On the Right Side of Christmas

Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot more Christmas albums than there used to be? And if so, why is that? Anyway, enough with the questions without a real answer - here's an Xmas music compilation for everybody.

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Cool Yule Louis Armstrong

To Heck With Ole Santa Claus Loretta Lynn

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Darlene Love

The Christmas Song The Raveonettes

I'd Like You For Christmas Julie London

World of Love Binky Griptite & the Dee-Kay's

Merry Christmas Baby James Brown

Christmas Lullaby Shane MacGowan & The Popes

Dashing Through the Snow Duke Ellington

Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas The Staple Singers

Christmas Tree On Fire Holly Golightly

What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swinging) Louis Prima

Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) Elvis Presley

Spotlight on Christmas Rufus Wainwright

Christmas Is Lou Rawls

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Ella Fitzgerald

Santa Will Find You Mindy Smith

Dark Christmas Dex Romweber Duo

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Kim Weston

Thanks For Christmas The Three Wise Men (aka XTC)

Just Like Christmas Low

All I Want For Christmas Is You Carla Thomas

Lonely Christmas Call George Jones

Make It Home Juliana Hatfield

Another Trip Back to Alternative Country

Well, you didn't think I would just make two 90s alt-country compilations, did ya? I mean, there was a LOT of good alt-country music in the 90s. So I give you Volume 3 (late night driving music) and Volume 4 (Texas artists).

Download Disc One

Dreaming Cowboy Sally Timms

I'm So Lonesome Without You Hazeldine

Safe Within Your Arms Greg Garing

Heart, I Wish You Were Here Robbie Fulks

Holy Ghost Scud MountainBoys

Broke Down One Fell Swoop

All God's Children Simon Bonney

Halfway To Madness Tarnation

The Best I Can Do Dirtball

Withered and Died Caitlin Cary

The Man Of Somebody's Dream Chris Gaffney

Two Seconds The Volebeats

Halogen D. Braxton Harris

Thief Blood Oranges

Leaving Angel Dean & The Zephyrs

If I Were You Tom Leach

Cheater's World Amy Allison

Burning Memories Katy Moffatt

Sudden Stop Kelly Hogan & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts

Cry Mike Ireland And Holler

Download Disc Two

Clay Pigeons Blaze Foley

Horseshoe Lounge Slaid Cleaves

Wild Things Gurf Morlix

Forget Thinkin' Beaver Nelson

Cowboy Ramsey Don Walser

White Corn Casper Rawls

Shadows Where The Magic Was James Hand

Tucumcari, Here I Come Dale Watson

Bandera Highway Ray Campi & Rosie Flores

West Texas Heaven Kimmie Rhodes

$100 Bill Jon Dee Graham

Polkadots And Moonbeams The Hot Club Of Cowtown

The Lay of the Land Lisa Mednick

Rear View Mirror Bobby Earl Smith

Heaven Bound Damon Bramblett

All Right I'll Sign The Papers Justin Trevino

Blue Tatoo Marti Brom

Spit and Tears The Damnations TX

One by One Michael Fracasso

Loose Diamond David Halley & Rich & Katy Brotherton

A Trip Back to Alternative Country

I realize the 2010s are almost upon us and at some point I may make a best of 2009 compilation, but tonight's post is devoted to alternative country from the 1990s - specifically, the alt-country artists and bands from the 90s that didn't receive the attention of Wilco, Whiskeytown, Old 97s, etc.

Disc One

Long Time A Comin' Bap Kennedy

The Calm Comes After Kate Jacobs

A Little Bluer Than That Irene Kelley

On The Streets Rico Bell

Monterey Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub

Blue Stranger Paul Kelly & the Messengers

Love Is Not Blind Lonesome Bob

Lie, Memory, Lie Dallas Wayne

Pictures Of China Tandy

Cycle Of Days The Schramms

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Dale Ann Bradley

Weight Of The World Christy McWilson

Big Time Broken Heart Terry Anderson

Jealous of the River Pat Haney

Songs Bottles Are Broken To Forever Goldrush

Link Of Chain Chris Smither

Try It Again Royann Calvin

Hands Off Courtney & Western

Highway Junkie Chris Knight

Can't Let Go Randy Weeks

Disc Two

County Fair Phil Alvin
Red, Red Wine And Cheatin' Songs Marty Stuart

Red Headed Woman Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics

It's a Mystery to Me Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys

Kansas City Kitty Dave Stuckey & The Rhythm Gang

Oh Lonesome Me Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel

Wake Up Screaming Jim Lauderdale

Must've Been High Supersuckers

George's Bad Day Biller & Wakefield

Big Black Cadillac Sonny Burgess

Fool on a Stool Bill Kirchen

King of the Blues Dick Curless

Gastonia The Starroom Boys

Bustin' Up Jim Campilongo and the 10 Gallon Cats

She's A Nail In My Heart Jeff Bright & The Sunshine Boys

Lester Leaps In Ray Condo & His Ricochets

Blue Moon Blue Neil Mooney

Little M Flat Duo Jets

I Don't Do Floors Jann Browne

Your Old Used To Be Souvenirs

More Kirsty Kronikles

Since Kirsty Maccoll put out so much good stuff that wasn't on her formal releases (I mean, how could I make a Kirsty comp without There's a Guy Works Down the Cornershop or her covers of Train in Vain, Walk Right Back, etc) , here's Volume III of The Kirsty Kronikles. Oh Kirsty, we really miss you.

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A New England

Train in Vain

Teenager In Love

Miss Otis Regrets/Just One Of Those Things [feat. The Pogues]

King Kong

They Don't Know

Sail Away [Ghostland & Kirsty]

Other People's Hearts

There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis

Closer To God

Hard To Believe

Terry

The Butcher Boy

Walk Right Back

Manhattan Moon

The Kirsty Kronikles

In addition to her impeccable pop sensibilities and eclectic tastes, Kirsty Maccoll was a great singer, a witty and incisive lyricist, and despite her stage fright, a terrific live act (I saw her at Tramps in New York City in 1995). And from all accounts I've read, she was a caring and charming person. She was killed in a tragic boating accident in Mexico almost 9 years ago at the age of 41 only a few months before her last (and maybe best) album Tropical Brainstorm was released. Had she lived, she would have turned 50 this month. So to honor, the late great Ms. Maccoll, here's 30 songs not found on any of her major formal releases (Kite, Electric Landlady, Titanic Days, or Tropical Brainstorm) all of which you should get if you don't have them already (especially Kite and Tropical Brainstorm).

Disc One

Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
Darling, Let's Have Another Baby
Irish Cousin
Perfect Day [feat. Evan Dando]
The Real Ripper
Mexican Sofa
Turn My Motor On
Queen Of The High Teas
Please Help Me, I'm Falling
Don't Run Away from Me Now
See That Girl
Quietly Alone
London Bridge Is Falling Down
Caroline
As Long As You Hold Me

Disc Two

El Paso

Patrick

Clubland

All The Tears That I Cried

Libertango

Dear John

Fairytale Of New York

He Thinks I Still Care

I Want Out

Sun On The Water

Please Go to Sleep

I Am Afraid

You Caught Me Out

He's on the Beach

Still Life

The Sweet Sounds of Muscle Shoals: Vol. 4 - "More Power to Ya!"

Well, I finally my grubby little mitts on a copy of the 4th volume of The Sweet Sounds of Muscle Shoals!!!! It's a vinyl copy which means the songs are slightly different than the cd version. Also, since I'm still burning my vinyl to a cd recorder connected to my stereo, there's a few little noise on some of the tracks.

Now I gotta say I don't think Volume 4 is quite good as the previous three, but there's still a lot of good stuff - my faves are Bill Brandon's "All I Need is You" and Tony Borders "Gentle on My Mind".

(Btw, as someone informed me in the comments section when I posted the previous three volumes, there is a Volume 5, but that one seems really rare.)

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More Power to Ya Don Varner

Heaven Help Me (I'm Falling In Love With You) June Edwards

Please Don't Break My Heart (Like You Did Jerry's) Tony Borders

All I Need Is You Bill Brandon

It's A Man's World Buddy Causey

Gentle On My Mind Tony Borders

The Sweetest Story Don Varner

It Sure Was Fun Eddie Bradford

I Met Her In Church Tony Borders

A Mighty Long Way Eddie Bradford

What The World Needs Now Bill Brandon

Headman Tony Borders

My Man (My Sweet Man) June Edwards

Home For The Summer Don Varner

Don't Let Go Tony Borders

To Make My Life Beautiful Bill Brandon

This Way to the Velvet Underground

It'd be nice if I had something bold and insightful to say about the Velvet Underground, but it's not like kegs of ink haven't already been spilled on the subject. However, since there really isn't a comprehensive best of collection, so here ya go..... And like last week's post, you can download both discs as one download.

Download

Disc One

White Light, White Heat

I'm Waiting for the Man

Foggy Notion

I Found A Reason

Stephanie Says

What Goes On

Venus in Furs

Sunday Morning

Some Kinda Love

Temptation Inside Your Heart

Oh! Sweet Nuthin'

The Black Angel's Death Song

Disc Two

I Can't Stand It

Run Run Run

There She Goes Again

The Gift

That's the Story of My Life

One of These Days

Femme Fatale

Andy's Chest

Beginning to See the Light

Pale Blue Eyes

I'll Be Your Mirror

Who Loves The Sun

At the No Hope Bar with Bobby and Holly

Ever since I heard Holly Golightly sing Further On Up the Road, I thought I should put her and Bobby "Blue" Bland together on a mixtape (and yes I know Bobby didn't write the song, but well, he does make it his.) So here's a couple of short mixtapes (combined into one download) for you.

Download Both Sides

Side One

Stormy Monday Bobby "Blue" Bland

Further On Up The Road Holly Golightly

Won't Go Out Holly Golightly

I Take It On Home Bobby "Blue" Bland

Tell Me Now So I Know Holly Golightly

That Did It Bobby "Blue" Bland

Wherever You Were Holly Golightly

Cry, Cry, Cry Bobby "Blue" Bland

You Ought To Be Ashamed Bobby Blue Bland

Your Love Is Mine Holly Golightly

I've Been Wrong So Long Bobby "Blue" Bland

Here Beside You Holly Golightly

Blind Man Bobby "Blue" Bland

Slowly But Surely Holly Golightly

Side Two

Run Cold Holly Golightly

I Woke Up Screaming Bobby "Blue" Bland

An Eye for an Empty Heart Holly Golightly

That Did It (Single Version) Bobby "Blue" Bland

Cold Day in Hell Bobby "Blue" Bland

If I Could Just Be Loved by You Holly Golightly

I'll Take Care Of You Bobby "Blue" Bland

There's An End Holly Golightly

Ain't Nothing You Can Do Bobby "Blue" Bland

Serial Girlfriend Holly Golightly

Here Beside You Holly Golightly

I'm On My Way Bobby Blue Bland

No Hope Bar Holly Golightly

Two Steps From The Blues Bobby "Blue" Bland

Still Causing a Commotion

Well, it's time for another guest contribution to the blog. The copy is on its way, but in the meantime, here's my friend Julian's mixtape of Lloyd Cole's solo (mostly) work after he parted ways with the Commotions.

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Morning Is Broken

So You'd Like To Save The World

Woman in a Bar

Another Lover

Antidepressant

Pay For It

No More Love Songs

She's a Girl and I'm a Man

Downtown

Unhappy Song

Alright People

A Long Way Down

People Ain't No Good

Brazil

Happy For You

Margo's Waltz

I Hate To See You Baby Doing That Stuff

Fool You Are (Demo)

Funny How the Circle is a Wheel

Back in the late 90s when I was doing my alt-country radio show, I someone acquired a tape of someone else's radio show (I kinda forget exactly how). Anyway, it became a mainstay in the box of cassettes I kept in my car. Due to the 60s-70s country vibe of many of the songs, I especially found myself listening to it anytime I found myself driving around on back roads on fall afternoons. So since the cassette got kinda worn out, I thought I'd take some of my faves from the tape and add some like-minded songs.

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I'll Be Around Bobby Bare Jr.

Pack Up Your Sorrows Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison

I Turned a Corner Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub

I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am Merle Haggard

Mountain Girl Blue Mountain

Me And Paul Willie Nelson

Warmth & Beauty Thad Cockrell

Where Have All The Average People Gone Roger Miller

We Go Together Tammy Wynette & George Jones

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Emmylou Harris

It's Alright Bobby Bare

Take Me Home, Country Roads Lynn Anderson

1970 #1 Song Cadillac Terry Radigan

Two Angels The Jayhawks

Full Circle Song Gene Clark

Sneaky Snake Tom T. Hall

Jennifer Johnson and Me Robert Earl Keen, Jr.

Forever and Ever, Amen Randy Travis

No Depression Uncle Tupelo

Blanket on the Ground Billie Jo Spears