HAPPY '18!

Thanks for stopping by this year, sending us tracks, (re-)tweeting CAGG. Hope to see you all next year, in November. Have a GREAT year.

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Sylvester Songs on Spotify

A compilation of the Sylvester Songs posted here earlier and some classics (Otis Redding, Eagles, Zombies, etc) can be played in one handy playlist on Spotify, HERE

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Legends of Country

A side project of The Boy Least Likely To. Which means this is good.

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Stephanie Struijk & Rob Dekay

For all ye Dutchies (and all of ye who don't mind Dutch language) here's an brand spanking new version of the classic 'What are you doing new year's eve' by Struijk & Dekay:

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Sylvester Songs (part 2)

More songs about the turn of the year, with BIG THANKS to every one who tweeted suggestions. Together, it's 31 tracks.

Love Axe is trio who made a Holiday album called Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas, which is funny. This song is sweet and amusing:


Dutch FIRED UP folk!


Ah, this song:


So, this is the new year:


Who could say no to this?


If you're not giving cool rocking dame Kerry Pastine anything for Christmas, she'll be off to celebrate New Year her own way:


Not folk, but a rawking song in Replacments-style:


Gorgeous song (those strings!) by Dutch bard A Balladeer:


We have too little hiphop on this blog. So, from 2017, here's this track:


Fay Lovsky wrote the one and only Dutch Christmas pop classic 'Christmas was a friend of mine', here she's together with Ocobar:


One of the bestest new new year's songs from last year:


The original version is by Scrawl, and brilliant, but this is fine cover:


We've all been there, Mal:

The Minus 5 (the fifth REM-member) also quotes Auld Lang Syne:


Short, minimal but cool cover of a track by The Zombies:

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Sylvester songs (part 1)

Songs about Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year's Eve, Oudjaarsavond, the Seventh Day of Christmas ('Seven Geese A'Laying'), the day when the year turns. I asked for suggestions, you send me a bunch. Here's 15 suggestions (another 16 coming up later, to make it 31):
From this year, written on January 1st of this year, dream(-y)pop:


Same vein, from this year also, bit more indie, VERY nice song:


From 2017, very tender, lyrically a take on 'Last Christmas':


Power pop sensation Catholic Action released this in April, and revamped it for Christmas:


"It's New Year's Day, it's all the same, you're on parade, while I'm cleaning up". With bells, and fine girlie voices:


Cure-meets-Wire-guitars and Californian pop perfection:


Australian electronic greatness:


VERY VERY nice Americana-/folk song:


OK, this song could be about the end of summer too, but I just love to post a Cousteau track here:


Probably one of the bestest songs about New Year's Eve ever written:


This one should ALWAYS be in a list about this theme:


From the album 'Brand New Year', which has a title track, this is the closing track, called Another Brand New Year, by Americana-powerhouse Bottle Rockets:


LOVE this band, love this track:


GREAT modern day crooning:


And finally, from this year too, this great Elvis Costello-y track:

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Boxing Day Tracks

'Happy Hungover Boxing Day!', Leon from Gasoline Brother tweeted today, which sparked this post on songs about that post-Christmas feeling.
Here's that Gasoline Brothers song:


And there is of course this modern day classic:


From A Very Cherry Christmas #2,


Blink 182, not everyone's cup of tea I reckon, this is not bad at all:


'Christmas is here, you can't look away.' Emotional acoustic track, about 'it all coming down on Boxing day'.


This is a nice alt.country duet, I like the 'postal preaching' part:


Live version of a GORGEOUS song:


Some crooning by good ole Rod McKuen. About a happy ending on the day after Christmas. Love this.


Solid poprock track from a strong series of Christmas compilations:

Master at work:
And, last but not least, from an awesome Christmas EP called Boxing Day by French Films About Trains. I'd never heard of them before, but this sure is one hell of a nice Christmas song:

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Mrs Claus

The first mention of a Mrs Santa Claus was back in 1849, the legend took shape. So writes Kate Horowitz in this nice article. I knew of various songs about Santa Claus' wife, but when I recently heard Mrs Claus Kimono by Drive-By Truckers (below, about a sinister elf with sinister plans while Santa's away) I thought of lining up a few good tracks for, by and about the Mrs. Some naughty, some nice.


This track by The Miss's is about being fooled into being Mrs Claus:


Posted this one earlier this month, a song about how Mrs Claus stays warm and happy while her husband's away (toys do the trick):


Dan Wilson comforts the one being lonely on Christmas Eve:


Portland, Oregon's Satin Chaps dance the rock'n roll with Mrs Claus:


Mrs Santa Claus is also the title of a great Nat King Cole song from waaaaay back:


Nathaniel souling it out for ya:
Another ode to the woman who sews the holes in Santa's suit:


This emo-rocking track is called Mrs Claus, and she apparently did something bad to the singer:


This is a good one, a take on Me & Mrs Jones:


Eggnog get all moral on the Mrs:


A weepy song about an Elf being in love with Mrs Claus:


A slowjam about all the naughty things Mrs Claus does:


Who needs Santa anyway?!


I love her voice (and Duover made a really nice Christmas album, here):


Santa's away? Mrs Claus puts on her bikini and throws a party!


And from this year, a budget-big band rocking tune:

A lovely, uptempo rock letter to Mrs Claus
Did I miss any good ones?

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Always After Christmas, Boring

So that's why we keep posting until New Year.

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How To Make Gravy

Last year, I lined up a list of the bestest 50 alternative Christmas tunes made after 1994. Or: post-Mariah, to show that many great seasonal songs were made after the release of Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas, to prove that, yes, there are still brilliant Xmas songs written every year. Read about all that HERE.
A list like that is never complete, never final. One of the songs that should've been added is 'How to make gravy' by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly. Released in 1996, and a classic down under, it's a song sung from the perspective of an inmate. He writes a letter to his brother, telling him he's sorry, asks him to kiss his children on Christmas Day, tells him how to make gravy for Christmas dinner. Oh, and please, don't dance to close with Rita. Read the lyrics HERE.
And this is that original version:

It's sentimental, it's frustrated, it's one heck of a song. Fans consider 21st of December (mentioned in the song) 'Gravy day'. Read the story behind the song HERE. Yes, it has been covered several times. Here are a few nice, cool and LOUD versions:
The most recent (and one of the most gorgeous ones) is by Australian band All Our Exes Live In Texas:

Also very nice, and sung by a woman (but with a piano backing):

Here's one with loud electric guitars:

Less loud, still rocking:

This one's from St.Louis based band Rough Shop, who made two very nice Christmas albums, with originals and covers:

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The Blues Are Still Blue Christmas Compilation 2017

For the 13th year in a row The Blues Are Still Blue Presents:
The 2017 Christmas Compilation (download here)

01 James Hoffman - Go Tell It On The Mountain 

02 Coeur de Pirate - Pour La Première Fois, Noël Sera Gris 

03 Fascinations Grand Chorus - This Christmas (Underneath the Christmas Tree) 

04 The Decemberists - Jesus Christ 

05 a balladeer - Not Only During Christmas 

06 BROS - Its Christmas Day 

07 Julia P & the Hengles - Christmas is Calling 

08 Girl Ray - (I Wish I Were Giving You A Gift) This Christmas 

09 Freedom Fry - Next Christmas 

10 St. Vincent - Happy Birthday, Johnny 

11 Great Lake Swimmers - They Dont Make Them Like That Anymore 

12 Bubblegum Lemonade - Number One For Christmas 

13 Gene & The Genies - Tell Santa to Bring Snow 

14 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nights Sweats (ft. Julie Davis) - Baby Its Cold Outside  

15 Peach Pit - Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day (Well, You Deserve It) 

16 Remington super 60 - Another Christmas song 

17 Foxygen – America 

18 Ricky Koole - December (Christmas Mix) 

19 SUSTO - R.I.P. Santa 

20 Good Lovelies - Another Year To Wait 

21 The Spook School - Someone To Spend Christmas With 

22 Jessica Lea Mayfield - To Heck With Ole Santa Claus 

23 Amy Stroup – Holiday Ease 

Also availlable as a playlist on Spotify

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