Every year from October onwards we start receiving Christmas songs, and we collect these into a playlist that we put out on Christmas Eve. Here Marina Florance and Del Owusu take you through their highlights…
DEL OWUSU
It’s another Christmas Cracker playlist! Steve is actually groaning because he knows what’s coming. Yes Steve I have the joke book!
Hey Steve, Why was the turkey in the pop group?
Because he was the only one with drumsticks….
Steve Harris our admin and tech guy everybody.
You absolute legend.
So. I’ve got Apple pies and orange hot chocolate thank the good lord for M&S!
We have 59 tracks. All great quality I’ve picked out some of my favourites here…
- AFRO NEAT – It’s Christmas In Ukraine
As far as I can see this is the first time this act has submitted to FOTN. I have a journal of these things you see. But this is an afrobeat track with a bounce, timbales kicking off the roll with a catchy guitar line. You could just imagine a Wham! kind of video to this… I don’t know why. But this song is about bringing hope to a dark situation.
- BIG SOCIETY – December Forever
I like the way this one begins, lovely acoustic number – very CSNY with the harmonies. If it wasn’t a Christmas song it would make a great year-round song with different lyrics. You can also hear a bit of a Paolo Nutini influence there too. Nice tune!
- CHRIS FRETWELL – A Christmas Song
A lovely bit of jazz here from Chris. What a lovely vocal too, being a guitarist you can tell that he’s got a love for those beautiful chords. This one really stood out for me!
- COOPER AND TOLLER – The Cherry Tree Carol
There’s an a capella bit at 2:04. LOVE IT! I love a good a capella bit! This is traditional folk, 3/4 time too. This whisks you back in time and tells the Christmas story… gorgeous song I want to hear more from this group.
- DAXC – Feed The World
It’s nearly 40 years since the original came out. This song actually means a lot to me, Live Aid is the reason why I pestered my mum for a keyboard. Some people cite 4th June 1978 at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade as the epicentre of how certain bands of that era began… for me it was 2nd July 1985 in a flat on the Ferrier Estate watching this concert that blew me away.
Very cleverly done.
- EDBL – White Christmas
edbl has turned a Christmas mainstay into a soulful classic! Electric piano playing, a sweet groove over a hip hop beat, but watch out for that lovely transition around 0:52! You can imagine people standing around the Rhodes with Santa hats singing and nibbling mince pies.
All good. Except mince pies.
They taste of lies and bitter disappointment.
I said what I said.
- FINN TWIST – My Hometown
Choir, piano, orchestra???
So… why have they never submitted a non-Christmas song to the inbox?
This question lives rent free in my head right now. The goosebumps on this is real! Wow…
My favourite track on the Christmas Crackers.
- JOE STOCKER – Christmas Rapping Paper
I’m a big fan of Joe’s, he sent a track earlier this year called Who Broke My Bag For Life – his songs are humorous, and that’s what you need sometimes!
- KIM RALLS – Winters Past
Kim is a folk musician, he’s been on my radar for quite a while. I like the guitar work on this, and the vocals are gorgeous too! The harmonica solo is quite an addition…
- LEKIDDO LORD OF THE LOBSTERS! – It’s Christmas Baby
Now! Lekiddo is brilliant! If you’ve never heard of “This Cafe” then you need to! Catchy as hell!
You’re welcome.
Lekiddo combines a bit of doo wop, a little bit of glam rock, and lots of key changes….
- MARINA FLORANCE – Stop For A Moment
Ahhh! Marina always brings the goods, this song is no different. This is a gorgeous acoustic number you could just imagine listening to with your loved ones at the end of the evening…
One more joke? Are you sure???
Who’s Rudolph’s favourite pop star?
Beyon-sleigh…
See you all in 2024!
MARINA FLORANCE
It’s a bumper year for Christmas songs, love ’em or loathe ’em, every sound you’d expect Christmas to make is here, every seasonal wish and want with bells on.
Soundalikes from Cliff to Coldplay, Feargal Sharkey to Disney soundtracks.
Can I whet your appetite with titles like “I Hope You Die”, “Horseless Broken Sleigh”? How about tracks about Christmas in prison or Christmas in heaven with friends who have passed on.
There’s a cover of “Stay Another Day” from The Iron Duke, and an upbeat “Tidings Of Comfort and Joy” by Olabode Temitope from Swansea. Why mention Swansea? No reason other than I’m sitting on a sofa in South Wales whilst writing this.
Well, blow me down with a festive feather, even AI is at it, with generated lyrics on the track “On Sleigh Bells Ring”. I’d like to believe that it’s unlikely AI will ever be able to generate clever lyrics like The Happy Somethings’ “Nothing’s Just For Christmas”.
The more I listen to my half of this playlist the more I’m enjoying it, so why not wrap your ears up in something different this year, can I guarantee you’ll soon be singing along ‘joyfully’, maybe…
My favs are the aptly named “Christmas Song” by Will Knox Feat. Néomí — it’s beautiful, and “This Time of Year” by SAER, is deliciously melancholic.
After all is said and done, seasonal songs are just songs on a theme. Listen to what you love, leave the rest behind.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from me to you.
Click here to open this playlist in another window.
Tracklist:
- AFRO NEAT – It’s Christmas In Ukraine
- ALISON BANVILLE – I’m Coming Home This Christmas
- BIG SOCIETY – December, Forever
- CHRIS FRETWELL – A Christmas Song
- CLAIR TIERNEY – Jup Loves Sat
- COOPER AND TOLLER – The Cherry Tree Carol
- DADROCK – It’s Xmas Time (I Hope You Got What You Wanted It Might Just Be A Great Big Sack Of Coal)
- DAXC – Feed The World
- DUO DECAD – Snow Of ’82
- EDBL & JAMES BERKELEY – White Christmas
- EDBL & TAURA LAMB – The Christmas Song
- ELBROOK COURT – Yule Know My Name
- EUGENE RYAN – Snowflakes
- EVIEINTHEWORLD – Merry Christmas Baby
- FINN TWIST – My Hometown
- GREG TAAFE – It’s Always Christmas Day
- HURTSFALL – December Snow
- JAMES FARRANT – Christmas Number One
- JAMES HAMPTON – A Piece Of Christmas Tree
- JOE STOCKER – Christmas Rapping Paper
- KIM RALLS – Winters Past
- LAST OF THE FREE – Home For The Holidays
- LEKIDDO LORD OF THE LOBSTERS! – It’s Christmas Baby
- LUNATRAKTORS – Holly & Ivy
- LUX THE BAND – I Believe In Christmas
- MARCUS REEVES – Vote For Christmas (God Save The King)
- MARINA FLORANCE – Stop For A Moment
- MARTIN REYNOLDS – It All Feels Like Christmas
- MICHAËL HARDY – All The Lights
- MICHELLE DOWD – Kiss Me Santa
- MISERY PRIZE – Horseless Broken Sleigh
- MOVING INTO TUCSON – Christmas Time 4Good
- NATHALIE MIRANDA – Bring My Baby Back
- PEGASUSES – Snowglobe
- PORTERSTONE – Do You Love Christmas?
- QUINNY – Boxing Day Bells
- SAER – This Time Of Year
- SEAN AT THE HOTEL – Looking At The Future, Seeing It’s Coming Fast
- SHELLEY BYRON – I Hope You Die (Merry Christmas)
- SIR REAL – Just Another Day
- ST3V3L33 – On Sleigh Bells’ Ring
- STEVE BALSAMO – Snow Angels
- SUSY WALL – There’s A Song In The Air
- SYMBOL SOUP + KITTY FITZ – Husky Dawgs
- TEMITOPE OLABODE – Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
- THE DODGE BROTHERS – Christmas In Heaven
- THE DODGE BROTHERS – I Can’t Wait For Christmas
- THE HAPPY SOMETHINGS – Nothing’s Just For Christmas
- THE IRON DUKE – Stay Another Day
- THE LUCEM SYMPHONIA – Winterlude
- THE SWEETHEART GANG – This Christmas
- TWO OLD BLOKES – Flipping Heck, It’s Christmas!
- VOLK SOUP – A Perfect Christmas
- WASUREMONO – Will December Snow?
- WILL KNOX FEAT. NÉOMÍ – Christmas Song
- WOT NOT – Slay
- XPLO-ONYX – Here Comes Christmas
- XYBIRD – Really Want For Christmas
- YEMI ALAFIFUNI – Home
Previous Years:
Thank you Marina, Del and Steve for putting this together.
And thank you to everyone who contributes towards making Fresh On The Net what it is – a brilliant thing!
Best wishes for the festive period – and here’s to the future…
Thank you so much for the feature. Truly appreciated to be amongst such great tracks, currently working my way through! 😀 wishing you all a very happy new year! SAER