Post From Christmas Past: Christmas With The Smithereens

Here’s another holiday rerun from the Broken Hearted Toy vault.

The Smithereens first dabbled in Christmas music back in 1992 by recording a silly and energetic take on “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” for the Rockin’ Christmas compilation. The song later appeared on the 1995 Attack Of The Smithereens rarities collection, as well as on the Songs Of The Season compilation sponsored by Borders Books and WXRT in 2000. 

In 2007, the band, which by then featured new bassist Severo Jornacion, really showed its holiday spirit by releasing the full-length Christmas With The Smithereens. It’s a fun party from start to finish, as The Smithereens bring their engaging power pop approach to a mix of originals and cover versions. “Waking Up On Christmas Morning,” which can also be found on the Hi-Fi Christmas Party and Ho Ho Spice collections, is a catchy tune penned by guitarist Jim Babjak. The  fast-paced “Christmas Time All Over The World,” written by Babjak, singer Pat DiNizio, drummer Dennis Diken, and original bassist Mike Mesaros, celebrates hugging and kissing under the mistletoe, and compares the holiday to a big rock show. The other Smithereens original, “Christmas (I Remember)” takes a melodic look back and notes, “The kid inside my heart won’t die.”

There are also guitar-driven interpretations of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” and The Beach Boys’ “Merry Christmas, Baby.” “Christmas,” taken from The Who’s Tommy isn’t traditional holiday fare, but the authentic arrangement here gives a preview of band’s later decision to record their own version of the entire rock opera. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” doesn’t have as much edge as the version by The Ramones, but it’s still a solid effort, and The Smithereens also do well with “Christmas Time Is Here Again,” one of the rare songs The Beatles recorded for their fan club members.

The Smithereens set Clement Clark Moore’s classic poem, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas to a jazzy percussion-led arrangement, and open “Auld Lang Syne” with acappella vocals before launching into a rollicking instrumental jam session. All in all, Christmas With The Smithereens is a date worth keeping. 

Post Of Christmas Past: Various Artists - Yuletunes

This review has appeared on Broken Hearted Toy in the past, but I was just listening to the Yuletunes CD while trying to catch on my holiday to-do list, and thought it was worthy of another turn in spotlight. Yuletunes ranks as on of the best rock Christmas compilations, and is available from the Shoes website. 

Released in 1991 on Shoes’ Black Vinyl label, Yuletunes was an ambitious collection of original Christmas songs created by various power pop artists, mostly from the Midwest. Matthew Sweet, who contributed the reverent “Baby Jesus,” and Marti Jones and Don Dixon, who created a joyous duet on “Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday,” were the biggest names involved.

“This Christmas” by Shoes is a catchy rock song with a monster drum beat and chiming guitars, as the band’s lush harmony vocals deliver the optimistic advice, “Things will get better/Doesn’t seem like it now, but they always do.” Material Issue’s “Merry Christmas Will Do” features Jim Ellison’s rugged guitar playing, and as a vocalist, he’s a master at selling the pain of unrequited love. “You don’t have to say you love me, I know that that’s not true,” Ellison concedes. “But Merry Christmas will do.” The Idea, fronted by vocalist-guitarist Phil Angotti, contribute the fetching “It’s About That Time,” which describes winter scenes, church bell, carols, and watching It’s A Wonderful Life. It goes on to note that the holiday season seems like the only time of the year when “we all have a lot of love to share.”

The single-named Leroy checks in with “Santa Stole My Baby,” a mid-tempo song that sets up a crime scene with clever clues like, “footsteps on the rooftop.” The slinky guitar playing underscores the sexy fun of lyrics like, “She makes him cookies./She calls him Chris/Gets everything double on her Christmas list.” “The Saddest Time Of The Year” comes from Spooner, the Wisconsin-based band that included lead vocalist-guitarist Duke Erikson and drummer Butch Vig long before they formed Garbage with dynamic Scottish chanteuse, Shirley Manson. The haunting arrangement, and Erikson’s guitar playing in particular, make this reflection on disappointment and loneliness at Christmas even more touching. The Cavedogs mixed comedy with catchy pop music on “3 Wise Men And A Baby (Xmas Song),” a funny and ambitious epic that begins with a sound bite of Burl Ives’ talking snowman from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. About halfway through, the guitar-driven song abruptly shifts into a lounge act reminiscent of the bit Bill Murray used to do on Saturday Night Live.

The Spongetones describe a tranquil paradise with their acoustic-based, innocent fantasy “Christmasland,” which combines a delicate melody and intricately layered vocals. “A God Of My Own” by the 92 Degrees evokes the British Invasion while taking a complex look at religious beliefs during what is undoubtedly the most commercial time of the year. Songs don’t come much happier than Bill Lloyd’s “Underneath The Christmas Tree,” which depicts a guy and his girlfriend sharing an evening of holiday decorating. Set to a catchy arrangement, it sounds like it could have been a 1960s Top 40 hit.

Kelly Ryan is inconsolable on the ballad, “It’s Not Christmas,” as she spends the holiday alone “for the first time in years.” It’s not clear why her longtime beau is no longer there, but a reference to her looking longingly at the phone suggests there’s hope for a reconciliation. Singer-guitarist Herb Eimerman’s gorgeous ballad “You Gave Me” celebrates family traditions at Christmas, as well as the way love and values are passed on from one generation to another. The lyrics take listeners to a holiday gathering at the parents’ home where children and grandchildren bask in “the love from this fine house.” Eimerman tells his Mom and Dad, “I learned all my love from all your love you gave me.” The Critics uncork an irresistible energy on their romantic “She Feels Like Christmas Day.” It’s the one song on this memorable collection that could conceivably be played at any time of year.

Oh What Fun!

WXRT’s Sunday night program Local Anesthetic has long been a gateway for Chicago area musicians to get some exposure on the FM rock station. Host Richard Milne often interviews local recording artists, in addition to playing their music. Every December, Milne invites the city’s music community to take part in his Local Anesthetic Holiday Spectacular.

The challenge for local music acts is to create an entertaining holiday greeting that mentions themselves as well as WXRT and Local Anesthetic in less than a minute. Milne mentioned on the 22nd Annual Holiday Spectacular this past Sunday night that some entries blew through the time limit and therefore had to be edited. Local Anesthetic expands to an hour for this seasonal edition, and amazingly, the numerous promotional snippets all kind of work together as a whole.

Thanks to social networking, favorite bands seem closer to us these days, which makes their holiday greetings seem all the more personal. So listeners enjoyed cheer from Mr. Blotto, The Luck Of Eden Hall, Urban Twang (who served up Led Zeppelin and “The Little Drummer Boy” in their piece), The Red Plastic Buddha, The Webstirs, The Safes, Magatha Trysty, Corky Siegel, Ellis Clark, Static In Verona, The Del Monacos, Sgt. Popgrass, and countless others. WXRT will air The Local Anesthetic Holiday Spectacular again on Sunday, December 22nd.  

More Fun: The Beatle Brothers, a covers band founded by Phil Angotti and Jay Goeppner, will be performing a special Christmas show this Friday night at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn.

Digital Single Review: The Mites - “Washaway”

The Mites add elements of shoegazing and power pop to an indie rock approach on “Washaway,” a digital single that provides an enticing preview to their upcoming album. The band’s lead vocalist Ali Korte evokes Clare Grogan of Altered Images and Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays. Guitarist/songwriter Reed DeAngelis from the speed metal band Iron Age proves he’s versatile enough to play two entirely different genres, and drummer Raul Vela IV brings expertise from his work with Gleeson and Cottonwood Stills.

“Washaway” kicks off with some energetic guitar strumming before settling into a melodic arrangement featuring Korte’s dreamily layered vocals. The poetic lyrics, with lines like, “We’ll watch the world wash away” call to mind Modern English’s 1980 hit “I Melt With You,” suggesting it’s possible to escape the world’s hassles if you find the right person. The full-length debut from The Mites drops in March, 2014. Meanwhile, “Washaway” is available for a free download on their Bandcamp page.

Saturday Slumgullion

Yesterday’s Slumgullion was a bit short due an active week of freelance work, so here are some more items about upcoming events in entertainment.

The Flamin’ Groovies are often credited with being one of the pioneers of power pop, and their frontman Chris Wilson has a solo effort due out on January 14th. It’s Flamin’ Groovy! will also feature Flamin’ Groovies band members Cyril Jordan and George Alexander.

As the year winds down I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to EXPO ‘76 for their consistently clever Facebook announcements of upcoming gigs in the Chicago area. This fun and impressively eclectic covers band has a performance coming up with The Total Pro Horns next Thursday, December 19th at FitzGerald’s nightclub in Berwyn. Here’s what EXPO ‘76 posted: “We are returning to FitzGerald's Nightclub for one last fling around the dance floor with 2013, before we emotionlessly trade her in for a new fresh trophy year called 2014.” They’re pretty funny onstage, too.

The fun and consistently melodic band The Steak House Mints also have a gig coming up this Thursday. They’ll be at Martyrs’ playing selections from this year’s Love Songs For Prostitutes album. Leslie Hunt and Temple Schultz will be opening that night.

Over at Uncommon Ground’s Clark Street location on that same Thursday night, Gerry O’Keefe, Paul Coady, Scott Niekelski and Patrick Potts will take part in a Songwriters Circle.

Martin Van Ruin, a new band founded by vocalist Derek Nelson, just posted a video on YouTube of its live performance of two songs at Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood while the venue was still under construction. The brief “Give Me Flowers” is stark and compelling while “Someone Tried To Warn Me” finds Martin Van Ruin trying a more energetic approach. Both songs feature well-crafted vocals from Nelson and fellow vocalist Sarah Jane Goldstein The band has a release party coming up at Lincoln Hall on December 20th for its debut, Every Man A King.

Fort Frances will be previewing some new songs when they open for The Lone Bellow at the Athenaeum Theater in Chicago on Friday, January 17th. The gig is part of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival.

The Americana coed trio Rivals Of The Peacemaker will be part of a roots rock showcase at Martyrs’ on December 28th. The band Falldown, which includes former members of The Hue,The Redwalls and Safe Haven, and the duo Elisa Grace and Adam Levy, are also on the bill.

WXRT will finish off  2013 with its Rock ‘N Roll Ball at the International Continental Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont on New Year’s Eve. Cracker and JC Brooks And The Uptown Sound are the headliners, with Modern Day Romeos and Rod Tuffcurls And The Bench Press also on the bill.

Musician Jeff Charreaux of the band Ultraviolet Eye will be part of a rally at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, CA tonight to protest an effort by the city of Los Angeles to ban anyone from feeding homeless people in public places. Charreaux and others fear the ban will adversely affect the efforts of charities to bring food to those who desperately need it.

Slumgullion

Shadows Of Knight frontman Jimy Sohns will be one of the musicians on hand for the annual Dick Biondi Toy Drive tomorrow from 10:00AM to 8:00 PM at Block Thirty Seven in downtown Chicago. Biondi, a legendary air personality in the Chicago area for decades, will be broadcasting live from the event. Guests are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy.

   

Over the years, I’ve come to recognize musician/journalist Dan Pavelich’s indie label Vandalay as a trusted name in Christmas rock compilations. Pavelich produced three volumes of Hi-Fi Christmas, persuading numerous power pop and indie artists to contribute original songs that celebrated the holiday. Proceeds from those CDs helped fund research to find a cure for Von Willibrand’s Disease, a rare blood disorder.

Pavelich’s most recent effort on Vandalay is Christmas Without Cancer, and it features some of the same artists that made the Hi-Fi Christmas compilations so enjoyable. The Grip Weeds, Lisa Mychols, The Goldbergs, Jeremy, The Click Beetles, and Bill Lloyd are on board, along with newcomers like Mimi Betinis from Pezband and Sgt. Popgrass, a bluegrass Beatles cover band fronted by Graham Elvis. Christmas Without Cancer is available for $12 on the Jam Records website, and 100% of the profits will go to The American Cancer Society. 

Sorry I missed this a few weeks back, but Go Time! recently celebrated its fifth anniversary of making hard-edged power pop music. Congratulations to them.

It might be a little early to think about what concerts you’ll be checking out next Spring, but Shoes have announced they’ll be doing a show at Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso Indiana on May 31st. Hopefully more shows are in the works.

Also, coming up in the new year, The Abbeys will be debuting their new lineup at Redline Tap on February 15th.

The Posies are back in the USA and will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of Frosting On The Beater with the band’s original lineup at Neumos in Seattle on January 10th.

Rascals fans could be singing, “It’s a Beautiful Morning!” on Christmas day if someone gives them a copy of The Rascals A Visual Biography. The 9” x 12” book was sold at the band’s performances of its Once Upon A Dream musical, and is now available on the Wicked Cool Records website. The Rascals A Visual Biography, which was written by Joe Russo with a forward by Little Steven VanZandt, has 175 pages over 400 photographs.

Christmas Songs From The Luck And The JAC

The tradition of rock bands giving us their take on this festive season lives on, as numerous artists are releasing special holiday recordings. Here are two recent examples.

Noel And Other Holiday Classics, which is currently available as a name-your-price download on The Luck Of Eden Hall’s Bandcamp page, appears to be a mix of old and new material. Their garage rock version of the classic hymn, “Noel” was first released on a cassette decades ago, but hasn’t lost a bit of its psychedelic allure. The high-speed song takes some twists and turns, and includes angelic backup vocals.

On “The Little Drummer Boy,”the band kicks off a head trip to Bethlehem with church organ music before moving on to a slow-moving, dreamy arrangement. The digital album includes a pair of original tunes as well. The melodic snippet “Lucky Christmas Time” could be a carol for gamblers, with the line, “enjoy your wealth” mixed in with words of holiday cheer. The nostalgic “Wonderful Red Stockings” is fun look at a family gathering on Christmas morning, and adroitly blends rock and classical music. 

Australian singer/multi-instrumentalist Joe Algeri has a history of releasing pop-oriented Christmas music. A few years back, he recorded “Chris Hillman Christmas” with The Britannicas, an international trio that includes himself, Swede Mangus Karlsson and American Herb Eimerman. The chiming, heavily 1960s influenced song was a combination tribute to The Byrds’ guitarist and a fun celebration of the season. In 2012, performing under the name The JAC, he put out a full-length CD of off-kilter holiday songs titled I See Things Differently.

The recently released “I Dont Want Your Christmas Presents” once again reflects Algeri’s fascination with The Byrds. The signature ringing guitars are in place, and Algeri creates some tight harmonies with Eimerman and other guests. As with most of his material—seasonal or otherwise—the lyrics are clever and a bit unconventional. “I Dont Want Your Christmas Presents,” which is followed in the song with the line, “I just want your presence,” depicts a guy who’s not sure if he and his globetrotting girlfriend will still be together on Christmas day. Using the holiday season as a backdrop for heartache goes back at least as far as “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley, but The JAC puts his own spin on the situation. “I Don't Want Your Christmas Presents” is available as a free download on Algeri’s Bandcamp page.