Hello panda punters. And with Christmas fair steaming towards us its a big welcome to the very last fierce panda nooooosletter of the year ‚ a relief for innocent in-boxes and mangled syntax the world over, we suspect.

News of Christmas fayres fair steaming towards us also reminds us of our seasonal partying responsibilities. These pretty much revolve around THE CROOKES headlining the Bull & Gate this Thursday (December 16th). As mentioned in previous despatches this is at the personal invitation of Steve Lamacqs Going Deaf For A Living online behometh. As never mentioned before, support comes in the shape of a very special set by Welsh indiepop wizards RACE HORSES and the frankly mental Middle England hip-hopping delights of MR B THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER. Well be there in spades and exceedingly warm socks. If you want to join us then tickets are lurking right here here

Being men who know their mangers from their mangles THE CROOKES are also going Crookesmas mad on the free song front: hop, slide and skiddale over to www.thecrookes.co.uk where you can get your ears not only on a Crookes original tune called Its Just Not Christmas Without You but you will also be sent their pine-tinglingly stripped back version of All Alone At Christmas, originally hammed up to the sax-totin max by Darlene Love. And The E Street Band. And Macaulay Culkin. Some party eh?

Time now for a panda public service announcement: we request, nay insist, that you do The Crookes and Goldheart Assembly a cheery favour and vote for them in BBC 6 Musics end of year poll. This consists of 100 mighty songs on a lengthy shortlist which needs to be whittled down to 40 top alternative tunes by next Monday (December 20th). The Crookes tune is Backstreet Lovers. The Goldheart Assembly tune is King Of Rome. Both are on the shortlist which is at here reeeeet now.

Regular panda punters will of course be aware that Backstreet Lovers appears on The Crookes epic Dreams Of Another Day EP, while Goldheart Assemblys King Of Rome, as well as appearing on the Best Of 2010 CD attached to the front of the new issue of the exceedingly fine The Word magazine, is also a startune on their Wolves & Thieves album. And of course if you are quite the stumped one with regards what to buy your nearest and beerest for Christmas these fine records and more by The Walkmen, The Raveonettes, Hatcham Social, Gospel Music and our hysterically-titled Gruff Trade and Licensed To Drill EPs are available to order right bloomin well now from Panda Claws here

Did we mention the video for Goldheart Assemblys current single, Last Decade, which is up to view at www.fiercepanda.co.uk

right now? Its weird. Its smooth. Its Close Encounters Of The Furred Kind. And on that frankly shocking bombshell we will head off to the pub. Yuletide greetings, panda people. Yuletide greetings¦ Mr Bongo & His Frosted Foxes Eating From Frosty Boxes Of Frosties