When Christmas Music Got Cool: Nostalgia, New Tracks, and Year-End Vibes

Welcome back, friends! 🎄✨ This week on Songs That Don’t Suck, Mark is in full holiday mode—nostalgic, festive, and ready to take us down a musical rabbit hole that starts in 1987 and ends with four brand-new tracks that survived the desert that is late-December release season.

Let’s unwrap it. 🎁

🎅 The Christmas Spirit Returns (With a Vengeance)

As the year winds down, Mark finds himself unexpectedly deep in the holiday spirit again—and building a Christmas playlist sent him straight back to a core childhood memory: the release of A Very Special Christmas in 1987.

And honestly? He’s right—this album hit different.

⭐ Why A Very Special Christmas Mattered

This wasn’t just a compilation. It was a seismic shift in holiday music:

• Born from heartbreak: After losing both parents, producer Jimmy Iovine vowed to create a Christmas album forhis dad.
• Backed by giants: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Madonna, Whitney, Sting, Run-DMC, Stevie Nicks, and more signed on—not for charts, but for charity.
• Cultural reset: Holiday music suddenly became MTV-cool, blending sacred, secular, classic, quirky, and pop into one cohesive mixtape.
• Visual identity: Keith Haring’s now-iconic artwork sealed the vibe.
• Lasting impact: 10 additional albums, a 30th anniversary reissue, and more than $145 million raised for the Special Olympics.

This album didn’t just change Christmas music—it made it matter.

Mark even recalls seeing the music videos on MTV:

• John Mellencamp’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
• U2’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
• RUN-DMC’s iconic “Christmas in Hollis”

If you grew up in that era, those memories hit like cinnamon-scented nostalgia.

❤️ And maybe—just maybe—some of that childhood Christmas magic is sneaking its way back to him this year.

🌎 Whatever You Celebrate…

Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice—Mark sends love to all.
The season is about connection, joy, and music that warms the room.

🎧 This Week’s New Music Finds

December is not the easiest month to discover fresh tracks—labels slow down, indie artists take breaks, and the inbox gets… empty. But Mark did find four gems worth your ears.

1️⃣ Coast — Snocaps (Allison & Katie Crutchfield)

Genre: Indie Rock / Sibling Harmony Magic

The Crutchfield twins—better known individually as Waxahatchee and Swearin’—occasionally unite as Snocaps, and “Coast” is their short-but-sticky new release.

Why it works:

• Sibling harmonies that just hit different (genetics probably helping 😏)
• A drum-machine-ish opening that evolves organically
• A laid-back vocal feel paired with a chorus that leaves you wanting more
• A total runtime of 2:20—small but mighty

This track kept pulling Mark back all month… which is basically the universe saying: put it on the show.

2️⃣ Dark Night of My Soul — AVTT/PTTN

Genre: Alternative / Experimental Harmony

A collaboration between The Avett Brothers and vocal chameleon Mike Patton, this track is smooth, moody, and musically rich.

Fun fact:
Mike Patton has a six-octave range. That’s basically superhero territory—rarer than Mariah Carey (five octaves!).

What makes this track special:

• A relaxed, atmospheric vibe
• A bass harmonica sneaking in and out of the verses
• Stunning vocals from both parties
• A texture that feels both unexpected and effortlessly listenable

A must-spin for fans of genre-bending artistry.

3️⃣ After All This Time — Van Buren

Genre: Folk / Americana / Stomp-and-Holler

Instant comparisons: Noah Kahan, Vance Joy, Mumford & Sons.
But Van Buren makes it his own.

Mark loved:

• Strong singer-songwriter energy
• Falsetto moments that lift the whole track
• A killer bridge
• The undeniable “this would destroy live crowds” factor—clapping, bouncing, yelling, all of it

Close your eyes and you can see the festival crowd already.

4️⃣ You Were Leaving — The Lone Bellow

Genre: Folk Rock / Americana

Mark’s final new track of Season 3—and it’s a perfect closer.

Expect:

• Big, warm harmonies
• Gorgeous lyrical storytelling
• Echoes of The Wild Feathers
• Pedal steel accents that shimmer in and out
• A pre-chorus that climbs with tension and payoff

If Mark has a musical sweet spot, this is it.

🎙️ Wrapping Up Season 3

And that’s a wrap on the new tracks for this season!

If you want more:

👉 songsthatdontsuck.net

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Thanks for listening—and here’s to a magical holiday season filled with songs that absolutely do not suck. 🎶✨