From the global offices of Eternal Bummer Records: "Oh hello there. Eternal Bummer Records head honcho, supreme overlord, best buddy, worst enemy, all-around cool guy Ivan Rivers here to formally welcome you to Holidaze Forever: An Eternal Bummer Christmas Volume 4. We've got a lot of merry merry carollers on here, some not so merry too. Sometimes you gotta have a yule that's cool AND blue, and we've got room for all types on this compilation, our fourth in the Eternal Holidaze series. Thank you for listening. Thank you to the carollers for being a part of it. Hope you all have a hopp-uhh a happy holidays. Merry Christmas...stay bummed."

Celebrated Folk Icon Ivan Rivers starts off this compilation with a heartswept anarcho-fantasy of two pining-in-the-pines rural romantics torching down their home county in the Christmastime. Produced by Rivers' Stuck Out Here bandmate and former Holidaze artist Emmett O'Reilly (PKEWx3, Respire, Owen Wilson) and backed by the frozen ocean cries of "Heavenly" Devin Staple (The Old Salts, Red and the Ramblers, Sparse Parts), "Formed in the Snow" is a fitting ode to the now past-Huron County roots of the extended Bummeratti familia and to setting afire your past as you carry your own light forward into yr brave new beautiful futures. Blow past the vineyards that made all the wine The country club pours for their frostbitten kind Plowed under by wonder this hung winter holds Been blessed with a burden born cold in my bones A bounty a bundle of pinecones and bows I’ll hold you down under the belle luna’s glow Pressed onto you under you carried in whole Leave lover and angel molds formed In the snow Formed in the snow Past-midnight by starlight a frozen shoreline Climb makeshifted glaciers your mitten in mine Watch treefires burn buildings hear coastowners cry Red and green jerry cans merry and bright A rock from a rooftop: was that old Saint Nick Caught clipping the driver of a down-bad crown vic The sirens give off such a cherry-red glow On a cop car crash spectacle formed in the snow Formed in the snow Do you remember how our worlds caved in Your body my body our love and our sin How we cleansed in the Christmas lights peeled off our skin Bloomed crimson and clover became born again When we burn the whole countryside let it be known Our love’s in each blustering breeze ever blown In each flake and each ash of these lives and these homes In the county-sized crater we formed in the snow Formed in the snow

Ava Dawe is no stranger to the Holidaze series, having featured on an incredibly stirring version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Song for a Winters Night" on Volume 3 with her family band The Honey Sweethearts when she was like eight years old. We're lucky to have her debut the first track with her new tentatively-titled band Manifest. With brothers Finnley and Gibson Short, the newly-pepperminted trio give a candy cane swirl to the classic "Blue Christmas" with enormous sophistication and class. Having seen one of their first sets at the Seaforth Fall Fair this year and now hearing this pro-cut carol, you know these young folks are prodigies. Big and not-so-blue Christmasses ahead for certain.

Jordan Wilding has cut his teeth as an in-demand skinsman around the Toronto roots rock and roll scene, drumming with bands like Red and the Ramblers, Scoop Trumbull and the Wrong Notes, and Sparse Parts, not to mention shredding mando with EB head Ivan Rivers and "Heavenly" Devin Staple in the Second Best Western Band. However, his secret weapon might be his beautiful, angelic voice, shining wonderfully here on this Fleet Foxes' wintertide supertune. Playing every instrument and harmonizing with his own celestial tones, it'll have your warm heart shining red like strawberries in the summertime, or cranberries in your sparkling wine.

So holiday happy here to debut the first track from brand new Toronto-punk superduo Last Drag featuring Tabi Irani (The Victim Party, 222UESDAY/TABItuesday) and Jesse Colburn (Closet Monster, Avril Lavigne). They rip through this one-minute wonder of seasonal expectations unmet (or met predictably and unfortunately wrong). "So let's go! / Make these spirits right / This year's a wash / At least the end's in sight" Irani belts over seasonal bells and festive pop-punk fervour and fever. Last Drag's first song's such a banger you'll be begging it's not their last on yr wishlist.

Jesse Fellows is one of the all-time OGs in the literary indie-indebted crunchy and cerebral southwestern Ontario punk scene, cementing classics in Windsor legends like Blurt and Shared Arms and dropping new canon-worthy rockers under his own nom de plume. "You Lied (About Santa Claus)" is a snotty treatise from a disillusioned eight-year-old learning sacred and unholy holiday truths. Recorded on an archaic digital eight-track, it's scrappy and a blast, like tearing off the wrapping paper way too fast on a Hot Wheels track.

Striking Steel strike out on this comp with some rippin' and tasteful tinsel-laden bluegrass. Featuring Karsten Stryker (a former kid-neighbour gone good of the Eternal Bummer Manor in Clinton, Ontario), dobroist Nathan Duarte, and bassist Jordon Brosseau (Mudmen), the Steelers wheel on this Larry Sparks' log cabin country-picker.

This track here is the first of SIX cuts from what I call the Baggage Boys Extended Universe. Suitcase Sam, a dear pal and modern practitioner of old-time honky and tonkin' is backed by his bandmates in both his own act and the definitive The Strokes dedication-act The Brokes on this lovely rendition of this carol from the best band of all-time aka duh The Band. A fitting tribute in the year we lost Robbie Robertson and a way to carry the light of these Americana-progenitors in the capable palms of these totebagged torchbearers.

Connor MacArthur has the second song from The Brokes/Baggage Boys familia, the plaintive and wistful "Yule Desire". A series of winter musings from a community builder, multifarious utility player (TV Dog, another of his projects: watch this band), and an incredible and thoughtful songwriter in his own right. I'm a big fan of Connor and his ambition, and this song will be a fireside heater for years to come.

The "Party Man" Seth Meeker is a Forest City firestarter, melding multiple genres into a sentimental, emotive, and soul-igniting sound. His huge voice and stylistic-swerves bring a certain 2016 energy (aka my absolute favourite year of music) to his burgeoning discography, and this apocalyptic carol is a heartacher that'll make you pull yr love ones into yr warm embrace like there's no god left in this place. Watch out for Seth, he'll get you where it hurts so so so so good. Looks like it’s Christmas again, If you haven’t, then pack all your things Gotta hit bricks by the morning at the very latest To us we remember the trees, And the smell of our love was so heavy on the breeze I can’t explain what that means to you yet: to have a christmas so easy If what lays back in the dark is a lesson To not let in all of our life’s misdirections Just as snow wouldn’t follow in footsteps, be your own way I admit I was once so protected Just as the cards on the sill would have said once My word, I will write them in blood as it drains me while we run away Been saving for gas, though it’s not what it was Won’t last quite as long as it coughs up its rust Will that do my lovely angel? See, why were we even complaining? I don’t mean to go so fast but we got to I don’t mean to be so quiet though we must Now I only live to pass on this message Cause To you this has always been wreckage So in the months leading up to past blessings I remember their words when I asked in amazement, “You mean to say there’s magic in this place?” “My love, you’ve made it that way!” And please never change Looks like it’s christmas again And we’re running off fumes in the tank I can hear all the danger from some other place Hell, that’s miles away. For now you’ll be safe.

Spaceman Neal Armstrong first appeared on the first Holidaze comp under his old arthouse weirdo act Gangrene and Blue with one of my favourite oddball holiday outliers "Binders Full of Christmas". He returns here with bandmate and partner Yasmine Emily representing their larger devolutionary art-punk attack Martian Crisis Unit on a song about fascist implementation of Christmas spirit set to the damn Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. ACAB includes Christmas Cops. Trust the spacepeople. In this bleak and icy cityscape Haters hate and decorate it's christmas once again and if you don't want to celebrate anticipate dictator will put you in the pen for you see, their holiday decree requires thee jollity by penalty of law better be good for the naughty face the wrath of christmas cop No one wants a candy caning from the Christmas Cop A.c.a.b. No one wants a candy caning from the Christmas Cop A.c.a.b. He's merry and he's scary He loves gingerbread if you hear his Jingle bells You'll likely end up dead He's a Christmas cop And his badge gleams just like tinsel bright A ghastly sight in fridgid night that's not cold as his heart He imposes love and yuletide cheer with threats severe you'll live in fear of the Christmas courts Even Santa would not work his shift enforced with fists a violent gift that can never be stopped you must resist do not get blitzed off the wish list of the christmas cop

Ava and the Dawe Family (Felix, Molly, Heather, and Steve) are back with their family band version of this Stevie Wonder seasonal staple. If you know the Dawes well, you've eagerly awaited their annual holiday tradition of a secular carol music video filmed in and released from their home aka the former Eternal Bummer Manor. This was their tune last year, and their second appearance in the series, and we're stoked to have them back, and can't wait to keep celebrating their new projects, holiday or otherwise

The Weston Family Band consists of Matt Weston aka basically a de facto EB in-house producer and studio operator over at Lucan's Swamp Songs and longtime Holidaze star, playing in acts on previous comps like The Holy Rollers, The Dyadics, The Marrieds, and you know what probably more. Matt's had his own Christmas tradition ignited by this series our absentee years and films his own vids featuring fellow Westons Josh and Zach as well as Mark Sarkany. Recorded in their own abodes across Canada, the fam says "We’re not covering The Beach Boys, we’re covering John Denver and The Muppets covering The Beach Boys!" Check out their official video over at YouTube.com/@SwampSongs (with many muppets y'all) and stay awhile, peering through their festive family tradition that helped us wanna get this dang tradition up again too.

Josh Geddis offers this song from his beautiful 2021 EP "The Quiet I Never Knew", a modern cut of crispy cold Canadiana. Featuring his usual crew of collaborators and dad-joke groan-a-longers (including Holidaze stars like Matt Weston, Steve Dawe, and more) and featuring a guest lap steel performance from Christine Bougie (Bahamas), this song sounds just as good while shovelling snow as it does seated in a hot tub watching swans swin by on ole Button Bay. What a beautiful tune.

One of the original members of the Bummeratti familia and a gifted artist from his teenage scrappy years to his hook-laden americana-tinted pop-punk present, Charlie Weber returns for the fourth time to this series with a beautiful and gentle rumination on the simple and sweet joy of watching "Christmas Specials" every year. Charlie's always wielded a clever pen and an incredible vocal bravado, but rarely has he let himself sing so softly and gently. Let's blame producer and Glorious Failure bandmate Richard Gracious, who had the idea to have Charlie record his vocals while holding onto Richard and wife Rachel's newborn baby Bea. Lovely tune.

Kevin O'Brien is a Kitchener-Waterloo musician and deeply smart music fan, with a vast blanket of taste curated and careful as well as killer tunes in his own pedigree. Here he ignites his Bluevales project with an original tune about wanting just a plain-ass, normal "Middle Kinda Christmas". Featuring samples from My So-Called Life and a power-poppy acoustic backing, O'Brien says "after going through a few years of Christmases where I had experienced loss, or rough times, I started to dread the holidays. Last Christmas, I was listening to a Christmas playlist and every song was either super joyful (Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney) or super depressing (I’ll Be Home For Christmas). Neither spoke to me because, at this point, I’m grateful for when the holidays are just … fine. I talked about it with a few people and they felt the same. So, one night after a couple of drinks with friends, I wrote Middle Kinda Christmas to try to hit that feeling." Consider the feeling hit with a boughs of holly bullseye.

Cleveland, Ohio based lo-fi songwriter JV aka the House of Wills shares a downtrodden slushed-shoes seasonal depression anthem "JV Christmas" about the rainy dreary Christmas of the global warmed winterless wonderlands. JV says, "I wrote this song on December 19th 2022. I had the idea for a while and wanted to write a Christmas song for the years where there is no snow, it's overcast, you don't have any plans, you don't feel the spirit. Sometimes the holidays just suck ass and that's how it is. So this one is for anyone who has had or is having a suck ass holiday, because JV is right there with ya. Also, I was under the impression that you are legally required to include the segment from "Jingle Bells" at the end of your Christmas song, and the last thing I need is the feds knocking on my door (it's a federal offense here, not sure about Canada so you might want to look into it)." We will consult our legal team but in the meantime, vibe out to this great carol.

ZABIE is the emotional avant-ambient project of musician and filmmaker Joseph Elliott (A Cat Named Wolf, Blaze N Murder). "snow-flakes" conjures up a careful Christmas calmness, or as Elliott says, "It’s not overtly a Christmas tune, but I’m going for a late Christmas night, the day is done, sleepy reflective kind of mood." It's music to take that time out to when the dishes are done, the snow is falling, the lights are low, and the season isn't bright, but maybe dimmed and if not merry then at least mediative and mellow.

HELLBENDR is the debut track from former Permanent Bastard Adam Cook's new post-rock project. Featuring second-wave emo twinkly guitars into soundscape-shattering heaviness with an ominous reoccuring sleigh bell guest spot, Cook says "it’s gonna make you feel like you’re walking home on the coldest night of the year." Bundle up, because not only is this song a cathartic wordless Christmas carol, but a good harbinger of non-holiday HELLBENDR hits to come.

London, Ontario's Dustin Andrews is one of the godfathers and caretakers of the Forest City punk rock scene, playing in bands like Wasted Potential and SNACKS?, co-running the venerable and prolific label Get Party! Records, and formerly living in and hosting house shows at the since-shuttered punk palace The Dude Ranch. Dustin reignites his solo Bleached Heads project with this gothic and dour darkwave-indebted punk carol about hanging out with yr feline friends in festive season. Though yr cat may be making biscuits instead of gingerbread, break out the wet food on the big day while ya slurp some Sopranos Pizza and take the friends and family ya can as the season purrs on.

From the 2010 holiday EP "I'm Always Drunk on Christmas" comes MIkey Chuck Rivers' shotgunned-sonata PBR-parody and parable "Pabst Blue Christmas". It's "Blue Christmas" but infused with drunken-poetic punnery about Santa slinging cold ones from the sky and advent calendar two-fours and yr damn uncle Mikey climbing on the roof and not the reindeer. Had to pull this one out of the archive and give it a lil sudsy spitshine for the season.

Sparse Parts are a just-blooming Toronto songwriting project between Josh Wynn, Meghan Norah, and a couple clutch classy cowpokes. They're joined here by one of the sparsest parts in the book, ole "Heavenly" Devin Staple on the tenderhearted harmonica, on a grimly-humourous and heartachey ode to getting so drunk on Christmas because Santa didn't fix yr damn relationship. Mr. Claus ain't Dr. Phil, but the Sparse Parts suggest the holy teachings of Johnny Beer might steer yr heart in the clear (if not into the oncoming onslaught of Santa's reindeer to end yr misery).

Katie Lammert and John Yeremian share a lovely and lovelorn cover of Wham's "Last Christmas", the first of two appearances of this modern classic. If you were looking to skip getting WHAM'd this Whamageddon season, you can't escape it on this comp. At least you get this beautiful rendition featuring Lammert lamenting while Yeremian tastefully bops along the fretboard.

The Broke Baggage Boys are Back in Town aka Marlon Chaplin the genre-hopping and genre-perfecting songwriter, Suitcase Sam-sideman and cousin, and the magnetic Julian of The Brokes, here spinning a lovely, radio-crackling version of "Silent Night". You get grandpa to read you The Night Before Christmas, steal one last slice of tourtierre from the fridge with a dollop of dijonnaise, and sink into your robe, kerchief, and cap as this spins on the ole gramaphone. Maron sez: "This version of Silent Night with its minimalist approach - haunting organ, scratchy vinyl-esque jazz guitar and stark analogue synth - poses the question, was it the Holy Ghost, was it aliens? Never ye mind, enjoy this 4am lullaby on a cold and frosty holiday."

Toronto-based songwriter Alex Mason escapes from his country's interior right into the dang North Pole with this sentimental carol "Maybe It'll Finally Snow". A full case of holiday blues imbue this sad ditty about the season not glowing quite as nice as it once did, whether in the youth in yr rearview or the fading seasons of yr memory. Sad, yes, but lovely so lovely and a great addition to the santa's sadboi canon.

marv murchins is Aaron Zorgel of Junior Battles here singing this modern not-so-merrymaking musical number by The Staves. Breaking up at Christmas good lord what a nightmare, a seismic life and love event happening on one of the most nostalgic periods of the year. Well, marv murchins does the drama of the original and of the circumstance justice with a lo-fi but glossy cover. Zorgel was a cofounder of Juicebox Recording Co., an online label and artist enclave that was one of the major inspirations for this label. It's a wonderful full-circle moment to have him featured on this compilation....wonderful if he's watching home alone too right now.

Brandon Wall is also of the Baggage Boys and Brokes and Marlon Chaplin's band, but the Vancouverite and incredible guitarist has played with more acts like Taylor Cook Quintet, Aimée Claxton, Octorock, and doubtless more. His version of "We Three Kings" is spellbinding and cryptic, an intensely mystic expression of the myrrh-dealin' mythic partriarchs.

Hahahha you know what this song is cursed. I was like, ya know, this is great, it's Christmas satire, it's a radical animal liberation anthem, it's a peek into the absurdity of holiday food rituals. But you know what, this is just absurdist bliss from the former Sadman the Clown aka St. Joseph's Grimbles Garden and I welcome it's decked-hall damnation. Grimbles sez “Happy Holidaze! To you and all your delicious pets!"

Clinton Community Credit Union is I think literally a hip hop trio formed exclusively to perform holday raps (and I ain't talkin' MC Miker and DJ Sven). A collab by Hammertown (Bayfield) hip-hop royalty the Wise Boyz Noize and SQIII of DNSQ3 (and the Honey Sweethearts), "King of Christmas" is a riddle in the form of a rap, three verses where you have to interpret who is the true King of Christmas. This song rules, it's so fun and I'm so stoked they let me throw this guy on here despite it coming out last year on their own terms.

Tidbit is Dan Bedard aka Ban Dedard of them Baggage Brokes and offers his take on the Home Alone 2 soundtrack ripper by Timmy Tom Petty, the Gift of Gainesville Rock City. Dan says "I grew up with the Very Special Christmas CDs, which my mom would bust out by mid-November every year. On this tune, I always loved the way the lyric implies a jaded and wearily dim view of the season that's cheerfully betrayed by the jolity of the music. You can imagine stumbling out of a rollicking Christmas party at Tom Petty's house with tinsel in your hair, lipstick on your collar, and this song spilling out into the snowy night." I wanna go to that party and I wanna do it while sippin' space wines with Banny D.

Ottawa's party-punk king Phil Castiglione resurrects Robots! Everywhere!! for a rollicking rocker about the true benefits of being a bad kid on Christmas aka the dang kids end up getting the gifts anyway. Wonderful fact: last time we released a Holidaze, Phil shared a song about welcoming his daughter Evelyn to the world for her first Christmas. Now she features on this song seven years later with producer Greg Fitzpatrick and his daughter Maddie. Phil says (from the voice of his inner child): "Parents are a joke, I can be as awful as I want as long as I start being nice the week before black friday, I can do whatever i want and get whatever i want for Christmas. It's like they forget that I'm bad literally most of the year as long as I show "improvement" for literally a couple of weeks, more presents. Parents don't even pay attention anymore and that's why bad kids get more presents on Christmas."

Christine Jackson came into the fold from an invitation from Huron County ex-pat and now Toronto's Holly Clausius. She offers "Christmas Love", a folksy Christmas coffee house carol that Jackson says is "akin to a heartfelt scene straight out of a heartwarming Hallmark movie, capturing the essence of love, togetherness, and the beauty of the season in a melodious embrace."

Twee-folk absurdists and EB sibling superstars Love Note to Dexter shine a little starlight on this big beautiful ballad from their 2020 holiday EP "Merry Christmas, Boney Bob!" Turning the holiday songbook on its head and borrowing lyrics and sentiments from classic carols and traditions, "Followed Yonder Star" has all the makings of a moody-yule nu-classic and is one their least completely bizarro holiday offerings. Jingle all the way One horse open sleigh Hear the carollers From the front doorway Fireside is bright Not so silent night Pop-punk festive hymns Scented candlelight Ribbons, bells, and bark Herald angels hark Beat the blizzard here Followed yonder star Jingle all the way Floats stacked up with hay Cider on the stove Make the yuletide gay Some say let it snow I’d agree and so We’re out freezing by Winter’s moonlight glow Ribbons, bells, and bark Herald angels hark Beat the blizzard here Followed yonder star Jingle all the way Time to celebrate Put the coffee on ‘Cause it’s Christmas Day

Rachel Hickey is KW and CN Tower City based, though her Huron County bonafides run deep, with her 2021 EP "getting by" produced by Huron Park's Zach "JEB the QB" Kadey and playing shows with EB head and fellow JEB-collaber Ivan Rivers. Though the Honey Sweethearts covered this Gordon Lightfoot wonder on Holidaze 3, It's fitting to revisit how powerful the song is in the light of Lightfoot's passing and to have a songwriter and performer as powerful and talented as Rachel Hickey pay tribute on this year's comp.

Folks, what a treat. Selling out venues all over Ontario, playing the New York bad boys so well The Strokes themselves are paying attention, Toronto's The Brokes do their Williamsburg-best in a Strokes-style cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" to cap off Holidaze Forever. These folks have had a banner year and to send off this record with a total bang feels like a Christmas party we'd all be lucky to meet in the bathroom for. There's a little "Instant Crush" in here too, so consider that the Angles––I mean angel on the top of the tree.