In Defense of Wonderful Christmastime

Duncan Baird, the mastermind behind the Christmas music force that is Winterval, wrote a guestblog on Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmastime. Because CAGG asked him to. Let's settle this once and for all:


Every Christmas I see people on social media excitedly proclaiming that Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is the WORST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER. I'm here to tell you that they're wrong. It's not even the worst Christmas song on the original 7" single - that accolade goes to the b-side "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae" which is perhaps not as bad as you're imagining but still pretty awful.

In a world where Michael Bublé and "Cheeky Christmas" exist, why does "Wonderful Christmastime" get singled out as the worst example of holiday music?

Is it the lyrics? Yeah, they're dumb. I love interesting Christmas songs, unusual Christmas songs, sad Christmas songs... but when I'm in the pub on Christmas Eve or watching my children unwrap presents on Christmas Day, I want joyful songs about people having fun at Christmas. I want Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody"! I want Elton's "Step into Christmas"! Heck, I'll even take Shakin Stevens' "Merry Christmas Everyone"! "Wonderful Christmastime" is a song about people having a party and forgetting their cares for a bit. These aren't deep songs, but they're not meant to be.

But unlike those other songs, "Wonderful Christmastime" actually sounds a bit odd. Maybe we've all heard it too many times to notice how strange it is at times. Why do the synths frequently sound out of time with the vocals? Why is it so sparse? Why did the choir of children need to practice a song all year long that just goes "ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding ding ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh doo doo doo doo doo doo doo"? We should be grateful that such a well-played Christmas song actually offers us something a little more unusual.

If I was having this argument on social media, by now someone would have said something like "but Paul wrote "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby" and "For No One" and therefore "Wonderful Christmastime" is trash by comparison". Well yeah, but he also wrote "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Honey Pie" and "Angry" and "Bip Bop". The guy loves to write silly stuff, cheesy stuff. He loves to experiment and see what works. And "Wonderful Christmastime" works. It has endured.

I first heard "WC" (should I call it that?) as a child. My parents had a cassette tape of Christmas songs they would start playing around the 15th of December when we got our tree and decorated the house. It was all stuff from the 70s and 80s and they were the songs that formed my love of Christmas music and soundtracked those magical wide-eyed first Christmases.
Even now, hearing those first few bursts of echo-y synth transports me back to simpler times. Not many other songs can achieve that in a few seconds. Maybe those first few notes of "Do they know it's Christmas". Perhaps that piano at the start of Chris Rea's "Driving Home for Christmas". But not much else. That synth is haunting, and still instantly brings back that sense of excitement and wonder.

Maybe therefore I'm unable to hear the song as someone would hear it for the first time now, unattached from years of memories. But I do know that if there was no "Wonderful Christmastime" then there would be no excellent cover versions by Tom McCrae, Beta Radio and countless others. There wouldn't be that hilarious Peter Serafinowicz sketch. There would be no "Saul McCartney" trilogy of records by the king of indie Christmas music Kristian Noel Pedersen. It's an important song.

Above all, maybe "Wonderful Christmastime" represents us all at Christmas. It's rushed, it's silly, it's hopeful... it wants a drink. If you're not a fan, maybe give it another try. It is Christmastime after all.
---
Thanks Duncan! Winterval has a new Christmas EP out, that is as wonderful as anything by Paul McCartney. Don't take our word for it, read THIS review by Jim/Christmas Underground. Or listen to this gem:

Comment

Shoegazy Notes

This one's soooo cool! The Living Pins (Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz) have released a Christmas song every year since 2021. And with this delightful 'Christmas Here to Stay' they reach a temporary shoegazy highlight. Good luck topping this one next year!

You want it more atmospheric? You get it more atmospheric! Read more about the temporary farewell of Bolywool and this song on their Bandcamp page. A nice shoegazy Christmas parting gift.

Not very shoegaze, but nevertheless: Knifeplay from Philadelphia collected their Christmas songs from the last five years, plus the one from this year in the album 'For the Holidays'. Including a majestic cover of 'A long December' originally by Counting Crows.

Comment

The In Betweens

In 1973 the mighty Merle Haggard and the Strangers recorded the original version of 'If We Make It Through December', Xmas country at its best, although Haggard always said the song was not a pure Christmas song. Of course this classic is covered a lot too and featured here at CAGG. Check for instance this beyond beautiful version of Phoebe Bridgers from 2020.
This year we can add another gem to that list. The In Betweens (God's loneliest indie band) made a dark, dragging version that fits the theme of the song perfectly. It builds up slowly, guitars grow heavier and heavier and the vocals sound increasingly desperate. Finally, 'Happy Xmas (War is Over)' is also seamlessly integrated in this shoegaze kinda indierock track. The In Betweens took their time for this track, but hey, what's six and a half minutes in a life when you make it through December. 

The In Betweens Insta here, their X over there.

Comment

Happy Xmas, a bass and a synth, ha ha ha ha

The best ideas start like this:
Last week, Chelsea texted me, "I wish I had thought of it sooner, but it would be fun to do an Urge Surfer Christmas cover lol." Seven days later, here it is. Happy holidays, y'all.
And this is the result, with a cold windy synth, heartbeat bass and ha ha ha ha-choir. Love it. Nice 'n short too:
Earlier this month, we had THIS fine version of the same classic on the blog.

Comment

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Yep, we had a vinyl giveaway this year again. A red or green vinyl ten inch record, A Dutch Xmas Party, curated by CAGGs very own Oscar Smit. This was the blogpost in which we asked: write us a guestblog on your favorite post-punk Christmas tune.
And the winners are Jon and Jake!

Jake on The Three Wise Men: 'If you haven't heard 'Thanks for Christmas' by The Three Wise Men, you're seriously missing out on a holiday treat! This hidden gem by the brilliant XTC (under a perfect Christmas pseudonym) is the perfect blend of festive cheer and pop magic. The melody is infectious, and Andy Partridge’s distinctive voice floats effortlessly over lush harmonies, evoking a sense of nostalgia and warmth. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel all the holiday feels without being overly cheesy. Trust me, it’s a must-add to your Christmas playlist.'

Jon, aka DJ Tenderloin, walks us through his considerations:
'Man that's a hard question for someone who's been making holiday mixes for literally decades going back to the cassette days (I'm old) - my favorite post punk Xmas song? I'm gonna assume right off the bat that we're talking original - not a cool cover of a holiday standard, for example any of the kick ass Dollyrots covers.

Let's see.

Christmas was better in the 80's - The Futureheads is a serious contender - an almost perfect xmas song! But what about Julian Casablanca's "cover" of the SNL skit song I Wish It Was Christmas Today? Also a hot dose of instant joy if you ask me. On this year's mix is a great song I think - Kris Kringle and The Midnight Soul by Wake Up And Smell The Sun - that just kicks holiday butt! Post Apocalypse Christmas from Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) is a personal favorite that seems more prescient than ever.
But maybe as someone who makes a mash-up christmas song every year (since 2005? 2006? Can't remember anymore) I might have to pick what I think is one of the most amazing mash-ups ever. A friend of mine who's a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia years ago played it - I sent it to him - and he told me before the song ever stopped playing he got like a dozen phonecalls about it - who is this??? My pick is:

Comment

Memories of mixmaster Mitchell

In 2013, at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam, I met Mitchell Kezin (he's the tall guy). Mastermind behind Jingle Bell Rocks, THE must-see documentary on offbeat Christmas music, makers and collectors. And the personal history of Mitchell, 'the little boy that Santa Claus forgot'. We immediatly connected, there in that cinema. He was an overwhelming guy, tall, superenthusiastic and very kind. My date for that night felt like we were talking in some kind of secret language (it was our first date; she stayed with me, luckily). Read a fine interview with Kezin HERE.

Mitchell and I stayed in contact, albeit via social media and the odd email; there were two main topics, Christmas music and his Merry Mix. He'd send me cd's, later downloads, it was wonderful. It was a shock when the message came that he died, early 2024. For his family and loved ones, of course, and for the whole offbeat Christmas community. Some members of that community made a tribute-mix, with tracks that are somehow connected to Kezin. Read a nice tribute to Mitchell by Ernie (not Bert) HERE. It includes a download link for that mix (with a pdf with liner notes).

While we're on the topic of Christmas mixes, I've made my yearly Perfect New Christmas Songs playlist for the Perfects.nl platform. Find it on Spotify HERE.

Comment

The Midway - Sick and Tired of Christmas

The artwork of the disastrous, desolate Christmas tree with bleak decorations says it all: The Midway is sick and tired of Christmas. Fortunately, the gifted Dallas rockers have skillfully packaged all their distaste into a compact and catchy rock song of over just three minutes. Hopefully that will ease the pain. So get yourself another eggnoc guys, Glühwein or hot cocoa with vodka if necessary. It will pass again, really. See you at the other side of Christmas! 

Their Insta over there.

Comment

Émile Gruff lightens up Christmas

In 2020, back in the dark ages of Christmas, Émile Gruff (aka Daniel Laflamme) gave himself a big present by releasing the Christmas song 'Illumination', featuring singer Marie-Claudel and with the help of Max Lalanne and others. The resulting magic is a slow burn about not having enough money for Christmas. Some stuff is cheap or free like dreaming, beer, hope, listening to free music in the shops where germs are also free. The latter will take some explanation in a few decades.

Hailing from Montréal, Québec, Émile Gruff sings, "Christmas is a blank page that we're obliged to colour in every year. Some people have a nice set of colour crayons, while others only have a pencil. To make a nice drawing, you only need imagination."

Comment

Reindeer Tribe, on full blast

California collective Reindeer Tribe released their 14th Christmas release. Every year the group of friends (actors, singers, musicians) make an EP or full album with classic covers and self-penned originals. We've been following them on this blog for quite some time, with pleasure.
At the start, the songs had an Americana/indie folk coat on, later they added more styles. Country, northern soul and last year the sound of Joy Division and New Order were influences.

This year, they rolled out the fx and the pedals for a dreampop Christmas album. Again, they reworked xmas classic like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Angels We Have Heard On High, but added some reverb and (in some cases) fuzz and distortion. The original track are rock solid, I love Christmas Is Coming Early.
To be honest, not every remodeling turns out well. Feliz Navidad staring at its own pointy shoes, idk. The Most Wonderful Time, same. It feels forced, if this was a coat, it would itch and pull at the seams. For me, the overhauled carols work better. Probably because the ethereal atmosphere is closer to the shoegaze spirit. Like this one:
If you like the guitars more full on blasting, try the Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas version (HERE).
To give you an idea of the musical range of Reindeer Tribe, here are othe versions of 'Emmanuel' or earlier releases (they tend to revisit the same tracks ever so often, not all the time):
From the debut, a tender, sparse and, shall we say, Sparklehorsian version
From 2011, and preluding the shoegaze-rework with this spooky, lo-fi version
From 2013, a very sunny, sixties-community singing version

Comment

Short, well ... not too short notes

Of course, Boy Band from New York consists of three gals, what else. And boy, can they sing! Chillingly beautiful harmonies (recorded mostly in the kitchen) that hit just the right notes, including those of the soul. "And don’t be worried about my lonely, My Nostalgia is plenty company."
This great original is from their 2019 album A Very Boy Band Christmas, that was re-released this year.

Vista Blue, do we need say more? There are few bands that set the xmas bar so high and manage to put a few delicious Christmas bangers under the tree every year. Three this time; one Connie Francis cover, plus two VB-originals. A pinch of Ramones here, a touch of Margo (referring to THIS Christmas movie, of course) there and we're gonna be warm this winter.

A cover of the 1960 classic 'Must Be Santa' by Mitch Miller and the Gang that starts furiously with the famous dirty 'Helter Skelter' riff, that Must Be Weeklings, America's most unique celebration of the music & muse of The Beatles. They made a complete Christmas album this year, available at their website.

the DRIVE dared to cover Elvis Presley and they get away with it damn well. The 1957 track has been stripped of its country jacket and because brothers Danny & Isaac Griffin don't shy away from the grand gesture, a solid pop rock Christmas track has been created. Not too subtle perhaps, but even in stadiums they like to hear a good Christmas song every now and then, right?

Comment

THEME TIME: Home Alone, ya filthy animal

As you know, we're keeping a list (HERE, and HERE) of songs that underline that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Or are just about the movie, the characters, or just a line.

Another modern day classic Christmas movie, is the Home Alone series (well, #1 and #2 are). McAuley Culkin, Joe Pesci, Donald Trump even, the 'Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal'-line, you've seen 'm. Probably more than once.
This week I bumped into this track, from a nice Australian Christmas EP. Basically the story of the first movie, retold as a folksong:

So, I looked for, and found of course, more songs with a Home Alone-theme. Here are some notable examples. If you know more, please holler in the comments.

Let's stay with the Kevin MacAllister-character. From Austin, Texas, the Basketball Shorts, punking up the story of a guy being 'home alone' and fighting 'them' on his own:
Kevin McAllister looking back on what he did, as a 28 year old, with a rapsong: 'Did I really have to hit them in the face with the paint cans/Did I have to set his hair on fire step on the ornaments'
'Maybe I've hit rock bottom', Oklahoma's Five Nine Three states about this EP with songs about McAuley Culkin. 'Rock bottom' could refer to her off-kilter singing, her ukelele-playing and her lyrics. Odd stuff:
Slightly distorted pop song based on the story of Home Alone 1: 'My family don’t deserve me/they left me home alone/Christmas in Paris/could have called me up the stairs.'
'Home Alone is a great Christmas movie!', the singer of this 'weird band' exclaims. We like weird:
One of the best known lines from the movie Home Alone comes from a movie within the movie. Two black & white gangster films are played, called Angels With Filthy Souls, where mobster Johnny says the catchphrase, 'Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. And a happy new year.' Read more HERE.
That phrase is the title of this emo-track, which mentions Christmas, but isn't really about Home Alone:
A sample of the Filthy Animal-line starts this screamo xmas track:
More samples, that óther Filthy Animal-line, and more emo-punk:
Can't quite make out the lyrics, MacAuley Culkin is namechecked in this fuzzy powerpop-track:
Beautiful, heartbreakin' ballad by the heavenly voiced The Staves, about wondering if your former lover watches Home Alone, too: This song was covered by A Special Guest (HERE), Rosalind (dreampop, nice, HERE), grungey by Finland's Oskari Ja Vilma (HERE) and distorted but nice by Marv Murchins (HERE)

Good song, not really about watching Home Alone but watching Elf, but we'll allow it:
That other great song about Die Hard and Home Alone, where MacAuley meets Bruce:
Sounding like a musical number, this track about being glad watching Home Alone 2:
Another famous line, from Home Alone 2: 'Harry, I've reached the top' (see HERE), this metal band, sounding like a loud lawnmower, made a song of the whole scene leading up to that line:
But wait, there is more! Our friend Kristian Noel Pedersen made a song about Home Alone (HERE), another song by Bloody Chuckles about Home Alone (HERE),THIS fierce female fronted rocksong by Mary Jane Snow...and I left out all the Home Alone-soundtrack covers, but there are A LOT of those too.

Comment

CAGG in Paradiso; A Not So Silent Night

The day after, and the sounds of the Christmas A Go Go night in Paradiso yesterday are still ringing in our ears. On particular moment, to be exact. Pondertone, the Utrecht bunch, playing Silent Night. Or, better, with the thunderous finale of that song in mind: Not So Silent Night (photo above).
The version started with an introduction by singer Patrick Tersteeg; he recorded this version in 2009, for this compilation. It was right after the first Gaza war; Patrick wanted to make a version with as much impact as the famous Simon & Garfunkel version. That 2009 version has a dark, menacing undertone from the start, and it stays that way. In Paradiso, the audience started singing along cheerfully, until the music took a different turn. At one point, it was free jazz mayhem. Pondertone unsilenced Silent Night, very LOUD.
This made a big impact. As our host Santajan said beforehand, songs by Pondertone have meaning. And we all felt it, right there. Because the world isn't a nice, silent and holy place right now.

Was that the tone of the night, yesterday in the upstairs room of Paradiso? Certainly not. We kicked off with Santajan and his Nieuwendammer Shanty Choir, and their rendition of Witte Kerst, which was brilliant. Our mascotte from Meppel followed, mr. S.Lois. You can see his Carter Family-influenced set HERE.
Truus de Groot, the legend, sang her slighty scary carols (this one).
Ginge made everyone fall in love with her charm and That Incredible Voice! And what a great anti-Christmasdinner song she made.
And let's not forget The Mieters! The Zaanse beat maestro's. Mostly original songs, all in Dutch. All with that driving beat. Their own hit. A fantastic cover of this xmas punk stormer by De Boegies from the eighties. And the premiere of a brand new Christmas song, Lalalalaatste Kerst, with a nod to Last Christmas. Beatastic!
Did we say charm? Oh my, Robin Kester (photo right). Oh lord. She and her guitars, that dreamy strumming. That snowcrystal clear voice. And those ghostly stories, about the lake in Wales where people ignore all the warning signs. And find out why they are there - when it's too late. And the one about her granddad, introducing Small Christmas Tree. Nailed to floor we were, intoxicated. On the verge (ok, I'm speaking for myself here).

And then, The Grey Pants. You cannot find a more charming duo. Elke and Henk (Koorn, of Hallo Venray fame). They sang their homely songs about Frankie, Birgit, watching the Sissi-series and sprinting. It turned out, they found a Christmas link in ALL their material. Spruce needles èverywhere, really. What a fine fine finale.

A holly jolly time we had. But that Silent Night version. Ringing. Like a doomsday bell in dark days. Baby, it did feel colder outside.
(Review by GUUZBOURG)

PICS BY OSCAR SMIT:

 

Comment

So short it notes

Short Notes, where we write short notes on notable Christmas songs. Like this one, by jolly Australian EDM-band Confidence Man. They made this festive dance track earlier. Now tis time for some more xmas club music (thanks to CU):
Budget yacht rock by Lux Perpetua, if that's a thing. Slightly streamlined, easy on the ears rock. Cool vibe:
Even sunnier and more laidback, with steeldrums, about Santa gettin' sunburned. By Lucky Halfspeed.
Wake Up & Smell the Sun, VERY welcome guests on this blog, released two new Christmas songs. In this dark sounding, bluesey track WU&StS's John Murray sings how singing about Santa helps to chase away the depression: One of the best tracks last year was 'Merry Christmas, Now I'm Leaving' by braden rapp. He is now offering us the rudimentary original, that is even better! Raunchy, wild and raw.

A spooky intro about drones this Christmas and then ... then nothing. Promising track by Crash Cartel that ends so sudden, we couldn't enjoy it to the max.

The Weenies obviously heard Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' too. But 'Santa, what's your secret' doesn't develop into glam, but rather into a strong alt-rock pop song with nice hooks.

The Weenies · Santa, what‘s your secret?

Comment

Christmas by two crazy ladies and a banjo

While we're all getting ready for the third annual Christmas à Gogo tonight in Amsterdam, here's a swinging song by Deux Filles et un Banjo from Montréal, Québec, called 'Chants Insipides' ('Insipid Songs') from 2021, a darker time in Christmas history, so dark that we missed it! If we go back to 2016, the band has an entire Christmas album called 'De Noël' ('Of Christmas'), with a little bit of everything in it. Here's the song 'Noël': The last track of this six-track album, which I sadly cannot embed, is called 'Aspic', which is weird food in gelatin. I absolutely hate it, and the song hits home hard. Picture an old Québec auntie encouraging their guests to feel at home with traditional food from the last century. That's all fine, but aspic isn't food, and Deux Filles et un Banjo are on my side!

Comment

Fuzzy Christmas, the seasonal shoegaze mix

Ever since Cocteau Twins recorded their version of 'Winter Wonderland', it's clear: dreampop and shoegaze are PERFECT for Christmas. The empty-cathedral reverb, the ethereal, choir-like vocals, the icy atomsphere, the feeling you're walking on a misty field... it all screams ànd whispers 'Christmas' to me. On the Christmas Underground blog, Jim is preluding to, begging even for the Perfect Shoegaze Christmas Mix.

Let's pick up that glove. Or rather, let's take a first step on how that misty mix should sound. About an hour long, with the big names, the covers and the nuggets. Loud, dreamy and hazy. So, effects pedals to the metal, here we go a-caroling in fuzz & reverb.
HERE is the mix on Soundcloud, with a slightly different tracklist.

INTRO:
First classic, by the godfathers of shoegaze:
Tempo down, reverb up, another bunch of pioneers (not a Christmas song, but Christmassy)
Let's keep the tempo down, and up the ethereal atmosphere:

Pinemoon · Christmas Together

Dreamy, sultry and tensed with Smoke Fairies, a song that builds up to a wonderful crescendo:

fulltimehobby · Smoke Fairies - Wild Winter

A genuine Christmas song, by a genuine dreampop giant:
Another genuine Christmas song, dreamily re-done:
From this year, what a gorgeous song:
Shall we turn up the volume? A Lush cover (not a real Christmas song, but it fits):

Joseph Roan · "Sweetness and Light" - Lush cover

Uptempo, hazy and very Christmassy:

Sauna Cool · Figure - Christmas Eve of 1992

Keep it up, keep it dreamy:
20 minutes left, what now? Let's go dreamy Britfolk, a song about an medieval church:
Let's build on that religious atmosphere with this glorious track by Spiritualized:
A nugget you want, a nugget you get:
End with a bang, this brilliant dreamy 'n loud version of the Yoko Ono-classic, by the partly Dutch Eerie Wanda (under the Kidbug moniker here):
OUTRO:

Comment

The yearly 'Just Like Christmas' covers blogpost

We've been keeping track of versions of Just Like Christmas (by Low, of course) for several years (exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C). So, it's become a tradition and yes, here's a new batch. Did I miss a recently released version? Please put it in the comments:

From the recent (and as always very good) Polaroid compilation, this loud'n fuzzy version by PoPo:
Turbosuflante! Solo, with guitar, fx, and close-miked:
Upbeat, almost sunny, with a jubilant saxophone by Al Church:
From late 2023, dreamy, tender and ethereal by Misha Chylkova: Grungey version, from an album with mostly Sparklehorse-covers, a Coldplay version and this instrumental by We're Only Human Once:
The same version, but now with reverb-y vocals by Adalyn Clarke:

Adalyn Clarke · Just Like Christmas

Sidenote: Adalyn/We Are Only Human Once wrote this kinda gorgeous super sad Christmas song in 2021 (trigger warning: tis about self harm):
Slow, ghostly electronics & acoustic guitar version, lovely choir singing too by Black Bra:

Comment

Five sad Christmas songs by Ella

Of course we can sleep through December because Christmas will pass anyway, but being terrified for hollow bells and the impending doom of Christmas won't save you from that horrifying Holidays, does it? 

Voilà, five fragile and original sad Christmas songs titles by Ella from Norway in one single sentence. The one even more intense and beautiful than the other.

Comment

Late night cover: Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Despite all good intentions, I've always found this 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' from 1971 by John & Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band terribly annoying, just like most covers of it. But every now and then a cover pops up that I do like. So here we go. I Like the childrens choirs, I like the pipe bells, I like the sudden ending, I like the Hüsker Dü kinda feeling, I even started liking the lyrics. So thank you Reverse Pathogen for pointing me the way to this one, finally. Now start burning that tree.

Comment

yk Records Holiday Sampler 2024

Yes, another Christmas music compilation. And it's a holly jolly good one! This one's from yk Records and it's filled 'with original compositions and holiday classics from across the yk roster'. We heard some tracks earlier this year on CAGG, like this masterpiece Cool Christmas by Birdcloud, but most tracks have only been available to listen to since yesterday.
We are thrown back and forth between calm and acoustic (Roger Moutenot), climax-driving alt-rock (Trash Man and oh the organ, that organ!), smooth and clever pop (Shaboi), ethereal bedroom shoegaze (Fetching Pails) and everything in between.
Take as much as you want, there's enough (also on Bandcamp)!

Roger Moutenot
Trash Man ShaboiFetching Pails

All profits from this compilation will be donated to CASA Nashville; a non-profit that benefits foster children.

Comment

It's Christmas as usual with Pondertone

Not much has changed. Standard Christmas ideas such as charity, forgiveness, a clean slate, a new beginning, peace, or even hospitality seem further away than ever these days. This year Pondertone - Americana from the city of Utrecht - is tackling Christmas depression with a cheerful song: nothing is what it seems, which is usual for Pondertone. 'Christmas as Usual' lets us try to see Christmas through a child's eyes. Why is there always so much hustle and bustle in December? Why does Mummy have a headache? Why does Daddy watch 'Die Hard' every year at Christmas? And why is there even more violence on the news? 

Pondertone will be playing their new song and a bunch of others live on December 15 at Café de Stad in Utrecht and on December 16 at Christmas A GoGo, Paradiso (upper room), in Amsterdam. Be sure to check out Pondertone's Bandcamp for more great tunes.

Comment

Monokini fait twister Noël

We recently told you about Monokini's latest French Christmas single, 'Rock N' Roll Du Père Noël'. Now, the album 'Monokini fait twister Noël' has dropped like Santa through the chimney into a lit fireplace! There's a cover of 'Le Twist du Père Noël' by France's Les Chaussettes Noires, Christmas classics about reindeers and chestnuts, and a cool a cappella-ish outro about a famous pop Christmas song you'll have to shake to guess what's inside.

For the advanced class, the second song on the album, 'Jingle Bells', has added and reworked the entire guitar intro of 'Est-ce que tu le sais?' by Les Chats Sauvages, a French cover of Ray Charles' 'What'd I Say'. The song was also made popular in French by Sylvie Vartan should you decide to go down this wondrous rabbit hole. Consider this titbit as a nice stocking stuffer. The other songs have 'intro stocking stuffers, (I've officially made this a thing), and I'll let you unwrap them.

Monokini's album is a sweet yuletide delight from start to finish and I'm off to score this as a gift.

Comment

More, more, more short notes

Short notes, where we write short notes on notable Christmas songs, quick and easy: 

Not a lot of reggae this season, but The Intercepteurs from Salisbury, UK, made this sweet, bouncy EP released in August. With covers and originals like this melancholy rocker:
We posted Frog's Christmas drinking song last year, this year they wrote a proper seasonal song. But Frog being Frog, 'proper' is kinda offbeat:
This is SO cool. Popular Müzak = Popular Music, the duo from Los Angeles consisting of Prudence Rees-Lee and Zac Pennington. Yep, he of Parentethical Girls. Makers of THIS great Christmas album. Under the Popular Müzak flag Pru & Zac make instrumental tracks, originals and covers, 'incidental music for abandoned department stores.' Made with mostly vintage synths, it sounds like public service announcement-music gone astray. GOOD STUFF:
Probably one of the most Christmassy choir singalongs is the ole falalalalalala. Mariya May has a lot of those, in this heavily bell'ed track:
Connor Jump isn't the biggest Christmas fan on earth, to put it mildly. But hey, it did inspire him to write this wild 'Ordinary Christmas Song'. Punk it away Connor!
Writing her very first Christmas song was a goal for Sophie Braunstein, singer songwriter from Los Angeles, this year. And so she did. Disguised in a damn well-sung song, there turns out to be quite a bit of misery hidden beneath this jolly Christmas atmosphere. Love to you, Sophie Marie!

Comment

THEME TIME: Christmas (in) Hell

Theme time again, where we post the bestest songs on a theme. In this case, the combination of Christmas and hell.
Trigger: me listening to this glammy rocker by Crocodiles from 2020 again:

I remembered more songs with Christmas and hell in the title, like this classic from the South Park movie (1999):
Speaking of classics....

Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British · Christmas Hell

And yes, there are more, a LOT more songs with the Christmas & Hell theme. You'd think there would be a lot of metal, but no. You'd like some, tho? Go HERE.

This great song by a guy named Tim, who made a whole bunch of Christmas cover singles. In 2020, the year of COVID, he punked out his frustration on cancelled celebrations:

With a nod to COVID too, slacker-ish rock by GuestHouse about all kinds of unwanted stuff in your life really, 'I'm losing my shit can't you tell/It's Christmas in hell':

From 2012, you might expect metal from a band called Awesome Death (and an album called Dumptruck) but the quirky funk of Primus is a better of reference for this:

Cheating a bit, but this beautiful 2019 piano-ballad is too good to exclude. Jenn Blosil sings her heart out: 'All I've ever had to love is myself/Oh Christmas always hurts like hell.' Keep a handkerchief nearby.

Sounds like a home recording, this 2024 jangler by Butter Utter, 'Sweden's first punk band'. They have a Swedish version too:

Hell is: other people on an office Christmas party. Missed this one last year in our mega-Office Christmas Party Theme Posts, fellow Dutchman Rob from Amersfoort and his disgust:

More anti-Christmas cheer from Holland, from one of the bestest Dutch Xmas albums ever, by A Balladeer (2017):

I think David Smith drank a LOT of eggnog in 2020, then turned on this guitar and recording equipment for this song. Truly weird but fun. I wonder who blew the trumpet:

Orenthal, from Minnesota, starts this song with an apparent Richard Nixon-quote, then some easy acoustic guitar. And then his SCREAMO voice. Quite something, this track (from 2024):

Everything is cool about this, the poppunkrocking song from 2022, the title, the bandname, Young Satan in Love:

Comment