Year-round Yuletide oddities
A brief detour to the dark side…
Hungry Jack takes its metal time traipsing through the complaints and sarcastic HoHoHos, but eventually we get to “God Damn It’s Christmas.”
Never speaking the title, George Lewis Todd nevertheless makes anger more cogent with his quietly folk pop “God Damn It’s Christmas.” I always fall for the troubadour balladeering.
Hurray for the holly and the ivy. Cue the music.
Hidee ho and a diggidee doo seems to stand in for Hooray in “Hooray Hooray It’s a Holiday” from the so-called Mistletoe Singers. This kidsong smacks of Aussie-ness, but it’s fervent. Kids like that. Apologies to Boney M. who started this so-called song.
Then Mishelle Bradford-Jones twists it up with “Hooray Christmas Holiday” in which the poppy kidsong celebrates the school break. Hey! Hey!
What the hell might be the chorus for “Hooray for Christmas” from the Red Army Choir. Of the recordings I’ve uncovered, 3.5 minutes seems to be silence (encoded???).
Philip Gallen takes his rockin’ time developing “Hurray! For Christmas Day!” an earnest progressive piece of emotionality.
Derek Griffiths, Carole Boyd, Denise Bryer, Nigel Lambert, Steven Pacey, Claire Hamill, and Tom Newman are all credited for bringing “Hurray for Christmas” to life. The finale to the third Christmas Story Teller book from The Little Storyteller series it goes on and on in a rousing fashion.
The Irish Rovers raise the rafters (and their voices) with the antic “Hurray for Christmas Day.” Celtic reel. Woo hee.
One of our older interjections is the simple hey. Which means it no longer represents mere attention getting, but can be greeting, challenge, orgasmic outcry, or–whatever. The trough of novelty songs that hey Xmas will take us a week, kay?
Kids need more interjections to get their attention, so let’s start with swishy kidsong. John Oates (is it Daryl’s ex???) monotones “Hey! Happy Christmas to Ya!” in appropriately singsong playfulness. Yawn.
Seia Yano does the pre-teen bedroom band routine with “Hey! It’s Christmas.” Nasal, youthful, but uninhibited talent shines through with superior piano pop.
The Go Go Cult beat the drum slowly to punctuate “Hey Hey It’s Christmas.” This drug-dreamy doozy of alt-garage should alter your attention toward the holidays (not sure which ones).
Jody Whitesides slow it down even more with “Hey Today is Christmas Day.” This pokey folk pop love ballad declares kindly, but with commanding assurance. Do not deny it.
A returning subject is the humor of low places. Let’s mock the slovenly, quick before they eat us.
Sean Cole (The Outlaw) attempts class with tinkly piano intro, then launches into rough rap as in “Another Broke Christmas.” Perhaps you should sing along.
Wendell Ferguson’s “Another White Trash Christmas” attempts dignity with a pretty folk ballad-y tune. Contrast that with ‘Spam,’ ‘swilling’ beer, and ‘her mustache’–comedy! Austin Church does this with more country. Lonnie Flemmer seems to have originated it.
The idea of Christmas happening again, then again, repeating annually until the end of attention span fills us with hope and dread. So the next month of songs will just keep flipping out more of these echoic treats until we’re the merriest we can be. Ready? Who cares!
Amanda Jensen slowly, lowly misses you. Jazzy sweet pop outlines how it’s just “Another Christmas” without you.
Antithetically, The Forever Lasting hard rock their punk pissiness in “Another Christmas Song.” No hope for you! Next in line!
Stressing fuh real, Arrae stoops and soars with the electro-rap “Another Christmas Song.” It’s up-beat, it’s down-beat, it’s beat.
Give me a whispery troubadour any day. Frank Moyo gets WAY specific about love and politics with his commentation “Another Christmas.” Folk pop with a grudge.
Sometimes, the entangling time loop is what it is. Prison.
Attempting a slow burn, Mariah Carey pitches the concept that “Christmas Time is in the Air Again.” It soars after dragging and struggling through murky lines of uncertain yearning, but it’s off-putting by half.
Johan Norberg lightly slights the holiday season in “Oh No, It’s Christmas Again.” Sprightly jazz (trumpet solo!) lightens the moodiness.
Jimi ‘the human’ Hocking takes Aussie issue with the comfort and joy in “Christmas Again.” Simple folk rock that punches hard.
Ryan Garrett hopes next year is better in “Merry Christmas Again.” He’s rocking but not too loud. And you need to get clean. Make a STARZ series about it already.
Matt Roach mourns the loss of friends when Xmas ends but then it’s “Christmas Again.” Followed by that recurring loss of friends. Chugalug folk rock.
Sometimes we just notice on the calendar that Christmas is happening. Again. All matter of fact and what’s the big deal anyway.
Bethany Jung might be stalking you in “Christmas Again.” Percussive slow pop that keeps time to the year. That is that, as the kids say.
Tom Petty as well merely states that we are subject to “Christmas All Over Again.” A bit more perky, but he doesn’t really want to kiss those distant relatives.
D.D. and The Flakes seem to leave it more than take it with their Britfolk downer “Here It is, Christmas Again.” Some jollies, mostly melancholies.
Brian Hyland from 1967 troubadours “It’s Christmas Time Once Again.” But he’s a bit condescending about the finance companies and icy roads and carols. Social commentary rings out that time of year, heed the folk of it.
Can we end it upbeat? And by that I mean sickly sweet, drink-the-Kool-aid mind wipey fallout optimism. Hold your breath, here we go.
I’m talking about ’70s spirit guru Rod McKuen barely singing his poem “The Day After Christmas.” This pop love-fest ropes all the daydreamy clichés into one whispery nest of bourgeoise balloon animals. Eye roll!
What sounds like instruments tuning up is Full Band setting up Dennis Hartman’s “Christmas is Over,” an up-with-people paean of all the details a Hallmark movie set decorator could ever need. Groan!
Larry Campanella sings a bit above register to raise magic-awareness. “Can’t It Last a Little After Christmas?” reminds this electronic easy-listening essay with almost-hit notes. Hoo boy!
Perhaps a sweet bluegrass hope from Greg Herman–“After Christmas Song” fights the January blues by not putting away any of the decorations and just pretending! Uh, no.
‘Kay, i can’t keep this up! Meiko finishes out the month with “Maybe Next Year” I’ll be better… a mantra of self improvement slopped over a naughtiness that can’t barely be overlooked. Time to get outta the Christmastime. ‘Cuz it’s got a warrant.
What is there to live for–? Xmas gone, no more hope for humankind….
Okay, we’ve covered the breakups after Xmas, but when the loss of love erases all meaning… Christmas collapses, dude. Listen to the broken-ness of “The Day After Christmas” from the desultory Kate Miller-Heidke and judge the hurt yourself.
Slingshot Dakota bangs the drum loudly for “Day After Christmas,” admitting to the broken emptiness. Owie.
“Christmas is Over” says Maxim Rözge, but his dirge jazz is really about how his life is over. Bleak stuff, then kazoos!
Leave me alone–go away! chants The Ladies of Sport in their “Christmas is Over.” Moaning ’80s pop-rock.
Randy Pinchbeck goes all the way (through climate catastrophe) to the endtimes with “‘Twas the Day After Christmas,” a folk dirge with a peppy backbeat.
The letdown of the end of the year is post-seasonal depressing. No matter how great Xmas was, the wind-down is a wet blanket in comparison.
Jerry Becker begs, Please don’t let “The Day After Christmas” turn cold. He reasons, It’s just another day. And his tuneless muddling is just another song.
More British, Quadband adds a symphonic backbeat to the message–“The Weekend After Christmas” shatters every childhood dream. Harsh, but well rehearsed.
Michael DeLong magics a guitar while reciting a laundry list of what you don’t get in “After Christmas Blues.” It’s a lot. More folk than blues, though.
The least wonderful time of the year, begins “After Christmas (Januarysong).” Wisherkings slows time and melody to make us face the end of joyeaux noel. Symphonic folk weirdness. Damn.