Alternative Christmas Records: Trojan Christmas Box Set - Various Artists Review

Alright, this is one of the most expansive of Christmas records that I will be reviewing this month. This is 50 tracks of alternative Christmas music from the Trojan record label. Trojan and Studio One are the most famous and iconic of labels from Jamaica. They specialize in reggae, ska, and dub music. These tracks aren’t new, they are from back in the day, and they all represent that Jamaican flavor that you would expect from reggae records. As far as I’m concerned, the Trojan Christmas Box Set is perhaps the best stocking stuffer you’re going to get today.

I first caught wind of this in Idaho. I was miserable one Christmas, and they had this for 5 bucks used, so you know me, I had to purchase it. It cheered me up that Christmas as 50 tracks of compelling Jamaican flavor came coming through my stereo. There are some traditional elements here, but for the most part, each single artist does their own rendition of the classics, and sometimes, they completely butcher what you would expect. That’s not done on purpose, it’s just how the bands and artists decided to cover the songs. There are a few originals found in here with a twist, like “Santa Claus is Ska-ing To Town”, “Santa Claus Never Comes To The Ghetto”, “Ding Dong Bell”, and so many more.


If you’re not familiar with any of the artists from the Trojan Christmas Box Set, don’t worry. These guys are household names when it comes to ska, reggae, and dub. No, not DUB STEP! Some of the artists found on the records include John Holt, Yellowman, Granville Williams Orchestra, Peter Broggs, The Ethiopians, Pablo Black, The Tamlins, Desmond Dekker, The Aces, Hopeton and Primo, and so many more. There are 50 tracks on this box set, and if you love Christmas and reggae together, this is going to be one of your favorite records to play all year long. I love it. It’s not for everyone mind you, but it’s awesome none the less.

If you’re going to pick up a seriously alternative Christmas record, then pick up the Trojan Christmas Box Set, it’s 50 tracks of reggae, ska, and dub Christmas songs from Trojan to you.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10K Drops A Killer Track With Fresh White Tees

Image
10K comes out swinging with the latest catchy hip hop song you’re going to absolutely love. I’ve heard a lot of rap and hip hop tracks this year already, but a lot of it is just boring. The rhymes are just repetition, or the words just get slurred across some mediocre beats. But this, this is pretty cool, 10K drops a story rhyme that is all out catchy, and fun. 10K goes across several different thoughts in just 2 minutes and 58 seconds of music, never letting up and continually processing consciousness with rhyming ability. You’ll get hit hard up front, and by the first chorus, you’re going to be singing along. This is the type of song that really showcases a good ear for beats, rhyme schematics, and professional flow. 10K is no slacker here, he throws down as many adjectives and ideas as he can without losing the audience. Often time’s when rappers have a lot to say, they speed it up and try too hard to spit out as many sentences as possible, but not here. Here it’s a bit laid...
Read more

2KX Create A Lavish Musical Framework Beyond Comparison

Image
I know it’s my job to compare musical acts and try to paint a picture as to what they are doing so that you can go and buy the record and check them out, but every now and again artists are beyond just one genre and above any simple terminology. It’s paying disservice for me to call the latest release from 2KX anything other than a masterpiece. Fronted by Lisa LaRue, this is a release of progressive rock and is like nothing I’ve heard in a long time. Yes, there are other prog rock bands out there, but this release is a cataclysmic exemplification of art, and not just music. With the release of “Sussuration”, you get elements of every type of musical genre, but it’s like a work of art, seamless in the integral elements that make this worth picking up. I was floored by the pieces, and really found myself in awe at the precision at which every element comes together. It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and once you hear the record, you understand the pieces fit to make sure that this makes...
Read more

The Bloody Jug Band Launches A Contender For Best Record of 2015 With Rope Burn

Image
Best Album Art of 2015! As far as creative bands are concerned, The Bloody Jug Band just hit my radar with full force. This type of alternative rock music is one of the reasons why I love music in the first place. With their release of “Rope Burn”, they truly put down a record that is going to be on my top 10 records of 2015. It starts off a bit slow with “Volfkiller”, then it spirals out of control with some amazing elements. Mixing strong guitar driven melodies, interesting narratives in the lyrics, and strong vocals, this is a record that opens up like a horror movie and comes through with grindhouse precision, only a bit more polished. There’s a “country” vibe that you get from some of the tracks, but it seems to be more in the way the lyrics are delivered. Strong and story filled, you are going to want to close your eyes and pay attention to the words. There’s a lot going on here, a story that is very easy to follow with each hand. A strong blues and country mix with strong ...
Read more