Green Monkey Christmas, double time

So the story goes like this: "On November 4, 2025, I got an email from Jason Rubin with a song attached, asking if there would be a GMR Xmas album this year. The last one was in 2020. I had been busy with ninety-six releases since then, including my massive undertaking “Olympia: A True Story”. Hmm. It was a little late to be starting such an endeavor, but WTF? I said sure and put out the word to the usual suspects. Little did I know I would get 34 tracks submitted, a giant pile of music to deal with in a very short time. So much cheeriness that I decided it needed to be split into Vol. 1 & 2, listenable piles of Christmas newness."

So says the CEO of Green Monkey Records, a label that's been putting out Christmas comps since 2009. Last time was, indeed, five years ago. And with 34 songs and two albums, well, call that a comeback.

Tis also A LOT to digest, but as with other Green Monkey Christmas albums, it gives great pleasure to do so.
These songs stood out after a few rounds:

Loud, abrasive folk from Duane, clap your hands and say aaargh!:

This sounds more polished, but is it really? Smooth, but watch the edges:

This sounds like a Spike Jones-y track from the very early days, sounds great and very infectious jazz-guitar playing:

1, 2, 3, 4, go go go Hyperdrive Kittens! The heartbleedin' is real: