Tag: punk

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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

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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Dream Nails “Lonely Star (Christmas Song)” (2020)

Alcopop! Records
Buy: Bandcamp

London punk rock band Dream Nails surprised the first 450 people who preordered their new S/T record with a Christmas card… and a Christmas song! “Lonely Star” is the first Christmas song that I’ve encountered that is specifically about sending out love to our LGBTIQ+ brothers and sisters during this time of very specific emotional baggage, and when family ties require more love than just blood can solely provide. The heart in this song is huge and beats loudly: “We wrote a Christmas song that sends strength and love to anyone finding this time of year particularly tough – especially those who are LGBTIQ+ or struggling with acceptance and support at home. We see you, we’re here for you and we love you!!!”

Proceeds from Bandcamp sales will be going to The Outside Project, the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ Crisis/Homeless Shelter and Community Center. You can also tune in for the first live performance of the song at their live-streamed Feministmas gig on December 6th. Pay-what-you-can tickets are still available!

In the year of COVID COVID COVID, it can be easy to forget that there are so many other issues and people that need our attention, and Dream Nails reminds us to remember check in with those we love. Not everyone is going to call you up to let you know they are hurting or lonely, so no matter who you are or how your identify, let’s share our love this Christmas.

Bottom Line: Great song and a beautiful message. I see (and hear) you Dream Nails, this thing is fantastic.

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Michael M “Humans Are Not Worth Saving (Merry Christmas)” (2020)

Michael M - Humans Are Not Worth Saving (Merry Christmas)

Last Night from Glasgow
Buy: Bandcamp

Glasgow’s Michael M. has written a “quick song about Santa Claus having an existential crisis,” and fuck if it isn’t one of my favorite little ditties of the year. Just bask in these lyrics and smile.

It’s Christmas time and a cold wind appears
The snow isn’t falling down
Because the Earth is misbehaving
Humans are not worth saving

And it breaks my heart in two to know it’s down to you
Humans are not worth saving

And it breaks my heart in two to know it’s down to you
Resurrected annually to highlight wealth inequality
Humans are not worth saving

Merry Christmas, please let me die

The song sounds like it should have been one of those coveted b-sides from Blue Album/Pinkerton-era Weezer, which I consider a high, high compliment. (Side note – It is so unfortunate that you have to designate which Weezer records as to not insult the band you like, because looooorrrrrdddd, they break my heart to this day.) You can’t listen to this thing and not smile – it is infectious (too soon?). Short, sharp perfection.

Bottom Line: The vibe, the lyrics, every damn thing about this song reminds me of why I started this silly blog – to bring weirdo Christmas songs like this to my weirdo friends. Enjoy.

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Mud On My Bra “Allergic to Christmas” (2018)

Den Tapes
Buy: Bandcamp

I love a bratty, angsty, anti-Christmas song as much as the next Joe, and this one is quite as fine as they come. Mud On My Bra are a two-piece punk band from Seattle, and they have an attitude and a sound that I can get behind.

oh ’tis the season again
an exaggerated holiday when
we’re burned out by 10 am
like melting snow-men

shopping! consumerism thrives
commercials go into overdrive
with the music invading all our lives
i’m only here to buy toothpaste

my package! never will arrive
the fir tree! gives me hives
and my chapped lips never will survive

i guess i’m allergic to christmas
i guess i’m allergic to christmas
i must be allergic to christmas
or maybe i’m allergic to you

YES. I’ve been writing about too much pretty stuff lately. Let’s break shit.

Bottom Line: Mud On My Bra have found a nice little slice of bitterness for us all to share.

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Gypsy Charms “It‘s Mother Fuckin‘ Christmas” (2013)

nollaig

Brown Bear Records
Buy: Free!

Brown Bear Records released three largely DIY/punk/experimental Christmas comps between 2013-2015, and as with any DIY Christmas release, the quality can have pretty dramatic swings from song to song. That said, there is a LOT to go through when you look at all 3 releases, 66 songs in total, and I thought I’d put a big ‘ol spotlight on the best of the best, this deliciously-titled track by  Chicago’s Gypsy Charms, “It’s Mother Fuckin’ Christmas.” A punk rock track, delivered with attitude and ramshackle, profane glee, this song is brilliant and less than a minute. Yes, I see the 1:40 next to the track title… but believe me, this thing really begins at 0:50. They kick some ass, then get out of the way, which is a sure fire way to win a fight.

Bottom Line: This is expertly crafted punk rock Christmas.

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