St. Louis Music Blog

Dear Santa,

Last night at the Pageant, you showed up again this year as the man of honor at A Very Ludo Christmas. But things were somewhat different for the local quintet as it celebrated its fourth annual holiday extravaganza. For starters, earlier in the year Ludo released You're Awful, I Love You, its major-label debut. That CD spawned a modern-rock hit ("Love Me Dead") and helped raise the band's national profile: Warped Tour, gigs with Relient K and the Presidents of the United States of America, appearances on late-night television and countless other promotions convinced those outside St. Louis of Ludo's talent.


Slide Show

What was apparent after the show last night - where you had the best vantage point, in a throne situated stage left - is that the band has earned this recognition because of its songs. Awful

tunes "Such As It Ends" and "Please" are stone-cold pop gems, with seamless construction, catchy hooks and original arrangements. Ludo's ability to skid between genres (always one of its big strengths) also impressed me last night, even moreso than it has in the past.

MP3: Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

This song unites everyone, people. Everyone. Merry Christmas, if you celebrate that sort of stuff.

MP3: The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, "Fairytale of New York"

There really isn't a better Christmas Eve song than this duet between Irish rockers the Pogues and the late Kirsty MacColl. Taken from the Pogues' If I Should Fall from Grace with God, the song reminisces about the ghosts and regrets of holidays past. "Fairytale" is a perennial top ten December single in the U.K. But when released first in 1987, it didn't reach No. 1, thanks to the Pet Shop Boys' cover of "Always On My Mind."

Here's the 1987 TOTP version of the song.

Christmas music is inherently sentimental and sappy -- which just makes videos for some of its most famous songs unintentionally hilarious. Here are five that are particularly awkward/charming.

David Bowie and Bing Crosby, "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" This was from Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas, a 1977 TV special that aired a month and a half after Crosby died. If Bowie looking sedate wasn't weird enough -- this was in the midst of his Berlin Trilogy era which produced "Heroes," Low and Lodger -- the fake-introduction banter and holiday small-talk is priceless. "Oh, hello. I'm David Bowie. I live down the block." Like Bing, bless his heart, wouldn't know who he is. Gotta love contrived TV specials.

MP3: The Ramones, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"

From 1989's Brain Drain. Another classic Joey Ramone tune.

MP3: Band Aid, "Do They Know It's Christmas Time? (Original 1984)"

I couldn't find the best version of this song, which is an extended mix with a totally earnest spoken-word bridge featuring the tune's participants. But here's the original version of 1984's seminal charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The U.K. tune was recorded to raise money to help ease famine in Ethiopia, but it also spawned countless hilarious parodies and spoofs (and arguably kicked off the "all-star charity single" trend of the '80s).

Video below, which is a must. See Phil Collins in his bitching argyle vest keeping the beat strong! See George Michael's amazingly bleached/frosted blonde hairdo -- which is only rivaled by Simon LeBon's similar coif! Sting in a ridiculous scarf! Bono looking almost sedate!

MP3: Run DMC, "Christmas in Hollis"

From 1987's A Very Special Christmas. I'm also including the video below, because it's by far the best holiday-themed clip ever.

From the album Laface Family Christmas. TLC, well, no intro necessary!

MP3: Death Cab for Cutie, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

MP3: U2, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

U2's version of the Darlene Love Christmas classic (which is found on A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector) comes from 1987's A Very Special Christmas. Death Cab for Cutie's version is from 2004's Maybe This Christmas. More info on the song and its many cover versions here.

MP3: XTC, "Thanks for Christmas"

MP3: XTC, "Countdown to Christmas Party Time"

XTC released these two songs as a single under the moniker The Three Wise Men. Both tunes can be found on Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers.

MP3: Elton John, "Step Into Christmas"

MP3: The Wedding Present, "Step Into Christmas"

A 1973 Christmas classic by Elton John (words, of course, by Bernie Taupin). Little-known fact: The B-Side of the single is called "Ho! Ho! Ho! (Who'd Be a Turkey at Christmas)." British purveyors of dour sturm und drang the Wedding Present covered the song on Hit Parade 2. Old-school Brit-punks the Business also did a version.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: Squeeze, "Christmas Day"

As September's concert proved, Squeeze is still a fantastic live act. This song is from 1979 and was released as a non-album single, but didn't chart.

Lots of holiday jams will return this afternoon, I'm feeling well enough to come into the office. Until then, please enjoy Jon Bon Jovi's first professional recording, a song called "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas."

Quick hit: David Lovering and Joey Santiago of the Pixies have formed a new band, called Everybody. Go to that website, give them your email and you get a free Christmas MP3 of a song called "Snow in Los Angeles." Your regularly scheduled Xmas Jams will continue as soon as I recover.

-- Annie Zaleski

A request. MP3: The Dismemberment Plan, "This Christmas"

This song can be found on the benefit album Holiday Heart, which is available online for the low, low price of $5 at CDBaby. However, you can buy that CD and Ho Ho Ho Spice together for just $7 through this website. Proceeds go to the Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center, a New Jersey nonprofit hospice. The late, great Dismemberment Plan last played a show to benefit Jawbox/Burning Airlines member/producer J. Robbins' adorable son, Callum, who has spinal muscular atrophy.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: Morphine, "Sexy Christmas Baby Mine"

A b-side to a rare 7" of the sultry tune "Cure for Pain," the seductive holiday jam "Sexy Baby Christmas Mine" is now easily found on Morphine's greatest hits collection, The Best of Morphine 1992-1995. The Boston trio is one of more underrated acts of the '90s, one whose saxophone trills and rumbling bass -- along with the genteel black-velvet enunciation of the late Mark Sandman -- still induce shivers to this day. Saxophonist Dana Colley is now in the group A.K.A.C.O.D.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: Spice Girls, "Christmas Wrapping"

MP3: The Waitresses, "Christmas Wrapping"

MP3: Save Ferris, "Christmas Wrapping"

This is one of my favorite holiday tunes. The original version is by the Waitresses, and was originally found on a 1981 EP called I Could Rule The World If I Could Only Get The Parts, which also contains the bitching song/TV theme song "Square Pegs." The Spice Girls included it as a b-side to their single "Goodbye." And the version by '90s ska-punkettes Save Ferris was adapted for Hannukkah.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: Pedro the Lion, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

From the Maybe This Christmas Tree compilation CD. Pedro the Lion front man David Bazan is at the Billiken Club tonight, with Via Audio.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.) 

MP3: New Kids on the Block, "Have a Funky, Funky Christmas"

Oh, yeah. I went there. From the album Merry, Merry Christmas. Tip a hat to this blog for posting it.

 (Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: The Hives and Cyndi Lauper, "A Christmas Duel"

This bit of awesomeness needs no explanation, although the Hives' official site explains the origin of its existence. The song is available now.

(Each day until Christmas, A to Z will be posting a Christmas/holiday-themed MP3 in honor of the festive season, in hopes of warding off the seasonal blahs. Check back every day for a new nugget of sonic bliss.)

MP3: The Long Winters, "Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes)"

This song is a Harvey Danger cover, and can be found on Peace on Earth: A Holiday Charity Album. Volume II in that series is now available for purchase from the same blog, It's Hard to Find a Friend. That disc contains songs by Oxford Collapse, Jealous Girlfriends, Pattern is Movement, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Anathallo, Jason Collett, AMerican ANalog Set, Jennifer O'Connor and Via Audio. (The latter act will be in town Friday night at the Billiken Club with David Bazan.)

-- Annie Zaleski

Oh, hi. Leftover MP3s. Enjoy.

MP3: New Order, "Rockin' Carol" (Christmas flexi-disc, 1982)

MP3: They Might Be Giants, "Santa's Beard"

MP3: The Raveonettes, "The Christmas Song"

MP3: The White Stripes, "Candy Cane Children"

MP3: The White Stripes, "Magic Children Candy Cane"

MP3: They Might Be Giants, "Feast of Lights"

MP3: Tom McRae, "Wonderful Christmas"

MP3: Aimee Mann and Michael Penn, "Christmastime"

MP3: Pilate, "Fairytale of New York"

MP3: The Coctails, "First Snowfall"

MP3: Jars of Clay, "Christmas for Cowboys"

MP3: Aimee Mann, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"

MP3: Dismemberment Plan, "This Christmas"

MP3: Nellie McKay, "A Christmas Dirge"

MP3: Sonics, "Don't Believe in Christmas"

MP3: T. Rex, "Christmas Riff"

MP3: The Darkness, "Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)"

MP3: The Knife, "Christmas Reindeer"

MP3: The Locust, "Pulling the Christmas Pig by the Wrong Pair"

MP3: Rilo Kiley, "Christmas Cake"

MP3: The Vandals, "Oi! To the World"

MP3: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Christmas All Over Again"

MP3: The Flaming Lips, "A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn't So)"

MP3: Revolutionary Hydra, "The Light from Christmas Strands"

MP3: Mew, "She Came Home for Christmas"

MP3: R.E.M., "Christmas Time is Here"

MP3: Belle and Sebastian, "Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me"

MP3: Bjork, "Merry Christmas from Bjork"

MP3: Yo La Tengo, "It's Christmas Time"

MP3: Kylie Minogue, "Santa Baby"

MP3: Aimee Mann, "Winter Wonderland"

MP3: The Walkmen, "No Christmas While I'm Talking"

-- Annie Zaleski

I should know better by now that the holidays -- and their accompanying early deadlines -- make big projects a bit too ambitious. (See also: why I never send out Christmas cards.) But I would be remiss if I didn't post a few classic holiday MP3s for everyone. I suggest listening to them before you head out to one of the many, many holiday shows tonight taking place at Off Broadway (So Many Dynamos, Gentleman Auction House, Laite, Light Pollution), Cicero's (Jumbling Towers, Say Panther, Elsinore, KIng Thief) or the Old Rock House (The Feed, Go Van Gogh, Jones Street Boys, Caleb Travers).

A to Z will be updated sporadically until January, due to holiday shenanigans and vacation -- although I'd look tomorrow for a huge MP3 post. Either way, check back every so often; perhaps boredom will drive me post while visiting the fam.

MP3: U2, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

MP3: Elton John, "Step Into Christmas"

MP3: Joni Mitchell, "The River"

MP3: Mariah Carey, "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

MP3: Ramones, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"

MP3: The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, "A Fairytale of New York"

-- Annie Zaleski

Music blog Cokemachineglow just posted a covers podcast, which includes The Hood Internet mashin' up Huey's "Pop, Lock & Drop It (Remix)" (feat. Bow Wow & T-Pain) into a song called "Poppin' Lockin' & Droppin' in O Seven."

The song features the vocals from Huey's hit single atop snippets of songs from the following artists: The White Stripes, LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Yeasayer, Andrew Bird, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Simian Mobile Disco, Modest Mouse, Chromatics, Feist, Jens Lekman, Spoon, Battles, Calvin Harris, Air, Professor Murder, Les Savy Fav, Digitalism, Aesop Rock, Huey, Shop Boyz, and Soulja Boy.

Did I mention it's pretty much amazing? Like Girl Talk, only slightly more linear. Download the entire podcast here.

(By the way, if you heard the sound of something exploding, that was just the head of Brooke Foster, after she saw that the first song on the podcast is by the Lackthereof (a.k.a. Danny Seim from Menomena) covering the National's "Fake Empire." Brooke wrote about both bands in her year-end wrap-up, which is now online.)

I'm pretty much late to the hipster party in talking about the Hood Internet, but I highly recommend you check out its official Web site, for tons and tons and tons of mash-ups. My personal favorites -- besides the Photoshopped photos for every post, which are sometimes utterly hilarious -- include:

*Dr. Dre vs. Fujiya and Miyagi
*The Dismemberment Plan vs. Amerie
*Justice vs. Genesis
*Eve vs. Radiohead
*Chris Brown vs. AC Newman

-- Annie Zaleski

How glad am I that I have Keegan a few cubicles over to send me gems like this?

(Confession: I was a huge NKOTB fan. Had the shirt and tapes to prove it.)

Contrary to a couple of phone calls I've received in the last week, it was XTC -- recording under the moniker the Three Wise Men -- which wrote and recorded the song "Thanks for Christmas." (Darlene Love -- who we wrote about here -- covered it. Not the other way around.) Released in 1983, the song was recorded in October of that year. Songwriting credits go to Kaspar, Melchoir and Balthazar -- fictional names meant to represent the members of XTC.

The song can be found on XTC's 1990 rarities album, Rag & Bone Buffet. Also on that album is the b-side to the single, called "Countdown to Christmas Party Time." To be honest, that's best left to the annals of time, as its stabs at hip-hop and funk (think Tom Tom Club) are uber-dated.

MP3: XTC, "Thanks for Christmas"

MP3: XTC, "Countdown to Christmas Party Time"

The best hip-hop Christmas song:

MP3: Run-DMC, "Christmas in Hollis"

Also a good power-pop Christmas song:

MP3: Squeeze, "Christmas Day"

-- Annie Zaleski

(I'll be adding to this post later today, so stay tuned...)

Ah, the '90s. A time in music when the most bizarre stuff became mainstream-popular -- even for a second. This included (but wasn't limited to) beat-poet jazz, lounge-jazz, Britpop, ska-core, punk, piano-pop, sad-sack songwriters, grunge-lite, power-pop, etc.

This of course is near and dear to my heart, since I was a kid in the '90s, and all of these bands blew my mind. Completely. The older I get, the more I seem to continue to reach for albums released in the decade -- which I guess just proves the points that either a) music was better back then (doubtful), b) nostalgia is strong (probable) and c) everyone finds the most comfort in music they first heard while a teenager (highly probable).

So this post is dedicated to the '90s, when I wore Doc Martens to school, daydreamed about Morrissey, worshipped My So-Called Life, did calculus homework in front of MTV and begged my parents to let me see Metallica on the Load tour. (Go ahead, make fun: That was some hot shit to a 16-year-old in Ohio.)

The weird group below is Hot Tin Roof, who were a local Cleveland act I loved growing up. The band was fronted by Tom Lash, who was in the new-wave band Lucky Pierre -- whose most famous member (after Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, who was in the band for a spell) was Kevin McMahon, who later went on to form Prick. (Remember "Animal," and that band's opening slot for the NIN/Bowie 1995 tour?)

Hot Tin Roof opened for House of Love and My Bloody Valentine in Clevo, but also incorporates synthpop, jangle-rock, Britpop and industrial influences. "Black Christmas" is a fantastic, fantastic tune that namechecks downtown Cleveland's Public Square. You can download that song and another one, "A Christmas Wish" -- which is being used in an AMC commercial this year, go figure -- at luckyprick.net.

Other present whereabouts: Smashing Pumpkins released a new record, Zeitgeist, this year. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have regrouped for its tenth-annual Hometown Throwdown in Boston (and released a CD of rarities and sundry, called Medium Rare, for the occasion). Soul Coughing's M. Doughty has a new solo album (produced by Semisonic's Dan Wilson) out in the new year. Of Montreal is doing its best Prince imitation to hordes of kids. I'm not sure what No Doubt is up to; I know it was supposedly working on a new album, but Gwen Stefani's been doing her solo thing for so long now...

MP3: Soul Coughing, "Suzy Snowflake"

MP3: Smashing Pumpkins, "Christmastime"

MP3: Hot Tin Roof, "Black Christmas"

MP3: No Doubt, "Oi! To the World"

MP3: Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Christmas Time"

MP3: Sarah McLachlan and the Barenaked Ladies, "Christmas Medley"

MP3: Of Montreal, "My Favorite Christmas (In 100 Words or Less)"

-- Annie Zaleski

This song is a polarizing one. For every person that loves the cheesy, repetitive rhythms; monotone vocals; and cutesy holiday-romance lyrics, there are two or three folks who want to stab their ears out when this song comes on the radio.

Ska-pop darlings Save Ferris put an uber-'90s spin on the song. And, of course, the Spice Girls wobbled and warbled its way through a version.

But of course it was the Waitresses -- a fabulous New York City-via-Kent/Akron, Ohio, new-wave band -- who wrote the song. Singer Patty Donahue sadly died of lung cancer in 1996, but the band's discography is well worth checking out (including the sax-driven skronk of "Bruiseology").

In fact, right now the band is actually pulling a Radiohead and offering a B-sides/outtakes/rarities CD for "whatever you want to pay." Click here for the download; it includes early demos of "I Know What Boys Like," versions of the Square Pegs theme song (an uber new-wave '80s sitcom starring Sarah Jessica Parker that always featured super-cool guests, like Devo) and more.

MP3: Save Ferris, "Christmas Wrapping"

MP3: Waitresses, "Christmas Wrapping"

MP3: Spice Girls, "Christmas Wrapping"

-- Annie Zaleski

Christmas is merely a week away. The blues are likely starting to set in (if they haven't already). But the emos understand your predicament. They understand your pain and sorrow -- even if they're just covering Christmas standards. As below, for most of the bands.

MP3: Something Corporate, "Forget December"

MP3: The Rocket Summer, "The Christmas Present"

MP3: Pedro the Lion, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

MP3: Copeland, "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

-- Annie Zaleski

Everyone knows "Last Christmas," the super-synthy song popularized by Wham! in the 1980s. But have you ever really read the lyrics to the song? Sure, the chorus is totally sappy and melancholy: "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart / But the very next day, you gave it away / This year, to save me from tears / I'll give it to someone special."

Actually, it's totally proto-emo.

But the rest of the song? Might be the most bitter holiday song of all time. To wit:

Once bitten and twice shy / I keep my distance but you still catch my eye / Tell me, baby, do you recognise me? / Well it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me

O SNAP.

I wrapped it up and sent it / With a note saying "I love you" I meant it / Now I know what a fool I've been / But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again.

ZING.

A crowded room, friends with tired eyes / I'm hiding from you and your soul of ice / My God, I thought you were someone to rely on / Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on.

"Soul of ice"? BURN. YOU GO, GIRL.

MP3: Wham!, "Last Christmas"

MP3: Jimmy Eat World, "Last Christmas"

MP3: Erlend Oye, "Last Christmas"

MP3: Savage Garden, "Last Christmas"

-- Annie Zaleski