Various Artists - Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Xmas (1996)

This is a companion piece to the 15 volume New Wave Hits of the '80s set released in the mid-'90s by Rhino Records. However, the music comes from the '70s, '80s, and '90s.

Tracks:

• Thanks for Christmas - The Three Wise Men (aka XTC)
  Great tune. XTC never disappoints. I'm surprised I never hear this on the radio in December. I think Andy Partridge is an atheist, so that makes this an interesting listen on another level.
• Christmas Day - Squeeze
  I want to like this piece because I'm such a big Squeeze fan, but its just not very good.
• Fairytale of New York - The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
  The Pogues are an acquired taste I have yet to acquire. Kirsty MacColl, on the other hand...
• Rudolph the Manic Reindeer - Los Lobos
  A great instrumental version of this Christmas classic. Lots of accordion and saxophone.
• 2000 Miles - The Pretenders
  Because I first heard this song on the group's Learning to Crawl release, I never really thought of it as a Christmas song, which, of course, it is. And a good one at that.
• Santa Claus - Throwing Muses
  Not a big fan of the group and this doesn't sound much like a Christmas song other than the fact that it contains the lyrics, "you remind me of Santa Claus." Not my thing.
• Little Drummer Boy - Miracle Legion
  Not a bad stripped-down version, there's just not much to this song. I never understood its popularity.
• Xmas at K-Mart - Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band with The Rootettes
  Obviously a novelty song, its a fun listen.
• Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy - David Bowie/Bing Crosby
  This is a bizarre pairing that inexplicably became a modest hit about 5 years after it was recorded for Crosby's last Christmas special.
• One Christmas Catalogue - Captain Sensible
  Typical, bouncy, new wave fun from a former member of The Damned.
• All I Want for Christmas - Timbuk 3
  Not a cover of the popular holiday tune, but a maudlin original denouncing war and calling for world peace. Better left forgotten.
• Shouldn't Have Given Him a Gun for Christmas - Wall of Voodoo
  Shouldn't have recorded a song for Christmas. Recorded in 1987 after Stan Ridgway had left the band.
• Santa's Beard - They Might Be Giants
  Typical TMBG pop song with a sound similar to other stuff they were releasing around '88. Typical of them around that time, the song doesn't even last 2 minutes.
• Christmas - The Buzz of Delight (featuring Matthew Sweet)
  I wish I had known about Sweet in the mid-'80s. I enjoy the songs he writes. One of the better songs on this compilation.
• Christmas Time - Chris Stamey Group
  Along the lines of The dB's and Alex Chilton. Not bad.
• Mary Xmess - Sun 60
  I like this 1993 song. Guitar by Dave Navarro and I think the singer (Joan Jones) sounds a lot like Juliana Hatfield.
• Careless Santa - Mono Puff
  John Flansburgh from TMBG with his side-project. Not surprisingly, it sounds just like a TMBG song.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I had only heard two of these songs before hearing this CD and I don't listen to it very much, so there aren't any memories. I should just stick this CD in my truck CD player every December.