ON THURSDAY’S I POST FROM THE VAULT. THIS POST IS FROM NOVEMBER 2011.
We put up our Christmas tree yesterday, and officially broke out the Christmas music. I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music. It makes me feel all warm and glow-y for about a week, and then I grow totally sick of it and don’t want to hear it again for another year. I think a part of this is the fact that, really, it’s pretty much the same 25-30 songs being recycled into different versions and genres every year. Growing up, my parents listened to the same couple of albums each Christmas: Manhiem Steamroller, Sandy Patty, Anne Murray, Statler Brothers, and Handel’s Messiah. If you are guessing those are not on repeat play in my adult years, you would be correct. Last year I discovered some great Christmas channels on Pandora. This year, I’m geeking out on Spotify and trying to come up with the ultimate Christmas playlist. Here are a few on our rotation right now:
This is my favorite. It’s quirky and different, with a lot of old hymns sung in an alt-rock style. Mark finds it annoying. But then again, Mark typically listens to John Denver and Jim Croce. So I think he’s shot his credibility on calling out annoying music. 
LOVE HER. 
I have no idea where I got this album initially (Urban Outfitters?), but I’ve had it since 2002 and it’s the one Christmas album I could listen to year after year. It’s a random mix of artists from Coldplay to Ben Folds. And it’s not on Spotify which makes me very sad. 
I do realize that Glee is an acquired taste but my kids and I loved their Christmas album last year, and I’m thrilled they made another one this year. Of course, I would be happy with an entire album of just the Warblers doing covers of holiday fare. I’m with Wita on this one. 
This is a nice album that has mass appeal and classic Christmas songs. Good for dinner parties or family gatherings. If you don’t think Josh’s voice is dreamy you may not be human.
