A Very Cherry Christmas 7, various artists (Cherryade)

International mail prevented me from having this up in time for Christmas 2011; I think my copy finally passed customs in late January. This ongoing series from the independent UK label Cherryade features the usual array of British independent lo-fi pop performers, although this is a smaller group of such acts than in the past, just 13 acts with one song each. Krostofski Kabuki kicks things off with a cover of the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping," featuring synths, drum machine and a male lead vocal suggesting a gay holiday. The Just Joans offer the original ballad "Christmas (Tears 'Neath the Mistletoe)," The Drain on the Balcony thrash along to "Santa Hat," and Bucky asserts that "I'm a Little Snowflake" to guitar and drums a la White Stripes. "Fall Into Christmas" by Partlly Llama offers a perky synth-pop opening over which the vocalists sing a kind of dirge not unknown to fans of that band The Fall. Otaglia's "Hill of Angels" is more of a punkish workout, while Ace Bushy Striptease offers a noisy "Nightmare Before Christmas." Gareth Cutter implores us "Don't Cancel Christmas," Larry Pickleman wishes us a "Happy Holiday" in a fairly ironic vein, and Ste McCabe dispenses with the niceties by thrashing out a "Christmas Time For Sanctimonious Swine." Wrapping things up is a performance of "Snowgays" by Ratfangs, an instrumental that is kind of a spaghetti western interlude featuring guitar and accordion. Apparently they only did 100 hardcopies of #7 and if it's on any download sites, they're UK-only at this writing, so check the website.