Happy Holidays – Free Song Download
Happy Holidays from the LoHi Family to you and yours! No matter what omnipotent being you worship or don’t worship (or if you’re still trying to figure that out), we here at LoHi wish you all the happiness you deserve and health and peace in the New Year! It’s at this time of year we reconnect with friends and family, focus less on the things in the world which we have little control over and more on the transcendent nature of love and the pastoral beauty of the world. In a perfect world this might be enough to bring perspective to a world that’s mired in divisiveness. We don’t know where we came from and none of us are sure where we’re going. Not really. But we do have now, this moment and if we choose to be kind in these moments, the only ones we truly know, we can hopefully set a safe course through the treacherous waters we may sail through. The power of song can build and preserve community and is part of what we believe will help lift the darkling veil that has begun to descend on the world. May the light we kindle carry us through!
We like to say Happy Everyday but we know some days are less so than others. Luckily we have just the thing to help get through those less than happy days… music!
We’re offering a great deal on a CD bundle of LoHi artists music that would make a great gift. Or heck, just give it to yourself! You deserve it! Go here and get you some! They make great stocking stuffers. Except maybe the LP’s. We’re gonna need a bigger stocking!
All our fabulous LoHi artists have been both naughty and nice, most often at the same time! So go on out and wish them good cheer when they come to your town. Buy some merch. Buy them a drink! Talk them into going caroling with you!
We have big plans for 2019 (and 2020 too!). We here at LoHi Records have long loved the music of John Hartford. It would be hard to believe that you might not know who John was but stranger things have probably happened. From the web site of the man himself… “John Hartford was an American original. He was a musician, songwriter, steamboat pilot, author, artist, disc jockey, calligrapher, dancer, folklorist, father, and historian.” He was also one of the key musicians that commingled folk, bluegrass, rock and pop in such a way that he essentially created his own genre, a genre that the world of Americana music freely borrows from and builds upon. We’re happy to announce that we will be helping to curate a John Hartford Tribute Album that will be recorded by an amazing collection of bands and artists that hold John and his music dear to their hearts. Hartford’s family has given us their blessing and they are excited about the project. We will be donating any and all proceeds from the album to a charity of the Hartford family’s choice. We can’t wait to fill you in on more details about that very soon!
And finally we give you just what the world needs… “Gathering Song”, a heavy-duty beauty of a holiday tune from Cedar Sparks, a new side project from LoHi’s Tim Carbone. This from the band…
Serendipity and synchronicity, this is how Cedar Sparks have come to be. Their dark and gorgeous blend of gothic and psychedelic folk comes from a melding of minds; the crystalline musical collaboration between Railroad Earth’s Tim Carbone and Lewis & Clarke’s Lou Rogai. They come together through their common love of both Dark Americana (The Shivers) and British Folk (The Pentangle, Fairport Convention) to offer their own view through the looking glass. They are currently at work on a full length LP and have wrapped up a soon to be released EP, including a real-life murder ballad about Easton, PA’s last public hanging in 1833. “Gathering Song” is more than a Christmas song, it’s an all inclusive holiday anthem of community and togetherness. Rogai and Carbone discussed both the beauty and difficulty of the holiday season, how the commodification and dilution of “real” Christmas can add up to seasonal depression. They agreed that the classic 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life remains the pillar of the season which stands the test of time and reminds us to keep perspective. The plight of George Bailey is something that most everyone can relate to, and they began quoting the film every day without realizing that a song was born.
In November 2018, Carbone and Rogai began tracking the song at Mixolydian Studios with Don Sternacker at the mixing desk in their hometown of Delaware Water Gap, PA. Rounding out the tune is mainstay Julian Rogai on double bass, Damian Calcagne on keys, Jeff Barg on drums and featuring a guest appearance by Regina Sayles on vocals. Here’s a download of “Gathering Song”, a gift from LoHi Records to all you music lovers! See you next year!!