just under the wire
I know I'm late, but... here it is. My usual big fat christmas music sharing explosion. I didn't divide it into types or genres, though I did have to split it into two posts, and I haven't even finished descriptions yet, but I didn't want to wait any more once I got everything uploaded. Everything's on mediafire, and please let me know if there are any problems with the links.
What I've put up are the things I've acquired over this year, not my whole collection; as always, if there's something you want and don't see here, please feel free to ask and I'll do what I can. Merry Christmas!
download folder: http://www.mediafire.com/?nwsv0848y4edg
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim Steamroller
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim SteamrollerCD1.zip - download -
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim SteamrollerCD2.zip - download -
Not all Christmas, but if you like them, it's a nice selection from their repertoire.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Big Band Christmas
A Big Band Christmas.zip - download -
Big bands with pop vocalists, mostly - including Les Brown with Doris Day singing "The Christmas Song," Red Norvo with vocalist Mildred Bailey on "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," and Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee and Art Lund duetting on "Winter Weather."
192 kbps
Track listing and info
A Cabaret Christmas
A Cabaret Christmas.zip - download -
To steal the amazon.com review...
"Attention all lovers of that rarified New York-lounge-scene singer known as the cabaret performer. This droll and sophisticated collection of Manhattan's finest features Karen Akers and Andrea Marcovicci on several tracks, as well as Ann Hampton Callaway, Barbara Cook, and Jay Leonhart, to name but a few on this engaging and at times jazzy, show-bizzy, and witty disc. The show stealer is easily Julie Wilson's "Season's Greetings." Wilson's greetings take you through every conceivable holiday of the year and then some--including Election Day ("don't forget to vote," she sings, sounding on every note unenthusiastic and overrun by all the good cheer, but wishing you well just the same). Wilson's mini-masterpiece of sarcasm, understatement, and cleverness ought to be on any collection that features "darker" Christmas fare. For this "Season's Greetings" alone, get a few copies for those friends who never seem to get in the merry mood. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Canadian Christmas 4
A Canadian Christmas 4.zip - download -
"A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS 4 features both traditional and contemporary Holiday songs performed by popular Canadian artists including Suzie McNeil, Diana Krall, The Band, Great Big Sea and Loreena McKennitt. Songs include 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Christmas Must Be Tonight,' 'Maybe This Christmas', 'God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen' and many, many more favourites of the Season! "
320 kpbs
Track listing and info
A Celtic Christmas
A Celtic Christmas.zip - download -
People really need to stop making albums called "Celtic Christmas", I've gotta say. This is by George Balderose - Smallpipes & Great Highland Pipes, Ernie Hawkins - Guitar, T.H. Gillespie - Keyboard, and L.E. McCullough - Tinwhistle, Harmonica, Bones & Bodhran
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas II
A Country Superstar Christmas II.zip - download -
Big country stars - George Strait, Clint Black, Shania Twin, etc, but mostly contemporary Christmas songs rather than carols, with a few exceptions - Little Drummer Boy, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas III
A Country Superstar Christmas III.zip - download -
Then they switched over and did all recognizable classics or carols, just for variety ;)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas IV
A Country Superstar Christmas IV.zip - download -
And then this time they did a mix of both!
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene
A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene.zip - download -
Holiday Classics from local San Francisco Indie Rock Scene - circa 2007
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Redneck Christmas
A Redneck Christmas.zip - download -
This is not, shall we say, the CLASSIEST portion of my christmas collection ;) But I can live with that. But it's fun.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Al Di Meola - Winter Nights
Al Di Meola - Winter Nights.zip - download -
"Jazz guitarist Al DiMeola gives new meaning to the phrase world music by working with Ukrainian bandura player Roman Hrynkiv. Here DiMeola explores a special collection of instrumental seasonal works, underscoring them with layered percussion. A number of captivating originals and intricately arranged standards surface here, including "Carol of the Bells, "Ave Maria," and "The First Noel." DiMeola certainly titled the album right: these seasonal songs readily capture the penetrating chill and peacefulness of a star-laden winter sky. Recommended. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
All Wrapped Up Vol. 2
All Wrapped Up Vol. 2.zip - download -
Jordan Pruitt, Jesse McCartney, Jonas Brothers, Honor Society, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Steve Rushton, and Anna Margaret. It is what it is - other than the odd inclusion of the Jonas Brothers' Summertime Anthem, it's pleasant Disney-type pop artists.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
All Wrapped Up
All Wrapped Up.zip - download -
Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Aly & AJ, Demi Lovato, Jordan Pruitt, Marie Digby - upbeat peppy Christmas pop :)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Andrae Crouch - The Gift of Christmas
Andrae Crouch - The Gift of Christmas.zip - download -
This time I'll steal the review from cduniverse...
"Crouch's Grammy-nominated Christmas album is state-of-the-art, late-'90s pop gospel (and something of a concept album as well, given that the songs--mostly holiday standards--are linked from time with brief snippets of African-inflected chanting). The backing tracks are big and lush, with a crack funk band, a Hollywood string section, and a 20-voice choir all operating at maximum energy levels. There's also a suitably star-powered supply of special guests, including Tata Vega, Pam Austin, Yolanda Adams, and most impressively Chaka Khan, whose contribution to "This Christmas" provides ample proof that she's still, as they say, got it. The downside, of course, is that Crouch, who sings throughout with his customary gruff intensity, is often reduced to the status of being a guest on his own album, but then again that's hardly the listener's problem."
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Anna Moo - Mooey Christmas
Anna Moo - Mooey Christmas.zip - download -
Fun, jazzy, upbeat - it's children's music, technically (I think the name probably gives it away...) but light and fun and enjoyable.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Anne Murray What A Wonderful Christmas
Anne Murray What A Wonderful Christmas.zip - download -
A two cd set gives her plenty to work with, from rare songs to classics. She's accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra on six songs, as well.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Annie Lennox - A Christmas Cornucopia
Annie Lennox - A Christmas Cornucopia.zip - download -
I love Annie Lennox, and I was thrilled to see that she'd done a Christmas album. "A Christmas Cornucopia is a collection of new, inspired interpretations of 11 traditional festive songs, rounded out by a new Lennox composition, Universal Child. The music on the album was mostly played by Lennox, in collaboration with co producer Mike Stevens, and recorded in his southwest London studio - at the bottom of his garden. But to achieve the resonance and vibrancy that were integral to Lennox's ideas for these re-energized reboots, the pair also worked with a 30-piece orchestra at Pinewood Studios. And they travelled further afield too: to South Africa, to record with the African Children's Choir" (Amazon)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Annie Moses Band - This Glorious Christmas
Annie Moses Band - This Glorious Christmas.zip - download -
"A stylistic journey through elements of bluegrass, pop, jazz and classical music, the holiday disc is amazingly cohesive, thanks to Annie’s lead vocal and the other four siblings' consistent instrumental (Alex on viola, Benjamin on cello, Gretchen on violin and mandolin and Camille on harp) and vocal contributions." (cduniverse.com)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Badd Santa
Badd Santa.zip - download -
A compilation from Stones Throw Records "combines obscure vinyl archaeology with good old fashioned merriness to bring you a compilation of Christmas songs you’ve never heard -- the weird, the wacky, obscure and obtuse -- guaranteed to help you and yours jingle all the way. This is not your boring background Holiday music for the eggnog sipping crowd, but an eclectic Holiday Masterpiece to celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or whatever it is you celebrate. "Badd Santa" has something for everyone! From the funky rap free-for-all that is "Cold Chillin’ Christmas" to the snow-free Miami booty bass of "What You Want For Christmas" by the 69 Boyz & Quad City DJs, Wolf has got your vintage Hip Hop bases covered. For the funk lovers, there’s the slept-on classic "Go Power At Christmas Time" by James Brown and a little-known Soul Saints Orchestra tune from the Poets of Rhythm archives called "Santa’s Got a Bag of Soul." From there, the comp ranges stylistically from reggae ("Christmas Is Coming" by Cocoa Tea) to avant-garde robot singing (Bruce Haack’s "I Like Christmas")." (Amazon)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Banana Republic - Holiday Soul
Banana Republic - Holiday Soul.zip - download -
Various artists doing just what it says on the label - a store compilation, from what I can find. Includes Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, B. B. King, Louis Armstrong, Lou Rawls, Brook Benton, Wilson Pickett, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight and the Pips
192 kbps
Track listing and info
BarlowGirl - Home For Christmas
BarlowGirl - Home For Christmas.zip - download -
BarlowGirl is actually three girls, sisters, and their other releases hit a bit harder on the rock side, but this album is gorgeous arrangements and that unique harmony you only find in singers who are related. It's a good one.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Barry Manilow - A Christmas Gift Of Love
Barry Manilow - A Christmas Gift Of Love.zip - download -
It's Barry Manilow, and it's Christmas. There really aren't any surprises here, which is as it should be. "This is a big orchestrated (and voiced) Christmas album, most of it well suited for delivery on a Broadway stage. Accordingly, the singer picks holiday-themed tunes from the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, Irving Berlin, and Frank Loesser. Then, just to confuse things a bit (this is, after all, someone who had a huge hit with Ian Hunter's "Ships"), Manilow throws in a superb cover of "River," Joni Mitchell's ode to Christmas depression. Everything else is warm and festive, though, including the Manilow-penned title track. The singer's longtime fans will adore this collection. --Bill Holdship"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Barry Manilow - In The Swing Of Christmas
Barry Manilow - In The Swing Of Christmas.zip - download -
"True to its title, his engaging third Christmas CD is more swinging and jazzy than his other two, which had an interesting musical variety but were definitely more pop. Since his '70s heyday, the singer has done everything from brilliant jazz, big-band, and show tune projects to a fanciful Sinatra tribute, and here he creates unforgettable arrangements of many familiar songs that draw from all of these genres. " (cduniverse)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas
Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas.zip - download -
Jazzy piano standards, it might sound simple but that's a good thing, in this case.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Big Daddy Weave - Christ is Come
Big Daddy Weave - Christ is Come.zip - download -
Big Daddy Weave is a contemporary christian band out of Alabama, and this album won the 2010 GMA Dove award for Christmas album of the year. Solid, interesting voices and a fresh take on familiar songs.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Blues, Mistletoe, and Santa's Little Helper
Blues, Mistletoe, and Santa's Little Helper.zip - download -
"Among the countless blues recordings of holiday tunes, this more recent survey from Black Top pits heavy-guitar stylists like Earl King and Robert Ward with more-popular roadhouse belters such as Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets and Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. It's a great lineup, but the titles tell the story: "Grady and Santa Are Coming to Town" (Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters); "No More Pretty Presents" (Piazza); "Christmas by the Bar-B-Que" (Lynn August); and, naturally, Funderburgh's "Young Girls Drive Me Wild (at Christmas)." But it's Robert Ward's chillingly funky and impassioned number "Wouldn't It Be a Merry Christmas?" that will make Santa's little helpers want to get up and do some kind of funky-chicken derivation by the Christmas tree. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Bootleg.zip - download -
All I know is that it's Bob Rivers, big Christmas parody song guy, and they're labelled bootlegs. So? Ok then!
Bob Rivers - Bum, Bum, Bum.mp3
Bob Rivers - Jesus' Birthday.mp3
Bob Rivers - Santa Is a Travellin' Man.mp3
Bob Rivers - Smells Like the Night Before Christmas (Teen Spirit Parody).mp3
Bob Rivers - Taking Care of Christmas.mp3
Bob Rivers - Tight Christmas.mp3
Bob Rivers - Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland.mp3
Bob Rivers - Willie Nelson Christmas.mp3
128 kbps (most)
Bob Rivers - Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.zip - download -
A nice break from all the sweetness and light of usual christmas music - parodies and outright skewering at times.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - I Am Santa Claus
Bob Rivers - I Am Santa Claus.zip - download -
Looking for irreverence in your holiday nut mix? Bob Rivers does such a great job of social, political, and seasonal satire under the guise of many a familiar holiday tune that he's lucky he hasn't been run over by a reindeer. Rivers apes all the department-store Santas (sung to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus") with "There's Another Santa Claus," lambastes "Teddy Kennedy the Red-Nosed Senator," and sends up Marlon Brando's Godfather in the inspired "A Letter to Santa," which warns of Santa's movement into mob territory. There are a few clunkers among the moving and snoozing targets, but Rivers nearly always elicits a chuckle. The biggest yuks, though, come on the title track as he reaches back to Black Sabbath's "I Am Ironman" classic to turn dear old Santa into a heavy-metal monster. Call it "Headnog"--and get it for the unholy rollers on your list. --Martin Keller
128/160 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Lost Holiday Classics
Bob Rivers - Lost Holiday Classics.zip - download -
128 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - More Twisted Christmas
Bob Rivers - More Twisted Christmas.zip - download -
128/160/192 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas
Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - White Trash Christmas
Bob Rivers - White Trash Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Boney James - Boney's Funky Christmas
Boney James - Boney's Funky Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Jazzy, R&B, christmas. There you go :)
Track listing and info
Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas
Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Boyz II Men - Christmas Interpretations
Boyz II Men - Christmas Interpretations.zip - download -
There's just nothing to say. You know who they are, you know what they do, and now it's all about Christmas. If you like them, then this is the sort of thing you'll like. If not, well, take that string of lights back to your workshop and put Cindy Lou Who back to bed ;)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bullseye Blues Christmas
Bullseye Blues Christmas.zip - download -
a good variety, a good balance between new songs and traditional, a great exposure to this record label's artists.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Callann Lane - Christmas This Year EP
Callann Lane - Christmas This Year EP.zip - download -
Sweet, light pop. Apparently she was big on Radio Disney for a bit there.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Celtic Christmas III
Celtic Christmas III.zip - download -
Another Windham Hill sampler; great instrumentals, lovely atmospheric/background stuff.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Celtic Thunder Christmas
Celtic Thunder Christmas.zip - download -
Five male Irish vocalists doing a nice selection of classics with a few rarities thrown in there as well.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Charlie Daniels - Joy To The World_ A Bluegrass Christmas
Charlie Daniels - Joy To The World_ A Bluegrass Christmas.zip - download -
I'm an unapologetic bluegrass fan; this is wonderful, he's got Aaron Tippin and Kathy Mattea and others joining in on a few songs.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Dance
Christmas Dance.zip - download -
It's upbeat, it's dancey, it's... in German. yeah, i /will/ get just about anything if it's Christmas music, why do you ask?
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Remixed
Christmas Remixed.zip - download -
Remixing Christmas songs might sound like an awful idea but it's really not. Promise. give it a chance.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Remixed 2
Christmas Remixed 2.zip - download -
Ditto to what I said before. It worked so well they did it again.
192 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With Glen Campbell
Christmas With Glen Campbell.zip - download -
This is the kind of stuff I was raised on, classic, twangy, heartfelt country. I may not listen to it all year round but at Christmas, it's perfect. He's got a beautiful voice, too.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With Ogden Nash
Christmas With Ogden Nash.zip - download -
Ogden Nash was a poet who specialized in light verse, fun, punny lines with nonsensical rhymes, and is, coincidentally, the author of the only poem I know by heart. This is the poet himself reading various of his Christmas-related work.
"Side 1 of Christmas With Ogden Nash features "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." Side 2 has "The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus" and twelve other poems. From the liner notes: "Christmas With Ogden Nash is Caedmon's answer to the spate of pink-spun-cotton-candy presents, bathetic baubles and glum glitter grimly given and gotten each Yuletide." (http://www.endlessgroove.com/issue1/onash.htm)
VBR
Track listing and info
Christmas With The Kranks
Christmas With The Kranks.zip - download -
A decent collection - the ramones, the raveonettes, etc; kind of like the movie. Not a world-changer, but not a waste of time, either.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With The Puppini Sisters
Christmas With The Puppini Sisters.zip - download -
This is one of my very favorites that I found this year. They do the songs in a sort of big band/swing style (even Last Christmas, All I Want For Christmas Is You, etc), and their fun innuendo and amazing voices make it a real keeper.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Chrystal Gayle - A Crystal Christmas
Chrystal Gayle - A Crystal Christmas.zip - download -
Beautiful voice, all christmas standards.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Chrystal Theory - Christmas Chillout
Chrystal Theory - Christmas Chillout.zip - download -
mellow jazzy bluesy electronica, sort of. Interesting and not the same old same old.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Corporal Blossom Presents - A Mutated Christmas
Corporal Blossom Presents - A Mutated Christmas.zip - download -
This is kind of an odd experiment type thing. "Continuing the fight against digital copyright restrictions, Illegal Art teams up with RTMark for the CD "A Mutated Christmas." Armed with 100s of recordings taken from mp3 sharing, thrift store vinyl, and other sources, several artists were enlisted to remix and reassemble classic Christmas songs. What better way to re-educate the world on the true meaning of musical sharing than by a snappy version of "White Christmas" sung by multiple artists (Louie Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and The Supremes)." (http://illegalart.net/xmas/)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Curious George - A Very Monkey Christmas
Curious George - A Very Monkey Christmas.zip - download -
This is the soundtrack from the Christmas episode of the PBS Curious George series. Which I unabashedly and unapologetically loooove. And these songs are silly and goofy but they get stuck in your head; I sing "Christmas with A Monkey" way more than anyone over the age of 6 should, and I bet you do too.
VBR
Track listing and info
Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas
Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas.zip - download -
it's smooth. it's jazz. it's christmas. sometimes that's all you want.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
David Foster - Christmas Album
David Foster - Christmas Album.zip - download -
TONS of guesting artists on this. Wynonna, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Michael Crawford, Vanessa Williams, Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack, Tom Jones, Celine Dion, and Tammy Wynette. I love David Foster's arrangements and piano, so this is a great one in my opinion.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Dr. Demento Presents; Greatest Christmas Novelty CD
Dr. Demento Presents; Greatest Christmas Novelty CD.zip - download -
Yep. It's that guy, doing what he does. Not much else needs to be said.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Eden's Bridge - A Celtic Christmas
Eden's Bridge - A Celtic Christmas.zip - download -
Oh look, another Celtic Christmas album, so creatively titled, "Celtic Christmas". Despite THAT lack of creativity, this is gorgeous. Simple, clever arrangements, and stunningly gorgeous vocals.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Erin Bode - A Cold December Night
Erin Bode - A Cold December Night.zip - download -
Simpler, sort of unplugged, focused on the religious meaning of the season.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Esteban - What Child Is This_
Esteban - What Child Is This_.zip - download -
Acoustic guitar christmas stuff. Yay!
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Etta Jones Christmas
Etta Jones Christmas.zip - download -
An amazing jazz singer doing the classics.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Glasvegas - 2008 - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP
Glasvegas - 2008 - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP.zip - download -
This is a Scottish band who opened for U2 on the first chunk of their latest tour, and it's only /barely/ a Christmas EP, but Silent Night makes it qualify.
224 kbps
Track listing and info
Glee; The Music, The Christmas Album
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas.zip - download -
Yeah, if you don't know who this is, I can't help you :)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas
Classic country Christmas, I love it. Give it a try, you might too.
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Guitar Winterlude
Guitar Winterlude.zip - download -
I am such a sucker for guitar-focused instrumental albums. This is a really good one.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Halford - Halford III - Winter Songs
Halford - Halford III - Winter Songs.zip - download -
That's Rob Halford, as in, vocalist for Judas Priest. Yep.
VBR
Track listing and info
Hark_The_Herald_Angels_Swing
Hark_The_Herald_Angels_Swing.zip - download -
Dixieland/brass band style, done RIGHT. I've been looking for it in better quality, and I'm still keeping an eye out. It's worth it.
128 kbps
Track listing and info
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas (Dancing Cat Records)
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas.zip - download -
Slack key guitar is when you loosen one or more of the strings on a guitar until they all form a single chord, it originated in Hawaii. This album makes me think of a nice tropical Christmas... and wish for that very badly in the Ohio snow! :D
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Indigo Girls - Holly Happy Days
Indigo Girls - Holly Happy Days.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
James Kalal - Sleigh Ride
James Kalal - Sleigh Ride.zip - download -
320 kbps
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamessylvia">Track listing and info
James Kalal - Yuletide Gathering
James Kalal - Yuletide Gathering.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs
Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
jazz to the world - various artists
jazz to the world - various artists.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jessica Simpson Happy Christmas
Jessica Simpson Happy Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jim Reeves - Christmas Songbook
Jim Reeves - Christmas Songbook.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
What I've put up are the things I've acquired over this year, not my whole collection; as always, if there's something you want and don't see here, please feel free to ask and I'll do what I can. Merry Christmas!
download folder: http://www.mediafire.com/?nwsv0848y4edg
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim Steamroller
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim SteamrollerCD1.zip - download -
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim SteamrollerCD2.zip - download -
Not all Christmas, but if you like them, it's a nice selection from their repertoire.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Big Band Christmas
A Big Band Christmas.zip - download -
Big bands with pop vocalists, mostly - including Les Brown with Doris Day singing "The Christmas Song," Red Norvo with vocalist Mildred Bailey on "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," and Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee and Art Lund duetting on "Winter Weather."
192 kbps
Track listing and info
A Cabaret Christmas
A Cabaret Christmas.zip - download -
To steal the amazon.com review...
"Attention all lovers of that rarified New York-lounge-scene singer known as the cabaret performer. This droll and sophisticated collection of Manhattan's finest features Karen Akers and Andrea Marcovicci on several tracks, as well as Ann Hampton Callaway, Barbara Cook, and Jay Leonhart, to name but a few on this engaging and at times jazzy, show-bizzy, and witty disc. The show stealer is easily Julie Wilson's "Season's Greetings." Wilson's greetings take you through every conceivable holiday of the year and then some--including Election Day ("don't forget to vote," she sings, sounding on every note unenthusiastic and overrun by all the good cheer, but wishing you well just the same). Wilson's mini-masterpiece of sarcasm, understatement, and cleverness ought to be on any collection that features "darker" Christmas fare. For this "Season's Greetings" alone, get a few copies for those friends who never seem to get in the merry mood. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Canadian Christmas 4
A Canadian Christmas 4.zip - download -
"A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS 4 features both traditional and contemporary Holiday songs performed by popular Canadian artists including Suzie McNeil, Diana Krall, The Band, Great Big Sea and Loreena McKennitt. Songs include 'Winter Wonderland,' 'Christmas Must Be Tonight,' 'Maybe This Christmas', 'God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen' and many, many more favourites of the Season! "
320 kpbs
Track listing and info
A Celtic Christmas
A Celtic Christmas.zip - download -
People really need to stop making albums called "Celtic Christmas", I've gotta say. This is by George Balderose - Smallpipes & Great Highland Pipes, Ernie Hawkins - Guitar, T.H. Gillespie - Keyboard, and L.E. McCullough - Tinwhistle, Harmonica, Bones & Bodhran
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas II
A Country Superstar Christmas II.zip - download -
Big country stars - George Strait, Clint Black, Shania Twin, etc, but mostly contemporary Christmas songs rather than carols, with a few exceptions - Little Drummer Boy, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas III
A Country Superstar Christmas III.zip - download -
Then they switched over and did all recognizable classics or carols, just for variety ;)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Country Superstar Christmas IV
A Country Superstar Christmas IV.zip - download -
And then this time they did a mix of both!
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene
A Foggy Holiday - Carols From The SF Scene.zip - download -
Holiday Classics from local San Francisco Indie Rock Scene - circa 2007
320 kbps
Track listing and info
A Redneck Christmas
A Redneck Christmas.zip - download -
This is not, shall we say, the CLASSIEST portion of my christmas collection ;) But I can live with that. But it's fun.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Al Di Meola - Winter Nights
Al Di Meola - Winter Nights.zip - download -
"Jazz guitarist Al DiMeola gives new meaning to the phrase world music by working with Ukrainian bandura player Roman Hrynkiv. Here DiMeola explores a special collection of instrumental seasonal works, underscoring them with layered percussion. A number of captivating originals and intricately arranged standards surface here, including "Carol of the Bells, "Ave Maria," and "The First Noel." DiMeola certainly titled the album right: these seasonal songs readily capture the penetrating chill and peacefulness of a star-laden winter sky. Recommended. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
All Wrapped Up Vol. 2
All Wrapped Up Vol. 2.zip - download -
Jordan Pruitt, Jesse McCartney, Jonas Brothers, Honor Society, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Steve Rushton, and Anna Margaret. It is what it is - other than the odd inclusion of the Jonas Brothers' Summertime Anthem, it's pleasant Disney-type pop artists.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
All Wrapped Up
All Wrapped Up.zip - download -
Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Aly & AJ, Demi Lovato, Jordan Pruitt, Marie Digby - upbeat peppy Christmas pop :)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Andrae Crouch - The Gift of Christmas
Andrae Crouch - The Gift of Christmas.zip - download -
This time I'll steal the review from cduniverse...
"Crouch's Grammy-nominated Christmas album is state-of-the-art, late-'90s pop gospel (and something of a concept album as well, given that the songs--mostly holiday standards--are linked from time with brief snippets of African-inflected chanting). The backing tracks are big and lush, with a crack funk band, a Hollywood string section, and a 20-voice choir all operating at maximum energy levels. There's also a suitably star-powered supply of special guests, including Tata Vega, Pam Austin, Yolanda Adams, and most impressively Chaka Khan, whose contribution to "This Christmas" provides ample proof that she's still, as they say, got it. The downside, of course, is that Crouch, who sings throughout with his customary gruff intensity, is often reduced to the status of being a guest on his own album, but then again that's hardly the listener's problem."
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Anna Moo - Mooey Christmas
Anna Moo - Mooey Christmas.zip - download -
Fun, jazzy, upbeat - it's children's music, technically (I think the name probably gives it away...) but light and fun and enjoyable.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Anne Murray What A Wonderful Christmas
Anne Murray What A Wonderful Christmas.zip - download -
A two cd set gives her plenty to work with, from rare songs to classics. She's accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra on six songs, as well.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Annie Lennox - A Christmas Cornucopia
Annie Lennox - A Christmas Cornucopia.zip - download -
I love Annie Lennox, and I was thrilled to see that she'd done a Christmas album. "A Christmas Cornucopia is a collection of new, inspired interpretations of 11 traditional festive songs, rounded out by a new Lennox composition, Universal Child. The music on the album was mostly played by Lennox, in collaboration with co producer Mike Stevens, and recorded in his southwest London studio - at the bottom of his garden. But to achieve the resonance and vibrancy that were integral to Lennox's ideas for these re-energized reboots, the pair also worked with a 30-piece orchestra at Pinewood Studios. And they travelled further afield too: to South Africa, to record with the African Children's Choir" (Amazon)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Annie Moses Band - This Glorious Christmas
Annie Moses Band - This Glorious Christmas.zip - download -
"A stylistic journey through elements of bluegrass, pop, jazz and classical music, the holiday disc is amazingly cohesive, thanks to Annie’s lead vocal and the other four siblings' consistent instrumental (Alex on viola, Benjamin on cello, Gretchen on violin and mandolin and Camille on harp) and vocal contributions." (cduniverse.com)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Badd Santa
Badd Santa.zip - download -
A compilation from Stones Throw Records "combines obscure vinyl archaeology with good old fashioned merriness to bring you a compilation of Christmas songs you’ve never heard -- the weird, the wacky, obscure and obtuse -- guaranteed to help you and yours jingle all the way. This is not your boring background Holiday music for the eggnog sipping crowd, but an eclectic Holiday Masterpiece to celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or whatever it is you celebrate. "Badd Santa" has something for everyone! From the funky rap free-for-all that is "Cold Chillin’ Christmas" to the snow-free Miami booty bass of "What You Want For Christmas" by the 69 Boyz & Quad City DJs, Wolf has got your vintage Hip Hop bases covered. For the funk lovers, there’s the slept-on classic "Go Power At Christmas Time" by James Brown and a little-known Soul Saints Orchestra tune from the Poets of Rhythm archives called "Santa’s Got a Bag of Soul." From there, the comp ranges stylistically from reggae ("Christmas Is Coming" by Cocoa Tea) to avant-garde robot singing (Bruce Haack’s "I Like Christmas")." (Amazon)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Banana Republic - Holiday Soul
Banana Republic - Holiday Soul.zip - download -
Various artists doing just what it says on the label - a store compilation, from what I can find. Includes Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, B. B. King, Louis Armstrong, Lou Rawls, Brook Benton, Wilson Pickett, Ella Fitzgerald, Gladys Knight and the Pips
192 kbps
Track listing and info
BarlowGirl - Home For Christmas
BarlowGirl - Home For Christmas.zip - download -
BarlowGirl is actually three girls, sisters, and their other releases hit a bit harder on the rock side, but this album is gorgeous arrangements and that unique harmony you only find in singers who are related. It's a good one.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Barry Manilow - A Christmas Gift Of Love
Barry Manilow - A Christmas Gift Of Love.zip - download -
It's Barry Manilow, and it's Christmas. There really aren't any surprises here, which is as it should be. "This is a big orchestrated (and voiced) Christmas album, most of it well suited for delivery on a Broadway stage. Accordingly, the singer picks holiday-themed tunes from the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, Irving Berlin, and Frank Loesser. Then, just to confuse things a bit (this is, after all, someone who had a huge hit with Ian Hunter's "Ships"), Manilow throws in a superb cover of "River," Joni Mitchell's ode to Christmas depression. Everything else is warm and festive, though, including the Manilow-penned title track. The singer's longtime fans will adore this collection. --Bill Holdship"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Barry Manilow - In The Swing Of Christmas
Barry Manilow - In The Swing Of Christmas.zip - download -
"True to its title, his engaging third Christmas CD is more swinging and jazzy than his other two, which had an interesting musical variety but were definitely more pop. Since his '70s heyday, the singer has done everything from brilliant jazz, big-band, and show tune projects to a fanciful Sinatra tribute, and here he creates unforgettable arrangements of many familiar songs that draw from all of these genres. " (cduniverse)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas
Beegie Adair Trio - Jazz Piano Christmas.zip - download -
Jazzy piano standards, it might sound simple but that's a good thing, in this case.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Big Daddy Weave - Christ is Come
Big Daddy Weave - Christ is Come.zip - download -
Big Daddy Weave is a contemporary christian band out of Alabama, and this album won the 2010 GMA Dove award for Christmas album of the year. Solid, interesting voices and a fresh take on familiar songs.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Blues, Mistletoe, and Santa's Little Helper
Blues, Mistletoe, and Santa's Little Helper.zip - download -
"Among the countless blues recordings of holiday tunes, this more recent survey from Black Top pits heavy-guitar stylists like Earl King and Robert Ward with more-popular roadhouse belters such as Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets and Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. It's a great lineup, but the titles tell the story: "Grady and Santa Are Coming to Town" (Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters); "No More Pretty Presents" (Piazza); "Christmas by the Bar-B-Que" (Lynn August); and, naturally, Funderburgh's "Young Girls Drive Me Wild (at Christmas)." But it's Robert Ward's chillingly funky and impassioned number "Wouldn't It Be a Merry Christmas?" that will make Santa's little helpers want to get up and do some kind of funky-chicken derivation by the Christmas tree. --Martin Keller"
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Bootleg.zip - download -
All I know is that it's Bob Rivers, big Christmas parody song guy, and they're labelled bootlegs. So? Ok then!
Bob Rivers - Bum, Bum, Bum.mp3
Bob Rivers - Jesus' Birthday.mp3
Bob Rivers - Santa Is a Travellin' Man.mp3
Bob Rivers - Smells Like the Night Before Christmas (Teen Spirit Parody).mp3
Bob Rivers - Taking Care of Christmas.mp3
Bob Rivers - Tight Christmas.mp3
Bob Rivers - Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland.mp3
Bob Rivers - Willie Nelson Christmas.mp3
128 kbps (most)
Bob Rivers - Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.zip - download -
A nice break from all the sweetness and light of usual christmas music - parodies and outright skewering at times.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - I Am Santa Claus
Bob Rivers - I Am Santa Claus.zip - download -
Looking for irreverence in your holiday nut mix? Bob Rivers does such a great job of social, political, and seasonal satire under the guise of many a familiar holiday tune that he's lucky he hasn't been run over by a reindeer. Rivers apes all the department-store Santas (sung to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus") with "There's Another Santa Claus," lambastes "Teddy Kennedy the Red-Nosed Senator," and sends up Marlon Brando's Godfather in the inspired "A Letter to Santa," which warns of Santa's movement into mob territory. There are a few clunkers among the moving and snoozing targets, but Rivers nearly always elicits a chuckle. The biggest yuks, though, come on the title track as he reaches back to Black Sabbath's "I Am Ironman" classic to turn dear old Santa into a heavy-metal monster. Call it "Headnog"--and get it for the unholy rollers on your list. --Martin Keller
128/160 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Lost Holiday Classics
Bob Rivers - Lost Holiday Classics.zip - download -
128 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - More Twisted Christmas
Bob Rivers - More Twisted Christmas.zip - download -
128/160/192 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas
Bob Rivers - Twisted Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bob Rivers - White Trash Christmas
Bob Rivers - White Trash Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Boney James - Boney's Funky Christmas
Boney James - Boney's Funky Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Jazzy, R&B, christmas. There you go :)
Track listing and info
Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas
Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin' Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Boyz II Men - Christmas Interpretations
Boyz II Men - Christmas Interpretations.zip - download -
There's just nothing to say. You know who they are, you know what they do, and now it's all about Christmas. If you like them, then this is the sort of thing you'll like. If not, well, take that string of lights back to your workshop and put Cindy Lou Who back to bed ;)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Bullseye Blues Christmas
Bullseye Blues Christmas.zip - download -
a good variety, a good balance between new songs and traditional, a great exposure to this record label's artists.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Callann Lane - Christmas This Year EP
Callann Lane - Christmas This Year EP.zip - download -
Sweet, light pop. Apparently she was big on Radio Disney for a bit there.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Celtic Christmas III
Celtic Christmas III.zip - download -
Another Windham Hill sampler; great instrumentals, lovely atmospheric/background stuff.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Celtic Thunder Christmas
Celtic Thunder Christmas.zip - download -
Five male Irish vocalists doing a nice selection of classics with a few rarities thrown in there as well.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Charlie Daniels - Joy To The World_ A Bluegrass Christmas
Charlie Daniels - Joy To The World_ A Bluegrass Christmas.zip - download -
I'm an unapologetic bluegrass fan; this is wonderful, he's got Aaron Tippin and Kathy Mattea and others joining in on a few songs.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Dance
Christmas Dance.zip - download -
It's upbeat, it's dancey, it's... in German. yeah, i /will/ get just about anything if it's Christmas music, why do you ask?
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Remixed
Christmas Remixed.zip - download -
Remixing Christmas songs might sound like an awful idea but it's really not. Promise. give it a chance.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas Remixed 2
Christmas Remixed 2.zip - download -
Ditto to what I said before. It worked so well they did it again.
192 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With Glen Campbell
Christmas With Glen Campbell.zip - download -
This is the kind of stuff I was raised on, classic, twangy, heartfelt country. I may not listen to it all year round but at Christmas, it's perfect. He's got a beautiful voice, too.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With Ogden Nash
Christmas With Ogden Nash.zip - download -
Ogden Nash was a poet who specialized in light verse, fun, punny lines with nonsensical rhymes, and is, coincidentally, the author of the only poem I know by heart. This is the poet himself reading various of his Christmas-related work.
"Side 1 of Christmas With Ogden Nash features "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't." Side 2 has "The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus" and twelve other poems. From the liner notes: "Christmas With Ogden Nash is Caedmon's answer to the spate of pink-spun-cotton-candy presents, bathetic baubles and glum glitter grimly given and gotten each Yuletide." (http://www.endlessgroove.com/issue1/onash.htm)
VBR
Track listing and info
Christmas With The Kranks
Christmas With The Kranks.zip - download -
A decent collection - the ramones, the raveonettes, etc; kind of like the movie. Not a world-changer, but not a waste of time, either.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Christmas With The Puppini Sisters
Christmas With The Puppini Sisters.zip - download -
This is one of my very favorites that I found this year. They do the songs in a sort of big band/swing style (even Last Christmas, All I Want For Christmas Is You, etc), and their fun innuendo and amazing voices make it a real keeper.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Chrystal Gayle - A Crystal Christmas
Chrystal Gayle - A Crystal Christmas.zip - download -
Beautiful voice, all christmas standards.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Chrystal Theory - Christmas Chillout
Chrystal Theory - Christmas Chillout.zip - download -
mellow jazzy bluesy electronica, sort of. Interesting and not the same old same old.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Corporal Blossom Presents - A Mutated Christmas
Corporal Blossom Presents - A Mutated Christmas.zip - download -
This is kind of an odd experiment type thing. "Continuing the fight against digital copyright restrictions, Illegal Art teams up with RTMark for the CD "A Mutated Christmas." Armed with 100s of recordings taken from mp3 sharing, thrift store vinyl, and other sources, several artists were enlisted to remix and reassemble classic Christmas songs. What better way to re-educate the world on the true meaning of musical sharing than by a snappy version of "White Christmas" sung by multiple artists (Louie Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and The Supremes)." (http://illegalart.net/xmas/)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Curious George - A Very Monkey Christmas
Curious George - A Very Monkey Christmas.zip - download -
This is the soundtrack from the Christmas episode of the PBS Curious George series. Which I unabashedly and unapologetically loooove. And these songs are silly and goofy but they get stuck in your head; I sing "Christmas with A Monkey" way more than anyone over the age of 6 should, and I bet you do too.
VBR
Track listing and info
Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas
Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas.zip - download -
it's smooth. it's jazz. it's christmas. sometimes that's all you want.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
David Foster - Christmas Album
David Foster - Christmas Album.zip - download -
TONS of guesting artists on this. Wynonna, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Michael Crawford, Vanessa Williams, Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack, Tom Jones, Celine Dion, and Tammy Wynette. I love David Foster's arrangements and piano, so this is a great one in my opinion.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Dr. Demento Presents; Greatest Christmas Novelty CD
Dr. Demento Presents; Greatest Christmas Novelty CD.zip - download -
Yep. It's that guy, doing what he does. Not much else needs to be said.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Eden's Bridge - A Celtic Christmas
Eden's Bridge - A Celtic Christmas.zip - download -
Oh look, another Celtic Christmas album, so creatively titled, "Celtic Christmas". Despite THAT lack of creativity, this is gorgeous. Simple, clever arrangements, and stunningly gorgeous vocals.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Erin Bode - A Cold December Night
Erin Bode - A Cold December Night.zip - download -
Simpler, sort of unplugged, focused on the religious meaning of the season.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Esteban - What Child Is This_
Esteban - What Child Is This_.zip - download -
Acoustic guitar christmas stuff. Yay!
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Etta Jones Christmas
Etta Jones Christmas.zip - download -
An amazing jazz singer doing the classics.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Glasvegas - 2008 - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP
Glasvegas - 2008 - A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss) EP.zip - download -
This is a Scottish band who opened for U2 on the first chunk of their latest tour, and it's only /barely/ a Christmas EP, but Silent Night makes it qualify.
224 kbps
Track listing and info
Glee; The Music, The Christmas Album
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas.zip - download -
Yeah, if you don't know who this is, I can't help you :)
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas
Classic country Christmas, I love it. Give it a try, you might too.
Glen Campbell - Merry Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Guitar Winterlude
Guitar Winterlude.zip - download -
I am such a sucker for guitar-focused instrumental albums. This is a really good one.
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Halford - Halford III - Winter Songs
Halford - Halford III - Winter Songs.zip - download -
That's Rob Halford, as in, vocalist for Judas Priest. Yep.
VBR
Track listing and info
Hark_The_Herald_Angels_Swing
Hark_The_Herald_Angels_Swing.zip - download -
Dixieland/brass band style, done RIGHT. I've been looking for it in better quality, and I'm still keeping an eye out. It's worth it.
128 kbps
Track listing and info
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas (Dancing Cat Records)
Hawaiian Slack Key Christmas.zip - download -
Slack key guitar is when you loosen one or more of the strings on a guitar until they all form a single chord, it originated in Hawaii. This album makes me think of a nice tropical Christmas... and wish for that very badly in the Ohio snow! :D
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Indigo Girls - Holly Happy Days
Indigo Girls - Holly Happy Days.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
James Kalal - Sleigh Ride
James Kalal - Sleigh Ride.zip - download -
320 kbps
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamessylvia">Track listing and info
James Kalal - Yuletide Gathering
James Kalal - Yuletide Gathering.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs
Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
jazz to the world - various artists
jazz to the world - various artists.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jessica Simpson Happy Christmas
Jessica Simpson Happy Christmas.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info
Jim Reeves - Christmas Songbook
Jim Reeves - Christmas Songbook.zip - download -
320 kbps
Track listing and info