It can happen – it’s not a bottle for keeping. And so we reach what will be the last Jingle Bells Friday of the year, because next Friday is reserved for a special treat. Trust us, it’ll be great. But don’t worry, there are other days next week that could be given a Festive makeover – let’s hope that happens, eh dear reader? This week though the theme was trailed as rockier – something to get the Winterval party up and jumping, it’s a great way to keep warm and no need for all that pesky heating. It’s a strange time though, this last week before Christmas – still time to get things done but too late to do many things as well, it’s like the perpetual opposition of the Tao with the will to do held in check by the “uh-uh-nuh” of the elapsed time to do it in. What we recommend is that if you haven’t done all those things you meant to then do those things that you still can and then just don’t worry about the rest. Which sounds a little like “Have yourself a very-slacker Christmas” in other words. We await the arrival of that song in 2024.
Right now though we have the soft rocking start to this week’s offerings with Six Gun Sally providing a soulful and rocking heartfelt pleas to ‘Get Our Christmas On.‘ We’re not sure exactly what lead vocalist Natalie Brady is suggesting, but drummer and song writer tells us that “We wanted to write a holiday song that was simplistic and sentimental with an easy-does-it feel and memorable melody. I think we accomplished that and Natalie’s vocals are the icing on the cake.”
Austin based duo Beth // James have gone the whole five miles and produced a Christmas EP called ‘Christmas at the Burchills‘ which includes the bopping retro-rock and roll of ‘Santa Won’t You Deliver (My Baby This Winter).‘ Which did make us wonder – we know the country is short of midwives, but is this really the solution? Thankfully, Jordan and Mikaela Burchill (Beth and James are their middle names), are really thinking of Santa as a magical postman. Phew.
The darker nights of December have long brought out traditions of the eldritch and the eerie, and Hannah Rose Platt has tapped right into that with her ghastly supernatural tale ‘Wendigo Rag.’ Should you wish to explore Wendigos in greater detail try Algernon Blackwood’s shiver inducing tale ‘The Wendigo‘. This is, though, a song short on festivities, but it is big on Winter and snow. Great video too.
Another Christmas tradition, here explored by Thee Absurdust Monk, Monica Queen & Johnny Smillie, is drunkness and the associated drunk ‘phone call asking for just one more chance to make it up and maybe make some use of the mistletoe…and whilst it appears that it’s not going to work there is a suggestion that relentless pleading can actually imbue another with the festival’s spirit of forgiveness. Yeah, it’s what the song says, we’re not suggesting you try it yourself…
If you’re starting to think that this is all very nice but we were promised rock, well this new remix of Tall Poppy Syndrome‘s ‘Come Some Christmas Eve‘ should set things straight a little. The song was written by Vince Melouney’s former Bee Gees bandmate Robin Gibb and is reimagined here with what the band call a “(Mod-era) The Who meets The Zombies’ ‘Odessey And Oracle’” influenced sound and style. Tall Poppy Syndrome made this new mix with guitarist Jonathan Lea adding sleigh bells and Mellotron flute to the track. In case you don’t know them Tall Poppy Syndrome consists of Vince Melouney, Australian guitar legend and former member of the (psych-era) Bee Gees; Clem Burke, the renowned drummer of Rock And Roll Hall-Of-Famers Blondie; guitarist Jonathan Lea of the critically-acclaimed Art Pop group The Jigsaw Seen (also known for his work with Dave Davies of The Kinks) and singer Paul Kopf and bassist Alec Palao of Strangers In A Strange Land and the current version of influential Garage Rock band The Seeds. That’s enough rock credentials for anyone, n’est pas?
And so we come to the end for another week – and the barometer is set fair to folky/countryish ballads for next time. Nice. And to help get you in the mood for that we leave you with another sample of Andy Thorn‘s new album ‘High Country Holiday.‘ Did you really think we’d forget the banjo tune?
