INDIE ROCK SONGS

The MP3 series of indie, alternative, rock and pop Christmas songs on IRC has been receiving unprecedented traffic from web searchers and others who want different, yet good, Christmas and holiday music.

The IRC series is available via a feed for people who prefer to receive subsequent playlists via email or their feed reader.

Yesterday, Mix Four of "The 12 Plays of Alternative Christmas" was published featuring a total of 18 Xmas tunes.

The playlist mix - in MP3 format - includes some classic alt Xmas songs from rock icons The Kinks, Dandy Warhols and Sufjan Stevens, as well as amazing and notable performances from alt and indie staples like The Fray, The Knife, Matchbook Romance, The Format and The Matches.

Even given all of that, and more so than any of the previous playlists, Mix Four consists of some impressive tunes from previously unknown artists (at least on this end) such as Andrew Dost, Ex-Otago, Shakin Stevens,and Celestial.

There are also out-takes from a classic December 18, 2002 Peel Session by the Swedish indie outfit Belle and Sebastian.

If you prefer to listen to some of the songs from the Christmas playlists series right now on this web page without downloading anything, use this handy Flash player below.

Labels: Alternative Chirstmas, Alternative Christmas Songs, Celestial, Free Indie Rock MP3s, Indie Christmas Playlists, Indie Christmas Songs, Sufjan Stevens, The Fray, The Kinks

Here's another notable alternative Christmas music video featuring a cover version of the traditional Christmas classic "I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day" by band Pedro The Lion.

PTL has been a personal favorite of mine since I first heard them on a compilation CD a few years ago, and this cover is simply wonderful.




Note: If you missed the first three playlists of IRC's special non-traditional Christmas songs series, check it out here. Also get Xmas and holidays MP3s, streams, mixes, zip files, music videos, cool Christmas blog links and more by subscribing to the Indie Feed and choose your favorite feed reader or sign up for secured email postings. The MP3 RSS Feed is also available.

Labels: Alternative Chirstmas, Alternative XMas Videos, Christmas Songs 2007, Indie Christmas Music Videos, Indie Christmas Playlists, Pedro The Lion, Popular Christmas Songs

With it nearly impossible to find an accessible, all-in-one place alternative and indie Christmas songs (without being sent to Amazon or some other pay-for-ploy) online, this blog, in conjunction with Indie Rock Cafe blog, has set out to create The 12 Plays of Alternative-Indie Christmas for you to enjoy.

These are real, no-frills MP3s of alternative Xmas and holiday songs from some of the more popular independent artists, and those who are lesser-known, but still damn good artists and bands. Enjoy and share with your feeds.

Subscribe to IRC Feed to get all 12 volumes (more than 120 songs!) and please take a moment to submit this link to any of your social networks. The more interest in this series, the more theme-based playlists and mixes we are going to publish, such as one for New Years and an entire series on songs about winter.

The second installment in The 12 Plays of Alternative-Indie Christmas Songs special series includes notable covers of traditional Christmas songs from artists like Bright Eyes, Fuel and Sugarcult, plus original Christmas tunes from Sufjan Stevens, Mighty Mighty Boss Tones, Snow Patrol, Death Cab For Cutie, The Eels and MXPX.

Merry Rocking!

1. Blue Christmas - Bright Eyes
2. The Eels - Christmas is Going to The Dogs
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Death Cab For Cutie
4. Fuel - We Three Kings
5. MXPX - Christmas Night of Zombies
6. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - This Time of Year
7. Snow Patrol - When I Get Home For Christmas
8. Sufjan Stevens - Put the Lights On the Tree
9. Sugarcult - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
10. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

Did you miss the first volume of indie Christmas songs?


Please remember this are for sampling and to support your favorite artists!

Labels: Alternative Christmas Songs, Christmas Songs 2007, Indie Christmas Playlists, Indie Christmas Songs, Popular Indie Christmas

The RAC mix of The Shins "Sleeping Lessons" track is much like the original - dreamy, melodic and engaging, starting off slowly with lo-fi vocals and guitar and harp strings coupled with ambient keyboard interludes and a bad bass line.

More than half way through the song, the enthusiastic climax - a driving, infectious chorus - reaches exhilarating heights.

By the time it all winds down, listeners may find themselves wanting that forward-marching chorus and up tempo beat to keep going, much the way Arcade Fire's "Neighborhoods" song trio does.

In fact, "Sleeping Lessons" has the unmistakable feel of Arcade Fire's now-famous style of sweeping, indie chamber pop-rock music. To be featured on the cover of Time magazine must say something, but if Arcade Fire made Time, The Shins should definitely get their cover (or should they? eems to be quite the rage these days.


Rather, "Sleeping Lessons" ends much like it started - unpretentious and soothing, even slightly psychedelic, sprinkled with metered harp and guitar strumming that slowly fade behind the megaphone-style lo-fi vocals.

Nevertheless, the failure to capitalize on the driving and infectious chorus that makes the song so memorable was a miscalculation on the part of The Shins. The boys of the band could have really taken the mix to its logical next level - extending the beat, if you will, but they didn't. I so wanted them to embrace the chorus and run with it for a few minutes, rather than little over one minute.

This "failure to communicate" to the masses leaves the door wide open for some electronica deejay or need-a-hit band to do a butcher-job style cover version of "Sleeping Lessons" some day should The Shins ever fall from grace (no signs of that yet and eagerly awaiting the next album).

When you consider The Shins' enormous global popularity in rock music now, it is not a stretch to imagine this song ending up in a Volkswagen, Toyota or GM commercial. Ugh, right?

It's amazing what you can do with one finger - like point out who's to blame for that.

Vinyl lovers alert: This RAC mix is recorded from vinyl; if it's not, prove me wrong because I hear the signature snap, crackle and pop of vinyl in the beginning of this mix, but not on the official music video version.

Labels: Artists, Best Indie Songs, MP3s, Remixes, The Shins, Top 100