Category: Singles/Tracks

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Crying Day Care Choir “Cosas Caras” (2017)

Crying Day Care Choir

Warner Music Sweden
Buy: Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

What a 1-2 punch… first Sunturns, now Crying Day Care Choir! In the past, CDCC has released two stone-cold classics, Christmas Day Care Choir Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, and while we are not getting a full EP this year, we are getting an amazing new single, “Cosas Caras.” This translates from Spanish to English as “expensive things,” and the song’s simple premise is that Christmas is about everything but cosas caras. The melody is infectious, and the infusion of Spanish is both unexpected and beautiful. Crying Day Care Choir can pretty much do no wrong in my book… and if you dig their Christmas tunes, you are going to love their non-seasonal faire as well – so please dig further into their discography. This single, as with all their previous Christmas releases, benefits Musikhjälpen, a Swedish radio campaign that raises money for charity. So, purchase the track from the links above and throw it on your mix, because this track is 100% mix-ready. (Hopefully they’ll add their Bandcamp link soon!)

Bottom Line: Crying Day Care Choir continue to amaze with “Cosas Caras.” What a way to start the season.

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Sunturns – Colibri Heart / I Do (2017)

Arch Records
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

The Sunturns are one of the preeminent Christmas indie-supergroups out there. Comprised of members of Monzano, Making Marks, Little Hands of Asphalt, Moddi, and Einar Stray Orchestra, they get together every year or so to record some beautiful, original Christmas music. This year, we are once again blessed with the new music, and I’ve been refreshing Facebook for what seems like days (even though I knew it was coming out today). “Colibri Heart” is a beautiful, banjo accented song about being in love at Christmas. “My heart is stashed under the tree there / hoping you won’t return it for now… tonight.” His heart beats like a colibri, like a hummingbird, keeping up the neighbors awake…. some beautiful imagery here. The B-side, sung by (if I am not mistaken), Little Hands of Asphalt’s Sjur Lyseid, is the kind of narrative song that I would expect from the writer of “Looks Like Styrofoam.” It is slow-burning and beautiful, melancholy and poetic, heartbreaking and hopeful all wrapped up in one, smart package. Yet another beautiful addition to the Sunturns ever-expanding Christmas catalogue.

Bottom Line: Two beautiful singles to slap you out of your jingle-belled Christmas music rut.

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Rosie Carney “Winter” (2017)

Rosie Carney "Winter"

Akira Records
Buy: 7Digital (MP3/FLAC) | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

Sitting outside on a winter night, trying to forget a lover… this is where we find the narrator in Rosie Carney‘s “Winter.” The imagery is gorgeous, the simple guitar-picked melody is lovely and Rosie’s voice is truly genuine. She has the ability to put you there with her – her voice is not singing a song, but living it. This track was recently featured on NPR, and thankfully alerted me to the beauty that is Rosie Carney’s work. An Irish singer-songwriter, she is also an advocate for mental illness, having written quite openly about her battles with depression, sexual assault and eating disorders on her blog. Rosie is a story of survival – beautiful, wonderful survival. So, in this time when we give thanks, think of those who could use even more support, and lend an ear, lend a hand, and give some love.

Bottom Line: While not a Christmas song, this song certainly has a place on your winter/Christmas-themed mixes, as it is truly beautiful.  Listen to all her songs… they are all spectacular.

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Boo Ray and Elizabeth Cook “All Strung Out Like Christmas Lights” (2017)

Boo Ray and Elizabeth Cook

BRRB Music
Buy: 12″ Vinyl | 7Digital MP3 | iTunes | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

I think it is about time to mix it up from the contemplative indiepop tunes – we need a palate cleanser in anticipation of the feast to come. So, I present this boozy country Christmas single from Boo Ray and Elizabeth Cook, “All Strung Out Like Christmas Lights.” Plenty of pedal steel, bottles of wine, and some seriously fun back and forth between Boo and Elizabeth. I love a good drinking Christmas song, and this one’s outlaw country vibe is just what the doctor ordered today. Pick it up on vinyl too! Cheers!

Bottom Line: Boo and Elizabeth have laid down one of the most enjoyable country Christmas tunes of…. well, the last few years no doubt. I can’t stand pop country, and they obviously can’t either.

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Girl Ray “(I Wish I Were Giving You A Gift) This Christmas” (2017)

Girl Ray Christmas 7"

Moshi Moshi
Buy: 7″ Vinyl + MP3/AIFF | Bandcamp

The wonderful London band Girl Ray has lined up yet another Christmas song for our ear-holes. Last year’s “Christmas Wrapping” was a solid, very faithful cover of the original. This year has them throwing an original our way – “(I Wish I Were Giving You a Gift) This Christmas” is a solid piece of twee longing. Throw in some bonus saxophone, which I’m a sucker for when used tastefully, and the song comes together nicely. The B-side of the limited edition 7″ looks to be a cover of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” which is a nice song, but certainly not one of my favorites. When it’s Girl Ray, who put out a great record earlier this year (which I own), I’ll certainly take anything they want to dish out.

Bottom Line: Solid, longing indiepop for those who dig that kind of stuff (like me).

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Phoebe Bridgers “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (2017)

Phoebe Bridgers Christmas

Dead Oceans
Buy: Bandcamp

I have loved Phoebe Bridgers from the moment I picked up her Killer 7″, and her new album Stranger in the Alps is on my list of “gotta pick up” albums. So, when The Line of Best Fit premiered her haunting rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” I knew I would have to say SOMETHING about it, rather than just retweet it. The ringing guitar notes and soft percussion frame her voice beautifully, as she takes a well-known, sentimental song and makes it personal. Beautiful.

Bottom Line: Phoebe makes this song her own, and that is really all you can ask from a cover. Wouldn’t change a thing.

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UPCOMING: Fowler VW Presents A Blackwatch Christmas Volume 7 (2017)

Blackwatch Christmas VII

Fowler VW/Blackwatch Studios
Buy: Bandcamp

It is that time of year… and Fowler VW has been hinting about their upcoming Christmas record on Twitter, much to my delight. There are few Christmas releases that have such a high level of quality, and each year that they keep the tradition alive, is a year that the entire alternative Christmas music community can give thanks. Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Breakup are given the honor of being the first track out to the public, and it is fantastic. The electro-pop jam about being together at Christmas has the kind of slinky groove that just might take your office Christmas party off the rails. Eyes meeting over the punchbowl, we all knew Jim and Pam were meant to be together, they just needed “Be With You” to seal the deal. Want to know the rest of the tracklist? Go to NewsOK and give them the clicks!

The entire album will be available for stream/download on Black Friday, or better yet, #BlackwatchFriday, and for those lucky enough to live in the Norman, OK area, there is a big, free party on Dec. 8 at Stash, where the first 200 attendees get a free copy of it on VINYL. Yes, there are copies out there on vinyl… I am the proud owner of 2014’s “The Naughty List,” but these things are tough to come by. They have never sold them online – you gotta grab them from local Norman, OK venues like Fowler Volkswagen, Guestroom Records, The Social Club, STASH, and Tree & Leaf Clothing.

Finally, isn’t it great that these albums are free? And if the generosity of Fowler VW and Blackwatch Studios makes you so very happy… then, as you download this year’s new record, why not throw them a few bucks toward Norman Public Schools elementary music programs, because that is where 100% of donations go!

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Laurence Made Me Cry “It’s Not You, It’s Christmas” (2017)

Laurence Made Me Cry

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Glasgow’s Laurence Made Me Cry (aka Jo Whitby) bought some sleigh bells, and now we all have a great new Christmas song! Which gives me an idea… who should I send sleigh bells to? I’m creating a list… OK, back to the review. This track is a “song for when you’d rather be alone at Christmas,” which I think we can all relate to at some points during the season. The music somehow tickles my late 90s-early 2000’s indie rock funny bone, as the lyrical guitar lines suggest Pavement-meets-Pinkerton-era Weezer? Am I crazy? But truly, it’s Jo’s voice that seals the deal for me. Love it. If you need any more convincing, all proceeds go to Community Christmas, “who believe that no elderly person in the UK should be alone on Christmas Day unless they want to be.”

Bottom Line: I’m sure happy Jo bought some sleigh bells, and that she shook them for charity!

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Fast Romantics “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (2010)

Fast Romantics from 2010

Self Released
Buy: Stream

Originally released as a Youtube video back in 2010, the Fast Romantics managed to put together a wonderfully upbeat, profane (my mix is gonna have lots of swearin!) version of the classic “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which I had been trying to hunt down for a good while – even messaging the band at one point. How I never found this Soundcloud stream from Aporia Records, is beyond me. But alas! It is now mine! The Fast Romantics, for those unfamiliar, are a wonderful indie rock/pop band from Toronto. The early lineup you hear in this delightful Christmas song is clearly fantastic – the groove, the keyboard melodies, the driving bass – it is so damn good. The latest lineup retains two original members, and the recent additions (and the new record, American Love) are fantastic. (Also check out FR member Kirty’s self-titled solo record, it is beautiful.) I would love to hear the new version of Fast Romantics tackle a Christmas song… just sayin…

Bottom Line: The Fast Romantics’ version of this classic Grinch tune is the best one I’ve heard – resurrected from the past for your listening pleasure.

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Justin Kennedy (of Army Navy) “What I Don’t Want for Christmas” (2014)

Justin Kennedy Christmas

Self Released
Buy: Stream

Justin Kennedy is the lead singer of the LA indie rock band Army Navy, and while Army Navy have their own solid duo of Christmas tunes, I’m really here to talk about this golden nugget of a song that Justin released under his own name back in 2014, “What I Don’t Want for Christmas.” The song begins by saying all the wonderful things he’d like for Christmas this year… but you realize that things are not quite right. The relationship is strained… they are sitting apart, glaring daggers. But then, “I still you love you, you know its true / and yes we’ve both been so cruel / make a wish on this Christmas night / hold me close and lets never fight.” The turn is made, and the love spills out of it. “Yeah I think that I know what I really want for Christmas this year / just hug me so close and I’ll love you, you know till next Christmas eve.” The story is clever and poignant, the music feels contemporary yet classically Christmas, and the production is top notch. Check out the other Army Navy tracks too, and if you are a glutton for punishment, Justin’s version of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” because, while I truly enjoy Justin and Army Navy, nothing will let me enjoy this song… because I’m not 6 anymore… I also loved poop jokes and morning radio DJ parody songs. Of note – the song is not available for download right now, but it had been in the past… so perhaps that will change?

Bottom Line: Well that review got a little old man shaking his fist at the kids there didn’t it? That ending should not dissuade you from listening to the fantastic Christmas songs of Justin Kennedy and Army Navy. Go. Enjoy. And follow Christmas Chaos on Facebook, because Bob reminded me about these guys!

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