xo for the Holidays Volume II

Well, now that it's November, the holidays are looming. Get ready to be inundated with soulless advertising and hassled by over-zealous crowds. But it's not all bad. There's kids getting excited and the Salvation Army on the corner and Thanksgiving dinner and Midnight Mass...and this year's xo for the Holidays comp! Unlike most things this time of year, this one if free! Woo-hoo! Download it now!

Review: Various Artists - A Blackheart Christmas

Label: Blackheart Records

Released: November 18, 2008

Every year at Christmastime we're treated (or subjected) to another collection of rock artists' takes on our favorite holiday songs. These albums tend to be a mixed bag made up of songs that will appeal to fans of the particular artists at least as novelties and others that are real bombs. The best case scenario might even include one or two renditions that are truly special.

A Blackheart Christmas does not have any real misses, but most of the tracks don't really transcend happy novelties for fans of the bands appearing. The Vacancies take on "Father Christmas," perhaps the best rock Christmas tune ever, is a fine listen, but doesn't go anywhere special. The drunken swagger of the Cute Lepers' "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You" is a fun option for a non-traditional holiday. The rough edges on Thommy Price and Nefertiti Jones' "Winter Wonderland" give it punk appeal without losing its "happy holiday" sentiment.

Unlike most holiday comps though, A Blackheart Christmas has a pair of really special tracks that, in a (less-than-perfect) perfect world, might become Christmas classics. The Dollyrots give "Santa Baby" a snotty punk treatment, in lieu of its traditional sexy swing, as if it was meant to be about a down-and-out misfit rather than a well-to-do diva. Better still, Girl in a Coma turn "I'll Be Home for Christmas" into something dark and foreboding rather than hopeful. These are the Christmas carols for the "other half" in a sense.

Will this album replace Bing's "Little Drummer Boy" or Nat's "O Holy Night?" Probably not, but there's always room for a few more Christmas classics, especially when the might reach out to listeners whose world may not be so idyllic.

Rating: 7/10

If you're curious about my rating categories, read the description.

The nice folks over at xo publicity have put together a holiday comp of their artists. If you're tired of the same old renditions of the same old songs every year, check it out. It's free!

Download it here.

1. Service Group - "Merry Xmas Everybody"
2. Master Slash Slave- "All I Want For Christmas"
3. Romeo Spike - "Christmas Diablo"
4. The Winter Sounds - "Ragtime Manifesto"
5. Super Awesome Villains Forever - "Secret Santa A Christmas Song For Josef K. Boehm"
6. Paris Luna with James Taylor, Jr and Wes Ables - "Back Home for the Holidays"
7. Benjamin Bear - "Traveling Disciples"
8. Blue Skies For Black Hearts - "It Never Snows On Christmas"
9. THe BAcksliders - "That's How We Do Christmas"
10. Here Comes Everybody - "Snow"
11. Bumtech - "Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages) / O Holy Night"
12. Blue Skies For Black Hearts - "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" written by: Barry, Greenwich, and Spector
13. Play> - "Happy Christmas War Is Over"