Mary Chapin Carpenter has one memory of Christmases past and in her gentle folk “Christmas Carol” she mentions the Beatles’ White Album from that recall.
Chuck Brodsky spins a bluesy yarn “The Great Santa Snowball Debacle of 1968.” Halftime of an Eagles game the fans turned ugly on Kringle. Bad show, ya naughty-niks.
“Family Coach” from Lilac Time anticipates the moon landing of next summer, while traveling for the holidays. The similarities of the outer space capsule and the teamwork required melds nicely in this indie listenable.
It had to come to this. That inconceivably produced ‘Star Wars Christmas Special‘ has engendered its own music as reaction. “Holiday Special ’78” by Tristan Kovacs (feat. Lauryn Kovacs) is about the mind melting notion that Chewie’s got kids and shit (so mild BLUE ALERT). Lovely indie crooning. I am floored.
miniMatthew gets raw in “50. Christmas, 1982.” This elegiac tender pop about sexual abuse sets the past in a harsh, but accurate, light.
At Swim Two Birds has more pleasant mem-files of Christmas ’82 in “Down By the Stream.” The dreamy alt carpal tunnel chords reveal a sucky present day, however, in ’03 when a revisit with a lost love means a road not taken–dammit.
Well, technically, “Home Alone” (the movie) is about Christmas. And Heatmaps has a Rockin tribute that mentions how the Sticky Bandits were locked up til February 1993. But as fans will recall, they bust out in time for the 1992 sequel. Still, poppin’ fresh!
Even more epic, “Sandy Fishnets” is the tale of foster abuse with an haunting nautical motif. Evelyn Evelyn ends the tragedy on the Christmas of 1993 with her silent disappearance. Horrifying French bistro music.
Lily Montfré bums out on a memory fragment in “Christmas in July.” This late-night jazz bar piano dreamscape wants to remember, but fears the past. Oo-ee-oo.
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right A B Start asks if you remember “Christmas Eve 1993.” Something weird happened, but i guess if you don’t remember… forget it. Altrock and noisy about it.
The Murrays don’t candy coat “Merry Christmas 1993.” Pop altrock that starts with old macaroni on the tree, but ends with hanging around as a supreme act of love. Wotta Romeo.
No real significance to the year notation, Jeff Kelly wishes love to Jane (and Tess) on “Christmas 1995.” Between the lines, i figger. Pretty altrock full of altemotion.
Reindeer Brother ask us to consider the four inch tall “Brother Reindeer.” Dour pop with an insistent electric organ through line. Maybe not really a reindeer after all. Four stars.
Opaque poetry about “Dasher” from Gerard Way includes flying, waitresses, and loverly devotion. But the dreamy alt-rock hard pop soothes whilst it confuses. Enjoy.
More than a Beatles’ place holder, the aspirational aspiration of agreement herein marks an all-in vote for the holidays.
Robbie Williams starts the show with a swingin’ show-stopper “Yeah! It’s Christmas.” This IS the stuff.
Wait, what about weird? Tristan Gianelli experimentally rocks and reverbs “Christmas Yeah.” Yeah wins.
Tampa Stan has a ‘goodie’ about Xmas “Yeah, God’s Like That.” Beach bum rap for Xmas. Spooky.
“Yeah, I Know It’s Christmastime” is the angsty cry of the existential millennial Andrew Dost. Then a deep reflective dive. And all is good. What a journey!
Channeling Harry Nilsson, Todd McHatton successfully celebrates “Yeah Merry Christmas” with all the proper pop.
Ikoliks Afro-pops “Yeah It’s Christmas” like they’re in church and you need to save your soul with this.
The Great Collections (??) lets loose with multiple yeahs in “Yeah It’s Christmas.” a retro nostalgic pop psychedelic easy-listening mish mash. Love it.
Leon, James, Alex, Luke, and Leon may not take “Yeah Yeah Christmas!” seriously, but that’s the song. Pop frolics.
Then there’s musical wallpaper, a backdrop for the mood of the room. “Christmas Yeah Yeah” barely qualifies as a song, but it sets the tone for the will-he/won’t-he tension of the holiday get-together.
Find the cure with garage rockabilly in the body of “It’s Christmas (Yeah Yeah Yeah)” from the Gorgons. Ouch. (In the good way.)
“Yeah Yeah (It’s Christmas)” is the alt-rock fun of bebopping AND there’s a song in there. Dams of the West play for fun.
When will the repeating Xmasses end? Never, that’s the point.
“Another Very Darko Christmas” is not so much rap as monologuing about the wrongs done to Jumbled (feat. Darko the Super) over the years. Huh?
Hepcat bongo insistence marks “Go Trim Another Tree.” James Apollo has my attention. Blues? Rockabilly? Show tune? Don’t come ’round here–at all.
“Another Christmas” by Amanda Jenssen is a pokey cowboy jazz number about missing the Rudolph out of you. (Wait–threesome?) Blowzy blues.
More experimental altrock. Time slows and speeds with the vertiginous tempo of Tan LeRacoon’s “Just Another Christmas Wish.” Not sure if this is sad or hopeful… Wish for more wishes!!
