Category: rock

Don We Now: –sweaters?!?

How Best to render the terribleness of the item? Listen (or run!):

Yakking to the smell of “That Ugly Sweater” The Spoons revel in revulsion with chimey syn-co-pa-ted pop music.

From the same radio station contest, Alan Frew and Sam Reid parody the 1986 Bryan Adams led Glass Tiger hit ‘Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)’ with “Ugly Christmas (Sweater Song).” Poppy, peppy, mediocre.

Ugly and we know it! claim the “Ugly Christmas Sweaters” as related to Joke of All Trades. Lounge piano lite jazz presenting a shopping list of what clutters up your front.

Face Vocal Band just hates “The Ugly Christmas Sweater.” Country pop is cerainly the way to underline how bad this embarrassment is. (Doesn’t even match his eyes.)

Blues is more apropos. Ultra cool JD McPherson’s latest thing (His Holiday album Socks) wafts some Hawaiian guitar into a jazz fusion lament: “Ugly Sweater Blues.” Mama!

Let’s just say it: this is a punishment for naughty joes and jaes. Leonard Balistreri’s Mistletoe Conspiracy zips out a fine retro e-z listening rock “Ugly Sweater” with vim and vinegar too.

Don We Now: accessories to the frost

What else can we deck you out with?

Conventionally, we bejewel to formalize the outfit. So we’ll allow The Christmas Pranksters to joke around with ‘Jolly old St. Nicholas’ to warn us of a “Big Fake Diamond Necklace.” It’ll turn your neck green!

But i still want you warm. If you will,follow me to the Bandcamp site to listen to “Mittens from Heaven” from tvallier. This electronic lite pop is worth the detour.

Vince Ah is provoking you with his cry to “Borrow Your Scarf.” Still, he cares for you this holiday what with his pop music and all.

Matt Swift unpluggedly rocks out the concern that you not be alone. He wishes you well and “Hats and Scarves” to keep you this Christmas.

Take a Card: rock

Yeah, rock and roll is all over the place. The Beatles AND The Rolling Stones AND Little Richard?!

Let’s start with Beatles inspiration, then. Filipino group Another Paul Band (get it?) has a romantic ballad “Christmas Card” to win your heart, girl. Very light rock.

Hard driving folk can be rock’n’roll. Adam Plost’s “Christmas Card of ’42” takes us on a hollerin’ tour of WWII and the precious cargo of that letter from home in his pocket while fearing for the worst. But his card home will reassure you, so long as i never tell of the horrors I’ve seen. So, that’s different.

Light rock, almost prog rock, from pulmonary fibrosis suffering amateur Donny P. “Home Made Christmas Card” is heartfelt, but the guy’s on an oxygen tank.

Leaning out of rock gets easier every decade. Sounding equal parts Bowie and alt-rock, “Father Sgt. Christmas Card” from Guided by Voices goes a bit psychedelic, but bangs on the guitar just hard enough to rock it. Yeah, what is it about?

Technically garage rock (more later) The Hombres have the pedigree of the ’60s for their cult status, and their “Last Christmas Card” is Ennio Moricone plunkity folk with a bleak theme. No, i can’t hear the lyrics either. But that’s (B-side) rock to me.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: on purpose

Is it weird to sing about singing? Is it funny?

Amusedly angry, The Fallen Trees calls out the music industry to get with the program and EVERYONE sing some “Same Old Holiday Song.” Kidding?

Paul and Storm try hard to be funny. They’re comic musicians, you see (not musical comics). For Cards Against Humanity (the game) they wrote “Christmas Christmas Song” as a self referential ear jerker, trying to be so bad they’re good. I’ll leave it to you.

Singing Songs About Singing Songs: it’s what’s for present

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.

Sing a Song of Singing Songs: along for the song

Building a community out of song ain’t so easy. You have to ask.

Irving Oil has a corporate team-building video in which all their employees have to sing “Everyone’s Got a Christmas Song to Sing“–specifically, this one!

Todd McHatton, a Washington state treasure, has an indefinite one-of-a-kind style. This kids song/’70s rock/peoples’ anthem will beckon and distance you all at once. “Sing Along to The Christmas Song” may not be possible, but you’ll catch yourself swaying i bet to its randomness.

As Seen on TV: Community

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.

As Seen on TV: Sesame Street

Not quite a half a century old, the Street that built The Childrens Television Workshop has housed many a talent, and launched many a literacy program. But it’s also featured some cool Xmas songs. (This also is not a regularly scheduled drama/sitcom, but it’s got such good stuff i can’t keep my mitts off.)

Less than 10 years out, Merry Christmas from Sesame Street dropped in vinyl. Highlights included “I Hate Christmas” from Oscar the Grouch. Recalls vaudeville and Jimmy Durante.

“Saludo (aguinaldo)” and “Arrurru” were more ethnic celebrations from neighbors Luis and Maria. These songs were not carried over into the rereleases of this record into CD.

The show taught you how to have a family, too, with songs like “Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year).” Grand overture in lite chorale.

A later album Sesame Street Christmas Sing-Along counters this with “Counting the Days,” one of those genre experiments that introduces the wee ones to cotton candied classic rock’n’roll. That’s the only original song from that disk.

1996’s ‘Elmo Saves Christmas’ features the horror of the children being in charge. Elmo wishes every day should be Christmas. When it comes true weariness, bitterness, and mayhem ensues.

“It’s Christmas Again” was a refrain played throughout the hour, showing how fed up the chorale got each time they had to sing it. Comedy gold.

Charles Durning tries to teach THE LESSON to Elmo in song with “Every Day Can’t be Christmas.” Somber stuff. Tough love. Pay attention, you greedy brats.

During the regular run of the show celebrities wanted to be educational for the kids, or i guess some of them are doing community service.

In a 2oo7 TV special ‘Elmo’s Christmas Countdown,’ we get plenty of juice.

Sheryl Crow duets with Elmo for “It’s Almost Christmas.” Kid pop with a nice alt twist.

Anne Hathaway sings and dances with Big Bird for “I Want a Snuffleupagus for Christmas.” You got that right.

Jamie Foxx gets weird with his “Nutcracker Mash” sprinkling light jazz/hip hop on top the Tchaikovsky.

Kevin James brings it home with some classic rock bidness in “You Just Gotta Believe.” Credit where credit is due.