The Night Before, various artists (Rich & Sexy Inc.)

This 2002 collection of lesser-known hard rockers from New York City apply their version of rock crunch to a bunch of Christmas classics. The Spicy Rizzaks have a lot of fun with "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," including a Sex Pistols coda; a more Johnny Rotten-esque vocal eminates from The Kick's "Turn Back the Years." Hotsocky rock out on the country classic "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas," The Compulsions do a Black Crowes-flavored "Santa Claus Is Back In Town," while "Blue Christmas" gets a mournful thump from the Hissyfits. "Run Rudolph Run" by The Witnesses sounds an awful lot like Keith Richards' cover. These guys like holiday TV specials too, as The Inflatablemen take on "We're a Couple of Misfits," The Great Shakes do "Heat Miser" and On!Air!Library! perform "Snow Miser." A solid Christmas choice for hard rock fans, and even if you're not, you're likely to enjoy at least some of it. The label's defunct and hard copies of the disc tend to command premium prices, but Amazon has a reasonably priced download.