Jingle Bell Rocks
You probably heard about Jingle Bell Rocks, a documentary in the making about off-beat Christmas songs, the ones we're posting here for years. Santa Claus was a Black Man, Close your mouth (it's Christmas), etc. Film maker Mitchell Kezin needs your help, he needs money to finish his documentary. Go HERE to read more, to see an endorsement by the great John Waters, and how to donate. See HERE also.
Los Campesinos!
Free download of a great X-mas track (the bells! the bells!) by Los Campesinos. Go HERE 
Robyn Hitchcock
Brilliant Captain Beefheart cover by Robyn Hitchcock, for one of the bestest Christmas comps of the year. Read more here. Spotify link here. Hat tip to SWO
Never Ending Beginning
Canadian Christmas
Elefant Christmas
This new track by the legendary Primitives is just one of a bunch of xmas choons from the great seasonal compilation by Spanish label Elefant Records. Go HERE for details (Links via Santas Working Overtime)
Funky Christmas mix
YES, this is what all ye funksters were waiting for, a brand spanking new Christmas mix by Dr Rubberfunk! Go HERE for more festive funk.
Sarah Nixey
The most beautiful new Christmas song of this year? No contest. It's this one by former Black Box Recorder siren Sarah Nixey: 
Download from here (right click, save as)
The First Ornaments of Christmas
The First Ornaments of Christmas is a live multimedia project from the brain/hand/pen/voice of Bentonville, AR Resident Bryce Napier and a surrounding group of artists. Defying easy categorization, the creators jokingly call it a Christmas-indie-classical-multimedia-rock-opera. In the live setting, the 11-piece band performs with narrative breaks between 11 songs. At the same time, animated footage plays on projectors overhead, illustrating the story being sung.
‘First Ornaments’ is a Christmas feast for the eyes and ears, helping viewers imagine the Christmas story like never before. Parents, children, art students, and music enthusiasts alike enjoy the beautifully-designed characters, the bright colors, and the imaginative sounds. The project was performed live 3 times in 2011 and 6 times in 2012.
The album features a studio recording of the entire production including music and narration.
More info here.
‘First Ornaments’ is a Christmas feast for the eyes and ears, helping viewers imagine the Christmas story like never before. Parents, children, art students, and music enthusiasts alike enjoy the beautifully-designed characters, the bright colors, and the imaginative sounds. The project was performed live 3 times in 2011 and 6 times in 2012.
The album features a studio recording of the entire production including music and narration.
More info here.
Cal Folger Day
Starlings, TN
“I remember vividly thinking that dry socks, smokes, and a bottle of whiskey would be a hell of a Christmas gift.” says Steven Stubblefield, the man behind Austin’s Starlings, TN. Listen:
Kishi Bashi
"Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym for violin virtuoso K Ishibashi. Having recorded, toured, and collaborated with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, Kishi Bashi released his first full-length album "151a" in April 2012." So says this website. It was also the place where you could order this fantastic X-mas hymn on a snowflake shaped flexi disc (see clip), but alas, it's sold out :-(
Last Gangnam Style Christmas
You won't see any Wham here? Yeah right.
Admit it.... this is the one you've all been waiting for:
Admit it.... this is the one you've all been waiting for:
Wham Vs PSY - Last Christmas, Gangnam style - Paolo Monti mashup 2012 from Dj Paolo Monti on Vimeo.
Foxtails Brigade
Last year, we posted 'I'm Not Really In The Christmas Mood This Year' by Foxtails Brigade. From their album (stream/buy on Bandcamp) they made an X-mas themed video to accompany Unfairness Awareness
Soul Snatchers
FINALLY, a new funky Christmas choon, courtesy of one of Holland's finest funk combo's, The Soul Snatchers featuring Jimi Bellmartin. If you go HERE, you find a download link for the song (bottom of the page). It's actually the same band behind this great X-mas song, which was recently covered in Polish (!)
Exotic cheer and mischievous smirks
"A collection of your favorite Christmas songs, merrily reinterpreted with exotic cheer, unexpected instrumentations, and mischievous smirks". That's what Tribecastan offer on their Twisted Christmas EP.
In their own words: "On their first single, “God Rest Ye Three Kings,” Tribecastan takes us on a midnight joyride across the desert sands with a figgy pudding of hand drums, sitar, sarod, mandocello, brass and bulbul tarang. This tongue in cheek amalgam of yule tide spirit and holiday chutzpah is a change of pace from the standard seasonal-tunes of old."
The Twisted Chrismas EP is available on Bandcamp.
In their own words: "On their first single, “God Rest Ye Three Kings,” Tribecastan takes us on a midnight joyride across the desert sands with a figgy pudding of hand drums, sitar, sarod, mandocello, brass and bulbul tarang. This tongue in cheek amalgam of yule tide spirit and holiday chutzpah is a change of pace from the standard seasonal-tunes of old."
The Twisted Chrismas EP is available on Bandcamp.
Christmas Is War
If anyone can tell me why these kids think Christmas is war, please do tell!
And if you can't wait to hear more black metal carols, go to www.erlosung.com and download the Christmas Ist Krieg album.
Ps: extensive listening will cause churchburning
Twenty-six Hundred!
Jonathan Coulton & John Roderick made a Christmas album with ten (ok, one's a Chanukah song, so nine) Christmas tracks. Style-wise, they're swimming in the same pond as They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne and Flight of the Conchords. Hear more here. See also this. 2600 is a song about a kid wanting an Atari 2600 really, REALLY bad.
Olivia Ruiz
French star Olivia Ruiz just released a new album, featuring a Christmas song that's not really a Christmas song. Or is it? 
Olivia Ruiz - Crazy Christmas
Allo Darlin'
British quartet Allo Darlin' made a really great seasonal EP. The titles seem un-Christmas-y, but listen to Only Dust Behind. 
That Band From Holland
Yep, they're from Holland. And they make odd, but good X-mas tunes. This is their fourth seasonal album:
French amour for Christmas
Gillian got a boost in popularity recently when American audiences discovered a cover version of her song 'Zou Bisou Bisou' on TV series Mad Men, Gillian's first single back in 1960.
Here's Gillian covering Bobby Helms' 'Jingle Bell Rock' in French, entitled 'La tête à l'envers', literally, 'My head upside down', which implies being dumbfounded by love.
Gillian Hills - La tête à l'envers
Eww Yaboo
Sugar & the Hi-Lows
Sounds like a band, but it's a duo. This is a 6-minute long (!), sultry ode to the season. Very good stuff
Dark Christmas
Now this is the stuff I like, a Twin Peaks-y take on the Holidays. Bloodspatter in the snow. Evil men behind the Christmas tree. Think of your own holiday horror movie when listening to this track by Freedom Fry:
All I Need Is Lo-lo-lo-lo-love
I don't know 'bout you guys, but I don't think I will ever outgrow The Muppets. 'Mahna Mahna' brings back so many good childhood memories and to hear it like this is just, well, great. Cee Lo is one lucky bastard to have worked with such talents.
Cee Lo's Christmas studio album, Cee Lo's Magic Moment, was released this October. The album features collaborations with Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, Straight No Chaser and Trombone Shorty.
Cee Lo's Christmas studio album, Cee Lo's Magic Moment, was released this October. The album features collaborations with Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, Straight No Chaser and Trombone Shorty.
The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland's Christmas Album
Bill Wells hates most of the Christmas Albums, so he decided to make one himself. This is what you can expect:
Ice Ice Baby
Okay, okay, Oscar challenged me :-)
....so here's another Xmas song from the beautiful Icelandic singer Ragnheidur "Ragga" Gröndal.
....so here's another Xmas song from the beautiful Icelandic singer Ragnheidur "Ragga" Gröndal.
S(up)erbian Xmas
Christmas is a time for nostalgia, melancholy and yet a lot of happiness!
This feeling comes to live in this Xcellent song of Boris Kovač....
Happy X-mas all!
This feeling comes to live in this Xcellent song of Boris Kovač....
Happy X-mas all!
Jimmy Donley - Santa! Don't Pass Me By (1962)
Cornershop - "Every Year So Different"
I just heard the good news yesterday that Cornershop will release a festive seasonal gem on December 3. It's a beautiful song featuring Trwbador. I like it and I'll definitely get it when it becomes available. More sleigh bell please!
You can hear the track here. It is a soundcloud file that I couldn't figure out how to post for you guys... Maybe the share is disabled because it isn't released yet. I'll keep checking and share it here when I can.
And let me be one of the first to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!
How To Throw A Christmas Party
AAAAAaaaaaaand....we're back! We're going to shower you with odd-but-good Christmas music the upcoming weeks. Kicking off with Dutch Christmas loving music collective How to Throw a Christmas Party, who for the third year will live up to their name in various Dutch clubs, playing their folk-rock tinged X-mas tracks.
MY 10 TEN CHRISTMAS MUSIC RECORDINGS
HERE'S A LIST OF THE TOP 10 CHRISTMAS RECORDINGS THAT I LISTENED TO AS A KID GROWING UP IN THE 1960'S AND 1970S. MY DAD OR I HAD ALL OF THESE LPS, AND I PRETTY MUCH WORE THEM ALL OUT BY THE LATE 1980'S:
1) JACK JONES "THE JACK JONES CHRISTMAS ALBUM"
2) "W. T. GRANT'S VOLUME IV"
3) "W. T. GRANT'S VOLUME V"
4) TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD "A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL" DOUBLE LP
5) THE BLACKWOOD BROTHERS & THE STATESMEN QUARTET "O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL"
6) J. C. PENNEY "SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS"
7) THE CARPENTERS "CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT"
8) THE KING FAMILY "CHRISTMAS WITH THE KING FAMILY"
9) ROGER WHITTAKER "THE ROGER WHITTAKER CHRISTMAS ALBUM"
10) BIG N "THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS"
OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE GREAT CHRISTMAS LPS THAT I GREW UP WITH, BUT THESE ARE THE TOP 10
LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR TOP 10 FAVORITE'S ARE!!!
1) JACK JONES "THE JACK JONES CHRISTMAS ALBUM"
2) "W. T. GRANT'S VOLUME IV"
3) "W. T. GRANT'S VOLUME V"
4) TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD "A CHRISTMAS SPECIAL" DOUBLE LP
5) THE BLACKWOOD BROTHERS & THE STATESMEN QUARTET "O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL"
6) J. C. PENNEY "SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS"
7) THE CARPENTERS "CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT"
8) THE KING FAMILY "CHRISTMAS WITH THE KING FAMILY"
9) ROGER WHITTAKER "THE ROGER WHITTAKER CHRISTMAS ALBUM"
10) BIG N "THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS"
OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE GREAT CHRISTMAS LPS THAT I GREW UP WITH, BUT THESE ARE THE TOP 10
LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR TOP 10 FAVORITE'S ARE!!!
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