Good Year For Santa

One week to go until Shane MacGowan's birthday!  Oh, yeah, and Christmas too.  Thing's are gonna get all insane next week, so keep checking back in! 

Oh, and if y'all have any last minute requests for "re-posts" from previous years' madness, let us know asap.  Times runnin' out.

We're gonna keep things simple today with a couple of Country ditties from the legendary Walter Brennan... Yep, one our finest character actors did a little singing as well.  Well, perhaps "singing" isn't quite the right word...

Santa on the Farm!

Walter Brennan: A Good Year For Santa Claus (mp3)

Walter Brennan: Henry Had A Merry Christmas (mp3)

Have a good Holiday!  Please support local businesses! 

Let Me See Your Santa Claus

Good golly!  Merry Christmas, everybody!  Thanks for stopping by.  Why we do this every year, we have no idea...but it's a bit like a bad habit, innit?  Just can't stop the Christmas bop, as it were.

Today it's the Blues.  And the Rhythm and Blues.   Well, why not?

Victoria Spivey starts us off with a deep-down dirty ode to Holiday cheatin'... She's mad as hell, it's Christmas time, and you just know you aint gonna see her "Santa Claus" if you keep up yr ramblin' ways, goddammit!  This might be the best damn Xmas song we post this year. 

The only thing worthy of following up Ms. Spivey is a couple of pre-rock R'n'B Yuletide shakers from the highly seminal and genius mind of Hank Ballard (and his Midnighters).  Santa's got a lot to answer for, thanks to Ms. Spivey, and Ballard shows off the sweat on the Kris Kringle brow.  Oh, hell yes.

Santa's been sneakin' around!


Victoria Spivey: I Ain't Gonna Let You See My Santa Claus (mp3)

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: Santa Claus Is Coming (mp3)

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: Christmas Time For Everybody But Me (mp3)

Yep.  Merry Christmas.  Sorry for being preachy over the past couple of weeks.  Just seems like it's the time of year when we ramp up the pleas for charity, in whatever form it takes.  Would be nice if we didn't have to beg, at any time of the year.  Enjoy yourselves at the Holiday season, regardless of yr religious or non-religious inclinations.  Support what you can, independent or otherwise.  Thanks.

Beatnik Christmas

Breaking news!  Tom Waits to be inducted in the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame!  Not that he, or us, probably gives a rat's ass about the hall, but it's the recognition of his peers, at long last, that we appreciate.  Tom's our hero, of course, and we say...good on ya.  More to come on this development....

Hairy Chestnuts!

And why does UPS suck so much?   Are they trying to ruin Christmas for everyone?  Just sayin'...

Well, then.  As promised.  Yet another beatnik Xmas post.  And this is the ultimate, daddy-o (did anyone really talk that way?).  Regardless, these swell songs should keep you groovin' over yr "cool yule".  And that aint no jingle bell jive.  Oh yes.

Our featured tree trimmed and beret-wearin' guests today are Jimmy Bowen, Miles Davis and Bob Dorough (of the mighty School House Rock fame), and Sam Ulano.  Swing, Christmas cats, swing.  

And for the Re-Post, hep cat, Special...well, let's go all out.  We've got immortal Yuletide coffee house glee from Babs Gonzales, Patsy Raye,  Donny Burns, Johnny Guarnieri,  and Edd "Kookie" Byrnes. 

Krazy Kristmas Kittens, Kats!  (too much?)

Jimmy Bowen: Big Red and Cool Yule (mp3)

Miles Davis and Bob Dorough: Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern) (mp3)

Sam Ulano: Santa and the Doodle-Li-Boop (mp3)

Re-Post, finger snappin' Special

Patsy Raye: A Beatnik's Wish (mp3)

Babs Gonzales: Be-Bop Santa (mp3)

Johnny Guarnieri: Santa's Secret (mp3)


Edd Kookie Byrnes: Yulesville (mp3)

Donny Burns: Cool Yule (mp3)

Thanks.  We're just gonna sit this one out.  Please donate what you can, where you can.  And have a great Holiday season.  

X Is For Christmas

Oops.  Missed a day.  Alas.  We're still pretty far ahead of the curve, though, aint we?

So, the following most certainly is a Christmas post (check the tunes).  But bear with us.

Two new records came out this year that we haven't properly covered. 

One, "Holy Broken", is the very, very, very welcome return of  the Sin Ropas,  with Tim Hurley of Red Red Meat and early Califone.  Been way too long since we've a record by this band, and we have more to say about this record in a couple of weeks (check our upcoming Favorite Records of the Year list.)  They have a Christmas song on the new record.


This year also featured a new release, Eyas,  by the incredibly prolific Centro-Matic, another Mountain fave rave band.  Will Johnson (also of South San Gabriel) rips off more shards of Texas sparkle'n'shine meditative country drone.  Delicious.  And, as you might have guessed, they also have a Christmas song the new lp. 

So let's check 'em out, shall we?  A little contemporary, compared to most of our Holiday posts, but what the hell?  Why not?

Re-Post Specials...well, let's keep a theme going, shall we?  Some  fuzzy Xmas downers from Red Red Meat, the very mighty Jim Mize, Silkworm, and Neil Halstead.  Yummy, well-baked Xmas cookies indeed.

Sin Ropas:  X Is For Christmas (mp3)

Centro-Matic: Christmas '83 (mp3)

Re-Post Specials

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

Jim Mize: Christmas In Mississippi (mp3)

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

Silkworm: Merry Christmas (mp3)

Howdy!  Does anybody read this part?  Well, if so, please give what you can this Holiday season.  Times are tough, but there's a ton of people who probably have it tougher.  Just sayin'....

Santa's Lap

Guldurn, it's snowin' like a mofo 'round these here parts.  Good stuff.

It's Sunday, so it must be time for another swell Xmas mix of tunes previously posted  here at the 'Mountain Holiday blowout.  Not much to say about it...just pour yrself some spirits, kick back on the couch and watch the pretty lights spin around the Christmas tree.

A Big Rock Candy Mountain Stocking Stuffer Mix (download link follows track listing)

1. Watch Out Santa's Been Drinking (Tiger City Jukes)
2. Santa's Too Drunk To Drive (The Hot Rods)
3. All I Got For Christmas Was Drunk (Better Off Dead)
4. The Night Before Xmas Binge (Kay Martin and Her Boyfriends)
5. Champagne Of Christmas (The Fleshtones)
6. Christmas Behind The Wheel (The Saddle Tramps)
7. Santa's Boy (Del Reeves)
8. It's Christmas Everyday In Alaska (Hank Thompson)
9. Po' Folks Christmas (Bill Anderson)
10. Barefoot Santa Claus (Sonny James)
11. Papa Noel (Brenda Lee)
12. Chimney Top Twist (The Robin Sisters)
13. Something Funny In Santa's Lap (The Moaners)
14. Christmas 1979 (Wild Billy Childish)
15. Jesus Christ (Big Star)
16. Presents For Christmas (Solomon Burke)
17. It's Christmas (Marvin and Johnny)
18. Gotta Get Lucky For Christmas (Johnny Rabb)
19. Mambo Santa Mambo (Enchanters)
20. Kisses For Christmas (Marti Brom)
21. Mr. Santa Claus (Nathaniel Mayer)
22. The Empty Xmas Stocking (Lulu Belle and Scotty)
23. Santa Claus (Spectrum)

A Big Rock Candy Mountain Stocking Stuffer (mp3)

Please support yr local food pantry this Holiday season. 

Funky Christmas

Okey dokey.

After the Xmas noise-fest and outsider fun of yesterday's Holiday post, we're feelin' like a little Seasonal cheer.  How about a dance party?  Yup, get out yr best suit or little black dress, grab yr fella or lady, and cut a rug under the Mistletoe.  Indeed.

Helpin' us get into the Christmas jitterbug mood are  Electric Jungle, Voices, the legendary Little Joey Farr, and Milt Patrick!  Yeah, Santa wants you to boogie as the snow flies around you (at least for those of us in Chicago)!

No Re-Post Special again today.  And no post this Saturday.  We gotta have a day off, dammit!  And we'll hit the Re-Posts hardcore over the next two weeks.  Big time Holidays mix comin' on Sunday morning.  Stay tuned!  We ain't slippin'...we're just slidin'!  

Santa's a groovin' fool!

Electric Jungle: Funky Funky Christmas (mp3)

Little Joey Farr: Rock and Roll Santa (mp3)

Milt Patrick: Merry Twistmas (mp3)

Voices: Santa Claus Boogie (mp3)

Thanks.  Please stop by yr local, independent whatever for yr Holiday joy.

Christmas Stunk

Hey.  Merry Xmas.  And thanks for all the kind words from all y'all in regards to our 500th post.  My email box was flooded, which was a lovely Holiday gift.  Stick around, we aint goin' nowhere, nohow.

That said, y'all might wanna cover yr ears for today's batch  of Christmas cookies.  Seems every Yuletide, we feel compelled to post a post that's a little bit...errrm..."noisy".  Hey, we've got varied tastes (though you'll never find any 80's hair metal 'round these parts...we have our standards, dammit).  So today's goodies are gonna be a little difficult for the more delicately inclined.  Just sayin', and you've been warned. 

Starting off with a double blast of Xmas nihilism, then, from a couple of bands who currently (maybe?) share a record label we're real keen on.  We're talking about some nasty stocking stuffers here, folks.  We're talking about some Holiday scuzz courtesy of The Guinea Worms and El Jesus De Magico. 

Adding to that, we'll top off the tree with "angelic" tunes from "Country Mike" (aka Mike D. from the Beastie Boys), and the very, very legendary Wild Man Fischer.

Again, these aint tunes for the faint of heart.  We'll be back to the more traditional stuff tomorrow.   But we still think these are pretty kick-ass Xmas tunes.  Try 'em out!

No Re-Post Special today.  Back to normal on Friday...

Santa's a scuzz fan!

The Guinea Worms: Christmas Stunk (mp3)


El Jesus De Magico: Xmas At Wounded Knee (mp3)


Country Mike: Country Christmas (mp3)

Wild Man Fischer: I'm A Christmas Tree (mp3)

Please support whatever you can this Holiday Season.  We're all broke, of course.  But  some are more broke than others.  

Big Rock Christmas Mountain

This is our 500th post!  Break out the bubbly! (and check out our Re-Post Special below). 

'Course most folks out there in the world wide interwebs have probably achieved this milestone much faster than us (egad, it's been 6 years of Big Rock Candy love), but what can we say?  We give you our love when we can, and when the bar aint beckoning us away from our "bloggin'" responsibilities. 

'Spect we should be doing some kind of long-winded retrospective of where we started and where we've ended up, how we've changed and how we've stayed the same, through all the changes in the landscapes both musical and internet-related.  And maybe we will discuss it down the line (we've got a response to U2 manager Paul McGuinness' GQ and Rolling Stone article about "how to save the music industry" coming at the start of our "Best Of" list post-Holidays that might fit the bill).  But we're in the middle of our world-famous Xmas posting madness, which is what most of y'all are here for.  So to celebrate, we're gonna keep on keepin' on, as usual.

That said, we want to thank you all for stopping by.  Some of y'all are new here.  Some have been longtime readers.  Thank you, each and every one of you.  We do this for our love of music, in it's many forms.

We owe a particular big hug and thanks to a feller that may well be our oldest (not in age, but in duration) reader and commenter, and a gentleman who has become a very good personal friend, as well : "John From Milwaukee" (who is also a dj at the killer radio station WMSE ).  Thank you John, for all the years... This one's for you.

Ok, you're  here for the Xmas music.  Let's go...

We like two things more than any other.  Honky Tonk music and Drinkin' Songs.   Mickey Gilley gives us a little of both.  We've always imagined Gilley's as a place where it's Christmas year-round, what with the neon and gaudy rhinestone.  The following song pretty much confirms it for us.  And Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison (today's "George and Tammy"?) give us both a little Xmas honky tonk and a little Yuletide nip for the Holidays (ti's also a cover of a song by artist we dare not name).

As for our Re-Post Special....well...it's not a Christmas song.  It's the tune that  defines who we are, in so many ways.  And, it's the name of our site.  Thank you Harry McClintock. 

Viva The Xmas Mountain!

Mickey Gilley: Honky Tonk Christmas (mp3)

Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison: Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk (This Christmas) (mp3)

Re-Post Special (and theme song)

Harry McClintock: The Big Rock Candy Mountain (mp3)


Thanks again for visiting.  We'll do our best to make the next 500 even better.  And hey, it wouldn't hurt to give a little something to TOYS FOR TOTS this holiday season.  It's non-political, and it helps out kids...what's wrong with that?

Tex Kringle

Well, as we do every year on this date, let's all pause a moment to say Happy Birthday Mr. Tom Waits!  We love him, dontcha know...and we bet he loves us too.  Certainly.

Anyhow, now we're working our way up to Shane MacGowan's birthday on the 25th (any other celebrated birthdays we should know about on that day?).  So let's get going.

We're on the range today, with some proper good old Country and Western Holiday music for all y'all.  Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing every day, anyway?

Bill Monroe is Bill Monroe.  You know him, you love him.  He's got a couple swell bluegrassy tunes to ride yr Yuletide pony to. And singing cowboys Tex Ritter and  Jimmy Wakely have both got some jolly ho-ho-ho's to share.

Our Re-Post Special features Loretta Lynn and Asleep At The Wheel.  More Country goodness...my goodness.  

Yippee ki yi yay Santa Claus.

Bill Monroe: That's Christmas Time To Me (mp3)

Tex Ritter: Ole Tex Kringle (mp3)

Jimmy Wakely: It's Christmas (mp3)

Bill Monroe: Christmas Time's A-Comin' (mp3)

Re-Post Specials

Loretta Lynn: Country Christmas (mp3)

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

Thanks for stopping by.  Please support the artists you can.  Preferably through independent means, or directly from the artist.  Go to a show.  String a bunch of lights around yr home or apartment, and have a listening party for Christmas.

Sanity Claus

Veering and careening our way through another Holiday season.  Just a reminder that at the end of all this we're gonna do our massively out of control Favorite Records Of The Year List.  Just looking at the list as it stands right now...well...yikes (and we just had to add the brand spankin' new Unholy Two rekkid, with more releases to come.).  Will we get everything listened to in time?  Who knows?  Stay tuned...

Today, we're goin' a little off-track (or off the rails, as some might suggest...).   The following songs aren't specifically Xmas tunes.  But they do reference Santa Claus and/or the Holidays, so they should fit right and properly on yr stereo when the time comes for yr stocking stuffing and whatnot.  Hey, this whole exercise is meant to be a bit "non-traditional", anyway.

So.  Butterbeans and Susie and Marvin Rainwater  want you to know (drunkenly, it seems) that if there is a Santa Claus, it aint them, and it aint anyone they know.  And The Cats And Fiddle remind us that every day's a Holiday if yr a swingin'  hepster. 

For our Re-Post Special, how about some of our favorite Country and Western artists (Including two Hanks), doing Christmas in the way that only they can.  Give it up for Hank Thompson, Hank Snow, and Ferlin Husky. 

Everybody knows there aint know sanity clause!

The Cats and Fiddle: Hep Cat's Holiday (mp3)


Butterbeans and Susie: Papa Aint No Santa Claus (Mama Aint No Christmas Tree)  (link removed by request)

Marvin Rainwater: Get Off The Stool (mp3)

Re-Post Specials

Hank Snow: Christmas Cannonball (mp3)

Hank Thompson: Gonna Wrap My Heart In Ribbons (mp3)

Ferlin Husky: In Santa's Bag (mp3)

Please support yr local, independent record store this pagan Solstice season.