4Play

Dec. 19, 2007

Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas - Asthmatic Kitty
If you’ve had quite enough of the regular influx of holiday music (thank you very much) but still want to have something festive to listen to, you’ll probably want to check out Stevens’ big holiday set, with over 40 quirky Christmas songs that are both familiar and fresh. For several years, Stevens has been recording holiday mini-EPs just for friends and family, but with this collection, he’s decided to share some of those tunes with his fans as well. Some of the tunes are firmly rooted in indie-pop (“Jupiter Winter”), some have that smart-silly feel Stevens is often known for (“Come On! Let’s Boogie to the Elf Dance!”) and others are surprisingly sentimental and pretty (his lo-fi version of “O Holy Night” and the triple-threat of “Emmanuel,” especially) All are arranged beautifully, and all manage to get across Stevens’ genuine affection for the holiday, even as he’s giving it a cheeky wink.


The Chipmunks - Christmas with The Chipmunks- Capitol
The movie might be overkill, but what’s an American Christmas without the Chipmunks? The man known as David Seville may not have known that he was sitting on a novelty goldmine when he took the sound of a few people singing and sped it up to chipmunk speed; but one listen to “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” and you’ll be shaking your head at the comic/marketing genius behind such a simple audio trick. This isn’t really a disc you’ll want to listen to on endless repeat, but it’s pretty darned entertaining the first time through, especially given the ‘60s retro-cute banter between Dave and his three miniature pals. And even though they’re (ahem) chipmunks, those rodents can sure harmonize; the musical arrangements are surprisingly effective on such tracks as “Rudolph,” “Frosty,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “Greensleeves.”


Various Artists - Christmas Around the World - Putamayo
Not everyone who celebrates Christmas does so in snowy lands, as this world Christmas collection so eloquently reminds us. Musicians from Central and South America and the Caribbean bring their countries’ respective sounds to a set of seasonal favorites, enhancing these carols with the tropical feel of steel drums and cha-cha rhythms on tracks like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Paz En La Tierra (Joy to the World).” Elsewhere, “St. Nicholas” is given a Cajun feel complete with accordian, while Steve Schuch and the Night Heron Consort bring Celtic sounds to “Here We Come A-Wassailing”, and Cuba L.A. takes “Deck the Hall” into a hipster’s lounge, complete with horns and Cuban rhythms. It’s not only interesting to hear these carols in more international arrangements, but the whole thing also makes a great, danceable audio holiday backdrop.


The Beach Boys - Christmas with The Beach Boys - Capitol
Also celebrating the holiday in warmer lands are The Beach Boys, who’ve seen this holiday set reissued so many times that it’s ridiculous (in a good way). Rearranged by none other than Brian Wilson (of course), the Christmas songs here all acquiesce to that unmistakable Beach Boys sound, with their trademark harmonies and early ‘60s surfboard sensibilities. Standouts include the alternate versions of “Little Saint Nick,” “Blue Christmas,” “We Three Kings,” “Bells of Christmas,” and their utilization of part of an old Al Jardine track on “Santa’s Got an Airplane”. Other tracks of note include the Beach Boys’ holiday originals, especially “The Man with All the Toys” and “Winter Symphony”. As if all of this holiday Beach-Boy-ness wasn’t enough, you’ll also get several outtakes, a brief interview with Brian Wilson, and an entertaining promotional tape that the Beach Boys did for a local toy drive.