X-Games: Dreidel Playing

Variations on the Dreidel song include “Funky Dreidl (I Had a Little Dreidl)“, a retooling by Chicago a cappella that invokes mysticism. Groovy.

Brave Combo’s “Hey, Little Dreidel” rocks the klezmer to positive effect. EDM, my little Semites.

You’ll get out what you put in, advises The LeeVees in “Nun Gimmel Heh Shin“, a folk observation more than a tutorial. Nearly zen.

“Spin The Dreidel” by Dave Feldstein is all about the entirety of Hannukah, but the rocking treatment draws those of us who need to into converting.

Spiritual treatment from Ruth Weber spins “The Dreydl Sing Along” into a confusing rafter raiser. Hallejewyah.

AI strikes again when “Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel” by Drenai Empire celebrates the joy of the game with synthed pop.

Using an old Celtic tune and a random gaff track Izzy Schneerson blows some bluegrass into “Chanukah Spin My Dreidel Fill My Seidel“. Beats me all to gimmel.

It’s a high stakes game when you recall “Your Savior Spun a Dreidel“.  Hugo Hesse jams this folk blues session with lotsa chord exercises and comparative religious hypotheses.

Christmas parody? “A Dreidel Wonderland” by Doug & Lisa is an unplugged journey through table top play. Fun!

Spinning is possibly not a fair game when “High on Hanukkah” by· Micah E. Wood (feat. Seth Kibel). Modulated blues rock with a smeary funk that leaves you with the munchies. And an ending straight outta ‘Inception’.

X-Games: Dreidel Making

Time for the big game. Nun (נ) is highest, then Gimmel (ג), Hey (ה), and Shin is last (ש). Got it? Not until you get a little clay….

More advanced rules are given by Richard Squires in his brief folk “Dreidel Game Song“. But how do i get a Yahtzee?

In “The Dreydl Song” by The Klezmer Conservatory Band, the commandment is given to make this gateway to gambling. Very very klezmer.

The Oxford commas interrupt the actual “Dreidel Song” to interpret what we’re getting into here. By way of introduction.

Official scorekeeping from Steve Goodie & Brad Tassell give a “Twist of the Dreidel” with funky pop. The dark side is acknowledged.

Kosher Slaughterhouse spins the metal for their “Heavy Dreidel.” Admissions of manufacture are made.

Brigid Kaelin’s “Blue Dreidel No. 9” is yodeling masterpiece of finding that dreidel… and that’s how it came to be. Blues grass.

The Itche Kadoozy Show featured a confused intro, “The Hanukkah Dreidel Song“, as a selling point or two. It’s the best game in the world. Bouncy kidsong folk.

X-Games: Dungeons & Dragons

Yeah, i played. Back in the ’70s. THAC0 and all that.

Which means these tend to be weak sauce parodies with some clever lyrics.

The lame title “A Dungeons and Dragons Jingle Bells Parody” becomes a drinking song from Cami-Cat (feat. Friends!). Pub brawl!

Hissy Fits rolls out the expected “12 Days of Christmas (D&D Edition)“. Huh.

“Away in a Dungeon – A D&D Christmas Carol” also shows competence and little else. Beloch Shrike tries.

Bard College of Citrus improves on this conceit with “A Wish!“, teaching me about some 5e spell that probably shouldn’t exist.

The decent ‘Grinch’ spoof “Mr. Lich” by Law from Slap Dash not only works arcana into the song, but puts an end to my pronunciation problems with that monster.

Agranak Studios dredges metal out for “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Crit-Mas“. Math ensues for those attack rolls of 19 or 20. BLUE ALERT

Trying an original ditty (rehearsal) ChaosInfinity makes a quest of “A Dungeons and Dragons Christmas“. Slight pop.

AI rears its unshaven head with “Christmas in Nine Hells“, purportedly a D&D song from Trina, a daughter of Fierna, or whatever. Almost metal.

AI works extra hard for a metal chant-rap in “The Dungeon Before Christmas“. Holiday Rebellion: Seasonal Music for Lefties confuses me.

AI nearly ruins “DND Christmas” with their pick-terms-out-of-a-hat and setting it to big band swing. If it weren’t so weird, i’d not like it. DNDrip is to blame.

Perpetual elf Ginny Di makes with the scary aspect in “Carol of the Spells“. There’s THAT many? “TPK Carol” is ‘Jingle Bells’ with a new acronym for you. But where she rolls a natural 20 is “All I Want for Christmas” despite that tedious melody playing yet again. Her list is nigh endless and includes dice, snacks, and a workable schedule for players… ha. (Bard Life Music shows what a mediocre parody would look like for this carol. BLUE ALERT)

X-Games: Cards

Do card games up the ante for Xmas?

Certainly the pasteboards figure into the “Christmas Casino Dream“, but Nicola Maurantonio slops the AI into soft lounge jazz. so who cares?

Hans, Angelo drunkenly raps “Christmas Poker” with his strategizing all over the rooftop. Even my notes don’t help.

Pokemon is also a card game. Sadly the supporting music doesn’t rise much above the BLUE ALERT “A Relatively Poke Christmas“, in which the Poke Gangster raps nonsense from his poke of view.

Bob Rivers barely saves that day with his parody “Pokemon” about how obnoxious the over-hyped hobby is to parents.

Or maybe the odd pop of ChikënFist’s “Christmas of Want [Adolescent Lament]” will help. Pokemon joins the list of must haves, along with Stretch Armstrong and a Gameboy.

Remy molds a more learned parody “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Grixis” for all the MTG players out there. In-joke fun. (His “Tarmo the Green-Nosed Lhurgoyf” is also amusing.)

Stephanie Waldvogel’s “Carol of the Spells” succeeds not quite as well for the same card game. Quit caring about good music!

Brian Falduto’s “Christmas Solo” celebrates all things lonely, including playing solitaire. Peppy country pop undercuts this table for one, but that irony sells it.

The coolest Christmas card-player song must be “Dingo” by A Harris and Hart Holiday. This cowboy tale told in spoken-rap is traditional novelty. I mean that in the best possible way. The game goes wrong, spills into the street, and then….

X-Games: Other Board Games

Keep those kids busy while we’re drinking!

Kate Gambhir gets playful with the pop “‘Cause It’s Christmas“. Which is odd, bc her whole meh on Xmas involves giving in to board games. Whatever.

“Only Monopoly” is the epic he said/she said contest when dinner is ages away and the Christmas couple needs to pass the time. Helen Arney (feat. Tom McDonnell) make a lounge act out of this power play. (The amusing sequel, “It’s Going to Be an Awkward Christmas, Darling Part 2“, tells of the aftermath breakup. Schadenfreude har de har.)

X-Games: Checkers & Chess

Pull up a chair and get trounced by your uncle for the holidays!

The Withers return with their grand Dadaist parody “Reindeer on the Moon“. Checkers and chess survive from the original Andy Kaufman tribute.

4 Star Review gets depressed and unplugged folk for their “First Christmas in Florida“. To pass the excruciating time waiting to see if Santa will find them after their move, they play checkers and chess (with the nativity scene figures??).

Ned Harris has pleasant family memories when it’s “Christmas Time Again” and checkers is part of the fun as much as sledding. Solid Motown.

Martin & Erin equate the family scuffling for the holidays as a game symbolizing warfare. Their indie drollery “Christmas Checkmate” makes a CW meal of the idea. Thoughtful, yet anguished. (Praxton covers this with an eerie echoic modulation that ups the anger.)

“Wizard Chess” is all Harry And The Potters wanna play in this filk folly.

The Divine Comedy posits brain puzzlers in “Can You Stand Upon One Leg?” including the old Can you beat your Dad at chess at Christmas? Plonky music hall at quarter speed. Call it show tune. A hoot and a half.

Tom McLoughlin blues the country when “Doin’ Christmas Time” in lock up. Chess is played in the game room (‘swell as cards, and pool–nice game room, cons).

P4L Studios take the piss when they ask to take “Chris out of Christmas (mas)“. They have stories about the times he was a bad player on video games, and wrestling, but especially how he cheated at chess, but also made it racist. Not cool, man.

X-Games: Auto Racing

Cars and Christmas go together like this blog and August 2016. Time wounds all heels, however, so have some more.

“Christmas Race to the Finish” is AI from 험티밴드, kidsong with bumptious pop. The lyrics may not reflect your own feelings of thrill and excitement.

Eclipsed Music eschews the old melody, so “The 12 Laps of Christmas” is merely repetitive country rock. Not too bad.

’52 Pickup revs up parody gear for “Christmas Hot Rod Race“, a rockabilly tour de force in the snow versus Santa. Who wins? We do!

Eric Stone picks up the slack with “Grandma Got Run Over By A Redneck“, NASCAR related natch. My only question is Why you gotta?

“Santa’s Gone NASCAR” is watered down boogie woogie from Brent Weeks. All the snark of country, most of the sound of music by committee.

X-Games: Figurative Racing

The hectic nature of the holiday season inspires much metaphoring and carrying on.

F’rexample, Andy Race opens his “Christmas Race” with fussing over penning this particular song in the summer. Two for whining! Easy listening glory.

Aisha Ray folkifies “Christmas Race” as endless chores twist and bind a romantic couple. And… it’s a happy ever after ending!

The Currys have a lively bit of bluegrass folk describing the family rushing around the house, “The Annual Christmas Day Race“.

X-Games: Hardcore Sled Race

“Super Sledder” features a speed demon on runners. Mr. Aaron electronically depicts this racy racer with appropriate pop.

Not as horrifying, “Christmas in Vintondale” is still fast paced. Sunflower Spectacle measures out the folk judiciously in this low key indie.

Thrice a Chuckle daredevils the icy streets in their “Red Sled“. Folk kidsong with an edge. I don’t make up this kind of stuff!

Rockabilly accelerates my interest, so “Crazy Reindeer Sleigh Ride Race” by LenneBrothers Band makes my ever-lovin’ day. The whole gang’s here!

Bob Wire uses driving rock’n’roll for the hard backbeat to set “Sled Man’s Hill“. Don’t place your bets quite yet.

“Daniel’s Sled” is grisly (ironic?) spoken word fun John Tabacco. Blood shed race, i have to say. Whoa, no winners here.

“The Great Sled Race” is more traditional fun spoken word kid mythologizing to the folksy guitaring of Bill Harley. Epic doesn’t quite cover it.

X-Games: Sleddin’

Sledding in the winter snow needn’t be competitive, but boys measure worth in losing. So up to the top: ready, set, gravity!

Magic Tuna overuses android voice in the AI kidsong “Squirrel Sled Race Madness!” Losers are stew!

Less exciting, “Riding Our Sleds Through The Snow” has Johanna Lewis lah-dee-dahing about childish endeavors through mediocre kidsong. Just play.

I’m not sure “Go Freeze” is actually about sledding, despite Bobs & Lolo singing about it. This is a hard rocking kidsong about the Squid Games event. So, WTF?

The Blues help “Slide In The Snow” from John Vosel & the Nutcrackers. No competitions, just an integral part of dealing with all that white stuff. Cool.

Unplugged chaos, “Sledding Is so Fun” features Yulenog making fun more than sense. Still, like it.

“Sled Riding” is mostly braggadocio from Three Days Wait, but their American rock makes me root for ’em.

Snook flips the script for a fearfully bumpy course in his parodic “Little Bummer Boy“. Call 911!