For many, this time of year brings to mind George Frideric Handel's masterpiece "Messiah" - a three part oratorio for orchestra, chorus and soloists. For many, the holiday season has not begun until the local Messiah Sing-Along. (Need a score to sing along? It's always a good idea to check the Choral Public Domain Library! And before you go, make sure you're ready with a handy - and hilarious - quiz!) But the Messiah narrative has much less to do with that omnipresent, tacit, eponymous character and much more to do with the shared and often painful condition of the human family and our attempts to understand and commune with the universe. Director Claus Guth has staged the oratorio using a setting that mirrors that experience: a funeral. [Clips of that performance within.] [more inside]
posted by greekphilosophy on Dec 22, 2009 - 16 comments

Pomplamoose are Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn and they make music. You might have seen their cover of Single Ladies (previously), but they do so much more than pop covers.

Just released for Christmas is this wonderful original track entitled "Always in the Season." Other originals include "Hail Mary" and "Beat The Horse;" the rest of their catalogue is linked inside. [more inside]
posted by flatluigi on Dec 18, 2009 - 46 comments

Every so often, the Opie and Anthony radio show run a Homeless Shopping Spree, where they take some homeless people off the streets and take them out to an upscale mall to buy clothes for them. This year, a man who calls himself Mustard mentioned to them that he used to be a musician, so they gave him a guitar.
posted by flatluigi on Dec 12, 2009 - 66 comments

8 bit Christmas
posted by DU on Dec 4, 2009 - 19 comments

8-bit Jesus is a free CD of Christmas classics, done in 8-bit style by the fantastic Doctor Octoroc. [via]
posted by patr1ck on Dec 25, 2008 - 10 comments

Merry Christmas from Henchmen 21 & 24. The annual Venture Bros. Christmas song from Quickstop Entertainment. (Previously and previously)
posted by XQUZYPHYR on Dec 24, 2008 - 24 comments

Almost no traditional Christmas carols were written by Jews (though there have been rumors). But sometimes it seems like almost all the best 20th century Christmas songs were. Many people are dimly aware of this, but few know its full extent. I have compiled a list, with representative performances. [more inside]
posted by grobstein on Dec 13, 2008 - 67 comments

What's the worst part about the holidays? The consumerism? The awkward office parties? Belligerent relatives and needy offspring? No, its holiday music, especially those involving former heroes [NSFOP]. This year, give the gift of non-suckage.
posted by MiltonRandKalman on Dec 11, 2008 - 50 comments

New Hampshire's Drawing Room at the Edge of the Universe. A Christmas carol for the coming depression. A ballad about accidental second chances. A canceled fireworks display leads to a midnight balloon ride and a mysterious quest. Welcome to Atoms, Motion, and the Void. You are the guest of septuagenarian Sherwin Sleeves, and these are his stories. [more inside]
posted by Pastabagel on Dec 10, 2008 - 9 comments

An antidote to the holly jolly malaise: Few Christmas carols contain as much blood and suffering as "Down in yon forest." It was first documented in England by Ralph Vaughan Williams, but John Jacob Niles found an even gorier version in North Carolina (Alfred Deller's rendition). [more inside]
posted by imposster on Dec 9, 2008 - 29 comments

The Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend’s "Fairytale Of New York." The annual Venture Bros. Christmas song. (Previously)
posted by XQUZYPHYR on Dec 26, 2007 - 24 comments

Fairytale of New York... censored! No, not now... Shane will make 50 this Christmas... Sadly not Kirsty.
posted by fearfulsymmetry on Dec 21, 2007 - 89 comments

An FPP for your holiday listening pleasure. Ha ha ha. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Dec 18, 2007 - 15 comments

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fish-Men. Brought to you by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
posted by JHarris on Dec 17, 2007 - 13 comments

Vintage Christmas Wax The Edison Concert band never sounded so good.
posted by Stynxno on Dec 13, 2007 - 6 comments

Straight No Chaser (Indiana University men's acapella group) performs this hilarious rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Want to perform it with your own acapella chorus? You're in luck. The sheet music is available as an inexpensive digital download.
posted by CrunchyFrog on Dec 12, 2007 - 38 comments

Santastic I, II, and now III, holiday mash-ups, alternate treatments and bootleg remixes.
Previously
posted by Mwongozi on Dec 5, 2007 - 10 comments

Lucky Soul's 'Lips Are Unhappy' isn't the likliest of contenders for the UK's coveted Christmas number one, but this is the track (from a shortlist) selected by listeners of Last.fm to receive Last.fm's backing. Profits go to charity, as is the norm for Xmas No. 1 entries.
posted by nthdegx on Nov 26, 2007 - 13 comments

Do They Know It's Christmas? (MP3) The 1984 plea for Ethiopian famine aid, as performed by the cast of The Venture Bros. Also, Monarch & Dr. Girlfriend cover David Bowie and Bing Crosby(MP3).
posted by XQUZYPHYR on Dec 29, 2006 - 15 comments

Christmas carols reviewed It's that time of year again for the Christmas Abstract: a music reviewer casts his ear upon tunes of the season. Mostly acerbic, but still interesting. Even includes dialog between Jesus and the Pottery Barn music director.
posted by forrest on Dec 7, 2005 - 20 comments

Joy to the world! The Lord has gum! "Good King Wences' car backed out / On the feet of heathens..." We've discussed Mondegreens (misheard lyrics), but tis the season for Christmas Mondegreens. Snopes has culled out some great ones, and there's also a book of them, "Deck the Halls with Buddy Holly."
posted by GaelFC on Dec 5, 2005 - 51 comments

Santastic: Holiday boots for your stockings. Mash-ups of decades of Christmas records just in time for the holidays. The quality varies throughout, but it makes for some fun manic listening if you've grown tired of the same perennial chestnuts. Merry Christmash to all, and to all a boot night.
posted by Robot Johnny on Dec 3, 2005 - 14 comments

Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! Just in time for the holidays! Three EPs of Christmas Songs as performed by one Sufjan Stevens. They are Bad Rad, I promise.
posted by hughbot on Nov 29, 2005 - 12 comments

20 Years of Christmas
Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goulet (for $12 each)
posted by miss lynnster on Dec 23, 2004 - 18 comments

No Xmas in U.S. this year: Santa on Fed's "No Fly" list.
Okay, that's just "News" from the website of satiric rockers Bah and the Humbugs, skewering Xmas since 1985. MP3s of the entirety of this year's CD Farhenheit 12/25 are available on the website, or you can buy the CD for $10 and all ten sheckles go to the UN World Food Programme. More tracks here, including the "Jolly Roger the Xmas Pirate" series and "Free the Reindeer. " Great stuff for that awkward holiday family get-together, where the music won't offend but the cool lyrics can keep you chuckling to yourself all night.
posted by Shane on Dec 17, 2004 - 4 comments

A Singular Christmas. You know how you're so busy during the holidays that you don't have time to listen to all that Christmas music you love some much? Brian Whitman and his Eigenradio have taken all the hassle out of holiday music-listening for you by "play[ing] only the most important frequencies."
posted by soplerfo on Dec 1, 2004 - 6 comments

FaLaLaLaLa.com - Preserving the memories of Christmas Vinyl Past. [more inside]
posted by soundofsuburbia on Nov 29, 2004 - 5 comments

Christmas Wrapping is one of the most enduring (and arguably one of the hippest) Christmas songs of the past twenty years. Though a quintessential keyboard-and-sax driven New Wave tune, the endearing singleton's account of the year in dating on Christmas Eve tops the Christmas charts every year, and has survived reinterpretations by the Spice Girls and Save Ferris. This year, the eclectically-talented Chris Butler reflects on its inception.
posted by pxe2000 on Dec 23, 2003 - 35 comments

Mistletunes - your one-stop resource for those half-remembered Rock 'n' Roll Christmas songs of today and yesteryear. I'm partial to the novelty tunes of the '50's and '60's myself (as well a bit of punk), but you can also check out the lists of Hanukkah Hits, Surfin' Christmas, and keep up with the latest Christmas releases.
posted by anastasiav on Dec 15, 2003 - 5 comments

A Cappella Holiday is a refreshing alternative to the tired, workaday holiday fare that may be piped into your office. All holiday tunes, but all a cappella, with some real gems you've never heard before. If your ears have been malled by Muzak and it's making you anything but merry, this free, streaming radio station might be the tonic. (There's a non-holiday a cappella station too, if you're just fa-la-la'ed out.)
posted by bradlands on Dec 10, 2003 - 12 comments

12 oddest Christmas hits... ever! Almost December, the stores are playing the usual Xmas compilations (already) so I propose a change to the usual "Rockin around the Christmas Tree". Which ear worm do you want?
posted by snowgoon on Nov 28, 2003 - 33 comments

Christmas Music that Doesn't suck. I know I get tired of all that Christmas music, but I have one CD by Mojo Nixon that I really enjoy all year. Horny Holidays is a fantastic CD with versions of many classic Christmas songs like "Happy Birthday", and "The Grinch", and who really does know all the words to "Good King Wenceslas"?
posted by Eekacat on Dec 24, 2002 - 11 comments

Twas the night before Xmas and all through the net,
The geeks would be googling the ascii character set;
Metafilter refreshed on their PCs with care,
In the hopes that their FPP soon would be there;

Then up in the blue there arose such a clatter,
Mathowie sprang up to see what's the matter;
When, what to my wondering eyes there should be,
The canonical list of "Twas" parodies.
posted by Wet Spot on Dec 22, 2002 - 11 comments

"Jingle Bells" is the first Christmas song we learn. It's the Christmas song no one ever forgets. But when "Jingle Bells" was written in the 1850s by Boston native James Lord Pierpont, it was not a Christmas song. It had nothing to do with the holidays. "Jingle Bells" was what you might call pre-Civil War rock 'n' roll. In its seldom-heard original form, it's about having a flashy vehicle, driving it too fast and using it to pick up girls. (by Larry Katz, Boston Herald--via Fark.com)
posted by Carol Anne on Dec 24, 2001 - 3 comments

Alt.Xmas.Music.Lyrics. I've never been accused in the past of only posting serious news item type links - so just to prove that i'm no stick-in-the-mud here is a fun link. It apparently requires no shockwave plugins..... ladies and gentlemen--and especially you cosmopolite European members--I give you, after a wee scroll down and download.... Walking Round In Women's Underwear!! please enjoy this during work hours.
posted by y2karl on Dec 19, 2001 - 8 comments

coolest christmas songs i'm trying to put together a really great Christmas c.d. I have some Burl Ives, the Chipmonks, David Bowie with Bing Crosby. But I know I'm missing some great tunes. Do you know of anything cool?
posted by tsarfan on Nov 27, 2001 - 123 comments

what WE do on christmas--- my latest favorite xmas song this is as close as i could get, but look up atom & his package on the first christmas sampler. this time of year brings out my inner jew (oy, i got pain)
posted by ethylene on Dec 24, 2000 - 0 comments

Tired of Christmas music? I reckon so. I sure understand. Still, trust me on this. You're in for a treat. We're Just Three Kings gives me goose pimples on the back of my neck every time I hear it. Most know about mp3c, but few wanna dig around in there. It's like falling into a record bin big as Cleveland. Here let me help you. I'm recommending only sure-things here - Tamashiro's What Child Is This is straight-forward, no-nonsense, feelgood Christmas fare. Liona Boyd's instrumental guitar is heavenly background music that would warm the heart of the coldest Grinch. If you find yourself surprised with a need to have free Xmas music real fast, it's just a pooter away, Santa Baby.
posted by ZachsMind on Dec 24, 2000 - 9 comments

Have yourself a G.G Allin Christmas and if you don't know who he is/was, have a look here. I thank you. (Contains naughty words.)
posted by Jofus on Oct 26, 2000 - 5 comments