Christmas A Go Go!

Tinseling up the alt Christmas scene since 2015, our friends of UK band Don't Call Me Ishmael are gearing up for the season with a four-track EP, all new and original songs. And yes, you guessed it, this EP is as fine as the bestest earlier offerings of DCMI. This stingy little rocker is a taster of more goods to follow (EP is online now, by the way). We had a sneak peek already, there are more hooks on this EP than on any Boston whaler ship in the Moby Dick-era: The Ghost of Christmas Past by Don't Call Me Ishmael The EP is LIVE right now, see the video:

Window Business is a duo from Spokane, and Portland, USA. Chief Windowers are Will and Tim, they make music since 2014 and I count five albums. But very VERY little people have heard of 'm: close to zero plays on Soundcloud and Spotify. Odd! They need to be heard more! They make blues and folk inspired music; sparse, slow, with a loose groove. And sometimes tragicomic lyrics. Or very sad, listen to 'Tell the kids'. Their albums are downloadable for free on their website. I bumped into them by accident, when I was searching for the original version of this song posted on Christmas Underground . If you like a more laidback Gaspard Royant or JD McPherson , you might enjoy this (it's not a cover): Window Business · Holidays Are Hard This track, also from their Christmas album, about drinking and listening to James Brown on Christmas, sits very nicely on any Xmas mix: Window Business · Brandy & Eggnog

Antcipation's building for this Friday, 'cuz you bet a lot of new Christmas songs will be released. Also on Friday, a new album by New York indie darlings Frog, the band led by Daniel and Steve Bateman. Frog loves hooks and melodies, some review I read compared them to a cool seventies rock station. Vulfpeck sprang to mind when I listened to a few tracks. And Ween. In 2015, Frog released an album called Kind of Blah, with a fine, hidden Christmas track called Wish Upon a Bar. It builds and builds and builds to one heck of a finale. I only recently got acquinted with this track, thought you'd like to know it too: Kind of Blah by Frog I am adding it to my best Christmas drinking songs Spotify playlist too.

These guys from Atlanta, S harks and Minnows , normally are a pop influenced indie rock band. Not this time of the year though. They now show a different and lighter musical side of themselves on this great Christmas original. Still guitar-driven, but less wild and in the chorus even fragments of Beach Boys-a-like sweet harmonious singing. But don't let that fool you! The lyrics sadly tells about that one night that could make up for the whole year, those nights that were never silent, even though it was Christmas. Insta over here , X over there . It's Christmas, and You Hate Christmas by Sharks and Minnows

When we say 'We present you the weird and the wonderful, the odd and the old', we mean it. And when it comes to weird and odd, you'll get easily to Ivan Cunningham's Freedom Pie. And they got into the Christmas spirit early, because their Christmas track could already be heard on their album from May (!) this year. Ivan Cunningham's music leans on avant-garde, is highly DIY and experimental, but mostly with delicate song structures underneath. No sleigh bells required. Just give it a try. This is my song about Christmas I’m feeling happy, how are you? The reindeer will spin, the mice they won’t win The snow is red with blood from all our sins One Eye Closed/One Leg Lifted by Ivan Cunningham’s Freedom Pie

Always a good idea to start the week with some nice Christmassy powerpop rock tunes. And you can leave that to Geoff Palmer, the one you might know for his contributions to punk band The Guts. Don't come over to Geoff for difficult stuff, but when it comes to write or re-write a solid song, you can leave it up to him. 'Lonely Christmas Call' is a cover of the George Jones classic from 1962 and shows more of Geoffs introspective side. The second one, 'Cocktails and Candy Canes' is a festive original, more up-tempo, more bells, more booze, more stolen kisses from underneath the mistletoe. (But what about that Clockwork Orange -a-like artwork?) Insta over here , X over there . Lonely Christmas Call b/w Cocktails and Candy Canes by Geoff Palmer Lonely Christmas Call b/w Cocktails and Candy Canes by Geoff Palmer

Don't let them be misunderstood. Peaness has " more hooks, charm and depth than a dozen identikit indie-boy bores " and I'd like to add some real Christmas swag to that, as they managed to record an instant Christmas banger with Kiss Me Sweet Pea. This festive indie-pop track starts with the well known Christmas sleigh bells and then goes up a gear with tinkling guitars and catchy harmonious singing that is distantly reminiscent of the early Bangles.  Now let us count down the days 'till Christmas together with these three girls from Chester, England. Whooo! (And don't forget to check out their great second Christmas original ' Sad Season ' too.)  This track is one of few new Christmas tracks on ' Jangle Bells ', a soon to be released Rough Trade Christmas compilation.  Insta over there and their X over there . Kiss Me Sweet Pea by Peaness

"Hey Natasha, why haven't written about Julie Aubé yet? Good question, Guuz, let's remedy that right now!" Julie Aubé used to be part of indy folk trio Les Hay Babies from New Brunswick, where artists such as Lisa Leblanc, Les Hôtesses d'Hilaire and Marie-Jo Thério come from (Google it all). 'Ça c'est Noël' ('That's Christmas') has a lovely Acadian flavour, complete with a twangy guitar and references to mixed tapes to match the artwork's retro look. Tuques (winter hats), mittens, shovels and skates: this song has it all. It's comfort food for the Canadian soul, and hopefully for anybody else looking in. If you buy the track, the money will go to a New Brunswick food bank. That's definitely Christmas. Ça c'est Noël by Julie Aube

So, it's Friday, there are a lot of new Xmas songs released today. See the Spotify playlist to keep up. On this blog, we're taking it back to 2017. A Canadian band called Secret Santas released, on Bandcamp, this indie rocker. Reminds me of Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Violent Femmes. It's uptempo, it's nostalgic, it's catchy. This was the only song by Secret Santas, I have no clue who 'Messier/Trudeau' are, the songwriters. Anyone with knowledge in Canadian indie that knows who's behind it? It's good. It's a potential classic, even. Christmastime With You by Secret Santas So then I thought: are there any good songs with the title 'Secret Santa' (because there are a lot of songs with a variation on 'Christmastime with you')? Slighty more than a handful, it turned out. This deep funky track by Charlie's Hand Movements, of course: The Xmas Singles 2014-18 by Charlie's Hand Movements Our powerpoppin' Vista Blue ...

I looked it up, Beta Radio gets one hit on this blog, in a mix by Blues Are Still Blue in 2011 ( HERE ). Other than that, the duo (Benjamin & Brent) are omitted. Which is...odd. They made several Xmas EP's, compiled those ( HERE ) and Martin/Stubby is (of course) a fan. The Stubmeister found out (on the Fa ) that the duo released a new EP, with two covers and an original track. (Yes that is the cover, and yes you recognize the scene from Home Alone, no? It's also mentioned in the lyrics of the new song) The folksky, country-tinged (lots of banjos), wonderfully sung tracks by Beta Radio are a treat, really. And their original song is too. I'm including the Paul McCartney cover too cuz it's simply wonderful. Really, try it. Oldie but goodie: The Songs The Season Brings, Vols. 1-4 by Beta Radio

What better way to keep the linguistic peace during a Canadian Christmas dinner than to play Damien Robitaille's French and English Christmas songs! In French, we have 'Mon étoile de Noël' ('My Christmas Star'), a radio-friendly affair where Damien sings that he's happy with what he has and doesn't need presents. Amen! In English, 'Noel, Once Again' features his playful, fun uncle style, with a hint of a peppermint candy cane sugar high. It took the health crisis for the online world to see and hear how talented Damien is on a bunch of instruments and in several languages. On 'Noel, Once Again', he mixes up English, French and Spanish because he can. Be sure to follow him and add his dulcet tones to your Christmas playlist. ¡Muchas gracias por tus regalos, Damien! Be sure to revisit Damien's 2019 Christmas album, 'Bientôt ce sera Noël' ('Soon it will be Christmas') , a great Christmas album in any setting, with both ...

When we celebrate 50 years of 'Merry Xmas Everybody' (see yesterday), we must also glorify to that other glam rock Christmas classic. Released in the same month as Slade, this track went head-to-head for the number one spot. But lost to 'Merry Xmas Everybody' (it got to #4). Still, Roy Wood (founding member of ELO) and his merry band of Wizzard wrote a classic, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, that's being covered to this day. We go to the covers later, first about the song. There are two versions, one recorded and released in 1973, and one in 1981. The latter is the one you hear most on the radio. The full story on why the song was re-recorded (hint; lost tapes) is HERE . To be honest, I can't tell the difference. THIS is definitely the 1973 version. So there are two quite legendary performances for British music show Top of the Pops. This is the first: And this is the second one: There's also this raucous version from 1984: Now, to the...

Released on December 7, 1973 (according to the Official UK Top 40 site ), and a classic ever since, Slade's glamrockin' Merry Xmas Everybody is as unescapeable in the season as Wham! or Mariah. And rightly so, if you ask me. Last year, I did a HUGE post of all kinds of covers of MXE. Turns out there are WAY more. So here's a round up of the ones that got away, and some personal faves. NOT the covers by stars like Robbie Williams , Spice Girls or Train. My faves are versions that do not stay close to the original, that alter the lyrics, add speed, totally different styles, etc.. Fun fact, the Slade tune was based on this old demo by Noddy Holder. Fine interview with Noddy about the song HERE . Mini documentary HERE . This goth version was absent from the last big post. It's...different: Merry Xmas Everybody by Freya Beer EDIT : From the comments, this lovely lovely 80s influeced electronic ballad: A Co-Present Christmas by Tanjier Named 'the bestest'...

 American singer and producer Kurt Vile (ex War On Drugs) made his version from 'Must Be Santa' in 2022 for a Spotify christmas list:  Spotify singles: Holiday collection . Although lots of people think it's a Bob Dylan song, we at CAGG know better. It dates back to 1960 and is written by  Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks. It was first released in November 1960 Here's Kurt Vile's version: And Bob Dylan (from 2009) She & Him did a great version too: And British sixties singer Alma Cogan:

 They seem to live on a small Norwegian island, but their bandcamp  says Oslo. 'Lights' is their Christmas album, it looks to be their sixth album ever. You can categorize their music as folk & americana. Half of the songs on the album are new, like 'Lights'. Some of them even in the Norwegian language. There are also so a couple of covers like 'Walking In The Air'(from the movie The Snowman) and this one: Full album is released Nov. 17.

'Doesn't Feel Like Christmas' is very sweet, sad song by Lily Williams , released a few days ago. When I heard it (thanks to Hip Christmas ) I thought: I KNOW this! Heard this one before. Turned out, I did, because I spotted it on Soundcloud earlier on. Anyhoo, before that sank in, I was furiously googlin' the title, and a lotta songs came up. Here's a pick of old & new(er) songs that DO feel like Christmas, but claim they don't. Because you/he/she isn't here/there. Most songs are tender, have a pop feel and draw inspiration from folk and Americana. This is just a selection, there are a lot more songs with this title (there's only one that DOES feel like Christmas , btw). Left out Rob Thomas, Stephanie Mills and Claire Bea (tho that last one is beauty) Toad the Wet Sprocket, 90s indie'ish rock darlings, released this solid song ten years ago: It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas by Toad the Wet Sprocket Also charming & sweet, this C...

We LOVE themed posts, and when Jim suggested (in the comments) there are a-many songs about Halloween & Christmas, we took a dive. Note: I left out the hiphop and instrumentals. And all the This is Halloween (from the Nightmare before Christmas) covers. This one, posted earlier, by Anna Vaus, is the kick-off for this themed post. She's visiting her hometown at Christmas, finds very few has changed and that feels scary, like Halloween: This lot from NYC brings the two featst together in an uptempo, rock 'n roll way. Santa hangs with his dark mistress, it's Halloween with Christmas Trees: Spooky Halloween Christmas Too by GIFTSHOP All I Want For Christmas is a Time Machine, to bring me back to Halloween: Halloween for Christmas (single) by Frenchy and the Punk Screeching guitars in this brooding track: Halloween on Christmas by The Walking Who Why not make it a game? Xmas vs Halloween (with guitars and lotssss of reverrrrrb) Christmas Special With Silver Louzy...

Bet you didn't know that, eh? Dogs can talk on Christmas, right after midnight. Brooklyn's Anna Yukevich heard it herself, she swears it's true. And then wrote this cool song about it. It's a very welcome addition to the themed posts I did earlier on Christmas songs and animals ( HERE ). Dogs Can Talk On Christmas by anna yukevich

And yes, we keep a Spotify playlist with a lot (not all) of the new Christmas songs released this year. Some covers, mostly originals. See HERE .

Born 'n raised in Southern California, infatuated by Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift, Anna Vaus records and writes country-tinged music. As far as I can tell, this is her first Christmas song and it's a beauty. She sings about going home for the holidays, talking to people who had bright prospects, and shattered dreams: And the quarterback’s pouring whiskey And the prom queen still lives down the street And we talk and talk like we’re where we thought we’d be Cause it’s Halloween on Christmas Eve With an nod to Auld Lang Syne, this song has the right slightly depressed tone for a wet, wintery season. anna vaus · Halloween on Christmas Eve Also on Spotify HERE and YouTube HERE

Holland rocks AGAIN, for the Non Traditionals (featured many times on this blog) just released a compilation of their more recent seasonal hits. Including a new, Teenage Fanclub-y track: bye bye Christmas by The Non Traditionals It's their last Christmas batch, they say :-( So, to commemorate their legacy, here's an oldie but goodie from the past: bye bye Christmas by The Non Traditionals And one more: Warm Blooded Snowman by The Non Traditionals

Amsterdam based Moving Into Tucson will release a Christmas single tomorrow (Nov 3), but you can hear it here first! Harmony vocals galore, Beach Boys-references, saxophone and BELLS! (changed the link to Soundcloud for the official streaming embed)

Famed re-issue label Numero released a batch of Christmas songs on November 1, with (so far) very little extra info. Here's a selection. Check out their Spotify playlist and the YouTube videos too . Chisel was a 90s rockband, with Ted Leo as a member, who apparently recorded this fuzzy Xmas track: Chisel · If You Believe In Christmas Trees EDIT: Jon Solomon stated in the comments that this song is a cover, by 90s alt rock band Cardinal (what a song this is!): Rockabilly rarity Lenny Lacour had a Christmas song called 'Twinkle Toes (The Christmas Cha Cha)' in 1961, that is now re-released by Numero, last year it was on a Tuff City Records compilation: Walkin' The Bullfrog by Lenny Lacour On Eugene Viscione, Numero wrote earlier: 'The mad genius of New Jersey, Eugene Viscione was a supernova of strange ideas and he pursued them all simultaneously. He was a singing barber, a songwriter, a music producer, a record hop host, and a label owner in his own...

Oooh Santa ( Filles Sourires mode on), Je T'aime! The love for Christmas, that's what it's all about here. Or maybe it's better to write xmas for this particular steamy track, because Fred Schneider & The Superions feel exactly the same as we do. They even recorded an entire Christmas album (2010), called 'Destination... Christmas!', full of remarkable tunes such as the one below.  Fred Schneider (yes, the frontman and one of the founders of the B-52's) and The Superions describe themselves as a nonstop disco new wave party explosion for all generations. And as if that wasn't already enough, all tracks are recorded in Stereophonic Yule-Fidelity. Now eat that! Complete album here , Insta over there .  Remark from the comment section: this turns out to be a re-issue (originally from 2010). All beginnings are difficult. Destination... Christmas! by Fred Schneider & the Superions

Hey-ho, let's go! It's November 1st, it's tiiiiiiiime to re-open the blog and spread the joys of alternative, odd, weird, funny and shameless romantic Christmas songs. We kick off with a Dutch track by two man band Have I Weather . They released a joyful follow up to their Santa's Blues from last year . This catchy track brings cheer to any Christmas mix. If yer into the works of Ne Pas de Machine and That Band from Holland, yer in for a treat.

Officially, this blog re-opens on November 1. But when a track like this comes along (released today), we just have to air it out, so to speak. This acoustic version of a TNP track (released earlier) features none other than Aimee Mann on harmony vocals. It's not a 'real' Xmas song, the feast itself isn't mentioned, but with lyrics like this: Steady in the cold, slightly high Steady in the calm of the flight Couldn't tell the highs from the lows Who can tell the heart what to know you get the picture, no? Firework in the Falling Snow - Acoustic Version (featuring Aimee Mann) by The New Pornographers

Just a quick note, 'cause I bumped onto this album (too late, yep) with covers and a few originals, released last month, in July. Because Christmas in July, it's a thing . It still works in August too. This track, by one Dale McPhail from Glasgow, is on that compilation. It's an original, released in 2022. If yer a fan of Scottish accents, yer in for a treat lad: Xmas in July Vol. 2 by Dale McPhail While we're here, this is a new (from 2023!) and VERY good addition to our long list of drunk Christmas songs : We Are A Band by Bag of Cans

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: