Thingmaker multi-mediates an experimental “Xmas, 1970” to reveal he is not too big for toys. Yep, that’s 1970 awreet.
Monthly Archives: November 2021
Christmas Countdown: 1971 BLUE ALERT
Paulo Furtado, The Legendary Tigerman, lays down the blues from Christmas the year he was born (he got shoes) until now. “Fuck Christmas Baby (I Got the Blues)” is less casual BLUE ALERT and more musical hoedown.
Christmas Countdown: 1973
“Suffering,” an emotional indie from Fab Foursome, Frode Johannesen, and Line Merete Larsen, asks that you put on the old records. And, i guess, it’s Christmas–somewhere.
Rod Picott waxes tragic over his repressed upbringing symbolized by the “Jackknife” gifted to him way back in ’73 for Christmas. It glints, it cuts, it lasted, it’s cold… you get the drill.
Christmas Countdown: 1974
Twist and clap! “Christmas 1974” from Silvery is whoa-ohh partying rocking something something fun.
McCarthy Trenching gets almost cowboy with his folksy reminiscent “Christmas 1974,” a snapshot of a young (lonely) bride and her DIY Christmas in a farmhouse somewhere. Spookily quaint. (Missing his mom…?)
Christmas Countdown: 1970s
Getting spotty for the songs dedicated to honoring the particular years. Carbon Leaf’s bluegrass racer “Red Punch / Green Punch” does mention the greatness of Christmas in the ’70s and the early ’80s.
And i’ll stretch my taste berms apart to allow “12 Days of My 1970’s Christmas.” Charlie Hines gets disco steady for a cavalcade of appropriate toys: six-million-dollar man, rock ’em sock ’em robots, sizzler cars… so much plastic! (Think it only goes up to 11, though.)
Christmas Countdown: 1977 BLUE ALERT
A two-parter from Hector Collectors: “Christmas 1977” starts out cursing playfully, but then turns wistful for the year in question wishing they had a junket like Mike Bevins. Quite Brit’sh. But punk pop.
Christmas Countdown: 1978
It had to come to this. That inconceivably produced ‘Star Wars Christmas Special‘ has engendered its own music as reaction. “Holiday Special ’78” by Tristan Kovacs (feat. Lauryn Kovacs) is about the mind melting notion that Chewie’s got kids and shit (so mild BLUE ALERT). Lovely indie crooning. I am floored.
Christmas Countdown: 1979 BLUE ALERT
Aptly punk, “Christmas 1979” is a candy colored crackup of drunkeness, death, and a lover’s betrayal. Salad days from Billy Childish.
Christmas Countdown: 1980
The Rebel Yell admits that for “December 8,1980” christmas not too far away— but John Lennon was gunned down in front of his home due to the socio-political climate. Punk infused metal and, boy, is it pissed.
Missed chances are recalled with “Kodachrome Ghosts” by James DeanBradfield. Just happens to be a holiday candid in there to stir up hard rock emotions.
Let’s round down. Marshal Keep’s “Winter Blues” measures heartbreak with–well, not exactly yodeling–uncertain percussive pop. Looking back a ways, he’s mumble mumble sorry. He eventually admits This song is more about the breakup, it wasn’t really about Christmas.
The Merry Kinsers tout “Christmas in the ’80s” as a materialistic wonderland before Facebook went and ruined our family. Pop shebop.
On the other side of the pond, “Xmas in the 80’s” pops wise about media overload and–duh–toys. Scouting for Girls adds to our downslide.
“Christmas was Better in the ’80s” rants The Futureheads. Not a polemic, but a strongly held UK pop belief for the childish innocence lost.
Christmas Countdown: 1981
Road trip! Robbie Williams begins his journey in his “Family Coach” Christmas 1981. Whether or not this bus was a real thing, or just a cool pop metaphor for home, i am riding along with this troubadour. Cool cool cool.
It all started On a desert Christmas morning, 1981 for Pedro the Lion. That “Yellow Bike” he got back then was the gateway for getaway. Never looked back. But left everyone behind. Now lonely. Damn you, best Xmas present ever. Slow rocker.