Tag: pop

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HBM Presents: Sleigh the Holidays, Volume 2 (2025)

A cartoon of a woman in a mrs claus outfit laying down with "Sleigh the Holidays" in script above her.

Head Bitch Music
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify

If you’re a casual reader of my blog, you probably have a sense of what my values are. I’ll admit that some topics have more gray areas than others, and I can entertain good-faith arguments from folks on many issues. However, when it comes to racism, sexism, or homophobia, I don’t have time for it. There’s a basic human decency that should be the bare minimum—our shared humanity. The pendulum has been swinging the wrong way on this most fundamental principle, so when I see something that pushes back, I’m going to give it a listen.

Head Bitch Music, a full-service music production house based in LA, dropped HBM Presents: Sleight the Holidays, Volume 2 today, partnering with Jack Antonoff’s charity, The Ally Coalition, to raise funds for LGBTQIA+ youth by supporting organizations dedicated to improving their lives. The record is full of excellently produced, modern pop Christmas songs. There are classic covers (e.woolf’s “A Marshmallow World”), modern covers (Niki DeMar & Julianne Hope covering girl in red’s “Two Queens in a King Sized Bed”), a solid number of originals, and even something in between a cover and an original (Olivia Reid’s “Singing in the Snow”).

There’s a lot here to check out. The record does skew quite pop—very well-done pop, the kind you could easily hear out and about this Christmas season—but pop isn’t the language I’m best suited for. Still, I’m going to highlight two tracks for you to check out that I feel come closest to the Christmas Underground vibe.

The Blah Blah Blahs’ “retro glamwave” take on “Jingle Bells” had me thinking about The Waitresses ripping through this classic Thanksgiving (yes, THANKSGIVING) song. It’s not a tune I normally find particularly enjoyable, but they’ve infused it with a level of fun that should require a photo ID.


LA’s Skyler Cocco‘s “snowglobe” is an indiepop ode to a Los Angeles Christmas. Skyler is originally from NYC, so I can imagine the balmy LA Christmas making you feel out-of-sorts… and this song captures that beautifully.

Can we pretend we’re in a snowglobe?
Shake up this city Christmas Eve
Stick out your tongue
And taste the falling snow
Like silver glitter on the beach

This is on my mix shortlist now, as it is giving me strong girlhouse vibes, who released one of my absolute favorite Christmas tunes a few years ago (“Ugly Xmas Sweater Party“).

Bottom Line: Absolutely essential for those pop music Christmas fans, and even has a few treats for weirdos like me.

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Remy Bond “Christmas in Kokomo” (2024)

Self Released?
Buy: Stream (so far)

Half the fun—and the struggle—of having a hobby and a website like this silly one is the search. I love and hate it equally. Still, the rush of finding a great song is real—you know the feeling. I hate to admit I can often judge a book by its cover, but… years of experience suggest I usually can. So when someone defies my inner bias, well, I find that delightful.

Which brings me to New York–based singer-songwriter Remy Bond, whose image is a mix of Sabrina Carpenter and Paris Hilton, sent back in time with Lana Del Rey to hang out with the Ronettes. Remy’s been a child actress and a child reality TV chef (no joke), but over the past few years, she’s been steadily working in the NYC music scene—eventually signing with Warner Records in February of this year.

So far, that bio and the major-label connection don’t exactly scream Christmas Underground material, do they? Well, screw that—I don’t have enough readers to maintain an image anyway!

Remy dropped a Spectoresque Christmas single last December, “Christmas in Kokomo,” that’s damn enjoyable—though complicated by the fact that it’s impossible to buy and hard to stream. Spotify? Nope. Apple Music? Nope. YouTube? Yes. SoundCloud? Yup. Super weird that this genuinely great single is, by all accounts, “unreleased,” though I suspect it’s primed to resurface this holiday season with a major label behind it.

Look at me! Covering the big leagues! We all know I’ll be back to writing about weird cocaine Christmases from New Zealand tomorrow….

Bottom Line: I’m pretty down with this retro futurism.

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Kristian Noel Pedersen – Saul McCartney’s ‘Sauliday Party​!​’ (2024)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

How do you end an era? With a big party, of course! Kristian Noel Pedersen (KNP for brevity’s sake) has delivered his 16th original Christmas album, Saul McCartney’s ‘Sauliday Party​!​’, and boy what a journey this has been. For the uninitiated, Saul McCartney is KNP’s imaginary 60’s pop icon, whose ego has been wreaking havoc through two previous records. I have enjoyed this run immensely, penning rave reviews of every installment… and here we are yet again, with the culmination of the Saul McCartney trilogy. RAVE ON!

How the heck does KNP find the time to put these records together?? The production is so fantastic, so much grander than the bedroom pop that a yearly indiepop project like this would suggest. A perfect example would be the beautiful, brass-infused “What Are You Doing (on Christmas Eve?).” This song has all the pop sensibility and production of a vintage Christmas classic, and is one of those songs that I could see being picked up by some big singer to make KNP a pile of money.

The album’s transition from the vintage-inspired sounds of Saul to KNP’s indiepop begins with the Randy Newman-penned, “Snow.” The bouncing synth lines definitely pinch those “Wonderful Christmastime” receptors, as they invade the 60’s pop production. A perfect lead-in for what may be my highlight of the record, the indiepop perfection of the synthy “Christmas Isn’t Christmas Without You.” The songwriting is absolutely spot-on here. KNP takes a classic Christmas trope, the whole “missing someone at Christmas” scene, and somehow writes this incredibly fresh-sounding, upbeat song, and doesn’t reuse familiar “lonely at Christmas” lyrics. So many songs serve us near-lyrical plagiarism, dressed in different musical stylings… but KNP has found a wonderful new POV here.

Finally, the wonderful album closer, “Silver, Never Gold,” where Smiths guitar lines marry beautifully with those classic, Saul-era brass touches. This album is a stylistic journey, wonderfully narrated by the truly delightful Saul McCartney (Harlan Guthrie) throughout, and this final song closes out the Saul McCartney trilogy perfectly.

This record is a wonderful finale to one of my absolute favorite Christmas music projects I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing and I can’t wait to see what Kristian and his crew of merry collaborators have for us next.

Bottom Line: I don’t want to wear you all down with more effusive language… you read the review above if you got here. KNP is on fire.

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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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Litany “Die Hard (Is a Christmas Film)” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

Back in 2020, Christmas a Go Go highlighted the vast amount of Christmas songs that tackle the subject of whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not. CAGG even updated the post last year to reflect new additions to the canon (still dated 2020 though!). I thought one of the songs on that massive list deserved a little bit more attention – and here we are. Litany is an alternative pop artist from England (and just signed to Nettwerk as of this week) whose 2022′ “Die Hard (Is a Christmas Film)” with an earworm chorus that will torment you for the rest of the holiday season. It is a fun torment though… strolling down the street singing “yippee, ki yay motherfucker.”

Bottom Line: A new addition to the top tier of Die Hard/Christmas classics.

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Plati​-​Holy​!​-​Ruma​!​!​! A Christmas Hit EP (2023)

Platiruma!!!
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

There are a few places that I look to every year, reliable sources of interesting Christmas music that you can count on to make this humble Christmas blogger’s life just a bit easier. Germany’s Platiruma!!! Records are most certainly one of those sources. After a few singles, largely by the label’s founder and spiritual leader, Sebastian Voss (aka The Fisherman and His Soul), the label released a wonderful 4-song E.P. by Herr Wade last year. The label appears to be slowly creeping toward a full-length Christmas record, as this year they dropped Plati​-​Holy​!​-​Ruma​!​!​! A Christmas Hit EP, a 6-track Christmas EP. From top to bottom, this E.P. is top-notch German indiepop Christmas. I’m going to pull out a few tracks, as I have made it a practice not to cover every song, as that is a precedent I am fleeing in terror from.

The leadoff track by Hamburg’s theCatherines shines with jangly guitars and a great message, reflected in the title “This Year My Wishlist Only Says ‘Peace.'” For the curious listener, you can find an additional, 7-track Christmas EP, TEENY•TINY•XMAS (EP), over at theCatherines Bandcamp – well worth checking out too.

A collaboration between Jørn Åleskjær (The Loch Ness Mouse, Monobird, Sapphire & Steel) and Sebastian Voss (Nah…, The Fisherman and his Soul, Cinema Engines), the Herr Wade track, “Bis Ich Leb´ (Til I Live)” channels the Christmas crooners of the past with its warm, emotional vocals and ornate instrumentation, full of chimes and swelling synthesized strings.

This is a lot more to love here, with two strong instrumentals by Guelpe and Berlin’s Martin Tetzlaff, a sweet folky tune by Nero Bates, as well as a 2023 remix of The Fisherman and His Soul’s stellar “A Christmas Tree Bright as a Lighthouse.” Revisiting this song was interesting, as the chorus seems to hit harder today than it had originally: “… and there’s a Christmas tree bright as a lighthouse / despite the fucked up world situation / we’ll see a quiver in anticipation / now it’s Christmas time.” This is my favorite kind of indiepop – serious shit disguised amongst some incredibly fun music – sneaking in the door as you bob your head.

Bottom Line: Platiruma!!! expands their holiday offerings with an extremely solid Christmas EP. Looking forward to the full-length… hehe.

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Elliot Maginot “Marie​-​No​ë​l” (2023)

Audiogram
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

Montréal’s Elliot Maginot was one of my favorite finds of 2022, despite the fact he had been recording wonderful Christmas songs since those halcyon, pre-COVID days of 2019. Sometimes it takes a little bit for me to find these folks… but I’ve found Elliot, and now he is stuck with me. 2023 brings Elliot’s first French-language Christmas release, the beautiful “Marie​-​No​ë​l,” originally released by Bobby Charlebois. I’m sure it is no surprise that I don’t speak French, as I am an American, and we traditionally expect the world to speak English with us. But boy do I wish I did – I’d be going to the Tour de France in a heartbeat. (Fun fact, that is my sport of choice.) Wow, it is really taking me a long time to get to talking about this song. Lots of detours and pointless banter. Did you know it is raining today?

I ran “Marie-No​ë​l” through Google translate, and I do think that some of the beauty & flow is lost in translation. The things that don’t need translation are pretty damn wonderful. Those woodwinds – so warm and inviting. Elliot’s delivery – so present and emotional. Elliot Maginot has an incredible ability to perform these ornate pop Christmas songs that feel so clean and polished… and somehow breathes real life into them. In other hands, these songs might feel too clean, perhaps surgically sweet. Thankfully, this is not the case, and Elliot’s added yet another beauty to his Christmas catalog.

Bottom Line: I’m here for the woodwinds. Change my mind.

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The Heathen and the Holy “Hey Merry Christmas (10 Years On)” (2023)

Smells Divine Records
Buy: Vinyl!!!!! | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon MP3 | Amazon.uk MP3 | Amazon.de MP3 | Amazon.fr MP3

The Heathen and the Holy, the seasonal project of classically-trained violinist Tom Hobden and musician/writer/producer Fred Abbott, who once recorded together in the much-missed folk/rock band Noah and the Whale, have been churning out a new song a year for the past ten years. This year, they took a moment to revisit their first song, “Hey Merry Christmas,” initially released way back in 2014. I did not review that first track, as I didn’t discover these guys until 2016’s “Best Christmas Yet,” which remains my favorite of their releases. “Best Christmas Yet” was the perfect mix of humor & earnestness, with a somewhat scaled-back (in comparison to this song) production and a touch of soul – check it out if you haven’t heard it before. “Best Christmas Yet” feels quaint next to the big, retro pop production of this rework of “Hey Merry Christmas.” The Heath and the Holy turn their production dial to eleven with the addition of the Budapest Film Orchestra, making this the most epic The Heathen and the Holy release yet. While not a brand new song, it highlights the love Tom and Fred have for this project, which is seen through the production quality of both their songs and videos. Their love is the quality that keeps me coming back. I may connect with the songs differently from year-to-year, but I greatly appreciate their love and dedication.

The Heathen and the Holy - Christmas Glory album mockup
300 copies of these babies.

EDIT: They are pressing 500 (no – now 300) copies of their collected holiday songs on vinyl!! Buy one!

Bottom Line: These guys sink so much time and money into these songs… you have to respect their love and dedication. I raise my glass of mulled wine to The Heathen and the Holy.

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Evgenya Redko – Odė Kal​ė​doms (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Let’s get this party started right.

This blog is now devoted to Lithuanian disco-influenced pop. Evgenya Redko‘s Odė Kal​ė​doms kicks off with the undeniable “Pakyl​ė​tas Gruodis,” (Google translation – “Exalted December”) delighting us with its Nile Rodgers-inspired guitar rhythms, daring you not to love it. Using some rather inelegant Google translation, I believe the song to be about wanting to pause time at Christmas and spending those moments with the one you love. I can get behind the sentiment, but I am mainly here for that groove. So, so infectious – give me more! The two songs that follow are both excellent, more conventional pop songs: “Beproti​š​kai Ilgiuosi” (translation: I Miss You So Much) and “Tavo Rankose Per Kal​ė​das” (translation: In Your Hands at Christmas). I can’t find lyrics for those at the moment… but man… you don’t really need anything else than that first song. It is so damn fun.

Bottom Line: Who knew I’d love Lithuanian disco so much? Maybe you all saw this coming, but I sure did not.

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Elliot Maginot “Christmas On My Mind” (2022)

Audiogram
Buy: Bandcamp

I bet you thought I’d keep posting French-language songs… so here’s the latest from Montréal, the English-language romantic with the French last name, Elliot Maginot. This singer-songwriter has been writing original Christmas songs for a few years now, each one with a different tone, but always with crisp pop production and big emotions. Elliot’s journey begins with 2018’s “Christmas Ain’t Enough,” with its familiar rhythms and retro feel, as well as some unexpected, beautiful lyrical moments. Take a listen below.

2019’s “I’ll Know My Savior (Christmas All Around),” takes the previous year’s retro pop production and turns the knob to the 1980s, with a shimmering, romantic 1980s pallet. I’m talking precise synths, a saxophone solo or two, big vocals, and even the 80s staple, chimes – the whole deal. It can feel a bit over-the-top, and it is wonderfully so.

Elliot’s 2020 release, “The Ballad of Mrs. Claus,” also has those 80s chimes and sax solos, yet somehow feels the most contemporary of his earlier tracks. The concept of the song – Mrs. Claus singing to Santa, worrying over him and this whole enterprise – is a concept that could easily have been made into a joke, but it is treated with such thoughtfulness that it is easy to forget that it is about Santa Claus.

After a year hiatus, Elliot returns once more with the beautiful “Christmas on My Mind.” This is his most lush production yet, as his voice turns into a choir singing out over a string section, and perhaps a soprano saxophone or two. However, it is the lyrics that steal the show. That first verse is a thing of beauty:

I never claimed to be a modern man/guess it just wasn’t in my bones
I know I used to be so stubborn then/just wandering like a rolling stone
Between my endless need for love/And everything I thought I knew
I should have known it wouldn’t really feel like Christmas without you.

In each of these songs, Elliot proves to have a wonderful, direct pipeline into some deep, emotional worlds… he must have a wonderful therapist. Please give me the number.

Honestly, there was something about Elliot’s aesthetic that initially made me suspect him and the pop sensibilities he gravitates toward. This is very much not a pop Christmas blog. But there is always something a little askew with him… like in “I’ll Know my Savior,” when he goes pop, he leans in so hard that you start to imagine how big and fantastic it might sound on stage in your local venue. He drove right through my suspicions and busted out the other side. It has truly been a journey listening to these songs by Elliot Maginot.

Bottom Line: These songs feel devotional, without being specifically religious – very much the qualities I enjoy in a Sufjan Stevens Christmas song, just with vastly different production. Somewhat of a revelation, I’m 100% on board with Elliot’s unique, emotional Christmas catalog.