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Sufjan Stevens – Sister Winter

There is barely more natural way to begin than with this extremely talented man from Michigan. Many musicians  have tried to record a good Christmas album, but only few have really succeeded. Sufjan Stevens is one of them and his final Christmas record from 2006, called simply Songs for Christmas, is something one definitely shouldn´t miss. Sister Winter is then most probably the best song from all of the 42 tracks we can find on that extensive record.

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The Knife – Christmas Reindeer

Still remember their amazing, already three years old album Silent Shout? At that time it was voted the record of the year by no less important a website than Pitchfork. And popular as they became, The Knife decided to come out with a remake of their old song called Reindeer, written from a perspective of this very animal. Moon’s light the feathers / The sleigh this year is heavier / I thought we’d reached Warszawa / But we are stuck in Vasa. And Santa here is faster / This house must be the last now / And we follow mister Santa / To the end.

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Bright Eyes – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Conor Oberst (or Bright Eyes) is an another utterly gifted American poet of music who has made himself an interesting Christmas Album. In this particular song he appears together with Maria Taylor, whose magnificent voice alone you will encounter a bit later at this page.

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Animal Collective – Graze

This is the most up to date thing on our list, taken from the last Animal Collective’s release Fall Be Kind EP. It’s hard to say if it was really supposed to be a carol because it is so abstract, but somehow I wish it was. For this is exactly the way a Chirstmas song should sound like at the end of 00’s.

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Sigur Rós – Olsen Olsen

You could choose almost every track and every album from this amazing band for your Christmas dinner. The one bellow I have recently found to be the most mind-blowing. Besides, the band has made a very rare cover of a real Icelandic carol called Ég fæ jólagjöf, which is definitely worth trying as well.

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Band of Horses – The First Song

With songs like The Funeral, The Great Salt Lake or Is There A Ghost, this band has become much more popular than anyone would have guessed. Unfortunately, there is no studio version to be found on youtube and the quality of the live ones is quite poor. It will nevertheless not prevent us from including them in this list. If not for anything else, then for the amazing lyrics of this masterpiece.  I’m shaking awful / I’m shaking ass cold / The weather remote. // The snow fall. / The snowy cover / We recover from both. // The christmas-time coming / And over approaching / We’ve been drinking for love. // It’s Christmas-time though / I’m coming over / Coming from / No, you’re already gone. // I’m wrapping up / The presents I bought.

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Feist – Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

It was a pretty pleasant discovery that also Feist has made a good Christmas cover. I guess this doesn´t need any more comments.

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Radiohead – No Suprises

Although there is a great rumor going around called A Very Radiohead Christmas Spectacular, we will probably still have to wait some time for this to happen. But already more than six years ago, when I first heard OK Computer, and then forever after, nothing has reminded me more of Christmas than this timeless and in every aspect perfect song.

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Maria Taylor – Christmas After All

As was already mentioned, Maria Taylor is one of the most interesting singers of the recent years. And if you haven´t had an opportunity to discover it so far, then give it a chance at least during Christmas. It is highly unlikely you wouldn’t like her.

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Everything But The Girl – 25^th December

And I see forests and it’s the 25th of December
and my old man plays the piano for Christmas.
He plays the piano for Christmas.

And we’re all there, all the aunties and uncles,
and the angel’s on the top of the tree.
Up there on the top of the tree.

And I never, no I never ever realised.
And I never, no I never ever realised.

Have I enough time, have I just some time,
to revisit, to go back, to return, to open my mouth again
and say something different this time.

And I see bags of newspaper and a car in the carport,
and you’re a grown up and still unsure,
and I’m thirty and I don’t know nothing no more.

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Death Cab for Cutie – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Then this is just an another most well-done Christmas song ever. Lately so much popular American band Death Cab for Cutie and their typical, clear sound. The lyrics are simple but it makes them no less humming. Pretty lights on the tree / I’m watching them shine / You should be here with me / Baby please come home.

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Sufjan Stevens – Put the Lights on the Tree

With Sufjan we began, with Sufjan we should end. Except for that almost all his songs sound like carols,  his album made especially for this occasion is just full of great music. And also because we should definitely finish with happy, optimistic tunes.

So there is a lettuce salad who says: “Why am I a salad again? I wanted to be a decorative flower!”

And under the picture is written: Oscar was born again as a salad to overcome his fear of being eaten by someone else.