The holidays are here and there’s no stopping them. Time to dust off your ugly sweater for that Christmas, Hanukkah, or Festivus — for the rest of us — party; pick up a ridiculous trinket for that white elephant exchange; and get your holiday baking on. Does anyone make fruitcake anymore? Has anyone ever eaten fruitcake?
All of the running around, shopping and various family obligations would be so much easier to handle if it weren’t for the soundtrack, which never seems to change. Loaded with holiday “classics,” the same tired old chestnuts turn up — now starting a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving — and go into heavy rotation in malls, on TV and at various social gatherings. There’s got to be a better way! Here are 10 new-ish indie releases to help you refresh your holiday playlist.
1. Sufjan Stevens, “Lumberjack Christmas/ No One Can Save You From Christmas Past,” Silver and Gold
It wouldn’t be the season without a Sufjan Stevens holiday album. The last one, Songs for Christmas, was a bit melancholic for my taste, but perhaps that’s what the holidays are all about? This year’s release, Silver and Gold, is much lighter and up to Stevens’ more grandiose standards.
2. Polyphonic Spree, “Let it Snow,” Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. 1
If you simply can’t bring yourself to play another Sufjan Stevens holiday album at your Holiday-themed cookie exchange potluck, the answer this year is Polyphonic Spree’s, Holidaydream: Sounds of the Holidays, Vol. 1. This version of “Let it Snow” feels a lot like a dream. I recommend putting this album on for your guests once the spiked eggnog has taken effect. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.