by Felicia De Innocentiis| Staff Writer
Before you go decorating the tree while (to the chagrin of your family members) strictly jamming to Justin Beiber’s “Under the Mistletoe”, you might want to think twice. Expand your horizons with some overlooked classics, both old and new.
The Vandals, “Oi to the World!” (1996) – With equal parts dark humor and holiday joviality, The Vandals celebrate the season in a very punk fashion.The record is fast paced, catchy and brash, spinning on popular favorites to craft works such as “Oi to the World”, which deals with the unity of different fads during the holidays. An instrumental punk cover of “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” is also worth a look. They even take on Christmas in through a different perspective, in “My First X-mas (As a Woman)”. If you really want to break away from traditional soundtracks, try The Vandals on for size. But good luck finding this in any stores, or even an exchange; it’s exclusively featured on iTunes.
She & Him, “A Very She & Him Christmas” (2011) – The striking indie duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward conjure up a Christmas miracle for your ears. Zooey’s vocals sound so vintage that the tunes recall a 50’s Christmas lounge party. You can especially hear this in “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” and “Little Saint Nick”. The songs are classic and extra-bubbly, and the role switch in “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (where Deschanel sings the usual male part and Ward sings the female part) is refreshing. They slow down the rhythm and warm up the fire with “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, which features crisp, sincere vocals and well-placed muted guitars.
Mariah Carey, “Merry Christmas” (1994) – The R&B/pop diva does commendable work in mixing traditional and contemporary styles. Her voice reigns supreme, as usual, with upbeat melodies and choir harmonies backing the pipes that made her a legend in the music world. This is the album that features her monster holiday hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, which has been featured in numerous movies and holiday covers since. To this day, no one else knows how to really hit that high note like she does.
Taylor Swift, “Sounds of the Season” (2010) -If you’re into country-pop, Swift is your go-to girl. This album not only features well-known songs such as “Santa Baby” and “Silent Night”, but also includes some original singles, including “Christmases When You Were Mine” and “Christmas Must Be Something More”.
Michael Buble, “Christmas” (2011) -For a real treat, Michael Buble’s “Christmas” is sure to impress. With his own recent Christmas special on NBC, Buble has demonstrated that he clearly knows how to belt out the classics. And classics are exactly what fans will get in this record, which lifts up his old-timey vocals and reintroduces legendary ballads like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas”.
