To follow up on Kathi D's post (you know my motto: Steal from the Best), Christmas is all about the music. For hip 'n' cool folk like Kathi and me, this also includes the smirky ironic variety. She cites "Merry Christmas from the Family" by the great Robert Earl Keen, to which I added “Even Santa Gets the Blues” by Marty Stuart, and “Please Daddy Don’t
Get Drunk at Christmas" by Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison (a great alt-country couple
by the way. Right up there with Buddie and Julie Miller). There are plenty more out there, I'm sure.
I have a not-so-secret Christmas music habit. I'm a sucker for unusual compilations, the Starbucks CDs, new arrangements of classics, unexpected genres. I make a compilation CD of Christmas music each year to give to friends. Last year's ranged from Billie Holiday to El Vez, and included surf rock, the vibes, bluegrass and Louis Armstrong. Since I have all new colleagues this year, I smartly recycled it for 2008. 'Cause it's that good, IIDSSM*. Here's the playlist:
Baby It's Cold Outside: Zoey
Deschanel & Leon Redbone (from Elf)
I've Got My Love to
Keep Me Warm: Billy Holiday
Frosty: The
Ventures
Trim Your Tree: Asylum
Street Spankers
Merry Christmas Baby: Charles
Brown
Christmas Song: Mr.
Majestic
'Zat You, Santa Claus?: Louis
Armstrong
That Was the Worst
Christmas Ever: Sufjan Stevens
Jingle Bells: Duke
Ellington
Mele Kalikimaka: Chris
Isaak
Feliz Navidad: El
Vez
I'd Like You for
Christmas: Julie London
All I Want for
Christmas: John Waite
Christmas (Baby Please
Come Home): Death Cab for Cutie
Even Santa Gets the
Blues: Marty
Stuart
Skating: Vince
Guaraldi Trio
What Are You Doing New
Year's Eve: Nancy
Wilson
Auld Lang Syne: David
Grisman
Of course, I couldn't burn this for you. That would be wrong. I'd hate to spend Christmas in jail.
Though it would make a good song.

This doesn't even include the downloads...
[*if I do say so myself, duh!]
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