HUNKS + Friends – ‘The Magic of Christmas’ ft. Sky Larkin, Los Campesinos!, Slow Club + more

Normally, Christmas records are a load of crap. I’ve received several this year already, the vast majority are just depressing. However one has taken me by surprise – it’s mot pretending to be big budget, nor particuarly great, instead it’s just an exercise in fun. Featuring: (deep breath please…) Sky Larkin, Los Campesinos!, Sparky Deathcap, My First Tooth, The Airborne Toxic Event, Copy Haho, James Yuill, Sound of Arrows, and written by Bright Light, Bright Light’s Rod Thomas, it’s fun, doesn’t pretend to be high quality and is just a good ol’ fashioned Christmas sing-along. The video isn’t half bad too – lots of fancy hat swapping.

It’s being released on Monday 14th December and all proceeds are donated to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Inlight are an indie quartet hailing from Oxfordshire, whose music “pulls together a heritage that ranges from The Beatles through Pink Floyd to U2”. Well, the band certainly do take tips from such home-grown legends, their sound, a shiny mass of golden-riffed Brit-pop which would quite happily fit alongside the current likes of Boxer Rebellion and Doves.

The band have already supported The Holloways and Alphabeat to name but a few, and their song ‘Bridges’ was more recently featured in the independent film of Phillip Pulman’s novel, ‘The Butterfly Tattoo‘. Inlight initially caught our eye, however, after Charlie, Mike, Pete and Johnny decided to contact TGTF to tell us about their upcoming ‘Advent Calendar’. We always like something different here at There Goes The Fear, especially when combined with Christmas cheer.

Log on to the band’s official website from December 1st, and you will be treated to a daily selection of musical goodies throughout the coming month. It’s like a chocolate calendar without the calories (and um, chocolate). Inlight fans will be able to grab everything from videos to ringtones to keep them busy up to the big day on the 25th – but hey, don’t take my word for it. Why not watch the band introducing the Advent Calender themselves, below.

While you’re here, why not also watch the band performing the pretty darn epic ‘Icarus’, below.

I am in no doubt by now that you have all heard those Christmas songs that are on the radio every year about 20 times each such as Slade and Wizard. You are probably suffering from ST.DOCS disease (Sick to death of christmas songs). Need a remedy? Well I do and luckily for every musical illness there is a musical cure.

I been busy lately hunting down songs that are worthy of listening to. Let this be the end of all bad Christmas tracks and the beginning of something truly magical. Here is my official Christmas TGTF top 10 so feel free to take those ear defenders out and listen to music once again.

1. The Darkness – Christmas Time
2. The Wombats – Is this Christmas?
3. Basshunter – Jingle Bells (bass)
4. Reliant K – 12 Days of Christmas
5. Run DMC – Christmas In Hollis
6. The Beach Boys – Little Saint Nick
7. My Chemical Romance – All I Want For Christmas
8. The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa
9. Acceptance – Happy Christmas (war is over)
10. Reliant K – We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Hopefull if you have checked these songs out then you’ll be well again to enjoy Christmas and from me personally, Have a good one!

It’s that time of year again when the race to the top of the charts is at it’s most competitive. But who has managed to win this year’s festive contest to Christmas number one? Well, despite a considerable campaign to knock her off the top spot, X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke has still managed to claim the coveted position with her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’.

Burke’s version sold over half a million copies this week, making it the fastest-selling single by a female solo artist, ever. Entering on download sales alone, the late Jeff Buckley (pictured right) followed closely behind Burke at number two with his version of the same iconic song. But which ‘Hallelujah’ do you prefer? Check out the videos to both versions, below!

Alexandra Burke -

Jeff Buckley –

Other vintage tracks experiencing a revival in this week’s chart battle include The Pogues and Kirsty Maccoll’s ‘Fairytale of New York’, reaching number twelve and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’ at seventeen. Here is the complete Christmas top twenty :

1. Alexandra Burke : Hallelujah
2. Jeff Buckley : Hallelujah
3. Leona Lewis : Run
4. Beyonce : If I Were A Boy
5. Geraldine : Once Upon A Christmas Song
6. James Morrison/Nelly Furtado : Broken Strings
7. Kings Of Leon: Use Somebody
8. Beyonce : Listen
9. Take That : Greatest Day
10. Britney Spears : Womanizer
11. The Killers : Human
12. The Pogues featuring Kirsty Maccoll : Fairytale of New York
13. Bandaged : Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth
14. Katy Perry : Hot ‘N’ Cold
15. X Factor Finalists : Hero
16. Alesha Dixon : The Boy Does Nothing
17. Mariah Carey : All I Want For Christmas
18. Akon : Right Now (Na Na Na)
19. Girls Aloud : The Promise
20. Beyonce : Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)

I personally was gunning for Status Quo’s track, ‘It’s Christmas Time’, but as you can see that didn’t even reach the top twenty (sigh..).

Meanwhile, Take That reached the top of the album charts this week with ‘The Circus’. The album reached the headlines this week after selling over a million copies in just eleven days. Consequently, the album has become the fastest-selling of the 21st century! Wowza! Certainly a record-breaking and generally exciting week for the music industry! Merry Christmas!

Fancy counting down to 2009 in the presence of Sir Elton John, 2manyDJs or Hed Kandi? Well you could be doing just that if you’re a lucky 02 mobile customer.

Here at There Goes The Fear, we’re giving you the opportunity to win tickets to the coolest New Year’s Eve gigs around. Using your 02 mobile’s inbuilt camera, take a snap of the PRIORITY ad at the top of the post. SMS that pic, along with the letters ‘NYE’ to 63333 (standard rates apply). 02 will respond instantly informing you whether or not you’ve won. If the message you receive back shows an image of a Christmas tree, sadly you’re not a winner this time. But should the message open to reveal an image of super-cool London venue, The 02, then congratulations – you’ve just bagged yourself (and three friends!) some tickets that’ll see you kick off 2009 in guaranteed style.

A little confused? Don’t worry, check out this video explaining it all below:

Count down with Elton and his piano at The 02 arena, party into the New Year with 2manyDJs at matter, or dance your way into 2009 with Hed Kandi’s Grand Circus at indigo2. It’s your choice! Send that picture now, it could be your lucky day!

Please note, this competition is for 02 mobile customers only.

I love Koko in London – some of my favourite gigs of the year have taken place there (Stars, Air Traffic and Death Cab to list three – I also caught Tegan and Sara and Delays there, but didn’t write a review). They’re upping their game a bit, and have released some quick “highlights” programmes if you will – below is the Gossip @ Koko, or if guitar rock is more your sorta thing then catch The Enemy here.

Black Cab Sessions have garnered quite a cult following recently, with some massive artists playing the back of a cab… these include Brian Wilson,  Badly Drawn Boy, Lykke Li and Death Cab For Cutie. However, I honestly think that the latest one with Kurt from Lambchop was the best… catch it below:

Stumbled across this music video that recycles clips from 41 TV adverts – it’s by a Los Angeles band called From, and sounds pretty good, but the video is what takes a good song to an amazing combination.

Swedish duo First Aid Kit are Wichita’s latest signings, and are playing the label’s Christmas bash at Hoxton Bar and Grill (tickets £5). To get in the seasonal spirit of things they’ve done a special video… sounds like Tegan and Sara gone all Fleet Foxes on us. And that’s a good thing.

MUZU.tv has a great video from a band calling themselves the British Port Authority. Their new single, Seattle, is taken from their forthcoming album “I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” which features the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Jack Penate, David Byrne, Iggy Pop and Martha Wainwright. I can’t find an official website, but watch the video and enjoy anyway!

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a really hard time this Christmas finding books within budget for my friends and family… Following on from our previous post about musical gifts, those lovely people at Virgin Books have been in touch to offer you 35% off their range of music books and free postage and packing this Christmas – what more could you ask for?

To get the 35% off AND free P&P simply enter the code VIRGINXMAS into the coupon box at the end of the checkout.

Have a browse around on the links below, and maybe and buy something – they’re actually cheaper than Amazon at the moment on a fair few books, and there really is something for everyone, from your Dad (Meatloaf perhaps?) to your Gran (BB King?) via your older cousin who you always knew was a tad strange (David Bowie!)

(Please note: I don’t get any comission from these book sales, nor am I affiliated in any way with Virgin Books – I just thought you might be interested in some Christmas ideas!)

Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called “Pixies” RRP: £7.99 Offer price: : £5.99 Inc. P&P	How to Make it in the Music Business RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P	How to Make Music in Your Bedroom RRP: £7.99 Offer price: : £5.99 Inc. P&P
Music: The Business RRP: £25 Offer price: : £18.75 Inc. P&P	Hallelujah!: The Extraordinary Story of Shaun Ryder and “Happy Mondays” RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P	Strange Fascination: David Bowie RRP: £12.99 Offer price: : £9.74 Inc. P&P
The B. B. King Treasures RRP: £30 Offer price: : £22.50 Inc. P&P	“Cream”: How Eric Clapton Took the World by Storm RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles RRP: £20 Offer price: : £15 Inc. P&P
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	The Lost Beach Boy: The True Story of David Marks, One of the Founding Members of the “Beach Boys” RRP: £17.99 Offer price: : £13.49 Inc. P&P	Willie Nelson: The Outlaw RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P
To Hell and Back: An Autobiography RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the “Who” 1958-1978 RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Cash: A Tribute to Johnny Cash RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P
Liverpool – Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P

It’s that time of year again when the Pogues announce their Christmas shows, culminating in a two night stand at the Brixton Academy at the end of December.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 31st August at 9am.

Catch them at the following dates:

Wednesday 12th December – Newcastle Carling Academy
Friday 14th December – Nottingham Ice Arena
Saturday 15th December – Manchester Central (formerly GMEX)
Sunday 16th December – Birmingham Carling Academy
Tuesday 18th December – London Brixton Academy
Wednesday 19th December – London Brixton Academy

Taken from Wicho’s flickr stream under the Creative Commons License.

Along with the Christmas party, another British institution of late appears to be the trend of bands doing a special one-off Christmas show in their hometown. This is the case with Southampton’s Delays, who played Oxford’s tiny Zodiac on Tuesday ahead of their hometown gig at Southampton’s Guildhall on Wednesday.

Their epic, summery songs are the perfect antidote to the freezing temperatures outside, adding some warmth to the audience. After a short intense set by Oxford based Fell City Girl for support, Delays walked on stage and burst right into “Lost in a Melody”, an electronic tinged stomper that is equally at home in the fields of festivals and the caverns of clubs. With this, Aaron, Greg, Colin and Rowly ran headlong into about 20 songs of pure quality that could convert even the most hardened of sceptics.

“On” has reminded me of Hot Chip’s “Over and Over” for a while now, with its catchy repetitiveness, and rather nice use of the strobes in the tiny Zodiac made for an entrancing song. “Bedroom Scene” was a chance for three quarters of Delays to take a break, as they left Greg to do the gentle strum with a lone light and a mass sing-along that didn’t quite work. The rest of Delays returned for new song “Girls on Fire”, which is tipped to be on their new album that’s going to be out next Summer reportedly, and if all goes to plan should set the festival scene on fire.

They closed their main set with “Long Time Coming” from their debut “Faded Seaside Glamour”, and Greg’s masterful footwork and over-excitability clearly made several girls at the front’s day. This was the song that got everybody going, having shaken off the winter blues and finally embraced the warmth they were giving off to the crowd.

When they came back for an encore we got a special version of “White Christmas” with Greg solo on his guitar, which was sublime and made my evening. We then got treated to two of Delays best songs from their last album, “Hideaway” and “Valentine”, both pop-classics in the making, and both failed to make much entry into the public’s mind.

Sometimes bands just don’t make as much impact into the public’s consciousness as they should, and Delays appear to have this misfortune. However, whilst this is the case they’ll continue to play small shows of people “in the know”.