So I'm throwing a christmas party and want to make a Christmas music mix list. But I want more contemperary "cooler" xmas music. I'm thinking along the vein of stuff like Christmas time in Hollis Queens by Run DMC. Basically newer stuff. I might throw some classics in, but this is a party for a bunch of twenty somethings so I want to hip it up. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Christmas (X-mas?) at Ground Zero by Weird Al Yankovich?

Brian Setzer Orchestra christmas album stuff (if they don't mind "swing" music).

Something from "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" (South Park)?

EDIT: There's also a compilation album (actually two volumes) called "A Very Special Christmas with multiple artists, including a Run DMC song on each volume...and come on, who doesn't want to hear a duet of Frank Sinatra and Cyndi Lauper singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"?

There's also a Reverend Horton Heat x-mas album...

Don't know about Weird AL.... but I don't mind swing at all, and Mr. Hankey is a good call. I'm looking for any genre of music (i guess except country) just looking for something a little newer and hipper than Bing Crosby

Personally I would choose "Last Christmas" by Wham, but I think "Oi to Christmas" by No Doubt would be right up your alley.

I suggest you check out the songs from A Very Special Christmas series to find some more modern Xmas songs:
A Very Special Christmas

How bout' some techno Christmas songs? Just do a search and you should be able to come up with some tunes?

There are actually SIX volumes of A Very Special Christmas that are currently available. Vol's 1 (red 'cover'), 2 (green), 3 (gold) & 5 (black) are all pretty much contemporary Rock artists, while volume 4 (white) is a live concert, and volume 6 is all acoustic.

If you're looking for other 'modern artist' Christmas compilations, I'd also reccomend the looking up following...

- Maybe This Christmas, Maybe This Christmas, Too, Maybe This Christmas Tree and Christmas Songs - all put out by Nettwerk records. These feature artists such as Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan, Jimmy Eat World, Ivy, Ben Folds, Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, Dido...etc.

- The O.C. - Mix 3:The Chrismakkah Collection - if you watch the show, you'll know what to expect musically. If you don't, it's not to far off from the Maybe... compilations.


- Now That's What I Call Christmas! Vol's 1 & 2 - 2 CD sets that feature a mix of classic and more modern artists.

- VH1:The Big 80's Christmas - Christmas songs by 80's (and 70's) artists.

- Chris Isaak - Christmas

- Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked For The Holidays

- The aformentioned Brian Setzer Orchestra, who now has two holiday albums - Boogie Woogie Christmas, and his latest, Dig That Crazy Christmas. I wouldn't refer to it all as 'swing' though - too much of a generalization. But, suffice to say, these discs rock, and WILL liven up your party.

- There's also the instrumental guitar rock takes on holiday faves by Gary Hoey. He has a few Ho! Ho! Hoey collections, but best to go with The Complete Collection - which combines the first 3 releases on one 2 disc set for the price of a single album.

- If you want a bit of a 'rockestra' sound - check out the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. They've got 3 or so albums out now.

- And if you want a bit of comdey with your Christmas, especially of the twisted type, there's always any of the Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas collections. I believe they're up to the 6th one now.

...I could go on, but that should give you enough to chew on for now.

Previous Thread Asking For 1980's Christmas Music

I posted the link to a list of 80's Christmas songs in the above thread and here is the link for songs from 2000 and later -

http://www.mistletunes.com/rockpop00.html

Ac/DC "Mistress for Christmas"

Good Call!! Forgot about that one.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - High Gear
Fishbone - It's A Wonderful Life (Gonna Have A Good Time)
Cracker - Merry Christmas Emily
Tom Petty - Christmas All Over Again

older classics:
Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run
The Drifters - White Christmas
Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
The Beatles - Christmas Time Is Here Again
Albert King - Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'

afterparty:
Tom Waits - Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

Spinal Tap - "Christmas with the Devil"
Hanoi Rocks - "Dead by Christmas"
Squirrell Nut Zippers - "Santa Claus is Smoking Reefer"
Fear - "Fuck Christmas"

The Vandals also put out a punk Christmas album ("Oi to the World" from No Doubt is actually a cover from that album.)

Oh, also "A Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues.

"Father Christmas" by the Kinks, a cynical (but rocking) Christmas tune.

Zat You Santa Claus

so far my list consists of brian setzer, various sjouthpark, lynrd skynrd, christmas on deathrow, AC/DC, run DMC. more to come

I'm loooooving this album. Remixes of classic Christmas songs.




Similar to the above, also good. (Volume One and Volume Two)

Last year I bought CDs from Old Navy and Pottery Barn that share some of the same songs that the above albums contain. I guess I'm a sucker for remixed Christmas songs.



This one is really cheesy, but I kinda like it.

Just found this on a Pearl Jam message board. This "100 Best of" list has some very modern holiday tracks on it. I'm not sure who came up with the list (linked to a CMJ Message Board post from 2003). Anyways - have fun hunting some of these down:

Top 100 Christmas Songs

100. Badly Drawn Boy – Donna & Blitzen
99. Collective Soul – Blue Christmas
98. They Might Be Giants – Santa’s Beard
97. Jason Ringenberg – Merry Christmas My Darling
96. Rusty – It’s Christmas Time (And I’m Poor)
95. Red Peters – You Ain’t Gettin Shit For Christmas
94. Fountains of Wayne – I Want An Alien For Christmas
93. Run DMC – Christmas In Hollis
92. Root Boy Slim – Christmas At K-Mart
91. Buster Poindexter – Zat You Santa Clause?
90. Danny Elfman – What’s This?
89. Spinal Tap – Christmas With The Devil
88. Beck – The Little Drum Machine Boy
87. The Flaming Lips – Christmas At The Zoo
86. Grandaddy – Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland
85. “Weird Al” Yankovic – Christmas At Ground Zero
84. King Diamond – No Presents For Christmas
83. Mew – She Came Home For Christmas
82. B.B. King & John Popper – Back Door Santa
81. The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping
80. Low – Long Way Around The Sea
79. The Pogues – Fairytale of New York
78. Low – Just Like Christmas
77. David Bowie & Bing Crosby – Little Drummer Boy
76. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Christmas Time Is Here
75. The Beatmas – Last Christmas
74. Wham! – Last Christmas
73. Ramones – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)
72. FEAR – Fuck Christmas
71. Wall of Voodoo – Shouldn’t Have Given Him A Gun For Christmas
70. Dave Matthews – The Christmas Song
69. Bright Eyes – Blue Christmas
68. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Skating
67. Cocteau Twins – Frosty The Snowman
66. Phantom Planet – Winter Wonderland
65. Billy Squier – Christmas Is The Time To Say “I Love You”
64. Cracker – Merry Christmas, Emily
63. Ralph Sinatra – Christmas When You’re Dead
62. The Kinks – Father Christmas
61. The Vandals – Oi To The World
60. Smashing Pumpkins – Christmas Time
59. Martin Newell – Christmas In Suburbia
58. Daniel Johnston – Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
57. The Pretenders – 2000 Miles
56. Ben Folds – Bizarre Christmas Incident
55. The Dickies – Silent Night
54. Ry Cooder – Christmas In Prison
53. Chris Cornell – Ave Maria
52. Dwight Yoakum – Santa Can’t Stay
51. Ben Folds – Lonely Christmas Eve
50. Stiff Little Fingers – White Christmas
49. Atom And His Package – What We Do On Christmas
48. Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby
47. Sonic Youth – Santa Doesn’t Cop Out On Dope
46. Eels – Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
45. Belle & Sebastian – The Twelve Days of Christmas
44. Jack Dangers – Christmas In Hawaii
43. Lou Monte – Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey
42. Fishbone – It’s A Wonderful Life
41. Rilo Kiley – Xmas Cake
40. Jimmy Eat World – 12.23.95
39. John Cale – Child’s Christmas In Wales
38. Fountains of Wayne – The Man In The Santa Suit
37. Timbuk 3 – All I Want For Christmas
36. John Denver & The Muppets – Alfie, The Christmas Tree / It’s In Every One of Us
35. The Royal Guardsmen – Snoopy’s Christmas
34. The Dismemberment Plan – This Christmas
33. I Saw Hanukah Harry Beat Up Santa!
32. Tiny Tim – Santa Claus Has Got The AIDS This Year
31. Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
30. The Yobs – There’s No Santa Claus
29. The Murder City Devils – 364 Days
28. The Flaming Lips – A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn’t So)
27. Wesley Willis – Merry Christmas
26. The Flaming Lips – White Christmas
25. XTC – Thanks For Christmas
24. Robert Earl Kean, Jr. – Merry Christmas From The Family
23. Nat King Cole – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
22. Sixpence None The Richer – You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
21. Fishbone – Slick Nick, You Devil You
20. Big Star – Jesus Christ
19. Bob Rivers – Walkin’ ‘Round In Women’s Underwear
18. The White Stripes – Candy Cane Children
17. James Brown – Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetoo
16. The Darkness – Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)
15. Eels – Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
14. Andrew Williams – Christmas Wish
13. Archers Of Loaf – Assassination On X-Mas Eve
12. My Morning Jacket – X-Mas Curtain
11. U2 – Christmas, Baby, Please Come Home
10. Mogwai – Christmas Steps
09. Chris Rea – Drive Home For Christmas
08. Better Than Ezra – Merry Christmas Eve
07. The Rheostatics – Aliens (Christmas 1988)
06. Henry Rollins – ‘Twas The Night Before X-mas
05. Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas?
04. Pearl Jam – Let Me Sleep (It’s Christmas Time)
03. Leo Kottke - Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
02. Pansy Division – Homo Christmas
01. Jingle Cats – Santa Claws Medley: Jingle Bells/Deck The Halls

Henry Rollins reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" is a must.

And of course you can't go wrong with Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve / Sarajevo (12/24)"

Actually, there are a lot of good songs to choose from on the 3 Trans-Siberian Orchestra CD's. "Christmas Eve & Other Stories," "The Christmas Attic" and "The Lost Christmas Eve." The variation of singers on each album even makes it sound like you're using songs from different groups.

AC/DC - Jingle Bells Hell

Sex Pistols - Punk Rock Christmas

Get Man Or Astro-Man?'s cover of Frosty the Snowman.

Also, The Ventures have some great Surf Rock covers of Xmas tunes on their album.

Dean Martin's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm"

Dread Zeppelin does a great cover of “All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)”

The Waitresses’ “Xmas Rapping”

Cheech & Chong’s “Santa and His Old Lady”

Bob & Doug McKenzie’s “12 Days of Christmas”


And if you can still find it, here’s an album that’s just wall-to-wall with top notch “old school” reggae holiday tunes:

Fishbone's "Slick Nick, You Devil You" is my all-time favorite. It's hilarious.

Another classic is "Santa Claus And His Old Lady" from Cheech & Chong.

I think it's Saint Etienne - 'I Was Born on Christmas Day'