Faves of 2011 (vol. 2)

Wait, how is this Vol. 2 and why is Vol. 2 appearing after Vol. 3? Whelp, suffice to say I put up this volume two times previously and each time it got zapped by the powers-that-be. This time, I've pulled every major label-affiliated band from the mix, and replaced them with much more deserving tunes.

The three volumes of faves from 2011 really put into focus how difficult it's going to be to narrow the year into a top 20. My last count for that list exceeded 30, which means there's some tough decisions ahead. In the meantime, however, all we have to do is enjoy. And hope the link stays alive.

Here We Go Magic

1. Cirrone Here Is My Song
2. Redondo Beat The Sweetest Sound
3. The Dahlmanns Candy Pants
4. An American Underdog Nothing I Can Do
5. The Biters Hold On
6. The Barreracudas Baby Baby Baby
7. The Kills Damned If She Do
8. The Booze Rachel
9. The CRY! Forget It
10. Sun Wizard Golden Girl
11. Warren Zanes Nothing To Do Now
12. The Hot Toddies Hey Hey
13. The Viatones Isn't It So True
14. Sloan Unkind
15. Ralph Covert & the Bad Examples No Message in Your Bottle
16. The Sick Rose Take It All Back
17. The ABCs Italian Girls
18. The Eulogies Better Than Nothing
19. The Love Me Nots I'm Gonna Be Your Girl
20. The Greatest Liar You Deserve Better
21. Marvelous Darlings Teenage Targets
22. The Shivers Used To Be
23. The Diamond Dogs Be Here Tonight
24. Dirty Wings Scott Walker, Motherfucker

Un-Herd Christmas 2011

Hard to believe it's this time of year again. Also hard to believe there's another 25 rockin' tunes that flash their collective 'nads at the Christmas spirit, but here's the proof.

I don't know where Vegas puts the odds for this link's staying power, but it should be safe. Then again, I might be flirting with doom by including a couple oldies like Mud and Roy Wood's Wizzard (and, by the way, how damn genius was it for Roy Wood to intro the song with the chime of a cash register in place of the typical sleigh bells?). Anyway, let's have at it. And to paraphrase Santa himself: have a tolerable holiday everyone!

ka-CHING!

1. Billy Childish & the Musicians of the British Empire Santa Claus
2. The BAcksliders Christmas (Doesn't Have To Be So Bad)
3. E Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
4. REM Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
5. Pugwash Tinsel and Marzipan
6. Deer Tick Christmas All Summer Long
7. Tina Sugandh White Christmas
8. Blue Skies for Black Hearts Wishing You A Merry Xmas
9. Vancougar Dysfunctional Family Christmas
10. Mud Lonely This Christmas
11. Roy Wood's Wizzard I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
12. The Montgomery Cliffs Don't Feel Much Like Christmas
13. The Chesterfield Kings Hey Santa Claus
14. The Len Price 3 It's Christmas Time, Ebenezer
15. The Fleshtones Mr. Santa Claus
16. The Wellingtons I Guess It's Christmas
17. The Spring Collection Christmas With You
18. The Krayolas Run, Rudolph, Run
19. The Boss Martians 3 Ghosts (A Modern Christmas Carol)
20. X Jingle Bells
21. Dylan Thomas Band For Christ's Sake (It's Christmas)
22. Marah New York Is A Christmas Kind of Town
23. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects
24. Crocodiles w/ Gum Gum Dirls Merry Christmas Baby (Please Don't Die)
25. Tight Solid I Hate Christmas

Previous Xmas mixes can be found here.