This year's KROQ's Christmas album again brings to our attention some tunes done by some of our favorite "Punk" friends. I'm not going to bother with all of the bands that we could careless about like "Linkin' Park" or the skits like "Jessica & Nick's first Christmas as husband and wife" because aside from the "Punk" bands on here, this disc is useless.
Thrice is up first with Dustin belting out "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)" over his acoustic guitar. I felt the song was done well vocally and musically as Dustin's powerful voice fills the airwaves with a humble song for the season.
Our good friends Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast combine once again for a very special Christmas tune. It's not "Christmas in Hollis Queens" but "Player's Ball" is still a pretty solid holiday jam.
Vinnie takes the vocal responsibilities for Less Than Jake on "I'm Gettin' Nuttin for Christmas." This is the perfect song for this band and it sounds more like their older material than something off of Anthem.
"A Change at Christmas (Say it isn't so)" by the Flaming Lips carries a respectable solid beat before this Christmas record falls completely downhill.
The Ataris' gift to us is the piano led solo track "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" done by Kris Roe. I'm a sucker for Roe's voice and this depressing song provides a different look at the talent that he has in one of the few quality songs on the compilation.
Rooney and Ryan Adams both turn in very bland songs that are sort of like that sweater your grandmother knitted for you.
Finishing off "The Year They Recalled Santa Clause" is Brand News take at "Oh Holy Night." When I saw that Brand New was on the compilation I immediately expected a great deal from it, hoping Jesse would turn in another strong vocal effort to the traditional song. Although I was a tad bit let down the group still turns in a quality song in a soft subtle manner that closes the record off completely.
To "Wrap" things up, don't buy this. It's not really worth your money. You can download all of these songs from somewhere, somehow and only a few of them are even worth your effort anyways.