Hark! Tidings of Barbary Joy, The Barbary Coasters (Hillsdale)

You know those fake bands you saw playing on the beach in those 1960s surf movies that usually included some of the film's characters? Imagine one of them come to life and you've got the Barbary Coasters. They've got that West Coast small combo pop-rock sound down pat, vintage instruments, cheap organ and all. More remarkable is that this 2008 Christmas album consists almost entirely of originals, though "Twistin' Bells' is just an instrumental "Jingle Bells" and "I Want a Monkey For Christmas" is simply new lyrics to "Roll Over Beethoven." That tune appeared on a Double Crown compilation, in case the description sounds familiar. The band still gets credit for its authentic period sentiment, with song titles like "Frosty's Beach Party," "Wild Snowshoeing Weekend," "Ho Ho GTO," "Apres Ski A-Go-Go," and "Will You Still Love Me (After Christmas Break)?" As I have fond memories of that musical period, I'll probably be playing this a lot.