Year-round Yuletide oddities
Fussing about creating a song sometimes is a measure of how blessed you are to be hearing this gift. Zinovy Shersher challenges that value with his not-quite-English “Merry Christmas, I Wrote This Song for You.” Do you have the receipt?
Silence the Cynic got you what they could afford, “Another Christmas Song.” It’s not a new car, but it is vibrant Brit rock. They did not scrimp on the high notes.
This romantic musical comedy/drama lands most of its genre parodying numbers including this detailed spoof on the California tourism ad “California Christmastime.” I watch it again and again. Rachel Bloom is gift to musical comedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5TKHsqmsu0
The Adam Sandler toon movie series landed on Disney last year, but both are smart and rich enough to add some talent. “The Christmas Wrap Song” is kid mummy unleashing his inner present preparer for a few seconds in the stale comedy conflict.
Heir apparent to Phineas and Ferb, again features colorful Americans interacting with a soupçon of fantastical oddities. “Christmas, It’s Not a Time of the Year” is only glimpsed here, but showcases the creative team’s talent. Thank you.
The mutant DC spinoff that has cultivated cult followings spins out an occasional tune of ADHD length including “All Hail the Jolly Fat Man” (sweet jazzy fanfare).
This Italian skinny girl magic show has been on Fox, Cartoon Network, the CW, and Nickelodeon, dubbed into girly English.
It’s become an industry in itself, so a bit of pop music for you to buy to go along with the action figures. “Christmas Magic” appears in an episode of helping a deserving family, although the cry of ‘Merry Christmas’ from a pagan figure sounds odd at best. The whole song as follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klhSdO9eqJE
Teen soaps on cable trend in the early 00s, and they are dopey lowbrow sitcoms. Their music is teenybop gum fit only for wanna-tweens.
At Hollywood Arts High (hah!) Tori and her friends make songs fun. “It’s Not Christmas Without You” is exhibit A. If you slowed down the beat, you might have a nice torchy jazz number.
But that’s Nickelodeon. The Disney Channel goes full corporate formula with the odd couple aspiring musician duo who [RERUN] sing “I Love Christmas” and “A Perfect Christmas.” So peppy i think totalitarians should use them for propaganda. Oh, wait….
Of the nearly 1000 songs over six seasons (1/10 of those were ‘Don’t Stop Believin”), this show covered most standard top 40 carols. Not too much novelty for me.
But i will include “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” despite its pop uptempo unrelenting froth. I’m going to need some insulin.
Rick and Morty‘s creator’s earlier brilliant-but-what’s-the-demographic? sitcom was not known for breakout songs, but attention must be paid to these study group misfits during the holidays.
The 2010 stop motion episode ‘Abed’s Uncontollable Christmas’ brings it.
The “Intro Song” is a takeoff of The 88’s series opening music this time with Xmas.
The characters turn into Christmas claymation tropes and have a couple memorable 3-line songs for characterization, including “Brittabot” and “Christmas Douche.”
The meaning of Christmas is put together in the show stopper “That’s What Christmas is For.” John Oliver! Christmas pterodactyl!
The next year is about singing Xmas for Glee club. To win over the surly main character, the Jewish nerd girl sings “Annie’s Christmas Song.” Brother, that’s jazz striptease junk with Betty Boop botheration.
The overlooked housewife gets a big gospel (half) number with “Happy B-Day, Jesus.” Go tell it on the lafftrack.
The actual “Community Glee Club” performance is a sad throwaway about how the hot blonde is tone deaf.
“Troy & Abed’s Christmas Rap Battle,” however, convinces the Asperger’s kid and the conflicted cool athlete to celebrate a holiday they would otherwise disdain. Much prettier, or at least much faster.
Comedy gold from those boys finally in order to convince the geriatric in “Baby Boomer Santa,” an addictive song about the evolution of St. Nick through musical genres. An American Pearl.
This Icelanidic people-wearing-puppet-outfits oddity made its way to Nick Toons for a while, but creeped out kids with a hero who looks like the Captain America villain Batroc, and a bad guy handsome as Bruce Campbell.
Stephanie, the irrepressible eight-year-old never seen without a smile, sings “Jolly Holidays” and “I Love Christmas.” Believe (in exercise)!
Ah yes, teens. The conscience of the world, but the solution as well (think canon fodder). This ’90s melodrama needed insta-mood for establishing its quick scene settings. So, maestro! (Thanks to fanforum.com as a reference so i don’t have to watch this classic televised bildungsroman.)
Not a lot of cool undiscovered songs here, so let’s go with best of from the only two Xmas episodes.
Season 4’s “Christmastime” by Smashing Pumpkins. Soulful alt.
Season 6’s “Wild Christmastime” by Chris Trousdale. Playful pop.
The tenth episode of the tenth series of the Mystery Machine sleuths was the usual ice creature for Christmas. But the chase scene music by Hevy Trevy was pretty boss. “Santa Claus, Santa Claus.” Far out, man.