Farewell to Holidays--A Southern Christmas Song from The Long Ryders!

A little holiday sentimentality from Paisley Pop Alt-Country Superstars The Long Ryders.



Happy New Year to All!

New Mendicants---Teaching Us the True Meaning of Christmas!

Christmas magic from the new singing/songwriting super duo, The New Mendicants. This is my pick so far of this years Christmas songs.

Comprised of Toronto immigrants (and neighbors) Joe Pernice (Pernice Brothers) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub)!

The first album is due out early next year.



Here's their exceptional performance of a Go-Betweens classic.



Wishing everybody a safe and happy Christmas!

I Believe in Jersey Christmas---The Grip Weeds---Under the Influence of Christmas

Welcome Christmas Bring Your Light....

You know, it seems that everybody puts out a Christmas album, it's almost as predictable these days as band reunions. Strummer and Jones performed together, Bob Mould and Grant Hart reunited briefly on stage, even Australia's Saints performed together a few years ago. Probably somewhere in the world, some mad scientist someplace is trying to do something with Beatle DNA.

But you know, most of these Christmas projects suck. If you go on a website like Amazon and poke around, its mostly the same old crap. Vanity projects, a bunch of songs hashed together to make a quick buck. Boring.

But as you may have noticed, I said mostly, not all. I haven't really found too much this year to recommend. The Nick Lowe Cd is okay. He's a class act, a guy who knows how to pen a song. By no means is the album bad, but I find it a bit bland. I've posted some things in prior years that are worthy of your filthy lucre. Things like Rhino's Punk Rock Christmas comp, The Yobs, Die Roten Rosen, Vibeke Saugestad's superb Christmas Ep, Tim Wheeler and Emmy the Great, Goldie Lookin' Chain.

But this season I came across The Grip Weeds Under the Influence of Christmas this year. It's the best Christmas album I've heard recently. It actually came out in 2011 on the Rainbow Quartz label, and I like this a lot. They are a 60's influenced pop band from New Jersey who truly are masters of harmony. The album is mix of Christmas originals, traditional tunes, and more contemporaneous Christmas covers.

And they get through this with help from their friends, notably fellow New Jerseyans The Smithereens, doing a nice version of Chrissie Hynde's 2000 Miles. What really blew my mind was that George Cameron of the remarkable Left Banke(!) sings backup on For The Holidays, a suitably wintry original song that really needs to be heard.



Under the Influence of Christmas is nice because they don't simply bash out songs in a similar fashion. On songs like Christmas Dream or Santa Make Me Good you find them rocking out quite capably. On other songs like A Christmas Song or the baroque ELP Christmas chestnut I Believe in Father Christmas they mellow out. And the superb Merry Christmas All is a pitch perfect Christmas Classic, a song that sounds like it came out on a Phil Spector album from 50 years ago.




Also, the band had the good taste to cover Welcome Christmas from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The go-to Grinch song is ordinarily You're a Mean One Mr Grinch, but Welcome Christmas was the song I always felt had the best cover potential.

Overall Under The Influence is pretty terrific from beginning to end, and a suitable stocking stuffer for anyone who loves classic 60's rock music.

Of course in addition to their holiday tunes, the Grip Weeds are a superb rock band with a bunch of accomplished albums. Well worth seeking out--check out their website for more details. They recently contributed to the benefit album My Hometown along with other Jersey bands, the proceeds going to a good cause, helping Hurricane Sandy victims.

So far I haven't found any Christmas record that came out in 2013 that I can wholeheartedly recommend, but there are still some shopping days left. If I find something I will let you know.

Merry Christmas!! Mark Lanegan Sings!

Merry Christmas! From Mark Lanegan's European Tour-only Cd, Dark Mark Does Christmas.


Simply beautiful. Like coal polished to a diamond.

A Final Christmas Memento from the Pointed Sticks!

Word on the street is that Vancouver's reunited Pointed Sticks may have played their final gig, and they are ready to call it quits. Today, one of my favorite bands, I was blissfully unaware of their existence in their original 80's days. Sometimes its so crazy--it's as though there was some invisible cultural border fence separating America from all these fantastic Canadian bands. I'm discovering great Canadian bands, new and old, and I'm completely shocked by my ignorance.

Well thanks to the good folks at Sudden Death Records, the Sticks' early output is mostly covered by their reissuing of  Perfect Youth their lone studio album, and the indispensable compilation, Waiting for the Real Thing. Out of Luck is one of my all time favorite songs. What was once rare music is now readily available. I recently bought a copy of the Pointed Sticks comp released by Zulu Records, but I lucked out--that one seems a little pricey these days. Their 2nd album, Three Lefts Make a Right is another worthy collection of music, that I recommend highly.

But since it's Christmas I wanted to share with you something I stumbled on accidentally. The Pointed Sticks posted complimentary MP3's of two Christmas tunes a few years ago. Well, they pressed a  nifty 7" single with the two holiday songs that they were selling at their final shows.

Well it turns out that they did not sell them all. If you are a Pointed Stick fanatic or maybe just plain Christmas crazy, you can get a copy without hiring a sled team and heading due north.

La-Ti-Da records (latidarecords.com) has a number of said Christmas single, with the songs Power Pop Santa & Xmas Time Again. Both exemplary Christmas songs, with a festive Christmas package cover and green vinyl. Very cool. They have some other cool things for sale, like a 7" single by the Tranzmitors.


Though possibly gone but probably not to be forgotten, The Pointed are also rumored to be releasing a third studio album in the near future, entitle Missed The Bus. I'm hoping that they ultimately decide to be like the Clean, and reassemble once in a blue moon, record a bit, do a few gigs, and go back to civilian life. If they call it quits entirely, there will probably be a national day of mourning in Japan!
In any event, if you don't know their music, I urge you to check them out--Waiting For the Real Thing belongs right next to your well-worn copy of Singles Going Steady.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 70---Marah!!

The Best way to spread Christmas cheer IS singing LOUD for ALL to HEAR!

Marah-----New York is a Christmas Kind of Town!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 69!!--Mutton Birds!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas CHEER is singing loud for all to HEAR!

Mutton Birds---Envy of Angels

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 68---Manic Hispanic!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear!!!

Manic Hispanic----Santa got run over by my Chevy!!!

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 67--The Soundtrack of Our Lives!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!!!

The Sound Track of Our Lives--Jingle Hell (Stuck in the Chimney)

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 66--The Dirtbombs!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!!!

The Dirtbombs!!!!----My Last Christmas

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 65--The Vandals!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

The Vandals---Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 64---Count Floyd!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Count Floyd---Reggae Christmas Eve in Transylvania!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 63---Wilco!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Wilco (and Audience) Jesus, etc.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 62--Dave Edmunds!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Dave Edmunds---Run Run Rudolph!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 61--Chris Stamey Group!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Chris Stamey----Christmas Time!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 60--Blitzen Trapper

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Blitzen Trapper----Christmas Is Coming Soon

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 59--Captain Sensible

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud for All to Hear!!!

Captain Sensible---One Christmas Catalogue

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 58--Sari and Mari Kaasinen

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!


Sari and Mari Kaasinen--Jouluna Jumala Syntyi

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 57--Daffy Duck

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer Is Singing Loud for ALL to Hear!



Daffy Duck-All I want for Christmas is MORE MORE MORE!!!

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer!----Part 56--Cerys Matthews and Tom Jones

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!

Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews---Baby It's Cold Outside