2018 Christmas Stories, part one.
With 10 days to go until this year’s Xmas marathon, here’s the first half of the Christmas Stories recorded exclusively for the 2018 edition of my Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB.
Part two will appear on the 17th of December!
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! Instagram too! Buy their records and books! Support their events!
May these works inspire you to record something for this year.
There is still time!
The Brixton Riot – “100,000 Christmas Lights”
Combining American and English influences, New Jersey’s The Brixton Riot fuses elements of 70’s power-pop and punk, 80’s jangle-rock and 90’s indie rock into a sound that is both familiar and distinct. The Replacements, Big Star and The Jam represent only a small fraction of their influences. This is their fifth contribution to the marathon.
Brian & Kerry Kijewski – “A Kijewski Cassette Christmas Story”
Brian and Kerry Kijewski are a brother and sister creative team from Ontario, Canada behind the podcast Ketchup On Pancakes along with other audio projects. Kerry has a blog where she shares her writing. Brian hosts a music radio show at the campus radio station in London and plays in the band Riker.
Sebastian Petsu – Zamboni Dust From the Sky (Gritty’s First Snow)”
The first of what ended up being five different Xmas tunes about Gritty in 2018 hailed from Philadelphia’s Sebastian Petsu.
50 Helens – “Christmas Creep Parade”
50 Helens are members of Korean Jeans, Petrillo and OUT. All proceeds from their second holiday record (which includes songs beyond what was played during the marathon) will be donated to Planned Parenthood.
Wowza In Kalamazoo – “Cheery Chapstick”
Wowza In Kalamazoo is a full-on collaboration amongst Zach Hench, Chafe Hensley, and Ike Turner. It began with some broken arrows lying around Ike’s 4-track (some for over a decade), and changed into something a lot more interesting than that.
Deeply inspired by Yo La Tengo’s “Cherry Chapstick.”
Ike Turner: guitars, vocals
Zach Hench: bass, xmas cheer
Franki Hand: guitars, vocals
Mark Walters: drums
Sarah Beauchamp: vocals
recording: Garth Mason
mix: Zach Hench
Deth Elf – “Silent Night, Gritty Night”
Did someone say songs about Gritty?
The duo Deth Elf are the pride of Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
B. Musikoff – “Penny, I Need The Key”
“Its Christmas time in that department store, ya know, and oh geez, wouldn’t ya know they’re goin’ at it again over the store PA.”
From the mind of Brian Musikoff, host of “MusicOn with Musikoff.”
The ‘Mexicans – “It’s Almost Day”
Returning welcomely for another marathon, The ‘Mericans are a Rhode Island band founded in 2001 by singer / guitarist Chris Daltry (Purple Ivy Shadows).
David Nagler – “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence”
David Nagler is a Brooklyn-based musician, singer, and songwriter. His latest records are The Appointees: 11 songs informed and provoked by Trump cabinet appointees, and Carl Sandburg’s Chicago Poems: anorchestral folk song cycle featuring Jeff Tweedy, Robbie Fulks, Kelly Hogan, and others. Nagler performs regularly with artists including Jon Langford, Wesley Stace, Mark Eitzel, and Eszter Balint, and he is the founder and frontperson for NY metropolitan area pop group Nova Social.
This is his rendition of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s theme for the 1983 film of the same name.
Edith Frost – “Katamari Christmas Level”
Edith Frost can be found on her website and/or Twitter.
This is her sixth contribution to the marathon in as many years. Wow.
“A holiday homage to my favorite videogame franchise of all time, Katamari Damacy!”
Jason Sims – “Happy Christmas, Dr. Rachel Spivy”
Jason Sims is a writer/performer from Huntsville, AL and the host of ConverJasons.
Connor Ratliff & Mikey Erg – “The XMAS Favor”
Comedian Connor Ratliff & Singer/Songwriter Mikey Erg teamed up to write a batch of secular Xmas songs as a soundtrack for a Holiday Special called “The Spirit Of Ratliff.” This entire ragged but right collection of songs was written and recorded in a matter of hours on a single Saturday in October 2015.
Available as a limited edition vinyl release courtesy State Champion, but this song is actually a non-LP bonus recorded for the Xmas show.
Deth Elf – “Elf Strike”
The second DxEx contribution of the season is a quality anthem indeed.
Aerialist – “Santa’s Sleighing”