You know how I love traditions. When it comes to Christmas music, you never know how long a tradition will last or when it might suddenly disappear. So, every year, it's always a joy when the annual volume of "A Very Cherry Christmas" from Cherryade Records is announced. I order mine immediately. And there are plenty of reasons why you should, too. Let's say, right up here at the top, that "A Very Cherry Christmas 13" (as with the other most recent editions) is limited to just 200 copies and WILL NOT be available as a download. Even if you order the CD through Bandcamp, it does not include a download. In case we haven't been clear, there is no way to download "A Very Cherry Christmas 13"--ever...anywhere--and only 200 copies of the CD are available. Well, best make that 199, since I got my order in.
"A Very Cherry Christmas 13", like it's predecessors, was compiled (I kinda like the word "curated", myself) by Rachel Nieman and Gareth Jones. When we think about the kind of music we broadly toss in the catch-all of Indie and Alternative, these days, we can thank a handful of people for supporting and helping to popularize such music. John Peel, of course, is a name you've heard...even if you haven't looked into his illustrious career and fully grasped his influence. There's Rodney of the ROQ. And there is Rachel Nieman, who, on the radio, hosted "The Rachel Nieman Experience" and then founded Cherryade Records, described as the most Indie Indie label in the UK. Rachel's radio show was once a staple of Dandelion Radio. I don't think she does the show anymore, but you can still catch Gareth Jones, there. Cherryade Records were early boosters of such bands as The Lovely Eggs, Das Wanderlust, The Bobby McGee's, and Fever Fever. The label isn't all that active these days. But they still manage to put out an essential Christmas collection every year. Follow me below the tracklist for a few words on the finest collection of Indie Pop, Lo-Fi, Twee, Dream Pop, Indie Alt Folk Rock, Anti-Folk, Synth Pop, Psych Pop, etc., etc., you're likely to hear this year.
"A Very Cherry Christmas 13", like it's predecessors, was compiled (I kinda like the word "curated", myself) by Rachel Nieman and Gareth Jones. When we think about the kind of music we broadly toss in the catch-all of Indie and Alternative, these days, we can thank a handful of people for supporting and helping to popularize such music. John Peel, of course, is a name you've heard...even if you haven't looked into his illustrious career and fully grasped his influence. There's Rodney of the ROQ. And there is Rachel Nieman, who, on the radio, hosted "The Rachel Nieman Experience" and then founded Cherryade Records, described as the most Indie Indie label in the UK. Rachel's radio show was once a staple of Dandelion Radio. I don't think she does the show anymore, but you can still catch Gareth Jones, there. Cherryade Records were early boosters of such bands as The Lovely Eggs, Das Wanderlust, The Bobby McGee's, and Fever Fever. The label isn't all that active these days. But they still manage to put out an essential Christmas collection every year. Follow me below the tracklist for a few words on the finest collection of Indie Pop, Lo-Fi, Twee, Dream Pop, Indie Alt Folk Rock, Anti-Folk, Synth Pop, Psych Pop, etc., etc., you're likely to hear this year.
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1. The Flatmates - The Flatmates – Come On, Santa!
2. Cassidy & Gamble – Take Another One Out The Bag Santa 3. Panic Pocket – Mrs Santa 4. Building Rockets – Tonight Santa's Gonna Rock Out 5. The Raptors – It's Christmas (Have A Rock N Roll Time) 6. Final Clearance – Let's Have An Indie Rock Christmas 7. Gang Clouds – Let's Spend Christmas In Our Bed 8. Goddammit Jeremiah – Office Christmas Party 9. Lach – The Office Christmas Party (We All Fall Down) 10. The Happy Somethings – It's Christmas Time (We're As Miserable As Sin) 11. future star – Overnight 12. Pomegranate – The Greatest Day 13. Les Bicyclettes de Belsize – The Old Bohemian (Bedsit Mix) 14. The Applepie – Angels We Have Heard On High 15. The Sunbathers – The Man Who Loved Christmas 16. Trust No One – Walking In The Air 17. MJ Hibbett – The Christmas Robot 18. Spray – The Ballad Of Xmas '99 (Oh Cliff) 19. The Yellow Melodies – Happy Christmas, Feliz Navidad 20. Ricky Spontane – Slothmas 21. Lorna – Broken Stars 22. Milton & Jones – This Life (This Christmas) 23. 365 – December 24. Entre-Knobs – Christmas Is Over 25. Life As Surface Noise – The Night Watchman (Counterpart 1) |
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As is always the case with "A Very Cherry Christmas", some of these tracks are new and some are old. We've already shared with you the tracks from The Flatmates and Gang Clouds, for instance. But most of these are going to be first time discoveries...even for those of us who spend more hours than we'd care to ponder jumping down rabbit holes at Soundcloud and Bandcamp.
Let's start with the most obvious treat, here (for my head, at least). When the Dream Pop band Lorna collected up their annual holiday singles to create the hard copy CD "The Stars of Winnetka" in 2016, I feared that was the last holiday music we'd be hearing from them. But, last year, they surprised me with a concept "A Christmas Carol" album. And, now, we get the song "Broken Stars" on this compilation. I don't want to give away too much. Let me just say that relevance has never sounded so beautiful. "Broken Stars" is everything I love about Lorna. And, Lord knows, I luvz me some Lorna.
Another beautiful track here is "December" from 365. It's a new song from what appears to be a relatively new band (it's one of those band names that's problematic for search engines). "December" is sort of Anti-Folk meets Dream Pop. It's vaguely retro in it's sound, which contrasts wonderfully with the kind of lyrics you'd never have heard on Pop radio until very recently. The chord progression, here, is just gorgeous, and the backing vocals are heavenly, as the protagonist promises to be different this December (staying sober, for example) and "do the best I can...'til January."
For sheer delight, you can't beat a brand new song from MJ Hibbett. I'd call "The Christmas Robot" subversively splendid. Cross "The Marvelous Toy" with Timbuk 3's Christmas anthem, throw in an old Godzilla movie, and you have a song equally suitable for your child's phonograph (your child should have a phonograph) or Doctor Demento. Here's just a sample verse:
Let's start with the most obvious treat, here (for my head, at least). When the Dream Pop band Lorna collected up their annual holiday singles to create the hard copy CD "The Stars of Winnetka" in 2016, I feared that was the last holiday music we'd be hearing from them. But, last year, they surprised me with a concept "A Christmas Carol" album. And, now, we get the song "Broken Stars" on this compilation. I don't want to give away too much. Let me just say that relevance has never sounded so beautiful. "Broken Stars" is everything I love about Lorna. And, Lord knows, I luvz me some Lorna.
Another beautiful track here is "December" from 365. It's a new song from what appears to be a relatively new band (it's one of those band names that's problematic for search engines). "December" is sort of Anti-Folk meets Dream Pop. It's vaguely retro in it's sound, which contrasts wonderfully with the kind of lyrics you'd never have heard on Pop radio until very recently. The chord progression, here, is just gorgeous, and the backing vocals are heavenly, as the protagonist promises to be different this December (staying sober, for example) and "do the best I can...'til January."
For sheer delight, you can't beat a brand new song from MJ Hibbett. I'd call "The Christmas Robot" subversively splendid. Cross "The Marvelous Toy" with Timbuk 3's Christmas anthem, throw in an old Godzilla movie, and you have a song equally suitable for your child's phonograph (your child should have a phonograph) or Doctor Demento. Here's just a sample verse:
And so the Christmas Dinosaur
Launches her attack
Upon the Christmas Robot
Who swiftly battles back
The sparks that fly and explosions
Light up the Holy Night
Like a Fireworks Display
In which everyone dies
Launches her attack
Upon the Christmas Robot
Who swiftly battles back
The sparks that fly and explosions
Light up the Holy Night
Like a Fireworks Display
In which everyone dies
OK, on second thought, maybe not on your child's phonograph. But you'll love it. I know that you will. MJ maintains that his band, The Validators, weren't so keen on this "childrens" song, so he recorded it solo and found "A Very Cherry Christmas 13" the perfect venue for its release.
Another brand new track you'll love is "The Ballad of Xmas '99 (Oh Cliff)" from ElectroPop duo Spray. The subject matter is a tongue-in-cheek poke at England's annual quest for the holy grail...Christmas #1, and a frequent impediment to achieving that victory (Cliff Richard). "We heard a catchy little tune/We stole it in an afternoon/And stuck it on a cheap faux disco beat/The man said that's the gravy train/We quite agreed and drank champagne/And lit cigars with five pound notes 'til tea". Unfortunately for our "heroes," something stands in their way...Cliff Richard (Oh, Cliff). I suppose it's a cautionary tale, but it's a fantastic song, regardless.
And those are just a few of the highlights. You want rockers? We got amazing rockers from Final Clearance and Building Rockets. You want familiar faces? We got Panic Pocket, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, and future star (well...they're familiar to me, anyway). Want to reunite with an old friend? Neil Milton of The Frozen North (surely you remember them) does a great Shoegazey duet with Jules Jones as Milton & Jones. You want some trademark Indie cynicism? We got The Happy Somethings and their brilliant "It's Christmas Time (We're Miserable As Sin)" (ironic, isn't it?). You want a traditional carol done untraditionally? We got The Applepie and their version of "Angels We Have Heard On High". You want something that is unlike anything you've ever heard? I think Life As Surface Noise will provide exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.
Remember, there are only 200 copies of "A Very Cherry Christmas 13" (well, 199, now). And there will be NO downloads for this album. CDs should ship out this coming Monday. Even though it's coming from England, you'll find the price very nice (including shipping, it'll run you about $12 US). A few of the previous volumes may still be available in small numbers, if you'd like to try to round out your collection, but most are long gone. "A Very Cherry Christmas" is a tradition well worth preserving.
Since there are no downloads, Cherryade does the solid of offering a few teaser tracks every year, this year's being the selections from Gang Clouds and this comical makeover of Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody", "Office Christmas Party" by Goddamnit Jeremiah. "It's the office Christmas party, we're pretending to have fun/Goes on for hours and it's only just begun." You can relate; I can tell. This is from an entirely free Christmas album from last year, "Santa Baby Must Die", which we didn't talk about here, but Christmas A Go Go did.
Another brand new track you'll love is "The Ballad of Xmas '99 (Oh Cliff)" from ElectroPop duo Spray. The subject matter is a tongue-in-cheek poke at England's annual quest for the holy grail...Christmas #1, and a frequent impediment to achieving that victory (Cliff Richard). "We heard a catchy little tune/We stole it in an afternoon/And stuck it on a cheap faux disco beat/The man said that's the gravy train/We quite agreed and drank champagne/And lit cigars with five pound notes 'til tea". Unfortunately for our "heroes," something stands in their way...Cliff Richard (Oh, Cliff). I suppose it's a cautionary tale, but it's a fantastic song, regardless.
And those are just a few of the highlights. You want rockers? We got amazing rockers from Final Clearance and Building Rockets. You want familiar faces? We got Panic Pocket, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize, and future star (well...they're familiar to me, anyway). Want to reunite with an old friend? Neil Milton of The Frozen North (surely you remember them) does a great Shoegazey duet with Jules Jones as Milton & Jones. You want some trademark Indie cynicism? We got The Happy Somethings and their brilliant "It's Christmas Time (We're Miserable As Sin)" (ironic, isn't it?). You want a traditional carol done untraditionally? We got The Applepie and their version of "Angels We Have Heard On High". You want something that is unlike anything you've ever heard? I think Life As Surface Noise will provide exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.
Remember, there are only 200 copies of "A Very Cherry Christmas 13" (well, 199, now). And there will be NO downloads for this album. CDs should ship out this coming Monday. Even though it's coming from England, you'll find the price very nice (including shipping, it'll run you about $12 US). A few of the previous volumes may still be available in small numbers, if you'd like to try to round out your collection, but most are long gone. "A Very Cherry Christmas" is a tradition well worth preserving.
Since there are no downloads, Cherryade does the solid of offering a few teaser tracks every year, this year's being the selections from Gang Clouds and this comical makeover of Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody", "Office Christmas Party" by Goddamnit Jeremiah. "It's the office Christmas party, we're pretending to have fun/Goes on for hours and it's only just begun." You can relate; I can tell. This is from an entirely free Christmas album from last year, "Santa Baby Must Die", which we didn't talk about here, but Christmas A Go Go did.
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