Year-round Yuletide oddities
Again: Jack Douglass returns with the definitive gainsay “Santa Ain’t Real (So Grow the Hell Up.” Popsy dopsy, but this time tweaked beyond belief.
Blake Foster & The LTF Nonbelievers try to Dylanize the sentiment with their “Santa Claus Ain’t Real.” Seems cuter this way.
The Damned play with the words in their punk “There Ain’t No Sanity Claus.” Wasn’t that a Marx Brothers bit?
Again: “Santa Is a Fake” by Arne Hansen & The Guitarspellers is the hard (dad) rock that digs deep into the heartache of growing up. The word’s out.
Little Suzy also faces reality in News at 5’s “Calling Out for Santa.” This is the hard-nosed takeaway from Mom’s unremitting cancer. Then Timmy suffers from Dad’s alcoholic abuse. Janey’s son gets it worse. And Santa won’t help. Brutal folk.
Summer Camp poops all over your beliefs with “Here Again.” Indie cynicism to feed your depression.
The Vandals decide gift-giving is moot since “I Don’t Believe in Santa Claus.” Punk dissection of our hypocrisy. And humor.
I have about a dozen versions of “Don’t Believe in Christmas” from Smash Mouth to Pearl Jam. But they all repeat without embellishing upon the original verzh from The Sonics 1965 (except perhaps for some of the foreigners).
Again: Otis Gibbs ups the skepticism with “Lookin’ Like a Hippie.” Groovy fiddlin’ makes this blues, but i’m bustin’ my sides on this one.
Merrill Leffmann presents “Daddy Says,” a cute bluegrass ensemble about a dubious kid. Tough logistics. Good stuff.
After an awkward gift exchange among millennials, Santa shows up shouting I’M FOR REAL! It’s all part and parcel for the garage fun of Corbeta Corbata’s “The Spirit Of Giving (Santa’s Lament).” Intense.
Libandano Urfam (ft. Libandano Urfam) tests our patience with the experimental rock “Awful Christmas Rap.” I don’t believe it.
Sure gonna be disappointed “If Santa Don’t Come See Me” declares Allie Jo Thomas. This uncertainty is one of the stages of Advent. As kidsong, it swings.
Bhi Bhiman is merely asking “Who’s Up There?” Motown sound makes the inquiry an accusation, in the funkiest sense possible. The answer: whatever.
While we’re in the inquisitive vein, “How Do You Forward Your Mail (From The North Pole)?” snarks The Silver Bells with indie flair. I mean, it’s just a little form from the post office, come on.
“Why Can’t You be Real, Santa?!” moans King Lou on the verge of losing it in front of the kids and everything. Easy listening awfulness.
Let’s get to the reasoning of disbelief vis a vis Ol’ Nick: Again: Andrew X asks if you’d believe him when he excuses his absences in your life with the song “I am Santa.” Masterful folk yarning.
Hilary Marckx nasals the folk for “Christmas Carols, Christmas Lies.” It’s more about love gone wrong than the great Santa conspiracy. Still, the more you know, the more you’re snowed.
Joe Henson also wrestles with complicated relationships with his handclapping folk country “Lies on Christmas.” Sounds kinda like eating with braces on.
Worth the Wait is sick of “Christmas Lies.” But this western pop is fooling for love. That’s holiday adjacent at best.
In “Passing the Polargraph” The Classic Brown pleads the fifth while testifying about the whole Christmas kerfuffle. Ironic indie flippancy.
Useta believe is akin to not believing. As again: Jeremy Walker reminds us in shambling country that we used to believe but now we’re “Not So Wise Men Anymore.” So there.
Or like when Clint Black remembers being “The Kid” and with slow country aw-shucks condescends all over innocence. Not ‘cuz he knows better now, but MIRACLES… or something.
MNEK croons R+B over the loss of innocence (and love) via “Stopped Believing in Santa.” A broken soul who can really hold a note.
FullMoonPoet slurs up an indie storm with “I Used to Believe in Christmas” and bunches of other myth. But, you know, older/wiser.
Also again: Checklist decides this whole believing schtick is too much for right now. “Next Year for Sure” they indie out so they’ll get presents anyway.
Again: Frearson pops rhythm with the heavy back beat of “I Can’t Believe It’s Nearly Christmas.” Nostalgic, really.
Also again: Can’t pass up the opportunity to share Bob Wire & Chip Whitson pissing and moaning “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmastime Again” in country pop.
VeggieTales oompahs kidsong with the celebratory “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” It’s ADHD catchy!
Jon Lilygreen smooves R+B with the casual “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Time.” Funky guitar solo!
Michael Duncan smolders the R+B with the sultry “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” Then it gets dark. What th–?
Maxine Johan Mazumder fronts Henrik Lars Wikstrom for the spunky Motown “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” It’s a dance party!
Big Marvelous melodizes rap with the slightly off-balance “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” It’s like being intoxicated!
Tony and Tori Baker peddle rap with “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” One piano chord, some axe riffs, and… rubber ducky?!
Rick Creelman snarks folk with “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” Social commentary doesn’t mix with anticipation, bro.
Istvan strumbles over frenetic folk with the poignant “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Eve!” Kidstuff in its eagerness, but some good songwriting here.
Chely croons country with the pop swayer “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” Nostalgic gas!
Lucas Hardy revs the pop with “Can’t Believe It’s Christmas Time Again.” Breathless rocking.
Gaspard Royant brings The Continent to indie pop with “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” Builds symphonically, yet that country twang keeps it grounded.
Brady Anderson twangs up country with “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” It’s for the kids!
Spirit Driven 2 puts grampa band on the map with “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” Plodding easy listening, perhaps slow paced for troubled breathing.
The Rubettes doo wop past their best by date with “I Can’t Believe It’s Christmas.” What’s that accent? Dentures??
Magma Melodier bosses retro rock pop with “Pinch Me (I Can’t Believe it’s Christmas).” Believe it, this is the good one.
Again: Nick Helm storms a UK talent show with the BLUE ALERT alert “There Ain’t No Fucking Santa Claus.” Still laughing here.
Attempting rap D.P. Weisemann declares “I Can Believe It’s Here” with only middling effort. Not buying it.
So Out There electronicas “This is Why Christmas is Bullshit!” for your edification. Brit anti-capitalism, so file it away correctly in case you need it again.
The Aux garage rocks the if/then equation of “A Real Santa.” It’s only a thought experiment, but now i feel all funny inside.
Again: PST recounts childhood trauma seeing Dad when it shoulda been someone else in the unplugged folk “I Still Believe.” I mostly believe you, too.
Ne-Yo R+Bs the sobering realities of wintertime when cousins be spilling tea in “Talk About It.” People do their own thing. You do yours. He does his.
“Christmas Bullshit” from Identity Crisis is drunk garage hopelessness, although it discourages suicide.
Durand Bernarr also invokes R+B to paint the picture of parental brutality in the affecting “Santa Ain’t Buy That.” Parents don’t like being discounted. So, ow.
Again: JC Cassis reproves all the rigmarole for the holidays with symphonic R+B for “Christmas is Bullshit.” Eggnog is invoked.
Johnny Young trolls the drawl with “I Don’t Know If I Believe in Santa Claus.” This honky tonker asks more than it answers. Downer, but in a good way.
Eavesdropping on his child’s prayers, Nashional hears a little girl wrassling with doubt in “Hello Dear Santa.” Country moralizing.
Again: Nick Thune drops the truth bomb in the struggling country “You’re Still Getting Presents.” Secondhand smoke and mirrors. But, funny.
Silence Dogood does one better by announcing, in party rock, “There’s No Such Thing” as Santa. For your own good. Got it?