Yesterday’s Advent Calendar surprise was a sensational version of ‘Silent Night’ by ESKA and Duke Garwood from the Music Beyond Mainstream film Another Christmas – download the track here. Today we have a trio of treats from the other side of the world.
As always, the tracks are completely free to download and there’s no need to sign up to any mailing lists to access the songs (though if you’d like to you can join ours here), but if you’re enjoying the tunes we’d love you to make a donation to the wonderful charity Support Act, selected by today’s Advent Calendar guests, who offer support to stage and road crew in Australia.
Let’s see who’s bringing the tunes today…
Australian collective Bird’s Robe have been releasing top-notch post-rock, prog and experimental rock music for more than a decade and today we’ve got three tracks from their roster for you to enjoy.
If you had told me that my favourite Christmas song of the year was going to be a festive rendering of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name Of’, you would have received a most incredulous look, but I guess it’s been a strange year. Managing to be funny, inventive and rocking like a bastard, while retaining a clear warmth for the original, Furnace and The Fundamentals’ ‘Giving In The Name Of’ takes the best Christmas Number One of the 21st Century and gives it the seasonal twist you never knew it needed.
Furnace and the Fundamentals are Australia’s biggest party band. They’ve performed to hundreds of thousands of people at events across the world, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Edinburgh Fringe, Zomerfestival IJmuiden, Lost Paradise, Falls Festival & NYE at the Sydney Opera House. They’ve now turned their party starting antics to Christmas hijinx with their ARIA Top 40 album A Very Furnace Christmas hitting 100+ radio stations across the UK, North America & Australia.
Download ‘Giving In The Name Of‘
Follow Furnace and The Fundamentals on Facebook
If, having just recovered from the shock of the aforementioned Christmas revalation, you then told me I’d next be enjoying a punk choral rendition of classical Christmas favourite ‘Carol of The Bells’, I’d probably by now be trusting your crazy premonitions and just go with it. And with good cause, as Toehider’s multi-layered acapella version from the Under The Mistletoe festive EP is a wonder to behold.
Toehider is Australia’s most prolific progressive rock act with over 20 releases in the past decade. Since forming in 2008, the project of multi-instrumentalist Mike Mills has earned critical acclaim and a cult following worldwide, as well as a successful Patreon subscription for his collaboration with graphic designer Andrew Saltmarsh. Just about any Toehider track is a wonderful showcase for the gifted vocal abilities of Mike Mills and this one is a classic.
Download ‘Carol of The Bells‘
Follow Toehider on Facebook
If, having been bowled over by your previous proclamations, you then prophesied a gently shimmering wintery instrumental beauty, I’d probably start wondering what the twist was going to be. But with clayhands’ lovely, slow-building track ‘Polars’ there is no gimmick to be found, just eight and a half minutes of glorious jazz-infused post-rock flying you over the icy expanses of the Earth’s extremities.
clayhands are a young jazz-prog-post-rock band from Sydney, Australia. Their recent debut album Is This Yes? is a nod to the classics, as much as early-era Yes as it is Do Make Say Think, Goblin, Hans Zimmer and Explosions in the Sky. If you need some downtime this holiday season, sit back with this chilled out record and get lost in their snowy musical escapades.
Download ‘Polars‘
Follow clayhands on Facebook
If you enjoy today’s tracks, please consider making a donation to Support Act
Come back tomorrow for more exclusive tracks + check out the tracks from previous windows, all of which are still available to download:
#1: Piney Gir – Everybody Knows It’s Christmas
#2: Lost Map Records: Gordon McIntyre – You and Me and The Ghosts of Christmas Past
#3: Hey You Guys! – I’m Sorry
Peter With Rosie – The Oxen
Peter Richard Adams – The Roaring Twenties
#4: Salt The Snail – Matador Print
#5: Dead Horse – Eating The Reindeer
#6: Blang Records: Sergeant Buzfuz – In The Bleak Midwinter
Paul Hawkins (Awkward Silences) – Christmas Doesn’t Love Me
Faux Fibbers – All The Nutters Come Out At Christmas
#7: The Scaramanga Six – Dog Form
#8: Hatcham Social – If You Go Down To The Woods Today (Three Cheers for Our Team)
#9: Alcopop! Records: Beach Riot – Modern Dinosaur
Frauds – Woke Life
Tokky Horror – Eden on Acid
#10: The Mining Co. – Last Stop for Tired Reindeer
#11: Sonic Tonic: Firestations – Long Year City
The Leaf Library – Tired Ghost
Shattercones – In The Bleak Midwinter
Maggie The Cat – The Cherry Tree Carol
Naomi In Blue – Colour of Blue
#12: Cruel Nature Records: Distant Animals – Hyperacusis
Omnibael – The Repetition
#13: The Fades – People In General
Silent Star – To Hell or Hackney (Too Late)
#14: Reckless Yes Records: Paper Birch – Summer Daze (Mild Peril Remix)
Nervous Twitch – You Ruined Christmas + Boredom & Distraction
Bitch Hunt – Shapeshifter
LIINES – Keep On Going
Duck – Santa Claus (ft. Charley Stone)
Hearts Beating In Time – Simone’s
The Crystal Furs – Drinking Alone On Christmas
French for Rabbits – Money or The Bag (Alternative Live Version)
Japan Review – Lose Them All
#15: Dedstrange Records: Plattenbau – Hollywood
Data Animal – Future Primitive
Jealous – K-Hole
Lunacy – Dust
A Place To Bury Strangers – Let’s See Each Other (Grimoose Remix)
Wah Together – Sayonara
#16: Another Christmas: ESKA & Duke Garwood – Silent Night
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