Music

Toronto's Buzz Records crew share their favourite holiday songs

by Mark Teo

When we think of Toronto’s feedback-driven D.I.Y. scene, one name immediately comes to mind: the aptly-named Buzz Records. They’ve built their name by digging deep into the depths of Toronto’s volume-loving community, and the bands on their roster are equally ferocious and diverse: Odonis Odonis have a crushing aesthetic that’s so confounding, it had reviewers calling it “industrial shitgaze.” Beta Frontiers dabbles in warped techno. Dilly Dally branches off from the label’s noisy rep, with Katie Monks and Liz Ball delivering up messy, infectious pop. Greys trade in speaker-busting post-hardcore. Weaves, meanwhile, trade in offbeat slacker pop. HSY create shearing noise. And that’s only scratching the surface.

Indeed, there’s nary a weak link on Buzz’s roster, and their roster will converge on their holiday gathering, A Very Special Krampus Party. The concert—dedicated to Krampus, the dark companion of St. Nick—goes down on Saturday, December 6 at the Garrison in Toronto, with a stacked lineup of Greys, Odonis Odonis, Weaves, the Beverleys, and Dilly Dally (Eric James Mayer, meanwhile, will provide Krampus-time projections). Buzz will also be distributing highly collectible baseball cards of their bands—like this killer rookie card of the Beverleys.

But even if you can’t make it out, we have you covered: The Buzz Records team shared their holiday playlist with us. Check it below, or head on over to the label’s website, where, for each day of Krampmas, they’ll be celebrating with free downloads from Buzz artists.

The Waitresses – “Christmas Wrapping”

The first track on the Buzz Krampus playlist comes courtesy of Jasmyn Burke of Weaves (and ex-of Rattail). Her pick? A post-punk holiday track, written in 1981 by Ohio post-punk band The Waitresses. Dig up the track on the A Christmas Record, which, among others, features a Suicide track. We’d put it on after Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas.

“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Next up, Spencer Cole—also of Weaves—picks a certified Yuletide jam, although it’s a cantankerous one: Here, “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch,” where, in a deep baritone, Christmas’s biggest hater’s described as having a “brain full of spiders.”

The Snowman – “Walking in the Wind” (David Bowie intro)

Like Cole, Weaves’ Morgan Waters follows up the “You’re a Mean One” with another animated-film classic, though “Walking in the Wind” has a decidedly different tone. Taken from the introduction of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, this magical sequence was lifted from the 1982 U.K. version of the film—and it featured David Bowie. “The most bittersweet Christmas song from the saddest-Christmas-special-with-a-DavidBowie intro,” says Waters. “At Christmas I always make a point to sit down at my parents out-of-tune piano and go full on British choir boy.”

Lee Dorsey – “Working in the Coal Mine”

Leave it to Zach Bines, of Weaves, to get morbid. His pick? Lee Dorsey’s R&B classic that explains where the lump of coal in your stocking came from. “This is definitely what Krampus listens to while abducting children,” he says.

Sailor Moon Christmas – “Merry Christmas”

On a less dour note, Dilly Dally’s Katie Monks leans on another song from an animated movie—though this one’s in Japanese. Taken from Sailor Moon Christmas, “Merry Christmas,” according to Wikimoon.org, was a carol sung by Inner Senshi, or the five original Sailor Senshi.

Allen Ginsberg – “Come Back Christmas”

Jimmy Tony, of Dilly Dally and Mexican, reels things back in a Christmas song by legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg, recorded in 1970. As Tony says, it’s about “getting bummed in the city with Allen Ginsberg and a harmonium,” he says “‘Merry Christmas, don’t take too much hard dope. Happy New Year, don’t hang yourself with a rope.’ Hallelujah.”

Paul McCartney – “Temporary Secretary”

Jarod Gibson, of Odonis Odonis, serves up “Temporary Secretary,” a cult fave amongst Paul McCartney songs due to its effed-up take on synth pop. It sounds more like a bad trip than a festive track, but, as Gibson notes, it’s the, uh, giving message of the song that pervades: “Give the gift of temporary servitude.”

Red Aunts – “Little Drummer Bitch”

Nine tracks in, Mexican Slang’s Annabelle Lee finally tells us that, much to MXPX’s chagrin, “Christmas ain’t punk!” We’re with you, Annabelle. That’s also why we love the hilariously, bluntly titled Red Aunts track, “Little Drummer Bitch.”

“Sympathy For The Record Industry put out a compilation called Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus in 1993 which features yuletide carols from the likes of Dead Moon and Rocket From The Crypt,” she says. “It’s one of the only festive records I would ever willingly listen to, and this song stands out as a favourite.”

Jimmy Butler – “Trim Your Tree”

Beta Frontiers is up next, and picks the sexiest track on the list: Jimmy Butler’s “Trim Your Tree.” It’s what “the season is all about, cringingly obvious innuendoes,” he says. We can’t say we agree. Where’s the innuendo in “I’m gonna bring along my hatchet/ my beautiful Christmas balls/ I’ll sprinkle my snow up on your tree/ and hang my mistletoe on your wall”?

RUN-DMC – “Christmas in Hollis”

HSY’s Katerina Theodorelos is up next, and she picks RUN-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis,” a rap classic about a holiday spent in Queens taken from the classic A Very Special Christmas comp. “It speaks for itself,” says Theodorelos. And she’s right: Sampling “Back Door Santa” and “Frosty the Snowman,” it also features lyrics like “It’s Christmas time in Hollis Queens /Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens / Rice and stuffing, macaroni and cheese / And Santa put gifts under Christmas trees.” SOUNDS DELICIOUS.

Dead Kennedys – “Buzzbomb From Pasadena”

ANAMAI’s David Psutka also realizes that Christmas ain’t punk. That’s why, for this Krampus comp, he chooses Dead Kennedys’ “Buzzbomb From Pasadena,” which isn’t about the holidays. “This will be my first Krampus, so I feel mostly just anticipation—but hey it’s looking like a pretty great event,” Psutka says. “Here is a Dead Kennedys song with Buzz in the title!”

Snow – “Informer”

The Beverleys get it. They know that the holidays are about two things: Snow and straight-up snitching. (After all, Santa—who knows when you’ve been naughty—is nothing but a snitch. Stop snitching, Santa.) “Hdjfkfnfjcjfidifjgjdkfjfbfkdkdkdnfkdjfn,” the band writes, “A licky bum bum down.” Amen.

Vince Guaraldi Trio – “Linus and Lucy”

Apparently, when Greys aren’t dropping shit off buildings onto Sterling Road, they’re listening to smooth-ass jazz. They round off Buzz’s Krampus playlist with a veritable holidaytime classic—they choose the Vince Guaralid Trio’s “Linus and Lucy,” the responsible for getting children into jazz. “Good grief,” says the band’s Shehzaad Jiwani.” Good grief, indeed.