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I don't know where to begin. There are so many artists, so many styles represented here, it is somewhat misleading to call this record simply "Punk Rock", although there is some good Punk music to be found here. First, some background for the uninitiated: Punk Rock is just Rock and Roll music with a very fast beat, played very loudly, and occasionally punctuated with discontinuities in volume and rhythm, such as going instantly from very soft to very loud or changing from a rock beat to Ska. (Ska is a caribbean rhythm in the same family with Reggae).

Punk's themes are generally rage at injustice, rebellion against authority ("Stick it to the man!"), disgust with falsehood, hypocrisy and pretentiousness (pretentious people are called "posers" by punkers), and alienation from the social order. Very loud, raging Punk music is called Hard Core. In this form lyrics are screamed or spat, and the "F" word is used wherever the Beatles might have used the word "yeah" or "the".

Other genres associated with Punk are Emo (short for emotional), featuring a softer, often melancholy presentation and usually more romantic themes; Metal, which uses more amplification, a heavier, more discernable lead guitar signature, a slower beat, and, usually, more violent themes; Gothic (lately called Darkwave), which is much mellower in tone than punk, uses slower, more hypnotic beats, and is almost exclusively about death. Grunge is a Rock and Roll form that began in the Seattle, Washington, area during the late 1980s with bands such as Nirvana. It features a lot of minor chords, a slower beat, and musicians wearing faded and unwashed plaid shirts. Sometimes Grunge is confused with Alternative, which is not discernible from garden variety Rock and Roll in any way that I can hear. I think Alternative is just the Rock music industry's expression for "new and improved".

The first Punk Rock band in America was The Ramones. The first Punk Rock band in the UK was The Sex Pistols. Debate is ongoing about which was, in fact, the first punk rock band. (A good summary of this debate can be heard in the wonderful movie SLC Punk). Punk's early years witnessed the birth of its mainstream cousin, New Wave. Punk fans would be apt to call New Wave bands (and fans) "posers". New Wave is best represented, in my mind, by the girl band The Go-Gos. Lame from birth, New Wave died the day Curt Cobain wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Punk, however, continues to live the good life, and is well-represented on A Santa Cause. (You thought I had completely lost myself in digression, yes?) The CD opens with The A.K.A.'s very nice homage to Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis (from A Very Special Christmas). This is followed by a number of new tunes and several original arrangements of popular Christmas carols and songs. Most of these are Emo, Grunge, and actual Punk Rock arrangements. Much to the disappointment of rabid Punkers (and to the relief of everyone else), there is no Hard Core Punk on this CD.

Highlights include Something Corporate's Forget December (Grunge); Blink 182's I Won't Be Home for Christmas (Punk); Fall Out Boy's Yule Shoot Your Eye Out (Emo); Gatsby's American Dream's Christmastime Is Here (Jazz!) and Jason Gleason's Sleigh Bells And Wine (more Jazz!); In Memory's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Punk); Stand Still's I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus (Punk; very funny, and for a few seconds, the closest to Hard Core of anything on the CD); Punchline's Icicles (with elements of Punk, Emo, and Grunge, this is my pick for best track on the CD); and The Red West's It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Grunge).

This is a very accessible compilation of contemporary Rock and Roll styles. Although the themes of alienation and rejection of hypocrisy are clearly in evidence, there is nothing sacreligious or offensive on this recording (that I could make out). So, I can generally recommend it (highly!) for listeners age 14 and over.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From the liner notes:

Playing on this CD are The A.K.A.s, Something Corporate, The Matches, Blink 182, Far (Featuring Chino Moreno), Fall Out Boy, MPMX, From First To Last, Matchbook Romance, New Found Glory, Acceptance, Gatsby's American Dream, Jason Gleason, In Memory, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Stand Still, The Beautiful Mistake, Punchline, Saosin, and The Red West.

From the liner notes:

"This album is dedicated to all children around the world that are in need of a helping hand around the holiday season and throughout the year. A portion of the proceeds generated by the sales of this album will go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation creates a future of hope for children and families worldwide by eradicating pediatric AIDS, providing care and treatment to people with HIV/AIDS, and accelerating the discovery of new treatments for other serious and life-threatening pediatric illnesses. For more information on the Pediatric AIDS Foundation or to make a donation, go to www.pedaids.org."

Various Artists

A Santa Cause: It's a Punk Rock Christmas

Artist link

Track List