From the beginning, we've played pretty loose with the "holiday" part of Holiday Undercover. The songs didn't have to be carols or even necessarily Christmas-related—they could just have the word "holiday" in them, for instance. Make no mistake: Dead Kennedys immortal punk classic "Holiday In Cambodia" isn't about spreading yuletide cheer to the less fortunate; it's a searing indictment of phony liberalism and the murderous totalitarian regime of Pol Pot. Fa la la la la, la la la la!
We've often cited "Holiday In Cambodia" as a way of explaining the flexibility of Holiday Undercover to prospective bands, but none took the challenge until Office Of Future Plans. That name may not be familiar—the group just released its excellent, excellent self-titled debut on Dischord Records—but it's led by J. Robbins of Jawbox and Burning Airlines fame.
Robbins enlisted his best pal, Damon Locks of The Eternals, to sing lead, and the results are pretty spectacular. Maybe "Holiday In Cambodia" can now enter the rotation on your local light FM's Christmas music month.