For perhaps as long as there’s been music, no matter what their beliefs, artists have been offering their fans a special treat at this time of year. And, with all of the ways there are to listen to holiday music (24/7) during these festive weeks, there should be more than ample room for each and every one of these special seasonal songs to receive the attention it deserves. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Every year, there are a great many songs that fly beneath the radar, beautiful songs and engaging ditties that never quite get the attention they deserve. Here are four of this year’s best!
The best Christmas songs flying beneath your radar this year
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“Put Out the Fire in the Fireplace” - James Adelsberger and Mike Johnson
Roughshod RecordsRoughshod Records is an independent country music label that has been dedicated to keeping traditional country music alive since 1987. The duo of James Adelsberger and Mike Johnson, better known as Sidekicks, has a wonderfully fun and offbeat Christmas song entitled “Put Out the Fire in the Fireplace.”
“‘Put Out the Fire in the Fireplace’ probably comes from listening to ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ too many times and seeing pictures and paintings of families gathered around the roaring fireplace,” Mike revealed to AXS. “I always wondered if Santa skipped houses that had smoke coming from the chimneys, so I imagined an approach that some of my creative-minded Boys Scouts might have taken.”
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“Songs of the Season” - Christopher Kent
Christopher Kent“Christmas music is a big part of the holiday season for me,” Christopher noted on his website. “And I’ve always enjoyed the artistry and emotional power of the best Christmas songs. Plus, their reappearance every year makes them bring back memories when I hear them.”
This fascination with holiday music led Kent on a quest to discover “really wonderful but seldom-heard Christmas songs.” So Christopher started a tradition of sorts where each December he looked for more songs to add to his list.
“After doing this every year for about 10 years, it occurred to me that, without meaning to, I had given myself a pretty good education in the art of Christmas music. Meanwhile, as a long-time songwriter, it had honestly never occurred to me to write a Christmas song. I suppose I assumed all of the good ideas had already been used (many times over). And much of the new material that shows up every year ranges from predictable new versions of standards to bizarre songs that barely qualify as being about Christmas. But after 10 years of finding wonderful, obscure Christmas songs, I realized that it wasn’t true that all of the good ideas were used up -- people were still finding new, emotionally right-on ways to write about Christmas.”
“Songs of the Season” is Christopher Kent’s holiday masterpiece. His vocals crackle with the warmth of a Christmas fire as his touching melody brings tears to your eyes. Kent regales combining cherished lore and personal memories making “Songs of the Season” perhaps the best holiday standard you’ve never heard.
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“For Auld Lang Syne” - Cindy Alexander
Blue Elan RecordsCindy Alexander is an inspiring miracle. Her ability to touch people on a personal level through the genuine vulnerability in her songwriting is beauty in action. Alexander’s rich voice is more comforting than hot cocoa while her ability to paint a beautiful portrait with words and then to allow her audience to feel the sentiments behind those lyrics through her soaring melodies is simply extraordinary.
In regards to how the song came about, Cindy told AXS, “The Holidays are a time for introspection, reflection and counting our blessings. One of my blessings is Blue Elan Records. Because of them, I get to make more music, more often. When they offered me the opportunity to create a holiday EP, I wanted to make sure I included one of my original songs. I wrote ‘For Auld Lang Syne’ as a stocking stuffer from my heart to yours. It’s a song about forgiveness, gratitude, and a chance to start all over again.”
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“In The Bleak Midwinter” - Michelle Lewis
Michelle LewisMichelle Lewis has a gift for immersing you in the soul of her tender melancholy. She sings with such a remarkable honesty that her music becomes a transcendent experience. Coupled with the touching home movies, Lewis’ “In The Bleak Midwinter” video will move you to gently weeping in joyful nostalgia.
“It was my favorite hymn to sing in the choir at Christmastime. I’ve always wanted to do my own version pulling from both my folk and choir roots,” she stated on her website. “Growing up, my family would decorate the tree, with hot chocolate on the stove and Johnny Mathis on the record player. At my family’s Christmas Eve party, my dad would sneak away and come back dressed as Santa, and my sister and I never knew it was him. On Christmas morning, we would wake up to a living room filled with presents -- and totally freak out! This music video captures some of that Christmas joy. I hope you like it.”
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