11.05.05
Posted in fun at 7:41 pm by
I have a weakness for Christmas music. And, God knows, now that Halloween (Reformation Day) is over…tis’ Christmas season. I’m looking for some suggestions for good Christmas songs that I can download.
Here’s what I’m looking for…I like traditional Christmas songs, though newer ones are okay, too. Y’all know I don’t believe in secular/sacred so any classification is fine. I like the blues–a lot–I like folk music (also a lot), I particularly like music by popular artists that one might not associate with Christmas music (for example, The Barenaked Ladies, Natalie Merchant, Avril Lavigne (who has a kick ass version of O Holy Night), Bob Marley, etc…)
Here’s what’s currently on the ole’ iPod Christmas Music-wise. Any suggestions are very welcome. (However, if you want to criticise my tastes, you can just sod-off you bloody fools.)
Anyway, no further adieu and all that Jazz…ooohh…Jazz would be good too…:
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Martina Sorbara
It Came Upon Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer
Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
Rudy - The Be Good Tanyas
Sweet Secret Peace - Neil Finn
Gaudete - Mediaeval Baebes
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies
Green Christmas - Barenaked Ladies
O Holy Night - Avril Lavigne & Chantal Kreviazuk
Song for a Winter’s Night - Sarah McLachlan
Go Tell It On the Mountain - Bob Marley & The Wailers
White Christmas - Roomful of Blues
Children Go Where I Send Thee - Natalie Merchant
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Posted in fun at 7:41 pm by
I have a weakness for Christmas music. And, God knows, now that Halloween (Reformation Day) is over…tis’ Christmas season. I’m looking for some suggestions for good Christmas songs that I can download.
Here’s what I’m looking for…I like traditional Christmas songs, though newer ones are okay, too. Y’all know I don’t believe in secular/sacred so any classification is fine. I like the blues–a lot–I like folk music (also a lot), I particularly like music by popular artists that one might not associate with Christmas music (for example, The Barenaked Ladies, Natalie Merchant, Avril Lavigne (who has a kick ass version of O Holy Night), Bob Marley, etc…)
Here’s what’s currently on the ole’ iPod Christmas Music-wise. Any suggestions are very welcome. (However, if you want to criticise my tastes, you can just sod-off you bloody fools.)
Anyway, no further adieu and all that Jazz…ooohh…Jazz would be good too…:
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Martina Sorbara
It Came Upon Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer
Maybe This Christmas - Ron Sexsmith
Rudy - The Be Good Tanyas
Sweet Secret Peace - Neil Finn
Gaudete - Mediaeval Baebes
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies
Green Christmas - Barenaked Ladies
O Holy Night - Avril Lavigne & Chantal Kreviazuk
Song for a Winter’s Night - Sarah McLachlan
Go Tell It On the Mountain - Bob Marley & The Wailers
White Christmas - Roomful of Blues
Children Go Where I Send Thee - Natalie Merchant
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jvjannotti said,
November 5, 2005 at 9:03 pm
i have this one cd I like a lot. It’s called Acoustic Christmas.
The reviews on the page include one that disses my favorite song “Ice” by Shelleyan Orphan. Anyway, this has some good ones on it, though I’m not all that into the Poi Dog Pondering song. Hope that helps.
jvjannotti said,
November 5, 2005 at 9:05 pm
hmmm… for some reason the previous comment didn’t take my link…
here’s the url
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000027EZ/ref=m_art_li_1/102-8347904-0600162?v=glance&s=music
and here’s another attempt:
Acoustic Chrstimas
aaron c said,
November 5, 2005 at 11:02 pm
Brandon,
Rarely comment but love the blog. I come from the McCarty-Parish group in OK. Anyways, I highly recommend Over the Rhine’s Darkest Night of the Year. It’s simply gorgeous and pretty much the only Christmas album I can stand for extended periods of time.
zalm said,
November 5, 2005 at 11:41 pm
Is it that time of year already? Sheesh.
If you want a bigass list of worthiness, I’d be happy to send one your way.
But you really should start with the three volumes of Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas songs.
You can thank me later.
zalm said,
November 5, 2005 at 11:42 pm
Grrr…
Blog no take link. Zalm angry!
No Sufjan for you.
Dave said,
November 6, 2005 at 12:02 am
Hey, if you like folk music, let me suggest John McCutcheon’s Winter Solstice:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=2460521&s=143441
Good stuff, some original, some classic. I think, given your political leanings, you’d really like Christmas is the Trenches - which just about brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it.
zalm said,
November 6, 2005 at 12:31 am
Good recommendation, Dave. And I don’t think you have to share Brandon’s politics to find “Christmas in the Trenches” stunningly moving.
James said,
November 6, 2005 at 8:58 am
I’d second (third? fourth?) Sufjan and Over The Rhine recommendations, and add Bruce Cockburn’s _Christmas_.
Zeke said,
November 6, 2005 at 9:27 am
Well, you gotta have “Christmastime is Here” from “It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown!”
Music Blog said,
November 6, 2005 at 2:05 pm
Christmas Song Ideas?
Any Christmas song suggestions?…
Bob Laituri said,
November 6, 2005 at 2:17 pm
WOW Christmas: Green is the follow-up to the Platinum-Selling WOW Christmas: Red release. 15 of the 30 songs are BRAND NEW RECORDINGS!
Also Available:
WOW Hits 2006 + WOW Christmas: Green Combo
Track Listing:
1. Winter Wonderland - Avalon
2. A Christmas to Remember- Amy Grant
3. O Holy Night - BarlowGirl
4. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Building 429 *NEW*
5. Away in a Manger - Casting Crowns *NEW*
6. Angels We Have Heard on High - Chris Tomlin *NEW*
7. Mary, Did You Know - Clay Aiken
8. TBD - Jeremy Camp *NEW*
9. Welcome to Our World - Michael W. Smith *NEW*
10. Jingle Bell Rock - Point of Grace
11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Rebecca St. James
12. Deck the Halls - Relient K
13. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Steven Curtis Chapman
14. O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Third Day
15. O Come All Ye Faithful - tobyMac
CD 2:
1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bethany Dillon *NEW*
2. Go Tell It On the Mountain - Big Daddy Weave *NEW*
3. Feliz Navidad - David Crowder Band *NEW*
4. Do You Hear What I Hear - FFH *NEW*
5. I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Jaci Velasquez
6. Little Drummer Boy - Jars of Clay
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Joy Williams *NEW*
8. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Kutless *NEW*
9. The First Noel - Mark Schultz
10. TBD - Matthew West *NEW*
11. Joy to the World - Natalie Grant *NEW*
12. The Christmas Shoes - NewSong
13. Silent Night - Selah
14. The Christmas Song - Tait
15. What Child isThis? - ZOEgirl
Format: Audio CD
Release Date: 10/04/05
Zeke said,
November 6, 2005 at 3:45 pm
Oh, and I’m not a huge Amy Grant fan but “Emmanuel” gives me goose bumps.
Lisa said,
November 6, 2005 at 4:47 pm
may I second the suggestion of Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas album? Especially his version of “Early on one Christmas Morn” and “Go Tell it on the Mountain”. And I am partial to the old Phil Spector Christmas album.
Lisa said,
November 6, 2005 at 4:49 pm
Don’t know how this happened, but:
Oops — first part of my comment got left off somehow — it should read that I second the mention of Bruce Cockburn’s Christmas, especially Early on one Christmas Morn and Go Tell it on the Mountain
Chris said,
November 6, 2005 at 5:16 pm
Low - Christmas
An very excellent Christmas album by a very excellent band.
Love the blog, by the way.
Chris (not the same one) said,
November 6, 2005 at 6:30 pm
“She came home for Christmas” by Mew.
Brandon said,
November 6, 2005 at 6:35 pm
good thoughts all!
Anybody want to throw together some iMixes?
Kent said,
November 6, 2005 at 8:51 pm
“Supplied comment invalid”, what does that mean?
zalm said,
November 6, 2005 at 9:06 pm
Ask and you shall receive.
Two iMixes, one of more traditional Christmas tunes and one of more original songs that really should be classics.
http://tinyurl.com/bhjbf
http://tinyurl.com/7luon
I made these links smaller so they’re easier to copy and paste. If they don’t work, try opening iTunes, going to the iMix section, and then pasting these into a web browser. If that still doesn’t work, then let me know and I’ll post the longass direct urls later tonight.
LAmom said,
November 6, 2005 at 9:27 pm
PLEASE DON’T CHRISTMAS ME YET
Good old Brandon said in an otherwise lovely post:Now that Halloween (Reformation Day) is over…tis’ Christmas season.Nooooooooo!!!!! Thanksgiving is my favorite national holiday, It’s a standalone. It is not a suburb of Christmas. I’ll admit that on …
Brandon said,
November 6, 2005 at 9:31 pm
For the record…I don’t know what’s going on with ye olde html…I’m checking into it…but as of yet, I’m answerless. I’ll keep trying!
Angel said,
November 6, 2005 at 11:06 pm
Some of my faves:
Trans Siberian Orchestra (esp. Christmas Eve in Sarajevo)
The Gift–Aselin Debison
Gabriel’s Message–Sting
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Star of Bethlehem–John Williams (from Home Alone)
O Holy Night–tie between Michael Crawford and Josh Groban
music from The Polar Express
I better stop, I have WAY too many Xmas faves
Benjamin said,
November 7, 2005 at 11:04 am
I thought calvanists where down on the whole christmas thing anyway… shouldn’t you be spending the season reading “Pilgrim’s Progress” and making snide comments about unseemly papism or something?
Stephen said,
November 7, 2005 at 1:06 pm
I like “The Gift of the Magi” by Squirrel Nut Zippers.
There are also some really great punk, neo-punk, proto-punk Xmas albums in the “Various” sections of good record stores.
Amazingly, Target had a remarkably good Xmas album last year to be picked up for like $7.
Kevin said,
November 7, 2005 at 11:32 pm
Bright Eyes - Blue Christmas
Pedro the Lion - Long Way Around the Sea
Jars of Clay - Christmas for Cowboys
Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
The Polyphonic Spree - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Starflyer 59 - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Fleming and John - Winter Wonderland
Pledge Drive - Christmas Rhapsody
Pedro the Lion - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
zalm said,
November 8, 2005 at 1:10 am
Pedro covered “Long Way Around the Sea”?!?
You so need to hook me up with that, Kevin.
(The original version by Low is on one of the iMixes I posted earlier.)
Kevin said,
November 8, 2005 at 9:55 am
Yep, it’s true. Pedro has released two Christmas 7-inches, each one with two songs. One of them had the Low cover. I can burn them onto CD for you or get them to you some other way. Email me and we’ll figure something out.
Audrey said,
November 8, 2005 at 11:55 am
One song I’m careful to listen to every Christmas season as an anodyne to all the songs like It’s the most wondeful time of the year is Gordon Lightfoot’s Circle of Steel.
It’s a story of the season for the less fortunate who live invisibly among us. It reminds me why it’s important to give to the SA and other charities.
On the happier note side of things, I love the original NBC production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Audrey — if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.
kurtle said,
November 8, 2005 at 12:14 pm
I always get sentimental for Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet. But it can get overplayed. I found Duke Ellington’s Three Suites which includes a handful of selections from the Nutcracker. Those cats do swing. The music sounds best when coupled with eggnog and Jack Daniels.
Kevin said,
November 8, 2005 at 1:55 pm
Oh, I forgot Larry Norman’s Christmastime. Another great tune.
Liz said,
November 8, 2005 at 6:19 pm
And when you’re in the mood to cut through the schmaltz, you can’t go wrong with “Fairy Tale of New York” by the Pogues.
irv said,
November 8, 2005 at 7:41 pm
“nothing but a child”
-steve earle
“merry christmas from the family”
-robert earl keen
enjoy the site and podcast
timmer said,
November 9, 2005 at 4:36 pm
In less than a week, Martin Sexton is coming out with a Christmas album. Haven’t heard it yet, but it’s Sexton, so it WILL be great, like everything else of his. Brandon, especially if you like pseudo blues, you’ve got to check him out–martinsexton.com
I describe Marty to the uninitiated as “like John Mayer, but with talent.” Listen…you’ll see.
Tyler Simons said,
November 9, 2005 at 8:31 pm
Remember David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing “Little Drummer Boy” on TV? That was cool. Hendrix did an instrumental of that and silent night.
Oh, and there’s always “Merry Motherfucking Christmas” by Easy E.
Kevin said,
December 13, 2005 at 9:34 am
Hey Brandon, speaking of Pedro, were you at the show where he played solo at Calvin? That show is available for download over here.
Kevin said,
December 13, 2005 at 9:35 am
http://s52.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=30FW2FNLH3EY32Y1SVJUGVSU36
audiopablo said,
November 8, 2006 at 2:54 am
if you have itunes, look up The Only Things Worth Opening by Goodbye July.
It may be the saddest, best Christmas song ever.
Brandy said,
December 4, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Steve Wonder has a Christmas CD out called Someday at Christmas and they are the best songs ever. My favorite off of it is One little Christmas Tree.