Year-round Yuletide oddities
Barenaked Ladies need a revisit by now. “Green Christmas” is their pop ode to the frozen days of yore–icicles, snow angels, skating. Where’d that go?
“I Wish It Could be Christmas Every Day” also returns, now with Cheap Trick helming, to remind us that no matter how cold the season gets… skating! Jangling rock on top of pop.
Jerry Marcellino slows the rhythm down to easy listening to paint us a “Christmas in the City.” Peace and love. Maybe skating (in Central Park) too.
Roy Thomas Carter uses “Skating” as a term of not-quite-connecting in the relationship. But the awesome blues here requires a listen. Damn.
Sosilly Edit’s “Men Skating with Other Men” may have little to do with winter time fun–and is largely lyric-less, but this DJing disco also needs a slot. Weee.
“Ms. Claus” will be skating on her own, thanks to her waking up to the wanderings of that man. Dance pop with an edge from Smokelines.
Bear Cat munches on the innocent outing invitation with their alt pop “Ice Ice Skating.” Then they gargle into this mash the absurdity of modern living. Weirdly hypnotic.
Swim Rest wants to skate away the breakup angst with their “Skating.” Slightly jazzier alt.
Welfare gets unplugged for the tender meltdown of “Ice Skating.” Later he goes fishing, then swimming. Folk pop thinker.
Tae Hendrix recommends “Just Smile Be Nice” with some alt-rap weirdness. Don’t forget skating the streets for the homeless as an approach. If it works, it works.
Lundström recommends ice skating for a first date strategy in “Christmas Magic.” Light pop with a fringe of R+B. And some happily ever after.
Katie Morey’s honky tonk singin’ ’bout last year when you connected… and now it’s this year and you are “Skating on Thin Ice.” This calendar of your bad boyfriend moves moves her. And now it’s Christmas thin ice. Good stuff.
Destiny Hooks prettily melds harmony and electronica for “I Love You and Christmas.” How deep is this love? Hallmark movies! And the tradition of skating to begin!
Marla Harvey leans into the romantic possibilities with her slow pop “Christmas With You.” Skating!
Phoebe Enbelbert notches up the kidsong to just tolerable pop levels in Panda Corner’s “Let’s Play in the Snow.” Snowboards and skates will be instruments of play in this black and white Christmas.
“Figure Skating” by Porij allegorizes couples’ blade work into close up physical intimacy. Saw that coming a mile away. Staccato, jazzy pop.
Elena Lopez wants to let you down easily with her breathy alt-pop in “Let’s Go Skating.” She means: INSTEAD of what you wanna do.
“Ice Skating” by Polyphone is more about the ins and outs of the relationship. Rocking life lessons.
Governor has a dolorous comparison for you in the slow-folk “Ice Skates.” When you walk on the (frozen) water it’s like this other guy, see?
If I could skate, sings Carla Hartsfield in “Almost Christmas.” But then she gets into wings and angels and love. That’s appropriate for this gorgeous piano jazz/pop experience i hearby repeat.
Updating the whole hippo ask, Winterbrook wants a “Polar Bear for Christmas.” Offers skating. But also dancing, champagne, and cake. Don’t make it weird. Symphonic pop.
Lily Frost gently takes your hand in the light folk pop of “Skating on the River.” It’s all good clean fun.
Sugies gets more serious–romantically–with the pop “Ice Skating Rink.” Could be love.
Frank Luther has serious advice for you silly-heads. “Ice Skating is Nice Skating” he begins with lovely big band orchestration behind. But—
Les Patineurs, or The Skaters’ Waltz, is a standard for winter backdrop music. Still few lyrics have been pinned to this French ditty. Here is one of the best, The Golden Orchestra and Singers performing “The First Skater’s Waltz.” Kidstuff, but terribly amusing–with real ’60s orchestration.
Skating goes with dating, for some. Gloria Estefan is “Thankful” for you at that time of year: Skating with my crew in the park (cause school is out, yay!). Gospel-ish pop sung by thinkers Gloria Estefan, Emily Estefan, Sasha Estefan-Coppola.
Burnt trees, unread letters to Santa, a shaken snowglobe with skaters suffering vertigo… Bnny Rbbt declares “There’s No Christmas in Hell“–hell being your absence from his love. But this filtered alt is a gorgeous cry for help. Play it again!
Cha$e D’Amico raps “Ice Skating” almost as an apology. Claims to like it, but i call fish out of ice water.
Jethro Tull makes “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day” a metaphor for endtimes. Like he does. Prog pop.
Patti Page sings “I Wanna Go Skating with Willie” with all the sassy panache of a thirsty teen. That flying and gliding stuff is a gateway sport to canoodling, I bet you.