Christmas Songs

Well December is finally upon is (where has this year gone??) so I thought it would be worth doing a blog on Christmas songs. Everyone has their favourites and there’s no point in listing the ones that everybody knows. There a few covers in here, but they’re well done and may make a change to hearing the usual versions. They are all fairly recent releases so here’s a list of songs that might be worth adding to your festive playlist. Enjoy J

Amy MacDonald- Fairytale of New York: A song that has been covered many times but not much comes close to matching the classic Pogues & Kirsty McCall version released back in 1987. It has been frequently voted the best Christmas song ever and is my personal favourite. Saying that, this version with Amy MacDonald, which appears on the deluxe version of her second album ‘A Curious Thing’ is pretty good. I’m a fan of Amy’s and I have to say she and her bass player did a good job with the cover. It’s not easy to do well as Shane McGowan has such a distinctive voice but it works well. It also helps that Amy is Scottish so it maintains a Celtic feel to it.

Cee Lo Green- All I Want for Christmas: Cee Lo Green covering Mariah Carey. It works as well as you think it does. It’s been given a little make over to fit with Green’s soul style but it works wonders. It hasn’t lost its festive edge either so it still feels like a Christmas song. The song appears on ‘Cee Lo’s Magic Moment’, Green’s first Christmas album, which was released last year. It features a number of covers including ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘White Christmas’. The album also features collaborations with artists ranging from Christina Aguilera to Rod Stewart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9syS765P7Q- All I Want For Christmas

Coldplay- Christmas Lights: One of the biggest Christmas songs in recent years comes from British giants Coldplay who spin their own festive charm with their song ‘Christmas Lights’. It has Coldplay written all over it, but that doesn’t stop it being a good song for this time of year. It might lack the ‘fun’ element of some of the other songs on the list, but it fits perfectly in any Christmas playlist.

Deacon Blue- You’ll Know It’s Christmas: Anybody who has heard the song ‘Dignity’ will know that Deacon Blue know how to write a very good song, and the Scottish veterans have struck gold with this Christmas effort. ‘You’ll Know It’s Christmas’ features on their new festive EP which is due for release mid-December. Will definitely be one I am downloading.

Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler- Christmas Day (Wish I Was Surfing): This is one of my favourite Christmas albums from recent years. Titled ‘This is Christmas’, it’s a collaboration between Hong Kong born singer songwriter Emmy the Great and Ash frontman Tim Wheeler for real festive treat. It’s packed full of fun, catchy songs including ‘Christmas Day (Wish I Was Surfing)’, ‘Home for the Holidays’ and ‘Zombie Christmas’.

Kelly Clarkson- Underneath the Tree: Taken from her recently released 6^th album ‘Wrapped in Red’, ‘Underneath the Tree’ is a shoe in for being one of the best Christmas songs of the year. ‘Wrapped in Red’ is Clarkson’s first attempt at a Christmas themed album and it sounds fantastic.  It’s very festive and puts you right in the Christmas mood.

KT Tunstall- 2000 Miles: Back in 2007 Scottish singer songwriter KT Tunstall released a Christmas EP titled ‘Sound of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection’ featuring various covers of old festive songs.  This includes a cover of the 1983 Pretenders song, ‘2000 Miles’. It’s not easy to cover a Chrissie Hynde song, but Tunstall pulls it off brilliantly. To be honest you’ll be hard pressed to tell the difference. Definitely does the song justice. Another track to check out is her version of ‘Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas in Hawaii)’ if you want something a bit different.

Lady Antebellum- Let It Snow: Released last year, ‘On This Winter’s Night’ is the first Christmas album by American country trio Lady Antebellum. Filled with covers plus three of their own songs, it’s slightly different take on some of the festive favourites. Songs such as ‘Let It Snow’ work really well after their make-over and their self-penned songs such as ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ are well worth a listen as well. Makes a change from listening to ‘Need You Now’.

Mary J Blige- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: This may be Mary J Blige’s eleventh studio album, but ‘A Mary Christmas’ is her first Christmas album. However that doesn’t stop the R&B songstress from putting her own spin on classics such as ‘Little Drummer Boy’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’.  Even ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ has been given the R&B treatment and it sounds good for it as well. Another Christmas album that is well worth a listen.

The Killers- Christmas in LA: This is the latest Christmas release by The Killers and it is one of their strongest. It is the eighth year in a row that they have released a Christmas single with all the proceeds again going to AIDS charities as part of the Product Red campaign. ‘Christmas in LA’ is actually a collaboration with indie band Dawes and is a very good song. It has the usual Killers charm and the voices of Brandon Flowers and Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith work really well. Even if you’re not a fan, will be worth downloading anyway as it’s for a good cause.

Well there you have it, hopefully there’s plenty there for you to add to your Christmas playlists. Should make a change from the usual Wham!, Slade, Wizzard et al. songs.