Hip Christmas

Welcome To Hip Christmas! I think you'll enjoy my dysfunctionally vast web archive dedicated to holiday music that rocks, rolls, swings, and twangs. If you do, please support me by shopping at Amazon, Apple Music, and Sheet Music Plus! Regardless, the best of the season to you - no matter what month it is! [about me]

What Was New In 2024? Last year's new Christmas albums included lots of vinyl reissues, big names like Jennifer Hudson and Little Big Town, indie darlings like Dean & Britta and Phantom Planet, a full-length Tower Of Power album, a new collection from the Carpenters, and yet another Bear Family compilation. I've completed my annual obsessive, quixotic attempt to keep up with it all, including my Top 10 Albums and Top 25 Singles. [gimme gimme]

The Christmas Jukebox. My online Christmas music player is bulging with over 900 hip tunes - and counting! You can listen to the music I write about - the coolest, weirdest, and loudest holiday songs ever, all while enjoying my inimitable prose - or not! [press play]

My Face, Your Book. There's a lot of holiday hilarity going on over at Facebook, in case you can't get enough on my website - or vice versa. Check out the Hip Christmas page, and follow me for maximum holiday fun all year long. No Russian trolls, please. I also post cool cover art on Instagram and Pinterest. [follow me]

Cool It Now. I was a big New Edition fan when they showed up with a bang in the early 80's. They were like the Jackson Five 2.0, and who wouldn't like that? Sadly, it didn't work out that way, but the boys cut a little Christmas EP before the shine wore off the apple. It's cute and fluffy, but then so are puppies, and you like them, right? [read more]

Songs for Naughty Children. First Warning Records started out as an indie label, but they were on board with corporate behemoth BMG by 1991. So, they got to include bands like the Primitives and Hoodoo Gurus on A Lump Of Coal - a pithy snapshot of early 90's alternative rock, with both barrels aimed squarely at the holidays. [read more]

And Away We Go! Best remembered as an actor and swashbuckling personality, Jackie Gleason also waxed a long series of urbane instrumental albums including two holiday records, Merry Christmas (1956) and 'Tis The Season (1967). To be sure, Gleason's music listens way too easy for me, but devotees of "beautiful music" swear by the stuff. [read more]

What A Wonderful Christmas. Surprisingly, jazz icon Louis Armstrong never released a Christmas album during his long, long career. But, he did cut a number of holiday singles and album tracks - enough to nearly fill up a long player. Nobody's ever compiled them all, though a couple of otherwise fine albums have come very close. [learn more]

Wicked Reindeer Games. I'm old enough to have witnessed Chris Isaak's emergence as the "It Boy" of roots rock in the late '80s. Overall, his Christmas music lacks the fire of rockers like "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" and the smoldering passion of his greatest hit, "Wicked Game." But, there's still a lot to like. [read more]

Mr. Excitement Is Boring. Almost forgotten these days, Jackie Wilson played a pivotal role in the development of Motown and soul music, not to mention his staggering talent as a singer and entertainer. Sadly, while his 1963 album Merry Christmas showcases his spectacular voice, it obscures his deep soul and sexy showmanship. [read more]

A Punchbowl Full Of Joy. It's just five songs long, and it was just a local record, but A Boston Rock Christmas (1983) smokes from start to finish, covering everything from roots rock to techno pop to hardcore punk - and the Del Fuegos make one of their earliest appearances on vinyl. But beware, dear reader, it's rare beyond description. [read more]

Santa Is Real. The Louvin Brothers are the most important brother act in the history of country music, and they were the direct antecedents of the Everly Brothers, the most important brother act in the history of rock 'n' roll. Not a bad pedigree, but their Christmas album is, sad to say, less impressive. [read more]

A Not So Merry Christmas. Teen idol Bobby Vee isn't cool, but he's sort of "cool adjacent." His career included brushes with Buddy Holly, the Crickets, the Ventures, and, believe it or not, Bob Dylan. Similarly, his 1962 album Merry Christmas From Bobby Vee isn't that great, but it includes five pretty decent original songs. [read more]

Santa Goes To Memphis. Six soul music stalwarts from the 60's sing 12 holiday favorites arranged in the classic style of Stax Records. That was the concept behind Christmas Soul Special, a 1982 album produced by a long-forgotten New York label. It turned out to be a better concept on paper than in reality, but it's still a lotta fun! [read more]

The Magic Touch. As I dug into rock history, the Platters became an early favorite. "The Great Pretender," "Twilight Time," "Only You" - that's great stuff! By the time they cut their Christmas album in 1963, lead singer Tony Williams had moved on, and the group was past their prime - but the record has its charms, nonetheless. [read more]

Whispers of Christmas. With hits like "And The Beat Goes On" and "Rock Steady , the Whispers helped define R&B in the 70's and 80's. But, their Christmas music was equally emblematic, if a tad too smooth for my tastes. Their 1979 album Happy Holidays To You was the high water mark, but there was a lot more to the story. [read more]

Dancing About Architecture. Almost as long as I've loved music, I've loved reading - and eventually writing - about music. Here's my summary of the best books about hip Christmas music, including Dave Marsh's labor of love and indispensable reference volumes from Billboard and Goldmine. [turn the page]

Big Guitar From Texas. A legendary wild man and notorious drunk, Evan Johns played guitar with an unhinged fervor. His 1990 Christmas album, Please Mr. Santa Claus, never earned the kudos it deserves, perhaps because it's a brief, mostly instrumental, mostly original album. But, it's bursting with personality - a lot like Evan himself. [read  more]

Big Stars. It started off as a little EP in 1985, but Christmas Time by Chris Stamey, the dB's, and a bunch of their friends grew like a progressive potluck dinner. It ended up producing 32 tracks over four editions, including two bona fide classics, Stamey's lovely title song and the dB's rousing "Holiday Spirit." [read more]

A Christmas Gift For You. Every year, I offer free MP3's from my voluminous collection - all unavailable easily or legitimately in the music marketplace. In 2024, I revisited the legendary, exceedingly rare Flagpole Christmas albums, filling in some gaping holes and sprucing up the sound quality. [listen or download]

[old news]  [top of page]