Kooky Christmas #11: “Deck the Stills” by Barenaked Ladies

Our wave of Kooky Christmas music is growing. My next selection is from a whole album of holiday oddity: Barenaked for the Holidays. From the opening tune — a frenetic take on “Jingle Bells” — these songs all provide a new perspective on seasonal themes. You could choose almost any of these for the countdown. …

Kooky Christmas #12: “All I Want for Christmas” by Timbuk 3

Our next Kooky Christmas Countdown entry finds the atomic cloud inside the holiday’s silver lining. #12: “All I Want for Christmas” by Timbuk 3 As much as this is an anti-war and anti-consumerism song, it’s also something of a fun flashback for anyone who grew up in the 1980s and had these toys. “Transformers? I …

Kooky Christmas #13: “Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan

Today on Kooky Christmas, we learn that we must be careful what we wish for. #13: “Must Be Santa” by Bob Dylan Just yesterday, I was thinking that I didn’t know any new Christmas album released this year by artists that I like. More of my favorite bands should make holiday albums, I thought. And …

Kooky Christmas #14: “Be-Bop Santa Claus” by Babs Gonzales

Digging into some jazz for number fourteen in the Kooky Christmas Countdown: “Be-Bop Santa Claus” by Babs Gonzales “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” the poem by Clement Clarke Moore, has inspired many a kooky reading for entertainment-type purposes. One that I particularly enjoy is Babs Gonzales‘s version, “Be-Bop Santa Claus.” It’s laden with fifties-era stereotypes, …

Kooky Christmas: Recount!

Image credit: If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger, from the series “When Santa Sold“ Whoops! Apparently that Ramones song was so nice, I included it in the list twice. Yes, when I started the Kooky Christmas count down last year, I posted it at #23, while yesterday I posted it at #15. This demonstrates that …

Kooky Christmas #15: “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by the Ramones

For today’s Kooky Christmas I promised a trip to the beach, but it’s been a contentious day. Something extra-comforting is needed. We need good cheer. We need words of peace and love. We need music that can bring people together. We need the Ramones. “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” by the Ramones …

Kooky Christmas: #20, “The First Noel” by Crash Test Dummies

Picking up where we left off last year, let’s continue counting down my top 25 Kooky Christmas songs. “The First Noel,” Crash Test Dummies Those of us who remember when MTV played music videos all the time may remember Crash Test Dummies from their hit, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm,” notable for the extreme low bass …

25 days of Christmas

Oh hey! It must be December. I’ve been scurrying through the last few weeks (months), head down and nose to grindstone, largely oblivious to the seasons. But I can’t help but notice that holiday music is back. Even my own iTunes has started playing it, unprompted by me. The other night I turned on the …

Kooky Christmas Music Countdown: #23

Our next sound in the Kooky Christmas Countdown is a late punk classic. Number 23: “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight)” by The Ramones Some background from Mistletunes.com: The Ramones were actually pretty slow to jump on the punk rock Christmas bandwagon; this is from 1989’s Brain Drain album and also appeared on the …

Kooky Christmas Countdown: #25 and #24

It’s past time to start the My Brilliant Mistakes version of an advent calendar, our annual music countdown. This year the theme is "Kooky Christmas," and we’ll be highlighting strange and wonderful music of the season. Number 25: "Santa’s Beard" by They Might Be Giants What could be more appropriate to the season than a …