Xmas music

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ash
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Xmas music

Post by ash »

Ok, so I have something of a dilemma. At my work I get to choose what music is played over the office PA for two days a week, and so it's been a steady diet of Spiritualized, Spacemen 3, Mazzy Star, Trespassers William, Art of Fighting, etc, etc. Everyone loves it. However now, with that most horrible festive season almost upon us, I've been informed that I have to start putting a few xmas CDs into the mix each week, or lose my selection privileges.

Now anyone who knows me well will more than likely know my pathological hatred for xmas music. Without fail, at around the same time each year when all the shops start playing this horrible, horrible tripe, I have to try extremely hard to suppress the urge to go round killing random people (well... not really). So I'm looking for good xmas music. At least three CDs required - stuff by decent groups that fits the theme but hopefully doesn't sound anything like most people's expectations of xmas music.

So far all I've been able to come up with is Low's "Christmas", which I'll hopefully be able to borrow from an ex-girlfriend. Anyone else got any ideas?
. . . heligoland . . .
29.11.07 mécanique ondulatoire, paris // 16.01.08 divan du monde, paris
ro
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Post by ro »

go medieval!
even stuff that's not explicity for christmas often sounds festive or midnight mass-ish to the uninitiated.
and if they ask, just lie :D
http://www.harmoniamundi.com/uk/catalog ... t=medieval

or maybe some john fahey?
moop
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Post by moop »

low is a damn fine choice..

how about the bright eyes christmas album too?

can't think of a third one so i'd suggest putting together a compilation of decent songs with xmas in the title or christmassy related content...
here's a few suggestions :wink:

gorky's zygotic mynci - christmas eve
flaming lips - christmas at the zoo
walkmen - no christmas while i'm talking
mogwai - xmas song / xmas steps
tom waits - christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
oasis - merry xmas everyone
the who - christmas (uuuuuuuuurgh)

or, extending this to snow..

black mountain - heart of snow
devo - snowball
galaxie 500 - listen, the snow is falling
grandaddy - snowstorm
MBV - soft as snow
nick cave - fifteen feet of pure snow
oranger - texas snow
SFA - summer snow

or, to the season of winter in general..

bright eyes - if winter ends
eels - dead of winter
animal collective - winter's love
broadcast - winter now
gorky's - waking for winter
iron and wine - faded from the winter
nico - winter song
pixies / smashing pumpkins - winterlong
prefuse 73 - hot winter's day
simon and garfunkle - hazy shade of winter
teenage fanclub - winter
the doors - wintertime love
tori amos - winter
yo la tengo - winter-a-go-go

can't go wrong with most of them :D
have fun..
moop
bunnyben
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Post by bunnyben »

moop wrote:low is a damn fine choice..

how about the bright eyes christmas album too?

can't think of a third one so i'd suggest putting together a compilation of decent songs with xmas in the title or christmassy related content...
here's a few suggestions :wink:

gorky's zygotic mynci - christmas eve
flaming lips - christmas at the zoo
walkmen - no christmas while i'm talking
mogwai - xmas song / xmas steps
tom waits - christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
oasis - merry xmas everyone
the who - christmas (uuuuuuuuurgh)

or, extending this to snow..

black mountain - heart of snow
devo - snowball
galaxie 500 - listen, the snow is falling
grandaddy - snowstorm
MBV - soft as snow
nick cave - fifteen feet of pure snow
oranger - texas snow
SFA - summer snow

or, to the season of winter in general..

bright eyes - if winter ends
eels - dead of winter
animal collective - winter's love
broadcast - winter now
gorky's - waking for winter
iron and wine - faded from the winter
nico - winter song
pixies / smashing pumpkins - winterlong
prefuse 73 - hot winter's day
simon and garfunkle - hazy shade of winter
teenage fanclub - winter
the doors - wintertime love
tori amos - winter
yo la tengo - winter-a-go-go

can't go wrong with most of them :D
have fun..
moop
looks like someone had fun :D
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
ash
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Post by ash »

Cheers! Yeah I was thinking I'd probably end up making a few comps of tolerable stuff. I also have a Tori Amos tour CD where she covers Little Drummer Boy (how is that even an xmas song?!), amongst other things, so that may pass.

Unfortunately the winter stuff probably won't work, as it's currently a blazing summer down here in the southern hemisphere... ;)
. . . heligoland . . .
29.11.07 mécanique ondulatoire, paris // 16.01.08 divan du monde, paris
bunnyben
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Post by bunnyben »

ash wrote:Cheers! Yeah I was thinking I'd probably end up making a few comps of tolerable stuff. I also have a Tori Amos tour CD where she covers Little Drummer Boy (how is that even an xmas song?!), amongst other things, so that may pass.

Unfortunately the winter stuff probably won't work, as it's currently a blazing summer down here in the southern hemisphere... ;)
johnny cash did a cover of drummer boy also.

how about 'i'm dreaming of a white christmas? :wink:
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
BzaInSpace
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Post by BzaInSpace »

Why not 'Phil Spector's Christmas Album'?
dab66
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Post by dab66 »

Get the Sufjan Stevens 'Songs For Christmas' box set.
Nasalhair
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Post by Nasalhair »

moop wrote:low is a damn fine choice..
I was just going to say that myself - particularly their "Christmas" EP which we always play when we put the tree up here at home.
BVCP206
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Post by BVCP206 »

Low was going to be my suggestion too. Their version of Blue Christmas is just sublime. Wonderful stuff.
'Remember, change is not good'
stimey
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Post by stimey »

Atlantic put out an album called Soul Christmas (not to be confused with several over, more dubious records by that title) in the late 60's which had Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, etc. I think it's available as a Rhino reissue, and highly recommended.

The Dandy Warhols put out something called The Little Drummer Boy ep, but the only xmas cut was the title song.

I bought the John Waters xmas cd last year and was not disappointed. Some of it is downright creepy.

And there's one called Where You Be Christmas Day? on Dust to Digital which are recordings from 1917-1959. It's got Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, Leroy Carr, Lightnin' Hopkins, and such. Most obscure stuff, and not rehashings of the standards.
bunnyben
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Post by bunnyben »

how about some gospel music... after all that's what Christmas is about...
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
gimperella
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Post by gimperella »

Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips & Sonics version of Old Toy Trains
The Fall's Jingle Bell Rock or Hark The Herald Angel Sings
a room full of people with very different opinions may be chaos, but it is a beautiful thing
steve_gp
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Post by steve_gp »

eels - everything's gonna be cool this christmas
moop
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Post by moop »

what the hell happened to the flaming lips' "christmas on mars" film/ost anyway :?: :!:
LunarTunes
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Post by LunarTunes »

^Believe it or not, Christmas On Mars is finally supposed to come out next year! We'll see...

And while we're on the subject of the Flaming Lips, you could actually include four songs from them:

Little Drummer Boy
Christmas At The Zoo
White Christmas
A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn't So)

Also (and this is the perfect time of year for it), go to eBay and search on "Flaming Lips". You'll find that they've appeared on a few different Christmas compilations, some of which may be of interest to you. Good luck!...

Peace.
moop
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Post by moop »

i think it'll get released the same day as the second series of twin peaks and all the unreleased jodorowski films get on dvd... 8)
ie. NEVEREVEREVEREVEREVEREVEREVER!

:shock:
come on dvd rights people, sort it out!
Edukator
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Post by Edukator »

Cocteau Twins - 'Frosty the Snowman'
Come on now people, come on and slide with me
anorthernsoul
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Post by anorthernsoul »

there's some pretty hot christmas stuff on the sun ra singles discs. very jolly. elvis and james brown have their share of christmas stuff. james brown's is remarkable for being strewn with inappropriate sex UHs, which isn't something you get in so much christmas music.

low, too.
Get the Sufjan Stevens 'Songs For Christmas' box set.
that looks brilliant, it's so cheap, too. have you got it?
pauldroneon
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Post by pauldroneon »

THE SONICS - DON'T BELIVE IN CHRISTMAS
- SANTA CLAUS
- THE VILLAGE IDIOT

PHIL SPECTOR XMAS LP

THE BEACH BOYS XMAS LP

thats all for now , i will search my collection for more

there should be a neu! christmas album imagine it

paul
Jasonsmith
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Post by Jasonsmith »

Just got 'Christmas as I knew it' by Johnny Cash. Not bad, includes a version of 'Amen'!
ohh
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Post by ohh »

The Cramps have been very kind and compiled their very own 'Black Christmas' CD for your downloading and listening pleasure. Beats any off-key Flaming Lips nonsense, that's fer sure.

Find it here: http://www.rockndog.com/Black_Christmas/ (right click save as over the song titles)
moop
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Post by moop »

you're right!
whatever he's playing resembles the chord of impending doom..

pure...evil.


*shudders*
ThiefofFire
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Post by ThiefofFire »

I'm putting together a Christmas mix CD right now and this is some of what I've got so far...

Lou Monte - Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey
The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
The Velvet Underground - Jesus
John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Big Star - Jesus Christ
Jon Bon Jovi and the Intergalactic Droid Choir - R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Primal Scream - Jesus
The Walkmen - Christmas Party
El Perro del Mar - Oh! What a Christmas
ohh
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Post by ohh »

I really can't stand that Happy Xmas (War Is Over) song. I like the B-side Listen the Snow is Falling. That's a good un. I think Luna or Galaxie 500 or whoever covered it.
duppyconquerer
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Post by duppyconquerer »

I've just this minute recieved confirmation that a cover of this classic medley will appear on the forthcoming Spiritualized Christmas Comedy album, "Mince pie Mainlines"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e-ZUPsj1_Q


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bunnyben
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Post by bunnyben »

belle and sebastian peel christmas party session

http://tastetastetaste.blogspot.com/
'raging and weeping are left on the early road
now each in his holy hill
the glittering and hurting days are alomst done
then let us compare mythologies
i have learned my elaborate lie
of soaring crosses and poisened thorns'
ash
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Posts: 887
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 6:36 am
Location: straya
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Post by ash »

bunnyben wrote:belle and sebastian peel christmas party session

http://tastetastetaste.blogspot.com/
Bunnyben, you are a legend. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

Thanks everyone else for the suggestions - will be making some top quality comps tonight...!
. . . heligoland . . .
29.11.07 mécanique ondulatoire, paris // 16.01.08 divan du monde, paris
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