A Very Bert Dax Christmas, Volume Nine has now officially been released. The ninth annual X-Mas compilation, a joint release by Rob Severson from Pancake Productions (subject of this week's music feature) and Matt Harnish of The Bert Dax Calvacade of Stars, features a pool of truly diverse local artists. These are cover songs and original tunes, all inspired by the wintry holiday season. Year after year, this compilation has proven to showcase an eclectic mix of St. Louis music through love for holiday jams. The compilation will get a series of four release shows, starting tonight at Off Broadway.
Producer Rob Severson was kind enough to provide us with the full compilation. Over the next week, we'll preview the compilation two tracks at a time, with Severson's commentary as well as our own, expanding beyond the songs to talk about the artists involved.
See also: Part one, featuring songs by Prune and Catholic Guilt and part two, featuring Bass-Amp & Dan-O and Navigator and part three, featuring Ellen the Felon and Hathead Jones.
"Wild Turkey is on Sale" by Bug Chaser
Severson: $17.77 at your local Shop 'n' Save. I wonder if that's actually true. If so, I'll need to leave here before Shop 'n' Save closes. I love listening to the subversively danceable Bug Chaser and just picking out all the little nuances that make it great. The jingle bells are a nice reminder that it's an X-Mas carol. This is probably pretty easily the most futuristic song on the whole compilation. Future-funk. It should have space-ships in the music video (which I hear is a reality that'll be debuted at our Off Broadway release show on December 14th).
Hess: Jake Jones of Bug Chaser does whatever he wants. "Wild Turkey Is On Sale" feels like an amalgamation of Jones' multiple musical forays, including Bug Chaser, King Kong Magnetics and The Beamship Blues Band. Solid beats under a sea of nuances, strange sounds and odd vocals. This song will be blasting over a night club's speakers during the Nuclear Winter that follows World War III. Bug Chaser will teach the survivors of jingle bells and holiday cheer.
"Suck it Santa Claus" by Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship
Severson: I am eager to see this one presented by the two-piece version of SYYR, you know, with GUITARZ. I'm pretty sure it was recorded when Superfun was just a one-piece. Speaking of my beloved jingle bells, here they are again and in full force. Like so many songs that populate Daxmas, this one represents its artist at its best. In this case, its spastic-dance-pop best! I'm glad there are so many songs specifically about (or at least that mention) Santa Claus on this year's compilation.
Hess: Superfun tends to squeeze out blatantly catchy songs. These electronic drums and kitschy melodies are the sort of sounds you don't want to have stuck in your head. They will not go away. Superfun continues to sing from the perspective of a wise ten year old, which works in this angry letter to ole Saint Nick.
A Very Bert Dax Christmas, Volume Nine Release Schedule
Wednesday, December 14 at Off Broadway Bug Chaser Catholic Guilt Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship $5 | All Ages
Thursday, December 15 at El Lenador Black James The Chill Dawgs Ellen the Felon & the Mattronome $5 | 21+
Friday, December 16 at 2720 Cherokee Ded Bugs Hathead Jones Bass-Amp & Dan-O and more $10 | All Ages
Sunday, December 18 at Lemmon's Prune Navigator Dubb Nubb $5 | 18+
