Anti-Holiday Cheer Mixtape

Yesterday, I was held against my will in a dentist chair and tortured for a full hour by the sounds of the most heinous Christmas carols out there, and it was only December first. I am not prepared for the onslaught of songs about joy, peace on earth, or the Muppets singing 12 days of Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I like the occasional carol from about the 22nd-25th of December, but that's all I can take.

By the time I escaped Christmas carol hell I was overwhelmed with urges to:

• 1. Drink lots of bourbon with a splash of eggnog 
• 2. To listen to Elliot Smith for the next 24 hours. 

I desperately needed to balance out the Christmas carols with something more...somber. In the likely event that the Christmas carols will start grating on our nerves (if they haven't already), I made you this mixtape. I selected the most anti-holiday cheer lyrics from each song as well. So here you still have the December/Winter theme but with a healthy dose of heartache, depression, and reality. Happy Holidays! (Click the album art to download the ZIP) Warning: This is not a mix for those with seasonal depression disorder.

1. The Decemberists - Down By the Water "The season rubs me wrong"
2. Said The Whale - This Winter I retire "The snow begins just like I remember/ Looks like it's going to be another cold, long December."
3. Lost In The Trees - Fireplace "So I take true love and I cut it up with scissors/ and I'll throw it in the fireplace."
4. Peggy Sue - February Snow "Hit me with the cold"
5. Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm "It takes more than fucking someone you don't know to keep warm."
6. Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds "Was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night?"
7. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal "you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries."
8. Nina Simone - Gin House Blues "I don't want no pork chops and green / just give me gin instead"
9. Meiko - Maybe Next Year (Christmas Song) "I don't think Santa is coming this year cause I've been a bad, a bad girl."
10. Balmorhea - The Winter Instrumental Interlude
11. Rachael Yamagata - The River "They're putting up reindeer and singing songs of joy and peace / Oh I wish I had a river to skate away on."
12. Bill Ricchini - A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door "I wrote in a small note, put on your winter coat a cold wind will blow through your door."
13. Slow Club - Christmas TV "Hoping something might grow out of this mistletoe."
14. Belle & Sebastian - I Want The World to Stop "I'm wrapped in sheets of milky winter disorder."
15. Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies "This is a song for anyone with a broken heart."
16. Brooke Waggoner - Hush if you Must "Not very adequate, not very merry, oh I try."
17. Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson "This is my winter song. December never felt so wrong / cause you're not where you belong."
18. Sufjan Stevens - Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well You Deserved It)
19. Say Hi - November Was White, December Was Grey "I'll feel better when winter's gone."
20. Emancipator - First Snow

[Download]

*lyrics are transcribed by me and may not be 100% accurate

Ingrid Michaelson - You and I

Jackie's last post made me think of the one song that I just can't stop listening to these days (besides the German Culcha Candela's Monsta). What a surprise, I am hooked on another one of Ingrid's songs. I love how this song is simple and just seems like it was a lot of fun to write. I like to think of it as a modern version of Danny's Song (yup, that old Kenny Loggins's song). Again it has that hand clapping/foot stomping thing that I just can't get enough of, not to mention I am also a sucker for male/female duets. Oh, and the lyrics are great, especially the part about bunnies. This song really covers all the bases. It is just so much fun. And whoever made the little video to go with it had a good time too. Happy Weekend!

Joshua Radin (feat. Ingrid Michaelson) - Sky

This is from 2008, but I love it. Two of my favorite artists, and a happy little diddy to bop around to. Yes, diddy. Not a unique find, but something that I can't stop listening to at the moment. My favorite part:

oh oh, oh oh, you know
the way to keep me on my toes
I, I, I, I, will be fine
just say you'll stay forever mine
til we fall asleep tonight

*disclaimer: Ingrid Michaelson is not in this video.

Allie Moss - Corner

Oh my gosh! I never knew how much time I spent online until I didn't have it forever! I would have posted from my phone, but it wouldn't let me.

Hi everyone! Drew, welcome to the blog. Great songs so far! It's nice to get a male opinion on this thing. Right now, I have plenty of free time on my hands, so I will definitely be posting more regularly. I missed it! Here's the latest song I've stumbled upon and really liked. Allie Moss frequently tours with Ingrid Michaelson (one of my faves), so you have already most likely heard of her. She has the same kind of sweet, little voice, but Ingrid is still my favorite for several reasons including lyrics, voice, and song variety.

Sara Bareilles/Ingrid Michaelson - Winter Song

The days are getting shorter, darker, grayer, the weather is slowly changing you can feel winter coming closer and closer. Things are just becoming dismal. There must be a song to fit the mood. Alas, fret not, I have found one for you. Whoever decided to put Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson in the same studio was a genius. This song is nothing but beautiful. It is simple while still managing to incorporate both of their styles. The official music video is fantastic and incredibly cute but I can not embed it so here is the link. In the meantime you can listen to it here: In other news Ingrid Michaelson has a newly released CD, called Everybody. It is good but becoming more mainstream with heavy pop influences. It is fun to listen to nonetheless. Her first single from the album is "Maybe" which is being played on the radio already. I also like Soldier and Everybody. However if you listen to her old album "Girls and Boys" you would barely be able to tell that this is the same Ingrid Michaelson. If you are looking for more songs like Overboard, The Way I Am, or Breakable you will not find them on this new album. But at least there is this Winter Song to remind you of what Ingrid once sounded like.