Blog: Christmas A Go Go!

First time I bumped into the Arbor Christmas series, going on since 1999 (!). The 12th installment was just made freely downloadable on bandcamp. If titles like The Battle of Snowmeng Mountain or Toys Don't Cry make you think of other songs, well, keep on listening... Arbor Christmas: Volume 12 by Arbor Christmas Collections

'Another Catholic Christmas at the Federal Women's Reformatory in Alderson, West-Virginia for Iva Toguri' is probably the most intriguing title ever for a Christmas song. It's on of the tracks on the second installment of The Holidays Don't Have to Be So Rotten, a 'name your price' compilation on Flannelgraph Records. Only instrumental, moody, brooding tracks, by artists like Dolorean and Dirty Beaches (a personal fave). Try and find out more HERE Merry Xmas Michael by Dirty Beaches

More? HERE

Local radio station KDHX in St Louis put together a varied mix of Christmas songs by local and national acts, all recorded live in the KDHX studio. Brave Combo probably is the best known band, the Funky Butt Brass Band was already featured on this blog. Really dig the Hammond-a-gogo-version of Jingle Bells by The Civil Tones, and the funny song by Lucky Old Sons. Most of the tracks are downloadable for free. Go HERE

Gotta love this sweetvoiced clapping song: Christmas time of year by Bearkat

OMG! The illustrious guitarist from The Smiths made a Christmas single with his band The Healers. No lyrics, just spirit! Download on his site (via Soundcloud)

Gwen Thomas, she of this great Winter Song, wrote a beautiful piece on her favourite Christmas carols for this blog: I first heard the Christmas carols of Alfred Burt when I was a teenager. I'd stumbled across the sheet music and plunked my way through at the piano. The graceful melodies full of surprising twists and the lovely jazz voicings instantly struck a chord with me. The carols seem to surface every year around Christmastime for me and yet, oddly enough, it wasn't until this last week that, after years of calling them my faves, I actually became [...]

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Pick up this year's mix of Jamaican Christmas goodies, AND all the other mixes John from Distinctly Jamaican Sounds blog made.

Originally by Margo Guryan , later redone by Claudine Longet and St Etienne, this cover of I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You by Lovers & Poets is just as pretty. I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You (Cover) by Lovers and Poets

Download for free at Bandcamp

I got a fever and the cure is... Can't see the video? Go HERE

Of course you check the greatest Christmas blog out there, Stubby's , as religiously as we do every day. But in case you don't, here's a round up of a few fantastic (FREE) songs you just can't afford to miss. Norwegian producer Torkelson sprinkled his electronic magic all over Judy Garland's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and then it sounded like this UK Rapper Wiley never got the same attention as fellow grime-star Dizzee Rascal, but the latter never recorded a grand xmas song. Go here to check and download [...]

Checked on Bandcamp for some nice (free!) soulful Christmas tunes, and this is what I came up with: It's Christmas by Gummy Soul Funky Christmas by Sugar Free Allstars Christmas In The Name by Rage Against The Manger Merry Funky Christmas by Funknut Shiny Christmas Balls by Funky Butt Brass Band

31 country heroes sing christmas classics: Johnny, Merle, Loretta, Emmylou, they're all HERE

Dutch jazz-pranksters Tin Men & the Telephone renamed themselves Tin Men & the Telephohohone for the season, 'cause they made a Christmas-album. But not as we know it. If you make tracks like these , you know that their version of classics like Jingle Bells and All I Want for Christmas sound, well, different . But make no mistake, these guys are really, really good musicians. They invited singer Paul van Kessel (plus a very agitated route planning device) for their take on Chris Rea's immortal 'Driving home for Christmas'. [...]

• Tin Men & The Telephone - Driving home for Christmas (feat Paul v Kessel)

Really want to know who put the X in Xmas? Se e Wikipedia. Let's put the X back in Xmas, Candye Kane and Country Dick once sang (see here ). Now the Dutch Tiny Little Big Band sings: You put the X in Xmas. Let's make Xmas mean something this year, I say! Tiny Little Big Band - You put the X in Xmas

• Tiny Little Bigband - You Put The X in X-mas

In addition to this great compilation (sound quality debate aside, it IS a great compilation), Jan Kohlmeyer made a VERY funky Christmas mix for the Paris DJS blog. Go HERE to see the tracklist and download the mix for FREE.

What's more fun than receiving Christmas wishes (or maybe even better: presents!) that are handmade by the sender? Our Twitter friends @karinjeurink (kazoo/vocals) and @martijnen (guitar/vocals) did just that: in 2010 they recorded their own cute little xmas video for all their friends. One year later it's here for everyone to enjoy:

Every day, until December 20th, BBC Radio6 presenter Lauren Leverne gives away a free Christmas song mp3. So far, My Morning Jacket and Lucy Rose songs were made downloadable. Check her site.