Tony Reflex is yet another pseudonym for O.C. punk rock legend Tony Adolescent, who has graced these pages before. Just saw on Reflex’s personal blog a bitching list of the top-ten not-shitty holiday songs. Or perhaps, yes-shitty, because the songs are mostly about the holidays as they really are: melancholy, fractious, dark, disappointing. It’s a great lineup, not all rock, but all pretty punk in their own way. I’ll list the tunes here, but he’s posted videos for each and great descriptions of the songs and their history on his blog. Go stop by. Tell him DadWagon said hey, and that we are, as always, big fans.
Tony’s Top Ten Holiday songs
- Groovie Ghoulies—Christmas on Mars
- Santa Claus Conquers the Martians—Hooray for Santy Claus
- Joan Jett—The Little Drummer Boy
- The Humpers—Run, Run Rudolph
- The Damned—There Ain’t no Sanity Clause
- Fear—Fuck Christmas
- Residents—Santa Dog
- Kinks—Father Christmas
- Peanuts—Christmas Time is Here
- Captain Beefheart—There Ain’t No Santa Claus on the Evening Stage
Something tells me my kids are gonna get a mix tape for Christmas.
LOL after watching the Vegan Black Metal Chef.. I am going to have to listen to a few of these..
I nominate “Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto” by James Brown. Not punk, but neither is Peanuts.
Peanuts is totally punk! Or at least proto-punk. Charlie Brown has a blacker flag than Henry Rollins could ever dream of.
Nice list, I like Beefheart’s contribution.
Might I add (for next year’s non-punk mix):
The Sonics – Santa Claus (great yuletide solo)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFxFvg62v6U)
The Youngsters – Christmas in Jail
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM38kN4AOys)
Jimmy Butler – Trim Your Tree
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-6nBT27Bbo)