Juke joints were centers of trouble, thus the coin operated music machine therein was the eye of the strumming. It’s okay to associate them with rednecks. And sad, lonely souls.
‘Pretty Paper’ is playing on the jukebox, for Alan Jackson’s broke-hearted “Honky Tonk Christmas.” This country western may not wax poetic, but it saxes up the joint.
Also moon-eyed, Scout Speer honkies the tonk for “Coming Over For Christmas.” She’s got a plan of action, not the expected from barflies hearkening to the jukebox.
Broken almost beyond belief, The Fades sound off their indie about your cruelty “Last Christmas (On the Beach).” Their only solace was a jukebox in a bar full of racist homophobes. Yowza.
Put a coin in the jukebox won’t you dear? drawls John Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner for the slow dancing “Counting Back Down (To Next Christmas Time).” More despair that the next quarter mayn’t cure.
Calmer, Bronwen’s “Christmas After All” sets The jukebox plays,/We’ll sing til morn, but in a civilized Celtic way.
Sometimes the jukebox is unavoidable. “Already Home” is the ironic CW indie from Destin, where she tells of the long drive after the missed flight, and the dive they hit for coffee. They’re together, if not home, so… home. Pretty.
It’s Nat King Cole on the jukebox when “Mrs. Christmas” and Charge the Atlantic are the only ones bobbing over beers. Oddly pop indie.
It’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ on the jukebox when Adam Tomcat hits “Christmas in the Country.” Smooth, if not charismatic for country music.
Same tune on the box for “Neon Christmas” wherein Mitchell Tenpenny brings the twang. Pop country can work as music, dammit.
Now it’s ‘Islands in the Stream’ (??) on the jukebox for “State with Bear on Flag” with James Mean strumming for all he’s worth on this folk rock indie. More sorrow drowning.
And so it’s now ‘Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain’ on the jukebox for the truly novel “Chinese Cowboy Hat.” KC Glynn features a trucker with an existential crisis to a metronomic country beat.