Year-round Yuletide oddities
So, is that star over Bethlehem just hanging out? Is it just there, like passively looking? Or is it watching? Check it.
A busy busy “Star” from Liz Vandervelden is asked to come, watch; then shines, guides (to the tree). It’s like a nine-year-old wrote this catchy kidsong!
Johnny Reid’s “Winter Star” gets country jiggy with the folk stylings, calling out the light of love and peace for agency. Lead us home.
The Star is the medium and the message. Good news, everyone!
Vanquishing the gloom, “In the Heavens Shone a Star.” Pete Feltman gently gospel-rocks us with the happy heralding of this announcer,
“One Star” from The Orient was bearing those glad tidings with folk austerity. The New Christy Minstrels make it playful, but portentous.
Did the Star of Jesus move, or just stick in the black velvet of Israel’s roof?
Sufjan Stevens does that minimalist folkrock thing he does so well with “Star of Wonder.” It takes a bit to start, but it won’t end. Mesmerizing.
Shine on, you crazy star of Christmas.
“The Shepherd’s Star” usually leads or guides or caused to lie down, but those songs will roll in later. This centuries old chorale has the star shine (beaming refulgent) as it focuses on those guardians of the chosen acknowledging the Lord. That should be enough. Most recordings of this hymnal are echo-y from inside a great cathedral. I like the Early Music New York rendition, for its in-yo-face voices.
May it shine its light on you, Nicolette Larson hopes in “One Bright Star.” from 1985. Power pop galloping into gospel.
Junior Walsh twangs out the country about the “Christmas Eve Star” shining only on him. It hits him like a guitar solo, he’s the luckiest country singer on the face of the earth. Good news’ll do that if you listen.
The stars come out when the song is just right. 1954’s “The Star Carol” again makes a fuss over the baby god, and mentions the shedding its light star. Peggy Lee psychoanalyzes it. Aaron Neville fears it. Tennessee Ernie Ford solemnizes it. But Simon and Garfunkle cuddle it. Aww.
Let the world know, Jay-by born! Twelve Twenty-five is the announcement of Christianity, some God in avatar walking around down here to see what is what.
Nearly as old as the Nativity, Edison Concert Band brings us (the wax cylinder of) “Ring Out the Bells.” The Holy Child arrives to what sounds like a Souza march for temperance.
Birth announcement! Fred Bogert sermonizes with declarative folk to cue you with “Christmas Bell.” Quite tinkly.
Starting with a doorbell Patch the Pirate leads the kids in churchsong: “Christmas Bell.” Angelically high-pitches that won’t last.
Travis Cottrell wants Emmanuel, himself, to “Ring the Bells” to get the story started. Country gospel, when done right like this is awful pretty.
A cappella gospel to some good old classical music, “Ring Christmas Bells” features Morning Star Quartet prettily waking us up to the Devine.
Brief gravelly folk from Lower Lights makes the “Christmas Bells” ringing for the Bethlehem manger morning a serious event.
Surely those bells at Christmastime are church bells! Yet, as we have seen, some bells are just brazen gongs. Even the bells that call us to faith are not always X-ian.
Druids like a good clang-a-lang. Jethro Tull’s flute-rock hails us to “Ring Out Solstice Bells.” Ecstasy through clamor. Besides, there aren’t enough carols you can clap along with.
Cowgirl Aspen Black’s “Sleigh Bells in the Sky” relies on mythos and symbolism (and a voice like a dull woodsaw) to create a soaring outdoor ballad about loss. Gentle country.
Ohio City Players mean God = Christmas, obvi. But their “The Ringing of the Bells” is so carefully crafted as secular that i want to hear it in this pigeon-hole. Lively, yes. But a bit un-knowing in its gospeliousness.
Faithfully, spiritually, Melissa Etheridge invokes us to “Ring the Bells” of Peace. It’s inclusive of all who want to no longer want. Powerful folk.
Some people just festoon the halls and bowers and hearths and passersby with the bells. They just hang there and look pretty–pretty Christmassy, that is!
Driftless Sisters “Hang a Little Bell” as step one in the process of celebrating. Soulful pop you might wanna take notes during.
Join hands and sing in a round with War Pony Dos. “Hang the Bell from the Christmas Tree” is that hippie folk rock we need to chant to create the spirit.
No Christmas. I mean, none. You going to cry? Or, perhaps, will you join hands Whoville-style and sing about how you still got it. That calendar number don’t matter!
Santhosh Chris sermonizes with his peppy pop in “If There’s No Christmas.” Just cut it out, okay? Or try the chipmunk version.
No gifts–how ’bout just NO CHRISTMAS?! Hell no, you say?
Imagine there’s no holidays; it’s easy if you sing….
Bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Noel Redding walks us through the hinter(wonder)land of naughts with “No More Christmas” It’s all the psychedelic folk you’d expect from this master blaster. Gives me the munchies.
Is Xmas about the presents? You know better than to fall into that trick question trap. What should you really be into for the holidays? Well, imma tell you:
Lil B gets what for from his mama in “No Presents,” a rap battle of mediocre proportions. I do hope he learns to lessen.
The Sowell Family bands together for bluegrass and preachin’ in “It’s Not Christmas.” Turns out presents are the least of your hopes. No tree, nor snow, nor–i’m not sure but maybe not even–family matters. You better pray you figure out what does.
Pony Death Ride lands on what’s important with their “Nothing Beats Old People at Christmas.” No specifically eschewing gifts (they didn’t get you any bc they ‘thought you would be dead’), this BLUE ALERT irony must be heard, because millennials.