Your Favorite Alternative Christmas Songs

Cafe Society
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  • I was dragged to Santa’s Villiage last weekend, so bear with me for having christmas on the brain. *

Help! I started this project in early December last year, and quickly hit a wall since it’s difficult to find songs when you don’t know who sang them… I’m trying to form a collection of Christmas songs, preferably recorded since 1990, by alternative (or rock, as long as it’s not by an “adult contemporary” artist) bands/singers. I have Come All Ye Faithful: Rock For Choice, which sort of gave me the idea, since I know that there must be a lot more songs out there than are on that cd. Maybe I’ll have better luck if I start earlier…

The songs I’m seeking can be either covers like ** Everclear’s version of “Santa Baby”** or non-traditional and/or orginal songs like Fountain of Wayne’s “I Want an Alien For Christmas.” Anyone have any favorites to recommend to me?

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I’ve kinda been partial to the Pretenders’ 2000 Miles, sung by Chrissy Hynde. Nice little alternative Xmas ditty, though I think it was an 80s song.

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My favorite so far is Leon Redbone’s “Christmas Island”. Some originals, some standards in his own unique style. I particularly like “The Christmas Ball”.

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Whoops, the above post should have indicated that I’m talking about an entire CD, not just one or two songs. I love all the songs on that disk.

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Joni Mitchell’s, “I Wish I Had A River”, you hardly ever hear it, but it’s wonderful, really.

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Well. I have this great CD called “The Jingle Cats”. It’s real samples of cats’ meows, put together to make Christams carols (like they did with those “singing” doggies a few years back).

The recording boasts a ton of happy favorites… everything from “Jingle Bells” to Elvis’s “Blue Christmas”.

Oh, man, it’s hilarious.

And it’ll drive you nuts in five minutes or less, guaranteed.

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Everclear- “Hating you for Christmas”

and Blink 182- “I Won’t Be Home for Christmas”

Whenever all the radio stations are playing that sappy holiday fare, I tune in for the above. I feel evil. :cool:

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You might try a CD entitled Dark Noel. It had a lot of Christian hard rock and alternative artists doing their version of Christmas music. I don’t much listen to Christian music anymore, but I would recommend this CD to anyone tired of the standard fare. Look for it on Radrockers if the site still works.

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One of his albums is “Toolbox Christmas”. Christmas classics played on tools, both of the power and hand varieties.

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As long as I’m not disqualified, as a Jew, from having an opinion . . . .

The only Christmas song I ever have any desire to hear is The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York” (and I can’t believe I get to be the first to mention it in this thread).

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weird als " christmas at ground zero"

indie band munkafests " my birthday is near xmas and it sucks "

and the ramones : i dont want to argue anymore at christmas

i may have killed that title but thats the gist of it

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“Weird Al” Yankovic - “Christmas at Ground Zero”

And if “Weird Al” ain’t alternative, I don’t know what alternative is. (Hell, Al made “The Alternative Polka”, fer cryin’ out loud! :D)

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My favorite ? The Twelve Days of Christmas of course.

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I nominate ‘Fuck Christmas’ by FEAR.

Also the Dickies version of ‘Silent Night’.

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“Grandma got run over by a reindeer” Forgot who sings it. Sorry.
Now it’s stuck in my head.

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Patsy & Elmo. And their Xmas CD is actually pretty good.

A CD called A Broadway Christmas has a song “I Don’t Remember Christmas” which is my all time favorite.

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You also forgot Weird Al’s The Night Santa Went Crazy. A classic!

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I’d have to say “Styrosnow” by the Eraserheads. It’s a brilliant song, because they just don’t get snow in the phillipines (where the band is from). So instead they pray for styrosnow. Genius.

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Yup, Weird Al’s “Christmas at Ground Zero”. I used that one to demonstrate the importance of lyrics to fella bilong missus flodnak. And let’s not forget the Spike Jones version of “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”.

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For entire CD’s of holiday mirth, might I recommend:

  • Punk Rock Xmas - Contains quite a few of the songs already mentioned. Plus some other gems.

  • Lump of Coal - A collection by various artists that may be tough to find. Has a nice version of “The First Noel” by Crash Test Dummies, and Henry Rollins with “Night Before Xmas”.

  • Mojo Nixon and the Toad Liquors - Horny Holidays - Their version of “Night Before Xmas” is priceless. And ya have to love a sexed-up Xmas disc that starts off with “Happy Birthday to you, you woodworking Jew, Happy Birthday dear Jesus, Happy Birthday to you.”

For singles, try:

  • The Reducers - Nothing for Christmas. Almost impossible to find, but a great tune from a great Connecticut band.

  • Pansy Division - Homo Christmas “Licking nipples, licking nuts, sticking candy canes, up each other’s butt”.

And BTW, damn you, while searching Amazon for the links I added 3 CD’s to my wish list…