STUDEBAKER HAWK - STUDACHRISTMAS WONDERHAWK DEAD SUN DANCEATHON

1.  The Sun Starers
2.  The Heliofrugification
3.  Thoughts On Christmas
4.  Duncan M16 Action Doll
5.  Cornporn
6.  12 Gays Of Christmas
7.  The Christmas Song (live at WPRK)
8.  Religion Song
9.  Christmastime Is Here
10. Time Travelin' Interlude
11. Falice Navidad
12. Family Sitcom
13. The Greatest Gift Of All
14. Heretic Hambone Avenger

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Florida's Studebaker Hawk released this weird and wild digital freebie on Christmas Day 2010, just in time for no one to notice.  The band fuses rock, funk and progressive jazz into something wholly unrecognizable but kinda fun in a "hey its really weird and wholly unrecognizable but kinda fun" kinda way.  A loosely knit story of sun worshipers and their dying sun vaguely runs through the piece, not even trying to hold it all together.  There's a bit of a Frank Zappa sense of humor, at times, though not often enough for my tastes.  At other times, this effort sounds like the discarded outtakes of a Firesign Theater album.  But if there's one thing you can say about "Studachristmas Wonderhawk Dead Sun Danceathon", it's definitely not your run-of-the-mill Christmas album.  Some of the covers, here, are a bit tedious, but originals like "Hectic Hambone Avenger" and "Thoughts On Christmas" very much make up for that.  Lyrics of the latter:  
"Snowflakes and candy
Acid and brandy
Puppies and kittens
Christmas is bitchin'."  
And, no doubt, some Christmas compers will be instantly drawn to the faux commercial for the "Duncan M16 Action Doll".  

It's all in good fun.  And it's free for the instant download taking at Bandcamp, no email address required.  Check out the band's non-seasonal music and you'll find that they can sometimes hit a groove that is irresistible, as they do on "Casa de Taco" from 2008's "Deviant Amphiglioria" (also available as a free download on Bandcamp).  Or you can visit the group on MySpace, where I'd recommend a listen to the uber-cool progressive rock jam "The Dream Song".