Needle Drops

This unconventional holiday album collection ventures far beyond familiar seasonal standards but is not cheeky or avant-garde in any glib way. The thread connecting these recordings is their drive to expand holiday traditions rather than simply repeat them - from Andrew Bird's intimate winter meditations to Sun Ra's space-age doo-wop experiments, whether through Dean & Britta's indie perspective, John Zorn's intricate jazz arrangements, or Rami Atassi's Middle Eastern interpretations.

The magic of these albums lies in how they work as holiday records and artistic expressions authentic to each artist. Instead of straightforward carol covers, these musicians use seasonal themes as creative springboards, drawing from diverse genres and cultural traditions. They've created recordings that transcend their December origins to become essential pieces of each artist's body of work.

Andrew Bird - Hark!

Andrew Bird's Hark! takes holiday music in fresh directions. My beloved gifted me this 2020 release the year it came out. The record mixes traditional Christmas songs with originals and unexpected cover choices. Bird wrote the poignant "Christmas in April" early in the pandemic lockdown, questioning if families would reunite for the holidays that year.

Bird brings his violin and distinctive whistling style to Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas tunes. His take on "Skating" makes something new from the familiar melody, something rather infectious. The album moves between spare solo performances - a hushed "White Christmas" recorded alone - and warmer full-band arrangements like the celebratory "Auld Lang Syne" that closes the record.

Rather than stick to pure holiday fare, Bird creates music for the whole winter season. His song "Alabaster" captures dark December afternoons, while a cover of John Prine's "Souvenirs" adds an unexpected brightness. The album gets personal with "Mille Cherubini in Coro," a nod to Bird's childhood memories of his mother playing Pavarotti records.

The hand-drawn cover art by his mother, Beth Bird, fits perfectly with the album's intimate feel. In 43 minutes, Hark! manages to be both a worthy Christmas record and a true Andrew Bird album that works beyond December.

Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom - A Peace of Us

Dean & Britta, featuring Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna) and Britta Phillips (Luna), have partnered with Peter "Sonic Boom" Kember of Spacemen 3 for a distinctive take on the holiday album. The 14-track collection, new for the 2024 holiday season and recorded between Los Angeles and Portugal, brings their indie rock perspective to seasonal music.

The album steers away from frequently recorded Christmas classics. A centerpiece is David Berman's "Snow Is Falling in Manhattan," performed by Wareham. The song's lyrics gain particular resonance in light of Berman's death: "Songs build little rooms in time / and housed within the song's design / is the ghost the host has left behind." Originally not written as a holiday song, this winter-themed track from one of Berman's final recordings has, by its inclusion here, been recontextualized here as a seasonal piece.

Their version of Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper" pairs Phillips and Sonic Boom on vocals against a backdrop of synthesizers, transforming the country standard into a nightclub-ready arrangement. For "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy," the group looked to Marlene Dietrich's German version rather than the familiar Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet.

John Zorn - A Dreamer's Christmas

In 2011, John Zorn released a Christmas album. Maybe no more needs saying. But it's a modern classic.

Zorn assembled an exceptional group of musicians for this unconventional holiday album, including Marc Ribot, Cyro Baptista, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron. Seven reimagined Christmas standards share space with two original Zorn compositions: "Santa's Workshop" and "Magical Sleigh Ride."

Traditional holiday melodies blend with chamber jazz, Caribbean rhythms, and surf-rock textures. Wollesen's vibraphone work on "Winter Wonderland" sets a dreamy tone, expanding into intricate ensemble interplay. [Sometime] Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and longtime Zorn collaborator Mike Patton delivers a straightforward, rich vocal performance on "The Christmas Song."

The musicians bring sophisticated skills to these holiday classics without sacrificing their warmth. Ribot's guitar moves from subtle accompaniment to surf-influenced solos, while Baptista's percussion adds Brazilian and Latin flavors. Saft's keyboard work, especially on "Christmas Time Is Here," nods to Vince Guaraldi while carving its own path.

These versions respect the original material while finding new angles through thoughtful arrangements and expert improvisation. The original compositions feel at home among the standards - "Santa's Workshop" pulses with Latin percussion - and is closely adjacent to some of Zorn's Masada melodies - while "Magical Sleigh Ride" takes a more atmospheric route.

This holiday album succeeds on multiple levels: sophisticated enough for jazz aficionados yet festive and engaging for casual seasonal listening.

Rami Atassi - New & Ancient Christmas Music

A 2024 entry into the holiday music canon, Chicago guitarist Rami Atassi's New & Ancient Christmas Music transforms traditional Christmas carols through Middle Eastern musical forms and experimental guitar approaches. Recording on a fretless guitar, Atassi reframes familiar melodies using techniques like Arabic maqam scales and his instrument's particular sonic qualities and chord limitations.

Atassi recorded the EP with guitarist Nabeel El-Sayed and percussionist Adam Shead at Chicago's Midnight Tea Studio, capturing everything live without overdubs. Their performances mix Carnatic music, Tuareg guitar, Delta Blues, and Spiritual Jazz. A key example: their version of "We Three Kings" - written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857 - replaces the usual surface-level "oriental" touches with authentic Arabic musical structures.

Sun Ra - It's Christmas Time

Sun Ra's "It's Christmas Time" is a homespun doo-wop space-age Christmas wonder. It is also oddly beautiful.

Recorded at home in late 1950s Chicago and released in 1961 on his Saturn label, the single features Ra on harmonium backed by guitar, bells, and wood block, supporting a male vocal quartet called The Qualities.

The recording came during Ra's time mentoring local vocal groups, often finding singers in neighborhood barbershops. The production's sparse, intimate sound carries subtle experimental touches - clicking mouths and odd instrumentation create a curious feeling within standard doo-wop structures, perhaps even paving the way for what Frank Zappa did with the form a decade later on Cruising with Ruben & the Jets. This mix of familiar and strange defined Ra's work in this period, as he moved between popular music and his developing cosmic philosophy.

The single has found new life through reissues, including a 2011 Norton Records release and spots on various compilations. It captures Ra's skill at bending conventional forms to fit his unique musical vision, making even a Christmas song sound like it beamed down from Saturn.

'Lump of Coal' Recommendation: Holiday Terms & Conditions

Okay, this one's a bit cheeky and glib:

I had way too much fun this weekend turning corporate legalese into holiday tunes. [..] May I suggest playing this in the background (unannounced) at your upcoming holiday party? Everyone might even learn a thing or two about all the rights you signed away long ago.