Category: rock

Boy, is DAVID an old name. Hebrew for close one, like uncle. But, i guess, a really old uncle.

The death of a son is courted in the country weeper “Little David’s Harp” here done by its orginators Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner. Born blind on Christmas, he became a lover of music. So he never had a chance.

“Once in Royal David’s City” is a lovely standard about the ancestry of both JC and his birth spot. Gets loads of coverage. Sufjan Stevens is my goto with the unassuming folk singalong gusto. Lower Lights perks it up with bluegrass. Lizzy Hilliard causes dizziness with her a cappella rounds. Severe incorporates metal seamlessly. Jethro Tull remakes it into their own image. That’s my pick.

What happens when Biblical legend gets meme coverage? “6 7 Christmas” by Village Robot namechecks the son of God as the root of David. Had to squeeze in this electro pop for its own sake.

One more for the King of slings. “Homeless Sons of David” agendizes social problems with gentle folk. Joel Dobbins identifies with Jesus as trying the best with what he’s given.

Okay, a last King David reference. Jeff Lowe Psalms Project evokes Xmas chaos with the gentle folk of “I’m So Excited“. Reminder: J-man’s descent is through Joseph (waitaminute, there’s no direct lineage there! Call the press!).

More practical in today’s world, “Dave’s Snow Plow” is up before you are. Bangin’ country pop from Brent Reinders. Don’t get in Dave’s way.

Pineapple Dave really wants to rap out to Dave’s birthday in “A Dave n Frazier Christmas“. But, is he really dissing Xmas?

Slackers Anonymous are represented by Shama Mrema, PD Bachmann (ft. Abby Gilbert) declaring a “Broke for Christmas“. Rap battles R+B, but recommends listening to Dave Ramsey.

In “Christmas in New Hampshire, Pt. 3” 2000 Man loves David, hates Thomas. Mistletoe drama from the Northeast. BLUE ALERT rock.

Rocking Robin pops us home to meet the fam in “The Truth About Christmas“. Worst secret: Uncle Dave’s already drunk.

He’s still drunk on “Whiskey Christmas” when The Troumatics punk up the party. Hic.

This Christmas was so good Uncle Dave forgot to argue with the boss. In fact, so R+Bs Daniel millennial, it is the “Best One Yet“. Bouncy.

For AI it’s cousin Dave–he’s on a rickety chair!–who represents despair as “It Always Rains At Christmas (A Very British Holiday Disaster)”. James Ashby grabs credit for this slightly above average showtune.

Cousin Dave brought his crypto girlfriend in Rogue Tone’s “Tinsel Fight Club“, an AI rock rager. Cartoon violence ensues.

Although… Abelardo’s Uncle Dave is asleep in his chair, portending another “Christmas Disaster“. Jazzy pop with scat refrain.

RoBuz’s “Proper British Christmas” is fun melodic rap, wherein Uncle Dave’s singin’ loud on the microphone. More lively than the usual family get-together.

In jjwatson’s “Let’s Not Talk Politics This Christmas (I Don’t Want To Go To Jail)” Uncle Dave is of odd political persuasion. That Dave!

When Daniel Lee Becker starts opening boxes Xmas Day he exclaims “That Ain’t My Gift“. Why he keeps opening is a mystery. Even Uncle Dave’s shaving kit does not appease him. Indie pop.

Katie Dwyer & Sunflower Summit & Jessie Max wants to be the “Elf“, but worries that Dave’ll notice her making the nativity naughty. Flighty pop.

David tries to get Tracy to stay for Christmas, but Tracy replies “Tojo” never made it to Darwin. Hoodoo Gurus cracks the club rock whip, but all i hear is holidays.

Dave gets reminders, but he continually forgets to move that “Stupid Freakin’ Elf on the Shelf“. Glacial Erratic ups the tempo with rocking pop. Pretty novel.

Family Friendly Funtimes only wants “Dave Strider’s Butt” for Christmas. You had to be there. Experimental giggle-rap.

Then Dave got “Drunk on Christmas Cheer“, so he became fodder for a funky country diatribe from Chance Hunter. Not a complimentary portrait.

Davey stole a Christmas tree from the K-Mart last night, begins “Christmas in Paradise” by Mary Gauthier. He’s quite a character set in this alt country folk confession.

AI glee club brings us an “Indy Davy Christmas“, an odd mishmash of oddity and urbanity, attributed to Thomas MacArthur. I’ve room for it on the mantle.

Brief celeb sighting. Daily Reckless takes the piss with “David Attenborough, Where’s Your Camera?” Something to do with climate change and endless winter, but it sounds so Christmassy.

Black to the elderly! “Old Man Davie’s Christmas Kingdom” is Duotang’s great indie rock story about a bored store employee who hobbies fantastic decorating for the holidays in the storeroom. But, then the suits find out…

One of those names with fun diacritics, CHLOE shows as Chloë, Chloé, or Khloe. Something something fertility. Greek Goddess Demeter had this for a nickname.

One of those old childhood chums, Chloe’s coming over when Abby Siler returns to her small hometown in the slow pop “Christmas I’ve Been Missing“.

Sleepyhips has trouble picking between “Erica & Chloe” at Christmas time. They’re both pretty cool. Club indie (watch out for the twist ending).

David Houston delivers with the lite rock tribute “Merry Christmas, Chloe“. Nailed it.

While a variation of Carl, CHARLES has achieved such fame (due to Charlemagne?) it does get its own post.

Not sure if we’re digging into Thomas the Tank Engine, but “Choo Choo Christmas Night” has a scary train named Charles. BabyxGame brings the AI sinister in lieu of pop.

Too loopy to apply to celebrity, “Charles” by Exit 605 summarizes the Peanuts Xmas special with backwards tracks and Stephen Hawking vocals.

From the Rudolph special, “Charlie in the Box ( This Christmas Rocks)” by Charles Lindstrom sets the misfit toy stardom into the heavens. Gospel heights. I am not kidding.

Hold onto your novelty hats! “A Vacuum Is Not a Christmas Gift” is the argument AGAINST Chuck, who argues with Santa for its realization. City Prices goes folk pop all out on this serious as suck song.

“When Christmas was Cancelled” seems to be an history lesson about Oliver Cromwell doing that titular deed and King Charles resisting. There’s pilgrims and Jamestown in there. Holy crow. Daniel J Gaudet blows showtune.

Also skirting the cultural touchstones, “Citizen Kane Christmas” [studio] contrasts money and happiness. Charles Foster Kane may have been a loser especially during the holidays, according to Spyder Darling’s over-enunciated garage. Yet, i’d swap.

“We Are Charlie Kirk” claims to be a Christmas parody using music from a violent video game and touting the Christian virtues of intolerance and vengeance. Your the Best [sic] delivers your isolationist needs.

“What Charlie Wants for Christmas” from Dr. BLT may be in honor of the same martyr, but suggests world peace and freedom of speech as the folk thumping ideals.

Ruining more songs, AI delivers “Charlie’s Christmas Ride” about hitching with Santa. Paul Carafotes takes credit, but it’s mediocre pop at best.

Cassel’s “Charlie Goes Skiing” follows the existential crisis of a young Brit and the experimental rock of his deliverance. Whoa.

Sorry Dude’s “A Very Charlie Christmas” involves more wintery outdoors. But AI jazz rock melts all to slop.

AI dwells a bit oddly on “Charlie’s Christmas Cookies” by Shu Chen Hou. A fun childhood frolic becomes the meaning of life and death in this symphonic work.

Almost palatable, “Charlie & Me (A Christmas Memory)” is AI from New Song New Heart with a recognizable country sorrow to it. (Charlie’s his dog.)

Celtic AI sounds like “When Charlie Saved Christmas“, Steve Kovach’s cat hero adventure. [He fixes the sleigh.]

The alternative might be the lowest common denominator of “Chuckie the Dead-Toothed Drunkard“. BLUE ALERT nasty humor from Cat in a Box. No sin goes unturned.

Funky time! “Charlie Was a Snowman” is a playful screed from Pierre Komen. Melts me. [F’r contrast’s sake try the big band AI of Jazzy Hustle’s “Charlie the Snowman“. Hmmm.] [Or the ‘novelty’ BLUE ALERT AI pop from Fat Elvis & Friends Sing BS. Uh oh.] [Or the hyperactive kids’ version from B2 Kids. Uhhh.] [Then Earl Pep’s AI gospel pop “Charlie Kirk the Snowman” just alienates.]

Neil Sedaka’s “Baby’s First Christmas Lullaby” names Amanda and Charlotte, so i’m not sure which one’s newborn. But it’s gentle pop.

Glove Compartment’s “Christmas Is Ruined” begins at the office Christmas party for a romantic breakup. Then Charlotte from accounting happens by…. Piano rock opera like from the ’80s. Groovy.

Old English was so badly pronounced that broad was said BRAD. Welsh decided it meant betrayer. My weird as dirt name book insists (due to alliteration, celebrity identification, and some guy the editors knew) this is the sort of person who’d forget your birthday. Okay.

TadWadMCt is really into “Big Bad Brad!” so he raps horribly about him (and about trying to burn down Santa’s sleigh). Preteen delight.

On the other hand, “Christmas Eve at Granny’s House” involves Tori, Brad, Deb, and Rojana. Cousins, amiright? But, imma hurtin’ for Brad songs so let’s let Betty Overstreet take it away with some folk easy listening.

‘Bout my favorite Brad reference happens to “Santa Claus. December 26.” See, Santa’s pooped out and wants to hang with his bro, who’s getting on his nerves pretty harshly. Tony Thaxton (ft. Matt Taylor) nail this lite rock.

Bobby is short for BOB which is short for Rob which is short for Robert, in short. [We are ignoring Xmas songs about Dylan, Wills, Marley, Cratchit, and Squarepants here.]

One of my favorite Bob songs is Trout Fishing in America’s “Bob and Bob“, the identical snowflakes. Impossible you say? Folk kidsong.

“Bobby Wants a Puppy Dog for Christmas” has made a British novelty appearance on the blog before. But what if Merle Haggard done it? [Okay, Bowling for Soup outplayed both.]

Less happily “Bobby Got a BB Gun for Christmas” in an amateur pop number from Todds Holiday Greeting Disk. Chaos ensues. DUCK!

“Bobby Baxton’s Christmas Heater” by Bobby Braxton enshrines a craps game in the snow with AI lousy country drawling.

Vista Blue may have made a mistake thinking Santa is “Bobby Kringle“. Hard rocking celebration.

With a similar misidentification, Colin Buchanan & Greg Champion hail “Here Comes Christmas Bob“, Aussie folk pop about a holiday scalawag.

Perhaps “Santa’s Evil Twin, Bob” by Epsom Primary School explains it all. Kid rap.

Well, in “Tailgate Christmas” Bobby’s in red asking girls to sit on him. Tawdry country from Chance Hunter.

With Bobby (and Jenny) shopped for, Riders in the Sky ask the family matriarch for what they want for themselves. “Just Put a Ribon in Your Hair” is slow jazz with an agenda. Square flirting.

Neighbors Bob and Betty add to the malaise in Robbie Williams’s “Yeah! It’s Christmas!” It’s big band bitchin’.

“christmas bob!” by Cally and Casey saves the uking day! I guess. I can’t make out much from this basement folk.

Time for some Motown and “Peace For Christmas (Remastered)“. Chuck Alden funks us the possibility, or at least to Bobby from Boston. Sounds like Bobby’s got sent to ‘Nam, gang. Let us pray.

The Weeklings use measured hep cat rockabilly to assure us everything’s gonna be okay “Christmas Day“. [‘Ceptin’ Bobby, who didn’t get no muffin.] Straight from the ‘fridge, dad.

Lard Dog & The Band of Shy retro rock their party with a boss tune, an alien blob, a Christmas platypus named Bobby (with his ‘not nog’), and a “Crangleberry Christmas Tree“. Awesome.

Manly ANDREW derives for the Latinate ‘man‘. It’s like naming your dog ‘Dog’.

Not so manly, “Andy, The Christmas Horse” by RLB Trek tries to supplant the reindeer and please the children. Kidsong doggerel, but not half-assed. Who wants a ride?

Andy and Angie get a Christmas surprise from off-to-war absent Daddy in a mysterious way. How? “Love Will Find a Way” or so sings Marilyn Oakley with weird falsetto country pop.

More grownup, Doctor Christmas countries the rock for “Same Bar Every Christmas“. Andy, Oscar, and JK are just some of the losers here and not with family.

“Andy’s Christmas” as sung by Corky Coreson is pretty raw. He’s on the streets mistaken for Santa by a loopy little girl passing by. Country ballad of the pathetic kind.

DJ Scott threw a demo onto Bandcamp entitled “Andy’s Smokin’ on Christmas“. Sounds like emerging indie.

Maisie Peters stages a “Holy Revival” around the holidays to slam the door on some Andrew. Indie breakup party. Have a better New Year, girl.

Surf Party, USA dropped a Xmas joke album almost a decade ago. As surfers, they competed mercilessly, dumping all over the least talented in a number of mentions. Begin with a hymnally harmonic “Merry Christmas, Andrew Berg (Intro)“, continue with the experimental psychedelia of “Andrew Berg Is an Elf Who Lives in My Stocking“, and end with the ukulele tribute “Merry Christmas, Andrew Berg (Outro)“.

Andrew (mistaken for Billy) is “Scheming with Santa” in Shmandarin’s messed genre rocker. Not sure the play here, but i’m all for it.

ALAN is an immigrant name, a powerful invader what earned respect from the Romans way back when. BTW this is the old school spelling, all others are variants.

AI (FAIK BEATS) wrestles with original rock’n’roll renaming Santa Alan and warning “Don’t Mess With Alan’s Car“. Danceable.

Filthy Royalty (more AI) slows the rock into R+B with a mission to party and make it a “Filthy Christmas“. First, they gotta invite Alan. Drugs, drink, danger.

Frequenters to the blog remember John, Argyle, Holly, Hans, Ellis, and even Simon from the Christmas quadrilogy Die Hard–but GuyzNite’s “Die Hard” rocker refers to an Allen several times. Had to fact check, but Sgt. Powell’s first name was Al. Although not in half of these films, the song makes a point to miss him (and Xmas). Well done. Oh, and BLUE ALERT!!

Jill Johnson roams the vocal range with the slightly country/slightly jazz easy listening “I Want You for Christmas“.

Miss Rose & Her Rhythm Percolators sounds familiar when she sings “I Want You at Christmas“. But it’s a gender flip, and more ’20s than the last guys what done it. Big band with loads of strings.

Onionmaster (ft. A Starwar Betamax)’s “I Want You for Christmas” is remixed, filtered, sped up, and generally ruined for your listening displeasure. I dare you to listen (all the way through).

Jesse Belvin takes us back to when doo wop was no longer just blues, but on the way to rock and roll with “I Want You with Me Christmas“. Iconic.

No wonder then that six years later Big Dee Irvin and Little Eva’s “I Wish You a Merry Christmas” is much more pop rock and roll. Whoa oh baby. (Who you calling FAT?!)