Part 2 of my exclusive interview with Tim Neely, Christmas Music Collector All-Star and author of the Goldmine Christmas Record Price Guide. ------------------------------------------------------------- MB:  Ok, let’s get to some nuts and bolts, or should I say chestnuts and peppermint sticks, of Christmas music.  In 1997 your book, the Goldmine Christmas Record Price Guide, was published.  Even now, 25+ years later, it’s still an indispensable guide for the serious collector.  How did the Goldmine guide come about?  TN: First, thanks for the compliment. The Christmas ..read more

Hi folks!  It's once again time for the annual New Music Roundup.  So, giddyap - here we go! -------------------------------------------------------- The Gleeman - "I Love Christmastime" Singer songwriter The Gleeman has announced a Christmas single release, ‘I Love Christmastime’ to keep the focus of the world’s eye on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the impact it continues to have on the children of the war-torn country. The single is raising awareness for the charity War Child. Music has historically been known to bring togetherness in times of displacement and conflict ..read more

Cliff Beach's 2021 album "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" was one of the most fun and enjoyable Christmas music albums of the year.  Now, Cliff is back with a new single "Christmas Day Funk". "Christmas Day Funk" is a great, high energy, funky Christmas tune.  The thing I love most about Cliff's music is that it seems you can hear him smiling as he sings.  There's just a pure, happy, joyful spirit from the soul that comes through.  I dig it. Check out the video for "Christmas Day Funk", head to Spotify and add it to your holiday playlists, and be sure to follow C ..read more

Today's share is of an album that I was thrilled to find last Summer as I was flipping through the Christmas album bin at a local record store, one that I had not been to in several years.  "The First Annual Radiola Company Christmas Album", pressed in 1970, contains two classic radio programs, ones that Radiola claims have never appeared on an album before. Side A is "The Amos 'n' Andy Christmas Show", which originally aired on December 24, 1950.  "Amos 'n' Andy" premiered as a radio sitcom in 1925 and became hugely popular, airing on radio and television with varying casts and for ..read more

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  A couple months ago I asked Rehya Stevens if she would be interested in writing a guest blog for Merry & Bright, and she jumped at the opportunity!  I can think of nothing better to post on this Thanksgiving Day than Rehya's beautiful column about her connections with the Christmas blogger/podcaster/online media community.  Read on my friends :-) And thank you Rehya - you're the best! ----------------------------------------------------- What This Christmas Community Means To Me by Rehya Stevens  I’m a California girl who lived in Los Ange ..read more

In 2011, Scottish singer/songwriter Laurie Cameron released her first single, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", b/w "One Christmas Fall".  The song and and accompanying video quickly made the rounds through the Christmas music collector community.  I found Laurie's striking interpretation of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" to be completely mesmerizing, and felt that she struck through to the heart of the song and the sadness in the lyrics.  For me, it became the defining version of the song.  From that moment, I became a Laurie Cameron fan, and have followed her musi ..read more

"BLUF" is a new-ish business acronym, meaning Bottom Line Up Front.  It's used to state the conclusive point of an otherwise lengthy communication at the beginning, then add the discussion, facts, information, etc used to come to the conclusion.  So... BLUF:  Aubrey Logan Christmas is hands-down one of the best new Christmas albums this season.   From the opening track "Sleigh Ride" through the studio-recorded closer "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" and the bonus live performance of "Blue Christmas" with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Aubrey Logan Christma ..read more

The Wildwoods, a Folk/Americana trio from Lincoln, NE are releasing a new original Christmas single "Somewhere in the Snow".  The Wildwoods, husband and wife Noah (guitar) and Chloe Gose (violin) and Andrew Vaggalis (bass) have been making music together for many years, releasing their debut album Sweet Nostalgia, in 2017.  Since then the award-winning trio have toured extensively in the Midwest and beyond, and have released two additional albums, Across A Midwest Sky (2019) and Foxfield Saint John (2023), plus several singles. "Somewhere in the Snow" is their first Christmas son ..read more

It's a rare pleasure to get to meet the musicians that are featured on Merry and Bright!  They hail from all across the country, and sometimes from the lands beyond our own national borders.  So it was indeed wonderful to meet Alicia Stockman during her weekend stay in Kansas City.  Alicia, featured earlier with her new song "A Recipe for a Merry Christmas Eve", makes her home in Utah, but was in Kansas City for a house concert and an appearance on local community radio station KKFI.  Before her radio gig, we met a a local coffee shop and bakery (Enchante, on Main St), enjo ..read more

So, I bought this album, our 2023 sharing debut, for a buck at a used record store this past Summer.  Why, you may ask?  Take a look at the cover, and at the track list.  Notice anything a little unusual for a Christmas record?  What the heck?  My interest was piqued, so I forked over the buck, foregoing one fifth of a venti latte to be sipped later. To quote Jack Benny, Well.   There is no "When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide".  No stopping and turning and going for a ride.  No blistahs on my fingas.   It turns out ..read more