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Again a bit early this year (but hey, it's tradition!): here they are - My Top Ten Records of 2012 : 1. Mike Viola - Acousto de Perfecto With a LP-friendly two sided concept of Acousto De Perfecto , half new songs half new interpretations of older songs and all the StageIt.com web-concerts, giveaways (Kenmore Square), the tip fight (resulting in Future Horror Hockey Game ) , the superb Fac ebook Fan Grou p (you pe ople are the best!) , the complete Mike Viola discography project and the re-release of the Blue Thumb Candy Butchers record it was a very very special year regarding Mike Viola.  Highlights: Secret Radio, I'm Your Dog, God Give Me Strength, Hair Of The Dog , Date Night 2. David Myhr - Soundshine Soundshine is a record title which couldn't fit better. This album is so uplifting, positive and listenable, it shines. Highlights: I Love The Feeling, Looking For A Life, Got You Where He Wanted, Loveblind 3. Air Traffic Controlle...

It's only 24 days until Christmas Eve: here is my Mix Tape for Xmas 2012 - hope you like it: 01 - Kelly Jones - Kissing Santa On Christmas Eve 02 - Mike Viola - Give Me A Second Chance For Christmas  03 - She & Him - The Christmas Waltz  04 - Bleu - Cold, Cold Christmas  05 - Jim Boggia - Christmas Baby Please  06 - The Nines - It's Christmas  07 - Farrah - Santa Don't Go 08 - Travis - Alone On Christmas Day  09 - Jet - Back Door Santa 10 - Ron Sexsmith - Maybe This Christmas  11 - Aimee Mann - Whatever Happened To Christmas  12 - Ben Folds Five - Stumblin' Home Winter Blues  13 - Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas  14 - David Mead - Christmas Is So Far Away  15 - She & Him - Baby, It's Cold Outside  16 - The Nines - Winter Song  17 - Billy Mack - Christmas Is All Around  18 - Jim Boggia - Christmas Wish  19 - The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York 20 - The Darkness - Chr...

Kelly Jones , known for her stellar record SheBANG! from 2008 (which was produced by Mike Viola) and the Melon EP (2010) returns this Christmas with the single Kissing Santa On Christmas Eve . The song is an instant classic. Kelly is featured on vocals and glockenspiel, along with Mike Viola (guitars, bass, keyboards, also he produced the song), Eric  Summer (strings) and Scott Seiver (drums). Kissing Santa On Christmas Eve is available online ( amazon.com and  iTunes ) December 4th, 2012. You won't be disappointed - it is a perfect christmas song! Listen here: Kelly is also featured in the Bleusikal - the short musical for To Hell With You - the new record by Bleu ( see my last post ).

William James McAuley III , or as you may also know him - Bleu - releases his new record To Hell With You in February 2013. And he started a crowd funding campaign for it at Pledgemusic.com. You can get autographed CDs, handwritten lyrics, house concerts (international!), a special for the 10th anniversary of the Readhead record (which is a very cool idea), skype concerts and he even produces your own EP! So folks - you know what you have to do! See more here: Bleu at Pledgemusic Watch the promo video - it's the Bleusikal - mini-musical (featuring Kelly Jones): Listen to three of the new songs at soundcloud:

Bleu - New record The new Bleu record is out in February 2013. You can listen to two of his new songs here: Oh, and there's a Bleu Fan Group on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/240351826090477/ Mike Viola - Candy Butchers on vinyl The never released first Candy Butchers record (some will know it as The Blue Thumb record ) gets a very limited re-release.  More information here: http://www.mikeviola.com/candy-butchers-lp-gmmr-008-preorder It includes: LP, CD and digital download (all the mixes on the LP, a live concert from 1996 in New York City, home demos from Mike’s Bethune Street apartment).  So people, hurry. This is preorder over soon! Sunday Sun - EP I, II & III physical release The three EPs of Sunday Sun are for sale now as a 3CD set in a beautiful package here:  http://www.sundaysunmusic.com/ Neil Finn (Crowded House) - closing song for The Hobbit The closing song for the New ...

So, there are two new bands I'd like to share with you here. The first one is Hi-Electric . If you like PowerPop and bands like Fountains Of Wayne, Semisonic or *gasp* Big Star , you should listen to their self-titled debut record which is out now. The band - led by Neil Bartlett, backed by bassist Alan Yee and drummer Henry Talbot - is ready to take Hi-Electric outside of the city limits of Memphis, Tennessee. Highlights: Tightrope, They're Only Words, Can't Say, It's Not You Listen to Hi-Electric at soundcloud: Official site: http://hi-electric.com Official site : hi-electric.com

So, new band number two: Didn't Planet . They started as a cover band, after ten years they began to write their own songs which lead to the record We're Going Nowhere . It is a concept album about being a cover band. Being a cover band is explained by Didn't Planet : "We know it ain’t easy. Friends that 'promise to be there on Friday night… REALLY!' bar owners who inexplicably can’t remember who you are after 7 years of booking with them, countless requests for songs you don’t play, and even more countless requests to 'turn down the drums.' Add to that the sheer number of us out there... if cover bands were pigeons, Greater Boston would be Harvard Square at lunchtime. Thousands, identical to the untrained eye, all vying for the same French Fries ." Musically Didn't Planet is settled somewhere between alternative rock (Green Day) and power pop (Fountains Of Wayne). Now for the songs: MaryAnne(e) and We're Going Nowhere are...