The new crop of holiday hits
Whether it’s Vince Garaldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas album, Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You, Michael Bublé’s super smash Christmas album or even The Chipmunks’ family heirloom, you probably have all your favourite holiday records already lined up for the celebrations this year.
If you’re looking for a little something new, here is the best of this season’s crop:
MEAS HA BRUEGGERGOSMAN — CHRISTMAS
Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman lends her soulful operatic voice to a helping of well-worn Christmas classics, including It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, which like the bulk of the material on the album is given a poporiented treatment that takes the singer away from her classical roots. Brueggergosman also provides two original songs: Let Joy Reign, a collaboration with indie artist Royal Wood, and If You Can Dig It, with singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer.
EARTH , WIND & FIRE — HOL IDAY
Legendary boogie band Earth, Wind & Fire wanna help you get your funk on with their Holiday album, featuring big, brassy, gospel choir-heavy versions of Joy To The World, O Come All Ye Faithful, Sleigh Ride and more. You can find videos for all 13 songs on the album online via Vevo (vevo.com/ artist/earth-wind-and-fire). The videos all consist of Christmas-y B-roll footage that you can use as background visuals for your party. Nifty.
S ETH MACFARLANE — HOLIDAY FOR SWING!
The Family Guy creator doesn’t break into his best Peter or Stewie to sing these big-band versions of Christmas classics (Baby It’s Cold Outside, for example). Instead, MacFarlane plays it straight up with big arrangements and a voice (and image) that continues to pay homage to the Rat Pack era. Think of it as the stuff Quagmire would be giggity-ing about as he fixes himself a holiday martini.
BLUE RODEO — A MERRI E CHRI STMAS TO YOU
Canada’s country-rock royals have concocted a rootsy Christmas album featuring 10 songs that stray away from the well-known and the ordinary. Instead, they revisit material by Big Star (Jesus Christ), Joni Mitchell’s River, Gordon Lightfoot’s Song For A Winter’s Night and The Band’s Christmas Must Be Tonight. Recorded live in the studio, it’s like hosting a private Blue Rodeo Christmas concert at home.
VARIOUS ARTI STS — TOU S EN S EMB L E POU R NOEL
Old and new, Anglo and Franco classics collide in this quintessentially Canadian collection of Christmas classics. On the old side: Quebec’s Beau Dommage singing classic 23 Decembre and Celine Dion singing The Christmas Song. The new: Nikki Yanofsky doing One Wish This Christmas and Justin Bieber singing Mistletoe. Top it off with Band Aid’s classic Do They Know It’s Christmas and you get a mishmash that’s a bit all over the place, like Canada.