Soon The Dawn Will Come, And You'll Be On Your Way

Hey, welcome back. It's day two (of three) of our rockin' countdown of our fave rave records of 2008. Carson Daley eat your sensitive heart out. But wait, there's more. We're gonna include, over the days, our favorite record labels of the year, our shows of the year, and our super-duperest re-issues, too. Oh, and at the ass-end, we might ramble on about two of our favorite dead people. So, you know, there's that to look forward to.

Here's our favorite record labels of the year. Each one provided a plethora of fantastic albums that kept our ears hummin'. We'd recommend checking 'em out and seeing what goodies they provide.

Record labels of the year:

Voodoo Rhythm Records

Big Legal Mess

Mississippi Records

Numero Group

And, here's part 2 of our records of the year (20-11). Tracks taken from vinyl when possible.

Big Rock Candy Mountain Favorite Records of the Year (Pt.2)


20. Elmo Williams: American Made E.P.

Blues the way god intended, shouty and raw. We wrote about this record recently, and, if anything, our opinion on how great this record is has only solidified. This is the type of record Fat Possum used to give us on a regular basis, before they went all sensitive on us. Luckily Big Legal Mess (a subsidiary of Fat Possum) has picked up the slack. This is the kind of record that will kick your ass and you'll come back, you masochist, panting for more.

Elmo Williams and Hezekiah Early: Bigged Legged Woman (mp3)

19. Fucked Up: Year of the Pig 7" and The Chemistry of Common Life LP

Well, is it really punk rock? Several of their songs are longer than two minutes, so maybe not. The purists probably don't regard Fucked Up very highly, which is a shame, really, cuz they put out some fantastic records. Better in single or e.p. form, which "Year of the Pig" so amply demonstrates, than in full-length l.p.'s, their long player's are still quite a revelation. Epic in scope, and with the weights of the world, small and large, hung heavy in hangdog glory, Fucked Up make a manic mosh noise guaranteed to clear the floor of all the pussies, and fill it with a cacophony of vile rawk.

Fucked Up: Anorak City (mp3)


18. Jay Bennett: Whatever Happened I Apologize


Available as a free and legal download (click the album link)! Jay Bennett is best known to most from his stint as a member of Wilco, but please don't hold that against him. His solo work, and his album with Edward Burch show a musical sensibility more intimate than the wankery that Wilco became. A largely acoustic affair, seemingly recorded in one take (though we could be wrong), Bennett channels a Country Elvis Costello, with language less pretentious, more human. It's a warm album, recorded close to the mic, and close to the heart. Others have made this observation, so it's hardly only mine, but it's apt: It's a late nite album, to be listened to upon waking in the morning, the sun and the moon both battling, the regret and loss palpable.

Jay Bennett: Another Town Another Ride Another Window (mp3)


17. Quintron: Too Thirsty For Love

The party record of the year. Pull out yr roller skates from the closet, dust them off, and hit the rink, spinnin' and skatin' under the mirror ball, showing off your best moves. Quintron's shtick, of course, is his, ummm, organ. It's a massive organ, and he plays it like a man possessed by the spirit of Jimmy Smith, with sin in his heart and booty in his brain. This record is the culmination of Quintron's dream, a funky, nasty, groove-satured dance party, greasy and sexy with no moral compass whatsoever. 9th Ward New Orleans is alive and kickin', kids.

Quintron: Model Ex Citizen (mp3)

16. Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby: S/T

Well, the old bugger is back, isn't he? Best known theseadays for his peachy little tune "Whole Wide World", recorded way back when, Wreckless Eric hasn't exactly been a hermit in regards to recording over the years. But it took a little team up with his wife, and no musical slouch either, Amy Rigby to pull the old "merchant of trash" back into the limelight. It's a duet album, but don't run away. Sour and sweet (guess who's who), the record re-positions George and Tammy as lo-fi purveyors of the down and out, where the (not the) jet set fight, fuck and try to figger it all out with the lowest of low expectations.

Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby: Here Comes My Ship (mp3)

15. Wild Billy Childish and The Musicians of the British Empire: Thatcher's Children

It's Billy Childish, of course. Until anyone else can produce a body of work as brilliant as this man, until anyone else can release album after album that is consistently a great as Childish does, year after year, you will always see a Billy Childish record in our Top Albums list. That said, this record kicks ass. Snarly, blues-punk, pissed off and taking the piss, this record isn't really any different that anything else Childish-related, but it's still better than 99% of anything else you heard this year. I'll make you a deal: start buying Billy Childish records, and I'll stop bothering you about it. Damn, I should have rated this higher...

Wild Billy Childish and the M.B.E.: Loray Head (mp3)

Wild Billy Childish and the M.B.E.: He's Making A Tape (mp3)


14. Magnetic Fields: Distortion


Rumor is that main-man Stephen Merritt can't listen to this record in its finished product, cuz of all the, well, distortion. Besides containing the best drinking song of the year (see below), "Distortion" is an album of extremes. It's not just the sound, which takes Merritt's Noel Coward lyrical sensibilities and layers under shards of Jesus and Mary Chain noise, which fascinates, but the mode of Merritt's delivery which fascinate. Rarely have we seen him this misanthropic, which is saying quite a bit. It's a nasty record, with melodic hooks galore.

Magnetic Fields: Too Drunk To Dream (mp3)

Magnetic Fields: California Girls (mp3)


13. Tindersticks: The Hungry Saw

It's hard to write objectively about this band, we've been an obsessive fan for so long. They're the quintessential late-nite whiskey band, all noir-soul and depraved decadence, delivered in the baritone tones of Stuart Staples. All is muted: the horns, the spaghetti western guitar, the mellotron, the saw. Barry White if he were rejected by all the ladies of the world. A swirling descent into loneliness, felt and barely grasped.

Tindersticks: The Other Side of the World (mp3)

12. Santogold: Santogold

Not much to say about this, really. At least not anything that hasn't been said a million other places elsewhere. It's a really fucking fantastic record, though, isn't it?

Santogold: Lights Out (mp3)

11. Pierced Arrows: Straight To The Heart

Dead Moon's legendary Fred and Toody Cole with a new drummer, Pierced Arrows don't change their sound much on this new project, and that's a very fine thing indeed. Sounding like it was recorded in a tin can, "Straight to the Heart" is everything a rock'n'roll band should be: loud, distorted, shouty and snotty in all the right places. Like The Hell's Angels on a flower power trip, the Pierced Arrows psych garage still put all the pretenders and young whippersnappers to shame with their glorious racket. The rawk album of the year. Raise yr fists and shout at the devil.

Pierced Arrows: Shades (mp3)

We'll be back shortly with the Top 10. Anyone wanna guess what's number 1?

Move Along, Blue Shadows, Move Along

Howdy. How's everyone doing? Happy Boxing Day.

We've just come up with a revolutionary concept! What if we did a list of the Best Albums of the year? It's a wonder no one has thought of this before. Maybe we'll start a trend.

In previous years we'd take this opportunity to offer a special comment on the state of music as we see it here from our Mountain top, usually doing a good bit of complaining disguised as analysis. But, you know what? We don't have all that much to whine about this year. There's some pretty good records being released out there, and even REM awakened from their slumber and made a decent album (we're as surprised as the next person). Is there a fair amount of crap floating around the airwaves? Sure, but who cares? With all the forms of music dissemination we have available to us, we have the unique ability in this day and age to control, mostly, what we listen to. Digital forms (mp3, streaming, etc.) may not be the optimal way to hear music, but it's the most accessible, the most populist. And that's a pretty swell thing.

So, over the next few posts, we're gonna count down our 37 favorite records of the year, 2008. Why 37? Seemed as good a number as any.

Our list is by no means definitive, of course, and outside of the Top 10, which we stand by, many of these records are ranked randomly, and could be higher or lower depending on what day it is. You'll see several record labels represented in higher quantity than others, but that's just how it goes. We even managed to find room for a few indie rock (whatever that is) releases, believe it or not. That's how good a year it was. We prefer to call this list a "favorite" list rather than a true "best of", since only time can tell the true lasting value of any recording. If you're a regular reader 'round these parts, we think you'll find these records to be pretty nifty. If you're relatively new, this'll give you some idea what to expect from us throughout the non-Holiday year. And Country fans, don't despair...you'll be pretty pleased with our Top 10.

For the list today (21-37), we've tried to limit ourselves to 17 words or less, description-wise. Who actually visits music blogs to read, anyway?

Big Rock Candy Mountain Favorite Records of the Year (Pt. 1)


37. Country Teasers/Ezee Tiger: W.O.A.R/W.O.A Split Album

Hillbilly Scottish scum filtering The Fall through smokey haze.

Country Teasers: Open Country (mp3)

36. Dead Meadow: Old Growth

Fuzzy psycho-delic plant life as folk-scuzz guitar miasma.

Dead Meadow: Keep On Walking (mp3)

35. Gutter Twins: Saturnalia

Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan make late-nite gospel music from hell.

The Gutter Twins: Seven Stories Underground (mp3)

34. Black Keys: Attack and Release

Zeppelin meets Hank Williams fucking Junior Kimbrough. Danger Mouse produces. Goddamn.

The Black Keys: All You Ever Wanted (mp3)


33. Pure Country Gold: Yellow Bubbles and P.C.G.E.P 7"ers

Junk yard country trash glory.

Pure Country Gold: Yellow Bubbles (mp3)

32. The Kills: Midnight Boom

Seedy sleaze in the midnight hour.

The Kills: Goodnight Bad Morning (mp3)


31. Malcolm Middleton: Sleight of Heart

Former Arab Strap feller makes classic bedsit rumination for rainy days.

Malcolm Middleton: Marguerita Red (mp3)

30. Possessed By Paul James: Cold and Blind

Texas one-man band kicks nasty Country blues-punk.

Possessed By Paul James: Vodka and a Fight (mp3)

29. The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust

Jesus and Mary Chain reborn as Ronettes. With motorcycles and sex. Yummy.

The Raveonettes: Dead Sound (mp3)

28. Willard Grant Conspiracy: Pilgrim Road

Pastoral burn-desert rumination, the voice of Moses, repent.

Willard Grant Conspiracy: Lost Hours (mp3)

27. Lambchop: OH(Ohio)

Strummed soul Country, quiet and lonesome from Nashville carpenter. Best Song of Year.

Lambchop: National Talk Like A Pirate Day (mp3)


26. The Dutchess and the Duke: She's The Dutchess, He's The Duke

Girl/Boy folk/trash yummy.

The Dutchess and the Duke: Back To Me (mp3)

25. The Juke Joint Pimps: Boogie The House Down

Jive Ass boogie in your pants.

Juke Joint Pimps: Holey Juke Joint Beat (mp3)


24. Tweak Bird: Reservations

Allman Brothers battle Guided By Voices in the woods. The critters win, drive away in T-Bird.

Tweak Bird: Shivers (mp3)


23. She and Him: Volume 1

Pedal steel saturated Countrypolitan revisited in lazy afternoon sunshine.

She and Him: I Should Have Known Better (mp3)

22. American Music Club: The Golden Age

Return to lost soul form from Mountain favorite. Best AMC record since Everclear.

American Music Club: All My Love (mp3)

21. King Khan and BBQ Show: Animal Party 7" and King Khan: It's A Lie 7"

King Khan is God. BBQ is Jesus. Rawk'n'Roll party, mutherfuckers.

The King Khan and BBQ Show: God of Raisins (mp3)


Top 20 coming next week. Oh yes.

It Was Christmas Eve, Babe....

Final Holiday post!!!! We made it!

So. Thanks for stopping by, whether it has been over the last month, the last year, or since the very beginning, lo these many years ago. We hope, if nothing else, we've been entertaining.

Please don't forget to stop by on Friday for the start of our Best of 2008 list. We think you'll find some of selections pretty nifty.

Our Holiday tune today is probably the most predictable. Oh well.

The Holiday season means as many different things for as many different folks as there are, well, folks. We at the Mountain are not particularly prone to any religious belief, so we choose to spend the Holidays with an eye to more earthly concerns, finding context in our relations to others, whether in celebration with friends and family, or in trying to do our part helping out those less fortunate. Seems as if these are things that that should and could be done any time of the year, but the Holidays do tend to focus one.

Shane MacGowan, of the Pogues, was born on December 25th, 1957, with the heart of the last great poet. Somehow he turns 51 tomorrow.

As the world continues to revolve, and uncertainty and worry become the de riguer fallback for those concerned about their jobs and the state of the world, The Pogue's "Fairytale of New York" seems not so distant a tale. It's a story of people in hard and desperate times, making their way as best they know, searching for the "rivers of gold". Shane and the immortal Kirsty MacColl imbue their characters with such longing, such humanity (and all it entails), such anger, disappointment, and, yes, hope, that one can't help but find a bit of themselves in each line. The musical backdrop provided by the Pogues swells with beauty and sadness, pulling you in and sweeping you along. It's not really the story of two drunken Irish immigrants looking for a pot of gold in a far off land. It's a story of all of us, and the dreams we build.

"Fairytale of New York" is, of course, a Christmas song, and it's our favorite, well and truly. We post this every year, and why not?

We wish the best for each and every one of you, however you choose to celebrate this Season. Cheers.

The Pogues: Fairytale of New York (mp3)

Thank you.

Holiday Pot Porridge

Hey, everybody knows there aint no Sanity Clause....

One day to go for our Holiday bonanza. Followed, of course, by our Best Albums of 2008 list. So, you know, there's that.

Not much to say today, and I'll have a chatty post tomorrow (Christmas/Shane MacGowan eve), featuring the real greatest Christmas song ever written (no hyperbole, we really mean it this time...you'll see, and not be overly surprised). So let's just hop right in to it, shall we? Every song a guaranteed Xmas winner!

Santa with the rocking and the rolling good fun, yeah!

Screamin' Jay Hawkins: It's Christmas (A Time For Giving) (mp3)

The Qualities(Sun Ra): It's Xmas Time (mp3)

Frank Evans and Santa's Helpers: Nite Before A Hip Christmas (mp3)

Elazdie Robinson: Santa Claus Crave (mp3)

The Iguanas: Reindeer'n'Whiskey (mp3)


Re-Post (By Request):

The Blind Boys of Alabama w/Tom Waits: Go Tell It On The Mountain (mp3)

Thanks. See you tomorrow.

Hoedown Holly Daze

Santa's going up the Country today. And why not? It's what we do. Everyone knows Ol' Kris Kringle likes to scoot his boots, and Christmas day is a barn dance at the North Pole.

Mountain favorite Johnny Bond figgers maybe old Santa needs a little something for Christmas, too. Brenda Lee takes us on a Cajun Holiday that surely woulda made Hank Williams proud. After hanging in Louisiana, Santa heads over to Texas for a little ditty by Red Sovine. And finally, Mr. Claus heads right back where he belongs, and has a Christmas in the hills, courtesy of Hylo Brown.

Son of a gun, Santa's having some some hillbilly fun!


Johnny Bond: I Wanna Do Something For Santa Claus (mp3)

Brenda Lee: Papa Noel (mp3)

Red Sovine: Santa Is A Texas Cowboy (mp3)

Hylo Brown: Christmas In The Hills (mp3)

Re-Post (By Request):

Freakwater: Scratches On The Door (mp3)

Thanks for dropping by. Please consider donating to a local food drive or other worthy charitable organization. Even a dollar helps.

Go-Go Santa

Nuthin' says Christmas like a -31 degrees wind chill. Could be worse, though. We could live in Wisconsin or Minnesota, instead of Chicago.

What better way to keep warm, then, than to fire up the Christmas lights, invite a few friends over, mix a few coctails, drop the needle on the record player, and have your very own Holiday dance party! And we've got all your stompin', mambo-ing, Go-Go-ing Yuletide needs covered.

Bey Ireland starts us off on the right foot (or the left, depending on who's leading) with a Christmas wish for a special kind of dancing girl. The Enchanters take us down to Mexico to watch Santa mambo. Brendan Hanlon and The Bat Men don't care how you dance at their Christmas party, as long as everyone's having a real swell time. And the Stompers have some special moves prepared for the Holidaze.

Santa's a Swingin' Cat!


Bey Ireland: All I Want For Christmas Is A Go-Go Girl (mp3)

Enchanters: Mambo Santa Mambo (mp3)

Brendan Hanlon and the Bat Men: Christmas Party (mp3)

Stompers: Christmas Stomp (mp3)

Re-Post (By Request!):

Jim Reeves: Senor Santa Claus (mp3)

When it's this cold out, the best Christmas gift is a warm blanket and/or a winter coat. Please consider giving what you can, if you can, to the charity of your choice.

Santa's Christmas Spirits

Whelp...it's that time of the season where we've still got a couple hundred great Christmas tunes left, and we're trying to decide what to post this year, and what to save for next Holiday season. And we're trying to prepare for our Top Albums Of The Year List (which you can find at this very spot between Christmas and New Year's Eve).

What does that mean, exactly? It means we start posting completely random, killer Christmas tunes, with no thought to theme, rhyme, nor reason. Every song guaranteed to be a classic Xmas song perfect for your next Holiday party, or merely boppin' around the house, drink in hand, gettin' all fuzzy staring at the tree. Yep.

Jump blues hip kitty Julia Lee brings her Boyfriends along for a little "Christmas Spirit"!

Former Spaceman 3 alum Sonic Boom/Spectrum treats us to a trippy and ethereal take on the classic "Santa Claus"!

Punkabilly maestro Rev. Horton Heat has got a date with "Santa On The Roof"!

And The Quadrajets take us to the Holiday garage with "Christmas Time Is Coming" (not the same tune we posted earlier by Jerry Reed)!

Santa's Sultry Sleigh Skids Seductively!


Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends: Christmas Spirit (mp3)

Spectrum: Santa Claus (mp3)

Reverend Horton Heat: Santa On The Roof (mp3)

Quadrajets: Christmas Time Is Comin' (mp3)

Re-Post (By Request!):

The Buff Medways: Merry Christmas Fritz (mp3)

We're taking a posting Holiday on Saturday (Christmas party!). We'll be back for the final run on Sunday.

Man In The Santa Claus Suit

One week to go. Shane or Santa Claus? You tell me.

Theme post today, including a couple of special re-posts requested by...well...requested by me. Yup. I'm gifting myself. And you by extension. Trust me on this, you're gonna want these tunes.

The fantastic (and vaguely Waitsian) Mary Gauthier kicks off today's festivities with a funny and sad little tale about an extended family and their community at Xmas. Neil Halstead of Mojave 3 weighs in next with a tune about the lengths a man will go to during the Holidays to give his family a super swell Yuletide.

The re-posts continue the theme with a couple of tunes by Mike Ireland and The Everly Brothers. Possibly the two saddest Xmas songs we've ever heard, and we mean that in a non-cheesy, irony-free way. Highly recommended to leaven the levity of previous posts.

Sad Santas, They Mean So Much!


Mary Gauthier: Christmas In Paradise (mp3)

Neil Halstead: The Man In The Santa Suit (mp3)

Re-Posts (Requested by ME!):

Mike Ireland: Christmas Past (mp3)

The Everly Brothers: Christmas Eve Can Kill You (mp3)

Please support your dysfunctional family this Xmas season.

Red Christmas

We're veering dangerously close to Christmas. Will we make it? Will we satisfy the world's insatiable lust for Yuletide tunes? Well, we'll give it a shot.

Some visitors 'round these parts are probably sick and tired of all those guldarned Truckin' tunes we post. From the poll at the sidebar, it seems we have some hardcore Britney Spears fans. We'll try to satiate your Spears desire down the line (no, not really), but...we really, really, really like those damnable Truckin' songs.

And so we come to our final round of Christmas Truckin' tunes. Barring any re-post requests from previous years' Big Rig gifts or new discoveries, we'll have shot our Semi Santa load today. (Course we've got plenty more great Yuletide tunes lined up for ya over the next week).

And who better than Red Simpson to make the delivery? From his essential Holiday album "Trucker's Christmas", which everyone should own, Red's making his final run towards home for Christmas, chasing Phantom 309, diesel smoke, and dangerous curves...all the way into the driveway for the Holidays.

Truck Christmas!


Red Simpson: Blue Blue Christmas (For The Truck Drivin' Man) (mp3)

Red Simpson: Dad Will Be Home For Christmas (mp3)

Re-Post (By Request!)

Red Red Meat: There's A Star Above The Manger Tonight (mp3)

Save a Semi, ride a Trucker this Holiday Season.

Santa's Complaint

Is it Christmas yet? Damn, I'm about ready to rip open all the presents under the tree, Mrs. Mountain's included. Well, it is the season for impatience, innit? Gimme Gimme!

Naw, I kid. But we've got some folks in today's post who'd like to express some opinions about the Holidays and what the hell is and isn't under their tree. Or in their beds. If'n you know what I mean.

So it's a Blues Christmas at the Mountain today, and it's about time. We've got The Black Ace, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Bumble Bee Slim with a litany of wants and desires for the Holidays. Seems as if Santa was a little selective with his visits. Luckily, we've got Lead Belly to spread a little a little cheer. No, really.

Santa's Got A Sack O'Woe!

The Black Ace: Christmastime (Beggin' Santa Claus) (mp3)

Jimmy Witherspoon: How I Hate To See Xmas Come Around (Christmas Blues) (mp3)

Bumble Bee Slim: Christmas and No Santa Claus (mp3)

Lead Belly: On A Christmas Day (mp3)

Special Re-Post (By Request!)

A Big Rock Juke'n'Jive Xmas
(Rapidshare link follows track listing)

1.Christmas In The Congo (The Marquees)
2.Xmas Twist (Twistin' Kings)
3.Santa Claus (The Sonics)
4.Christmas Tree's On Fire (Holly Golightly)
5.Rockabilly Santa Claus (Wanda Jackson)
6.Christmas Boogie (The Barnstompers)
7.Bring That Cadillac Back (The Doc Bagby Orchestra)
8.Here Comes The Fattest Man In Town (Bob Chester)
9.Santa and My Semi (Dale Watson)
10.The Christmas Cannonball (Hank Thompson)
11.Cowboy Santa Claus (Prairie Ramblers)
12.On A Christmas Day (C.W. Stoneking)
13.Santa's Secret (Johnny Guarnieri)
14.Christmas In Jail (Leroy Carr)
15.Christmas Lights (Wild Billy Childish)
16.Blue Grey Christmas (King Coleman)
17.Hey Santa Claus (The Moonglows)
18.God Rest You Merry Gentlemen (Rev. Frost)
19.Will Hell Be Your Santa (Rev. J.M. Gates)
20.Santa Claus Boogie (Hasil Adkins)
21.Christmas Boogie (The Davis Sisters)
22.Christmas By The Bar B Que (Lynn August)
23.Christmas In The Mountains (Faron Young)
24.Gone Home For Christmas (Red Simpson)
25.Santa To The Moon (Sonny Cole)
26.Jingle Jangle Jump (Dexter Gordon)
27.Christmas Rush (Dead Moon)
28.Let Me Hang Your Stockings In Your Christmas Tree (Roosevelt Sykes)
29.Santa's Messin' With The Kid (Eddie C. Campbell)
30.Zydeco Christmas (C.J. Chenier)
31.What Will Santa Say (When He Finds Everybody Swinging) (Louis Prima)
32.Christmas Time Blues (Roy Milton and His Solid Senders)
33.If We Make It Through December (Merle Haggard)

A Big Rock Juke'n'Jive Xmas (Rapidshare link)

Thanks for stopping by. If you save some money by visiting here, how about donating a little something to your charity of choice for the Holiday Season.

Ho Ho Loopy Lu

It's a nasty, winter day here in the politically exciting city of Chicago. Perfect for staying in, drinking some egg nog and rapping...errr....wrapping.

Forget what we've said previously, today is the greatest Holiday post ever. Really. We mean it this time. At least until the next one.

We could do a year of Billy Childish posts (maybe someone out there should) and still not scratch the surface of his body of work. We had some keen Holiday tracks from the man last year and, well hell, why not some more this year?

From the single released in conjunction with last year's Christmas record, "Christmas 1979" we've got a couple of stocking stuffers courtesy of Wild Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire. This is truly as good as it gets.

But wait, there's more.

We've got a couple more super seasonal snow bound Xmas tracks for ya. Courtesy of Norton (remember them from earlier?), we've got The Kaisers getting mod on our gift-wrapped asses, and Donny Burns swingin' beatnik cool.

Christmas Cookies With Sprinkles!

Billy Childish And The Musicians Of The British Empire: Christmas 1979 (mp3)

Billy Childish And The Musicians Of The British Empire: Ho Ho! (mp3)

The Kaisers: Merry Christmas Loopy Lu (mp3)

Donny Burns: Cool Yule (mp3)

Big Ol' Re-Post (By Request!)


A Big Rock Candy Aluminum Christmas
(Rapidshare link follows track listing)

1. Cancel Christmas (Rocket From The Crypt)
2. Baby It's Cold Outside (Dean Martin)
3. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen (Jimmy Smith)
4. Santa Claus Blues (Champion Jack Dupree)
5. I Want Elvis For Christmas (Holly Twins w/Eddie Cochran)
6. Xmas Lights Spin (Mark Eitzel)
7. Call It Christmastime (The Supersuckers)
8. Come On Santa Let's Have A Ball (Kay Martin)
9. Country Christmas (Loretta Lynn)
10. Santa Is A Texas Cowboy (Red Sovine)
11. Christmastime in the Mountains (Palace Brothers)
12. There's a Star Above The Manger Tonight (Red Red Meat)
13. Christmastime Is For Sinners (The Mono Men)
14. Rock'n'Roll Christmas (Cordell Jackson)
15. Goin' Home For Christmas (Merle Haggard)
16. Out On The Road For Christmas (Red Simpson)
17. My Mom and Santa Claus (George Jones)
18. Merry Christmas Fritz (The Buff Medways)
19. Sonny's Christmas Blues (Sonny Boy Williamson)
20. Santa Claus is Ska-ing to Town (The Granville Williams Orchestra)
21. We Wish You A Protein Christmas (The Fall)
22. Christmas In My Hometown (Charley Pride)
23. Silent Night All Day Long (John Prine)
24. Listening to Otis Redding At Home During Christmas (Okkervil River)
26. Fairytale of New York (The Pogues)

A Big Rock Candy Aluminum Christmas (Rapidshare link)

Please support your local, independent beatnik this Holiday season.

Barefoot Santa

Great Xmas news! Rev. Frost and the greatest blog in the universe, Spread The Good Word, has returned! It's a brief return (he promises to back in full after the New Year), but it's a Holiday post. Read the whole post, and he'll tell you where to go to download all of his past years' Christmas mixes. In our mind, the good Rev. makes the best mixes ever, and his Holiday mixes put ours to shame. Give yourself a gift this Season and grab 'em. And make sure you leave him a comment telling him to get his ass in gear and return to us soon.

Since most of all y'all stop by here for the Country Music the kids are all into these days, we're gonna gift ya with some totally random, kick ass Xmas honky tonk for your Sunday Holiday barn dance.

Who are today's colorfully wrapped packages? Glad you asked. We've got Del Reeves and his wintry doodle dos, Sonny James is looking for Santa's boots, Bobby Helms waxing nostalgic, and Eddy Arnold in the past, presaging the future. Fantastic stuff, and sure to get Holiday line dancing party off to a rollicking good start.

And don't forget to look below the tunes for more special Holiday Joy, courtesy of a re-post request. This'un's a good'un.

Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle

Del Reeves: Santa's Boy (mp3)

Sonny James: Barefoot Santa Claus (mp3)

Bobby Helms: Christmas Time In My Home Town (mp3)

Eddy Arnold: Will Santa Come To Shanty Town (mp3)

Special Re-Post (By Request!)

A Big Rock Candy Happy Hour Christmas
(Rapidshare file...sorry)

1. Poor Mr. Santa (Andre Williams)
2. Trim Your Tree (Jimmy Butler)
3. Mama's Twistin' With Santa (Mark Anthony)
4. Santa Looked A lot Like Daddy (Buck Owens)
5. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus (George Jones and Tammy Wynette)
6. Yulesville (Ed "Kooky" Byrnes)
7. Sometimes Santa Claus Is Brown (El Vez)
8. Santa Never Comes To The Ghetto (Yellowman)
9. Santa's Coming In a Big Old Truck (Red Simpson)
10. I Won't Decorate Your Christmas Tree (Loretta Lynn)
11. Merry Christmas Baby (Bellrays)
12. Merry Christmas From The Family (Robert Earl Keen)
13. Senor Santa Claus (Jim Reeves)
14. Santa Claus (Thee Headcoatees)
15. Six Tons of Toys (Dave Dudley)
16. A Real Live Doll (The Trashmen)
17. I Want My Baby For Christmas (Jimmy Liggins)
18. Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (Oscar McLollie)
19. Hard Candy Christmas (Dolly Parton)
20. They Shined Up Rudolph's Nose (Johnny Horton)
21. Christmas Time's A Comin' (Jerry Reed)
22. Holly and Her Mistletoe (Jim Lauderdale)
23. The Rocking Tree (Marguerite Trina)
24. Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney (Ella Fitzgerald)
25. I'm Gonna Tell Santa On You (Faron Young)
26. Santa Claus (Sonny Boy Williamson)
27. Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons (Hank Thompson)

A Big Rock Happy Hour Christmas (Rapidshare link)

Times are tough, and they seem to be getting worse. Please, if you are able, consider supporting any local charities you think are worthwhile this Holiday season. It really is all about the kids, innit?

Santa's Lap

Christmas is a little lonelier now that Bettie Page is no longer with us. To say she was an...inspiration to us is saying too little. The afterlife just got a whole lot sexier.

I 'spect y'all here for a little toasty Yuletide joy, and not to hear a feller relive seminal moments of his youth. Well, as ever, we've got just what you need. And this one goes out to Bettie. Just cuz.

The Moaners are a little nervous about sitting on Santa's lap. Perhaps he's been looking at old pinups. And The Vandals are prepared to celebrate a very special Christmas. Maybe they'll take fashion tips from Ms. Page.

A Spankin' Good Holiday!

The Moaners: Something Funny In Santa's Lap (mp3)

The Vandals: My First Christmas (As A Woman) (mp3)

Special Re-Post (By Request!)

The Big Rock Candy Mountain Junk Shop Christmas
(Rapidshare link follows track listing)

1. Christmas Wish (Andre Williams)
2. Be-Bop Santa (Babs Gonzalez)
3. I'll Be Walking The Floor This Christmas (Ernest Tubb)
4. To Heck With Ole Santa Claus (Loretta Lynn)
5. Rocket Ship Santa (The Bellrays)
6. There's Trouble Brewin' (Jack Scott)
7. Santa's Doing The Horizontal Twist (Kay Martin and Her Bodyguards)
8. Empty Stockings (Floyd Dixon)
9. We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo (Big John Greer)
10. Santa Done Got Hip (Marquees)
11. Truckin' Trees For Christmas (Red Simpson)
12. I'd Like to Have An Elephant For Christmas (Hank Thompson)
13. Put The Loot In the Boot Santa (Mae West)
14. My Last Christmas (The Dirtbombs)
15. No Christmas For John Quays (The Fall)
16. Christmas In Jail (The Youngsters)
17. Christmas Date Boogie (Big Joe Turner)
18. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (Mabel Scott)
19. Rockin' and Rollin' With Santa Claus (Hepsters)
20. I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus (Brenda Lee)
21. Dasher With The Light Upon His Tail (Kitty Wells)
22. Old Toy Trains (Roger Miller)
23. Blue Christmas Lights (Buck Owens)
24. Lonely Christmas Call (George Jones)
25. Christmas Comes But Once A Year (Amos Milburn)
26. Good Times Are Coming (Eddy Clearwater w/Los Straightjackets)

The Big Rock Candy Mountain Junk Shop Christmas (Rapidshare link)

Please support your local, independent pinup superstar.

Hee Haw Ho Ho

Something, something, North Pole...Something, something, North Pole.

Free song request to whoever correctly identifies that reference.

It's two week 'til Shane MacGowan's and Jesus's birthday. And we've got all your Holiday needs covered right here.

This may be the greatest Christmas post ever, and never let it be said we're not afraid of a little hyperbole. We have a re-post request of such magnitude, it's gonna take us days to honor, so gird your loins.

But first, we've decided that, for today, at least, Boxcar Willie's "Hee Haw Honey" is our number one, very most favoritest Christmas song of all time. It features the immortal line: "I want a Hee Haw Honey or a Playboy Bunny, under my Christmas tree." And it gets better from there, with a special request for Santa.

But we can't let the Holiday hoedown rest with just that fine tune, oh no. It's the season for excess. So we've also got Dale Watson weighing in with a boot-scootin' "Honky Tonk Christmas". And fiddle king and devil slayer Charlie Daniels just wants to get back to Dixie for the Holidays, dammit.

Now for that re-post. Last year we did a series of mixes featuring many of the songs we've posted over the several years of Holiday whoop dee dos. And we had a visitor request that we re-gift 'em. And we thought, well, why the hell not? So for the next 5 days, our re-post special will be mixes, mixes, mixes. But grab 'em quick, cuz they'll be available for a bandwidth busting limited time only. Please enjoy responsibly.

Fezzes Navy David!

Boxcar Willie: Hee Haw Honey (mp3)

Dale Watson: Honky Tonk Christmas (mp3)

Charlie Daniels: Christmas Time In Dixie (mp3)

Super Double Extra Great Re-Post (By Request!):

A Big Rock Candy Cane Xmas (mp3 link follows track listing)

1. Christmas Spirit (The Wailers)
2. Don't Believe In Christmas (The Sonics)
3. Reindeer Boogie (Hank Snow)
4. Rootin' Tootin' Santa Claus (Pee Wee King)
5. I'll Be Your Santa Baby (Rufus Thomas)
6. Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas (The Staple Singers)
7. Santa Came Home Drunk (Clyde Lasley)
8. Beatnik's Wish (Patsy Raye)
9. Deck 5 (Saturday's Children)
10. We Free Kings (Roland Kirk)
11. Merry Christmas (Lightnin' Hopkins)
12. Christmas Day (Detroit Junior)
13. Feliz Navi Dada (El Vez)
14. Old Man Spivey's Egg Nog (The Dalheart Imperials)
15. Christmas Carols By The Old Corral (Tex Ritter)
16. Santa Santa Santa (Gene Autry)
17. Santa Got A DWI (Sherwin Linton)
18. Santa Stole My Whiskey (The Rimshots)
19. The Mistletoe and Me (Isaac Hayes)
20. Xmas In Nevada (The Willard Grant Conspiracy)
21. Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (Neko Case does Tom Waits)
22. I Wish I Was Santa Claus (Merle Haggard)
23. Please Come Home For Christmas (Little Junior)
24. Christmas Past (Mike Ireland)
25. Christmas Eve Can Kill You (The Everley Brothers)
26. What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas (The Emotions)
27. Go Tell It On The Mountain (The Blind Boys Of Alabama w/Tom Waits)

A Big Rock Candy Cane Xmas (mp3)

Support your Santa...jingle his bells.

Plump Righteous Santa

Got your shopping done? This economy bringing you down? We here at the Mountain have found that a nice homemade gift is the perfect Christmas idea. Try some macrame or origami to give to the kids this year. Or knit a festive and colorful Holiday sweater, sure to get ooohs of surprise and joy on Christmas morn.

Ummm...

While every post here at the Mountain is special, y'all should really plan to mark your calendars for tomorrow's post, when we have an extra special re-post request honored.

But today's hip'n'happy Holiday stars are pretty gosh darned good too. And our bonus re-posts at the bottom are essential for your Xmas listening pleasure.

Norton Records has put out some super duper Xmas singles over the years, featuring such superstars as Hasil Adkins, Andre Williams, The Kaisers, Flat Duo Jets, and many others. We highly recommend checking them out. The best thing about a 45 is that it's cheap, and it's fast. You gotta bring your A-game when releasing a 7", cuz you've got no time for mucking around. And Norton's Holiday offerings are no exception.

Today, we wanna feature a super duper Holiday split 7" from Norton. Side A brings us the Black Lips and a little bit of soldier's Yuletide joy. The B side gives us a nifty little Holiday jaunt from the suddenly and surprisingly red-hot King Khan and BBQ Show.

We don't normally issue those common blogger demands (and ass-coverings) that you run out and buy everything we post here. We figger you and your wallet can make up your own minds. But, in this case, we'd like to recommend, if you like these tracks, maybe giving Norton a looksie, and if you've got the bread, maybe try out some of their records. Help a great Indie label out. Besides, singles make great stocking stuffers.

Ride on, Santa Claus, ride on!


Black Lips: Christmas In Baghdad (mp3)

King Khan and BBQ Show: Plump Righteous (mp3)

Re-Posts (By Request!)

Jim Lauderdale: Holly and Her Mistletoe (mp3)

Paul James: Crazy Little Kitten For Christmas (mp3)

Dexter Gordon: Jingle Jangle Jump (mp3)

Have you hugged your reindeer today?

Santa In His Cups

Special, hiccup, Yuletide post today.

We got a request for a re-post of a tune we posted lo these many years ago, here at this site. It's a Christmas drinking song, which we also shared last year on our companion site, Barstool Mountain (which will make it's triumphant return in January). And we got to thinking (which we do on occasion)....well, there's a few neato tunes of Holiday cheer(s) that we posted on that site which never quite made their way over this-a-ways for our big Seasonal postings. And we're never shy about the true meaning of the Spirit(s) of Christmas.

So, for your inebriated joy to the world, we'd like to offer you a few of our favorite Xmas brews. This is just a small sampling, so if you'd like further shots of Santa sippin', please let us know. We've got plenty more where these came from.

Helping to toast the Season we've got classics from The Minus 5, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Red Star Belgrade, and Tiger City Jukes. A super duper lineup, perfect for your next Aluminum Christmas Tree decorating party!

Santa's in the corner with a flask!


The Minus 5: Your Christmas Whiskey (mp3)

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airman: Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas (mp3)

Tiger City Jukes: Watch Out! Santa's Been Drinking (mp3)

Red Star Belgrade: Christmas Day (mp3)

Re-Post (By Request!):

Clyde Lasley and the Cadillac Babys: Santa Came Home Drunk (mp3)

Please support your local, independent brewmaster.

Santa's Got A Potty Mouth

Oh boy, y'all gonna love today's special Xmas package.

But first, a warning. Generally these mp3's will be available for only a week. I've left those over a week old up for now to give all y'all a chance to grab 'em. But tomorrow morning, any posts over a week old will lose their, ahem, downloadability. But fret not, ye merry gentlemen and women, if you missed anything this year or in previous years, you can always request a re-post! There's a few slots left, so get yr orders in early! Heck, we've got a superb re-post today at this the end of the post that's sure to warm yr Grinch-like little hearts.

Getting grandly greasy today.

First up is one of our favorite musicians, The Legendary Tiger Man, with perhaps the greatest Christmas song ever. Ok, maybe not greatest, but it sure is super swell, and it's got a dirty word in it.

We'll follow that up with The Reining Sound, featuring Eric Cartwright, who was formerly known as Eric Oblivian when he played in a little band you may have heard us mention round these parts, The Oblivians. They've got a nifty little Country-tinged ode to Holiday loneliness to share with us today.

Disgruntled Santa!


The Legendary Tiger Man: Fuck Christmas, I Got The Blues (mp3)

Reigning Sound: If Christmas Can't Bring You Home (mp3)

Re-Post(By Request!):

The Dalhart Imperials: Old Man Spivey's Egg Nog (mp3)

Please support your local, independent bell ringers.

A Chilly Santa

Before diving into the stocking for more tasty gifts, we'd like to pause a moment to wish Mr. Tom Waits a very happy birthday. He turns 59 today.

Our apologies for missing a day. We've been a bit under the weather. But, hey, considering our usual pace, we've been doing pretty good with this daily thing.

Today's Holiday treat comes to us all the way from New Zealand, courtesy of the almighty Chills. We don't spend near enough time talking about New Zealand/Flying Nun music (The Verlaines, Tall Dwarfs, god's favorite band The Clean, etc.). There's something very Autumnal/Wintry about the music coming out of that there little island, and The Chills are one of our favorites.

"Christmas Chimes" is a shimmering, organ drenched ode to Holiday sadness. "Special Time" ratchets up a Velvet Underground drone into a Yuletide rave-up. With lines about drinking too much. You don't get much better than The Chills.

Also, we've got a couple of specially requested re-posts from The Fall. Oh my, yes.

Santa rocks Down Under!


The Chills: Christmas Chimes (mp3)

The Chills: Special Time (mp3)

Re-post (by request!)

The Fall: No Christmas For John Quays (mp3)

The Fall: (We Wish You) A Protein Christmas (mp3)

Please support your local, independent egg nog makers.

Santa's Rod

Hoo boy, we've got to recover from yesterday.

How about a little Holiday Hot Rod Hootenanny to rev up yr Seasonal spirits? That sounds about right. And for our re-post (by request!) bonus, a little Tinsel Truckin' Tunage from a couple of Semi legends. Oh yes.

First out of the gates is Deke Dickerson's legendary rock'n'surfin' Untamed Youth with a rubber burnin' Christmas classic. The Hot Rods are a car-length behind, warning us about Santa's little problem. But will it stop him from doing his job? And third by a hair are The Four Imperials who are keenly aware of just how stylin' Santa Claus can be.


Santa's A Rockin' Roadmaster!

Untamed Youth: Santa's Gonna Shut 'Em Down (mp3)

The Hot Rods: Santa's Too Drunk To Drive (mp3)

The Four Imperials: Santa's Got A Coupe de Ville (mp3)

Re-Posts (by request):

Red Simpson: Truckin' Trees For Christmas (mp3)

Red Simpson: Santa's Comin' In A Big Ol' Truck (mp3)

Dave Dudley: Six Tons of Toys (mp3)

Please support your local grease monkey.

Christmas In Heaven

Jingle bells, Batman smells...

Now that we've got that little round of juvenalia out of the way, let's talk turkey. Christmas turkeys. We don't normally approve of novelty songs, but we had a relatively positive response last year when we posted a few "talking" songs. These are Christmas tunes that are so horribly sentimental, so full of pathos, that they become unintentionally hilarious, and, in some ways, become great.

Seems it's the old-timey Country folks who are the worst abusers of this brand of hanky waving. Today we've got Stonewall Jackson making Santa cry, Eddie Bond "celebrates" the dearly departed at Christmas, and Charlie Louvin of The Louvin Brothers brings the syrup to the infirm at Yuletide. While all of these are horribly wrong, the worst offender is Eddie Stubbs, who talks us through a song so vile, you'll be trying to rip your ears off just to make it end. Highly recommended!

Things improve greatly tomorrow, we promise. And there's a bonus re-post at the end that should truly brighten everyone's day.

The following are sorted by degree of terrifying horribleness, from least to worst.

Fa la la...

Stonewall Jackson: Mommy, Look Santa Is Crying (mp3)

Eddie Bond: Christmas In Heaven (mp3)

Charlie Louvin: Shut In At Christmas (mp3)

Eddie Stubbs: Little Orphan Joe (mp3)

Re-Post Request:

Mae West: Put The Loot In The Boot Santa (mp3)

Things get better tomorrow. 'Til then, support yr local Kleenex manufacturer.

Holy Santa!

Did you make your re-post request yet? No? Well, time's running out. I aint gonna be generous forever, you know. Me am big angry Grinch. Well, not really, but if you don't ask, you can't get.

Now then, everybody knows that Santa is a god-fearin' man, damnit. And we've got the right and righteous Rev.'s J.M. Gates, A.W. Nix, and Edward W. Clayborn to put us on the proper path to Holiday salvation. It's a swingin', sweatin', shoutin', swayin', amen hollerin', goin' straight to hell good time. Perfect for closing out your Yuletide party, and sending folks home with a spring in their step, and the chain of guilt and depression in their hearts.

Can I get a Holiday hallelujah?


Rev. J.M. Gates: Did You Spend Christmas Day In Jail (mp3)

Rev. A.W. Nix: Death Might Be Your Christmas Gift (mp3)

Rev. Edward W. Clayborn: The Wrong Way To Celebrate Christmas (mp3)

Re-Post, by request:

Jerry Reed: Christmas Time's A Coming (mp3)

Things get really bad tomorrow. But after that, we're gonna have the rock'n'roll the kids love so much. Yep.

Santa Is A Weatherman

Hey, folks, thanks for coming back. Please be sure to check the sidebar for links to more "non-traditional" Holiday music sites. I personally recommend each and every one of 'em.

And don't forget to request a re-post from any previous years' Holiday postings. We're in a giving mood here at the snow-capped Chicago Mountain.

So, let's go traveling, honky-tonk style, today. To the biggest states in the Union.

One of the holy three of Hanks, Mr. Hank Thompson takes us beyond the lower 48 to a land where it's Christmas everyday. Don't tell the kids about this.

Texas swing revivalists Asleep At The Wheel heat things up a bit with a trip down, well, Texas way, covering a classic Ernest Tubb tune.

It's Frosty and Toasty!


Hank Thompson: It's Christmas Every Day In Alaska (mp3)

Asleep At The Wheel: Merry Texas Christmas Y'all (mp3)

Re-Posts:

Wanda Jackson: Rockabilly Santa Claus (mp3)

Wanda Jackson: Blues For Christmas (mp3)

Please support your local, independent aluminum Christmas tree dealer. Right off the back of the truck.

Flat Duo Xmas

More joy for yr stockings!

But wait, there's more: As we've noted before, this our fifth year of this insanity, and we've consciously attempted to not repeat any tunes from previous Holidays postings. Well, we got to thinking...There's some pretty swell songs we've posted in the past, and folks who haven't been with us the whole time might not have had the chance to hear some of those nifty tunes, outside of the mixes we presented last year.
So in the spirit of the season, we want to give you the chance to hear some of those festive tracks. Each day we're gonna toss in a bonus "repost" of a requested Holiday tune we've posted in days gone by. And that's the key word: requested. Your job, faithful readers, is to let us know what songs you'd like. It's as easy as scrolling through our old posts (November and December) and asking for it, preferably in the comments area. We aim to please.

Now, weren't you here for some Yuletide goodness? Thought so.

We love us some rock'n'billy'n'country'n'trash Flat Duo Jets, featuring the mighty guitar-slingin', backwoods croonin' Dexter Romweber. The band has two nifty Xmas 7"'s wandering around out there in snowglobe land. One's on Norton, which we'll get to later on. But today, we want to feature their Dexmas 7". Two fantastic slices of junkyard holiday joy. Especially...for you.

Rockin' the big red bag!

Flat Duo Jets: It's Christmas Time (Yeah We're Gonna Rock) (mp3)

Flat Duo Jets: Christmas Time, 4 am New Orleans (mp3)

Please seriously consider dropping some coin into those ubiquitous red buckets this year. Times are tough, but if you can afford internet connection, maybe you've got an extra dollar to help someone out this year. Thanks.