Have a holly, jolly Christmas with all new local music
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Dec. 13, 2024) — Christmas music is fascinating. Some people genuinely love it, while most I know love to hate it.
Maybe we’re exhausted by the Christmas carols parodies in all those holiday ads; maybe it’s the redundancy factor of hearing different renditions of the same tired tunes year after year; or maybe we just simply resent these cloyingly festive jingles playing everywhere we go during a time that is often hectic and stressful.
Whatever the reason, I’ve always been with the “bah humbug” camp with Christmas music, but that changed for me back in 2020.
With Bells On
Part of this came from making the most of our first non-gathering holiday at home. We had the turntable going all day, spinning old country and jazz records, with Christmas albums rotated in seamlessly. I discovered that I genuinely enjoy a handful of holiday classics, typically when done instrumentally, and especially with some prominent slide guitar. I even happen to have a few steel string Christmas records.
Knowing this, it should come as no surprise that I’m really digging “With Bells On,” the new holiday EP from Oakley multi-instrumentalist Michael Edward Scott. The five-song instrumental release features familiar classics, served up in the style of electric guitar-driven Western swing, with some occasional appearances of upright bass, flute and my personal favorite: lapsteel.
The opener, “Deck the Halls,” starts out pretty straightforward but then delves into sort of a jam boogie, with different guitars (and techniques) stepping in and out to add their own element to this fun rendition.
Another highlight for me is the closing track, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Scott employs intelligent four-part harmony, creating an almost eerie feel with winds and strings falling chromatically behind the lead guitar’s signature melody. This slight dissonance is resolved by its own absence, when the accompaniment drops out during the “Gloria!” part, further brightening the joyful refrain. At times, without warning, big flute chords swell to create brief moments of suspended celestial wonderment, before coming back down to earth and returning to the familiar. A very imaginative take on this very old hymn (1862).
The other thing that had me changing my tune about holiday music in 2020 was discovering new, original, local holiday music like Tiger Shade’s “Corona Christmas” and Sabertooth Unicorn’s “Hail Santa.” Since then, I always look forward to tasting the new holiday treats our local bands whip up each year.
‘Infectious positivity’
This brings me to “Happy Little Accidents,” the new single from Accidents At Sundown. It’s an upbeat, down-strummin’, fist-pumpin’ rock jingle that optimistically looks forward to an awesome Christmas, and the best year yet to come. Maybe that’s not what one would expect from a band who often sings of darkness and the underworld, but they delivered with bells on (literally). In keeping with tradition of the anthemic holiday pop songs, the fellas go grand toward the end and modulate up a step for the last minute of the song. Classic!
Another new holiday classic comes from local rapper Skinny Hendrixx, who’s had a phenomenal year in terms of output, live shows and artistic growth. Always one to express gratitude for his blessings, Skinny is all about love and appreciation in his new single “A Very Special Christmas.”
Recorded with his band the Earthtones, the new jam offers a warm, inviting beat that frames the setting of a Christmas family gathering: “And the uncles got drunk / and the aunties started yellin’ / and the boys was causin’ ruckus / and they sistas start tellin’ / when the dinner bell rang / everybody got together / passin’ dishes round the table / celebratin’ one another / It was a very very very special Christmas.”
You can almost hear him smiling as he paints the picture, and you can’t help but smile along. That infectious positivity just might help you curb the bah-humbug energy that often robs us of holiday joy.
Hear all the aforementioned tunes and more on the Beat of Diablo’s annual Christmas special, 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, on 90.5 FM, and streaming at KVHS.com. Additionally, look for a Spotify playlist at thebeatofdiablo.com.
Contact Dave Hughes at MrDaveHughes@gmail.com.
Dave Hughes
Dave Hughes is a local music advocate with an extensive network of independent artists. He produces and hosts a local music program on KVHS called The Beat of Diablo, every Sunday at 7:00 PM on 90.5 FM. Dave also catalogs local music releases at ConcordRockCity.com.