Hey! You! Get Off of My Roof! - Part 13

Time is short, so please allow me to share just a little background on two additional tracks from my 2022 holiday mix:

Track 39
Another Christmas Story, The Howling Diablos (1993)

I stumbled across this track late in the process of assembling this year's mix and was immediately taken by both the story and the sound. The Howling Diablos were a Detroit-based blues band that got their start in the late 1980s and maintained a steady schedule of live dates through the 1990s and well into the 2000s. (I say "were" because it's not entirely clear whether the band is still a going concern, but I couldn't find any evidence that they've disbanded either.)  Their sound included heavy doses of rock, funk, blues and gunge, and in addition to their solo shows in clubs and smaller venues they opened for a variety of acts including Alice Cooper, Parliament Funkadelic, Ben Harper, NRBQ and The James Gang. Kid Rock played with the band for a spell, although his current politics seem incongruous with the band's overall style.

Written by Tino Gross, "Another Christmas Story" looks at Christmas Eve from the perspective of a homeless city dweller trying to survive in the face of below-zero weather of the sort that is plaguing cities throughout the nation this year. It features Jim McCarty on lead guitar and guest vocals by Thornetta Davis.

 

The version of the song that I used features a short introduction by legendary activist and blues musician John Sinclair, former manager of the MC5, and founding director of the Detroit Artists Workshop (among dozens of other activities). Sinclair relocated to New Orleans in 1991 and later settled in Amsterdam.

Track 38
Christmas Song, The Raveonettes (2004)

This song is by the Danish indie rock duo The Raveonettes, which formed in 2001 and placed seven consecutive albums on Billboard's Hot 200 from 2003 to 2014. Their music is known for its two-part harmonies that are reminiscent of The Everly Brothers, but many of their tunes include harder edged guitars and lyrics that don't shy from gritty urban issues and the problems of modern life. There's none of that in this track, however — just a lovely, sweet song:

See The Raveonettes' Tips on How to Write a Christmas Song

I'll be back tomorrow with a few thoughts on our final three tracks of this year's mix. Only one final shopping day before Christmas. Bundle up and enjoy the season!