Pop Shots – 5 MORE Christmas Songs You Absolutely Need to Know Exist

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, with Christmas coming up this week I decided to build on last year’s Christmas column, and give you five MORE Christmas songs you absolutely need to know exist.

If you missed last year’s installment it featured Christmas songs from everyone from Lady Gaga to GWAR, and this year’s list is just as varied with R&B, pop, punk, rock, and heavy metal all represented … just how Santa would want it!

So let’s get into these five songs of Christmas cheer!

Of course, since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

TLC – Sleigh Ride

 

If your holiday season needs an infusion of some R&B, look no further than TLC’s 1993 Christmas song “Sleigh Ride.”

Off A La Face Family Christmas, which is clearly a Christmas album I need to find, “Sleigh Ride” has the sound, and feel of a classic TLC song, it just happens to be about Christmas rather than creepin’, or inquiring about your friendships.

If we’re being real, T-Boz’s voice is hot enough to melt the ice that may be on your driveway right now … actually, I haven’t tried that yet. Maybe I need to bring a boombox outside, and blast some TLC. The neighbors HAVE to be cool with that, right?

Pyschostick – Zombie Claus

 

The first thing you need to know about Psychostick is that they’re wonderfully out of their minds. The second thing you need to know is that they create some of the most entertaining heavy metal music you’ll ever hear, including parodies that definitely take a certain level of genius to come up with.

One of my personal favorites is their holiday song “Zombie Claus.” Don’t worry, Santa isn’t a zombie in this, rather it’s a holiday tune set to the White Zombie classic “Dragula.”

This might be one of the best Christmas songs of all-time, because it’s one of the only ones you could easily imagine a stripper dancing to.

Joe “King” Carrasco and The Crowns – It’s a Party Christmas

 

I discovered Joe “King” Carrasco and The Crowns earlier this year when I found one of their albums while going through used vinyl. I picked it up, and liked the very unique mix of Tex-Mex and new wave.

After doing some digging – because that’s what I do – I found out Carrasco is known as the king of Tex-Mex rock n roll. I also discovered he had a bit of hit in 1982 with the song “Party Weekend,” thanks to the video being in heavy rotation on a fledgling station called MTV. When the holiday season neared, MTV asked him to do a Christmas-themed version of the song, and that’s why we have this boisterous, feel-good holiday tune.

Bowling for Soup – Even Santa Needs a Break Sometimes

 

Did you know Bowling for Soup has not one, but two Christmas projects under their collective belt??? Titled Merry Flippin Christmas Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, they feature BFS holiday originals, and covers of Christmas classics.

One of the originals off the second Merry Flippin Christmas is “Even Santa Needs a Break Sometimes,” and with it we learn all the things Santa Claus does when it isn’t Christmas.

Based on the song, we all have quite a bit in common with the big bearded guy … with the exception of the whole magical powers thing.

As an aside, the joy Bowling for Soup puts into this song is perfect for the season. That’s their magical power!

GIFTSHOP – Spooky Halloween Christmas

 

Queens, NY-based rockers GIFTSHOP did something I’m not sure anyone other than Tim Burton has managed to do – they combined Christmas, and Halloween. They did this with their ridiculously fun holiday rock song “Spooky Halloween Christmas,” which is a perfect Christmas song for those of us who actually prefer spooky season (yes, I’m one of those people who likes seeing Halloween displays go up in August, why do you ask?).

A spooky, rockin’, rockabilly, sax accompanied gift from GIFTSHOP, if this amazing song makes you want to know more about the band, check out my interview with them from earlier this year: GIFTSHOP – Rock of Ageless.

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.