Yesterday’s Advent Calendar treats were a trans-Atlantic affair with a lockdown themed ode to all of the pubs around the world that have had to close their doors this year from Canadian garage-folk band The Burning Hell and a seasonal special from L.A.’s Velvet Starlings. You can get them both here.
Today we’ve another double helping with a sprinkling of seasonal magic for you to enjoy.
As always, the tracks are completely free to to download and there’s no need to sign up to any mailing lists to access the tracks (though if you’d like to you can join ours here), but with the UK’s independent music venues in peril following almost a year of covid restrictions, we’d love you to make a donation to the Music Venue Trust‘s #saveourvenues campaign if you enjoy these tracks. You can make a donation to the fund, or to a specific venue of your choice here.
Granfalloon – Merry Bloody Xmas
The project of Manchester musician, artists and producer Richard Lomax, Granfalloon throws in a little bit of folk, a dash of electronica and a handful of lo-fi indie and throws in an omnichord and some vintage drum loops for good measure to create an intoxicating mix of sounds. His second album, RGB, was released last year and this year Lomax formed the ‘Positive Songs Project’, a large online songwriting community which focuses on creative techniques and encouraging collaboration between artists. Granfalloon’s songs from these sessions are currently being forged into new album, set to be released in 2021.
He’s also found time to make a live acoustic rendition of his last record, recorded at The Yard in Manchester, which is due for release today – you can get RGB Live Acoustic as a digital download on his Bandcamp page.
Today’s track comes from a previous project, 52, which saw Lomax write and record a new song every week for a whole year. The Christmas entry to the cannon was ‘Merry Bloody Xmas’, which looks into the roots of the Winter seasonal festivities in the pagan/Roman aspects of Christmas that existed before it became a Christian festival – it just wouldn’t be Christmas without the odd blood sacrifice and orgy now would it?
Download ‘Merry Bloody Xmas’
If you enjoy this track please consider making a donation to the #saveourvenues campaign
Keep up to date with Granfalloon on his Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp / Spotify
elkyn – christmas lights
Born in an old brewery, formed in a Leeds basement, and refined since 2019, elkyn is the moniker of 22-year-old songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joseph Donnelly. A newcomer to these pages, and a welcome addition to this year’s calendar, he deals in delicate lyricism and finger picked guitars to create songs with a faint whisper of Elliott Smith in the background and just a hint of a glimmer around the edges.
For today’s calendar treat we have his take on Coldplay’s 2010 single ‘Christmas Lights’, not one, it must be said, that has made it onto the Joyzine HQ playlist in its original form, but with Elkyn turning up the Christmas spirit with a jingle bell intro and downplaying the vocals in the verse to heart-aching effect, this version may well do.
elkyn’s new single ‘if only it was alright now’ is out now – check out the video here.
Download ‘christmas lights’
If you enjoy this track please consider making a donation to the #saveourvenues campaign
Keep up to date with elkyn on his Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp
Come back tomorrow for more exclusive tracks + check out the tracks from previous windows, all of which are still available to download:
Day 1: Piney Gir ft. Roxys + MJ Hibbett
Day 2: Brixton Hill Studio Band + Friends
Day 3: Oh!Gunquit + The Kecks
Day 4: Salt The Snail + Dead Horse
Day 5: The Awkward Silences
Day 6: AKDK
Day 7: Lost Map Records – Friends of The Guinness
Day 8: Mister Solo + Fightmilk
Day 9: The Indelicates + Dexy
Day 10: The Burning Hell + Velvet Starlings
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