After surveying all of the available new Christmas and holiday themed music that I could find, I came up with a tidy playlist of nine noteworthy songs to share here in an episode that departs from our usual artist interview format. Here, we play full songs in several sets, with some back stories on each artist and song. Ranging from the elegant, folky take on “Coventry Carol” by The Milk Carton Kids to country leaning Americana in “Layaway Momma” from Adam Chaffins, to previous Southern Songs and Stories guest The Get Right Band and other fellow western NC artists, this episode celebrates an array of styles and perspectives on the season.
With list in hand, little Joey Kendrick sits happily on Santa’s lap across from sister Leigh, who ponders the validity of the this oddly formal and forced tradition. Circa 1976.
Included here is a special from Christmas past, from my days producing the radio show What It Is on public radio WNCW, with founding panelists Jeff Eason and Fred Mills. We celebrated Jeff’s life and many contributions to music and journalism after his passing in 2018 on this podcast, in the episode “Remembering Jeff Eason”. Following the music portion of this episode, we take you back fifteen years, to a time when What It Is was just two years old. You will hear a younger version of me (with a cold) talking by phone with Jeff and Fred in two short episodes, detailing some of our favorite holiday music as well as the Christmas and holiday music we would love to do without.
Songs heard in this episode:
Dulci Ellenberger “Colorful Christmas”
Ana Egge “Silver Bells Ring”
John Doyle and Mick McAuley “Gleann na-Ean”
The Get Right Band “Christmas As A Kid”
The Pinkerton Raid, “Happy XMas (War Is Over)”, from Winter Songs By Other People
Adam Chaffins “Layaway Momma”
JD Clayton “Your Favorite Christmas Song”
The Milk Carton Kids “Coventry Carol”, from Christmas In A Minor Key
Jenn Grant “Bells Are Ringing”
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This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks also to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs — you can link to his music here. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick