Inspired by Shawn’s fearless public playlist (far more public than this one, in fact), I wanted to talk music, too--but with less death metal content. When I got the invitation to my company Christmas party, I knew that the list had to have a theme--it’s my “I’m Not Really Feeling the Season, If You Know What I Mean” playlist. Fifteen songs to confound visitors to your home or cubicle during this holiday season, bouncing joyously between warm sentiment and cynical anger, beautiful music and raging torrents of sound.

Essentially, it’s the whole bundle of (mostly) secular feelings that fill me when I see Christmas coming at me like one of those pre-pathetic Mike Tyson punches that ended fights within seconds. Not one of those lame punches that he started throwing after getting the ill-advised tattoo on his face and an even iller-advised cannibal snack routine.

Anyway, there is music talk beneath the fold. For everyone else, there’s still Narnia, Chris Whitley, Pandora, The Ice Harvest, and crystal meth.

1. Sugababes, “Come Together” People think Christmas and, like, the fifteenth thing to come into their mind is John Lennon. It comes well after “Oh, crap, the in-laws” but before “traditional bread or cornbread stuffing.” It comes up when people realize that they have to get some Christmas music together and wonder where that old mix tape got off to--you know the one that had that John Lennon Christmas war song? Well, this isn’t that song and it isn’t even John Lennon, but it’s a surprisingly soulful take on “Come Together” by some weird British band. Good stuff.
   
2. Woven Hand, “Your Russia (Without Hands)” Because what is Christmas without some Christians (and tons of loot to celebrate the materialism taught to us by our Lord Jesus who must have had to really dip into savings around Christmas since he had a whole bunch of people to buy presents for). Woven Hand is about as Christian as you can get and the music is powerful--and this version of the song “Your Russia” from the Blush Music album is an aggressive mash up of roots music with a punk sneer.  The sounds are entrancing and compelling while David Eugene Edwards sings something that sounds like an accusation. “Medicine tongue and a heavy hand together made a fist/ they put me down and I do not rise...”
   
3. Daniel Lanois, “Fisherman’s Daughter” This song melts into the background with warm, quietly plucked guitar almost like a lullaby. Then you realize that Lanois is talking to you--he’s reading a poem about God, the ocean, and individual responsibility. Very pretty.
4. Joe Henry, “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation” “...Everything you tried to keep away from me / everything I took from you and lost...” This may be the ultimate, slow jazz number to play on a cold, moonless night while driving around the city and wondering at how the last year seemed to have gotten away from you. It’s a musical statement of regret, pain, loss, and disappointment. “Excuse me while I disappear...”
5. ...And They Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, “Will You Smile Again for Me?” Just when you’ve lulled your visitors into a false sense of comfort, you spring this one on them. The singing is an uneven warble; the music goes from a sort of hard rock orchestral opening to drums without tiny guitar noises and then building into a more traditional hard rock sound. It’s a great progression that builds up a sense of dramatic tension.
6. Mark Lanegan, “Death Valley Blues” Imagine if the blues had been co-opted by a man with a rocky voice, a bunch of friends from Queens of the Stone Age, and a bad heroin habit. That’s this song. And it will perfectly capture the desire to self-medicate and drive the hell away before the in-laws show up for Christmas dinner.
7. Jerry Cantrell, “Jesus Hands” Because, this being Christmas and all, Jesus does need to make up the predominant part of the playlist. And because this continues the post-modern blues vibe. And because some of us still miss Layne and Alice and Chains. And because it almost comes across as a prayer. Almost.
8. William Shatner, “You’ll Have Time” William Shatner. Yes, that William Shatner. As soon as the going gets too solemn, it makes sense to find a reason to laugh. And this one is hilarious--a gospel number complete with gospel choir about how you’re gonna die. “Live life like your gonna die. Because you’re gonna.”
9. Corrosion of Conformity, “Clean My Wounds (Live)” Hard and heavy with that COC southern crunch. It mixes politically simplistic statements with a sort of oblique religious imagery ("Help me Jesus, help me clean my wounds / he said he cannot heal that kind...") and it works because the music is compelling. The live version is a little overly long, but it captures some of the energy of a live performance.
10. Grant Lee Buffalo, “Were You There?” It’s just a pretty alt.country song, right? Well, not so much. It’s really a questioning of God and how He could allow something like the massacre at Wounded Knee. It’s phrased so eloquently, though, that the poetry of it can’t be ignored even as it ends in an angry outburst of music that can’t be heard as anything other than a rebuke. Amazingly, it is also one of their rejects; the song came out on the post-split retrospective, Storm Hymnal.
11. The Handsome Family, “So Much Wine” This one is just for me and the kinds of memories that swirl around me during the holidays. “Listen to me, butterfly, there’s only so much wine that you can drink in your life. But it will never be enough to save you from the bottom of your glass.”
12. Johnny Cash, “One” It’s amazing that people just notice the pretty part of what is, arguably, U2’s best song. They completely miss the plea, the accusations, and the resignation. While it doesn’t have that gorgeous opening guitar line, Cash’s version does make the pop song into a country gem. Coming as late as it did in his life, the sense of age runs through with every word. It might not be as affecting as his take on Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt,” but it’s close.
13. ZZ Top, “Have You Heard?” I like to throw this (and other selections from Tres Hombres) onto mixes every now and again to surprise people who think of ZZ Top as a band that made pop blues-rock songs in the 80’s with spinning guitars and a car that magically morphed into a space shuttle. In the beginning, ZZ Top was a great Texas blues band, and the gospel and muddy guitar of “Have You Heard?” goes a long way to prove the point. “Jesus Left Chicago”, from the same album, is just as good. Although I did dig the flying car.
14. Kubb, “Mother” Because, apparently, the only person to show up more than John Lennon on this list is Jesus. Which is only appropriate, all things considered. Anyway, Kubb does this John Lennon song (about self-pity abandonment and loss) exceptionally well. Utterly gorgeous.
15. Low, “Little Drummer Boy” I figured it would be nice to close the list with something more traditional. Sort of. See, Low’s version of the little percussionist is kind of like going ten miles an hour in the fast lane on the highway. You get to see a lot of scenery, but you wonder exactly how long it’s going to take to get to the end. Most people know this song--if they know this song--from stylish Gap holiday commercials in the late nineties, and it transforms the tired old song into something that surrounds and caresses listeners with icy music and warm, whispered vocals. I swear you can almost see the breath misting from the speakers when you hear this one.
    
    Okay, probably not, but you get my point.

Okay, that’s it for the list. It pretty much sums up Christmas in my head--all the feelings and stress and desire to escape that comes from the Happiest Freakin’ Time of the Year.

You?