Best Christmas Mix - The Deuce

I apologize for the delay in posting the second part of my mix. I could say I was trying to give you time to truly experience the first part, but I just got caught up working on some other projects and didn’t find the time for this. But now I have the time, so here’s the track by track for part number two.

Best Christmas Mix – The Deuce

1. “Joy to the World” – The Mistletoe Disco Band. Joy is the key word in this arrangement. It’s just the perfect amount of strings and horns to keep me happy indefinitely. I especially love the repeating outro.

2. “Merry Christmas Everybody” – Rooney. This is just an excellent Christmas rock song. Pretty straightforward and fun. Need I say more?

3. “O Come, O Come Emanuel” – Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan is back with his banjo – there definitely isn’t enough banjo outside of bluegrass tunes. This is both a beautiful and harrowing song; I think it captures the bleakness and cold of winter while still conveying the beauty and hope born of Christ. I love the harmonies as Sufjan sings, “Rejoice.”

4. “Greensleeves” – Vince Guaraldi Trio. This song comes from the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack. I love this smooth, unhurried, and simple jazz arrangement.

5. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” – Aimee Mann. Mann is back with this fun arrangement. While her voice is most prominent in the mix, there’s a lot of cool stuff going on with the instrumentation. Sleigh bells, horns, xylophone, etc. I love the electric guitar that comes in around the 1:00 mark of the song. It’s not very prominent, but I really dig the rhythm the guitarist lays down. A really solid arrangement.

6. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” – Sufjan Stevens. I promise that Sufjan does has songs on his Christmas albums that aren’t slow and quiet, but the songs I’ve chosen for this mix really stand out. He infuses the songs with serene beauty that I cannot deny.

7. “Deck the Halls” – The Soulful Strings. This is another one of my favorite finds of the holiday season, mainly because of the song’s unexpected key changes. It starts in the typical major key, but it doesn’t take long for things to change. I always have these strange images in my head of a Christmas movie that would use this music. Scenes with prisoners, orphans, and lonely drunkards all come to mind listening to this track, not exactly the stuff the season is made of. But if I were to try and justify the inclusion of this song for reasons other than its sheer awesomeness, I would say that it conveys a side of Christmas that is kept out of sight. We might cherish the happiness and warmth of the holiday season, but not everyone is as fortunate. Like we learn in Gremlins, a lot of people have depressing and/or traumatic experiences associated with Christmas. We should be mindful of them too.

8. “Jingle Bell Disco Rock” – Disco Beat. I’ve found that there aren’t many exciting, unique, and good variations to the classic Jingle Bells tune. This is one of them. It’s just fun all-around.

9. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – Impressions. Impressions return with another track from Funky Christmas. This isn’t as stirring as their “Silent Night,” but is still a very solid track. I dig the bass and wish both it and the drums were a little more prominent in the mix – though probably only because it would make it more danceable. And who doesn’t dream of throwing a Christmas dance party?

10. “Carol of the Bells” – Celtic Woman. This is a very solid traditional arrangement of this classic. There balance between the vocals and instrumentation is perfect, and the combined effect is quite dramatic. This is one of my favorite carols, and this arrangement is fantastic.

11. “Medley: Hark the Herald Angels Sing / O Come, All Ye Faithful” – John Fahey. I felt like I needed to include another Fahey track in this mix. Here’s one that ought to make you yearn for all those Christmases on the farm. This just makes me happy.

12. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Willis Jackson. This man can play a saxomaphone (Simpsons allusion, anyone?). There’s a joy in listening to someone so obviously talented lay down a track like this. Nothing else in the song has to be remarkable in the least when there is one gifted musician leading the way.

13. “Once in Royal David’s City” – Sufjan Stevens. This is one of those neglected Christmas hymns in the LDS hymnbook, along with songs like “Ring Out, Wild Bells” among others. Sufjan puts his stamp on this one, and I happen to like it a lot.

14. “Winter Wonderland” – The Mistletoe Disco Band. I love the bass in this song. Give me a funky bass line, and I will be happy. It’s a shame it’s so low in the mix. If only I knew how to remix stuff. I would turn this into the ultimate Christmas groove.

15. “Away in a Manger” – Ray Brown and Deedee Bridgewater. I felt like I needed to include this classic carol, and this was the best version I could find among my Christmas music collection. It’s simple and beautiful and picks up as the songs goes on. Jazzy Christmas music might be my second favorite style after disco/funk Christmas songs.

16. “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” – Sufjan Stevens. Okay, so this doesn’t fall under the heading of what you would consider a traditional Christmas song, but it’s about Christ and that should make it especially appropriate for the Christmas season. If that’s not enough for you, too bad. This is a beautiful song. It’s amazing what can be done with a few people singing and playing instruments. Music really is incredible, and this is quite the track, if I may say so.

17. “There are Much Worse Things to Believe In” – Steven Colbert and Elvis Costello. This is my second favorite track from the Colbert Christmas special. It’s a nice little song with a good melody and some great lyrics. I laugh every time I hear Costello singing about the “beastman giving toys for good behavior.” If this television gig doesn’t pan out for Colbert, he might have a future in music.

18. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Chris Martin (of Coldplay). This is a very nice and simple arrangement, nothing fancy going on here, just a man sitting down at a piano. I decided to close the mix with this peaceful number, hoping to leave everyone with these seasons greetings and my own hope that everyone will have a merry Christmas wherever they may be.

Enjoy the mix for the next week or so. Groundhog Day is coming.

Best Christmas Mix - Part One

Contrary to what some of you might believe, I love Christmas. I love it so much that I refuse to degrade its proper celebration by overlooking or under-celebrating Thanksgiving. I can see how some may have seen my defense of Thanksgiving and anti-premature Christmas stance as Scrooge-esque, but let me assure you, Christmas holds a very special place in my heart. I have very fond memories of Christmas and the holiday season. I remember one night, when I was probably five or six, looking out the window by my bed on the top bunk, watching large white snowflakes falling silently to the ground, shining in and reflecting the yellow glow of the back porch light. I watched the snow fall for some time, mesmerized by the sight. I can remember getting my first walkman and later my first discman. There were ninja turtles for many years, domino rally sets, remote controlled cars, etc. I cherish my family Christmas traditions: reading the story of Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve, opening the family gift (every year a new board game) and then playing the game with my family, the awesome homemade advent calendar, and so on.

As a college student, it became more difficult to really get into the Christmas spirit. The end of the semester and the subsequent finals required all my attention, at least that’s how it seemed then. Once finals were over, I could think about Christmas, and that usually meant scrambling to purchase gifts once I finally had the time. These last two years I have spent more time utilizing one aspect of Christmas to get me into the proper spirit, and that has been Christmas music. Rather than listen to the same recordings that everyone seems to listen to, I have searched the internet for new arrangements by artists in various genres. This search has been very fruitful, though I have found an equal amount of mediocre and sometimes painful songs to go along with the amazing songs and arrangements. While I have a special place for the songs that are so-bad-they’re-good, I’m going to focus on the songs I like the most. Some songs appear twice on the mix, but the arrangements are so different that I had no qualms about including them. I have put together a two part compilation, thirty-six of my favorite Christmas songs, and made them available for download. I thought I’d go through the mix track by track and write a few things about each song and why I chose it for my mix.

(I hope anyone at all interested in these songs will feel free to download the mixes. You will need a program to unzip them, but programs like Winrar or Winzip are available for free. If you need any assistance figuring these out, let me know and I’ll do everything I can to make sure you can listen to these awesome songs).

Best Christmas Mix

1. “Goin’ Up to Bethlehem” – Bob Rivers. My roommate Joel found a whole boatload of Christmas parody songs by this Bob Rivers guy. He takes popular songs and changes the lyrics while retaining the original instrumentation and vocal melody. This is by far the best of the parodies, and uses Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Around the Bend.” Just a great rocking Christmas song, of which there are very few. My favorite part of the song comes when he sings, “Hallelujah!” Perfect.

2. “Jingle Bells” – The Soulful Strings. This is the first of a few tracks by this perfectly-named group. Their approach to this familiar classic is different enough to make it memorable. I really dig the sound, especially the embellishment of the song’s main melody.

3. “Joy to the World” – Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan Stevens has released three discs of Christmas music, and there are a lot of great songs on those discs. In fact, he has the most tracks of any one artist on these mixes. This rendition of “Joy to the World” is pretty simple. Just guitar and voices. Some really beautiful harmonies going on.

4. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” – Oscar Peterson. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and I like Peterson’s jazz interpretation a lot. It’s just smooth. Dim the lights, lean back in your chair, nod your head to the beat, and enjoy this one.

5. “Sleigh Ride” – The Mistletoe Disco Band. The album this song is found on was probably my greatest discovery this year. Anyone familiar with my musical tastes knows that I have a large soft spot for disco in my heart. How could you go wrong mixing disco and Christmas? Well, it’s not impossible – I did find one terrible Christmas disco album, but the two awesome albums I found more than rectify things. This rendition of “Sleigh Ride” just makes me want to jump in a conga line and shake my thang. I dare you not to smile while listening to this.

6. “Little Drummer Boy” – The Soulful Strings. They return with Dwight Schrute’s favorite Christmas carol. Once again, another unique, cool, and smooth arrangement of a Christmas classic.

7. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – Willis Jackson. This cut comes from a compilation entitled Funky Christmas. It was love at first listen when I found this album. This rendition foregoes the traditional slow and somber feel of the song and gives it some forward momentum. I love the saxophone tackling the melody.

8. “Last Christmas” – Jimmy Eat World. I can overlook the fact that this song was on a compilation for the TV show The OC because Jimmy Eat World was one of my favorite bands when I was a teenager, and their show in Salt Lake in 1999 was my first rock concert. This is the first non-parody original Christmas song to make the mix. It’s a catchy pop song, what can I say?

9. “Christmastime” – Aimee Mann. If you enjoy this song, I recommend you look up (or ask me to hook you up) with Mann’s Christmas album, Another Drifter in the Snow. It’s all good. This is a pretty somber, melancholic tune, but I enjoy it a lot. Mann’s clear voice fits perfectly with the instrumentation.

10. “Mary’s Little Boy Chile” – The De Paur Christmas. This song comes from an album entitled Calypso Christmas, and it’s a fun little tune. When the bleak and frigid winter gets to be too much, add a little Caribbean flavor to your Christmas.

11. “Nutmeg” – John Legend and Stephen Colbert. Disclaimer: I like this song more than I should. The music is just perfect for this R&B tribute to nutmeg. The groove is so tight that I can’t help but love this song. And it’s freaking hilarious, though its innuendos may be a bit too spicey for some of you out there. You’ll be okay if you take everything sung in the most literal way possible. Last year it was Colbert’s book I am America and So Can You that cracked me up during the holidays; this year it’s his Christmas special with songs like “Nutmeg.”

12. “Sister Winter” – Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan is back with an original Christmas tune. It’s pretty stark and chilling. I love the sparse instrumentation and the strings that enter during the interlude between the chorus and verses. The song builds gradually from its sparse and bleak beginning to the very full and rich sound of the song’s climax. I absolutely love this song and listen to it throughout the year.

13. “Silver Bells” – The Mistletoe Disco Band. More Christmas disco with this fun rendition of “Silver Bells.” I love the faux-seriousness of the song at times, particularly with the strings. They’re trying to make Christmas all dramatic and whatnot, but then they kick in the disco and the female vocals – don’t miss the awesome bass throughout the song – and you’re on your way to Funkytown.

14. “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)” – Amy Grant. This is a very serious and beautiful song that I have always enjoyed. I first heard it years ago when my mother purchased Amy Grant’s Christmas album. It’s a simple song, not much besides Grant’s voice and piano, but it works perfectly.

15. “Carol of the Bells” – John Fahey. I acquired this album last year but never really got around to giving it a proper listen. I nearly repeated the act this year, but my ipod randomly played this track and I was astounded. Fahey is an incredible guitarist, and this is a great recording. As a guitar-lover, I’m amazed every time I listen to this master.

16. “O Holy Night” – Celtic Woman. I do have one version of this song that blows my mind every time I hear it, but I’m reserving that one for a special list. This track, however, is great for all the right reasons. I love this carol, and these women do it all the justice it deserves.

17. “What Child is this Anyway?” – Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan is back with his take on this carol. I haven’t found many versions of this song on the many Christmas albums I’ve come across. Sufjan’s take plods along for nearly seven minutes. I love the way the song switches from just Sufjan and his banjo to denser textures, and he just continues to add layer upon layer of sound.

18. “Silent Night” – Impressions. This is my favorite cut from Funky Christmas. This is definitely the standout track from the album. It has the sound of a Southern gospel choir, and I would give anything to have seen this group perform their arrangement of this classic Christmas hymn. There are so many things I love about this song: the tone of the lead singer’s voice, the part where the bass plays a descending riff, the build up to the climax of the song, and the two-minute repeating outro where the soul and funk really comes out. Definitely the find of my Christmas season, even surpassing the Christmas disco albums. This song brings the house down and was the only fitting way I could finish off the first part of my mix.