Year-round Yuletide oddities
The other side of the country coin is bumpkinism. Plain folks may be sincerely holy, but they have humorously illiterate ways.
Lucky Tones retells their mishearing of the Nativity with homey humor. “Baby Jesus, Santa Claus, and Frankenstein” may not rise to the level of Homer and Jethro, but it’s an amateur recording in a back room with good old boys who keep comedy clean. Good ’nuff for me. (What was Frankenstein doing in that manger? Frankensteinly stuff!)
Girl soft folk emo jazz rock plays in the back of many a Starbucks. It’s a mood.
Barely off the pop, Destenee whispers a touch of R+B into “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.” It’s bit too clingy.
Colbie Calliat embodies that misty yet independent grown gal with “Mistletoe.” She knows what she wants. Maybe it’s you. Maybe not.
Indigo Girls are so cool they don’t sound like girls, or women, or men… just a stream of poetic toughness. “Mistletoe” may sound like it’s begging. It’s telling.
More earthy and motherly, Christina Custode weaves a dreamcatcher of a wintry scene of home and love and jazz with “The Mistletoe Song.”
Angelic sounding Jelly Rocket soar over our heads melodically with “Under the Mistletoe.” It’s almost childlike in its nurturing, reassuring womanly innocence.
Most youtube song amateurs are mere children giggling and emulating rap stars. (The funny ones are way too brief.)
A few have the equipment, at least materially, to deliver a song.
Austin Jasay sings out of his range about “Mistletoe.” With his shirt and tie, politeness, and blue hair he’s easy to dismiss. But his song has range and flirts with depth.
Hannah J shows considerable range and intensity that at times reveals emotional fun (the Frosty metaphor) with her “Under the Mistletoe.” Grunge this up a bit with a back up bass and watch out. Sign off after the song, unless you like peeping in on the lives of underage girls being girls.
Some you tube artists break out and score millions of views. Most don’t. Doesn’t mean they don’t have passion, verve, rhythm. Usually they do have a crowded crooked bedroom, poor sound, and an itty bitty range of talent.
Ann Wave sings her “Mistletoe” warning Santa not to bring presents (she just wants the right kissing). And she leans into it, overcompensating for the blonde hair.
Thanecha, on the other hand, sets her shot in the decorated front room (and name drops the tree), but seems to be reading off her lyrics and chords from her notes. Regardless, she has slightly more sense of humor and a raw talented voice (singing–her speaking voice grates) that overpowers for the rented guitar. Her “Mistletoe” weeps gladly.
A song about loneliness and existential angst, :Murder by Mistletoe” only uses symbolic homicide to sum up our Advent despair. The Felice Brothers are cool folk rock conjurers, atonal and word-jazz poetical. Keep a security blanket nearby.
Byron Gore (w/Kristen Castro making plaintive noises) feel terrible looking at that empty spot in the corner. “Crying Under the Mistletoe” moans about those footprints you left me for Christmas… you get the picture.
Melissa Etheridge has a request in “Christmas in America:” stop keeping us apart! This can be read as military furlough. Or maybe as a break in intolerance so same sex can be together. America’s full of possibilities.
Our old buddy, Bear Ron does it again. A patriotic song about our symbol of everlasting life from Christ’s birth and death. His drunk-sounding warbling and guitar tootling adds to the surreality. But you know he stands by it. 3 1/2 minutes in, the song switches to the actual White House tree lighting 2011. Speech!
Celebrate “The American Christmas Tree” kids!
Sometimes them government issued guys show talent and keep it all in perspective. Danny Rongo’s “A Soldier’s Christmas Song” has guilt-free lilt. It’s not a spiritual, or otherwise sad song. I took it at first for a protest. But it’s just matter-o-fact tellin’ it like it is.
Listen.
With the explosion of the web, amateur and independent songs decorate our Xmas trees, especially from far away.
Mostly these carols are about not being home. That’s the American Way (variously: you can’t make it home, you don’t want to put up with those at home, you don’t have a home).
Josh Logan digs deep country for “A Soldier’s Christmas Day Prayer.” Tough god-fearing hombres, but too much want-to-be-home to make me trust the guys in this song.
Master Sgt. Robt. Allen sings about missing his missus over the Christmas break. He bangs on the guitar filk singing style (endlessly). But he means it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWBjHqOH_d4&spfreload=10