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Showing posts with label Yep Roc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yep Roc. Show all posts

Oh Santa! New & Used Holiday Classics (Yep Roc)


One night last month, my wife and son huddled around the computer, shopping for my Christmas gifts. When they came across this one, my son laughed out loud at the artwork and selected this one for me.

Yep Roc Records was founded in Chapel Hill, North Carolina back in 1996 and has grown to be a quite reputable independent record label. Some of the artists who have released albums for them include Robyn Hitchcock, Los Straitjackets, The Minus 5, Paul Weller, Nick Lowe, The Fleshtones, Marah, and The Reverend Horton Heat.

To quote from their website:

"Every family has one, that Grinch who hates Christmas music, the humbugger that snarls at the mere mention of Rudolph or silent nights. During the holidays we here at Yep Roc have more than a few of these curmudgeons roaming the halls, so we decided to do something about it.

"Oh Santa! New & Used Holiday Classics from Yep Roc features our favorite Christmas tracks from twelve of Yep Roc's best and brightest including The Apples in stereo, Los Straitjackets, Reverend Horton Heat, Marah and many more. Oh Santa! is the perfect gift for the hipster on your list and it's guaranteed to be the soundtrack to your most rocking holiday soiree!"

TRACK REVIEWS:

1.) Los Straitjackets - "Holiday Twist"
A new track from one of the best bands in the land! If you haven't checked out their "Tis The Season", you're only hurting yourself.

2.) Jason Ringenberg (featuring Kristi Rose) - "Lovely Christmas"
Kristi begins with a sweet Christmas tune, Jason interjects with some raucous garage Christmas sounds. I'm amazed they both made it through with straight faces - hilarious!

3.) Jake Brennan & The Confidence Men - "Santa Gave To You What You Gave To Me"
Had to listen to this one twice because I missed some of the clever lyrics thanks to the great sound of this band!

4.) Marah - "New York Is A Christmas Kind Of Town"
The quasi-title track from their excellent 2005 Christmas release (which I picked up last year - watch for a full review soon).

5.) Chatham County Line - "O! Santa"
I didn't expect bluegrass at all! Chatham gives us a wonderful new song that's the right mix of bluegrass, country, and Christmas! Brilliant!

6.) The Apples In Stereo - "Holiday Mood"
GREAT JUMPIN' ICEBERGS!!! Part power-pop, part psychedelic, this is a fantastic song that might make my annual Christmas CD! Great stuff!

7.) Th' Legendary Shack Shakers - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
What if Tom Waits recorded an uptempo blues-rock Christmas song? It might sound like this... lotta fun from the Shack Shakers!

8.) The Moaners - "Something Funny In Santa's Lap"
Melissa Swingle and Laura King's Christmas song is hard, edgy, and full of garage band goodness. Clever title and lyrics await you on this one...

9.) American Princes - "This Business Of Christmas"
WOW! Rock is alive and well and in the hands of these Little Rock rockers! An amazing song that doesn't get old after repeated listenings!

10.) Reverend Horton Heat - "Santa On The Roof"
Selected from their rockin' 2005 Christmas release, these guys can run rings around Brian Setzer's head any day of the week! I chose this song for my 2006 annual Christmas CD...

11.) Cities - "So Cold This Christmas"
Breathtaking sound from this Chapel Hill band! I can't wait to hear a FULL Christmas album from these guys!

12.) Minus 5 - "Your Christmas Whiskey"
Does whiskey really make "the mistletoe greener"? This song makes a strong argument around some fun lyrics and power-pop sounds!


This is what compilations are meant to do: introduce you to new artists you've never heard before to showcase their talents. After listening to this stellar comp, I'm very interested in hearing what other sounds several of these bands have to offer!

The music industry can take some lessons from Yep Roc - stop trying to shove formulas and soundalikes down our throats and let new bands do what they do best. I hope Yep Roc will continue to seek out the young up-and-comers and continue to put out music (especially more Christmas albums!).


Capt

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Rev. Horton Heat - We Three Kings: Christmas Favorites


A few months ago during the Christmas season of 2005, I purchased two new Christmas releases at my local Borders store with similar sounds but way, WAY different approaches. The first was Brian Setzer's "Dig That Crazy Christmas". The second album is the one you see above.

For those of you not versed in the ways of the good Rev. Heat, here's the backstory:

Formed in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, the original members were Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath on guitar, Bobby Baranowski on drums, and "Swingin'" Jack Barton on upright bass. This manic trio began touring with a wild stage show that set them apart from other rockabilly groups like the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Imbibing plenty of Jagermeisters during performances (let's see Setzer do that onstage!), the band's antics - mixed with their incredibly hilarious lyrics and the sound of country, rockabilly, big band, and psychobilly - made them underground favorites.

Shortly before they secured their recording contract at SubPop (the granddaddy of alternative record labels), Barton and Baranowski left the group. They were replaced by current band member Jimbo Wallace on upright bass and Patrick "Taz" Bentley on drums.

Between 1991 and 1994, the band released two studio albums for SubPop: "Smoke Em If You Got Them" and "Full Custom Gospel Sounds Of". Shortly before signing with Interscope Records in 1994, the band lost another drummer when Bentley left and Scott "Chernobyl" Churilla arrived.

Their next album was a SubPop/Interscope co-production entitled "Liquor In The Front", a radical departure from the standard format. Dark and edgy, it was a turning point for the band. This was followed by "It's Martini Time" in 1996 and "Space Heater" in 1998, each album just a wee bit more darker.

Each album sold moderately well but not enough for the pencil pushers at Interscope. After their ceremonial "best of" album "Holy Roller" was released in 1998, the band signed a one album deal with indie label Time Bomb Recordings for their 2000 album "Spend The Night In The Box". After one album with Artemis Records - 2002's "Lucky 7", the right Rev. and company signed with Yep Roc in 2004 and released "Revival".

That brings us up to date and I think I've used up my link quota for the year...

If you're thinking "this CD is just like the Setzer album - minus the big band feel", you're wrong. Setzer wouldn't get this raw and unpolished even if he had a bunch of Stray Cats around. This is pure Texas country & western twang mixed liberally with psychobilly all wrapped around Christmas music! It's a bronkin' bareback ride definitely worth taking!

My favorites include "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (complete with a 1960s TV "Batman" intro!), "Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy", and their stripped down version of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Paper" is plain haunting.

However, their instrumental of the title track "We Three Kings" wins the standout track of the CD. Evoking memories of the Doors and Link Wray, this track with its driving beat, changing tempos, and fantastic solos just sweeps you up and doesn't let you go until it's over - brilliant music.

Rev. Horton Heat continues to tour, record, and fly under the radar of mainstream success. Their loyal fans (including me) keep awaiting for their next release or gig at a local club. You can visit their official website to check out where they're playing next, purchase an official Rev. Horton Heat T-shirt, and even purchase their CDs - yes, including this one for an amazingly low $10! (Stop me before I link again!!)

Thanks Reverend for a great Christmas CD... can I get an amen?

On to the next new Christmas CD in my collection...


Capt

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