Michigan-made Christmas Mix Vol. 3: ‘Bermuda Snohawk’ edition

The annual “Bermuda Snohawk” compilations have become a holly jolly tradition in the local music scene. Each winter, the tracklist delivers a mixed bag of tracks. From joke tunes to thoughtful ballads, they’re always a fun listen. Here are a few select cuts picked by area musicians.

Cale Sauter (musician, Cavalcade, Bermuda Mohawk Productions)

Frank & Earnest “Stick a Fork in Me, I’m Done” (2008)

Having helped oversee nearly 15 years of “Bermuda Snohawk” punk/indie holiday compilations with artists predominantly from Michigan, being tasked with choosing your favorite Lansing Christmas track is kind of like being asked to name your favorite child … if you had, like, 250 kids. Even then, I tried to look outside of these options. Lansing features a ton of worthy entries spanning back many years prior to the existence of this compilation. All attempts aside, I couldn’t shake “Stick a Fork in Me, I’m Done,” from the 2008 edition of “Bermuda Snohawk.”

It’s a ramshackle acoustic holiday breakup song delivered by Nick “Otis” Pierce with a surprising amount of soul. It also unintentionally doubled as a debut track for Lansing band (and past City Pulse Top of the Town award winners), Frank and Earnest. I couldn’t fight the memorable melody and undeniable megaton drag on the heartstrings this one leaves you with. It’s a fittingly bittersweet combination for a time of the year that brings a lot of mixed emotions for most.

Peter Richards (musician, Stargrazer)

SONG: CrookedSound “Santa In Blue Jeans” (2009)

One of the annual traditions I’ve always looked forward to is the holiday compilation put out by Bermuda Mohowk Productions — in recent years assisted by GTG Recordings. It’s always full of surprises: some ramshackle home recordings, some joke tracks by makeshift “bands” invented on the spot, some polished studio material. Genres veer all over the map from metal and punk to indie folk and hip hop, but the uniting factor is a spirit of fun and irreverence. The 2009 compilation will always be a special favorite of mine, and a standout track is “Santa In Blue Jeans.”

The song tells a tale that unfolds in July, on Kalamazoo Street. Guitar, warm fuzzy bass, and glockenspiel are all played by Eric Merckling in a casual way that underpins a tale of disappointment featuring the titular character. Full disclosure: I play French Horn on this track, and arranged the layers of horns at Merckling’s studio, mere feet from Kalamazoo Street. Allen Toussaint I am not, but I had a fantastic time using the horn to create a textural backdrop for the emotional payoff of the song. Every time I spin this song, I get transported back to that attic studio.

Aaron Bales (songwriter, Flatfoot)

SONG: Matt Waterman “Screw Your Christmas Presents” (2018)

Just 93 seconds. That’s all Matt Waterman (Jason Alarm, The Devil’s Cut) needed to present an incredible Christmas anthem.  In those seconds, you’ll encounter an arpeggiated slow piano intro, a count-in, driving punk rhythm guitars and a keyboard hat-tip to a Christmas classic. Beyond that, there’s fantastic twin “guitarmony” solo nodding, the best Perry, Michigan shout-out you’ll ever hear — and some incredibly earnest and heartfelt lyrics.

This song rocks.  Hard.  It is also beautiful and makes me tear up a little every time I listen to it.  Additionally, at 93 seconds it makes the Ramones look like prog-rock. Give it a listen or 10. Feel the sadness, the triumph and the love. I’ve made some good local Christmas songs with my band Flatfoot and heard even more between the various fun “Bermuda Snohawk” and “Suburban Sprawl” compilations, but this is the one I keep returning to.  Thank you, Matt Waterman, for this gift that continues to give.

Jennifer Toms (vocalist, bassist in Scary Women)

SONG: CrookedSound “Santa Quit” (2019)

There is a certain magic to this song: the story it tells of Santa leaving his post and the song’s enchanting music are reminiscent of the best carols. “Santa Quit” is comforting in its lush sounds and message of compassion. Santa, whose “heart is so big,” cannot return to the job without the help of humanity. The sentiment of the song is too lovely to be melancholy, and the music’s gorgeous layering is so warmly inviting that one doesn’t want to leave the wintry sonic landscape.

Part of the beauty of this song lies in its moments of quietness. As the lyrics contemplate the absence of Santa, the music quiets to the sounds of Santa’s “magic call” to his reindeer and culminates in a moment of perfect silence before the music again envelops the listener. Through its powerfully gentle sounds, the atmosphere and intricate instrumentation takes the listener to a place of nostalgia for a world when kindness won the day. At a time when the world feels disordered and chaotic, this song is heartening both musically and lyrically. In this sense, “Santa Quit” has a magic all its own.