Not your usual holiday standards, from NPR and friends
December 23, 2012 7:50 PM   Subscribe

It's almost Christmas, and if you have not yet had your fill (and then some) of holiday music, you can hear non-stop Jingle Jams on (W)XPN2 online, also available through NPR.org. If the randomness of radio isn't your thing, NPR has a more (alternative) holiday music for your listening pleasure, from a cappella renditions of sacred music for the Christmas season from the English Tudor era (58 minutes) and live jazz piano holiday music, to funky takes on the seasonal themes and five blues tunes to counter all that cheer. NPR also attempts to answer: what makes a modern pop holiday tune sound like Christmas?
posted by filthy light thief (18 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
Andy Cirzan's annual mix of Holiday Obscura on the Sound Opinions Christmas show went online last weekend, this year it is an all soul edition.
posted by cgk at 8:05 PM on December 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


All of a sudden I am thinking of Jingle Rock Bell.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 8:13 PM on December 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


I am just listening to "Christmas With The Believers" over and over again, same as last year: http://www.metafilter.com/110800/Have-Yourself-a-Jazzy-Little-Christmas

(Thanks again for the heads-up, filthy light thief )
posted by wenestvedt at 8:14 PM on December 23, 2012


Did you know "Love will tear us apart" made a great christmas song? It's all right, I love you!
posted by Riton at 9:46 PM on December 23, 2012


All of a sudden I am thinking of Jingle Rock Bell.

For those who haven't experienced the magic.

Merry Christmas, everyone!
posted by maqsarian at 10:34 PM on December 23, 2012 [2 favorites]


Because I am up drinking wild turkey and listening to it, it is probably the right time to point out that Rob Halford has an album of Christmas standards, mixed with a few originals about how awesome Christmas is.

I love it so much.
I love it a little more when I have had this much Wild Turkey, but man is that guy not just metaling the fuck out of We Three Kings.
Not in an ironic way. that guy just loves Christmas, and also Metal.
posted by St. Sorryass at 10:56 PM on December 23, 2012


Also The Fall did jingle bell rock, but I think they might be being ironic, I dont know that they love Christmas at all.

Not like Rob Halford, here he is playing We Three kings with Slash, and here is a transcript of him explaining Christmas magic to Jesse Thorn.
posted by St. Sorryass at 11:08 PM on December 23, 2012


NPR also attempts to answer: what makes a modern pop holiday tune sound like Christmas?

This was also discussed recently on AskMefi.
posted by rongorongo at 12:30 AM on December 24, 2012


SomaFM has their annual Christmas music streams up:

Christmas Rocks! Indie/alt rock Xmas music
Christmas Lounge Family-friendly jazzy Xmas tunes. This is what I streamed at workplace Christmas parties.
Xmas in Frisko Not safe for anybody; probably what you want to hear if you're alone with your bottle of holiday cheer.
posted by ardgedee at 1:40 AM on December 24, 2012 [1 favorite]


Radio BDC will be broadcasting Boston DJ Oedipus's annual Christmas show from 7-midnight this evening. This has been an annual tradition since the early '80s, first on WBCN and then on WFNX. Now that both these stations are off the air, he's migrated online...
posted by pxe2000 at 3:52 AM on December 24, 2012


Something Awful has also put out their annual compilation of Christmas "Music"
posted by ymgve at 4:46 AM on December 24, 2012


Xmas in Frisko

You may have just saved my day.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:39 AM on December 24, 2012




self-linking my own MP3 blog eclectic holiday musics post.
posted by Theta States at 7:28 AM on December 24, 2012


Since we're self-linking, here's my band's humble submission to the genre.
posted by jetsetsc at 9:22 AM on December 24, 2012


The Pillows wish you a Merry Christmas with "Jinguru Beru Ga Kikoeru" ("I Can Hear Jingle Bells").
posted by ob1quixote at 9:35 AM on December 24, 2012


Because any Christmas music thread needs some (new/old) classics, here is Harry Belafonte for your listening pleasure - Mary, Mary ; I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day ; Mary's Boy Child ; Christmas Is Coming ; A Star In The East .
posted by gudrun at 10:34 AM on December 24, 2012


Needs more sleigh bell.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:50 AM on December 24, 2012


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