Short one but I had to post this mixtape since I've posted a Christmas mixtape every year on Don't Dance Her Down Boys and I'm a sucker for tradition.
So here it is, Christmas. It exists. Deal with it.
Tracklisting:
1. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer- The Crystals
2. Christmas is Cancelled- The Long Blondes
3. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)- Darlene Love
4. Christmas Wrapping- Summer Camp (Waitresses Cover)
5. December Will Be Magic Again- Kate Bush
6. Santa Claus- Throwing Muses
7. All I Want for Christmas- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. Just for Now- Imogen Heap
9. Home Sweet Home (at Christmas)- Viv Albertine
10. Black Christmas- Poly Styrene
There are exactly 200,153 songs about girls names and that's a fact I mean don't research it, don't look it up, you can't find it on wikipedia but it's true...ish. Whatever the actual statistic is I know it's pretty high.
Call me a feminazi but I find that many songs about women written by men tend to fall into two camps. Women are either portrayed as either the temptress seducing a guy or the angel who can do no wrong. This can be a little tiresome for this blogger who just wants to get through listening to one song without being told she's a wanton woman.
It becomes more interesting when women write songs about other women as it allows a more honest depiction of femininity and womanhood.
The Raincoats cover of Lola brings the song into a whole new territory that The Kinks probably never even thought it could go and Patti Smith's classic Gloria becomes a moving declaration of womanhood every time she repeats those famous letters "G-L-O-R-I-A".
Feminist analysis aside these are all bloody good songs so enjoy and everyone sing in unison "GLORIA....".
Tracklisting:
1. Gloria- Patti Smith
2. Lucille- She Keeps Bees
3. Clara Bow- 50 Foot Wave
4. Valerie- Amy Winehouse
5. Angelene- PJ Harvey
6. Oh Marie- Ladyfuzz
7. Samantha- Hole
8. Lola- The Raincoats
9. Prescilla- Bat For Lashes
10. Anne- Santigold
11. Mary Ann- Regina Spektor
12. Oh Serena- The Distilllers
13. Headache For Michelle- Au Pairs
14. Erica Kane- Aaliyah
15. Hedi's Head- Kleenex
16. Polly- Long Blondes
17. Jenny- Sleater-Kinney
Open the door of the indie advent calender to find today's christmas song.
Dear readers, I never got over the break up of The Long Blondes, their songs were indie pop perfection why did they have to leave me, as a result I've offered up there take on a christmas song.
If Christmas to you is just another day, you hate merriment, joy and are just a general grinch when it comes to anything seasonal then you'll probably love Christmas is Cancelled.
This is probably the most sour Christmas song ever written but that's why I love it.
Kate paints a picture of a lonely, bitter woman, regretting a love that went wrong leaving her alone on the worst day of the year to be alone.
All she has to keep her company is a plate of fish and chips and the Queen's message on the TV.
This should have been published awhile ago, technically last year, but who cares since when were there rules for this end of the year lists. Who says they actually have to be made at the end of the year.
Here my recap of the last decade in music. I think it's been a good'un myself.
1. Fuck The Pain Away- Peaches
2. Big Exit- PJ Harvey 3. Bootylicious- Destiny's Child 4. Keep on' Livin- Le Tigre 5. Combat Rock- Sleater-Kinney 6. Crazy in Love- Beyonce 7. Maps- Yeah Yeah Yeahs 8. TKO- Le Tigre 9. The Beer- Kimya Dawson 10. The Fox- Sleater-Kinney 11. Single Again- The Fiery Furnaces 12. Back to Black- Amy Winehouse 13. Lust in the Movies- The Long Blondes 14. Declare Independence- Bjork 15. Paper Planes- M.I.A 16. Animal Imagination- Glass Candy 17. Where Do You Run To- Vivian Girls 18. Transformer- Marnie Stern 19. Golden Phone- Micachu 20. Shelter- The xx 21. Zero- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I'm going to be honest I'm not as proud of this mix as I have been of others, I think I peaked with lady rap.
It's hard to find good christmas songs, especially when you lose a whole gender's work to select from. This is probably the only time I'll complain about wanting to her more guy music. I promise this would be the only time.
Anyway here is my short, but sweet mix for the special day that comes but once a year.
If this does not meet your christmas mixtapes needs then I would suggest you head over to Everett True's Christmas song list on his blog. It's a lot longer for one thing.
Tracklisting:
1. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)- Darlene Love
2. All I Want For Christmas- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Just For Now- Imogen Heap
4. Christmas Is Cancelled- The Long Blondes
5. Christmas Medley- Destiny's Child
6. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year- Martha Wainwright
