Lightning Dust, Vancougar Contribute To Christmas Album

We thought respectable Christmas tunes started with Bright Eyes and ended with The Pogues. But it looks like we're wrong this year.

Cameron Reed, the man behind Vancouver's celebrated Music Waste festival, is putting together The Eggnog Experience, a Christmas music compilation featuring names like Lightning Dust, Vancougar and Brasstronaut. The album will be released Dec. 18 at Vancouver's Biltmore Cabaret.

The premise is basic: Reed asked some of his favourite Vancouver locals to record a new Christmas tune or reinterpret a classic one. The full lineup and tracklisting hasn't been confirmed yet, but Reed says 30 bands will contribute songs. Proceeds from the album will be donated to the Vancouver Food Bank.

To accompany The Eggnog Experience, Reed has also created a Christmas video web series called Mental Beast with Conor Hollor, best known for his work with the Bronx Cheer comedy group.

The series will follow a ficticious radio show whose programmers create a Christmas album (you guessed it — The Eggnog Experience) in order to stay afloat. It'll begin streaming at Mentalbeast.com on Monday (Dec. 7).

The series will also feature several Van-famous characters getting into the holiday spirit, including Hot Hot Heat's Steve Bays and rogue CHARTattack interviewer Nardwuar The Human Serviette.

No, it's not quite as uplifting as Shane MacGowan calling you "an old slut on junk," but it's all terribly heartwarming nonetheless.

Here's the Mental Beast prologue episode: