I know we’re a little late getting to this, but at Indie Shuffle we try to be non-denominational. However, sometimes you have to live by the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mindset. So here is a list of our favorite indie-centric holiday music. Oh, fine, let’s call it what it is – Christmas music. We have a few old covers for your wintery listening pleasure, and you can find some other songs (including more recent releases) on our site by going to the “holiday music” tag.
Zooey Deschanel/Leon Redbone - Baby Its Cold Outside
Who hasn't seen the movie Elf? By now, it has to be one of the classics. For the movie soundtrack, Zooey Deschanel pairs up with Leon Redbone to sing "Baby It's Cold Outside" -- Deschanel serves as a crazy contrast to Redbone's deep vocals. Many will say their voices don't really mesh well... others say it's a great blend.
Best Coast/Wavves - Got Something For You
Best Coast and Wavves teamed up for "Got Something For You," featured on a Target Christmas album The Christmas Gig (streaming online now). I would say something witty and sarcastic about Target and selling out, but they're making a lot of the songs available for free download on the site, so I'm going to refrain from bashing it and just say this single brings a little California surf rock to the holidays.
Mayer Hawthorne - Christmas Time is Here
Mayer Hawthorne uploaded "Christmas Time is Here" to his Soundcloud nine days ago, saying "All the best Christmas songs were written by Jews, and Chanukah songs suck. This is my favorite Christmas tune, sung over the Vince Guaraldi instrumental." I like how Hawthorne can go from doing hip-hop to making a nice, jazzy Christmas single. He gets away with it, I must admit.
Rilo Kiley - Xmas Cake
Rilo Kiley's "Xmas Cake" appeared on Maybe This Christmas Too? way back in 2003 alongside popular artists at the time, like Avril Lavigne and Dave Matthews (umm... seriously? Is Dave Matthews even still around?), but also with The Flaming Lips and Rufus Wainwright. A very confusing mix, to say the least. But Jenny Lewis nails it with this sweet, sad song. P.S. I also believe Barenaked Ladies made an appearance on that album. I mean, just sayin'.
The Knife - Reindeer
The Knife does a great job of taking a Christmas icon like reindeer and weaving a fun and catchy electronic tune around it. They make reindeer sound sexy, sultry, and unattainable. I mean, come on, the lyrics are awesome: "And you move like shadows in the dark / and you glitter and you glimmer and you bark." Maybe it's because they're Swedish. It's practically winter year-round there, right?
Sufjan Stevens - That Was the Worst Christmas Ever
A few blogs are talking about how Sufjan Stevens just recorded some Christmas songs with The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Personally, I like Sufjan's Songs for Christmas from 2006 -- a set of EPs that incorporate his older style of music making. Sufjan fans might notice hints of "Romulus" and "Casimir Pulaski Day" in the single "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" Maybe next year his Christmas collection will be a little less acoustic and more like Age of Adz
.
Feist - Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming
Oh, Feist. If it's one thing we can count on, it's that she will always deliver a beautiful performance, especially on this cover of the German "Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen." Back in 2008, Feist went on the Colbert report dressed up as an angel to sing her Christmas covers. I highly recommend watching the clip to get you feeling Christmas-y. I haven't seen this song much elsewhere, so I'm happy to bring it to your attention on this list. Just lovely.
The Arcade Fire - Jinglebell Rock
This rendition of "Jinglebell Rock" is an Arcade Fire take on an old classic. Lighthearted and almost funny, this song is a haphazard mix of piano, xylophone, bells, and the distinctive vocals of this indie rock group (although not everyone in the band participated in the recording). The album A Very Arcade Xmas is nearly impossible to find, so the link to your right directs you to their iTunes store instead. Sorry, folks.
The Weepies - All That I Want
The Weepies make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Deb Talan and Steve Tannen recorded "All That I Want" on their 2003 album Happiness. The indie pop single is indeed quite happy; the bright and sunny tunes make for a nice transition away from Elliott Smith and onto more upbeat songs. The Weepies’ fourth full-length album, Be My Thrill, was released in August 2010, and they've been on tour ever since.
Elliott Smith - Kings Crossing
With the lyrics "it's Christmas time / and the needles on the tree / a skinny Santa is bringing something to me / his voice is overwhelming / but his speech is slurred / and I only understand every other word," I realize that Elliott Smith is not the most cheerful of choices for inspiring the holiday spirit. But this live version is beautifully done and deserves a spot on this list. The song comes from From a Basement on a Hill, one of Smith's first albums to be released posthumously.