Electric Christmas https://electricchristmasalbum.com The Instrumental Surf Rock Christmas album by Australia's King of the Surf Guitar, Martin Cilia. Wed, 26 Jan 2022 22:05:38 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://electricchristmasalbum.com/wp-content/uploads/Martin-Cilia-Electric-Christmas-250-150x150.jpg Electric Christmas https://electricchristmasalbum.com 32 32 Hip Christmas: album review https://electricchristmasalbum.com/hip-christmas-album-review/ Mon, 30 Nov 2015 23:00:00 +0000 https://electricchristmasalbum.com/?p=271 [...]]]> Hip Christmas
Holiday music that rocks, rolls, swings, and twangs

Martin-Cilia-Electric-Christmas-Cover-500Electric Christmas by MARTIN CILIA – who bills himself as “Australia’s Premier Surf Rock Guitarist” and combines the fire of Dick Dale with the technical precision of Joe Satriani. Cilia’s no youngster – he’s been playing since the 70’s and is best known for his tenure in the Atlantics, who recorded the Aussie surf classic “Bombora” (1963) before Cilia joined the band. But, Electric Christmas will appeal to youngsters – or at least young at heart – and it stands up pretty well to classics by the Ventures and aforementioned Straitjackets. Get it at Double Crown Records, along with other holiday, surf, and garage goodies.

TOP TENS FOR 2015

NEW ALBUMS

  1. India Arie & Joe Sample, Christmas With Friends
  2. Count Basie Orchestra, A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas!
  3. Martin Cilia, Electric Christmas
  4. Charlie Hunter & Bobby Previte, We Two Kings
  5. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, It’s A Holiday Soul Party
  6. Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, The Quality Holiday Revue Live
  7. Cassie Ramone, Christmas In Reno
  8. Brian Setzer Orchestra, Rockin’ Rudolph
  9. Patty Smyth, Come On December
  10. various artists, Indie For The Holidays

Source: http://hipchristmasmusic.com/annuals/new_releases/2015.php

]]> Double Crown Records: album review https://electricchristmasalbum.com/double-crown-records-album-review/ Thu, 05 Nov 2015 04:46:08 +0000 https://electricchristmasalbum.com/?p=186 [...]]]> Martin Cilia – Electric Christmas CD (Bombora)

dcwebmastheadA new disc of holiday recordings by Martin Cilia is a welcome arrival, even in October when thoughts haven’t quite turned towards Thanksgiving yet. As fans of Martin Cilia can imagine, the guitar tone throughout is absolutely spot-on – twangy and filled with luscious reverb and echo. What stands out though is his arrangements – he really infuses these songs, most of which are holiday standards, with freshness and vitality. I especially loved the little original interludes he sprinkles throughout – familiar melodies are separated by new melodies composed by Cilia, but in a way that fits perfectly. Plus, he’s gone even further by writing three new Christmas songs – “Christmas In July”, “Christmas Stomp” and “South Of The Equator”.

From: http://www.doublecrownrecords.com/martin-cilia-electric-christmas-cd/

]]> Stubby’s House of Christmas: album review https://electricchristmasalbum.com/stubbys-house-of-christmas-album-review/ Mon, 21 Sep 2015 04:55:50 +0000 https://electricchristmasalbum.com/?p=189 [...]]]> stubbys-header
Cool!  Sounds like the Ventures meet Roy Wood’s Wizard (minus all the screeching kids).

You may not ever think about it, but Christmas is the same day the whole world round.  December 25th may mark the dark and cold of mid-winter to us and our European ancestors.  But down under in Australia, December 25th is right smack dab in the middle of summer.  Funny how that happens.  So it makes sense that Christmas in Australia would be all sunshine and surfboards.

Martin Cilia is the reigning surf guitar king in Aussie land and he’s doing the Christmas thing this year.  “Electric Christmas” is set for an October 9th release and features 11 traditional tracks and three Martin Cilia originals–“Christmas In July”, “Christmas Stomp”, and “South of the Equator”.

Martin was born in England and spent the first ten years of his life, there, so he gets the whole cold and snow aspect.  In those formative years, Martin recalls being heavily influenced by the music of Christmas.  After moving to Perth, Australia, he turned pro at 14, playing in a variety of rock bands before going solo.  He released his first solo effort,“Revenge of the Surf Guitar”, in 2007.  “Electric Christmas” will be Martin’s fifth studio album.

While trying to stay true to the carols as he heard them back in England, Cilia gives them a half-twist via original arrangements.  You can rock out with songs like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and you’ll feel like you’re living in a Frankie Avalon movie when “Christmas In July” plays.

Coming from Australia, I imagine you’ll see Import prices if and when “Electric Christmas” turns up on Amazon.  But, short of hopping on a plane and going to the land down under, you can get a decent price pre-ordering direct from Cilia.  Don’t be intimidated by the $25 figure.  The US dollar is strong in relation to the Australian dollar, so your number will be more like $18 or $19 and shipping is free.  Or maybe you’d prefer to wait until the disc comes to CDBaby, where it looks like you’ll get a domestic price (plus shipping, though).  Head over to Martin’s web site and you’ll be able to sample some more of the record while you consider.  But don’t dawdle because…..

Surf’s up, dudes! (and be excellent to each other)

1. Oh Come All Ye Faithful
2. Deck The Halls
3. Good King Wenceslas
4. Christmas In July
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. Christmas Stomp
7. Jingle Bells
8. Little Drummer Boy
9. We Wish You A Merry Xmas
10. Away In A Manger
11. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
12. South Of The Equator
13. Auld Lang Syne
14. Silent Night

 

]]> What’s My Scene: album review https://electricchristmasalbum.com/whats-my-scene-album-review/ Thu, 17 Sep 2015 23:30:56 +0000 https://electricchristmasalbum.com/?p=145 [...]]]> whatsmyscene-logo-blackReview Scene: Electric Christmas (CD) – Martin Cilia, 2015

By Sharon Brookes, What’s My Scene Magazine
17th September 2015

The flowers are blooming, the weather is warming and our thoughts turn to the festive season and getting ready for the ‘big day’. It’s not quite the traditional European celebration of the northern hemisphere Christmas, but we still look to a lunch that makes our belt buckles groan under the pressure of too much tucker, a tree that’s bedecked with all things shiny, and music that gets us into a celebratory mood.

Seeing as we ‘down under’ have our very own mix of the snowy postcard and ‘Aussiefied’ Christmas, why not have our music fit the mold too? Martin Cilia’s Electric Christmas fits the bill very nicely thanks. A listen to this festive musical feast will have you acknowledging Cilia’s title of ‘Australia’s premier surf rock guitarist’ and tapping along to twelve jolly Christmas tracks.

Three of the instrumental pieces are Cilia’s own (‘Christmas In July’, ‘Christmas Stomp’ and ‘South Of The Equator’) and those along with the other nine, will transport you to your childhood when you played cricket in the backyard and Bing Crosby was your parent’s vinyl of choice for the only day of the year that you had to be kind to nasty aunt Madge.

Martin-Cilia-Electric-Christmas-Cover-500Unique arrangements give each track a spicy feel. Slip on ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’ and rock out (in your best Hawaiian shirt) to what once was a pious and very serious number. Grab your surfboard and pretend you’re catching a Christmas wave to the ‘beachy’ twang of ‘Little Drummer Boy’. Electric Christmas captures the feel of an Australian summer and our unorthodox but relaxed Xmas vibe perfectly.

This year your Santa day won’t be complete without a shrimp on the barbie, a beer in the Esky, a rerun on the telly, a nanna nap on the couch and a touch of Cilia’s surf rock sailing through the iPod.

Watch the video for Oh Come All Ye Faithful.

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