Christmas in July

Santa's Got a Brand New Bag Tom Ciurczak  male vocals, similar timbre as Bruce Springsteen, rock band with horns. This song is about Santa getting a new bag. The first few notes sound like James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," but the song swings into theatrical rock. It mentions the children all over the world, way up in the sky.'' 

Christmastime in Hollywood Tom Ciurczak  upbeat rock with sleighbells, male vocals, looking for the soul of Christmas, thinking of "It's a Wonderful Life." trying to imagine life with snow in Hollywood, "None of this is real in tinsel town." "I just want my Christmas to be with you" jingle bells interludes. 

A Million Matzoh Balls Dean Friedman acoustic guitar with male singer and children, humorous folk-show tune, tall story about his mama making a million matzoh balls, and everywhere they were at his home! "There were so many matzoh balls I didn't know what to do!"

A Million Matzoh Balls | Dean Friedman

 Ave Maria (Instrumental)  Stephen Melillo instrumental, slow, strings of classical piece, “Ave Maria.” 

Glogg Emily Hurd  Clever lyrics like “Let’s go shovel the sidewalk in a relative sense.” There is an underpinning lyric “Because there’s wine” throughout the song. bells and electric guitar.    

 I Ruined Christmas  Refestramus  Contemporary art-rock band, female fronted-vocals like Miley Cyrus, bells, "I ruined Christmas this year...It's like I told you before, it won't happen again, my dear."  This is a list of things she's done to reindeer, family members, and the eggnog! 

Never Take Love For Granted Dan Berggren Shopping in the malls for Christmas. “You’ll never take love for granted if you always give love in return.”  Male bass/baritone and acoustic guitar.  Folk styled. 

 

Holiday Songs - Christmas, New Years & a Sarcastic Birthday Tune

 

Every Little Light, The Slambovian Circus of Dreams  For covers and radio only as this song lifts “Do You Hear What I Hear?” male vocal, Christmas folk-rock, with bells and electric guitar, open hearts, "wish the whole world were friends" celebration of lights on Christmas night, the importance of individuals, thinking like a child, peace, love for the whole world.

Robeone Christmas (instrumental) Robeone triumphant Christmas instrumental, all keyboards Used: Korg Karma. Mellotron 4000D, Roli Seaboard, Expressive E Osmose, Yamaha S80, Technics KN7000, Moog Sub 37, Kurtzweil K2000, ASM Hydrasynth  

Santa’s My Mum  Tony Moore thoughtful anthem ballad w/ bells, male vocal, this song pays tribute to his mom, keeping alive her tradition of perfect childhood Christmases, and he snuck down the stairs early in the morning and she was there, keeping him quiet. 

New Year  Izzy Meth tenor young voice, Kind of Mumford meets Lumineers meets Bob Dylan melody, about New Years, hopeful lyrics that could be about untapped potential or sticking to resolutions even though we know we should, seeking goodness in the new year, mentions "g-d"  

Just Another Birthday Song  Dean Friedman  music hall meets pop, tenor, witty, fun jabs at the birthday boy, "give thanks that your dad wasn't shooting blanks." "thank your mom for pushing you out." Mentions “isolation” from the Pandemic era

Glory to the Newborn King  Erin Hannon / Stephen Melillo classical music with a full lyric soprano that rolls her rrrrs, and "Sleep In Heavenly Peace"   

Five Days of Christmas  Elliott Murphy The story of Linear coming off his meds and coming to visit an easy-to-anger brother over the holidays. Bad boys, gangster, visual lyrical storytelling. 

Fall 2024 Songs

"I Wish You Joy" Dean Friedman male tenor vocals, like a soulful and mindful Billy Joel with coed harmonies and harmonica. "Breathe the morning air" joy joy joy  Joy!!!!  

Kwanzaa’s Pure Light Yocontalie Jackson & the Jennifer Tibbetts Children's Chorus  Gospel, percussion, flugelhorns, piano, mid-tempo, spoken word and singing, female leadsinger & teenage children choir describes what Kwanzaa is and how it's related to "our African past." celebrate community & words that rhyme like unity, responsibility. 

"Smiling" Refestramus prog rock inspired by Crack the Sky but with female vocals kindred to Miley Cyrus. "I'll keep smiling so you can see me." 

Zombie Love Refestramus  uptempo dance with energetic edm fx, keyboards that sound like strings, female vocals, multi-female vocals qualities of being a zombie "Keep fighting me baby, you're driving me crazy, we gotta fight for our zombie love" 

refestramus.bandcamp.com/track/zombie-love-radio-edit

Hometown Jaclyn Bradley female vocals, slow and mellow, midwestern pop-rock, leaving home to travel the world and get married, ultimately finding it in her hometown.  "The things that you run from sometimes save your soul."

One Tribe Orleans Funky guitar and drums mid-tempo like the Eagles' Life in the Fast Lane, John Hall's blues rock voice, "We are all one tribe." chant "we are one everyone we are one" Note: Lyrics shout out conflicts from the 1990s. 

Blackbird  Kj Denhert  piano led jazz version with instrumentals and upright bass solo, Kj has a comforting jazz pop voice, alto, there is a build up vocally towards the end. BIPOC, live recording without crowd noise.

kjdenhert.bandcamp.com/track/blackbird

The Time We Share  Hank Wedel  midtempo, friendly song, male tenor with voice like Richard Thompson, "It's great to see you, we thought you were dead." hook: "It's all about the time we share." Reunion. 

hankwedel.bandcamp.com/track/the-time-we-share-2 

Outrage Olympics  Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius male vocal, tenor in Jack Bruce's range, keyboards into full band led with electric violin. Genesis-inspired. This is about not minding your own business & why people walk on eggshells, cancel culture.

 

FU Dance Doozer McDooze (aka Paul Short) upbeat tempo electric guitar & drums driven, British cockney punk singer/sometimes shouter, rock dance song, Starting fights in person & online. "It's ok to give someone a second chance, but on the third time, give them the FU Dance."  

 

Dean Friedman Embarks on 40+ City 2024 UK/Ireland Tour accompanying release of a new compilation album, “More Words & Music”

Dean Friedman, one of the pre-eminent songwriters of his generation, announces a 40+City UK/Ireland concert tour, to accompany the release of his new compilation album, “More Words & Music.” The tour runs from January 12th thru August 21st, 2024, including stops in London, Manchester, Leeds, Cambridge, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff, Bridgwater, Penzance, Rayleigh, Glasgow, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more, winding up at Dean Friedman’s SongFest, a 2-day micro-music-festival, hosted by Friedman, held at the Draycote Hotel in Rugby, featuring some of the UK’s finest singer-songwriters.

“More Words & Music” is Friedman’s second compilation album (following the previous “Words & Music”) and contains hand-picked tracks from Friedman’s last eight studio albums, including work from his critically acclaimed albums “American Lullaby,” “12 Songs,” “Submarine Races,” “Squirrels in the Attic,” “The Treehouse Journals,” “Songs for Grownups,” “Rumpled Romeo,” and the classic “’Well, Well,’ Said the Rocking Chair.”  “More Words & Music” is a double CD containing thirty tracks, in all, that confirm Friedman’s status as a master songsmith and one of the finest recording artists working today. Fans can order the physical CD set or stream and download the album at deanfriedman.bandcamp.com/album/more-words-music.

Friedman, best known to UK and Ireland audiences for his string of chart hits: “Lucky Star,” “Lydia,” “Woman of Mine,” “McDonald’s Girl,” and “’Well, Well,’ Said the Rocking Chair,” will be performing solo, on guitar and keyboard, featuring songs from throughout his four-decade career, including familiar, radio hits and fan favorites, drawn from his nine studio albums.

 "Soundtrack of our lives!" – NYTimes; "Songsmith extraordinaire!” – MusicWeek; “Dean Friedman is entirely unique and utterly brilliant” – ThreeWeeks; “Stunning Musicianship!” - Hot Press

Invite family and friends and join Friedman for an evening of powerful, poignant and hilarious songs about the ordinary and extraordinary lives we share.

Tickets to all of Friedman’s concerts, as well as his new album, can be purchased via his website: www.DeanFriedman.com 

Dean Friedman 2024 UK/Ireland Tour

https://www.deanfriedman.com/gigs/gigs_home.html

January 2024

12         Hull  Wrecking Ball Press

13         Doncaster  The Little Theatre

14         UK West Coast Folk Festival – Blackpool Winter Gardens [feat. Dean (on Sunday); Eddie Reader, Steve Harley, Kiki Dee, Tom Robinson, and more]

16         Barnoldswick  Barnoldswick Arts Centre

17         Manchester  Matt and Phreds  

18         Milton Keynes  Stantonbury Campus Theatre    

19         London            The Pheasantry (Pizza Express)  

20         London            The Pheasantry (Pizza Express)  

21         London            The Pheasantry (Pizza Express)  

April 2024

30         Runcorn  The Brindley 

May  2024

2          Farsley (Leeds)   Old Woolen  

3          Stamford  Stamford Arts Centre

4          Havant  The Spring      

5          Rayleigh  The Mill Arts Centre  

7          Cheltenham  Cheltenham Town Hall     

8          Cambridge  Junction / J2         

9          Stourbridge  Katie's Secret Garden      

10         Bridgwater  Bridgwater Arts Centre       

12         Poole  Lighthouse        

14         Penzance  Acorn Theatre          

15         St Austell  St Austell Arts Centre          

16         Torquay  Babbacombe Theatre 

17         Cardiff (Pentrych)  Acapela Studios      

18         Oxford  JDP

19         Shrewsbury The Buttermarket

                                     

August 2024

2          Arbroath  Webster Memorial Theatre    

3          Aberdeen   Aberdeen Arts Centre

8          Findhorn    Universal Hall                     

10         Glasgow   Websters Theatre

11         Kinross  Green Hotel / Backstage

13         Belfast  Oh Yeah Music Centre

14         Dublin  Aras Chronain

15         Nottingham   The Running Horse

16           Shropshire   Camp Bestival    

17 & 18   Rugby   SongFest     

21         EdFringe   Prestonfield Fringe  

 

Songs on “More Words & Music”
1. Your Pretty Face  
2. The Hummingbird Effect
3 Too Much Stuff  
4. I Could Fall for You  
5. The Deli Song (Corned Beef on Wry)  
6. Lydia  
7. S & M  
8. Halfway Normal World  
9. Just Another Birthday Song  
10. You're Invisible  
11. Smartest Man in the Whole Wide World
12. The Ducks of St Stephen's Green  
13. This Guitar  
14. Summer Days  
15. Malala  
16. I Will Never Leave You  
17. I'm a Clone  
18. The Saddest Girl in the Whole Wide World  
19. I Didn't Mean to Make You Cry  
20. The Lakelands  
21. Welcome to the World  
22. Baby Sitting Song
23. Let Down Your Hair  
24. Typical Town  
25. American Lullaby  
26. Welcome to Stupid Town  
27. I Wish You Joy 
28. Something Right 
29. Maybe in a Million Years 
30. On a Summer's Night  

Holiday Music 2023-2024 for Licensing & Covers

Kwanzaa’s Pure Light Yocontalie Jackson & the Jennifer Tibbetts Singers  gospel, percussion, flugelhorns piano, mid-tempo, spoken word and singing, female leadsinger & teenage children choir describes what Kwanzaa is and how it's related to "our African past." celebrate community & words that rhyme like unity, responsibility  

Peace A Dream Robeone  (instrumental, multi keyboards, including acoustic piano and synthesizers, notably a moog. instrumental, slow and steady tempo, flowy, mystical, adventures music starting with a piano and then a range of electronic keyboards  

Why Can’t Everyday Be Like Christmas? - 3 versions: (punk hard rock), (mellow) (pop)  Tang  female vocals.  Metal Punk, Fast drums, crunch guitar, female vocals. Mellow: gentle, lush song with stand out chimes, bells, violin, and viola, angels, stars shining, and bells ringing.  Pop: Denny Colt sings in a sweet, girl-next door voice and range similar to Cassadee Pope’s or Emma Roberts.    

https://soundcloud.com/bad-pacrecords/why-cant-everyday-be-like-christmas-1?in=leightonmedia/sets/christmas-songs&si=403f92dfd13e4f7baaba8623109b6b76&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Ave Maria Aeone / Stephen Melillo  gentle soft, new age voice, like Clannad, an alto Eva Cassidy with a classical orchestra.  This is also available as an instrumental. 

Warm, Lovin’ Christmastime  Rob Bonfiglio  Bouncy, Brian Wilson-y, from one of Brian AND Carnie Wilson’s long-time musical partners.  In fact, Carnie and Rob have recorded this song, and so have Wilson Phillips! All the imagery of mistletoe and writing our names in the snow!   

   

New Lang Syne Dean Friedman  mellow, piano, harmonica, male voice.  reflective lyric about the end up the year with observations of champagne and drinking vessels and personal growth amongst the universe, love's affections & rejections. 

 

Birthday Oh Birthday Michael Veitch  male vocals, country-ROCK energy, dobro guitars, birthday, birthday celebration, self-satisfied energy, a great day, "will you start something new w/me?" 

and at press time, only my music industry people will hear the upcoming Elliott Murphy Christmas song, "This Christmas I Want Less" is a plea for humanity.

Topical Music for Tenacity, Politicians, Mental Health, Peace

Just a story from America by Abigail Rose Clark leads our list of topical music spotlights.  This Midwestern country rock interpretation of Elliott Murphy's 1970's radio song makes sense in the 21st Century. Hard work and a race for a success. “Get up they put you down, And like a boxer You just spin around." Abigail has a voice that's a cross between Bebe Rexha & Rebecca Black.  

Hollow by Robeone

bobmoogfoundation.bandcamp.com/track/hollow Only electronic keyboards are used on this classical music sound meeting Keith Emerson keyboard stylings.  

Easy Money by Rebecca Loebe  

female vocals, acoustic folk with western musical & lyrical influences, the song is about confronting someone that conned a friend. easy money is the motivation.

Please Be There  Orleans  

Tenor male vocals, funky soft rock. Soulful strut piano and guitar. Lots of keyboards. For mental health—this is what everyone needs to be told—somebody to be there.  “Talk to me and I’ll talk to you.” “Take my hand, that’s what we’ll do.” Mutuality theme.   

 

One Day (A Child’s Prayer) Hannah & Dean Friedman 

Originally written for the 1991 Gulf War, the song is relevant now in the midst of one more, senseless, horrific war. Gentle strings and bells adorn a daughter and father duet.  She’s seeing children killed from missiles, The father sings that “One day there'll be no trace of war, disease, pollution.  If only presidents could see through children’s eyes, if only general could hear the babies’ cries.” Lots of comparisons and contrasts like kids fighting over toys with men fighting over land.   

The Truth I Know  Robbie Wyckoff  (Song by Karen Besbeck & Carmen Grillo)

http://soundcloud.com/karen-besbeck/all-that-glitters-aint-gold-2  male country rock, slow tempo, optimistic lyrics, "I've been carrying a heavy load, now it's time to let go to the truth I know, holding on to faith in the human race." 

I Think Politicians should be Put on Minimum Wage   Doozer McDooze  

 I think Politicians Should Be Put on Minimum Wage | Doozer McDooze (bandcamp.com)

Male english accent, music hall meets acoustic guitar meets "That's Alright, Mama" tempo, fighting for what's right--let the politicians make minimum wage. straight forward.  UK words "dosh" "council house"  

 

Fall 2022 Dedicated to Greta Thunberg & Pete Seeger Songs of Leadership

Free To Read Dan Berggren 

Dan Berggren’s “Free to Read” is a midtempo acoustic folk song with a marching beat.  It celebrates the freedom to read and the value of open access to information. In his comforting bass voice, Dan sings the titles of banned books. The chorus: “The books you choose are someone else’s walking shoes. We need to be free to read."    

Launched in 1982, banned books week is honoring its 40th Anniversary this Sept. 18-24 with the theme “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us.” Visit bannedbooksweek.org

danberggren.bandcamp.com/track/free-to-read

Dean Friedman’s upbeat “Ridin’ With Biden” uses traffic and car honks as part of the instrumental part adorning his cool jazz delivery of President Biden’s history, and why Dean-himself-- loves to be Ridin' with Biden" rhymes like "sleepy joe,” and “more decency in his toe than you know--Honk!!!”  Dean’s playing his first New York City show in FIVE years on October 8 at Chelsea Stage + Table.     

What’s a Place Like This Doing in a Girl Like Me?  *Val Kinzler’s “What’s a Place Like This  Doing in a Girl Like Me,” a finalist in the Open Space songwriting contest, is a “Rocky Horror”-esque women-in-the-workplace survival anthem.   

Save the Monarch John Hall & Dar Williams   Male & female duet on this hymn-like singer-songwriter song guitar/bass/drums, environment, Monarch, emperor, queen, king--animals with royal names that are endangered species."Save them from us"

What the Fuck is Going On  Elliott Murphy   Note: Live Recording Rock Troubadour Energetic and Angry hook, Pounding electric guitar, hand claps in time to the music, tempo like "one bourbon, one scotch, one beer": “What the fuck is going on.” song is about the economy. good for the greed factor. dream of a better world  There's one big ponzi scheme all over the world. They (politicians) must think we're stupid; well maybe we are" "Mother Earth" Vocals: Tom Waits Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen  But Jesus Christ, if he was here today, I think he’d be mad as hell.” 

Game of Chicken   Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius  Electric violin-driven hard rock. Dream Theater meets Rush meets Styx. "we're heating up as we run out of time."  People are deliberately daring one another to play with risk.  We're busy bickering while the planet is losing it.  

April Fools Michael Veitch  singer songwriter, male tenor, upbeat folk-rock with electric guitar, with pretty eagles-y harmonies  being fooled by leadership in a most rainy month “behind the curtain lies another strong man.  Pick a corrupt event when you have crazy leaders.  *Michael Veitch’s “April Fools” shows the foolishness a political troublemakers. 

Michael and his fellow songwriters from PBS’s “We Remember: Songs of Survivors” will share stories about writing songs with Holocaust survivors at New York City’s Cutting Room on September 18 and Saratoga’s Caffe Lena on the 22. 

Holiday Music Christmas and New Years

Come On Christmas by Elliott Murphy: slow-mid tempo Christmas, holiday, male singer, acoustic slide guitar, mention of Santa's iPhone & It's a Wonderful Life. "Come on Christmas, bring us some good news for heaven's sake." modern, topical

First Day by Michael Veitch  gentle tempo, male tenor, acoustic guitars, and light background vocals and strings  "first day of a new year" a motivational song about a new life in the new year. simple and effective lyrics.  

New Lang Syne by  Dean Friedman    piano, harmonica, male voice.  reflective lyric about the end up the year with observations of champagne and drinking vessels and personal growth amongst the universe, love's affections & rejections 

 

A Christmas Song  Jack & Lara Hicks  father & daughter singalong,  some annoying things that grown men do like snore and sing off key with a sense of humor, laughter, bells, piano and guitar

Ave Maria Aeone / Stephen Melillo  gentle soft, new age voice, like Clannad, an alto Eva Cassidy with a classical orchestra.

 

This Christmas  The Kings Harmonic pop rock. Elvis Costello, Smithereens-y, celestial chimes.  the theme of the song is wishing for love for your family who is so far away and for strangers that are alone. Canadian Content. 

 

The “Thank you, Greta Thunberg & Pete Seeger” Playlist

Songs about the Environment, Pandemic, Leadership, Relationships

   Dan Berggren & Dean Friedman have songs about dialogues with their daughters. Dean about war, and Dan focuses on the health of our planet.

   One Day (A Child’s Prayer) Hannah & Dean Friedman  Originally written for the 1991 Gulf War, the song is relevant now in the midst of one more, senseless, horrific war. Gentle strings and bells adorn a daughter and father duet.  She’s seeing children killed from missiles, The father sings that “One day there'll be no trace of war, disease, pollution.  If only presidents could see through children’s eyes, if only general could hear the babies’ cries.” Lots of comparisons and contrasts like kids fighting over toys with men fighting over land.   For charity info, please visit  deanfriedman.bandcamp.com/track/one-day-a-childs-prayer

    Looking for Answers Dan Berggren  Acoustic folk song with a hopeful, yet trepidatious.feeling about a daughter asking father what the environment will look like when she grows up. Long term / Short term materialism, greed, easy answers, ask questions, learn what's ahead.  The song is loaded with great advice on long-term thinking. 

Two songs about delusional leaders: one from folk singer-songwriter Michael Veitch and the other from wild prog rocker Joe Deninzon.

April Fools Michael Veitch  singer songwriter, male tenor, upbeat folk-rock with electric guitar, with pretty eagles-y harmonies  being fooled by leadership in a most rainy month “behind the curtain lies another strong man.  Pick a corrupt event when you have crazy leaders.  

The Prism Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius  (studio and live versions) dynamic and circular electric violin,  male vocals, rock band live recording, song about delusional leaders who lead with stupidity 

 

One more about crazy leaders-- what a woman thinks of crazy guys in the workforce....

        What’s a Place Like This Doing in a Girl Like Me?   Val Kinzler  uptempo & edgy, spoken word female voice like Kathryn Hepburn meets Tim Curry, spooky music. Pinpoints common pain many women go through in different work situations. The song is about a haunted woman inside of a manmade hell. Clever lyrics: graveyard full of rights gone wrong, weak from being strong. dr. jekyll, watch me hide.  dismember me. 

 

My artists offer solutions about improving the environment. Here's a new song from the Slambovian Circus of Dreams and a classic from John Hall.

Beez (I Know Where The Beez Have Gone) Slambovian Circus of Dreams Rock, slow tempo, environment, Americana, vocals like Tom Petty, “Stopped controlling the world,” lyrics offer ideas on how to increase the bees to visit plantlife. “the bees are in my yard, I know where the Beez Have Gone,” “Reteaching me the facts of life” “creatures great and small” chime-y, uses phrase ”yang dang doodle human race” 

   Power John Hall   male tenor, sax, yacht rock sound.  “Give me the warm power of the sun” includes wind and water power in lyrics. "take all your atomic poison power away" "everyone needs some power I'm told to shield them from the darkness and the cold, includes line about corruption” “Some may seek to take control when it’s bought and sold.”  This song was the theme song to the M.U.S.E. Concerts (Musicians United For Safe Energy) and a top 20 hit in 1979.  

A song about the end of the world:  

Armageddon Blues John Roy Zat  male vocals upbeat w/ swing energy & yodels, fiddle, "everybody's singing the armageddon blues.  anybody here know what to do?" keep the music going until... seeing that the world's gonna end, "facebook" and "brew" mentions  

Here are a few different ones that have goal setting thoughts or solutions:

Freedom Loving Heart Phoebe Legere gentle coffeehouse folk song, female voice, gentle guitar, "I got a freedom loving heart, because freedom's got a heart of it own." A gentle encounter with a lying guy, she sings, "I don't know where to start"  

Divided We Fall Bill Leverty  hard rock/classic rock, male vocals, bass, lead guitar,  divided we fall, show me the pain, let me inside. Show me the pain in your heart. And if we find common ground….United We Stand, Divided We Fall.  Song about mending fences in a way that the man wants to see inside his wounded partner’s soul..