Tag: indie rock

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Elliot Maginot “Holy” (2025)

a dead on photo of Elliot Maginot's face, with Holy and his name written above it.

Audiogram
Buy: Bandcamp

There are some assumptions that one can simply assume. One of these assumptions is that I’m going to write about Elliot Maginot when he releases his yearly Christmas song. There is no mistaking a Maginot Christmas tune – it’s going to be lush, it’s going to be emotional, it’s going to feel both extremely present but of another time. Elliot’s 2025 release, “Holy,” is yet another wonderful addition to this top-tier Christmas talent. Elliot absolutely loves Christmas, as he notes in his introduction on Facebook: “This might not be THE Holy night, but HOLY, my new Christmas ditty is out at midnight. I keep writing these Christmas songs year after year, cause this shit really matters to me. Christmas doesn’t solve anything and it doesn’t miraculously make us better humans but it seems to be the only time of the year when are collectively giving a shot at kindness and togetherness so let’s take this shit seriously yah? Love you guys merry christmas”

That mix of hopefulness and reality Elliot expresses above, well, that is the essence of the song. This is best displayed as the song enters its last verse:

And I know you did not come here for a lesson
But sometimes I wonder if you’re even here at all
But come on don’t you know tis the season
The most wonderful season of all

I’m not waiting on no miracle
The bells will ring/the snow will fall
But It’s gotten talking about it
If you want a life you gotta live it now

I don’t believe no angels would ever come this way
But I don’t have an answer
Especially not today
No sacred book gonna sway me
I may be lost but I’m not crazy
Now I’m not quite sure what else to do
Well very merry christmas to you

Really great stuff, once again. Oddly, this is the first time I’ve ever listened to Elliot and felt a connection to Conor Oberst. Though “Holy’s” orchestration feels quite outside of Conor Oberst’s wheelhouse, there is a quality to their voices, an emotion that comes through, that I can’t believe I haven’t heard before…

Bottom Line: Another fantastic, unmistakably Elliot Maginot Christmas song.

LISTEN

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Stoylov & Chloé Jara-Buto – biscuit (2024)

Fabrique de Noël
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

In the past 24 hours, I’ve heard about three notable French-language releases. All are worth considering and may very well end up in front of your eyes here on Christmas Underground. However, they all gave me that urge to find out what the heck they were saying. That’s both a good and a bad thing—because when I know what a song is about, it can make me feel more secure in my opinion of it. However… what I love most is when I connect with the music in such a way that I don’t even need a translation.

Montreal’s Stoylov & Chloé Jara-Buto managed to slide into that latter category with their gorgeous 2024 EP, biscuit. I immediately knew I had to share this record with you all—no matter what they’re actually singing about—because this record is about a feeling. It’s loose, warm, and short. They left me wanting more, and honestly, they should always leave you wanting more.

Now, I did do a little translating—not of the lyrics, but of the write-up Stoylov posted on the Bandcamp album page. I found myself oddly emotional reading these two paragraphs, because Stoylov, like many of us here in the alternative Christmassphere, was transformed by the beauty that is Low’s Christmas. However, unlike me, Stoylov wasn’t compelled to start making underground Christmas mixes… he has genuine musical talent, so he found himself with the urge to make some Christmas music of his own. I’ve taken the liberty of posting the translation below:

Recently, while browsing Bandcamp, I stumbled upon Low’s Christmas album. The urge to release some holiday music was simply… irresistible. I decided to work on it, and being quite openly a huge fan of Chloé Jara-Buteau’s music, the idea of ​​joining forces came to me, an idea she enthusiastically shared. So, it was in the hustle and bustle of the famous Rouen studios in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve that we got to work.

I had a couple of demos lying dormant on my hard drive, demos saturated with glockenspiel and sleigh bells. They were useful for getting started. I’m not really used to having company in the embryonic stages of composition: I’m a bit chaotic, sloppy, and capricious. A real little prince. Besides, I’m constantly taking breaks to smoke outside, a really bad habit I’m having a hard time breaking. We still managed pretty well though: three songs and a cover of… Aphex Twin.

Bottom Line: The magic of Low, folks. As if we couldn’t owe them even more—they gave birth to my mix, this blog, and now this beautiful EP. Go forth, listen to biscuit, then pop on Low’s Christmas.

LISTEN

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UPCOMING: Polish Club – Christmas Stinks! (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Vinyl | Apple Music? | 7Digital (FLAC/MP3)?

Sydney, Australia’s Polish Club put out one of the best — and hardest to get — Christmas 7-inch singles I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing about when they dropped the excellent Xmas Single back in 2017. That thing is amazing! I still don’t have one… Hell, they’ve even got a New Year’s release worth checking out — “Countdown” (which I should really write about) — which was so fantastic that it closed out my 2020 Christmas mix, Christmas Storytelling.

So… when they teased the cover art on their Facebook page the other day, I pretty much freaked out. I found the site, saw the vinyl, tried to buy one, got rejected by geolocation — and here I stand. Not quite sure what to do. But they did respond to my comments… in due time, I’m assured.

Christmas Stinks! is being debuted on Facebook, with a new cover posted each day for 20 days (they’re on day two as of this post), leading up to two shows on December 20 and 21. There was even a write-up in Rolling Stone Australia yesterday — not sure why they didn’t debut it here! This site is massive!

I did love one quote from Novak that really sums up what they’re doing:

“I used to be somewhat of an edge-lord holiday hater, but I’ve grown to really appreciate how the holiday period affords us a sleep-in, a big belly, and some genuine quality time with people you perhaps should spend more time with,” Novak admits. “I’ve also learned that if you’re sick of Christmas carols and holiday tunes, the best way to get over that is to record your own rock’n’roll versions and embrace the Christmas chaos.”

I’m game, folks. I’ll be listening — hoping that one of these covers makes it onto my next mix — and that I can figure out a way for myself (and everyone else outside of Australia) to exchange money for goods and services.

Bottom Line: I’m listening…

LISTEN

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UPCOMING: Slow Xmas 5 (2025)

Bone Sound Inc Worldwide/Blank Check Podcast/Mutant
Buy: Vinyl | Bandcamp

Coming soon to a Bandcamp feed near you… Slow Xmas 5. The lead single by Death Valley Girls, “Season of Dreaming,” has dropped and is making the rounds on the bigger (normal) blogs, such as Stereogum and Under the Radar. But what do you know… it is getting pressed on vinyl this year, 500 copies on ice blue wax. So, if very slow Christmas music is your jam, here you go!

From the website:

Available on vinyl for the first time as a Mutant exclusive featuring holiday standards and originals from Meridian Brothers, Shannon Lay, Zach Cooper of Grammy award winning King Garbage, Eric Slick of Dr. Dog, and Dave Hartley of The War on Drugs (Nightlands) among others.

Pressed on 140gm and iced out in a translucent ice blue variant (Limited to 500 copies). Offered in 45 RPM so you have the option to play regular slow or EXTRA SLOW at 33 1/3 RPM!!

And for the analog hogs, the majority of the album artwork is practical with an original sculpture by Matthew Rosenquist and studio photography by Robin Takami.

Bottom Line: Got me – only heard one track so far! Frankly, I’m usually grasping for songs to speed up my mix…

LISTEN

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Sharon Van Etten and The Attachment Theory “2000 Miles” (2025)

Sony Masterworks/Mutant
Buy: 7Digital (MP3/FLAC) | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | CD/Vinyl | Amazon (CD/Vinyl/Exclusive Vinyl)

I love Sharon Van Etten. I saw her with her new band, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory about a month ago, and it was absolutely incredible. I was a huge fan, and am now a massive fan. I’ll be excited to hear from her with anything she does. Thus, she dropped a cover of The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles” for the Oh. What. Fun. soundtrack, and I was pumped. I’m going to float down from my initial heights though. This is a good cover, though it does not reinvent the song. Would I have preferred something a bit more interesting than adding the shimmering synths to the arrangement? Yes. But I do love her voice, and I’m sure some of you are going to be all over this.

There are some heavy hitters on this soundtrack. Interestingly, Sharon appears to be the first single off it (Gwen Stefani was first – exclusive to Amazon), surprising when you’ve got this lineup:

1. Shake the Snow Globe – Gwen Stefani (2:53)
2. The Things We Do for Love – The Bird and the Bee (3:20)
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – St. Vincent (2:33)
4. 2000 Miles – Sharon Van Etten & The Attachement Theory (3:09)
5. Angel in the Snow – Fleet Foxes (2:44)
6. Step Into Christmas – Uwade (3:35)
7. Silent Night – The Wang Family (1:00)
8. Hot Cocoa – Gwen Stefani (3:38)
9. Snowqueen of Texas – Weyes Blood (3:21)
10. Christmas Eve Can Kill You – Andy Shauf & Madi Diaz (3:18)
11. It’s My Life – The Bird and the Bee (3:43)
12. Christmas Must Be Tonight – Jeff Tweedy (3:27)
13. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – Lorely Rodriguez (Empress Of) (1:39)
14. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – The Wang Family (1:01)
15. The 12 Days of Christmas – Dominic Sessa (1:36)

Of note – Michael Showalter, whom I have loved since The State, is the director! I’m genuinely excited for this movie…

Bottom Line: Sharon Van Etten is pretty flawless. Also – she could pretty much play Chrissie Hynde in a biopic. Just sayin’…

LISTEN

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Exnovios “Ya casi es Navidad” (2015)

pink cartoon superhero-esque figure raising his arms and surrounded by smoke.

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

HEY!

It turns out my friends Exnovios — whose absolutely stellar new track “Ya Es Navidad” I reviewed yesterday — do indeed have another Christmas song in their back catalogue. In fact, you have to go back ten years, to 2015 and their first release, Demo.

The “sister song” to their new one, “Ya casi es Navidad,” follows a very different musical path. With its fuzzy tones, thumping drums, and spacey vocals — while the new track rocks you in your head, this one rocks you in your chest. The lyrics are once again something to embrace, carrying all the mystical hopefulness that only a perfect psych-rock Christmas song can provide.

Here’s a translation for us English-speaking folks:

If you want to fly, you can think
of something enchanting — it’s almost Christmas.

AND FLY…

If you want to fly, you can think
of something enchanting — crystal toys.

AND FLY OVER THE SEA AND REACH
ALMOST, ALMOST, THE END.

(EDIT: It turns out that the lyrics are built with phrases from the following scene in Peter Pan! Amazing!)

I think the Exnovios crew has carved out a wholly unique place in the alternative Christmas canon. They’ve found this beautiful backdoor into Christmas that I didn’t know existed — one of pure hope and beauty, while still sounding like one of the coolest bands on the planet.

Bottom Line: I could have been listening to this song for ten years! As could you have. Well, our lives begin anew today, and all your dreams will come true. This is a pretty great song 🙂

LISTEN

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Exnovios “Ya Es Navidad” (2025)

Munster Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Vinyl (in the US)

We live in incredible times, as I continue to find Artificial Intelligence more amazing and terrifying as each day passes. I’m desperately trying to avoid ever featuring an AI Christmas song here – but I fear it is just a matter of time. Why the hell am I talking about AI?? Well, because I find myself cherishing folks whom I’ve come to know and love. You see… I know they are human… and I love their music. A wonderful example is Pamplona’s Exnovios, and while they may not have released a Christmas song before (to my knowledge! – THERE IS ANOTHER!), one of their members, Tamu, has released several songs which I have had the pleasure of writing about here on Christmas Underground. So, when Exnovios drops a new record, and I get that Bandcamp email, I’m checking that shit out. They dropped their latest album, Fin, a little over a week ago, and I immediately clocked that tenth track, “Ya Es Navidad” (It’s Christmas!). I know this wasn’t a present specifically for me, but it certainly felt like one. Two chords gently rock back and forth through a song that is so fucking hopeful that you’re going to think you’re in an alternate reality. Who saw that one coming? Everything is so fucked, I was expecting a deluge of grim Christmas tunes.

I needed this song.

Remember me talking about AI? Well, I stripped the vocals, got a transcription, then a translation… all with AI… in about 5 minutes. Wild. I’ve pasted it below, and please excuse the formatting. In addition, if you are either 1) in Exnovios, or 2) fluent in Spanish, please excuse any translation mistakes. I took German in high school… and I can’t vouch for these robots. (EDIT – the robot made some mistakes, and my friend over at Popcasting fixed it!)

Year after year, it happens again, lights and the cold fill my city. I make promises, I ask for peace, and all my dreams will come true. They will come true, they will come true. Another year is here, yet none of my dreams came true, But you’re heare, and nothing can go wrong. The good stuff is yet to come, so much to do, so much to achieve. It’s Christmas already, it’s Christmas already. One year is over and a new one begins. It’s Christmas already. Ha. It’s Christmas.

Bottom Line: One of my favorites of the season so far, from some of my favorite people to boot. Go buy their record, Fin, as I am currently listening to it.. and wow this thing is great.

LISTEN

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Kean Kavanagh “Christmas Mode” (2023)

Soft Boy Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Irish singer/songwriter Kean Kavanagh has captured something special with his 2023 holiday track “Christmas Mode.” Soulful and nostalgic, while keeping that edge and dropping some f-bombs, this song makes you think you’re going to bobbing to a smooth Steve Parks-esque jam, then he hits you with that emotional, fuzzed-out finish. Damn Kean. That one took me on a journey.

Bottom Line: This one is hard to classify if you’re trying to stick to a genre… and that is a good thing!

LISTEN

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The Bret Tobias Set “25th December” (2023)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

There are so many songs that I’ve been meaning to write about – had this one in the drafts for 2 years! You should see my email or my text messages… even worse.

Philly’s The Bret Tobias Set, led by the titular Bret Tobias (ex The Bigger Lovers), recorded this lovely version of Everything But the Girl’s “25th December,” lending a jangling, more dense orchestration to contrast with the more sparse original. A very nice change of pace indeed.

Bottom Line: A great cover of an indie-Christmas classic.

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Boston Cream “Satan is on the Way” (2016)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

When a song begins with jingle bells, and is released on Christmas Eve… that shit is a Christmas song. So file “Satan is on the Way” in your Christmas folder, folks. I don’t make the rules (I do), I only follow them (I don’t). Boston Cream hasn’t dug deep with these lyrics, “Oh! / Satan is on the way! / Ooo, / It’s hot,” but what they lack in eloquence, they make up for in ROCK. Turn it up, shout the lyrics, and screw with your friends when this comes on as the leadoff to your weirdo Christmas mix. \m/

Bottom Line: Just a little Christmas fun with Satan Santa Satan.

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