It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeeear! Yes, the Joyzine Advent Calendar is back once again to bring you 24 days of fantastic free music downloads from a amazing array of our favourite artists. This year marks the 21st edition of our online calendar making it (as far as we’re aware) the longest running on the net (though we’re always happy to be corrected). As always, every track is completely free to download and we don’t require you to sign up for a mailing list (though you can if you want to) or hand over your personal data – it’s our way of saying thank you to everyone who’s visited the site during 2024 and to hopefully bring a few more listeners to some very deserving artists.
However, if you do enjoy the tracks we would love you to consider making a donation to our chosen cause, which this year is the wonderful First Timers Fest, a brilliant grassroots DIY organisation helping people take the first step into making music. Alumni include Joyzine faves Big Joanie, Panic Pocket, Charmpit and Breakup Haircut, with many more great bands coming through every year. We asked First Timers for a few words about what they do:
First Timers Fest is all about supporting new people into music! Yes that’s right, we mean you! We demystify the music making process through a series of beginners workshops that encourage people to try something new, no pressure to start a band after. The festival is open to everyone, but we particularly want to encourage people from marginalised groups to apply.
Next year we will be hosting our workshops at the Cavendish in Stockwell but following a sell out festival at the Victoria in Dalston we have decided to host the festival at a much bigger venue: The Oslo Hackney! This will take place on 4th May 2025. See you there!!!
Make a donation to First Timers
We’ve got a sleigh-full of fantastic tracks for you again this year, including some festive tunes, plenty of exclusives and some of our favourite songs of 2024. Let’s get crack(er)ing!
As wonderful as the tracks on this year’s Advent Calendar have been, there’s been a distinct lack of festive tunes so far (Piney Gir’s gorgeous ‘Reindeer‘ on day one besides). Thankfully Advent Calendar veteran MJ Hibbett is back to redress the balance with a typically unorthodox choice of a Christmas cover song.
A long-term favourite round these parts, MJ has multiple Advent Calendar appearances under his belt, appeared on our 20 Years of Joy compilation series and has graced many a Joyzine stage over the years. He released his latest album Oadby Wonky Knobby, a compilation of various tracks from singles, compilations, and his various failed attempts to record music for adverts, earlier this year to celebrate the 200th edition of his monthly newsletter – you can get it on all the usual digital outlets here.
We caught up with MJ Hibbett to find out more about his track.
Tell us a little about your track please
This is a cover version of “Moshi Twistmas” by Moshi Monsters, which was released as a free cover single with issue 24 of Moshi Monsters Magazine in 2012.
I know about it because my brother-in-law used to put together CDs of Christmas songs. He did them as mp3 CDs and every year you’d get a hundred songs, so he was always on the look out for new songs. Some would only last a year, others would become mainstays, and this was one of his favourites. It’s mine too – there’s no reason on earth that the people behind Moshi Monsters actually needed to write a song this brilliant, but I’m very glad they did!
What have you been up to in 2024?
My book “Data and Doctor Doom” came out at the start of the year so I’ve been banging on about that for most of 2024, but I’ve also started a podcast called “The Funny Comics Fan Club” with my friend John Dredge. Every episode talks about a specific issue of an old British kids’ comic – so far we’ve done Whizzer & Chips, Jackpot, Krazy and a pile more, but I think my favourite is the one about TV Comic. Have a listen!
And what do you have planned for the next 12 months?
More podcasts, more banging on about Doctor Doom (I hear he might be in a film in 2025) and possibly a Top Secret Project with another Pal Of Joyzine – but that’s Top Secret, so don’t tell anyone!
Christmas songs – love them or hate them? Why?
I’ve recorded and released a whole album of Christmas and have since recorded this one, so I guess I must love them – or, to paraphrase Sir Paul McCartney, some people want to fill the world with Christmas songs, and what’s wrong with that I’d like to know? Merry Twistmas everybody!
Download ‘Moshi Twistmas‘
Make a donation to First Timers
MJ Hibbett: Website / Facebook / Bluesky / Bandcamp
Photograph by CJ Wadsworth
Catch up on all of this year’s Advent Calendar Tracks so far:
1: Piney Gir – Reindeer
2: Gabriel Minnikin – Said Information
3: LOUD WOMEN ft. Smallways, Butterknife, Daddy Issues, Witch Spit, R.U.B, Vipersnatch, Worm Girlz, Lady Lazarus and Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys
4: First Timers Fest ft. Gay Skeleton Club and Skutterfly
5: Goo Records ft. Jopy, The Stanford Family Band, Owners Club and The Roebucks
6: Dead Horse – Historic
7: Gemma Rogers – Never Have I Ever
8: Umarells – Closer
Check back tomorrow for another free festive download!
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