Christmas polarizes. The atheists and the believers, the shopping addicts and the self-proclaimed anti-consumerists, the religious folk and the PC folk have their own take on what the Christmas season (Xmas or The Holidays) should be like. One of the dividing aspects of this time of the year is the festive music that comes with it. It may bring you some joy while sipping your favourite drink by the fireplace but also it can get absolutely on your shattered nerves when shopping through that very long list of presents. How many different renditions of “Winter Wonderland” can one person take in in one day?
However, I believe that we all secretly dig a little Christmas tune from time to time, in moderate doses and with accurate surroundings that is. As an avid tune digger, I have been compiling alternative holiday soundtracks for friends and family for almost a decade now. Steering away from your traditional Christmas FM and “NOW! That’s What I Call Christmas” selections I’ve got my own favourite types of songs that get me in the festive mood without the sugar overdose. Those moonlit swing ballads (like ELLA FITZGERALD’s “The Secret of Christmas”), the moody or cheerful jazz versions of traditional carols (COUNT BASIE’s “Jingle Bells”), the stuffy Motown (THE SUPREMES’ “Born of Mary”) and rock’n’roll crackers (THE MOONGLOW’s “Hey Santa Clause”), the tongue in cheek indie versions of the Christmas pop number ones (ROSTAM’s “Fairytale of New York”) or electronic takes on the beloved holiday instrumentals (like LINDSTROM’s “Little Drummer Boy”) are certainly on a heavy rotation on my Ipod every year. The bells are jingling, the children are singing and the snow is falling. Some singer songwriters get lonely and nostalgic (MICHAEL FEURESTACK’S “Blue Light II”) while others, full of cheer, dance around the Christmas tree (THE FAMILY OF THE YEAR’s “OMG It’s Christmas). And like last year we’ve got all shades of Christmas for you in one eclectic playlist. A holiday cocktail of tunes tied with a big, red bow. Christmas is celebrated all around the world, unifying different cultures, customs and languages. Hence the inclusion of tunes by Norway’s KINGS OF CONVENIENCE and Ukraine’s THE ELEPHANTS sang in their native tongues. But perhaps the most poignant moments in these uncertain times come with DORIS DAY’s “Let No Walls Divide” and JIMI HENDRIX’ shattering, anti-war medley of Christmas classics.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for sticking around with us in 2017 and to wish you a very happy and musically comforting Christmas and all the best in the New Year.
Here is also the link to the last year’s playlist to double the joy of this season.
Our mixtape selections will resume a regular service in January 2018.
See you next year,
(neither naughty nor good) Piotrek.
Our mixtape selections will resume a regular service in January 2018.
See you next year,
(neither naughty nor good) Piotrek.
