Yule Shoot Your Eye Out!

Help!!

2005-12-23T10:25:00.000-05:00

I have 5 songs that I lost the information for. They were most likely released in 2002 (I'm pretty sure that's when I aquired them). The first three are by the same artist (2 different versions of the same song, and one other); the singer sounds similar to Cerys Matthews from Catatonia but it's not her. The other two songs are by two different artists. If anyone has any ideas about who they are, please leave a comment here. I'm going to put the file on rapidshare so more people can hear them; hopefully someone will be able to ID them.

mystery songs

The Yule Ball

2005-12-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

My friend Paul is about as obsessed with xmas music as I am (he DJ'd an annual xmas marathon, had bands that performed xmas songs, even released a really good comp of indie xmas music, This Is Christmas (buy it for cheap)). Then he and his brother started up a Harry Potter fixated band, Harry and the Potters. On their self-titled debut album from 2003, there's a song about the Yule Ball called, appropriately, The Yule Ball. As I was readying this post, I discovered that this year he's put together a Harry Potter-themed Christmas comp called A Magical Christmas of Magic (buy it).

The Yule Ball

Home for the Holidays (Mix 2)

2005-12-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

This year it's gonna be Christmas with the in-laws (and the brother-in-law's in-laws) for me, so I once again have taken it upon myself to make a mix to share with them &mdash this year I'm also sharing it with you fine folks. Except for a couple of songs, these are all readily available elsewhere; there's nothing particularly remarkable about this (continuous) mix but I think it sounds pretty good. Throw it on a CD and give it to your mom, the mailman, whomever; play it Christmas morning whilst opening your presents; pass the link around, or skip along to the next posting.
Merry Christmas to all!

1 | 2 (2 part rar file because it's just a hair over 100 mb.)

track listing:
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Andy Williams)
Here Comes Santa Claus (Doris Day)
Too Fat for the Chimney (Gisele MacKenzie)
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (Elvis Presley)
Step into Christmas (Elton John)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (The Smithereens)
Jingle Bell Rock (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass)
Winter Wonderland (Darlene Love)
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Les Brown)
Cool Yule (Louis Armstrong and the Commanders)
Sleigh Ride (The Ventures)
Silver Bells (Wayne Newton)
Happy Holiday (Peggy Lee)
Frosty the Snowman (The Beach Boys)
I've Had a Very Merry Christmas (Jerry Lewis)
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Brenda Lee)
The Real Meaning of Christmas (Ray Conniff)
White Christmas (Rosemary Clooney)
Five Pound Box of Money (Pearl Bailey)
This Christmas (Don Ho)
Christmas Island (Bob Atcher and the Dinning Sisters)
Mele Kalikimaka (Bing Crosby With the Andrews Sisters)
Baby's First Christmas (Connie Francis)
Ole Santa (Dinah Washington)
Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (Oscar McLollie and His Honey Jumpers)
Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Berry)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Ella Fitzgerald)
Christmas Time Is Here (Vince Guaraldi Trio)
The Christmas Song (Frank Sinatra)

PS I'll post the cover when our art department (aka my wife) has finished it.

Christmas at War

2005-12-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

Today's double post came about inadvertantly. I had this Melissa Etheridge track that I wanted to share but since I'm not really into her music, it's just been kinda languishing here on my hard drive. Then today I was going through the stacks to pick a song and I came across a Dogbowl tune from 2001 and thought, yeah, that's the one. Then I realized that thematically it goes perfectly with the Melissa Etheridge tune, so here they are: two anti-war xmas songs. The Dogbowl track is from an album called Fantastic Carburetor Man and the Etheridge track is from her new best of (buy it).

The 1972 Christmas Bombing of North Vietnam - Dogbowl
Christmas in America - Melissa Etheridge
- - (both songs in a zip file)

Christmas

2005-12-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

I always loved the Posies song, Christmas, on the Just Say Noël comp from 1996 (buy it). It took a while before I found out that it was a cover (I had wondered why they would be singing about Boston). Turns out the original is by yet another band from Boston, Fuzzy, who were poised to be the Next Big Thing for about 6 or 7 minutes in the mid-'90s. The song is on their second album, Electric Juices (buy it dirt cheap), from 1996. It's a purty (but pretty depressing) song; I think I still prefer the Posies version.

Christmas (zip of both versions)

Oookaaay, while finishing up this post, I discovered that the Fuzzy version is not the original, either. It was written by Florence Dore, a singer/songwriter who did time here in Boston, too. Dunno what she released it on in the first place but she does have a CD, Perfect City (buy it), on her site with a version of it (the original? who knows?)

Nothing for Christmas

2005-12-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

Connecticut band The Reducers have been around for quite a while at this point—since 1978, holy crap!

Originally released as the a-side of a holiday single in 1988, you can pick up this mid-tempo "I been a baaaaaad boy" rocker on their 1991 anthology CD, Redux (buy it). The double negative in the chorus drives the grammar Nazi in me crazy: "I'm not getting nothing for Christmas" means that you ARE getting SOMEthing. Petty, I know but sheesh! Still, a good, solid song.

Nothing for Christmas

While researching this post, I discovered that the band is currently offering the b-side from this single—a festive, rockin' version of "Auld Lang Syne"—as a free download at their website. Pretty cool!

Million Miles

2005-12-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

The Shods are a Boston rock band whose major label debut (their second full-length) was recorded for a label that that went under before the album could be released (though the label's parent company hung onto it for FIVE YEARS before the band was allowed to release it). Their third album, Bamboozled, Jilted, Hornswoggled + Hoodwinked (buy it)—their second to see release—was my introduction to the band in 1998. I swear I could hear that album every day for the rest of my life and it would never get old. I remember vividly that my two favorite rock albums that year were Bamboozled... and Gaunt's Bricks and Blackouts (buy it dirt cheap!). Anyway, the Shods next album, Thanks for Nuthin' (buy it), did not blow me away as completely as Bamboozled... did, but it rocked me nonetheless. Also, it had a Christmas song on it.

Million Miles

The Goodies Times Two

2005-12-13T17:49:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year, my good friend Pip asked me if I had ever seen a British kids show called The Goodies. To his surprise and dismay, I hadn't. Apparently he had loved it as a child and recollected it was hilarious. After our chat he set about finding a video copy of the show and on amazon.co.uk, he struck paydirt—a DVD (buy it) and CD combo at a very reasonable price. The only drawback was that he didn't have an all-region DVD player (not that it stopped him from ordering). When the discs arrived, he was all too happy to loan them to me so I could watch the show and tell him how funny it is. Unfortunately, it's not. I don't claim to be a particularly mature 30-something but the humor was just way too juvenile. (I'm sure it would have cracked me up even in high school—I still thought Benny Hill was amusing at that point.) I didn't even get to enjoy the feelings of nostalgia I would've undoubtedly had if I'd watched the show in my youth.

Along with the DVD was a CD called "Funky Gibbon—The Best of the Goodies" (named after their Big Hit) (buy it). Goofy early-'70s pop/rock, not much to recommend. However, nestled together at the end of the CD were two Christmas songs. Neither particularly great BUT not anything that I'd come across before, either. Singles released in consecutive years, they both made the UK Top 20. (Not particularly proud moments for British music history.)

Father Christmas, Do Not Touch Me (1974)
Make a Daft Noise for Christmas (1975)
- - (both songs in a zip file)

P.S. I think Pip still hasn't watched his DVD yet.

The Man With All the Toys

2005-12-12T13:35:00.000-05:00

Black Helicopter is a Boston-area band comprised of former members of two classic '90s-era Boston-area bands, Kudgel and Green Magnet School. While perhaps not as heavy as either of those bands, Black Helicopter is still quite good. Most of their songs' lyrics are taken from some guy who used to come into the convenience store where one or more of the band members used to work. He would say all sortsa crazy shit and they turned that into lyrics. Check the mp3 link on their site to hear some goodies and then buy their CD.

Their Christmas song is from a self-released CD single from 2000. It showed up at the radio station my show was on; I don't know if it was ever commercially available or not.

The Man With All the Toys

It's a fairly straightforward—albeit heavier—cover of the Beach Boys classic.

Away in a Manger

2005-12-11T18:48:00.000-05:00

Green River is probably best known for spawning two other bands: Mudhoney and Mother Love Bone (Mother Love Bone is probably best known for spawning one other band: Pearl Jam.) Today's track comes from a comp on a now-defunct Seattle label, C/Z, called Another Pyrrhic Victory.

Away in a Manger

Silent Night

2005-12-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a hidden gem I've uncovered for you: at the end of one of the discs in The David Sedaris Box Set (buy it), there's an outtake of him doing his patented Billie Holiday impression.

Silent Night

If you're not familiar with him, David Sedaris writes hilarious essays and has appeared on This American Life on numerous occasions (buy all his books!). His sister Amy is also hilarious and starred in Strangers With Candy (soon to be a Major Motion Picture).

Xmas

2005-12-07T12:23:00.000-05:00

I realize that some of you may fear that I've lost the thread; fear not! Today's post has sleigh bells and a repeated refrain that includes the word "Christmas." Jesse Malin used to be in a great NYC punk rock band, D-Generation. When he released his debut solo album, The Fine Art of Self-Destruction (buy it), in 2003, I expected something equally rockin'. Imagine my surprise to find that it was actually a rootsy singer-songwriter affair—a really good one at that. AND it had a Christmas song on it (icing on the cake).

Xmas

Coke Dealer Is Coming to Town

2005-12-05T17:11:00.000-05:00

I've had many requests for this track but haven't shared it until now because it was never officially released and I knew it could be traced back to me if I passed it around without permission from the artist. But this past weekend (Saturday afternoon, to be precise) I stopped by my favorite liquor mart to stock up for the holidaze. When I got to the door, it flew open as two beefy security guards strong-armed some poor soul out onto the street (literally the street—the guy barely missed getting hit by a crosstown bus). When he clutched at my arm as I was once again attempting to enter the store, I realized that this was no ordinary troublemaking drunkard; this was my old nemesis Harlem Greenwood, frontman of Boston's infamous Coke Dealer. Once he got the bleeding stopped, he explained that his troubles with store security were simply the result of a misunderstanding—he had fully intended to pay and had merely placed the bottle in his pocket to ensure that he didn't drop it on the floor to break like the first one had. I saw my opportunity and seized it. In exchange for the purchase of one large carton of wine, I secured Greenwood's permission to post this track here. I would include a link exhorting you to buy something (anything) of Coke Dealer's but Harlem and his cohort, Stu Walker, can't seem to get it together enough to slap up a website, let alone any marketable product. (Walker, however, did manage—with considerable help from the visionaries at Odd Halo—to put out a remarkable CD of his solo recordings, which I now exhort you to buy—check his site or myspace page and hassle him to sell you a copy.)

If you want to know more about the man, the myth, the legend that is Harlem Greenwood, you can read two different interviews conducted by the legendary-in-his-own-right Sleazegrinder here and here.

Coke Dealer Is Coming to Town

The track was recorded in 2000 and remains unreleased to this day.

Edit:
I'll keep refreshing the download for this track only. If you try to get it and it has expired, please leave a comment and I'll re-up it ASAP.

All the Way...

2005-12-03T12:36:00.000-05:00

OK, this one is stretching the theme here a bit but the vibe of the song makes me think of being out on a quiet street at night while it's snowing; it has that dreamy quality to it. And there's that lyric about "the sound of the snow falling." The song's from the newest Ladytron album, Witching Hour (buy it).

All the Way...

It came out earlier this year on Rykodisc.

Danny Says

2005-08-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

What? I didn't say I'd be posting every morning, noon and night. So get offa my back already!

Last night's viewing of the great Ramones documentary, End of the Century (buy it/rent it), inspired today's post. Sure everyone knows "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight)" but on 1980's End of the Century album (buy it), there's a song buried in there about being on tour in the winter, away from loved ones; a real good, melancholy track.

Danny Says

I love that line about being in LA: "It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow."

Joy to U.C. (Berkeley, That Is)

2005-08-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting archival item. In December of 1964, the U.C. Berkeley Free Speech Movement released a 7" EP of traditional Christmas carols with the lyrics changed to relate to their situation. From what little I could discover on the web, it may or may not have been credited to "Joe LaPenta, Barry Jablon, Dustin Miller, Ken Sanderson and friends." According to this site (scroll to the Dec. 9th entry at the bottom), they sold 4500 copies in two days (no word as to the total number of records pressed). It had a picture sleeve and came with a lyric sheet; if anyone can hook me up with scans, that would be amazing.

Fortunately the library at U.C. Berkeley has streaming audio of the complete record. I've taken that, split the tracks up and converted them to mp3s--all for your listening pleasure.

Joy to U.C. [10MB zip file]

The track listing :

Oski Dolls [Jingle Bells] / We Three Deans [We Three Kings] / U.C. Administration [O, Little Town of Bethlehem] / Hail to IBM [Ode to Joy] / It Belongs to the University [The Twelve Days of Christmas] / Silent Night / Call Out the Deans [Carol of the Bells] / Masters of Sproul Hall [*] / God Rest Ye Free Speech Movementniks [God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen] / O Come All Ye Mindless [O Come All Ye Faithful] / Joy to U.C. [Joy to the World]

* - can't quite place this one, though it is not, as one site claims, a parody of "Masters of War." If you know it, please leave a comment. Thanks!

edit: The King of Jingaling has pegged it! It's "Masters in This Hall." Well done, King; I can't say I'm surprised, though ; )

Sleighride to Heck

2005-08-03T15:00:00.000-04:00

Today's noon post features another New Englander. James Kochalka may be better known for the comics that he produces (buy some) than the music he releases under the name James Kochalka Superstar; both are lots of fun. His newest album, Our Most Beloved (buy it), is a collection of tracks that have been previously released. There are old favorites like "Magic Finger" ("It's my dink, it's my dink / It's a magic finger / Pointing at all the pretty girls"), "Monkey vs. Robot" and "Put Down the Gun" ("Put down the gun Kurt Cobain / Don't blow out your brain"). I'm not sure where the song I'm posting is from originally, this is the first place I've seen it. I guess it was originally done in 1992 with his old band, Jazzin' Hell but it sounds like it probably was re-recorded.

Sleighride to Heck

Some of the best abuse of Auto-Tune since the "Trendy American remix" of the White Stripes' "Pretty Good Looking."

I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas

2005-08-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

In order to make up for slacking 'round these parts, I'll be posting morning, noon and night in an effort to assuage my feelings of guilt. Here's a nice new track that may have slipped by some of you. It's from Aimee Mann's most recent album, The Forgotten Arm (buy it). It's a <sarcasm>happy little number</sarcasm> about a junkie who's talking (as most junkies are wont to do) about getting off the stuff.

I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up for Christmas

It's probably unneccessary for me to point this out but in case you're not familiar with Ms. Mann, she used to be in the '80s band 'Til Tuesday. Useless trivia: long ago she used to work for the company that I currently work for--FACT.

Angel in the Snow

2005-07-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

Today's song is not Christmas-specific--it's about walking around outside in the winter (and, duh, making snow angels). Nice to think about while I'm sweating away in this hotbox where the computer is. It's by Marine Research, the band formed from the remnants of Heavenly. This makes today's song the second track I've featured with vocals by the lovely Amelia Fletcher. [the other one]

Angel in the Snow

This song was released in 1999 on the band's Parallel Horizontal CD single (buy it) on K Records.

Silent Night

2005-07-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

I chose today's song because I finally saw the Klaus Nomi documentary The Nomi Song (buy it/rent it) last night. Highly recommended.

Recorded in 1979 and given away on cassette as a present to friends, it wasn't officially released until 1998 when the Heliocentric label put out a CD single pairing it with another unreleased track from 1979, "Za Bak Daz."

Silent Night

It has a weird, island kind of vibe to it and the sound quality isn't the best but it's a nice little oddity.

Christmas Day

2005-07-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

What About George was a band from 'round these parts (Boston). A friend of mine even used to work with George at the ice cream place aound the corner from my place of employment. Anyway, I don't remember ever hearing about them when they were around (mid to late-'90s). I don't even remember how I came across this song. Probably at the radio station, but maybe at the store. I guess that's not even important.

Christmas Day

Rollicking, up-tempo power-poppy goodness with a solid beat and gratuitous sleighbells tagged on the end of the song. It's from an EP released in 1996 called Just a Touch (buy it) and was co-produced by Dave Minehan of the Neighborhoods.

Den Trawler

2005-06-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

Here's a really nice track that seems to be designed to slip under the xmas music radar (fortunately, my xmas music radar is pretty powerful!). It's from the Spinanes and appears on their 1998 Sub Pop album Arches and Aisles (buy it).

Den Trawler

The song's title doesn't exactly scream "Yuletide!" but it's a great downtempo number with mostly low key lyrical references to our favorite seasonal subject matter PLUS sleighbells (down in the mix, but there nonetheless). It builds up really nicely and I think you're gonna like it.

That's What I Want for Christmas

2005-06-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

Today's song originally appeared in the 1936 Shirley Temple vehicle, Stowaway (buy it). It's cutesy but not saccharine (as I'd originally feared it would be); a fine addition to any collection of seasonal tunes.

That's What I Want for Christmas

I don't know how it was released originally (or if it even was released back then) but it shows up on any number of compilations of Temple's songs (buy one).

The Saddest Time of the Year

2005-06-28T16:27:00.000-04:00

Well, that one-week break really stretched out a bit longer than I'd planned (ahem). But now someone has emailed me asking about a specific song and the mighty FaLaLaLaLa.com is back online--I'll take those two occurrences as a sign that I should get back to posting (at least for the time being).

Betty writes:

Ever hear of a song called Christmas is the Saddest Time of the Year? I heard it played on the community radio station in madison wi, years ago, it sounded like maybe 80s alt-pop and I don't even know who the band or artist was.

Well, Betty, it would make sense that you heard it in Madison, since that's where the band is from. Spooner was around from the mid-'70s to mid-'80s, then reformed after a few years' break and continued along until right about the time that members Butch Vig and Doug Erikson started the band Garbage.

The song in question, "The Saddest Time of the Year," was released in 1991 on a STELLAR comp called Yuletunes (buy it) on the Shoes' Black Vinyl label. At the time, Vig's star was rising as THE preeminent alt-rock producer (see: Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, etc).

The Saddest Time of the Year

It's not even my favorite song on the CD (I think they should have faded the track out quite a bit earlier than they did) but I'll save some of those for later posting.

Rock N Roll Santa

2005-01-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

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.

Another Lonely Christmas

2005-01-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

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!)

Lonely Christmas

2005-01-10T23:35:00.000-05:00

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).

I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With a Dalek

2005-01-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

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.

Xmas on the Isthmus

2005-01-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

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.

Thank God It's Not Christmas

2005-01-05T12:54:00.000-05:00

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?

Dead by X-mas

2005-01-04T01:15:00.000-05:00

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.

Howling Christmas

2005-01-02T12:31:00.000-05:00

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

Winter Wonderland

2005-01-02T01:33:00.000-05:00

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.

If I Was Santa Claus

2004-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

Some more Hip-Hop for you here. This is from Atmosphere (Midwestern rap - who'da thunk it 20 years ago?) on their 2001 Lucy Ford album (buy it), put out by Rhyme Sayers.

If I Was Santa Claus

Lyrically it's not really about Christmas, but when so many people consider "My Favorite Things" to be a Christmas song, this one surely qualifies.

Feed the World

2004-12-28T14:33:00.000-05:00

Some songs just shouldn't be covered and this is one of them. (I mean, even the official revisitations stink!) At least, that's what I thought until I heard Gigantor's version. If you're not familiar with them, Gigantor is a German pop punk band that worships the Dickies. Super good.

Feed the World

I couldn't find a complete enough discography to be sure, but it appears that this song first came out on a CD called The Christmas Collection Compilation on the Sponsors Dance label sometime in the early '90s. In 1994, Lost & Found put out a CD that compiled Gigantor's previously released singles, called It's Gigantic!, that included this song. It appears to be out of print at this time.

The Wildest Christmas

2004-12-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

Not to be confused with Nick Cave's proto-Birthday Party band, these Boys Next Door were from Indianapolis ("the Beach Boys of the Midwest"). Releasing singles on a number of different labels, they put out a swell xmas record in 1966 with

The Wildest Christmas

on the a-side and "Christmas Kiss" on the flip. Both tracks (and 22 others) were compiled by Sundazed and released on an eponymous CD (buy it).

I Caught My Girlfriend Kissing Santa

2004-12-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

There are some fun genres of Christmas songs that I keep meaning to compile lists of but never seem to get around to doing. For example: songs about spending Christmas in jail, surfing xmas songs (there'd also be a far shorter list of skateboarding xmas songs), songs about Santa being wasted, and songs about Santa fooling around with the singer's girlfriend (or vice versa--the singer fooling around with Mrs. Claus).

I can't give you too much information about either of today's featured bands but I love both of these songs. The first is by Buffalo, New York band the Willies, from their 1994 album Get the Willies (on Soapdish). Just perfect catchy, Ramonesy poppy punk. Really, really good; this song totally sticks in my head. I actually heard from the singer a few years back when he saw my old playlists online. The band may have gone their separate ways but they have definitely left behind one great xmas ditty!

I Caught My Girlfriend Kissing Santa

The second band is Size 14 and the song was on the 1997 Drive-Thru Records compilation A Punk and Ska Christmas Gone Wrong. Neither punk nor ska, this song is full-on bubblegum hair metal (though it does remind be of the late, lamented Celebrity Skin). One year when I played this on my show I got a call from a guy who was listening while driving and almost drove off the road he was laughing so hard. He called to request it pretty much every year after that. I guess Size 14 had a song called "Claire Danes Poster" that a few people might have heard and the singer now does his own thing as Linus of Hollywood.

Mrs. Claus (lyrics not safe for work or small children)

Despite the fact that this song is extremely juvenile I can't help but enjoy it.

Christmas Tears

2004-12-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

Finding out who this song was by without my having ever heard it was the first of many tests that my now-wife set before me while I was courting her. All she knew was that it was a Christmas song and that maybe the singer from Heavenly sang on it. I found out just moments before going on the air with my first all-xmas music radio show (it didn't grow to marathon proportions for few more years) -- fortunately the station even had a copy! She was impressed, but still wouldn't go out with me for another month-and-a-half. The band is the Hit Parade and the song is on their 1991 More Pop Songs CD on Vinyl Japan (buy it -- click "H" and then scroll down). There are actually two different versions on the CD; the first version is a jangly-rockin' pop ditty with just the band. There's a bonus track on the CD that is more of a kitchen sink-type production with a really full (but not cluttered), keyboard-y arrangement, sung by Amelia Fletcher.

Christmas Tears
Christmas Tears (with Amelia Fletcher)

Funny how a bummer Christmas song helped spark romance. Merry Christmas, baby!
And a very merry Christmas to all you readers/listeners out there. Stay tuned for more great Christmas music!

X-Mas Day

2004-12-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

French first wave punkers Metal Urbain splintered, a female singer was recruited and the Metal Boys released their album Tokio Airport (buy it) in 1980.

X-Mas Day

Artsy, gothy, synthy. Minimal.

Read an exhaustive history of Metal Urbain in issues 20 + 21 (buy them - Aquarius appears to have some copies left) of the outstanding print magazine Ugly Things.

December Days

2004-12-21T02:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Swedish bands is the Wannadies. I love their bubblegummy-yet-heavy pop songs. It's ridiculous (but not too surprising, I guess) that they've only had one of their albums released in the US. And it's out of print. Originally on their 1993 album Aquanautic (buy it), today's selection was also released on their collection Skellefteå (buy it). This is a melancholy track with an almost waltz feel to it, a string section, and some acoustic slide guitar. Oh, and it's real purty.

December Days

Put the Loot in the Boot, Santa

2004-12-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

In 1966, Mae West released a Christmas album on Dagonet called Wild Christmas. Backing her was a young garage band called Somebody's Chyldren; they also played on her Way out West LP, released the same year. While "Santa, Come up to See Me" (the tune that you hear mentioned the most) is a fine song, I prefer

Put the Loot in the Boot, Santa

Yeah, it's more of a novelty number but I think it suits her, and the old-timey schtick kinda works, don'tcha think?

Thanks to Michael for hooking me up with this hard-to-come-by album!

I'm Waiting Up for Santa

2004-12-17T02:46:00.000-05:00

I used to listen to Dr. Demento as a pup, so I knew Nervous Norvous's "Transfusion" at an early age. Later on, I thrifted some K-Tel collection of novelty tunes and got to hear his "Ape Call," which I totally loved. This year, Norton Records put out a Nervous Norvous compilation, including a bunch of previously unreleased demos. Hiding among all the other insanity is this great Christmas ditty:

I'm Waiting Up for Santa

There's also a parody of Rudolph: "Boris the Blue-Nosed Baboon." When you order the CD from Norton, don't forget to pick up this year's xmas 7", by Reigning Sound.

Cold Chillin' Christmas

2004-12-15T18:37:00.000-05:00

Looking over my first week of posts, I see I've neglected Hip-Hop; allow me to rectify that. In 1988, Warner Brothers put out a promo-only compilation called Winter Warnerland. Along with forgettable crap from whatever mediocre bands they were pushing at the time (anyone remember Good Question or Secret Weapon?) there are a few great tracks that you can't get elsewhere.

Cold Chillin' was a rap label that put out what is now considered classic Old School stuff. This track was produced by the legendary Marley Marl with raps from Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shanté, and M.C. Shan (label head Tyrone Williams also makes his debut in front of the mic as Fly Ty), billed here as the Cold Chillin' Juice Crew.

The track itself is simple and doesn't sound like a lot of work went into it. It's pretty much just a loop from "Hip Hug-Her" by Booker T. & the MG's with some beats thrown on top. Still, it doesn't come off half-assed, and unlike many rap xmas songs it's not corny (a BIG plus!).

Cold Chillin' Christmas

Word.

Good King Wenceslas

2004-12-13T20:43:00.000-05:00

With today's post, I'm breaking one of my self-imposed guidelines -- not to post any tracks that are on readily available collections of Christmas music. Thing is, I didn't even know it was on a comp until doing a little research for this post. See, I have this track on a promo-only CD single. Turns out it was originally released on a 7" on the Trance Syndicate label in 1994, four whole years before the CD I have came out. Then I come to find out that in 1997 it was included on an EMI budget comp of Christmas rock called Rockin' in Your Stockin' (buy it, it's durn cheap!). Since I was already set to post this (and I have to get dinner cooked before the missus gets home), I decided to blunder on ahead. So please check out this intoxicating cover by the Butthole Surfers.

Good King Wenceslas

Gibby does Foster Brooks proud.

Mr. Scrooge

2004-12-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

So technically, this isn't a Christmas song, but there are enough references to A Christmas Carol that it gets in by default. This cut by the Orchids was originally released in 1964 in the UK on Decca's soundtrack of the film Just for You (a vehicle for singing duo Peter and Gordon). It saw re-release in 2003 as part of the superb Dream Babes series of compilations on the RPM label (volume four (buy it), to be precise).

Mr. Scrooge

Splendid girl group sound in full effect.

Olive the Other Reindeer

2004-12-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

"Olive the Other Reindeer" (buy it), a made-for-TV special, first aired in 1999. It was based on the book (buy it, too) written by Vivian Walsh and illustrated by J. Otto Seibold. I could go on and on about how much I love this cartoon and why, but I don't want to get too carried away, so I'll try to keep it brief. First, the voice talent is excellent. Drew Barrymore is great as Olive, Joe Pantoliano is perfect as Martini the Penguin, and Dan Castellaneta crazed characterization of the the evil Postman fits him to a T. (There are many cool cameos, as well.) Also, while it's pretty much aimed at kids, as in Rocky & Bullwinkle and the best Looney Tunes cartoons, there are a lot of jokes that will go over the younger audience's heads and totally crack up the adults. Finally, it's just a really sweet story that is sentimental without getting too corny. I get more tingly Christmas Spirit-y moments watching this than pretty much any other Christmas show or movie.

While not a musical per se, there are some really great songs in the film. I couldn't pick just one, so here they all are. There isn't a soundtrack, so some of these have dialog or sound effects in them.

My Favorite Day (Olive)
The Postman Song (The Postman)
We're Not So Bad (Schnitzel the Reindeer (Michael Stipe))
Merry Christmas, After All (Olive, with Santa's Reindeer (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy))
My Favorite Day (reprise) (Olive)
or
all 5 songs in a zip file

Now go buy (or at least rent) the DVD!! And when you watch it, be sure to keep an eye on the background, too. There are a lot of jokes hidden back there that are easily missed (e.g. in the bus station there's a sign which reads "Ask about our special fares for drifters").

The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot

2004-12-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

Today's song was originally recorded by Vera Lynn circa WWII, and later by Nat King Cole in 1956. The version presented here for your appraisal was released in 1985 by the Associates on a 10" EP, "Take Me to the Girl."

The Boy That Santa Claus Forgot (live at Ronnie Scott's)

Trivia: Vera Lynn's version appears early on in Pink Floyd's The Wall. Both Vera Lynn's and Nat King Cole's versions are currently available on CD. Special thanks to DJ Chris for supplying today's selection.

I Want You for Christmas

2004-12-10T09:13:00.000-05:00

Let's hop in the WABAC machine for today's song. It's from one of my all-time favorite Christmas compilations, on the late, lamented Jass label; Santa Claus Blues is a great mix of early Blues and Jazz 78s. One of the songs on it I really enjoy and that, to my knowledge, hasn't been re-released elsewhere is by Dick Robertson and His Orchestra (featuring Bobby Hackett on the cornet).

I Want You for Christmas (1937)

I just Googled this CD and apparently it goes for big bucks these days. Or at least dealers are asking big bucks. Crazy.

Do You Believe in Christmas?

2004-12-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

Besides hard-to-find songs, I'm also planning on featuring xmas songs that never appeared on xmas-specific albums, which may have caused them to be overlooked by those of us with a jones for yuletide tunes.

Today's song is by Essential Logic and appears on a 2003 compilation of their music put out by Kill Rock Stars called Fanfare in the Garden (buy it). Essential Logic was Lora Logic's post-X-Ray Spex/pre-Hare Krishna group. This song was apparently recorded in 1985 but went unreleased until last year.

Do You Believe in Christmas?

White Christmas

2004-12-08T23:16:00.000-05:00

Well, today I made it official, retiring from radio. But I just can't seem to let things well enough alone. Today's tune is from a limited edition live album from Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon) called White Christmas Live. Released in 2001 on Sub Pop, it's out of print.

Without further ado, here's Mark's version of White Christmas

It's a nice acoustic version and he does a little bit of "Greensleeves" at the end.