Category: altrock

Whiny millennial alt-rock from SayWeCanFly bemoans “Merry Christmas, I Miss You.” They meet-cute at a coffee shop where she baristas him a double shot for $1.27 (is this 1963?), but it don’t add up. So he’s wailing about waiting for you just to call me. Phew, that’s lonely.

It might be said that all the days (there hunnit and sistee-fo o’dem) betwixt one Christmas and the next are the days in which to Be Better. So you can live the spirit all the time. Or so you’ll get stuff. Every. Day.

Is it lazy rap, or just a guy reading out loud? Lil Jiblet asks Why don’t we just have that on a daily basis (meaning niceness) in “Christmas Jiblet.” Na-na-na-na along to find out the answer.

Joe Budden philosophizes: On thanksgiving my family would never visit And even when they did it always seemed so scripted Like they was forced to–Like small talk would resolve the 364 days they ain’t call you. “Happy Holidays” treats all the special days of the year but also raps every day is special if you make it. (N-word ALERT)

I just walk around in a jolly haze all the other 364 days drawl-lisps Cody Johnson about “Christmas All Year Long.” Yee hawlidays.

Why stop at one, hey what for? When we can have 364? snaps Sabrina Carpenter with amped up country pop in “Christmas the Whole Year Round.” Gettin’ grabby, gurl.

Tell me, why do we wait 364 days? Unspoken quips with bouncy alt-pop. “Christmas Everyday” wants the blessing, though. A better intended question, at last. (covered by one by one.)

Now we’re (trying to) getting somewhere! Southbank Crows are Hitchhiking down the 404–It’s Christmas Eve again Trying to get home to see My darling baby. Going home in this American rock anthem is emotional and repetitive. 404 is Georgetown to Wye Mills–crossing Delaware’s flap to get across to the mainland/D.C. Looks like a slog. She must be worth it or they wouldn’t be singing “Another Xmas Song.”

Christmas lights hang over the hollow world of Clementoon. But it’s no-place no-time, just an in-between seeing you and leaving you (at 4:16). All that’s left in this haunting non-genre indie is the “Coat.” It’s all she has left of you. It’s not enough.

It’s a “Lonely Winter” for the ‘experimental’ singer Zarik Yusaf. He’s 417 miles away from his significant other who’s off to see family. But this discordant indie is more painful than sad. Ah, the holidays–

Fralphie Jenkins growls into the monotonous altrock of driving “December 24th (600 Miles to Go)” making the journey to the folks a Sisyphean hell of never-ending mileage. Epic angst, kids. Might be dead. Damn. Don’t try this at home. [An alternate verzh of this, “Ice on the Floor (Christmas Eve),” takes a long long Dark Side of the Moon intro, after which reality melds travel with arrival, hazard with cozy–so much so that the end of the song is the beginning. Aahhh!]

Andy Churchill is sitting in your driveway wondering if it’s just a “Party of One” for Christmas. Alt-rock be-grunges the misinterpreted invitation: You said 8:30 But nobody’s here. Still he wishes you’d join his party (of one), i guess because it’s a time of forgiveness. Or he’s that naive.

Family Friend has nothing better to do, so they follow important historical Christmasses from 1968 (first humans orbited earth) to 1642 (Isaac Newton born). Yet the indie pop of “Boring Christmas (blaze away)” recommends you burn the tree… oh, hang on–drug reference! Are you so bored you smoke, or so smoked you’re bored?

Puritanical Powers compel thee to have a “Christmas 1670“! Not sure if 10 Killing Hands is pulling our breeches, but kinda doubt those austere pioneers woulda celebrated ANYTHING. (See: “The World is Turned Upside Down” about the Puritans doing away with this holy day in 1649.) Still, this soft indie rock is compelling me to enjoy.