All roads may lead to the North Pole. But more than a few of them go through Nashville. Here are a dozen new country albums (complete with streaming links) to put a western spin on your holiday. Saddle up Rudolph and let’s ride.
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Equal parts heart-warming and cleverly absurd, Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas Show pays tribute to holiday specials of the past whilst also reinventing just what a Christmas special can be, with a magically modern twist. Musgraves is joined by an all-star cast of friends for performances of both classic and original holiday songs in this festive variety special, including Fred Armisen on Silent Night, Leon Bridges on Present Without A Bow, Camila Cabello on Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, James Corden on Let It Snow, Zooey Deschanel on Mele Kalikimaka, Lana Del Rey on I’ll Be Home For Christmas, and Troye Sivan on the world-debut of Glittery. “I can say without a doubt that this project is unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” states Musgraves. “What started as the small seed of an idea one night over a year ago has turned into something I’m so proud of.”
Puss N Boots
Dear Santa
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Puss N Boots — the alt-country trio featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper — have announced their new Christmas EP. Dear Santa… features Jones on vocals, electric guitar, and drums; Dobson on vocals, electric guitar, and drums; and Popper on vocals and electric bass. The 5-song set includes four new holiday originals plus a version of the traditional holiday classic Silent Night.”
The Oak Ridge Boys
Down Home Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members The Oak Ridge Boys will once again celebrate the Christmas season with their timeless hits and holiday classics on their 2019 Christmas album, Down Home Christmas, produced by Dave Cobb. The album includes standards such as Amazing Grace and Silent Night, but also new favorites such as Don’t Go Pullin’ On Santa Claus’ Beard written by hit-maker Anderson East and South Alabama Christmas, written by Jamey Johnson. Down Home Christmas marks the Oaks’ 30th annual Christmas tour, eighth Christmas album, and third album collaboration with producer Dave Cobb.”
Tom Brusky
Country Christmas Collection
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I’m proud to present Country Christmas Collection, an EP of five new, original songs — four which evoke nostalgic feelings of Christmases past, and one that satirizes the frenzy of Christmas today. Each song was arranged in the style of a different era of country music, and engineered and mixed with the sonic characteristics of that era. From 1940 to today, country music evolved from simple melodies captured on 78 RPM records to modern, pop-infused productions. Country Christmas Collection combines the distinct sounds of these various eras with newly produced songs that feature the talents of three guest vocalists: Christine Corless, Jay Isaacson, and Dawn Jones.”
Wade Bowen
Twelve Twenty-Five
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Wade Bowen’s Twelve Twenty-Five is a rare and timeless take on Christmas classics and modern holiday hits. Twelve Twenty-Five runs the gamut from traditional Christmas favorites like O Holy Night and Silent Night, to renditions of modern holidays songs such as Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You and George Michael’s Last Christmas. Naturally, Bowen also pays homage to his country heroes with covers of Dolly Parton’s Once Upon A Christmas and Merle Haggard’s If We Make It Through December featuring Cody Canada. “Christmas has always been the most personal of holidays, with its combination of faith and family,” says Bowen. “That was true for me while growing up and it’s still true for me today, albeit in a completely different way. As a husband and father who spends so much time traveling the world playing music, I love the feeling the Christmas season brings to my life. And I recognize how quickly time passes and how each Christmas is unique and fleeting. With my family, I try to keep the best parts of the warm, magical, small-town vibe that my parents gave me while growing up in Waco.”
Lockwood Barr
Christmas in Memphis
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning singer/songwriter Lockwood Barr is celebrating the holiday season with the release of a five song EP. The project features four Christmas classics as well as an original track, Christmas In Memphis, penned by Barr and Barrett Baber. The Voice alum also lends his blues driven vocals on the title track. “My favorite part of the Christmas season has always been the music, so I’m surprised it took me this long to put out a Christmas record,” says Lockwood. “What listeners will hear is a completely different side to me; a more gentle and vulnerable one. I hope they love it.”
Charlie Daniels
Christmas Classics
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The legendary Country Music Hall of Famer who has sold over 30 million albums in his career now for the first time releases a collection of his favorite Christmas Classics.”
Johnny Reid
My Kind of Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Already a chart-topping, multi-platinum selling artist in Canada, Johnny Reid’s songwriting resonates with audiences across the globe and that will continue with this new My Kind of Christmas EP, a perfect mix of originally penned ‘soon to be holiday favorites’ with a Johnny Reid take on some hidden holiday gems, including Merry Christmas Everyone, a classic brought back to life in the 80’s UK pop phenom ‘Shakin’ Stevens.”
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters
Christmas on a Greyhound Bus
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Known for critically acclaimed songwriting that is at once incisive, insightful and witty, Amanda Anne Platt includes five selections — originals and covers alike — that are pleasantly outside the norm for a holiday release, packaged in a quintessentially New Traditional Country Music style. Original songs from Platt include the old school country title track and a nostalgic One for the Ages. Both are filled with the interwoven imagery that has brought Platt national praise, married to arrangements that amplify the lyrics’ emotional effects. On a lighter note, Platt and her band dish up a playful Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy, borrowed from country legend Buck Owens. The EP is bookended with a powerful choice of cover songs. Opening with a cover of Willie Nelson’s forlorn Pretty Paper, about a forgotten soul on Christmas, it concludes with the optimism of Nick Lowe’s classic, (What’s So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding — the pair underlining, between the very sad and the very hopeful, Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters’ dramatic musical range.”
The Imaginaries
Hometown Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Oklahoma husband / wife duo, The Imaginaries, Shane Henry (guitar, vocals) and Maggie McClure (keys, piano, vocals), announce holiday album Hometown Christmas, which features 13 tracks (track listing below) of originals, including the title track Hometown Christmas.“
4th + Main
Imagine This Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With youthful, high-energy stage performances and pure vocal blends, 4th + Main are quickly establishing themselves as the new crossroads in country music by combining a modern sound with a classic, four-part approach to making music. Chase McDaniel, Randy Austin, Chris Chavez, and Blake Whitlock are turning heads in the genre with musical direction from 10-time Grammy-nominated and three-time BMI Music Award-winning producer Wayne Haun. Influenced by country greats Keith Whitley, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rascal Flatts, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban, 4th and Main offers a rich sound that is both powerful and intricate. Whether singing around an acoustic guitar or entering a stage with a full band, the group possesses a versatility that combines classic harmonies with today’s revered vocal stylings.”
https://youtu.be/uUU6Kv_XMs4
BlackHawk
The Spirit of Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-platinum selling country band BlackHawk’s first-ever holiday album The Spirit of Christmas is chock full of classic holiday standards including Joy to the World, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Oh Holy Night, The First Noel, and more. “Our song selection for The Spirit of Christmas features the traditional musical messages of the Christmas season,” says BlackHawk’s Henry Paul. “This album was deeply gratifying to make, and I feel it’s an inspired musical backdrop to the most magical time of the year,” Paul adds. “The unique interpretation of these familiar compositions along with acoustic instrumentation and three-part harmony vocals, plays directly into the BlackHawk musical personality.”
