I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
I hope you are well and with this playlist I want to wish you a good time with your family, friends and loved ones. We are all going through a difficult time. We had to adjust our plans for this year a lot and I think everyone had a frustration with this shit load sometimes. So I want to give you one and a half hours of music that I think is worth listening to and will hopefully help you to ride your holiday correctly. It’s mostly new music because I think it’s a good message for this crisis. Even though sometimes the world seems to stand still, people are creating. I hope you enjoy these new vibes!
Happy xMas!
Julia Jacklin – Someday
I think the first time I have heard this song was on FM4. Such a smooth version of this legendary garage rock song. This one is the perfect start for this kind of xMas-Special of this playlist. We start contemplatively. Ever heard of this word before? Me either! It’s besinnlich in german.
Claud – Soft Spot
What a damn nice and warm sound. I have to say I’m really blown away by how this mix is done. Everything is in place and the overall sound is just stunning. Usually it’s hard for a female voice to win me over, but Clauds just fits this track perfectly.
Jordana – Reason
I seem to be in the mood for female voices. This track is just fantastic. The mix and arrangement are so atmospheric. Perfect for when you’re lying on the couch, staring out the window and want to lose your thoughts. So minimalistic in the instrumentation, but lacking nothing. On Point!
Hether – Sex Wax
Groovy, groovy, groovy. For me, this is a classic Friday afternoon song. You’re in a mood to go straight into a great weekend with friends (and maybe a few drinks). You’re motivated and this song just emphasizes that feeling. If you like to jog (which I don’t), this is definitely a good tune too.
Cayo Coco – Find a way
Always be open to different genres! This song here is definitely not one of my usual suspects. I’m not really into the autotune stuff. But Caya Coco doesn’t use it too much and I can say “this is good music” without a bleeding heart. Cloud rap stars, listen to how it goes. I like the drum sound and especially how the guitars are paired with the snare.
Steve Lacy – Infrunami
Ever heard of Steve Lacy? Me neither. But he seems to be quite popular. He just released the album “The-Lo-Fis.” What’s special about it? It’s just an album of demos on it. No overproduced stuff. A lot of sketches and Infrunami is one of them. I like the vibe of that song. A guitar and the drums hold this track together. And I would say, hey, it works perfectly. There’s a beautiful lightness to this song. Maybe we’ll get the overproduced track delivered at some point. If that’s the case, you’ll find out here ;).
Chez Alli – Shrek II
Stockholm boy Chez Alli just released this beautiful dream pop track. Just a slightly cheesy, well produced song. The chorus-like guitars á la Mac de Marco work perfectly.
Mickey Newball – Betting on Bad Weather
That’s what I call an arrangement. This song tells a story. The change to the first chorus (0:47) is just a masterpiece. The chorus somehow reminds me of a James Bond soundtrack. Don’t ask me why. I really have to say that I love this song. This track has soul. Just enjoy it.
Dad Bod – My Own
Ohhhh, this is the dream pop I fell in love with. Melodic riffs with chorus effects on every single track. Somehow the chorus with the choir reminds me of Noah and The Whale and gives it a hippie vibe – great!
Sidefact: If you turn up this vibe, you can hear a kind of vinyl needle effect on the whole track, which gives it a warm tape sound.
Hether – Shy
Normally I would never take an artist 2 times for the same playlist. But I want to show you this one so much that I can’t keep it in my pocket for another time. Who knows when I dumbass will create the next playlist? All kidding aside. I will try to update this playlist every month in 2021. Yearly resolution! Okay, let’s get back on topic. I like the mellow vibe of the mix. The vocals are sweet like a red apple just waiting to be bitten. Great track!
The Mowgli’s – San Francisco
Formed near Venice Beach, The Mowgli’s are a band that sends good vibes. The opening verse is perhaps a bit too cheesy, but I fall in love with the chorus and the energetic bridge that follows. I’ve never been to San Francisco, but I’d be there in a few weeks if it weren’t for this crappy virus spreading around the world. But I’m sure one day I’ll fall in love with San Francisco.
Cayucas – California Girl
Let’s stay in the golden state. This track was just released in September of this year. I admire it when a band tries to get that 70s vibe into their music. Usually with songs like this you can tell right away that it’s not a 70’s original (Foxygen as example). I think if this song was released in the 70s, no one would think it was out of place. Respect for that! At the end of the song, I just want to find a time machine. Bee Gees I am coming!
Kid Bloom – Hold In, Hold On
Uhhh, what a groovy groovie bass is pumping here? That’s what I call a good mood song that fits perfectly with the motto of this playlist. Exactly at minute one there is a humorous, corona tidbit with “I miss my fans, well at least I miss one”. I love the airy mix in this song. Remembers me a little bit of the mixes of old songs like “Born On The Bayou”. Great poppy track!
Babe Rainbow – Zeitgeist
Alt-J is that you? The rhythm section is just hooooooot. The percussion fits perfectly with the whole song. I fell in love with the bongos. When you see a picture of these guys, it’s easy to assume they fell into a Caritas container. Modern hippies. Hipsters? I don’t know, but I like their casual vibe coupled with the perfectly fitting vocals that don’t squeeze into the foreground
Sports – Never Know
Sons of the Scissor Sisters?! I like the dancie vibe paired with dream pop elements.
KALI – Back to the Start
Great vocal arrangement. A mix where every single instrument knows where it’s place is. This song is fun.
Oscar Lang – Apple Juice
A 20 year young boy straight outta London shows that young people still know how to make catchy e-guitar rock songs. Great track, great artist, worth checking out because his songs are varied and interesting to listen to.
sidefact: I often get in touch with this great track because it’s one of the soundtrack of FIFA21. Even if the game ain’t the best EA still is able to discover great tracks.
Matt Maltese – madhouse
A track I fell in love with immediately. So smooth. So groovy. Matt Maltese just released this track in August this year. If you listen to his old tracks, you can hear an incredible musical change. The old songs are mostly piano and melancholic. Now he wears a groovy garb but did not lose the melancholic touch. electronic, dream pop indie <3.
The Honeysticks – I Don’t Love You Anymore
Ou. What a beautiful, cheesy indie song. Warm and biting snare – I like those. When I first heard this song I thought “oh, these must be fun people to hang out with” and when you watch the video for this song, your suspicions harden. This song is not the most complex ever written, but it just does what it needs to do and does it incredibly well. The playfulness of the musicians can just be heard in this song.
Declan McKenna – Brazil
He is a quite popular guy. I like this song. Great arrangement and even if it’s a pop song it’s one of those I can enjoy.
Fleece – Upside Down
😊 great track. A track that increases the longer it goes on. I like the arrangement at the end. On their Facebook page they tell us that Fleece is warm indie rock that makes you happy. Congratulations! Achievement unlocked!
Chemical club, Fanclub Wallet – double down
A short, nice lo-fi track. I love the vibe, I love the mix. It’s a casual song that reminds me a bit of the melancholic phase of the 80s because of the way the vocals are sung, where bands like The Cure were a big influence on the music.
Faye Webster – Kingston
I just have to put this song on the playlist because of that damn beautiful, slapping snare. Oh, it’s a drummer’s dream. Of course, the track is great and perfectly arranged with great piano and vocal partsIf you like that kind of sound. Faye Webster has a lot of great songs that are worth listening to. Chill down music at the highest level of arrangement.
Sidefact: You recognized the guitar doing that oriental lick? I’ve kind of heard that before :p. Do you know which song? Band On The Run by The Wings 😉. Every musician has their influences. I think it’s totally fine and it works perfectly in this song.
Tim Atlas – Wallflower
What a bass line. Great percussion. Groovy, groovy, groovy track. Turn this shit up and dance along!
Vista Kicks – Marceline
Okay, sometimes I get a little nostalgic. These are the kind of songs I listened to at the end of my teenage years. The Fratellis, The Cribs, and what they’re all called. I still like that kind of music and this track is well arranged and the guitars are just hot af. What I like about Vista Kicks, they aren’t just capable of writing Indie Rock songs. Melancholic guitar rock songs with great arrangements.
Sidefact: for boomers who don’t know what af means: https://praxistipps.chip.de/af-das-bedeutet-die-abkuerzung_50067#
Freedom Fry – One Big Happy Family
This playlist is a kind of Christmas special. So as the last track I chose something with a nice message. No more words needed – just listen to the words.
Happy Christmas!