Reviews of A Very Cherry Christmas volume 2.

This is the second Christmas compilation to be put out and compiled by the superb Cherryade records, who are the ultimate guides to the best in some of the best un heard, secluded, unsigned, under exposed music from across the country. The album is a brilliant 23 songs in length from bands with the craziest sounds, styles and names in music. From the Banjo plucking Bobby McGees’s, Dawn Of The Replicants, Lucky Lucky Pigeons and my personal favourite Zoltan Kodaly School For Girls, each artist helps to rid the stigma often held with the cheesy Christmas compilation albums which plague our ears over the festive period. ‘A Very Cherry Christmas’ takes some of those classic Christmas favourites and rips them up, flips them round and makes them oh so much better. These are alongside many original Christmas songs from the bands. If you like your music wacky, under exposed, mysterious, inventive and dangerous then your Christmas is just not complete without this Christmas brilliant compilation. What made the CD even better was the bag of Sweeties I was sent along with the CD to allow me to enjoy it even more. 5/5

Gareth for Funky As Fudge.

All you need for Christmas is an atmospheric bit of electronica. Amongst the slew of Greatest Hits records from the Greatest Bands In The World that traditionally greet us at Christmas, we're lucky to get the occasional gem.

One that stands out in recent memory is the Low Christmas EP of 1999, which reminded the sensitively-inclined of the potential for truly soulful yuletide magic. Of course, beyond logical argument, the greatest Christmas record of all time is Half Man Half Biscuit's It's Cliched to be Cynical at Christmas - a heartfelt condemnation of the Curmudgeon Culture which and this Cherryade LP does well to follow its lead.

The pivot of A Very Cherry Christmas 2 is the Zoltan Kodaly School For Girls version of Lewie's Stop the Cavalry, a humble bit of instrumental play from a band of collegiate recorder terrorists billed as "the world's first all girl post-modern recorder quartet." Pocket Gods had earlier got it all underway with the exuberant statement "It's Christmas Eve and I'm pissed again," their tune jangling away with abrasive glee, and now I'm listening to Paul Hawkins, who seems pretty pissed off too, in that festive way, about to Get A Divorce For Christmas.

Pretty insane stuff, and drowning their sorrows with them are ex-Hefner man Jack Hayter - still availed of the magic-mystery machines that created 2001's epic Dead Media. Jocky Vankataramen, ulogises Galloway spirit with a poignant social conscience. Jimmy from The Bobby McGees is wondering whether Santa can fit all the presents he wants under the tree, but his girlfriend, El, seeks a little more affection, perhaps a kiss under the mistletoe, which maybe she'll get when the world wakes up to the McGees' ukulele-inflected brilliance. Meanwhile Thee Cats Pajamas just want to crank up some atmospheric feedback with which to greet the mother-in-law.

Norwich's True Adventures lead a fringe group of melody-laden hipsters in an assault of the senses like fine wine and pudding, in the quintessentially pop rebellion with them the Low-like Chalkdust and Lucky Lucky Pidgeons. Their immaculately Swedish pop song Red Santa is at the time of writing possibly the finest thing I've ever heard, all jaunty rhythms and cute as hell girl vocals, speaking to the warmest, fun-most part of the human soul.

Is that Ryan Hardy accusing Santa of having an erection? Surely not. His I Saw Santa ushers in the lo-fi, festive whimsy of Beatnik Filmstars and Candy Panic Attack, who's On The Dole At Christmas is like a ceremonial parade of last years toys across the living room floor on Christmas Day, all condemned chugging and unwanted sadness. Uke Stanza' s A little Tree meanwhile has that same stunning air of redemption and, unbelievably, that very same voice as Johnny Cash, only it's his own, and I don't think he's fucking about. Amazing.

Life With Bears (not Without Buildings) provide the "all you need for Christmas is an atmospheric bit of electronica" thought, their Last Noel shimmering with downbeat charm like that lost second Waitresses hit, before pushing out the lo-fi we have Wizard-tinged rock 'n' roll, Dawn Of The Replicants taking on Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time with a different kind of box-of-frog madness and Captain Polaroid firing away like Graham Coxon in Hefner playing to a retinue of Santa Clauses.

A humble feast of festive creativity, A Very Cherry Christmas 2 reminds me of the only time I actually enjoyed going to Sunday school, albeit to render mischief, and while some old dogs fish around for the classics to fill loved ones' stockings this year, I'll stick with this. Tears, alcohol, divorce, Cash, Swedish pop and Santa's erection. Happy Christmas indeed.

Neil Jones for MusicOMH.

This the second Christmas offering from the guys at Cherryade, the label that brought you releases from Steveless and The Bobby McGees. First things first, you really can’t complain about this compilation on value for money terms – twenty-two tracks is a mighty collection indeed. There again, a mountain of tracks doesn’t necessarily guarantee a great listen and it’s often the case that only a handful of tracks live on in memory for any meaningful length of time. But that’s hardly a surprise when the tracks are often hastily cobbled together in time for the Christmas push.

The one thing that stands out about this collection is its eclectic nature (as well as, strangely, a high proportion of Scottish accents). It also has some notable contributors such as Dawn of the Replicants, The Girl from Headquarters, The Beatnik Filmstars and Jack Hayter, as well as Steveless and The Bobby McGees. Highlights include Paul Hawkins’ light-heartedly and somehow endearingly out-of-tune take on marital break-up at Christmas and the pure, straight-to-the-arteries pop of True Adventures.

This is well worth a listen, as there is sure to be something here that tickles the old musical taste buds, and if only one track here makes you go ‘Yeah!’ then you know it was worth the outlay.

Owen Stallings for God is in the TV.

On the dole at Christmas?

I'd just like to know which of you bastards killed me. Just so's I can say 'ta' and haunt the right address, because I must be dead to be in a heaven that has Dawn of the Replicants doing a McCartney cover. Let the record show, as it does, that the Replicants antidote to twee is very much more of the same, this must be the sacred soundtrack for every fractious family lunch. Of course, it's incredibly stupid of the nice people at Cherryade (ta for the chcoloate money) to fly this one as the second track in. Lesser people, like you lot, might just stop there and spend the entire festive season hitting 'repeat' until your neighbours broke in and started hitting you. However, we am professsonal righters an go on, onto... The Bobby McGee's 'God Save the Queen's Speech' is gently lovely and worrisome, it's either the accent or the way the man forgets how to play guitar for a few seconds, but if you wanted a fucking Yes album you should have spent that 20p at the jumble sale, ya mean git. Sorry, but this album could, should have been a box of frogs, that it's not is down to three things: 1) The label are mental enough people to be both organised and nice. 2) The bands come up trumps. 3) They both, admit it, you sentimental fucks, love the season. There have been many 'alternative' Christmas albums, I suppose that this was meant to be one of them, it isn't. It's just brilliant, has more of the 'real Christmas' than a box of hypocritical christians could handle AND you'll need your dancing shoes, air guitar and hanky, have a good one.

Unpeeled.

The Christmas album death match

Last year I overindulged on Christmas albums, an action that left me not wanting to hear another ever again. But two have arrived in the post, and what better way to celebrate the season of familial fall outs than a Christmas album face off...to the death!

Let me introduce you to the combatants. In the twee corner we have 'A Very Cherry Christmas 2' on Cherryade Music and in the struggling to find its own identity corner we have the The Best KIDS Christmas Album In The World Ever Ever Ever!!! on KIDS.

The fact that the KIDS album is mainly covers and the Cherryade one originals wins points for Cherryade immediately. I mean, how many more covers of the traditional Christmas tunes do we really need? And of course there are good and bad sides to every Christmas, but lets not dwell on the bad stuff. On the KIDS comp I love the Wombats 'Is This Christmas?', a great punk-pop tune summing up a fun, tragic, hilarious, usual Christmas Day. I'm also taken by the Big Flame style wonkiness of Popular Workshop's 'Christmas Wrapping', the twee electro-sonic Oppenheimer and Might Six Ninety who have that Richard Hawley style crooner thing going on.

Some of the Cherryade stuff is too ramshackle and badly recorded but some is just divine like the Lucky Lucky Pigeons super fine lo-fi girl pop of 'Red Santa', knocked out over skittering beats and rudimentary guitar. Also very cool is Captain Polaroid's bouncy Death Cab pop, the lo-fi twee punk of Candy Panic Attack's 'On The Dole At Christmas', Jack Hayter's mournful lyrics and tune that wheezes, chugs and splutters delightfully and the rabid techno assault of Thee Cats Pajamas.

Despite the tuneless Half Man Half Biscuit stylings of Steveless/Syd Howells and the Teletubbies incidental music that is Zoltan Kodaly School for Girls version of 'Stop The Cavalry', Cherryade wins the bout by a hair pull and a Chinese burn.

Russell Barker for Russell's Reviews.

This year's collection should probably be sold with a complimentary bag of humbugs, as half of the bands here seem to focussing on the worst parts of the festive season. Top of the scrooges is Candy Panic Attack, whose hilarious lo-fi tastic 'On The Dole At Christmas', provides the highlight of the album. Similarly grinch-like are the deliciously quirky True Adventures, swaggering veterans Beatnik Filmstars, the twinkly but morose Paul Hawkins, who is apparantly 'Getting a divorce for Christmas', and the darkly brooding Girl From Headquarters, whose 'Unwanted Presents' cheerfully curls around a bass heavy vocal intoning that "None of us would get what we wanted."
But as entertaining as other hearing about other people being miserable at Christmas is while you're tucked up in front the fire with a warm cup of cocoa and a mountain of presents, a whole album might be pushing it, so the more cheerful moments come as a relief, and capricious Swedes Lucky Lucky Pigeons, with their "big sack full of joy" on 'Red Santa' are just the ticket amongst the swathes of sarcasm and cynicism, while Uke Stanza uses 'A Little Tree' to encourage us to make the world a better place.And there are even a few old favourites here too - Scottish oddballs Dawn of the Replicants weigh in with their take on 'Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time', while Zoltan Kadaly School for Girls contribute the twee-est version of 'Stop the Cavalry' you'll ever hear, performed entirely on recorders and cheap casio keyboards.

Paul Madden for Maps Magazine.

N: At this very special time of year, there are always those constants that leave the alternative record buying public assured that although war, famine and 'news' have ravaged our fair planet in the past year, all is ok because we have the Cherryade Christmas compilation to look forward to and this year has been no different. Like Granddad attempting a kiss under the mistletoe with his carer or HM(P) the Queen addressing her subjects and trying to explain the mistakes her government have made this last year, Cherryade Records always amuses us with a (very) alternative take on the Christmas story.

T: They're definitely offbeat, Cherryade, I'll give them that, and this is no exception. A bizarre mix of brilliance, such as The Bobby McGees' marvellous ultra sleazy "God Save The Queen's Speech", the Mark E Smith like uber menacing "Unwanted Presents" by The Girl From Headquarters, some amusingly pointless cover versions and the odd utterly dreadful track such as Candy Panic Attack's "On The Dole At Christmas". The whole compilation is brilliant and crap all rolled into one.

N: Santa this year has cast aside his usual cheery red (that was NOT a mis-spelling!), eaten very little for the last eleven months and come back astride his Harley sleigh dressed in a redesigned black cape and fed his reindeer nothing but Vindaloo. This album is both shit and the star above the stable. Creatively, the artists featured have certainly freed their minds and allowed their arses to follow. 7/10

Nick and Tone E for Atomic Duster.

It's a travesty I didn't review ShadowPlay faves Cherryade Records' Christmas compilation. Not that it matters as, unlike most Christmas stuff that seems great before the day but as saggy and ugly as the channel five porn flick that turned you on a minute ago after it, this rocks. In fact this rocks all round the year as tunes such as the Pocket Gods' Jombal Bells and Paul Hawkins' Getting A Divorce for Christmas (which we played on the radio show) should be released in June they're that good, fingers crossed. There's also tracks from the Bobby McGee's and Thee Cats Pajamas which prove just how good this compilation is, track it down.

Alex Lawson for Shadowplay.

Following on from the first edition, this collection from 2006 features Cherryade artists and their confederates, this time going Christmas across the board. The Pocket Gods kick things off with "Jombal Bells," a play on their own song "Jombal Party," slapping together any number of holiday readymades into a fun disc opener. The Beatnik Filmstars give us "Ho Ho Ho (A Bloody Merry Corporate Xmas)," a primitive-sounding broadside against commercialism, and Candy Panic Attack's "On the Dole at Christmas" is an equally grungy pop take from a slacker's point of view, and The Girl From Headquarters offers up a sinister-sounding "Unwanted Presents." Paul Hawkins' mediocre voice fails to detract from the reggae-fied "Getting a Divorce For Christmas," a bit of tongue-in-cheek melodrama that is fun but goes on a bit too long. True Adventures' girl-boy pop shuffle "What the Hell" is nicely disarming, with just the slightest taste of Violent Femmes to it. "The Last Noel" by Life With Bears is an electro-pop talk-sing reminiscent of a low-budget Pet Shop Boys. Captain Polaroid offers a rare "Until Boxing Day" take on the 26th, invoking a bit of Velvet Underground along the way. Two bands break the all-original-songs barrier on this collection: Zoltan Kodaly School For Girls does an instrumental of Jona Lewie's "Stop the Cavalry" and Dawn of the Replicants nicely grunges up Sir Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime." There's also a CD Extra component with "A Ghostly Tale" on mp3, but it didn't seem to do much else on my Mac. There are a fair number of more experimental sounding items on this disc, but there's enough good stuff to justify the low price of this disc.

Mistletunes.

Enough to warm the cockles of any festive season dreading curmudgeon heart and dispel any chill dread of an appearance by Cliff 'Christmas' Richard is this spanking 22 track feast from Blackpool's Cherryade records. Following up the acclaim received for last years celebratory get to together (which was obviously called 'A very Cherry Christmas - Volume 1' - this could run and run kids) and never ones to sniff at an opportunity to spread a little cheer and make new of an age old concept those Northern blighters have been out and about and whipped up a positively motley looking posse to partake in the best Christmas compilation we've had the pleasure of hearing this festive season ('it's the only Christmas compilation we've heard this year' - Ed).

Each a yuletide nugget in their own right 'Cherry Christmas' features a welter weight of bands and artists who should be big, might be big, could be big, could be big in a small way or fairly small in a big way - there are household names (Dawn of the Replicants, Beatnik Filmstars…), great names (Candy Panic Attack, the Girl from Headquarters…), daft names (Zoltan Kodaly School for Girls, Thee Cats Pajamas…) and unpronounceable names (Ghouqueu) - all links to the bands to the foot of this review.

Scattered among the festivities there's a few surprise cover versions (okay then just two) perhaps the most notable being Dawn of Replicants' Christmas roast skewers drawn as daggers reclaiming of Paul McCartney's whimsically saccharine cheery cheeked 'Wonderful Christmas Time' - a tasty slice of grizzled jingle some menace as you've come (or not as the case may be) to expect from Galashiels keepers of the Meek flame. As to the other cover well it's a rather kooky re-drill of Jona Lewie's 'Stop the Cavalry' by London all girl quartet Zoltan Kodaly School for Girls who we suspect you may well be hearing more about next year and who appear to arm themselves with a ruck sack bulging minimalist array of instruments that include just recorders and casios and set out on their way doing bonkers bontempi barbeques of top tunes past and present. Check them out when they appear as special guests of Radio 1's Rob Da Bank for a yuletide jamboree on 17^th December.

Admittedly we are still reeling from their corking comeback elpee earlier this year via Track and Field / 555 entitled 'In good shape' - the Beatnik Filmstars of whom no self respecting music loving home should be without at least one of the members of their ever (head) expanding catalogue stump up 'Ho Ho Ho (a bloody merry corporate Christmas)' - a two minute fuzzy felt smorgasbord where lysergic lazy eyed trippyness meets curious comatose cosmic candy pop - you know it makers sense though not in the way I've just described it. 'God save the Queen's Speech' from the Bobby McGee's (whose my space page incidentally is emblazoned with the tag line 'making other bands look shite since 2002' would be considered laughable were it not for the fact that you deeply suspect they could well be right) is best described as strangely disorientating and oddly creepy - sounding like its crawled straight out of the pages of a Lear book, this darkly engaging slice of peek -a - boo faerie hopping pop tunes itself into the same wildly wonky airwaves upon which the Freed Unit's warped pysche folk is carried adrift though on this occasion sounding like they are being fronted by the late great Vivian Stanshall.

Those among you who feel that deep house electronica is never fairly represented in the Christmas stakes may do well to cock an ear to 'I love you Santa' by Thee Cats Pajamas - a furious overload of frenzied beats and head shrinking whirrs, buzzes and bleeps - not, one would imagine, the perfect soundtrack for the morning after the night before. In sharp contrast the warmth radiating from the homely cute some 'What the Hell' by Manchester based songstress True Adventures (with input from various friends including Field Music members) is the kind of stuff that gives you a inner fuzzy feeling of the type that really should be bottled and sold to the public at large. And talking of warmth 'The Last Noel' by Life with Bears is deliciously invested with teasing strings, muted minimalist beats, grotto like icicle chimes and the kind of Christmastime ceramics that make you feel gooey, think upon it as a Lowry landscaped snow globe scene featuring Phil Spector, 'Tigermilk' era Belle and Sebastian and St Etienne.

The Girl from Headquarters we must miserably admit are previously unknown to us but frankly that won't be the case for very much longer having jenned ourselves up on the band via a review by Penny Black Music which cited among the various references a certain Dick Dale. Sadly no DD appears on their contribution here entitled 'Unwanted Presents' though the edgily sombre tones and the suffocating sense of claustrophobia that hangs upon each bleak strum certainly had us digging deep for our Gallon Drunk and early career Fall records. Candy Panic Attack throw up some wilfully catchy barbed fuck you DIY punk pop the shape of 'On the dole at Christmas' which to these ears sounds like a rather tasty morsel of skeletal X-Ray Specs. Elsewhere there's the depressingly funny Daniel Johnston that it's okay to feel safe holding a sharp knife while listening to in the shape of 'Getting a divorce for Christmas' by London based solo musician Paul Hawkins replete with a Benny Hill side show routine it has to be said - which before you ask is bloody fine with us. Then there's the playfully perky candy coated playground twee pop of Lucky Lucky Pigeons irresistibly infectious 'Red Santa' and the Cash like realism of Uke Stanza's tempting 'A little tree' to contend with while Birmingham's finest Captain Polaroid kick in with some classy Wire '154' era motifs for the swagger like hip grinding proto new wave fuzz effervescence of 'Until Boxing Day'. Though personally for me nothing quite touches 'Come back home (for Christmas)' by the Applicants (who incidentally have a split single out presently with the Open Mouths via Brainlove which right now we can't remember for sure whether we've heard - surely we must have) - anyhow think Lou Reed caught up in a nightmarish glittery glam Christmas past featuring various guest visitations by the Glitter Band, Sweet, Wizard and T-Rex and blessed with the slinkiest and sexiest side winding riff you'll hear this party season. Killer stuff.

Additionally on the CD there's a secret track that can be accessed by your PC from the insanely named Spinmaster Plant pot (don't look at us for help) which sadly we couldn't access - bugger while if you ask those nice Cheeryade people nicely there's freebie downloadable Christmas EP to be had featuring Chihiro, Kiely and the Minogues, Cogna, Boeing 747, Forest Giants, Socks and Shoes, Spinmaster Plant pot (again), MASS and the Bobby McGee's (again - though I suspect you won't complain to much) - on top of that for a limited time if you purchase Volume 2 direct from the site you can get yourself Volume 1 at a super duper discounted rate - blimey they do spoil you rotten those Cherryade persons.

Essential really.

Mark for Losing Today.