For many of us, holiday music is inescapable at this time of year. And since the Christmas season in the States now starts the day after Halloween, we now get a full extra month of unrelenting overkill. I write this fresh from standing in the return line at Walmart at the holiday-shopping peak, so my senses are especially shell-shocked at the moment.
I love Christmas music, mind you. It’s just the overkill that gets to me. Then again, I say this as someone who considered presenting you with a playlist made up entirely of different versions of “I Saw Three Ships,” a traditional carol I can listen to on endless repeat. Instead of torturing you, however, I made five playlists, each with a great deal of variety within a particular style or sound.
In some cases, I picked music that wasn’t explicitly holiday-themed. I also included artists who made holiday music that struck me as way too heavy-handed, so I picked tunes from them that fit the vibe much better. The point here was to see if I could stir-up some holiday spirit while avoiding the same-old same old. Enjoy!
You can also listen to all five playlists in one continuous 4-hour chunk.
There are literally thousands of these playlists and complete-album streams out there. On balance, I think the sheer volume of holiday music is good thing. I’m not sure, though, why musicians continue to record new Christmas songs. I’m not even sure why I would make new playlists myself.
Amidst all the music at our fingertips, it would seem like a daunting exercise in futility to be heard above the din. But it’s also admirable to see artists continuing to try and put their own spin on a musical tradition that’s been done to death. I’ve found a bunch who, I think, are offering something fresh.
Happy Holidays from FeedbackDef!
<3 SRK