Jingling Baby
Some new Xmas tunes before going OOO.
A Nick fact…
I love holiday music (and movies and snacks and dumb little ornaments) more than most things.
And I already love most things!
The vast majority of it is dreck, just like every other art form.
But the best examples — silly, sincere or both — are filled with a transcendental cheap magic that I can’t get enough of.
Here’s some brand new (or just “new to me”) jams for the season.
Elephant Man & Busy Signal, “Party Anthem 2.0” — two club kings of the mid-aughts flip Carla Thomas’ “Gee Whiz It’s Christmas” inna dancehall stylee. Coulda used more — any! — festive decor in the video, but my lighta will flash regardless. OG sample is from the iconic Soul Christmas, which also gave us the DNA for “Christmas In Hollis” (and Jim Jones / Stack Bundles “Ballin On X-Mas”).
TUAWKI & The Magic Hours, Island Holiday — gently psychedelic reggae instrumentals, like a low-dose edible wrapped in a hug.
Dean & Britta, Sonic Boom “Snow Is Falling In Manhattan” — indie rock lifers take Purple Mountains (David Berman RIP) for a wonderful, Velvets-y spin. Better yet, there’s a whole album of the stuff!
Coco Jones, “My Presence Is A Present” — one for the steppers.
Matt Williams Christmas Tree-O, Tree Jazz: The Shape Of Christmas To Come — ok, two back-to-back puns in the title but we’ll allow it. This goes kinda hard! Big brain noodling that bounces between skronky and chill, never not festive.
Kurt Vile, “Must Be Santa” — big Delaware County energy, bonus points for use of the “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” drum machine.
VeggieHammer, “KFC Christmas” — Dave Choe and friends pay punky tribute to one of the Colonel’s international traditions.
Yakiyn & Kal Banx, “Chrimma Time” — only thing groovier than these 808s is the fact they sync’d them up to The PJs’ holiday episode, “How The Super Stoled Christmas.”
Thalia, “Nueva Navidad” — yuletide bachata!
Don McGinnis & The Cactus Cutups, “When Santa Comes” — too many highlights to list off Numero Group’s uber-chill country Christmas comp. I look forward to soundtracking an xmas heist montage with this one day.
Terrace Martin, “Hot Chocolate” — absolutely Battlecat-ian. Need everyone from Kendrick’s Pop Out to grab a verse on this!
Luther Vandross, This Is Christmas — syndicated 1995 special mixing tracks from Luther’s then-new album with holiday cuts from lablemates. Enormous chef’s kiss to the 30 year old VHS fuzz slathered all over this rip and to Bon Jovi sniffing a Santa hat like it’s panties.
Wonder, “When Santa Comes To Town” — “Thoroughly zooted” remains thee underrated holiday subgenre. See also: Beck’s seven-minute “Little Drum Machine Boy,” a standalone single on streaming but know that DGC’s Just Say Noël is presently melting steel beams in a used CD bin near you.
The Sonics, The Wailers, The Galaxies, Merry Christmas — three kings of Pacific Northwest garage rock getting busy circa 1965.
Tower Of Power, “Maoz Tzur” — “hotel lounge band plays Steely Dan” is a too-perfect texture for a Hannukah jam (though your own mileage may vary).
Say She She, “This Wintertime” — lovely nu-soul groover, the 45 has a Marvin Gaye “Purple Snowflakes” cover on the flip (as of this writing there’s 5 copies left on Bandcamp).
Big Boss Vette, “X-Mas Bag” — every year there’s a couple new Santa-centric rap flips about havin thangz and I would like to listen to all of them.
That’s it for the year!
Now I must watch Scrooged and ugly cry through the entirety of Bill Murray’s speech at the end. Will be back sometime in January for another 365 of nonsense…
Peace and love to you and yours.
Playlists updated!