XO For The Holidays Vol. IX [Album]

As many of you know, there is a whole lot of behind the scenes type of folks who make even the simplest of sites (like this one) operate. And one of the most important types will always be the fine publicity people who push out their clients’ work like it was the work of their own children. Well, at least the good ones do. I have been doing this work for just short of a decade, and I feel like I have seen just about every type of publicity company imaginable. And with that, a small handful have really stuck out and have become a mainstay not only for Trainwreck’d Society or wherever else I may write, but in my life in general. And while I would like to pretend that I love them all equally, my heart will always go out the hardest to Kaytea Moreno Elst & XO Publicity. Kaytea has not only been my favorite oddly named individual on this planet, she has also been one of those persistently supportive individuals who truly cares about the people she is working for, and has an obvious ear for talent that is almost unmatched in her business. And she has a bit of an edge over others in some very fantastic ways. And that is where we begin with XO For The Holidays Vol. IX.

As the title would suggest, this is the 9th installment of a series that XO Publicity has been putting together for, well, at least 9 years right? It is a collaboration of Holiday themed tracks by the artists they are currently representing, and I shit you not, every year has been fantastic. I have been listening to this FREE downloads for years, and am almost ashamed that I am only now getting around to writing some nice words about them. Seriously folks, before I go to far into this thing, please understand that this is some beautiful holiday music for people like me you absolutely despise fucking holiday music. And I don’t care what holiday it is. I’m just not a fan of this crap…..until it is done like this! This FREE (yes, I am overemphasizing this for a reason) compilation is an amazing collection of amazing holiday tracks that will make the most Scrooge-like asshole feel the spirit.

On Vol IX, we actually find a couple of past TWS features throwing their holiday spirit into the proverbial circle, as well as a few that will certainly be showing up on the site soon (Andrew Joslyn, oh boy, this guy is incredible). And I have bow down to the incredible magnetism and electricity that Magnuson creates on their cover of the classic “Silent Night”, which is absolutely as far from “silent” as you could imagine, just short of some sort of speed metal parody around the end. It is masterfully done. And as I sort of mentioned earlier, Andrew Joslyn is on here with a bit of composure alongside The Local Strangers on a beautiful rendition of “Under Mistletoe”. Our old friends from Blue Skies For Black Hearts also have an absolutely captivating track that mash-up that will leave your heart weeping for about 2 1/2 minutes, leaving you stunned for another 2 1/2 minutes after. And then there is Piney Gir showing off her unique and brilliant vocals on “Love Is A Christmas Rose”. There is just so much here people. There are even more great sounds from Eaglewolfsnake, Bill Berry (with a take on what happens AFTER Christmas), Texture & Light, and Occurrence. And did I mention it is FREE?

So, how do you become a part of this delight holiday goodness. Well, it may surprise you to know that this compilation is, wait for it….absolutely FREE! Head on over to the XO Publicity website and pick up this album. And if you are looking for a solid library of Christmas music that will have every hipster cousin and cool aunt grooving during the holidays, why not check out the previous 8 years worth of XO For The Holidays compilations that are also absolutely FREE!

Kaytea and XO have been oh so special to Trainwreck’d Society and myself over the years, not only for their hard work and dedication, but for their creativity to even have a project like this exist. This compilation, and the 8 that prefaced it, are perfect collections made for the avid cookie decorating, mistletoe touting, holiday nut. But, it is also perfect for the agnostic Scrooge in your life who is sick and tired of hearing Bing Crosby every damn hour on the hour!

So whether you love them or hate them, holiday music is never going away. So, why not let XO make them just a bit cooler and easier for you to deal with. I guarantee this compilation will do that and so much more. Enjoy!