With every Christmas card I write.
December 25, 2007It’s that time of year again. Many of you may recall that last year for Christmas, I uploaded an album for my family and friends to download and share as they pleased. Of course, I hadn’t much dabbled in sharing music online by that point, particularly through my blog, and kept it a much more secretive, low key thing, but it was something I really enjoyed doing, providing some great music for the holidays.
Well, this year I found my thoughts turning to the same idea, only I was getting really stuck for what to share. So many great albums have come out over the year, even just recently, and narrowing it down proved much too difficult a task… until about a week ago, when I was sifting through the various Christmas-themed music in my collection.
I remember, not too long ago, that Purevolume used to have an ‘Exclusives’ section, as accessible as anything on their site, from which one could discover and download various sampler albums for different record labels. Listeners could visit the page, choose between different genres, and check out all manner of bands, from obscure indie favourites to relatively more popular radio acts.
I don’t know why they’ve stopped this practise over the course of the year, it was a great way to discover great music; at last count, I must have downloaded some seven or eight such collections.
One of which is the reason I’m writing this morning: Purevolume’s 2006 Holiday Sampler. The folks at Purevolume gathered together 11 fantastic tracks from indie artists across the board, and arranged them all so as to create their own Christmas release. And it’s truly wonderful; this album features all very talented bands, showcasing many original tunes and new takes on a few old favourites.
Please go ahead now and collect the record; whether you’re supplementing your playlists with a few new songs, or interested in the whole thing and a fresh listening experience today, you’ll definitely find something you like among the songs below.
Preview the full song using the music players, and then choose your download. You can save each track individually, or if perhaps you’re interested in the whole album, I’ve compressed it and uploaded it, so I’d love you to save my bandwidth just a bit and [download it here].
New London Fire – Our Christmas In The Dark
Jamie Randolph – White Christmas
As Tall As Lions – O Holy Night
The Honorary Title – Reason To Celebrate
Liam And Me – Winter Paradise (I Miss You This Christmas)
The Static Age – The Closing Of The Year
The Walkmen - The Christmas Song
Tokyo Rose – This Is Christmas
Also, if you have the time, please visit the bands’ Purevolume profiles. Check out their latest efforts, download some cool tracks, and most importantly, if you like what you hear, make a purchase or two. Many of these acts have EPs that would be perfect for spending those iTunes gift dollars on.
Above all else, I hope that anyone reading this is having a great Christmas; here’s hoping that you’re surrounded by family or friends. That’s truly what the holiday is about to me – spending time with loved ones to celebrate the concepts of peace and good will, and looking forward to a new year together, in the hopes that maybe within it we can make the world a little bit better than it was.
Merry Christmas, all. I’m going to go watch that channel with the fireplace and the log, see if I can find out if it’s real or not this year…
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