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Tuesday 18 December 2012

17 December 2012 - the Christmas special (postponed)

John isn't well. As such, we had to cancel our Christmas special we had scheduled for the 17th. This is particularly annoying, as John had put loads of work into it, even going and buying props as well as spending an age compiling some festive treats. Instead, valued reader, you get first look at what would have been played had leaving the house for a couple of hours seemed like a good idea.

The Fall - Hark, The Herald Angels
I love The Fall. Their continued existence is a minor miracle in itself. This is off a 1994 Peel session.

Half Man Half Biscuit - It's Cliched To Be Cynical At Christmas
The greatest band in the world, themselves no stranger to the chippy and cynical, give the likes of me a lesson that it's not cool to sneer at this time of year. This is from the 2000 album Trouble Over Bridgwater.

Pomplamoose - Always In The Season
An interesting bunch, these are from Corte Madera in California and this is from the 2010 EP Christmas In Space.

Belle and Sebastian - Are You Coming Over For Christmas?
The Glasgow aesthetes with their 2007 festive single

Tim Minchin - White Wine In The Sun
The Australian poet/comedian/everything else with his admittedly sentimental paean to the Christmases of the ex-pat. Released as a single in 2009.

Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Christmas Ever
Yeah, OK, not the cheeriest of lyrics or anything, but it's a lovely tune and fits the theme. This was on 2006's Songs For Christmas.

Jethro Tull - A Christmas Song
Getting our folk on with a slating of the inherent hypocrisy this time of year brings out. As relevant now as it was in 1976 when this was released on the EP Ring Out, Solstice Bells.

The Sonics - Don't Believe In Christmas
105 seconds of old school garage. From the 1965 compilation Merry Christmas which came out on the Etiquette label.

Thurl Ravenscroft - The Grinch Song
The theme from the 1966 animated film How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Ravenscroft was originally uncredited for his performance. The film (spoiler alert) shows the indefatigability of the spirit of man which The Grinch finally comes to see. So it's a heart-warming Christmas tale, right?

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
Just about the only one of the usual suspects I can abide. This acoustic version is particularly delightful.

Wedding Present and Simone White - Holly Jolly Hollywood
Ah, Mr Gedge. Gone all Hollywood on us, eh? From the 2008 EP of the same name.

Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
A 1987 offering from the New Yorkers, and no, let's not fight this year eh?

Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman
The question you have to ask is why wouldn't some Scottish art-poppers cover Frosty The Snowman? This is from the EP Snow released in 1993.

Eels - Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
And unless the Mayans were right, it probably will be. From "B-sides and Rarities" which came out in 2005.

I Break Horses - Winter Beats
Possibly not even a Christmas record in the grander scheme, but it has the word 'winter' in the title and I like it, so I'm having it. I Break Horses are Maria Linden and Fredrik Balck from Stockholm and this is off the album Hearts which came out last August.

The Leisure Society - Last Of The Melting Snow
From Brighton, this is off the 2009 album The Sleeper.

Shonen Knife - Sweet Christmas
Osaka's finest all-girl pop-punk outfit, they've done loads of Christmas songs. This one's about making a cake and was released as a single in 2011.

Half Man Half Biscuit - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit
I couldn't do Christmas without this, could I? From 1986's EP Trumpton Riots and subsequently on the re-issue of their debut album Back In The DHSS.


So disappointed we couldn't do this last night, but... well, y'know. And it was going to be our last show for a while too. We're not back on air until January 7 now as we, in line with all the major European leagues except England, take our winter break.
Merry Christmas to all our readers and listeners.

Here your YouTube playlist with a couple of extras on the end. Merry Christmas!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm sorry you didn't get to do the show but I enjoyed reading this post and I discovered some new Christmas music. Merry Christmas to you both!

John_D said...

Thanks Craig.
Glad we've been able to point you to some new stuff - it's what we aim to do.