Apparently 'tis the season again. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that Christmas is not my favorite holiday. Not by a long shot. For me it's just another year flown by and I'm forced to listen to (mostly terrible) Christmas music all day at work. Maybe it was listening to Jessica Simpson X-mas bullshit at least 3 times per day that compelled to put together my own mix of a few of my very favorite holiday songs. Ones that don't make me wanna blow out my own eardrums. It started off quite small and somehow snowballed (no, that wasn't a pun!) into a full blown playlist as I scoured my iTunes and found gem after seasonal gem.
There are a few standards, if not obvious choices on the list. The Drifters' "White Christmas" always makes me think of Home Alone (or was it Home Alone 2? They're both great so who cares) and while there are tons of covers of "Last Christmas" I find the original Wham! version is perfection. And it wouldn't be Christmas without Brenda Lee's incomparable "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." My mother played her Christmas album every year on a loop and it has remained my favorite ever since.
I also threw in some newer stuff like the incredibly fun Rosie Thomas original "Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year" (thank you Daniel), a fabulous remix of Kay Starr's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and a bouncy holiday 'fuck you' from one of my favorite new discoveries Hello Saferide. The one track I cannot seem to get enough of is the last one in the set. Originally from the movie "Toys," The Closing of the Year" has been humming around in my head for days now and always leaves me with a cheerful grin on my face and a childlike optimism for the season and the year to come.
Enjoy.
Listen to Excerpts
White Elephant
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Full Track List
1. Martina Sorbara - It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year
2. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
3. Rosie Thomas - Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year
4. Brenda Lee - Rock' Around the Christmas Tree
5. The Drifters - White Christmas
6. Allison Sattinger - Santa Baby
7. Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone - Baby, It's Cold Outside
8. Kay Starr - I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Stuhr Remix)
9. London Festival Orchestra - Carol of the Bells (Starchild Excalibur Drumadelic Remix)
10. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmas Time
11. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
12. Hello Saferide - iPod Xmas
13. Wham! - Last Christmas
14. Sixpence None The Richer - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
15. Sufjan Stevens - Joy to the World
16. The Weepies - All I Want
17. The Winston Jazz Routine - Through the Snow
18. Hem - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
19. Joni Mitchell - River
20. Tracy Chapman - O Holy Night
21. Wendy & Lisa - The Closing of the Year (Feat. Seal)
2 comments:
blast! i was thinking about posting a supplement to Crappy Holidays for the second year in a row. shoulda been more on the ball. maybe i'll send a couple your way for an LP supplement to this year.
highlights include "holiday" by weezer and the theme from batman returns.
and i was actually looking for this version of white christmas (for sure from home alone 1, maybe also 2) and i thank you, sir!
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