This year, instead of really crappy fruit cake or that weird looking gelatin concoction with pineapple glued inside, there is something for your pleasure-starved palette you can sink your teeth into. The Yule Logs. And no, I am not talking about the ancient pre-Christmas tradition that started in Scandinavia where you burned a special �yule log' to see when you had to get your lazy ass back to work. I am referring to the band of four, Marty Parker, vocals, Kirt Lind, bass, Maurice Spencer, guitar, and Jake Sprecher, drums, from Chico, California, who absolutely love playing holiday music. Really. They've been at it strong since 2005 and don't plan on quitting anytime soon. And it's a good thing they don't.

They Yule Logs are as passionate about holiday music as Fred Durst is about angst. And yes, the Yule Logs may rip their name from the infamous chocolate cake that sits on the table (and your waistline) over the holidays, but they deliver quite a tasty treat.

Fret not, you don't have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy the �60�s inspired, Motown beach-blanket fusion they dish out. The self-proclaimed "world's greatest Christmas and Hanukkah Rock 'n Roll band" will get your body moving despite your formal, or lack of, religion. The Yule Logs can boast a fan base of all ages, and denominations despite having songs entitled, "Christmas is Lonely When You're a Jew," and "Hanukkah Mambo."

antiMusic caught up with Jake Sprecher for a chat about their second album, Walked With a Reindeer. Sprecher is a gregarious, funny, down-to-earth guy with a tongue-in-cheek humor that is at once refreshing and liberating. The one thing that stands out the most during his interview is his genuine love for what he does. And so do we.

aM: When did you start playing together?

JS: The first Logs season was actually 2005. At that time we had a different guitarist and bass player; Spencer took over on guitar for season three, and Kirt snagged bass in season four. Now we're a great big happy gang of merrymakers that sing the livelong day away.

aM: What was the motivation behind forming?

JS: The concept of the band belongs to Marty, who is obsessed with Christmas in this strange, offhand way. He originally tried to start a holiday band called the Feasts of Steven, but it failed miserably, and thank god for that. I was actually a semi-groupie for his old outfit, The Electric Pie Band, and the two of us eventually decided we'd try our hand at a new project, hence The Yule Logs.

aM: Did you always want to be Christmas rock stars?

JS: I can't say that when I dreamed of being a rock star as a child that it had anything to do with Christmas, but I'll certainly take it any way I can. Here in Chico we get shown quite a bit of genuine love by the local masses, and it's actually a pretty damn special and satisfying thing.

aM: Why Christmas music?

JS: Why not? We love rock 'n' roll in all forms, and The Yule Logs are just a pop-rock band that happens to sing about Christmas and Hanukkah...at least that's the way we see it.

aM: What is the best part of your job?

JS: One of the coolest realities of being a Yule Log is that since we've been at it for six years now, and we play to elementary school kids in addition to the bar crowd, there's a whole slew of Chico little people that have grown up with The Yule Logs as a part of their holiday tradition. It's pretty fantastic to know that someday they'll remember our band in this fuzzy, warm kind of manner that only comes with Christmastime.

aM: What inspire you?

JS: Rhinoceros bones, chicken feathers and Bazooka bubblegum.

aM: Talk about your recent record?

JS: It's our second offering, and is titled Walked With a Reindeer. We worked our asses off making it this spring, and are certainly proud of the end result. Our good friend Chris Keene, who fronts Surrogate off Tooth & Nail, engineered and produced the record. It was our second time working with Chris in the studio and we affectionately refer to him as the fifth Yule Log.

aM: How does it differ form the last record?

JS: This album doesn't have any Hanukkah songs on it. Spencer, who is indeed Jewish, happened to write a bunch of Christmas tunes during last year's off-season, so he kinda hung his faith out to dry in that regard. What a heathen! But other than that, we feel that we've brought back the same variety of pop-rock tidings, dipping in and out of styles across the board.

aM: What is your favorite Christmas song to perform and why?

JS: I'm not sure if we have a favorite, though we tend to unleash the beast, so to speak, on songs like "That Girl (For Christmas)," "Hanukkah Mambo" and "Let It Snow." Did I really just write "unleash the beast"? I think I confused this interview for a Bud Light promo.

aM: Where have the best performances been?

JS: Our favorite gig year in and year out is at Duffy's Tavern here in Chico. It's the local rock 'n' roll hipster bar, and we pack the place to the brim and play for about two hours. Last night was actually the 5th Annual, and I for one was so happy by the end of the night that I probably could have just died on the dance floor and been eternally content.

aM: What has been your most memorable experience as a band?

JS: Most oddly memorable would have to be meeting Michael MacDonald at the San Jose Civic while we were pitching woo to all these little private party rooms before his show. Or I should say that Kirt and Spencer met Michael MacDonald, 'cause me and Marty were in the john. He's a great man that MacDonald...a true American...

aM: If you could play anywhere, where would you play and why?

JS: We always say the Ellen Show, simply because her audience would eat us up. But personally, my dream would be to play Conan. Or maybe we could just tour with Aerosmith. Have you seen that video where Steven Tyler falls off the stage and breaks his hip or whatever? That could be us.

aM: If you could play for anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

JS: Santa Claus and Hanukkah Harry.

aM: What has been the most rewarding part of playing together?

JS: The Yule Logs are fortunate to have a wonderful working relationship in addition to being good friends. That's kind of hard to find in band mates sometimes, as most anybody that's been around can attest to. We're lucky to both perform and get along as well as we do.

aM: What is in the future for you?

JS: Millions upon millions upon millions of York Peppermint Patties.

aM: How far do you want to take this project/band?

JS: We see absolutely no point in letting this project go, so hopefully you'll see us shucking and jiving at Madison Square Garden in 2015...or maybe just your neighborhood garden party.

aM: What is your dream Christmas?

JS: Off the top of my head? I wanna wake up in bed on Christmas morning and find that I'm married to Evangaline Lilly, then walk out to the kitchen and find John Lennon and Kurt Cobain talking the evolution of punk rock over a cup of hot cocoa.