The Sounds of Christmas
  • Home
  • Listen Now
  • Podcasts
  • News
  • New For 2021
    • New for 2020
    • New for 2019
    • New For 2018
    • New For 2017
    • New For 2016
    • New For 2015
    • New For 2014
  • Friends
  • Links
  • Attention Singers and Bands!

The Best Variety Of Christmas Music 2021

11/7/2021

0 Comments

 
This is a variation of a blog I posted last year. I always say that the Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas Music. But I think the word "variety" has been so over-used these days that it no longer means anything.

So I thought I'd show you what I mean. 

While I probably won't do this again any time soon, here's a list of the artists we played on the first day of our new season, since we switched back to all Christmas music on November 1.
Picture
Picture
Picture
A Great Big World, Aaron Neville, Air Supply, Al Green, Alarm, Alternate Routes, Amanda Shires, America, Amy Grant, Ana Gasteyer, Andrew Gold, Andy Williams, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Annie Marie Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, the Association, B.B. King, Ball & Chain, Barry Manilow, Beach Boys, Beatles, BeBe Rexha, Ben Rector, Bernie Martini, Bette Midler, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Picture
Picture
Picture
Boxmasters, Bing Crosby, Blackmore's Night, Blues Traveler, Bob and Doug McKenzie, Bob Dylan, Bob Sirois, Bobby Helms, Bobby Vinton, Bon Jovi, Boots Randolph, Brenda Lee, Brett Eldredge, Brett Young, Brian Hyland, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen, Brynn Stanley, Burl Ives, Cameos, Canadian Brass, Canned Heat, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, Carolyn Sills Combo, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Carpenters, Celtic Woman, Charles Brown, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Chris Isaak, Chris Kamara, Chris Standring & Kathrin Shorr, Chrisopher Cross, Chuck Negron, Cimorelli, City Harbor, Classical Blast, Cliff Beach, Conan O'Brien, Corinne Cook, Crystals, Curtis Grimes, Cyndi Lauper, Dan Ashley, Darlene Love, Darren Criss, Daryl Hall, Dave Barnes, Dave Edmunds Band, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
David Cassidy, Davy Jones, dB's, DC Anderson, Dean Martin, Death Cab For Cutie, Dennis DeYoung, Diahann Carroll, Dion, Dolly Parton, Don Cornell, Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, Echosmith, Eddie Floyd, Eddie Money, Edwin McCain, Elizabeth Chan, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Emmy the Great, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eurythmics, Faith Hill, Fiona Apple, Five For Fighting, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Florin Street Band, Fountains Of Wayne, Four Aces, Francesca Battistelli, Frank Sinatra, Franklin McKay, Freda Payne, Gene Autry, Glen Campbell, Goo Goo Dolls, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Grass Roots, Greg London, Gwen Stefani, Hanson, Harry Belafonte, Harry Connick Jr., Herb Alpert, Hilary Duff, Huey Lewis and the News, Idina Menzel, Ike & Tina Turner, Imaginaries, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Ingrid Michaelson, Isley Brothers, J.B. Summers, Jackson 5, James Robert Webb, Jamie Cullum, J.D. McPherson, Jeff beck, Jennifer Warnes, Jesse Belvin, Jewel, Jim Carrey, Jim Croce, Jimmy Durante, Joel Kopischke, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Legend, Johnny Maestro, Johnny Mathis, Jon Bon Jovi, Jon McLaughlin, Jonas Brothers, Jonathan Butler, Josh Groban, Justin Bieber, ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Karla Bonoff, Katey Segal, Katy Perry, Kellie Pickler, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Davies, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, Kimberley Locke, Kirk Whalum, Klea Blackhurst, Kristin Chenoweth, KT Tunstall, Lauren Daigle, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Lena Horne, Leroy Anderson, Les Brown and His Band Of Renown, Letters To Cleo, Linda Imperial, Lindsey Stirling, Lisa Donahey, ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lisa Kessler, Liz Callaway, Liz Kennedy, Lorrie Morgan, Los Lobos, Lou Rawls, Luanne Hunt, Luke McMaster, Luther Vandross, Lynn Anderson, Maddie Poppe, Madison Taylor Baez, Madonna, Mannheim Steamroller, Mantovani, Margaret Dorn and the Accidentals, Mariah Carey, Mario Lanza, Marshall Crenshaw, Martha Reeves, Martina DaSilva and Dan Chmielinski, Martina McBride, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Mary J. Blige, Meghan Trainor, Memphis Ukulele Band, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Michael Bublé, Michael Jackson, Michael Sinatra, Mindi Abair and the Bone Shakers, Mitch Miller, Monkees, Morgan James, Murphy's Law, 'N Sync, Nancy White, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, New Christy Minstrels, New Kids On The Block, Nick Lowe, No Doubt, NOLA Players, Norah Jones, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Norine Braun, NRBQ, O'Jays, Olivia Newton-John, Orla Fallon, Orleans, Osmonds, Otis Redding, Paul Kelly, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Paul Young, Payolas, Peggy Lee, Pentatonix, Percy Faith, Perry Como, Plumb, Polyphonic Spree, Pomplamoose, Pretenders, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Rascal Flatts, Ray Charles, Rebecca Angel, Regrettes, Rehya Stevens, Richard Kincaid, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Richard Marx, Rick Astley, Robert Lund, Robin Trower, Roger McGuinn, Ronettes, Ronnie Spector, Rosalie Drysdale, Roy Holliday, Royal Guardsmen, Russ Lorenson, Ryanhood, Ryland James, Sammy Kaye, Sarah Pierce, Sarah Reeves, Sarah Smith, Scotty McCreery, She and Him, Sheryl Crow, Sia, Sidewalk Prophets, Simpsons, Smalltown Poets, Stephen Bishop, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Wariner, Stevie Mackey, Stevie Wonder, Straight No Chaser, Survivor, Suzanne's Band, Taylor Swift, Tequila Hounds, Terence P. Minogue, Teresa Brewer, Thisbe Vos, Tina Lambert, Tokens, Tom Hanks, Tommee Profitt, Tony DuPuis, Tori Kelly, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Trouvere, twenty one pilots, 
Picture
Picture
Picture
U2, Vanessa Williams, Vera Lynn, Vince Guaraldi Trio, Vince Vance and the Valiants, Vintage Wednesday, William Shatner and Zoe Bentley.
Whew!

​Of course, that's not close to everything we'll be playing. Not by a longshot. But it gives you an idea of what we mean when we say, "The Sounds of Christmas plays the best variety of Christmas music!"

And if you don't see your favorites here, don't worry. This is just the line-up of artists that we played on the first day of this new season. There's a lot more to come!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for sharing this early part of the season with us!

May you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken
0 Comments

Listen To The Sounds Of Christmas 2021

11/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The new season of the Sounds of Christmas has begun, and we're trying to make it as easy as we can to tune in!

​There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.

First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.
Picture
Picture
Second, you can click on the tree on our front page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.
Picture
Picture
You can also do either (or both) of these steps on the LISTEN NOW page.

​And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!
Picture
Picture
We know that you may not be ready for Christmas music, yet, but when you are, we're ready for you! We're playing the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and favorite artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! ​
Picture
0 Comments

Best New Christmas Podcast

10/25/2021

0 Comments

 
Okay, this is a little different from the things I usually post here. But I felt like I had to say something. And that something is...

THANK YOU!

The Sounds of Christmas podcast has been selected as the best new Christmas podcast of 2021 in a survey from the folks at MyMerryChristmas.com.
Picture
I am so grateful and honored.

You can read more about the process, and see the Christmas podcast winners in other categories, by visiting MyMerryChristmas.com RIGHT HERE.

I don't want to make this too self-serving, or go on and on about it, so I'll wrap this up here. I just couldn't let it pass by without acknowledging it, and saying, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

​May you always believe in Santa Claus!
0 Comments

Screamin' Jay Hawkins and I Put A Spell On You

10/3/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you've listened lately, you've probably noticed the music's much different than what is normally played on the Sounds of Christmas. Throughout all of October, we're the Sounds of Halloween, playing spooky songs for the current season while we get hundreds of new Christmas songs loaded and ready to go.

The philosophy behind the Sounds of Christmas is that there is a lot of great Christmas music out there, and most traditional radio stations stick to a tired, short list of songs that get played over and over. We play a very wide variety, and in addition to your favorites, we also play some artists and some versions of songs that you may not be familiar with.

We also do the same thing in October with Halloween music.

For example, we play Screamin' Jay Hawkins and his original version of "I Put A Spell On You". He wrote it and recorded the first version of it in the mid 1950s.

That recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was his greatest commercial success, reportedly surpassing a million copies in sales, even though it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.

Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as "a refined love song, a blues ballad". However, the producer (Arnold Maxin) "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version...I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."

Hawkins first recorded "I Put a Spell on You" as a ballad during his stint with Grand Records in late 1955. However, that version was not released at the time (it has since been reissued after Hawkins became famous. The following year, Hawkins re-recorded the song for Columbia's Okeh Records – the notorious screaming version, which was released in October 1956. However, this version was banned from most radio programming for its outrageous 'cannibalistic' style. A shortened, edited version was later released omitting the grunts and moans from the ending of the song, but the ban generally remained.

Despite that restriction, the record still sold over a million copies.

"I Put a Spell on You" has been covered by hundreds of other artists. Most of the covers treat the song seriously; few attempt to duplicate Hawkins' performance. 

Soon after the release of "I Put a Spell on You", radio disc jockey Alan Freed offered Hawkins $300 to emerge from a coffin onstage. He accepted and created an outlandish stage persona in which performances began with the coffin and included "gold and leopard-skin costumes and notable voodoo stage props, such as his smoking skull on a stick – named Henry – and rubber snakes." These props were suggestive of voodoo, but also presented with comic overtones that invited comparison to "a black Vincent Price."

Despite the commercial success of the gimmick, Hawkins resented the schlock-factor that made him famous. He found it exploitative, and believed it undermined his sincerity as a vocalist and a balladeer. In a 1973 interview, he bemoaned the Screamin' epithet given to him by his record label, saying "If it were up to me, I wouldn't be Screamin’ Jay Hawkins...James Brown did an awful lot of screamin’, but never got called Screamin’ James Brown...Why can't people take me as a regular singer without making a bogeyman out of me?"

From 1962 to 1971, Hawkins lived in Hawaii. He returned to New York after purchasing a home in Hawaii and established his own publishing company, sustained by the royalties from covers of "I Put a Spell On You".

Although Hawkins' own version never charted, several later cover versions have.
Nina Simone's version reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1965; it also reached No. 49 on the UK singles chart that year, and No. 28 when it was reissued in 1969.

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version reached No. 58 on the U.S. Hot 100 in 1968. The band later performed it at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

In the UK, Bryan Ferry's version reached No. 18 in 1993.
​
Jeff Beck, with vocals by Joss Stone, covered the song in 2010. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

We play about two dozen versions during the Sounds of Halloween. In addition to those I’ve already mentioned, we play lesser-known versions, including Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Manfred Mann. Plus, we have more recent versions, including Annie Lennox, William Shatner and a duet with Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana.

So it's quite possible that you'd tune in and hear a version of "Monster Mash" that sounds different than what you were expecting. You may not even know that the Beach Boys used to perform it in concert. Or that Stephen Bishop recorded it (with Andrew Gold and Linda Ronstadt).

We have five other versions of "Ghostbusters" besides the huge hit by Ray Parker Jr. We also have seventeen versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky", including Johnny Cash, the Tubes, Concrete Blonde, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Bing Crosby and Spiderbait.

There are lots of songs from Disney movies and shows. And lots of songs from horror movies and scary TV shows, alongside sillier songs from parodies and comedies. Even some Broadway showtunes.

I think the oldest song in rotation this October is Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues". The newest might be Whitney Avaolon’s Addams Family Style version of “Bad Guy".

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I hope you enjoy listening, and that you don't have to worry about hearing "Purple People Eater" over and over (either by Sheb Wooley, Judy Garland or George Thorogood).

I'm looking forward to the new season of the Sounds of Christmas, and sharing tons of new music with you. But for now, I hope you have fun with the Sounds of Halloween!

​May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!
0 Comments

Listen To The Sounds Of Halloween 2021

9/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The new season of the Sounds of Christmas starts November 1. While we get ready for that, we're playing all Halloween music throughout October. We're also trying to make it as easy as we can to listen to the Sounds of Christmas (and the Sounds of Halloween).

There are three pretty simple ways to tune in.
First, simply click on the player on the front page of our website, or on the LISTEN NOW page. This way, you can listen to us as long as you're on that page, even if you open other windows.
Picture
Picture
Second, you can click on the tree on our front page (between the embedded player and the News Headlines) or on our LISTEN NOW page. That opens a pop-up player, so you can keep listening to us whether you stay on our website, or go to check your email, Facebook, etc. You can keep listening as long as you keep that pop-up player open.
Picture
Picture
And third, you can download our free app in the Google Play store (for your Android phone), and take us with you wherever you go!
Picture
Picture
We'll keep the Halloween music going all the way through Halloween night! Then, on November 1, it's back to the best variety of Christmas music, with all your favorite tunes and artists, along with hundreds of brand new songs!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and for listening!

May you always believe in Santa Claus! And the Great Pumpkin!
Picture
0 Comments

The Sounds of Halloween 2021

9/22/2021

0 Comments

 
This is part of a blog I wrote years ago, but I revisit it and try to update it a bit each year.

​Like most families, Halloween and Christmas have always been big at our house.  Lisa and the kids are on the Halloween side, while I'm with Santa.

I learned long ago not to try and convert any of them.  I think what happened at Disneyland once illustrates it best.  In one of the studios at California Adventure, you can use this machine to determine which hero or villain you are.

I was Tarzan.  All three of them were villains.
Picture
Oh, well.  They love me, anyway.

So as we move toward October, I'm super-busy working on the new season of the Sounds of Christmas. While I've the station stays on year-round, it goes through a big change in October. The Sounds of Christmas becomes the Sounds of Halloween through Halloween night.  

I admit, mostly, it's just for my family, while I kick the tires and otherwise make sure everything is set to go for the coming season. But I've found there are a lot of other people that love Halloween, too, so I've expanded the playlist and hope you have a good time with the Sounds of Halloween.

With all that said, what exactly is Halloween music?

Some of it is pretty obvious. Monster Mash. Purple People Eater. Ghostbusters. Songs about things you associate with Halloween - ghosts, monsters, werewolves, vampires and witches. Some are scary stories, and some are about candy or trick-or-treating.

I also include songs from scary movies and TV shows. Some of those are pretty creepy. And some are funny. Many are in-between.

While there are some kids' songs (like The Count from Sesame Street), a few of the songs do have bad language. And some of the themes of some songs are straight out of horror movies, and those probably aren't for little kids, either.

On the Sounds of Christmas, I play many versions of some songs, so you won't just hear Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas". I do the same thing with the Halloween tunes. I have over a dozen versions of "(Ghost) Riders In The Sky" (though I may not get to all of them this year, as I try to separate songs and artists so you don't hear the same songs and same voices over and over).

You will hear from many of your favorite Christmas music singers and bands, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Mannheim Steamroller and even Bruce Springsteen!

There are songs about Killer Tomatoes, Black Magic Women and Haunted Houses. There are also songs about Alien Invasions, Invisible Men and over twenty takes on "I Put A Spell On You" (I won't get to all of those, either).

I play lots of Disney songs, from movie villains and from spooky shows on the Disney Channel (Disney Plus). I also have at least half a dozen songs from Mystery Science Theater 3000. 

To give you a better idea, here are a dozen of the songs I listened to as I put this blog together...

Annie Lennox "I Put A Spell On You"
Andrew Gold "Ghostbusters"
Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick "Over At The Frankenstein Place"
Aurelio Voltaire "The Vampire Club"
Eric Gales "She Cast A Spell On Me"
Philly Joe Jones "Blues For Dracula"
Bill Buchanan "Beware"
Andy Gibb "After Dark"
Bill Lee "Cruella De Vil"
Lennon and Maisy "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked"
Carl Bonafede "Were Wolf"
Young Frankenstein Broadway Cast "Welcome To Transylvania"

Hope you enjoy this upcoming celebration of Halloween during the month of October! And then the new season of the Sounds of Christmas will be here!

May you always believe in Santa Claus (and also the Great Pumpkin)!

Ken

P.S. - To listen, just go to our home page (or click LISTEN NOW above) and click on the player. For some reason, the player isn't showing up on some browsers, so you can also just click on the tree which will give you a pop-up player. And you can search for us in the Google Play store and get our free app for your Android Phone and take us along with you!
0 Comments

The Sounds of Christmas Podcast

2/2/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
The Sounds of Christmas now has a podcast!

This has been something I've had in the works for a while now, and finally made the time to get it launched.  I know it's only February, but since the station is on all year long, I thought adding a year-round podcast would be a nice addition.

There's no music on the podcast, for a lot of reasons. Mostly, it's simply because we are already playing the best variety of Christmas music, and you can tune in any time through this website or our app in the Google Play store.

The Sounds of Christmas Podcast will be a place for conversation and interviews with others that love Christmas music (though I'm sure, upon occasion, we'll divert into related, tangent topics.

Like the station, the podcasts are free, and there are lots of places you can listen. Just click above on PODCASTS and you'll find a player with the first episode already loaded (and the second episode will show up there some time in the next week). On that page, you'll also find a bunch of links to different podcasting sites, so you can listen on your favorite (and if your favorite isn't there, yet, it hopefully will be soon). Most of those podcasting sites also let you subscribe, so you'll get notified when a new episode is available.

In addition to all those sites, you can also listen to the podcast with Alexa if you have an Amazon Echo (or other device). Just say, "Alexa, play the Sounds of Christmas Podcast!"

​I hope this will be a fun way to keep the Spirit of Christmas going throughout the year, and that you enjoy tuning in when you can!

Thanks so much for your continued support! And may you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken
1 Comment

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

12/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Despite what the commercials tell you, the Twelve Days of Christmas actually come after Christmas. No, really. Those twelve days mark the time from Christmas Day to Epiphany. I'm not going to get into the weeds of the religious history, though if you're interested, you can check out the info on Wikipedia RIGHT HERE.

I always mention this fact, year after year, as it seems many people lose their enthusiasm for Christmas a day or two after, and seem to be like this...
For the first ten years, the Sounds of Christmas stayed on through January 6. And while there was a drop-off in listeners, it was surprising that so many people, in so many different countries, continued to listen.

Also, listeners sent in emails and messages, asking us to stay on all year long. That seemed a bit much, and I went back and forth on that. Finally, a few years ago, I decided to give it a try.

Surprisingly, aside from that initial drop-off after Christmas Day, thousands continued to listen, all over globe.

Some people don't like the idea of year round Christmas music, and I get that. It's not for everybody. Some don't like it before Thanksgiving, or before December 1. And some don't like it at all. That's okay. No one has to listen.

But, for those who do enjoy it, the Sounds of Christmas is here for you. Any time you need some Christmas spirit, just click on the player (on the website or through the app) and enjoy it as the Sounds of Christmas turns the Twelve Days of Christmas into Twelve Months.

​As far as the song goes, there are lots of versions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Not just different artists and different arrangements, but actual different versions, where the twelve items are in different orders, or the items are actually replaced with other things.

Not going to get into the weeds on the history of this, either, or proclaim which versions are correct, and which ones are more correct than others. Instead, I'll just post some of my favorites.

Keep in mind, these are personal choices, and not proclamations. And, in an effort to maintain transparency, I'm not selecting versions done by any singers or bands that have advertised with us (this year or in year's past).

​That said, here we go...
Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters come first. Bing had so many wonderful Christmas songs, it's a shame that most get overlooked. 
Not too many still play Mitch Miller's Christmas music, which is too bad, as it's a fun reflection of its time.
Fast-forwarding through the years, the Muppets are connected to two of my favorites, first with John Denver and then, years later, with Jimmy Fallon (unfortunately, the Jimmy Fallon version has been removed from YouTube)... 
Roger McGuinn if the Byrds has been releasing a free Christmas song every year through his Folk Den Project website, and he put out a version of this a little over ten years ago. In 2020, he collected many of these songs and released them on a new album, simply called "Merry Christmas"...
The a cappella group Straight No Chase burst on the scene almost fifteen years ago when their take on "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" became a viral video (one that had originally been recorded in 1998)...
Just a few years ago, Jimmy Buffett put his own stamp on it...
Destiny's Child has also made the song their own...
Of course, making the song one's own isn't anything new. Andy Williams did that on his first Christmas album in 1963...
Other artists have not only made it their own, but made it a parody, often by simply changing the gifts. Allan Sherman did that the same year Andy Williams released his first Christmas album...
Many parodies have followed, but the probably most well-known is by Bob Rivers...
A lesser known parody, which might not be a parody at all but just more of a "bit", comes from comedian Norm McDonald, who illustrates what it might be like to be on the receiving end of all those gifts...
Obviously, there are many more than what I've listed here. Please don't be upset if your favorite isn't here. There are over seventy versions of this song in our library, and there's a pretty good change yours is in there.

Since I've posted eleven videos above, it seems like I really should add one more. And this one is truly one of my favorites. From Second City's Bob and Doug McKenzie... 
Looking over this list, I think it's a pretty good example of the kind of variety played on the Sounds of Christmas. And as we get farther from Christmas 2020, and closer to Christmas 2021, I hope whenever you feel a need of some Christmas spirit, you'll stop by.

And may you always believe in Santa Claus.

​Ken
0 Comments

Grateful

12/26/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thank you.

I have been so excited to be able to run the Sounds of Christmas these past fourteen seasons, and I wanted to start this off by thanking you for listening - whether you just found us this year, or you've been listening all along, or you're somewhere in the middle. I am so grateful that I was able to spend at least part of the holiday season with you!

For years, people asked us to stay on year-round. While we've been fortunate enough to have a growing audience over the last fourteen seasons, I didn't really think there would be many who would actually listen to a Christmas music station throughout the year.

Then, near the end of December 2017, I watched "A Christmas Carol" again, as I try to do at least once every December. And this part really struck a chord with me. “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

So we decided to do it.

Instead of signing off after Epiphany, as we did for the first ten years, we stayed on year-round. And while our daily audience did decrease by a huge percentage, it was gratifying to see that some were still listening - maybe not every day, but often enough that we noticed.

I'm sure there are those who will continue to scoff at this. There might even be a few who are really annoyed at the idea of Christmas music all year long. My hope, though, is that whenever you feel like you could use a dose of Christmas spirit, you'll remember that we're still on.

And if you like what we do, and feel so moved that you'd like to help keep us going, we'd be happy to have your financial support to help stay on! You can just click below and donate on the Paypal link, putting whatever you can or whatever you want to in our virtual tip jar!

I would like to also thank the artists that advertised this year, helping to get us on, and keep us on, for this fourteenth season! I'm adding links to each of their names, so you can click on any or all and check out their music (and if you're so moved, pick up a copy of their CD(s) or download tracks).

Thanks to all in our Class of 2020, including Michael Sinatra, Francesca Battistelli, Luke McMaster, Russ Lorenson, Natasha Miller, David Garfield, Ken Wank, Alexis Stanton, Brynn Stanley, Madison Taylor Baez, Kenny Davies, Karla Bonoff, Rosalie Drysdale, Norine Braun, Suzanne's Band, Tommee Profitt and Louis Calaiannia.  

Thanks again for listening. I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you a very Happy New Year. May 2021 bring you all you hope for and more! And may you always believe in Santa Claus!

​Ken
0 Comments

More New Music

12/10/2020

0 Comments

 
While we already have a page that features many of the new Christmas albums that we play (which you can find HERE), more and more Christmas singles and EPs are coming out. Especially as we enter the last couple weeks before Christmas, many singers and bands decide to surprise their fans by putting out a new holiday song.

As with our list of new Christmas album, this list of singles is by no means complete. In fact, I can almost guarantee that, as soon as this gets posted, another two or three (or more) will pop up.

But here are some of the new singles we've found and are playing on the Sounds of Christmas! And you can click on each one to find out a little more, hear a sample and, if you're so move, buy it (links go to Amazon, Spotify and Bandcamp)!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    April 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly