Christmas A Go Go!

California collective Reindeer Tribe released their 14th Christmas release. Every year the group of friends (actors, singers, musicians) make an EP or full album with classic covers and self-penned originals. We've been following them on this blog for quite some time, with pleasure . At the start, the songs had an Americana/indie folk coat on, later they added more styles. Country, northern soul and last year the sound of Joy Division and New Order were influences. This year, they rolled out the fx and the pedals for a dreampop Christmas album. Again, they reworked xmas classic like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and Angels We Have Heard On High, but added some reverb and (in some cases) fuzz and distortion. The original track are rock solid, I love Christmas Is Coming Early. To be honest, not every remodeling turns out well. Feliz Navidad staring at its own pointy shoes, idk. The Most Wonderful Time, same. It feels forced, if this was a coat, it would itch and pull...

Reindeer Tribe is a staple in the wonderful world of damn fine Christmas music. Up there with greats like Kristian Noel Pedersen , Make Like Monkeys , Non-Traditionals , Vista Blue . The ones you can count on, safe bets. This Californian bunch of friends & musicians just released their 13th (!) seasonal offering. Most of those albums had an Americana influence: country, blues, bluegrass, soul. They write their own songs, and sprinkle some albums with covers. This year, they have a new, quite unexpected (for me, that is) approach: new wave. The basslines in the appropriatly titled 'Cold' are straight from a Martin Hannett-produced album on Factory Records: Cheer Up Darlin', It's Christmas by Reindeer Tribe The first track seems influenced by the soundtrack for John Hughes' 80s highschool movies (16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, etc): Cheer Up Darlin', It's Christmas by Reindeer Tribe The RT explain themselves: Each year we have a theme of sorts, and th...

Yep, also back, 'ecology' Reindeer Tribe , a collective of great musicians and singers from SoCal who write (in 2015, this was SUCH a beauty) and remake Christmas faves. Mostly in an early rock'n roll style (think Roy Orbison), it's like celebrating the holidays with crinoline dresses and silver spurs. Love it, every year. I'm Dreaming by Reindeer Tribe

Like snow on the South Pole, a Christmas album by Reindeer Tribe is something you can count on. ( EDIT, well, that comparison didn't age well, did it? ) The 'community, a weekend, an ecology' are a bunch of great musicians who write great xmas tracks, and cover the classics in a soothing way. For new release 'Bells' they unplugged their instruments and came to the core of the songs. I LOVE this version: Bells by Reindeer Tribe

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

Again, there's a little controversy about The Pogues' Fairytale of New York . Read this , and this . I've scanned Bandcamp for cool versions of the song. This one's great, it leaves out the fighting (it's not a duet), it's very gentle and it still works: Mucky Duck | Houston, TX | 12.13.2012 by Bob Schneider Reindeer Tribe. If you follow this blog, you know how high the esteem is we keep for this lot. It also leaves out the 'problematic' part: Last Days Of The Year by Reindeer Tribe A sped up punk version (with fighting!): Rarities Vol. 1: The Covers by No Use For A Name An even faster version: Fairytale Of New York by The Infested Feat. Dollstace A star studded version: Billy Bragg + Florence Welch: What's KT Tunstall singing instead of the f-word? 'Bludder'? Katzenjammer & Ben Caplan: A version with Carol of the Bells added: Nice sweet'n slow electronic version:

A tip from one of our readers (thanks Darrin), this sweet soothing track by Shelley Harland. Sounds like a 50s torch song. Which is very different from the more electronic, danceable tracks she usually makes. Great find. Released officially on December 24, this sultry guitar+voice track by SF-based trio Sjowgren : sjowgren · This Year For Christmas SUPER cool song by Silver Mouth. She sounds really glad about it, too: Parking Lot Record Co. presents A Skeleton Crew Christmas Album - Vol. 2 by PARKING LOT RECORD CO. Quite nice folksy Raveonettes cover, great artist name: A Very Bratty Christmas: A Benefit for SWMO Solidarity Network by Brat Pitt HELL YES there is a new Reindeer Tribe album, this is the highlight song: I'm Gonna Shout It! by Reindeer Tribe Kinda like this funky lofi track: And yes, it's here, it's tradition, so we post it, Ronny Hammond's new Funky Christmas mix ✰ Ronny Hammond ™ · XXX-MasS MiXtaPe Vol.16 (2021) ''O FuNKy TaNNeNBau...

An update of memorable, mentionable and/or magnificent Christmas releases: The Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada compilation is usually a highlight this Xmas music season, and 'tis so this year. It's got (usually) Kristian Noel Pederson on it, who was in darn fine form this year, it has The Burning Hell (sounds like black metal, is in fact a indie rock band in darn fine form too) and this short, sublime song. It's Name Your Price on Bandcamp. Read more HERE . Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada XIV by Michael C Duguay Seattle's Ben Zaidi isn't particularly joyous about the season: Christmas tree, why did they take you out the woods/And put you here, dying in front of us , he sings, hushed, with hushed music too. If your Xmas Mix still needs that extra depressed push (it's a good song!): I Don’t Feel Like Going Home for Christmas. by Ben Zaidi Reindeer Tribe is a staple on this blog. Last year's album had a northern soul-ish feeling, this year the 16 songs have a distinct country to...

Like any Christmas classic, there are endless covers of this one too: Silver Bells. The original is composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, but the first recorded version is by Bing Crosby & Carol Richards in 1950. We made a valiant attempt to separate the good from the bad and came up with a list of ten not-to-be-missed covers. "Ring-a-ling, Hear them ring, Soon it will be Christmas day" Let's start off nice and quiet with the one and only Billie Eilish (live) and her brother Finneas O'Connell on piano. She owns the track immediately and turns the Silver Bells into pretty delicate golden bells at once. When Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings sink their cover teeth into something, you know it's going to be good. In 2015, they recorded this glowing soulful version of the classic.  The Annihilators (earlier on the blog this year) came up with this wild 'n catchy, punky pub "woohoho" version. Silver Bells by The Annihilators The Thoug...

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...

There are A LOT of songs about spending Christmas time in the Californian sun. Recently, Dutch singer-songwriter Judy Blank added her Beach Boys-inspired track to the big pond o' Cali Xmas songs. And while diving for pearls on Bandcamp, I found this fun track by Death By Railroad, released on Jan 1, 2022: Christmas at the Conrad by Death By Railroad So I thought, let's find more Californian Christmas songs, as a theme for this year. This stormer can't be left out. Still a solid track (from 2019): Lonely California Christmas by Reindeer Tribe The fun part of finding songs for a themed post is that you bump into actual pearls like this fuzz-drenched song by Lakes (from 2014): California Christmas by Lakes From 2015, and a staple on this blog: Dutch collective How To Throw A Christmas Party: V: Beaches of Bethlehem by How To Throw A Christmas Party This is a common emotion in most Cali Christmas songs: we try to make it Christmassy but the weather isn't help...

For the 12th year in a row  The Blues Are Still Blue Presents: The 2016 Christmas Compilation (download here) 01 My Bubba - Champagne Drops 02 Lisa Hannigan - Snow 03 Coeur de Pirate - Last Christmas 04 The Hidden Cameras - Log Driver's Waltz 05 Best Coast - Christmas And Everyday 06 The Pooches - New Years 07 Reindeer Tribe - Mistletoe Christmas 08 Clean Pete & Marien Dorleijn - Gaan We Kerstmis Samen Vieren 09 Howe Gelb - Severe Season 10 Billie Marten - White Christmas 11 The Avonden - IJsbloemen 12 Candy Cigarettes - A Whale's Christmas In Childress, TX 13 Charlotte Carpenter - Cheer 14 Lydia Liza & Josiah Lemanski - Baby It's Cold Outside 15 Marika Hackman- Winter Wonderland 16 Robert Rex Waller Jr - Walking Through Your Town In The Snow 17 Joe Purdy - New Year's Eve 18 Trampled by Turtles - Christmas In Prison 19 The Dyer Spawn - Wild Christmas 20 She And Him - All I Want For Christmas Is You 21 The Grapes & Friends - Christm...