Gettin' Festive - Music

Or, in other words: Christmas, the Soundtrack.

It's hard work finding good new music. It's a little easier to find good new Christmas music because it all comes out at the same time and is usually all in the same section of iTunes or stores. But still a lot of work. After several days of such work my library has grown by 2 cd's and about 10 other songs, all worthwhile.

Christmas Songs - Jars of Clay

I've spent some time trying to find the right description for the hypnotically dreamy sound of this album. My current best is "Echo & the Bunnymen host an informal candlelit dinner for Moby and Enya, and New Order drops by." Just get the album, maybe you'll understand. I like the original songs OK but I really, really dig the fresh, modern but still reverent renditions of O Little Town of Bethlehem, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. Perfect for laying on the couch staring at the lights on the tree.

Christmas Offerings - Third Day
For the first time in iTunes I ventured into the Christian rock realm, and I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but they have some awesome Christmas music over there. My favorite was this album with a "neo-Southern rock" sound - I was impressed with the balance they found between keeping it classic but keeping it new. Highly recommended.

Sing: A Christmas EP - Josh Wilson
This is a great little 3-song mini album on iTunes for $2.49. He's got a nice original song, Sing, a fun & peppy Angels We Have Heard on High and an astounding guitar instrumental The First Noel. Get it. I checked out Josh's MySpace page and he names his influences as the Beatles, Ben Folds, David Brandon, Switchfoot, Death Cab for Cutie, Jars of Clay (hmm...see a pattern here?), John Mayer, and Jump Little Children. I like all of those that I've heard of. Josh just might have himself a new fan - I'm definitely going to look into more of his music.

Other than those I got a couple of singles, most of which I included on "Kari's So-Good-I-Amaze-Even-Myself Christmas Mix 2008":

1- Jingle Bell Jamboree -Keb' Mo'

2- Christmastime in the City - Mary Chapin Carpenter

3- Mary Did You Know - Christine Evans

4- Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24 - TransSiberian Orchestra

5- Little Drummer Boy - Josh Groban

6- Joy to the World - Voice Male

7- O, Little Town of Bethlehem - Jars of Clay

8- In the Bleak Mid-Winter - Shawn Colvin

9- Who Comes This Night - James Taylor
10- Song for a Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan

11- One Toy Soldier - Enya

12- Angels We Have Heard on High - Josh Wilson

13- Oh Holy Night - Relient k

14- Born in Bethlehem - Third Day
15- Silent Night - Aly & AJ

16- I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - MercyMe

17- Oh Come All Ye Faithful - Twisted Sister (That's right! LOVE the little "We're Not Gonna Take It" guitar riff in the middle, just for those of us who would notice...)

And, as usually happens, as soon as I burned a couple copies of the disc I had so many changes I wanted to make that I actually started a new playlist - Christmas 2009. Not that it's not good - trust me, it's good - but there are so many other good songs, too!

The perfect Christmas mix eternally eludes, but it's so fun to try to capture it!