A Very Festive Post!
Can you believe 2012 is just around the corner? Last minute gift shoppers need not be reminded. If you still have the time for some jolly new music to add to your playlist today, check out this poorly timed roundup of this year’s holiday highlights.
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She & Him‘s holiday LP “A Very Merry She & Him Christmas” is pretty much the essential release this season. Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward’s seasonal offering is a charming collection of lovely old-timey fireside tunes.
Popforward: Serenades
So it’s that jolly time of the year when new original festive songs are in demand again. Up-and-coming Swedish duo Serenades has stepped up to the challenge by releasing a holiday-themed song as their first single. However, “Come Home” is not so much about Christmas itself, but rather a lament about the non-festivity of a one-man holiday. And they sugarcoat the depressing sentiment with lovely sun-kissed melodies that Swedes can seemingly do in their sleep. Serenades’ music falls in the same subgenre of chill, tropical, Instagrammed ’80s pop that The Tough Alliance and Gypsy & The Cat also frequent. While their sound’s not entirely original, it’s done beautifully, and there’s enough room for another band in that niche. Curiously, they are signed to Cherrytree Records, Lady Gaga’s label, so undoubtedly we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in 2012. Watch/stream “Come Home” right below.
A 4-track EP is out now, including a remix by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John.
Buy “Come Home” the EP.
Check out more of their tracks on Soundcloud.
Grab free download “Oceans” over here.
More on Serenades.
Merry Tunes, Pt. 2
Another batch of holiday tunes, with moods ranging from cheery to eerie. It’s all electric fantastic!
- Norwegian duo Röyksopp has made an amazing electronic edit of “Le Cantique de Noel”, which you can download here. I’ve decided that the idea of a full-on festive album from them can be quite exciting.
- NYC electropop duo The Golden Filter has covered Psychic TV’s “White Nights” through their dreamy, off-kilter, um, filter. It’s surprisingly good. Get it here.
Merry Tunes, Pt. 1
Apparently, there has been an avalanche of new holiday music this year. This post is my attempt to round up all the free nice tunes, but there’s so much I have to split it up in 2 parts. Hopefully, these music selections might soundtrack your holiday break well, or least, make it more bearable.
