EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Dustin Ransom Puts Soul Pop Spin on Holiday Favorite

  Eggnog, gift-giving, a much-needed break from work and/or school: The holidays are awesome. And since Thanksgiving has finally passed, we can all unashamedly begin the 24-day pre-game leading up to the big day, complete with a carefully-procured festive playlist. And trust us, we like the classic Christmas tunes as much as the next blog, but listening to local artists put his/her own spin on a holiday favorite, that’s worth toasting to.

Nashville-based soul pop artist Dustin Ransom has gifted us with his sexy, modern version of "Merry Christmas Baby," and we’re dropping it right in your stocking. With Ransom’s layered R&B-inspired vocals atop a smooth, smokey throwback groove, the track is perfect for a classy holiday party or a night cuddled up by the fire.

"I just thought it would be fun to take this song. which is normally performed in a more blues-oriented fashion, and make it into a lo-fi funk thing a la D’Angelo or There’s A Riot Goin’ On-era Sly & The Family Stone. I played all the instrumentation on the track, sang all the vocals and mixed it as well. I honestly would love to do a whole Christmas record in a similar fashion, but that will have to wait for another time…!" says Ransom. Guess we’ll just have to put that on our list for next year.

To hear more of Ransom’s sophisticated soul, check out his EP Thread on Fire on Noisetrade. For every 200 EP downloads, he’ll be releasing one new acoustic track. And once he hits 2500, he’ll release another EP and start bringing his music to the stage. -Caroline Bowman