Year-round Yuletide oddities
Christmas in Los Angeles, California is all about the sunburns and freaks, yeah? Oh–and surfing!
Let us not forget The Boxmasters crooning “Christmas in California.” Loungey doo wop shines a light on the plastic culture. We may hang ten.
Heather Noelle Holley gives us “Merry Christmas from LA” with all the pop trimmings. I guess surfing gets a shout out near the end.
Sameer Whittle layers electronica over jittery vocals for a “California Christmas.” It’s a bit blue, but so’s the ocean
“This Christmas” is a soaring soul dreamy wish interrupted by rap by Captain E, Zion, & Dewe. The rap gives in to inner city anger with the guns (44’s), loss, and disaffection. Not sure this romance angle’s gonna work out; still, wish ’em hopefulness.
A loaded 44 is the problem in “Green and Red,” a road rock of a rollicking tragedy. See, the color left the elves when he snapped is hidden in the title of the song. That’s Vinny the Comb for you.
Sampling the old Blondie ‘Rapture’ Blondie remixes with Fab 5 Freddy for a dissociative rap “Yuletide Throwdown.” Not sure of the merry merry merry here, but it guess it’s cool Like a Son of Sam with his .44.
Marvelous 3 lets it all hang out with the rocker “Merry Christmas.” The abusive household full of dysfunctional self destructive caricatures is the backdrop for the holiday cheer. Don’t worry, Daddy’s got a new .44.
No more guns! The Fiery Furnaces has a show for us… While “Rehearsing My Choir” around the holidays The bishop was on the phone Wanting the choir to go and sing On some channel 44 thing. Well, no, then trouble, then meetings, then– this atonal experimental amusement is gone from view, too far over the edge. Fall with them.
A masterful mix, “ReDoin” conjures the H.H. Gregg company’s mad sales tactics into a hypnotic electronic rhythm. JerryTerry may not have come to bury the Chpter 11 (now online) tech store, but to praise it–the beat is so good. BTdubs, the 489 is the highest priced item, the LG 42-inch HDTV. At these prices why buy the warranty–you can buy another in two years!
“Tradition” is a lame title for a missed holiday connection(Flight 602 from Laguardia To Phoenix Arizona)broken heart, but the soul of Campanella pitches beautiful woe over the long distance… then, wait for the happy ending surprise!
May have missed a gem… Martin Tielli has some crazy experimental notions on music. “Sergeant Kraulis” (I am 60238 in the narcotics division) is about a wild Wednesday around Christmas in the ‘life’ of a policeman who is psychedelically tainted, taunted, and smoked. I’d tell you more but i listened to this twice now and i have to go lie down.
Not sure where Hard Science is going with their modern electronica, but the child-preaching in front of the heavy beat gets my attention. How this mash-up becomes “Christmas, 1958” i will leave to my betters to discern.
Thingmaker multi-mediates an experimental “Xmas, 1970” to reveal he is not too big for toys. Yep, that’s 1970 awreet.
David Phelps belts out the cheesy kind of pop with “If Everyone Believed.” His long ago Xmas lesson haunts him today. Cue the bells.
Greg Laswell goes lovelorn with “Out of Line” in which you left your heart under the Christmas tree in ’83…. Why’d you do that?
Mr. Oh Shit sings at “A Karaoke Christmas at the Wet Beaver Lounge” for Mr. Cork. While hating on Christmas he admits to leaving up the tree since ’83. What’s that look like?
How long has Santa had an eating problem? Since 1983 claim Thee Elfmen in the jangly surf rockabilly “Santa’s Here.” Gotta believe.
The Drop Shadows hold court over a satiric/satanic “Christmas 1983.” Experimental cat birthing.
XISLE mixes rap with wandering rhythms (and a samisen?) for their “christmas1987.” Some nice gratitude expressed near the end.
Rittzmas recalls childhood memories in “I Saw Mommy,” rap gone Xmas. Joyful, y’know. Then, BLUE ALERT–YaKnow?! It was kissing… but not lips!
Angrinose gets us back on the experimental wagon trail with “christmas1987,” an acid trip through repeat, reverb, and retro overload. May i just say, wha-?
Mike and Brian (feat. Marlee) have some lite rock fun playing around with “Christmas Time is Here (2005).” Get pen and paper ready for what they want.
Trmulous trilling from Music Production paints a portrait of “Christmas Day (2005).” It could be any year, but the thousands of candy canes add up to XXV for me.
MxPx goes Punk That’s-the-Year-That-Was with “2005.” Politics, TV, and the big questions of life in review.
TM298 may be praising his childhood obsesh “Gameboy” while wishing for games for that Christmas, but the appropriately electronic backbeat and rushed rap opens him up for a severe diagnosis. Put it down, boy.
Squeaking in parenthetically, “Christmas Red (2007)” covers many years, but this uplifting story chanted by the sisters ShiSho tells of a traditional tale told of a tragic figure who seeks only joy delivering to kids from his John Deere.
Also pleased to include the charming guitar noodling of Music Production with their “Christmas Morning (2007)” as another tribute to optimism. Take that Seasonal Affective Disorder!
Most meta, Ryan Burke of The Christmas Friends introduces his album and the year with “The 2007 Christmas Friends Intro.” Peppy electronica.
