2020 Christmas Stories, part two.
Just one week until this year’s 33rd-annual marathon!
Here’s the second half of the Christmas Stories recorded exclusively for the 2020 edition of my Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB.
Part one can be enjoyed here!
Remember, the deadline for this year’s submissions is December 21st!
Ski Patrol – “Lighting Up a Dark Season”
Ski Patrol are a band from London, Canada including Imogen Wasse (vocals), Kerry Kijewski (lyrics), Alex Rolston (Percussion) and Brian Kijewski: (acoustic + electric guitar, bass and synth).
George Korein and the Spleen – “Upsot Bells”
George Korein was born in a Wawa in Philadelphia and still lives in Philadelphia in a Wawa. He makes songs that mostly have singing and “and the Spleen” rhymes with Korein. A lot of the music is made almost alone but some is made with awesome musicians he won’t list here because that would be name dropping. People ask “What kind of music do you make?” and he still hasn’t worked up the pomp to say “Art Pop.” This was his second of two 2020 marathon pieces.
Seth Herzog – “Christmas Story”
Mr. Seth Herzog is a comedian and actor, who is currently a regular sketch performer and the resident comedian for NBC’s “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon,” and formerly of “Late Night.”
He is the producer and host of the much-beloved, long-running downtown NYC comedy showcase “Sweet.”
The New Birds Of America – “Balthazar’s Song”
The New Birds of America is a musical project by Toronto poet Blaise Moritz.
Policymaker – “Straightedge Santa”
Michael T. Fournier is Policymaker. Mike is also the drummer/songwriter of Dead Trend, and the author of Double Nickels on the Dime (33.3/Bloomsbury) and, most recently, Swing State (Three Rooms Press). He lives in Western Massachusetts. Get in the van!
Deth Elf – “Xmas 2020”
Deth Elf continue to be the pride of Lansdale, Pennsylvania. This was their second of two 2020 pieces.
Sebastian Petsu – “Long Strands of Light”
A third piece in as many years by Philadelphia’s Sebastian Petsu. The trio of recordings are on his Bandcamp page as the “Three Christmas Waves EP.”
Edith Frost – “Forget About Christmas”
Edith Frost has recorded a piece for each of the past nine marathons! Wow! Go find her on her website, her Bandcamp and/or her Twitter.
B. Musikoff – “Isolated, Capsulated, Christmas in Space”
A bassist, cartoonist, friendist and tinnitust, B. Muskioff resides in the Pacific Northwest and hosts “MusicOn with Musikoff.”
Taxi Vision – “Christmas on the PATH Train”
Taxi Vision started as Matteo Battistini’s project, playing around Brooklyn combining punk rock songform with rhythms drawing on highlife and disco. “Xmas on the PATH Train” is a tribute to a commute to and from Newark, New Jersey written by Chester Dubov and Matteo Battistini.
ANDEMIC – “Posi Xmas”
ANDEMIC is the solo work of Andy Williams, guitarist and vocalist of the band Lefty’s Deceiver and a number of other Philadelphia-based collaborations. He currently resides in Los Angeles and makes music in his attic when the mood strikes.
Joel RL Phelps – “Underneath The Tree”
Canada’s Joel Phelps is a member of The Downer Trio. Joel is the only artist to record a “Christmas Story” every year since this tradition began. Demos and new recordings of his have been posted on Soundcloud, with the majority of his studio output available through Bandcamp.
The Rutabega – “Christmas Fell To Pieces”
South Bend, Indiana‘s The Rutabega – singer-songwriter-guitarist Josh Hensley and drummer Garth Mason – make some of the fullest, brightest sounds ever generated by just two people, weaving punchy, short pop songs and sweeping, ten-minute epics together seamlessly. This is either their sixth or seventh contribution to the marathon depending on who is counting. Why are you counting? Stop counting!
Jon & Maggie mic break!
Finally, during the 2020 edition of the 25-Hour Holiday Radio Show on 103.3 fm WPRB, my daughter Maggie joined me on-mic for her annual appearance. You can hear us here.
