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Holidays New Music Mix - 2011

2011 Christmas Music Roundup

by Wendy Lee Nentwig

Can you smell it in the air? It's that time again. Christmas is coming, ready or not, and while there's still hope this is the year you'll successfully avoid Grandma's probing inquiries about your still-single status and Uncle Carl's awkward full-frontal hugs, holiday music is a Christmastime inevitability. At the mall or the doctor's office, in grocery stores and elevators, on TV and the radio, from the computers of overly cheery coworkers and the mouths of misguided carolers, you can't escape it. Don't even try. The best you can hope for is to exercise some control over the seasonal sounds you consume. It's in that spirit that we present a host of brand-new holiday releases. Read on and find out which ones are worth adding to this year's holiday playlist.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Scott Weiland

Instead of transforming these holiday chestnuts into alt-rock cool, Weiland plays them straight -- kind of. The move must be a nod to his hero David Bowie, whose 1977 duet with Bing Crosby, "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," surely served as an inspiration. With saccharine string arrangements and show-biz schmaltz, Weiland sounds like a '40s crooner who entered the studio after knocking back too much eggnog. You can almost hear him falling off his stool on "I'll Be Home For Christmas." The scary thing is the guy could've been a half-decent pop singer had he come up through the tradition.

Christmas

Michael Bublé

There won't be any coal in Michael Bublé's stocking. In fact, he's been a very good boy, if this wonderfully listenable album is any gauge. Bublé's Sinatra-esque takes on holiday classics like "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" are just what you'd expect; a big-band sound and some interesting duet partners (Shania Twain joins him for "White Christmas") add a little extra dimension, but there are no real surprises here.

A Holiday Carole

Carole King

The Christmas We Hoped For

Vanessa Peters

Under The Mistletoe

Justin Bieber

The Biebster + holidays? Why didn't someone think of this sooner?! The boy wonder knows how to get you in the festive mood. And we do mean mood: Things get downright naughty on "Christmas Eve." The classics are craftily reworked (Santa comes to town with hip-hop swagger; the drummer boy goes clubbing), and the originals are finely tuned to show off Bieber's surprising range, from dubby coffee-shop pop to soulful country. Plus, a bunch of fabulous guests stop by, including Usher, Boyz II Men and, yes, Mariah Carey. Mistletoe's no Mimi holiday album -- yet. But it's one heck of a holiday party.

A Very She & Him Christmas

She and Him

If any indie duo had to tackle Christmas music, it might as well have been She & Him, what with Zooey Deschanel's cutesy charm and M. Ward's seeming willingness to play along with said cutesiness. Still, A Very She & Him Christmas is quite a tame affair. Zooey's alto sounds quite sharp -- it needs to be against Ward's mostly soft acoustic guitar and her occasional uke strums -- but it also comes off incredibly melancholic. It's a little hard to believe she really wants you to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Nonetheless, this succeeds best when the two duet, like on "Christmas Wish."

A Farmhouse Christmas

Joey + Rory

Joey + Rory's A Farmhouse Christmas includes original songs alongside lesser-known holiday cuts. "The Gift," a touching story of an orphan girl and her heartfelt offering on Christmas Eve, is the stunning highlight. With south-of-the-border instrumental flourishes, this poignant tale will have you in tears by song's end. Their version of "If We Make It Through December" (with Merle Haggard) takes on deeper meaning when heard in the context of a Christmas album. But there's plenty of humor here, too; just check out "Let It Snow (Somewhere Else)" or "I Know What Santa's Getting for Christmas."

This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2

Various Artists

If you're a fan of both adult-alternative pop and holiday music, then you should definitely sip a little eggnog and get mellow with This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2. In addition to a pair of tracks from label founder Jack Johnson, this sequel compilation features selections from most of Brushfire's roster, including G. Love, Money Mark, Matt Costa, Rogue Wave and Zach Gill. However, the artist who steals the show is one Paula Fuga. A unique Hawaiian soul singer who collaborates fairly frequently with Johnson, she turns in a pleasant ditty by the name of "Winter Swell Blues."