Two guys named Bob Lee and John Collinson have a band called Santa Sabbath who do Christmas-themed covers of Black Sabbath songs, and they're the producers of this 2018 compilation of mainly Southern California rock bands trying their hands at holiday tunes. The producers are represented twice with their Sabbath takeoffs "Dasher Forever" and "Santanaut," power pop is represented with The Magnet Hearts' "California Christmas," garage rock gets its due with The Real Oh My's "Claus," the Schitzophonics with "Casbah Christmas Party," Kurt Stifle & the Swing Shift's takeoff on "Bread and Butter" called "Ain't No Father Christmas," and Rufus Ringwald & the Reindeers' "Misfit Christmas." Herbert puts Tom Waits in front of a garage band on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," I See Hawks in L.A. also goes to the Sabbath well to cover the same carol, only titled "God Rest Ye Merry War Pigs," and Insect Surfers also cover "God Rest Ye," only as a surf instrumental. Double Naught Spy Car make Sabbath sound like the Ramones on the sludgiest version ever of "Carol of the Bells," The Freeks offer a poppy instrumental called "Here Comes the Sleigh," and The Black Widows also go wordless on "Three Lost Shepherds." The Darts go straight-up punk on "Mistletoe," John San Juan are more Jesus & Mary Chain on "I Still Believe in Santa," Jon Wahl & the Amadans lay the vibrato on the guitars for "Christmas Time Is Here," and Biblical Proof of UFOs offer a Velvets-meet-Haight Ashbury tune called "Christmas Carols." The Rotters do a kind of front-porch stomp with the profane "X-mas on the Isthmus," which may be the first Christmas carol set in Panama, and deadbeats offer the perverse sex fantasy "Sally Green's Christmas Party." This is an enjoyable hard rock compilation with plenty of ace cuts for your mixes and playlist despite the title. Grab it from Bandcamp.
Leave a comment