This song is from Cursive’s 1998 album The Storms of Early Summer: Semantic of Song. As you might expect if you know Cursive, especially their early stuff, it’s very indie-rock oriented, angular and meandering without an easily accessible structure. You can read my review of last year’s I Am Gemini here.
Xmas songs no. 28: Motion City Soundtrack – “Together We’ll Ring In the New Year”
This one comes from Motion City Soundtrack’s 2005 album Commit This to Memory. You can read my reviews of last year’s Go and Making Moves here.
Xmas songs no. 27: Further Seems Forever – “New Year’s Project”
I’m going to finish out the month with a string of songs about New Year’s Eve/Day. This one comes from Further Seems Forever’s debut album, The Moon Is Down (2001). Singer Chris Carrabba left after that album to start Dashboard Confessional, and the band went through two more singers on their two subsequent records, then broke up in ’06. 2012 brought about a reunion of the original lineup and a new album, Penny Black, which I reviewed last year.
Xmas songs no. 26: Blink-182 – “Boxing Day”
Blink-182 are the only group I know that have a song about the day after Christmas. Well, loosely involving it anyway. This comes from their most recent release, the Dogs Eating Dogs EP, which I reviewed last year.
Xmas songs no. 25: MxPx – “Christmas Day”
It’s Christmas Day! Here’s a song about it. Every year since 1998, MxPx has recorded an original Christmas song for their fan club (known as PxPx, the Pokinatcha Punx). The first 6 were released as CD singles mailed to fan club members, but since 2005 they’ve been distributed digitally. I’ve been an on-and-off PxPx member for years and received a lot of these songs. In 2009 the band put out Punk Rawk Christmas, collecting all their Christmas singles up to that point along with a couple new ones for general release. “Christmas Day” was the very first of these special holiday singles, released in ’98 during my first year of college.
The Last – Danger
Brothers Joe and Mike Nolte enlist the Descendents rhythm section of Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson to revive their old Hermosa Beach group The Last, resulting in an excellent album of energetic pop-punk.
Xmas songs no. 24: Rancid – “Xmas Eve (She Got Up and Left Me)”
Another song from 2002’s Kevin & Bean Fo’ Shizzle St. Nizzle compilation. I figure it’s Christmas Eve, why not a song that uses that as its theme?
The Bouncing Souls / The Menzingers – split
The Bouncing Souls and The Menzingers cover each other, and each deliver a new song, on this fun, melodic split.
Xmas songs no. 23: No Use for a Name – “Fairytale of New York”
Since I just reviewed The Songs of Tony Sly, I’ve chosen No Use for a Name’s cover of “Fairytale of New York” as today’s holiday song. The song is originally by Celtic punk group The Pogues, from their 1988 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God. It’s a duet featuring English singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl singing with Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan. The original is a classic, and when No Use for a Name covered it for 1999’s More Betterness! they enlisted Cinder Block from Tilt to sing MacColl’s parts, while Sly handled MacGowan’s. I’ve color-coded the lyrics below to indicate the vocals.
various artists – The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute
Friends and labelmates gather to remember the late No Use for a Name frontman on a moving, comprehensive tribute album.
meep[zine] 