The Key Studio Sessions: Arctic Splash

You could tell right off the bat that Arctic Splash was serious about this holiday vibe. When the band showed up at WXPN last weekend for its Key Studio Session, guitarist Jeff White broke out his cranberry-red Fender, remarking that it was picked specifically for the occasion. It played nicely off of his pine-green flannel, while frontman Joey Sweeney (also known as editor of Philebrityand resuscitator of the 215 Fest) wore a bright red winter cap with the Spectrum logo emblazoned across it. Sure, he probably would have been wearing the hat anyway, but it all just felt so right. The mission at hand was a Christmas-themed Arctic Splash session, guest engineered by World Cafe’s Chris Williams and the set a ran a gamut of moods and sounds. It went from the biting, twisted and cynical (but insanely poppy) “Don’t Kill Yourself At Christmas,” to the generally wintery rocker “Beware of the Black Ice”, all the way to an absolutely sincere, touching rendition of “Silent Night.” In the mix there as well are a couple other Splash originals, “When You Say My Name” and “Baptized In Vibe.” Stream ’em and download ’em below, and get ready to sing along when Arctic Splash performs at tonight’s Philebrity Awards at Johnny Brenda’s.