Montreal post-rock band ctznship have just released a record of rare tracks titled Lost Loves (A Collection of Rarities). A mix of studio tracks, live recordings, demos and such, there are two songs on here of note to a dealer of Christmas tunes, “Holiday Lights” and “The New Year.” They may have been released yeaaars ago, as “Holiday Lights” was a b-side from their first record in 2013, which has since been extended to include “Holiday Lights.” Thus, I’m conflicted. I equally love discovering songs I missed, as well as hate that the song snuck by me for so long.
Christmas A Gogo and I have both been talking a big game about this whole shoegaze/dreampop Christmas genre that has exploded, and we may have found a (nearly) patient zero with “Holiday Lights.” Reading about the band, and this specific era of the band, they suggest that they were influence by Robyn, The Knife or Röyksopp as much as any rock band at this time. I hear that wall of sound and am left with… “really?” I certainly need to listen to the non-holiday material, but I’m on a time-crunch here. This song f*ing rocks though.
As for “The New Year,” we’ll see how burned out I am after Christmas as to whether I write about that one. But it’s pretty good too.
Bottom Line: Some more wonderful shoegaze Christmas for those of us who partake.
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 🙂
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 thatWinter 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.
Today is the day. The fourth and final (…you never know for suuuuurrre) volume of this magnum opus of alternative Christmas music has dropped with a whopping 65 songs. Amongst these 65 songs, you’ll find many names that I’ve championed on an occasion or two (Whyte Horses, Dark Horses – ha! – The Photocopies, Skiing, Aux Caroling, and many more) – but unless you’ve been reading this silly blog since 2012, you likely haven’t come across many of these songs. If you have been close-reading this blog, you might even take special notice that Applennium’s “Is this Christmas” is on the tracklist. Not only is this a great track for that imaginary shoegaze/dreampop Christmas mix someone out there is making, but this is the first time one could get an actual FLAC of this song. I honestly had forgotten how great that song was.
This record is a fantastic afternoon listen, one that may very well get you in the spirit enough to finally put up your tree, finish your mix, or dig a bit deeper into that band whose song has just made you hit the back button to listen again. For a quick £7/$8.50, you’re that much closer to indie-Christmas nirvana. That, and ALL proceeds go to Crisis at Christmas, a UK charity supporting people experiencing homelessness. Sounds like an easy call folks.
Bottom Line: If this is the first you’ve heard of this series – there are 4 of them, totaling 208 songs. They are required listening if you are at all interested in this alternative Christmas music. Now go! Listen!
Sometimes I get concerned that this site just ends up writing about the same folks over and over again. I suppose there are two ways to look at this – 1. I am lazy and 2. These folks know their shit and do it well. Bleu Reine are #2, and definitely know their shit as they have compiled yet another superb Christmas compilation. (I hereby grant permission for folks to clean up my language if they wish to use a quote as a “blurb.”) The fourth edition is yet again a mix of French bands covering both holiday and non-holiday songs… but you know which category I am most interested in. So… let’s dive into these absolutely killer Christmas songs.
The first, and perhaps the most surprising highlight of a truly stellar record is Summer Camp Girlfriend covering the Pogues “Fairytale of New York.” Who needs another cover of this song… apparently me! This dream pop treatment may just have enough sustain on the guitar pedals to fit on my imaginary shoegaze Christmas mix. Their musical choices feel fresh and exciting… and they don’t use the F word! This thing sounds like no other version I have heard to date – give them a follow wherever you hang (hopefully not Twitter – F* ELON).
Skip down to the middle of the record, and you find yourself with an excellent cover of “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch,” by Norma. There isn’t much to the simple orchestration, but Norma does a LOT with a little. She doesn’t throw a bunch of musical color to fill up the space but chooses to add a color or two along the way to the strolling guitar lines that propel the song. Norma does four verses of the original six – and hey – I do appreciate a radio edit! Quicker the better when it comes to Christmas songs… this one was a pleasant surprise.
The fuzzy wall of sound that is Rennes, France’s Eeyora’s “Snowman (The Sleepwalk)” may or may not be a cover – I truly have no idea. However, what I encountered will terrify many folks on first listen… a sonic approach that would have been like seeing space aliens to the early rock n’ roll pioneers. But dammit if it hasn’t grown on me. The seesaw between abrasion and sweetness works wonderfully. I’m way out of my comfort zone, but I’m here for it.
Finally, let’s take a look at the Bleu Reine and their inspired cover of the Love, Actually classic, “Christmas is All Around.” The song is meant to be silly in the movie, and yes, the song is silly in reality. However, Bleu Reine has managed to make it feel damn sexy dressed up in some electro/dream-pop clothes. This thing is fucking cool! How did they do that?!
Hey! I missed some of the Christmas songs! THAT is because they were in French! Sometimes I have the balls to talk about songs in another language, and sometimes I don’t. Today is a don’t! Why do I use exclamation marks with reckless abandon when I review THIS specific compilation? I DON’T KNOW!!!!
Bottom Line: Some stone-cold mixworthy songs on this comp – and it raises money for La Croix Rouge Française / French Red Cross!
I sure hope someone is out there compiling an incredible dream pop/shoegaze Christmas record… because here is another! New Jersey’s Slow Salvation are bringing their effects pedals to Christmas with the wonderful “The Ghost of Last Christmas.” This genre is often mainly a vibe, with the walls of buzzing guitars and airy vocals creating an atmosphere for the lyrics to live in, though Slow Salvation has even brought some lovely, simple lyrics to the table: The gifts I bring / Are filled with memories / That we sing / Take Me Home.” Just a gorgeous song.
Bottom Line: Shoegaze Christmas is gonna be a thing, and this song is a highlight.
The swell of new releases is beginning… and here I find myself writing about a song from two years ago. I stumbled upon Copenhagen’s Pinemoon, and they just hit me right. 2022’s “Christmas Together” is a swooning, shoegazing trip that reset my mood last night. Searching for Christmas music is digging in the digital mines and more often than not, feeling hopeless and frustrated. Merry Christmas! So when you stumble upon something like “Christmas Together,” it calms your nerves and lets you fall asleep, ready to dig another day.
Bottom Line: This is a shoegaze Christmas classic.
I don’t have the time for this today. Two of the biggest releases of the season, each popping up in succession on my Bandcamp feed. I’m not going to give away the other one yet (those in the know… know already), so I’ll start with the biggest news – a full-length holiday record from Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500/Luna/Dean & Britta), Britta Phillips (Luna/Dean & Britta), and Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3). While this was not necessarily expected, it is not exactly a surprise. Dean & Britta have long-dipped into holiday music, with Luna’s “Egg Nog” being a particular favorite. Dean did a Lagniappe holiday session a few years back on Aquarium Drunkard, and the pair also booked a full, holiday-themed livestream concert a few years ago (which was wonderful). However, the spiritual ancestor to this release is most certainly the holiday 7″ from back in 2007, “He’s Coming Home,” which features all three of these folks – and was absolutely killer. I’ll drop the press release below.
In a season where we all seek comfort, tradition, and a return to a home of sorts, a trio composed of indie music’s foundational members have gifted us A Peace of Us—an album of diverse holiday tunes filtered through their musical imaginations. Dean & Britta, well-known from their work defining a genre with Galaxie 500 and Luna, join Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom, another bastion of indie’s collective adolescence, to bring to life a collection that draws from early ‘60s pop, garage, country, James Bond soundtracks, Christmas carols, and electronica. Dean Wareham recalls a sentiment from his DJ friend Chris: “You can experience all the emotions of Christmas through music: love and hate, joy and heartache, nostalgia, regret, anticipation, and frustration.”
Their venture into a holiday album was organic, spurred by a few cover tunes over the years, a Christmas special during the pandemic, and finally collaborative sessions between Dean & Britta in L.A. and Sonic Boom in Portugal. The trio all contributed vocals, with guitars by Wareham, bass and keyboards by Phillips, effects, and mixes by Sonic. The result is an album of exploration as well as comfort, “like Bing Crosby…on acid,” Britta adds, the tracklist a reminder that the holidays are complex and tragicomic.
As is often the case with holiday merriment, the album has a soft undertone of the bittersweet. Wareham sings one of David Berman’s final songs, “Snow is Falling in Manhattan,” one Dean believes is “destined to be a holiday classic.” Its lyrics foreshadow Berman’s tragic death: “Songs build little rooms in time / and housed within the song’s design / is the ghost the host has left behind.”
The Christmas blues surface again with Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper,” rendered here as a duet between Britta and Sonic Boom, their pulsing synth-heavy production updating the song for a darkened nightclub rather than a bright honky tonk. This collection steers clear of the usual Christmas chestnuts, but fans of classic indie haze may find a new favorite in “Peace on Earth / Little Drummer Boy” (created for Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s 1977 TV duet). Wareham notes that “Our favorite version is the German one by Marlene Dietrich, so that was our jumping-off point.” All three sing this one together: Wareham’s tenor, then Sonic Boom’s thrumming baritone, and finally Phillips’ soothing contralto making the plea for peace.
If collaboration is the fuel, peace and mutual understanding is surely the fire, and A Peace of Us has us gathered around it. “Christmas is mostly for children anyway,” says Dean. Sonic adds, “Or the inner child in all of us. Goodwill to all men. Hopes and fears for the year to come. And light in the darkness. Where this festival began.”
I must say, this record sounds incredibly promising. I already know that it features both “Old Toy Trains” and “He’s Coming Home,” both stellar tracks, the first single – a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper,” is an electropop gem. One might say they found some wonderful new wrapping on this track… you could call it pretty for sure. And a cover of David Berman’s “Snow is Falling on Manhattan!” Not the first time Dean & Britta have tackled it, as it was featured on a Section26 compilation a few years back… curious if they’ve reworked this in a similar fashion…
The anticipation is killing me, and boy was this an expensive holiday music day.
You know what is better than a few cookies? How about an entire bag! Hot on the heels of last year’s epic, two volume, 108 track opus of alternative Christmas music… it comes for us once more. Fellow weirdo Christmas-music fan Kevin McGrath didn’t plan to put this record together, it really just, kind of happened. He meant to add a few tracks to each record, slap a deluxe sticker on there, and raise some more funds for Crisis, a UK-based charity that services the homeless. Soon, Kevin realized that it would be easier and likely more successful to market the record if those additional songs he had received clearance after the cutoff last year, were put together in their own, new collection – which sounds like a fine idea; let’s maximize the potential to do good. So back into the fray, back to the hunt for more bands’ contact information for Kevin… and after one more, final herculean effort, Have Yourself a Merry Indie Christmas (Volume III) is now under our tree. This release, just like the stellar duo who preceded it, is lined with hit after hit after hit. There are many bands here that the 15-20 folks who read my blog will likely already know and love (Virgin of the Birds, Wake Up and Smell the Sun, Charlie’s Hand Movements, The Ornaments, etc, etc, etc.), but I’m sure you’ve missed a few here and there, and the chances you’re going to love it are pppprrrreeeettty high. Oh, didn’t you forget to pick up that Jacklen Ro song you loved, since it wasn’t on Bandcamp? I can also see you picking this record up, and listening to a song you’ve heard before, but connecting with it on a deeper level – yeah, you just needed some time to grow with that song. I’m thinking you should probably pick this one up, even if you’ve already got a couple of the tracks… just to be safe.
Volumes 1-3 are a guidebook to an alternate universe of Christmas music that few know exists. If you already live here, celebrate it. If you are just dipping your toes in the water, jump in because these 143 songs will provide you with plenty of depth. Swim with us, won’t you?
Bottom Line: You’re getting 35 stellar songs, conveniently packaged by a man high on his own supply of Christmas cheer, and all your money goes to help the homeless. That’s a win for everyone.
Who is this mysterious Health & Wellbeing? I can’t find anything on them! Too bad, because I’m jamming to these Christmas Demos and they are quite good. Power/dream/brit pop original Christmas songs. I’m absolutely positive that they are going to be somebody’s favorite from this holiday season. There’s even a little nod to The Rolling Stones in “Take it Easy this Christmas,” and it totally works. These were all recorded in the past 3 weeks, and if these are the demos… look the fuck out for the full versions, because these sound great already.
Bottom Line: Well that was a short, rather shitty review for what are 4 pretty great songs? Well… yeah. But now you know about them at least, even if we know nothing about the band!
Christmas Underground 