Category: polka

Side effects of Christmas: nostalgia, regret, remorse, music….

Alter Egel begins their calliope rock melody: Fifteen years ago today You had enough and ran away Every Christmas since that one was sad. But a “Blue Christmas” results from you returning. Don’t want that. ‘Cause then you’d leave again. Then there’d be peeing on your makeup and driving the van with the tree nailed to it off a cliff. You know how that goes.

Chumbawumba has a postmodern rocker (with hollow chanting and vinyl pops) that goes: Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree How bent your branches seem to be; Nineteen twenty-one and all’s well, Another fifteen years and we’ll be laughing in hell. “Rubens has been Shot” presages WWII, and the weird new art scene, and perhaps existentialism. Yeah, let’s say that.

But, you wanna get freaky?! “Chrismysteries” from Johnathan Boggarty and the Yoghurt Man is expressionistic word jazz, f’r ‘zample: It’s been fifteen Christmases Since I’ve thought of you last, Since that time I’ve had a think And I don’t understand your past. Is this a remonstration on JC? Or uncanny valley AI poetry?

David Prince writes a country history of “My Christmas Wish” from 5 years old to ten years old to My greatest Christmas wish at fifteen was a new guitar. Not sure about you, but this sorrowful, modulated mess makes me sorry about that wish.

Also torturous, “Christmas Morning” is alt-pop froth from Evie Calabasas about–missing you?? Fifteen so many dreams, A town too small for us, Christmas Eve sat on your rooftop, Pen tattoos would never last. I can see it as a series on Prime, but i can’t see it.

You want “Heikki Lunta” on your side, especially if you’re Da Yoopers–they can get whatever they want when this upstate medicine dances. I remember Christmas Eve 15 years ago all the kids were crying; they didn’t have no snow. Punk polka tells the story of what happens next!

With those antlers you’ll polka someone’s eye out! “Yorgi the Yodeling Reindeer” saves Christmas Day (yet again). The yodeling acts like active sonar to find the sleigh its way through the fogginess, doncha see, jonny? The Grandsons, Jr. padiddle the pickle out of this corn. Ya, shewer.

What kind of reindeer is Rudolph? What kind of nose? Oh, dear.

Homophobic humor at its ’90est, “Rudolph the Deep-Throated Reindeer” Is Matt Rogers at his most unapologetic.

“Rudolph the Big Dick Reindeer” is the unowned parody that also needs to be forgotten.

College Humor tries regular hard with “Rudolph the Regular Reindeer.” Shouting, but not that much.

Better from Kevin & Bean’s Shakespeare Man:

“Rudolph the Blue-Nosed Reindeer” from Barney and Hector at least adds cha-cha-cha.

“Rudolph the Green-Nosed Reindeer” from Smartz Crew add some marijuana. Yeah. BLUE ALERT

“Rudolph the Runny-Nosed Reindeer” also unowned attributes the symptoms to sampling his drug-mule sideline.

“Rudolph the Psycho Reindeer” is unattributed bro-humor wherein the boys crack each other up. Then justice is served.

“Rudolph the Mohawked Reindeer” is Primate Punk’s punk BLUE ALERT aggressive answer.

“Rudolph the Union Reindeer” takes us another direction completely. Organized by Ariana Eakle Blockmon.

The Christmas Jug Band help a smidge with “Rudolph the Bald-Headed Reindeer.” A Jimmy Durante tribute.

From the top you’ve got no where to go but down. The fall of Rudolph is usually field by alcohol.

“Rudolph is a Drunk” is fine raging metal from DØMT.

“Rudolph got a DUI” is not so fine country from Bill Engvall.

“Rudolph the Gin Nosed Reindeer” is fine punk from La Vasa. Just piss poor parody.

“Rudolph Drank the Moonshine” is fine bluegrass by The Christmas Hillbillies.

“Rudolph : The Untold Story” is fine polka comedy from Yulenog. (Amazing sax solo.)

C.C. Moore pasted names (probably of his favorite ponies) onto the mythical reindeer that pulled Santa Claus’s sleigh. Unless they’re running lyrics through the old memory banks, most people can’t name them. Or apparently feature them in cool novelty Christmas songs. But we’ll do our best to showcase each caribou, try to sidestep that additional one, then look at all the also-rans.

Kitty Well has previously compared Rudolph to “Dasher with the Light Upon His Tail.” Not sure the geography of who has what bioluminescence where, but this country sweetener is for the kids.

Zupe and the Polka Commandos apply swinging beer-barrel fun to “Dasher the Reindeer.” Formerly the lead puller, the Rudolph-envy here includes having to look at ass all trip. That joke gets old, but the music rocks.

The Mall Santa is way over a hundred years old, despite the ‘A Christmas Story’/The Simpsons pilot/Billy Bob smearing you’ve recently seen. Check out 1947’s ‘A Miracle on 34th Street’ for heaven’s sake. But whether it was Colonel Jim or someone else, keep in mind the dressed-up fakir you sat on to snap a cry-your-eyes-out pic started as a Salvation Army recruit ringing a bell and begging alms for the poor outside the meccas of marketing.

Check out the bell-ringer folk ballad from Larry Nestor: “The Kettle.” This finger wagger should tweak your capitalistic conscience, but tends to fall flat. Proselytization should bring a little more impact.

A sad, tinny recording of the Yogi Yorgeson revisitation of “The Street Corner Santa Claus” barely does justice to the classic sentimental 1954 oompah novelty.

Ahh, the office Christmas party… a fine tradition since –1945?? Certainly offices have been our lot since before Scrooge and Cratchit. And parties are a staple of the Roaring ’20s. But the idea of stiff, formal relationships unbuttoned for an evening revealing the inner reveler–that comes down hard for the returning WWII vets, the sudden money Mad Men.

What do we have to look forward to at such a spree?

Some songs carefully document the beginning, middle, and urrgh! Like Ray Stevens’s “Annual Office Christmas Party.” Our humorist counts out the hours: from hopeful (easy listening) to crazy (jazzy conga). Kick line!

Canned Hamm & Friends (Neil Hamburger) introduces the usual suspects at a carnival rouser, “Office Christmas Party.” It’s a comedy song and wants you to know it.

Lauren Robb’s “Office Christmas Party Song” partakes of parody (‘Santa Baby’) detailing the horrifying hookups, inappropriate jokes, overdrinking, and exhibitionism. Cutesy.

More upbeat parody from Goddammit Jeremiah wherein the “Office Christmas Party” sounds lovely, just lovely. Pop con gusto.

The complaint of the salary man finds salve “At the Office Christmas Party” by Supposably. Kicking alt rock swing and sway. He got it out of his system ’til next year.

After an impressive bass intro, Roseate makes social commentary about her “Office Christmas Party.” But it seems to be with love. Or it’s the alt-jazz bounciness that defuses. I’d go.

Let’s go back to 1949 with Yogi Yorgesson’s “Christmas Party.” This Swedish big band burner is sexist and dismissive of overdrinking, but that’s the fun of comedy!