Just thought I’d indulge myself  in providing you with an insight into the sort of guitar and Christmas-flavoured music I’ve been playing this afternoon/evening via Spotify, shared with various family members -well, if you run yer own blog, it comes with the territory! I always think it’s good to hear what other people are listening to (it provides a way to find artists and genres you may not have heard before, which is definitely a good thing) and to that effect, I humbly offer the completely disparate selection which follows….

Peter Finger – Wishbone Ash
Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
Rodrigo y Gabriella – Stairway To Heaven
Carol of the Bells (John Williams, from the film Home Alone)
Eric Whiteacre – Sleep
Hilliard Ensemble – O Lord, in Thee is all my trust
Vaughan Williams, Fantasy on a theme of Thomas Tallis

The Leisure Society – Last of the Melting Snow

This is the best contemporary band I’ve found out about for a while. Their viral marketing is nice too! Here’s a Youtube video of them performing in one of a series entitled ‘bandstand busking’ (proving they can do it live as well as in the studio).

Clever lyrics, great playing and a style reminiscent of… well, perhaps a cross between Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Elbow. I’m a fan now – remarkable, as I was drawn in by a simple one-off ad on Spotify!