Yule Shoot Your Eye Out!

I can't really tell you too much about Chicago's Jan Terri (her website seems to have vanished); I did manage to find a short film (scroll down) about her. A good analogue is (if you're from the Boston area like I am) our very own BJ Snowden. Except that Jan is a chauffeur, not a music teacher. I stumbled upon today's song on a compilation (buy it) of performances from the Chic-a-Go-Go TV show (a cable-access kids' dance show hosted by the effervescent Mia Park that has amazing musical guests).

Rock N Roll Santa

The CD came out in 2000 but Jan's track seems to have originally aired in December 1996. This is one of those songs that, after a few listens, latches onto your brain and refuses to let go. Oh, and to connect this to my most recent post, Yo La Tengo released a cover version on their limited edition Merry Christmas from Yo La Tengo EP in 2002 that, while good, doesn't quite measure up to the original.

In 1998, Dump (a.k.a. James McNew, who plays bass for Yo La Tengo on the side) released That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice?, a 7-track cassette of Prince covers on Shrimper. Three years later it was released on CD with five extra songs, including this over-the-top bummed-out xmas ditty.

Another Lonely Christmas

Prince's version (buy it) is the ultimate but Dump's interpretation is great, too. Unfortunately the Dump CD is currently out of print; keep an eye on eBay and you should be able to snag one at a reasonable price. (Buy other Dump CDs!)

Sloppy Seconds does a decent cover of "Hooray for Santa Claus" but I think today's song is vastly superior. Not only is it an original, it's also a really good bummed-out Xmas tune ("I don't need no one else I got my / Microwave and a turkey pot pie"--absolutely gutting). Buzzy punk with a friggin' catchy chorus.

Lonely Christmas

It was released on Taang! as a single in 1992 (buy it) and is also on their 1993 album Knock Yer Block Off! (buy it).

Ahh, the Christmas novely song. Today's track, by the Go Go's (no, not those Go-Go's!), dates to 1964 and was an attempt to cash-in on a new BBC television show, Dr. Who. Get a 17-year old singing as though she's five and have a 'Dalek' (the bad-guy robots from the show) on the track, saying things like "Happy Christmas" and "I love you" (!) and you've got something guaranteed to really bum-out the sci-fi nerds. (Maybe even throw in the riff from the Peter Gunn theme for good measure. Why not? It can't hurt, right?) I don't believe an outrage of that magnitude was perpetrated again until George Lucas unleashed Jar Jar Binks on an unsuspecting public in 1999.

I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With a Dalek

This song can be found on the compilation CD Who Is Dr. Who (buy it), released in 2000 by the oh-so fab RPM label.

Today's cup of yuletide cheer comes from renaissance man Terry Allen (I notice from his bio that we miss sharing a birthday by three days--different years, though). I'm not familiar enough with Country music to tell you what sub-genre this belongs in. I definitely wouldn't call it Contemporary Country though (I can tell it isn't because I like the song). It appears on his 1999 album Salivation (buy it) from the Sugar Hill label (not to be confused with the Sugarhill label).

Xmas on the Isthmus (clean edit)

The version I have is from a radio promo single, so the swears are edited out; I hope that's not a problem.

This Sparks tune is from their brilliant 1974 album Kimono My House (buy it). It was one of those albums that I (as a music dork) always read was a 'must-have' but I never got it until after someone gave me a tape. (Thanks Charlotte!) I had one of those moments: "I know you people told me it was good but, dang! You didn't tell me it was that good. (Okay, well, maybe you did. But you didn't make me believe you!)"

Thank God It's Not Christmas

Perhaps not a Christmas song in the traditional sense but since it's about Christmas (in part, at least), I say it makes the cut.

Say, does anyone know if Queen's "Thank God It's Christmas" (buy it) was a response?

Last Monday we heard from a Swedish band; today we're back in Scandinavia - this time, Finland - for Hanoi Rocks. If you haven't heard this band, you might at least be aware of them from Vince Neil's 1984 drunk driving accident which resulted in the death of the band's drummer, Razzle. Perhaps you even think you know what this band sounds like if you've seen pictures of them: all pouty and teased-up hair. Wrong. They play straight-forward hard rock, with one foot firmly rooted in the '70s (think NY Dolls with a little glam) and the other foot... well, the other foot is busy kicking your ass!

Dead by X-mas

Originally released as a single in 1981, it's currently available on the highly recommended (by me) Self Destruction Blues (buy it), which collects many non-album tracks from the band's first three years.

Here's another bummer xmas song: London-based band Spearmint are (at least here in the States) an underrated indie band deserving of wider recognition. In early 2000 they released (on their own hitBACK label) a 9-song concept mini-album called Oklahoma! (buy it) dealing with Christmas; so you gotta like that.

Howling Christmas

Lazy post tonight. Not that hot of a version and by a band I don't really care for (that is considered seminal by some because of all the bands various members went on to form), but for the sake of enlightenment, here's Cap'n Jazz's version.

Winter Wonderland

It was originally on a double 7" comp from 1993 called A Very Punk Christmas and is currently available on the Cap'n Jazz collection Analphabetapolothology (buy it) on Jade Tree.