This could be an EP or an old style single with an A side and a B side. I have decided to treat it as an old school single…
I generally do not like trying to label a band with a particular genre, but if I had to apply one to The Sheepdogs, I would probably choose southern rock. I’d choose this mainly because it amuses me that they are actually from Canada. Interestingly, the band themselves choose “rock and roll” for the description of this single. To give the full quote, they say:
“There’s a lot of Christmas music out there, but not nearly enough Christmas Rock N Roll. So we’re making like Santa and delivering the December goods: a Xmas-party banger for your next holiday shindig.”
Good for them! I thoroughly approve of the rejection of ever narrowing genre labels to describe a band. Rock and roll is a broad church and well done for placing themselves in it.
As for giving us an, “Xmas-party banger”, I think, with “Santa Man”, they have delivered! And talking of deliveries, there is more than a little hint that this Santa Man is interested in delivering a present to one person in particular, not just to all the people on his nice list! One element in the song particularly struck me: there was a very familiar riff incorporated in the song that took me a moment to place but I got there eventually though and recognised it as being borrowed from “I’m a Believer” by The Monkeys, which makes sense in a song about Santa. After all, who would not claim, “I believe in Father Christmas” when the naughty list threatens.
They wanted to record a banging rock and roll tune for Christmas and they have succeeded. It will definitely find its way onto my party playlist.
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The second song, i.e. the B side, is from a band called BROS. I must it, I panicked somewhat when I saw the name as I assumed it was something to do with Matt and Luke Goss. Thankfully, no! The Goss brothers are Bros (note lower case) while this is BROS (all upper case). The song here, “Hot Christmas”, is by Ewan and Shamus Currie. They are brothers, surprise surprise, and both are of The Sheepdogs. I guess BROS is a side project that lets them explore musical interests that are not so rock and roll. It is fair to say that “Hot Christmas is pretty far from rock and roll and that there is a very strong Latin feel to the song.
Although the jingle bells are there, the piano melody, the rhythm and some cool trumpet, set the Latin mood from the off. Despite paying close attention to Strictly Come Dancing, I am still slightly vague about my Latin rhythms. I want to say this is a salsa, but since I can’t tell my merengue from my elbow, I would be happy to be proved wrong. What ever dance I’d be doing to this song, I would be carried away to warm, South American climes… which is exactly what the song is about. There us a “Christmas With The Kranks” feel to the lyrics, with the singer complaining about the cold, the stressed faces of friends and colleagues, Christmas shopping… the list goes on. This leads to the chorus where it is declared, “…got to get away from Christmas holiday“. Unlike the Kranks though, the singer appears to succeed in getting away and spends Christmas listening to Mariachi bands, walking on the beach and sitting under palm trees. The second half of the single plays out with an even more up tempo Latin instrumental, with a cool flute solo that references Christmas classics such as “Jingle Bells” and “Sleigh Ride”.
If you “got to get away” this Christmas, even for a few minutes, close your eyes and let “Hot Christmas”‘s Latin grooves take you away from all the stress.
Two very different, but equally interesting songs: one to fill you with Christmas joy and one to carry you away from the Christmas blues. What’s not to like?
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Santa Man and Hot Christmas are available now. A 7″ green vinyl edition can be ordered from the Sheepdogs website and s are available from the usual suspects.
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