"Ever been tired of the same four Christmas songs? me too. If you want to be less basic, here are some lesser-known Christmas Songs." -- Alex Stullman, 8th grade
If you’re a human who is alive during the months of November to January, you’ll have noticed by this point that people absolutely lose their crap during the holiday season. In a good way, but it’s still like a giant cannon full of aggressive holiday cheer was fired at the world with firecrackers.
Don’t get me wrong - I like Christmas. And also all the other holidays. But there’s only so many times you can hear Mariah Carey sing/scream before you go just a tiny bit insane. So, in honor of my sanity, pray he rests in peace, here are some holiday season songs that are something new and fresh.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without repeating things everyone has heard before, so the first category of songs is:
Reimagined Classics
First off,
“Last Christmas” by Taylor Swift
If you’re a hater, how about you just exit the tab now, because there are more than one of her songs on here. Or if you are, and just want pain, have fun. I don’t care. Anywho, Swift’s “Last Christmas” is from her 2008 EP, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, which is 50/50 covers and originals. “Last Christmas” is my favorite of the covers, so that’s why it’s on the list. The original “Last Christmas” by Wham! is one of my favorite Christmas songs, pretty much ever, so hearing one of my favorite artists cover it with her signature pop-country style, twangy vocals and all, is really cool. It is truly a bit of a country-pop song/EP, so it’s not for everyone.
“Winter Wonderland” by beabadoobee
beabadoobee is for all the people out there who pretend they’re cool but are actually just really stupid, (myself included) and she’s freaking awesome. She recently opened for Taylor Swift this year at the Eras Tour, and her own Beatopia tour ended this summer, its last performance at Outside Lands here in the Bay Area. Her take on “Winter Wonderland” is pretty average, but honestly, her voice is so beautiful she would make “Old MacDonald Had A Farm'' sound cute and ethereal. She’s generally very breathy and high-pitched, but somehow also smooth. It’s very hard to describe her voice, seeing as it’s a strange mix of sort of child and fairylike, but also regal and mature.
“Marshmallow World” by The Regrettes
The Regrettes are a steadily growing band that started out in rock, but has now dipped their toe into the bubblegum-flavored waters of pop with their most recent (it’s actually kind of old) album, Further Joy. Their cover of “Marshmallow World” is back from their poprock days. The Regrettes had a very specific sound back when they were making that genre, and it’s this sort of upbeat, sharp electric guitar, steady drums heavy on the cymbal, and of course Lydia Night’s (the lead singer/songwriter) tough and scratchy voice bring it together so. damn. well.
“Love To Keep Me Warm” by Laufey and Dodie
Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay) is an artist that I knew nothing about until like a month ago, but after I saw her once, she just kept popping up, and apparently she has like 16 million monthly listeners on Spotify? Life is weird. Anyway, she has this deep, 50’s reminiscent voice, and it’s really beautiful. After doing some Spotify digging, I found out that this song is actually more based on Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee’s “Winter Weather,” NOT the Frank Sinatra song, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm.” The original song came out in 1941 and is VERY jazzy, so Laufey’s piano melancholy makes a big difference if you listen to the two versions side by side.
I should probably mention now for all you sad little girls and boys, that there are no Phoebe Bridgers Christmas songs on the list. I am aware that they exist, and I acknowledge them, but I really don’t feel like crying on Christmas, so most of these are more upbeat songs. Sorry not sorry.
The next couple songs on the list are originals that I wish got more attention, but they don’t.
“Christmases When You Were Mine” by Taylor Swift
Of course, you have to start every category with a Taylor Swift song. CWYWM (Christmases When You Were Mine) is also from Swift’s 2008 EP (The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection), and I know I literally just said no sad songs, but this one is too good not to include. Yes, it’s pretty somber, but I really love Swift’s lower register, which gets to be featured here a bit in the chorus. It is also a bit country-ish… so be warned.
“Horchata” by Vampire Weekend
It’s kind of a stretch, but it does say “In December, drinking horchata / I look psychotic in a balaclava,” and Christmas is in December… So yeah that’s the correlation. Plus, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music somehow became a Christmas song just because it mentioned presents in like one line. So, by that calculation, this is a Christmas song. I will accept no arguments. It’s a good song. Very good drums. Listen to it.
“Ice Dance” by Danny Elfman (from Edward Scissorhands)
Anyone who’s seen Edward Scissorhands knows that one scene where Winona Ryder dances in snow in like the coldest dress ever, and this is that song from that scene. It doesn’t have any words, but it’s a really pretty melody and for me, it always brings up that image of her, which is from an absolutely gorgeous scene. The music itself is very Danny Elfman, the composer of most of Tim Burton’s scores, with romantically eerie strings like violin and undertones of cello and sweet, softly operatic vocals over everything. It’s a very romantic snow song that I personally find very calming.
“Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift
Back to Swift, “Christmas Tree Farm” is a really fun Christmas song. Since she’s Taylor Swift, and needs to make a thousand different versions of every single she puts out, so there are a few “versions” of “Christmas Tree Farm” in her discography. My favorite of these is “Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version),” since it’s very reminiscent of those early Christmas classics, with sweeping violins and stand up bass (!!), and of course Swift’s gorgeous, alive vocals.
“Better Than Snow” by Norah Jones and Laufey
I think the Laufey Christmas collection has some of the nicest, prettiest and best songs out there. This one is an original, written with Norah Jones. The best way to describe it is like having a nice warm cup of hot chocolate (the Swiss Miss kind) with marshmallows that’s so nice and then you just kind of open your rib cage and pour it on your heart. It’s really nice.
So yeah, that’s my list, go listen to those songs because they’re good, and why else would you listen to songs.
Don’t get me wrong - I like Christmas. And also all the other holidays. But there’s only so many times you can hear Mariah Carey sing/scream before you go just a tiny bit insane. So, in honor of my sanity, pray he rests in peace, here are some holiday season songs that are something new and fresh.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without repeating things everyone has heard before, so the first category of songs is:
Reimagined Classics
First off,
“Last Christmas” by Taylor Swift
If you’re a hater, how about you just exit the tab now, because there are more than one of her songs on here. Or if you are, and just want pain, have fun. I don’t care. Anywho, Swift’s “Last Christmas” is from her 2008 EP, The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, which is 50/50 covers and originals. “Last Christmas” is my favorite of the covers, so that’s why it’s on the list. The original “Last Christmas” by Wham! is one of my favorite Christmas songs, pretty much ever, so hearing one of my favorite artists cover it with her signature pop-country style, twangy vocals and all, is really cool. It is truly a bit of a country-pop song/EP, so it’s not for everyone.
“Winter Wonderland” by beabadoobee
beabadoobee is for all the people out there who pretend they’re cool but are actually just really stupid, (myself included) and she’s freaking awesome. She recently opened for Taylor Swift this year at the Eras Tour, and her own Beatopia tour ended this summer, its last performance at Outside Lands here in the Bay Area. Her take on “Winter Wonderland” is pretty average, but honestly, her voice is so beautiful she would make “Old MacDonald Had A Farm'' sound cute and ethereal. She’s generally very breathy and high-pitched, but somehow also smooth. It’s very hard to describe her voice, seeing as it’s a strange mix of sort of child and fairylike, but also regal and mature.
“Marshmallow World” by The Regrettes
The Regrettes are a steadily growing band that started out in rock, but has now dipped their toe into the bubblegum-flavored waters of pop with their most recent (it’s actually kind of old) album, Further Joy. Their cover of “Marshmallow World” is back from their poprock days. The Regrettes had a very specific sound back when they were making that genre, and it’s this sort of upbeat, sharp electric guitar, steady drums heavy on the cymbal, and of course Lydia Night’s (the lead singer/songwriter) tough and scratchy voice bring it together so. damn. well.
“Love To Keep Me Warm” by Laufey and Dodie
Laufey (pronounced Lay-vay) is an artist that I knew nothing about until like a month ago, but after I saw her once, she just kept popping up, and apparently she has like 16 million monthly listeners on Spotify? Life is weird. Anyway, she has this deep, 50’s reminiscent voice, and it’s really beautiful. After doing some Spotify digging, I found out that this song is actually more based on Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee’s “Winter Weather,” NOT the Frank Sinatra song, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm.” The original song came out in 1941 and is VERY jazzy, so Laufey’s piano melancholy makes a big difference if you listen to the two versions side by side.
I should probably mention now for all you sad little girls and boys, that there are no Phoebe Bridgers Christmas songs on the list. I am aware that they exist, and I acknowledge them, but I really don’t feel like crying on Christmas, so most of these are more upbeat songs. Sorry not sorry.
The next couple songs on the list are originals that I wish got more attention, but they don’t.
“Christmases When You Were Mine” by Taylor Swift
Of course, you have to start every category with a Taylor Swift song. CWYWM (Christmases When You Were Mine) is also from Swift’s 2008 EP (The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection), and I know I literally just said no sad songs, but this one is too good not to include. Yes, it’s pretty somber, but I really love Swift’s lower register, which gets to be featured here a bit in the chorus. It is also a bit country-ish… so be warned.
“Horchata” by Vampire Weekend
It’s kind of a stretch, but it does say “In December, drinking horchata / I look psychotic in a balaclava,” and Christmas is in December… So yeah that’s the correlation. Plus, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music somehow became a Christmas song just because it mentioned presents in like one line. So, by that calculation, this is a Christmas song. I will accept no arguments. It’s a good song. Very good drums. Listen to it.
“Ice Dance” by Danny Elfman (from Edward Scissorhands)
Anyone who’s seen Edward Scissorhands knows that one scene where Winona Ryder dances in snow in like the coldest dress ever, and this is that song from that scene. It doesn’t have any words, but it’s a really pretty melody and for me, it always brings up that image of her, which is from an absolutely gorgeous scene. The music itself is very Danny Elfman, the composer of most of Tim Burton’s scores, with romantically eerie strings like violin and undertones of cello and sweet, softly operatic vocals over everything. It’s a very romantic snow song that I personally find very calming.
“Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift
Back to Swift, “Christmas Tree Farm” is a really fun Christmas song. Since she’s Taylor Swift, and needs to make a thousand different versions of every single she puts out, so there are a few “versions” of “Christmas Tree Farm” in her discography. My favorite of these is “Christmas Tree Farm (Old Timey Version),” since it’s very reminiscent of those early Christmas classics, with sweeping violins and stand up bass (!!), and of course Swift’s gorgeous, alive vocals.
“Better Than Snow” by Norah Jones and Laufey
I think the Laufey Christmas collection has some of the nicest, prettiest and best songs out there. This one is an original, written with Norah Jones. The best way to describe it is like having a nice warm cup of hot chocolate (the Swiss Miss kind) with marshmallows that’s so nice and then you just kind of open your rib cage and pour it on your heart. It’s really nice.
So yeah, that’s my list, go listen to those songs because they’re good, and why else would you listen to songs.
