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Applennium “Just This Christmas” (2013) / “Is It Christmas” (2014)

Self Released
Buy: Stream/Free

Buffalo’s Applennium have now released wonderful Christmas songs for two years in a row, and we can only hope there’s another coming in 2015. I’m getting antsy to write about the tracks… so here we go.

2013’s release, “Just this Christmas,” begins as the kind of song that my wife would roll her eyes at, as I have an affinity for a Christmas dirge, and she does not. “Santa, don’t bring me some silly toys / unless I can stomp on them. / No child could imagine the emptiness / of lack optimism.” Dark! But really beautiful. The music is a blend of indie rock, folk and alt country, pretty much hitting three favorites in 3:30. The song is not all dark clouds, though: “This holiday just made me believe / that there’s still hope in me.” Melancholy with a glimmer of hope? I’m hooked. (And its a free download on Soundcloud!)

2014’s effort, “Is It Christmas,” is nearly the polar opposite to “Just this Christmas.” “Tonight, begin to trust / begin to take less than you must / let go of sorrow / let in the good.” The music is soaring, echoing through the night and shimmering out of the speakers. As the track builds, the mandolin flutters into the background and the layered vocals float over the music, and you think, “Low would kill to have written this song.” Such wonderful production to a tremendous song. Loving it.

Bottom Line: These songs have grown on me over the past weeks or so, which is the mark of a winner. Everything about these songs, from the writing, to the music, to the production – truly exceptional. Check out their non-seasonal songs too – you won’t be disappointed. 5/5 (You readers seem to like the rating system.)

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Deidre & the Dark “The Ghost of Christmas Past” (2015)

deidre & the dark Christmas

Self Released? or Avec?
Buy: Bandcamp

Brooklyn’s Deidre & the Dark have recorded a great 60’s inspired, pop noir Christmas song that will help bridge that gap between the spooky Halloween and cheery Christmas. “I’m being followed by the ghost of Christmas past / I’m being scolded for my cheer that didn’t last.” Deidre & the Dark have approached their Christmas tune from a great angle – they chose subject matter that we’re familiar with, but not used to in a Christmas song, so it feels fresh, yet familiar. Certainly worth a listen, and available for free (well, for your e-mail) until Thanksgiving.

Bottom Line: My wife will no doubt love this spooky take on Christmas, and heck, even though I don’t have a spooky bone in my body, I like it too.

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Junkie Thrown “Fairy Christmas Day” (2014)

Junkie Throw Christmas

Self Released
Buy: Stream

When I’m solicited with a song… it has been my experience that the sender often has no clue what Christmas Underground is about, or what my taste might be. More often than not, it isn’t even a Christmas song… But enough blabbering from my grinch alter-ego. Yesterday I received an e-mail from someone who might actually have an idea of what I’m in to! Junkie Thrown, from my adopted hometown (cuz… I want to hang with Junkie Thrown & Jens Lekman, obviously) of Göteborg, Sweden, has written a beautiful, sorrowful, Christmas song about poverty and its contrast to the materialism of Christmas. In a season where I’m finding it hard to listen to happy Christmas music, and find myself searching for music with some deeper meaning, such as Sondre Lerche’s beautiful and poignant plea for Syrian refugees, Junkie Thrown’s sadness is cathartic.

Edit: Looks like this was originally released in 2014.

Bottom Line: Junkie Thrown’s voice is beautiful, the music equally so, and the subject matter meaningful. This is 2:31 that you, at the very least, will not regret; You may even love it.

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Neil Gretzky (St. Lenox) – Christmas Song (Demo) (2015)

Neil Gretzky

Self Released
Buy: Stream | Bandcamp

So, I often go down the Soundcloud rabbit hole. Don’t really know why, it’s so packed of choral music and sermons that it sometimes feels futile. Then… you find something like this demo by the elusive Neil Gretzky. Not only did Neil not respond to my message inquiring about him and this wonderful song, but he specifically states that he “Keeps to himself” on his Soundcloud. While Neil chills, this song seeps into your life. It piqued my interested on first listen, the simple programmed beats, the raw vocals, the (one might say) unglamorous lyrics. Day after day, I find myself with this song in my head. This song is not perfect, it is certainly a demo. But those ragged corners make it even more endearing. I do hope you feel the same.

EDIT: Turns out Neil Gretzky was a pseudonym for St. Lenox (Andrew Choi), and he properly released it on his Bandcamp!

Bottom Line: Neil Gretzky released a demo better than most fully-produced Christmas songs. Take that, guy who wrote “Christmas Shoes.”

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Deep Cuts “Advent Ansiedad” (2014)

Deep Cuts "Advent Ansiedad" (2014)

Self-Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Houston’s Deep Cuts… I just want to say, damn this song is good. “Advent Ansiedad” (translated Advent Anxiety) twists the charm of the holiday season into seeing patterns in the lights, hearing terrifying noises on the rooftop, and receiving mysterious letters from people who somehow know where you live. The premise is perfect, the lyrics are clever, and the music is amazing. I picked it up on the Tape Deck the Walls charity comp put out by Chill Mega Chill Records – so there is that option too… either way, you need this song in your life. Edit: Looks like it is no longer on Deep Cuts’ Bandcamp, so go to the comp above.

Bottom Line: A short, sweet review for a perfect song. Sorry for the love-fest lately… but you know… its hard to write about stuff you’re not crazy into, unless you spent a bunch of money on it. 5/5

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Frontier Folk Nebraska – Drop the Ball, Waste Another Year 7″ (2013)

Frontier Folk Nebraska - Drop the Ball, Waste Another Year 7"

No Chaser Records
Buy: Bandcamp

I know, I’ve been doing some housecleaning, posting some songs that did not come out this year. Well… that’s ok, because this site is as much about what’s coming out this year, as it is about the great stuff that has been hidden in the past. Frontier Folk Nebraska are not a folk band and are not from Nebraska. So who the fuck are they? They are, simply said, a badass rock band from Kentucky. Some of the influences they point to are Sleepy Jackson, the Replacements, Uncle Tupelo and Guided By Voices amongst others… and I would have to agree (to a point). I mean… Sleepy Jackson? I haven’t listened to that first Sleepy Jackson record (Lovers) in a good while, and while I don’t hear a drop of that influence on this 7″, I’m psyched that they like them enough to be mentioned. I loved that record! Those other bands… much more in line with the sound of FFN.

Now to the record: Both tracks on this 7″ are fantastic – the hearty singalong “Ho Ho Ho & Away We Go,” with drinking, theft and lighthearted debauchery mixing together to wish us all a merry fucking Christmas. You can’t help but want to be there. The flip side find FFN at New Years, and “Happy New Year” takes it’s Replacements meets GBV vibe and tears through a rough New Years morning. Love the music, especially the guitar interplay. These songs are all wonderfully conceived and executed – truly stellar tracks from front to back.

Bottom Line: How this band has not sold out of their 275 copies of random, multicolored 7-inch vinyl records is an absolute mystery to me. 5/5

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UPCOMING: Cassie Ramone – Christmas in Reno (2015)

Cassie Ramone - Christmas in Reno

Burger Records
Buy: Burger Records (Colored LP/LP/Cass) | Bandcamp | Amazon.UK (LP/Dig) | Amazon.DE (LP/Dig)

Ex-Vivian Girls’ guitarist/singer Cassie Ramone has announced a new Christmas covers album, Christmas in Reno, and it has been shouted out from the rooftops of Pitchfork, Stereogum and the meat-and-diary-free Brooklyn Vegan to name a few. I also tweeted about it. Thus, I doubt this is news to anyone. However, should this be finding you today, on a day when writing about Christmas music seems pretty damn inconsequential, maybe it’ll bring you some happiness, and that’s worth something. 10 covers, with some cool choices (Run Run Rudolph) and some terrible ones (Wonderful Christmastime), I’m really interested into hearing how this lo-fi Christmas comes together. “Run Run Rudolph” has a chilled-out, shimmering vibe, which makes it extremely enjoyable. I truly love the music, as it tickles the part of me that absolutely love Real Estate, and that would be the biggest RIYL if I were to go down that path.

For those interested in picking up this record, the preorders have begun. Burger has the colored & regular vinyl, as well as their classic format, cassette. Amazon also has the cassette and an LP listed (for cheaper than Burger), which I assume its the black vinyl. Amazon around the world is also listing the LP, so I’m not guessing the black vinyl is going to be ultra-limited.

Bottom Line: I’ve only heard one song. So no.

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Natalie Prass “White Christmas” (2008)

Big Beard Christmas

Big Beard Christmas
Buy: Stream

Natalie Prass has gotten a ton of press lately for self-titled debut record, getting Pitchfork’s much-hyped “Best New Music” label, amongst other praise. Before the all the hubub, Natalie was a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, and one who did not appear to shy away from Christmas tunes. Digging around on the corpse of MySpace, you can find tunes from a live, holiday show from 2008, Big Beard Christmas. There are six tracks there, and they are all pretty good, but the one I’m obviously singling-out is Natalie’s wonderful cover of “White Christmas.” Natalie takes this classic, and makes it her own. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed “White Christmas” this much in years.

Also of note from 2008, Natalie laid down “No Better Time,” a proper, original studio Christmas track on Holiday Noise Vol. 3. Its a nice, jazzy song Stubby wrote about back in 2010, when it was released on the always-interesting Indiecater Records compilation. While I do like it, and certainly prefer originals, I wish Natalie’s vocals weren’t so far in front of the music. It bothers me enough that I can’t fully commit to the song.

Bottom Line: This is “White Christmas” done right. I could see this all over 2015’s mixes… if it hadn’t already found its way to you earlier. Since its from the wasteland that is MySpace, and from way back in 2008… I’ve taken the liberty of adding it to Soundcloud for everyone’s listening ease. Enjoy. 5/5

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UPCOMING: Indie for the Holidays, An Amazon Original Playlist (2015)

Indie for the Holidays cover

Amazon
Buy: Stream

Amazon has announced a follow-up to their (IMHO) “meh” 2014 playlist, All is Bright. Their playlist was expansive, 43 songs, and with such a wide scope, there was no way that they were going to make this indie grinch happy. Too many expected covers from too many a coffee-shop friendly artist. This year, however, Amazon has tweaked their formula, and decided to curate a more adventurous playlist. The first song, Sondre Lerche & Jherek Bischoff‘s “Surviving Christmas” is presently streaming exclusively over at Stereogum. Its lovely throwback production is unsurprising, as I feel Sondre has been moving toward crooner for a years now (certainly not a bad thing – he’s great!). The lyrics are most certainly poignant, while sometimes remaining playful – Frank Sinatra would be proud. I am, however, very curious what electropop wildcard YACHT‘s track will be like, or serially grumpy Guided by Voices frontman Bob Pollard‘s What Begins New Year’s Day.” Rogue Wave have tried their hand at Christmas tracks before, as has (to a lesser extent) Langhorne Slim. There are also some newcomers (to me), such as Irish singer/songwriter SOAK, Seattle folk-pop band Ivan and Alyosha, and Swedish gothic pop singer Anna von Hausswolff that all have interesting biographies that make me want to hear more. I am most definitely intrigued, and hope that something great will come out of this for my 2015 mix. The entire playlist will be released on November 20th, so until then… just gotta wait.

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EDIT: I’ve added all available (free) streaming songs to a playlist.