_______ Best Non-Traditional Christmas Songs

Let's face it, how many times can you hear White Christmas, Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman? I mean even non-traditional versions of the same songs (ie. Linda Eder's bombastically fabulous version of O Holy Night and Cyndi Lauper's trippy spaced out version of Silent Night) are still the same old songs...and a totally separate list that i can spin into a blog posting.

Here's a fairly short list of music i've picked up in my many, many, years which is Christmasy without being tired....
(in no particular order other than how they pop up on my iPod, throughout the day)

1. a Lovely Way to Spend Christmas (Kristen Chenoweth): from the album of the same name.

2. All I Want for Christmas (Joss Stone): not that All I Want for Christmas that Mariah rocked out on...this one is sultry and smooth and with completely different lyrics.

3. Baby It's Cold Outside: now i dunno if people would consider this a Christmas song, but it's on several different Christmas CD's 'cuz the song's about...well...the cold. either way, it's makes a nice change from real christmas songs. the best version, by far, is by Liza Minelli & Alan Cumming and is from the Broadway Cares: Home for Christmas cd. She's slurring all over the place, he's all sexy and Scottish (or is it welsh?). They banter and sing...it's fabulous.

4. Mary Did You Know: i've got a couple of different versions of this; one by Kimberly Locke, which is slow and very thoughtful...almost somber. The other is by the incomparable Kristine W and is more up. both are great songs.

5. It's Christmas and Christmas Carol (the Oakridge Boys): my mom had Christmas with the Oakridge Boys on vinyl when i was a kid and used to play it over and over again while we made Christmas cookies and decorated the tree; these two songs were always my favorite.

6. Christmas Caravan* (the Squirrel Nut Zippers): totally different and new christmas music (except for a fantastic Southern Jazz Band rendition of Sleigh Ride).

7. the Christmas Song (the Ravonettes): not, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, mind you. the Ravonettes have a rock/retro-girl group kinda sound...with a male vocalist...very interesting.

8. the Bells of St. Pauls (Linda Eder): while the rest of her Christmas CD (Christmas Stays the Same) is an exercise in fabulous covers and alternate versions of traditional holiday music, this song stands alone as an anthemic ballad that calls to mind (at least to John and myself) a video shot, on location, in London featuring Linda in swirling snow, pigeons and a huge mink coat...running throughout the town and ending up in the bell tower like Quasimodo. i defy you to listen to it and not get chills.

9. Gonna Eat for Christmas (Rosie O'Donnell & Gloria Estefan): the title says it all...'cuz that's what this holiday is all about! Love Ro & Glo!

10. She Won't Be Home for Christmas (Erasure): this song is so sweet and so sad and, like most Erasure songs, doesn't make a whole lot of sense...

11. Aye Aye Aye It's Christmas (Ricky Martin): can you think of anything better than Ricky Martin in a big red bow? it's a great alternative to the terribly repetitive Feliz Navidad...

12. Merry Christmas (Bette Midler): Cool Yule is my absolute, favorite, christmas cd and this is song is wonderfully sentimental and sweet.

13. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm: another song that's not so much "christmas" as "winter anthem" (see #3), i've got a couple of versions of this song but the best are Doris Day and Billie Holliday; quite frankly, Doris sounds like she's about to get fucked-but-good in a sleigh and Billie is just Billie.

"It's hard to get sick of christmas music since none of the music you've been playing sounds like Christmas music"~ Stephen