Category: Singles/Tracks

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Couples Skate Only “First Christmas” (2013)

Couples Skate Only 7"

Gotta Groove Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Gotta Groove Records is a fantastic pressing plant/boutique label in Cleveland, OH… and these fine purveyors of the little vinyl discs we all know and love also send out a Christmas 7″ to some friends and clients each year. 2013’s release had a whole mess of tracks! What a little, vinyl bundle of joy to celebrate the holiday with… wait a tic… did I use that turn of phrase because this song is about being a new parent? You bet I did. Couples Skate Only and myself obviously must become best friends (Hi Tim!), as we both: 1. Enjoy indiepop Christmas music and; 2. have at least one tiny child. Their contribution to the 7″ captures parenthood wonderfully in 2 minutes, while in the warm embrace of a driving indiepop electro beat. Love it.

If you’re interested in vinyl – they have 5 left (as of this posting), on random colored vinyl. Looks like you all liked the track as much as I did. They appear to be ALL SOLD OUT!

Bottom Line: Fantastic indiepop that I personally can relate to… but not quite sure about those without kids… but hey, I’m the one giving the number. 4.6/5

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Jesu “Christmas” (2010)

Jesu - Christmas

Robotic Empire
Buy: Bandcamp | Discogs (LP)

Post-rock Christmas! This is for those folks who dig Mogwai, or even… though this is a bit more of a stretch, those folks who dug the Mark Kozelek Christmas record last year! Why Koz? Well, he’s putting out a record with Jesu early next year! And whaddaya know? They both have a Christmas record! I don’t know how I missed this for so many years. Honestly, in the places I search, I would have thought that this would have been much more prominently featured, if simply based on indie name-recognition. Released in 2010, and remastered a few years later, this EP comprised of one song and 3 remixes is a great example hard, yet cinematic post-rock Christmas song. Give it a listen, and if you fall in love, the LP is $40 on Discogs. That’s a bargain at $10 a song! Ha!

Bottom Line: Certainly not my usual fare – but I have to say I enjoyed it. I don’t foresee it on my mix, they never get this heavy, but I’m not here just to serve me. Well… mainly me. 3.8/5

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Computer Perfection “When the Key Turns” (2011/2015)

Love, Detroit Vol. 02

Self Released
Buy: Stream

What can I say? I am super-connected. I have been talking to the folks over at Computer Perfection for about a week, and we are totally the best of friends. How can I make such a wild claim? Well, they’ve invited me to Christmas dinner (they don’t know this yet) and they sent over a new mix of their wonderful 2011 Christmas track, “When the Key Turns.” Originally released on Love, Detroit Volume 2 (still available for free download!), this new mix is absolutely beautiful; it shimmers out of the headphones. Computer Perfection fancies this song to be their most beautiful work to date, and I would not argue them on that fact.

Bottom Line: Absolutely beautiful indie pop from masters of the craft. 5/5

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The Ornaments – What A Merry Christmastime It Was 7″ (2014)

The Ornaments - What A Merry Christmastime It Was 7"

Folkmonger Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Hailing from the snowy cheese-fields (right? hehe) of Madison, Wisconsin, The Ornaments intend to be an annual Christmas music project that will “release one 7″ and play one show each December from now until the end of time.” Sounds promising! Comprised of Mike Behrends & Lance Owens, the Ornaments are the kind of Yuletide band I look for – nonreligious! I know, I know… but if you want religious Christmas music, look up… look down… you’re swimming in it already. These guys were just looking for a reason to get together, as I look to my Christmas mix as a means to keep in touch with those in my life. So far, so good. On to the songs.

The songwriting is certainly original. The A-side, “Santa’s Existential Crisis,” captures a conflicted Santa Claus who isn’t quite sure he wants to work anymore. He’s worn-out, he’s sick of all the stuff, and he really just needs to take a break. I dig the music too, perhaps more than the lyrics. Everything rests easily on the bed of Hammond organ and drums, with guitar and bell flourishes nicely sprinkled throughout. A very solid start.

The B-side, “Christmas Dinner,” does not go where you think it is going to go. The song is essentially about a glorious Christmas feast for a mother and her children… and what a bloody mauling it was. Ha! Great stuff – I’ll be on the lookout for 2015’s release, no doubt!

Bottom Line: Unique songwriting, great production and EXTREMELY limited (10 copies!), clear, square, 7″ lathe-cut vinyl. (4.4/5)

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Chris Farren (feat Evan Weiss and Into It. Over It.) “Cold Front” (2015)

Chris Farren "Cold Front"

Soft Speak Records
Buy: Limited Vinyl | Bandcamp | Limited Vinyl Repress

Chris Farren released the absolutely wonderful Like a Gift from God or Whatever digitally last year, and its unique songwriting and fantastic production made it a quick favorite in the CU household. This year, Chris and Soft Speak Records decided to wrap a bow on the record and give it to us again. But… what a bow! A limited vinyl release! 100 on gold vinyl, 270 on red vinyl, and 30 handmade editions (only to be sold at The Fest in Gainesville, Florida this upcoming weekend). However, the story does not end there. There is a wonderful vinyl-only bonus track, “Cold Front,” featuring Pet Symmetry‘s Evan Weiss and Into It. Over It. Melancholy seeps out the of every crack in this Christmastime memory. For new readers… Christmas melancholy is something that I’m most certainly a sucker for. The song builds slowly, setting the stage – “The dead of winter, / the streets covered with salt. / I’m in the front yard, / wondering where you are. / The lights shine brighter / when you’re around. / The snow stops mid-fall / and avoids the ground. / The congregation ends the prayer. / Somebody told me it was not my fault / Somebody was wrong.” The music lifts and we go back to a time that was filled with love. The emotional roller coaster that is Christmas, wonderfully reflected in a song.

Oh, and all proceeds benefit NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. So buy a record, support a good cause, and get this awesome bonus track.

I have been so, so, so busy lately. I really wanted to write about this earlier, when there were more versions of the vinyl available, but alas… there is only red left. But take heart! At least there is SOMETHING left.

EDIT: Just announced today (November 6, 2017) – Randomly-colored vinyl repress of 500 copies!

Bottom Line: Chris Farren can write a bonus track for me any day… just make it available for those who can’t grab one of the 400 copies and I’ll give back that .1.  4.9/5 5/5 (I keep my promises – available for download now!)

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Violent Femmes “Happy New Year Next Year” (2015)

Violent Femmes - Happy New Year

Self-Released
Buy: Band (LP) | 7Digital FLAC/MP3 | Amazon UK MP3

Proto-indie rock legends the Violent Femmes returned in April of 2015 with a new EP, tantalizingly titled Happy New Year. Originally a Record Store Day release, the LP (and download) is now available everywhere! Simply said, the song is about how the year has been ruined by January 1, so next year will be the happy one. It has a classic Violent Femmes sound, and comes in at under 2 minutes. Certainly something to consider when crafting your 2015 mix.

Bottom Line: While I liked it, I did not LOVE it. However, it could certainly find a place on your mix, if the mood was right. 3.9/4

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Little My – Little My’s Fourth (2007)

Little My's Fourth

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

There must be a significant (well, it’s all proportional!) readership who enjoy a good twee-Christmas tune, because I sure do write a good bit about indiepop. Thus, if you have an indiepop itch that needs a good scratch, Little My’s Fourth will do the trick. Cardiff’s Little My are up to their 11th release now, and have recently come back from five-year hiatus. Thus, their fourth release was a good while ago, yet somehow I haven’t come across it until now! The 2-song single leads off with an original, “Xmas Song,” which is chock-full of jingle bells, soft voices, and was that a recorder? It’s classic indiepop Christmas, pretty music with sad lyrics. “I’ll have a sad, sad christmas with a sad, sad look on my face / since you’ve gone away.” Thankfully the music keeps this song from entering dirge territory – so I think you could get away with having it on your mix without bringing everyone down.

The second song is a Shakin’ Stevens cover, the oft-(but not enough!) covered “Merry Christmas Everyone.” Their version is certainly a nice little indiepop version, but it did not jump out at me as the Kate Canaveral version from last year. Still, a solid tune, but more-so because I like the song, not necessarily how they tackled it.

Bottom Line: Little My have done up 2 solid indiepop Christmas tunes for a cool £1, or perhaps splurge a bit and get one of the 2 remaining CDs? Sure! Certainly good enough to hope that they do some more Christmas tunes in the future. 4/5

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Young War “I Won’t Come Back For Christmas (I’m Serious)” (2014)

Young War "I Won't Come Back For Christmas (I'm Serious)"

Self Released
Buy: Stream

Young War‘s “I Won’t Come Back For Christmas (I’m Serious)” is a great blend of indie rock and R&B. I love the whole concept of the song – he is not coming back for Christmas just so you know he’s serious. Its beautifully done, and very much worth your time. But don’t take my word for it. Take Lie in the Sound or Christmas A-Go-Go’s advice, and give it a listen (and/or download it via some nefarious Firefox plugin… or something). They gave it so much love last year, so much that I didn’t really find myself needing to help too much. I saw this on numerous mixes last year – it was certainly deemed a highlight of the season. That said, the song is good enough that I knew I’d be compelled to write about it at some point. Hey Young War – I hope this comes back around next year via Bandcamp.

Bottom Line: Wonderfully produced, great lyrics, great vocals and (was) free. 4.8/5

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Young War has been kind enough to give me permission to upload and stream their wonderful Christmas song. It had previously been a free download via their Soundcloud page, but they took it down from their own feed.

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Adult Books “When the Lights Go Out on Christmas Eve” (2012)

Adult Books Demo 2011

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Los Angeles’ lo-fi trio Adult Books snuck a Christmas song onto their Demo 2011 release, “When the Lights Go Out on Christmas Eve,” and its a grower (for me, particularly). On first listen… I wasn’t hooked. It took me three listens, spread over a few weeks to get into this track. But you know what? Those kinds of songs often last for me. I really like the production, and if the EP title is to be believed, it’s only a demo. The simple instrumentation – the fuzzy vocals – it all creates a great atmosphere. I especially like the layered vocals at the end.

Of note – Adult Books also just put out a 7″ EP on Box Bedroom Rebels. BBR is one of my favorite labels of the past year, and their releases normally sell out extremely quickly. Fortunately for you, they still have some of the Adult Books EP, and it comes with lots of fun extras. Certainly check it out if you’re curious.

Bottom Line: A fantastic lo-fi Christmas tune. 4.4/5

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Tvillingarna, Truls & jag “Får vi en vit jul då” (2014)

Våra barns julfavoriter - Julmusik för barn

Alfie
Buy: 7Digital MP3 (US) | Amazon UK MP3

From the album Våra barns julfavoriter – Julmusik för barn (google translated: Our children’s julfavoriter – Christmas music for children) by Swedish singer-songwriter and frontman of Edson, Pelle Carlberg, and his family. I really have very little idea what they are saying, but I like Pelle enough to make mention of this particular track. The title of this song (Google translated) is “We Get a White Christmas When,” and Pelle’s voice and instrumentation make it a lovely little song. His kids sound great on here too, and I’m not normally a fan of children singing on my Christmas music. I wish I knew a bit more about what the heck they are saying though…

Bottom Line: I wish Pelle Carlberg made Christmas music for my English-speaking child. For those interested in hearing Pelle sing a Christmas song in English, buy his last record, The Lilac Time, and read the liner notes. 3.9/5

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