Year-round Yuletide oddities
Gary Wilson chortle-sings “A Sled Ride Tonight” as an imperative, not of romantic intent, but as a rite of passage. It runs–so fast.
“Calling All Kids for Christmas” is R+B kidsong that belongs. The call to open gifts and sled, also includes peace. Badanamu turns up the pop.
G. Love & Special Sauce loves/hates the cold in “Winter Days.” Folk pop kid complications.
Scatting and hand clapping, Ned Harris fills his “Christmas Time Again” with soul. Just as chestnuts, presents, sledding.
What’s longer than a year of love started at Christmas? A year missing your love at Christmas! That’s relativity, that is. Einstein told me to tell you.
On the one hand, Office Party wants you to know they’re better off without you (but I’m not gonna lie, Shawty, you’re on my mind three-sixty-five twenty-four). “Santa, Please!” is a fun back and forth (Sorry/Not sorry) rock piece that pivots like a dance floor star.
Dustin Bermuda admits that 365 you were on my mind all day in the auto-tuned R+B reach-out “Nothing I Want More.” Hints of overspending, desperation, and pit stains.
Jacques slows it down with R+B rap in his acceptance speech “Christmas Without You.” See, she done pickup up with someone else. Well, I done sacrificed 365 days, he admits, ticking off holiday moments that won’t include you. He’ll still leave your present at your place. In case.
Alex Goot is gonna wait 365 days. But loneliness wins out in the soul-pop torture “Next Christmas Eve.” He’s not exactly delusional (I bet you’re looking lovely). But he’s hopeful (Are you thinkin’ of me?) Okay, i felt that. Ow.
2020 gets all the noise, but i wanna include Brett Laffin’s highly amusing “Christmas in Lockdown [2020]” here because this pop banger sadly reminisces about the innocence off 2019. And bc otherwise i wouldn’t have enough songs to fit here.
Malinda’s back (ft. schmoyoho) with climate change (& Greta inspired student walkouts) and–even worse–the Game of Thrones finale. On the bright side, Baby Yoda! “An Honest Christmas 2019” runs for cover for the next year with its a cappella parodies. Whoops.
Chuckklez goes BLUE ALERT about what 2019 can do in “Silent Night Unholy Night.” Tinkling metal.
Industry electro-pop hymn always has a home here. on the blog, so yung walnut’s “Christmas Special 2019” is the lead-in music we HAVE been looking for. Thank you, it was quite a wait.
Colin Carbonera gets fingerpoppin’ and bongo(heart)beating with some soulful “Happy Birthday, Jesus.” He wants to party like it’s 2019. Me, too. (This was also published in 2020.)
The Brothers Footmen sing about belief and faith in “Million Reasons.” This could be some love song, ‘cuz a ‘baby’ is invoked. But the hundred million reasons to doubt will be washed away by one good reason. Sounds like a Christianity thing, t’me. Xmas album with this rando soul song.
B2K mentions the hundred-million-dolla G4 among the swag “Santa Hooked Me Up” with. Rap with range.
When Christmas was run and done, we look back wistfully at times, and we say to ourselves… why didn’t I ask her out?! There’s always the next Christmas. That’s what George Michael says–
Thinking you look fine, Parenthetical Girls get tongue-tied with their experimental pop “Post-Christmas Time.” Love is in the punctuation.
“Maybe Next Christmas” with gratuitous sax whispers the soul out of wishes. Chantal Chamberland susses out the dream.
“Always Got Next Christmas” Emily Lockett swans all pop and country backbeat. Mark your calendar!
Freedom Fry counts on another year as a mother chance in “Next Christmas.” Blasé millennial pop. (You shouldn’t take such things for granted, young!)
Also living for tomorrow, Allison Young & Carson McKee wonder if “Maybe Next Christmas” they’ll make beautiful music together. Hey, guys, already done it.
“Next Christmas (I’m Gonna Do Things Right)” calculates Chuck Foster with his backroom amateur folk earnest soul. He’s got a list and he’s checking it twice. Good luck, Chuck.
Blurring the gender divides, Desmond admits it’s always been you with pop swing in “Next Christmas.” Suggestive!
Winner of Closest to a Movie Script is the sprightly, off-setting “Next Christmas.” Taylor Ashton & Michael Winograd (feat. Madonna MacGyver) spill out an R+B/pop fusion of will they-won’t they seesawing.
Well, it’s already next year and the banjos tell us “This Time Next Year” is perfect. Colin & Caroline play their parts sweetly.
Getting real is the hackneyed hope of truth to power, a sad devaluation of the ineffable pain of culture/race/class/belief struggling by Talkin’ ‘Bout It. Plugging that sympathetic ear onto the Almost Christmas idea leads us a merry chase.
“Getting Ready for Christmas Day” becomes a cry of pain within the folksy Afropop of Paul Simon. Stand ready for a revival sermonizing solo. Professionally done, but the anti-capitalist sneer dressed up with danceability hurts my sensibility. It’s not preachin’, it’s bleaching.
Agorophobicly, Amanda Cottreau leans in with ASMR to sultry-folk the stay-at-home message “Almost Christmas.” Too many crowds, choices, costs for this to be the best time of year. She’s rather stay home and close-whisper.
Chris Garneau plays up the irony with a similar anti-commercial message in the tinkly, glowing, intimate lullaby “It’s Almost Christmas.” The addition of how we fix corporate greed with hand-mades helps.
It’s a joyous, festive, overdecorated place full of costumed folks–dance time! Santa in the mall around Xmas is just THAT kind of party.
The Olympics seem slow on the soul uptake when they see “Santa Claus Boogie in the Shopping Mall.” But they hitch to that groove and get down, nonetheless. You should, too. (I hear some electric worm backdrop.)
The irony of the big mix-up of JC’s birthday celebrated with gifts for everyone else in the world might miss the point of his martyrdom, but it’s sung with soul by Grace in Christmas as “A Gift on Your Birthday.” Think about that while you’re cussing out the mall parking lot.
What kind of Christmas party is this?!
Melanie Anne Pademal may be a bit judgey when she pop raps “Filipino Christmas Party.” There’s required drinking, i think. Still, i had fun.
Five for Fighting bar scratch a fun-filled “Policemen’s Xmas Party” song which turns out is more showtune party rock than social criticism. Thanks!
The Wiggles play like ADHD children for “It’s a Christmas Party on the Goodship Feathersword.” Ghastly kidsong.
“The Ohio City Singers Christmas Bash” is a Stones-inspired soul rock sung by The Ohio City Singers. Daresay they know what they’re talking about.
War can mean so many things. And we’ve run out of left vs. right songs.
The Ohio City Singers have painted us a breakup of holiday proportions in their “War on Christmas.” Power ballad rock with a sloppy slice of soul that unseats Ares/Mars and shoos up Eros/Cupid. Call Van Morrison!