Seasonal Music

[gothwalk]

olethros has set up some clever streaming widgetry so that one playlist can be played all over the house. However, he's making faintly heretical noises about not playing seasonal music non-stop on seasonal occasions. They're faint because he knows he's outnumbered.

However, because I'm nice, I'm going to ask people to contribute unusual seasonal music. Ideally, point me at MP3s. If not, at least let me know artist, album and track. I'm looking for stuff like Silent Night played by a death metal band, or Good King Wenceslas on slide guitar and bongos. Punk versions are always approved of.

Anyone got anything?

Comments

Popcorn

[silja.livejournal.com]

Errr... I think I got a CD of Garth Brooks singing Christmas songs knocking around somewhere... :) I also got Loreena McKennit singing a few Christmas songs on CD... can get them to you somehow if you like.

[spod.livejournal.com]

The Fountains of Wayne - I want an alien for christmas
The Sonics - Don't believe in Christmas

If you can't find them I can rip them to mp3 for you.

[cliph.livejournal.com]

The 8bits of Christmas

[cissa.livejournal.com]

A subject I can get into!

I love Loreena Mckennitt's "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" with its Middle Eastern style- I'd love to see someone bellydance to it.

Brave Combo's "It's Christmas, Man!" is good for world-beat, eclectic versions of various traditional carols. My favorite reggae CD is the "A Reggae Christmas from Studio One" compilation. I also like the "Putumayo World Christmas" album a lot.

I've got some metal and punk stuff, but none of it's really hit me as fabulous.

I like medieval stuff, too, both reasonably authentic and the Medieval Baebes' "Mistletoe and Wine." Oh, and the second Goth one is WONDEERFUL: "Excelsis: A Winter's Song (vol 2)".

My collections is sadly lacking in some things, though, like a good Latin compilation, and anything Nordic, traditional or modern.

[mooseloon.livejournal.com]

I have "Christmas in the Stars" a starwars (droid) christmas album, featuring anthony daniles (C3P0). It also has a solo by R2-D2. Lots of people hate it, i LOVE it.

how can you NOT love songs like "what can you get a wookie for christmas when he allready has a comb?"

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Rippage would be ripping.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I have an MP3 tucked away somewhere of Tiernapojat, a traditional Finnish Christmas play (like English mummers), done by a metal band. I'll see if I can find it for you.

[spod.livejournal.com]

have to nip out for a few hours now but will do it later.

i think i know someone who has the sailor moon xmas special somewhere...

[lonesomenumber1]

Happy Holidays from Texas. Billy Joe Shaver does a great "Feliz Navidad" backed by Flaco Jimenez on accordian.

In a similar vein, Dwight Yoakam's CD Come on Christmas is terrific all the way through, but especially his Tex-Mex style "Silver Bells."

[bloodwedding.livejournal.com]

KoRn does a doom/death metal version of Jingle Bells (that they very maturely call "Jingle Balls") that you can find on an EP release called "All Mixed Up" (not to be confused with The Cure's "Mixed Up"). Pretty funny weird stuff. Also, there's Blink 182's "Happy Holidays, You Bastard" from "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" that is pretty funny - although, again, not very mature. ;)

Finally, in the terribly unusual category there is the Tales from the Crypt "Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas" album with songs like "Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie" and "We Wish You'd Bury the Missus." Not a great album, but it has some fun spots.

Enjoy!

[m-nivalis.livejournal.com]

I've got a cd with some traditional (read: 18th/19th century folk) christmas songs from the Småland region of Sweden. Quite nice. If you're interested, I can lend it to you.

[jadegirl.livejournal.com]

Trans-Siberian Orchestra. During the rest of the year they're a fabulous metal/hard rock band called Savatage. _Christmas Eve and Other Stories_, and _The Christmas Attic_ are the albums I have, and they just put out a new one, _The Lost Christmas Eve_, but I don't have that yet.

Beethoven's Last Night is another of their albums, not holiday related, but still quite good, although Sir likes it better than I do.

I quote their songs ad nauseum during the season. Truly excellent stuff, and if you like it, do check out Savatage,which doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves.

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Two things spring to mind:

1. Tom Lehrer's Christmas carol (lyrics here.

2. The scary, scary, bad and wrong Christmas With Daniel, which one of my more ghoulish friends gave me some years ago. (Yes, that Daniel.) Of course, I may have done the sensible thing and burnt it...

Indie MP3s from MoreCowBell

[the-monkey-king.livejournal.com]

There was quite a list at http://www.morecowbell.net/archives/2004/11/18/119/, including
1. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
2. Dismemberment Plan - This Christmas
3. Death Cab For Cutie - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
4. The Polyphonic Spree - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
5. Sufjan Stevens - We Three Kings Of Orient Are
6. The Flaming Lips - A Change at Christmas
7. The Walkmen - No Christmas While I’m Talking
8. Mogwai - Christmas Song
9. Sufjan Stevens - O Holy Night
10. Yo La Tengo - It’s Christmas Time
11. The Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo
12. Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs
13. Coldplay - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
14. Low - Just Like Christmas
15. Copeland - Do You Hear What I Hear
16. Ron Sexsmith - Maybe This Christmas
17. Sufjan Stevens - What Child Is This Anyway

He says he's taken down the MP3s for now (bandwidth) but may put up a BT soon.

[ragnvaeig.livejournal.com]

For the truly bizarre, Alvin and the Chipmunks (early 80s children's cartoon with squeaky-voiced characters) did at least one, possibly 4 Christmas albums. "Christmas Don't Be Late" is one of my favorites. Don't have copies myself, but mp3s should be floating around the aethyr.

The Barenaked Ladies also have an album called Barenaked for the Holidays, with a bunch of Christmas and Chanukah tracks. Emily's Toybox does a punk/ska cover of O Holy Night. Reliant K do the Hallelujah chorus, and I've heard Mag Seven do the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy for electric guitar. Will let you know if any of these turn up on KaZaA.

[catmcroy.livejournal.com]

Faith and the Muse (www.mercyground.com) do a very nice wassail song :)
anything by the Night Heron Consort (traditional Celtic instruments, all instrumental)
Loreena McKennit's To Drive The Cold Winter Away

[catmcroy.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, another couple:

The Arrogant Worms - Christmas Turkey Blues album (sample song names: Vincent The Christmas Virus, Dad Threw Up on Christmas Day, Oh God I'm Santa Claus)

Bob Rivers - Wreck The Malls, Frosty the Pervert (and so on)

The Night Heron albums: A Celtic Celebration 1 and A Celtic Celebration 2

Boney M's "Mary's Boy Child"

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

I'll second the TSO recommendation (listening to them at the moment...) One of the tunes off the first TSO album - "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" - can also be found on Savatage's "Dead Winter Dead" concept album (along with a short guitar version of the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th symphony) and also seems to be quite popular, and should be easy to find.

Spinal Tap does "Christmas with the Devil" ("The elves are dressed in leather, the reindeer are in chains") and King Diamond has "No Presents for Christmas" which is a fun tune to play - it quotes or paraphrases a bunch of classic holiday tunes throughout.

Going back a bit, ELP does the "Nutrocker" - which was released on a disc with "Pictures at an Exhibition." They have another Christmas tune as well - "I believe in Father Christmas" which is on "The Return of the Manticore" box set (not sure if it's available other places).

Jethro Tull has a Christmas tune on "Rock Island" called "Another Christmas Tune" and I think there's one on Ian Anderson's latest solo release (which is at work, so I can't verify.)

However, perhaps most potent of all would be to pick up a copy of "A Very Scary Solstice" from the HP Lovecraft Historical Society. What holiday is complete without a round of "Awake Ye Scary Great Olde Ones," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Yog Sothoth," or "Silent Night, Blasphemous Night."

[uberredfraggle.livejournal.com]

Damn I was going to say Fountains of Wayne. Good choice. :) And also punk version of Fairytale in New York. Not sure who it's by but heard it for first time tonight as my mate is doing a cover of it for her works xmas do(she works at rehearsal studio). Will find out and let you know.

[silja.livejournal.com]

On a completely different subject: I am looking for maps:
1. Looking for a map all in Irish language for a friend.
2. Looking for good online resources for hisotrical maps, especially Irish/ British isles but anywhere really.

Can you help?

Re: Indie MP3s from MoreCowBell

[(Anonymous)]

The Dudley Corporation does a very good cover of Low's "just like christmas" which is available for download at http://www.thumped.com/music.php

:-)

Grover and New Bomb Turks

[the-monkey-king.livejournal.com]

Punks do Phil Spector, and Grover does the Pogues', plus other holiday tunes.

http://copycommaright.blogspot.com/

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

Not covers of carols, as such, but...

Peter and the Test Tube Babies - I'm Getting Pissed For Christmas
Waitresses, The - Christmas Rapping
Wall Of Voodoo - Shouldn't Have Given Him A Gun For Christmas

And there's an Xmal Deutschland track I can never recall the name of.

[ellroy.livejournal.com]

Sorry for butting in - saw the link to this in Nisaba's post.
Just wanted to alert you to the existence of a wondrous (if rather odd) cd called 'Heavy Christmas' - don't know if it's still available though: I've found references to it here http://www.hicom.net/~dlarson/alpha-u&v.htm
and here http://www.blackrills.ch/vv.htm
MArcel's version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is particularly fine!