Motivated by the success of last year's Christmas in the Sioux, Mitch Martin and Travis Barnes set out this year to make a follow-up album of holiday music performed by local musicians. The result of their efforts is Christmas in the Sioux Too. Like the first album, this collection of songs evokes the feeling of spending Christmas in our little corner of the world. Heath Davis's rockabilly take on "Run Run Rudolph" opens the album. It's a hard driving little number that doesn't take itself seriously. Emily Johnson's great soul voice follows up with "Please Come Home for Christmas," stirring images of the lonely, cold winters we face, and the warm, loving people that live through them. Travis Barnes' "Christmas Island" is for those people who maybe don't want to live through those winters anymore, longing for presents placed under a palm tree. The rest of the album holds wonderful surprises, like Elsa Va's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and Ben Grillet's "Lawrence." It's a great gift to us all.
The artists on Christmas in the Sioux Too will be performing a CD release party this Friday at the Marinna Inn in South Sioux City. It begins at 7:00 p.m.
Siouxland Public Media will be airing Christmas in the Sioux on Thursday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. We will air Christmas in the Sioux Too on Friday, December 18, at 6:00 p.m.
