The snow has set in, the holidays are upon us, and I have already grown weary of the Christmas music on the radio.
Me, a curmudgeon? More Scrooge McDuck than George Bailey when it comes to pop Christmas music? Unabashedly. The stations blasting Wham and Mariah Carey’s odes to the holidays remain silent in the car, but the silence or my regular NPR listenings leave me a bit wanting as I cruise past the Christmas decorations dotting the houses and roadsides around town.
So, what’s a guy to do to get in the holiday spirit? This year, I have added J.D. McPherson’s new Christmas record, Socks. to my Christmas music rotation. McPherson, a retro rocker who has garnered critical acclaim for his first three studio releases, swing into the holidays with the perfect stocking stuffer. Check out “Bad Kid,” a lament we can all identify with, on this month’s mix.
This final mix of 2018 also features the return of some good friends in Donna The Buffalo, Ryley Walker, Rhett Miller, and Daniel Romano, along with first time appearances from Shawn Mullins, Trapper Schoepp, and Porcupine, a rock band featuring Greg Norton of Hüsker Dü.
Be sure to check out brand new tunes from Jay Psaros, Lizanne Knott, Frenchie’s Blue Destroyers, Michot’s Melody Makers, Jamie Lin Wilson, Pale Mara, The Travoltas, and Matt Campbell.
And stay tuned to the Trail Mix blog for chats with The Infamous Stringdusters, Meadow Mountain, and Wilderado.
If you are looking for something musical for that special someone, Trail Mix is a great place to start. Take a listen and get your ears wrapped around something new and then head out to your local music store and grab an album or two to give to that music lover in your life. Or put it in your own stocking. Either way is all good!
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