Pistol Annies dream-mash Mama’s cherry pie with prancing reindeer and carolers to “Make You Blue.” Country indie of the melancholic kind.
New imagery from Sugarland notes the butter light of candles and the shivering of postmen, though the carolers sing the same old stuff. With their powerful alt rock, everything looks better in “Gold and Green.” Merriment.
“A Millennial Christmas Carol” is some experimental spoken new age rap mashup from EYEAMKI. Its asks you to DREAM WALK, to the sound of the Christmas Carolers. But, you don’t i’m still good with you.
The worm turns when Axis of Awesome does the math and figures the carolers outnumber the residents in “A Christmas Corral“. Keep it down, and no one will get kicked, they warn.
While we’re out of sorts, Sufjan Stevens orders “Get Behind Me, Santa” while discounting malls, candy, and carolers… not to mention that bad bro, Santa. Raucous indie.
Kenny Rogers, Garth Brook & Trisha Yearwood conspire to rock country in “The Old Man’s Back In Town.” Caroling here is a mark of time, after which you should be tucked in a snoozing. Aw, that’s gratuitous.
Pentatonx & Meghan Trainor gang up on “Kid On Christmas,” where the youngsters’ sensory overload happens to include muffled street singing. Obnoxiously pop country a cappella.
Weezer admit to the pain of the symptoms of Xmas when the heart is strained in “The Christmas Song.” The ringing in my ears perhaps beats bleeding headaches, but golly geez, boys. Hide in the shower or something. Altrock.
Window Business hearkens back a few centuries to address the beggary of the “Aged Carolers” who would like only a meager crust of nourishment for their harmonious efforts. Crackerjack Gregorian style.
John Tucker employs a fey alto to address you, “Caroler.” He seems to be describing rather than praising you with his peppy pop.
“O Caroler,” Chris Daily wants you to change your tune and leave all those old songs back there. Plodding folk indie that you might want to play at your funeral.
Phil Keaggy’s gift from the “Salvation Army Band” seems to be eternal life. Hope you kept the receipt. Blues rock that takes over the joint.
Not all these pin down the Christmas fund drive, but Bobby Bare’s “New York City Snow” misplace a Boise boy into the winter of the East coast. He’s down and out, but it’s that time of the year. And the band played on…. (Later he, with Billy Joe Shaver, hopes that “Jesus is the Only One That Loves Us” in a city of sin, to the same musical backdrop.) All classic country.
The Mountain Parade gets into the spirit with “Salvation Army Band,” a brass-heavy sermon on hope. Spirited indie.
Wait, you only recall the bellringers? Then lean in to Paco Moreno’s “Salvation Army.” That’s all there is.
MercyMe starts singing To the rhythm of the Salvation Army bell ringing. But they rock out pretty hard when begging “Hold On Christmas.” Pogo.
Over the Rhine can tell when “Darlin’ (Christmas is Coming)” when Salvation Army bells are ringing. New Age indie fun.
Turning the other cheekiness, Hot Buttered Elves stage a riot with “Salvation Ringing” behind. Metal like. Hard to look away.
Helen Love & Ricardo Autobahn retro the indie (?) for “And The Salvation Army Band Plays.” It’s wistful, if not downright down in the mouth. But that’s an insistent beat. Yeah.
Are listening WITH another, FOR another, MISSING another? What song will you ask for in their honor?
Play of Curves is so in love that, when it’s “Just You And Me This Year” for Xmas, you’re my drink, my song on the radio, my present. Figuratively. Lite rock.
Choirs singing soft and low/On my old red radio are part of the easy listening country “Christmas Memories” of Jim Witter. This time, it’s personal.
With a mantra of Bring the snow, turn on the radio, Joel X Martin (feat. Shaugnah) asks you to “Bring the Snow” with an R+B panache. Catchy (repetitive).
“This Isn’t Christmas” has Dana Cain (feat. Cameron Sprenger) bereft despite all the trimmings and the radio/Keeps playing Christmas songs. Have a cookie! New age folk pop.
Fighting the isolation, Denny Love asks to Turn up the Christmas carols on the radio in “Santa, Don’t Let Me Down.” It’s pop, and R+B. Turn those tears into cookies, man.
Miley Cyrus goes BLUE ALERT with folk pop in “My Sad Christmas Song.” Beers, bongs, radio, and bingewatching all do not fill the void. Lovelorn stuff.
Troubadour Dan Sullivan scratches out the folk complaint “It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas This Year” despite all those songs on the radio. May i suggest this blog instead? Oh, it’s a heartbreak thing–
The “New Tradition” of The National Parks is crying over falling snow, Christmas songs on the radio, and Hallmark movies. ‘Cuz, you guessed it, loneliness. Near miss alt rock.
Samu Haber’s special move is to offer comfort to the jilted with his “That Time Of Year.” Then he reacts for that dial, because There’s Christmas songs on the radio/Creeping in like Radiohead. Strangely foreign country pop.
Actually tired of songs on the radio, Kelly Clarkson begs that “Christmas Come Early” so she can get all romantically in her special Kelly Clarkson diva jazz way.
Also so alone that despair reigns And the radio still plays all the classic sοngs “This Christmas Day.” Amy MacDonald slyly alludes to other songs here, but her orchestrated pop overwhelms their charity.
So in love that Christmas barely matters, even When the radiostops playing those holiday songs Dugger Band keeps those “Christmas Lights On.” Country ballad.
Kensie Mann slings indie country like butter when “(Dancing)Underneath The Mistletoe” to the Christmas songs on the radio. That’s a slow dance!
Punk response? “Christmas, Christmas” by Kayde & Katrina overflowing with cookies, mistletoe, presents, Christmas music/Playing on the radio. Could be upbeat, but it’s punk. Wacky.
A cappella? Straight No Chaser, with a diamond ring in pocket, has got music on my radio. Figurative or not, “Home by Christmas Day” is a harmonic winner.
Disco time. “Christmas for Me” has Rick De Hey, Marc V, Jacy Janice razzling and dazzling as The radio plays those vibrant songs,/Melodies that keep me moving on. Staying alert, staying alert.
Light garage from Roses Are Black supplies “Roses For Christmas.” Kids are running, radio is playing, stars and balls are aligned. Like that.
Boogie woogie spills the news “Santa´s on His Way,” but the clues had been there, like A choir singing christmas carols/On the radio. Kingen brings it.
Jazzy cool from Collin Derrick swings the pop for “Holiday Hallelujah.” He hears Christmas music on the radio everywhere he goes. And i don’t think he’s half trying.
Soft rock indie from Philip Labes wishes “happy hanukkah (will we still be friends?)” as opposites attract. We meet at a lot off of I95/We aimlessly drive, Christmas radio. Pretty Semiticly sweet.
Shortly after Apple cornered the song market with iTunes, the portable mp3 player, the iPod, swept down upon us. Almost a half a billion of these came and went through the wash.
Mark Hewes weighs the difference in Xmas gifts, ie: “The Frankincense vs. the iPod.” In his tickled pop, the music machine wins–even for Baby Jay.
Hello Saferide revisits “iPod-X-Mas,” an indie bit of insistence that makes millennial priorities clear. (Gloria Gaynor?)
Then there’s the backlash of not getting an expensive item: A R C A D E S uses nails-on-a-chalkboard falsetto to complain “i wanted an ipad for christmas.” The protagonist of this indie resorts to tantrums to make feelings more apparent.
Not a piano, well not entirely, the 88 keys are their own thing.
BLAINE & HIS KEYBOARD narrates his morning of gift openings with his mixed genre “Keyboard for Christmas.” This rising showtune takes us on a (long) roller coaster ride of NOT getting the instrument, but then–
Dillon M. self consciously sings Christmasly about singing about himself and offers to add some ’80s keyboard to make it less dull. But, “It’s December” novelty rocks with its comic pop. Thumbs up.
Speaking of which, Nerf Herder’s tribute to “Vivian” invokes Flock of Seagulls, eyeliner, and you’ll play the keyboard when we rock the Math Club Christmas party. Retro rock, for sure. Order that on your RCA Record Club, duderino.
Keyboards and drums get short-listed in several Xmas songs, including the fun pop rap of The BreezeWay’s moody “Christmas has Come a Long Way.” I’m asking for one of those cardboard coats.
The skins get big ups on Christmas ‘cuz of some starstruck urchin banging and pounding on whatever he could find at the Nativity. Typical kindergarten behavior. Let’s respond.
Mighty Magic Pants begins the parade against the noise complaint with the honestly folk “Lay Down Your Drum, Little Drummer Boy.” Take that drum and beat it, kid.
Herschel Cedricson aims for that joke about the drum solo that overstays its welcome in a song with his Something Awful “Little Drummer Boy.” Sorry, Bing.
Rapping for Jaysus, Zach S embarrasses himself with the mixup “Drummer Boy.” Look away.
More appropriately, Pineapple Posse raps the ups and downs of “Drumma Boy.” They got the sticks.
The Little Drum Machine Boy seems like an obvious alt-play on the legend. Beck may have started it with an observance over Hanukkah. Vice Versa plays it pretty straight with apparently a robot wanting presents. Wolf Blitzer lays the digital on thick with their electronica. Jane’s Party goes all out when a kid raiding Gramma’s attic for her old Roland gets invited by Santa for a ride-along for being so dope. [Check out synthesizer offerings for more.]
Ray Stevens spoofs up the tune with “The Little Drummer Boy–Next Door.” No peace on earth with that noise! Boy that’s a bother. (Even more of a bother is Pat Boone‘s original retake.)
Watch Out for Rockets pairs that boy with “Drummer Girl” for some frolicking garage frisky-do-dah. Why’s he waiting in a tree?? Must be an indie thing.
