“A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3” Video Premiere

Comprising twelve tracks from some of New York City’s finest emerging artists, “A Holiday Benefit, Vol 3” is a seasonal charity compilation spanning the delicate (Bess Rogers’ “Little Saint Nick”) to the downright bombastic (Bryan Dunn’s “Don’t Believe In Christmas”) with a dash of holiday hilarity (Casey Shea’s “The Chipmunks Song”) in-between.

In addition, the contributing artists deliver a raucous cover of Billy Squier’s classic, “Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You.”

The charity CD release party is set for December 16th at Pianos in New York City. The event will feature performances from Rogers, Dunn, Shea, Paula Valstein, Emily Easterly, Chris Cubeta, Martin Rivas, Chris Abad, Misty Boyce, Ruby Rivers, Benjamin Wagner and Emily Zuzik, plus a silent auction.

All proceeds from “A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3” will be donated to 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

“A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3” Release Party / Charity Concert
Wednesday, December 16th 8-11pm @ Pianos
158 Ludlow Street New York, New York 10002 (212-505-3733)

“A Holiday Benefit, Vol. 3” participants first gathered at Chris Cubeta’s Galuminum Foil Studios in Brooklyn, spending a long, October Sunday afternoon together recording their cover of the 1985 MTV hit. Each artist was then tasked with covering a favorite holiday tune, or writing a new one. The results are decidedly different, and surprising.

Easterly and Cubeta deliver a faithfully-edgy cover of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” Abad gives The Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” an alt-rock twist, while Paula Valstein and Shea bring themselves to The Pogues’ “Fairytale Of New York.” As surprising, though, is the breadth and depth of the brand-new songs, like Rivas’ sprightly “Christmas, Already?” and Ruby Rivers’ plaintive “Little Elf.”

The complete “A Holiday Benefit, Vol 3” track listing:

1. Holiday Benefit Singers – Christmas Is The To Say I Love You
2. Emily Easterly & Chris Cubeta – Wonderful Christmastime
3. Martin Rivas – Christmas Already?
4. Chris Abad – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight)
5. Bess Rogers – Little Saint Nick
6. Amber Rubarth – Christmas Carol
7. Paula Valstein & Casey Shea – Fairytale Of New York
8. Bryan Dunn – Don’t Believe In Christmas
9. Benjamin Wagner & Emily Zuzik – Merry Christmas, Baby
10. Casey Shea – The Christmas Song
11. Ruby Rivers – Little Elf
12. Andy Mac – Merry Christmas Darling

Brooklyn artist Emily Rawlings illustrated the album cover. Director Daniela Capistano edited the “Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You” music video. The “Holiday Benefit” series was conceived by singer/songwriter and MTV News executive Benjamin Wagner. Previous efforts (“A Family Holiday” and “A Holiday Benefit, Vol. II”) raised nearly $5000 for 826NYC.

Please visit www.aholidaybenefit.org and www.826nyc.org for more information.