Tis the season...
Sick of hearing the same old boring Christmas songs at the checkout lines? Me too. Never a traditionalist, I made a compilation of holiday tunes by artists that most likely won’t be receiving any overhead play at Target.
A few of these well-loved tunes don’t veer too far from the originals. The point of a cover song, to me, isn’t to merely mimic or replicate the original, but to make it your own without completely desecrating it (think Susan Boyle covering “Wild Horses”).
The perfect mix for your holiday party (most of your guests will ask, “Who the hell is this?”), or for a quiet evening in as you and your significant other sip on eggnog, watching Home Alone for the one millionth time. (That movie never gets old.) :
Disk 1:
1. Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
2. Blue Christmas - Bright Eyes
3. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) - Death Cab For Cutie
4. Make It Home (from My So Called Life) - Juliana Hatfield
5. Candy Cane Children - White Stripes
6. The Christmas Song - Raveonettes
7. Winter Wonderland - Liz Phair
8. It's Christmas Time - Yo La Tango
9. Frosty The Snowman - Fiona Apple
10. The First Song - Band of Horses
11. Flowers In December - Mazzy Star
12. It's Christmas! Let's Be Glad - Sufjan Stevens
13. Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles
14. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Sugarcult
15. I Did It For The Toys - Dance Hall Crashers
Disk 2:
1. Hey Parker, It's Christmas - Ryan Adams
2. In This Home On Ice - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. Winter Wonderland - Phantom Planet
4. All I Want For Christmas Is You - My Chemical Romance
5. Joy To The World - Sufjan Stevens
6. Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time) - Pearl Jam
7. Little Drummer Boy - Dandy Warhols
8. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem - Bright Eyes
9. The Christmas Song - Weezer
10. Xmas Cake - Rilo Kiley
11. This Time of Year - Mighty Mighty Bosstones
12. Silent Night - Low
13. I Feel Like Going Home - Yo La Tango
14. When I Get Home For Christmas - Snow Patrol
15. Winter Wonderland - Jason Mraz
A few favorites for download…
- “Last Christmas” by Jimmy Eat World:
Fantastic cover of an often-overlooked holiday classic. “Last Christmas I gave you my heart/The very next day you gave it away.” My namesake band does it up emo style.
- “Hey Parker, It’s Christmas” by Ryan Adams:
It’s safe to assume that this song is about Parker Posey, who Adams dated around the time of its 2003 release. Sad and piano tinged; this could be the long lost b-side to Ben Fold’s “Brick.”
- “Make It Home” by Juliana Hatfield:
Remember “My So Called Life” from the early 90’s? Juliana played the ghost of a dead homeless girl in the Christmas episode. “Open a window/let in the snow/cold is all I know”, she sings. Too beautiful.
- “I Did It For The Toys” by Dance Hall Crashers:
This one is fast, fun, and furious. Another holiday original, this song is about a perverted Santa. “That big red suit and jolly face is a disguise/He only took it for the joys of little kids bouncing on his thighs.” Bad Santa.
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