editor’s note: The following blog was neither commissioned nor coerced by Colin Gawel or any of the management or staff of Pencil Storm. Our Virginia correspondent - JCE - was a Watershed fan YEARS, if not decades, before he joined the ranks of Pencil Storm contributors. That being said, it arrived in our in-box at a convenient time as Colin & the Bowlers will be playing their annual Christmas Eve Eve Show at Woodlands Tavern next Monday, December 23rd, at 8 pm. Admission is free. (Our favorite price.) Will “Still Love Xmas” be played at the show? Come out and check, we’d love to see your smiling faces.
MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONGS: TOURNAMENT STYLE - by JCE
The Christmas season is upon us once again. I wrote the majority of this piece in 2018 but never got it uploaded to Pencil Storm. So, I give you this for the 2019 Christmas season! I chose my nine favorite Christmas songs and somewhat randomly seeded them into a basketball-style tournament bracket. The bracket results and a bit of explanation, for your holiday season of listening, are below.
PLAY-IN GAME:
9. Aimee Mann – “Calling On Mary”
This is just a really pretty song by a great vocalist and songwriter.
8. Billy Idol – “Yellin’ at the Xmas Tree”
Rocking song, and hilarious. Had to get through the play-in, but not truly good enough to move on.
FIRST ROUND:
7. Bruce Cockburn - “Go Tell It On The Mountain”
My favorite song from a truly brilliant record simply called Christmas. No way it’s beating The Kinks though.
6. Fountains of Wayne – “The Man in the Santa Suit”
Originally found this on a Sunglass Hut Christmas sampler called Holiday Groove. Just an excellent song. Couldn’t get past Mother May I, my heroes from D.C.
5. Bruce Springsteen – “Santa Claus is Coming To Town”
Well everyone has to love this song with the reference to Clarence getting a new sax for Christmas. Still got knocked out in the first round though.
SEMI-FINALS:
4. The Pretenders – “2000 Miles”
This is really pretty, not too traditional, and simply one of my favorite Christmas songs. Never gets old, sounds good any time of year.
3. The Kinks – “Father Christmas”
I could easily argue this one belongs in the championship, and probably even should be the champion. But I’m going with my heart and sticking with the two songs that I really want to hear the most. I may just be a little bit tired of “Father Christmas.”
FINAL:
2. Mother May I – “Breaking Up At Xmas”
One of my favorite bands ever from my hometown. My friend found this as a cd single that their record company put out as a promo. I wrote the band and they instantly sent me one with an autographed poster thrown in. Really good dudes. You have to love the lyrics: “I hate the malls, and the traffic, don’t wanna buy it, don’t wanna wrap it. The cold weather, I can’t hack it. We always seem to break up at Christmas time.”
1. Colin Gawel – “Still Love Christmas”
Yeah, I know it looks like the (Pencil Storm) Homer pick, but I love this song. It’s pretty and it’s sad, but it still rocks and sounds so much fresher than most of the songs I hear every year. I think it’s a great piece of songwriting and I dig it, and it’s my champion. So there. Bonus points from a great video that features Colin playing guitar and harmonica at the same time, a feat I have always been impressed with. Also, when the line about taking the Christmas card and throwing it in the trash comes along, the cute girl in the front row with the Santa hat seems to act the part, like she’s throwing the card to the ground (1:30 in the video). I like that.
Runner-up: Mother May I (in case Colin can’t finish out the year as champion because of old Playboy photo shoots or something)
Winner, and 2019 Christmas Song Champion: Colin Gawel / “Still Love Xmas”