Roll On: Florence

FLORA means flower. FLORENCE means flourishing. Sisters, or identity crisis?

David O’Doherty honors his passed pet in the comic “Florence Falls“, Florida lounge that addresses this horrible, biting monster over the ages–including when it tore open all the Xmas gifts. Miss you!

Australian kidsong from Itty Bitty Beats lifts up “Florence the Christmas Flamingo“. Yet this worldwide avian gets the Central American beat. A-yo a-yo a-yo.

Uncle Joe (crazy) accompanies Aunt Flo (cranky) in the “Holiday Tug-of-War” AI country pop from The Bearded Peter. See, families fight over who will host the big get-together. But they’re all weird and off-putting. Weee!

“It’s a Merry Aussie Christmas” tries to one-up itself with all the odd traditions and paraphernalia of Down Under. Michelle Vogel includes Uncle Dave’s flatulence, and Aunt Flo’s dietary restrictions. Lively kidsong rock.

Roll On: Finn

Not simply a person from Finland, FINN was blessed (as Fionn) by the salmon of knowledge in Irish folklore, so it means blessed–or white.

Jake and Finn are out in the cold facing “The Ice King“. It’s Christmas time for Jorgeezy, so even colder than his modulated electronic rapping.

coolthekid also seeks answers from Jake and Finn, and the Lion and the Witch, and Peter Pan and Wendy… all the while celebrating in the glow of his Xmas “Nightlight“. More rap, with R+B filling up the margins. It was all a dream.

Santa looks for Finnegan Fox in Let’s Sing Together’s kidsong “It Looks Like Christmas To Me“. Just takes a fox. And a bit of jazz.

AI can’t spell that, so “Finnigan’s Christmas Wish” is Antonios Valamontes’s fox fairy tale kidsong for the season. Thumping pop.

In “Christmas Markets” by WSBP, Finn’s too poor to shop for the holidays. And Sara and Beth are too bored. A big meh. Tentative vocals over electronica.

Roll On: Felix

A Roman nickname, FELIX goes to the lucky.

John ‘JC’ Carradus (A.k.a. JC’s ‘Should Be’ Band) made a mad fan parody of ‘JBell Rock’ for his cats, Felix and Bold (and rat Helix, also Percy the pigeon) titled “Felix Xmas Song 2020“. There’s a bit of work gone into it, so all right.

Of course, the misheard lyrics help “Felix Navidad (Squeeze & Shred)“
marred by the AI and German. Felix Shim

Not to mention the Afro-beats “Felix Cannot Dance“, an overhaul of the original’s lyrics. Kwan Pa has gentle fun with the old standard, in English (sometimes).

Teen chanteuse Emily Claire (and sister) complete our trilogy with “Felicia No it’s Not!” (Original Christmas Parody Song). This too-early twirler decides it’s rather be a Thanksgiving song.

Robert Poer uses AI to honor ‘Bob’s Burgers’ with the pop hop “Holiday Grill Groove“. All characters get a shout out, including pouting Felix the one-eyed landlord. Well, i had fun.

Little Felice relies on Backroad Syndicate (and AI) to confess to “Sleeping Under the Christmas Tee“. Big Band strategies on how to catch Santa in the act.

Roll On: Evelyn

Normanic French, German, and Irish all lay claim to EVELYN‘s roots. There are so many meanings we’ll just say what-you-will. And i thought it was the root for Eve. Not so much.

Now a song about a baby born near Christmas might make onto the blog. But a bluegrass rap about warring parents suggesting and rejecting dozens of names for said baby definitely needs a looksee. Although entitled “A Boy Named Snommit” Elastic No-No Band makes it clear that the mother-to-be, Evelyn, does not allow this to pass. This one’s a wild ride.

Wild mumbling garage, “Merry Christmas Evie” doesn’t pretend to be anything more than the title. Jamie Jarvie’s got some ‘splaining to do.

Emil Matters slouches into “Christmas with Evelyn” with part joy and part indifference. That’s where indie music’ll get you. Did you make her up, dude?

The cool number here comes from American Song-Poems. “Evelyn Christmas” has so much backstory for our loving, traveling crafter that it’s hard to know what this easy listening is about. Then i found out this Gene Marshall recording had a cover. The Shut-Ins add some groovy fiddling to reanimate this stuffed turkey. Love it.

Roll On: Eve

You know this one! EVE! Life! Yo!

Elizabeth Chan’s singing for her daughters in the jazzy belter “Christmas Forever“. One’s named Eva (pronounced Ava) (otherwise it’d sound like for-eva). Powerful.

In “Rehearsing My Choir” The Fiery Furnaces spin a story about a queer bishop who publicly condemns the storyteller’s sister, Eva. Enter, the Archbishop…. Experimental indie.

“Merry Christmas Eva” by Party The Hut and Friends is honkytonk indie that’s stuck on a girl. Sounds like a catchy one.

Bouncy AI pop seems the most digestible. “Eva’s Christmas Day” from Jolly Jukebox is as annoyingly fun as you wanna be.

Jamie Jarvie wishes “Merry Christmas Evie” with mashup genres (trad/beat box/sfx/rap), just so’s you know,

Peppa Pig has a baby sister, Evie. So her turns on trad carols might include a reference. Take “Last Christmas“, the same tune–but all about how EVERY Xmas is better than the last (which was the best). Does George Michaels know about this?

Eve appears in a million Xmas songs, rarely as a person. (English, thy name is ambiguity!) Despite the lack of punctuation, i’ll sneak in “Merry Christmas Eve” by Jeffrey Thomas Grivel (feat. Kat Palakovic) as if it were a particular wish to an individual. I like the sparkly, jazzy indie insouciance.

As a nickname, Mary mother of Christ, gets renamed bc “She’s the Christmas Eve“. (Joseph’s the Christmas Adam.) Ben Smith gets orchestrally indie with this wizard reflection on the Nativity. (I get a whiff of Hungarian waltz.)

Roll On: Evan

EVAN = Good God.

Starstruck, The Humdrum Express once spent “Christmas With Evan Dando” on the beach. The frontman for The Lemon Heads was gracious, according to this Brit rock recitation. Believe it or not.

Evan is a prime suspect when “My Walkman” Funderbird got for Christmas went missing. Angry garage. No Fugazi for you.

Walshy doesn’t have much incentive to believe “It’s a Wonderful Life“, despite all the cheer and movies. With prog rock, he looks for the little things. Like friends, or Evan, his brother, coming back from France. (Was that a movie, too?)