From the most recent MOJO sampler CD -- theme: some holiday in December -- here's perennially fresh as a daisy alt-rock funsters Superchunk and a thoroughly charming version of John Cale's great "Child's Christmas in Wales."
Cale's Paris 1919, from whence that song derives, is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I must confess until I heard the Superchunk cover it had never occurred to me that "Child's Christmas" could be done as a straight-ahead pop rocker with jangly guitars. Trust me, if I'd had that insight back in my 80s skinny-tie band days, I would now be annoying you with a poorly recorded live mp3 of yours truly singing the damn thing at some low dive somewhere.
