Category: pop music

WHAT ELSE? Boxes Up!

Is this not a holiday? Shall we not get our party pants on? Woo!

Since the tradition of Boxing Day is noblesse oblige Robb Johnson gets 99% appropriate with the mad folk “Boxing Day.” Eat the rich (treat you were given in your box)!

Matt Farley is finally back in guise as The Motern Media Holiday Singers. “The Boxing Day Anthem” is his usual crazed word jazz set to some kind of rhythm. Thank you.

Calendar days with names attract strange rituals. Along Europe, but mostly northern England, the day after Xmas heralds the Boxing Day swim which leads us to the bouncy folk of “The Boxing Day Swim Song” by Steve Love. No thank you.

England also touts a big markdown sale after 12/25. Renaud Buffoni gets high culture orchestral with “The Boxing Day Song.” But it’s all about crass cash.

Crazy Canucks The Holiday Hipsters rage the pop with “Carol of the Boxing Day.” On your feet!

WHAT ELSE? A New Box, Perhaps

Boxing Day is like turning a corner. New hope for everyone!

Merry Christmas/Christmas is over! hollers Xmas Movie Soundtrack in their “Boxing Day.” Insistent pop offers a hand into the next day. Remember me?

Poprant leans hard on the classic rock beat to alt the torture of tomorrow with “Boxing Day.” Something… anything.

Folk rock accompanies “Boxing Day Drive” opn the way to deliver the late gifties. Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission delivers on the genre that comes after the blues.

Matthew West sneaks in some Jesus with “Day After Christmas,” country pop with the retort that Christianity never takes a day off. Keep on Christmassing!

Maybe he’ll see you after Xmas next year? Sam DeMartino’s “Boxing Day” is a pretty folk pop song with his pretty voice with some pretty messed up stalker vibe.

WHAT ELSE? How’dyew Like Them Boxes

Boxing Day can be the scramble for hope, the angry search for what we lost. Breakup songs!

Courtney Barnett dances out the folky pop of the end of her rope. See she feels like a Christmas Tree on “Boxing Day.” Metaphorical with a cool beat.

Sondre Lerche fast pops the awkward confrontation in “Boxing Day.” Don’t be such a whore! La lala lalala la.

Blink 182 sways into fun poprock with “Boxing Day.” Does he accept her departure? Will there be throwing of things? Or is he ending it all?

WHAT ELSE? Post Boxing Blues

Kwanzaa isn’t the only holiday to pick up the after-Christmas slack. Boxing Day may have arisen in the UK centuries ago to remind the landed that tradesmen need a little sumpin’ as well. A box of goodies (or cash) should be left for those who come round the back door the first workday after Twelve/Twenty-five.

Boxing day represents a wide range of sentiments, therefore, including sadness.

Wading through the crap Dave Kleiner gets juke joint with the bluesy “Boxing Day.” Stuff he doesn’t want includes relatives, gifts, attitude.

Lonely Deer gets jingly and chimey with a lugubrious carol: “Save Your Tears for Boxing Day.” I dare you not to cry.

Regret from The Gasoline Brothers with “Hungover Boxing Day.” Careful, the soft bluesy rock is interrupted with sharp noises. Just for fun.

Jaxon Allred skips to the loo with a peppy bummer. All he loves about Xmas is gone on “Boxing Day.” Poor guy needs a studio adjustment.

The Withers contort The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ to “Boxing Day” with their hollow-voices warbling disappointment. Nearly funny.

Just as wacky, the Heebee-jeebees give us a doo wop “Boxing Day Blues” about the fat man in the red suit. Scat attack!

Relient K beats the guitar slowly for his “Boxing Day,” a folky pop reflection on what’s over. Gift over, man!

WHAT ELSE? Two, Too

This mishmash of holiday observances might be blamed on The O.C. yes that old TV series from the early ’00s which popularized Chrismukkah as some compromise between the (white) winners and (other) losers.

Michael Taub’s “Chrismukkah Song” is adorable klezmer pop and calling on all partiers.

More homegrown jpv91’s “Chrismukkah Song” lays down the beat to the four winds. Strong song. Let your folk flag fly!

Watch For Rocks ft. Ted Organ from Darkness Dear Boy moves more seamlessly (less seamily??) from one side to the other with “The Chrismukkah Song.” Folk pop of the upbeat persuasion. (The mashups are a bit much, bit still…) St. Nikki & The Driedels do this way more mindlessly pop (without the mashups).

WHAT ELSE? Hedging Bets

There’s the old joke of the old old man who is visited by a different leader of faith every hour on his deathbed. When his children ask why all the curiosity he admits he has converted seventeen times “…just in case.”

So craven are the songs that celebrate everything all at once.

Tia Micula and the Cape Henry Middle Schoolers sing “Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah” as a bouncy assignment in multiculturalism. Now i don’t anything.

Jon Cozart harmonizes himself with “Progressive Christmas Carols.” This is the sketch act of carol parodies, hit-and-miss. Great pipes. Some wit about the intolerance of each of the holidays.

“Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa” by Roy Zimmerman is a sketch of an idea of a bit. Let this one ferment a while longer.

Altogether now! “A Christmas/kwanzaa/solstice/chanukah/ramadan/boxing Day Song” by Christine Lavin & The Mistletones layers the holidays (including one at the opposite time of year) in a medieval round that you’ll want to drift you gently down the stream.

Having a bit more sense of humor, Christine Lavin & The Mistletones continue with a mashup of the holidays and song genres with “The All Purpose Christmas Carol.” Daylight come and me wanna go one more time.

Call the Christmas Queens when you want to enliven your stale Holiday office party of uncertain denominations. Ginger Minj sings “Christma-Hannu-Kwanzaa-Ka” with just the right pop jazz sass. Is it offensive? (Maybe to eggs.) Shut up and dance!

WHAT ELSE? The Question

Christmas isn’t the only day of the year. Mercy, it isn’t even the only celebration of December. It’s that time of the year to take a breather and explore our options.

First off, let’s address the reindeer in the room: How are you even asking about OTHER holidays? Certes, i address Hanukkah semi-irregularly ‘cuz it was Jesus’ Christmas. But why the wandering eye, you cheater?

A couple songs to bask in the confusion of the competition.

Demi Adejuyigbe plays the War on Christmas card with his racist “I Hope You Have a Very Merry Holiday.” The big three (Hanukkah-Kwanzaa-Christmas) fight it out here, although the C-word is never said aloud. Fun, chatty country.

On the other side “Christmas Isn’t Real” according to JMaq (Shark Uppercut) who pop raps the electronica with some secular humanist bummery.

Bill Wurtz brings the lite pop of a sitcom musical intro for his “Christmas isn’t Real.” It’s like a calendar on acid. And continues to bring Xmas into question.

It’s All Relative, upbeat bad

The family is a nerve-shattering struggle around the holidays, so why not make light of it and live longer?

Despite the title of the song, Kristin Key puts a bluesy bluegrass spin on “Hate My Family at Christmas.” Everything comes out jokey and jolly with banjo!

Krismas Kookies also barbershop quintets more bluesy bluegrass with “Dysfunctional Family Christmas.” Everyone (even the dog) is annoying, but how bad can it be? There’s apple pie!

Nick Sanabria’s “Dysfunctional Family Christmas” gets violent with slapping and breaking dishes and slamming doors. But the easy listening carol music undercuts the blows with merry irony.

Copperlily blows off the roof with a pop (country) celebration in “My Family’s Crazy (At Christmas Time).” The foibles are party favors in this house.

It’s All Relative, oh… THEM

Not every family is YOUR family, especially not for Christmas. Some are iconic, others illustrative.

Most of these songs are amateur offerings to be kept behind family trees. “The Royalty Family X-mas” from The Royalty Family channel is just begging for attention with his slurring, her cleavage, and the little one’s ‘tude. Ragged rap.

The Sentimental Favorites detail the musses and fusses of the “Roelle Family Christmas.” Actually, i may have gotten onion rings on the way home from family gatherings my own self. Pop folk wackadoo.

It’s All Relative, not enough

It could always be worse. Too much family for Christmas! How ’bout NO family for Christmas? Even Scrooge had a nephew came to say hey.

Now, it is possible to make millions with a kid who wants NO family. The Gregory Brothers songify a brilliant bit “The Home Alone Song.” Hilarity intones.

Cam Clarke, the voice of a million cartoon characters, showcases the orphan’s showtune “Family” from the cartoon feature ‘Night Before Christmas: Songs from Enchanted Tales.’ Pretty sad.

What’s rougher than orphanism ’round the holidays? Having to hear about it from pop country sermonizers! Newsflash Singers tell you when you to cry with “I Want a Family for Christmas.” The kid’s con works pretty well… i mean, happy endings for all!

Steven Curtis Chapman plays the little tough orphan who hopes for redemption. “All I Really Want for Christmas” is gospel pop with a better guiding hand on the heartstrings.