Sights and Sounds: Bill Kirchen, Sara Evans, PJ Harvey

Plenty of news to share! While we all wait (and wait...) for concerts and live music events to return, the focus now is on new albums, reissues and special live stream events...


Bill Kirchen - Telecaster titan - readies 'The Proper Years'

Combines three solo albums connecting dots across his acclaimed 50-year career

AUSTIN, Texas — Upon tallying how many decades he’s worked as a professional guitar slinger, Telecaster master Bill Kirchen quips, “Well, they don't make 50 years like they used to.”

 

They don’t often make careers like his, either. From performing with his Who Knows Pickers jug band in Ann Arbor High School’s senior talent show (also on the program: the future Iggy Pop), to birthing the Americana genre with the original “hippie country band,”Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, this affable Austinite has been everywhere, man, flying alongside some of the planet’s coolest cats — including the Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe, and Lowe’s old protégé, Elvis Costello. Kirchen has toured the world with Lowe, who produced an album by Kirchen’s post-Airmen band, the Moonlighters, and Costello recruited Kirchen for high-profile gigs like the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival — and even named his festival band after Kirchen’s Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods album.

 

Lowe appears on that 2006 album, and its 2010 follow-up, Word to the Wise, along with Costello, Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks and other luminaries. And now those albums, plus Kirchen’s third Proper American release, 2013’s Seeds and Stems, are being combined as a two-CD retrospective titled The Proper Years. The package, on U.K. label The Last Music Co., arrives July 24, 2020. Waxworks, a vinyl best-of version, also releases July 24.

 

A well-balanced mix of engaging originals and wonderfully rendered covers, The Proper Years admirably conveys Kirchen’s versatility as a player and singer — one of the first to mash up rockabilly, country, Western swing, honky-tonk, jump blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and even the “psychedelic folk rock” he played with the Seventh Seal, the band he formed while attending the University of Michigan. (MC5 manager/activist John Sinclair got them a deal on the ESP-Disk label, home of Sun Ra, but the band turned it down.) Somewhere between steering Commander Cody’s “Hot Rod Lincoln” into a top-10 hit and scoring a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance, Kirchen dubbed his sound “dieselbilly,” wrapping his fondness for country’s truck-driving song subgenre (as in big rigs, not pickups), its intersection with the Bakersfield Sound, and his own name into one memorable moniker.

 

Kirchen’s right-place-at-the-right-time career has put him at the forefront of many musical movements, including outlaw country; Commander Cody’s 1974 album, Live From Deep in the Heart of Texas, recorded at Austin’s legendary Armadillo World Headquarters, made Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of All Time list. 

 

But whatever label Kirchen’s music wears, it’s always notable for its balance of high-octane energy and deft understatement. There’s no leadfoot excess; Kirchen’s all about finesse — a sensibility absorbed from the symphonies and Broadway musicals his parents loved, along with the orchestral works he played as a school-band trombonist. Through another major influence, Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp counselor David Siglin (who would go on to run famed Ann Arbor venue the Ark), Kirchen became immersed in folk traditions and learned to love the “big, sonorous tones” of an undistorted guitar. 

 

“I was more interested in sounding like Doc Watson than Eric Clapton,” admits Kirchen, whose main guitar was crafted by Rick Kelly of Carmine Street Guitars from 200-year-old pine floorboards recycled from film director Jim Jarmusch’s loft.

 

It’s fitting that this collection begins with his ode to that Telly-modeled “stick of wood” he calls “the bicycle of the electric guitar — the most efficient way to get from point A to point B.” That song also serves as exhibit A in a collection showcasing a central facet of Kirchen’s songwriting: his wit. If there’s a laugh to be reached for — or stooped to — Kirchen’s goin’ for it; you don’t survive years in a band named Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, or drop album titles like Seeds and Stems, without possessing a gleefully subversive, double-entendre-loving funnybone. 

 

“I like music where at least someone onstage is smiling sometimes, fer crissake,” jokes Kirchen, who’s often grinning happily when he’s not busy singing. But for every injection of humor, there’s an equal dose of heart (and in some cases, heartbreak). And songs like “Tell Me the Reason” or “Get a Little Goner” illustrate another truism: Kirchen often sets the saddest or most biting lyrics to the jauntiest melodies. 

 

Those two were cowritten by his wife, Louise; “Goner” also features frequent contributor Sarah Brown(coincidentally also raised in Ann Arbor). Kirchen likes collaborating: on Word to the Wise, a musical reminiscence of sorts, he tapped several favorite artists to join him, carefully selecting or writing songs for each. In the liner notes, he explains, “The criteria we used were that you had to be A) someone I had actually played with, either on stage or record, and B) not dead yet.” 

 

Sadly, Norton Buffalo, who played harmonica with the Airmen and Moonlighters, passed away shortly after recording “Valley of the Moon” — in which Kirchen revisits scenes of his early life with Louise on a trip to attend a funeral (for Hacienda Brother Chris Gaffney, another musical mate). Dan Hicks, who delivered a note-perfect duet on the title tune — written for him — died in 2016. But as of this writing, Lowe, Costello, Maria Muldaur, Paul Carrack, original Asleep at the Wheel vocalist Chris O’Connell and Commander Cody (a.k.a. George Frayne) are still very much with us. 

 

Kirchen’s entertaining liner notes explain his connection to each, tracing many of these relationships directly to longtime collaborator and “main man” Austin de Lone, who appears on all three albums and is part of the core band on two.

Philadelphia-born keyboardist de Lone and his band, Eggs Over Easy, moved to England in 1970, urged by Jimi Hendrix’s manager, Chas Chandler. Their rootsy mix of blues, country and rock caught on — and germinated the pub-rock movement, whose acolytes included Brinsley Schwarz, in which Lowe played bass. In 1972, de Lone moved to California, where he met Kirchen. Years later, de Lone wound up joining the Moonlighters and introducing Kirchen to Lowe, who produced the band’s 1983 album, Rush Hour (and introduced Kirchen to Costello). That album was engineered by Paul Riley, who eventually would produce all of Kirchen’s Proper releases.

 

A devoted Anglophile, thanks to two aunts who married Brits, Kirchen began recording for the British label (distributed in the U.S. under the Proper American name) after owner Malcolm Mills promised, “I'm going to give you the best deal you've had in 25 years.” 

 

He did, too. Mills not only supports Kirchen’s recorded output, he also supports the guitarist onstage, right alongside bassist Riley. “Where else do you get a record company where the owner plays drums, the producer plays bass, and they tour with you?” Kirchen says of his good friends. “They’re the best.” 


 

That’s just another twist in an incredible career trajectory set in motion, according to Kirchen, by two pivotal events: the 1964 and ’65 Newport Folk Festivals. As a high-school kid on a quest to catch Mississippi John Hurt, he thumbed to the first one, then went back the following year — and witnessed Dylan going electric.

 

“That pretty well blew away the competition for what I was going to do before, or if, or when I grew up,” he says of those experiences. Five years later, he found himself sharing a bill with John Lennon, Yoko Ono,and Stevie Wonder, when Commander Cody and the Airmen, who’d formed in Ann Arbor, played a benefit for Sinclair after he got 10 years for two joints.

 

A mere 50 years later, Kirchen’s still having a blast. He’s even planning another tour with Riley and Mills. But releasing this package, he says, “nicely puts a bow on a whole, very enjoyable period of my life.” 

 

“Not that it's over,” he adds quickly. “I mean, I’ve got more stuff in the works.”

 

Then he cracks, “Don’t tell anybody, but it's not as hard as it looks.” 

 

Linksbillkirchen.com/official
facebook.com/billkirchen

Sara Evans 'Copy That' livestream on Friday, May 29 to benefit local venues
 
Celebrates new album with Virtual Performance,
Q&A, and Meet & Greet

Nashville, TN — May 27, 2020 – Sara Evans is celebrating the success of her brand-new album, Copy That, with a live stream performance on Friday, May 29.  The special event, featuring Sara playing a mix of hits and new music, taking a request or two, a Q&A and meet & greet, will benefit local venues in four states – Indiana, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin.  For more information and to participate in this event, click HERE.
 

Local Venues Supported By Livestream Include:
Riviera Theater / The Pabst Theater Group - Milwaukee, WI
Meyer Theater - Green Bay, WI
Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center – Midland, TX
Victory Theater – Evansville, IN
Orpheum Theater, Omaha Performing Arts - Omaha, NE

“Participating in the Sara Evans live stream performance not only provides much needed financial help for The Pabst Theater Group during these difficult times, it also helps us to stay connected with our community and provide them with one of the very special things that has been taken away from them…the beauty of a live performance,” said Gary Witt, CEO Pabst Theater Group-Milwaukee.

“We’re really excited to bring Sara into the Omaha area and be a part of a new initiative to connect with our community,” said Andy Cassano, Vice President of Programming & Education for Omaha Performing Arts.

Copy That, the first solo studio album in three years from multi-platinum star Sara Evans, released on May 15 and opened at #1 on the iTunes Country Chart. Co-produced by Sara and Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls), and released on her own Born To Fly Records, the 13-song collection spans six decades. Featuring collaborations with Old Crow Medicine Show and Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet, Copy That showcases Evans’ creative take on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music, songs that have inspired her life and career, as well as shines a spotlight on some little-known gems. Sara pays tribute to her early days fronting her family band and covers everyone from Hank Williams to Patsy Cline, Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders, Poco, John Mayer, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Chicago and more.  Download or stream Copy That by visiting saraevans.co/copythat. 

Sara will continue her wildly popular “Closet Chaos” Instagram Live series each Monday. The hilarious series, which she has been doing alongside daughter Oliva Barker, has welcomed guests such as Tony Dovolani, Clinton Kelly, Martina McBride, Melissa Peterman, and Phillip Sweet.

About Sara Evans: 

Multi-platinum entertainer SARA EVANS is at the top of her game. As the fifth most-played female artist at country radio in nearly the last two decades — her five No. 1 singles include “No Place That Far,” “Suds In The Bucket, “A Real Fine Place To Start,” “Born to Fly,” and “A Little Bit Stronger,” which spent 2 weeks in the top spot and was certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. Sara’s “stunning, country voice” (Rolling Stone) has earned her the prestigious Academy of Country Music Top Female vocalist accolade as well as numerous American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association, CMT and Grammy Awards nominations. In addition, the CMA awarded Video of the Year honors for her hit chart-topping single, "Born to Fly" from her landmark double-platinum album of the same name, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary in 2020.  Evans’ discography also includes the platinum-selling studio albums Real Fine Place and Restless as well as the gold-certified projects Stronger and No Place That Far.

Sara has continued to forge her bold, creative path with Copy That, which opened at #1 on the iTunes Country chart, released on her own Born To Fly Records on May 15, 2020. The 13-song collection, spanning six decades, showcased Evans’ distinctive creative stamp on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music, songs that have inspired her life and career, as well as shining a spotlight on some little-known gems. Copy That follows her critically acclaimed Words, which debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart in 2017. Last year brought album and touring collaborations with her children, Avery and Olivia Barker, for The Barker Family Band.

On September 8, 2020, Sara will release her memoir, Born To Fly, through Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.  For the first time, Evans will open up and share stories not only about her career and what it is like living in the spotlight, but about what inspires her and how her faith keeps her strong.  Drawing on stories from her own life, she shares wisdom on topics ranging from motherhood and marriage to finding your purpose.

For more information on Sara Evans, visit  SaraEvans.com and engage with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

PJ Harvey entire back catalog reissued on vinyl 

Plus album demos available as stand-alone collections for first time

‘DRY’ and ‘DRY – Demos’

Available July 24

Listen to demo version of “Sheela-Na-Gig” here

Photo Credit: Maria Mochnacz

Watch video for “Dress” here

“[DRY] …still fearless, forever timeless. It’s both vicious blues-punk – a noise that’s bruised and battered, murky and muscular.” – THE GUARDIAN 

Santa Monica, CA – May 28, 2020 – UMe/Island and Beggars today announce a comprehensive reissue campaign which will see PJ Harvey’s entire back catalog - plus her two albums in collaboration with John Parish - released on vinyl over the next 12 months. For the first time, each of PJ Harvey’s album demos will be available as a stand-alone album on digital and vinyl. 

This catalog project will celebrate every aspect of Harvey’s recording career and afford a comprehensive and exciting look at the evolution of one of the most singular and extraordinary artists of modern times. 

The first release is DRY, Harvey’s seminal debut album back in print on vinyl for the first time in 20 years with the Beggars Archive/Too Pure Records reissue on July 24. Released to worldwide critical acclaim on March 30, 1992, it was recorded at The Ice House in Yeovil and features the singles “Dress” and “Sheela-Na-Gig.” DRY saw PJ Harvey burst onto the global stage to begin her unique path. “… a seductive calling card that signals the arrival of an extraordinary new artist.”  - Robert Hilburn, LOS ANGELES TIMES. 

July 24 also sees the release of the 11 track DRY- Demos, previously released with DRY almost 30 years ago, and now available for the first time as a stand-alone vinyl/CD/digital release. Listen to “Sheela-Na-Gig” demo here.

"Polly dredges these sounds from the pit of her dissected soul and drags them out of her mouth with clenched fists." – NME (DRY review,1992)

“On her debut [DRY], Polly Jean Harvey matched Patti Smith’s incandescence with Bessie Smith’s lasciviousness, outplayed everyone on the British indie circuit, and became an instant star.” – PITCHFORK

“[DRY] ….an uncompromising work of exhilarating, cauterizing beauty." – ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

DRY – DEMOS:

An 11-track collection of demos of all songs from the debut studio album Dry by PJ Harvey, available for the first time since 1992 and previously unreleased as a standalone album. 

Featuring brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

LP Info:

• 1LP, 180gram black vinyl
• Full color outer sleeve, with printed inner sleeve
• Artwork includes 3 previously unreleased photos
• Download card

CD Info:

• Mini-gatefold style outer sleeve, with printed inner sleeve
• Artwork includes 3 previously unreleased photos

Digital Info:

11-track standard definition release, available digitally for the first time. 

Tracklisting:

1. Oh my Lover (Demo)
2. O Stella (Demo)
3. Dress (Demo)
4. Victory (Demo)
5. Happy & Bleeding (Demo)
6. Sheela-Na-Gig (Demo)
7. Hair (Demo)
8. Joe (Demo)
9. Plants & Rags (Demo)
10. Fountain (Demo)
11. Water (Demo) 

Dry – Demos is available on digital, CD and vinyl on July 24 on UMe/Island Records. Pre-order here. 

DRY – STUDIO ALBUM:

Remastered by DRY producer ‘Head’ and replicated to the original version. 

Dry (studio album) is available on Too Pure/Beggars Archive on vinyl on July 24. Pre-order here.

PJ HARVEY – Discography: 

Dry (1992)

Rid Of Me (1993)

To Bring You My Love (1995)

Is This Desire? (1998)

Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000)

Uh Huh Her (2004)

White Chalk (2007)

Let England Shake (2011)

The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016)

With John Parish:

Dance Hall At Louse Point (1996)

A Woman A Man Walked By (2009)

www.pjharvey.net

Sights and Sounds: U2, Nick Lowe, Silversun Pickups, Third Eye Blind

Before we all break for the holiday weekend, here is a round-up of notable music news!

To mark 30 years since the release of U2's fifth studio album The Joshua Tree, an anniversary edition of the seminal record will be released by Island Records on June 2nd, 2017.

Alongside the 11-track album, the super deluxe collector's edition includes a live recording of The Joshua Tree Tour 1987 Madison Square Garden concert; rarities and B-sides from the album's original recording sessions; as well as 2017 remixes from Daniel Lanois, St Francis Hotel, Jacknife Lee, Steve Lillywhite and Flood; plus an 84-page hardback book of unseen personal photography shot by The Edge during the original Mojave Desert photo session in 1986.

Released to universal acclaim on March 9, 1987 and featuring hit singles 'With Or Without You', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and 'Where The Streets Have No Name', The Joshua Tree went to #1 in the U.K, U.S., Ireland and around the world, selling in excess of 25 million albums, and catapulting Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr '...from heroes to superstars' (Rolling Stone). Time Magazine put U2 on its cover in April 1987, proclaiming them 'Rock's Hottest Ticket' and the 12 months that followed saw U2 create iconic moments including the traffic-stopping Grammy Award-winning 'Where The Streets Have No Name' video on the roof of a Los Angeles liquor store, and go on to win a BRIT Award and two Grammys - including Album of the Year - their first of 22 received to date; as well as a triumphant return home for four unforgettable shows in Belfast, Dublin and Cork in the summer of 1987.

This collector's boxset includes:

-The Joshua Tree 2007
-Live from Madison Square Garden 1987
-The Joshua Tree 2017 Remixes
-The Joshua Tree B-Sides & Outtakes

The Joshua Tree Photographs by The Edge. An 84-page hardback book of personal never-before seen photography by The Edge, taken during the original Mojave Desert Joshua Tree shoot, 1986 and a folio of 8 rare 12' Anton Corbijn colour prints.

Yep Rock has just announced that music fans can now own six Nick Lowe reissues! Nick the Knife, The Abominable Showman, Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit, The Rose of England, Pinker and Prouder Than Previous, and Party of One are coming to both CD and Vinyl! When you purchase them from Yep Rock together, you also get a deep price discount and a limited edition Nick Lowe lunchbox for free! Cool.

These albums mark the period in Nick Lowe's career where he was experimenting with numerous genres, ranging from roots rock to country to reggae to the pub rock and power pop sounds that he made so famous. These albums are absolutely worthy of second listen and showcase his collaborations with artists such as Elvis Costello, Huey Lewis, Paul Carrack and many more.

Bundle all six reissues together and save over 30% + get a limited edition Nick Lowe lunchbox! Click here to order yours.

Photo Credit: Citizen Kane Wayne

Silversun Pickups are sharing "Latchkey Kids (Joywave Remix)" as they get set to kick off a 30-date "Summer Gods" Amphitheater Tour with Third Eye Blind beginning on June 9, 2017. Here is the media release that landed in my inbox this morning:

SILVERSUN PICKUPS SHARE “LATCHKEY KIDS (JOYWAVE REMIX)”

KICK-OFF 30-DATE “SUMMER GODS” AMPHITHEATER TOUR WITH THIRD EYE BLIND ON JUNE 9th

BETTER NATURE OUT NOW

“It’s...time to finally give the Pickups their influential due.”  —Los Angeles Times  “Better Nature is a clearly realized vision of rocking guitar, deep musical landscapes and fluid style.” —The Daily Beast

This morning, Silversun Pickups shared “Latchkey Kids (Joywave Remix)”, a swirling and frenetic iteration of the third single off 2015’s Better Nature, remixed by Rochester, NY band, Joywave. Listen to “Latchkey Kids” (Joywave Remix) here: http://bit.ly/2qqYs3g Silversun Pickups will embark on a 30-date amphitheater tour opening for Third Eye Blind. The “Summer Gods” Tour celebrates Third Eye Blind’s 20th anniversary, and kicks off on Friday, June 9 in Miami, FL with stops including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and New Orleans. Dates below and tickets are now on sale here. Their fourth studio album, Better Nature, which Entertainment Weekly called “…worth the wait,” was released on September 25th, 2015 via the band’s own New Machine Recordings. Produced by Jacknife Lee (U2, Two Door Cinema Club, Crystal Castles) and mixed by GRAMMY winner Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Royal Blood), Better Nature is a revelatory manifestation of a band entirely in touch with the muse and each other. Hailed for their inimitable merging of ethereal melodies and pure sonic force, Silversun Pickups are among the most dynamic and creative rock bands of the modern era. From the indie rock opening salvo of 2005's Pikul EP to 2012's far-reaching Neck of the Woods, each successive release has seen the Silver Lake-based band boldly venture into uncharted terrain, bravely pushing their imagination and ability toward new and surprising summits. Their 2009 album Swoon featured the Billboard Hot 100 hit "Panic Switch" and earned the group a nomination for Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs that year. Better Nature marks the debut release from Silversun Pickups' own New Machine Recordings. The label — which takes its name from the Pikul favorite, "…All The Go Inbetweens" — allows the ever-autonomous band to fully determine its own course without any interference. Silversun Pickups’s video for “Latchkey Kids” was directed by Maryam L'Ange, and explores the realities and challenges of adolescence through the eyes of a teenager, played by Julian Rapaport, and you can watch it here: http://bit.ly/2gEMBwR Silversun Pickups also performed at Chicago’s Grant Park for 2016’s Lollapalooza Festival, and you can watch their stirring performance of "Panic Switch," off 2009’s Swoon, which garnered the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, here: http://bit.ly/2gTeAqd SILVERSUN PICKUPS TOUR DATES- Tickets at http://silversunpickups.com/tour/ “SUMMER GODS” DATES WITH THIRD EYE BLIND Fri, Jun 09           Miami, FL- Bayfront Park Amphitheatre Sat, Jun 10          Clearwater, FL – Coachman Park Sun, Jun 11         Jacksonville, FL- Daily’s Place  Tue, Jun 13          New Orleans, LA- Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square Thu, Jun 15          Nashville, TN- Ascend Amphitheater Fri, Jun 16            Charlotte, NC- Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre Sat, Jun 17           Raleigh, NC- Red Hat Amphitheater Sun, Jun 18          Baltimore, MD- Pier Six Pavilion Wed, Jun 21         Boston, MA- Blue Hills Bank Pavilion Fri, Jun 23            Holmdel, NJ- PNC Bank Arts Center Sat, Jun 24           Wantagh, NY- Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Sun, Jun 25          Philadelphia, PA- Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing Wed, Jun 28        Toronto, ON- TD Echo Beach Thu, Jun 29          Darien Center, NY- Darien Lake Performing Arts Center Fri, Jun 30             Syracuse, NY- Lakeview Amphitheater Sat, Jul 01             Saratoga Springs, NY- Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sun, Jul 02            Wallingford, CT- Toyota Oakdale Theatre Thu, Jul 06            Chicago, IL- Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Fri, Jul 07              Detroit, MI- DTE Energy Music Theatre Sat, Jul 08             Cleveland, OH- Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica Sun, Jul 09            Indianapolis, IN-- Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park Tues, Jul 11          St. Louis, MO- Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Wed, Jul 12          Rogers, Arkansas- Walmart AMP Fri, Jul 14              Houston, TX- Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sat, Jul 15             Dallas, TX- Starplex Pavilion Tue, Jul 18            Phoenix, AZ- Comerica Theatre Thu, Jul 20            Los Angeles, CA- Greek Theatre Fri, Jul 21              San Diego, CA- Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre Sat, Jul 22             Las Vegas, NV- The Joint at Hard Rock Sun, Jul 23            Berkeley, CA- Greek Theatre SILVERSUN PICKUPS BETTER NATURE TRACKLISTING Cradle (Better Nature) Connection Pins & Needles Friendly Fires Nightlight Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance) Tapedeck Latchkey Kids Ragamuffin The Wild Kind

A holiday party primer: George A. Paul's overview of 2013 Christmas music titles available now

By George A. Paul

If you're looking for fresh Christmas music to liven up your holiday party or tree trimming festivities over the next 10 days, here are some suggestions...

Artist: Nick Lowe
Title: Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family (Yep Roc)
You might enjoy if you like: Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Graham Parker
Tell me more: The veteran English pub rocker-turned-classy balladeer takes on sharp holiday tunes by Ron Sexsmith, Roger Miller, Roy Wood, plus a few of his own shrewd originals (one was penned with Ry Cooder) and dresses them up in vintage rockabilly and skiffle clothes that sound as if they were recorded at Memphis' Sun Studio. 
Highlights: "Christmas at the Airport," "The North Pole Express," "A Dollar Short of Happy"
Information: yeproc.com, nicklowe.net
Get Quality Street: a Seasonal Selection now


Artist: Erasure
Title: Snow Globe (Mute Records)
You might enjoy if you like: OMD, Pet Shop Boys, Sparks
Tell me more: Co-produced by longtime associate Gareth Jones, the UK synth-pop duo mixes melancholy ("In the Bleak Midwinter"), regal ("Silver Bells"), mid-tempo dance ("Gaudete," where Andy Bells sings in Latin; the frisky "There'll Be No Tomorrow") and bleak ("Blood on the Snow") tunes with equal aplomb. Musical mastermind Vince Clarke's plunging noises during the gradual dance rhythm of "The Christmas Son" is especially fun. 
Highlights: "Bells of Love," "Sleep Quietly," "Loving Man"
Information: mute.com, erasureinfo.com
Get Snow Globe here


Artist: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Title: It Feels Like Christmas Time (Savoy Jazz Records)
You might enjoy if you like: Brian Setzer Orchestra, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Tell me more: Scotty Morris and company get into the swing of things with a Hot Club of Cowtown-styled "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)," the snazzy Dixieland in "Frosty the Snowman" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (sung by bassist Dirk Shumaker). Guest vocal trio She, Her & I give the proceedings an Andrew Sisters vibe. Bonus points for including two post-Christmas numbers: "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" (a laid back duet with Anna Kasper) and the mostly instrumental "Auld Lang Syne," patterned after a party countdown to midnight. 
Highlights: "Run Rudolph Run"
Information: savoyjazz.com, bbvd.com
Get your copy of It Feels Like Christmas Time - Amazon Exclusive


Artist: Jewel
Title: Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection (Trust Fund Baby Records)
You might enjoy if you like: Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell
Tell me more: A decade after her first Christmas CD, the folk/pop artist puts her frothy pipes around the countrified "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow," does an adept job on the elegant Latin song "Panis Angelicus," uses an electronic vocal effect on "Blue Crystal Glow" and corrals Vince Gill to play some electrifying guitar licks during the mild rocker "White Christmas." 
Highlights: "Silver Bells," the title track
Information: jeweljk.com
Buy Jewel - Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection LIMITED EDITION CD Includes BONUS Track "Deck The Halls"


Artist: Kelly Clarkson
Title: Wrapped in Red (RCA Records)
You might enjoy if you like: Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Pink
Tell me more: Featuring the Motown-styled pop hit single "Underneath the Tree," Clarkson has created a jubilant, diverse album with four fine originals. There's a jazzy "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Ronnie Dunn is her duet partner), a reverent "Silent Night" (Reba and Trisha Yearwood share the verses), the rocking' "Run Rudolph Run" and some dynamic, brassy ballads. 
Highlights: "4 Carats," "Blue Christmas," "Every Christmas"
Information: kellyclarkson.com, rcarecords.com
Purchase Wrapped in Red here


Artists: Alabama, Martina McBride, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, others
Title: The Classic Christmas Album (Sony Music Entertainment)
You might enjoy if you like: Any of the artists involved
Tell me more: This compilation series gathers selected tracks from artists who have put out more than one holiday collection in the past and typically averages 12-16 songs each. 

Alabama's country title is culled from their 1985 classic Christmas (which I play every year) and 1996's Volume II. McBride's is mostly sourced off her traditional, classical-flavored 1998 effort White Christmas (and its 2007 reissue), plus a pair of virtual duets with Elvis Presley and Dean Martin. Diamond goes the chorale route with half of the numbers here. Cash's come from 1963's The Christmas Spirit, 1972's Family Christmas and 1980's Classic Christmas. The Man in Black is joined by his brother Tommy, wife June Carter and her family, plus the Statler Brothers on songs ranging from spiritual to chorale.

John Denver, Andy Williams, Kenny G, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Gladys Knight & the Pips, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Luther Vandross, Barry Manilow round out this series.

Highlights: "Christmas in Dixie," "Joseph and Mary's Boy" (Alabama); "Away in a Manger" (McBride); "You Make it Feel Like Christmas" (Diamond); "Blue Christmas," "Little Drummer Boy" (Cash)
Information: LegacyRecordings.com
Buy Johnny Cash's The Classic Christmas Album


Artist: Dave Barnes
Title: A December to Remember (50 Year Plan Records)
You might enjoy if you like: Mat Kearney, Gavin DeGraw
Tell me more: With a foot in both the Christian and country music worlds, the South Carolina native has written songs alongside Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Billy Currington and more. His second Christmas album adeptly dives into the jazz and R&B realms, with a touch of spiritual for good measure. 
Highlights: "Christmas Eve," "When Love Was Born"
Information: davebarnes.com
Buy A December to Remember here


Artist: Bad Religion
Title: Christmas Songs (Epitaph Records)
You might enjoy if you like: Ramones, Descendents
Tell me more: This holiday release finds the LA punk stalwarts blitzing through nine tracks in approximately 20 minutes, including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "What Child is This" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." No messing with the usual Bad Religion formula here. Sometimes "loud fast rules" even during the holidays. For the final track, they add a new mix of 1990s alt-rock hit "American Jesus" (I couldn't tell much different from the original). The band is donating 20 percent of all album proceeds to SNAP - the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. 
Highlights: "Little Drummer Boy," "Angels We Have Heard On High
Information: christmas.badreligion.com

Get special Christmas Songs (LP+CD) version here