iLike Press Coverage

(Wired) "Here Come the Christmas Albums (This One's Not Bad)"

By Eliot Van Buskirk EmailNovember 06, 2008 

Xmas Unbelievably, the top-selling album in the United States last year was Josh Groban's Noel.  As album sales decline, holiday fare is still a reliable way to move units, because people want to hear songs that put them in the holiday spirit and they seem to want to hear those songs in a new way.

That means springing for a couple of holiday compilations, even if they haven't bought any other music all year. How else could Groban have sold the top album of 2007? There's simply no explanation.

Jack Johnson's label Brushfire has posted This Warm December, a Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1, its entry in the holiday cannon on Facebook, by embedding the songs from iLike so that you can preview the whole thing for free. The disc is also available for pre-order. (They call it a "holiday" album, but nearly every song refers to Santa or Christmas.)

A full 25 percent of profits will benefit children's musical education programs, putting to rest speculation that this is a purely commercial endeavor. I've been giving it a listen today, and it's pretty decent, avoiding the sappiness that infects some holiday-themed albums.

The full tracklisting includes heavy hitters like Neil Halstead and Money Mark:

Jack Johnson - "Someday at Christmas" (originally by Stevie Wonder)

Mason Jennings - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

Matt Costa - "ll I Want For Christmas"

Zee Avi - "No Christmas for Me"

Money Mark - "Stuck At The Airport"

G. Love - "Christmas Baby"

ALO - "Christmas Time"

Neil Halstead - "The Man In The Santa Suit" (written by Fountains of Wayne)

Rogue Wave - "Christmas" (recorded at home on a four-track)

Jack Johnson - "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer"

Zack Gill - "Silent Night"

(Digital Music News) "Jack Johnson, Brushfire Coming to iLike..."

Jack Johnson, one of the best-selling artists on the iTunes Store, is now bringing some exclusive material to iLike.  Johnson is just one of several artists featured on an upcoming compilation, one that includes the entire roster of Johnson's Brushfire Records.  The holiday compilation, This Warm December, a Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1, is available for streaming on iLike starting Thursday morning.

The compilation features songs from Malaysian singer Zee Avi, Rogue Wave, G. Love & Special Sauce, Mason Jennings, Money Mark, and others.  Additionally, iLike will be offering a free, promotional download from Avi, the newest Brushfire signing.  "It's nice to have everyone on the label on one record," said Jack Johnson.

The album features retakes on classic holiday songs, including sing-alongs like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," though a number of  lesser-known tracks are also part of the set.  The action is happening through the iLike application, as well as ilike.com/jackjohnson.   The album is currently available as a pre-order on Amazon, and is slated for broader release on November 11th.