Christmas music releases on the way

With Christmas only 100 days away, info on holiday albums is starting to arrive. Here are two press releases I received today...

Capitol Records Nashville’s Darius Rucker will release his first Christmas album, Home For The Holidays, on Oct. 27. The album will include holiday classics as well as two Rucker originals, “Candy Cane Christmas” and “What God Wants For Christmas.”

Also, special guest Sheryl Crow joins Darius on the holiday standard “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Darius worked with producer Frank Rogers, who produced his three solo country albums, on Home For The Holidays.

"I am so excited to finally make a Christmas album,” shares Darius. “This has been a lifelong dream and I hope my fans enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making it."

In addition to recording his Christmas album, Darius has been working on his fourth solo county album to be released in early 2015. The album’s debut single “Homegrown Honey” has just been released to Country radio and is climbing the charts.
  
Track Listing:

1. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
2. White Christmas
3. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
4. Winter Wonderland
5. Please Come Home For Christmas
6. What God Wants For Christmas - written by Darius Rucker, Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell
7. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (featuring Sheryl Crow)
8. O Come, All Ye Faithful
9. You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
12. Candy Cane Christmas - written by Darius Rucker, Frank Rogers and Steve Leslie
Note: Sequence is not final.

dariusrucker.com 

An Americana Christmas, out on CD, vinyl and digital Oct. 14 on New West Records, brings together some of the biggest icons and current stars in Americana music for a wide-ranging collection of classic Christmas songs and brand new holiday recordings.

The album features legendary artists Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, The Band, John Prine, Dwight Yoakam and Ben Keith w/ Neil & Pegi Young alongside many of the genre's current younger talents like Valerie June, Nikki Lane, Robert Ellis, Luther Dickinson and the Old 97's.

Hear New York-based, Texas-bred troubadour Robert Ellis' rendition of Willie Nelson's classic, "Pretty Paper" here: http://rol.st/1uAbaLp

The compilation compiles previously released material with six brand new recordings exclusive to the album. In addition to Ellis' offering, Memphis songstress Valerie June puts her rollicking spin on season staple, "Winter Wonderland," Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars injects "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" with some southern boogie and groove, rising Nashville chanteuse Nikki Lane offers an upbeat, retro-tinged original. 

Canadian roots music star Corb Lund turns in the sweeping and weeping new tune, "Just Me And These Ponies (For Christmas This Year)" and Dutch duo The Common Linnets contributes the new song, "At Christmas Time." The lone European act, The Common Linnets are one of Europe's biggest Americana bands and have sold more than 150,000 copies of their debut release and took second place in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest.

TRACK LISTING

1 Luther Dickinson - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
2 John Prine - Everything Is Cool *
3 Robert Ellis - Pretty Paper
4 Emmylou Harris - The First Noel
5 Johnny Cash - The Gifts They Gave
6 Corb Lund - Just Me And These Ponies (For Christmas This Year)
7 Dwight Yoakam - Run Run Rudolph *
8 Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa
9 Valerie June - Winter Wonderland
10 Ronnie Fauss - Everybody Deserves A Merry Christmas *
11 Max Gomez - Season Of My Memory
12 Ben Keith w/ Neil & Pegi Young - Les Trois Cloches
13 The Common Linnets - At Christmas Time
14 Nikki Lane - Falalaalove Ya
15 Old 97's - Here It Is Christmas Time
16 The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight
 
*Not on vinyl release
newwestrecords.com