A Different Kind Of Christmas 2021 Part 1

(10 new tracks that you need to listen to)

Welcome back dear music lovers friends, to your favorite blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, yes, is the end of the year and you might feel the same way that I do, maybe a bit tired of the same old songs that we’ve heard all our lives or a part of it, or like when you going out to the mall and is impossible not to listen to Mariah Carey and her All I Want For Christmas Is You… hold on don’t get me wrong nothing against all this stuff, I just want to bring a new point of view.

I mean so many artists working their butts to bring something new, something fresh, under a new perspective, funny as hell, danceable, and obviously under the influence of the lockdown, yes more pandemic tracks, it’s what it is (sorry but there’s no way that artists don’t make songs about it, in fact, is kind of a cathartic experience not only for the artist but for the listeners as well).

So, I have a few really cool options for you to enjoy, most of them in this Playlist but there are also a few that only can be found on Bandcamp, and you need to listen to these tracks, I’m sure you’re going to enjoy them and why not to add them to your favorite personal holiday Playlist.

Shall we start…

“Santa’s Bat” is this year’s annual Christmas single by indie-pop artist Sebastian Voss (The Fisherman and his Soul) from Münster/Germany also known as “the other half” from Dutch twee-pop outfit Nah…, featuring Lars Schmidt (aka The Radio Field) from Düsseldorf’s indie-pop legends Subterfuge. It evokes the power of classical punk singles with a playtime from under two minutes and a lot of energy, being counteracted by a Mash-Up of German advent carols and a heartbreaking little story about longing, anticipation, and giving a shelter to the needy.

Russian-Canadian rock ’n’ roll artist Paul Cafcae continues to charm music lovers through his authentic, joyful connection with American rock and roll music. On December 10, 2021, he releases yet another masterful throwback to the cheerful sound of the early 60s: this time it’s a holiday single “Every Day is Christmas,” which might make you think that it was produced by Phil Spector himself.

This is the very first time that the band (isn’t really a band, in that it is a collective – of some of the best musicians they know in and around the Leeds/Yorkshire area) released an original track, “It’s Christmas!” is an attempt at a feel-good festive song, hopefully with all the traits and feelings/memories of an enjoyable and fun Christmas!

This holiday season, rising Irish artists Craig Cooney & Rowlette are spreading the festive spirit with their track “December,”. The track is a heartfelt, uplifting fusion of hip-hop and pop, that reflects on the past year and the ups and downs it’s brought. Rowlette’s smooth, melodic vocals compliment Craig’s honest rap verses.

Rowlette says, “This might sound a bit odd but I wanted a less optimistic Christmas song! Every year, there’s so much pressure for everyone to have the best time ever at Christmas, but the reality is Christmas can be really hard for people. Whether it’s financial difficulties, an empty space at the table, or just the trials and tribulations of life, we wanted to write a Christmas song that’s a bit more real.”

The turn for our dear friend Jacquie, in her own words: “We could not stop laughing when we wrote this track. Alex sent me the instrumental from his home in Poland for this urgent Christmas brief (sync opportunity) and as soon as I heard it I loved it. I toplined it and I was just smiling the entire time and when I showed the simple idea to Alex he loved it. I then began recording the final vocals from my home in Tenerife, Spain, and struggled to make it through because I just could not stop laughing. I was just having too much fun recording this silly disco
Christmas track all about catching Santa in the act!

I’ve always loved Christmas, and I believed in Santa for 7 solid years of my life. The day I found out there was no Santa I was devastated. Now, being a mom of two little girls that still believe in Santa, Christmas is even better with them around, and I wanted to write a super fun song about catching Santa in the act! My girls actually love the song and play it all the time. I normally write deeper music, so doing this disco-pop song was a little different for me, but in such a fun way!

Now Evran in his own words: “The song is about two people wandering around a city during a cold winter’s night. They have nothing except their dreams, and no place to stay, but their passionate hearts are keeping them warm. They are mesmerized by the city lights and the starlight. And when the dawn breaks they realize it’s Christmas Day.

The inspiration for the song came from my own experience walking around my hometown late at night around Christmas. In Norway, the sun sets around 3 pm during the winter months. So it’s dark most of the day. But to combat this darkness we decorate houses and buildings with these warm lights. And when the snow comes and settles, the landscapes of a city turns into this golden stary sky see from afar. Almost like a galaxy on earth. I was walking in this golden landscape, just absorbing this surreal feeling of almost floating through a golden galaxy.”

With Neo-Classical soaring textures, melancholic indie-pop vocal melodies, and vocal harmonies reminiscent of the great Bing Crosby, “Christmas Day” feels like a modern vintage indie Christmas song.

Like many musicians last year, Anita took solace in music and writing songs to escape the pandemic, fighting through the noise and turmoil and trying to stay sane. Weeks and months passed and then suddenly, yet slowly it was Christmastime.

“I turned my thoughts inward, to my family and the many Christmases at the home where I grew up,” says Anita. “I saw in my mind’s eye the view of the Christmas lights out above my bedroom window as a child. I remembered gazing into the night sky at the stars, wondering if the bright one was the Christmas Star, the longest nights of the year, especially Christmas Eve, waiting for morning, excited and filled with wonder.”

Nostalgia inspired an idyllic remembrance, and the song poured out of her in a couple of days. And although she was unable to be home in Kamloops for Christmas after such a hard year, she was able to share the song with her family via a Christmas Day Zoom call.

The song is for those who don’t fit in and feel isolated over the festive season. It encourages everyone to show a bit of love, friendship, hope, and kindness. Dale hopes the optimistic ending of the song will inspire people to seek help if they need it.

At his day job, Dale has seen the horrendous impact the pandemic has had on mental health. Because of this, all proceeds from the single will be donated to Tiny Changes. (tinychanges.com)

You can find these tracks on our Spotify playlist below, remember to share, stream, support your favorite, and add to your playlists, happy holidays for everyone, a big hug, keep safe and enjoy the holidays.

During the bleak Christmas of 2020, Christmas music was all there was to lift the mood. But it didn´t seem like very long before the playlists started spinning the same tunes, over and over again. Winterbrook is a collective of musicians determined to bring something new and original to the Christmas music genre. Many artists release a Christmas song, but is this their strongest work? Winterbrook only deals in Christmas tunes. Led by TJ Winterbrook, a charismatic and enigmatic former singer with numerous low-key rock bands, Winterbrook´s songs are influenced by everything from the Beatles to Adele, via Foo Fighters.

The song “My Boyfriend is a Snowman” is a grown-up nod to the magical Christmas tunes that many people enjoyed as children. The theme is magical, but the melody is mature and the mood straddles joy and melancholy in an intriguing way. Above all, it is a song that allows any listener to escape the four walls of their reality for a few minutes and be transported away by the magic of Christmas. The song was Winterbrook´s first official release on 8 November 2021, followed closely by pop-rock Christmas ballad “(I Won´t Be Your) Christmas Turkey”. Three more singles will follow before the Christmas season is over.

There are people out there who like Christmas music, and there are those who haven´t heard Winterbrook yet.

Marvin Muoneké, a firm favourite in the South West Jazz scene joins forces with another
renowned West Country musician, ‘Adam In The Hat’ to deliver a brand new original song
in time for the Christmas season. “Santa, I Can Explain” is a song that tells a story about
two friends who encounter Santa Claus and out of panic, begin to confess to him some
of the good-intentioned mistakes and outlandish pranks they pulled on each other in the
hope that they would be kept off Santa’s Naughty List.

It’s a real swingin’ Christmas treat for all the family to enjoy. A song that has the fun of
festive novelty songs such as ‘Proper Crimbo’ and yet possesses the suave ‘ring-a-ding’
spirit of any vintage Capitol-era Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle record.

This song was conceived by Adam and Marvin during the third national lockdown in
November 2020. The release does not just showcase Marvin’s talents as a
singer-songwriter, but as an exceptional brass player and orchestrator who arranged,
programmed, and recorded the backing for this song, completely by ear.