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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Nerd Let's Talk Holiday Music! (Dave Segal, Avert Your Eyes)

Posted by Megan Seling on Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 11:52 AM

Even my cat loves Christmas!

There's nothing I love more this time of year than holiday music. I will even listen to shitty holiday music, like Mariah Carey's Christmas album, because that is how much I love holiday music. (I draw the line at Michael Buble—fuck that guy.) But thankfully, for every cheesy, awful, boring Christmas song out there, there's also some good stuff! It's just a little harder to find. Right now, for example, I'm listening to the Parenthetical Girls' "Thank God It's Not Christmas."

And while I have a pretty impressive arsenal that I've collected over the years, there's always plenty more to uncover. Any other holiday music nerds out there have any favorites I definitely need to add to my collection? Yesterday Kelly O shared the new Shannon and the Clams holiday hit with us. Is the new She & Him Christmas album any good? I'm not usually a fan of S&H, but maybe I will like them when they sing about presents and snow? I know Exohxo is working on their annual holiday EP, but are there any other local bands getting in on the action this year?

Tell me everything you know about holiday music! I will sit here and wait, while listening to Stevie Wonder tell me what Christmas means to him (candles burning low/lots of mistletoe!).

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Comments (47) RSS

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Mariah Carey over Michael Bublé? What's wrong with you??

Posted by care bear on November 29, 2011 at 12:18 PM

@1 Where do I start?

Posted by Megan Seling on November 29, 2011 at 12:34 PM

The Vandals: Oi to the World!

1. A Gun For Christmas
2. Grandpa's Last Xmas
3. Thanx For Nothing
4. Oi To The World
5. Nothing's Going To Ruin My Holiday
6. Christmas Time For My Penis
7. I Don't Believe In Santa Claus
8. My First Xmas, As A Woman
9. Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairies
10. Here I Am Lord
11. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
12. Hang Myself From The Tree

Posted by Kinison

on November 29, 2011 at 2:03 PM

All I need is the Vince Guaraldi trio with the charlie brown christmas soundtrack.

Posted by lukeiscool on November 29, 2011 at 2:04 PM

Cute kitty! What's his name?

Posted by The Max on November 29, 2011 at 2:04 PM

It's not an album, but I am newly in love with Tim Minchin's Christmas song White Wine in the Sun from 'Ready For This?' It's sweet and made me tear up the first couple of listens.

Posted by Allyn on November 29, 2011 at 2:05 PM

That cat might love Christmas but I don't think he (is he a he? Looks like a he) loves that hat.

Also, "Father Christmas" by the Kinks is a favourite.

Posted by Puty on November 29, 2011 at 2:06 PM

The Kinks "Father Christmas"
Low "Just like Christmas"
The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping"
Run DMC "Christmas in Hollis"
Wham! "Last Christmas"

But you probably already knew these.

Posted by Ketta Mean on November 29, 2011 at 2:07 PM

The one Christmas album I can listen to is the soundtrack for "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I never get tired of that.

I also love the song "Father Christmas" by The Kinks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xEopHCtE…

Posted by Gern Blanston on November 29, 2011 at 2:07 PM

And I would be remiss if I forgot about "Christmas with the Devil" by Spinal Tap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KneOdEDwD…

Posted by Gern Blanston on November 29, 2011 at 2:11 PM

I am a bit of a sook when I hear "How To Make Gravy" by Paul Kelly. I even tear up when I am playing it.

Posted by kim in portland

on November 29, 2011 at 2:27 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Christmas-N-S… specifically Merry Christmas Happy Holidays!

Posted by silvertears on November 29, 2011 at 2:29 PM

John Fahey's "The New Possibility" is pretty wonderful (I've never seen it on CD. only cassette), and Annie Lennox's Christmas CD from 2010 is just one of my favorite albums from the last 10 years.

Posted by Timmytee on November 29, 2011 at 2:30 PM

No Presents for Christmas - King Diamond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a5fHMlb4…

Mistress for Christmas - AC/DC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aEEhN7_Z…

Last Christmas - Puppini Sisters (WHAM! cover)
http://soundcloud.com/cover-me/the-puppi…

Your cat is totally adorable.

Posted by tabletop_joe on November 29, 2011 at 2:31 PM

My favorite Xmas album of late: Badd Santa on Stones Throw Records.

Posted by kitschnsync on November 29, 2011 at 2:34 PM

"If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard is the ultimate Christmas downer. I also like "Blue Christmas Lights" by Buck Owens. Something about country music and Christmas bummer just goes together. Loretta Lynn's "Christmas Without Daddy", Ernest Tubb's "I'm Trimming My Christmas Tree With Teardrops", George Jones's "Lonely Christmas Call", even Alan Jackson's "Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas" fits the bill. If you're in a more cheerful mood, Buck's "Santa Looks A Lot Like Daddy" is pretty fun.

For sheer spectacular sonic joy, "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector" can't be beat. Every track is a bomb of happiness. Favorite: The Crystals pounding out "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" or the Ronettes with "Sleigh Ride".

Also, plus a million for "Last Christmas" by Wham! I'll sing that one for you anytime you want, even in July.

A different kind of feel try June Christy's great album with Pete Rugolo, "This Time of Year" -- wry pop-jazz vocals with tunes that haven't been beat to death in every store and never will be. If you want standards, go with the master Dean Martin's "A Winter Romance", which also has the greatest album cover in the history of album covers.

Posted by Fnarf

on November 29, 2011 at 2:38 PM

Ohh! How could I forget!

Why Christmas - Boyz II Men
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rYSJT_h_…

Posted by tabletop_joe on November 29, 2011 at 2:39 PM

You just shared the kitty pic to show off your ring, didn't you? Congrats and welcome back from the honeymoon!

I am supremely uncool for confessing this, but my favorite Christmas album (and might as well be the only one I listen to) is The Singers Unlimited's "Christmas". The best a capella group of all time doing rare and beautiful songs, not the usual Frosty the Snowman crap.

Posted by starsandgarters on November 29, 2011 at 2:41 PM

Cats in santa hats! Here is mine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krulich/311…

Posted by Renée Krulich (Nay) on November 29, 2011 at 2:45 PM

"A Christmas Gift to You From Phil Spector" is on the top of my list.

I've made a MASSIVE Spotify Playlist of Christmas music if anyone cares to listen. It's a lot of random shit, but it covers everything from Vince Guaraldi to Cyndi Lauper with a little Harry Belafonte thrown in.

It ain't perfect but here it is: http://open.spotify.com/user/ingopixel/p…

Posted by ingopixel on November 29, 2011 at 2:46 PM

Cute cat.

But shouldn't it have a beer bottle in it's paw if it's celebrating Santarchy?

My fave Xmas music is AC/DC Hells Bells, followed by a Xmas Techno CD I picked up in 1999.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 29, 2011 at 2:48 PM

Some good ones on here.
I'll add "If Christmas can't bring you home" by Reigning Sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHFVkUOc2…

And Roy Wood's (or Wizzard's) "I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64n7iS-P1…

Posted by Dougsf on November 29, 2011 at 2:53 PM

Oooooh, y'all, I love Bob Dylan's Christmas album unironically. It's all in the arrangement -- it sounds like a really good, nostalgia-laden karaoke track, and here comes Dylan with his five-note range hitting many more notes and sounding like bad sound effects, and you can tell he's having a great time. Such a troll, Bob Dylan!

Less trolly, but wonderful for the cheese factor: Jimmy Buffett's Christmas Island. His version of "Jingle Bells," man. He writes his own verse. And back when I was living across the country from my family I couldn't listen to "Merry Christmas, Alabama" without resulting in Tammy Faye eyes.

There's also the one version of "The Little Drummer Boy" that doesn't make me want to stab out my eyes with a pencil, which is by on-again off-again, super-orientalist-and-appropriative Atlanta band Janah: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/star-of…

I like Sufjan Stevens's five-disc epic Christmas album because of the earnest effort he puts into interpreting old standards. I was listening to his deep, broody, mysterious cover of "What Child Is This?" while driving through downtown Birmingham in rain and fog yesterday and it was basically the highlight of my month.

Also, "Santa Baby" is not any good unless it's Eartha Kitt singing it, everything on the Colbert Christmas Special soundtrack is gold, "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC is excellent for unnerving elderly relatives who are mostly into Bing Crosby, and since this is the only time of year it's acceptable to listen to "The Christians and the Pagans" by Dar Williams, I enjoy getting Tammy Faye eyes to that, too.

Posted by Sweeney Agonistes on November 29, 2011 at 2:56 PM

@22, Wizzard! Reminds me of another, perhaps the greatest of them all -- Slade, doing "Merry Christmas Everybody": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365w…

Posted by Fnarf

on November 29, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Best holiday song/10: Gunther, "Ding Dong Song":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbYtqAWDF…

Oooh, you touch my tra la la
Mmm, my ding ding dong

Posted by Jables on November 29, 2011 at 2:57 PM

'i saw daddy kissing santa claus' by RuPaul. did you glue that hat onto mr. baba whiskers?

Posted by scary tyler moore

on November 29, 2011 at 2:59 PM

Almost anything is good when it is actually Christmas*. During Advent, songs of joyful anticip... ation are nice, but usually I try to avoid "seasonal" music this time of year.

* Christmas Day until the feast of the Baptism

Posted by Trim T-Bone on November 29, 2011 at 3:03 PM

Also, there's this:

http://somafm.com/xmasinfrisko/

Stream a weird Christmas radio channel!

Posted by tabletop_joe on November 29, 2011 at 3:05 PM

Beautiful kitty!

Am I old or what? I like Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, the Chipmunks, and Sing-A-Long with Mitch Miller. Can't forget the songs from the TV shows: Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Grinch, etc.

I particularly enjoy the Bing Crosby/David Bowie Peace on Eath/Little Drummer Boy song.

Posted by AKTheresa on November 29, 2011 at 3:23 PM

When I was growing up, 'Father Christmas' by the Kinks was basically on repeat every Atheist Children Get Presents Day, so it's sort of burned into my head as the official anthem of the holiday.

Posted by Zebes

on November 29, 2011 at 3:24 PM

"John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together." Hands down the best Christmas album since Bing Crosby's "White Christmas." Rolf plays the piano and softly suggests, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Robin (Kermit's nephew) calms me to sleep on cold wintery nights with "When the RIver Meets the Sea." And I think that "Alfie the Christmas Tree" speaks for itself. This shit is amazing.

Posted by Melodious Thunk on November 29, 2011 at 4:53 PM

low's christmas EP is not only the best x-mas album ever, it might be the best low release ever.

Posted by captain underpants on November 29, 2011 at 4:55 PM

How has nobody mentioned Stan Boreson? They are my favorite Christmas Songs!

Posted by suburban queen on November 29, 2011 at 5:00 PM

"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues and "Jingle Bell Rock" by Neil Diamond.

Posted by DOUG.

on November 29, 2011 at 5:19 PM

@24 of ferchrissake I want to say "how did I forget that one?!" but despite having had a roommate in a Slade cover band started specifically for a Christmas event, I'm not 100% sure I actually knew that song.

Posted by Dougsf on November 29, 2011 at 5:30 PM

Aimee Mann, "Another Drifter in the Snow". So sad.

Posted by otis skidmore on November 29, 2011 at 5:49 PM

on my radio show - KEXPs punk show, Sonic Reducer - i do a yearly punk rock xmas show and every year i dig up more funny/fun non-standard xmas tracks.
some of the old playlists are posted on our out of date myspace page -
http://www.myspace.com/sonicreducerkexp
I got a buncha new/fun ones for this years broadcast, on sat 12/24 9-midnight. listen and learn!

Posted by BrianMyFatAss

on November 29, 2011 at 6:02 PM

Any of the songs on "Django Bells" by the Gypsy Hombres. They are a jazz/soul trio from Nashville, and their Christmas album has some great, funny twists on the old classics: "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" played as a tango, "Blue Christmas" as a bossa nova, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" as a bass (mostly) solo, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" as an opium induced dream reminiscent of the drugged out days of the 30's New Orleans jazz scene.

Lots of fun.

Posted by TechBear on November 29, 2011 at 7:15 PM

Fnarf's choices are great, as always. I would add "Carol of the Meows" by The Meowstro (also known as Guster), anything by Los Straightjackets, and this year I'm listening to the Puppini Sisters Xmas album and Bel Fleck's new one, too.

My shameful secret is nothing puts me into a Xmas mood more than South Park's Mr. Hankey's Christmas album. Eric Cartmen singing "O Holy Night" and Mr. Garrison's "Merry Fuckin' Christmas" put that joy joy joy in my heart.

Posted by Soupytwist

on November 30, 2011 at 10:03 AM

Henry Rollins "Twas the night before Christmas"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFUgRRYmL…

Posted by beelzebufo on November 30, 2011 at 10:45 AM

I'm a sucker for country X-mas albums. Other then the aforementioned Christmas with Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, Loretta Lynn's Christmas collection and believe it or not Shelby Lynne's Merry Christmas are pretty damn good.

Posted by reaganyouth on November 30, 2011 at 12:00 PM

You might be interested in this new Regretsy post, featuring links to the worst Christmas music of all time. Starts with Donald Trump and Regis Philbin duetting on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and goes downhill from there.

http://www.regretsy.com/2011/11/30/merry…

Posted by Fnarf

on November 30, 2011 at 3:54 PM

Goddammit, Fnarf. My evening is shot now.

Posted by Soupytwist

on November 30, 2011 at 4:11 PM

My family always played the Beach Boys Christmas, so that one is close to my heart. Also gotta Love Trolley's X-mas albumn and Eazy E"s Merry Mother-F@Cking X-mas

Posted by julie russell

on November 30, 2011 at 4:51 PM