Christmas 2014: An Indie Christmas

Mississippi songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Dent May recently shared his new Christmas song, "I'll Be Stoned For Christmas," just in time for the holiday season. The song was produced by Cole Furlow of Dead Gaze at his house in Oxford, MS and is inspired by partying with old friends on Christmas night after the family festivities have wrapped up.

Dent May's band members are apparently very handsome, as Lara noted in 2009, "my concert date, Kate, would like it to be known, throughout the e-world, that she would not refuse sex from any of Dent May’s band members, if they offer."

The final year end show for Dent May (who "sorta-kinda-maybe sounds like Jens Lekman, thank you very much") will play Proud Larry's in Oxford, Mississippi, along with Dead Gaze and Young Buffalo. Dent May's latest album Warm Blanket is out now on Paw Tracks, available on all popular formats, CD, LP and digital.

Swedish band Red Sleeping Beauty, possibly named after the McCarthy 1986 song "Red Sleeping Beauty" (which was compiled on Panic) is back with a holiday song "Merry Christmas, Marie"….

… their first new song in 17 years!!

Hear the song:

Look for Red Sleeping Beauty's upcoming double A-side single “Always” / “Breaking Up is Easy” scheduled for a spring 2015 release and a pending third album.

Red Sleeping Beauty are guitarist / keyboardist Mikael Matsson and singer / guitarist Niklas Angergård (Acid House Kings). Their Facebook also lists contributors Kristina Borg and
Carl-Johan Näsström.

In our Christmas Podcast, John and Vu discussed A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector (1963), and how the album has a massive influence on today's artists….

Take for example, Brooklyn's Hellbirds, a new band who was inspired by the early 60s guitar rock that they've released Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You From Hellbirds.

The entire A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector was re-recorded and each song was put out one a day from December 10th to December 23rd.

The Hellbirds players are:

Toronto-based, power-pop/rock trio Ménage recently release their cover of Bryan Adams' "Christmas Time" for the holidays.

If you're not familiar with the classic Adams song, it was originally written by Adams and Jim Vallance and was a one-off single (with B-Side of "Reggae Christmas, featuring Pee Wee Herman) released in Canada in 1985.

Hear the cover version:

We previously mentioned that Ménage was a brother/sister act from Los Angeles (by the way of Toronto) and had one of their songs "These Are The Days" featured on Canada's Degrassi.

Ménage's EP EP came out Oct 14, 2014, via Liberdade Records. Look for the band at The Toronto Food Drive, taking place at The Hideout Toronto tonight, December 13th.