Joy to the world! It’s the return of our favourite festive tradition, the Joyzine Advent Calendar, back for its 22nd consecutive edition, which as far as we’re aware makes it the longest running on the net.
As always, every track is completely free to download and we don’t require you to sign up for a mailing list (though you can if you want to) or hand over your personal data – it’s our way of saying thank you to everyone who’s visited the site during 2025 and to hopefully bring a few more listeners to some very deserving artists.
However, if you do enjoy the tracks we would love you to consider making a donation to our chosen cause, which this year is HOPE not hate, and their stirling work researching, campaigning, and supporting communities to build HOPE and oppose far-right extremism. You can make a donation here.
Today’s bumper edition of the Advent Calendar comes via our chums in the Crocodile Collective, who’ve put together a Christmas selection box of fantastic music from members and friends of the group including Elisabeth Elektra, The Margins, Jolt, Charlie Salvidge, New Commercial Product and Great Silkie. We’ll hand over to them to introduce themselves:
Crocodile Collective has supported small bands and the alternative scene since 2013, beginning with its cassette release of Big Sister’s debut double A-side single ‘Let’s Go Fly a Kite’ and ‘Step Outside’. Over the years, it has operated under several names including Crocodile Records London and Crocodile Laboratories, and it now continues its work under the banner of Crocodile Collective.
The label was founded by Hatcham Social, who used their distribution network and partnership with Cargo Records to support the artists they care about.
In 2025, Crocodile Collective moved away from big tech distribution platforms such as Spotify and chose instead to focus on Bandcamp, the cooperative music platform Subvert, Nina, and other artist-centred alternatives. These are platforms where revenue and data flow as directly as possible to musicians and the label.
In 2026, Crocodile Collective will operate as a mutual aid project, bringing together a range of musicians and bands to release music through shared support, pooling resources, contributing to each other’s projects, and offering practical help whenever possible. The aim is to build a genuine grassroots mutual aid music community.
We would love nothing more than for you to support these artists by buying their records and merch on Bandcamp, attending their shows, paying for their music, and sharing it with friends. Become part of the community.
Crocodile Collective: Instagram / Bandcamp
Elisabeth Elektra is a Glasgow-based artist and songwriter creating songs shaped by longing, desire and a sense of transcendence. Their work blends intimacy and mythic scale, establishing them as a singular voice in contemporary art-pop.
They released their second album Hypersigil in June 2025 to widespread critical acclaim, and have recently played with Placebo and Sisters of Mercy.
What made you choose this track for the festive download this year?
‘endless, wild and cruel’ is a song I wrote a few years ago and recorded for an upcoming project but it doesn’t quite fit, so I shelved it and may re-work it in future. I think this version is cute though, so I wanted people to have the chance to hear it through the festive download. Though the song will probably change shape lyrically and musically, there’s something freeing as an artist about letting people hear a work in progress.
What’s coming up next for you that Joyzine readers should look out for?
I’m working on 3 albums at the moment – in various stages of completion, and I’m excited to be collaborating with producers and musicians I’ve admired for a long time. I’ll be spending time in New York and LA in 2026 finishing these projects, so most of the year will be focused on new material. The new material feels vulnerable which is scary, but when recently discussing my fear around this vulnerability with Warren Ellis in Glasgow after the incredible Dirty Three show, he told me that when it scares you, you know that’s when you’re heading in the right direction.
I’m also doing some songwriting for other artists which I love, and planning some shows for next year.
Stream and download ‘endless, wild and cruel’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Elisabeth Elektra: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
An unreleased song we recorded at the same time as our album Steady Frames, and then completely forgot about. But we all really like it! Features James Saha playing drums, Jon Clake the bass, and – unusually – Stephen Price playing the accordion.
What made you choose this track for the festive download this year?
We wanted to open up the archive and find something that was finished and complete, but which had never been heard before. Like a gift from the past…
What’s coming up next for you that Joyzine readers should look out for?
Us getting together again and starting to record the many, many songs we’ve written since recording ‘Steady Frames’. There’s enough songs for lots more albums, and we would like to start sharing them with everyone.
Sorry it usually takes us a decade to release songs once we record them; we’ll try to speed things up. Happy Christmas everyone, and see you in 2026!
Stream and download ‘Bread & Butterfly’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
The Margins: Instagram
Hear more music from The Margins on Soundcloud / Vimeo
Photo: Pedro Soler / Make Up: Ania Zalaszewska
Jolt consists of songwriter Joanna Curwood, with various friends and musicians joining and collaborating for live shows and recordings along the way.
What made you choose this track for the festive download this year?
This demo is not particularly festive or joyous, but I thought it would be nice to submit something that was in a different vein to my other material.
It’s very old and is one of the only songs I’ve ever written on keys; I enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone. Its general theme is about how people can make you feel both great and awful all in one day.
What’s coming up next for you that Joyzine readers should look out for?
I have a show at the Waiting Room on 9th January with Crush of Souls and Francis Pig, plus an EP release in early 2026 on Crocodile Records.
Stream and download ‘Tremolo’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Jolt: Instagram
Charlie Salvidge is a solo artist and multi instrumentalist from Gloucester. Spending most of the last decade with seminal outfits such as Toy, Great Silkie and Penny Arcade, he recorded his first solo album over a period of five years which is due out on Crocodile in February. Melancholy vintage sounds, harmony laden folk and languid 70s sounds converge in a walnut whip of angel delight for your listening pleasure. A further collection of songs will follow later in the year. Watch this space ritual.
What made you choose this track for the festive download this year?
It’s mine (and Alan Partridge’s) favourite christmas record, was relatively straightforward to record on the old Goste.
Stream and download ‘Gaudete’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
New Commercial Product (NCP) released their first Bandcamp-only track, ‘A Buffoon In A Suit (Is This How It Works?)’, in April 2025, followed by ‘Imaginary Borders’ featuring Charlotte Marionneau in October 2025, with proceeds supporting MATW Project – Palestine, and in November 2025 issued their Eponymous EP through Crocodile Collective on cassette, Bandcamp, and the cooperative platform Subvert with contributions from Chris Cundy, Thomas Greene, The Man from Powys, and mixing by Brian O’Shaughnessy at Bark Studios. To coincide with the release, they performed at Farsight Collective Gallery in Soho with Index For Working Musik, alongside an exhibition of underground culture by photographer Beezer.
What made you choose this track for the festive download this year?
This seems an apt time to say the words in the song.
What’s coming up next for you that Joyzine readers should look out for?
The album will be coming out early 2026, alongside some shows with interesting people and in interesting places.
Invite us to play your town.
Stream and download ‘Until They Become Conscious They Will Never Rebel’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
New Commercial Product: Instagram / BlueSky / Bandcamp
Great Silkie have kindly shared their track ‘Ventura Highway’ for today’s calendar, but haven’t shared their thoughts on the song with us, why not check out vocalist Sam Davies’ My Life in 10 Songs interview while you give the track a listen.
Stream and download ‘Ventura Highway’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Great Silkie: Facebook / Instagram
More tracks from this year’s calendar:
1: Piney Gir & Parenthesis Dot Dot Dot
2: Syd Howells
3: The Happy Hollow
4: Stephen Evens
5: Ombudsmen
6: The Scaramanga Six
7: Dextro + Rubber Oh
8: Craig Fortnam
9: Salt The Snail
10: Cerys Hafana
11: bis x Art Brut
12: Gemma Rogers
13: The Joyzine Christmas Band, Gift Box, Skink + Adam & Elvis
14: DRIFT. + Annie Gardiner
15: Kat Five + Charley Stone
16: MJ Hibbett & CJ Thorpe-Tracey
Check back tomorrow for another free festive download!
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