Music Mix: Not All The Usual Christmas Music

I burned the following holiday-themed mix this morning (more after the track listing):

Not All The Usual Christmas Music

1. Cyndi Lauper, The Hives - A Christmas Duel
2. Cracker - Turn On Tune In Drop Out With Me
3. The New Pornographers - Joseph, Who Understood
4. Hall and Oates - Jingle Bell Rock
5. Owl City - Fireflies
6. Vince Guaraldi - Skating
7. MC Lars - Gary The Green-Nosed Reindeer
8. Discovery - Orange Shirt
9. Aimee Mann - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
11. Whirling Dervishes - You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch
12. Dirty Little Rabbits - Hello
13. Jill Sobule - Merry Christmas From The Family
14. Metric - Help I'm Alive
15. Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
16. Lady GaGa - Christmas Tree
    

My relationship with the holidays is rather testy. I wrote about this in my recent editorial in the Word. I opened with "A Christmas Duel" because it moves, it's loud, and it swears. It's about a married couple who can't stand each other but decide to make the most of the Christmas season. Me and Christmas? Well, we don't get along too well so it's the perfect lead in for the mix. The theme carries over to possible-Illuminati member Lady GaGa with her new single, "Bad Romance."

In between, there's a smattering of current popular/alternative songs with some not so usual holiday songs. "Skating" by Vince Guaraldi sticks out for me because it's not "Linus and Lucy." I love that song, but I wanted something else. I think taking a different tactic with the holidays is my way of accepting that it's here. Just like how it's not Rudolph saving Christmas in the MC Lars' slow jam about one of the other reindeer.

I did include some perennial favorites like "Merry Christmas From The Family" by Jill Sobule which goes along with the dysfunctional family that really isn't theme. The Phil Spector produced "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home" by Darlene Love is a backwards plea to myself I suppose. I've resisted this season to point of doing nothing, so maybe it's time to resign myself to letting the joy come in if it wants.

Of course, my sense of humor would not let the mix be complete without the almost awful, innuendo filled gem by Lady GaGa. I couldn't leave it off all misty eyed!