“A Christmas Song” by Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan is adding to his holiday repertoire with “A Christmas Song”, a slightly meta track that is full of heart and honesty, with Mangan explaining it “actually feels like how Christmas feels.”

He elaborates: “Christmas music thrives on nostalgia. As much as I do love a lot of Christmas music, I’ve always felt a bit disconnected from it - like there’s this overzealous desire to telegraph a seasonal elation that isn’t quite realistic. It can feel disingenuous or superficial. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we get caught between our desire to feel that mythological glow and the imperfect nature of real life in the present. Sometimes Christmas feels bittersweet, and that’s just part of it. I’ve often been asked if I’d consider writing ‘a Christmas song’, so I decided to write an honest one.”

Kirk

“A Very Merry Christmas” by Jill Barber

Jill Barber is no stranger to Christmas music, and this year she’s finally releasing a full album with A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas.

The album ranges from old classics like “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (a duet with her big brother Matthew Barber) and a sultry “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” to some originals, including “A Very Merry Christmas”, which you can listen to below!

So if you want to jazz up your holidays, you can A Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas now!

Kirk

“California Christmas” by Bryan Adams & Friends

This song is giving MAJOR Beach Boys Christmas Album vibes.

This month Bryan Adams released a Christmas album titled Bryan Adams & Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam as well as a TV special by the same name.
Musical guests on both include Alessia Cara, Alan Doyle, Barenaked Ladies, Lights, and The Sheepdogs.
The album is comprised of both covers of classic holiday songs, as well as originals like the one below. “California Christmas” dreams of warm weather and an escape from the West Coast Christmas.
Honestly I’d be avoiding the states in favour of maybe Mexico, but I get the sentiment after all this rain.

Christine

“Every Ribbon” by Tim Baker

Tim Baker released a new deluxe version of his 2024 album Full Rainbow Of Light with three new additions, including “Every Ribbon” which you can hear below.

The album was everything I’d expect from East Coaster Tim Baker - I had to google what “Tibb’s Eve” was - and was delighted to find out it’s a celebration in NFLD on December 23 kicking off the holidays.

The track “Every Ribbon” is fun but according to Tim…“Actually, it’s quite sad, but wrapped in bright paper so to speak. It’s an idea I’ve loved for a long time, but couldn’t quite get there in time for Full Rainbow of Light. It’s actually unrecognizable from what it was last year, except in concept. It’s a song about someone dreading Christmas, not because they’re some cartoonish Scrooge, but because the good memories of Christmases now gone are too painful to relive.”

Christine