Holiday music advent calendar.
I'm not a religious person but I love Christmas. And I love good Christmas music. So, for the next (checks Star Wars Funko calendar in the kitchen) 24 days, the fam and I want to share some of our favorite tunes with you.
You can stream all of the music below in my “Christmas advent calendar 2023 for the 56” playlist on Apple Music and Spotify:
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Spotify
December 1.
Julian Casablancas’ ”Christmas Treat”.
Julian Casablancas
”Christmas Treat”
Christmas Treat - Single
2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Entertainment
To get you in the mood for Xmas, we'll kick things off with Julian Casablancas' rendition of the Saturday Night Live song, ”Christmas Treat” (also known as “I Wish It Was Christmas Today”).
The original 2000 skit starred Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan and was immediately one of my holiday favorites. Years later, when Ellie I were first dating, we re-connected with the song while enjoying a night out at the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Holiday Lights (always a must see, especially for the kids). And now that Jack has grown into a tremendous audiophile, the song's connection to The Strokes (Casablancas' band) just gives me extra "cool dad" cred.
December 2.
The Bird and The Bee’s ”Carol of the Bells”.
The Bird and The Bee
”Carol of the Bells”
Carol of the Bells
2007 The Blue Note Label Group
In a more traditional turn, our second song of the season is The Bird and The Bee's rendition of “Carol of the Bells.”
Written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914 and based largely on an old Ukranian folk song, "Carol of the Bells" was almost forgotten when the Soviets came to Ukraine. It's also one of the very few Holiday songs in a minor key.
I love the John Williams version from "Home Alone" so much. But The Bird and the Bee's 2007 version is just the right balance of haunting and festive and atmospheric for gray days like today in the 56.
December 3.
Khruangbin’s ”Christmas Time Is Here (Version Mary)”.
Khruangbin
”Christmas Time Is Here (Version Mary)”
Christmas Time Is Here - Single
2018 Dead Oceans & Night Time Stories LTD
A few years back, Lily turned us on to LoFi Hip Hop and our default home ambient has never been the same.
To catch a similar vibe for the holidays, we dig Khruangbin’s “Christmas Time Is Here”, a funky take on Vince Guaraldi's holiday classic. And the Houston trio’s "Version Mary" has some some extra dubby, psych-rock flourishes that will really help set a chill mood for those quiet moments between the Holiday madness.
December 4.
Hey Rosetta!’s ”Carry Me Home”.
Hey Rosetta!
”Carry Me Home”
A Cup of Kindness Yet - EP
2012 HR Music Inc. under exclusive license to ATO Records, LLC
Perhaps you’re noticing a trend: We love modern takes on classic Christmas standards.
But we love wholly new holiday tracks, too, and Canadian band Hey Rosetta! delivers a whole EP of em. Their upbeat “Carry Me Home” is full of holiday longing for home and is delightfully upbeat and singable.
On a personally note, my mum is from Quebec so I love the nods to Montreal and the signer’s roadtrip through Canada. For me, this track has Simon & Garfunkle “America” vibes balanced with a seasonal snowiness.
December 5.
José Feliciano’s ”Feliz Navidad”.
José Feliciano
”Feliz Navidad”
Feliz Navidad
1970, 2022 BMG Heritage
Ever since Jack took up the instrument, (last Christmas) great guitar playing has been a near constant topic in our house. So, when I asked the kids what Christmas song they wanted to add to the advent calendar, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” was the top response.
Like so many Christmas songs, there’s a yearning for home layered behind “Feliz Navidad’s”upbeat tempo. Feliciano wrote the song in the Winter of 1970 while missing his family in NYC and Puerto Rico and the traditions his family enjoyed together. It’s been one of the most aired and downloaded holidays songs ever since.
December 6.
Jimmy Eat World’s ”Last Christmas”.
Jimmy Eat World
”Last Christmas”
Last Christmas EP
2001 Geffen Records
You knew this song was coming.
George Michael wrote “Last Christmas” in his childhood bedroom in the winter of 1983. And when he first played the introduction and chorus melody for Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley, Ridgeley called it, “a moment of wonder.”
The song was an instant hit. A new holiday standard.
“Last Christmas” has been covered countless times—by Taylor Swift, Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande, Ashley Tisdale, and of course Pentatonix—but none so boppin’ as by Jimmy Eat World. Wham!’s original was emo before emo was a thing, but Jimmy Eat World’s version is more optimistic and cheerful. It doesn’t even feel like a cover—the lyrics are right at home with Jim Adkins’ voice and the band’s millennial sound.
December 7.
The LeeVees’ ”Goyim Friends”.
The Levees
”Goyim Friends”
Hanukkah Rocks
2005 Nettwerk Music Group Inc.
Happy Hanukkah!
Growing up at the edge of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs—and, perhaps ironically, by attending a parochial Episcopal school—translated into spending a lot time with Jewish friends and their families during the holidays. As long as I can remember, minorah’s and dreidels and gelt coins have been part of the season. And the way these families adopted many of the secular trappings of Christmas also informed my approach to the season.
So, when The LeeVees' sing about the deltas between the Jewish and Christian holiday experiences in “Goyim Friends”, it resonates.
Their Hanukkah tune is a fun ode to Jewish kids and the Gentiles who love them. And, as The Leevee’s frontman Adam Gardner reminds us, the song also fits into the long tradition of Jewish musicians lighting up our lives with great holiday tunes (e.g. Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” and Mike Stohler wrote “Santa Claus is Back in Town”).
Their whole album is a blast. And more palatable than the inevitable Adam Sandler sing-along. :)
December 8.
Belle & Sebastian’s ”O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.
Belle & Sebastian
”O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
It’s a Cool, Cool Christmas
2021 Jeepster Recordings
Let’s get traditional.
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is about as ancient a Christmas song as you’re like to find. The original monastic chant was sung in Latin 1,200 years ago, before becoming a metrical hymn in the 12th century, adding French music in the 15th century, and getting various translations into German and English in the 18th century. And all that before Belle & Sebastian delivered today’s version at the very close of the 2oth century.
The Scottish band’s take on “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is ethereal and lovely, first appearing on XFM’s 2000 charity compilation, It's a Cool Cool Christmas. It’s a perfect track for those quiet moments when you’re up early, alone with your coffee before the rest of the house wakes up.
December 9.
Phoenix’s ”Alone on Christmas Day (feat. Bill Murray, Buster Poindexter, Jason Schwartzman & Paul Shaffer)”.
Phoenix
”Alone on Christmas Day (feat. Bill Murray, Buster Poindexter, Jason Schwartzman & Paul Shaffer)”
Alone on Christmas Day
2015 Loyauté under exclusive license to Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC, Distributed by AWAL
Get ready to fall in love with a Christmas song that feels like a Wes Anderson version of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Originally written for a never-released Beach Boys Christmas album and given life by the French indie-pop band Phoenix for Bill Murray’s 2015 Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, “Alone on Christmas Day” is a delightfully fun holiday song that—like so many on this list—combines upbeat melodicism and production with lonely lyrics and hint of holiday melancholy.
It rules.
There is so much to recommend this song. But the improv vibe of Murray’s ad-libs (never mind the subtler contributions of an amazing team: Schwartman and Poindexter and Shaffer, oh my!) might be my favorite.
It’s a real catch.
December 10.
Low’s ”Just Like Christmas”.
Low
”Just Like Christmas”
Christmas
2000 Chairkicker’s Union
Described by AV Club as a “religious album even heathens can love,” Low’s album Christmas was originally released as a gift for their fans. Since then, tracks have ended up on a variety of seasonal collections (Like December 8’s It’s a Cool, Cool Christmas with Belle & Sebastian).
“Just Like Christmas” feels more like a Christmas song than the lyrics suggest on their own. It’s got jungle bells, sure, but more than that, the song feels like the warm glow of the holiday on a cool gray day (just like today!). And it ends with the sweetest reminder of what this season makes so many of us feel:
By the time we got to Oslo
The snow was gone
And we got lost
The beds were small
But we felt so young
It was just like Christmas
December 11.
Fitz and The Tantrum’s ”Santa Stole My Lady”.
Fitz and The Tantrums
”Santa Stole My Lady”
Santa Stole My Lady - Single
2010 Dangerbird Records
The sun is out, the tree is up and lit, and the kids get out of school later this week—so, it’s time to get cherry and listen to an absolute Christmas banger!
Fitz and The Tantrums’ “Santa Stole My Lady” is an upbeat and rocking spin on that most surprising of holiday themes: The romantic Santa.
Without any of the vagueness of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Sant Claus”—I mean, it is her husband, right?—Fitz and The Tantrum’s St. Nick really is quite dashing. But the horns and peppy vibe of the song will have you tapping your toes even as the signer bemoans his poor holiday luck.
December 12.
U2’s ”Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”.
U2
”Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
A Very Special Christmas
1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
The wife went to Las Vegas over the weekend to see U2 at The Sphere (color me jealous) so I’ve actually had the Irish rockers’ version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” rattling around in my head for a few days, already.
The song dates from the early 60s when Darlene Love first recorded it for Phil Spector. And while not an instant hit, it’s since become a holiday standard covered by a host of musicians—Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Death Cab For Cutie, Foo Fighters … the list goes on.
But U2’s version, recorded during a sound check in Glasgow on their spectacular Joshua Tree Tour, is peak performance. Bono’s vocals and the bands’ arena-filling sound elevate the song to something uniquely infectious.
A Very Special Christmas was a revelation for this 80-90s kid and U2’s contribution to the compilation was a big part of that vibe.
December 13.
Elvis Presley & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s ”Santa Claus is Back in Town”.
Elvis Presley & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
”Santa Claus is Back in Town”
Christmas with Elvis Presley & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2017 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Let’s keep the energy up with a modern remix of the classic Christmas rock song.
The first track on Elvis’ 1957 Christmas record—the best-selling Christmas album of all time, of any genre—”Santa Claus is Back in Town” is a rocking’, bluesy, and elaborate double entendre guaranteed to get you moving.
This 2017 remix ramps up the production by bringing in the Royal Philharmonic’s orchestral arrangement as backing on Elvis’ original archival recording. In doing, it enlivens Elvis’ original without overwhelming it or becoming a cover—the King of Rock and Roll’s powerful voice still soars like Santa’s sleigh!
December 14.
JD McPherson’s “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)”.
JD McPherson
“Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)”
Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights) - Single
2012 HiStyle Enterprises, Inc.
This song may sound like it was plucked from the coolest vintage holiday music bin at the coolest record shop in the 56, but that’s not Little Richard or Elvis rocking this cool Yule. And it’s not vintage, either. This snappy rock and roll Christmas song is Broken Arrow artist JD McPherson’s 2012 holiday hit “Twinkle (Little Christmas Lights)”.
One reviewer describes this original holiday track as “engineered to renew your faith in rock’n’roll.” But as believers in rock’n’roll, we just love its high energy, its warm and cheerful vibe, and its contagious rhythm.
December 15.
U.S. Girls’ “Santa Stay Home”.
U.S. Girls
”Santa Stay Home (feat. Rich Morel)”
Santa Stay Home (feat. Rich Morel) - Single
2020 4AD Ltd
A lot of Christmas movies feature some form of Santa Claus bemoaning the consumerism of the holiday, but U.S. Girl’s “Santa Stay Home” is one of the rare examples of media pointing the finger at Santa, himself, as the bad actor.
“Santa Stay Home’s” cheerful beat and delightful vocals belie an anti-consumerism and pro-environmental sentiment that argues for both Santa and the rest of us to skip the harmful aspects of the holiday. Or, at least, the part where we let strange men into our homes (“I can’t have you coming in my house / I don’t know what you’re all about”) and chop down carbon-consuming firs (“How 'bout we leave the trees in the ground? Yeah / Not cut them down just to throw them out.”)
And if you’re a Xer or older, you can share this track with your younger family and they’ll think you’re woke AF. 😇
December 16.
Pomplamoose’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas Mashup”.
Pomplamoose
“A Charlie Brown Christmas Mashup”
A Charlie Brown Christmas Mashup - Single
2020 Pomplamoose Inc.
Since 2017, American duo Pomplamoose has released a song every week—sometimes original, sometimes a cover, always with their chill indie vibe.
We dig a bunch of their weekly tracks—especially their Daft Punk covers and their recent French album.
But we love Pomplamoose’s mashup of “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Linus and Lucy” from A Charlie Brown Christmas—a wonderful take and mashup of Vince Guaraldi’s holiday jazz standard. And it’s even more impressive for including a double bass and its tricky blending of different time signatures.
December 17.
Elliott Smith’s “Angel In The Snow”.
Elliott Smith
”Angel In The Snow”
New Moon
2009 Kill Rock Stars
Elliott Smith’s “Angel In The Snow” comes from his posthumous compilation, “New Moon” and employs his signature sound—one that continues to touch my once-teenage 90s kid heart.
It’s definitely an unconventional Christmas song. But it’s also one that’s unapologetically a love song—one all the more poignant because of Smith’s own tragedy. It’s tender and fraught and filled with all the feels we still have for that person closest to us at the holiday.
December 18.
Sia’s “Candy Cane Lane”.
Sia
”Candy Cane Lane”
Everyday is Christmas (Deluxe)
2018, 2017 Monkey Puzzle Music, Inc.
Ellie has been on my to post a track off this album since December 1—it might just be her favorite Christmas album not to feature Charlie Brown. 😄
Sia’s Christmas album (in its many versions) includes a host of fun, original, uptempo holiday songs, a number of which are as quirky as their Australian singer. And while I adore “Puppies are Forever (Not Just for Christmas),” “Candy Cane Lane” is—I think—the most charming and festive.
December 19.
Sufjan Stevens’ “Christmas In The Room”.
Sufjan Stevens
”Christmas In The Room”
Silver & Gold
2012 Sufjan Stevens
Since 2001, Sufjan Stevens has released over a hundred Christmas songs. Initially gifts for fans, he collected these songs onto a few different compilations over the years including the 5-album holiday opus, Silver and Gold.
Stevens signature emotion and melancholy and deep faith combine to make some our low-key Christmas favorites.
“Christmas In The Room” is a simple ballad about the warmth of love and the gift of togetherness—the true spirit of the season. The lyrics wonderfully blend the optimism of the season with the poetry of Christian verse, reminding us we don’t need to spend a fortune on gifts to receive the promise of Christmas:
No gifts to give, they’re all right here
Inside our hearts, the glorious cheer
And in the house we see a light
That comes from what we know inside.
December 20.
Guster’s “Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus?”
Guster
“Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus?”
Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus? - Single
2004 Nettwerk Music Group Inc.
OMG, Santa is only a few days away! It’s the perfect time to ask “Donde Esta Santa Claus‽”
Originally, a hit recorded in 1958 by 12-year-old Augie Rios, Guster’s take on the song first appeared on the 2003 compilation, Maybe This Christmas Too? It’s a fun and peppy cover that makes for a great singalong with the kids.
Selfishly, my favorite part of this song is when the band calls out the alternative Spanish names for the reindeer: “
On Pancho! On Vixen! On Pedro! On Blitzen!
¡Olé! ¡Olé! ¡Olé! Santa Claus!
December 21.
Sting’s “Gabriel’s Message”.
Sting
”Gabriel’s Message”
A Very Special Christmas
1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
As we get closer to the day, I’m drawn more and more to songs that speak to the historical reason for the season, not just to the travel and family and love we also look for.
“Gabriel's Message” is a 13-14th century Basque Christmas folk carol about the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel and her Magnificat—signifying that she would soon become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Sting’s haunting version of the song originally appeared on the B-side of his single “Russians,” making for an odd blend of Cold War commentary and Christmas verse. Regardless, it’s an atmospheric and transcendent take on scripture that sets the mood for any midnight mass.
December 22.
Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal”.
Fleet Foxes
”White Winter Hymnal”
Fleet Foxes
2008 Sub Pop Records
Like the debate regarding wether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is) or what Kevin McAllister’s dad does for a living (seriously!), there’s lively discussion to be found online about wether or not “White Winter Hymnal” is a holiday song.
The first single from Fleet Foxes debut album, “White Winter Hymnal” is a beautifully poetic song replete with wholesome winter imagery—all belying the song’s underlying meaning about childhood friends growing apart and hurting one another as they change.
I think it’s a powerful reminder to hold onto the people we love and put them first—any time of year. And to wear your scarf!
December 23.
Kenny Burrell’s “My Favorite Things”.
Kenny Burrell
“My Favorite Things”
Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas
1966, 2003 The Verve Music Group, A Division of UMG Recordings, Inc
We’re suckers for jazzy and low-fi chill hop Christmas tracks.
“My Favorite Things” was originally written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the 1959 musical The Sound of Music. But it has since gone on to become a holiday standard, covered by everyone from John Coltrane and Diana Ross and the Supremes to Kenny G!
Kenny Burrell's technically precise but meditative jazz guitar elevates this cover— and pairs it on the album with an equally killer “Little Drummer Boy.” As the father of five kiddos, the melody reminds me both of my childhood excitement—waking up to wrapped toys and endless possibilities—and the light I still see in my kids' eyes as they scour the packages under the tree.
December 24.
Dave Matthews Band’s “Christmas Song”.
Dave Matthews Band
“Christmas Song”
Remember Two Things
1993, 2014 Bama Rags Recordings, LLC
Let’s close out with my absolute favorite “Christmas Song.”
Off their independently-released debut album, “Christmas Song'“ is the Dave Matthews Band’s surprisingly touching song about the life of Christ and His struggle ahead of the crucifixion. Surprising not because the story of Jesus is a moving one, but because of Dave Matthews oft-stated agnosticism.
But, perhaps, it’s this doubt that makes the song work so well and makes DMB’s story of Christ so relatable considering our culture’s secular approach to this holiday. This is a postmodern Jesus—one who doesn’t mind associating with those at the margins of society and who speaks in an almost casual way about the cruelty of the physical world. And with a relatable sense of anxiety and fear of the world to come:
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree
Said "Oh, Daddy-o, I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I spill the blood of our children all around.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this advent calendar—I’ve had a blast sharing it with you.
Have an fantastic Christmas with you and yours!
JD JORDAN FOR GEORGIA STATE SENATE DISTRICT 56
For anyone in East Cobb, Roswell, or Woodstock alarmed by the state’s escalating attacks on our bodies, our families, our doctors’ offices, our classrooms and libraries, even our polling places, I’m running for state senate district 56 to fight for our freedoms and to deliver a better future for everyone in Georgia.
And unlike my opponent who’s spent 14 years rolling back our freedoms, failing to safeguard our kids, and gerrymandered his district to stay in office, I promise to bring everyone in the 56—regardless of ideology—the best possible constituent experience so you feel heard, valued, and supported. As we all deserve to be.
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—
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Jordan For Georgia, LLC
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