2014 Christmas Stories, part one.
With three months to go until this year’s marathon, here’s the first half of the Christmas Stories recorded exclusively for the 2014 edition of my 25-Hour Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB.
I’ve posted them in the order they originally aired during the program.
Part two will appear in October.
Please click on the links provided and support these musicians, artists and talented individuals who were so kind to tape remarkable original pieces for the show. Follow them on Twitter! Like them on Facebook! Buy their records and books! Support their events!
May these works inspire you to record something for this December.
Mike Pace – “Christmas Story”
Mike Pace fronted Oxford Collapse and co-hosted the Worst Gig Ever podcast. He returned in January of this year with Best Boy, the debut album by Mike Pace and the Child Actors. In 1995 his grandmother gave him the greatest Christmas gift of all: a CD of Slayer’s sixth album, Divine Intervention.
Lettuce Prey – “Yom Yule Jam”
Lettuce Prey, aka Mike Lenert from the band Caterpillar, hails from Philadelphia. Learn more here.
Kyle Sowash – “Losing Mine (Swearing at Motorists cover)”
Mr. Kyle Sowash leads Columbus, Ohio’s The Kyle Sowashes. Their fifth album “Everybody” was released on Anyway Records earlier this year.
Ike Turner – “Xmas 83”
Ike Turner is a teacher, parent, and rock bro from Kalamazoo, MI. His band, Minutes, is currently working on their historically troubled third album.
Memorial Gore – “Holiday Road”
Brooklyn’s Memorial Gore sound like William F Buckley, Jr debating Gore Vidal on the Pulaski Bridge; the murky waters of Newtown Creek swiftly rise up and swallow them whole. Look for a 7” from them soon!
Chris Williams – “Christmas Story”
Chris Williams lives in Durham, North Carolina, is father to Seamus, runs Plastic Flame Press, is graphic designer at Indy Week, and a guitarist in Maple Stave.
Positive No – “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”
Kenny wrote / played all the music and Tracy did the reading. Positive No’s debut album “Glossa” is out now.
“I picked “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” by Dylan Thomas because it is the only family tradition I carry on to this day. My mom read it to my brother and I every Christmas Eve until she passed away a decade ago. I now either read or listen to the LP of the author reading this story every year in her memory and because it is such a gorgeous piece of writing.”
Doug Gillard – “Swingin’ In A Manger”
Doug Gillard is a songwriter/guitarist/solo artist/mutli-instrumentalist who is/has been a member of…Guided By Voices, Nada Surf, Death Of Samantha, Bambi Kino, Lifeguards and Robert Pollard with Doug Gillard. He’s a sometime Mascott collaborator, a sometime Sally Crewe collaborator, and we haven’t yet mentioned Cobra Verde, Children’s Crusade, My Dad Is Dead, Gem and The Oranges Band. That doesn’t even include his work as an occasional music producer, occasional soundtrack recorder and as an ex-college radio DJ. Phew.
Mick Foley – “Christmas Story”
Mick Foley is a legendary professional wrestler, turned multi-time best-selling author , turned stand-up comic/spoken word performer. Thank you to Jared from Flannelgraph Records for recording this!
Minibeast – “Comfort Of Joy”
Minibeast is the musical creation of Peter Prescott (Mission Of Burma, Volcano Suns, Kustomized, Peer Group). Minibeast combines surf, psych, punk, easy listening, 60’s children’s music, and soundtrack influences to create instrumental soundscapes.
Stomatopod – “Christmas Vacation (Mavis Staples)”
Stomatopod is from Chicago. They are Elliot Dicks (drums) Liz Bustamante (bass, vocals) and John Huston (vocals, guitar). “Christmas Vacation Theme” was recorded and mixed in December 2014 in John’s basement specifically for the Jon Solomon 25-Hour Holiday Show. The timing was perfect in that we already had the mics set up because we were in the middle of recording an album, which will be released in October. Visit our Facebook page and our Bandcamp page for updates and information on upcoming shows.
The Box Jellys – “Three Chord Christmas”
The Box Jellys are a Toronto-based trio that has been together since 2006. They are currently working on their 2nd album, a follow-up to “Stings Like a Sea Wasp.”
Bela Koe-Krompecher – “Christmas 1991”
Bela Koe-Krompecher has been running Anyway Records from Columbus since 1992, he also writes about his life with his blog. Bela also writes sporadically for various music websites and last year saw the publication of a comic book based on a story about the Ramones adapted from his blog (“Do You Remember Rock & Roll Record Stores?, via Nix Comics). He works as a social worker and addictions counselor.
Dave Doughman – “Oscar Goldman & His Exploding Briefcase”
Oscar Goldman & His Exploding Briefcase
Dave Doughman is half of the prolific Swearing At Motorists. Their latest album is “While Laughing, The Joker Tells The Truth.” He lives in Germany.
Susan Elizabeth Shepard – “Christmas Story”
Susan Elizabeth Shepard is a writer and stripper who was raised in Texas and lives in Portland, OR. She likes cookies. Follow here on Twitter here.
Jonathan Bloom – “Jesus In America”
Author of “Hell Is Above Us,” you might also know Jonathan Bloom from his recurring role playing “Jon from Maplewood” on The Best Show. Guitar on his song was performed by Pete Cenedella.