The Garners

The Garners from Liverpool UK, not to be confused with these Garners from San Diego California who also do Christmas music, already gave it up for Christmas last year.
This year it's the bells that ring in an uncomplicated but pretty catchy rock track. Little further information about this bearded and mustached quartet, but plenty of cheerful bells and choirs are included.

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Clou nails Christmas

Parisian artist Clou has been around for at least 10 years, opening for many major artists in big venues. As for Christmas, Clou wrote 'Chant de Noël' (‘Christmas Carol’), which features soft harmonies contrasting with lyrics that dismiss Christmas altogether. She sings “sonnez hautbois, résonnez musettes” ("sound the oboes, resound the musettes"—an old French wind instrument) from the traditional French Christmas song ‘Il est né, le divin enfant’ (‘He is born, the divine child’), which is a French, year-round way of announcing something very obvious.

As Clou mentioned on Instagram in early October, she was dreaming of an anti-Christmas song as a response to the joyful melodies that highlight gift-giving and family. 'Chant de Noël' started off as a sort of hymn and turned into something completely different when she recorded it. “I hope it will give you the strength to face this holiday or to avoid it.” Clou also sings about not wanting to listen to her father tell her what’s wrong with her life and would rather stay with ‘the one that puts the real magic in her life.’ That definitely rings a bell.

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Reggae Xmas

The first Xmas reggae tune has arrived. A 7 inch released by both Jump Up! Records (from Chicago) and Aggrobeat (Germany/ Netherlands). Monty Neysmith sings in 'Reggae Reggae Christmas' about dancing during Christmas time and it is backed by a great swinging reggae ‘Jingle Bells’ version. Producer is Boss van Trigt aka Boss Capone. Former member of Dutch reggae/ska outfit The Upsessions. They played with Lee Perry and one of their albums, 'Beat Your Reggae'( 2009) was released by the Dutch label Excelsior. Nowadays, Boss records under his own moniker with singer Patsy.

The original version of Reggae Reggae Christmas from 2016 is on Bandcamp. The new version with Monty Neysmith is a re-recording, the flip is a totally new recording. More info HERE.

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Gettin' Nuttin' for Covers

'I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas' ranks up there with novelty Christmas songs like 'All I Want for Christmas is my two front teeth' and 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas'. Sung by a minor, nostalgic big band vibe, so sweet it should come with a warning to brush your teeth after hearing it. 'Gettin' Nuttin'' is from 1955, written by Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper (who also wrote for Elvis, and many other big names). Five recordings of the song charted in '55, says Wikipedia. Over the years, it's been covered a lot.

While scanning for new Christmas songs, I heard this cover version:
Odd that they credit it to Relient K. That is fine version, but certainly not the first punkish one:

Relient k · I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas

Earlier, Less Than Jake punked it up:
2002, a year earlier than Less Than Jake, I think this is the first punk'd version:
This jazzy version by Eartha Kitt is recommended:
As a weepy acoustic ballad:
As a tipsy bar singalong:
Polkafied:
Ska-punked:
Countrified:
Jazzy poppy sweetly:

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Star On My Tree (A Christmas Song)

If I were Magga, I'd run to Joe Kelly Jr. before Christmas Eve right away. Because by the time a man starts writing songs like this for you ... it's serious business. Joe teases and seduces with a beautiful, haunting original Christmas track that sounds rougher and more desperate towards the end, but so full of love for her. Run Magga Run!

For Christmas all I want is Magga to see
Cause she's the star on my tree
She's spicy and magic
Blue eyes, we can have it
She's the gal for me

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Intimate Christmas with Ben Folds

 The American singer-songwriter Ben Folds is primarily a pianist. In the 1990s, he had his own band: Ben Folds Five. Since 2001, he has released four solo albums, and now a fifth one is added. With 'Sleigher,' he delivers an atmospheric Christmas album full of intimate music. The opening track is a somewhat neutral-sounding piano instrumental, with only the title sounding Christmassy: 'Little Drummer Bolero.' There are hardly any real Christmas bells to be heard on this album, but the Christmas spirit comes from the instrumentation and the lyrics. Among his own songs are a few covers, such as Mel Tormé's well-known 'The Christmas Song.' Notably, 'The Bell That Couldn't Jingle' is a beautiful intimate version of Burt Bacharach's only Christmas song.

Ben Fold- The Christmas Song

No video from Ben Folds 'The Bell That Couldn't Jingle', but here's the original from the master himself Burt Bacharach and a nice version of the Dutch outfit Mist, the band with singersongwriter Rick Treffers.

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Socialist Christmas

Here at CAGG HQ, we'd like to take Christmas as a leftfield celebration, i.e. that we like to steer clear from the mainstream and look for the flowers blooming on the side of the road. Not necessarily on the left side, but you catch our drift. But, what if we DID look only left; what if Christmas IS a socialist, leftist feast? I mean, all that red decoration, Santa's clothing, come on!

So, how'bout we make our first theme post of the season about songs, celebrating Christmas in the spirit of Marx, Engels and party like it's a worker's party?
We dove deep into the red-themed songs about Xmas. Here are the highlights. Of course, tips are more than welcome in the comments:
Christmas Underground sent us this supercatchy trigger for the theme-post: Because what makes more sense than singing along around Christmas time with this nugget: 'Shine ‘em bright/shine those guillotines/It’s your night/Storm the walls by moonlight'.

And there is of course this ultrashort, yet catchy ditty:
This punkrock band proves my point, Santa's dressed in red so he MUST be a communist:
The way Paul Kramer sings his theory about Santa being a socialist, one guesses that it's not meant as a compliment. And neither is the remark about the Easter Bunny:
This one's fun (sickle rhyming to pickle), about sheltering on Christmas Eve in a communist bookstore:
Also meant as a bit of fun (I think), sidelining Santa and letting the left take over at Christmas:
A genuine protest song from the 1960s, by socialist singer Phil Ochs. He spent the festive period of 1962 in Hazard, Kentucky, where he performed a number of gigs for the families of miners striking over the ‘modernisation’ of their industry. Ochs was greatly moved by the experience, and would write a protest song, ‘No Christmas in Kentucky’, that described the desperation and poverty he had witnessed at first hand:
Did you know that the classic 'Mistletoe & Wine' is a socialist Christmas song? Read about the background HERE.

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Shotgun Marmalade & Ansley Lancourt

Two short notes on last year

Xmas by the Bins from the punkoustics Shotgun Marmalade is a tragicomic indictment of all food waste at Christmas dinners. Wrapped into a compelling track they scour the back alleys of restaurants "Where one person's waste, is another one's prize". From the UK, how could it be otherwise.
Insta over there.

When he made it this far, painter, author/illustrator and gifted song writer Ansley Lancourt probably survived Christmas last year. So congrats for that and let's raise a glass to Ansley too. Beautiful and subtle choirs and sleigh bells alert!
Insta over there.

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De-Robert & the Half-Truths

Just to show that we live in a very different world, retrofunkband De-Robert & the Half-Truths released a care-free Christmas (vinyl-)single in 2011 that was all about cuddling and kisses and tender lovin' care. This year, they wanna trade in presents, trees and all other jinglejangle for some world peace. Poignant, yes:

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Christmas Eve by DESTRUCTION baby

In anticipation of all the beauty that will undoubtedly come this year, we'll post a lost track from last year every now and then.
The first that didn't make it here last year is 'Christmas Eve' by DESTRUCTION baby. Unfairly, because this lazy and rattling indie track by the quartet from Waukegan, Illinois is a small and slowly swelling Christmas gem. 

And with 'Christmas Day' they redo the track from above again, but in a kinda weird sped up version sung with helium. 

Their Insta over there.

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Rodeo on reindeer with Clean Pete

The return of blog favs Clean Pete didn't last too long this year, as they already released their new Christmas track 'Ja en amen' (Yes and amen) last wednesday. It's a collab with fellow Dutchie Stephanie Struijk, who you might know from earlier entrances at our blog, or maybe of her majestic appearance at our Christmas A GoGo fest in Paradiso Amsterdam last year. But let's get back to this great track.
The original, Country Christmas by Loretta Lynn, dates from 1966 and this temporary trio stayed pretty close to that, so it remained a darn fine country song with which the Christmas crush twin sisters Loes and Renée have added a tasty new flavor to their seemingly endless Christmas music palette. Finally this hillbilly track feels like a delicate rodeo on reindeer, cause "I don't want any hassle at Christmas this year, so put on your Christmas gear and do something romantic for once my dear".
Yeehaw and amen!

This track is on their second full-length Christmas album, which will be released on November 22nd.

Clean Pete Insta & X  - Stephanie Struijk Insta & X

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Playlist 2024

But of course, there's our big, as-much-as-we-like-and-can-find new Christmas music Spotify list. Conveniently shortened to 'Christmas 2024', with the alternative side AND the goodies from the mainstream. Find it HERE

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Happy holiday music season!

Well hello there, Christmas party people. Tis that time again, the season to be jolly. And the season to take a deep dive into the Christmas-y music that is, and will be released these months. Oh, the anticipation!

We kick off with an exclusive (of course), a track by The Earwurms from Amsterdam. Carmen, Inez & Paloma have a riot grrl take on the ol' Jingle Bells classic:

Guuzbourg zelf · Earwurms - Jingle Bells

This track is part of an 10-inch record, A Dutch XMas Party, curated by CAGG's very own Oscar Smit. Featuring seasonal covers and originals by Holland's finest, like Truus de Groot, Dorpstraat 3 (who take on the indestructable Kerstmis-classic 'Eenzame Kerst' by André Hazes), Stippenlift, Raderkraft and more. See also HERE.

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December 31

Thank you to all the artists for colouring & warming this Christmas season. Thank you visitors. Thank you for your comments & tips. See you on the other side. Stay safe.

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Belgian Christmas

Just a few hours before it's Christmas, right on time to discover two very original songs from young people from around the Conservatory in Antwerp. First one is 'Alone For Christmas' bij the Dutch-Belgian duo Eva Mareen and Julia Rosenhart. These two girls perfom as duo with a bit of electronic equipement, in Dutch we would call them 'kleinkunst', meaning its part music and part a bit of theatre or cabaret.  Their Xmas song has a great choreography and lots of (ugly) Christmas sweaters.

The other song by Blond feat Rendier has lyrics in Flemish and is sung from out of the viewpoint of Maria. It ends with a fine electronic dancebeat and also the video is intriguing. Vrolijk Kerstfeest!

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More Christmas Americana

Over to our correspondent in the field of all things Americana (country, bluegrass, blues, soul, r&b, etc), mr Ton 'T55' Ensing. Short notes on four great songs:

You might know Gary Louris as the main man from alt.country legends The Jayhawks, the band he started with Mark Olson in the mid eighties. After Olson left the band Louris kept on releasing records with the Jayhawks - the last one being XOXO in 2020. In 2008 he made his first solo-record, Vagabonds - a sign that there was a musical life after the Jayhawks.

The solo records allowed Louris to experiment with sounds and genres besides the alt country and americana for which the Jayhawks are known. The experimentation and genre-hopping takes a festive corner with the release of his first christmas single. It’s a tune called ‘Christmas In The City’ and it’s vintage Louris. Lots of harmonies, a joyful piano, a string quartet, an acoustic guitar, a melodious bass and a drumcomputer. Beatlesque, one might say. I wouldn’t be suprised if it turns up on a future movie soundtrack. A lovely tune.


Another unexpected christmas track is ‘Snowglobe (2023)’ from Dean Owens, who also happens to be a harmonies-man. In the past he recorded with Latin Americana giants Calexico, amongst others. His solowork earned him praise from fellow Scots - authors Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh are fans. He recorded the original version of Snowglobe more than a decade ago. ‘Snowglobe (2023)’ is a cute little tune about life in a snowglobe. Not exactly the place where you want to be. "Empty days / silent nights / all is still / all is white / loneliness falls with the silence of snow.” Surrounded by festive cheer may be great for some people but not for Dean, who has only one wish: get me out of here.

Caleb Nichols has no problems with snowglobes. He just released a three track EP called ‘So This Is Crimble”. Beatle fans immediately know what this is all about: Beatles christmas! The EP open with a christmas track originally released on Caleb’s album Let’s Look Back, released in october: ‘Christmas, California’. A poppy tune with a just a few bells and whistles - preparing the listener for things to come. Then there’s ‘Crimble Medley’ - a medley of christmas’sy covers of Beatles classics and solo-Beatles tunes. See if you can recognize the originals.

The last track on the EP is the second original track. It’s called ‘I Fell In Love On Xmas Day’. An acoustic track with the usual ingredients. Sleighbells, an acoustic guitar, a faraway choir - accompanying the artist and his girlfriend on their way to her parents house. It’s not a joyfull ride. They pass a plastic snowman on his face, passed-out on someone’s lawn. Misery shows up in many forms but christmas is a great time to make up and fall in love again.

Finally there’s the legendary Grey DeLisle again. Her second Christmas song this year (first HERE) is called ‘And It’s Christmas Time’. Written by Joey Simeone of The Bellfuries, who wrote the song a couple of years ago but didn’t get around to record it just yet. ‘A super sweet version’, he calls it. And it is. Violins, sleighbells, tambourine, a soft bass, an acoustic guitar and the sweet vocals of Grey herself. "When all your tears become a snowstorm / while it takes form / you need to stay warm”. And we all know that christmas gives you plenty of warmth, do we. "Open up your heart and receive it, ‘cause it’s Christmas time.”

Grey Delisle · And It's Christmas Time

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Stubby's Stocking Stuffers 2023

You know the drill. Stubby makes a mix. He stuffs it with stuff you probably missed this year (I know I did). Great songs, recent, some from the past. And you get until January 7 to download, from HERE.

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Too-ra loo-ra loo-ra: Christmas Lullaby covers

Fairytale of New York isn't the only Christmas song the recently passed Shane MacGowan wrote, with his band The Popes, he released 'Christmas Lullaby' in 1996.

On this site, I found background info on the song:

Shane "borrows" the music for the verses from "Lucy" a tune written by Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld, and Roland Wolf and released on Cave's "The Good Son" lp (1990). Shane sang it on the "It's a Wonderful World" single he and Cave released together in 1992 (Nick does a pretty good cover of "Rainy Night in Soho" on the same release). The chorus is lifted from the song "Too Ra Loo Ra" by James Royce Shannon (1881-1946) and premiered in Chauncey Olcott's production of Shameen Dhu ("Black-haired Jimmy"). It was popularized by Bing Crosby in the movie Going My Way (1944), a flick which won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and a Best Actor nod to Crosby.

I searched for a bunch of nice covers, and found these:

Irish ska. Yep. And it works:
For the 1998 compilation 'Zo, Dit is Kerst', Dutch singer Peter te Bos (of Claw Boys Claw, who recorded THIS xmas original) sang Shane:
Just released, from a cool compilation, this acoustic version by Jeremy Porter & the Tucos:
Violins only:
Damn fine version by Weeping Willows:

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More covers of Beau Dommage's '23 décembre'

Sung by one of Québec's most iconic bands, Beau Dommage's '23 décembre' ('December 23rd') is a 1950s neighbourhood portrait of pre-teens off from school until January 7th. It references working-class shops, hockey and Québec traditions, like having a nativity scene under the Christmas tree at a time when the Catholic church still had a firm hold on French Canadians. The band sings about snow, jokes about pictures of naked ladies (sex and religion go hand in hand) and mentions New Year's Day, making it a New Year's song as well.

The mural in the picture is the cover of Beau Dommage's eponymous first album, which features '23 décembre', and is located in Montréal behind 6760, rue de Saint-Vallier, which is where the band started their career. This address is also part of the lyrics in 'Tous les palmiers' ('All the palm trees').

Since I know many of you can't make heads of tails of the lyrics, here's part of it in English:

Sometimes, I want to go and have a talk with her
Star Fairy can I have another hockey stick?
I lost mine, I'm such a dope
I traded it for pictures where there's nothing to see
Just a girl from the back hiding her butt with her hands
23 December, 'Merry Christmas, Mister Côté'
'Hey kiddo, we'll see each other on January 7th'

Does this actually exist in any other language? I doubt it, but if you know of one, let us know! Here's an old live version of '23 décembre' by Beau Dommage. Everybody knows the lyrics!

Here's a live guitar-and-song version by Star Académie (French 'The Voice') contestant François Lachance that made a Star Académie Christmas album: Here's an odd, mellow version by Montréal's Gabrielle hb

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So-Fi's new Xmas video

For all ye non-Dutchies: So-Fi (who was one of the stars on the first Christmas A Go Go evening in Paradiso) makes a seasonal video every year, with help from her dad. All these clips are HIGHLY charming, and that is counting the songs. This year, she wrote a song about peeking through curtains and watching all the colourful trees, and feeling warm inside:

Maar laat het gordijn wat langer open
Want m’n ogen laten niet los

But please leave the curtains open a little longer
For I just can't look away

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