Category: Singles/Tracks

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a Drift “Merry Xmas (War Isn’t Over) (2015)

a Drift - Merry Christmas

Jean Luc Tobine’s Offical Fan Club
Buy: Bandcamp

French indiepop band a Drift have just released what one might call a “response song” to John Lennon’s classic, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” While the original has a hopeful choir of children, this wonderfully acerbic new Christmas song resigns itself to reality, while wishing you to embrace your loved ones at Christmas, cause they’re all gonna die. This is a commentary on our current state, biting sarcasm dressed up in a beautiful indiepop robe.

War is not over but we’re not gonna fight,
so merry, merry Christmas.
Corporations won’t save us from the climate disaster,
so merry, merry Christmas.
Share your love with your friends,
cause sooner or later they’re all gonna die.
La lala la la lala la,
so merry, merry Christmas.

I think this song goes along quite well with the beautiful and poignant Sondre Lerche song from earlier in the season – for those who wish to add a bit of politics to their mix, as I often enjoy to do.

Bottom Line: Beneath the handclaps, a Drift highlights the reality, and one might argue, the futility of our current world situation. Love it.

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Shy Nature “Christmas Lullaby” (2015)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

North London’s Shy Nature have ALSO returned! This is an amazing week for underground Christmas music – damn! Now, Shy Nature loves a slow burner, such as last year’s “Sweet Winter Rain,” and I would put their 2015 track “Christmas Lullaby” in that same camp. The music is quite atmospheric, as each instrument rings into the cool air of this snowy song. But there is a tension, very much between the slow beat and the vibraphone (right?)… only in the chorus does it release, and that is quite lovely.

Where somewhere it’s snowing
And the rest of us sing

Christmas lullaby songs
The melody sings me to sleep
And the holiday’s on
But no rest for the wicked and me

EDIT: It appears that this track is going to be officially released either today (17th, which it states on their Soundcloud) or tomorrow (18th, which it states on their Bandcamp).

Bottom Line: This lullaby leaves me with complicated feelings about how truly sweet it is… and I like that.

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Bullion “Child’s Christmas In Wales” (2015)

Self Released
Buy: Stream

I’ve feeling the bug tonight – so here’s a third post for you night owls. London’s Bullion (aka producer Nathan Jenkins) has turned John Cale’s “Child’s Christmas in Wales” into a shimmering, electronic wave of synthesizers. This isn’t the only, somewhat drastic measure that Bullion employs. He only alludes to the first verse, as the melody replaces the vocals. Vocals do come in on verses 2-4, but again, he shaves off the fifth and final verse. However, I don’t mind a bit, as I believe brevity is always appreciated in a Christmas song. If only there were a download… but… I’m sure you kids can figure a way around that.

Bottom Line: Bullion has taken a great song, shaken it up a great deal, and thrown it on the table as a tasty treat. (and POOF – it’s gone)

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Christmas Aguilera “The Snowmen” (2015)

Christmas Aguilera - The Snowman

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Everything in the world will be perfect for at least three minutes and fifteen seconds today. Why? Because Christmas Aguilera is back! “The Snowmen” was released and I don’t think Bandcamp has even notified me yet; I just happened upon it this morning! Christmas Aguilera have written some of the best, for lack of a better term, saucy Christmas songs I know, and they have also written some of the sweetest. “The Snowmen” most certainly falls in the sweet camp, and in a year of such darkness, I’m perfectly fine with that. The song tells the story of a snowman who realizes he has feelings. He is treated as a real boy, and loves every moment. It has a wonderful ending that can be embraced by all people, snowpeople or otherwise.

Tear up the rules
Christmas doesn’t got to be
A kick in the snowballs

The track, as always, benefits their local east London homeless charity. Love these guys.

Bottom Line: Listen to every single Christmas Aguilera track – because they are as close to batting 1000 as any band I can possibly think of. “The Snowmen” continues their unprecedented run of absolutely killer Christmas songs.

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The Strange Echo “Just Like Christmas” (2015)

Self Released
Buy: Stream

Wait a tic! This isn’t a new Computer Perfection song! Let me introduce you to The Strange Echo. It appears that this is a CP side-project, or a new project, or something of the sort. Either which way… it is being released under “The Strange Echo.” You’ll recognize the title no doubt – it’s a cover of Low’s classic, and my person favorite of theirs, “Just Like Christmas,” but with the little eccentricities that make a Computer Perfection (or… Strange Echo?) song! While I do prefer a CP original, a solid cover of a great song with electro-pop touches will most certainly tide me over till next year.

Bottom Line: Very solid cover of a truly wonderful song. That Detroit crew can really do some quality indiepop Christmas. Perhaps they should get together with the Fika/Allo Darlin’/Sunturns crew next year… do some tunes across the Atlantic…

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Lindby “Merry Christmas, Baby (ft. Leon Bridges & Ali Grant)” (2015)

Lindby - Merry Christmas, Baby

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

So… Lindby… what a score. What timing. Leon Bridges on your Christmas EP. Was that, a week ago that he played SNL, and only a few days after a Grammy nomination? “Merry Christmas, Baby” is off of this Fort Worth, Texas band’s 4th holiday EP, which I somehow had missed in the past. Be rest assured – they have been added to my “Bands Who Love Christmas Section.” Lindby’s electro-funk sets a nice stage for Leon and Ali’s vocals, and they both have voices that you kinda want to pay attention to! All the pieces come together to create a great version of a song that (IMHO) is normally covered by-the-numbers. The ending is the best part; You just gotta stay to the end.

Bottom Line: How did this premiere on Ft. Worth Weekly, and not some place like Stereogum… or Rolling Stone? Certainly a solid tune worth your time – and free on Bandcamp!

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Deerful “City Bells” (2015)

Deerful - City Bells

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

It seems like there is this big group of friends making all the great indiepop Christmas tunes in the world. It begins somewhere between London’s Darren Hayman and Norway’s Sunturns, creating an overlapping venn diagram that I really should make someday. The latest wonderful example sprouts from Emma Winston, a frequent collaborator within the London indiepop scene. Her first effort under the name Deerful is the very lovely “City Bells,” which recently premiered on For the Rabbits + the Scared to Dance Podcast (which I really loved yesterday). You could not wish for a more soothing, beautiful, snow-filled day 24 hours in Cambridge. It captures a perfect moment in late December, the city in lights, and holds it close as a memory to cherish.

Bottom Line: This song is like a warm blanket on a chilly winter night.

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The Cave Singers “Christmas Night” (2015)

Cave Singers - Banshee

Self Released
Buy: Stream | Bandcamp

Seattle’s the Cave Singers‘ fifth album, Banshee, is slated to be released in February, but that hasn’t kept them from releasing (well, streaming) their Christmas song, “Christmas Night!” I almost feel silly writing about it, since it has been mentioned in a number of much, much, much higher-profile venues such as KEXP, where it debuted, and Stereogum. However, the song is just too good to ignore.

Yeah a change might come alright
To go and live a different way
That’s the only thing I haven’t done
See it’s a strange little life
You going to make it in time

The song has us looking out at the world, seeing an experience that isn’t ours. When presented with bitterness and fear, you instead discover love and hope. As frontman Pete Quirk said about this song, “I guess it’s hard for fear to play you like a puppet, with love in your heart.” Beautiful.

Bottom Line: The complicated optimism of “Christmas Night” makes me think of the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life; There is a thoughtfulness to the optimism that isn’t all-too-sweet, and I appreciate that tremendously. If I were the Cave Singers, I might open up this song for purchase ahead of the album; It is good enough to buy twice! They’ve got it for purchase on Bandcamp!

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Early Cartographers featuring Kid Conventional “What Will You Open? (An Invitation to Christmas)” (2015)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

I’ve been following Sheffield’s Early Cartographers‘ Christmas single creation on Facebook for a while now, awaiting its debut. From tweets that I’ve seen, I knew it was going to be a bit of tearjerker. Indeed, “What Will You Open? (An Invitation to Christmas),” walks amongst those songs that ponder the meaning of it all… let them explain:

This song is an invitation to Christmas. It was written by a notorious grinch and attempts to take into consideration those who find Christmas a difficult time to stomach, whether that be due to apathy, unhappy memories, poverty, disillusionment or social anxiety.

I know that St. Etienne has recently sparked a discussion amongst my fellow indie Christmas brothers and sisters with their suggestion that Christmas songs must be “pro-Christmas.” I think that is far too simplistic an approach for what can be a very complicated time of year. If any of you have seen the excellent documentary Jingle Bell Rocks!, you’ll see that Mitchell’s love of Christmas music was forged by hearing a song that wasn’t all jingle bells and tinsel, Nat King Cole’s “The Boy the Santa Claus Forgot.” In that song, he discovered that he wasn’t alone with his conflicted feelings toward Christmas, and through that relationship, has embraced the holiday for everything that it truly is, not simply the “joy.”

“What Will You Open” is one of those songs that spark contemplation, and I appreciate this. I don’t want every song to be Christmas-party appropriate; Some songs need to tug and poke at your emotions to bring balance to the season. I think it’s all too appropriate that such a song would also be benefiting HARC (Homeless and Rootless at Christmas). Christmas isn’t Christmas for everyone, but throw a few bucks toward a great Christmas song and a worthy cause, and you’ll be a bit closer to making this Christmas a little brighter.

Bottom Line: Gorgeous instrumentation, thoughtful sentiment and a worthy cause make this Early Cartographers track well worth the wait.

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Crying Day Care Choir “Once a Year” (2015)

Christmas Day Care Choir Vol. 2

Self Released?
Buy: Bandcamp | Soundcloud (Free!)

The folk troupe Crying Day Care Choir have previously been featured on this blog, and will continue to be featured until the end of time. They have a second Christmas EP lined up to drop next week, and thankfully they have left a wonderful trail of breadcrumbs for us to gobble up until that time. Just premiering on the Swedish blog Beingblogged, “Once a Year” is the kind of wonderful Christmas song that I just LOVE to put on a mix. Not only is the music wonderful, but the lyrics are amazing. “Do a sleigh ride , next to a hayride, during Gay Pride in July”

If I wasn’t feeling so damn poor… I want to buy their (nonseasonal) LPs so bad! RIGHT NOW! Please save me one!!!

Bottom Line: Perfect Swedish indie folk. That is nearly my favorite genre, done as well as any band could ever hope to.  (Its official, killing the rating system to give myself sanity, but damn this is good).

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