Felice Avian: determination

The magic of Xmas reindeer flight is a matter of faith. You believe in it. (Or not, but who needs that? That was yesterday.)

Cosy Sheridan has some light folk rock proselytization “The Night the Reindeer Fly.” Those aeronauts are matter of fact background for the amazing night of holiday celebration.

Sharon Gudereit teases the imagination of you old realists in “Where the Reindeer Fly,” a new age symphonic examination of childlike conviction. A bit ponderous for a flight of fancy, but pretty pipes.

Domain and Rangifer: rest in oven

Whaddya do with a dead reindeer? (Many of our blogged songs have covered this territory afore, we’ll focus on some new juicy cuts.)

Other reindeer don’t seem to take it well when Santa snacks on “Rundown Reindeer.” Mark Cummings infuses his band number with some fiery honky tonk piano.

Justifiable hoof-icide from Arthur Kill and The Pollutants, “All of Santa’s Reindeer” is a jolly pop punk salute to disappointment. It didn’t solve the problem, just made them feel angry.

Well, let’s eat (more sugar!)–

Chuck Picklesimer returns as is right with “Reindeer for Breakfast on Christmas.” Traveling weird country music.

Gregorian chanting from The Withers wonders “Flank, Hock, or Hoof“? Pass the salt.

Back Pocket take some roadside Blitzen for their roast beast feast in “Reindeer & Gravy.” They were driven to it! Boisterous folk rock fun.

Domain and Rangifer: bad

How bad can those wily rascals pulling Santa’s sled get?

The Sh​*​t​-​Faced Santa Claus Band American-rock out “One Of The Reindeer Blew A Hoof Out” as an elegy to bad luck. No evil intentions, yet.

Eddie Floriano croons the charming children’s psychedelic “The Lost Reindeer.” Seems Otto’s best friend needs help… or something. What?! The song harms me!

Don McKinnon’s “Reindeers on the Rooftop” is the sassy old fashioned country kidsong that dares to wonder what happens when the beasts get into the root beer–! Tomfoolery! I do declare!

The Yev take “Reindeer” to take for being so standoffish and not noisy like they want them to be. Grrr.

Big Werl tricks me into mentioned the Elmo and Patsy novelty Christmas classic that bores to to rendition… “The Story of the Reindeer that Killed Grandma” is a folk legend worthy of Guthrie. The criminal is psychoanalyzed, and it seems the hard life doesn’t agree with this unnamed con. –Or does it?

Ringers: Babes

Redrick, and the Rick-Rack Reindeer; The North Pole Report is some concept holiday journey (we’ll visit Redrick later). Not sure who, when, or why, but it’s much better than most kidsong twaddle. For now we’ll visit the folky pop “Babes the Baby Reindeer.” Paul Bunyan’s Babe may be a close relative, ‘cuz this li’l ol’ thing does turn blue on occasion. But he’s so cute and tiny!

The Rude Off: immodest

A 1939 Montgomery Wards holiday booklet retold the ugly duckling story one more time, with a weird-o ousted hoofer having the one mutation to save the day. Whether handicapped, non-white, non-binary children took ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ to heart way back then–the songs and shows co-opted this outlier concept so all mainstreamers can see themselves as special. Hooray.

If you began listening to every cover of the Johnny Marks song (over 420 on Secondhandsongs.com–so i figure over a thousand, easy) you might be done by Christmas. So, don’t do that. And IDONOTCARE if it was sung better by Burl or Gene or Ella or Dean….

However, some songs reference Rudy in novel ways–including several we’ve sampled on the blog before.

One of my favorite parodies is Jars of Clay’s Nirvana’s “Smells Like Rudolph.” Swell smell!

Also prized parody, “Here Comes Rudolph” is The ’60s Invasion’s Rolling Stones’ take on the 1967 stop-motion special.

NOT a parody of The Crystals nor Chuck Berry, “Da Doo Run Run Rudolph” is a gentle folk rock froth from The Not Fur Longs. Love song stickiness. (Title’s just a hook, no actual Rudolph here, for those who care.)

X-claim: hooray (pt. 2)

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.

X-claim: hey (pt. 1)

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.

ad silentnitum, sequent

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.