It's Chriiistmas! Tracks-mas: The Big Moon, Public Access TV & more

As far as the year goes, Christmas is probably a highlight. Tis the season when gorging yourself on Eastenders episodes and pigs in blankets becomes socially acceptable, after all. The Big Moon clearly feel the same way. Bringing their own touch to Andy Williams’ crooning, marshmallow toastin’ crimbo classic, the London four-piece have taken on ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ to raise funds for breast cancer charity Coppafeel. Ending with an almighty roar of triumph from Jules Jackson - the sort that would make Tina Turner nod in gravelly approval - the whole thing gets Big Moon-ifed in the best way possible way. (El Hunt)

Public Access T.V. are New York scuzz lords who hang out in basement bars, washing their hair in half empty pints just to avoid going home. The epitome of Christmas, really. They could be shouting anything here -romantic seasonal tales, songs about reindeers - and it’d still sound like a fuzzy, crusty slice of NYC doom. (Jamie Milton)

Palma Violet’s ‘Last Christmas on Planet Earth’ is less chestnuts roasting over an open fire, and more broken ovens and emergency fried chicken from Morleys on Christmas day. Things soon escalate into all-out wintery doom and gloom, all the drudgery of the festive season taking centre stage. Santa’s lost his beard, he’s got gravy stains all down his red tunic, and he’s in a drunken brawl outside the local ‘Spoons. Poor Palmas have had to line their living room with tinfoil to keep warm. Every Christmas needs its token Pogues-esque ballad; that’s this in a nutshell. (El Hunt)

Future Islands spin-off project The Snails has been going for years, but their slimy oddities are more prominent than ever in a post-Letterman gaze. ‘Snails Christmas (I Want a New Shell)’ is a lovely number about having low expectations for the season of goodwill. Samuel T. Herring isn’t asking for much - just a fresher outer coating to prevent him from being gobbled up by a seagull. It’s hard out here for snails. (Jamie Milton)

Santa’s sleigh? Santa slays, more like. Pounding and scuzzy, Menace Beach’s yuletide offering ‘Holidays are Heavy’ glimmers with all the charge of a psychedelic icicle, eventually bursting into flames and sizzling like a flambéd Christmas pud. Brilliantly muddy, this couldn’t be further from the standard ruh-pah-pah-pum fare that gets piped through department stores throughout the final shopping rush. We wouldn’t have it any other way. (El Hunt)

Tags: Public Access TV, The Big Moon, Features