Non-Standard Christmas/Holiday Music I like, ..and yours?


Yes, there is no denying Nat Cole, Bing Crosby and many other well know and well loved Christmas/Holiday songs/albums.  And with that said, are there any Christmas/Holiday albums/CD/SACD/etc.  that you feel are part of the season for you and yours?

Mine would be from Tuck Andress, Anne Murray (yes..Anne Murray), Nancy Wilson,  Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer, Margaret Whiting, Les Paul, Vince Guarldi and several more.

Nancy Wilson's "What are You Doing for New Year's"...yes a "holiday" song can sound sensual, The Canadian Brass, The Four Seasons,   and for something further out...Gloria Estefan doing "Christmas Through Your Eyes".....which is all about what the holiday is all about, Children. 

Please share yours. 


whatjd
Been listening to the heavy metal/metal/hair metal/rock & roll CHRISTMAS music for years now.
it’s great, there is one death metal style, which most in here won’t like. 

  The regular ones are great, the Rob Halford CHRISTMAS is great.    The twisted Christmas by twisted sister is also amazing!

 Still love the old classics, there’s something about Dio, Lemmy, D’Anno, Tate, lynch, Iommi, 

many of them available with many different musicians.
 I love these, no, their not just,parodies, they are all well played/and the singing is also good.

my stereo is turned on Dec 23rd, and warmed up for Christmas morning, 
i love these rock and metal CHRISTMAS CDs.

the Christmas music is not butchered at all!

    Heck, I’m going to grab them early and play this week.

Merry CHRISTMAS everyone.
Happy Hanukkah as well!
gueuze_dude

Thanks for your post, some good music for me to explore.  

...and for breakfast on the Eggs Benedict,  Happy Hollandaise. 

I love xmas music and do broadcasts on Mixlr a couple times a year, often playing non-traditional tunes. Here was my Xmas in July one...  Stream/download link is at the bottom of this post.

Bird Peterson - Opening Montage
Ray Conniff - Ring Christmas Bells
Ferrante and Teicher / Les Baxter - Sleigh Ride / Santa Claus Party
Jazz at Lincoln Center - Brazilian Sleigh Bells
Los Straightjackets - Linus & Lucy
Coppola & Casella - The Little Drummer Boy
The Ventures - Scrooge
Ella Fitzgerald - Jingle Bells
The Count Basie Orchestra - Let It Snow
Jody Nardone Trio - Charlie Brown Theme
David Grisman - Auld Lang Syne
Koko Taylor - Merry Merry Christmas
Keb’ Mo’ - Santa Claus, Santa Claus
The Soulful Strings - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
Bela Fleck - Twelve Days Of Christmas
Wynton Marsalis - Carol Of The Bells
Jon Batiste - Christmas In Barcelona
Pete Fountain - Jingle Bell Rock
Keely Smith - Christmas Island
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - Merry Christmas Baby
Kenny Burrell - My Favorite Things
Miles Davis - Blue Xmas
Jimmy McGriff - From Jimmy With Soul
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
Louis Armstrong - Zat You, Santa Claus
Rotary Connection - Christmas Love
Joseph Washington Jr. - Shopping
The Whispers - Funky Christmas
Cyndi Lauper - Christmas Congo
Sia - Ho Ho Ho
Tele Novella - Purple Snowflakes
Kylie & Frank - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Seth McFarland - Mele Kalikimaka
Lindsey Stirling - Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
Tracey Thorn - Joy
Saint Etienne - Gonna Have A Party
Book Of Love - We Three Kings
Trebuchet - Dashing To The Gym
Colbie Caillat - Christmas In The Sand
Samantha Fish - Run Run Rudolph
Mindi Abair - All I Want For Christmas Is The Blues
Tom Petty - Christmas Al Over Again
Jack Johnson - New Axe
JD McPherson - Twinkle
The Mavericks - Christmas Time Is
Squirrel Nut Zippers - My Evergreen
Canned Heat - Christmas Boogie
The Latin Percussion Jazz Ensemble - My Favorite Things

https://mixlr.com/jasonc/showreel/xmas-in-july
I have never been a fan of much pop/contemp Christmas music. Pretty much like the old standards.

However, JD McPherson's Christmas album "Socks" is a lot of fun.
And this from MAD Magazine....decades ago:

We three clods from Omaha are
Spending Christmas Eve in a car
Driving, drinking,
Glasses clinking,
Who needs a lousy bar?

Tales From The Crypt has a good collection of Christmas classics like Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie. My all-time favorite though is still Ding Fries Are Done https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvvHXjKloNs
Just listen to Holly FM for "traditional" Holiday music you might not be familiar with.
Duke Ellington - Nutcracker Suite
A holiday classic for me since 1976.
30 seconds in and I was hooked for life.
Here is one I pretty much guarantee you have not heard. One of my colleagues sent this to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFJH_oNqKto

And let’s not forget Carol of the Bells by Transiberian ....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCabI3MdV9g

Can’t forget the Pogues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

I think Bangarang by Skillex is the official sound track of way out there Christmas light displays:
https://youtu.be/90oZ52M4IC0?t=265
https://youtu.be/o70eznG2N_A
https://youtu.be/bjk7nDxAUC4?t=234
https://youtu.be/7DxIpvZfRpw
https://youtu.be/das4U9lGIm4

THE NEW AMERICAN GUITAR ENSEMBLE - A Collection Of Favourite Christmas Carols
https://www.discogs.com/The-New-American-Guitar-Ensemble-Lewis-Ross-A-Collection-Of-Favourite-Christ...
https://youtu.be/OHDY4cL10Oc

CLASSICAL 96.3FM PRESENTS - the Classical Music of Christmas
https://grigorian.com/webstore/view.php?iid=57053

CANTATE DOMINO: Oscars Motettkör PROPRIUS Audiophile XRCD
Organ, instrumental amd choir renditions of Xmas season offerings around the world. the live choir concert cut in an ancient church performing “ STILLE NACHT” in German will leave chills on your arms

https://youtu.be/i3duQnGv9EY

CHRIS BOTTI - December
Sampler : https://youtu.be/XFRPL9

And on and on ....



The soundtrack from "The Last Days of Disco" is the Gold Standard in our household (for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah & New Years).

For our exstended/close (non blood) family their Gold Standard for the holidays is...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeUfDTn5huM

Though I was not a Disco fan (@ the time it was happening) I was playing in "copy R&B bands" prior to the Beatles being on Ed Sullivan, but eventually many, many, many years later got the drift of how good it really was/is.

I’m currently looking into early Hall & Oats albums since watching Daryl’s House on cable (other than a few songs I feel that I overlooked them as well - being and x-musician/music snob).

We also play Smokey, Al Green and Dylan’s Euro live concert (64?) as well as "Blonde on Blonde".

The oddest one is probably Mink Deville, which is also in the mix.

Edit:

Also add Carole King "Tapestry".

DeKay


Boston Brass
Durwood Douche - The Christmas GiftMojo Nixon - Horny Holiday’s
John Valby - Herniated Jingle BallsKevin Wilson - Kev’s Christmas
Red Peters Christmas
I'm sick of traditional.
I listen to a playlist I've curated for years. Example:

https://youtu.be/AdW4LtxhF8M
Thanks, exactly what I wanted, suggestions on music/artists I am not familiar with. It would seem suggestions from fellow audio-piles is a better source than my in-laws.

For the "Holiday Spirit" I cannot make a better suggestion than watching the B&W Holiday Inn with Astaire and Crosby.



Santamental - Steve Lukather

X'mas album featuring Steve Vai, Slash, the late, great Eddie Van Halen, and.....Sammy Davis Jr.
Chemayne Micallef - Christmas Piano
Ranked #7 in NY TIMES classical Xmas list
https://www.allmusic.com/album/christmas-piano-mw0000782958

The Priests - Noel ( check out cuts on YouTube)

Celtic Woman Home For Christmas Live From Dublin ( DVD / Bluray / CD ) ( check out cuts on YouTube)

Il Divo - Christmas Collection (xmas Alb) on CD

Il Volo - Buon Natale: The Christmas Album on CD

Sandler & Young - Happy Holidays check out their cut “ I Sing Noel” on YouTube