Seminal Twang, Shonen Knife (Virgin)

Two of three cuts on this 1991 EP are Christmas-themed, "Space Christmas" and "Christmas Message '91." This Japanese all-girl rock trio is known for its slightly out-there, Ramones-style delivery and comic book themes, and this tune fits right in with their style. The second cut starts out with an acoustic version of "Space Christmas," and then follows up with a list of thank-yous from the band in pretty decent English. The remaining cut is "Bear Up Bison." This song has only turned up on this CD and on an out-of-print album called Birds & B-sides. Shonen Knife's other Christmas song is "All I Want For Christmas," from 2005, with lyrics by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore; that one's similarly hard to find.