Christmas A Go Go!

Thank you for your visits, your comments, your suggestions. Thanks to all the artists for the music. It was a very good year. See you in november. Stay safe, be brave.

Second post of songs for the days between Christmas and the new year; a time for winter-y tracks, end of year laments, snow-covered songs. In the first blogpost ( HERE ) I featured suggestions from readers, mostly British folksy tracks. Here are some Dutch tracks. Spotify playlist with more tracks HERE . Kicking off with this, also folksy song by Bertolf , you can hear the snow falling when you please these beauty (there is a Wintertime #2 also, HERE ): A suggestion by CAGG-writer Marqui, this seasonal sensation by Ricky Koole, a recurring fave here on the blog ( HERE . Song is called 'Alles Stil', transl. "All quiet", and basically it's about the sobriety that a stroll in the snow brings: On this blog, A Balladeer is best known for his still brilliant Christmas album ( HERE ), but this intense track from his Panama-album is very wintery, very sad and very good: G.T. Thomas is American, but lives in Amsterdam for a long time now so she's Dutch too. Love...

In days between Christmas and the new year, we posted songs about December 26 ( HERE ) and especially about Boxing Day (HERE) and mega-posts about Sylvester tracks ( HERE ) or covers of 'This Will Be Our Year' ( HERE ). Anything really to defy this song: Via Twitter I asked people for suggestions about great winter-y tracks, December songs, end-of-the-year laments. This is a selection of songs I found cool, beautiful and/or fitting. Keeping it folksy this time. More coming up: This is such a gorgeous winter track, 'Winter was on us/At the end of my nose' : I'd never heard this track, but indeed, it's very wintery: This Gordon Lightfoot track was covered a lot, according to CAGG-featured artist S. Lois , this is the best version: Over to Scotland, with this track by The Waterboys: From their album Songs from Northern Britain:

Had you been early at the Amsterdam Paradiso, on our Christmas A Go Go Spectacular , you could've witnessed (Christmas) star in the making So-Fi , who opened the evening with her short, highly charming, creative Dutch kerstliedjes. The videos for those songs, are DIY-diamonds. So-Fi played her new track on stage, and now, after a lot of hard work, the video's ready too, for all to enjoy. Couldn't think of a better Christmas gift. The Dutchies were ON A ROLL this year when it came to Xmas music. It's so wonderful to see that the youngsters are still enchanted by Christmas music: For all ye non-Dutch speaking visitors: the song is called 'Zonder lichtjes' (Without Lights) and is a pro-Christmas and pro-lights song, So-Fi is singing that she'd rather eat Xmas dinner alone if there are no lights in the trees. But at the end she confesses that, of course, the best way to celebrate the season is with the whole family. And to have Dutch Xmas songs so much on a...

Update of recent finds, songs too good NOT to hear before the end of Christmas: Death Hags was featured on this blog with her brilliant, fuzzy-sultry Frozen Santa, now she has a new seasonal EP with four songs. This track is very suitable for our Christmas in Space theme : Supersonic Noel by Death Hags We don't feature that much hiphop on this blog, alas, but this track is cool: What do you call a black polar bear? by Bully Preston & Torito The 23rd (incredible!) Arbor Christmas compilation is out, featuring recurring faves like The Not Fur Longs (good song!) and Mark Martucci (mediocre ballad). Highlights are the gruff, fuzzy tracks by The Only Ghost in Town and JB (big Jesus & Mary Chain vibes!), but this big stadium rock track (think Cheap Trick) is the prize: Arbor Christmas: Volume 23 by Arbor Christmas Not a Christmas song, more of a seasonal rocker, STORMER I should say, this fiery red track by Holland's finest garage rock band Traumahelikopter: Geen Zon...

Sung by one of Québec's most iconic bands, shown here in front of a mural in Montréal dedicated to their self-entitled first album, 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 that still persist today, like having a nativity scene under the Christmas tree, at a time when the Catholic church still had a firm hold on all French Canadians. Beau Dommage also sings about snow, jokes about pictures of naked ladies (sex and religion is a typical one-two combo) and mentions New Year's, making it a New Year's song as well! More about the mural: it is the cover of Beau Dommage's first album, which cointains '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' (...

This is intriguing stuff. Amsterdam-based Stanley Ward aka Rockpool Dramas released a 3-track EP with Christmas songs, ranging from a soft rock ode to Queen Elizabeth II (RIP) to a Dougie Poole 'ish, sad-drunk ballad. Closing off with a fuzz-drenched dreamwave love letter to Santa, or Santa's baby, by someone calling himself 'Hony Tawk' (so not Tony Hawk ). Since I am from Amsterdam, I guess I could've heard from this project (band?), but from what I dug up via google, none of the names rang a bell (hey, it's a big city). Apparently, Rockpool Dreams is part of this radio show , in which every week a self-composed song is played about a movie. They're definitely not Dutch. When you check Stanley Ward's insta , you'll find more about Rockpool Dramas: 'What happens when a jazz fusion bassist, a swing drummer who plays heavy metal, a classical composer, and an alternative folk singer come together to play guitar music? It turns out you get the fu...

Here's where we collect (links to) Christmas mixes. We will add more, so please come back and check! Want your mix added here? Holler in the comments. Find Guuzbourg's Best New Christmas Songs Spotify playlist HERE . CAGG Writer Marqui's playlist is HERE . The grand wizard that we, mortals, call Stubby , had made his overstuffed double-cd mix. And as ever, as wizards do, it's chock-full of songs Stubby found at secret places and assumably got handed over at special gatherings. Who knows. Downloadable from HERE (direct link). Tracklist 'n stuff is all in there, or have a look below (click to enlarge): Just one track from Stubby's mix, to give you a taste: The Christmas Special, vol. III by Box of Books Ronny Hammond's Funky Xmas Mix is a recurring phenomenon on this blog, and we happily link to it every year : ✰ Ronny Hammond ™ · XXX-MasS Vol.17 (2022) ''Mistress For Christmas'' (best Xmas mixtapes 4 a most FUNKY Christmas !!!) J...

"I never signed up, yet I get a lot It's really not that hard So please stop sending me your Christmas card" Christmas Card [Explicit] by Ethan James Young

Dutch Americanistas (as in: they play Americana music) Pondertone released a new Christmas song. Which, as you know because we've been following this Utrecht fellas faithfully ( HERE ), we're very glad about. Tis a short one, and a kind of resistance song, a tiding of comfort and joy, in these dark days of increasing prices and hefty bills: 'It's hard to see the sunny side, when there's so much sh*t going down/I know that we can make it/if we keep our spirits up/Merry Christmas/in spite of it all.' The song's added to all other Pondertone Xmas songs on Bandcamp: Merry Christmas (in spite of it all) by Pondertone

Third blogpost on Christmas songs about/with/by animals. Told ya in the first blog (mostly about dogs), this is a BIG theme, gonna need several episodes. In blog #2 I linked to seasonal songs about a T-Rex, a hippo, cats, a monkey and a unicorn. This one is all about reindeer. And yes, the classics are here too: Read all about this production HERE : This song has been covered a thousand times. At least. This is a list of 836 versions. My fave is the mambo by Billy May . And this Japanese ukelele duo . Probably as classic as the one above, this Chuck Berry rocker: Often covered, never bettered. Fave version tho: The fuzz-drenched Humpers one . Also a (comedy) classic, Grandma Got Run Over by A Reindeer. A cruel song (grandma dies), but as the saying goes, 'it's only funny until someone falls, then it's hilarious'. The original Grandma is by Elmo & Patsy , but this Nick Cave-ian version we like better: Parodies of this song are a-plenty. I found 'N...

Am I going to review a show I co-conspired to organise? I sure do! And sure, I'm biased, but WHAT A NIGHT! The only 'mission statement' we ever had at Christmas A Go Go, was what is said under the blog name, above. 'We present you the weird and the wonderful, the odd and the old,' that being 'Christmas music, winter hymns and seasonal songs.' And without really planning it, that mission statement was underlined at the Amsterdam Paradiso tonight. There were winter hymns (Joni Mitchell's River, by Judy Blank , who cursed halfway through it 'cuz she thought she forgot a line - she did not), a LOT of Christmas music and various seasonal songs, like Woezels' ' Een Klein Beetje Liefde ' (A Little Bit of Love), that just felt right in dark days like these. There were old classics, Julia P. & the Qs did a wonderful version of their own 'Christmas is Calling' , but also Johnny Jordaan's indestructible golden folk song 'K...

Part 2 of a themed series of posts on Christmas songs with animals, about animals and maybe even by animals (nah). In blogpost #1 I explained the relation between Christmas and les animeaux (in the sky, in a manger, on your plate), and I posted mostly songs about dogs. It was also about Christmas gifts, because a puppy for Christmas, isn't that just the cutest present? (This is not a real question, by the way). Disclaimer: When researching this, I bumped into a lot of Children's Christmas songs (because a puppy for Christmas, or any given animal, isnt' that just the cuuuutest present?), and comedy numbers. Or 'comedy', as I quickly noticed. Maybe I have another sense of humour. I tried to steer clear from too much kiddie and komedy kristmas, but a few slipped through (come on, that PUSA track is funny! A piglet! In the snow! Ahahaha!). And NO chipmunks here either ( well... ). And yep, Gayla Peevey is here. I know there are Christmas music enthusiasts tha...

Guestpost time! Tis Ton @T55 again, on Alpine Subs: Now there’s a surprise: it’s Chicago’s Alpine Subs: a band known for its wonderful jangly, slightly psychedelic popsongs with a classic sixties feel. They made a couple of great albums since they started in 2019, the last one, Through The Blinds, released early this year. But they’re certainly not known for their Christmas songs. So all of a sudden there’s the lovely ‘Over Wichita’. Funny things happen there in the sky, apparently. “It’s late and all my family sleeps / I’m wide awake, counting sheep / Where I jump with every noise / He’s on his way, bringing toys” . ‘Santa sleigh and reindeer run a million miles an hour’, so it’s only a matter of time before Santa lands on the roof and the presents find their way to the final destination. Can’t be long now, ‘cause ‘they saw you over Wichita’. It’s a tune that slowly settles itself into your musical mind and won’t go away. A sweet song that’s free to get and, as such, a nice 3...

What were the Bestest New Christmas Songs of 2022, you ask? We got 'm all lined up in THIS Spotify playlist . Mostly originals, but a with sprinkle of covers (Katy Kirby! Bjear!) and reworks (Clean Pete!). Heck, it's even two versions of the same song this year. Tried to show the big variety in Christmas music by adding the punk of Chubby & the Gang, the jazz of Wouter Hamel, the orchestration of Bjear, a dash of French tracks, country, cabaret, a song over nine minutes long (you guessed it, SABERTOOTH UNICORN!) and of course that funny little ditty by Wicketkeeper. A few highlights, in a big starry night of great Christmas music: The Dutchies were in fine form this year, we featured a lot (Clean Pete, S.Lois, Gerhardt, Ro Halfhide, and more). One track that rocked our Xmas boat was 'Je hoeft niet mee naar mijn ouders' by Linde Schöne, from her truly FUN pop album. Linde is the Christmas-spiritual sis of the Clean Pete duo, in that she luuuurves the season, wa...

We at CAGG did not write much about indie darlings the Wedding Present, probably because most of their few Christmas songs date way back. Like  'No Christmas'  from 1992. This year, Wedding Present released a single every month. For details  see here!  So it is no surprise that the December single is an Xmas one, accompanied by a beautiful, wintery video, with the band situated in a snowy woods. It will take your breath away: Here's a video from a young Wedding Present, loud and indiepoppy, from 1992, an Elton John cover: And this one's cool too (thanks Jim):

Sometimes it's just better to keep your mouth shut and get rid of all those Rum pum pum pums. The Tremolo Beer Gut always does, as they only record instrumentals. Simple as that. These guys from Copenhagen, Denmark brought us this great retro Christmas surf tune already in 2020, but it was overlooked by many blogs and so did we. But here it is, finally and in all its ultimate glory: X-Mas Date at The Snow Club!  The Tremolo Beer Gut Insta here . X-MAS Date at The Snow Club by The Tremolo Beer Gut

Theme posts, people, I just can't get enough. Christmas & Sex ( HERE ), Christmas and Ramones (see below ), Die Hard as/is a Christmas Movie , Christmas & California ( HERE ), I said it before and will keep saying it: Christmas music is like a huuuuge umbrella that can fit as many musical genres under it as you can think of, and there are very few themes that Christmas music hasn't touched. Animals and Christmas is a big theme; we're gonna need various postings. Use the comments for your recommendations. Let's kick off with the song that inspired this, a Pete Seeger cover by Canada's Corey Gulkin: Christmas Mixt8pe by Corey Gulkin Gorgeous cover, eh? Now, Christmas and animals, they go together like pudding and cherries of course. Santa got its reindeer. One of the most famous Christmas albums ever is centered about a guy and his dog. There were a donkey and an ox in the manger. A 17th century Dutch carol told us about shepherds in the field who...

Dutch desafinado-hero Rick Buur always brings us joy with a Dutch translation of a minor Xmas classic. Find other posts HERE . He now covered Nick Lowe's Christmas at the airport, and it's great (as usual): Rick Buur · Kerstmis Op Schiphol Original:

Last time, Marqui wrote his raving review of a Clean Pete Christmas show in Dutch, this time I'll try and spell it out in English. This was the first of four shows , spread all over The Netherlands. Next year, there's gonna be even more shows if all goes well. Boxmeer 's favourite Christmas angels are spreading the seasonal cheer more and more and more, which is a good thing. And if they keep up this standard, it can only get bigger. Loes Wijnhoven (not the cello-player, that's her sister Renée) was joking half way on stage of de Kleine Komedie (a snug little theater that holds about 500): 'How's Joop van den Ende doing this?!' Which translates something like: how do they do those big Christmas shows in those big theaters, produced by big wig producers (like Joop van den Ende is). And one could understand her (not so serious) lamentation: the audience in Amsterdam got a choir, multiple costume changes, a band with a saxophone and two string players, ha...

In the alternative music scene of the Netherlands Truus de Groot is a houshold name. She worked in bands like Nasmak and Plus Instruments. She now lives in the US but last november she had a residence for a couple of weeks in Rotterdam. Almost every year she comes up with a very original electronic Xmas track, plus a nice homemade video. This is  what we wrote about her in the past. This year she has chosen a cover version. In her own words: "My take on one of my favorite Christmas songs ever written by Vince Guaraldi. Made famous in Snoopy's Christmas.  Video found on YouTube of the traditional USofA  inflatable (I call them deflatable) decor and all the joys it brings,  embellished by me. Happy Holidays!" Just at the end of 2021 she also prepared a track., but under the moniker of Blue Beast, her duo with  Miguel Barella. It's an adapted version of 'Little Drummer Boy' dedicated to the famous street drummer Heintje Bondo who played for years on the str...

Persona 749 is the project of Che Landikusic and this year he's coming home for Christmas, although he is not looking forward to it very much, because "We'll be sitting around the table drinking with your grandpa who's probably racist, oh Santa Claus I hate this!” . But the good thing is, it resulted in an edgy and desperate sounding rock track with pleasantly irritating synths and a recounting of reindeer. And that's not unimportant either. Persona 749 Insta The above track somehow reminded me of this absolute fav indie rock banger from 2015 by Palma Violets, that curiously was never featured earlier here at CAGG. Shame on us! Palma Violets Insta & Twitter

In addition to earlier Ramones-themed posts , and to THIS POST with cover versions, some more cover versions of Merry Christmas, I Don't Want to Fight Tonight , without loud guitars, without a shred of punk. There are A LOT of cover versions, these I really liked: As 80s synthipop: Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by Static This is very new: As jazzy instrumental surf (really dig this version, band put it back in 2024 on a compilation): Happy Holidays! - 2024 by THE BURIAL QUARTET Loretta Lynne-style, sultry: bibulb · Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) - Purty Mouth Blue grassed: One More Christmas with Frank Jacket by Frank Jacket As an eighties synhtified pop ballad: HalcyonRecords · Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) - Black Ship Kaleidoscope With romantic 50s strings: Bells, bells, bells: Emby Alexander · Merry Christmas I Don't Want To Fight Tonight By a Jug band, yeehaw: I Saw Three Ships by The AB...

Ok, the closer we get to Christmas Eve, the more emotional it might get every now and then at the blog. This one's for all you folks out there who, for one reason or another, miss your dad too. Stewart Pedley from New Zealand wrote a moving dad-loving Christmas song that goes straight into the heart and urges us to say it above all: I love you dad. Stewart Pedley Insta Charlie Watts' Shaving Kit by Stewart Pedley & The Sinners

I was scanning through some old posts and playlists, and to restore lost links and find out what happened to songs that seem to have disappeared. Here are some tracks that I reacquainted with: Gone from Spotify, but still available on Bandcamp, the two Christmas songs by Boca Chica. Both are great, this galloping twang-stomper is my fave: Not on Christmas Eve by Boca Chica Remember the enormous amount of Covid-themed Xmas songs we posted in 2020? One of the highlights was this friendly country-fied plea to celebrate Christmas in June, in the (relatively) safe sunshine. Joe Mitchell re-uploaded to Soundcloud when I asked him to: Joe Mitchell · Christmas In June Summer Camp (now defunct) were only mentioned a couple of times on the blog, because of their (strong) Last Christmas and Christmas Wrapping cover versions. This is also a cover, from the Home Alone soundtrack, and what A GORGEOUS SONG this is in this arrangements: Somewhere In My Memory by Summer Camp We already did...