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Music Monday: Christmas Eve

by Scott Lydon

Happy Music Monday! 'Tis the season, and we're not immune from Christmas Cheer either. Scott's tucked in his bed dreaming of sugarplums, but he's left you all this Christmas list of songs that make his winter wonderful. Maybe they'll help your Christmas along as well? Here's the first:

Bing Crosby - White Christmas

 

I have fond memories of setting up the family Christmas tree while my dad played a hand-me-down Bing Crosby album. This deep crooner has no flourishes, no affectations, no loops, beats or auto-tune, and even the orchestra seems hidden way in the back. If I could only pick one song to capture the feeling of Christmas, it would be this one. Easily.

If you're killing time while baking cookies for Santa, you'll find four more songs and last week's Spotify playlist after the jump.

As always, be sure to check out our Spotify playlist. This week's features a great selection from last week's Music Monday comments. The theme of the mix this time is Songs About The End Of The World and if you're reading this, congratulations! You survived!. Celebrate by checking out our current Music Monday below!

The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

 

This is one of my personal favorites, because it's the first Christmas song I can remember hearing that wasn't a thousand years old. Appearing at a time when the word "damn" made it seem dangerous, this 1981 hit is a sweet look at Christmas in the big city. It's well paced, fun, and still ends with a Christmas moral (even if it's a bit jaded before it gets there!) There's still nothing like it under the tree.

The Jackson 5 - Up On The Housetop

 

What you've got right here is the sound of a little kid at Christmas time. It's a song with an AMAZING amount of energy, lyrics that are easy to learn, and whole bunch of banter between brothers, just like you'll find in pretty much any family on Christmas Eve. A++.

Tony Rodelle Larson - Cool Yule

 

Yes, this is essentially a cover of an earlier song, but I prefer it to the original, mostly because Tony's voice sounds a lot more cool, and a lot less Hollywood. This beatnik really means the lingo. And on the off chance you can't get enough of the Christmas beatniks, there's a chick-cat version you can dig as well.

The Ventures - Silver Bells

 

This one's so surprising that a lot of people think it's just a sound-alike band. But nope! That's surf-rock heroes The Ventures having a beach party Christmas! If you need lyrics, sing along with the twangy guitar- but be warned! The guitar just might start singing back!

Let's make it clear now: anyone who posts Greg Lake is probably getting banned for life. Otherwise, go nuts! Share your favorite Christmas songs in the forums below! Then you can probably hit up our Turntable.fm room for the regular Music Monday enjoyment. We say probably because, on a day like today, everyone might have other things to do … but surely a few people will show up! Also, let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use.