[Note: the link to the album was changed slightly in December 2009. I'm pretty sure it's working now, but please let me know if you have any trouble finding this album.]
The Violet Burning's Divine is one of the nicest surprises I have come across all year. It was released on their website last week with the message "tell anyone who loves rock music and christmas". I love both of those things, and this album does not disappoint on either front; in fact, the only real problem is that I wish it had been released sooner so that we would have more time to enjoy it before Christmas!
Overall, Divine has a warm, melodic rock sound - think Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but without the theatrics - and like a lot of great Christmas albums, it contains a mix of traditional Christmas carols and contemporary Christmas songs. On the traditional side (although the arrangements here are anything but traditional), highlights include a rocking version of "Silent Night" and a beautiful version of "The First Noel" that starts off quietly, slowly builds to a crescendo, and then goes back down again - this song gave me goosebumps when I first heard it. On the contemporary side, there is a nice version of "Last Christmas" and an ultra-cool version of "Blue Christmas", which finds the band switching gears completely with an Elvis impersonation; by the time it segues into "Sandy Claws is Back in Town", this mini-medley establishes itself as a real highlight of the album.
If you want a little rock in your Christmas music, but "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" don't quite do it for you, Divine might be right up your alley. Go check it out, and I hope you enjoy it in these final few days before Christmas. Happy listening!
URLs:
http://thevioletburning.com/www/audio/downloads/divine/divine2009.htm
http://thevioletburning.com/
The Violet Burning's Divine is one of the nicest surprises I have come across all year. It was released on their website last week with the message "tell anyone who loves rock music and christmas". I love both of those things, and this album does not disappoint on either front; in fact, the only real problem is that I wish it had been released sooner so that we would have more time to enjoy it before Christmas!
Overall, Divine has a warm, melodic rock sound - think Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but without the theatrics - and like a lot of great Christmas albums, it contains a mix of traditional Christmas carols and contemporary Christmas songs. On the traditional side (although the arrangements here are anything but traditional), highlights include a rocking version of "Silent Night" and a beautiful version of "The First Noel" that starts off quietly, slowly builds to a crescendo, and then goes back down again - this song gave me goosebumps when I first heard it. On the contemporary side, there is a nice version of "Last Christmas" and an ultra-cool version of "Blue Christmas", which finds the band switching gears completely with an Elvis impersonation; by the time it segues into "Sandy Claws is Back in Town", this mini-medley establishes itself as a real highlight of the album.
If you want a little rock in your Christmas music, but "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" don't quite do it for you, Divine might be right up your alley. Go check it out, and I hope you enjoy it in these final few days before Christmas. Happy listening!
URLs:
http://thevioletburning.com/www/audio/downloads/divine/divine2009.htm
http://thevioletburning.com/
1 comment:
Thanks for the great blog - I love Christmas music! You might be intersted in my article of over 100 sources for listening to Christmas music online for free:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4661100_music-online-free-over-sources.html
Thanks!
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