Modern Buddy

so the holidays (or perhaps the holidaze) are here. Any songs that you specifically love hearing this time of year? We were watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" the other night, and since then I've had "Mele Kalikimaka" stuck in my head.

what about you?

Two of my favorites are BNL versions of popular songs.

The first being Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, which is their version of Deck the Halls using only the title of the song listed above.

The second is ther jazzy rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen which also has Sarah Mclachlin singing as well.

I guess to round it out to my top three you can never go wrong with the Mckenzie Brothers's 12 Days of Christmas.

My personal favorite: "White Christmas" sung by Bing Cosby. Yeah, I know, I'm old.

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
No Doubt('s version of) - Oi to the World
The Grinch that Stole Christmas - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight)
unknown - 12 Pains of Christmas
Love Spirals Downwards (cover of) - Welcome Christmas

mixed in with:
Mannheim Steamroller - Carol of the Bells
Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas
Amy Grant - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Muppets - It Feels Like Christmas
unknown - Baby, It's Cold Outside

"Just Like Christmas" by Low. Something about this song just gets to me. It's upbeat but has an odd kind of loneliness to it.
http://lala.com/zmIP

"Christmastime is Here" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Okay, another one that makes me sad. This song really gets to me for some reason and I can't explain why. I'm not the only one who feels like that; it was a running joke on "Arrested Development."
http://lala.com/zSsx

"That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" by Sufjan Stevens. I'm starting to see a theme develop here. I like Christmas, I do. Maybe I only like depressing Christmas music.
http://lala.com/zcvM

I'll balance that one with Sujan's "It's Christmas Let's be Glad." We're all happy now.
http://lala.com/zzvM

"Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC. Now we're talkin'!
http://lala.com/zrST

"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. One of those songs that's a Christmas song despite not actually being about Christmas, but whatever. A classic!
http://lala.com/zAtz

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie
12 Day of Xmas - MacKenzie brothers
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
Heat Miser - Lushy
Christmas in Heaven - Monty Python
Stephen Colbert's Christmas Album
Mr Hankey's Christmas Album
Dean Martin Christmas songs
Christmas Song - Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
Worst Christmas ever - Sufjan Stevens
couple songs from Nightmare before Christmas

I'm with Eric, "Just like Christmas" by Low is about the best christmas song ever.

Also "Angels we have heard on high" by the Rondelles…

"Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses, of course...

The Wedding Present's cover of Elton John's "Step Into Christmas"

The Raveonettes' "Christmas Song"

"Do they know it's Christmas"

Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (wife hates that one)

And I love everything on the Phil Spector Christmas album, especially Marshmallow World. Waving a gun around in the studio apparently brings out the best in people.

Related to that, Billy Squier's version of "Christmas is the time to say I love you" by Darlene Love is great, especially when he did it with the obviously-drunk staff of MTV back in the 80s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPf2snTB2wo

Oh, the memories.

Really, anything but "Christmas Shoes" or Mannheim Steamroller/Trans-Siberian Orchestra. "Carol of the Bells" just sounds like a slasher-movie theme song to me (like Tubular Bells), how it just keeps getting faster and louder and changing keys... kill kill kill Kill KIIILLL!

Also, "Baby It's Cold Outside" always seemed creepy to me, even before I saw this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-xgmZYq ... r_embedded

But I love Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell singing it in "elf." Then again, Zooey Deschanel could read the phone book and I would line up to watch.

ericalm wrote:"Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues. One of those songs that's a Christmas song despite not actually being about Christmas, but whatever. A classic!

How can "Happy Christmas, your arse, I pray God it's our last" not be about Christmas? Just because it isn't about Jesus or Santa? It's about hopes and dreams, and being there for other people, which for some of us is what Christmas is about.

P.S. Sufjan Stevens (local boy done good) is a genius.

illnoise wrote:But I love Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell singing it in "elf." Then again, Zooey Deschanel could read the phone book and I would line up to watch.

This was the turning point for me & Zooey. Previously, I'd sort of disregarded her as another kinda cute but easily ignored young starlet from a Hollywood family. Then this scene comes on and I'm like, "Hey, this girl can sing! Really sing!" And that was that.

I could watch that cotton commercial all day long…

"Carol Of The Bells" by Mannheim Steamroller
http://lala.com/zLzP
** This is a poor 30 second clip, the entire song is better **

"Wizards In Winter" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
http://lala.com/znnr

"Good King Wenceslas" by Mannheim Steamroller
http://lala.com/zrBl

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Mannheim Steamroller
http://lala.com/zJoK

"A Mad Russians Christmas" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
http://lala.com/zlOO

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" by Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
http://lala.com/zW6O

"Deck The Halls" by Mannheim Steamroller
http://lala.com/z9dP

"Little Drummer Boy" by Mannheim Steamroller
http://lala.com/z3SQ

Yeah, traditional Christmas or not, I like Mannheim Steamroller.

Rob

Oh I almost forgot, Porn Orchard: "Christmas Sucks" which has them doing rather decent impersonations of Tom Waits and Peter Murphy.

Needless to say this is not a happy holiday tune but funny non the less.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3gwbDcMY5I

Pretenders - 2000 Miles
Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio
Kinks - Father Christmas
David Bowie and Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy
Jimi Hendrix - Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne
Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio

Getting in the Mood (for Christmas) by Brian Setzer Orchestra

O Come All Ye Faithful by Third Day

A Christmas Story by Point of Grace (the whole album)

Silver Bells by Martina McBride

Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Jars of Clay

Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley

Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees by Elvis Presley

Christmas Time is Here by Leigh Nash

Baby, It Wouldn't be Christmas Without You by Jaci Velasquez

Please Come Home for Christmas by the Eagles

EDIT: (How I could forget these, I don't know)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells by Andy Williams

There's a ton more but I'm at work now and this is all I can think of off the top of my head.

Best xmas songs are Dean Martins marshmellow world and I've got my love to keep me warm.