Christmas A Go Go!

Our friend at Christmas Underground just premiered this wonderful seasonal song: Winter In The City (Single) by Young War

'Xmystery, Chicago, Illinois', that's all we get on Xmystery's Bandcamp page. That, plus three absolutely beautiful ambient drones. Imagine walking in the north of Canada, in a winter wonderland, when all of a sudden you hear a choir. You can't tell from which direction, you can't make out words, but the sound is overwhelming. You get down on your knees, because the song, or sound, is too powerful. You're not cold, the music warms you from the inside out. That's what Xmystery is about, to me. silent winter realms by Xmystry

Glory glory alleluia, a new seasonal Sofia Talvik single, folksy storytelling to warm your heart about cold feet, hard labour and making ends meet.

As Stubby predicted correctly, for me the Juniore Christmas single is one of the highlights this season. French, soft-sighing sexiness. Every single of the great Snowflakes Singles Club is now up on Soundcloud and Bandcamp . Check 'm out! De Saison b/w Pour Noel, Cette Année by Juniore

And all the streets have Christmas lights again And all the coffee shops are playing Dean Martin And although I know it's bullshit and just to make us buy I feel glad in a part of my soul Great lyrics, great song by Elizabeth Morris from Allo Darlin'. Brother-blog Christmas Underground was on this earlier. Athens by Elizabeth Morris

DAMN this is good. An Everly Brothers/Roy Orbison-styled, 50's teen drama Christmas song by Reinder Tribe, an Alt Rock/Alt-Folk Indie collective from Southern California who, as the name would imply, are a seasonal band of fluid membership. Every year, they collaborate and manage to come up with a full album of Christmas music. This is their 7th album. Mind = blown (thanks Stubby ) Ghosts Of Christmas by Reindeer Tribe

Last year we posted the instrumental version, now there's a version with vocals, even better. Christmas yacht rock! Woo!

Proper christmas choon by Dutch singer-songwriter Rogier Pelgrim , a song about what's going on today with refugees, wars, people living in the streets and what Christmas can do to help. Proper video on the way, for now:

Read a nice review of alt.christmas compilation over at Mistletunes , from a series that we hadn't heard of either. This Bo Diddley-esque tune I really like. Check: Merry Rock Against Bullshit Christmas- Volume 9 - 2014 by a bunch of artists from Australia, The U.K and The U.S.A. FREE DOWNLOAD

First, there was this , now there's this:

THIS is the link to a Spotify playlist with all the best, new(ish) Christmas songs of this year. For your convenience.

Two years old, but unseen on most Christmas music blogs, this 50s style Christmas pop-tearjerker by Poeina Suddarth.

Kylie Minogue made her first Christmas album, simply called 'Kylie Christmas'. We all know her seductive version of  'Santa Baby' ! On the album she does more covers, like the grand openingstune 'It's The Most Wonderfull Time Of The Year'  or a fine version of '2000 Miles'. She also does a duet with Franks Sinatra on 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town', yes nowaddays everything is possible! She turns  'Christmas Wrapping' (The Waitresses) in a great Blondie like tune. The album also comes in a deluxe CD/DVD version.

Punk rock troubadours Cory Taylor Cox, John Davey and Wilderness Alive joined forces on this first edition of the X-mas Extravaganza. Four bitter-sweet acoustic songs for those who like their Christmas a bit melancholic. X-mas Extravaganza Vol. 1 by Wilderness Alive

Remember that other Sparks Christmas track?

Found Wandering is an folksy, jazzy combo from Philadelphia PA, led by husband and wife Colin and Sarah. They will release a highly charming Christmas album with some very entertaining cover versions. Among them, Sweet Little Baby Boy by Jaaaaaames Brown. Listen: On A Christmas Night by Found Wandering Original version HERE

It's out there, Beaches of Bethlehem, the new Christmas album by How to throw a Christmas Party, a collective of Dutch musicians making beautiful seasonal songs for years now. This is the catchiest, sunniest track: V: Beaches of Bethlehem by How To Throw A Christmas Party And listen to this gorgeous, partly a-capella sung track: V: Beaches of Bethlehem by How To Throw A Christmas Party

Seven years ago, Canadian songstress Maryse Letarte released an album of original Christmas songs, most of them in French. Which is nice. Now, she made another one . This is the title track. Hat tip to Christmas Underground

Pre-order Cassie Ramone's new holiday record "Christmas In Reno" featuring all kindsa classic Christmas tunes done by Cassie of Vivian Girls and The Barbies. Get the color vinyl or cassette (yes cassette)  here .

San Diego-based powerpop The Drabs released a Christmas EP . Santa's Got Toys is the best track, with it's papap-ooh-choir and it's Lou Reed-ian Sprechengesang. There's one track featuring A.J. Croce on guitar too. here comes the joy by the drabs

"Surviving Christmas" (feat. Sondre Lerche) by Jherek Bischoff From Amazon's Indie for the Holidays playlist, this great track by Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche, together with Jherek Bischoff. Indie for the Holidays features Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices), Rogue Wave, Yacht, Anna von Hausswolff, SOAK and more. (Via Stereogum )

'Lit Up- music for christmas' is an album filled with covers from known Christmas songs, like 'Do You Hear What I Hear', The First Noel', 'Sleigh Ride' or theirs strange version from 'Beau Sapin'. But because of the strange jazzy, dubby and krautrock arrangements you hardly recognize them. Astrocolor are from Canada and they made an amazing album, only out on green vinyl (on Last Gang Records) and digital!

The first edition of Chantons Noël - Ghost Of Christmas Past was released in 1981 on Les Disques Du Crépuscule. After several editons there'll be another remake on 2 cd's (a few artists missing, but a lot of new additions). Releasedate 11/27 CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THIS ARTICLE TO SEE THE COMPLETE PLAYLIST!

You've probably seen this one, but if not, it's a great mix of Jingle Bells and Taylor Swift's Shake it off:

By now, you should know that the Snowflakes Singles Club is THE best thing happening to alt.christmas songs since Christmas itself. The new batch of singles (glorious vinyl) contain bands like Tele Novella, IKON, Terminal Gods and, ohlala, Juniore. Read Stubby's extensive preview HERE . Go HERE if you want to order any of the singles.

Our Dutch friends of How To Throw A Christmas Party (HTTACParty) done it again: they just released the first song from their upcoming, fifth, Christmas album. It's a Dutch song, a duet with legendary Dutch folk singer Elly Zuiderveld. If you're unfamiliar with Dutch folk, Elly is like Sandy Denny. Try, if you like, these tracks ( 1 , 2 ). More on HTTACParty HERE

Nice singing girls and Christmas is an ideal combination. From New York the three Bandana Splits girls give us an album with lots of classic songs like 'Winter Wonderland',  'Blue Christmas' or 'Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)' and three new Xmas songs. Available on bandcamp only.

I know, I know, there's no such thing as a Navy in Armenia...but still there's an Armenian Navy Band and they do celebrate Christmas

Ah, this is nice. Kerry Pastine and her 'souped-up hot rod with bulletproof glass' of band, shake up Christmas in a rock'n roll spirit. Cool beans! It's a Crime Scene Christmas! by Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene

We're about to find out what happened to Christmas, when Ricky Koole and Leo Blokhuis (a very talented singer and actress, plus her music-mad husband of a dj/tv-maker) present their first of hopefully many christmas shows, on December 22nd in Theater Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Holland, that is). CaGG-favorite Janne Schra, Ruben Hein and Paul de Munnik, plus houseband Ocobar, will be present as well.

Ain't it the truth: Christmas Makes Me Horny by HC & His Midwest Merry Makers

Yep, it's November 1st, and CaGG-team is excited to go x-mas blogging again. Remember, only the funkiest, weirdest, wonderfullest and downright HEAVY christmas/seasonal tracks of the year end up here. Funky and Heavy, that's what the new Santa's Funk & Soul Christmas Party (vol 3 ) will be all about. Get a taster down below: