If you're a regular reader of Stubby's, you know that Polaroid is an Italian music blog and, every year, the proprietor asks bands that he knows if they'd like to make a Christmas song contribution (or, if not specifically a Christmas song, some music to decorate the tree by). I don't know why, but I always think of the Polaroid collection coming later. But, no, he does it on the 13th every year. I live for this thing. "A Polaroid For Christmas" is usually the highlight of my Christmas music season. For one thing, it's usually filled with Indie Pop and, for another, it has an international flavor. "A Polaroid For Christmas 2018" features music from Italy (of course), France, Norway, England, Brazil and America (and possibly more). And I really dig that.
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01) Catholic Block - Not Comfy
02) Ghost Hotel - Blue Christmas 03) Mouse Trap - Little Saint Nick (Beach Boys cover) 04) Charles Wallace - I Have to Work On Christmas Eve 05) Sleap-e - A Fair Hell 06) Gang Clouds - Say No More 07) Dressed Like Wolves - It Doesn't Snow Much Here Because Of ICI (demo) 08) Les Bicyclettes de Belsize - Under The Mistletoe 09) Lennard Rubra - Amore semestrale 10) Postal Blue - I Always Knew (acoustic) 11) Setti - Click baita 12) A Big Silent Elephant - A Man And His Broken Christmas 13) Catalog - Magic Monster 14) Steven Lipsticks - 25 (Handmade Lullaby) 15) Le Hen - Ossì 16) Featherfin - The Moon Is Our Sun 17) Hofame - Noi non siamo 18) James Whetzel - God Rest Ye Funky Bhangra (Sarod & Beats) |
"A Polaroid For Christmas 2018" is 18 tracks long, so there's some meat there. But I have to be honest, remembering that taste is a very subjective thing..."Not Comfy" by Catholic Block is not for me. Catholic Block is a London band, either new or newly reconstituted. "Not Comfy" is, I'd say, shoegaze. On the plus side, there's a nice melody in there. It's also loud with lots of distortion and not what I needed to wake up to this morning.
The America Indie Pop band Ghost Hotel followed and they are delightful. But it was "Blue Christmas". I hate "Blue Christmas". Not off to a great start for my head. If you don't hate "Blue Christmas", you will love Ghost Hotel's version (originally released in 2013).
So let's focus on what, for me, were the highlights on "A Polaroid For Christmas 2018", of which there are many. I found my footing with this year's comp on track four, "I Have To Work On Christmas Eve" by Italian artist Charles Wallace. This is a bubbly lo-fi Indie Pop song that looks at the bright side of having to work Christmas Eve. More money means presents under the tree. But the alternative works, too. If his lady love prefers he stay home, he's happy to do so...even though it would mean there's no dough to pay the rent. But, hey, we've got each other. "I Have To Work Christmas Eve" is the kind of song I come to Polaroid for.
Our friends Gang Clouds channel their inner Queen for "Say No More". This is their third annual Christmas song and we're getting to be old friends, now.
There's lo-fi Indie Folk from Sleap-e on "A Fair Hell". Sleap-e's voice is so enchanting, I really need to listen to that one again to focus on the lyrics. A brief lo-fi Folk Pop demo from Dressed Like Wolves is also sweet. These are also what I think of as Polaroid songs. (It sometimes helps to listen to the annual Polaroid collection with just a hint of melancholy in your heart.)
The America Indie Pop band Ghost Hotel followed and they are delightful. But it was "Blue Christmas". I hate "Blue Christmas". Not off to a great start for my head. If you don't hate "Blue Christmas", you will love Ghost Hotel's version (originally released in 2013).
So let's focus on what, for me, were the highlights on "A Polaroid For Christmas 2018", of which there are many. I found my footing with this year's comp on track four, "I Have To Work On Christmas Eve" by Italian artist Charles Wallace. This is a bubbly lo-fi Indie Pop song that looks at the bright side of having to work Christmas Eve. More money means presents under the tree. But the alternative works, too. If his lady love prefers he stay home, he's happy to do so...even though it would mean there's no dough to pay the rent. But, hey, we've got each other. "I Have To Work Christmas Eve" is the kind of song I come to Polaroid for.
Our friends Gang Clouds channel their inner Queen for "Say No More". This is their third annual Christmas song and we're getting to be old friends, now.
There's lo-fi Indie Folk from Sleap-e on "A Fair Hell". Sleap-e's voice is so enchanting, I really need to listen to that one again to focus on the lyrics. A brief lo-fi Folk Pop demo from Dressed Like Wolves is also sweet. These are also what I think of as Polaroid songs. (It sometimes helps to listen to the annual Polaroid collection with just a hint of melancholy in your heart.)
It probably goes without saying that Les Bicyclettes de Belsize are the highlight of just about any playlist they're on. The UK Indie Pop outfit have contributed the luscious "Under The Mistletoe" from their brilliant 2018 release, "The 12 Days of Christmas".
Maybe it's because I've been watching "Nightflyers" on SyFy, but Lennard Rubra's "Amore semestrale" sounds like something from "The Shining". It's a pretty Italian waltz, but the acoustics give it that spooky-room-down-the-hall feel. Postal Blue's "I Always Knew" is gorgeous--a love song but not a Christmas song, as far as I can tell.
Stephen Lipstick's lo-fi Psych Pop ballad "25 (Handmade Lullaby)" is Dream Poppy and has, again, all of the elements that bring me to Polaroid, Christmas after Christmas.
We love Featherfin around here, the Norwegian experimental Electro Pop artist. And "The Moon Is Our Sun" shows well why we love him. "The Moon Is Our Sun" is a Winter song, not a Christmas song, and the subject matter is the three months of darkness north of the Arctic Circle. Featherfin somehow manages to make the whole experience joyful. And, though I said it wasn't, it is a Christmas song. Because that's a good deal of what Christmas is about...sharing light in the darkness, finding warmth in our hearts when there is none from nature, and snuggling close together indoors while we wait for Winter to pass and Summer to return.
"A Polaroid For Christmas 2018" closes with Seattle master of sarod James Whetzel's "God Rest Ye Funky Bhangra" from his 2012 album "Holiday: Sarod & Beats".
So, all in all, not my favorite edition of "A Polaroid For Christmas" (that may well be last year's) but still better than 90% of what's out there. And it's free...an annual gift to you and me...from Polaroid.
Maybe it's because I've been watching "Nightflyers" on SyFy, but Lennard Rubra's "Amore semestrale" sounds like something from "The Shining". It's a pretty Italian waltz, but the acoustics give it that spooky-room-down-the-hall feel. Postal Blue's "I Always Knew" is gorgeous--a love song but not a Christmas song, as far as I can tell.
Stephen Lipstick's lo-fi Psych Pop ballad "25 (Handmade Lullaby)" is Dream Poppy and has, again, all of the elements that bring me to Polaroid, Christmas after Christmas.
We love Featherfin around here, the Norwegian experimental Electro Pop artist. And "The Moon Is Our Sun" shows well why we love him. "The Moon Is Our Sun" is a Winter song, not a Christmas song, and the subject matter is the three months of darkness north of the Arctic Circle. Featherfin somehow manages to make the whole experience joyful. And, though I said it wasn't, it is a Christmas song. Because that's a good deal of what Christmas is about...sharing light in the darkness, finding warmth in our hearts when there is none from nature, and snuggling close together indoors while we wait for Winter to pass and Summer to return.
"A Polaroid For Christmas 2018" closes with Seattle master of sarod James Whetzel's "God Rest Ye Funky Bhangra" from his 2012 album "Holiday: Sarod & Beats".
So, all in all, not my favorite edition of "A Polaroid For Christmas" (that may well be last year's) but still better than 90% of what's out there. And it's free...an annual gift to you and me...from Polaroid.
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