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JFH Music Review




Happy Christmas Vol. 3
(Various Artists)



Album length: 15 tracks: 53 minutes, 10 seconds
Street Date: October 23, 2001


BEC Recordings has been making a tradition out of putting out projects showcasing Christmas carols and original tunes in a way only BEC does. Often the listener is treated to renditions of favorite Christmas songs performed by some of their favorite rock, punk, and alternative artists, as well as being introduced to new songs written by the artists themselves. In the 2001 third installment in the Happy Christmas series, we are treated to a wide assortment of artists and styles for yet another diverse volume.

The album opens with the Supertones' brass-less acoustic "Heaven's Got a Baby." Not as strong an opener as the first volume, which was the Tones' "Joy to the World," but a decent second Christmas offering from the group. Following, is relative new comers Relient K with their pop punk offering "Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town." It's a bittersweet track that, being released after their recent sophomore project, is musically reminiscent of that on their self-titled debut last year, and less of their current more matured sound. The poppy surfer punk of Cadet follows with a slowed, more melodic tune for the band, performing "The First Noel." Bleach offers an upbeat yet not-so-uplifting original, "What We Call Christmas," which although I'm a Bleach fan, starts to disrupt the 'Christmasy' feeling the project is supposed to have. A few album highlights follow with Kendall Payne's excellent rendition of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," which seems to best capture a more modern Christmas feeling that most of the other tracks lack. Earthsuit present an electronics-laden "Wonderful Christmas Time," driven by various electronic distortions and synth sounds. Hangnail offers a worthy punk version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" however, the vocals tend to distract at different points and seem forced. Another highlight is the first recorded track by Poor Old Lu in over five years with their excellent rendition of "What Child is This?" Joy Electric and Starflyer 59 make appearances for the third consecutive volume. JE offers their typical candyland electronic pop with the ecstatic "Mrs. Santa Claus," while Starflyer, Denison Witmer, Aaron Sprinkle, Skyline Drive, and Matt Thiessen & The Earthquakes work to end the album on a much more mellow, serious, or somber note. Denison's lamentful "A Christmas Song," is followed by SF59's mellow and dreary "I'll Be Home for Christmas." And if you're not totally depressed after hearing this song, you're liable to shed a tear after Matt Thiessen (of Relient K) and his band's sad original "I Hate Christmas Parties," a song about the pain of a break up during the Christmas season.

Happy Christmas Vol. 3 is a good collection of artistic offerings for the Christmas season, but under the label of "Happy" you may find yourself in a more reflective mood by the close of the album than uplifted and excited about the Christmas season. It's worth a listen, so check it out this holiday.

- Review date: 10/17/01, updated 11/4/01 written by John DiBiase



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. Record Label: BEC Recordings
. Album length: 15 tracks, 53 minutes and 10 seconds
. Street Date: October 23, 2001
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Heaven's Got a Baby - OC Supertones
  2. Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town - Relient K
  3. The First Noel - Cadet
  4. What We Call Christmas - Bleach
  5. Wonderful Christmas Time - Earthsuit
  6. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Kendall Payne
  7. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Hangnail
  8. What Child Is This? - Poor Old Lu
  9. Mrs. Santa Claus - Joy Electric
  10. A Christmas Song - Denison Witmer
  11. Have It All - Ace Troubleshooter
  12. I'll Be Home for Christmas - Starflyer 59
  13. A Christmas Song for All Year Round
    - Aaron Sprinkle
  14. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
    - Skyline Drive
  15. I Hate Christmas Parties - Matt Thiessen
    & the Earthquakes
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This Wednesday, October 22, 2025
SINGLES
Phil Wickham Fear Has No Power - Single [Fair Trade]

This Friday, October 24, 2025
ALBUMS
John Allan untitled EP [Centricity]
Dan Bremnes The Villain - EP [Curb]
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]
God Behind Bars Music Live From Angola Prison Vol. 1 [Provident]
Fepeste This World Ain't Mine to Change [Velvet Blue]
gio. FINE BY ME [Capitol CMG]
Brandon Lake Amazon Music Songline [Provident]
Latter Day Exploits Within Consumed (Expanded Edition) [Charon Collective]
Tyson Motsenbocker Modern Worries [Tooth & Nail]
Smalltown Poets St. Augustine (independent)
Zahriya Zachary Rediscovery [Bethel]

SINGLES
29:11 Worship, Zion Rempel You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Joe L Barnes Grief, Joy, Gratitude - Single [Provident]
Chad Cory, Zacardi Cortez My First Love (Remix) - Single [DREAM]
Leanna Crawford Beginning Of Your Grace - Single [Provident]
darthy Juniper Tree - Single [WieRok]
Emerson Day Midnight Hour - Single [Fair Trade]
Good Weather Forecast lows2highs - Single [DREAM]
Grace + Max Rich - Single [WieRok]
Jamie Macdonald You Can't Take My Song - Single [Capitol CMG]
Mercy Tribe Music The King is in the Room (feat. Ayiesha Woods) - Single (independent)
Mountains in the Sea You Never Fail (feat. Emily Guy) - Single [DREAM]
Seph Schlueter Already On The Way (feat. Benjamin William Hastings) - Single [Provident]
Tomb Slayer The Christmas Lamb (feat. Khristian Dentley & Sarah Whittemore) - Single [Tomb Slayer]
The Undertaking! All Smiles - Single (independent)

VINYL
Clear Convictions Endure [Resuscitation]

Next Friday, October 31, 2025
ALBUMS
Hope Deferred Darkness Remains [The Charon Collective]
Testimony of Apocalypse Agony in the Garden [Roxx Records]

SINGLES
Dreamers My Heart His Home - Single [DREAM]
Roxanne Grace Try Again - Single [DREAM]
Lock & Chi Do To Me - Single (independent)
John Long Simple Pursuit - Single (independent)
Warren Zeiders How Great Thou Art - Single [Warner]


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