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The holiday season is a happy and joyous time for community radio, unencumbered by corporate playlists and 50’s Boomer nostalgia, we are free (free! free!!!) to pick/choose/sample from the massive and ever expanding collection of songs about the darkest time of year. With zero commercials and minimal interruptions, we are very happy to present this two-hour holiday episode.
We call this our Christmas show, but up here in Northern climes there are enough cold, wet and gloomy reasons to require a cheer-up at the Winter solstice. It doesn’t matter what festival of lights you celebrate, a strong drink and a pat on the back offered up in the spirit of human camaraderie is always appreciated before the long, trudge home in the moonlit snow.
Speaking of snow, there’s plenty of it this week from ladies who know what they’re talking about. Highlights include a great new Meaghan Smith song that’s making the rounds (she’s from London, she gets snow), and one by Toronto’s Weather Station (who just played Hamilton last week).
We’re in love with a darling little tune by Owl & Mouse with the refrain, “Hiding from my family / In my parents room” that might resonate with some folks, and an aching Frightened Rabbit song evokes some of the bittersweet nature of the season.
Big shout-outs to Zunior (the independent online music store) for offering up annual doses of Canadian indie-rock Christmas music, and to Darren Hayman (of Hefner fame) and Fika Recordings, who released an amazing digital advent calendar of free songs called Christmas in Haworth.
Last show of the year is our Best of 2011, and then we’ll take a few weeks off in January. Have a happy holiday!
More: mbtrg Christmas 2010
- Belle and Sebastian – O Little Town of Bethlehem (Christmas Peel Session)
- Meaghan Smith – It Snowed (It Snowed)
- Hawksley Workman – First Snow of the Year (Full Moon Eleven)
- The Weather Station – Snow Up to My Window (A Country Blues Christmas)
- Asobi Seksu – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight)
- MJ Hibbett & The Validators – Thank Goodness For Christmas (Xmas Advent)
- Mike O’Neill – Frosty The Gold Rush (Zunior Holiday Blender 2011)
- Sufjan Stevens – Away In A Manger (Songs For Christmas)
- Don Kerr, Kevin Lacroix and Dave Wall – O Tennenbaum (A Peanuts Christmas)
- Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson – Winter Song (Kuschelrock Christmas)
- Owl & Mouse – Sandwich Day (Xmas Advent)
- Al Tuck – O’Come, O’Come, Emmanuel (A Country Blues Christmas)
- Slottet – A Cold Christmas (Xmas Advent)
- Jill Barber – The Christmas Song (A Peanuts Christmas)
- Old Man Luedecke – Pretty Little Baby (A Country Blues Christmas)
- Emmylou Harris – The First Noel (Light Of The Stable)
- Wayne Petti – What Child Is This (A Peanuts Christmas)
- The Kelele Brothers – Father Christmas (Zunior Music Sampler 2006 Holiday Edition)
- Frightened Rabbit – It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop
- Darren Hayman and the Wave Pictures – Blue Christmas (Xmas Advent)
- She & Him – Baby, It’s Cold Outside (A Very She & Him Christmas)
- My Morning Jacket – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (iTunes Christmas session)
- Raffi – Petit Papa Noel (Raffi’s Christmas Album)
- Eels – Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas (It’s a Cool, Cool, Christmas)
- Lisa Bouvier – Christmas Rain (Xmas Advent)
- The Wombats – Is This Christmas
- The Knife – Christmas Reindeer (The Knife)
- Low – Silent Night (Christmas)
- Yo La Tengo – Santa Claus Goes Modern (Merry Christmas From Yo La Te)
- The Magnetic Fields – Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree (Realism)
- Great Lake Swimmers – When the Snow Starts to Fall (A Country Blues Christmas)
- Slow Club – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Christmas, Thanks For Nothing EP)
- Rosie Thomas – Why Can`t It Be Christmas… (A Very Rosie Christmas)
- Ohbijou – Last Christmas (Egg Nog)
- Jingle Cats – Good King Wenceslas (Meowy Christmas)
