The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

The holiday releases have been trickling in over the last few weeks, so even though it's not Thanksgiving yet (I know, I know) I thought I'd go ahead and get a jump on this thread. As always, feel free to post any new Christmas albums, EPs, and singles that you come across.

Some handy Christmas music links I check daily this time of year:

Mistletunes (general Xmas music)
Christmas Underground (indie Xmas music)
Santas Working Overtime (general Xmas music)
NoiseTrade (an invaluable resource for free, legal music by mostly indie artists; lots of Xmas releases this time of year)

And just for fun, here's the trailer for Jingle Bell Rock, a feature length documentary about Christmas music collectors and creators:

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/78113050" width="500" height="281" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

Notable new releases:

Nick Lowe - Quality Street

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Lowe's album is great - he's just improved with age, IMO - and this is my favorite new Christmas release so far.

Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped in Red

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

I'm really digging her Phil Spectoresque "Underneath the Tree."

Bad Religion - Christmas Songs

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

This one came out of left field for me. I would've never expected them to make a Christmas album, let alone one with a bunch of carols on it. But it's for charity!

Mary J. Blige - A Mary Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Jewel - Let It Snow

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Kool & The Gang - Kool for the Holidays

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Various Artists - The Best Man Holiday soundtrack

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Johnny Mathis - Sending You a Little Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

This is a duets album featuring the likes of Billy Joel, Gloria Estefan, Vince Gill, Susan Boyle, etc.

Various Artists - Punk Goes Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

This compilation features New Found Glory, Yellowcard, All Time Low, and others.

The Robertsons - Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

<s>Simpsons</s> Duck Dynasty Christmas Boogie!

Susan Boyle - Home For Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

Notable reissues and such:

Bright Eyes - A Christmas Album

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...CL._SX300_.jpg

This 2002 album was originally only available directly through Saddle Creek records, but now has finally gotten a widespread release.

Various Artists - Essential A Very Special Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg

A sort of "best of" compilation that also includes some older classics that never appeared on the compilation. Also, Target has an exclusive reissue of the original 1987 compilation that also includes a DVD featuring an hourlong documentary on the AVSC series.

Various Artists - Mad Men Christmas

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...aL._SY300_.jpg

Because you know you want this Target exclusive for the remix of "Zou Bisou Bisou."

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Straight No Chaser - Under the Influence: Holiday Edition

http://www.showbizjunkies.com/wp-con...-influence.jpg

8 new Christmas songs from the amazing a capella group, featuring duets with Otis Redding, Cee-Lo, and Paul McCartney (on exactly the song you're thinking of.)

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

http://i.imgur.com/OeKo6Ry.jpg

This year's edition of Santastic - a collection of mashups - was just released. I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, but I always look forward to this compilation.

Get it here: http://christmash.com/

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

This was released a few days ago. Hopefully this finds an audience.





The Apple Sisters -Make It Snow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS389qkBVWg

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Great thread, I collect Christmas CDs, probably have over 100 by now.

Amazon has their 25 free mp3s of Christmas as always.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Globe-Erasure/dp/B00EV1ARX4

http://louderthanwar.com/wp-content/...be-300x300.jpg

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I always enjoyed Lit's rendition of Father Christmas:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3tAdia2NviY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I really like the Kelly Clarkson album. Can't stop listening to Run Run Rudolph.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I'm enjoying it a lot too. She has a lot of catchy original songs on there. Underneath the Tree, Wrapped in Red and Every Christmas could all be easily used in a Christmas movie, or regularly played on the Christmas radio stations. They definitely are a bit formulaic, but are done quite well within that structure.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Amazon Local has a free $3 coupon toward select Christmas MP3 albums. link

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Thanks for the heads-up! I used it on that compilation of 99 Christmas songs, which I've been eyeing for years. The classical side of Christmas music is one area where I'm lacking.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Apple has a free holiday album with 8 tracks of what looks like recent releases (Clarkson, Bilge, etc) accessible apparently only from the iPhone version of the Apple Store app.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Alright, I need some help...

I recently heard a version of, I believe, Jingle Bells that I'd never heard before. It was a female vocalist, and the tempo was quite fast. At one point, she's singing "jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle" and then she just stops, for a full second or two, before proceeding with "all the way."

I cannot recall any more than that, but I do know that it is not the Barbara Streisand version.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle... All the way."

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I really enjoy A Very She & Him Christmas. She & Him is really a great little band if you ask me, really regret not seeing them last year when they toured.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

A little self-promotion here---this is a new compilation that I contributed a song for. Some of us are Christian artists, some not--the only criteria was that the songs be respectful towards the holiday. The songs are mostly covers of traditional carols, done in a gothic/darkwave/dark ambient vibe.

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Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I see now that the $3 applies as a general mp3 credit. I wish I had realized that before picking one of their limited selections. Oh well, I needed a bit more country in my Christmas collection.
Shows up blank for me, got a different link or more info?

- owner of ~ a thousand Christian albums

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

When I saw the thread, this was what I came in here immediately for! This is a great, great album; probably on of the best Christmas albums ever because it's not mostly rehashes of the same old, same old. Everyone who listens to Christmas music needs to own this!

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Oh, sorry. Here's the promo vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGq4jUxUuVU

I think it's going to be released on Bandcamp for download in the next week. If you're interested, I can PM you with a link when it's up.

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

They don't have a new album, but I haven't seen the Yule Logs mentioned here before.

Click on the "Music" link at the top of the page to stream from any of their albums. (I recommend starting with "You Ruined Christmas.")

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

I've been swept up in holiday activities for the past few weeks and haven't been checking Noisetrade, Bandcamp, etc. for good, free stuff. So that's what I'm going to tackle today. If I come across anything exceptional, I'll post it here.

In the meantime, if anyone wants my Christmas mix this year (as well as the "reissue" of my first one, from 1999), just PM me and I'll point you to where you can get it.

:thumbsup:

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

Ah, and here's Lit on Jay Leno doing Father Christmas:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DV1hNljxyuE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Re: The Official 2013 Christmas music thread
 

My Christmas season is complete. While shopping at World Market they played Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses. I used to hate the song (back in 2005 I commented on it in a hated Christmas song thread) but now it's become a Christmas staple.