Christmas A Go Go!

Because of the death of Boney M -dancer Bobby Farrell, it's appropriate to post Boney's version of Auld Lang Syne . Though he doesn't sing the song (the male voice is Frank Farian's). Boney M - Auld Lang Syne OK, it's a terrible version. For compensation, this brilliant version by Salsa Celtica : Salsa Celtica - Auld Lang Syne If you're into funky Korean or Zambian rocksongs about the new year, we urge you to go HERE

Hope y'all simply had a wonderful christmastime. Thanks for stopping by. From all contributors to Christmasagogo: all the best for 2011, see you in November!

Go HERE

The sexiest Christmas song, you ask? Santa Baby by Eartha or Kylie ,you suggest? Anything from Kay Martin ? Patsy Rye ? No, I say. Holly Cole. Holly Cole - 'Zat you, Santa Claus

Want to know who this girl is, and what gorgeous Christmas song she recorded? Then head HERE . Aurora Vayne · Natalie Prass - No Better Time

For the sixth year in a row The Blues Are Still Blue presents: Christmas Compilation 2010 (download here) 1. Allo, Darlin’ – Baby, It’s Cold Outside 2. David Bazan – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Christmas) 3. Lou Reed – Xmas in February 4. Hannah Peel & Tunng – Hey Santa! 5. Little & Ashley – Winter Night 6. Belle& Sebastian – The Fox In The Snow 7. The Mountains & The Trees – My Favourite Sweater (Happy Holidays) 8. Guster – Tiny Tree Christmas 9. Eux Autres – Teenage Christmas 10. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Time Of The Season 11. Boca Chica – Not On Christmas Eve 12. Bishop Allen – You’ll Never Find My Christmas 13. Blitzen Trapper – Christmas Is Coming Soon 14. His Clancyness – Buying Pine Scents 15. Basia Bulat – You Are A Gift 16. The Velvet Underground – Jesus 17. Sufjan Stevens – Christmas In The Room 18. Dream Diary – Christmas All Over 19. Jukebox The Ghost – Mistletoe 20. KT Tunstall – Lonely This Christmas 21. First Aid Kit – Winter Is All Over You ...

Exclusive! Dutch jazzgiants New Cool Collective Big Band did a mash-up of their own song Little Black Dress and Slade's immortal Merry Christmas Everybody, for the tv-show VPRO's Nederpopshow (host Frank Lammers is singing). This is the only site you'll find the mp3. New Cool Collective Big Band + Frank Lammers - Little Black Dress/Merry Christmas Everybody

Rosi Golan is an Israeli singer who made a pretty album in 2008, in a Zooey Deschanel/Ingrid Michaelson-style. Sweet 'n sunny songs with a 60s influence, very easy on the ears. One song had a few French lines. For this commercial for Stella Artois, she sang a French version of Twelve Days of Christmas. You can download it for free (no catch) HERE .

Silver Swans from San Francisco made a seasonal track that's perfect for walking through winter wonderlands. Love that glacial, Cocteau Twins-y atmosphere. Holidays by Silver Swans

A great tradition from Daptone Records (home of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Budos Band, etc): a yearly Christmas single. Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band are the third (after Binky Griptite and SJ&DK) to record a seasonal track, and it's brilliant. Charles Bradley - Every day is Christmas (when I'm loving you)

Go HERE to download via Soundcloud a beautiful Christmas track by Ponoka. This is Rick de Gier's band, writer of the upcoming novel Nineve, about a young man, of very religious upbringing, who gets lost in the Dutch rockscene.

Go HERE and download (via Soundcloud) two superfunky Christmas tracks. A cover of Let it snow by Diplomats of Solid Sound, and a James Brown cover (Soulful Christmas) by Ray Harris. EDIT: Of course those links are all dead, therefore these YT-videos:

No, Perfect Black Christmas doesn't compile black metal-versions of carols, but soul, funk, jazz and other music of black origin with a festive spirit. Donnie, Stevie, Marvin, Otis, they're all there. Go HERE to download.

We all know Clarence Carters 'Back Door Santa' (1968) and if it wasn't for his original, than we know it because of the samples Run DMC used from it for their classic 'Christmas in Hollis'. To me the Back Door versions of the Black Crowes (2005, a studio recording with horn section!) and Australian rockers Jet (2004, only on a Japanese rare tracks release) were new. If you know versions other and better than these, worth to post: lemme know. Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa Run DMC - Christmas in Hollis Jet - Back Door Santa The Black Crowes - Back Door Santa - EXTRA: Honeymoon Killers - Back Door Santa B.B. King - Back Door Santa Bon Jovi - Back Door Santa Cass Eager & the Mo'Debleys - Back Door Santa Holmes Brothers - Back Door Santa Lustre King - Back Door Santa The Sutcliffs - Back Door Santa - EVEN MORE: The Bellrays - Back Door Santa (thx Stubby)

Anita Bryant, a former beauty queen from Oklahoma, was pretty successful with hits in the US in the early 1960's. But she was also known as a very conservative and religious person with a strong view against homosexuality (check out the video from 1977 where gay rights activists throw a pie in Bryant's sick homophobic face). As a 'good' Christian she recorded Christmas records too, which I would not recommend (but okay, here's one awful track ). At the same time there was a singer in The Netherlands called Zangeres Zonder Naam (Singer Without A Name) who tried to stand up against Bryant's hypocrite ideas and recorded a song called ' Luister Anita ' (Listen Anita) in 1977, in which she told gays to be proud of their sexuality and to fight for it. Because of that she became the first gay-mother of The Netherlands. The Zangeres Zonder Naam also recorded several christmas tracks during her long career, most of them on social themes like war, racism and cold...

Sometimes you wish you didn't have that preoccupation with bizarre and rare tracks from Dutch artists. Why being curious after a xmas-track sung in a very bad English accent from Father Abraham (real name Pierre Kartner) and The Smurfs when reading about it? Don't know the answer, but found the track (unfortunately) and I hereby apologize on behalf of all the Dutch (7", 1978).

Here is a repost of the mix I made for the blog back in 2006. It's now consolidated to one file and is compiled from the best songs offered that Christmas season. A dusty mix of Christmas Wax from the island of misfit songs. I hope to get to another Christmas mix someday, but for now, this will have to do. Tracklist 1 :: CHECK THE COOL WAX :: KING AD-ROCK 2 :: HOLIDAY ON ICE “A RIDE WITH SANTA” :: WALT JACKOBS 3 :: SLEIGH RIDE :: LENNY DEE 4 :: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN :: THE THREE SUNS 5 :: NUTTY JINGLE BELLS :: AL HIRT 6 :: CHRISTMAS ALL OVER THE WORLD :: JIM NABORS 7 :: ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS :: LIBERACE 8 :: ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE :: MIRROR IMAGE 9 :: WINTER WONDERLAND :: THE GOLDDIGGERS 10 :: THE CHRISTMAS SONG :: SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL ‘66 11 :: SNOW :: CLAUDINE LONGET 12 :: WHAT CHILD IS THIS? :: THE BORDER BRASS 13 :: WHAT SANTA WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS :: WALT JACOBS 14 :: THE REINDEER BOOGIE :: HANK SNOW 15 :: A VERY MERRY CHR...

Lilian Hak is a gorgeous Dutch singer/sample-genius who made a wonderful album using the atmosphere and the music of classic 40's and 50's movies (see here) . Wouter Hamel is Holland's answer to Jamie Cullum, only cooler. Together they made a fantastic Christmas song. Christmas Dinner (feat. Wouter Hamel) by Lilian Hak 'Old Powder New Guns'

Inspired by all the beautiful snow in The Netherlands, as if I was in Québec temporarily -- a true cosmic gift, I give you a party cover of Les Classels' 'Le sentier de neige' ('The snow trail'), done in traditional Québec style by La Volée d'Castors. This is a picture I took about seven years ago on the isolated island l'île d'Orléans in Québec, with the Mont Saint Anne ski area in the background. Notice how even in winter the road is well kept. The driver was Dutch and spent Christmas discovering what minus 25 celsius was really all about. (Rough translation with a dash of poetic licence and corrected for the unilateral point of view) The snowflakes covered your hair And the pale moon kept us warm I told you 'I love you' in the silent woods You smiled coyly and walked on La volée d'castors - Le sentier de neige

We all love Santa, don't we kids? The Superions - Santa Je T'aime

Five fantastic compilation-mixes by Bomarr, featuring the funniest, most outrageous, obscure and excellent Christmassongs, downloadable for free (but you can make a donation) HERE .

English music magazine NME wrote about The Crookes from Sheffield: 'A band this good are unlikely to remain obscure for long.' They're seen as a cross between Arctic Monkeys, Housemartins & The Smiths. And they made an excellent Christmas EP. It's Just Not Christmas Without You by The Crookes

José James, one of the bestest & brightest jazz singers of today, recorded a gorgeous version of the Christmas Song. On Soundcloud, HERE

FANTASTIC mad-preacher-y Christmas song by Ed Harcourt.

So many new Christmas songs, it's hard to keep up. Here's a linklist. See the great video by Plastic Snow (who sings like Ronnie James Dio!) here Download (for free) the brilliant spacey X-mas song by Bubblies, here Free Banjo or Freakout Christmas album in exchange for your email adress: here Blue-eyed soul cover of Donny Hathaway's This Christmas by Cheap Seats, for free here Free seasonal track by Beach House, here More free stuff? See here . Or here.

Go HERE and trade your email adress for a very nice cover of Sufjan Stevens' Sister Winter by former Everything but the Girl-singer Tracey Thorn.

Want it? Go to Seb's Bandcamp site. HERE

French rocker Renaud provides sarcastic social commentary like only he can in his reggae rendition of Le Père Noël Noir ('Black Santa Claus'). Written in some serious Parisian argot, he's totally unimpressed by this Black Santa and wants to punch the daylights out of him. This Black Santa is an ex French colony black person from like Martinique or Guadeloupe (in argot a DOM-TOM ), this time around he's a freeloading SOB who damages the house and the chimney, steals, drinks Renaud's booze 'like a Polack' and smokes his 'herbes de Provence'. The lyrics 'Petit Papa Noël, toi qu'est descendu du ciel' is straight from Tino Rossi's traditional French song, Petit Papa Noël. You may have seen Renaud (right) in the American film Crime Spree (2003) with the likes of Gérard Depardieu, Harvey Keitel and fellow singer and actor Johnny Hallyday (left). Both gangsters annoy each other with music on the radio, but they are in fact dissing each other...

You can scoff all you want, I think Last Christmas by Wham! is a great song. I just don't need to hear it 150 times per day, as some radioprogrammers seem to think. Brit-duo The Boy Least Likely To (who recorded a great cover of George Michael's Faith earlier) made a Christmas album that includes a song about George and Andrew. Christmas Special by the boy least likely to

Hosted in Dutch by Guuzbourg. Download from HERE . Guest: Ir Vendermeulen. Playlist: 1. Diplomats of Solid Sound - Let it Snow 2. Jaap Boots - Kerstmis in de tropen (Spike Jones - Jingle Bells) 3. Louis Armstrong - 'Zat you, Santa Claus? 4. Smash Up Derby - Christmas Bop 5. Babs Gonzales - Bebop Santa Claus 6. The Sonics - I Don't Believe in Santa Claus 7. Santa Claws & Naughty But Nice Orchestra - For Whom the Bell Tolls 8. The Marquees - Christmas in the Congo 9. Staple Singers - Ain't That Good News 10. The Barking Dogs - Jingle Bells 11. Superchunk - A Child's Christmas in Wales 12. Elvis Presley - Santa Claus is Back in Town 13. Orquestra Suprema - Esta Navidad 14. Kay Martin & her Body Guards - Come On Santa Let's Have a Ball 15. The Cimarons - Silent Night/White Christmas 16. Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) 17. James Brown - A Lonely Little Boy Around One Little Christmas Toy 18. Gary Walker - Santa's Got a Brand New Bag 19. Pats...

La tête à l'envers by 60's ye-ye legend Gillian Hills is labeled 'non-seasonal', 'cause it's not about Christmas. But the giggly lyrics are set to Jingle Bell Rock, therefore it IS a seasonal track in my book. And on dark days like this, it's always a pleasure to hear and watch the bubbly blonde, innit? Gillian Hills - La tete a l'envers

Bob Lefsetz wrote a beautiful piece on Laura, and on this song. Quote: "Laura Nyro's forty year old lyrics are as relevant today as they were back then. The war is different, but the pain remains. And politics is more disheartening than ever, and the gap between the rich and the poor is a taboo that "artists" don't write about, desirous of getting on the gravy train to riches themselves." So I'd thought I'd post it here. Laura Nyro - Christmas in my soul

When bands have singers who sound like Gina Loes, I'm a fan (please, try a song in French! You could end up on my FillesSourires -blog!). When bands like Vancouvers The Ruffled Feathers (with Gina) write seasonal songs like The Highest Mountain, everybody should be a fan. The Highest Mountain (X-mas Single) by The Ruffled Feathers

WOO! A Christmas song from soulsinger Mayer Hawthorne ! Mayer Hawthorne - Christmas Time is Here Original version by Vince Guaraldi Trio (from A Charlie Brown Christmas Christmas )

Golau Glau play 'silverpop'. They made a Christmas EP, that sounds like walking through a Winter Wonderland, very early in the morning. Download it for free here. Golau Glau - Oak Moon

Boca Chica's song Snow Angels , about the water freezing in your toilet because you have no heat in your house, was featured on the compilation of Christmas songs I made last last year . This year they released that song on a special holidays EP together with Not On Christmas Eve, a honky tonk song about getting dumped on Christmas. Get it for free at bandcamp . Not on Christmas Eve by Boca Chica

AB & The Sea teamed up with The She's to remake Darlene Love's Merry Christmas Baby in a very, very fine style. Download for free using the widget below (fill in your email adress, you'll get a downloadlink). Attention: downloadlink might end up in your junkmail-box. Thanks to the wonderful Stubby's House of Christmas for the tip!

Co-written and produced with Peter of Peter Bjorn And John fame, we've been promised extra sleigh bells on this festive track from CocknBullKid. A unique take on 'Amazing Grace', have a listen to her offering. CockNBullKid - Amazing Dave This is taken from NME's list of best free Christmas downloads. Go HERE

Posted about this Paul McCartney-cover before ( here ), but now you can download the track for free HERE (scroll down).

Dutch beer brand Grolsch jams out Christmas music with the Swingtop Philharmonic Orchestra, a troupe made up of some of the world's leading musicians and sound engineers who play exclusively on instruments made from Grolsch Swingtop bottles. A re-imagined version of the Christmas favourite by Ernst Anschütz has been arranged by composer Ross Power and is led by conductor Thomas Blunt, seven percussionists, woodwind players and a timpanist.

La fille du père Noël (Santa's daughter) isn't exactly an atmospherical Christmas song, it struts to a beat very similar to that of David Bowie's The Jean Genie - though Bowie stole it from Jacques Dutronc . Now 67, Dutronc still rocks and rolls effortless. Listen to the original version from 1966, and the just released live-version. Dutronc also mentions Pere Fouettard. Read about this odd fellow here . Jacques Dutronc - La fille du Pere Noël Jacques Dutronc - La fille du Pere Noël (live)

You all know the feeling: your partner or your mum gives you that great looking christmas present. The wrapping paper is nice and shiny, with cute reindeer all over it. The size is exactly what you had in mind. Could it really be...? Is it....? Will you finally get...? And then you open it. The often funny , sometimes irritating , but always charming ladies of Garfunkel and Oates know the feeling too:

First of two Christmas music podcasts, hosted (in Dutch) by Guuzbourg, with guest Oscar Smit. Download from HERE Playlist: 1.Best Coast & Wavves - I Got Something For You 2.We Cook With Fire - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 3.Claude François - En rêvant à Noël 4.The Sonics - Santa Claus 5.Fay Lovsky - Noël quand on est petit 6.The Sicknicks - A White Christmas & the 3'O Clock Weather Report 7.Severinsen - Rudolf met den roden tud 8. Hands & Knees - James Brown Died On Christmas Day 9. James Brown - Soulful Christmas 10.Pink Martini - White Christmas Part II 11.Johnny Hallyday - Noël Interdit 12.Richard Cheese - Holiday in Cambodia 13.Wild Man Fischer - I Am A Christmas Tree 14.Fitz & the Tantrums - Santa Stole My Lady 15. Tirkish Jingle Bells 16. Grandaddy - Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland 17. Beans & Fatback - Tonight Girl I'm Coming Back Home

One of the best new Christmas songs I've heard this year, with interesting wordplay in the title, is Whore for the Holidays by Brooklyn-based quartet The Davenports . Lyric-wise it's very Elvis Costello-like. Or Ben Folds. In short, the song's about an office slut. But in a melancholic way. The Davenports - Whore for the Holidays

Let me take some time away from the soundbytes to talk about one of my favorite local bands here in Minneapolis, Trailer Trash . They are a great live band that plays western swing and they pack the house. It's really hard to describe how much fun they are to see live. Every holiday season I look forward to their Christmas shows and I can't wait to see them next weekend. They have three Christmas CDs that are now available for purchase from their website . Below are some samples of my favorites. Mary's Boy Child I've Shopped Everywhere Do You Hear What I Hear (You Really Got Me) Santa's A Spy Night Before X-Mas Boogie Believe me. You could do far worse for ten buck a pop.

Ben Crea imagines how Daft Punk would sound if they'd ever record a Christmas cover. Taken from this compilation . Ben Crea - Jingle Bells

A Catchy Christmas is a wonderful compilation featuring (mostly) Dutch artists performing their self-written new(-ish) Christmas song. It includes the most famous Dutch Christmas song ever ( this one , with a new French version added) and contributions from Powderblue (gorgeous country), Arthur Ebeling (rhythm and blues), Brian Protheroe (blues) and Theo Nijland (Dutch nostalgia). I love this song with added x-mas classic licks by guitar trio Ocobar , scratches by DJ Git Hyper.

One of American composer, band leader, and electronic instrument inventor Raymond Scott 's earliest and most-successful commercial jingles was "Be Happy, Go Lucky" for Lucky Strike cigarettes. A special Christmas modification was made to the tune for the 1950s TV show, YOUR HIT PARADE . An interesting aside: the holiday version of the carton's packaging was crafted by another influential Raymond, the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewry. (Thanks to raymondscott.blogspot.com )

Suburban Sprawls new annual Christmas compilation is out (2cds!). Download 'm all (from 2002 until now) HERE . Great song on the 2010 comp is this one from From the Future. From the Future - Christmas creep

Unwrapping Sarah Cracknell, now there's a pleasant Christmas thought. The new X-mas compilation from her band St. Etienne (A Glimpse of stocking) is sold out, alas. You can listen to the seven new tracks (including Unwrap me) here.

Dutch countrysoulheroes Beans & Fatback made an X-mas version of their single Tonight Girl... You can download it for free, if you 'pay' with a tweet or a posting on Facebook. Go HERE.

The Fonz digs Christmas and he digs reading poetry. Here he is reading Twas The Night Before Christmas. If you need more Christmas soundbytes, head over to Check The Cool Wax .

When I hear 'I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus' , I don't picture the Santa Claus in question being the father of the obviously male child spying on his parents having a snog. I think mommy caught the real Santa Claus off guard, and that daddy is sound asleep after a nasty week at the office and a few bourbons before bed. Since our desperate 1950s housewife hasn't seen the postman in a while due to the holidays, she turned to the first man who drops by and that just happens to be Santa. Santa is the master of sneaking in and out unnoticed, someone who never kisses and tells, and probably has more housewife experience than anyone else on the planet. Maybe the husband doesn't make enough money and mommy has to use her charms to make sure her little boy gets that train set hubby can't afford. Maybe daddy is always on the sauce and doesn't pay any attention to what his wife does at night. It's all about keeping up appearances and Santa knows all about that, to...

wallow in some english electro melancholy with the hurts. this is one of those few christmas songs that is actually a great song at any time of the year. the hurts - all i want for christmas is new years day

I'm not really in the mood yet for Christmas since I'm still wrapping presents for Sinterklaas this weekend and I haven't listened to any Christmas songs either. Actually there's only one Christmas related song I've heard a lot the last few weeks and that's only the case because it's on a regular album that was released earlier this year: Time Of The Season. This song is featured on Hawk , the third album of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan . The recipe hasn't changed since their first brilliant album Ballads of the broken sea, but the silky girly voice of Campbel combines so well with the murmuring Lanegan that they can go on like this for ages before getting boring. Isobell Campbel & Mark Lanegan - Time Of The Season ( Hawk )

Amani Starns writes: 'I'm an LA based soulsinger/songwriter who geeks out about Christmas music and the holidays. While most of my songs are about guys and love, I spiced up Frank Sinatra's "Mistletoe and Holly" and made a fun video for it.' Amani Starns - Mistletoe and Holly

Le Bon Le Bon - Megan Fox For Christmas

Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello got together in 1981 and recorded Together We Can Make A Merry Christmas. It was about 15 years after their beach movie heyday, and it sounds like it. The song still stands up, but I really wish they would have recorded it with the charm of their beach hits. More than that, can you imagine how fun a Christmas beach movie would have been? Forget about it... Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello - Together We Can Make A Merry Christmas

A new version of an old LD-classic

British indie-label Where it's at is where you are asked all their artists to record a seasonal tune. Most wrote brandspanking new Christmas songs, Jeff Mellin even shot a brilliant, Dylan-style video ( here ). Among the 20 tracks on the free downloadable compilation ( here , where it says 'download') is a great rework of the Pretenders classic 2000 Miles by DJ Downfall. DJ Downfall - 2000 Miles

The holiday season brings the thrill and the cloying annoyance of the familiar. Many people, religious and non-religious, enjoy the shared traditions of a mass holiday. In the area of Christmas songs, for example, a basic repertoire of melodies and lyrics known to most can be sung by a large number of people who otherwise share few direct musical touchstones. The result can be a shared tradition adding the warmth of connections among people--or the irresistible and often painful urge to create novelty songs. The folks at Kasio Kristmas enter a crowded field when they set out to do a series of Christmas songs on Casio instruments. Chiptune-like versions of Christmas songs predate chiptune music itself. Staring at a set of Christmas standards played on Casio instruments may strike the listener rather like climbing a large gingerbread mountain, only to find that treacle flows like lava from the summit. Yet Kasio Kristmas performs its novelty tasks with a flair and attention to detail ofte...

In the spirit of Christmas from the 1970s of my youth, here are French translations of Christmas music gone disco and as a medley, the latter of which usually makes me break out in a rash, but hey, it's Christmas. Picture an old skool record advertisement on television (like K-Tel records) with a man's booming voice-over, complete with polyester clad white people around a bright Christmas tree and you'll have jumped into my snowed-in Québécois past without even knowing it. Add to this playing board games on the floor in the spare room with my cousins, that one drunk uncle the grown-ups make excuses for, a grandmother that stuffs us with all those Christmas cookies and oranged-filled chocolates, and a tall pine tree with so many decorations that it droops, while baby Jesus below in his manger is wondering what all the fuss is about. If you think this picture is a bit over the top, well that's standard modern fare nowadays in the suburbs. You're lucky to not see the w...