Alternative Christmas Mixtape: Day 2

Dismayed by Slade? Ready to damn Wham to their Last Christmas? We continue our Alternative Christmas Mixtape - a safe haven from the likes of John, Yoko, their Plastic Ono band and that swarm of caterwauling children they dug out of a landslide for the occasion - with today’s jolly ditty, as suggested by Cork’s cuddliest, RedFM’s Victor Barry. While keeping the Christmas flavour, this Weird Al track is something I’ve been playing on the talk show on RedFM for years. It’s something very far removed from the usual bells, baubles and bollocks, and always manages to raise a smile. Plus, its catchy too and sticks in yer head like a knife. Victor Barry presents RedFM’s “Cork Talks Back” and is editor of The Movie Bit blog. Culch.ie’s Alternative Christmas Mixtape is curated by Sinéad Keogh, Aaron McAllorum and Lisa McInerney. (Yeah, we said curated…)

Alternative Christmas Mixtape: Day 1

This day two weeks we’ll be gathering up the Roses wrappers and looking into a future filled with turkey sandwiches until the leftovers are dealt with. Ever ones to enjoy a countdown, we’ll be marking off the days to Christmas with our alternative Christmas mixtape, some off the beaten tracks to celebrate the season as selected by our friends in the land of music. Today’s choice is by Ronan Hunt-Murphy. There’s a saying that many religious people say about this time of year: “You can’t have Christmas without Christ”. I’m not religious, but it’s the one time of the year I actually do go to mass. And you know what? I like going and hearing the nativity story. It has all the gift giving you need, but no mistletoe or wine. Surely that’s not a bad thing. Similarly, my favourite Christmas song is simply titled ‘Christmas Song’, by Dave Matthews … There’s more