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SPECIAL X-MAS 45 OFFERINGS FROM NORTON
What better way to spend the high flying egg noggin' holidays then by rockin' out with tiny vinyl slabs. Nothing says Christmas quite like the hiss and pop of stylus hitting the groove. Here's a nice party selection of old and new from the good folks at Norton who are keeping the real spirit alive. You can pick these up at NortonRecords.com.
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Christmas Party EP
Some primo classic holiday rock from the likes of Little Joey Farr, Donny Burns, Brendan Hanlon and the Bat Men, plus The Toronados (sic). Nice an' warm feel throughout, the best version of "Cool Yule" ever, and all on seasonal shiny red vinyl.
SWINGIN' NECKBREAKERS: Santa Claus Ain't Comin' This Year
Leave it to the Neckbreakers to break the bad news. Bound to have the little tykes sobbing well into the night, and the older folks consoling themselves with spiked up eggnog. And when the Christmas three chord garage rawk is this good, who cares! The party is in full swing. The cops'll be by a little later.
ANDRE WILLIAMS: Poor Mr. Santa
Grandpa Andre delivers one with everyone in mind. A clean version for the whole clan, flipped by a blushing version best saved for the adventurous. Slow burnin' R'n'B with guitar licks courtesy of Pretty Thing Dick Taylor. And you thought both these gents were in the grave - hah!
THE SONICS: Don't Believe In Christmas
The 45 that started it all. The Sonics lay waste to Santa and put a cold wet damper on the Bing Crosby feel good vibe going around. Totally rockin' Northwestern mid-sixties punk, still unrivalled to this day.
JACKIE AND THE CEDRICKS: Silent Night Rumble
Ingeniously mixing Link Wray's "Rumble" with "Silent Night," these crazed Japanese instro giants (well, not physically) deliver the goods. You need the self proclaimed Three Kings of Orient at the party.
THE KAISERS: A SEASONAL GREETING
Scottish bun boys offer up a contemporary classic in the superb "Merry Christmas Loopy Lu," and confuse all the hipsters searching frantically in their archives for the original. People can still make good records.
HASIL ADKINS: Santa Claus Boogie
The Haze gets up, then down with Christmas. This is the rambling nineties version of the man stumbling through a fine original, and taking Elvis's weepy take on "Blue Christmas" a coupla notches lower.