Some of these again-Christmas bits i don’t mind hearing again.
Don Ho’s best Dean Martin impression is “It’s Christmas Time Again.” Super smarmy lounge long-notes. Ah-may-zing.
“Christmas Time is Here Again” by 1968 soul sister group The Flirtations is as much psychedelia as it is pop R+B. Groovy gravy.
Ringo Starr enlarges a piece of comedy from an old Beatles Christmas fan bonus disc in “Christmas Time is Here Again.” The repetition pays off for me in this pop music rock. Personal messages fill the ever-lasting outro (that’s oh-you-tee-are-oh). (For a more odd update, cf. Zen Fuse Box.)
After Christmas, guess what? There’ll be Christmas coming ’round again. That’s my premise, any ways. A ‘Groundhog Day’ form of insanity Macbeth complained about creeping into this petty pace of life. Sigh. Here we go again. Then again. You get the idea….
This call should be the exhilaration of Backstreet Boys doot-doo-ing “It’s Christmas Time Again.” Every time they announce the title it’s a party of boy-band pop scat.
Watering down R+B, Ashanti smooth-warbles “Christmas Time Again.” Also listing all the features that recur annually, which leads to love, baby. (Stay tuned for a personal memory from her to you.)
Adrain B (feat. Shawn Sounds) gets almost silly with gleefulness in “Christmas Time Again.” It’s that good, at least in soul.
I prefer the Philip-Glass-altered-state i get from My Morning Jacket’s wandering melody “Xmas Time is Here Again.” You never know when this cool club music’ll end, but it is quite the carousel ride.
Can we end it upbeat? And by that I mean sickly sweet, drink-the-Kool-aid mind wipey fallout optimism. Hold your breath, here we go.
I’m talking about ’70s spirit guru Rod McKuen barely singing his poem “The Day After Christmas.” This pop love-fest ropes all the daydreamy clichés into one whispery nest of bourgeoise balloon animals. Eye roll!
What sounds like instruments tuning up is Full Band setting up Dennis Hartman’s “Christmas is Over,” an up-with-people paean of all the details a Hallmark movie set decorator could ever need. Groan!
Larry Campanella sings a bit above register to raise magic-awareness. “Can’t It Last a Little After Christmas?” reminds this electronic easy-listening essay with almost-hit notes. Hoo boy!
Perhaps a sweet bluegrass hope from Greg Herman–“After Christmas Song” fights the January blues by not putting away any of the decorations and just pretending! Uh, no.
‘Kay, i can’t keep this up! Meiko finishes out the month with “Maybe Next Year” I’ll be better… a mantra of self improvement slopped over a naughtiness that can’t barely be overlooked. Time to get outta the Christmastime. ‘Cuz it’s got a warrant.
What is there to live for–? Xmas gone, no more hope for humankind….
Okay, we’ve covered the breakups after Xmas, but when the loss of love erases all meaning… Christmas collapses, dude. Listen to the broken-ness of “The Day After Christmas” from the desultory Kate Miller-Heidke and judge the hurt yourself.
Slingshot Dakota bangs the drum loudly for “Day After Christmas,” admitting to the broken emptiness. Owie.
“Christmas is Over” says Maxim Rözge, but his dirge jazz is really about how his life is over. Bleak stuff, then kazoos!
Leave me alone–go away! chants The Ladies of Sport in their “Christmas is Over.” Moaning ’80s pop-rock.
Randy Pinchbeck goes all the way (through climate catastrophe) to the endtimes with “‘Twas the Day After Christmas,” a folk dirge with a peppy backbeat.
Shake it off! The time after Xmas is just time. Neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so. Make it so, Number One.
Kenny Hines takes the ornaments off the tree one by one in his “Post Christmas Song,” reliving the significance from Granny, Santa, and Jesus. It’s all good with his American rock smartness.
John Vosel & The Party Crashers have got more direction with their post-X plans. “Santa Claus is Going to the Super Bowl” with ’80s discount rock’n’roll, so wave your lighters like you didn’t spray your hair.
Trains, Planes, Automobiles… sometimes you don’t get home until after Xmas. Is that okay?
Aqua Teen Hunger Force stomps all over the traditional ‘Home for Christmas’ with “I’ll be Home the Day After Christmas.” Potty, pathetic parody. I’ll drink to that.
Hectic Hat swears that “After Christmas” they’ll be home with sweet emo-boy polky pop. The sirens in the background tell another story, though.
Hoping and praying, Madelynne Witt works hard at homewardness “Days After Christmas.” Missing her baby so much. Slow pop with a country influence.
The sentiment sours when that place you grew up is forever lost to you. Tennessee Twin twiddles the bluegrass into gold with “X-Mas is Past.” The blues don’t bring these proud ones down, though. Life goes on, ‘cuz–Jeezus.
