Holiday Heart - 2 CD Set Christmas & Chanakuh songs with a cause

First off, a quick introduction  to Volunteer Records and their purpose to, nationally, help raise awareness of HOSPICE and to, locally, generate funds for Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center (SBHPCC), a leading nonprofit New Jersey agency that has been supporting dying patients, and their families, since 1981.

Now the music and the CD.... Much as the last project HoHoHoSpice, Holiday Heart offers up 44 new Christmas songs, and Chanukah songs too, that not only show a wide variety of seasonal subjects, there are many different genres to help out with nearly every musical preference. From Rock to Pop, Country to R&B, Alternative and almost anything in between. The disc may not be your cup of tea if you are into traditional holiday music, but it is for a great cause, and features some great tracks from semi-known artists and bands to new faces on the music scene that are still worth hearing. 

On the new compilation, Holiday Heart, the music is for the most part top-notch. There are some tracks that surely show us they are independent, and others that are as good as any other holiday offerings on the record store shelves today. For under 18 bucks, this is for sure a helping of holiday feast for your ears that could easily fit most any budget. Holiday Heart is 44 seasonal sounds for the entire family to enjoy. The 2 disc set is as much heartwarming as it is comedic and thoughtful, so nearly all moods that can strike an individual around the holidays are featured.

Artists like Rick Derringer and Ron Sexmith you may know already, but don't forget the new breed musicians featured too, they are as good as anyone. The cause is good, the music is for the large part professional, and the prices is right. Get a bit left of the norm this year, instead of purchasing the big named artists offering up remakes of nearly every Classic Christmas song imaginable, why not dive into something original, and that is what Holiday Heart (and 2003's HoHoHoSpice) offer in no short supply. Enjoy!

(4.5 Candy Canes out of 6)

Track Listing - Underlined Tracks have MP3 Pro Clips

Disc 1

1. DUSTY WRIGHT, Christmas Is Coming Down
2. LEAH ZICARI, Thursday in December
3. RON SEXSMITH, Maybe This Christmas
4. THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN, This Christmas
5. RICK DERRINGER, Christmas Valentine
6. DON MCAVOY & THE GREAT WHATEVER, Best Christmas Ever
7. MARC BACINO, Merry Christmas, I Love You
8. ELLEN BERNFELD, Christmas Time Is Merry
9. GIDGETS GA GA, Christmas Wish
10. HUFFAMOOSE, Hanukkah & Christmas Hand in Hand
11. JON CASPI, Eight Days
12. PAULA KELLEY, Why Christmas (the Longest Day of the Year)
13. JOLYNN DANIELS, Doesn't Feel Like Christmas
14. DAVE GLEASON'S WASTED DAYS, Christmas in California
15. LAST TRAIN HOME, Home For Christmas
16. THE BITTER HEARTS, 12 Days
17. THE MONTGOMERY CLIFFS, Christmas Lights
18. BOBBY STEWART & THE CONTRAIRES, Happy Holiday
19. HEATLAMP, Dancing in the Snow
20. CHANDLER TRAVIS PHILHARMONIC, If We Can Just Make It Through Christmas
21. PETER WILSON, Feels Like Last Year
22. SUPER KARAOKE FUN TIME BAND, Last Present Under the Tree

Disc 2

1. PROF. LOUIE & THE CROWMATIX, Holiday Time Is Here
2. BOXCAR NANCY, Feels Like Christmas
3. THE RENOVATORS, It Must Be Christmas
4. CATHY HARRINGTON & THE CHRIST STAMEY GROUP, Sha La La
5. DAN PAVELICH (OF THE BRADBURYS), So Glad It's Christmas
6. HOLIDAY MUSIC, The Shopping Mall
7. JOHN TWIST, Scrooge in Black and White
8. LIZANNE KNOTT, Merry Christmas
9. MARIANN MERINGOLO, The Perfect Gift (i'm Giving Love This Christmas)
10. THE NUMBER THEORY, A Christmas Chill
11. GREEN TO THINK, It's Christmas Eve
12. WHISTLE JACKET, No Such Thing As Santa
13. PROFESSOR & MARYANN, Ten Tubas
14. KEVIN BRIODY, Walnuts & Rice
15. OTIS GIBBS, Color Wheel
16  NINA MANKIN, Red Blue Yellow Green
17. NADINE GOELLNER, It Must Be Christmas Time
18. DENNIIS LIVINGSTON, I'm Seeing My Children For Christmas
19. MARVELKiND, (A Not So) Merry Christmas
20. PROJECT: PIMENTO, That's Christmas
21. DAVID ROTH, Little Christmas Song
22. MARY KARLZEN, (Not Just Until) The Season Ends

Check out the review of HoHoHoSpice from 2003, click here

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