Bandcamp – Page 16 – Christmas Underground

November 10, 2022November 16, 2022

Maude Audet “C’est Noël, je m’en fous” (2015)

In what might just become the year that I hunt down every cool French Christmas song I possibly can, I present Montréal’s Maude Audet and her wonderful 2015 Christmas single, “C’est Noël, je m’en fous,” which translates to “It’s Christmas, I Don’t Care.” The song is all about how it may be Christmas, but the narrator doesn’t care about the weather, the presents, the tree or anything at all, as she only cares that she’s with you. It is a lovely slice of French indie folk, as delicate banjos pluck along under the steady chime of sleigh bells, perhaps sparking a gentle sway as you sit at your desk. Equally lovely in sentiment and sonics, this song is a delight indeed. Magnifique!

Bottom Line: I continue my search for fantastic French Christmas songs and appear to only be pulling aces. I’m sure this will last… 🙂

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November 9, 2022November 29, 2022

Julie Aubé “Ça c’est Noël” (2020)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

As I continue to sift through my tabs and tabs and tabs of Christmas tunes I’ve been meaning to check out for about a year, I will continue to highlight the best of the bunch as we settle in and wait for the deluge of 2022 Christmas tracks. Now, you may know that I don’t know French, but I would imagine you agree that it sounds lovely in Christmas music. “Ça, c’est Noël” by Moncton, New Brunswick’s Julie Aubé is the latest addition to that beautiful playlist where I have no idea what they are singing about. Julie’s vocal delivery, along with this classic, French pop (with garage-rock edges) instrumentation gives the song a timeless vibe that is essential to a great Christmas song. Folks will be Googling this song, expecting to find it released on 45 in 1966… mark my words.

You’ll also likely love her non-Christmas offerings, as I’m also getting into her 2022 release, Contentment. Lots to love here.

Bottom Line: Just sing Christmas songs to me in French, Julie Aubé. I’ll bring enough eggnog for everyone.

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November 8, 2022

Bad Bad Hats “Sally Sweet Tooth” (2021)

Don Giovanni
Buy: Bandcamp

I am finally getting through all the stuff I meant to listen to last year. If you are someone who feels as though a shitload of browser tabs is a personal failing, let me introduce you to the largest failure I know… Me. Thankfully, every so often you find something that makes saving that session worth it. Minneapolis’ Bad Bad Hats has been producing a song a month on their Patreon since at least October of 2020, and what do you know… December 2020’s theme was Christmas! Let’s let them tell you a bit more:

“I was listening to all the holiday classics to get inspired and I was struck by how many great characters there are in the Christmas canon: Rudolph, Frosty, a run-over Grandma. So I wanted to add a new character to the mix. She’s a little sweet, she’s a little sassy. She’s Sally Sweet Tooth. And you’d be wise to give her your cookies.”

The song was deemed worthy to bust out of the Patreon $5 tier jail to the wider world last December, in all its early-2000s alternative/power-pop goodness. So rejoice, and remember not to be stingy with your cookies… she’ll get ya.

Bottom Line: An extremely delicious jam to spread all over your Christmas mix.

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November 4, 2022

The Martial Arts – Christmas With The Martial Arts (2020/2022)

wiaiwya
Buy: Bandcamp (digital/lathe-cut vinyl)

Look at me… now I am REALLY just copying Christmas A Go Go as I essentially update and repost an older post with exciting new information (rather than have to write a whole new post… which is WORK!) The wonderful Where It’s At is Where You Are (wiaiwya) label has just dropped 50 lathe-cut, 10″ copies of The Martial Arts’ excellent Christmas EP, Christmas with the Martial Arts. And hey – it’s Bandcamp Friday, so Bandcamp isn’t even taking their cut! Go buy it now! And now, my original review:

I’m in a mood tonight. I want to just yell and swear (in a good way) about every record I find. You have no idea what I’ve already written and deleted for this review, but let your mind go crazy. Glasgow’s The Martial Arts is a project of Paul Kelly, whose CV is a murderers row of great bands (BMX Bandits / Carla J Easton / The Primary 5 / Ette / Radiophonic / Tuckshop / How to Swim / The Hector Collectors) has put together this just FUCKING FUN AND WONDERFUL Christmas EP, recorded over eight years and finished over lockdown. The first two bouncing, beautiful tracks, “Stockings” and “Snow Flakes,” just take off like a rocket and shoot sparklers out of their ass for four minutes a piece. I devoured every second, with a giant grin on my face. “My Christmas was in June” is a cover of a Ze Malibu (feat. members of Redd Kross and that dog) song, and while the tempo slows to a stroll, the scenery is gorgeous. The final track and the only one actually fully-recorded in 2020, “Blinded by the Night” takes me back to the 80’s, to an emotional moment in a movie with lots of driving in the rain and staring out the window. “Stare into my bright disco eyes,” god I love that line. Go buy this record, but wait a few hours for #Bandcampfriday, why don’t ya?

Bottom Line: This is an indie/power/retro pop mixture that, like the unholy concoction the Long Island iced tea, will fuck you up real good.

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November 3, 2022

Mr. Manager & Katy Kirby – A Salute To Good King Wenceslas: Christmas Joy Forever and Ever Amen (2015)

Mama Bear
Buy: Bandcamp (Free!)

Katy Kirby has been featured once before on this site, with her absolutely stunning cover of the Handsome Family’s “So Much Wine, Merry Christmas,” and could very well be featured one more time should you wish to hunt it down before I get around to it…

This two-track single from 2015 features a collaboration between Nashville’s Mr. Manager & Katy Kirby, each featuring the kind of emotional indie folk that I’m indeed a sucker for. The first song, “Don’t be Sad Molly, It’s Christmas,” is a shared duet convincing Molly to be happy at Christmas. I’m trying to figure out the relationship between the narrator and the subject, but who really cares… we all can draw our own conclusions. There are some wonderful lyrics here:

you walked alone out in the snowflakes
you walked away from all the mistakes
the holiday of joy and heartache
it’s Christmas, sweet Molly please stay

The second track, “Baby, Don’t You Know It’s Christmas Eve,” is much more of a Mr. Manager feature, with Katy providing backing vocals (and likely an instrument or two.) Their intertwined vocal interplay, the beautiful banjo melody, all while pouring out these evocative lines, the whole experience left me staring off into the distance… imagining a past I never lived. (I’m an easy mark.) But check this verse:

I filled this book all to the brim
with songs of our love caving in
but I’ll burn the pages, break the pen
and tonight I’ll write you that love song
the one I’ve promised all year long
oh baby, don’t you know it’s christmas eve?

That “break the pen” line is so simple and so powerful. Simplicity is a weapon that many folks can’t wield, but Mr. Manager and Katy Kirby have some big guns here.

Bottom Line: Both songs are incredibly solid, and I’m sure I’d find differing opinions as to which one reigns supreme. But what a wonderful problem to have.

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November 2, 2022November 2, 2022

Coach Party “Wonderful Christmastime” (2020)

There are some songs that I really, really don’t enjoy… and Macca’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is most certainly on that list. For a guy who genuinely enjoys synths, one would think that I might be more fond of this modern classic, but those sugary-sweet synths rub me the wrong way. Thankfully, Coach Party has flown in from the Isle of Wight and saved the day, scrubbing those cloying synths with as many fuzzed-out guitars as humanly possible. Granted, they didn’t have quite the same hill to climb as anybody who tackles “Little Drummer Boy” might, but I tip my hat to Coach Party for making this terrible song pretty damn awesome.

Bottom Line: There is still a pop sensibility here, but Coach Party has frayed the edges enough to make me a fan.

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November 1, 2022

Katy Kirby “So Much Wine, Merry Christmas” (2021/2022)

The Handsome Family’s “So Much Wine, Merry Christmas” has slowly become an underground classic, being covered by the likes of Andrew Bird and The Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey, amongst many, many others. Each new year brings new voices to this beautiful, yet dark song, and 2021 welcomed the wonderful Katy Kirby to the growing chorus. A solo, acoustic version of “So Much Wine, Merry Christmas” debuted at Radio Milwaukee late last year, while a fully-produced version found its way onto the extended edition of her wonderful 2021 release, Cool Dry Place. Katy’s cover is technically based on the Andrew Bird arrangement, which I have already heaped some praise upon, but I am finding myself even more taken by Katy’s approach. Her soulful voice nestled amongst warm piano lines will leave you wishing for a crackling fire to stare at… perhaps some (spiked) eggnog as well. Indeed, this is a thing of beauty.

Bottom Line: Katy Kirby enters the top tier of “Too Much Wine” covers, and most certainly muscles her way on to many a discerning Christmas mixtape.

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October 28, 2022October 28, 2022

Hope Irish “Here’s to Holidays” (2009)

Superpop Records
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

I love digging up old songs as much as I do hearing the latest to drop. 2009’s “Here’s to Holidays” by Austin, Texas’ Hope Irish is one of those forgotten gems that I feel genuinely fortunate to have stumbled upon. The production is full of interesting colors, from the accordion melody to the mandolin, guitar, and slapping drums, providing a wonderful ramshackle accompaniment to Hope’s feisty, boozy lyrics about being alone on Christmas. The ending is particularly notable, as Hope repeats “If I could I’d piss your name in the snow…,” a sentiment that my wife, while falling asleep, really connected with. That’s love folks.

Of note – this song appeared on Superpop Records’ Holiday Collection 2009. Anybody have this? Want to share?? 🙂 I’d love to know what else was on this…

Bottom Line: A quick, boozy song of love and loss is a formula that (unsurprisingly) I can very much get behind.

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October 27, 2022October 27, 2022

Lucie,Too “Winter Song” (2020)

Thistime Records
Buy: Bandcamp

I must say, I’m much less familiar with the Japanese indiepop scene than I probably should be. I more than dabble in indiepop, I seek it out… yet somehow I’m only now learning about what appears to be a very popular band from Utsunomiya, Japan, Lucie,Too. Their excellent Christmas single from 2020 is the kind of song that requires no further understanding of what is being said, as you’re going to be tapping your foot too much to care. However, I take comfort in the fact that it follows that tried and true indiepop formula of upbeat music with sad lyrics; the song is about the “worst Christmas for a lonely girl who went on a date with (a) taken guy.” There were cassettes of this available back in the day – but again – this band appears to be quite popular (based on the Bandcamp collections/Youtube views/etc), so those are long gone. Too bad for physical music fetishists like me…

Bottom Line: Extremely good indiepop destined for any mixes that have missed it over the past two years.

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October 21, 2022February 2, 2023

The Bug Club “Christmas Lullaby” (2022)

Bingo Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3

The relief of finding a song that is a “#1 hit with a bullet” for your Christmas mix is something that any mixer can appreciate, so when I saw Christmas A-Go-Go tweet out this song a week or so ago… I had a physical reaction to it. Anxiety manifests in many different ways, from your breathing all the way down to plantars warts… and 15 seconds into this fantastic song, “Christmas Lullaby” by the Welsh indie rock band The Bug Club, my baseline anxiety cleared and a calm washed over me. This song should and will be on a million Christmas mixes… oh to be making my first and discover that fun-ass Christmas songs like this exist…

I realized that I hadn’t talked about the song at all! Just how I felt about it! Well, this could most certainly be a blue-album Weezer Christmas song… so Weezer in the best-possible meaning. That guitar solo… I can almost picture a young Rivers…

EDIT: Welllll. They put this out on a flexi (long gone) and have released the record in North America (via We are Busy Bodies)! So I bought it!

Bottom Line: This song has a vibe that I could overdose on if given the opportunity.