Welcome to Throwback Thursdays, a monthly spotlight on a gem from The Orchard catalog that was released a long, long time ago.
Album: ZE Records – A Christmas Record
Artist: Various Artists
Released: 1981/82
Genre: Holiday/Rock
Issued at the height of ZE Records’ gritty-NYC prime (in 1980, John Peel named it “the best independent record label in the world”), A Christmas Record is the mother of all “alternative Christmas” albums. Its centerpiece, The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping,” is a fun slice of Blondie-esque sass for the holiday-weary (“I think I’ll miss this one this year”). Other highlights include freaky leftfield originals by Suicide, Was (Not Was), Material/Nona Hendryx, and James White.
The Orchard has proudly distributed ZE (named for its founders Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban) since 2007.
