A follow-up to 2009’s WE ARE THE JUNCTION West Seattle holiday album, TINSELITIS: A WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS ALBUM continues in the tradition of bringing together West Side musicians and friends to represent our vastly talented community and to celebrate the holiday season in a way that’s as unique as West Seattle itself.
A family-friendly collection of original holiday songs, TINSELITIS: A WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS ALBUM, is being given away…FOR FREE! All you have to do is click the link below each artist listing, and download the song in MP3 format. Eco AND wallet friendly.
Happy Holidays, West Seattle!
Special thanks goes out to Ben Jenkins, The Bend, Jay Cates, Hondo II, The Pleasure Elite, Gunn and the Damage Done, Chloroformula, The Black Bangs, Groggy Bikini, Gary Corrington, The Navins, Kill Room Studios, Elliott Bay Recording Studio, Ron Nine Studios, Brian Nelson, Tim Jones, and Stumbletown Steve Adams.
This community project is presented by Shadowland, The Feedback Lounge, Mission, West 5, Loc∂l Barley & Vine, The Bridge, Beveridge Place Pub, Easy Street Records, Big Al Brewing and Company.
Artist: THE BEND
Song: “Wassail”
Jay Cates: vocals
Ben Jenkins: guitar
Patrick Smail: guitar
Floyd Bender III: bass
Mark Swanson: drums
presented by SHADOWLAND
With trademark silvery guitar solos and Jay Cates’ stately vocals, THE BEND, one of Seattle’s consistently brilliant bands, raise the bar with a subtle yet politically-charged holiday song. It’s impossible to not get swept up in the exhilarating chorus and shimmering fret work. An instant classic.
Artist: GUNN AND THE DAMAGE DONE
Song: “Alone At Christmas”
Tom Gunn: lead vocals, guitar
Joe Dredd: bass, vocals
Charlie Beck: guitar, vocals
Cody Schwartz: drums, vocals
Tony Leamer: bells
presented by MISSION
A West Seattle staple and one of the most prolific bands in the enitre Northwest, GUNN AND THE DAMAGE DONE deliver an uptempo meloncholy Christmas card with jangling guitar riffs over a wash of sound and drums that defines their distinctive brand of roots rock ‘n roll.
Artist: HONDO II
Song: “Christmas Eve”
Charlie Beck: vocals, guitar, bells
Kirsten Ballweg: upright bass
presented by LOCÖL BARLEY & VINE
If you know your Seattle rock, the voice will be instantly recognizable, as is the deft lyrical approach and sense of melody. CHARLIE BECK, (MEMPHIS RADIO KINGS, HONDO II) with guest musician KIRSTEN BALLWEG, offer an acoustic guitar rich, traditionally inspired ode to Christmas Eve, with all the bells – Christmas or otherwise – you’d expect from one of the Northwest’s finer singer-songwriting talents.
Artist: JAY CATES
Song: “Comfort and Joy”
Jay Cates: vocals
Todd Baker: bass
Patrick Smail: Drums
presented by WEST 5
The big man with an even bigger voice, JAY CATES is at the top of a very short list of accomplished vocalists and songwriters. With his charismatic tenor, Jay takes on a seasonal classic and lights a smoldering jazz fire underneath a swingin’ shuffle that puts you in a holiday groove.
Artist: THE PLEASURE ELITE
Song: “Stealin’ For Christmas”
V. Blast: vocals
Rev. Luvv Leggs: all instruments
Leslie and Joanne: background vocals
presented by BIG AL BREWING
A slimmed down version of THE PLEASURE ELITE offers a wry take on the holidays, channeled through the spirit of Tom Waits. The slow horse trot rhythm and ambling, roadside guitar highlight a very (ahem) rootsy interpretation of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Artist: GROGGY BIKINI
Song: “Ho, Ho, Ho!”
John Hale: guitar, vocals
Dave Elton: bass, vocals
Rik Croasdale: keyboards, vocals
Rich Wingfield: vocals, bass
Brian Nelson: vocals, drums
presented by COMPANY
Retro chucklehead punk romping neck deep in garage guitars and Devo. You’d swear this song was written two decades ago. GROGGY BIKINI welcomes Santa Claus to town. If St. Nick heard this irresistably campy track, he might just get his elves to run the company and take off on tour with GB.
Artist: URBAN SQUIRREL
Song: “On This Christmas Day (Happy Birthday)”
Gary Corrington: vocals, all instruments
presented by THE BRIDGE
A one man band, GARY CORRINGTON (aka, URBAN SQUIRREL) returns with a Christmas birthday song encrusted in a sweet pop hook that’s nailed into place by a chorus that hard shifts into gear and gently slips back into its snowflake light melody before you even know what just happened. A perfect follow-up to 2009’s “Jesus Claus”,
a smash hit in this zip code.
Artist: THE NAVINS
Song: “Jesus Under My Tree”
Cain Morehead: guitar, vocals
Ron Garcia: drums, bass, vocals
Ron Nine: lead guitar
presented by BEVERIDGE PLACE PUB
An affectionate garage jam session that’s pure organic Seattle rock, THE NAVINS throw down an old school groove that comfortably fits yesterday with today. Not surprising when you consider who the band members are. (Do your homework.) The track also guest features RON NINE of the legendary ROOM NINE on slide guitar.
Artist: CHLOROFORMULA
Song: “Shlushter”
Wade Peer: vocals, guitar
Anson Mathews: guitar
Fig Ripley:bass
Joe Kunkel: drums
presented by EASY STREET RECORDS
Christmas can’t always be about Santa Claus, sleigh rides and warm and tender snowball fight clubs. Alt metallists CHLOROFORMULA take traditional holiday elements and gives the season a new Christmas icon: “Shlushter.” A song about a mythical snow and ice creature backed by snow and ice melting guitar solos, Shlushter is here to reclaim the holidays from all the sentimentality and sugar.
Artist: THE BLACK BANGS
Song: “(All I Want Is) A West Seattle Christmas”
Bradi Jones: vocals
Tim Jones: vocals, guitars
presented by THE FEEDBACK LOUNGE
A lesson in guitar tones and riffs, this near intrumental is a showcase for the sprawling talents of TIM JONES. Formerly with the MEMPHIS RADIO KINGS, Tim’s tube-amp ode to the holidays in West Seattle, features layers of deliciously gritty intertwining guitars, candy sweet slide work, and those ever-so-tasty slices of solos.
All songs used by permission and are copyright ©2011 by each artist.