It’s strange that – despite being so cynical and weary – I really like Christmas music. Nostalgia obviously plays a huge part. Also, I just love how Christmas is an excuse to celebrate a year’s end; so why not spin some cheesy, fun songs and stirring (if sometimes overbearing) ones which tug on the heart strings?
But I get why a lot of people resent them, and Christmas in general. The commercialism, the mawkishness, the hassle of the entire thing. But I’m comfortable with my platform: Christmas = good.
Given how fascinated I am with new music from the fringes, I came to wonder: what is the state of Christmas music on platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud? I’ve basically lived on these sites since I joined Pastel Wasteland; so I hit the filters and I would like to share some of what I’ve found with you.
Ho Ho Ho.
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I knew I was going to talk about Nashville based ‘Christmas supergroup’ The X-Misses from the second I saw the cover of Christmas Reminiscences. Look at that dead bastard. That is how you sell an album.
The X-Misses feature several collaborators known for working with acts like Sheryl Crow, Beck and Jack White. The core members are Kate Hamilton and Jenny Posnak of folk duo Ruby Fruit, and Tim Franklin of “chamber rock” outfit Pillow Party. As a consequence, The X-Misses’ style leans heavily on country influences, with a little jazz and punk sprinkled in. Though not disco, even on “At The Christmas Disco,” but whatever.
Christmas Reminiscences seeks to expand the canon; while using dark humour to explore ‘the underbelly of Christmas: a holiday that can never live up to its hype.’ Although opening track “My Chocolate Santa” is full of cheer. An almost fetishistic level of joy is cooked into it, as we’re taken through the week long consumption of a Christmas treat.
Maybe I’m reading too much into this (or projecting), but ‘I ate his sack on Wednesday’ and ‘I loved my Chocolate Santa from the moment that he came’ is pretty suggestive. Regardless, it’s fun, and a great way to set the tone.
“She Gave Me Hell For Christmas” really does it for me. It’s also a song which doesn’t fuck around; with the first verse being:
This year for Christmas we threw out the list
And gave one another our typical gifts.
I gave her a headache, she made me a fist
I gave her the finger and she gave me shit.
If you’re going to make an anti-Christmas song, follow this formula. It’s theme of resentment and misery is contrasted beautifully against an upbeat tempo and a spritely lapsteel guitar line. It’s genuinely amusing, though the album falls into a lull once “She Gave Me Hell For Christmas” ends.
“Christmas in Jail” sees a guy spending Christmas, well, in jail. It’s no “Fairytale of New York” (though to be fair, that’s one of the best songs of all time). But then it’s not trying to be; though unfortunately the comparison is inevitable. The issue here is that the conceit of the album feels overcooked by this point.
The punk edge of “There’s No Christmas In Hell (And That’s Why I’m so Sad)” buoys things up again to some extent. It also features some nice lyrical flourishes; especially ‘‘I said that hell and santa don’t exist/so now I’m always on the naughty list.’
Ultimately Christmas Reminiscences could have done with being a little shorter. But it does fill a gap in the market, so I’m glad that it exists. Wrapping presents filled with coal is mean-spirited; but there’s creativity involved and (let’s be fair), it can be good for a laugh.
You can find The X-Misses in these places:
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