Tag: punk

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PAL – Christmas Majic 2 (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

As the year winds down, I find my reviews get less introspective, less thoughtful, and frankly, shittier. Why mess with the formula! Here’s a crap review of a great little EP by Cleveland egg punks PAL.

Christmas Majic 2 is obviously the follow-up to their first Christmas release back in 2023. I have it in my “likes” in Bandcamp, which likely suggests that it came out when EVERYTHING was coming out, and I was frantically marking things to come back to. Thankfully, I’m not coming back to this second release and actually telling someone about it! This is the first time that PAL has written an original song, the leadoff track “One Starry Night,” and it is rawkus, synthy screed against Santa’s gift-giving fuckup. The interplay of the talk-singing and background screams is perfection. It is on my mix shortlist right now.

The next two tracks are covers, with the accordion-heavy “Must Be Santa Claus,” which I would normally dismiss as a kids’ song… but they somehow pull it out of that black hole. The attitude they bring to the track, along with choosing Bob Dylan’s version as the inspiration (the ending!), has me sitting here thinking, this might be the only version I’d listen to at a party.

The final track is notoriously my least favorite song. “Little Drummer Boy” is terrible. However….. PAL’s “Little Drummer Pal,” I rather enjoyed. This is their cover of the Red Aunts “Little Drummer Bitch,” which I am unfamiliar with, but perhaps I need to check out. Perhaps another day though… I have precious time, and seeking out more versions of “Little Drummer Boy” is just not at the top of my priorities for today.

You can also pick up a glittery cassette of both volumes of PAL’s Christmas Majic, with $5 from each cassette going to the Cleveland Area Food Bank. Solid!

Bottom Line: I think I need more egg punk in my life, and some more PAL. Also… that was kind of a long one for me right now. Wasn’t expecting to talk about all 3 songs when I started… but here we are.

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Teen Mortgage “Below the Christmas Tree” (2025)

Roadrunner Records
Buy: Bandcamp (not there yet?) | 7Digital (MP3/FLAC) | Apple Music

Christmas Underground, as badass as I obviously am — I eat glass for breakfast — is not exactly overflowing with punk rock Christmas songs. I’m probably more likely to write about some twee band from Antwerp than a punk outfit from Washington, D.C.

Often, punk rock Christmas songs fall into the Blink-182 lane — and while I know that’s many folks’ jam, it just isn’t mine. I like punk rock that leans toward its cousin, garage rock — the kind with lo-fi production and fuzzy guitars, like Idaho Green or Stephan and Johnny.

Well, add a new name to that list, because this new song by Washington, D.C.’s Teen Mortgage is fucking fantastic. “Below the Christmas Tree” piles angular guitar riffs over a driving, fuzzy bassline — straight to the heart of this lowly Christmas blogger.

The music will hook you, but the lyrics will reel you in. A satirical anti-war song, it leaves you sitting in the simple decadence of a Christmas at the end of the world. World War III is upon us, and we’re moments away from destruction — so I got you a pair of turtle doves.

Well, open up your gifts now
Before they get turned into dust
Just forget all of those mushroom clouds
Becoming proper humongous.

Fucking hell. This song better remain satirical and not literal. I like the groove either way I guess…

Bottom Line: Absolutely stellar punk rock Christmas. If all punk rock songs were like this, I would run a punk rock Christmas music blog.

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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.

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Skegss “December” (2022)

Loma Vista
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon.uk MP3

Sneaky. Releasing this song as a b-side in February of 2022, Australian punks Skegss are many things to me at the moment. Their song, “December,” is an extremely recent find; the first post of the 2024 holiday season; perhaps the first song I can say will be on my 20th annual Christmas mix. The song is so good, and with 7K+ streams on Soundcloud, I just assumed that it had been picked up by Christmas A Gogo or Von Pip, but alas… it looks to have snuck by them as well. The whole plan with this site was to have more stuff like this handed to me on a silver platter… but 12 years now and I’m beginning to think I was mistaken.

How about we talk a little about the song? Are you a fan of the Sleepwalkers Christmas EP? (Well, you should be). Have you been dreaming of a chill Christmas song that might have been sung by Julian Casablancas of the Strokes? Put that idea in your head and press play. Then stroll around thinking about how great it will sound on your Christmas mix. Maybe get yourself a treat and sit on a bench. Yeah. Deep breaths. Christmas comes for us all.

Bottom Line: A killer debut track for the 2024 season dug up from the early months of 2022. Welcome to the new year, you’re going to like this one.

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Idaho Green “Christmas Toonite” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

I get contacted by a lot of bands and PR folks, and I’d say about 97% of them have never visited this silly site before. When I hear from someone, and indeed, they seem to have a grasp of what this site is about… well… it puts me in a very good mood. This site exists both to help you make your Christmas mix… and to help ME make MY Christmas mix. Thus when I received a nice note from Idaho Green, a band that claims both Brooklyn and Huntley Project, Montana as their home, hipping me to a fantastic indie rock/spud punk (ha!) Christmas song of theirs, I simply responded with “Yes. You are my jam.” The result of a bit of extra studio time, a few loose riffs and a silly chorus, their 2022 Christmas single, “Christmas Toonite,” shines with crunchy, dirty guitars, a bit of swearing, and a relaxed swagger not often found on a Christmas song. The song begins with a bit about being stuck in Montana during a snowstorm, but quickly pivots into one of the happiest, upbeat Christmas songs you could ever want. The song is downright joyful. So spread some joy, throw a buck at this song, and add it to your life.

Bottom Line: I sometimes struggle to find wonderful, upbeat Christmas songs… so when a song like “Christmas Toonite” comes to you, close your eyes, smile and say, “Yes. You are my jam.”

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A Very Cherry Christmas 17 (2023)

Cherryade Records
Buy: Bandcamp

Weirdo, underground Christmas music is a labor of love. Believe me, our community is quite small… small, but dedicated. It would make sense that one of the biggest flagbearers for this scene is a small compilation, released by Cherryade Records and lovingly assembled by Gareth Jones of Dandelion Radio, for 200 lucky collectors each year. This is the 17th year of the A Very Cherry Christmas series, a CD-only compilation that collects underground bands from France, America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Canada, and Japan this year. There are 16 brand-new tracks recorded for this release, as well as 9 more that have never had a physical release. Highlights for me include the punk-infused “Keep Your Christmas Tree for Burning” from perennial Christmas superstars Goddammit Jeremiah, the indie-rock fuzzy fun of “Christmas Number One” from Problem Patterns, and the percussive “I’m Not Coming Home for Christmastime” by The Photocopies. There is a lot more to dig into on this record, from surf Christmas by The Surfisticats (“Santa Bring Me a Surfboard Please”), the glitchy, electro-infused indiepop of ToyDisco (“A Gameboy for Christmas ’96”), to the oddly-touching emotional comedy of Canadians in Space (“Peace & Gravy”), there is something here for everyone. I wish I could do it justice and highlight every single band, but I don’t want to set any unattainable precedents here. All that said – keep that flag flying Cherryade, I’m here for you.

Bottom Line: It comes out today, so best of luck being one of the lucky 200. Especially if you live in the States (as I do), you best jump on this, as Europe has had the jump on you.

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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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Dick Move “Eyes for Christmas” (2022)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp (this has disappeared…)

Under the Radar, though not the Under the Radar you and I likely know and love, but the New Zealand online music mag has hipped me to this Christmas song that rips up the male gaze. Auckland, New Zealand’s lo-fi punks Dick Move bless my blog with perhaps the most aggressive song I’ve ever featured… as I am often on the chiller side of the musical dial. I’ll defer to their description of the song:

“This song is about a cracker of a one liner that echoes through small town Aotearoa. Someone staring, dare we say ogling at you? Hit ‘em with the almighty “you get eyes for Christmas mate?” And watch them shrivel. Simple, powerful, crack up stuff — and hopefully gone are the dayz of the male gaze.” – Lucy Suttor, Dick Move

Most certainly one of the more unique Christmas songs I’ve come across, and quite worth your time.

Bottom Line: Tear it up, Dick Move. We’re here for it.

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Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (2022)

A Benefit for Crisis
Buy: Bandcamp

I often think about what it would be like to be just now getting into this hobby of underground Christmas music mix-making. When I got in the game (18 years ago!), there wasn’t quite the wealth of indie rock/pop/alt.country/etc Christmas releases to hunt down. Bandcamp, the venue which I primarily exploit to find cool new songs, wasn’t founded until 2007, and it wasn’t until 2010 that I could have even embedded a track on a site like Christmas Underground. It is both exhilarating and terrifying to think about dipping my toes in for the first time in 2022… there is just so much to listen to – years and years of great songs to get through, let alone all the new releases that come out every year. Well, lucky for my imaginary self, as well as that very real person taking their first stab at making a cool Christmas mix, fellow weirdo Christmas music fan Kevin McGrath has created the perfect introduction to this niche of holiday music with the massive, expansive collection of 108 songs, Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. This is like one of those The Greatest ________ Album in the World collections I used to bump into in the import sections of the 2000s – packing an absolute ton of the tracks you need to hear to fully get what has been going on. The sheer effort that it took to clear 108 songs is astounding, let alone the challenges of contacting bands that are no longer together, and there are some wonderful ones represented here, to which I’m delighted their musical legacy will persist. Readers of this site will find some familiar faces and names, such as Sweet Tempest, St. Lenox, Charlie’s Hand Movements, The Ornaments, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, and many, many more.

Just know you are bound to discover a new classic or two that you’ve never bumped into before. Christmas Underground is a one-person shop, and I can’t and won’t be able to know every single cool indie Christmas song out there… as I’m currently sitting here listening to Volume 1, bobbing my head to a song I’ve never heard – and I love it. All this great music also benefits a great cause, Crisis, a UK charity that helps the homeless. So, while the suggested price for each massive collection is a mere £7/$8.50, just know that you don’t necessarily have to give only $8.50. Maybe make yourself a sandwich each day this week for lunch and give a bit more? This is the season of giving, and in a world where billionaires aren’t going to save us, we need to look out for each other.

Bottom Line: These two releases could fashion 3-4 years of indie Christmas mixes for your friends and family. It is an absolutely essential purchase for new and old collectors alike.

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Stephan & Johnny “Too Broke for Presents” (2016)

The Flowershop
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Santapalooza noted this release on twitter a week or so ago, noting that while it was from 2016, it was “new to us.” Indeed, it was new to us. I’m not sure it was on Bandcamp before, but I could easily be mistaken. What got me was the cover… It was terrible but fantastic. The band is composed of members of two Chicago punk bands, Stephan (Nervous Passenger) and Johnny (Rat Hammer). Their unholy alliance produced three songs – two covers and an original, “Too Broke for Presents.” The covers… let’s just pretend they don’t exist. They are fine, but they are songs that are so over-covered that need to be amazing to be even acknowledged. The original, “Too Broke for Presents,” is another story altogether. The sound is what you’d expect from these guys – it has attitude, humor and a chorus that demands crowd participation – shout out that shit! “Yeah, I’m to broke for presents and I’ve got nothing for you/ I’m too broke for presents and I hope that we’re still cool. / Cause I don’t have a job to buy you anything / but I hope we’re still cool / I totally think you rule.” Yesssss.

Bottom Line: Their energy is infectious, and in a pandemic year, let’s hope that this song is the only thing you catch.

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