Category: folk

Where dey at? I want a tree, how do i find one?!

Aiko Tomi’s gentle tympanic pop guides us through the quest with “Christmas Tree.” She’s at home with her soaring range.

Tom Paxton’s got a plan for the family and explains how “We are Going to Get Our Christmas Tree.” It’s kiddie doggerel, but i can’t stop listening… and it seems to never end.

The Christmas Kids detail “The Christmas Tree Search” by some elves (sounds like ‘Jack and Jill’ to me), but dig that bass bridge.

Bluegrass sounds like family! Bud’s Collective downhomes “Daddy’s Christmas Tree” so you know what his childhood was really like. Watch out, they don’t always get their tree in the same way. The message muddles.

Eric and Paul, The Jacobsen Brothers weave a honky tonk hope of romantic aspirations with “I Want a Real Christmas Tree.” I want more songs like this.

Also garage pop fun is “Going to Get the Tree” from Maxwell, Miranda, Parsely. Classic Christmas carol done party-right.

Karin Hovey soothes with melodic folk. “Family Christmas Tree” is a Robert Frost-style reminiscence over the hills. It’s the fiddlin’ makes you cry.

No better instruction than the outsider telling you how he’s imitating your traditions… Jonathan Mann explains this better with “Jewish Family Gets Christmas Tree from the Woods.” Plunkety boogie woogie sells this cultural mashup WITHOUT guilt, if you can believe that.

The New Christy Minstrels, perhaps, circle the square with the most straight-laced, happening burst of vocal joy to get us in the tree-hunting mood: 1963’s “Christmas Trees.” Resist, ye hipster, and be of sorrow.

Evergreens don’t lose their leaves, so they don’t really ‘die,’ so they’re just like my immortal bra Christ. Or maybe it’s Druidic and celebrates the animus of dendritic growth. Anywho, someres after Protestantism began, firs in the shape of wreaths and room-fitting saplings were brought inside to help elaborate, expand, and freshen up the smell of the celebration of God’s gift to man.

And we’re not just stuck on parodies of ‘Tannenbaum’ here (a nod to the Germanic origins). There’s a dumpload of songs about the greenery of the party. Many I’ve already linked (and may link again).

So let’s go down to the woods today and be sure of a big surprise. From The Magic of Christmas come The Magic of Christmas Singers with “Christmas in the Forest.” This Killarney come-on somnolently celebrates gnomes worshipping Christ. Right.

Just as mystically Welsh Coleggwent Musical Theatre presents a riverdance glee club “Proudly in the (Christmas) Forest.” Their precision and harmony are dumbfounding, but it’s like watching computer programming for the joy it brings.

More family friendly is the traditional Russian “The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree.” Oddly i can’t find this in English. So try a swinging jazz rendition from The Children’s Studio.

Finally let’s light up the Renaissance folk song popularized slightly by Joan Baez. “Down in Yon Forest” reveres JC’s aborning, but it’s so swaddled in symbology (not a real forest after all) this dirge riddles more than celebrates. Enjoy.

Is it hashtag worthy to worry about the -man part? Always gotta be the guy?!

Let’s get the party rolling with Ten Benson’s rock “Snowman, Snowgirl.” Okay, not woke yet in a freezing world.

The Crowe Brothers solve their lonesomeness with a “Snow Woman.” It’s pure country driven bluegrass, comparing the icy one to the one that left. You see where we’re going here…. (Art Priebe goes more forlorn with this.)

And while on THAT subject, Chloe gives us her home studio version of “Snow-Woman” heralding her own tough life and the cold responses required. Pop country.

Clara Luzia has an insistent folk number “Snowwoman” (finally i’ve found that elusive double-double-yew word so i can finish off my double consonant list!)–a song about forthrightness and identity and stuff. Beautiful, if you ask me.

Let’s get folksy with the down home people for some Abominable Snowmen songs.

Michael Hurley, and his guitar, tell the tale of a troubled traveler with “Abominable Snowman.” It may break your heart. It may steal your watch. His hooting… and ‘humor,’ however, may reverse the trend.

M&TGM submit a dreamy alt-folk “Abominable Snowman” to bring you down. They may not be quite finished.

Our Voyage plays “The Abominable Snowman” like it’s a close campfire at the SciFi convention hall. Another epic yarn about the travails of being misunderstood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Rj4TxKWco

Let’s finish up the ankle biting song tributes to putting down that video game and getting exercise in the frosty cold.

Sheila Magaret Ward has an introductory “Who Is He? (The Snowman)” that hits lofty marks (and notes) for the existential and definitive case for that thing. Folk pop.

Less sensible, is the ‘tribute’ to other songs with “Goodbye, Snowman” from Super Simple Songs. Children’s showtune.

Mr. Mike continues the familiarity with “Where, Oh Where Has My Snowman Gone?” By the numbers, now.

Petula Clark in full kid shouting mode gives us “Where Did the Snowman Go?” 1952adelia. (Spike Jones did it with Linda Strangis in 1953.) (And Patti Page.) (Gene Autry too.)

Picking up the beat, Rockin’ Rhythms rolls along with “Bye Bye Snowman” in a haunting melody of despair for children.

Ken Galipeau brings up the heat with Michael O’Grady, the snowman who keeps flowing with “The Snowman’s Song.” All good things must end, but not usually this fun.

More fun is the electronic folk of Rudolph and the Snowman” by A.J. Jenkins. Polite, philosophical, and a little kicky.

Snow in a far away place may seem like an impossible dream.

‘Course that paradox screams literary device so that Natalie Cole can R+B “Snowfall on the Sahara”  about unlikely love, etc. Cliff Richard shares the boys’ view on this tune.

More mixed metaphors from Elizaveta Khripounova with “Snow in Venice.” Here she adds blues to piano bar to great accomplishment about that special time, remember?

K. Bramley’s “Snow in London,” to put the mitten on the other fist, bemoans you leaving with some lovely unplugged punk.

“Bluegrass, White Snow” descends like a cloud of wishes whether from New Trails, Patty Loveless, or the dozens of homegrown pickers and grinners like The Pluckin’ Nuts.

Some of these place holders i’ve crowed over before. Hardly worth a seconding, but Ariane Grande’s “Snow in California,” Jethro Tull’s “First Snow on Brooklyn,”  Naïka’s “Snowing in LA (long distance)“, Dan Adamini’s “Snow is Falling in Upper Michigan,” Kristin McLean’s “Snow is Falling in Colorado,” Harold Livingstone and Mile Marker 24’s “White Christmas in the Florida Keys,” Timothy Chen Allen’s “Tonight It Snowed in San Juan,” Kristie Stremel’s “Kansas Snow Song“–all vie for background placement over the local news outro Christmas Eve. Sad.

Burl Ives takes on the case of “Snow for Johnny” praying for some luckless Louisiana lad. It’s his inimitable style (although Lauren St. Jane and The Dead Westerns did it too, albeit with ‘billy whining). Whatever will Johnny do without a big snowman, Burl?

Too much H two minus-O? Make it a snow day! Stay home and… write a song about it.

With over 4 million views school teacher May Morris goes big with her ‘Hello’ parody “Snow” calling for just one more snow day. Powerful pipes from shushing the swarm, apparently.

The Sharer Fam (not related, but they all love to share) rollick family friendly with “Snow Day,” highlighting all the boring stuff.

The Fresh Beat Band thinks rap and Caribbean go together in their dull/hyper “Snow Day.”

Scaring the kids with their talent The Ohio City Singers scream out “Snow Day.” Sing along, i mean right now!

Eric Herman turns clever hip hop rhyming into ADHD kidsong with “Snow Day,” in which a valuable tragic lesson is learned about fun in the frost. Learn fear, Fred.

Pamela Noon orchestrates her kids to go big with her show stopping “Snow Day.” Hold that note!

Trout Fishing in America lays down jazz tracks for the littluns with their “Snow Day.” Friendly enough to dance to.

Plank Road rocks out with their sfx-laden “Snow Day.” Teresa Jennings may know Phil.

Toby Lightman hopes his penchant for percussion makes you dance in his “Snow Day.” Pop!

Matt Pond PA leans more lite-alt with his “Snow Day.” Emo music, emo money.

Bah & the Humbugs growl out garage rock for their “Snow Day.” Revolting.

Hey, look–it’s Lisa Loeb singing about grown up problems with her “Snow Day.” don’t do it alone.

Sounding like a mom in a cartoon musical, Noel Pagan (!?) belts out “Snow Day.” Can’t tell if she likes it or not, but she’s pretty clingy.

Even more torchy, Emily Mac is propositioning you with minimal jazz and maximal innuendo with her “Snow Day.” Mmmm-mama!

The Holderness Family knows what they’re doing, so count on their “Snow Day” to tickle and tug for their family hiking you wish you could’ve had with yours.

The whole childhood reminiscence rolls out in touchingly in “Snow Day” from folkie Michael Lelly Blanchard.