Kingfisher Bluez Christmas Single 2023

Kingfisher Bluez Christmas Single 2023
(Kingfisher Bluez, KFB 122, Canada, 2023)

For the 12th year in a row, Kingfisher Bluez is adding a building to their Christmas village. This time a candy shop. When the series started, it was mostly one or two songs on the 7", but for several years now, the number of songs on the record has been increasing each year, it seems. This year we find five songs by five bands, all from the Vancouver, British Columbia area, just like Kingfisher Bluez. For three of the acts (La Lune, Spank Williams and Max Boonch) it is the first time they appear on vinyl.

Be Afraid are not new to vinyl, and they open the record with the indie rock and politically charged 'Never Gay At Christmas Time'. The next two songs are covers and are more on the indie folk side of the musical spectrum. David Ivan Neil covers 'Santa Is Real', originally recorded by Flat Earth (and no doubt inspired by the legendary 'Satan Is Real' album by the Louvin Brothers), while Spank Williams covers John Prine's 'Christmas In Prison'.

La Lune turns up the amps again with the shoegaze-sounding 'Vegan Hot Dog Christmas'. That doesn't sound like my favorite Christmas, to be honest, and that's not because of the vegan part, but hot dogs at Christmas, that just doesn't seem to go together. Max Boonch closes the record with a sensitive folk song about getting a driver's license and playing 'Blue Christmas' while decorating the tree. And about some other things. Like that his songs are sad and slow. Which is not entirely untrue, judging by this song.

Five indie songs worth playing at Christmastime. And the good news is that you don't have to wait until nine months after Christmas to get the vinyl edition of the single, because it was already available before Christmas.

Listen to the five songs on Bandcamp:

You can also order the record on Bandcamp