Christmas Songs

Well December is finally upon is (where has this year gone??) so I thought it would be worth doing a blog on Christmas songs. Everyone has their favourites and there’s no point in listing the ones that everybody knows. There a few covers in here, but they’re well done and may make a change to hearing the usual versions. They are all fairly recent releases so here’s a list of songs that might be worth adding to your festive playlist. Enjoy J

Amy MacDonald- Fairytale of New York: A song that has been covered many times but not much comes close to matching the classic Pogues & Kirsty McCall version released back in 1987. It has been frequently voted the best Christmas song ever and is my personal favourite. Saying that, this version with Amy MacDonald, which appears on the deluxe version of her second album ‘A Curious Thing’ is pretty good. I’m a fan of Amy’s and I have to say she and her bass player did a good job with the cover. It’s not easy to do well as Shane McGowan has such a distinctive voice but it works well. It also helps that Amy is Scottish so it maintains a Celtic feel to it.

Cee Lo Green- All I Want for Christmas: Cee Lo Green covering Mariah Carey. It works as well as you think it does. It’s been given a little make over to fit with Green’s soul style but it works wonders. It hasn’t lost its festive edge either so it still feels like a Christmas song. The song appears on ‘Cee Lo’s Magic Moment’, Green’s first Christmas album, which was released last year. It features a number of covers including ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘White Christmas’. The album also features collaborations with artists ranging from Christina Aguilera to Rod Stewart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9syS765P7Q- All I Want For Christmas

Coldplay- Christmas Lights: One of the biggest Christmas songs in recent years comes from British giants Coldplay who spin their own festive charm with their song ‘Christmas Lights’. It has Coldplay written all over it, but that doesn’t stop it being a good song for this time of year. It might lack the ‘fun’ element of some of the other songs on the list, but it fits perfectly in any Christmas playlist.

Deacon Blue- You’ll Know It’s Christmas: Anybody who has heard the song ‘Dignity’ will know that Deacon Blue know how to write a very good song, and the Scottish veterans have struck gold with this Christmas effort. ‘You’ll Know It’s Christmas’ features on their new festive EP which is due for release mid-December. Will definitely be one I am downloading.

Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler- Christmas Day (Wish I Was Surfing): This is one of my favourite Christmas albums from recent years. Titled ‘This is Christmas’, it’s a collaboration between Hong Kong born singer songwriter Emmy the Great and Ash frontman Tim Wheeler for real festive treat. It’s packed full of fun, catchy songs including ‘Christmas Day (Wish I Was Surfing)’, ‘Home for the Holidays’ and ‘Zombie Christmas’.

Kelly Clarkson- Underneath the Tree: Taken from her recently released 6^th album ‘Wrapped in Red’, ‘Underneath the Tree’ is a shoe in for being one of the best Christmas songs of the year. ‘Wrapped in Red’ is Clarkson’s first attempt at a Christmas themed album and it sounds fantastic.  It’s very festive and puts you right in the Christmas mood.

KT Tunstall- 2000 Miles: Back in 2007 Scottish singer songwriter KT Tunstall released a Christmas EP titled ‘Sound of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection’ featuring various covers of old festive songs.  This includes a cover of the 1983 Pretenders song, ‘2000 Miles’. It’s not easy to cover a Chrissie Hynde song, but Tunstall pulls it off brilliantly. To be honest you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference. Definitely does the song justice. Another track to check out is her version of ‘Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas in Hawaii)’ if you want something a bit different.

Lady Antebellum- Let It Snow: Released last year, ‘On This Winter’s Night’ is the first Christmas album by American country trio Lady Antebellum. Filled with covers plus three of their own songs, it’s slightly different take on some of the festive favourites. Songs such as ‘Let It Snow’ work really well after their make-over and their self-penned songs such as ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ are well worth a listen as well. Makes a change from listening to ‘Need You Now’.

Mary J Blige- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: This may be Mary J Blige’s eleventh studio album, but ‘A Mary Christmas’ is her first Christmas album. However that doesn’t stop the R&B songstress from putting her own spin on classics such as ‘Little Drummer Boy’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’.  Even ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ has been given the R&B treatment and it sounds good for it as well. Another Christmas album that is well worth a listen.

The Killers- Christmas in LA: This is the latest Christmas release by The Killers and it is one of their strongest. It is the eighth year in a row that they have released a Christmas single with all the proceeds again going to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign. ‘Christmas in LA’ is actually a collaboration with indie band Dawes and is a very good song. It has the usual Killers charm and the voices of Brandon Flowers and Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith work really well. Even if you’re not a fan, will be worth downloading anyway as it’s for a good cause.

Well there you have it, hopefully there’s plenty there for you to add to your Christmas playlists. Should make a change from the usual Wham!, Slade, Wizzard et al. songs. 

Gig Review: Amy MacDonald @ Brighton Dome

Amy MacDonald- Brighton Dome 31/3

Right, I’m going to start by making quite a bold claim. This was one the best concerts I have ever been to. And I’ve been to a fair few. If you are familiar with Amy MacDonald’s music then you may think you know what you’re going to get. But somehow Amy adds an extra dimension to her live performances, something that makes her songs sound even better. She has fantastic voice, with great range and real energy. The slower acoustic songs in the set, are quieter and less frantic, but still just as engaging.


Ben Montague

First though was the support. I have to admit, I had never heard of Ben Montague before, but I was very impressed with what I heard. After getting album of the week on BBC Radio 2, he has definitely entered the public’s consciousness with his own brand of acoustic singer/song writing. By his own admission, most of his songs are about breakups; “It’s harder to write songs when you’re happy” he joked. This doesn’t mean that his material is all slow songs wallowing in self-pity, quite the opposite in fact. He played a number of well written, upbeat acoustic songs that were very catchy; the perfect support for the headline act. In fact the job of supporting Amy came around totally by chance. After chatting on Twitter, he offered his services and she took him up on the offer. He was very well received, but not as well as when Amy MacDonald walked on stage.

Even though the crowd was quiet and reserved through the first few songs, the audience soon got into things; after a little telling off from Amy that is. “You lot along with Gateshead, are the only lot who weren’t on your feet for ‘Mr Rock and Roll’. And after telling us that Sheffield the night before was the ‘unlaziest’ audience on the tour, we helped ensure that Brighton could more than match our northern rivals for the night.

Playing a mixture of songs from all three of her studio albums, there was plenty to keep fans old and new happy. Having been a fan of hers since her debut ‘This is the Life’, I was singing along to pretty much every song. There was even the inclusion of two covers; a brilliant, slow acoustic version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’, and a cover of Jackie Wilson’s ‘Higher and Higher’. “It’s a song we used to play to get us pumped up before we came on stage, and it somehow found its way into the set” Amy explained.

There was a distinctly middle aged demographic amongst the sell-out crowd, but everyone, young and old was really getting into it and enjoying themselves. This was obviously picked up by Amy and her band members as they were clearly enjoying themselves. There is a good chemistry between them, and they work together to put on a very good show.

One thing that was very apparent was her fierce patriotism. She is very proud of being Scottish. She even has a sparkly mic in the colours of the Scottish flag. There was a lot of interaction with the crowd, a lot little anecdotes. For example we heard what she likes to do when she’s back at home, and itching to get back on tour, and also singing the national anthem at Hamden Park before Scotland play. She is very at ease on stage, something she attributes to her kind audiences.

She finished her set with the title track off her last album ‘Life in a Beautiful Light’, leaving the crowd clapping, chanting and eventually stomping for her to come back on stage. She returned with a smile (“I didn’t get the stomping in Sheffield!”), and went into her rendition of the Bruce Springsteen classic ‘Dancing in the Dark’. With just her and an acoustic guitar, it is very different version to the original, but brilliant none the less. She then played another slow track, ‘The Furthest Star’, before finishing with the fantastic ‘Barrowland Ballroom’ and ‘Let’s Start a Band’. It was the perfect way to finish off a fantastic concert. 

I really enjoy live music, but I came away from the concert with a huge smile on my face. It is definitely up there as one of the best concerts I’ve been to. Might have something to with the fact that Amy is one of my favourite artists, but that’s not important. She is one of the most talented artists to come out of Britain in the last few years, and criminally underrated. Do yourself a favour, if you haven’t already, buy her albums, then grab yourself tickets for her next tour. You won’t regret it.

Albums You Should Own #1

This is the first instalment of albums that you really should own, or failing that, just listen to. They’re not all necessarily albums or artists you may have heard of, but they are all personal favourites of mine. The kind of album when you’re listening to it, you don’t skip a track and you go “oh that’s a good song’ when the next one starts.

You will also hear the term ‘underrated’ quite a bit. Partly because they are.  And partly because I’m trying to give exposure to music that deserves it. Trust me you will not regret parting money for any of these albums.

 

Amy MacDonald- This Is the Life: The debut album from Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald, one of Britain’s most underrated music talents. That’s not to say she isn’t appreciated though. On the continent especially she regularly headlines festivals ahead of more ‘established’ artists that are popular in the UK. This, her debut album, released when she was just 19, is superb. It is flawless from start to finish. It starts with two singles ‘Mr Rock & Roll’ and ‘This Is the Life’, songs that will get your foot tapping, stick in your head and eventually singing along. To be fair the next track ‘Poison Prince’ will do exactly the same. ‘Youth of Today’ is a slower song, but still wonderfully written. ‘Run’, ‘Barrowland Ballroom’ and ‘L.A.’ are just perfect. They are Amy at her absolute best.  They showcase her strength as both a singer and a songwriter. ‘Let’s Start a Band’ is a slow burner, but have patience to stay the course and you’ll be rewarded. The tracks ‘A Wish for Something More’, ‘Footballer’s Wife’ and ‘The Road to Home’  the album brilliantly. It’s just a classy album. The mixture of her distinctive vocals and quality song writing make for a very strong album. I have a really downer on the X-Factor blocking the way of genuinely talented people making their way into the charts and getting the recognition they deserve, because this girl deserves to be a million times bigger than she currently is. She has released three albums so far, all of them fantastic. And she has got there through pure hard work. She really is one of the country’s hidden musical gems. You’ll realise this once you’ve given this a listen, and afterwards I guarantee you won’t be able to keep it to yourself.

Feeder- The Singles: Wasn’t sure whether to include this or not as it’s essentially a ‘Best Of So Far…’ album, but seeing as it’s one of my favourite albums, and Feeder are criminally underrated, I warrants its place. You will get no better introduction to Feeder than with this album. If you are only familiar with ‘Buck Rogers’, ‘Feeling A Moment’ and ‘Just A Day’ then you are in for a treat. This album really shows what a diversely talented band they are. Feeder have evolved from a harder, post-grunge sound in their early albums to a more radio friendly sound, and it is that sound that appears on this album. There are harder sounding songs, the likes of ‘Insomnia’, ‘Pushing the Senses’ and the brilliant ‘Seven Days in the Sun’, but there are also gentler ballads that add a wonderful balance and contrast to Feeder’s back catalogue. The likes of ‘Tender’, ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ and ‘Turn’ are just three such examples. Other songs that stand out are ‘Burn the Bridges’, ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’, ‘Save Us’ and ‘Yesterday Went Too Soon’. To call just those stand out tracks though is grossly unfair, there really isn’t a bad track on the album, as you may have guessed as I’ve mentioned nearly all of them, and the argument is that there are too many songs to make just the one album. They could easily have made a double album. Once you listen to this album you will realise what an underrated and consistently brilliant band Feeder are.


Stone Gods- Silver Spoons and Broken Bones: Essentially The Darkness minus Justin Hawkins, Stone Gods so far have just the single album to their name, but it’s an absolute gem. Without Justin’s falsetto it allowed for a much sound than that from The Darkness, almost moving into metal in places, but on the whole staying in hard rock territory. ‘Burn the Witch’ is a thunderous opener with crunching riff, fist pumping chorus and finishes with a two minute instrumental. ‘Don’t Drink the Water’ and ‘You Brought a Knife to a Gun Fight’ are fantastic hard rock tracks and really keep up the impetus of a hard and fast start. ‘Magdalen Street’ then slows the pace down and is brilliantly catchy. It also shows the albums versatility, as does ‘Lazy Bones’another quieter, slower song. ‘Where You Comin’ From’, ‘I’m With the Band’, ‘Start of Something’ and ‘Making It Hard’ are all more ‘classic rock’ sounding songs. ‘Knight of the Living Dead’ just edges ‘Burn the Witch’ as the heaviest song on the album, and ‘Where ‘O My Beero?’ is a light-hearted end to the album showing that some the sense of humour from The Darkness has carried on. What makes this album so good though is its accessibility, it is very radio friendly. The vocals are very strong without being aggressive and the riffs work really well. Personally I prefer this to The Darkness, but that’s just me. If you’re a rock fan, you need to own this album. It’s one you won’t regret.

The Dandy Warhols- Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia:  An album that has it all. From the enchanting and almost psychedelic opening tracks ‘Godless’, ‘Mohammed’ and ‘Nietzsche’, to then contrast that with a ‘Country Lever’, a country sounding song. Followed by the indie sounding ‘Solid’ and the almost grunge like ‘Horse Pills’.  The next track is then another complete contrast with ‘Get Off’ being an upbeat acoustic number. The mood of the album is then changed again with ‘Sleep’ a brilliant peaceful and laid back track. ‘Cool Scene’ picks up the pace next, another more indie sounding song. The next song, ‘Bohemian like You’ is the one most people are likely to have heard, and the song that brought the band most commercial success. ‘Shakin’ is next, with this song being more difficult to define. Perhaps Indie is the right way to describe it. The album finishes with ‘The Big Indian’ and ‘The Gospel’ which rounds the album off perfectly. They are both slower, more laid back acoustic driven songs. I read somewhere once that one of the strengths of this album is the order of the tracks, and this observation is absolutely spot on. I think something would be lost from this album if the tracks were ordered differently. It’s almost as if you’re taken on a journey through the album. This album gets under your skin, it’s such a barrage of different sounds but somehow it clicks and works perfectly. You’ll have to listen to it yourself to find of out, but it is a truly brilliant album.

The Killers- Sam’s Town: Voted by Rolling Stone magazine as the most underrated album of the 00s and I wholeheartedly agree. This album is epic from start to finish.  Some people may say that it doesn’t match up to their debut ‘Hot Fuss’, and they’re right it doesn’t. It’s a far better album. Now before I go any further, I must admit it took me a while to love this album, but as with all their music, this album grew on me. And it grew on me big time. There is a more ‘rockier’ sound on Sam’s Town compared to the 80s sounding synths on ‘Hot Fuss’ and this is perhaps why people jumped to conclusions about it. Their sound changed, as it has on subsequent albums, and it is not a bad thing. There is not a single bad song or filler track on this album. The singles ‘When You Were Young’, ‘Bones’, ‘Read My Mind’ and ‘For Reasons Unknown’ give you a good taster of what’s on the album, but there is so much more. ‘Enterlude’ and ‘Exitlude’ are brilliantly simple and effective ways of opening and closing the album, while the title track is a massive state of intention and prepares the listener for what is to come. ‘Bling (Confession of a King)’, ‘Uncle Johnny’ and the phenomenal ‘This River Is Wild’ are all sing along anthems. ‘My List’ and ‘Why Do I Keep Counting’ are gentler, but they build to explosive finishes if you perceiver with them. What this album really does though is show case what a genius and brilliantly talented song writer Brandon Flowers. There are few better around at the moment.  To write down how good ‘Read My Mind’ is will not do it justice, you need to turn up the volume, close your eyes and just let the awesomeness run through your body. The same can be said of ‘This River Is Wild’. They will send shivers down your spine. “The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun…” is a beautifully poetic lyric. They are songs written from the heart, and sung with passion. I’ve seen The Killers live twice, soon to be thrice, and it sounds even better in concert. This album may be the reason that their last two albums have faced a bit of trepidation. They’re not bad albums, far from it, they are fantastic. They just haven’t topped this.

So there you go, give these a listen and there is a very good chance you will become fans of each of these artists.