VARIOUS ARTISTS
It's A Team Mint Xmas, Vol. 2! (Mint)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Christmas makes me sad enough without an albumful of songs that mostly seemed designed to push you over the edge beyond mere depression and into suicide alley. My God, even the happy-sounding little punk songs are depressing! Did you know the Christmas Dog is on heroin? That poor little dog isn't having a happy Christmas getting his ear scritched by his best friend. No, he's nervously scritching his own leg, waiting to score. It's not like you aren't forewarned when John Guliak opens the set with "Daddy's Drinking Up Our Christmas," a song guaranteed to trigger post traumatic fun for anyone who grew up hidden under the bed as daddy drank himself into oblivion. From there it's a logical downward curve to a cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas," with The Buttless Chaps providing the music and a whole bunch of Mint Records' best taking turns at the mike. All of this means you should either run like hell to your happy place or, if you're a fan of the punk ethic as it applies to Christmas, snag this thing fast. If you're in that latter group you probably have Volume One, a 7-inch vinyl EP released four years ago. All five of the songs from Volume One are here, along with nine others and a video of "Do They Know It's Christmas," which you can view on your computer. A nice package, indeed, but I'll wait until after Christmas to listen to it, personally. Did I mention that Christmas makes me sad enough already?

© 2004 - DJ Johnson