Hi-Fi Holiday Highlights

Yesterday’s post harked back to the 1991 release of Yuletunes, an ambitious project put together by Jeff Murphy from Shoes that featured several artists creating original holiday songs. A decade later, vocalist-bassist Dan Pavelich, from the Illinois band The Bradburys, launched a similar effort titled Hi-Fi Christmas Party on the independent label Vandalay. Proceeds from the album helped fund research for Von Willibrand’s disease. Here’s an edited repost of that album and its two sequels.

Hi-Fi Christmas Party was an easy-going compilation that offered original holiday contributions from various local and national power pop acts. Pavelich led The Bradburys through the romantic and highly energetic “I Love It When It Snows!” Other highlights included Don Dixon’s “Christmas Is Saturday,” The Jellybricks’ “We’ll Be Together,” Andrea Perry’s “Fat Aunt Bette,” and The Ted Ansani Trio’s “The Kriss Kringle Jingle.”

When Pavelich returned to the concept with Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume 2 in 2006, he kept the focus on original 1960s-style power pop. The Elvis Brothers traveled back a little further than that with their very fun “Rock-A-Billy Christmas.” Lisa Mychols joined The Wondermints on the Leslie Gore-influenced “Lost Winter’s Dream,” and Husky Team, which included Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, delightfully mixed “Auld Lang Syne” with “Green Onions.” Volume 2 also featured The Grip Weeds, Jeremy, The Bradburys, Rob Paravonian, Joey Molland and The Echo Boys, The Spongetones, and The Brothers Figaro Orchestra.

Hi-Fi Christmas Party Volume Three, released in 2010, followed in the amiable tradition of its two predecessors, presenting another selection of mostly original material. Sketch Middle’s “Very Very, Merry Merry” had an energetic power pop buzz, and The Jigsaw Seen’s “What About Christmas?” was another highlight. Other acts contributing catchy holiday tunes included The Click Beetles, a Pavelich side project with drummer Ed James; The Yule Logs; The Sun Kings; Jamie and Steve from The Spongetones; and Jim Babjak of The Smithereens.

So, here’s a holiday toast to Dan Pavelich for creating a trio of albums that should be welcome in every rock and roll fan’s holiday music collection.