We reviewed the previous two collections under this name favorably for their great assemblage of power pop Christmas tuneage, and 2011's addition to the series is solidly in the tradition. (Disclosure: this author made a small financial contribution to get the album to the pressing plant.) Lisa Mychols makes her third appearance in a row to kick off the album with "Joy Is In the Giving," a song I can't track to her previous discography; it's not on her classic Lost Winter's Dream Christmas album. Mistletunes regulars may recognize some of the songs on here; the Click Beetles' "Wonderful Christmas," Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg's "It's Love on Christmas Day," Yule Logs' "Christmas Lights" and Jigsaw Seen's "What About Christmas" have all been mentioned here before. Sketch Middle rocks out on "Very Very Merry Merry," Jamie & Steve do a very Beatlesque "What Am I Gonna Get," the Sun Kings mine similar territory on "Santa's Calling," October Elsewhere gets introspective on the ballad "Bright New Day," as does 89 Mojo on "Wish," and Jeremy goes for the jangly guitars on "Now It's Christmas." Although these folks are mostly of the power pop realm, there are some left turns -- blues in the case of Tinsley Ellis' cover of "Santa Claus Wants Some Loving" and Ash Can School's "Christmas List Boogie," and antique pop-jazz in the "Winchester Cathedral" vein from The Brothers Figaro on "Jolly Old St. Nicholas." And Mari Pavelich, the reason for this seasonal tradition -- it was her case of Von Willebrand syndrome that led her dad, Dan, to produce this series of albums to benefit The Blood Center in Milwaukee -- provides us with a dramatic reading of "The Meaning of Christmas." A good album for a good cause, currently only available at Jam Records but hopefully will be in wider release soon.
Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 3, various artists (Vandalay)
We reviewed the previous two collections under this name favorably for their great assemblage of power pop Christmas tuneage, and 2011's addition to the series is solidly in the tradition. (Disclosure: this author made a small financial contribution to get the album to the pressing plant.) Lisa Mychols makes her third appearance in a row to kick off the album with "Joy Is In the Giving," a song I can't track to her previous discography; it's not on her classic Lost Winter's Dream Christmas album. Mistletunes regulars may recognize some of the songs on here; the Click Beetles' "Wonderful Christmas," Jim Babjak's Buzzed Meg's "It's Love on Christmas Day," Yule Logs' "Christmas Lights" and Jigsaw Seen's "What About Christmas" have all been mentioned here before. Sketch Middle rocks out on "Very Very Merry Merry," Jamie & Steve do a very Beatlesque "What Am I Gonna Get," the Sun Kings mine similar territory on "Santa's Calling," October Elsewhere gets introspective on the ballad "Bright New Day," as does 89 Mojo on "Wish," and Jeremy goes for the jangly guitars on "Now It's Christmas." Although these folks are mostly of the power pop realm, there are some left turns -- blues in the case of Tinsley Ellis' cover of "Santa Claus Wants Some Loving" and Ash Can School's "Christmas List Boogie," and antique pop-jazz in the "Winchester Cathedral" vein from The Brothers Figaro on "Jolly Old St. Nicholas." And Mari Pavelich, the reason for this seasonal tradition -- it was her case of Von Willebrand syndrome that led her dad, Dan, to produce this series of albums to benefit The Blood Center in Milwaukee -- provides us with a dramatic reading of "The Meaning of Christmas." A good album for a good cause, currently only available at Jam Records but hopefully will be in wider release soon.
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