On the Eve

As Mr. Sovine famously said, here it is Xmas.  Time to celebrate the birth of Shane MacGowan! We made it!  Our War on Christmas (tm) has reached it's end for another year. 

And don't forget to tune back in Wednesday for the start of our world famous Big Rock Candy Mountain Best of 2012 extravaganza!

Regular readers will already know the two songs we're posting today.  They're our two favorite Xmas songs.

One is a very humorous take on family life at Christmas-time.  The other is a sweeping epic of love, hope, despair, and the very human condition of dreaming for a better life.  We could write (and have written) paragraphs about the songs, but let's just let them speak for themselves.

Have a great Holiday, however you choose to celebrate. 

The Pogues: Fairytale of New York (mp3)

Robert Earl Keen: Merry Christmas From the Family (mp3)

Thanks.

Red Nose Santa

Almost there! 

Today's Xmas cookies are courtesy of the mighty Otis Gibbs, the sublime Young Republic, and the wailin' Titus Turner! 

Rockin' on a Reindeer!

Otis Gibbs: Crap For Christmas (mp3)

Young Republic: Merry Christmas Again (mp3)

Titus Turner: Christmas Morning Blues (mp3)

Thanks for visitin'.  Have a seat and make yrselves at home!

Well, the world didn't end, so we figger Santa Shane MacGowan's birthday on December 25th is still happenin'. 

Gettin' closer to the big day, so let's break out the fruitcake, and slice off a big chunk.

Like Santa, we're all over the map today.  A little something for everyone, and everything for all! 

2 more days to go!

Santa's got a thing for chimneys!

 Dennis Turner: Santa Claus, Santa Claus (mp3)

Ian Fenn: Rockin' Rollin' Christmas (mp3)

Kay Martin and Her Bodyguards: I Know What You Want For Christmas (mp3)

Johnny Houston: Give Me A Kiss For Christmas (mp3)

The Yobs: Another Christmas (mp3)

The Von Bondies: Aint No Chimney in the Big House (mp3)

Charles Brown: Christmas In Heaven (mp3)

Loretta Lynn: Gift of the Blues (mp3)

Be good to each other!

Good Gravy Santa

Just a few more days until December 25th, the birth of Shane MacGowan.  Gonna go a bit crazy over the next few days, as is our tendency, so buckle up yr Santa suits and get the sleigh gassed up.

Before the true insanity, let's take a Holiday stroll down Americana (whatever that is) lane.

We've got The Band (who have some Canadian members) going old-timey on a special night.  Chip Taylor examines sibling rivalry for the Yuletide.  The seminal Paul Kelly (who is Australian) watches an Xmas celebration from afar, and shares the gift of gravy.  And the Trainwreck Riders take their sleigh on a long, dusty path!


Ho Ho Ho!



The Band: Christmas Must Be Tonight (mp3)

Chip Taylor: Bastard Brothers (mp3)

Paul Kelly: How To Make Gravy (mp3)

Trainwreck Riders: Christmas Time Blues (mp3)


Drop a few bucks in the red bucket if you have a chance.

Shut Down Santa

Just a reminder.  Starting a week from today is our world famous Big Rock Candy Mountain Best of 2012 List, where we count down 50 or so of our Top 10 favorite records of the year (yeah, we know...).  Stay tuned!

Now, on with the festive show.

Santa's hitting the beach today, waxing his board (heh), and surfing his bag of toys to all points warm and tropical.  Special thanks to Untamed Youth, The Surfaris, Lord Douglas Byron, and The Chevelles for helping Santa on his way!

Santa Hangs Ten!

Surfaris: A Surfer's Christmas List (mp3)

Lord Douglas Byron: Surfin' Santa (mp3)

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

The Chevelles: Come All Ye Faithful Surfer Girls (mp3)

Thanks for stopping by. Please support independent artists and businesses this Holiday Season.

Xmas In The City

It's time to bake and ice the Xmas cookies.  Let's go, daddy-o!

Santa's a rawk'n'roller today, with help from The Jacobites (the late and much-lamented Nikki Sudden's band after Swell Maps), Jukebox Zeros (from a killer free comp by One Chord Progression...grab it now!), and Cincinnati's very own Buffalo Killers. 

Santa's got a guitar!


Jacobites: Teenage Christmas (mp3)

Jukebox Zeros: Christmas in the City (Aint too Pretty) (mp3)

Buffalo Killers: Secret Santa (mp3)

Please support the bands, the independent labels, the independent rekkid stores!

Funky Santa

Howdy.

We debated on whether it was appropriate to do an Xmas post today, due to recent events.  After some thought, and discussions with others, we've decided to go on ahead.  Figger the world needs as much joy as it can get these days, and we're a small corner tucked away, but hopefully we make at least of few of y'all smile now and again.  We're not remotely religious, and the majority of the world doesn't even celebrate the primary focus of our posts this month, at least not on a spiritual level.  We're all in this together, though, somehow and in some way.  Peace on Earth, indeed.

Now, on to the original post.

Playin' "Captain Obvious" today! A little sumthin' sumthin' to shake the tinsel off yr tree and get yr Santa suit a'quakin'!

Grab yr partner and groove deep down to the funky Xmas stylings of Count Sidney and His Dukes, Funk Machine, Graham Parker and Nona Hendryx (of Labelle), and his lordship, James Brown!

Santa's got a bag full o' Soul!

Count Sidney and His Dukes: Soul Christmas (mp3)

Funk Machine: Soul Santa (mp3)

Graham Parker and Nona Hendryx: Soul Christmas (mp3)

James Brown: Soulful Christmas (mp3)

Be good to each other.  We're all we've got.

Shakin' Santa

More merry madness!

If y'all haven't already done so, head on over to the great Aquarium Drunkard, where they've got a very special Xmas "mixtape", curated by yours truly!  Sort of a "greatest" hits, if you will.  We're pretty proud of the mix, and think you'll dig it!

Today we're gonna keep boppin' along 'round the aluminum tree with some jumped up Yuletunes courtesy of The Sabres, Paul Bain, and Blue Moon Special. 

Rockin', rollin' and wailin' Santa!

The Sabres: A Cool, Cool, Christmas (mp3)

Blue Moon Special: Flying Home For Christmas (mp3)

Paul Bain: Santa Claus Boogie (mp3)

As ever, please consider helping out those less fortunate this year.  Why not?

Jingle Twist

Bells a'jingled.  Hope y'all enjoyed the greatest Xmas song ever that we posted yesterday.

Time's runnin' short, so let's get a little stompin' and groovin' today, courtesy of Jimmy Reed, Alabama Red and Sammy Marshall!

Anybody else notice how there a ton of Xmas tunes out there with the same title, but aren't the same song?  Just sayin'.

Jimmy Reed: Christmas Present Blues (mp3)

Alabama Red: Goin' Home For Christmas (mp3)

Sammy Marshall: Jingle Mint Twist (mp3)

Thanks for stoppin' by.

A Very Special Xmas Episode

Now it's starting to feel like a Festive Season!

Today, we're gonna treat y'all to the very greatest Christmas song of all.  Courtesy of the master himself, Mr. Red Sovine, Words cannot even describe the brilliance of this song.  You have to hear it for yourselves, and stick around for the fantastic ending.  We promise it'll be worth your time.  The song is dedicated to our buddy Good John over at WMSE. 

Del Reeves and Jimmy Martin do their damndest to match Mr. Sovine's brilliance. 

If you grab one song from us this joyous season, this is the one you need!

Red Sovine: Billy's Christmas Wish (mp3)

Del Reeves: Christmas Is Lonely (mp3)

Jimmy Martin: Christmas is Everywhere Except in My Heart (mp3)

Thanks.