Harmonic Pulse Collective (feat. Jonathan Pallie) ASMRs “Lonely Lights (This Christmas Night)“, singing out to all those unassociated like them. Could form a band. Indie jazz.
Max gospel, Morgan James raises the rafters (andexpectations) with “Why Am I Lonely Tonight?” It’s that disco-country gospel you read about in the history books.
The Barefoot Man tries some 1960s easy listening with “Lonely Christmas“. Oddly this is prep for the tragedy. There there’s the dreams….
Dream Nails play the opposites game where the more family you visit for the holidays, the less you connect. “Lonely Star (Christmas Song)” is peppy pop with indie undertones.
Old 97’s swirl the drain with their “Lonely Holiday“. Weekend’s shot, might as well die. Grunge indie.
Darling statistics like to reveal the great number of people today who suffer isolation in our overpopulated world. Brazil self reports over half the pop is lonely. Social media overusers claim to have no real friends. We’re all in this together, right?
Then there’s the most family-oriented, romantic, friend-gathered holiday of them all: Xmas. God is love and Santa is giving and stores want you to come on back now, y’hear. But for many, this ideal deepens the chill and heightens the emptiness. Those commercials, i’m telling you, really rub it in.
I’m not entirely sure if featuring a month of solstice solitude will achieve cathartic relief for us or drive us toward the beckoning arms of self harm… but, gotta stay busy.
Start with the blues, amiright? Marc Broussard claims to be coming home when it’s “Almost Christmas“. I hope it’s the solution he needs right now. Home can be standoffish.
Metal to balance: “You’re Alone on Christmas Eve” from Aristocorpse is probably BLUE ALERT (mine ears can not discern so, but i’d expect no less).
Also more mood than word, B. Wells (feat. DaVan Official) rap out “Christmas Time!” as if that were a bad thing.
Brad and Barry turn down the indie rock to 11 with the blubbering “I’ll be Alone for Christmas“. Not introspective so much as it is deflated. Catching the mood just by listening, so–affective AF.
Woven in Hiatus says There’s an emptiness I feel when you’re not around. Well, it guess that means–you exist. “Joy” is anything but, rolling around sketchy imagery and partial feelings while turning a fair indie melody into sound.
Alan Jackson pulls out all the tissues with “Merry Christmas to Me“, a country weeper with left behind wedding rings and pretend cards.
Lorrie Morgan employs more cliched tropes to less effect in her “Merry Christmas to Me“. Country leavings.
“Sickly Sweet Holidays” is a cry for comfort from Dallon Weekes. He needs your nurturing, your nursing, your presence. Solid rock.
Creamed Corn aren’t sure who they’re missing. But “Merry Christmas, Carol” is a fine melange of if onlys and wonderments set to almost Hawaiian indie. Cool.
Jill Johnson is carrying a country torch in her “First Christmas Without You“. It’s slow, thoughtful, though the vocal trill gives it away. She’ll be fine.
“First Christmas Without” by War Pony Dos clashes tinkly xylophone notes with hollowed out vocals for ironic folk pop understatement. They get me.
hiShAndsRmiLk (ft. Hashter) mock their sentiment with “have christmas without me” with movie clips and garage insouciance. If you can’t laugh, boo hoo.
“An Awful Christmas and a Lousy New Year” is the name of the blues from Swamp Dogg with Jerry Williams Jr. and Bob Jones. Without their baby, who will fetch their drink?
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies was once a happy sort, now his “Christmas Cheer” is cussing, drinking, and hoping a flammable Xmas tree will carry his cares away. ‘Cuz you left. Raunchy country rock.
Clever alt rock, “Holiday Without You” has Reindeer Tribe holler out their dissatisfaction to some blue grass-like breakdowning.
Tyler Jordan allows how some want riches and adventure, but he prays to Santa country ballad style bc he’s “Christmas Missing You“. Not exactly appealing to her romantic nature demanding How Could You? I’d check with Dear Abby, dude.
Amati Bros dress up their “Christmas Night Without You” with a more sultry R+B, but tending toward rap. So there’s more directive than plaintive about it. Strike two.
No one should spend Christmas alone, declares American Bang’s “Christmas Song“. Some apology is allowed, so this soft rock carries the day–barely.
Truman Proudfoot & David Kandal trip all over their wah wah pedals in the unintelligible “Christmas Without the Missus“. Down home country mess.
Bobby Helms And Johnny Paycheck honky tonk weary grief in “Old Year is Gone” and so are you on New Years Eve. Did she leave on Xmas? Was it with a guy in a red suit?!
Bar Dracul hits minor keys with the indie dirge “Christmas Without Colby”. This is a repeat on the blog and i still haven’t figured out who Colby is. But i still tear up over the loss of this… fictional TV character. (Soap opera?)
Don’t let me, asks Current Swell, spend “Christmas Alone” without you with some decent folk indie. What we gotta do, send Santa over?
Cheap Trick is not very eloquent over the wishes for “Christmas Christmas“. Peace on Earth, time for family and friends… oh and wish you were here. Soggy rock. Watch out for the drunk karaoke at the end.
The Refreshments cowboy the indie with “The Time I Miss You Most“. ‘Sides, they miss you all the rest of the year. Only a matter of magnitude.
Perhaps a tribute to Tom Waits, S.L.T.C.P’s “No Snow in New Mexico” indies dolor with a fine banjo backing. Painfully good.
“I’m Avoiding Christmas” is jolly folk pop with creepily overenunciated vocals. I got chills, but did learn a thing or two.
I don’t want people to see who I am, bewail Zoe Imperium in the mopey indie pop “I Don’t Wanna Go Home for Christmas“. That’ll solve all your problems, kid!
Don’t try this at home! No Metro’s “Winter Denial” runs outside in shorts and courts retributive frostbite. Sparkly indie.
Christmas as a crutch becomes the point in “Christmas Binge” by Strange Wars. At first, i too thought This is only annual traditions paraded about. Then i listened again. These people are trapped. Harmonious indie.
Opening a dialogue, War Pony Dos begins with an apology in the pop indie “Solstice Solace“. Will a mental healthy relationship follow?
Perhaps achieving stability, Cimrya Deal allows “(I Used To Cry) ‘Round Christmas Time” by allowing joy as well. Positively therapeutic. Syncopated alt rock.
In ‘The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical’ someone gets cooked on the head, giving us the rocker “The 12 Days of Amnesia”. It’s all very Telemundo.
Identity disorders plague a soul who wants to celebrate with friends (one facet), family (another), co-workers (who am I?), or even church fellows (what?!). The Heebee-jeebees make this case in “It’s So Hard to be an Elf“. Excellent kidsong.
K Bibbles utters the mantra I be me, you be you in the hypnotic “Be Cool“. It’s rap like you’d find in an after school special.
Bill Botting wonders how to behave in “Acting Without Acting“. An indie search for meaning.
The Rockabilly Reckless Christmas E.P serves up a “Confusing Christmas Time“. The more i listen the less i get it. Yeah.
“This Christmas” BW Johnson runs the gamut of seasons until he has an out of body experience. New age folk kinda Sufjan Stevens stuff.
Breakdowns are not just for bluegrass. Thought you lost it on Christmas Eve, begins “Naughty Pine” by The Classic Brown. Then proceeds to split infinity with indie folk frivolity.
The polar bear in the ads becomes hopped up, strung out (and diabetic) in “Cherry Red Coca Cola” by Glial Cell. It’s party indie pop, and it’s a groove. But, i feel bad for the bear losing it.
The Felice Brothers make an operetta out of the drunk who forgot to buy the kids gifts, then realizes “The Dollar Store” is closed on the twenty-fifth. Sentimental folk indie. Sniff.
Don’t act like you don’t wanna be here countries Tony Winkler in “That Time of Year“. No pep talk follows, just appropriate bitchin’.
Wishing all this garbage would just go away, Ryan Hill ADHD’s “WWMRD?” Is frenetic folk a thing? It should be.
When Jiggi Public School Kids sing about the holidays as “The Silly Season” it do believe they are not taking The Story of Christmas seriously. Kidsong with electric guitar.
Sean Jean & The Johnsons seem to have an agenda in “The Only Serious Christmas Song“, but this country rock pop mishmash can’t take its own self seriously. Well… i had a good time.
Bob 4 Apples set the record straight when they indie how “Nobody Cares That You Don’t Care About Christmas“. To each his own, and to all good night. (Then the channel changes and the song gets an R+B remake. And you’re asked to be cool.) Wow.
Crispy raps out another song, ‘cuz he was “Bored on Christmas“. It seems to be a song about how he came up with this song. Yeah, now i’m bored too.
Sometimes the tone says it all concerning concern for the holidays. Monster and the Family metal out Merry Christmas and stuff in their noisy “Xmas Junk” as mere lip service. More legibly, their folk “Another Deck In The Halls, Pt. 2” ticks off the mundane things to do during these doldrums. Okay. Fine. Bye.
todayshits.tumblr.com also slumber mumbles all over “The Joy of Christmas” as ’twere but another pebble in the shoe. Slow-mo indie.
The Aux is so casual when “Happy On Christmas” i must include a BLUE ALERT. It’s indie trying but failing at joy. That’s for kids. Unless, maybe….
“Christmas Ain’t A Nursery Rhyme” mouths We Know Plato! with a great lack of emotion. They don’t care. Well, the indie music is well done, at least–peri-symphonic.
