Christmas Songs That Don’t Suck?

16Dec12

Believers AND Secular Shoppers-

There are a number of reasons to enjoy, and perhaps loathe, the “holiday season”. But, at this point, isn’t the whole anti-Christmas routine of saying “I hate going home”, “I feel so lonely” and “I don’t want anymore socks”, getting increasingly lame?

Not that dreading holiday fervor is unmerited- AND personally the whole shop-’till-you-drop ritual does seem to offer only hollow victories against the cold and short days of winter… but we all need to make the best of things.

In a post-post-goose-ironic world where cynicism informs introspective self-doubt and sincerity suffers from sarcastic wit-age, I challenge you this season to allow yourself some un-ironic enjoyment. Get a little bit excited, no?

The final insult of the holiday season is always the saccharine muzak pumped in to every nook and cranny of our stores and our minds. I used to enjoy a CD of Christmas songs played by the Boston Pops, for example. Enjoyed the hell out of it. Now, those songs make me resent the need to buy stuff to feel good, so popular today. I constantly feel like corporate powers in modernist towers are thinking about the best tempos and melodies to brainwash a purchase out of me!

But, as someone that loves music (and maybe you do too), I thought I’d try to scrounge together some tunes that could get me in the mood, or, as I simply call it here – Christmas Songs That Don’t Suck?

“The Man With All the Toys” – The Beach Boys

“The Christmas Party” – The Walkmen

“Got Something for You” – Best Coast/Wavves

“Everything’s Gonna be Cool this Christmas” – Eels

“Joy to the World” – The Butties

“White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes

“Father Christmas” – The Kinks

“Merry Christmas Everybody” – Oasis (Slade)

“Oh Come O Come Emanuel” – Rob Halford

“All I Want” – The Weepies

“2000 Miles” – The Pretenders

“Things I Want” – Tenacious D (… and Sum 41…)