Top 11 New Rock/Indie Holiday Songs!!
Just in time for Christmas, I've got a little holiday list for you!
This is totally subjective, and just for fun. That said, here's my list of the TOP 11 New Rock/Indie/Alternative Holiday songs up to and including this year. Ready?
#11) FALL OUT BOY/Yule Shoot Your Eye Out
Honestly, kind of hard not to like this one. It sounds very "Fall-Out-Boy" and very "Christmasy" all at the same time. And I've mentioned on RFC before about how I don't share some alt fans' disgust with this band. I think they make great pop-rock songs. Who cares about Pete's internet photos or Patrick's hairline? Bottom line...this is a great song!
#10) ANOTHER MAN DOWN/The Dreidel Song
THere aren't as many good rock Chanukah songs as there are Christmas ones. That said, the genius of this rocked-out version of the classic "Dreidel Song" is when they lapse into an homage to Brian Adams' SUMMER OF '69 about two-thirds of the way in. Makes spinning a dreidel actually sound fun!
#9) JIMMY EAT WORLD/Last Christmas
Yes, I know that this a cover of "Wham." Yes, I know I'm biased towards anything that Jimmy Eat World ever does. I don't care. This is #9. (And I kind of liked "Wham" anyway. There. I said it.)
#8) PEARL JAM/Let Me Sleep (It's Christmastime)
Ok, Pearl Jam fans...don't hate me, but this is actually one of my very favorite Pearl Jam songs. There's just something about the "offhand" way that Eddie handles the vocals, and how casual this is. And, oh yeah...it has a "big melody." IMHO, Pearl Jam could use a few more of those in the last couple of albums. Anyway, the perfect Gen-X Christmas song. I love it.
#7) THE KILLERS/Great Big Sled
Brandon and the boys are the only act with two songs on my Top 11, but I just couldn't leave either one of them out. This was the first of the two released, and it's the more "normal" of the two. It could earn its spot on this list based on the strength of the first lyric line alone: "The snowman is shaping up to be an eight...but not out of ten..." Brilliant.
#6) THE POGUES f. KIRSTY MacCOLL/Fairytale Of New York
We just played this song on RADIO FREE CRUZE as I was writing this, and I must say that I was struck by both how dated it is beginning to sound, and how incredibly brilliant it still is. There is no black and white with The Pogues--you either love them or you hate them. I'm in the former category. This song probably does a better job of portraying the lonliness and despair that so many feel at the holidays than any other one that I can think of. And Kirsty MacColl was so cool...she is totally missed!
#5) LINKIN PARK/My December
While not TECHNICALLY a Christmas song, it's at least December-specific, and coming after LP's first studio album, this track was one of the first real clues we got to the band's depth. If nothing else, it said clearly that they were much more than just another rap-metal band. I love its inherent darkness, which probably says something about my twisted holiday point of view. Great stuff!
#4) THE WAITRESSES/Christmas Wrapping
One of the most enduring of the "modern-day" holiday songs, and during the season it seems to fit on just about any format. It sounds surprisingly more current that any of the Waitresses' "non-holiday" music, and will probably still be played at Christmas 20 years from now!
#3) SOMETHING CORPORATE/Forget December
This is one of my personal favorites, and was the song that actually clued me in to what an amazing songwriter Andrew MacMahon, formerly of Something Corporate and now of Jack's Mannequin, truly is. I'm not sure if this is commercially available, but if it's not, Andrew should make it available for download at the Jack's Mannequin site, or do something to let people get their hands on it. Bit Torrent, anyone?
#2) THE KILLERS/Don't Shoot Me Santa
Easily the most bizarre of the holiday tracks we play at RADIO FREE CRUZE, and it had to beat out a couple of pretty odd ones to win that crown. But despite how weird it is, I think that The Killers have actually crafted a little holiday masterpiece here. The "Sweet Mojave Rain" chorus seems to come out of nowhere, both musically and lyrically. Brilliant...
#1) BLINK 182/I Won't Be Home For Christmas
This one has been around for about ten years or so, but is perhaps the best example of a modern band putting out a holiday track that is not only perfect for the season, but also a perfect representation of what THEY are about, too. My favorite lines: "Oh God, I hate these Satan's helpers..." and "You people scare me...please stay away from my home..."
All of these are on RFC over the holidays, of course. To you and yours--a perfect, and happy holiday season! Ho Ho Ho...
--Cruze
