Category: altrock

Snow Way: fallen

Take a long look outside at the blanket o’ white and marvel. Is there any other view that stymies our senses so?

Manhatten Transfer smoo-oo-ooth their way across the pale piles with the classic 1941 Claude Thornhill “Snowfall.” The band is so big, it’s orchestral. Doris Day adds sex to this one. Tony Bennett adds class. The Four Freshman add cool. Let’s stop there.

Gospel tinges Ingrid Michaelson’s “Snowfall.” But it’s a prayer for love of man, more than of God.

Reckless Kelly turns his “Snowfall” into a cowboy survival struggle. Just another night out West.

Scott Chapman stumbles through his poetic “Snowfall (Christmas Dreaming)” mixing love, Christmas joy, sadness and beauty in no particular order. Languid pop balladeering.

Pretty puffery from the makers of Angry Birds. “The Snowfall Full Song” might appear fragmentarily in the background of some video game, but here it’s a maestro-piece of vocal wonder and piano drama. Sung by Osmo Ikonen.

Illinois State University’s a cappella group The Clef Hangers pace out a serious (Enya inspired) and solemn “Snowfall.” Try not to watch how they channel their emotions bodily.

Rock that fall! Tim Rosenau burns up the flurry with “It Snowed.” Ooo, mama.

Well, here’s what turns my snow machine on: HANSA with their “Snowfall.” Fun frothy frivolity!

Snow Way: still falling (for you)

The unceasing natural phenomenon is just like love. So says Jay Davies in “Snow is Falling.” Retro rock with heavy timpani.

Ruthie + the Giants also allude to romance with “Snow is Falling.” Their apathetic sensuality makes them sound garage, but I sense some lazy rockabilly here.

Heating up the forecast No Harvest gives us “Snow is Falling” as a come on to come over. Like to be snowbound with you….

Saying love with snowfall means– polka! John Stevens’s Doubleshot play “The Snow is Falling Polka” until you admit your love! He can outlast you!

Israeli Daniel Mesrati worries that since “The Snow is Falling” she may not be coming. His BB King tribute band serves him well, but he’s been left out in the sun too long.

Lewsh has the same trouble with his baby not coming back to him in “Snow is Falling.” Rockabilly regret.

Here comes the breakup! “Snow is Falling Down” from Andrea Gleason takes us down down down with guitar folk rock. He wasn’t worth it!

“Snow is Lightly Falling” is sorrow and Celtic blues from Nightnoise. Warbling winter woe.

A young Ray Charles ups the blues with “The Snow is Falling.” Dying, crying, why-o-whying… it’s that time of year. Fantasia sasses the blues with her sexy version of the same number.

“Snow is Falling” from the Loungers (feat. Travo) expresses that big hope that with the whitewashing of the seasons, perhaps there’s hope of getting back together. An altrock charmer with a danceable rhythm.

Snow Way: first, the sequel

Some first snow songs appeal to the more mature.

I shall skip all the completely off-base weirdness that snow represents to artists. But it have a soft spot for Jethro Tull. “The First Snow in Brooklyn” has little to do with Christmas, Winter, or us. This word soup takes you where your medication dictates. Enjoy.

A fecund enough subject, thus here come the homegrown with his own compositions. Barry Beattie beats on that guitar for his own country rocking “First Snowfall.” I wanna do the backup!

Bah & The Humbugs sound coarse, but their “The First Snowflake” is Invasion folk rock about the big picture, world. Hold hands, find inner peace, be.

Yeah, The Carpenters made this one a hit. But Bing released it first (as he did with most Christmas songs). “The First Snowfall” is schmaltzy and dawdling, but so was life back then. Like only looking at a corner of a Norman Rockwell.

But i’m really here to discover the undiscovered bands humping and hurting and wailing their irony until some one some where appreciates them. Over the Rhine clads their existential misery in the metaphor of a mangy neglected manger scene improved by the “First Snowfall.” It’s like an angel’s first singing. Bravo, guys.

Snow Way: just

Just the word snow is enough to jimmie loose those songwriting instincts.

“Snow” by Rosemary Clooney appears in the cinematic chestnut ‘White Christmas.’ It’s a torch song for the white stuff. (She sang it with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the film, but her voice was subbed out to Peggy Lee in the soundtrack.)

Plank Road’s Teresa Jennings has a Gulf Coast beat with some pretty arpeggios for her “Snow.”

Claudine Longet gives us a taste of the ’60s (before she was a boyfriend shooter) with the French pop “Snow.”

Brand new release from Angus and Julia Stone sells “Snow” as a family country folk fusion.

Loreena McKennitt brings the ethereal with her Celtic faerie tinkling in “Snow.” Shivers!!

Illinois alt rockers Sleeping at Last made a fan collage of submitted footage into a video for their own soft paean to “Snow.” Ooh, look!

Snow Way: hoping

While on the topic of weather manipulation, let us mention the maudlin machination moaned by Deanna Loveland, “If I Could Make It Snow.” Lite country ballideering with Celine highlights.

The Vamps are heartbroken and snow’s the trigger. “Hoping for Snow” is just twisting the knife in this pop folk tinkler. Whoa whoa whoa baby.

Sarah Close has looped in her universe with a parody of her own minor UK hit ‘Call Me Out’ into “Snow It Down.” I applaud self parody, but this solipsism is only saved by her deservedly diva talent. Siren pop.

Surrounding Cities ice pop music over a garage cinder block with “Hoping for Snow.” It’s hopeful, with an emo twist. (Nice guitar solo.)

Elto2 goes crazy on her uke (not really) with her homegrown folk rock “Hoping for Snow.” Shyly talented.

kb467 posts a ‘traditional’ Christmas song “Hoping for Snow.” Much more Christmas in this ’60s throwback altpop.

Parodies’ Paradise: 2005 “Photograph”

Nickelback’s song was the first single from their fifth studio album, All the Right Reasons… made multiple US and UK top 10 charts, peaking at #1 in several of them, including Billboard‘s US Mainstream Rock, US Pop 100, US Adult Top 40, UK’s Rock and Metal charts too (is this uncategorizable?).

Welcome back the hard working Holderness Family with the hot topic bad Xmas family pix in their “Santa Song.”

Parodies’ Paradise: 2000 “With Arms Wide Open”

From Creed’s second studio album, Human Clay this song topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart (most airplay of a track from an album) for four weeks in July 2000… topped the Billboard‘s Adult Top 40 chart for eight weeks… hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue date… the music video topped VH1’s top ten countdown in 2000… won Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song… also nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

Tobuscus self censors a ****** funny “Creed Parody of ‘With Arms Wide Open.'” One of my favorites.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1991 “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Seattle’s grunge inventors Nirvana dropped this opening track and lead single from their second album… it propelled Nevermind to the top of the charts… marked as the point where alternative rock entered the mainstream… their biggest hit… reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100… high on music industry charts all around the world in 1991 and 1992… topped the Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics’ poll… won two MTV Video Music Awards for its music video… dubbed an “anthem for apathetic kids” of Generation X… one of the greatest songs in the history of rock music.

Chris Townsend does his annual bit with “Christmas Parody of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.'” Spirited.

Selahattin Yilmaz has posted a fragment of a nice parody, “Smells Like Christmas Spirit.” More would be better.

Jars of Clay makes the TD with “Smells Like Rudolph.” I’m here to introduce previously unmentioned pariodies, yet i’ve mentioned this one before. It’s so good i have to break rules and mention it again. Bangin’ cool.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1989 “Love Shack”

B-52s had their biggest hit and first million-copy seller with this song…  their first song to reach the Billboard Top 40 charts…  peaking at number 3… also reaching number 2 on the UK Singles Chart… and number 1 for eight weeks in Australia… number 1 for 4 weeks in New Zealand… number 1 in the Republic of Ireland… number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart… named as one of the 365 Songs of the Century in 2001… named the Best Single of 1989 by Rolling Stone… ranked #246 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Bob Rivers gets on board with “Toy Sack.”

As do The Mistletones with–ahem–“Toy Sack.” They’re lyrically diffie, i swear (mostly).

Parodies’ Paradise: 1984 “One Night in Bangkok”

From Murray Head’s Chess album came a single which topped the charts in many countries, including South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia… peaked at no. 3 in both Canada and the United States… no. 12 in Head’s native United Kingdom.

Look out public–here’s ApologetiX’s “One Night in Betlehem.”