Month: December 2025

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Home Counties “Better Last Year (Home Counties for Christmas)” (2025)

a group of people sitting at what appears to be a table at a pub, wearing santa hats and throwing their arms around each others' shoulders.

Submarine Cat Records
Buy: Juno Download (WAV/FLAC/AIFF/MP3) | Apple Music | Amazon.uk MP3

Well. Of course, I’m not the first to post about this, but at the very least I didn’t learn about this song from NME, and found it the old-fashioned way – I follow Home Counties on Soundcloud! But I’ll at the very least benefit from the background on the song provided. Turns out “Better Last Year (Home Counties for Christmas)” debuted at their gig at Scala last night, and is slowly becoming available on digital platforms today. Hopefully it’ll find its way to Bandcamp… we’ll see.

Enough about how and where to find the song – what is this song about?? Well, I again refer to that darn NME article, as they obviously got a ton of background, and I’m not going to be better about explaining this song than the band will. Quote below:

“Inspired by the dual voices and anti-Christmas sentiments of ‘Fairytale’, the song is split between two narratives voiced by Will [Harrison] and Lois [Kelly],” the band said. “Lois sings about bumping into people you went to school with who have since done terrible things (a common theme from our school). Will sings specifically about Christmas Eve itself, with a feeling that with every year it gets a bit shitter, and everyone a bit less joyous.”

“Together, they shape a story of growing older and how you feel it at this time of year,” they added. “It’s also a plea for everyone to try and regain some of their lost ‘Christmas spirit’, in a slightly problematic boozy call to arms.”

Well, I barely actually wrote anything about a song I actually quite like. I wonder what I would have said had I not found that NME article that kinda ruined my momentum…

Bottom Line: This is certainly going to make some mixes… maybe even mine!

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Exnovios “Noche de reyes” (2018)

A piece of paper-cut artwork, with pieces of paper cut out to create a winter scene with a road, snow and small strings of flags crisscrossing the road.

Ground Control
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

I think… I THINK… this is the final Exnovios Christmas song out there. Frankly, a part of me is writing this post just so that I can be proven wrong and be alerted to yet another song from this wonderful band. “Noche de reyes” means “Twelfth Night,” or “Three Kings’ Night,” which is traditionally the night that kids receive presents in Spain. Exnovious tagged this track as “pop-psychedelia-reverb core” on Bandcamp, and I heartily cosign that description. This song is dreamy and synthy, as it gently rocks back and forth… as if coaxing the kids to sleep. Then, as the music and voices rise, so do the kids to find presents in the hall. Yet another beautiful tune from Exnovios, to which I’d be remiss not to mention the involvement of their wonderful partner-in-crime, Oihana Herrara from Melenas on keyboard, because those keys are a massive part of the groove here.

Bottom Line: Now the question is, how many Exnovios songs can one have on a Christmas mix?

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Wold Wiggen “Gaver er det meste med jula synes jeg” (2025)

Two guys, one sitting at the piano playing, the other with his hands on the man playing piano's shoulders, head back, eyes closed, singing a song.

Jansen Records
Buy: Bandcamp

It’s been a while since I’ve had a track sung in Norwegian on my mix, but this wonderful song by the Oslo duo Wold Wiggen may very well sneak its way on there. “Gaver er det meste med jula synes jeg,” or “Gifts are the most important thing about Christmas, I think,” tells the story of someone stealing all the presents from under the tree and hiding them away. It begins nicely enough—full stomachs, everyone cozy and warm while it snows outside. But Uncle Erling is a bit drunk, and something snaps. If the gifts are the best part of Christmas… well, let’s open them and take them all.

The orchestration is simple, driven largely by gentle guitar and bass, which—at least for a non-Norwegian speaker like myself—was the hook that initially reeled me in. There’s no chorus, just a beautiful brass melody line in its place. I’m a bit dense sometimes when it comes to identifying instruments—French horn? Whatever it is, it’s gorgeous, and it’s the flavor that makes this song so delicious.

Bottom Line: Norway is running up the score today. 2-for-2 with mixworthy songs. Amazing.

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King Hüsky “December95” (2025)

A cartoon of a man sitting on a circular carpet listening to music.

Hype City Music
Buy: Bandcamp

I honestly had no idea what to expect from “December95” by King Hüsky. You find yourself on his Bandcamp page, and the bio cuts off after “guitarist of the critically acclaimed Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak,” so needless to say, I was anticipating something quite different than what I encountered. The song I heard was wonderful, and is by no means the Norwegian metal that I anticipated; I am not into metal – read my submissions page. This song happened to be aimed dead between my eyes. A kill shot.

King Hüsky is the solo work of Vidar Landa, who, besides being a guitarist in a metal band, is also in indie rock/power pop band Beachheads. “December95” sets a beautiful, snowy scene, snug in their home. While the Christmas lights and the VCR don’t work, the scene, the lyrics, and the melody are all uplifting in a way that I was truly touched by. I remain amazed. What an unexpected and extraordinary song.

Bottom Line: Stone-cold mixworthy.

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The Photocopies – A C26 for Christmas (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

If indiepop is a genre that you are down with, read on. Frankly, if this website serves any purpose, it is for me to establish some indiepop credibility when I can’t play an instrument. Yeah, maybe I’ll share a few other songs too, but I have some twee punks to impress. Of note, I have often thought about how indiepop and punk are two sides of the same coin – DIY outsiders making cheap records for their devoted communities. But I digress, Michigan’s The Photocopies have done us a huge flippin’ favor and gathered up all his Christmas songs onto one easy compilation, A C26 for Christmas. We no longer have to search every single record (because often there was one) to grab that Christmas single for your indiepop radio show or mix. Sometimes being so prolific is a double-edged sword – you are always making great Christmas songs, but you’re also always making great Christmas songs. It becomes expected. Thus, it was a nice reminder to see all these great songs together, and it brought me back to 2021, when I first found the wonderful Photocopies.

I was so young then. We all were.

Bottom Line: Are you finding the Photocopies for the first time? Lucky you!

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Silk Daisys “It’s Just Like Xmas” (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Atlanta’s Silk Daisys have dialed in some indiepop Christmas perfection with “It’s Just Like Christmas.” Those dreamy vocals and shimmering guitars – I feel like this song should be released exclusively on a cassette mixtape. The lyrics are pretty great too, the kind of anti-war, feed the poor, not hating immigrants kind of sentiment I can get behind. I still can’t believe that I opened up Soundcloud and there it was… right there on the top of my feed… waiting for me…

Bottom Line: That is some top-tier indiepop Christmas.

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Roberta Fidora “Christmas Trees” (2025)

Ursinewave
Buy: Bandcamp

This is it. This is the week. This is the week I try to find everything I can, make a good stab at a playlist, and pray for Friday’s releases to screw the mix tracklist all up (and make it great)! Thankfully, we’ve gotten some great releases overnight, with Roberta Fidora‘s “Christmas Trees” most certainly among those notable songs. Synths and sounds jumping out at you at every turn, this anti-Christmas jam that is sure to add some pace to your mix, and perhaps mine too!

Of note, should you not be familiar, Roberta also has some additional Christmas covers on her Bandcamp page under the moniker Curxes. Of particular note is the excellent electronic cover of Greg Lake’s “I Believe in Father Christmas.”

Bottom Line: Roberta delivers an avant-pop delight, and right on time.

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