#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?

Ben (Vocals, Guitar): Stop what you’re doing now and listen to Buttonhead’s first album, 3D Opera Whale. It’s a beautifully chaotic musical collage that jumps between twee pop, frantic screaming, mathy guitars and film soundtrack moods.

It should really be devoured in one sitting, but if you don’t have much time, the track Lucerne is a personal favourite and shows off how much this band can do in a single song. It’s bursting with energy, creativity, and completely off-the-hook unpredictability.

#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?

Joe-Joe (Bass): “A Boy Named Flora A” is a Taiwanese mini-series that centers around a family dealing with a death—and all of the issues that come with it. It fundamentally examines relationships and the challenges and joy they bring, and with charming (and award winning) performances, you’ll end up laughing through tears.

It’s a bit of a leftfield pick, but a life-affirming one that will leave you thinking, and grateful for the people we have around us.

#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE LOCAL BOOK STORE (OK, MAYBE THE LOCAL LIBRARY FIRST) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?

Yuki (Vocals, Synth): You might have to skip the local library and step into the labyrinth of comic books at the end of a narrow alleyway, to find this breathtakingly beautiful and vividly dark graphic novel “Satania” by Fabien Vehlmann and the French artist duo Kerascoët. The main character Charlie, on a quest of finding her brother, leads you to the extremely colourful and grotesque underground world where Satanians live.

The book is not only visually satisfying but also throws up some philosophical questions about religion and human nature.

#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?

Barihi (Trombone, Glockenspiel): I love to see the giant effort of such a tiny creature. It’s a reminder that it’s important not to give up! 小さな命の大きな努力、諦めないことが大事！

#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITTING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.

Matt (Drums): We should all appreciate the incredible moon in our orbit, a friend that returns in form — if the clouds allow — every 29 days; does not float away; does not get too close; and stays right where we can just see, wonder, and enjoy.

OK folks, there you have it. Things that Merry Christmas thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go check if the moon is available for staring at, make sure to follow Merry Christmas on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘Changes to Numbers Broken’ a listen below…

…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further merry-christmas-flavoured audio exploring over on the Bandcamp / Spotify.