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Christmas Mix 2024: Late Deliveries

To agonize over making a Christmas mix… is there anything one can do, that is truly less significant than this? I mean… I feel like I am sweating it out, unable to decide what cookie I want to eat, and wanting sympathy for my plight. These things never feel finished – you always hear something you could have done better… another song, a different sequence. But you have to just let it go. Then, you end up with songs you love just sitting there for years with no permanent home within your personal Christmas canon. The lead track this year was one of those songs… I’ve had it on my list for years, but it just felt right this year. There are plenty more I loved from this year and years past that just couldn’t fit, as I adhere to the 1:20 limit of the CD-R, and will maintain that rule for as long as I have the energy to do this. Without rules… there is chaos. This brings me back to the cover of Madonna’s “Holiday,” which made it on here because there are no rules. Light the fires, we’re burning down this town tonight. What did I say before?

Enjoy.

1.Jeremy NealeChristmas (Turn This Around)
2.High TropicsAll I Need This Christmas
3.Asha JefferiesKeep My Shit Together
4.BlossomsChristmas Eve (Soul Purpose)
5.ROEChristmas Once Again
6.Simon KearneyJusqu’à No​ë​l (feat. Gabrielle Shonk)
7.SkegssDecember
8.Summer Camp GirlfriendFairytale of New York
9.Tea Leigh & Luke ReedDo You Sleep?
10.Blinker the StarHoliday
11.LitanyDie Hard (Is a Christmas Film)
12.SocialitesWinter
13.ShuttleDecember
14.RatiganThe Rights to Christmas
15.Thanks LightDirtbag Christmas
16.Aux CarolingBulls vs. Lakers, Christmas 2011
17.Árný Margrét & ÁsgeirPart of Me
18.Madi DiazKid on Christmas
19.The Oh HellosDecember ’04
20.There Will be FireworksNo Christmas Bells
21.PinemoonChristmas Together
22.Bleu ReineChristmas is All Around
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Hit the North Pole: A Festive Charity Compilation for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fun (2024)

Hit the North Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Who is ready for some more “Last Christmas?” My son would say no. Oddly… I would give a hesitant “sure,” as this year has been especially good. That said – I put this out into the world – BANDS! Pick a new song! Speaking of new songs to cover… The new Christmas comp from Los Angeles’ Hit the North Records has everything you want. Songs not often covered? We got em! More “Last Christmas?” YES! It has three versions! That said, I’d say three solid, distinctly different versions starting off with a fuzzed-out stroll by Steel Wool, followed by the warm pop approach of Jacob and the Moon, and finally the amped up chiptune-meets-punk of Kurupi. These versions live in separate worlds… but having 3 versions of the same song does make this a record to be mined for singles, rather than to be listened to as a Christmas record IMHO.

Another often covered standout for me is Tiberius’ loose and lovely “Christmastime is Here.” The song has a feeling of ramshackle comfort. I really enjoy the back half of the song when the orchestration expands and you get harmonica, melodica, and maybe French horn? Quite nice.

So now let’s talk about two songs not often covered, which I thoroughly enjoy by both reminding me that these great originals exist (sometimes you forget!), as well as enjoying what these bands bring to the song. Little Bit kicks into “Snow Day” at the end of the record, and I immediately jumped in recognition – this was a Matt Pond PA cover! There have been years of my life devoted to loving Matt Pond PA, and that Winter Songs EP definitely sits on my shelf here at home. Little Bit serves the song well, giving it a light, airy feel. Super solid.

Finally, Small Shake & Fur Trader team up on the Harvey Danger indie classic, “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas,” which they execute perfectly. Dare I say… is this a dream-pop version?? Those effects pedals! The beautiful, floating vocals! Give me that shoegaze/dream-pop Christmas record!

I only scratched the surface on this record, as I only really have time these days to scratch, but there aren’t any duds on here, and you’ll have much here to add to your Christmas mix/playlist.

EDIT: Just an FYI, this compilation is ONLY available on Bandcamp, and will not be available on streaming.

Bottom Line: As of this moment, you are only able to sample one of the songs… but know that this record is quite solid – and for charity. Well worth the purchase price to support children and mine for fantastic singles.

LISTEN

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Aux Caroling – Most Likely You Ho Ho Ho Your Way (And I’ll Ho Ho Ho Mine)(2024)

A painting of some fur trees in the snow.

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

You all are catching me in the final stage of my Christmas mixin… doing my best folks!

Aux Caroling (aka Scott Deaver) returns for the third year in a row with a handful of new, original Christmas tunes… and once again, I’m smitten. These songs have a warmth and humor that I enjoyed so much that I then went and bought them, despite being sent the MP3s earlier. I loved every song, but clever readers will know that I set the bar a long time ago to never talk about every single song on a record, either out of laziness or arrogance – you decide! (They are all great btw.)

You will never hear another Christmas song quite like “Bob Dylan and the Band Box Set,” which runs through the Bob Dylan box set the protagonist hopes to get for Christmas. How does one do this? Well, disc by disc of a 27-disc box set of course. I listened to this on the way to drop my son off this morning, and he found it amusing enough to comment on even while reading comics. High praise.

“Michael Clayton Blu-ray” continues the saga that began with “Is Michael Clayton a Christmas Movie?” on Aux Caroling’s 2022 record, Holly, Jolly, Melancholy. The song is quick and clever, and according to Scott, the song is “the running joke that will not die. Though the original was less a joke and just a song. But definitely in joke territory now.” I do enjoy the joke 🙂

My favorite moment of this record is actually the ending. The final song, “Keep it Together,” is a slow meditation, what I imagine to be an affirmation to get through the season with those complicated people and relationships in your life. “Keep it together / Say Merry Christmas and go away.” I connect with that… but I was most moved by the orchestration itself – how the outro builds in with these gentle, abrasive, beautiful tones. La da da dadada…

Bottom Line: Yet again, short, funny, beautiful, poignant and sad all mashed up in a way that only Aux Caroling can.

LISTEN




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Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas (Volume IV) (2024)

A Benefit for Crisis
Buy: Bandcamp

Today is the day. The fourth and final (…you never know for suuuuurrre) volume of this magnum opus of alternative Christmas music has dropped with a whopping 65 songs. Amongst these 65 songs, you’ll find many names that I’ve championed on an occasion or two (Whyte Horses, Dark Horses – ha! – The Photocopies, Skiing, Aux Caroling, and many more) – but unless you’ve been reading this silly blog since 2012, you likely haven’t come across many of these songs. If you have been close-reading this blog, you might even take special notice that Applennium’s “Is this Christmas” is on the tracklist. Not only is this a great track for that imaginary shoegaze/dreampop Christmas mix someone out there is making, but this is the first time one could get an actual FLAC of this song. I honestly had forgotten how great that song was.

This record is a fantastic afternoon listen, one that may very well get you in the spirit enough to finally put up your tree, finish your mix, or dig a bit deeper into that band whose song has just made you hit the back button to listen again. For a quick £7/$8.50, you’re that much closer to indie-Christmas nirvana. That, and ALL proceeds go to  Crisis at Christmas, a UK charity supporting people experiencing homelessness. Sounds like an easy call folks.

Bottom Line: If this is the first you’ve heard of this series – there are 4 of them, totaling 208 songs. They are required listening if you are at all interested in this alternative Christmas music. Now go! Listen!

LISTEN

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Autocamper “I’m in a Caravan (and it’s Christmas)” (2024)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (Mini-CD)

I don’t have much time (this is going to be a theme today). Indiepop funtimes with Manchester’s Autocamper. This song cannot (and I believe… will not) be streamed anywhere… so I can’t tell you whether it is good or not… but I’m guessing it is going to be good, because I bought one. NOW, how can you buy & listen to “I’m in a Caravan (and it’s Christmas)?” Well, you have to buy one blind and own a tray or top-loading CD player – don’t try to put them in a vacuum-loading one!!

Edit: Well shoot… I somehow read their listing initially as being released on Minidisc… not a Mini CD. Sorry about that! Sorry for the trouble I’ve caused for the band 😦

Bottom Line: Who knows?!?! I bet it is good!

LISTEN – Here’s what the band sounds like with a non-seasonal song

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Thanks Light “Dirtbag Christmas” (2024)

Perpetual Doom
Buy: Bandcamp | Flexi!!!!

So everything came out today. I’m writing this in the 15 minutes I have in the morning… after having worked until about 9:45 last night… Wait. Did I say I wasn’t going to complain in a post a day or two ago? I LIED!

With a title like “Dirtbag Christmas,” I knew I had to press play, and I was happy to see I wasn’t being seduced by yet another cheeky title – it was indeed great. This song by Thanks Light has a great “Ballad of John and Yoko” bassline, and a Dougie Poole feel that makes total sense, as Dougie and Thanks Light’s Zane Ruttenberg recorded and produced this track together. The song is about Zane’s entire family coming down with Covid, and him having to drive back home to spend Christmas in his bathrobe, drinking whiskey and playing scratch-off lottery tickets. I dunno… that kind of “nothing to do” sounds pretty damn appealing right now.

Bottom Line: Love the groove, love the sentiment, love the cover art = Love.

LISTEN

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ROE “Christmas Once Again” (2024)

Self Released
Buy: Juno (WAV/FLAC/MP3) | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3

ROE is an alt-pop weirdo from Northern Ireland and her wonderful first step into the world of alt-xmas has me feeling some great 90s vibes. I’m struggling to find the touchpoint I want – it nearly comes to me, then I lose it. Perhaps one of my five readers (I love you all!) will be able to pin it down… anyway, let’s focus. I love the vocal melody – it moves all over, with these changes of pace that are just damn pleasing. It is explicitly a Christmas song but doesn’t fall into any of those trite, predictable Christmas buckets that I hear so, so very often. Give it a listen, won’t you?

Bottom Line: From one weirdo (me) to another (you, the reader), you should listen to this weirdo.

LISTEN

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Birdcloud “Cool Christmas” (2011/2024)

Self Released / yk records
Buy: Bandcamp

I have a whole bunch of solid excuses as to why I’m not posting enough. Everybody loves complaining! Andddddddd…. Nah.

I’ve had this song by NSFW Nashville duo Birdcloud for a long while now, but it popped back into my field of view with their release of a “Honeybacked Ham Hologram” 7-inch record coming out Dec. 20. The song is all energy and attitude. It is abrasive. It is silly. The chorus is oddly sweet. This is the kind of song that won’t be a broad crowd-pleaser but might be some weirdo’s favorite track. I’m quite curious what the b-side – their version of “Silent Night” (which is not available for preview) will sound like…

Bottom Line: This thing is both a grower and a shower.

LISTEN

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Bleu Reine presente La Compil’ de No​ë​l #4 (2024)

Bleu Reine
Buy: Bandcamp

Sometimes I get concerned that this site just ends up writing about the same folks over and over again. I suppose there are two ways to look at this – 1. I am lazy and 2. These folks know their shit and do it well. Bleu Reine are #2, and definitely know their shit as they have compiled yet another superb Christmas compilation. (I hereby grant permission for folks to clean up my language if they wish to use a quote as a “blurb.”) The fourth edition is yet again a mix of French bands covering both holiday and non-holiday songs… but you know which category I am most interested in. So… let’s dive into these absolutely killer Christmas songs.

The first, and perhaps the most surprising highlight of a truly stellar record is Summer Camp Girlfriend covering the Pogues “Fairytale of New York.” Who needs another cover of this song… apparently me! This dream pop treatment may just have enough sustain on the guitar pedals to fit on my imaginary shoegaze Christmas mix. Their musical choices feel fresh and exciting… and they don’t use the F word! This thing sounds like no other version I have heard to date – give them a follow wherever you hang (hopefully not Twitter – F* ELON).

Skip down to the middle of the record, and you find yourself with an excellent cover of “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch,” by Norma. There isn’t much to the simple orchestration, but Norma does a LOT with a little. She doesn’t throw a bunch of musical color to fill up the space but chooses to add a color or two along the way to the strolling guitar lines that propel the song. Norma does four verses of the original six – and hey – I do appreciate a radio edit! Quicker the better when it comes to Christmas songs… this one was a pleasant surprise.

The fuzzy wall of sound that is Rennes, France’s Eeyora’s “Snowman (The Sleepwalk)” may or may not be a cover – I truly have no idea. However, what I encountered will terrify many folks on first listen… a sonic approach that would have been like seeing space aliens to the early rock n’ roll pioneers. But dammit if it hasn’t grown on me. The seesaw between abrasion and sweetness works wonderfully. I’m way out of my comfort zone, but I’m here for it.

Finally, let’s take a look at the Bleu Reine and their inspired cover of the Love, Actually classic, “Christmas is All Around.” The song is meant to be silly in the movie, and yes, the song is silly in reality. However, Bleu Reine has managed to make it feel damn sexy dressed up in some electro/dream-pop clothes. This thing is fucking cool! How did they do that?!

Hey! I missed some of the Christmas songs! THAT is because they were in French! Sometimes I have the balls to talk about songs in another language, and sometimes I don’t. Today is a don’t! Why do I use exclamation marks with reckless abandon when I review THIS specific compilation? I DON’T KNOW!!!!

Bottom Line: Some stone-cold mixworthy songs on this comp – and it raises money for La Croix Rouge Française / French Red Cross!

LISTEN

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Daði Freyr – How Daði Stole Christmas (2024)

Samlist
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3

I miss a lot of releases. The world is large, I am small, and my capacity is limited. However, at the very least, I would think I would see releases from artists I follow… but the algorithm lords do not deem it so! I believe I follow Icelandic alternative pop superstar (in my book for sure!) Daði Freyr on every possible platform, yet somehow I did not see his new Christmas EP, How Daði Stole Christmas until Alex Rawls (of the great Twelve Songs of Christmas podcast) told me about it! The EP compiles most of his previous Christmas singles (it is missing the Icelandic language version of “Every Moment is Christmas with You“) and adds four new Christmas covers, all of which are made better by Daði’s wonderful voice. Of particular interest to my Christmas blogging friends is a cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” This version rounds out what may be a banner year for “Last Christmas” covers, as Daði’s comes alive during the second verse (“A crowded room / friends with tired eyes…”), his voice bouncing through the verse in a mesmerizing dance that only Daði can do.

My second favorite (new) song off the EP may be the Icelandic language “Komdu Um Jólin,” which is listed as a Raf and Umberto Tozzi/Gunnar Ólason cover. I loved the electropop production Daði throws on the track. It makes you want to dance! Click that link above and check out the original… the song is wholly transformed, more than any other track on the record.

I initially didn’t find (or look for) the EP collection on Spotify/Tidal/Soundcloud/etc, only watching the fantastic performance videos that Daði had put up on Youtube and believing they were just that… simply videos he was sharing for fun at Christmas. The slow, trickling release of the videos had me on the edge of my seat, as I embraced each new video and waited for the perfect time to write about this neverending series of holiday covers. Well, every good thing has to end, and my dream of an infinite source of Daði Freyr Christmas songs has blown away… but damn there are some winners here. Enjoy.

Bottom Line: Daði Freyr is such a unique voice… I could listen to him sing the phone book… which he’d probably put a sick beat under!

LISTEN