a classic…what more needs to be said?

Jeremy Lister “Santa’s Lost His Mojo” from Ten Out of Tenn Christmas (free on NoiseTrade). The entire collection of Christmas songs from Tennessee artists has been a favorite since it was released in 2008, and as I said last Monday, everyone needs some fun Christmas songs in the mix of their favorite classics. Santa losing his “mojo?” I’ll take it!

Justin McRoberts “O Holy Night” from Christmas Songs (free on NoiseTrade). I have more versions of “O Holy Night” than any other Christmas song. It is in my top five favorite hymns, and I’ll never get enough of it. Justin McRoberts has managed to keep the song as powerful as it should be in his acoustic rendition (I’ve found this to be rare). Make sure to get Tracy Chapman’s version if you don’t have it, as that may be my all time favorite.

Get more merry goodness with my 350+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify.

“Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old fashioned family Christmas!” – Clark Griswold

Marc Broussard “On Santa’s Way Home” from Christmas Gumbo. Everyone needs a collection of fun, somewhat ridiculous, Christmas songs, and this is one of mine. Broussard’s Bayou-soul track is one of my favorites from the album, and it’s especially fitting to sing about doing a little dance on Bourbon street as Mark and I head to New Orleans today. Bonus: Broussard is from Carencro, Louisiana.

Sleeping at Last “Snow” from their Christmas Collection (free on NoiseTrade!) Ryan O’Neal singing about snow, what more could you want? Sleeping at Last has become one of my all time favorite bands and have produced some of the most gorgeously written and composed songs that I’ve heard in the past year. I highly recommend getting their entire Yearbook collection, a 12-EP project.
Folk Angel “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (featuring Robbie Seay Band) from Christmas Songs Vol 3. You can get their Christmas Songs Vol 1 collection for free on NoiseTrade, or get the entire collection for a great price here. Every song is solid, which is expected from a collection of artists that got together to write and rearrange traditional Christmas songs. The band is made up of Jeff Capps, Caleb Carruth, Ryan Duckworth, and Hunter Hall, who all live in the Dallas area.

Seryn “Go Tell It on the Mountain” from Seryn and Friends Christmas (and download this song for free here). I featured Seryn a few months ago and knew I’d be sharing more of them. I’ve been eagerly anticipating their Christmas album release and this unique rendition is my favorite. They even managed to make me like “Away in a Manger,” one of my least favorite Christmas songs. Bonus: Seryn is from Denton, Texas.

Future of Forestry “The Earth Stood Still” from Advent Christmas EP, Vol 2. This song is BEAUTIFUL, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

Get more Christmas music in your life and listen to my 300+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify.

“If you really love Christmas, c’mon and let it snow.” – Billy Mack, Love Actually

Robert Kelly “I’m Coming Home” from Music City Unsigned: Family Christmas Vol 2. This upbeat, can’t get enough and won’t stop singin’ along song is my favorite from the album, which you can download for only $5.99! You’ll be hearing more of Robert’s music here in the future, but if you can’t wait, check out We Are Poetry. Bonus: Robert was born and raised in Texas and currently lives in Nashville.

Andrew Ripp “Jingle Bells” from Light of Mine. I had to share this song because, though I love Christmas music, there are a handful of songs that I always skip over when I see new versions of them. “Jingle Bells” is one of those songs. Every year the new ones come out and every year they are, yet again, nothing special. Andrew Ripp made me so happy when I heard his take, as he managed to re-invent the song in a way that made me really like it. The song also appears on Music City Unsigned: Family Christmas Vol 2 with the song above. Bonus: Andrew is part of the Neighborly Christmas w/ Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and will be performing at the Birmingham, Atlanta, and Tennessee shows.

Jason Mraz ft. Tristan Prettyman “All I Want For Christmas Is Us.” The two performed this song at the Feeding Soul Foundation‘s CD release party back in 2010. Last week, as I was listening to some of my favorite original Christmas songs, I told Mark that I wished Jason Mraz had one. I later mentioned this to the biggest Mraz fan I know, Allie from The Reason. She quickly let me know that there was one and led me to the performance on YouTube. I fell in love. It’s the clever lyrics of Mraz that makes me like his music so much, mixed with Tristan’s beautiful voice, and a beat that you can’t help but bob your head to. “Even dismissing mistletoe, so I get to know ya, first of all, singing oh my God, you’re the reason that I decorate my yard.” Bonus: Mraz was born in Virginia.

Parachute “Winterlove” from Winterlove EP. I always appreciate a song with hints of heartache but whose melody makes me happy. I also love winter songs, the ones that aren’t necessarily about Christmas but don’t feel right to listen to until the cold has come. This became one of my favorite winter songs when it was released in 2009. Bonus: Parachute is from Charlottesville, Virginia.

Beta Radio “The Songs the Season Brings” from The Songs the Season Bring. “This new EP from Beta Radio was made in various environments over the two months before Christmas – recorded in the studio, at home in bedrooms, and in closets of family members while drinking egg nog and roasting chestnuts over a George Forman grill!” I’d never heard of Beta Radio until I read the New Artists, Old Songs: 2011 Holiday Edition post from Cover Lay Down. I like their renditions of the classics, but it’s this original that stole my heart. Make sure to download the album for free. Bonus: the duo is from Wilmington, North Carolina.

Want more Christmas music now? I understand. Listen to my 300+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify. More songs are added almost daily so I suggest subscribing!

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” – Buddy the Elf

Every year I look forward to the day after Thanksgiving for one reason and one reason only: hitting play on my Christmas playlist. It’s amazing how something I love so much can make me so unhappy until that day, and once it comes, it’s just about all I listen to for the next month. The classics, the Santa anthems, the new originals that each year brings, the glorious hymns, all of ’em. From Run-DMC to Céline Dion, Wham! to George Strait, Jimmy Buffett to my newest holiday guilty pleasure, Justin Bieber, my list is ever growing and ever joyful.

Music Mondays are aimed to share solely southern artists in an effort to keep this blog authentic to its name. I’d be lying, however, if I said that all of my favorite music was southern based. It’s pretty easy for me to stick to my own “rules” when I’m blogging one song a week, but when I sat down to start picking out some Christmas favorites (both new and old), the list of non-southern artists grew. I figured hey, it’s Christmas, let’s spread the love! Even though not every song in this “series” will be by a southern artist, I will specify who is, as well as point you in the direction of snagging some free music when available.

With all that being said, it’s time to get merry.

The Weepies “All That I Want” from their Happiness album or The Winter’s Night mix. If this is the first you’ve heard of The Weepies, I highly suggest digging into their music after you enjoy the rest of these Christmas tunes. As NPR once said, “The Weepies couldn’t write a bad song if they tried.”

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from A Neighborly Christmas, available for free on Noise Trade until Christmas! This version takes the cake for my favorite of this 75 year old duet (make sure to check out the music video). I highly recommend you catch their Christmas Tour as it’s of course spreading the joy around the south (we’ll be at the Atlanta show!) Bonus: both Drew and Ellie have been featured here and I can assure you that you’ll both see and hear them again here in the future.

My Morning Jacket “Xmas Time Is Here Again” from Does XMas Fiasco Style. It wasn’t until I saw this Kentuckian combo perform on VH1 Storytellers that I got hooked. Jim James’s voice is one of a kind, so it’s no figure that I’m a fan of their collection of unique Christmas songs, the one featured here being my absolutely favorite.

Keb’ Mo’ “Jingle Bell Jamboree” from his EP, The Spirit of Christmas. Keb ‘Mo’ lives in Nashville and is one of my favorite old fashioned style blues singers. He always does a solid job of “keeping his sound contemporary with touches of soul and folksy storytelling.”
David Crowder Band “The First Noel” from their new album, Oh For Joy. This version instantly became a favorite when I first heard it five days ago, as Crowder’s music tends to do when he records classics. This album is a refreshing take on Christmas favorites, blending folk, bluegrass, pop, rock and even some electronic dance rhythms to make it very much worth downloading. Bonus: they’re from Texas.

Until next Monday, follow the tweets for more Christmas song recommendations throughout the week!

Photographed by Cody Bess

Three summers ago, when Mark’s brother Michael married an amazing girl named Taylor, they gave out CD’s as wedding favors. I grabbed one, with a bit of arrogance thinking “I’m sure I already know all the songs on here.”

But I was wrong. There was a song on it called “The Ladder” by someone named Andrew Belle. From the minute the song started, I was a fan. The rest of that summer became marked by that song. The CD in my car, “The Ladder” on repeat. I couldn’t get enough of that voice, those lyrics. I dug into The Ladder as an album, and was enamored. But I never loved any of his songs more than “The Ladder.”

Until now.

His new single from his upcoming release Black Bear is perfect. It makes my heart beat really fast, my feet tap, my head bob around, my eyes well with tears. Every. Single. Time. I can’t stop listening to it.

I love you, I love you, and all of your pieces. 

So, of course, I lost it when I heard it for the first time, just like I did when I heard his version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (which I discuss here).

Andrew Belle is one of those musicians whose sound is both gentle and powerful, and that’s a gift.

Stream: “Pieces”

Pieces

No, but seriously, I cannot stop listening to it.

Read this little story about the song and you’ll love it even more.

Black Bear will be released on August 20th (pre order on iTunes). If the remainder is a fraction as good as this song, it’ll be one of the best albums of 2013. Gaurenteed. 

______

Subscribe to Go Back Down South, a Spotify playlist for all the songs featured here.

 Photographed by Melissa Madison Fuller

The first Robert Kelly song I heard was his Christmas single last year. It was one of the many songs I shared during last years Merry Music Monday series, and I promised to share more of Robert’s music again. So here I am, doing so, finally.

What was I waiting for? I’d already listened to his album We Are Poetry about a dozen times. I knew what song I wanted to share. But with talk of the two of us grabbing beers in Nashville, I decided to wait to meet Robert in person. At the end of September, I found out that to share a table with Robert is to be in the presence of joy, a contagious personality, and of course; talent. He radiates the catchy energy of songs like “We Are Poetry,” and you leave knowing you’ve met the genuine man that comes out in my favorite tune from his album, “Running Faster.”

Stream: “We Are Poetry”

02 We Are Poetry

Stream: “Running Faster”

09 Running Faster

______

Raised in:
Allen, Texas. It’s a suburb of Dallas where football reigns supreme and everyone drives a big truck (I played football and drove a big truck, go figure). I have two wonderful parents who did the raising, and a sister who I terrorized during the raising, and we’re really close now!

Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee

Favorite thing about We Are Poetry:
The opportunity to make it. I had just graduated from college and thought “what I need to do to be a singer/songwriter is make an album…and what I really need to make an album is some money.”  So I worked at a fancy cocktail bar in Nashville for a while, saved up, and got to have a blast making an album with extremely talented new friends that really represents me, and it’s been a huge adventure ever since, wandering around playing lots of shows.

How the South influences your sound:
The South influences my songwriting in a huge way because when I began taking music seriously in seventh grade, I wanted to be a country singer.  I wore boots, jeans, a hat, and even had the half black/half white shirt like Garth Brooks. That’s definitely changed, but even more than that, the South, to me, means long, hot summers, driving with the windows down blasting The Rocket Summer, fun., or John Mayer. I like to think I bring that with me everywhere I go.

______

Download We Are Poetry on iTunes!