Since 2000, our family has been putting together a mix of song themed around Christmas, Holiday, seasonal, New Year's, etc. that has gone from CDs burned on a Macbook to a Spotify playlist. And since 2020 it has become a personal tradition of mine to carry the torch and keep finding 25 songs for everyone to enjoy.
This year has been incredibly difficult and I feel that in particular comes through in my choices. So take a listen (with our new and improved embedded code) and read along to find that Holiday spirit this year!
"You For Christmas" - Kelly Clarkson
Nearly all of the picks for this year have been previous contenders for past Mixes, so it was important to find new songs to avoid just using the same 20 or so albums as last year. And to be frank, a lot of this year's "Christmas Hits" were instant skips. They were sentimental without heart, sugar without sap, and otherwise lacking in a decent beat. Thank God for Kelly Clarkson, who carries that well-worn but still relevant feeling of desiring to be reunited with the ones you love this Christmas. Pair that with her stellar vocals and a band that knows how to keep a beat and bassline and you have the diamond in the rough of contemporary Holiday Pop.
"Winter Wonderland" - Connie Francis
Connie Francis's cover has the special quality of conjuring a specific image of Christmas in my mind, and that's driving slowly through low-lit streets of Downtown St. John's to see the pale, aged lights shining a gentle glow on the fresh snow. It's classic, nostalgic, and sets a clear mood for a kind holiday.
"Under the Tree" - Rachel Cousins
It's been incredible watching Rachel Cousins's career grow ever since High School as a fellow alumnus of Holy Heart, and this single manages to strike the perfect balance of "classic" Holiday pop elements (bells, high keys, themes of distance and gifts, etc.) with her own style to stand out as a contemporary favourite.
"Christmas Night in Harlem" - Louis Armstrong
Although this has been a close contender in previous years, this track in particular holds special meaning to myself and my partner as we've planned to visit Harlem and the broader Manhattan area in the near future. The specific vibe of Harlem Renaissance jazz with brimming excitement for the holiday is pure joy.
"Let's Steal Away!" - Paul Loren
Just as Louis Armstrong's joyful account of Christmas in Harlem gives us specific dreams to look forward to, Paul Loren builds on it with a ballad all about getting away from it all. While plenty of songs about Christmas will bring up the stress and expectations of the Holiday and others will joke or lament the distance travelled to visit loved ones, "Let's Steal Away!" takes those familiar ideas and applauds them. To travel and get away from stress is what Christmas can bring you, and it's certainly more needed now than ever.
"Gloucestershire Wassail" - The Longest Johns
The Longest Johns have become one of my favourite bands, and their consistent output of a good old fashion Christmas shanty has guaranteed their spot on the Mix for years. And this year's inclusion is no different, with the carol of the Wassail (one of my favourite Holiday traditions that we recognize as the forerunner of Mummering) being a joyful, playful, and old fashioned jaunt through Christmas past.
"Ugly Sweater Blues" - JD McPherson
SOCKS has been a phenomenal resource for past Mixes, and I feel like this may be the last song I pull from the album. That being said, JD McPherson's playful lament of the ugly sweater gives some much needed levity to the melancholy that I often end up drawn to for my Mix.
"Deck the Hall" - Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole's voice is perhaps the closest I've come to hearing the voice of the divine. And even if the album tends to lean into the esoteric and overly religious holiday carols that are more to do with reverence than community, his warmth and sincerity are always welcome.
"Plank 'er Down" - Uncle Harry's Bar Band
Going into this Mix, I knew I wanted to bring in songs of Newfoundland, and given the exhaustion a lot of islanders tend to have with some tracks, finding a fun and energetic folk song about Mummers that seems to never get much playtime on the radios was perfect. And who can argue the incredible double meaning the NL queer community can find in "there's fellas dressed in underwear and women in men's clothes" as inspiration for breaking the gender lines.
"Love to Keep Me Warm" - Laufey
While jazz tends not to be my favourite genre in general, the sub-genre of Holiday Jazz is perfect for elucidating the feeling of serenity and nostalgia for listening to CDs in front of the fire. Laufey's incredible low-tones work perfect with the playful Golden Trio (Upright bass, drum, piano) that accompanies her unique take on a classic.
"Thankful Heart" - Scrooge (Michael Caine)
At some point I'll write up my analysis of the tragedy of Scrooge and how he'll never be thought of or remembered as anything more than his character before Christmas Eve, but that aside, if there is one version of A Christmas Carol that truly sells that transformation and redemption: It's A Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine is the finest example of how you can take your role "seriously" without abandoning sincerity or love. He treats his fellow muppets like fellow actors (as one should) and I will always believe that a life can be changed because of how he changes through the film. And considering my rule about only one song from a given album for the Mix, this exaltation of life and generosity was the clear choice.
"Mishima (Bob's Burgers Arrangement)" - Phillip Glass
Ok so you might ask yourself, "Nick, how is this a Christmas song? It's a cover of one track from the 1985 movie Mishima: A Life in Four Parts composed by Phillip Glass." And so I want to tell you a story. If you haven't already, start listening to the embedded playlist and scroll down and start this song.
You are the 8-year-old daughter of three children in a busy but poor household. Your parents love you, all of you, and all three of you have Holiday performances through school on the same night. Your brother, the musician of the family, is at a concert for his school orchestra. Your elder sister is the star in a pageant she doesn't particularly want to be in. And you are at a class poetry reading. You've tended to never take it seriously and always write a joke poem and so when it comes up that your reading is the same time as your siblings, your parents panic because they planned to see both by having your dad record your brother's concert and your mother record your sister's pageant. You brush it off with your previous entries as jokes but your elder sister realizes that you actually did write a real poem from the heart. Your sister begs your mother to go and see your reading instead because she'll be in a star costume where you can't even see her face but it's too late and your mother doesn't want to miss your sister's dance as she's already there. It's not ideal, but its the best that can happen, and she's even tried to fix it with your father but due to circumstances out of the family's control it's not possible. Meanwhile your brother has managed to help his last minute substitute reconfigure a fairly poorly rehearsed concert into something new with an arrangement of Mishima.
Now, after your sister dances across in her brief moment as the star, your mother finds out that was not your sister at all but a different student. Your sister's gone. At this point, the music ought to have hit the 1:30 mark.
You look up, nervous and resigned that your family won't see you read your poem. But then, your sister is there. She gave up her spot as the star to see you read. And so you read:
"I can’t see
What’s around the tree
When I’m pawing through the presents
But when I sit back
And get my present unwrapped
I look up and I see my parents
I see and smell my brother
That’s clearly where the gas is
And I see my sister
With something that looks like gingerbread on her glasses
And we don’t have gingerbread
So this is odd
We made funny ornaments for the tree this year
And we make funny ornaments sitting here
Around the tree
So jolly
I didn’t expect to feel this way
I was focusing on Santa
But the best presents
Are sitting here
And they aren’t even wrapped up"
Your mother eventually makes it as well and apologizes profusely for missing your reading. It wasn't her fault, and your family was here. Even if it's messy and complicated and not exactly what was planned, your family still supported you when it counts and you'll always know that. And that's why this is on the Christmas Mix.
"Christmas Scat" - Tiny Tim (Robin), Kermit
So while this song does break that "one song per album" rule I just explained, my partner Mary was so visibly happy and beaming while bopping along to the infectious joy that I couldn't help but break it to keep it on. And she did provide the perfect justification with it as the "Interlude", so that's what we'll call it.
"It's Critmas" - Critical Role
Who doesn't love a good novelty album? While the song isn't dripping in references to D&D or to fantasy to make it clear that a group of "nerdy-ass voice actors" were behind it, the joy and sincerity of their collaboration for singing about the holidays in California carry that spirit of collaboration, community, and celebration that you'll find at any table-top game.
"Sleigh Ride" - Ella Fitzgerald
Honestly the fact that Ella isn't on every single mix is a crime and a major oversight on my end. And so with that realization that one of the seminal voices of Christmas Classics has been absent for so long, it made finding the right choice to begin correcting that harder than usual. And so to balance out both the melancholy and the high-energy features, I settled on a chill, classic, and familiar rendition of Sleigh Ride. Still don't feel great about the horse on the album art.
"The Boar's Head" - Hugh Scott
Rounding out our folk inclusions is Hugh Scott's "The Boar's Head", a song that fits into that niche of "played a lot on mixes and cds as a kid but could never place or recall until it was played." And so the Irish gaelic chorus and squeeze-box rhythmn conjure up memories of blurred highways covered in white, the speaker pops of my Nana's radio/cd player that was bolted to her over-the-counter cabinets.
"You Don't Have to Be a Santa Claus" - Ben Folds
One of my favourite things about the Holidays in general is the way that it changes people, even for a little bit. People try to be kinder, they try to be better, and they try to be more. And I think this song manages to convey that sentiment while tempering it with calls to take it easy. You can do your best but your best shouldn't be too much for you to handle.
"The Holidays with You" - Sara Watkins
While the introduction and lulls in the song do make it more melancholic than the lyrics seem, the overall rises and falls between slow and jaunty make the very relaxed and stripped down acoustics of Sara Watkins's single feel new and old, thoughtful and playful, and toe the line of sentimental and hopeful that align with the swirling emotions one can feel at this time of year.
"Silver Bells - Remastered" - Meaghan Smith
I feel like Silver Bells is absolutely the Christmas song of the City, more so than any other that might reference hustle and bustle. And Meaghan Smith absolutely leans into that feeling of the urban Christmas with the inclusion of city soundscapes that you could argue as clunky or distracting in any other song, but within Silver Bells it becomes a love letter to any city you grew up celebrating the holidays in.
"This Christmas" - Ingrid Michaelson
Ingrid Michaelson has a vocal quality made for Holiday music. And while her covers are certainly incredible and have been featured on Mixes before, this original composition is what modern Christmas music ought to be. It incorporates the feelings and emotions of the past while applying older styles of music like classical strings and piano and a small choir to echo Ingrid's vocals in a new way.
"Santa Baby" - The Puppini Sisters
When I was putting the order together for the Mix, I realize I had tended to favour the more upbeat and joyful songs in the first half, and so Santa Baby needed to be a palate cleanser both for the more subdued and melancholic songs but also for the pure sincerity and sentimentality of the Mix. Don't get me wrong, I prefer sincerity to jaded sarcasm, but if you don't have a breath of playful winking every now and then, you'll overdo it to yourself. And Santa Baby, especially with the vintage vibe the Puppini Sisters bring to it, is perfect for being just playful and uncaring enough to unwind from so much emotion without fully disconnecting from the Holiday experience.
"The Wexford Carol" - Christie Cook
A lot of the thought behind the order of the Mix was in the feeling of a Christmas party. You begin with high energy that comes and goes through the night, eventually winding down until you either have a quiet moment in front of the fire or enjoy a dark and serene drive home. The Wexford Carol very much feels like the latter, with the gentle percussion and bass occasionally intruding like the gentle pass of windshield wipers brushing falling snow off the window.
"Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)" - Bing Crosby, David Bowie
Probably the most "controversial" song on here, mainly for its reputation as "saccharine", a criticism I completely disregard. I guess it's the sap and optimist in me who believes a better world is not only possible, but can be accomplished by us.
"Noel" - Tow'rs
Noel's been a song that's almost made it on a Mix for at least two years now, and I'm so happy it made the cut for this year. It takes a unique take on the carol that is emblematic of the band's indie roots and the styles of the 2020s indie scene.
"Oh You" - The Once
This single would've been on last year if it weren't for the fact it got released a week after the 2023 Mix was locked in. Regardless, it is perhaps the most nostalgic Christmas song I've heard. I cannot explain how but the gentle guitar, the lyrics, and the overlayed vocals mixed with the strings that come in and out like the lights passing overhead the car on the drive home bring me back to my childhood. In this song, I feel every memory of Christmas morning. I feel every snow flake. I feel every gentle warmth of a Christmas movie. I feel every song played over the speakers at school. I feel every moment of love and family since my parents played Nick's Christmas Mix for 2000 on the speakers even if I was too young to remember or understand what love was. And those feelings are perfect to feel again while thinking about the Cabot Tower star and how it glows over St. John's while so much happens and changes below it.
Thanks for reading, listening, and otherwise being here for the holidays. You're who I make these for. If you like the blog, please share it and tell others about it. I'm hoping to write more consistently next year. And if you'd like to share the playlist directly, here you go. Please enjoy: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1lGyc9E4du98e4GAswJnnu?si=39304fc763794cb7
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