Christmas 2014: Christmas Time Is (Almost) Here

Can you believe it's already that time of the year? Traditionally, I will be compiling new 2014 Christmas/Holiday releases every few days for the month of December until the 24th... so send in your xmas-related music now with subject header "Christmas" and your band biography and details.

Read more Christmas.

Read More Aimee Mann Seeing The Both at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis was like 70% music and 30% improv comedy. If you are not caught up, The Both is the latest musical project from Aimee Mann and Ted Leo, … Bangles Bangles. Event name was Daisy Rock Maurice's Small Town Sound. One hour set with all the hits and a cover of the Nazz's "Open My Eyes" (Todd Rundgren's first band). They sounded great. The harmonies are still there. …

AIMEE MANN/TED LEO
aimeemann.com

Aimee Mann's Christmas show is returning this 2014, billed as "Aimee Mann and Ted Leo". You may recall that we caught the duo, previously under the name The Both, but for this upcoming holiday variety show, it would make sense if they played under their regular names (assuming they probably might not play that many The Both songs).

From what I've experienced with the band, which is about half music and half comedy... you can expect the same sort of comedy sketch/stand-up from the two... plus, of course, traditional Christmas songs. Who can forget that?

This year, Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs have agreed to join Aimee and Ted on the Christmas tour! She'll appear on all the dates, except Santa Cruz... other special guests include Paul F. Tompkins, Jonathan Coulton, Tim Heidecker and John Hodgman!

Tour dates:

12/03 Los Angeles, CA Largo
12/04 Los Angeles, CA Largo
12/05 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
12/06 Santa Cruz, CA Rio Theater
12/09 Boston, MA Wilbur Theater
12/10 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
12/12 Westbury, NY Space
12/13 New York, NY Town Hall
12/15 Alexandria, VA Birchmere
12/16 Alexandria, VA Birchmere

Read More The Family Guy There are a bunch of videos on YouTube of Tetris parodies and people covering the various songs. Below are a handpicked few. Parodies The Simpsons tetris Family Guy Tetris …

SETH MACFARLANE
facebook.com

I love American Dad! and The Family Guy, but I know that some people may not love that crude humor. The show creator, Seth MacFarlane have announced his first-ever Christmas album Holiday for Swing, which came out September 30, 2014, via Republic Records.

Here is how Republic described the album:

Once again, MacFarlane teamed up with composer, arranger, and producer Joel McNeely. The album features a 52-piece orchestra recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, featuring a bevy of London’s premier players. During these sessions, McNeely took over Studio 2, made famous by The Beatles. Among the musicians in the orchestra were jazz legend Peter Erskine on the drums and former Frank Sinatra bassist Chuck Berghoffer.

For the album, MacFarlane and McNeely cherry-picked both timeless holiday songs and lesser-known gems. MacFarlane slides from a warm, introspective introduction with a vocal quintet into a bright, uptempo swing in “Let It Snow”, and brings a new interpretation to the Lee Gordon rarity “Christmas Dreaming”. Continuing a longtime friendship and creative partnership, Norah Jones joins him for Seger Ellis and Al Stillman's “Little Jack Frost Get Lost”, while Sara Bareilles lends her powerful pipes to Frank Loesser’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, which is perfect for a warm moment under the mistletoe. Get ready for a swinging Christmas this year!

Read More Johnnyswim "It's not like we're keeping track, but so far Minneapolis is winning!" declared Abner Ramirez, one half of folk duo Johnnyswim at their Varsity Theater show in Minneapolis last night, August 4th. …

JOHNNYSWIM
johnnyswim.com

Husband/wife team Johnnyswim's Christmas EP is out now on Big Picnic Records. The EP was produced by Abner Ramirez and will featured five holiday classics including one live, acoustic recording. See below for full track listing.

We caught the band twice in 2014, Johnnyswim at Varsity Theater 02/18/14 and again Varsity Theater 08/04/14.

Since their debut album Diamonds made it on VH-1's "Top 20 Countdown" and CMT's "Pure Country", and#1 on iTunes Singer-Songwriter Chart, etc., they have been extremely happy with their success... Which is such a big deal, no thanks to one particular friend who never thought they could make it.

Christmas Track Listing

1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
2. O Come All Ye Faithful
3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
4. Christmas Waltz
5. What Are You Doing New Years Eve (Live)

Tour dates:

12/02 Nashville, TN City Winery 12/03 Dallas, TX Granada Theater 12/04 Waco, TX Baylor University 12/05 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues 12/07 Charleston, SC Garden & Gun Jubilee 12/08 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theater 12/10 Cincinnati, OH Taft Ballroom

12/11 Cleveland, OH Music Box 12/12 Ann Arbor, MI Ark 12/13-14 Evanston, IL Space 12/16 Washington, DC Hamilton 12/17-18 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom 12/19 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer 12/20 Boston, MA Sinclair

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