Christmas Accordion To Santa

Do I have to keep pushing Barstool Mountain? Cuz we've got some super keen dysfunctional family, booze-laden Christmas songs up over there today. Like us here, Barstool Mountain is daily through December 25th.

Zydeco-flavored Xmas goodness today. And a bonus.

The accordion is one of the Mountain's favorite instruments by the way.

"Christmas By The Bar-B-Que" by Lynn August is...well, it's exactly what it sounds like. And it's mighty tasty.

Accordion squeezing madman C.J. Chenier takes his Red Hot Louisiana Band through a whiz bang bayou stomp.

Chuck Willis is a Rhythm and Blues man,not a Zydeco musician, though he shares some stylistic similarities. We just think that his not-so-subtle song below fits perfectly today's Festive Fais do do.

Git Cookin'!


Lynn August: Christmas By The Bar-B-Que (mp3)

C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band: Zydeco Christmas (mp3)

Chuck Willis: All I Want For Christmas Is To Lay Around And Love On You (mp3)

Please support your local Cajun chef. Garontee!

Swingshift Santa

Does anyone have a digitized copy of The Marquees' "Christmas In The Congo"? All we got here at the Mountain is a tragically scratched vinyl version. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

As ever, some swell besotted Holiday tunes can be found over at Barstool Mountain.

Here, we're putting on our Rockabilly and Swing Santa hats today.

Sonny Cole (can't find a link) wants to send Santa off into space. Apparently the boys and girls on the moon need a little love this Holiday season too.

The Barnstompers bring their bass thwacking, pedal steel groovin' western swing stylings to the party with a little "Christmas Boogie". Yep, another "Boogie" song. Please note that this "Christmas Boogie" is not the same tune as the previously posted one by the Davis Sisters.

And, finally, a bonus Blues number from Harry Crafton and the Doc Bagby Orchestra. Seems our fella woke up on Christmas morning to find his baby gone, along with all his possessions and his Cadillac. Understandably bummed, he wants one of them back. Guess which one?

Swing!

Sonny Cole: Santa To The Moon (mp3)

Barnstompers: Christmas Boogie (mp3)

Harry Crafton and The Doc Bagby Orchestra: Bring That Cadillac Back (mp3)

Support your Ho Ho Ho this Holiday season. Heh.

Brand Spankin' Santa

Welcome back. Thanks for stopping by

We've got a swell little Holiday libation from The Minus 5 over at Barstool Mountain. Check it out.

Here at the parent site, we're gonna drag things down to the gutter for your Holiday enjoyment today.

Dead Moon bring their glorious mess of murky garage trash to the Yule, still sounding like snotty teens just learning to play their instruments (they've been at this for 20 years). Featuring the lowest of lo-fi production values (push play, turn up the dollar store amps), Fred and Kathleen Cole swap greasy vocals like spit, lamenting a laundry list of Christmas woes. Punk Rawk!

The second tune is culled from one of The Mountain's "reissues" of the year, "Make It Stop! The Most of Ross Johnson (on Goner Records). Ross Johnson's a bit of a ranter, and with a little help from Monsieur Jeffrey Evans, here spins a harrowing little tale that resolves itself nicely into a swell little nihilistic Christmas message.

Dead Moon: Christmas Rush (mp3)

Ross Johnson (with Monsieur Jeffrey Evans): Mr. Blue(Cut Your Head Off On X-Mas) (mp3)

Give me, give me more, more, more.

Tear Jerkin' Santa

Quick programming note. Barstool Mountain is back in business. For the next 2 weeks, Barstool Mountain will be mirroring this here little site, providing daily doses of Holiday Cheer. Key word being Cheer, as Barstool Mountain's gonna feature all your favorite Seasonal drinking songs. Good times, so hop on over and pick up the first round, an inebriated good eve from Red Sovine. Drinks are on the house.

Here at the 'Candy Mountain we're gonna wade into a sea of Xmas cheese. The following three artists are known for ass-kicking tunes about trucks and trains. But they have a dark side. A very dark side. They've all committed the mortal sin of the "talking" song, a style so vile it becomes hilarious after repeated listening, reducing one to tears of joy and hysteria. Your local poetry slam participant has got nothing on these guys. This is my special gift to you this festive time of year.

Red Simpson weigh-stations in with a tale of orphans, orphans, farmers, and semi trucks. No, really.

Boxcar Willie details a very "special" relationship at Christmastime between central casting characters Santa Fe Sam and Hobo Bill.

Red Sovine, the worst offender of the genre, imagines Santa as some kind of skid row pervert. You have to hear this to believe it.


Your Holiday experience is not remotely complete without these fine tunes. Git your hankies ready.

Red Simpson: The Old Christmas Truck (mp3)

Box Car Willie: Santa Fe Sam and Hobo Bill (mp3)

Red Sovine: Faith In Santa (mp3)

I've got nuthin' to say after this post.

Happy Hour Xmas

Yep. It's time for another Saturday Xmas mix from The Mountain. This'un features the greatest hits of Season 3. And you'd be forgiven if you pointed out that Andre Williams leads off this mix as well as last week's. What can we say? We love us some Andre. But be warned, this Andre Williams tune is decidedly not safe for the young ones. Or Grandma, for that matter. Grandpaw may get a kick out of it, though.

As ever, the mp3 link follows the track listing.

This mix goes out to the memory of Hank Thompson, who gave us plenty of happy hours, wrapped in ribbons.


A Big Rock Candy Happy Hour Christmas

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 Candy Mountain Happy Hour Xmas (mp3)

Blah Blah Blah

Secret Santa's Secret

Happy birthday Tom Waits! Special bonus celebration song at the end of this post.

There's no scientific study confirming this, but it seems as if Jazz and Blues have the richest vein of Holiday songs. Not the traditional stuff you can find elsewhere, but the odd the little corners of the Holiday experience that we're particularly keen on. Naturally, the Blues tunes often start with things going badly, and go downhill from there. Usually somebody's baby is gone, and the singer is pleading with Santa to bring her back. The stuff of life. But most of the Jazz, and some of the Blues sides, are more hopeful, and often they're downright giddy.

For giddy, we've got swinging jazz cat Johnny Guarnieri. Over a rollicking saloon piano, Guarnieri lays some serious hepster beat jive on us, explaining the secret to Santa's jolly nature. For fans of Patsy Raye's "Beatnik's Wish" and Babs Gonzalez's "Be-Bop Santa Claus", "Santa's Secret" is a finger poppin', daddy-o, speakeasy classic. And what exactly is Santa's secret? Well, let's just say it might be herbal in nature.

Harmon Ray (couldn't find a link) sounds downright looped on "Xmas Blues", particularly on the intro. What distinguishes this nifty little piano Blues number is Ray's hilariously slurred delivery over a piano that has obviously been drinking. He's broke, down and out, and the only bells he hears are the "mission bells." Good times.


Johnny Guarnieri: Santa's Secret (mp3)

Harmon Ray: Xmas Blues (mp3)

And, as promised, a little Tom Waits to warm your cold, cold hearts. Taken from a live performance in Sydney, Australia in 1979.


Tom Waits: Silent Night/Xmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis (mp3)

The Mountain, naturally, does not endorse the partaking of illicit substances or adult beverages to help one through the Holidays. Nevertheless, we would highly encourage you to support your local, independent barkeeps and street corner entrepreneurs.

Santa's On Fire

Whoo boy. Ever get a bad ankle sprain at the precisely the wrong time? The Mountain is infirm, laid up with our feet in the air (that sounds kind of funny....). Perfect timing. Let's hear it for Internet shopping for the Holidays! And let's hear it for pills! Lots and lots of painkilling pills!

The show, as always, must go on, though, so we've managed to drag ourselves over to the computing machine (yep, we're still in the dark ages of the desktop pc) for another installment in the Big Rock Candy Mountain Festive Extravaganza. There's no such thing as too much hyperbole.

We've pretty much got our schedule planned out from now 'til Shane Macgowan's birthday (December 25th), barring any new surprises that might come our way, and we've tried to mix up styles as much as possible. For some reason we've got an overload of trash this week, but I'm going to stick with it. There's plenty of Country and Blues coming your way over the next few weeks. And I stand by every damn song I post.

Holly Golightly is another in a long line of secret crushes in which The Mountain indulges. You may know her best as a member of Thee Headcoatees, the all-girl response to Billy Childish's Thee Headcoats. (you might be seeing a pattern here, based on the post from Tuesday). 'Course Ms. Golightly has forged her own way in the world out from under Childish's shadow. Today, she suffers the consequence of too much Christmas tree love.

The Sonics may be one of the most influential bands ever. More hyperbole, yes, but I think it may be deserved. Loud, nasty, and snotty, they built a template for every garage and trash band to follow, for better or for worse. We last heard from them way back in Season One with a different tune. Today, we get their classic Xmas tune. A cover of which we featured last year by, wait for it, Thee Headcoatees. A tune covered this year by, keep waiting for it, Billy Childish and The Musicians of The British Empire. Phew. And...there's another great version done by Sonic Boom/Spectrum, which a quick Google search should hook you up with. Nevertheless, The Sonics original is the one you need the most. It's one of the most perfect songs ever written.

Yep.

Holly Golightly: Christmas Tree On Fire (mp3)

The Sonics: Santa Claus (mp3)

Please buy plenty of goods and products for The Holidays. Otherwise, the terrorists have won.

Hillbilly Santa

Special thanks to Aquarium Drunkard for their kind words 'bout this little corner of the world wide internets. If you're not stopping by the 'Drunkard on a regular basis, you're missing out on one of the best damn sites out there.

Today, the Mountain's heading to the mountains for a little hillbilly Holiday. Hell, it's the Country we're probably best known for anyway.

Known as the the "Hillbilly Heartthrob" and the "Singing Sherrif, Faron Young brings the hardwood floor to the saloon. We get a double dose of Young todya, as he honky tonks us 'round the mountain and follows up with a hoedown take on a Country Christmas.

Ferlin Husky's got one of the greatest names in all of music. Here we find him rooting around through Santa's bag. What will he find? Don't ask, don't tell.



Faron Young: Christmas In The Mountains (mp3)

Ferlin Husky: In Santa's Bag (mp3)

Faron Young: Country Christmas (mp3)

Please support your local yodeler this festive season.

Holiday Bash

Before we get started I wanted to point out/warn y'all that all tracks are kept up for one week only. If you've missed a tune from the first stages of this year's Holiday joyfulness, maybe we can work something out. Or keep your eyes peeled on Saturdays.

Now then.

I keep trying to find new and innovative ways to cover the King Of All Trash, Mr. Billy Childish, and yesterday I received the greatest gift of all: Christmas 1979 by Wild Billy Childish and his new combo, The Musicians of the British Empire. A whole guldurned album of Childish and company bashing through future Holiday classics (and a cover or two)! It's a riotous, lo-fi, beat trash racket like your best seasonal office party. Nurse Julie and Childish trade sleazy vocals like George and Tammy on Viagra. Wolf Howard beats his drums to a bloody Xmas pulp. And Childish's guitar is still, after all these years, a noisy, two-chord, autistic thing of fuzz and wonder.

If you grab only two songs from the Mountain this year, these are the two you need. Hell, if you don't like 'em, I'll give you your money back. If you do like 'em, pick up the album. Childish has given you a gift this year, and he could probably use a few extra pounds (or is it euro's now?) for the Holiday season and a trip to the pub.

We're not done with Mr. Childish. I'm thinking we might hear a little more during the week between Xmas and New Year's. Hmmm....

Christmas Rawk!

Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire: Christmas Hell (mp3)

Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire: Christmas Lights (mp3)

Please support your local, independent pawn shop this Holiday Season. The home of shitty amps and Sears Silvetone guitars.

Santa In The Slammer

The Mountain's getting locked up for the Holidays.

Nah, not really. But some folks are, so we'd like to send a shout out to our men and women in (striped) uniforms. Actually, do prisons even use those caricatured striped outfits any more?

Regardless.

If Santa's been checking his list, there's a lot of naughty out there. There's some swell Christmas in the Big House-type tunes out there. We've already covered a few in past years (The Youngster's "Christmas In Jail" and John Prine's version of "Christmas in Prison"), and we're going acquit ourselves of a few more (sorry about that) today for your listening enjoyment.

Long interred Blues pianist Leroy Carr brings us a scratchy tale of Christmas woe. Apparently being in jail for the Holidays is a pain in the ass. And get your adolescent minds out of the gutter. Shame on you.

Crackpot genius Seasick Steve brings his homemade git-tars (The Three Stringed Trance Wonder, The One Stringed Diddley Bow) to the lock-up for a little junkyard rave-up. The song's a killer.

Enjoy.

Leroy Carr: Christmas In Jail(Aint That a Pain) (mp3)

Seasick Steve and the Level Devils: Xmas Prison Blues(mp3)

Please support your local, independent pickpocket and purse snatcher. We all want some bread on our table and big screen tv for the Holidays.