Desperately Seeking Santa

Christmas music seems to have become a particularly polarizing topic in the past few years. Some people love it and start posting about it on Facebook in early November, while others like to take a the Ebenezer Scrooge route of “ABSOLUTELY NO CHRISTMAS ANYTHING UNTIL DECEMBER FIRST AND EVEN THEN YOU’RE PUSHING IT.”

When it comes to Christmas music, I’m not sure there needs to be rules. If you are feeling Christmasy on November 1st, go for it. Live and let live, yo. This year I didn’t really feel like listening to Christmas music until yesterday. But now the floodgates have opened and I doubt I’ll listen to anything else until New Years. Here’s what’s new on my Christmas musical radar this year, kids.

I blogged about Hey, it’s Christmas! last year and they’ve put out another volume for this year. It’s a Christmas compilation with a bunch of indie bands you’ve probably never heard of doing fun Christmas songs. There are some real gems on this year’s version particularly “Sleigh Ride” by Oceanauts and “All Year Long” by Kyle Cox & Rachel Smith. Also the muted trumpet in this version of “The Christmas Song” kills me.

Sufjan Stevens also has a new collection of Christmas music out this year Silver and Gold. His Songs for Christmas EPs are in my top Christmas rotation—along with Ella Wishes You a Swingin’ Christmas , A Charlie Brown Christmas and Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe. Anyway, you can download a sampler from Silver and Gold over at NoiseTrade for totally free.

Speaking of NoiseTrade, this album from Over the Rhine is solid.

Of course, you can’t go wrong with the Christmas classics. I’m going to see White Christmas tonight and I’m so excited. I watched the movie last night in preparation. Remember this? Magical. I just love her sparkly, twirly pink dress. May all your Christmases be white!