Hear Green Day’s Festive Punk Anthem ‘Xmas Time of the Year’

“Happy Holidays from Green Day,” the band’s official Twitter rang out to its 4 million followers on the day before Christmas. “Listen to a brand new song now!” Green Day then linked to “Xmas Time of the Year,” a festive punk anthem in the spirit of A Christmas Gift to You and the Ramones that finds the Rock Hall act celebrating the last week of December.

“Seasons greeting cards and Christmas / Let’s light up the city / At the end of the year,” Billie Joe Armstrong sings on the track. “Sleigh bells / deck the halls with good will / Say a prayer for lost souls / Christmas time of the year.” Armstrong penned the “Xmas Time of the Year” lyrics, with the band’s go-to engineer Chris Dugan recording the track.

“Xmas Time of the Year” marks Green Day’s first new song in over a year and first since “State of Shock,” an unreleased cut on their DemoliciousRecord Store Day 2014 release. Outside of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance in April and a return to Berkeley, California’s 924 Gilman Street venue in May, Green Day have remained largely out of the spotlight as they work on the follow-up to their ¡Uno!/¡Dos!/¡Tré! triptych. However, Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt came together this week to announce their joint coffee venture, Oakland Coffee Works.