X-Games: Big Game

Useta be ya hadda gun down the goose to have a holiday feast. Now you’ve got to fight the lines at Whole Foods. Or, if you’re in a romcom, mis-thaw the bird and undercook our expectations. LAUGH! Let’s get to the killing.

Now you might expect some ‘comedy’ like the “Christmas Hunting Song” by Anthony Petaccio. It’s ‘Rudolph’ with rifles.

Yes, there’s “Deer Hunting Song (Christmas Time Is Here)” where Joe Woznicki can actually sing to the karaoke machine. A bit eerie–

But there’s also slurred original country like Styles Haury drawling out “Huntin’ Rudolph“. It was only one arrow. Santa got mad. You know the drill.

Let’s take a moment to go overboard with A Fisherman’s Christmas Carols, a specialty parodists album from the North Pole Fisherman’s Association. Zydeco and bluegrass vie for country dominance over the smell and mess.

But then there’s the horror of “Santa Claus is Hunting You Down“, partly from the threat but also because of how Marc Grossman phones in the parody.

Back to the children: Jenny overuses AI for the kidsong “Going on A Christmas Hunt“. It’s like Where’s Waldo, but for snowflakes.

Christmas Gift Hunting” by Paul Onufrey is clumsy kidsong with a heart. Beats AI for me. Be the gift-giving boss!

X-Games: Dreidel Making

Time for the big game. Nun (נ) is highest, then Gimmel (ג), Hey (ה), and Shin is last (ש). Got it? Not until you get a little clay….

More advanced rules are given by Richard Squires in his brief folk “Dreidel Game Song“. But how do i get a Yahtzee?

In “The Dreydl Song” by The Klezmer Conservatory Band, the commandment is given to make this gateway to gambling. Very very klezmer.

The Oxford commas interrupt the actual “Dreidel Song” to interpret what we’re getting into here. By way of introduction.

Official scorekeeping from Steve Goodie & Brad Tassell give a “Twist of the Dreidel” with funky pop. The dark side is acknowledged.

Kosher Slaughterhouse spins the metal for their “Heavy Dreidel.” Admissions of manufacture are made.

Brigid Kaelin’s “Blue Dreidel No. 9” is yodeling masterpiece of finding that dreidel… and that’s how it came to be. Blues grass.

The Itche Kadoozy Show featured a confused intro, “The Hanukkah Dreidel Song“, as a selling point or two. It’s the best game in the world. Bouncy kidsong folk.

X-Games: Kid Stuff

Children’s capacity for play is seemingly endless. So it would be for you, if you could only spectate everyone else getting to Do stuff. These poor, powerless preschoolers need something to make time go by, especially during Xmas.

In “Let The Children Play (Christmas song)” by Tony Brown (sapptube52) pretense is the game. For God. For Santa. For space travel. It’s some weird kidsong.

Prog rock skeeved into pop makes “The Children Play” from Flip Damon a mystical journey from school to home for the holiday break. What’s going on here?

Kids just running around outside inspires Carole Kuck into “Dreaming of Christmas”. This piano recital pop is nostalgic and sweet. No actual games get dropped, however.

Youth on Track likes to play a game with his stocking and another with the chimney in the thrasher “Christmas Time is My Favorite Time“. Imaginative.

Chad Ackerman startles the lineup with a BLUE ALERT comment on the actual Christmas game for kids: good = gifts. “Fuckin’ Christmas Time” says it all with a jazz beaten pop melody (and falsetto!).

Seesaw (For Christmas)” starts out as a wonderful tale from Thrice a Chuckle. Then it gets tall. Spoken word.

The String Beans play “Santa Says“–and so can you! Follow along with this authoritarian announcer and keep score. Or… squid games.

X-Games: Reindeer

I swear i’ll play Cattan with you in just a minute, right now i’m just so eggnog busy…! Surely That Time of the Year is not conducive to Canasta, or even Hide and Seek. But can’t we be more Semitic and sit and spend family time with a Gee-Ay-Em-Ee? For the next month i’ll pick over the few and far between Xmas songs about pastimes whether they be childish, or dreidel, or even the bowl games. Roll the dice and take a turn!

The games you already know about certainly include Reindeer Games, like in that song. So let’s start with prep in the form of “To the Reindeer Games“, kidsong by Lloyd, Debby Lytton Rudolph from some animated movie.

Next some AI from BitSonix, a country drawling “The Other Reindeer Games“. It’s a bit of a redneck introduction for Rudolph. Cousins KISSING! Run!!

Rudolph gets into the swing of the country come on with his own “Reindeer Games” when Austin Bohannon sings it. What a playa.

The “Reindeer Games” by Mindforge Music is more singles’ mixings with AI country playfulness. PG naughtiness.

2Bad DadZ’s “Reindeer Games” may be merely Rudolph’s story rapped out, but it plays well with others.

Freddy Prince Krueger over modulates the pop idea that “Reindeer Games” are just so much nonsense. Reverb reverb reverb reverb.

The String Beans recall that “Reindeer Rodeo” thing we covered a couple years ago. Soft rock kidsong with great commentary.

Big Show: Nativity Play

Most Christmas plays illustrate Bible stories for the masses, like they did nearly a millennium ago. We tend to favor newer Testaments nowadays.

My little boy was a wise man this year, warbles Reba in “The Angels Sang.” Pop country about misting up over the Lord.

Not everyone gets to be in this rite o’ passage public humiliation. Like Caitlyn Dyke as told in “Preacher’s Kid.” Indie country with a wistful bent.

The cast on a spectrum is “Merry Mary (Christmastime Is Here)” by Tomás. This messy rehearsal of a kidshow is both entertaining and prophylactic. Other peoples’ kids, amiright?

Big Show: The Christmas Assembly

Yeah, the kids step up for grammas everywhere.

The First United Methodist Church Annual Christmas Play” is one of those ’70s throwbacks in which a rural story gets the moral CW treatment. Brian Kinder jerks the tears with this shaggy dog.

The Patrick Brothers go even lower with their “The Christmas Play.” All sentiment, no sense of humor. Country whining.

From an actual assembly piece from Emily Crocker, “The Star of the Christmas Play” is NOT an angel this time. Aspirational kidsong, with a novel twist.

Big Show: The Christmas Play

In order to force the family to be among one another this time of year, wee ones often get shoehorned into assemblies about the Nativity. Yes, you DO have to go see your brother be a donkey. Yes, it will probably be a disaster.

The Fallen Angel Choir so their civic pride to invite all y’all to the show, any show, in their fast a cappella take on “Joy to the World.”

“The Angel in the Christmas Play” was a bit-o-fun from the ‘forties about a hellion performing for the school. I knew this from Spike Jones (George Rock vocals), but i guess Gayla Peevey got ahold of it a decade later. Then i saw an old videotape of The Carpenters (w/Kristy McNichol) from a TV special. Good God.

Bunch of Believers apply the ska when they’re “Puttin’ on a Play.” Colorful, but a bit of a success.

It’s the Christmas Play” and it all goes to pot, at least when John Farrell sings about that one time. Kidsong with a very slight edge.

And So… Caroling.24

Let’s Go Caroling” by Danny is a childish pop approach to the topic, but that innocent steamrolling is just the ticket for actually calling out while prowling neighbors’ properties.

Christmas Is Here Let’s Go Caroling” is Jane Irene (‘Dr. Jane’) Farley bawling out in Carib English about what good Christians oughta be doin’ this time of the year. Holy cow.

Spoofing an old kidsong few recall, Music with Mar. kerplunks through a pioneer version of “Mr. Froggy Went a’Caroling.” Singalong, if you dare.

Xmas Music Delivery system: Band (marching)

For Nashville Cast (Lennon & Maisy) calling out the marching band means “Christmas Coming Home.” Must not be Minnesota. Flailing pop country.

Christmas in New Orleans” returns, sassed up by The Speakeasies’ Swing Band! It may be Santa leading the marchers, but it’s Dixieland (with a Creole beat). Kick up those heels.

While wishing for an old fashioned Xmas, Wildson (feat. Revel Day) easy listening s “Oh How I Wish.” Rudolph’s marching band makes an appearance.

From the Monster Christmas Mash kids’ high concept album, The Party Players chant out “Creep Castle Chorus Marching Band & Dissecting Society” with Frankenstein, the Wolfman, Dracula, and Igor. High stepping.