Huddle - Islands

I love this song, but the video really takes it to another level.

December 19: Over the Rhine

Over the Rhine - Snow Angels

This is full of dark, jazzy, soulful, bluesy Christmas songs.  It seems influenced as much by Billie Holiday as it does by Vince Guaraldi.  I don't care too much for "North Pole Man", but the rest of this is terrific.  It's pretty much all original songs, which definitely helps.  You can put this in your Christmas playlist knowing that yet another version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" won't be coming up.

"Snow Angel"



"Darlin' (Christmas is Comin')"



"All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue"

December 15: The Pogues

I didn't get a chance to throw an album up yesterday, and I can only manage one meager song today.  It's been a busy weekend.  I'll get back on track with a full album tomorrow.

But, for now, enjoy The Pogues' fantastic "Fairytale of New York".  It's a Christmas song for the drunk in all of us.

December 13: Elvis

Elvis - Christmas Peace

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Elvis.  Not all of his stuff, of course.  But, overall, I'm a big fan.  I love the skinny rockabilly Elvis.  I love the fat, jumpsuit-wearing Elvis.
And I especially love Elvis Christmas music.  His style just works really well.  He's able to take these songs - both old and new - and mold them to his style.  When I hear these songs, I have a hard time believing they could be done any better.  And, for the most part, that is the case.

I know there are a number of Elvis Christmas collections, but this one is my favorite.

"Blue Christmas"



"Santa Claus is Back in Town"



"Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)"

December 12: Jessica Ripka

Jessica Ripka - Manger Songs

With only 4 songs (only 3 of which are Christmas songs), this is a pretty short Christmas album.  But it packs a punch.  There's not a bad song on here.  Ripka's unique piano and vocal stylings provide a fresh take on "Joy to the World", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and "Silent Night".  You've never heard these songs done in this style, and you're unlikely to ever hear them like this again.

It's a free download over at her Bandcamp page, but any donations go to AIDS relief efforts in Africa.  I highly recommend you check it out and donate what you can.




Full disclosure: Jessica is a friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to work with her on a remix on her most recent album.  She's a fantastic musician, and a great person to boot.

December 11: Jimmy Smith

Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'

As past selections have shown, I'm a fan of quite a few jazz Christmas albums.  Having heard the same songs done a million times with very little variation, I find myself drawn to albums that shed new light on those songs.  A fresh take, as it were.  As a general rule, jazz - good jazz, at least - offers a fresh take on standard songs.
This is one of those albums.  I love Jimmy Smith's organ style, and it comes through here.  He pairs with a big band on a number of the tracks, but this album is at its best when Smith's organ is in the foreground.  This is a solid album, and it's perfect for this time of year.
One of my favorite tracks on here is his rendition of "Jingle Bells", but, unfortunately, I couldn't find a clip on YouTube.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"



"Greensleeves"



"Silent Night"

December 10: Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas

5 discs.  42 tracks.  Granted, that's a lot of music to get through, but it's worth it.  The songs were all recorded pretty quickly, so there's a certain ramshackle, lo-fi quality to most of it.  But there is a lot of great stuff.  Even the Christmas standards are seen through a new light.  And there are a lot of original tracks, most of which are terrific.
That's not to say the entire thing is great.  There are a few clunkers.  But, overall, there are more good songs than bad songs here, and more than a few amazing songs.
It's also worth noting that one of my favorite Christmas songs is "Once in Royal David's City", but it's rare to find it on an album.  But it can be found here in two versions: instrumental and vocal.

"Put the Lights on the Tree"



"Come On!  Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!"



"Once in Royal David's City"



"Did I Make You Cry on Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)"