Christmas jams

Christmas music is a dichotomous affair. I think it's fair to say that the people who enjoy the classics/standards do so out of sentimentality, and not for quality of the music. I, for one, am sick of the classics, and I doubt I'm alone. Sentimentality and nostalgia are nice, but the quality of "We Three Kings" and "Jingle Bell Rock" far outweigh the pleasant memories I have of the songs. Then there are the newer Christmas songs. I was surprised to find out the sheer number of contemporary artists that have written songs about Christmas, whether they be funny, serious, arty, sad, or (surprise!) sentimental. Again, a lot of these songs are total garbage. From Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time" to Bob Geldof's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to Mariah Carey's cover of "All I Want For Christmas Is You", there's a lot of crap out there. All in all, the bulk of Christmas music is wholly terrible. There are a few gems around, and over the next week or so I'll post a few Christmas songs that I think are actually of merit for one reason or another.

-Cole



James Brown - Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year.mp3