“No Xmas for John Quays” is a free verse punk ramble about how there is no proper holiday celebration for junkies. The 555 is a reference to buying cigs (A packet of three-five fives) at the tobacconist’s, perhaps the most fun a heroin addict can have out and about. Ask The Fall.
Christmas Countdown: 600
Fralphie Jenkins growls into the monotonous altrock of driving “December 24th (600 Miles to Go)” making the journey to the folks a Sisyphean hell of never-ending mileage. Epic angst, kids. Might be dead. Damn. Don’t try this at home. [An alternate verzh of this, “Ice on the Floor (Christmas Eve),” takes a long long Dark Side of the Moon intro, after which reality melds travel with arrival, hazard with cozy–so much so that the end of the song is the beginning. Aahhh!]
Christmas Countdown: 602… BLUE ALERT
“Tradition” is a lame title for a missed holiday connection(Flight 602 from Laguardia To Phoenix Arizona)broken heart, but the soul of Campanella pitches beautiful woe over the long distance… then, wait for the happy ending surprise!
May have missed a gem… Martin Tielli has some crazy experimental notions on music. “Sergeant Kraulis” (I am 60238 in the narcotics division) is about a wild Wednesday around Christmas in the ‘life’ of a policeman who is psychedelically tainted, taunted, and smoked. I’d tell you more but i listened to this twice now and i have to go lie down.
Christmas Countdown: 610 BLUE ALERT
Nihilism all wrapped up with a bow from Christmas Cretin in the form of “Androgynous Grinch Groove .” Apparently No one cares In the 484 In the 610 about the people of Allentown and parts west of Philly. A sample of Cat Stevens later and it’s all poop-a-doop-doop. Guess i don’t care about this raging techno metal.
Christmas Countdown: 666
420 Stoner Metal gets repetitive in their metallic/experimental production “Christmas No. 666,” but it’s all hell all the time.
The boredom of it all inspires “666 Christmas 666 (Endless Summer),” a downbeat pop dirge from Hot Gossip.
Everlast warns of the mark of the beast 666 in the righteously angry rap “Speak No Evil.” Satan bad. Jesus good. Got it? (If not, try the message backwards on the link below.)
Christmas Countdown: A689
Time to get weird. “Xmas off the A689” from Faithful Johannes tells the tale of a traveller’s spinout in a whiteout and his slow submission to exposure stuck in his car for the holidays. The A689 is a stretch of UK roadway from Carlisle in Cumbria, to Hartlepool in County Durham. This is near Scotland touching on about the only ski-center in England. So, less merry and more brrr.
Christmas Countdown: 700
Dionne Welch takes the reins of the church choir and announces “This Christmas” with soaring faith and awe. She begins: 700 years of our hearts crying out You sent your words through the prophets–and looks like prophecies of the Jayby’s birth rang out centuries before the first Christmas. If you’re counting (Matthew is).
Christmas Countdown: 710 BLUE ALERT
More playful rap from isthatfr0st (ft. Ham Sandwich, 954mari, Ty Wild & more) about playing the game in “How the Camogod Scammed Christmas.” Among the fun’n’stuff someone Just switched lil timmy’s 3070 for a 710 which looks to be jacking some kid’s decent graphics card outta his video gaming computer system and leaving him with crap. ‘Tis the season.
Christmas Countdown: 7/11 BLUE ALERT
Hollywood Undead claim to have a tough ‘hood in “Christmas in Hollywood.” Some kid even steals from the 7/11. Also, booze, sex, adult oppression. Hanukkah shows up, too. Rapping white boys. Amiright?
Bob Rivers sneaks in a 7/11 ref in his overproduced ‘Oz’ parody “The Magical Kingdom of Claus.” It’s a sketch, but the number is noted in song, so let’s play. (This is historical, kids, so you’ll have to look up some of the cultural signifiers.)
Christmas Countdown: 713
So the ghetto in ATW’s “Merry Ghetto Christmas” is the poor neighborhoods of Houston. So 713 is the sign off (referencing the Area Code) after wandering through allusions to drugs, guns, sex, and Disney. Poetical rap.
Shaq, the Intellectual has more soul and respect for his “Christmas Dancer” (a country girl from the 713). Love song!