White Elephant Mix: The Bumpers

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It's a universal theme, and the song itself is way better than most of the “chestnuts” that have invaded the radio and shopping mall speakers the last few weeks. Maybe one day, drunken wassailers will sing this “carol” to appreciative holiday audiences. Peruse as bandmates Matt Guy and Casey Lombardo as they share their favorite gifts this time of year.
You'll be covered with Christmas cheer as you listen to our twelve local artists jingling their bells here. 


What's the best gift you've ever gotten?
Matt Guy: The Best Christmas gift I ever got was my GT Pro Performer my mom gave me for Christmas of 1986.  She set up a trail of clues to where it was, and I had to hunt for it! It was the raddest bike in the whole world. So rad, it was stolen three times. Unfortunately, it only came back to me twice.
Casey Lombardo: A plastic Thundercats sword, complete with battery-powered, light-up pendant. Thundercats, ho!!!
What do you want from Santa this year?
Guy: Now let's see…I want a new Rickenbacker guitar, two Fender Bassmans, Chuck Berry songbook, a xylophone….
Lombardo: A solid gold dookie rope chain.
What do you love most about the holiday season?
Guy: They always say it's better to give than to receive, but I like to receive…wait, that sounds wrong on SO MANY levels.
Lombardo: It's cold and dark, so you have to wear a coat outside and drink scotch all the time.
Were you naughty or nice this year?
Guy: The Bumpers are likely on Santa's naughty list. I'm pretty sure that Saint Nick likes to rock, but I imagine he probably thinks that a band that rocks as hard as the Bumpers must be naughty.
Lombardo: I'm nice every year.
Why did you pick this song? What's so special about it?
Guy: Keeping consistent with the magic of Christmas, we spontaneously wrote this song while sitting on the floor of my living room after moving a bunch of heavy furniture back in the heat of summer. The song pretty much wrote itself. It was a Christmas miracle, if I may say so myself. Thanks to Ms. Norwick at Hughes Middle School in Long Beach (who lent us her band room for about half an hour), we were able to record a few musical instruments that conjure up feelings of holiday merriment (tubular bells, sleigh bells, and xylophone). These familiar sounds really helped make this song come to life with the spirit of Christmas.
Lombardo: We picked this song because we wrote and recorded it ourselves. It's kept us in the Christmas spirit since October.
What's your favorite Christmas memory?
Guy: Every Christmas with my baby by my side is my favorite Christmas memory.
Lombardo: One year, my Uncle Pat dressed up as Superman.

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