Listen: J.D. McPherson releases original holiday song “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights),” plans late-night TV appearances
Recently included in Rolling Stone’s “Band to Watch” list, JD McPherson now has released a terrifically fun original holiday tune called “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights), which debuted exclusively on RollingStone.com. Click here to listen to the song, which will be available Dec. 11 on iTunes.
The Oklahoma rockabilly revivalist, who hails from Broken Arrow, will perform “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)” Dec. 13 on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” which airs at 10:35 p.m. weekdays on NBC.
“I love the whole of Christmas: lights, cold weather, sentiment, poinsettias, baby Jesus, popcorn laurels, Santa,” McPherson says in a new release. “I even admire the well-tuned machine of commercialism. There are loads of holiday songs—only a handful of rockin’, rollin’ Christmas songs, though. So, here’s our offering.”
In addition, the former art teacher will perform the track “Fire Bug” from his critically acclaimed album, “Signs & Signifiers,” next Tuesday on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” which airs at 10:35 p.m. weekdays on CBS.
Lauded as “a sound that is vibrantly reminiscent of 50s after hours dancehall hits mixed with angsty tunes to appease the most brooding bluesman,” (Yahoo! Music) JD and his band have blazed the country this year with his “timeless, forward-thinking rock & roll” (Rolling Stone). His self-directed video for “North Side Gal” has garnered more than 1 million views to date.
The Oklahoman traveled to Chicago to record “Signs & Signifiers” at Hi-Style studio, which is housed in the attic of producer/bassist/studio owner Jimmy Sutton’s home and is 100 percent analog. “I have recorded this style of music in the digital realm, and it just doesn’t quite “sing” as much. Slamming that ¼-inch tape really hard produced the most beautiful distortion I’ve ever heard,” says McPherson in the release.
Featuring JD McPherson (lead and backing vocals, guitar), Jimmy Sutton (bass), and Alex Hall (drums, piano, organ), the album was recorded through a collection of vintage microphones into an old 1960’s Berlant 1/4-inch tape machine. The 12-track album kicks off with the fervent pulse of the first single, “North Side Gal,” and segues into one of the albums two covers, McPherson’s take on “Country Boy,” an old R&B number originally written and recorded by Tiny Kennedy.
-BAM
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