Comments on: Alternative Christmas Tunes

By: mary

mary — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:16:55 +0000

how could you forget the Christmas albums by John Fahey (iTunes calls him “famously abrasive and eccentric”)

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:57:25 +0000

HOW is it possible that I am the first one to mention Spinal Tap’s “Christmas with the Devil?”

Dude. My sister and I had a whole Christmas with the Devil themed party, complete with MST3K’s “Santa Claus” (in which the jolly old Mexican elf [what, you didn't know he was Mexican?] battles a devil named Pitch).

Aside from that, Brenda Lee and the Charlie Brown song. Christmas party!

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:23:19 +0000

The strangest items on my holiday mix (www.assortedstuff.com/?p=2309) are:
I Want an Alien for Christmas – Fountains of Wayne
Merry Christmas from the Family – Robert Earl Keen
Christmas Smorgasbord – Swedish Chef
Don’t Shoot Me Santa – The Killers
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Barenaked Ladies

And I agree that Barenaked for the Holidays is a must have for the season.

Frankly, I like anything that comes at the holidays from an alternative (re: warped) point of view. :-)

By: Yog-Sothoth

Yog-Sothoth — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:39:37 +0000

Let’s not forget the Christmas carols by H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society.

My personal favorite is “The Carol of the Old Ones”, linked in the sig.

By: Higgins

Higgins — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:49:15 +0000

Hey everybody,

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I’m going to buy a bunch of these records and make this Christmas playlist a Very Special Christmas Playlist. !

By: themadjuggler

themadjuggler — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:26:10 +0000

As an atheist who has always celebrated “Christmas” with a non-religious family and non-practicing friends, I still give out presents. One recurring gift is the Secular Caroler’s Songbook, a mix CD I make each year with very holiday-sounding songs (bells, choirs, organs, fireplace stuff, etc.) without any religious baggage. Here are the first two mixes:

Last Year:

1. Nattöppet by Detektivbyrån
2. Sleeping Lessons by The Shins
3. Oversleeping by I’m From Barcelona
4. This is the Dream of Win & Reg by Final Fantasy
5. Let It Snow by Bit Shifter
6. The Warning by Hot Chip
7. Pancho by Tortoise and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
8. I’ll Keep It With Mine by Nico
9. Maple Leaves [EP Version] by Jens Lekman
10. We’re Both So Sorry by Mirah
11. I Felt Your Shape by The Microphones
12. Hazey Jane I by Nick Drake
13. Love in the Dakota by Walt Mink
14. The Lucky One by Au Revoir Simone
15. Rose Hip November by Vashti Bunyan
16. Skating by Vince Guaraldi Trio
17. My Lady Story by Antony and the Johnsons
18. 16, Maybe Less by Iron & Wine/Calexico
19. Ba Ba by Sigur Rós
20. Tahquamenon Falls by Sufjan Stevens

This year:

1. Parachute by Shugo Tokumaru
2. ADHD by Jonas Game
3. Click, Click, Click, Click by Bishop Allen
4. The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf
5. Hey, Dad! by Final Fantasy
6. A Postcard To Nina by Jens Lekman
7. The Greater Times by Electrelane
8. Snow Tip Cap Mountain by The Octopus Project
9. Cardinal Mountain by Truls & the Trees
10. Beaten Thursdays by Prefuse 73
11. Focal Point by Valgeir Sigurdsson
12. Humble Peasants by The Most Serene Republic
13. Mirador by Efterklang
14. Nuage II by Sylvain Chaveau
15. Blessed Brambles by Múm
16. Baibaba Bimba by Tenniscoats
17. Thru Thick Night by Erik Enocksson
18. Skinny Love by Bon Iver
19. Cold Days From The Birdhouse by The Twilight Sad
20. The World’s Greatest by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:33:02 +0000

My favorite Christmas song isn’t a Christmas song at all…all three of Adam Sandler’s Hanukah Songs are HILARIOUS!!
Benny Grunch and the Bunchs’ “The 12 Yats of Christmas” is my other favorite! (I’m from New Orleans.)
http://www.bennygrunch.com

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:44:57 +0000

When I was growing up my father somehow managed to record our Christmas albums onto a VCR tape that we would then play through the speakers. Complicated, I know, but we could just pop that thing in and listen to 8 hours of uninterupted music that we liked! To this day, though, the holidays don’t feel like they have started until I hear the Muppets/John Denver Christmas, Bing Crosby’s White Christmas and John Denver’s Rocky Mountain Christmas (in that order). Beyond that, The Ultra Lounge Christmas CDs always offer up a random and fun collection of tunes.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:38:39 +0000

My favorites (some of which I have been listening to ever since I can remember & pilfered from my mom’s collection) are:
1. Noel by Joan Baez
2. The Little Drummer Boy by The Harry Simeone Chorale
3. Finally It’s Christmas with The Singing Angels (a group of tweens & teens from Cleveland)
4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer soundtrack
5. Christmas Portrait by The Carpenters
6. A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
7. The Andy Williams Christmas Album
8. White Christmas by Bing Crosby
9. The Nutcracker Suite
10. In the Christmas Mood by Glenn Miller
11. anything by Trans Siberian Orchestra

By: mri

mri — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:19:20 +0000

the john denver muppets christmas album. ms. piggy singing “christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, please do put the penny in the old man’s hat. if you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do, if you haven’t got a ha’penny then god bless you!” it just makes me happy. and i can’t STAND most x-mas music. blargh!!!