Hip Christmas

08/23/2026

From the Crates: The same year Bad Religion released their fairly conventional, albeit fast-and-loud album, "Christmas Songs" (2013), they also released a limited edition 7-inch benefit single covering the Kinks' immortal "Father Christmas" https://youtu.be/ZcV3J2Feieg. Despite the band's punk rock bona fides, the Kinks version stands up pretty well against it! In 2014, Bad Religion reissued the single for download: https://amzn.to/3rYYl09

"Father Christmas" by Bad ReligionDownload the single on iTunes: h...

08/22/2026

From the Crates: "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" https://youtu.be/yEphSFH9Nxk is easily the wackiest song on the Four Tops' 1995 Motown album, "Christmas Here With You." Clement Moore's famous poem is told with enthusiasm by lead singer Levi Stubbs, but in character as "Audrey II," the man-eating plant he voiced in the 1986 musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." Discerning listeners will note, however, that Stubbs' character also bears a strong resemblance to musical comedian Blowfly, minus the verbal po*******hy. Ahem... Learn more and listen on my website: https://tinyurl.com/46cpk3kx

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group'Twas The Night Befor...

08/21/2026

Stax Christmas (Craft, 2023)

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/yckh75aj

08/20/2026

From the Crates: Photo Ops is Los Angeles-via-Nashville songwriter Terry Price, and "Odd Christmas" https://youtu.be/4pJbXeGhXQ8 is a track from his 2023 album "Burns Bright." It speaks to the discomfort many of us feel around the holidays, but in a weirdly comforting way. Nice trick, huh? Get it on Bandcamp https://tinyurl.com/4e6dem4a, Amazon https://amzn.to/4xfsTLy, Apple Music https://apple.co/44YAmmi, and more.

Provided to YouTube by paul is dead recordsOdd Christmas · Photo ...

08/19/2026

Let It Snow! Cuddly Christmas Classics From Capitol (1992)

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/3pthcxfz

08/18/2026

From the Crates: We all love JD McPherson, right? In 2021, he put out a new video for "Holly, Carol, Candy & Joy" https://youtu.be/gt-55Ib4GrU, one of the more lascivious tracks from his bang-up 2018 album "Socks" https://amzn.to/3BoRLGj. It's done in a French New Wave style - "just snobby enough," McPherson quipped.

From the album 'SOCKS,' out now (): http://newwst.co...

08/17/2026

Dwight Yoakam, Santa Claus Is Back In Town (single, 1987)

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/rbhzed98

08/16/2026

From the Crates: The Galaxies' "Christmas Eve" https://youtu.be/Ru45xOCkaMU is a lovely yuletide soporific very welcome after the anti-Christmas rants that highlight "Merry Christmas From The Sonics, The Wailers, The Galaxies" https://tinyurl.com/ykddsbua, a legendary collection released on tiny Etiquette Records in 1965. The Galaxies insist Santa Claus "wouldn't want anyone to be left out" - exactly the opposite of what the Sonics and Wailers forcefully declaim elsewhere on the album.

Provided to YouTube by TuneCoreChristmas Eve · The GalaxiesMerr...

08/15/2026

From the Crates: "Home For Christmas" https://youtu.be/KDuMrvQ5pdwis is the lead track from "Holiday Limited" https://amzn.to/2h4gOGK, the 2000 EP by Last Train Home, an Americana band from Nashville by way of Washington D.C. The EP is pretty good, but "Home For Christmas" is just great - a catchy, original song that tells an engaging, emotionally nuanced story.

Recorded by Last Train Home for its "Holiday Limited" EP. Written ...

08/14/2026

A Lump Of Coal: A Collection Of Holiday Songs (Funzalo, 2019)

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/42454cb5