Speakeasy's holiday mix tape evokes cheer
By Terry O'Donovan, Assistant Entertainment Editor
Jillian Mapes, Assistant Managing Editor
December 23, 2007 | noon
With chills setting in and white, fluffy precipitation falling from the sky and neutralizing our city infrastructures, it's nice to know that Christmas is here to add at least a little bit of holiday cheer. For many, however, the joys of eggnog and fruitcakes are offset by endless, mind-numbing renditions of tired Christmas classics.
Fortunately, your friends at Speakeasy are here to save the day. Forgo ear-bleeding this year by sticking to our indie-friendly holiday playlist, the perfect accompaniment for a cozy day by the fire spent ripping up wrapping paper.
John Lennon (with Yoko and the Plastic Onos): “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” - Lennon’s classic Vietnam protest single from 1971 has a tendency to sound somewhat dated today, but in a warm, nostalgic sort of way. The lyrics are vintage Lennon, proclaiming a happy Christmas “for black and for white” and exhorting us to “stop all the fight.” Sure, it’s cheesy, but who cares when it’s this fun to sing along? Soaring vocals are backed by kiddy choruses courtesy of the Harlem Community Choir. For the more adventurous, check out Yoko’s less well known B-side, “Listen, the Snow is Falling.”
Paul McCartney: “Wonderful Christmastime” - So you’re not a John fan, eh? Well, maybe Paul’s more your type. We’ve all heard this bouncing pop carol before, but somehow, that (very clearly dated) synth line never quite gets old. Not to be outdone by John and Yoko, Paul’s accompanying B-side is the curious tune “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae.” The name may sound interesting, but please: stay away. Far away. Stick to the A-side on this one.
Over the Rhine: “All I Ever Get for Christmas Is Blue” - Seasonal affective disorder got you down? Don’t worry: Karin Bergquist, OtR’s exquisite vocalist, is here to empathize in a major way. The piano and bass accompaniment plays out like a despondent Vince Guaraldi song, white Bergquist riffs on the sorrows of “saxophones on the radio/ recorded 40 years ago.” In fact, the entirety of the Cincinnati group’s album Snow Angels is winter-themed songwriting at its most inviting and least clichéd.
Sufjan Stevens: “Only at Christmastime” - This is, after all, a religious holiday. In his Songs for Christmas, (available for streaming here.) Sufjan brings in the spiritual while leaving sugary-sweet sentimentalism at the door. While not the most inventive or gripping of albums, it gets marks for rising above the Top 40 holiday slush. A hypnotic guitar progression guides this track through trademark Stevens vocals and ornate instrumental flourishes.
Jack Johnson: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” - Ever feel like Rudolph was a chump for letting Santa et al. off the hook too easy? Jack Johnson does. His revisionist romp through reindeer history is a jolly departure from the classic jingle. It helps that the summery instrumentation takes us away from the snow and sleet, if only for a little while. (Available at YouTube.)
Death Cab for Cutie: "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" - In case you've missed it, Death Cab has a peculiar disposition towards making wonderful music that usually doesn't find its way onto Top 40 radio. (Curious how that works out, isn't it?) In this case, the song comes courtesy of U2, but Ben Gibbard and crew make this wistful rendition all their own. Gibbard's reverb-heavy vocals lend a nuance to the song that was missing in Bono, etc.'s version.
Belle & Sebastian: "Are You Coming Over for Christmas?" - With its gorgeously layered horns, keys and reed instruments, this recently released track proves that those Scots know how to make one helluva Christmas tune. Masters of modest yet glimmering indie-pop, Belle & Sebastian channel the slow numbers of the dance hall days with this swing-tinged duet between B&S's Stuart Murdoch and Celia Garcia. It's a bit sweeter than the overplayed holiday songs that are currently controlling the radio airwaves, and I guarantee that it's much more original, especially lyrically. The song is streaming exclusively at the both the band's MySpace and Web site, and it will be available for a free download at the B&S site on Christmas day. Besides, the gift of a free song from Belle & Sebastian is probably a lot better than another ugly sweater from your aunt.
Beck: "Little Drum Machine Boy" - Lyrics about "Hanukkah robot funk" and "ejaculatin’ on buffet tables and record labels" atop the thickest bass line you've ever heard from a Jew turned Scientologist - this has to be Beck's take on the religious classic "Little Drummer Boy." Although Beck's music has a tendency to be both wonderfully inventive and ever-changing, this track is even a surprise to avid fans of Mr. Hansen's work. He ironically imitates a thug rapper and instead of busting out lyrics about smacking up some hoes, he raps about Menorahs and Volvos. C'mon, this is holiday cheer at its very finest moment.
Low: "Just Like Christmas" - Any song with an excessive amount of jingle bells in it is either a.) more indie than is necessary, or b.) a holiday tune. Minnesota minimalists Low (even the band's name is minimal!), though an indie rock group, go with the latter option this jangly track that features ethereal female vocals that repeat the line "it was just like Christmas" over and over again. The song seems annoying on paper, but the former Radiohead tour chums of Low make it work with an subtle, humming organ and drums that kind of sound like they're being played from inside a well.
Tom Waits: "Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis" - The legendary baritone troubadour delivers one of his often humorous, always experimental musical narratives on the most unconventional Christmas-related tune of all-time. This is holiday music for the cynics who despise holiday music: it's not cheesy and it's not even Christmas-y. It's a letter from a prostitute who's in the slammer, for crying out loud. Seriously, there is nothing else to say about this song; just watch the YouTube video of Waits performing it live with a medley of "Silent Night."
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