Category: Singles/Tracks

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Pulled Apart by Horses “Merry Christmas Everyone” (2014)

Pulled Apart by Horses - Merry Christmas Everybody

Too Pure Singles Club
Buy: 7″ Vinyl @ Norman, Rough Trade, Piccadilly, Banquet or Action Records

Pulled Apart by Horses has taken this Slade song that I am normally pretty bored with, and ripped some shit up. I don’t know if you can rock this song out any harder without losing the melody. I especially love when they layer the vocals, with one voice screaming while the other sings. I’m trying not to use any more profanity, but this song makes you want to swear. This is the a-side to the DZ Deathrays track, and while I can’t find it digitally yet, it is available for preorder from all the fine retailers you see above.

Bottom Line: Fresh, fucking urgent take on a “classic” song. 4.8/5

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The Garlands – Christmas Song / I Don’t Intend to Spend Christmas Without You 7″ (2013)

SNOWFLAKE 2 The Garlands front cover 600px

Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club
Buy: 7″ Vinyl | 7″ Vinyl Bandcamp | 7Digital MP3 (US) | Amazon UK MP3

The Garlands‘ contribution to last year’s inaugural Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club is a perfect indie pop Christmas single. For the uninitiated, the SCSC format is 7″ records with an original A-side, and a cover B-side. The Garlands A-side, “Christmas Song,” is as beautiful as anything they’ve ever done. These Swedes can do English-indie pop better than most native speakers. I find myself liking it more with every listen – there is this part where the tone takes a somber dip, and damn I love it. The B-side cover of Claudine Longet classic is equally pretty, as they somehow found a way to pour more sugar on an already sweet song. Claudine would be proud.

You can still pick up this release, but there are only 500, so I’d get it sooner than later.

Bottom Line: Indiepop Christmas at its finest. 4.6/5

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The Explorers Club “Christmas Must Be Tonight” (2013)

The Explorers Club - Christmas Must Be Tonight

EC Records / Burger Records
Buy: Free!

Philadelphia’s The Explorers Club released a gem of a cover last year, picked up by a number of my fell0w bloggers-in-Christmas, but worth highlighting once more for its general level of excellence. This is a faithful cover of The Band’s original, so nothing much has changed. However, this version does differ in subtle ways, best experienced during the chorus where they inject just enough energy to fill that gap I (personally) feel in the original.

Bottom Line: The Explorers Club took a great song, and upped the ante. 5/5

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Naive Thieves & Summer Twins – Christmas With Naive Twins (2010)

Christmas With Naive Twins

Self-Released
Buy: Free! | Also Free!

Way back in 2010, Naive Thieves and Summer Twins, two LA/SoCal-based bands, teamed up for a 2-song Christmas release, Christmas With Naive Twins. The result is a lovely little piece of indie-rock Christmas that sounds like Little Joy & Local Natives got together to record some seasonal sounds. Both “Holiday in the Sand” and “What Better Time than Now” have a timeless feel, contemporary, but harkening back to a 60’s feel at times. These tracks really are something special that should be heard by more people. While it was posted on the Summer Twins Bandcamp page at one point, it no longer resides there, nor on the Naive Thieves Bandcamp. I’ve tried contacting them through Bandcamp and Facebook multiple times, but to no avail. I, for one, would love to pay them a few bucks for FLACs, but for now we’re going to have to settle for the free downloads that still exist on Soundcloud. Thankfully, they are high-bitrate MP3s.

Bottom Line: Both tracks are superb. 4.8/5

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Psst. There are free mp3s over here.

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The Weary Band “Christmas Mourning” (2011/2014)

The Weary Band - Christmas Mourning

Self-Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Years ago, I found the track “Christmas Mourning” while doing research into whether a different band’s “Christmas Mourning” was an original song – and while theirs turned out to be Julian Cope cover, the Bristol-based Weary Band‘s original stayed with me. They have re-recorded it for 2014, with all sales going to the Bristol-based charity Survive. It’s a melancholy song, with lyrics like “We’re older now / Old and blue. / How many wishes of yours came true?.” It’s grounded in a reality that gives it power, and perhaps if you take a listen, you’ll feel the same.

Bottom Line: There is something beautiful here. 4.8/5

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Ice Choir – Pure Holiday (2014)

Ice Choir - Pure Holiday

Cascine
Buy: 7″ – Norman (UK) – Saki (US) – Juno (UK) – Amazon UK | Boomkat FLAC

This is the kind of stuff I love – thanks Stubby. Ice Choir, with their shimmering 80s sound, offer up two Christmas tunes that live in another world. This synth Christmas gem will make all your friends wonder “Who the hell is this?” as they rattle off “Tears for Fears!” or “Spandau Ballet!” You shall cooly say, Ice Choir of course. Fronted by Kurt Feldman, former frontman of the Depreciation Guild and current drummer for the always-excellent Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Ice Choir has taken the sounds of yesteryear, mashed it up with a bit of modern chillwave, and created a 7″ whose digital bliss will take you away to a Christmas of big hair, bright colors, and Club Med.

Bottom Line: Not 100% how it’ll fit on my mix, if it will at all. But I really appreciate how great & how different it sounds than most everything out there this year. 4.7/5

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DZ Deathrays “Lonely This Christmas” (2014)

dz deathrays

Too Pure
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3 | 7″ Vinyl

I knew I should have posted this days ago when it had 5 plays on Soundcloud – Blast! Kudos to you Christmas A Go Go! Australian punk/garage rock band DZ Deathrays‘ cover of Mud’s “Lonely This Christmas” appears to be one of (perhaps two) the seasonal selections from the Too Pure Records singles club (which after last year’s fantastic release, may raise expectations). They definitely rock the hell out of the song. This will certainly fit the bill for some punk/pop-punk Christmas music fans out there.

Bottom Line: Not quite there for my personal tastes, but remember, I’m a bit twee. 3/5

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Short Skirts “Christmas Depends on You” (2013)

Short Skirts - Christmas Depends on You

Self Released
Buy: Free!

I love the rabbit hole that is Soundcloud. If I find a song I like, I’ll explore all the playlists that its been added to, in the hopes that the listener has equally good taste as that particular selection. At some point, this journey led me to Short Skirts, a fantastic garage rock band from Norway. “Christmas Depends on You” brings in Ida Horpestad from Blomst on vocals, and her touch really brings this garage/surf Christmas song to the next level. The lyrics are fantastic – I really don’t want to ruin them for you before you listen. To top off an already great song… they are offering it as a free (WAV) download on Soundcloud.

Bottom Line: This song is good enough to be covered for years to come. 5/5

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The Lonely Wild “Holidays” (2014)

the Lonely Wild - Holidays

Ursa Major Recordings
Buy: Amazon UK MP3 | Bandcamp

I wonder if not really having seasons effects how you feel about the holidays? LA’s The Lonely Wild have released a great, bitter Christmas tune to really get you into the holiday spirit. I love a good anti-Christmas song as much as I love a Christmas song. When you add lyrics like “Holidays are coming / to rip your heart open. / Just don’t freak out / Just don’t let me down,” and “Miracles are waiting / to be found in the gutter,” you know you are in for an anti-Christmas treat! Beautiful harmonies and some killer guitar make this song one of the highlights of the (anti) season for me.

Bottom Line: I love me some bitterness at Christmas. You need a healthy mix of sweet and bitter to not rot your ears. Hey, Lonely Wild, put this on Bandcamp, why don’t ya?? Thanks! You did! 4.7/5

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Faye and the Scrooges “Christmas Number One” (2013/2014)

Faye and the Scrooges

Self-Released
Buy: Stream

THEY ARE BACK! Faye and the Scrooges have returned with a new song for 2014, and much earlier than they usually do! (Well, I just found out that it’s technically 2013’s song – they just hadn’t shared it yet!) It’s fun, funny, and well produced. This song greatly shares my sentiment – “What were they thinking when they wrote those Christmas singles / This year, something’s got to change.” I have a ton of work to do today, so I’m simply going to post it and let you do the listening.

Bottom Line: This “band” knows how to put together a fun Christmas song. 4.2/5

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