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Susto “R.I.P. Santa” (2017)

Susto - Casual Christmas

Missing Piece Records
Buy: 7″ Vinyl | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

I know I’m partial to synthesizers, depressing tunes and the Swedish, but I came across a great, domestic, alt.country song about the season that pairs well with a glass of spiked eggnog, and I thought I’d gather around the digital fire and tell you about it. Charleston, SC’s Susto’s alt.country, drinking song about the death of Santa Claus is yet another excellent approach to what can be a very predictable genre. I’m just loving some of these lyrics: “That jolly old mister was a north pole drifter. / I ran into him once or twice. / He’d say “Hey ain’t the weather / nice this time of year, / as long as you don’t slip on the ice…” / I met him at a diner, / he said he was a miner. / I could tell by the twinkle in his eye, / he was telling me a righteous lie. / That man was a saint.” The imagery at the diner is pretty damn fantastic; there is a spark of story in that small moment that I want to hear more about. The track itself has a great alt.country vibe, lots of nice piano lines and Justin Osborne’s vocals convey the story beautifully. Of note – this track is also available on a limited (to 300) vinyl picture disc, available on their website. The record includes “Feliz Navidad,” which is also featured on Amazon’s new Indie for the Holidays playlist, an acoustic version of the same track, also featured on an Amazon playlist (Acoustic Christmas). The final track is not a Christmas song, but yet another Amazon playlist entry, “Serial Monogamist,” which features on the Love Me Not playlist.

Bottom Line: I must admit – the title had me skeptical. However, with some great lyrical imagery, this drinking song about the death of Santa is quite engaging and enjoyable. Digging it for sure.

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Joyful Noise Recordings’ Holiday Party Vol. 1 (2017)

Joyful Noise Holiday Party, Vol. 1

Joyful Noise Recordings
Buy: 7″ Lathe Cut Vinyl Snowflathes with Digital Download | Bandcamp

Joyful Noise Recordings has a wonderful concept for their new release, Holiday Party Vol. 1. Each track is pressed on a single, lathe cut 7″ (a Snowflathe!), limited to 100 snowflathes each, and costs $20 for one. Wait a second – that is crazy expensive! I am going to have to spend $180 on the entire album! Yes, but no. Buy one 7″ for $20, and you get a MP3/WAV download of the entire record. THAT, and all proceeds go to The Fund for Global Human Rights. So, this is starting to sound cooler, eh? Want it to get even cooler? YES? Well, these tracks were recorded live at the Joyful Noise holiday party!! They all sound beautiful, full studio-recording quality, with highlights by Richard Edwards covering Big Star’s “Jesus Christ,” and Psychic Temple’s Curtis Mayfield cover, “We Got to Have Peace.” This whole thing is pretty damn strong (and sometimes weird, but still well done), and very much worth your time and money, especially if you are a Christmas vinyl collector – Pick your poison!

Bottom Line: Great concept, wonderful cause and solid tunes.

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Premiere: The Grapes & Friends “Wishlist” (2017)

Grapes & Friends "Wishlist"

Self Released
Buy: Amazon MP3

Let me quickly introduce you to the Grapes and Friends, as there is the slight possibility that some of you have not been reading my blog all year. (FYI, I write about Christmas music all year… because I have problems, obviously). Grapes and Friends are an Austin, TX indie rock band created by smashing together members of Dangeresque, The Gorgeous Hands and Genuine Leather; they are an Austin version of our friends the Sunturns and Christmas Aguilera, a specifically indie-rock-christmas supergroup. TOMORROW NIGHT (Dec. 9) is their annual Xmas Extravaganza, and they just released their annual seasonal jam! “Wishlist” is exploding with cheeky funk, that special kind that will both get your ass moving and put a big smile on your face. When they bust this out at their xmas party – shit is going down. The song pairs perfectly with last year’s “Can I Come Home with You (For Christmas)?,” tickling those Midnight Vultures-era-Beck feelings of carefree youth. And those vocals…  that delivery suggests something naughty is going down, and you know what? It just might. The day is just beginning… the possibilities are endless, and this is your holiday soundtrack.

Bottom Line: Slam your beer and start jumping around… or start evaluating whether you have any life left inside you – you choose. (Shit got deep there for a second.)

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LA Wise Man (featuring LA Priest) “All I Want for Xmas Is Rock & Roll” (2017)

LA Wise Man "All I Want for Xmas Is Rock & Roll"

Domino Recording Co.
Buy: iTunes | Amazon.uk MP3

LA Priest (aka Sam Dust/Samuel Eastgate) has become LA Wise Man for this seasonal song, and WHAT A FUCKING TREAT. This delicious slice of indie rock is yet another track up for “song of the season,” as the muddy bass line pairs perfectly with wailing guitars and some great lines like: “They say this buzz will be the death of us, / but we’re young and free, so we gotta be / We hear that tone when we’re all alone / and we set on fire instinctively.” That lyric is even more appropriate, as this song will burn down the Christmas tree and light your gifts on fire. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Bottom Line: LA Wise Man has released a scorcher of a Christmas song, and if you read this blog, you’re probably going to love it.

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Nelson Can “On Christmas Night” (2017)

Nelson Can "On Christmas Night"

Alcopop! Records
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Bandcamp

Copenhagen’s incredible, all-female indie rock trio, Nelson Can, snuck a ridiculously fantastic Scandinavian Christmas anthem onto Soundcloud today. How it snuck on, I have no clue. They have over 8,000 followers on Facebook, far more than most bands that make it onto these digital pages. Yet somehow, I’m listener 40-43. Go figure! I am honestly feeling way too lazy to do much more than say, “It’s fucking great.” I’ll leave most of the exposition to them, and perhaps add more in the morning. You shouldn’t expect high levels of professionalism from a blog who, during most days of the year, gets about 20-25 views in a world of BILLIONS.

“The song is about Christmas from a Scandinavian point of view. The further up north you go, the darker the days are during Christmas and the increasing hours of sunlight after Winter Solstice (December 21st or 22nd) still plays a very central role in the Christmas celebrations here. Hence the chorus “Solstice in sight! We don’t have to wait anymore. We will be bathed in light on Christmas night. We wanted to make a Christmas song that combined the Christmas we know from modern day western culture with the old hedonistic celebration of the return of the sun.”

Update: This song gets better with every listen. When I said “anthem,” I meant it. The song starts off simple, with this gentle rocking beat framing Selena’s voice, but hit that chorus and they go big! The hooks are huge – there is even the perfect amount of whistling… yeah, you heard me. Truly a stellar song with an interesting point-of-view (ANOTHER SOLSTICE MENTION TOO!) and most certainly worth multiple listens.

Bottom Line: Nelson Can scored a winner, pretty much hitting all fronts: Scandinavian + indie rock + original song + short + great production + wonderful voice + great chorus + fantastic finish = Weeeeee!

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Christmas Mix 2017: Snow Man

Christmas Mix 2017: Snow Man

This year’s mix began taking shape at the end of 2016, its direction was solidified the moment I heard Mac McCaughan’s “Happy New Year (Prince Can’t Die Again).” This year would have some four letter words, sexual situations, whatever might come, as I decided to allow myself this freedom every few years and not play it around my kid. I’ve done my best to remember to mark which songs have the fucks and the shits (hehe), but alas, I may have missed one; that oversight would certainly be classic me. As for the rest of the content, there are some angry songs, some sad songs, and some damn sweet songs, the highlight of the latter being Charlie’s Hand Movements’ “Until the 25th.” Damn, I love the ending to that song. Hopefully you’ll dig it, as this moment is really why I do this blog. I created Christmas Underground largely as a resource to keep track of my own search for music. By sharing, perhaps others would also share with me and not make it such a long, hard slog. I’ve met many wonderful people who have done just that – and I hope to hear from even more of you in the future. So, the blabbing is over, the listening begins.

http://8tracks.com/mixes/8733729/player_v3_universal

Snow Man from sixtywatt on 8tracks Radio.

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Thyla “Christmas Wrapping” (2017)

Thyla "Christmas Wrapping" (2017)

Self Released
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) (Gone?)

HOT TAKE: Brighton’s Thyla just dropped (IMHO) a better version of the modern classic “Christmas Wrapping” than the… dare I say, the Waitresses? The song, while still quite faithful to the original, has subtle changes to the groove that pay off beautifully. Walking by a shop playing this version, you might not bat an eye, simply assuming that it is the Waitresses’ original. However, sit down with a pair of headphones, and the variations on phrasing, emphasis and orchestration are just damn refreshing. I’ve even had the pleasure of revisiting this song over the past few days, and it wears even better on multiple listens. Well, well done Thyla.

Bottom Line: Thyla delivers a faithful, yet superior version of the Waitresses’ classic post-punk Christmas single.

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Banfi “Caroline” (2017)

Banfi "Caroline"

Communion
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | iTunes | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

London’s Banfi have written the ultimate song of loss and regret for this holiday season. This song bleeds sorrow, illuminated by the glow of Christmas lights. “Lying here in bed, with things we never said. / You are always the first to sleep. / I whisper my goodbye, / To all the happy lights. / Wrapped around our ugly tree.” The song is about the loss of a loved one, and the more you delve into the lyrics, the harder it hits. “Come sundown, this old town /  Looks a bit like the place we fall in love. / Come new year, you’ll know dear, / I lead you down a short line.” It is brutal and beautiful.

Bottom Line: Not your traditional holiday fare, Banfi tap the other side of the holiday and pour a full glass of sorrow.

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Couples Skate Only feat. Zebra Zebra “Absentees & Invites (The Solstice Show)” (2017)

Couples Skate Only feat. Zebra Zebra

Gotta Groove Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Gotta Groove Records has been sending 7″ records to their customers (they are primarily an indie vinyl pressing plant – check them out!) for the past seven years, and thankfully, Tim Thorton (half of Couples Skate Only and an employee at Gotta Groove Records) has posted a few copies on their Bandcamp for the past few years. Back in 2015, when I discovered this wonderful little tradition through the Couples Skate Only Bandcamp, they still had copies left of their 2013 release, featuring a track by Tim and his wife Cari, who together are known as Couples Skate Only (a wonderful band name, IMHO). This track, “First Christmas,” is absolutely fantastic, and when I saw that 2017 features Couples Skate Only again, I was psyched. I purchased it, song unheard, and sit here ready to plug what I thought, and confirmed, would be a damn fun song. “Absentees & Invites (The Solstice Show)” follows “First Christmas'” wall-of-synths production, and once again features Cari’s lovely indiepop vocal stylings. The song involves a couple trying to find their way to a winter solstice party, which is of particular note as I’ve been making a mix for 13 years now and this my be the first solstice song I can remember. Please know, I’m sure there are many more, but I can’t honestly peg any at this moment, which makes this song even more interesting. As for Zebra Zebra’s contribution, I’m guessing that the sampled shouts were either Laura and Eileen Thorton, AKA Zebra Zebra. I know that Laura is a toddler/big girl (I have a 4 year old “big boy”), so perhaps Eileen is a baby? This is indeed a family affair, which makes it all the more adorable.

Bottom Line: A synth-drenched indiepop treat indeed. Couples Skate Only have the potential to be one of the indiepop Christmas greats, alongside Christmas Aguilera, Charlies’s Hand Movements, etc, etc.

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Forest Creatures – Was That Christmas? (2017)

Forest Creatures - Was That Christmas?

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

I don’t have much time, as I have to work this Saturday, and I’ve just got a few minutes to get this down. Forest Creatures are a Vancouver band of folkies who have put together two (yes, TWO) whole records of RIYL Sufjan Stevens Christmas folk music. When I say “RIYL Sufjan Stevens,” it is both a compliment to the taste level, as well as a hint that this record is going to have a dash of Jesus for sure, but not heavy-handedly so. The production is outstanding, warm and layered. They mix it up with covers (“I Heard the Bells”) and excellent originals (“Christmas Like I’ve Never Felt”), each one done beautifully. This is a cohesive, beautiful record that you could put on and enjoy all the way through, which can be VERY hard for a Christmas album to achieve.

Bottom Line: Forest Creatures have come in from the cold, Canadian winter to warm our hearts with lush, indie folk.

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