PLAYLIST: Merry Christmas!

We here at the Whale want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays. Here's a list of some holiday songs we've posted over the last couple of weeks (plus one more by the lovely Feist) - click on the Post # to go back and read it, and click on the song title for the mp3. Enjoy!

Post #1 mp3: Sufjan Stevens - Christmas in July
Post #2 mp3: James Taylor - Go Tell It On The Mountain
Post #3 mp3: The Boy Least Likely To - Little Donkey
Post #4 mp3: Stevie Wonder - Someday At Christmas
Post #5 mp3: Joshua James - Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)
Post #6 mp3: The Bird and the Bee - Carol of the Bells
Today's mp3: Feist - Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming

SONG: Carol of the bells

Have you ever noticed that some Christmas music is borderline haunting?

Carol of the Bells by The Bird And The Bee is one of those songs best enjoyed in a room lit only by the Christmas tree and with a flurry of snow falling outside the window.

The Bird and the Bee - Carol of the Bells
from the EP Carol of the Bells (Amazon/iTunes)

SONG: War is over (if you want it)

Post #5 in our continuing Christmas music campaign!

This song by Mr. Lennon is one of my favorites during the Christmas season (and the rest of the year, frankly). It's message of peace and hope is as appropriate now as when it was written, and though no-one really holds a candle to the original, Joshua James does a pretty great job of capturing the weight of this beautiful song.

If you know any great versions of this one, let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear 'em.

Joshua James - Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)
from the sessions for Fields & Floods (buy it from Joshua/iTunes)

SONG: Someday at Christmas

Do you know what Christmas needs more of?

Soul.

Fortunately Stevie Wonder and Motown have us covered.

Stevie Wonder- Someday at Christmas
from the album A Motown Christmas (Amazon/iTunes)

SONG: The First Snowflake

Get ready for Post #3 in our on-going holiday saga. It's a little Christmas treat I received in my inbox last week, a new song from The Boy Least Likely To, a lovable little duo from the UK. It's called The First Snowflake, and though it's a little melancholy, it still brings some cheer to my holiday season for the following reasons: a) it heralds the upcoming release of their second full-length album (due early next year), and b) it's just so dang pretty.

So here's the video, and be sure to get the song on iTunes December 15th.



And just in case you can't wait, here's another little bit of Christmas loving from The Boy Least Likely To. Enjoy.

The Boy Least Likely To - Little Donkey
for Christmas

SONG: Go tell it on the mountain

I saw this coming or, in the very least, I dreamed of its coming.

Remember the last song on James Taylor's 2002 release October Road? It was 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.' Who slips a Christmas song into a record released in August?

Was he teasing us or was he giving us a sign of things to come?

Thank heavens it was the latter.

In 2006 Mr. Taylor released James Taylor at Christmas, a collection of what I don't want to call covers, but rather a reinvention of classic Christmas carols in that sweet and unmistakable style of James Taylor.
It has dominated my Christmas season ever since.

James Taylor - Go Tell It On the Mountain
from the album James Taylor at Christmas (Amazon/iTunes)

SONG: Christmas in July

Logan had this great idea for each of us to post a holiday tune we've been into every week until Christmas rolls around. Consider this our first entry.

This will be the third holiday season that I get to enjoy one of my new favorite traditions - pulling out my Sufjan Stevens holiday box-set, Songs for Christmas. It's a collection of five EPs that Mr. Stevens made for friends and family almost every year from 2001 to 2006, containing a total of 42 songs - ranging from instrumental Christmas favorites, old traditionals given a Sufjan twist, and original pieces complete with all the bells and whistles we've come to expect from the quirkiest of indie's elite. Not only is the music festive, but the package itself makes this a perfect holiday gift - it includes a lyrics and chord book, a sticker sheet, an original comic book and a bizarre Stevens family portrait/poster. Now if that's not awesome, I don't know what is.

So here's one of many great songs from the set. Be sure to check out Songs for Christmas, and maybe we'll soon be sharing a holiday tradition...

Sufjan Stevens - Christmas in July
from Songs for Christmas (buy it on Asthmatic Kitty/iTunes)