Wrap the Rainbow (red)[ironic BLUE ALERT]

Christmas runs the spectrum of blue (Elvis) to white (Bing). And then some.

Colors speak to us in imagery, symbolism, political bent, and all manner of culture. Can it be that novelty Christmas songs come addressed to Roy G. Biv?

Is there a red Christmas?

Betcher ass.

And i don’t just mean the colors of suits and noses and stripey candies…

Although i will allow 12-year-old Zach to sing about his “Red Christmas Sock” because it’s all silly and parody (Toby Keith) and everything i stand for. Toby Tucker does a more down home, dumbed down version, “Red Christmas Cup.” It’s about Christmas (drunken) parties with, you know, those red Solo cups full of trouble (with a brief salute to the troops)!

This is not to be confused with the superior counter-commentary “Red Christmas Cups” about the Starbucks non-religious drink holder outrage. Steve Marshall is a regular new millennial Pete Seger (subtext: not so funny). But let’s get back to Toby Keith: Gestalt being what it is, a million people parodied ‘Red Solo Cup’ with the Josh Feuerstein controversy about Starbucks not emblazoning their merch with Christmas icons like trees (google ‘War on Christmas’ if you must). Trending for the previous week of internet news WCYY goes trolling with its (#5) “The Internet Outrage Song (aka Red Starbucks Cup).” It’s drivetime parody with quips and noises and best-by dates rapidly peeling the relevance off the actual outrage.  And then Justin Tyler Moore is coming to town with his (#4) “Red Starbucks Cup.” He’s clever, but his home movies suck, and is he serious about the verisimilitude of poor singing to drive home the point?! And then Ed Button twists the knife with (#3) “Red Starbucks Cup (Red Solo Cup parody).” Reminiscent of Tom Bodett leavin’ a light on for you, he rails like Ranty the red-cupped reader! And then comes the sermon on the mountain roast from Mighty Joe and his (#2) “Red Starbucks Cup” (karaoke backup!). Oooh, the F-word! A nice parody, but too apologetic by half-caff for a cowboy. And then Noah Rivera trashes up the idea with his Ray-Stevens-worthy (#1) “Red Starbucks Cup.” Hee Haw, he makes that conservative reactionaryism look stupid. Nice coffee twerkin’, fool.

Ashley Dudley takes the cup on a percussive detour with “Red Cup Song” (new tune!) letting us know that Jesus likes red. So there. A paler shade of red is Aimee with Starbucks employees helping her out while she reads her “Starbucks Cup Song” (same cup slappin’ tune!) to us. It’s not the same as the others but trills tolerantly multicultural.

Kelly Clarkson brings idols before us with her moody belting of “Wrapped in Red.” Well, i think red is her (killer) mood, but it might be the hue of her oh so fashionable body length sweater.

Also red-minded are Malice in Wonderland. “When Everything’s Red” tells the tale of Christmas love loss. Pretty pouting.

Red Red Christmas” in the hands of Marcel Caroto and Bilo Lawrence apparently means peace, love, out. Red heart = love?! I’m losing the connex.

And–oddity alert–Scottish politics gets a dressing down with Lady Alba’s “Red Christmas.” Keep Google nearby if you want to ‘get it.’

Alessandro Valenti  increases the social commentary with “Red Christmas” (set to the requisite ‘White Christmas’) in which the capitalist system is oppressing the 99% to bloody death.

Snakebite gears up for metal and delivers a sackful of Christian caveats–“Satan’s Hiding in That Red Christmas Light.” What would JC head bang to?

Finally pitching the comedy of ‘in the red’ with overspending, Jeanie Perkins chortles piano bar style “Red Christmas.” Mind the tip snifter, girl.

BLUE ALERT – Let’s get red-faced! Fat slob rock god Kenneth Hister solos his The Freakin’ Zombies song “Red Christmas.” Grrr! Mad!! Swear words!

BLUE ALERT – Playing metal violence for money come Deer Pussy and their “Bloody Red Christmas.” It’s what you’d expect

BLUE ALERT – Leave it to Insane Clown Posse to get messy, gory, bloody, declasse, AND pretty cool with “Red Christmas.” Poetic obscenities.

Died. You’re Welcome: Santa (6)

Can anyone stop the Claus?

Previously (last Halloween) i posted Jon LaJoie’s “Cold Blooded Christmas“–a scenario in which the red-suited one was NOT taken down after all.

Grave Disorder also offers up “I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus” with a perfunctory punk panache, but i think we all know the outcome of that domestic disturbance.

So, can anyone (Tim Allen?) dispose of this Saint?

How ’bout we party ’bout it?

I mean, you know, playas gotta spin at raves (do those guys get any?)…

so give a chance for Slackaz Remix and his Family Guy (i know, again) playful retuning of Stewie and Brian “I’m Going to Kill Santa Claus.”

Died. You’re Welcome: murder (2) BLUE ALERT

Street cred means you’ve survived tough times: threats, beatings, shootings. Hip hop tries to keep the power of poverty alive by trivializing the violence with happy rhymes and careless profanity. And dressing like shit.

So, oops, oh yeah BLUE ALERT:

Insane Clown Posse and Twiztd (a duo sprung from the demise of House of Krazees) band together to explain rough and tumble East Side West Side shenanigans during the holidays with “Murder City Christmas.” Blood and stockings will be spilled.

A Month of Love: Kelly Price

Somewhere between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige comes the street R+B of Kelly Price. She rose through the backup ranks in the ’90s and had a hit ‘Friend of Mine’ in ’98. Since then she’s been featured in soundtracks (THAT kind of sound).

“In Love at Christmas” is a simple tale of a boy and a girl and a heavy backbeat.

State Some More: N. Marianas Islands

Boy this keeps going on and on…

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands include 14 parcels of land spread over 300 miles. Most of the people (less than 2% white) live on Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. They are of Chamorro extraction, and became part of the US back in ’75. Some funny-business banking there, but also sweatshops.

Or–i dunno–you could look it up yourself. I’m guessing.

For a quick primer of Christmas music here check out “The 12 Days of Christmas” as sung by Maggie Naputia and her posse.

For proper Chamorro, there’s Sons of the Marianas “Christmas Song.” Catchy, but my translator leads me to believe it’s vaguely racist. And then there’s Frank ‘Boko’ Pangelinan singing “Merry Christmas.” This seems more reverential, in a shake your money maker kind of way. Definitely Pacific Islander in melody is Gus B. Kaipat with “Christmas in the Marianas.” I feel like standing at attention with my hand over my heart and my hips slightly swaying.

Back to the American language: Walter Manglona gets all electric with his hip hop “Christmas Time is Here Again.” I can’t tell if mo marianas is mo problems, but he’s selling the music. Peace, Pacifickers.