Tag: singer/songwriter

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Neil Brogan – 10 Christmas Songs (2026)

Brogan Records
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

Neil Brogan (ex-Sea Pinks frontman) has methodically created an absolute classic of a Christmas record, releasing a new holiday single every season since those dark COVID days of 2020. Many of these songs, such as “Christmas (with a small c,)” have made it onto my yearly mix and become part of my life. Neil has gathered all these wonderful songs, added a few new ones and an alternate version, and presents us with 10 Christmas Songs. More bands should take this approach: Write a song a year and make sure it is amazing. This is a far better approach than writing one or two songs, then padding the record with uninspired covers. Neil has shown you the way. Go out and make some music.

Bottom Line: This, my dear friends, is a top-tier alternative Christmas record.

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UPCOMING: Snowflake Christmas Singles Club 2026 (12/11/2026)

Snowflakes Christmas Singles
Buy: Snowflakes | Bandcamp

There are a few of us Christmas music bloggers (check out my blogroll!) who enjoy hunting down interesting new (or old) Christmas tunes and sharing them with the billions of people on the planet who are hanging on every spelling error we make. Then, there are people like Robert over at the Snowflake Christmas Singles Club who actually release NEW Christmas music into the world. Robert loves Christmas music, specifically Christmas 7″ records (read his blog too!), and as they say, he puts his money where his mouth is, and we all benefit.

The premise of the Snowflake Christmas Singles Club (from here on, SCSC) is to have a brand-new Christmas/winter/holiday song on the A-side, with a cover chosen by the band on the flip. Pressed on snow-white vinyl and limited to 320 copies, these records are a special treat that has introduced me to many mix-worthy tunes in the past. How about we take a look at the 2026 crop of releases!

The first band that caught my eye is the jangle-pop band Josie from Denmark. With nods to C86 and twee pop, you know this badass motherfucker is going to be down to clown. Sorry… I get all aggro when I talk about my love of twee, jangly indiepop – as we all do, yes? My buddy Ned also loves and recommends their debut LP, A Life on Sweets Alone, and our Venn diagram of musical taste very much overlaps with indiepop wonderfulness. Their cover of the Orchids’ 1964 song “Mr. Scrooge” sounds incredibly intriguing: “Josie sticks fairly closely to the original arrangement and adds 1980s indie pop sensibilities to create the perfect fusion of 1960s girl pop and 1980s indie pop.” I want to listen to an entire record that sounds like that.

How about some MORE indiepop! Yes please! I’m only now being introduced to Amelia and The Housewifes, but hey – they’re pretty new! Their self-titled debut LP only came out in October, so I can’t beat myself up too much. What I have heard of that record has me terribly excited to hear their new song, “Snowgaze.” But now I have to wait until DECEMBER… but at least I can buy their S/T record for something to pass the time with!

Bristol’s Eva May sounds like a singer out of time. I just listened to her latest 7″, Where Does the Time Go (limited to 250 and still available on Full Time Hobby), and I’m feeling some serious Joni Mitchell vibes. Her holiday original, “Softly,” even promises to incorporate folk and avant-garde jazz elements… so that’s another data point for a Joni Mitchell comparison. Which, to be fair, is like comparing someone to Michael Jordan – flattering for sure, but what a weight of expectation. Let’s just take it as pure flattery, and wet your whistle on that other 7″ I was talking about while we wait.

Finally, we’ve got some reggae/ska/rocksteady in the final single, produced by UK-based producer, musician, music teacher, and studio and label owner Neil Anderson of Original Gravity Records, and featuring the vocals of Donnoya Drake on the original A-side, and Junior Dell on the Slade classic “Merry Christmas Everybody.” I do love a reggae reworking – one of my favorite 7″s I own is a bootleg reggae release called Caribbean Cooke Vol. 2, where they reworked Sam Cooke tunes into reggae bangers. Can’t wait to hear this one too!

Bottom Line: A fantastic lineup – perhaps my favorite one yet? The digital singles come out on Nov. 20, and preorders will ship before the end of November. The OFFICIAL release date for the vinyl is December 11th… so you mixers who are aiming for an early December release are in luck, cause you’ll have those digi singles early!

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Cut Worms “The Bells of Christmas Eve” (2026)

Jajaguwar
Buy: Bandcamp

Brooklyn’s Cut Worms (Max Clarke) has just dropped a lovely little Christmas song, “The Bells of Christmas Eve.” The song has a warm, timeless feel, and some seriously dark lyrical content. I mean… it starts off quite beautifully, with swaying pianos and guitars under Max’s delicate voice.

Fields full of snow, miles still to go
Moon shining blue in all the white
Winds are picking up, ice cold and rough
Lost in the year’s longest night

However, the song quickly takes a turn…

Silence in the pines whisper down the line
The sky all ripped starless and black
Here we shall remain, still waiting on a train
That ain’t ever coming back

Smoke is on the wind where the rockets once had been
Cries through the ages in grief
Peace will surely come, you’ll say it can’t be done
Just don’t say it to me
Just don’t say it to me

“The sky all ripped starless and black” – that is pretty damn ominous. But the last bit, “Peace will surely come, you’ll say it can’t be done / Just don’t say it to me,” seems rather hopeful. Though we return to the haunting chorus…

Still is the night
Bells of Christmas Eve
Voices come back to life
Are they all talking to me?

I could see this on a somewhat politically charged mix – you know, one that might throw in a jab or two at the bloodthirsty leaders who reside around the world (and at home). Cuz it’s Christmas, you know…

Bottom Line: A beautiful, complicated song for anxious, complicated times.

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Daphne’s Demise “Just Like Christmas” (2025)

Perpetual Doom
Buy: Bandcamp

Lord knows this song has been covered to death. But there are some songs that I don’t mind hearing cover after cover of… and Low’s “Just Like Christmas” is most certainly in that camp. Heck, Christmas A Gogo has a yearly post gathering the latest covers. So, another cover… what can you find in yet another cover of this song? Perpetual Doom is a label that I love, often releasing singer/songwriters who have a tendency for alt.country, but perhaps a bit more attitude than would suit the mainstream. I admit, I’m predisposed to be excited to hear something from this label, and thus I’m here chatting with you about Daphne’s Demise, and their new cover of “Just Like Christmas.” Daphne’s Demise (aka Zoë S-Bouffard) takes this song, nearly strips it of all adornment, and lets you bask in the simple beauty that is this classic song. This is my ultimate Christmas song… and when someone can find themselves in it… I’m here for it.

Bottom Line: Simple and beautiful.

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Lonesome Doves – Lonesome Doves Christmas Album (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Vermont’s Lonesome Doves have released a 4-song EP of original Christmas songs, the appropriately titled Lonesome Doves Christmas Album, all of which share a slow tempo, as well as the beautiful vocals of Scarlett… who truly does not miss a note. It is not often that an indie rock band is notable for the vocalist’s ability to sing… but Lonesome Doves are certainly an exception. You may find yourself attracted to the first track, “Peacegiving,” as you contemplate our current state of affairs. Perhaps you’ll connect with the vegan-leaning “Psyciatric Help 5 Cents,” which not only sings about not killing things that breathe, but also about dancing around like a cartoon, which we very much do in my house. These songs are the kind of songs I might want to listen to at night, drinking a spiked eggnog and looking at the fire. It’s not going to get you all amped up, it’s the kind of Christmas music that is going to leave you sitting… thinking…

Bottom Line: These aren’t pop hits, but they might touch something a bit deeper if you let them.

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Flunk – Xmas EP (2025)

Beatservice Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music

Norwegian electropop band Flunk has just dropped Xmas EP, a very chill new five-song release that gathers four beautiful, sparse covers (all of which have appeared in some form before) alongside one reworking of a previous song, “Sanctuary,” reimagined as a stripped-down Christmas version.

I’ll touch briefly on the covers, if only to point out that while Flunk is commonly known as an electronic band, three of the four tracks are accompanied only by solo acoustic guitar, with the remaining track featuring a lone electric guitar. The guitars exist mainly to frame the true centerpiece of these songs: vocalist Anja Øyen Vister’s beautiful—and yes, I have to say it—Björk-esque vocals.

“Sanctuary,” in its original form, is a lovely, chilled electropop track. Here, it’s pulled apart and rebuilt with gentle bells and subtle textures, the drums removed entirely, creating something far more ethereal than the original. I can easily imagine this track closing out someone’s holiday mix.

Bottom Line: Some gorgeous stuff here – surprised I hadn’t sniffed it out before!

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Ena Kinderlieder – Weihnachtslieder (2025)

a postage stamp with a holiday scene - a christmas tree on the left, a warmly lit house to the right, and santa and his sleigh flying above.

eleventwentyStudios
Buy: Bandcamp

Have you ever just sat there, watching the Bandcamp “Selling Right Now” feed? It is somewhat mesmerizing. Well, I did that, and I clicked on a few things that looked like Christmas records, and I ended up here, with Ena Kinderlieder’s Weihnachtslieder.

My current predicament is such: Earlier this season, I made a statement about how little I feature German-language Christmas music, and may have said it didn’t share the same musical qualities as say, French Christmas music does. I was called out by various festive friends and bloggers, and in retrospect, I was quite wrong. Indeed, German-speaking Christmas music has equal access to my love; I was just not thinking at the time.

What I was not imagining was that I would find a German-language Christmas EP that was made specifically for children… and that I would find it just plain wonderful. Ena Kinderlieder (aka Ena Children’s Songs) is a “singer, songwriter, and big sister,” and she began putting out music with a song for her little brother, and has followed with a series of songs throughout this past year, culminating with this holiday EP, Weihnachtslieder. Ena’s voice, along with her simple yet beautiful orchestration, is simply gorgeous. This is not what I expect from children’s music – I expect big, expressive voices, choruses that will rot your teeth and drive you mad. This is far from that… this is just really lovely.

Of note, the Bandcamp version has 8 songs, while the Spotify version is split up between a few releases.

Bottom Line: This is as lovely and listenable as children’s music will ever be. I can’t believe I’m writing about a children’s record… but I couldn’t let it pass. Give it a listen.

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Tim Baker – Full Rainbow of Light (2024/2025)

a window surrounded by snow.

End Times Music
Buy: Bandcamp | Vinyl

You may be familiar with the excellent Canadian indie rock band Hey Rosetta!, which unfortunately disbanded in 2017. Readers of this site may be most familiar with their holiday EP, A Cup of Kindness Yet. Though… I would have thought I would have written about that record at some point, but I haven’t. So, I suppose this might be new to you as well. Check it out below if you haven’t heard it before, it is quite good.

(If you haven’t noticed, my posts are more like a conversation than a good piece of writing, and I hope you don’t mind.)

I didn’t come here to talk about the Hey Rosetta EP, I actually popped onto the site to talk about the lead singer Tim Baker’s latest LP, Full Rainbow of Light, which was initially released in 2024. The record is filled with beautiful Christmas, New Year’s, and wintery-themed songs. Yes, this is one of those special records we all hope for, one containing nearly all originals. In his initial release, there are only two covers, one traditional and the other, the contemporary classic “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” Tim expanded the record for 2025 with Full Rainbow of Light Deluxe Edition, which features 3 additional songs, including a cover of Jackson Browne’s wonderful “The Rebel Jesus.” This whole record is pretty damn beautiful, and I’m sure a bunch of you will love it.

Bottom Line: Someone in our little Christmas community with a bit more energy and eloquence really needs to take a stab at a review. I know Stubby found it last year on the forum, but that’s the only mention I’ve caught yet…

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Aux Caroling – December/Headphones (2025)

An impressionist painting of the sky with a moon in it.

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Aux Caroling, the recording project of North Carolina’s Scott Deaver, is always singing about something he’s not singing about. From the amazing “Bulls vs. Lakers, Christmas 2011,” which framed complex familial relationships and the uncertainty of fate within the guise of talking about a basketball game on TV, to his most recent, and equally gorgeous, December/Headphones.

The first track, the A-side for those who wish to imagine this is a beautiful 7-inch record you are about to drop a needle to, was initially titled “A Long December to Remember Sales Event.” Just seeing that title made me kinda snort and smile. Now off he goes, singing about striking a luxury automotive deal. Then he slips into the chorus, which will subtly change through the song.

“Everything happens at once / that’s how you know it happened / nothing really feels that long / till your memories…”

Just gorgeous. But he dips back into those lines that are about “buying a car:”

“And it’s been a rough year / I think it’s safe to say / have not had one minute / to choose between nebula and cloudburst gray.”

There I go again with a snort, of sorts.

Scott excels in a kind of cheeky depth. He makes jokes that make it feel safe to contemplate your inner feelings of helplessness or inadequacy, or explore your family dynamic, or deal with the unknown.

The B-side is “Headphones,” a track that Scott initially intended to premiere on Jon Solomon’s 2024 25-Hour Holiday Marathon, and to never be played again. He meant for it to be heard in that one moment in time, and that was all. Thankfully, he’s reconsidered. This is simply a beautiful, touching love song. I don’t sense any subtext here; there is just a profound grateful love that the luckiest of us can relate to, in one way or another. “Found out I love you a lot / don’t think it will ever stop / don’t think it will ever stop / don’t think it will ever stop…………”

There are some bands that I like to celebrate here whose unique voice is unmistakable, and I count Aux Caroling among these. He has my ear, from now until he starts inevitably doing those stream-of-consciousness Mark Kozelek-type records. Then, I’m out.

(I couldn’t get too mushy there… Scott would have thrown in a line to take the edge off, and that was my feeble attempt to do the same.)

Bottom Line: Aux Caroling is essential Christmas listening.

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King Hüsky “December95” (2025)

A cartoon of a man sitting on a circular carpet listening to music.

Hype City Music
Buy: Bandcamp

I honestly had no idea what to expect from “December95” by King Hüsky. You find yourself on his Bandcamp page, and the bio cuts off after “guitarist of the critically acclaimed Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak,” so needless to say, I was anticipating something quite different than what I encountered. The song I heard was wonderful, and is by no means the Norwegian metal that I anticipated; I am not into metal – read my submissions page. This song happened to be aimed dead between my eyes. A kill shot.

King Hüsky is the solo work of Vidar Landa, who, besides being a guitarist in a metal band, is also in indie rock/power pop band Beachheads. “December95” sets a beautiful, snowy scene, snug in their home. While the Christmas lights and the VCR don’t work, the scene, the lyrics, and the melody are all uplifting in a way that I was truly touched by. I remain amazed. What an unexpected and extraordinary song.

Bottom Line: Stone-cold mixworthy.

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