A Very Festive Post!

Can you believe 2012 is just around the corner? Last minute gift shoppers need not be reminded. If you still have the time for some jolly new music to add to your playlist today, check out this poorly timed roundup of this year’s holiday highlights.

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She & Him‘s holiday LP “A Very Merry She & Him Christmas” is pretty much the essential release this season. Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward’s seasonal offering is a charming collection of lovely old-timey fireside tunes.

MP3: She & Him – The Christmas Waltz

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If you like your boy/girl indie Christmas music a bit more off-color, wry and British, then Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler’s “This Is Christmas” is your sure bet. The single “Home For The Holidays” is probably my favorite new original holiday song that features handclaps.

STREAM: Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler – Home For The Holidays

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American singer/songwriter Anya Marina fills the cutesy Christmas song quota this year with her free mp3 “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”. No jingle bells here, but there is plenty of acoustic guitar strumming and whistling.

MP3: Anya Marina – I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

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The Killers are back for their annual holiday tradition with new charity single “The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball”, and the video is quite funny. Get it on iTunes.

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Belgian beer brand Stella Artois is also giving away a free jazz album, “Under The Holiday Star”, along with a swanky retro-themed website. Download it here.

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Famed French composer Michel Legrand‘s holiday album “Noel ! Noel !! Noel !!!” features collaborations with Emilie Simon, Carla Bruni, Rufus Wainwright alongside, um, Mika and Jamie Cullum. Hear samples on Amazon.

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Theoretical Girl‘s Musical Advent Calendar is a series of lo-fi home recording covers, downloadable as free mp3s in the spirit of the season. This year, her always lovely voice tackles Blur, Yazoo, The Velvet Underground, Peter Gabriel, Beatles, Depeche Mode, New Order, Edwyn Collins, Chris Isaak and more. What a list that is. Check out her dreamy Wham! cover below, and make sure to head down to her Soundcloud for a whole lot more. I highly recommend her cover of Dubstar’s “Stars”, too, she suits that track to a tee.

MP3: Theoretical Girl – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)

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Kate Nash also took on that same Wham! song, albeit in a more riot-grrl fashion, and gave it away as a Christmas Eve present on her website.

MP3: Kate Nash – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)

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Shonen Knife‘d also like to wish you a merry Christmas, Japanese punk-pop style.

MP3: Shonen Knife – We Wish You A Merry Christmas

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Last but not least is this brand new remix/update of East 17‘s classic “Stay Another Day” by Frank Eddie, aka Fred Deakin of Lemon Jelly fame. Danceable jolliness it is!

MP3: East 17 – Stay Another Day (Frank Eddie Remix)

And if you still need more holiday tuneage, pop on to Stereogum for another handy compilation.

Enjoy the holidays, and have a happy new year!

*Update: I should have remembered to include this new topical Jens Lekman song.

STREAM: Jens Lekman – I Don’t Know What To Do With This Information (Maida Vale Session)