Christmas songs that don’t make me want to punch an elf
’Tis the season for wanting to put on iPod headphones immediately upon walking into pretty much any store. Or… anyplace, really. It’s too bad, because some Christmas songs start as tolerable to even wonderful.
But when this seasonal soundtrack begins two minutes after Halloween, by now, we’re at the point in the year at which hearing some weird new cover of “Last Christmas” (or even a jolly little rendition of “Frosty The Snowman”) one more time is enough to make us scream.
Today, My Morning Jacket was offering up a free download of “When The Bells Start Ringing” (featuring The Head & The Heart), which inspired this quick playlist. It should probably be 10 songs, but after scouring my iTunes collection, I could really come up with only nine. Try as I might, I can’t make myself find the Beatles’ “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)” anything but annoying. (Sorry, Beatles. I still love you.)
Nice Good Christmas Songs. In no particular order.
1. My Morning Jacket — “When The Bells Start Ringing” (featuring The Head & The Heart)
Bursting with sad, glorious pedal steel. Enough said.
2. Pomplamoose — “Up On The Housetop”
I know. Lots of people hate this song, this band, and the Hyundai commercial that was played 237,324,129 times last winter. I think it’s adorable and love the piano and all the little twinkly sound effects. And listening to in my car. Obvs.
3. The Raveonettes — “Come On Santa”
It’s kind of weird and dark and, you know, Raveonettes-y. I’ve always found the “flirting with Santa” genre of Christmas songs creepy, but for some reason, this one is okay. It sounds like a good soundtrack for a couple stumbling back home after a Christmas party.
4. The Band — “Christmas Must Be Tonight”
Convenient re-telling of Christmas story for us non-Christians. By one of my all-time favorite bands, on one of my favorite albums. Bonus: It rhymes “down to the manger” with “little stranger.”
5. Over The Rhine — “Darlin’ (Christmas Is Coming)”
From the Redeye 2008 sampler CD, which I bought on clearance at Starbucks after Christmas 2008 for something like $2.99. Pretty piano and a catchy melody. And it has a little surprise mini organ solo two-thirds of the way through.
6. dj BC — “The Nutbreaker”
Your upbeat Gettin’ Christmas Stuff Done motivational song. Most memorably associated with pre-Christmas 2005, when I played it on loop constantly over a two-week period as I wrote four final papers.
7. Fleshtones — “Champagne Of Christmas”
Christmas party singalong song! I’d never heard of this artist before, but the song is another winner from that 2008 Redeye sampler. Because, hey, if you don’t have anything else going for you at Christmas, you can drink champagne? I guess that’s the message.
8. Punchline — “All Hopped Up On Jingle Bells”
Lyrically, a nice bridge from Christmas to New Year’s Eve. (Future separate playlist?) It has that irresistible festive sound, complete with chiming bells. Another excellent party one. And yes, another one from the Redeye sampler. (Last one, really.)
9. James Taylor — “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
JT is a longtime family favorite, and his version of this classic is both beautiful and heartbreaking. In fact, I legit just got choked up (again!) at his lyric change to “until then, we’ll just have to muddle through somehow.” It doesn’t take much. I also cry when Bert and Ernie sing this song on Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
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