Albums – Page 5 – Christmas Underground

November 27, 2023November 27, 2023

Plati-Holy!-Ruma!!! A Christmas Hit EP (2023)

Platiruma!!!
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

There are a few places that I look to every year, reliable sources of interesting Christmas music that you can count on to make this humble Christmas blogger’s life just a bit easier. Germany’s Platiruma!!! Records are most certainly one of those sources. After a few singles, largely by the label’s founder and spiritual leader, Sebastian Voss (aka The Fisherman and His Soul), the label released a wonderful 4-song E.P. by Herr Wade last year. The label appears to be slowly creeping toward a full-length Christmas record, as this year they dropped Plati-Holy!-Ruma!!! A Christmas Hit EP, a 6-track Christmas EP. From top to bottom, this E.P. is top-notch German indiepop Christmas. I’m going to pull out a few tracks, as I have made it a practice not to cover every song, as that is a precedent I am fleeing in terror from.

The leadoff track by Hamburg’s theCatherines shines with jangly guitars and a great message, reflected in the title “This Year My Wishlist Only Says ‘Peace.'” For the curious listener, you can find an additional, 7-track Christmas EP, TEENY•TINY•XMAS (EP), over at theCatherines Bandcamp – well worth checking out too.

A collaboration between Jørn Åleskjær (The Loch Ness Mouse, Monobird, Sapphire & Steel) and Sebastian Voss (Nah…, The Fisherman and his Soul, Cinema Engines), the Herr Wade track, “Bis Ich Leb´ (Til I Live)” channels the Christmas crooners of the past with its warm, emotional vocals and ornate instrumentation, full of chimes and swelling synthesized strings.

This is a lot more to love here, with two strong instrumentals by Guelpe and Berlin’s Martin Tetzlaff, a sweet folky tune by Nero Bates, as well as a 2023 remix of The Fisherman and His Soul’s stellar “A Christmas Tree Bright as a Lighthouse.” Revisiting this song was interesting, as the chorus seems to hit harder today than it had originally: “… and there’s a Christmas tree bright as a lighthouse / despite the fucked up world situation / we’ll see a quiver in anticipation / now it’s Christmas time.” This is my favorite kind of indiepop – serious shit disguised amongst some incredibly fun music – sneaking in the door as you bob your head.

Bottom Line: Platiruma!!! expands their holiday offerings with an extremely solid Christmas EP. Looking forward to the full-length… hehe.

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November 17, 2023November 17, 2023

A Very Cherry Christmas 17 (2023)

Cherryade Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Weirdo, underground Christmas music is a labor of love. Believe me, our community is quite small… small, but dedicated. It would make sense that one of the biggest flagbearers for this scene is a small compilation, released by Cherryade Records and lovingly assembled by Gareth Jones of Dandelion Radio, for 200 lucky collectors each year. This is the 17th year of the A Very Cherry Christmas series, a CD-only compilation that collects underground bands from France, America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Canada, and Japan this year. There are 16 brand-new tracks recorded for this release, as well as 9 more that have never had a physical release. Highlights for me include the punk-infused “Keep Your Christmas Tree for Burning” from perennial Christmas superstars Goddammit Jeremiah, the indie-rock fuzzy fun of “Christmas Number One” from Problem Patterns, and the percussive “I’m Not Coming Home for Christmastime” by The Photocopies. There is a lot more to dig into on this record, from surf Christmas by The Surfisticats (“Santa Bring Me a Surfboard Please”), the glitchy, electro-infused indiepop of ToyDisco (“A Gameboy for Christmas ’96”), to the oddly-touching emotional comedy of Canadians in Space (“Peace & Gravy”), there is something here for everyone. I wish I could do it justice and highlight every single band, but I don’t want to set any unattainable precedents here. All that said – keep that flag flying Cherryade, I’m here for you.

Bottom Line: It comes out today, so best of luck being one of the lucky 200. Especially if you live in the States (as I do), you best jump on this, as Europe has had the jump on you.

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November 13, 2023November 13, 2023

The Happy Somethings – Don’t Mention It (2023)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Amongst indiepop Christmas music aficionados, The Happy Somethings are quite well known for their underground classic “It’s Christmas Time (we’re as miserable as hell).” They’ve reworked the song into various treatments and versions over the past few years, but something unexpected and dramatic has happened, and they’ve stumbled into an entire holiday record! I love the description they’ve posted on their Bandcamp:

DISCLAIMER!

We should perhaps apologise for releasing a Christmas album – it seems a pretty ‘uncool’ thing to do. But then we pride ourselves on being a pretty uncool band!

And in our tinseled defence, we didn’t really mean to write another festive song but ‘Nothing’s Just For Christmas’ thrust itself upon us in an unignorable fashion.

So we thought, why not put it with eleven other songs that could reasonably be heard as ‘seasonably appropriate’ and make an album?

So we did!

Some of these tracks weren’t originally written as Christmas songs at all but have been repurposed for this release as they seemed apt – and a couple have been ‘re-formed’ into instrumentals.

Hopefully we offer you and yours an alternative festive musical backdrop – if only for around 30 minutes!

And of course, it’s free – or for just 50p you could even gift it…

I totally get the whole “uncool” thing. I mean… I write a blog about Christmas music. It isn’t the first thing I tell folks when I meet them for the first time. You have to wait at least 15 minutes before dropping that bomb!

The whole record is quite nice – very much reminiscent of the wonderful Boy Least Likely to Christmas record. As you see in their description, not all these songs are explicitly Christmas but when viewed within the context of a holiday record, they totally work. There are some great lyrics here too. I certainly had a chuckle with this line from “Nothings Just for Christmas:” “Don’t want to hear the dang dong ding. / Don’t need a message from the King. / Not really into worshipping / except for Frank and Bing.” Another wonderful line I just adore is the first bit of “The Present,” which was originally released on their excellent 2023 full-length, A Gathering of Sorts: “the present is an excellent way / for someone to say /for someone to show / how little they know about you.” Ha! So clever… again, has me feeling some really great Boy Least Likely To vibes… so highly recommended.

Bottom Line: This record might be a bit cobbled together, but I enjoy a well-made cobbler. This would be a nice opportunity to throw them a buck or two to help them celebrate the holidays too, especially if you are a member of the indiepop Christmas music-loving community.

November 8, 2023November 8, 2023

Lunar Vacation – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) EP (2023-ish)

I don’t make my Christmas mixes with Christmas parties in mind. When I picture folks listening, they are walking around with headphones on, or perhaps driving in the car. Those driving, I also imagine them explaining to their children that “It is ok to have swear words in songs if you understand that they are indeed swear words, and that you don’t use them at school.” This is not meant for a work Christmas party, despite the fact that I’m known to hand these things out at work… it’s complicated. All that said… Lunar Vacation may have found that sweet spot where they make interesting versions of familiar songs, ones that you won’t have to explain to your kids about but are cool enough that they don’t bore you. Their new EP (destined to be a feature on Stereogum in 3… 2… 1…), is actually their old EP, A Living Room Christmas, with one new track – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” so if you picked up last year’s, just grab the one track and you’re all caught up. I did not cover last year’s release, so let’s dive in and see what is here.

This EP is stacked with four covers done in their “pool rock” vibe, each with that laid-back groove that works so well at your holiday eggnog fiesta. There are the obvious covers, the title track which we all know, as well as Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating” and the Wham! classic “Last Christmas” (ever heard of it?), which Lunar Vacation first released back in those dark times of 2020. There is one track that is a bit less obvious, the Norah Jones cover of “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones),” which I appreciated more than the others if only for the fact that it is less familiar to my ears. They add these wonderful synth and chorus guitar flourishes to many of these tracks, as well as the warm bass lines that particularly stand out in “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” but can be felt throughout. Quite a nice collection, which could easily be expanded to be a very good indie Christmas LP sometime in the near future… just sayin’.

I don’t want you all to think I’m dismissing this EP because I said it is great background music, as that still means that I think it is indeed cool enough to listen to and genuinely enjoy – which I often cannot say about a collection of covers. So… invite some folks over, relax and enjoy.

Bottom Line: Chill by the pool, in the kitchen by the punch bowl, or near the office conference table and impress your friends with some nice, slightly askew classics.

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November 1, 2023November 1, 2023

Evgenya Redko – Odė Kalėdoms (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Let’s get this party started right.

This blog is now devoted to Lithuanian disco-influenced pop. Evgenya Redko‘s Odė Kalėdoms kicks off with the undeniable “Pakylėtas Gruodis,” (Google translation – “Exalted December”) delighting us with its Nile Rodgers-inspired guitar rhythms, daring you not to love it. Using some rather inelegant Google translation, I believe the song to be about wanting to pause time at Christmas and spending those moments with the one you love. I can get behind the sentiment, but I am mainly here for that groove. So, so infectious – give me more! The two songs that follow are both excellent, more conventional pop songs: “Beprotiškai Ilgiuosi” (translation: I Miss You So Much) and “Tavo Rankose Per Kalėdas” (translation: In Your Hands at Christmas). I can’t find lyrics for those at the moment… but man… you don’t really need anything else than that first song. It is so damn fun.

Bottom Line: Who knew I’d love Lithuanian disco so much? Maybe you all saw this coming, but I sure did not.

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October 31, 2023October 31, 2023

Bunnygrunt – Season’s Freaklings: Thirty Years of Holiday Hits By the Grand Elves of Midwest Twee Core (2023)

The Bert Dax Cavalcade of Stars
Buy: Bandcamp (Digital/Vinyl)

Bunnygrunt, the scrappy indie pop band from St. Louis, Missouri, has been releasing Christmas tracks for nearly 30 years (not yearly – that would be nuts!), and takes this moment in 2023 to compile the majority of them into one, single-sided red vinyl 12-inch. Checking in with 8 songs, six of which I believe to be originals, this is a tight crop of short indie pop goodies that has grown on me a good bit over the past few weeks. The originals work wonderfully, leaning into their clever songwriting, jangly guitars, and lo-fi production – they know their strengths and it shows. They were facing an uphill battle with their choice to cover “Blue Christmas,” one of the most-covered, and one of my least favorite Christmas songs of all time… and we’ll just leave it there. The other (confirmed) cover, recorded under the name Blondiegrunt, is indeed a cover of Blondie’s “11:59.” This song fits their voice and vibe so much better, and is a welcome closer to the record. Not quite sure why their track on the rare Kindercore compilation XMAS-3 The War on Christmas!, “Got the Blues for Xmas,” nor the cover of “Holiday Road” missed the cut, but I suppose their attempt to keep the record single-sided may have played into that. Either way, quite happy to have these songs all in one place, as I did not have many of them before!

EDIT: A couple people sent me messages about this. You all know me well! Thank you to those who did, and keep them coming, as it doesn’t matter if I knew about it or not – the next one I might be completely ignorant to!

Bottom Line: “Seasoned Freaklings” is a wonderful addition to your underground Christmas collection. Grab one of those 200 records before they are gone!

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December 21, 2022December 21, 2022

Health & Wellbeing – Christmas Demos (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Who is this mysterious Health & Wellbeing? I can’t find anything on them! Too bad, because I’m jamming to these Christmas Demos and they are quite good. Power/dream/brit pop original Christmas songs. I’m absolutely positive that they are going to be somebody’s favorite from this holiday season. There’s even a little nod to The Rolling Stones in “Take it Easy this Christmas,” and it totally works. These were all recorded in the past 3 weeks, and if these are the demos… look the fuck out for the full versions, because these sound great already.

Bottom Line: Well that was a short, rather shitty review for what are 4 pretty great songs? Well… yeah. But now you know about them at least, even if we know nothing about the band!

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December 21, 2022

Kristian Noel Pedersen – Saul McCartney’s Magical Holiday Season (AKKCXIV) (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

A quick search for “Guinness book of world records most Christmas songs” comes up with the usual results – mainly that Bing Crosby’s performance of “White Christmas” is the biggest selling single of all time. There is not a record for MOST Christmas songs yet… though if there is (and there should be), Kristian Noel Pederson will have a shot at it. In what is his 14th record of original Christmas songs (not including the Hanson’s Snowed In cover record), Saul McCartney’s Magical Holiday Season is a triumph. A concept record that follows an alternate-universe pop star from the 60’s starting anew with a solo career, this record feels joyful and light. Perhaps this is the freedom of writing from a wholly new perspective outside of yourself? I’m not in Kristian’s mind… yet. There are so many wonderful moments on this record, but as I start thinking about which one to talk about, I realize that I’m gravitating to all the horn parts. The use of brass on this record is just perfection – it is that final seasoning on your Christmas meal that makes you sit up and take note… creates those neural connections that will make you talk about that meal for years to come. I’m in the midst of “I Hope it Snows Tonight” for the third time, delighting in every moment- horns, guitars, the whole damn thing. Please listen to this record – it is an absolute joy.

Bottom Line: A Kristian Noel Pederson record is always one to look forward to, and this has to be my favorite yet. I would buy this on vinyl – 100%

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I’m going to post a bunch of single tracks, then the whole thing so that they aggregate in the Hype Machine. There is a method to the madness below.

December 19, 2022September 8, 2023

Maxwell Farrington – Yuletide And I’ll Tide With Yann (2022)

Let’s get weird. This record is going to be one of the more interesting Christmas records you’re going to listen to this year, or any other year. There are moments here that will leave you scratching your head, and others that will leave you in wonder. Aussie ex-pat Maxwell Farrington teamed up with Yann Oliver on 2020’s Maxou & Yannou Sing X-Mas, which I regretfully did not sample back then (but Christmas A Gogo highlighted earlier this year, which I also missed!). That collaboration has continued into 2022, with a properly-released full-length that adds a few songs and a new title, Yuletide and I’ll Tide with Yann. I say proper full-length LP, as it is released in LP form on both CD and vinyl, but keep in mind, it clocks in at a brief 26 minutes and change. Short and sweet indeed. I’m going to highlight a few of my favorite tracks below, and let you bask in the Scott Walker-esque weirdness and beauty. (Eagle-eyed readers might notice that one of these tracks is the closer on my latest mix, Jolly Chubby Elf.)

Bottom Line: God I need this on vinyl. This is one of the most unexpected, unique, gorgeous Christmas records I’ve stumbled upon.

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December 5, 2022December 5, 2022

Randolph’s Leap “Silent Night” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

As with last year’s revelatory treatments of “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Scotland’s Randolph’s Leap has taken “Silent Night” and made it a foot-stomper. Initially released on their excellent, song-a-month Patreon, the track has taken its rightful place on their ever-expanding Christmas Album. While the song has some rough edges, those who love this band’s enthusiasm for Christmas will find them endearing. I don’t like those polished, perfect ornaments – I’d rather have them homemade.

Bottom Line: A Randloph’s Leap Christmas song is a present I hope for every year, and with “Silent Night,” I give thanks.