Vinyl – Page 11 – Christmas Underground

November 3, 2014March 25, 2016

Mark Kozelek – Sings Christmas Carols (2014)

Mark Kozelek Sings Christmas Carols Cover

Caldo Verde
Buy: 7Digital FLAC/MP3 |Caldo Verde CD | Discogs LPs | Amazon UK

Mark Kozelek took his classical guitar into the studio in November/December 2013 and recorded a (largely) classical guitar, classic Christmas record. Classic, you say? Yes, but I mean it more in the terms of the subject matter than the execution. The whole tone doesn’t exude the warmth that most classic Christmas records do – I don’t know if Mark Kozelek could do warm & fuzzy, it’s not in his (performing) character. Don’t get me wrong though, the record is lovely. So, if melancholy classical guitar Christmas loveliness is what you’d like, then this LP is for you. This record will fit the bill if you have left-of-center tastes (as in, you love that Low Christmas record) and have a soft spot for very traditional Christmas tunes.

Mark excels in the early traditional songs on this record, such as “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Away in a Manger.” There are moments that you can imagine one of those songs being played over a melancholy scene in a Christmas movie. The more contemporary you get, the more hit-and-miss it can become. “Christmas Time is Here” is a standout track; the classical guitar approach is refreshing on a song that has been covered more often than it should, and the spoken word section adds a bit of humor that is very much appreciated. “O Christmas Tree” is a misstep if only for the song selection. Do you know anybody who really loves that song? It’s Christmas white noise, one of those songs that you hear, don’t hate, but truly… never love. Mark’s stab at the Pretenders’ “2000 Miles,” while pretty straightforward, is also excellent (though its ending feels quite abrupt). It’s simple, and quite lovely. I very much admit my bias here, as I lean toward new Christmas, rather than classic Christmas, when it comes to my Christmas mix. There is nothing on this record that I completely disliked, probably because I enjoy Mark Kozelek’s voice too much. However, it did leave me slightly underwhelmed. I appreciate Mark for taking a stab at the Christmas genre that he has flirted with for years, but the Christmas genre is one I am way too familiar with to find full satisfaction with a release with not one original song on it.

Bottom Line: Having a dinner party or scoring an indie Christmas film, add a full point to this score. Otherwise, a missed opportunity by one of our greatest living songwriters to have penned an original song. 3.7/5

LISTEN

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Listen via Stereogum)
Christmas Time Is Here (Listen via Stereogum)

October 29, 2014November 19, 2017

Worthwhile Way “White Christmas” (2013/2014)

Eager Beaver Records (JP)/A.D.D. Records (US)
Buy: Bandcamp

Worthwhile Way is a country punk band hailing from… Japan! This track comes off their split release with Madison Bloodbath, The Moon in the Darkness, which was originally released on CD in Japan in October 2013, but got its first stateside release via A.D.D. Records on 10″ Vinyl in January of 2014. I tried to find some lyrics, to no avail. That said, it does appear that the song is sung fully in English. Despite the lyrical challenges, I am quite confident in saying that the song is most certainly not a cover of the classic “White Christmas,” but a wholly original tune. I like the vibe, even if I can’t make out the lyrics. Check it out for yourself!

Bottom Line: If you need something more upbeat for your mix, these Japanese cowpunks might have the song for you. 3.9/5

LISTEN

October 26, 2014October 28, 2014

UPCOMING: Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club 2014!!

Its official. I just received word from Robert over at the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club (SCSC), and we’ve got 2 new singles for 2014! Hannah Peel and Nancy Wallace (both from the UK) are this year’s lineup, with the same format as last year – one original and one cover. They will be limited to 500 copies, and are pressed on snow-white vinyl. If you did not take advantage of this stellar club last year, you can still pick up three of the four releases directly from the club. Do some digging, and I’d imagine you’ll find that Smoke Fairies 7″ for sale somewhere too (There’s a signed one on Amazon!).

Nancy Wallace 'January' b/w '2000 Miles' — Nancy Wallace ‘January’

I can’t recommend these releases enough. The Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club is working hard to bring us wonderful NEW Christmas songs from interesting artists. SCSC are not website throwaways, but some of the best Christmas songs of the season. That Miserable Rich tune from last year is one of my favorite Christmas songs of the last decade – no joke.

I can’t wait to hear these new ones…

I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about these releases here and everywhere else as the season draws near. Grab your copy today to make sure you don’t miss out.

October 22, 2014March 25, 2016

The Limiñanas “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (2014)

Trouble in Mind
Buy: 7Digital FLAC/MP3 | Amazon UK | Amazon UK MP3 | iTunes

Get ready for a lovely slice of French garage rock from the duo known as the Limiñanas. This unreleased cover of Phil Spector’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” can be found on their new rarities compilation on Chicago’s Trouble in Mind Records, (I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind: Singles & Rare Stuff 2009/2014. They don’t stray too far from the spirit of the original (not a dirge to be found), yet their rough-around-the-edges delivery makes it feel like something new. Check it out, buy a copy and impress your friends.

If you find that you like their sound, and want to make a bit more of a commitment, you can even pick this up on vinyl. So, finger to the wind… how does it blow for you?

Bottom Line: I already like the song, and the Limiñanas give me that little bit extra to make this tune mix-worthy. 4.8/5

LISTEN

September 30, 2014November 19, 2017

Noise to the World: Converse Rubber Tracks Holiday Music (2013)

Converse Rubber Tracks
Buy: Free!

How did this thing slip by me? And how did this slip by my fellow Christmas bloggers? This would be like missing the Target comp of years ago, in that it is packed with “indie” bands with a large corporate backer – so how did it make a noise in a few music publications but never come across my googling? Noise to the World is seven tracks of varying styles, but all with a certain level of quality where I don’t hate anything – it’s truly listenable. As an added bonus – there appear to be vinyl copies of this out there somewhere.

We’ll run down the release track-by-track, as it is a short release and each one is worth a note. Roxy Roca offers a funky original that elicits the imagery of a picturesque Christmas, but not without you. Warm Soda (the band that really made me excited to hear this) mines the same fertile ground of Roxy Roca, and many bands before, with their “Without You By My Side.” Their power-pop delivery takes the melancholy lyrics and lifts it up enough with the music to not feel like a dirge. The two songs are so similar in their main thesis, yet so very different in the approach, tone, lyrics and delivery that the only thing that ties them together is “without you.”

Fresh Daily and Black Spade contribute a surprisingly strong Christmas rap song with “Holiday ’93.” I don’t normally get into a hip-hop holiday, but this track is not only enjoyable and is perhaps the best song on the record. They don’t make it a joke, like so many other Christmas rap songs, and their attitude and lyrics strike me as very much in genuine & nostalgic vein of Ahmad’s “Back in the Day,” which is very welcome.

Mother Merey & the Black Dirt take the holiday staple, “Run Run Rudolph,” and deliver a wonderful, country-noir song that is just downright refreshing. They make it their own.

Workout’s “Jingle Bells” is the most-skippable track on the release for me, for two reasons. First, Jingle Bells. Second, pop-punk is just not my bag. However, they become very listenable by exuding a sense of humor about the whole thing, and being so damn short. Kudos.

The She’s “December Tide” is another in a recent wave (pun!) of surfin’ tunes. I can’t recall such a melancholy surfing Christmas (well, winter) tune in a very long time. This song is the kind of indie-pop that I’m quite receptive to, and would gnaw at any pop-punk fan… we are just different species, you and I. I especially like the end of the song, with the layering of the vocals… if you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know how much I love a good ending.

Finally, Low Fat Getting High’s “Deck the Halls” will please the headbanger in you. They do “Deck the Halls” hardcore and fully commit. Not normally my thing, but oddly, not unlistenable. Had it ended at 1:40, I would have liked it a bit more.

Bottom Line: Wow. Pretty excellent all the way through. Free, with super-high-res MP3 download. Quite listenable and at times downright fantastic. Pleasantly surprised, and certainly recommended. 4.4/5

LISTEN

September 7, 2014November 19, 2017

UPCOMING: Mark Kozelek – Sings Christmas Carols (2014)

So, its not out yet, and you can only hear two tracks (see below), but it was made official overnight (in that you can now preorder it)… that yes, indeed, Mark Kozelek’s first stab at a true Christmas record will be coming out November 4th. The preorder is live. It is real and it is limited. Those unfamiliar with Mark, or more likely, those with that little bit of familiarity with Mark, may say – hey – he has 2 other Christmas albums! No, no… they are just deceptive titles for live shows with minimal Christmas representation. So, be sure to purchase this new album, not White Christmas Live or Little Drummer Boy Live if you want the full thing.

All that said – I’m looking forward to this. This is certainly an album that will be heavily reviewed by major publications, and could very well be the indie-christmas-du-jour release (unless Sufjan releases another). However, I don’t have my hopes too high up – as the only tracks I’ve heard aren’t quite my bag, but that’s just my personal prejudices toward really religious tunes during Christmas (I understand the irony). I do very much love Mark, Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters though…

The CD version has begun showing up at other retailers (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Amazon UK), but if you purchase direct from Caldo Verde, you get a bonus CD, Mark Kozelek: The Kids – Live in London. In addition, there is also a vinyl pressing that has popped up. The numbers are in, and its official – red, green, black and white editions will all be limited to 500 copies each. The red is available exclusively from Caldo Verde (and its live now… likely for 24 hours or so), while the green, white and black are already available for preorder on Bull Moose’s website, as well as on Amazon (Edit: I don’t think any Amazon copies actually shipped – they kind of suck for limited stuff).

Sings Christmas Carols:

Christmas Time Is Here (Listen via Stereogum)
Do You Hear What I Hear
2,000 Miles
O Come All Ye Faithful (Listen below or listen at this link)
O Christmas Tree
Away In A Manger
Silent Night
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
What Child Is This
I Believe In Father Christmas
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Listen via Stereogum)
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
The First Noel
The Christmas Song

Proper review to follow, of course.

LISTEN:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXOhzykofK4]

August 9, 2014March 25, 2016

Eux Autres – Another Christmas at Home (2009)

Self-Released
Buy: Bandcamp | iTunes | 7Digital MP3/FLAC

Eux Autres released their Another Christmas at Home 7-inch back in 2009, and in the subsequent four years, have earned (what I would consider) a status of indie-Christmas classic. Their original song, the titular “Another Christmas at Home” is 2:18 celebrating a warm fuzzy drinking-at-home Christmas that I’m sure a number of us can relate to. Short, sweet, and great. Their two covers, Slade’s “Merry Christmas Everybody” and the Jacobites’ “Teenage Christmas” are equally wonderful – Eux Autres’ sound adds something to the song that makes you think they should be Eux Autres originals. (I especially love the lo-fi indiepop take on “Teenage Christmas.”) Unfortunately, the 7″ version will be hard to come by, as it was limited to 250 copies and is sold out – but do some digging and you might get lucky.

Bottom Line: The kind of solid effort you wish would come out more frequently. Truly enjoyable with some great choices. 5/5

LISTEN

August 7, 2014October 5, 2017

Fucked Up – Do They Know It’s Christmas (2009)

Self-Released
Buy: Discogs 7″ | iTunes

Fucked Up are no strangers to Christmas music. For those who actually like this song (I may not be one of those…), this is a solid version. They change the production and modernize it a bit, and the singing is not very good in parts… all of which I actually appreciate. The gloss of the original can feel so syrupy-sweet that it’ll rot your teeth. Along with members of Fucked Up, you’ll find Andrew W.K., Bob Mould, David Cross, Ezra Koenig, GZA, Kevin Drew, Kyp Malone, Tegan and Sara, and Yo La Tengo on this track. Likely, if you’re reading this blog, you’ve heard of this version, if not actually heard it already.

OF NOTE: If you read this today or tomorrow, ~~you can pick up the David’s Plan 7″ (with this song as the b-side) from Insound for a sweet $1.50~~. That is kind of insane.

Bottom Line: Good for what it is. 3.8/5

LISTEN

July 2, 2014June 1, 2015

Comfort and Joy: A Holiday Comp for the Kids (2013)

Analog Ghost Records
Buy: Vinyl/MP3 from label | Vinyl from Jigsaw | ~~Cassette~~

What a lineup. Quasi. Rob Crow (of Pinback). The Music Tapes. Wooden Wand. Ida. Jason Lytle (of Grandaddy). Mike Watt (of the Minutemen/etc/etc). Certainly some indie heavy-hitters on this compilation, thus I would have expected this record to make more waves last year. I found it rather late in the season, too late for my mix no doubt, but don’t recall really coming across it very many other places either. I don’t know whether it was the rather generic title (Comfort and Joy) that pushed it down in Google results, or what might have happened, but this release deserves your attention! Limited to 500 copies on vinyl (and likely much fewer on cassette), proceeds from this release benefit the Covenant House, a charity that helps homeless youth across the country. Check out Analog Ghost’s Facebook page to see a pic of the nice letter that they got back after their first donation of proceeds.

I don’t normally provide tracklists, but I think you would benefit from this:

Quasi – “Christmas on Credit”
Rob Crow (Pinback) – ”Wasail Among Us”
Joe Jack Talcum (Dead Milkmen) – ”Christmas Waltz”
Human Hearts (Franklin Bruno) – “June is as Cold as December”
David Ivar aka Black Yaya (Herman Dune) – ”I Fought the Lord”
Golden Boots – “Mele Kalikimaka”
Wckr Spgt – “The Ballad of Snowy Brown”
Refrigerator – “Christmas in the Sun”
The Music Tapes – “Let it Snow”
Ida – “Heard it from Heaven Today”
Nima Kazerouni ft Maston – “Dear Santa, This World is Strange”
Wooden Wand – “Silver Bells”
Outravez (Monotonix) – ”Banu Hoshech Legaresh”
Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) – “Piano Fell Asleep In The Bushes”
Mike Watt – ”The First Noel”
Terry Riley – ”God Rest Ye”

I don’t want to get bogged down in a track-by-track rundown, so here are some personal highlights. Quasi‘s “Christmas on Credit” is one of those snarky Christmas tunes that I love. Rob Crow‘s “Wasail Among Us” dips more into the territory his hard-rocking side projects and really shakes up the record. David Ivar (AKA Black YaYa)’s “I Fought the Lord” is a great take on “I Fought the Law” and has some welcome harmonica. Even Golden Boots‘ “Mele Kalikimaka” is 100% enjoyable and their fuzzy baseline really does it for me – It may even be my favorite tune on the record. Nima Kazerouni ft. Maston’s “Dear Santa, This World is Strange,” has the echoey vocals, jangling bells, and general mood that you expect from a Christmas tune. While the pace is slow, it may find a place on your mix if your sequencing fits. I love the title & the general concept of the song.

There are really only a few tunes that I would skip by – the Mike Watt bass-only cover of “First Noel” would be one. Something about the entire song being played ONLY on a bass… just not for me. With minimal clunkers, Comfort and Joy is a very welcome compilation that, certainly for the price, you should feel great exchanging your hard-earned money for.

If I am not mistaken, there is also a download card in the package as well. I ordered from the label last year, and they actually dropboxed me the tunes immediately. But I’m pretttttty sure there’s some sort of card in there too. Let me know if there isn’t…

EDIT: I’ve updated the “Buy” section – the record label has some more copies!

Bottom Line: Certainly enough here to be happy about. 4/5

LISTEN

June 6, 2014March 25, 2016

Nickel Creek “Christmas Eve” (2014)

Nonsuch
Buy: 7Digital FLAC/MP3 | iTunes

So, this may likely be the highest-profile post that I put on this site. Nickel Creek are largely mainstream; They have won a Grammy, been on CMT, etc. etc. However, it is their proclivity for interesting choices, such as covering a Pavement song (“Spit On A Stranger“) on a major-label release, that gives me enough reason to bring them into the Christmas Underground fold.

After a seven-year hiatus, Nickel Creek returns with a record that also marks their 25th anniversary, A Dotted Line. This album has gotten rave reviews, as have their earlier efforts, and to my surprise, includes a Christmas tune. “Christmas Eve” is a breakup track, with lyrics by their guitarist, Sean Watkins. If you have a folk bone in your body, this is certainly going to tickle it. And if you truly love folk music, you are going to LOVE this song. The ending is pretty exquisite – their vocals – “Please darling wait / It’s not all over yet” – layering as the song descends… very much worth your time. No jingle bells whatsoever on this tune.

Bottom Line: Mainstream folk via an excellent band that are likely to be listened to for many years to come. 4.5/5

LISTEN:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5MfYLO200Q]