While shepherds moshed: A Musical Advent Calendar: Day 2 - Family Matters?

Well, if you thought I was going to stick to songs about Santa and Rudolf and Xmas carols, you were wrong. Some of the best Xmas songs are anti-Xmas. And of course, for some poor souls, having to spend a couple of days with their extended family is a prospect to be faced with gritted teeth.

Here's the very talented Jill Sobule with a cover of a Robert Earl Keen song:Xmas Texas style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUwezGMnxt8

To my shame I'd never heard of Mr Keen before yesterday.Doubtless good old boys of my acquaintance will consider this a terrible omission.I intend to put it right. Here's his version of the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P37xPiRz1sg

Not much snow in Houston.Nevertheless, this Xmas song has been kind to him. So much so that he wrote another song as a sequel and a book with the same title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_from_the_Family

Back to Jill, who I've been a fan of for many years. One of those very talented artists who ought to be far better known, but is still just playing small clubs after all these years. Not something that I'm complaining about. Her biggest "hit" was I kissed a girl. Long before Kate Perry started snogging the ladies.

Quite a few years ago Ulrika and I saw her at Cirkus with Lloyd Cole in their short-lived, under-rated band the Negatives. Talk about a dream team.Two idiosyncratic talents together on the same stage. Well, they are both household names in Kärrtorp!