The Alternative Christmas List

[Hobo]

Not actually Tom Waits though.

[YI]

This is making me want to throw together a Christmas playlist too.

[Skummy]

Finally, a thread to take my rightful place as "grumpy EWB member least likely to love Christmas music".

Not actually Tom Waits though.

Nor is it actually Peter Murphy - though it's a good impersonation. Better Murphy impersonation than it is Tom Waits. It's actually by a fantastic band called Porn Orchard, and sounds nothing like anything else they've ever done - it's a good parody, though, a lot of fun.

Also, as previously mentioned in the thread, I dig Christmas mixes. I DJ around Christmas most years, and the last couple of years I've uploaded stuff online. Like Hammy said, grumpy anti-Christmas songs are usually pretty terrible, but there are plenty of Christmas songs that are "alternative" in that you just don't hear them so often, that are still damn good.

Of the previously mentioned, The Kinks' "Father Christmas" is pretty much amazing, and The Sonics are wonderful too.

Here's a few of mine that haven't been mentioned yet;

The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Arab Strap - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

The Raveonettes - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Joey Ramone - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (...okay, so any version of this song. I love the Phil Spector Christmas album more than I rightly should, and all three of these are amazing covers of what is probably my favourite Christmas song, in that it's jolly but still has the underlying sadness and sentiment of all great Christmas music)

Stonehoney - Blue Christmas

Half Man Half Biscuit - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit (not really a Christmas song, but come on!)

Wild Billy Childish & The Musicians Of The British Empire - Christmas 1979

Barenaked Ladies - Deck The Stills

The Qualities - It's Christmas Time

Whorl - Christmas

Fucked Up - Do They Know It's Christmas?

Joey Ramone - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) - you probably know The Ramones original, but Joey did a solo version of it that was slowed down and more melancholy, and I bloody love it.

Otis Redding - White Christmas

Glam Chops - Countdown To Christmas

Louis Armstrong - 'Zat You, Santa Claus?

Sparks - Thank God It's Not Christmas

Julian Cope - Christmas Mourning

ANT - Let It Snow

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

Slow Club - Christmas TV

Kurt Cobain & William S. Burroughs - The Priest, They Called Him

Frank Sinatra - Silent Night

Captain Beefheart - There Ain't No Santa Claus On The Evening Stage

And, of course, this;

[Colly]

I quite liked Julian Casablancas' from last year, should really download it for this year really. Skummy gets super bonus points for Half Man Half Biscuit.

In all honesty though I prefer some of the more 'traditional' ones anyway to modern 'punk' bands ripping through poor covers at a million miles an hour. Stop the Cavalry and Christmas Rapping rule all.

[METALMAN]

Kings College choir rule all >_>

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Jona Lewie's "Stop The Cavalry" is the best Christmas song WITHOUT doubt. I have to stop myself from listening to it until mid November which seems like the perfect time to start listening.

Strangely, Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas is ridiculously good at getting me in a Christmassy mood. Cheesefest.

Also a fan of Christmas Wrapping despite only discovering it in the last few years - it's never been so big in the UK I think.

When I'm boarding my plane back to the UK next month I'll be humming "Driving Home For Christmas" by Chris Rea. Man, I've just put it on and I'm suddenly REALLY excited inside to go back to England for most of December. Not had Christmas with family for three years.

[C-MIL]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-TxZiVi5Is

[Lint]

Is there still a prize for Little Drum Machine Boy? If so..how many USD is a thousand euros and how can I collect?

and how about this

[probablyoliver]

You have Little Drum Machine Boy? Honestly, I would kill a thousand good men for that song.

[Lint]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8J1DMFLV