The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Polls

This is the POLL POST for Round 5 of the League Of Extraordinary Tracks – and the theme is 21st Century Christmas records!

Here’s how to vote:

Listen to the 11 tracks in the playlist post
Choose up to FOUR favourites and vote for them below but –
DO NOT VOTE for any tracks you knew before the poll!

That’s all – best of festive luck and thanks as ever to our 11 nominators for their seasonal selections.

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The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Playlists

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Results!

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actualee simpson

7 December 2023 17:43

REALLY hate Christmas music generally, so I appreciate that this was at least a varied and enjoyable group of songs. I wish there were some non-English songs so that I could pretend they weren’t Christmas songs. Only knew one (Kacey Musgraves). Otherwise made a beeline for the rap (the only Christmas music genre with a decent batting average), and the three I could imagine enjoying without any Christmas references.
Found it amusing that Mighty Mark references Spike Jonze from a different direction than the xmas rap I would have nommed, “Nothing for Christmas” by Slim Jxmmi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZWLAcfQ3Z8

koganbot

8 December 2023 08:43

Reply to actualee simpson

Assume “Not This Year” would have too many voters familiar with it. But “Christmases When You Were Mine” might slide through with only you and Jonathan on the DQ. “Mama’s in the kitchen worrying about me (strumming on the ole banjo)!”

Jeff Worrell

13 December 2023 13:10

Reply to koganbot

I know CWYWM! Baffled as to why it’s not yet in the canon.

Tom

7 December 2023 20:31

Fortunately I played this last night before I heard one of these in my local supermarket’s Christmas rotation!

koganbot

8 December 2023 07:43

Haven’t heard the Nicole Atkins, so’s eligible; but not only have I heard of her, I interviewed her, 2007, via email, when I wrote for Paper Thin Walls, and her answers were something special. As my friend Lucy told me, you can tell from her waitress/hairdresser response to my “What profession would you compare your singing to?” question that she’d really lived what she was talking about.

Booze and cigs would be mad cheap (interview with Nicole Atkins)

Edward Still

8 December 2023 13:51

I’m actually rather a fan of the current Christmas canon – it’s one of the bits of the Holiday season I find least stressful, and most in the spirit of the time, so my hunch is my picks are going to hew towards those that could fit into that tradition most seamlessly. However I am sure something subversive will grab me by the baubles at some point!

Last edited 1 year ago by Edward Still

Edward Still

10 December 2023 10:46

Reply to Edward Still

I actually think most of these could fit into the canon quite easily, nothing which completely subverts expectations and I’m honestly fine with that. I can lift the playlist as a whole into existing ones!
Ended up voting for:
Guille – favourite Christmas trope – the kids (or possibly “kids”) singing
Nicole – favourite Christmas trope – the slightly glam rock brass underpinning it
SuperImposed – favourite Christmas trope – the ethereal oohing and aahing
Mighty Mark et al – favourite Christmas trope – not so much a trope but it definitely evokes r’n’b of Christmas past, especially Destiny’s Child and Mariah.

Good work all!

Last edited 1 year ago by Edward Still

Jeff Worrell

13 December 2023 13:26

Only knew 3 of these (Atkins, Musgrave and Nixey), which is surprising given Christmas music is maybe the one genre I know best of all. A fourth was on my mega Xmas Spotify playlist of things to check out but pretty sure I haven’t heard it before.
The standout for me was Caro Emerald & Metropole Orkest. That’s going on my 2023 Christmas mix. The Superimposers and Mighty Mark & co were also good.
Struggled to find a fourth vote; in the end I went with “Holding Hands…” as the folk at Elefant Records are good eggs, who talk a good game and believe in the power of Christmas music, even if their hit rate is <50%. I was eagerly anticipating the new Lia Pamina wobs song they released today but it’s a disappointment ☹️

Pop-o-matic

14 December 2023 14:41

Some nice songs here, thanks nominators.
Only one I felt like I couldn’t vote for was “Snow Is Falling On Manhattan”, because it didn’t sound different enough to the original. Went Guille Milkyway, Nicole Atkins, The X-Misses and Kacey Musgraves.
In fun coincidence news, Guille Milkyway is also La Casa Azul, who was just in the 2003 poll!

Kit

17 December 2023 23:45

Reply to Pop-o-matic

fwiw I nommed this version of Falling On Manhattan especially because I loved the idea of it being canonised as a cover-worthy classic the year after it came out 🙂

koganbot

16 December 2023 19:08

These are my votes:

Sarah Nixey “Christmas Without You”: Warm, smooth singing but with the sense that she’s got shattering loudness that she could lift out of her back pocket and sear us with at a moment’s notice; it’s just she chooses not to.

Guille Milkyway “Holding Hands Around The World”: Is like Herman’s Hermits in earnest mode (“No Milk Today”), which wouldn’t be close to enough to deliver the cheer of the chorus. So, nice-kid voices to the rescue.

Nicole Atkins “Every Single Christmas”: Nicole Atkins’s voice may be too strong for her own good. This track is pushy and gawky in every element: her singing, the marching drum beat, the guitar boogie. The result feels massively uncoordinated – but given the sweetness of the song, the ungainliness is totally charming.

The Superimposers “Chasing Christmas”: Don’t much like the talking, but provides cover for pretty oo-woo-woos in the background that’d be too flimsy for anywhere else.

Also, a cheery nod to Metropole Orkest and Irma Thomas. Happy holidays.

Last edited 11 months ago by koganbot

mondosalvo

16 December 2023 21:46

Barring an extension, 14 minutes are left in the poll and Hi-5 has zero votes. It makes me wonder if its nominator just wanted a near guarantee of picking a theme lol.

Mark G

20 December 2023 14:51

Reply to mondosalvo

Do “Replies” work?

Mark G

19 December 2023 22:40

Reply to mondosalvo

Looks like my reply got lost…
Anyway, no I didn’t know anything about theme picking, just picked a fun track from the Hi-5 Christmas album that’s become a tradition at our place since the kids loved it, and still do even though they’re 25 and 23 now.
Plus the slight resemblance to “You’re gonna kill that girl” by The Ramones!

Mark G

18 December 2023 09:37

Reply to mondosalvo

Nah, I didn’t know anything about no “Theme Pickin'”, just thought it a fun track off a Christmas themed album the kids loved and we still play on the journey up. There are a number of “self-penned” songs amongst the more trad songs, and this one always reminded me of The Ramones’ “You’re gonna kill that girl”…

Tom

17 December 2023 21:07

The low total votes this week are clearly the result of no power metal options. I hope we’ve all learned our lesson from that.

Baltimore Jacks

18 December 2023 14:48

I appreciate Tom extending this one since I’d failed to get to it earlier. I enjoyed nearly everything. Because Baltimore, I’m probably morally obligated to vote for Mighty Mark, et al. Though I would have anyway. Also, Guille Milkyway, Nicole Atkins, and Metropole Orkest/Caro Emerald.
Sarah Nixey was the last out. If I’d voted just on songs that I want to listen to generally, she would have been in, but I decided to go with stuff that I’d want on a Christmas playlist, specifically.

Son of Mecha Mummy

18 December 2023 19:17

Loved the Superimposers track, probably going to see about working that into my Christmas music playlists. Also voted for Irma Thomas, Chilly Gonzales, and Mighty Mark. Only song I had to DQ was Kacey Musgraves (whose “Christmas Makes Me Cry” was one of the songs I considered maining in the Christmas poll all those years ago).

Helene Hoffman

19 December 2023 13:28

Ironically I considered nominating JD McPherson’s “Socks” (nixed it because I thought it was a little too structurally similar to “Sinners” the rockabilly song I submitted for R2.) JD co-wrote the Atkins song with her & am now curious how it would’ve done.
I voted: Mighty Mark, X-Misses, Musgraves/Bridges, Nixey.

wpDiscuz

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The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Polls

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Playlists

The League Of Extraordinary Tracks II: 5. 21st CENTURY CHRISTMAS – Results!

The Discourse