Head Bitch Music
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If you’re a casual reader of my blog, you probably have a sense of what my values are. I’ll admit that some topics have more gray areas than others, and I can entertain good-faith arguments from folks on many issues. However, when it comes to racism, sexism, or homophobia, I don’t have time for it. There’s a basic human decency that should be the bare minimum—our shared humanity. The pendulum has been swinging the wrong way on this most fundamental principle, so when I see something that pushes back, I’m going to give it a listen.
Head Bitch Music, a full-service music production house based in LA, dropped HBM Presents: Sleight the Holidays, Volume 2 today, partnering with Jack Antonoff’s charity, The Ally Coalition, to raise funds for LGBTQIA+ youth by supporting organizations dedicated to improving their lives. The record is full of excellently produced, modern pop Christmas songs. There are classic covers (e.woolf’s “A Marshmallow World”), modern covers (Niki DeMar & Julianne Hope covering girl in red’s “Two Queens in a King Sized Bed”), a solid number of originals, and even something in between a cover and an original (Olivia Reid’s “Singing in the Snow”).
There’s a lot here to check out. The record does skew quite pop—very well-done pop, the kind you could easily hear out and about this Christmas season—but pop isn’t the language I’m best suited for. Still, I’m going to highlight two tracks for you to check out that I feel come closest to the Christmas Underground vibe.
The Blah Blah Blahs’ “retro glamwave” take on “Jingle Bells” had me thinking about The Waitresses ripping through this classic Thanksgiving (yes, THANKSGIVING) song. It’s not a tune I normally find particularly enjoyable, but they’ve infused it with a level of fun that should require a photo ID.
LA’s Skyler Cocco‘s “snowglobe” is an indiepop ode to a Los Angeles Christmas. Skyler is originally from NYC, so I can imagine the balmy LA Christmas making you feel out-of-sorts… and this song captures that beautifully.
Can we pretend we’re in a snowglobe?
Shake up this city Christmas Eve
Stick out your tongue
And taste the falling snow
Like silver glitter on the beach
This is on my mix shortlist now, as it is giving me strong girlhouse vibes, who released one of my absolute favorite Christmas tunes a few years ago (“Ugly Xmas Sweater Party“).
Bottom Line: Absolutely essential for those pop music Christmas fans, and even has a few treats for weirdos like me.
LISTEN
Christmas Underground 