Tag: indiepop

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Bunnygrunt – Season’s Freaklings: Thirty Years of Holiday Hits By the Grand Elves of Midwest Twee Core (2023)

The Bert Dax Cavalcade of Stars
Buy: Bandcamp (Digital/Vinyl)

Bunnygrunt, the scrappy indie pop band from St. Louis, Missouri, has been releasing Christmas tracks for nearly 30 years (not yearly – that would be nuts!), and takes this moment in 2023 to compile the majority of them into one, single-sided red vinyl 12-inch. Checking in with 8 songs, six of which I believe to be originals, this is a tight crop of short indie pop goodies that has grown on me a good bit over the past few weeks. The originals work wonderfully, leaning into their clever songwriting, jangly guitars, and lo-fi production – they know their strengths and it shows. They were facing an uphill battle with their choice to cover “Blue Christmas,” one of the most-covered, and one of my least favorite Christmas songs of all time… and we’ll just leave it there. The other (confirmed) cover, recorded under the name Blondiegrunt, is indeed a cover of Blondie’s “11:59.” This song fits their voice and vibe so much better, and is a welcome closer to the record. Not quite sure why their track on the rare Kindercore compilation XMAS-3 The War on Christmas!, “Got the Blues for Xmas,” nor the cover of “Holiday Road” missed the cut, but I suppose their attempt to keep the record single-sided may have played into that. Either way, quite happy to have these songs all in one place, as I did not have many of them before!

EDIT: A couple people sent me messages about this. You all know me well! Thank you to those who did, and keep them coming, as it doesn’t matter if I knew about it or not – the next one I might be completely ignorant to!

Bottom Line: “Seasoned Freaklings” is a wonderful addition to your underground Christmas collection. Grab one of those 200 records before they are gone!

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Photo Ops “Odd Christmas” (2023)

Paul is Dead Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

This song came in via a tip from a friend… AND I CANNOT HUNT DOWN WHO SENT IT. So… here I am, not giving credit where credit is due… feeling like a jerk. Gotta soldier on, but if you did send this to me, let me know so I can properly thank you. I think it was in Twitter notifications… but of course, those don’t work as well as they used to and I can’t go back to summer/spring, because I don’t pay for it most likely.

Photo Ops, the recording project of Los Angeles’ Terry Price, brings electro-indie-folk goodness with “Odd Christmas,” a wonderful new track off Burns Bright, his latest full-length which came out earlier this year. “Odd Christmas” is going to appeal to folks who love the Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas records, as it shares the complex emotional content of the best songs from those records. It also doesn’t hurt that Terry and Sufjan share similar vocal qualities. The bits of synthesizer really fills out the sound, taking what would have been a lovely folk song and adding just enough color to separate it from the crowd. Multiple listens have brought me closer to this song… perhaps they will for you as well.

Bottom Line: An early highlight of the season.

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Collars “Christmas In The 90s” (2022)

Laundry Rooms Records
Buy: Bandcamp

I have this feeling that someone sent me this song last year… and I just can’t remember who. It was on my Soundcloud list last year, and somehow I didn’t write about it, and I have no clue why. My best guess is that I added it without really listening to it, which in the heat of the season… well… it happens. A well-meaning, “save something to listen to later,” kind of gesture. Well, if you tipped me off on this, and I have plum forgot, I apologize.

NOW, how about this very British bop about “Christmas in the 90s!” (Look at me using bop…) Hidden towards the end of a proper, non-Christmas record, 2022’s Clyde, Collars are really channeling the Britpop wars (well, the war between the Gallagher brothers), the Hacienda, raves, and gentrification. Wrap that up with a catchy-as-hell beat and that wonderful layered ending… this one is bound to be a popular mix-addition.

Bottom Line: This song is a ton of fun. Pair it with The Futureheads’ “Christmas in the 80’s” to begin a tracklist of decade-specific holiday fare!

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UPCOMING: Jangle Bells – A Rough Trade Shops Christmas Selection (12/08/2023)

Rough Trade Shops
Buy: Rough Trade (UK only so far)

Rough Trade Shops has a little Christmas gift lined up for their (so far) UK devotees… as they are releasing one of the strongest Christmas complications of the past few years. Compiling a number of top tracks from the recent past with a few exclusives, Rough Trade are flexing their taste muscles with this lineup. I’m most intrigued by the exclusives, obviously, and am paying particular attention to that Marika Hackman song, “Driving Under Stars,” as it sounds like a stripped-back version of one of my favorite holiday songs of the past ten years. The Peaness track, “Kiss Me Sweet Pea,” (edit – added below) could also be pretty amazing, as I really love this incredibly catchy band. There also appears to be a new Ellie Bleach track (edit – posted below!), which is encouraging… as I still may write about her previous song from a few years back (edit – she deleted it!) … Most certainly a worthy addition to your Christmas music collection, should you be the collector-type.

Tracklist (* denotes that I believe them to be exclusive to this release)

  1. Marika Hackman – Driving Under Stars (Piano)*
  2. Pale Waves – Last Christmas
  3. Allo Darlin’ – Will You Please Spend New Years With Me?
  4. Julia Jacklin – Baby Jesus Is Nobody’s Baby Now
  5. The School – Shouldn’t Be Alone For Christmas
  6. The Big Moon – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
  7. Los Bitchos – Los Chrismos
  8. Linda Lindas – Groovy Xmas
  9. Black Midi – Jingle Bell Rock
  10. Chubby and the Gang – Violent Night (A Christmas Tale)
  11. Peaness – Kiss Me Sweet Pea*
  12. Bubble and Squeak – The Christmas Stick
  13. Ellie Bleach – Merry Christmas, Do You Ever Think Of Me?*
  14. Sinkane – Christmas Wrapping
    CD Only
  15. Dream Nails – Lonely Star (Christmas Song)
  16. Willie J Healey – Merry Christmas
  17. Girl Ray – I Wish I Were Giving You a Gift
  18. Stars – Christmas Anyway
  19. Alex Lahey – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)

Bottom Line: A good number of these tracks have been celebrated here before, so yeah, this looks good. Check it out, maybe buy the limited vinyl or the expanded CD… or cherrypick some songs below (where applicable) and give your money directly to the bands!

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UPCOMING: Dragon Inn 3 – It’s Christmas (10/10/2023)

American Laundromat
Buy: Bandcamp (Vinyl/Digital)

I am not usually excited by a Christmas release that is only covers, but Kansas City’s Dragon Inn 3 (featuring members of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and friends) has shaken this resolve. I’m a fan of their 80’s synth pop vibes, as well as their choice of songs (well… 2 of 3 ain’t bad!). I’m lowering my expectations for the “Last Christmas” cover, but the other two are far more obscure targets. You may remember the Coconut Records track, “It’s Christmas” from the wonderful 2010 Target (yes… that Target) compilation, The Christmas Gig. Solid song for sure… and certainly reason enough for me to preorder the 7″. They must be big Jason Schwartzman (Coconut Records/many Wes Anderson movies) fans because they also sneak on a cover of the tremendously short Mark Mothersbaugh piece from the Rushmore soundtrack, “Snowflake Music.” I relate to the desire to fit as much music on a disc as possible… and they no doubt had a bit more space! Should be a fun one… and since you are not a dummy like me and preordered it months ago, you now have the opportunity to grab a signed 7″ for only $2 more at their Bandcamp.

Bottom Line: I haven’t heard it, but their last record sounds great!

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Kristian Noel Pedersen – Saul McCartney’s Magical Holiday Season (AKKCXIV) (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

A quick search for “Guinness book of world records most Christmas songs” comes up with the usual results – mainly that Bing Crosby’s performance of “White Christmas” is the biggest selling single of all time. There is not a record for MOST Christmas songs yet… though if there is (and there should be), Kristian Noel Pederson will have a shot at it. In what is his 14th record of original Christmas songs (not including the Hanson’s Snowed In cover record), Saul McCartney’s Magical Holiday Season is a triumph. A concept record that follows an alternate-universe pop star from the 60’s starting anew with a solo career, this record feels joyful and light. Perhaps this is the freedom of writing from a wholly new perspective outside of yourself? I’m not in Kristian’s mind… yet. There are so many wonderful moments on this record, but as I start thinking about which one to talk about, I realize that I’m gravitating to all the horn parts. The use of brass on this record is just perfection – it is that final seasoning on your Christmas meal that makes you sit up and take note… creates those neural connections that will make you talk about that meal for years to come. I’m in the midst of “I Hope it Snows Tonight” for the third time, delighting in every moment- horns, guitars, the whole damn thing. Please listen to this record – it is an absolute joy.

Bottom Line: A Kristian Noel Pederson record is always one to look forward to, and this has to be my favorite yet. I would buy this on vinyl – 100%

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I’m going to post a bunch of single tracks, then the whole thing so that they aggregate in the Hype Machine. There is a method to the madness below.

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Casper & the Cookies “Kiss Me Beneath The Christmas Tree” (2007/2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Fun indiepop from Athens, Georgia. Well, that feels about as right as deep-dish Pizza from Chicago, or Nazis on Twitter; They just make sense together. Casper & the Cookies also holds a special place for me because I have a friend who used to be in the band! (I doubt she reads my blog, but hi Suzanne!) They also have lots of connections to the Athens, Georgia scene – being part of peak Of Montreal (IMHO Satanic Panic/Sunlandic Twins), opening for the Apples in Stereo, releasing singles on Happy Birthday to Me Records, etc, etc. Their new Christmas song, “Kiss Me Beneath the Christmas Tree,” would have fit nicely in with the sexy Christmas song roundups that have been curated over at Christmas a GoGo, as this song bypasses the mistletoe and gets you horizontal, “I’ll unwrap you, you’ll unwrap me.” Santa even gets an invite to a “ménage a three,” should he show up. Tie all these playful, sexy words up in some upbeat indiepop, and you have a recipe for some silly, poppy holiday fun.

Edit: It appears this track was originally released as an MP3 in 2007. Happy to have it back!

Bottom Line: You need some silliness amidst all the sentimentality, and this’ll do the trick.

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Maxwell Farrington – Yuletide And I’ll Tide With Yann (2022)

Upton Park
Buy: Upton Records CD/Vinyl | 7Digital FLAC/MP3 | Apple Music | Amazon | Amazon.uk | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr

Let’s get weird. This record is going to be one of the more interesting Christmas records you’re going to listen to this year, or any other year. There are moments here that will leave you scratching your head, and others that will leave you in wonder. Aussie ex-pat Maxwell Farrington teamed up with Yann Oliver on 2020’s Maxou & Yannou Sing X-Mas, which I regretfully did not sample back then (but Christmas A Gogo highlighted earlier this year, which I also missed!). That collaboration has continued into 2022, with a properly-released full-length that adds a few songs and a new title, Yuletide and I’ll Tide with Yann. I say proper full-length LP, as it is released in LP form on both CD and vinyl, but keep in mind, it clocks in at a brief 26 minutes and change. Short and sweet indeed. I’m going to highlight a few of my favorite tracks below, and let you bask in the Scott Walker-esque weirdness and beauty. (Eagle-eyed readers might notice that one of these tracks is the closer on my latest mix, Jolly Chubby Elf.)

Bottom Line: God I need this on vinyl. This is one of the most unexpected, unique, gorgeous Christmas records I’ve stumbled upon.

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Jacklen Ro “Wishlist” (2022)

Lolipop Records
Buy: 7Digital (FLAC/MP3) | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

Jacklen Ro has an absolutely stellar pop sensibility. Their previous season effort was 2020’s “C U Christmas Day,” is an indiepop classic and one of my favorite songs to come out of that Covid-plagued season. Their latest, “Wishlist,” is slower and sweeter, but that indiepop goodness remains as potent as ever. For some reason, I loved the line “cause you make all my bulky sweatshirts look nice.” It made me think about how my wife is often stealing my sweatshirts as she lets the dog out… and made me feel that much sweeter about her, and about the song. You know you love someone when they steal something of yours and you think it is cute, and not THE ABSOLUTE WORST.

Bottom Line: Jacklen Ro is one of those bands you’re going to fall in love with.

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French Cassettes “Be Bright (A Christmas Song)” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

To say I’ve been busy is an understatement. I pulled my first 24-hour long day the other day… and I haven’t done that in… maybe 15 years? My mix is done, and I hope to post it in a day or two, but until then, I’ll try to share a few more songs depending on how much energy I have. I always burn out before Christmas, and this year has had a pretty quick fuse.

Now let’s continue posting some upbeat indiepop Christmas songs!

I know I’ve been writing a lot about French Canadian Christmas music lately, so please don’t be fooled by the name of this next band, the French Cassettes. This lovely indiepop fourpiece hails from San Francisco. “Be Bright (A Christmas Song)” is their first stab at a holiday tune, and I do hope not their last. The lyrics appear to be trying to coax someone out of the house to spend Christmas together, and they’ve piled on the jingle bells and the bpm as an enticement. In a year of slow burns, these simple upbeat jams are a welcome relief.

Bottom Line: The French Cassettes Christmas debut is a worthy, upbeat slice of holiday fun. You might also get a postcard from them if you buy the song 🙂

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