Tag: psych

Posted on

Exnovios “Noche de reyes” (2018)

A piece of paper-cut artwork, with pieces of paper cut out to create a winter scene with a road, snow and small strings of flags crisscrossing the road.

Ground Control
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

I think… I THINK… this is the final Exnovios Christmas song out there. Frankly, a part of me is writing this post just so that I can be proven wrong and be alerted to yet another song from this wonderful band. “Noche de reyes” means “Twelfth Night,” or “Three Kings’ Night,” which is traditionally the night that kids receive presents in Spain. Exnovious tagged this track as “pop-psychedelia-reverb core” on Bandcamp, and I heartily cosign that description. This song is dreamy and synthy, as it gently rocks back and forth… as if coaxing the kids to sleep. Then, as the music and voices rise, so do the kids to find presents in the hall. Yet another beautiful tune from Exnovios, to which I’d be remiss not to mention the involvement of their wonderful partner-in-crime, Oihana Herrara from Melenas on keyboard, because those keys are a massive part of the groove here.

Bottom Line: Now the question is, how many Exnovios songs can one have on a Christmas mix?

LISTEN

Posted on

Arthur Satàn – I Don’t Give a S**t About Christmas (2025)

Paradise Records
Buy: Bandcamp (MP3/Vinyl)

Bordeaux’s Arthur Satàn, (The Meatards, J.C. Satàn) has just released a stunning 60’s psych/pop Christmas single, the 2-track I Don’t Give a S**t About Christmas. There’s the spacey psych of the A-side, “Nebula,” which I am honestly having a tough time parsing the lyrics of – I’m picking up “skies ablaze,” “on the brink of madness,” so I’m thinking this is a Christmas + apocalypse song (or maybe just an apocalypse song). However, I don’t have a problem connecting with that fantastic, psychedelic orchestration.

The flip is more obviously Christmas-inspired. “Christmas Might Be Over Soon” begins with a musicbox piano line, but expands into glorious psych-folk as the mantra “I begin to lose control” floats in. The lyrics are less drenched in the grandiose orchestration of “Nebula,” so I was able to get a better grasp on this track. “Too many gifts, for you and me / The others torn (?) in jealousy / No time to waste, we must consume / Christmas might be over soon.” Another dark one it appears…

I loved the description on their Bandcamp, which I happily Google translated for you:

Fresh from their “Journey That Never Was,” Arthur Satàn’s warriors are back on the offensive, but this time it’s a Christmas one!

“I Don’t Give a S**t about Christmas,” the new rallying cry from the Bordeaux-based multi-instrumentalist, features two tracks also tinged with 60s pop influences, making up this collector’s 7″ single, another brick in Arthur Satàn’s sonic and graphic edifice.

These two unreleased songs comprise a limited-edition collector’s 7″ single, whose cover art extends the visual universe of Arthur Satàn, who is also a graphic designer and visual artist: a “Ship of Fools,” populated by warriors piled high in a pyramid, brandishing swords and shields as they aim for the gift descended from heaven.

In the delicate realm of representing the “magic of Christmas,” there’s no doubt: Satàn packs a punch!

The artwork on this baby is something else for sure, which Arthur is also responsible for. And for those who like to hold records in their hands, and maybe even play them… there is a 7″ available. Unfortunately, it carries all the costs of buying records from overseas, so it would be about $35 shipped for that 7″, which I’m just not quite up for after all this Christmas shopping. Blast!

Bottom Line: Some dark Christmas psychedelia!

LISTEN

Posted on

Fairy Tales In Yoghourt “High on Christmas” (2022/2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp | Bandcamp (full EP)

Mark your calendars for December 10. This date commemorates Otis Redding’s passing — an artist who holds a special place in the Christmas canon thanks to his iconic 1968 performance of “Merry Christmas Baby,” as well as his influence on Will Sheff and Okkervil River’s indie classic “Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas Day.” December 10 is also the release date for Nantes, France’s Fairy Tales in Yoghourt’s upcoming Wish You a E.P. Christmas, which I am very, very intrigued to hear.

The first single from the EP has already been released, currently titled “High on Christmas.” I say currently because the song was originally called “Christmas, Inc.” when it appeared with different orchestration back in 2022. I loved the song/E.P. announcement on Facebook, which provided some of that background:

“The track was discreetly released in a different production a few years ago, the real ones know, and had received a buzz that I would call minimal. This time we hired an orchestra, so it’s going to be profitable.”

That orchestra is worth every penny! It gives the song a classic sheen that contrasts beautifully with the alt-pop, even psych-pop tendencies of the band. I can’t wait to hear the rest.

Of note: since beginning this post last night, Fairy Tales in Yoghourt have put the EP up for preorder, along with another preview track — the short and psychedelic “How Does Jesus Christ Do It? (Angels Reply).”

Bottom Line: This is sounding like a winner so far! Now… do I delay finalizing my Christmas mix simply to hear the rest of the E.P….

LISTEN

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

Alex Maas “X MAAS (Take Me Away)” (2023)

Innovative Leisure
Buy: Bandcamp

Just as he was finishing up some work with his band The Black Angels, lead vocalist Alex Maas released a very interesting, downtempo holiday song, “X MAAS (Take Me Away).” I’ve been listening to it for a little while now, and I’m quite intrigued by the vibe of the song – his voice, the chiming melody, the lyrics that seesaw between fleeing and love. These elements mix and create a complex, disorienting, yet somehow soothing vibe. It sounds like Alex achieved his goal: “I’ve never written a Christmas song. Christmas has a very dark side that not many people take into account. The holidays are as painful as they are beautiful for most people. This song is for people who fall in love during Christmas and for those who want to escape completely from the holiday.”

Bottom Line: There’s something here. Not quite sure yet… but I’m listening…

LISTEN

Posted on

Cheetah Cheetah Bison “A Little More Christmas” & “December” (2020)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp | Amazon MP3 | 7Digital MP3 | Apple Music

A random song in my email. A casual click on a link. VIRUS! EXPLOSION! Wait… that didn’t happen – just wanted to add to the drama. My head bobs, my feet tap… I love this song. Who the fuck is this guy/band/mystery? Well, it only took me a year to properly follow up and figure this shit out. Cheetah Cheetah Bison happens to be Andrew Kerr, who can also be found in the NYC post-punk band Grassfight, as well as his country project Rabbit Montgomery. Grassfight released a couple EPs in the 2010’s and their full-length LP, Vampires, in 2023 (though it was recorded 10 years prior). As for the Cheetah Cheetah Bison moniker, this is pandemic Andrew. In a fantastic, stream-of-consciousness response to my random questions, Andrew explains, “Early into the pandemic in 2020, I realized I was going to have some real time off at home, so I dusted everything off and decided I was going to get into the world of solo stuff and see what happened. I’m very blessed to be able to play most of the key instruments, so I said hey why not.” Why not indeed. “A Little More Christmas” is an affirmation, singing out from the depths of the pandemic. Along with the season synths of “December,” Andrew was feeling the spirit in 2020: “It just felt right releasing some sort of positive project, given everyone’s mood about the possible end of the world.” I feel it, man. I wish I had heard these then… those were dark times.

For some reason “A Litte More Christmas,” gives me My Morning Jacket vibes – hell, they should cover this! Make Andrew some money! I like to imagine these big bands (or more likely, their managers or interns) mining this blog for Christmas album material. Hell, I’m happy to take on a consulting fee! Ha!

Bottom Line: You never know where you’ll find wonderful Christmas songs. The world is a wonderful place. Look… I’m even feeling optimistic now. Crazy shit.

LISTEN

Posted on

Arlie “Come as You Arlie (The Christmas Song)” (2018)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Sometimes you find one of those songs that you get so excited about that you both want to tell everyone, and nobody, about it. This is one of those situations… hold it until it is revealed on your mix (which is not set in stone yet, so anything can happen still!), or help the wider community impress their friends with a fantastic song. Well, I’m going with the latter as I’m sure a bunch of you are going to enjoy this one…

As for the review, I’m not going to get too specific, because I really just want you all to press play and smile. However, I will give a little background to this fantastic song. Nashville psychedelic indiepop band Arlie put this song together back in 2018 and tried to get it fully-cleared to be on Spotify/Tidal/etc, but alas, the music publishing gods had other ideas. Thus, it existed under the radar for several years, with not much on the net about it beyond a few Tiktoks that use the song, as well as one where Arlie addresses the song’s unfortunate fate. Somehow, with zero press, the song still amassed over 10K streams on Soundcloud – the only place (until VERY recently) where one could find this full song. I reached out the Nathaniel Banks, the frontman of the band, a few weeks ago just to make sure that he’d be cool with me writing about the song, as I didn’t want to stir up any trouble for him. He was happy to give me the green light – and even put the track up on Bandcamp for you all. So… warm up whatever finger you prefer to smash play with, and proceed.

Be sure to check out Arlie’s excellent full-length record, Break the Curse, as it is not on the Arlie Bandcamp. You can find it on your favorite streaming service… or perhaps from your favorite record store. Bands get WAY more money from a purchase than a stream, and everyone’s got to eat, folks.

Bottom Line: This one is going to bring a smile to many faces. And remember, name your own price means you can drop a dollar in the pot, so please do so.

LISTEN

Posted on

The Walking Who “Halloween on Christmas” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

This song by Australia/Prague’s The Walking Who is equal parts epic and cryptic. Also… who the fuck cares what this song is about because “Halloween on Christmas” is fucking awesome. The song began its life in Australia back in 2019, but was only recently finished in November at a studio in Prague, with a strict palette of eastern European guitars, mics, and synths born between 1960-1985. Eastern bloc or bust! Pair this with those Toad Venom tracks and you’ve got yourself a pretty badass mix in the works…

Bottom Line: Let’s listen to psychedelic Christmas from the caves of Prague… what a great sentence to write, and what a fantastic song to jam to.

LISTEN

Posted on

Toad Venom – The Ingen vidare jul (Christmas is cancelled) EP (2021)

Welfare Sounds & Records
Buy: Bandcamp

If I had a nickel for every time I said, “You name your band Toad Venom, and I’m going to check you out.” Well, a bunch of psych rock musicians from Vikingstad, Sweden finally took me up on this well-known offer, and have also made some absolutely excellent psych Christmas music! 2021’s The Ingen vidare jul (Christmas is cancelled) EP is two tracks of badass psych, as the leadoff track “God Jul” blasts off, a soaring Swedish Christmas anthem (to which I have no clue what is being said). The flip, “Merry (Christmas) and me,” is in English, and very much suits their style as described on Bandcamp: “A band, experimenting the void between spaghetti western and psychedelic rock.” Those twangy western guitars that introduce the track – so terribly cool. The song builds and builds, at times triggering me to think a bit about Spiritualized for some reason. There are so many cool movements to this song, yet it still comes in at an economical 4:00. Perhaps one of the most badass Christmas tunes I’ve come across in a good while.

Bottom Line: Two extremely good tracks from my new favorite band and best friends (pending).

LISTEN