Christmas Music

Dear Optimists,

I’m kind of fixated on the whole Christmas thing right now…the tree is trimmed, the Christmas Lego sets are up, the 100-year-old train set heirloom is running and I’m done shopping. Last week I discussed a few traditions, so now I’m thinking about Christmas music. I refuse to think about it before December 15th, unlike the DJs who start ramming it down our throats on Thanksgiving. So I thought I would go with a discussion on the best Christmas records of all time. And I mean RECORDS.

I have this amazing album called Jingle Bell Jazz on which a jazz band covers a bunch of holiday songs. Best 25 cents I ever spent. It’s one of my favorites. And I could NEVER go a whole holiday season without my favorite two: Beach Boys Christmas and Charlie Brown Christmas. Those two are always playing when it comes time for a Christmas event in my house. Another favorite, which took me years to find, is The Ventures Christmas Album. They kind of mix up carols with their own songs and sound…so much fun!

This year I’ve added a new addition. Even though I think the world has had enough of Zooey Deschanel, the new She & Him Christmas Album is adorable. It’s all cover songs, so I appreciate that they didn’t attempt creating new songs. There are a few with the lovely ukelele that they seem to love in their music, which is a nice addition, and they even did two Beach Boys covers! So yes, I’ve added it to my list.

I also love Mele Kamikimaka. It always makes me think about National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. But heck…we’ll save movies for another day.

Love,
Den

Advertisement