Category: Gospel/hymnal

X-Mental: Psychosis (For the Rest of Us)

“Goodbye Psychotic Christmas” is some find pop ballideering from My Son the Bum about, uhm, er, losing touch (i think).

DanDann trifles with “Rudolph the Psycho Reindeer“. Some slight word swappage balances out some killer guitar riffage. [A more boisterous group delivers another version of this i noticed on Youtube years ago:

Larry Podsobinski’s “The 12 Days of Psychosis” is a gleeful mess of paranoid schizophrenia. Try NOT to follow along.

Their “The Turkey Has Gone Berserk” is loosey goosey garage with frightening consequences.

“The Mad Krismas King” by The Christmasboyz is fun Gregorian chanting synthed through tissue paper and military might.

Chef and Kitz introduce us to “The Little Elf” who threatens us with gleefully sadistic bodily harm all set to a charmingly harmonized hymnal. Yowie.

Christmas, Meh

Burnout time for Xmas. Without labeling the young people and their made up generations, we can agree these are the bad new days and freshly minted adults don’t adhere to traditions like old folks did when before. Who cares about any old crap like Christmas, anyways? So, let’s explore the disaffected (like Holden Caulfield did 75 years ago) for the holidays–in no particular order ‘cuz who cares? [To the wary: many of these are love notes, as in let’s ditch the best day of the year and just be together; while others are Xmas without you by my side is barfy.]

Some frosty characters stay cool because they’re hangin by a thread and they’re using all their muscle to maintain an even strain. Vis. John Prine and his Xmas edition of “Everything is Cool“. He got dumped at Christmas, but don’t worry. He’s chatty folk cool with it.

Having no EFFS left to give, Mon Men BLUE ALERT garage up “Christmastime is for Sinners“. Passive aggressive can still sound aggressive.

Barenaked Ladies need to return to glumly acknowledge their disappointment with the pop “Green Christmas“. Anyway.

The Non Traditionals vote to throw “Plastic Trees” on the fire, climate change be damned. Now i know it’s in their name, but try a little more conventionality to go with your indie pop. Please.

Bob Rivers delivers the comedy with “The ‘What’s It to Ya’ Chorus“. Divine parody that chorally requests you mind your own beeswax.

Big Screen: Die Izzit?

Certainly one of the mysteries of the Magi: is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie seems to provoke as much songestry as how much is Santa magical? Ergo…

The Holderness Family is still chugging along strong with their ‘Beginning to Look’ parody “Die Hard is a Christmas Movie“. Not much of a debate from this mom and dad, just irreconcilable differences.

Slowing down the roll, Litany (Beth Cornell · Matt McLuckie) takes silly sides in the soft pop “Die Hard (Is a Christmas Film)“. Sounds more like a drinking game.

AI smith Words2Music metals out “Christmas at Nakatomi Plaza” with many lines and judgments. I mean, BLUE ALERT! That’s a contrast from the previous entry, that’s what that is.

Jason’s AI Generated Songs (Jason Nutter) tries a gentle country ballad with “Yes, Die Hard is a Christmas Movie“. Is it a romance, though? Hmmm. [Given the fun of AI, he also delivers the same song with big band, honky tonk, jazz band lounge. Really.)

Seth McFarland’s Family Guy takes a ‘Silent Night’ stab at “Die Hard (An Original Christmas Song)“. It’s short.

Alfie Boe & The Kingdom Choir holler out their gospelly “Die Hard Is a Christmas Movie” to classical bombast, so it presents its evidence forcefully.

Big Show: Kwanzaa

Observing Kwanzaa entails ritual to the point of grand festival as well.

P-train’s “P-bar Kwanzaa Special” goes BLUE ALERT for no particular reason, just homophobic slurring. But the AI of electronic rap battling needs some work.

More traditionally, the children in the cast of ‘Christmas in our Town’ holla out “Kwanzaa Celebration” with all the percussive backbeat you can handle. All principles are listed.

The adult Voices Raised LA Vocal Collective For Social & Environmental Justice bring those “Seven Principles” to the forefront with heavenly harmonizing. That’s a show.

Big Show: Xmas Ceremony BLUE ALERT

Aspiga thrums the drum for an indie “Tree Lighting Ceremony.” It’s over loud, and probably overly bright as well. Perfect.

BearRon wants you to have just the best “Festamus.” Not sure what that is, but this folk blessing makes me want it just the same.

Discomfort & Joy interrupt the trip to the Christmas show to sing and grieve over recent horrors in “White Winter Hymnal (A Tragedy In Three Acts).” BLUE ALERT, also hilarious in this chorale of contrasts.

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Sharon Gudereit makes the request “Do You Wanna Go Caroling?” a loaded song with her kidsong showtune enthusiasm. Caroled carols included.

I DO have to repeat Joel Kopischke’s “Sweet Caroling.” Neil Diamond alert!

Winner of the 1989 Christmas carol competition held on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, “Carolers at My Door” infuses Midwest cornballism with earnest talent. Here by Varsity singer. Call it gospel-ish.

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Hilarious off key pop from William James Cremin addresses OCD (Obsessive Christmas Disorder) in light of jumping the holiday fun when in November one gasps “Heck Yes (I’ll Go Caroling).”

To balance that out Andy Miller self-appraises and realizes I’ve got no business caroling in the modest pop of “Why Do We Have to Go Caroling Again?” Oh what fun.

Rightside-up, Upside-down, “Carol Our Christmas” nails the Nartivity with choral harmony, care of Virginia Girls Choir & Ana Hernandez. Give them some forgiveness pudding.

In a funny turn, Eraserheads gets the lyrics wrong in an “Old Fashioned Christmas Carol.” Seriously, you have to follow along to get this indie salute to smoking and singing. If you like, that is.

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A sung “Christmas Caroling (Skit)” by THE GLOOOB reminds us that not all carols are golden oldies. By all means, call the police.

“Caroling” as per Nestled Like Spoons reminds us that indie music is not like caroling, yet can whine about any subject that crowds into your everyday life.

“Christmas Caroling” brought to you by Oregon Repertory Singers reminds us that old stuff is pretty out there. Okay chorale.

Turn Out Christmas

Phil and the Osophers outline the itinerary staring “First Thing Christmas Morning.” Backbeaten within an inch of its life, this pop pusher has me toe tapping.

Unrelated, “The First Thing Christmas Morning” Janice Kapp Perry (feat. Steven Kapp Perry) relates JC’s game plan upon waking way back on Anno Domino Day One. Gospel folk.

Dan Fogelberg’s “The First Christmas Morning” is more simply descriptive in his symphonic reckoning. The Son of Man wakes up. There. Done.

Polysomnography: Turndown Service

So, Baby Jesus is born on Christmas and all. And he’s tender and mild. No crying, first words, or weird poops. That just leaves beaming beatifically… and sleeping.

“Tiny Little Baby” by Cheryl L. Gleason is about that heavenly slumber; but its kidsong punctuated with Shushes. Who’s making a racket? The donkey?

“Softly Sleeps a Little Boy” is Michael Warner leading the chorus in… well… louder and louder chorale. Shush!

The Caroleers crescendo in a churchload hymn-otizing “Softly the Night is Sleeping.” It’s all solemn, serious, and short (from like a Readers’ Digest of hymns). Bow your heads and snore.