Moshtalgia - Episode 10 - Christmas Special

This is Moshtalgia. A podcast about albums we love, albums that were important to us growing up. 

As the scent of cinnamon and pine fills the air, there's nothing quite like the discomfort of Christmas music to truly unhinge the festive spirit. In our latest podcast episode, we unwrap the tinsel-covered tales of Christmas past, revisiting some of the most iconic holiday tunes that have become as much a part of our celebrations as the tree itself.

From the nonsense of The Darkness's 'Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)' to the heartsquirming Moshtalgia of Wham's 'Last Christmas,' each song carries a story, a memory, and a magic that's undeniably Christmas. We delve deep into the making of these tracks, the artists who brought them to life, and the legacies they've created.

But it's not all jingle bells and choir carols. Our episode takes a turn down memory lane, exploring the poignant narratives behind songs like 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues and the raucous cheer of Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody.' We discuss the impact of these songs on our holiday traditions and why they continue to resonate year after year.

As you deck the halls and trim yer tree, let our podcast be the soundtrack to your festive preparations. Join us as we celebrate the sounds of the silly season and maybe even discover the stories behind the Christmas classics you thought you knew. Pour yourself a glass of Eggnog, settle in snug by the fire, and tune in to our Christmas Special – it's an audio gift that keeps on giving.

So, what makes a Christmas song endure the test of time? Is it the melody that echoes through the shopping centre speakers, the lyrics that tug at our heartstrings, or the artists whose songs have become synonymous with the festive season? Find out in this episode, filled with laughter, insights, and a touch of alcholic yuletide cheer.

There's absurdity, snark, and blistering twin-microphone facts from Taylor and Bourney, fully harmonised with double-tracked wailing and complaining. We men do play on ten, to Valhalla and back.

Best served with beer and a side of silliness. Lie back and enjoy it. Come join us on a review of those now-vintage LPs we loved in the 1980s from the bands that parted us from our money.

It isn't just two friends chatting in front of microphone about their long-haired heavy metal days. Well it is, but also it's much more.

Dive deep into the spurious subconsious of two middle-aged metallers regaling the days of their youth with squirming stories, analogue anectodes, and antsy accusations from the east coast of Ireland. We name and shame, mostly ourselves. 

Remember that first metal album? First concert? The rock ballad you first copped off to on a disco dancefloor with nervous hands and dry lips? Yeah, you do. 

We let the hair on down the back, steal tapes, photocopy covers, and even buy a bullet-belt. We deftly sew patches on our denim jackets, and pilfer magazines in the shop.

Offering our metal heroes no quarter. We praise and prosletyse, we ridicule and rile. We spar with each other and the teenage illusions we had when hearing these masterpieces.

Armed with a sonic scalpel, we cleave our way through track by track, appraise hits and filler a generation on. Who dared battle the Saracen? Who gave love a bad name? Who danced on glass? Listen and find out.

Tune in to rock radio again, hear it as it was, all entombed by fat and freckled guitar segues brought to you by our resident riffer, that man from Annamoe; Pat 'The Fingerer' Shaughnessy! 

We rifle through the pages of once-mighty UK rock organ Kerrang for hot takes of the late Eighties. Hear the words of Malcolm Dome, Dante Bonutto, Sylvie Simmons, Howard Johnson, Chris Watts, Alison Joy, and Mick Wall as they gurn over the news, interviews, and reviews of the day.

Moshtalgia exposes many a metal mistake, a misheard lyric, and as much ma