14 Christmas Songs You Should Listen To

 

 Over the past few years, I've been doing my GETTING IN THE MOOD posts. Sharing Christmas songs and albums I love. I thought it was time to do a new version, sharing some of my favorites Christmas songs. Many of them not traditional. Unique songs and unique versions of traditional songs.

So, let's get right to it...

1. The Kinks- "Father Christmas"....The poor kids anthem, and a classic Kinks riff...




2. Billy Squier- "Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You"...Showing my age...The days when MTV played music...Totally underrated Christmas song...





3. Dead Sara- "Snow in Los Angeles"  Released a few years, I immediately fell in love with this song. The awesome Singer of Dead Sara is now also singing with Linkin Park.




4. "White Christmas" is not only a classic but hands down one of my favorites. I'm not sure I've come across a bad version, but I love  This is the coolest, grooviest, and my favorite version of "White Christmas" by Booker T. & the MG's

5.  "Blue Christmas"  This one is an old standard...It always makes me think of those I wish were still with us. I don't like Elvis...And since one of my favorite bands did it a few years ago, I'll go with them...Our Lady Peace...





6. The Pretenders- "2000 Miles"...I just flat-out love this song...My favorite song from the Pretenders...

7. JD McPherson's "All the Gifts I Need" from his album "SOCKS" has an oldies vibe but it's from 2018.  The album is all original, humorous, with heart and rockin'. 

8. "Be Good at Christmas" by Katie Malco. And after this, checkout more of Katie Malco. She isn't talked about enough and her 2020 album "Failures" is the best album that was released in that God awful year!

9. Daniel Mustard- "Since Santa Ain't Coming"...I shared this many years ago...An anti-Christmas song, from a guy who just months before recoding it was homeless. He was discovered by Opie and Anthony and know as "Homeless Mustard." Opie helped and funded him getting a couple EP's recorded. Awhile back Mustard fell off of social media. I hope he's still making music somewhere.

10. This next one is unique, but I think it's a great take on the classic. Phoebe Bridgers (featuring Fiona Apple and Matt  Berninger : "7 O'clock News/Silent Night"

11. Pearl Jam- "Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)" Back in the early '90s none of us expected  these guys to do a Christmas song, but they did, and it's excellent...

12. "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"  -Tom Waits...It's a beautiful song about, just what the title says...There is also a great remake by Neko Case...

13. A classic we all love from Charlie Brown, "Christmas Time Is Here"...This version comes from sister and brother duo, Jocelyn and Chris Arndt. They do a lot of Bluesy-Rock stuff but this is acoustic, nice and mellow.

14. A song that I'm sure has parts that offend people these days, but it a beauty, sung by an ugly fucking dude. The Pogues classic, "Fairytale of New York."

Getting In the Mood (vol. 11.)

 

Christmas Eve! All the gifts are wrapped. We've decorated home baked ornaments. I made a Chewbacca Gingerbread man/Wookie, my son made Sans (from Undertale) gingerbread man. my daughter made a few snowmen and did a handprint and heart. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip is in the Crockpot and Hanky-Pankies are prepped for Christmas Eve junk food eating and movie watching fun. If you are asking, Hanky-Pankies are ground meat, sage sausage, sautéed with some herbs and spices, then drain the grease. Mix in Velveeta cheese. Spoon onto party ryes. Freeze them. Then when you want to smash some, heat them up in the oven at 350 degrees for maybe ten minutes. Have a nice Christmas Ale with them. I recommend Lake Erie Brewing Company's Christmas Ale or Troeges Mad Elf Ale.

Honestly, my feeling is Christmas Eve is better than Christmas Day. Yes I love seeing the kids excited and them & my wife happy with their gifts and getting together with family...normally, but not this year. But Christmas Eve has the build up. It's great family time. Christmas wouldn't be nearly as fun if it wasn't for Christmas Eve. And I'm wasting too much time doing this, so lets get to the song.

This is my favorite Christmas song. I think it's the most underrated one out there. It doesn't get nearly enough air-play. Maybe I'm biased because it's from my youth, but this song says what Christmas is about. It's about Love and being with the people we love.

Billy Squier's "Christmas Is a Time to Say I Love You."

Merry Christmas!!!

A Beezer's Dozen...My Top 12 Christmas Songs

It's the Holiday Season...And I haven't felt very festive...I've been too busy at work, and too broke to really get going into Christmas too much...We also just knocked out Molly's 4th birthday Sunday...4 years already...Holy shit...Now that both the girls birthdays are out of the way, it's time to get our Christmas on...So, I thought I'd revisit the old Christmas songs to see if that would help get me in the spirit...

So lets get right to it...

1. The Kinks- Father Christmas....The poor kids anthem, and a classic Kinks riff...




2. Billy Squier- Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You...Showing my age...The days when MTV played music...Totally underrated Christmas song...





3. Dead Sara- Snow in Los Angeles...This is a new one...Released a couple years just after I had done a list of Christmas songs...This one shot up right away on my list...




4. Pearl Jam- Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time) Back in the early '90s none of us expected  these guys to do a Christmas song, but they did, and it's excellent...





5.  "Blue Christmas"  This one is an old standard...It always makes me think of those I wish were still with us...I'm sure there are plenty of people feeling this year...I don't like Elvis...And since my favorite band did it a couple years ago, I'll go with them...Our Lady Peace...





6. The Pretenders- 2000 Miles...I just flat-out love this song...My favorite song from the Pretenders...




7. Daniel Mustard- Since Santa Ain't Coming...I shared this a couple weeks ago...An anti-Christmas song, from a guy who just months before recoding it was homeless...





8. Let it Snow...Another old standard...You gotta love how Dean could lay it down...And I have to say, the Rat Pack Christmas album is awesome...





9. Silent Night....I'm going with the Sarah McLachlan version...But there are so many great versions, it's hard to screw up...If you really want to get depressed check out the Lisa Hannigan version...Uhgg





10. Chris Cornell- Ave Maria...Everyone knew the Soundgarden front man could sing, but when he did this for 1997's  "A Very Special Christmas Volume 3" everyone was blown away to hear just how amazing of a singer he is...




11. "Memory"  -Savatage...Long before you heard of TSO, some of those guys were in a group called Savatage that loved to write Metal Operas...This is from one called "Dead Winter Dead"...It's also where that famous TSO "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) came from...



12. "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"  -Tom Waits...It's a beautiful song about, just what the title says...There is also a great remake by Neko Case...




That's it...What do you think?  What are your favorite Christmas songs?

If you're interested, here's my LIST of the 15 top Christmas Movies...

Have a week...

The Beeze.

Monday Moaning (The Beeze's Top 10 Christmas Songs)

This week the normal Monday Moaning is taking a break...It's just before Christmas and I've been all wrapped up in getting things ready for Christmas...We have our annual Christmas Eve party...Plus I have to pick up the Christmas dinner duties because my Mom was slowed down by some health issues...Don't worry, she's fine...Minor thing, but it threw my folks a wrinkle...My brothers aren't in any position to pick up the slack, so it's on us...

Anyways I've spent no time on sports between work, and the Christmas prep...So, I'm going with music...Music as always been big in my life...Ever since I was a kid...My Mom teaching me about the Beatles and Stones...My dad teaching me about Blues and Jazz...Then my older brothers brought in their influences...I've been hooked on music forever...So this week, since I've been sharing different Christmas song each week, we'll get into the full list...Well, at least the top 10....

1. The Kinks- Father Christmas....The poor kids anthem, and a classic Kinks riff...





2. Billy Squier- Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You...Showing my age...The days when MTV played music...Totally underrated Christmas song...





3. Dead Sara- Snow in Los Angeles...This is a new one...Released last year just after I had done a list of Christmas songs...This one shot up right away on my list...





4. Pearl Jam- Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time) Back in the early '90s none of us expected  these guys to do a Christmas song, but they did, and it's excellent...





5.  "Blue Christmas"  This one is an old standard...It always makes me think of those I wish were still with us...I'm sure there are plenty of people feeling this year...I don't like Elvis...And since my favorite band did it a couple years ago, I'll go with them...Our Lady Peace...





6. The Pretenders- 2000 Miles...I just flat-out love this song...My favorite song from the Pretenders...





7. Daniel Mustard- Since Santa Ain't Coming...I shared this a couple weeks ago...An anti-Christmas song, from a guy who just months before recoding it was homeless...





8. Let it Snow...Another old standard...You gotta love how Dean could lay it down...And I have to say, the Rat Pack Christmas album is awesome...





9. Silent Night....I'm going with the Sarah McLachlan version...But there are so many great versions, it's hard to screw up...If you really want to get depressed check out the Lisa Hannigan version...Uhgg





10. Chris Cornell- Ave Maria...Everyone knew the Soundgarden front man could sing, but when he did this for 1997's  "A Very Special Christmas Volume 3" everyone was blown away to hear just how amazing of a singer he is...





That's it...What do you think?  What are your favorite Christmas songs?

If you're interested, here's my LIST of the 15 top Christmas Movies...

Have a week...And a Merry Christmas!

The Beeze.

The Beeze's Top Christmas Songs

So last night I broke out my favorite Christmas movies...So of course now it's time to take a look at my top Christmas tunes...Again, not going with the normal numbers...This time I'm stopping at 11...

1.  "Father Christmas"  -The Kinks...The poor kids anthem...Classic Kinks riff...




(Bad video quality but good sound) 

2. "Christmas is a Time to Say I Love You"  -Billy Squier...From the good ole days when MTV played music...To me this has always been an underrated Christmas tune...




3. "2000 Miles"  -The Pretenders...I just love this song...I would call this the best Pretenders song...




4. "Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)"  -Pearl Jam...Back in the early '90s none of us expected  these guys to do a Christmas song, but they did, and it's excellent...




5.  "Blue Christmas"  This one is an old standard...It always makes me think of those I wish were still with us...I'm sure there are plenty of people feeling this year...I don't like Elvis...And since my favorite band did it a couple years ago, I'll go with them...Our Lady Peace...




6.  "Since Santa Ain't Coming"  -Daniel Mustard...For being an anti-Christmas song it's good...But it falls under the scope of Christmas songs, and I like it...




7. "Christmas Song"  -Sleeves...Here's an odd one...A little known one...But it's catchy...




8. "Memory"  -Savatage...Long before you heard of TSO, some of those guys were in a group called Savatage that loved to write Metal Operas...This is from one called "Dead Winter Dead"...It's also where that famous TSO "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) came from...




9. "Let It Snow"  -Dean Martin...Another old standard...You gotta love how Dean could lay it down...And I have to say, the Rat Pack Christmas album is awesome...




10. "Silent Night"  I'm going with the Sarah McLachlan version...But there are so many great versions, it's hard to screw up...If you really want to get depressed check out the Lisa Hannigan version...Uhgg





11. "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"  -Tom Waits...It's a beautiful song about, just what the title says...There is also a great remake by Neko Case...





That's my list...What's yours like...

The Beeze.